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Chapter 761: The Marvelous Adventure of Catwoman (Part 2)
🕑 Added 2023-11-25 08:04:13 +0000 UTCIn DC World With Marvel Chat Group : Table of Content/Chapter List
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As the saying goes, "Not afraid of thieves stealing, but afraid of thieves having ideas." However, this saying doesn't quite apply in Gotham. In Gotham, the majority of thieves are at the bottom of the food chain because the top is occupied by real armed robbers.
But there are exceptions, and one of them is the famous Catwoman.
Among the renowned thieves alongside Catwoman, the majority are professional thieves with certain ethical standards. They target locations that are relatively easy to bully, with weak security awareness, insufficient firepower, weak defenses, and easy escape routes.
Normally, thieves prefer to choose such places for their operations. However, Catwoman became famous precisely because she liked to do the opposite.
She specifically targeted places that were the least easy to bully, with extremely strong security awareness, ample firepower, strict defenses, and not easily escapable locations. In short, she went after Twelve Families' Manor, the jewelry store in the center of Gotham, the bank's vault, Gotham Auction House, and even Schiller Rodriguez's Manor.
And her record didn't stop there. As a thief, she managed to win the heart of Gotham's most famous vigilante and even moved into his Manor as if it were the most natural thing.
As the leader of the Four Great Thieves in the East District, Catwoman was well-known in the area, and her reputation had spread to other districts as well.
The residents of the wealthy areas in the south and west, in the Majority, weren't particularly afraid of thieves like Catwoman because it was widely known that she was only interested in jewelry.
Besides, the majority of the jewelry owned by the affluent residents wasn't overly valuable. People in the rich neighborhoods thought, "In a place like Gotham, if Catwoman has the skills she claims, at least she's only taking jewelry and not engaging in assassinations. Thank goodness."
Therefore, when Catwoman announced a few planned heists earlier, it didn't create much of a stir. The mindset of most wealthy residents was, "You're welcome to come and steal, as long as you don't break things, cause explosions, or point guns at me. Take whatever jewelry you want; we can always buy more."
After all, in the security situation of Gotham, losing things was the lightest form of loss. If one could buy safety with money, everyone would gladly do so.
One might wonder why they didn't try to stop Catwoman. The problem was, not even Godfather Falcone could stop her. Attempting to do so would be a futile effort, wasting energy and bullets. Since she didn't take much, it was better to pay her off.
This only fueled Catwoman's reputation further. Her title as a thief who always got what she wanted spread throughout Gotham, and Mrs. Goth was well aware of it.
Regular families weren't afraid of theft, but Mrs. Goth was an exception. In her Manor, there were indeed things she didn't want exposed, gifts she had received from the Great King.
Ever since cooperating with Leon, Mrs. Goth, relying on her social status and wealth, had helped the Great King in various ways and, in return, received many peculiar collectibles.
Mrs. Goth hadn't personally met the Great King, but judging from these collectibles, she could catch a glimpse of his identity. This strengthened Mrs. Goth's determination to work for him.
However, the Great King had given orders, and now was not the opportune time to reveal his identity. If Catwoman, the unparalleled master thief, were to break into the Goth family's Manor and ransack the place, it would undoubtedly lead to exposure.
Thinking of this, Mrs. Goth quickly contacted Leon. After Leon arrived at the Goth Manor, he immediately rebuked Mrs. Goth, saying:
"Why are you panicking? She's just a thief. Is it worth getting so flustered over?"
Mrs. Goth wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, "But... but, I can't afford to expose my identity. If Godfather finds out that I used the shipyard and Pier... I'm finished!"
Leon snorted and said, "Is Godfather the one coming to steal? Since it's not, why are you panicking?"
"It's just a petty thief. Are you going to be so restless every time? If in the future, when we do bigger things for Great King, are you going to be in a perpetual state of misunderstanding?"
"Yes, yes, I was a bit hasty just now." Mrs. Goth nodded, covering her chest. "After all, I haven't heard from my daughter these days, and I've been a bit anxious."
Leon sat on the sofa, glanced at Mrs. Goth, and said, "A thief is coming to your house to steal, and she even sent a warning in advance. Why not call the police?..."
"Call the police?" Mrs. Goth made a ridiculous expression. "In Gotham, no one calls the police. They're useless, and if someone does call, it's a sign of weakness. They might lose their lives!"
"At a time like this, you're still worrying about such things. Do you really want a thief to rummage through the gifts given to you by the Great King?"
Mrs. Goth was still hesitant, but Leon had already walked to the telephone. He picked it up, dialed a number, and then said, "Hello? Is this the Gotham Police Department? Here's the situation..."
Half an hour later, at the entrance of the Goth Manor, Gordon held a notebook, recording and asked, "Catwoman says she's coming to steal? Did she mention when? Tonight? Alright, we'll dispatch officers, keep an eye on the Manor's door, and don't open it for strangers..."
After saying that, Gordon went to coordinate the deployment of police forces. Mrs. Goth hesitated and asked, "Is this really going to work? I never expected anything from the police. In Gotham, no one relies on the police..."
After Gordon returned to the police station, he immediately called Wayne Manor.
Others might not know Catwoman's identity, but didn't he? Batman hadn't come out to fight crime in the past few days, which was understandableโit wasn't his duty. However, he still had to keep an eye on his girlfriend, right?
Although theft wasn't a serious crime in Gotham, even if the court sentenced someone, there were no prison cells for thieves. But Catwoman was, after all, Gotham's most famous thief. Gordon still wanted to show some respect.
Gordon called Wayne Manor, and Alfred answered. Gordon said into the phone, "Hello? Oh, it's Mr. Alfred. Yes, it's me, Gordon..."
"It's like this. I need to talk to Bruce; is he there? What? He hasn't been home for a few days? Did he go on a trip? Studying hard at Gotham University? Striving to be an outstanding graduate? Alright, alright, I see. I'll call the school to look for him..."
After hanging up the phone, Gordon called the Gotham University's administrative office. However, when the administrative office sent someone to Bruce's dormitory, they couldn't find him. In the end, Gordon could only call Schiller to see if he had seen Bruce at Gotham University.
Schiller, who had just returned from school and was planning to rest for a while, took the telephone from Merkel's hand. He said, "Hello? Yes, it's me. You're looking for Bruce? I'm sorry, you can't find him right now because he's focused on his studies. That's right, he's a prodigy...โ
"What about Catwoman? She's going to steal from the Goth family? And she sent a warning in advance?"
"This won't do. If Bruce finds out about this, he'll definitely put on that uniform again to stop her. After a night of busyness, he'll have to use the daytime to catch up on sleep. What about my class?"
"Forget it. The Goth family, right? I'll go with you later. If Catwoman wants to cause trouble, I'll stop her so she won't disturb Bruce's studies."
After hanging up the phone, Schiller put on his coat again, drove to the entrance of the Goth Manor, and waited for Gordon's police car to arrive. The two of them entered the Goth Manor together.
Mrs. Goth seemed surprised by Gordon's return. She thought the police were just going through the motions and wouldn't come back.
Under Schiller's instructions, Gordon introduced himself to Mrs. Goth. "This is the security consultant from the police department. He will help you with the deployment of police forces..."
Mrs. Goth and Leon shook hands with Schiller, but their focus was not on him. They were busy hiding the valuable items in safe locations.
After sitting on the sofa for a while, as the day gradually darkened, Schiller stood up and said, "Sorry, may I ask where the bathroom is?"
"Upstairs, turn right on the second floor," Mrs. Goth pointed upstairs and then continued chatting with Gordon. Schiller walked straight up the stairs and entered the bathroom. There, he transformed into a grey mist, beginning to investigate the layout of the Goth Manor.
At the same time, Catwoman had arrived outside the Goth Manor.
As it turned out, Leon, who came from out of town, completely underestimated the criminal capabilities of Gotham's criminals. Police deployment and security monitoring were utterly ineffective, and Catwoman smoothly entered the Goth Manor.
However, inside the Manor, she found that the storage room, warehouse, and bedroom were all empty, devoid of any jewelry.
This puzzled Catwoman. If the bulk items in the warehouse had been moved, and the safe had been transferred to a safer location, it would make sense. However, the absence of any items in Mrs. Goth's vanity box was strange.
Throughout her career as a thief, Catwoman had encountered many wealthy individuals. Typically, when the Majority transferred important valuables, they left behind cheap items while stashing expensive gemstone necklaces in safes. However, despite searching Mrs. Goth and Miss Goth's bedrooms, Catwoman couldn't find any decent jewelry. This fueled Catwoman's rebellious spirit.
"You're hiding something, aren't you? Well, I'm determined to find it all."
So, she began employing her skilled thieving techniques, searching for hidden passages in the room. While she concentrated on feeling the walls with her hands, she failed to notice a grey mist drifting towards her from behind.
A dull sound echoed, and Catwoman instantly turned around, adopting a defensive posture. However, she didn't see anyone but a grey mist.
The mist suddenly transformed into an arrow, pointing at a specific spot on the wall.
Catwoman tilted her head, not understanding his intention. Then, with a sudden realization, she brought over a chair and reached high on the wall, discovering a plant-patterned area that could be pressed.
After pressing the mechanism, a small door at the bottom of the wardrobe opened. Catwoman, with her remarkable flexibility, bent down and passed through, with the Grey Mist following closely behind.
Descending a series of staircases, they arrived at a secret underground storage room, leaving Catwoman astonished by the sight.
In these relatively small storage rooms, various boxes were piled up, including military supply crates, wooden crates, and cardboard boxes, each containing peculiar items.
Catwoman frowned as she inspected these items with a flashlight. Suddenly, there was a "click," and the light came on.
Catwoman turned alert, but instead of seeing a person, she saw Schiller appearing behind her.
"Schiller? What are you doing here?" Catwoman asked, puzzled.
"I'm here to stop you from committing a crime. Well, it sounds a bit like Batman, but in reality, I'm here to stop Batman from stopping you because he needs to write a paper."
"Oh my God! How does he have a professor like you?" Catwoman complained, feeling somewhat exasperated. "If I had a teacher like that, I'd drop out immediately!"
"Enough about that. Take your flashlight and see what these are."
Rolling her eyes, Catwoman followed suit, focusing the flashlight on the boxes. As Schiller took a step forward, something tripped his leg. Catwoman, looking down, captured the object and pulled it out.
"What's this? Hmm... a kind of dagger?" Catwoman examined the item in her hand. It was a curved blade, more like a long dagger, adorned with many gemstones, looking luxurious. With her years of experience, Catwoman knew it wasn't a modern piece; it had some age to it.
Suddenly, the flashlight's beam reflected off another object, producing a strong glare. Catwoman picked it up and found an ancient bronze mirror, resembling an antique from an Asian country.
Curious, Catwoman opened another box, a military crate, only to find a Nazi emblem inside.
"What are all these?" Catwoman was thoroughly perplexed. However, Schiller, as if recalling something, said to her, "Look around here and find the oldest thing you can."
Catwoman, still puzzled, followed his instructions. After all, she could sense that the current situation was beyond a mere theft; it seemed more like the discovery of a tremendous secret.
Finally, at the bottom of these boxes, Catwoman found a stone slab. She said, "This doesn't seem like an age-old problem; this thing is probably from the same era as dinosaurs."
Glancing at the stone slab, Schiller didn't pick it up. He had thought of some people. Following that, Catwoman saw Schiller reveal a chilling smile.
"Let's leave here first," Schiller said, heading out. Catwoman, following him, saw him casually throw a few things into a box near the door, seemingly metallic badges.
As they left the secret room and returned to the bedroom, Catwoman suddenly heard an unusual sound. She turned around and saw Schiller pointing an umbrella at her. Then, Schiller's shout echoed through the entire Goth Manor:
"I've captured Catwoman!! Everyone, come here!!!"
Catwoman stared at him with wide eyes, and then she heard Schiller say in a low voice, "If you don't want to go to jail, do as I say."
Twenty minutes later, at the Gotham Police Station, Gordon looked at Catwoman, somewhat puzzled, and asked, "You said you wanted to use the telephone. Who are you going to call?"
"Mind your own business!" Catwoman said with resentment.
Gordon shook his head and said to the nearby officers, "Give her the telephone. I want to see who she's calling. If it's that gentleman we all know, I think he won't come to get you out."
"It's not him," Catwoman picked up the telephone receiver. Her words relieved Gordon a bit, as he thought if Bruce Wayne really came to get her, the police station would be in chaos.
However, what Catwoman said next almost made Gordon fall off his chair.
"Hello? Central Intelligence Agency? I'm a thief. When I was stealing from the Goth family Manor, I found Soviet Union Defense Medals in their safe... seven of them."
"Yes, all brave and loyal."
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Next Chapter>>Chapter 762: Spring Breeze in Gotham (Part 1)
