CHAPTER 234: ARRIVING IN GOTHAM

"He’s gone to Gotham? Got it. Thanks. About the probe research you requested, I’ll move it up the schedule."

In the LexCorp headquarters, Adrian hung up a call from Vought’s intelligence department.

Just now, someone from Vought had reported Steve’s whereabouts to him.

Adrian didn’t hold much sway within Vought itself, but since the company regularly provided tech support to heroes, many of their advanced technologies had to be developed and manufactured by LexCorp.

While he couldn’t decide whether to approve or reject a contract outright, he had the power to prioritize which ones got done first.

At Vought, the company and its "hero dream" weren’t entirely separate. Heroes like Steve and the Fantastic Four, who either cooperated fully or were essentially part of the company, were rare.

Most heroes had their own private teams within Vought. These teams handled everything from logistics to PR. The more popular or powerful a hero became, the more benefits their team would receive.

With that kind of incentive, it wasn’t surprising that someone would use Steve’s location as a bargaining chip to get Adrian to fast-track research on gear for their assigned hero.

At this moment, Adrian was in his private lab.

"I’ve had a dream since I was a kid. To soar through the sky like a bird. Not by flying inside a plane, but spreading my own wings and truly flying."

He spoke as he stared at the armor in front of him. It was a full-body suit with a metallic green finish. Both arms had been modified into wings. It was mounted neatly on the lab’s central workbench.

"I just didn’t expect that while I longed to be like a bird, free and soaring through the skies, God didn’t give me the ability to fly. Instead, He gave me a bird’s short lifespan. But that’s alright."

He turned his head and looked at a strange device placed beside the armor.

Reid’s suggestion to Adrian hadn’t come from nowhere. In the Spider-Man comics, the man had indeed created a device capable of absorbing life force from others. And after he pointed it out and backed him with LexCorp’s advanced technology, it didn’t take Adrian long at all to bring the concept to life.

"Now, all I need to do is install this life energy absorption device onto the suit. When that’s done, I’ll be able to drain Captain America’s lifespan through the armor. His body is incredibly strong. Sharing a bit of that vitality with me shouldn’t be a problem, right?"

As Adrian muttered to himself, he hardened his resolve. He never once considered whether Steve would agree to give up part of his life force.

* * *

At the same time, Steve had already arrived in Gotham, and obtained a basic intel report on the city from one of Vought’s staff.

But the report was too complex. He couldn’t make much sense of it right away, so he decided to just ask the staff directly.

"I want to know if Alfred, the one who saved Howard back during the attack, is still the Wayne family’s butler."

Steve had no intention of interfering with Gotham’s affairs. He had never been here before, but he’d heard plenty about the city’s infamous reputation. His plan was simple: find Alfred, get the answers he needed, then leave without bothering the local superhero, Batman.

"That’s really not a secret here in Gotham," one staff member replied. "The truth is, Alfred is no longer the Wayne family’s butler."

Steve nodded in understanding.

"He retired? From what Tony said, Alfred must be pushing 80 by now. So where is he living these days?"

The two staff members exchanged looks and quickly corrected him.

"Captain, you probably didn’t finish reading the Gotham intel the intelligence department sent you, which is why there’s some confusion."

Steve gave a nod again, a bit puzzled. He hadn’t finished it. The Gotham files were far too dense, and since the city wasn’t far from New York, he hadn’t paid close attention. He was a man of action, after all.

"Well, actually," one of them said, "Alfred isn’t called Alfred anymore. In the documents we gave you, there’s a mention of the Joker Gang. Alfred is the founder of that group. He’s now known as the Joker."

"What?"

Steve was stunned. He knew about the Joker. But he had no idea that the man was actually Alfred.

In fact, this was a secret only a select few were aware of. Outsiders simply believed that Alfred had retired, never realizing that he had become the Joker.

"How did that happen? According to the files, he was a righteous gentleman."

Steve had come here to investigate the attack on Howard all those years ago, so his focus had been on the related files. His impression of Alfred was still stuck a decade in the past.

"That’s how he used to be."

The two staff members sighed before the previous one continued.

"But according to what we’ve gathered, the entire Wayne family suddenly disappeared. With both internal and external crises threatening the Wayne Enterprises, Alfred, as the loyal butler, simply couldn’t hold everything together on his own. Faced with that desperate situation, he secretly founded the Joker Gang, becoming the Joker himself. He used the darker methods and power of Gotham’s underworld to stabilize the Wayne Enterprises. It wasn’t until he partnered with the newly restructured Stark Industries that the situation finally began to settle."

Because they were aware of more of the truth, the staff spoke of Alfred with a hint of regret in their tone.

"But perhaps due to the conflict between his loyalty and sense of justice, or maybe because he was affected by the very laughing gas he developed while playing the Joker, Alfred eventually couldn’t separate himself from that identity anymore. A few years ago, during the Gotham Mutant Incident, the now-vanished Court of Owls exposed his true identity. Since then, Alfred ceased to exist. Only the Joker remained, roaming unchecked in the shadows of Gotham."

After hearing all this, Steve fell silent. He knew what Alfred had done was wrong. But ironically, none of it had been done for himself.

Even so, he didn’t dwell on it for too long. Now that he knew Alfred was the Joker, his original plan had to change.

"Looks like I really do have to bother Batman this time."

He wasn’t naive enough to go face the Joker alone. Asking Batman for help was his best choice now.

**

**

**

Thank you for reading! If you’d like access to extra Chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:

P@treon/SilverShark769

Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!

Your support means a lot, thank you!