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Chapter 46: What A Fucking Snake

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"You know Talia. There is this concept called making an appointment. I'd say it's common sense. You should use it sometimes."

Ian crossed his legs together as he stared at her, noticing her twitching face, messing with people was a bit too enjoyable for him.

Talia frowned and also gazed at his clear and carefree eyes. It was the same thing back when she first meet him, his eyes were always clear, and he never took more than a glance at her as if her charm was nonexistent.

She knows her own charm. Hell, she even captured Batman's heart with it, the charm not only of her looks but also of her manners, her every seductive action.

She is a woman with an Arab heritage. She has high cheekbones, a sharp nose, her eyes were green, more to the dark side though, and long brown silky hair.

Her curves made her even more perfect, and her enchanting assets elevated her even higher.

She wore a tight green chiffon blouse shirt and black pants that did nothing to hide those curves, so it was a bit surprising to her when he treats her like air, like a fleeting blurry image in his life.

"Alright, I will give you that, but why wouldn't any of your people wake you up? I asked, and they just told me to wait?" She wanted answers, what was he doing that his underlings couldn't interrupt.

'Oh, right... Layla sent me a message telling me there is a guest, but I didn't want to wake Selina up, so I just stayed there... It's her fault for coming at an inconvenient time.' Ian convinced himself, and answered, "I was asleep."

"Anyway, why are you here?" He asked.

"Why the impatience? Why not have a coffee with me first?" He was looking at her like an inconvenience or an annoyance he wants to disappear, and that was getting on her nerves despite all the hellish training she had to go through since birth.

Ian closed his eyes for about a minute, and she could swear he was trying to make her go insane.

Once he opened them, he eyed her with confusion, "I am really trying to give you the benefit of the doubt, but the only thing I can think of is what poisonous plan do you have in your mind that has only negative consequences for me."

Talia narrowed her eyes as she coldly spoke, "And why would you think that? What do you know about me?"

Ian looked at her in exasperation before saying, "I mean, you look like a snake. I didn't want to be rude in our previous meeting, but now you seem to be eyeing some kind of benefit out of me."

Talia was still not convinced and asked further, "That's it? That's shallow of you now, is it not?"

"No. I trust my judgment, you're screaming suspicion and I would never trust you or work with you. You being the Bat's girl doesn't make that any less true, in fact, it's the opposite."

That's exactly why he never showed even a bit of interest in her. Getting her in bed means she succeeded in whatever psychopathic plan she has in mind.

Normally, he wouldn't mind that, but she came here of all places instead of contacting him alone. He might be getting to conclusions too fast, but his worries are warranted. Him working with her is fine by him, but the Rose family can never be involved in her plans.

"Thank you, Layla, just wait with Ralf until Am done here." His order has been delivered, a coffee latte and a chocolate cake. The table they're on is his usual table, isolated from the rest, so their voice was heard by no one of the customers.

Talia took a deep breath, just realizing how much of a headache this will be, "So you aren't even going to give me a chance at all? Because in contrast to what you may believe, there are plenty of benefits for you."

Ian thought about it for a bit, "Hmm, okay, I will hear you out."

"I want you to use your family members to distribute some things all around Gotham at some point in the future." She was never planning to tell him the details or anything in the first place, so her words flew naturally, vague and compact.

Ian looked at her strangely for a few seconds before remarking, "This shouldn't have anything to do with Batman, I don't feel like sending you here is his style... That means you're betraying him in some way or another. You might be crazier than I initially thought."

Talia's face turned even colder as her casual disguise fell off, "I take it that that's a no?"

Ian started stroking his chin while looking at her for a good minute or so much to her annoyance, and only he knows the crazy stuff he was thinking about.

"I... Yeah, that's a no. It'd be a different story if you want to hire me alone for a price of my choosing, depending on the job of course."

"Perhaps you allowed power to get over your head. You have the responsibility to make the right decisions, and sometimes the necessary decisions due to your position, otherwise, you might suffer some unforeseen consequences." Talia coldly warned, expecting a change in his expression.

However, all she received from him is a chuckle, "What's the worst that can happen? I die?"

She simply had no way of noticing the sarcasm of his words because she doesn't know of his immunity to death. Her patience ran out with him, "Then I guess we have nothing further to discuss."

She then stood up, leaving Ian along, a thoughtful look was on his face, 'She definitely lied. She wouldn't be stupid enough to tell me of her purpose no matter how vague she spoke. It must be a cover and a probe to see whether she can work with me or not.

It's been more than two months since the job with Batman. A lot must've happened in the meantime. My view is quite narrow, so a lot of interesting things must be happening behind the scenes.

Seriously though, what was Batman thinking about having a relationship with someone like her? Love will certainly not stop her from her ambitions.

Someone like him should think of having a relationship in the first place. His field of practice doesn't allow that with all the crazy people he's making enmity with.'

Ian took a sip of coffee and had a taste of the piece of cake before him, 'I guess I am the same... I just have to take the brunt of everything, to stand in the line of the fire. I have to use my death immunity to manipulate luck more than ever.'

He then signaled for Ralf and Layla to come and take a seat next to him, "How did things go?"

"Perfect. Mi..."

"Wait." Ian interrupted him with a frown. He was thinking about so many things that he almost made a fatal mistake, "Let's change our location. Also, instruct someone to clean up the coffee as well, especially this table."

Layla frowned, narrowing her eyes before nodding. It was certainly not the first time a listening device was found in the coffee, so Layla as the one running coffee made it her job to make sure it was clean.

Ian saying that now could only mean one thing. The woman that just left is someone he doesn't trust, perhaps an enemy even.

They continued to their discussion elsewhere, in a more discreet location. They spoke mainly about his plans, one of which is a renovation of the coffee. It has become the most popular coffee in Gotham, thus it needs a little elevation.

Another thing they spoke of is his plans, some of which he didn't mind sharing with Layla, she has grown to be one of his most trusted aides, and someone to count on.

His plans started unfolding themselves ten days later in the crime lords' meeting, one that happened because of the recent tension between two crime families, specifically between the Cartels and the Russian mafia.

The reason? Well, one of the Russian heads' brother fucked one of the cartel lords' wife, and he didn't shy away from telling everyone about it.

And last week he ended up dead by gunshots, many bullet holes all over his body. It looked personal, and the incident happened mere nine days since he fucked the cartel boss's wife.

The meeting went as well as one might expect. It was a fucking disaster. The situation was already tense before, but now that someone was dead, the situation took an even worse direction, perhaps to war.

There was however an even more important thing that needed to be discussed. A secret stash of the crime lords was robbed recently, tens of millions were stolen, and they knew exactly who did it because he wasn't discreet about it at all, the joker.

Ian barely said anything during the entire meeting. Whatever cash the Rose family makes, they keep it in secretive locations other than banks, so nothing of his was stolen.

He just eyed the bunch, especially the Russians, his target. The mad Russian crime lord will be his mad dog by the end of tomorrow.

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Chapter 47: Kinky Cat

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He just eyed the bunch, especially the Russians, his target. The mad Russian crime lord will be his mad dog by the end of tomorrow.

And indeed, it all came true. The only thing that was stopping the Russian crime head from starting a war was the fear of losing not only his life but also all that he's worked on so far.

Many fears stood before him, acting as a barrier prohibiting his entry. However, those fears were no more as a certain liquid found itself in his drink. He drank it, and any fear he had within ceased to exist.

The fear solution, Scarecrow's invention. He had come up with it a while ago, and he didn't mind giving Ian a sample, all because of his obsession with fear.

And so, the war started. Many could sense the tension in the city. There was a hunt for the joker by not only the crime families but also by the heroes of the city.

And now there is a war, certainly not the biggest war that has ever occurred in Gotham. Only Four crime families were involved in contrast to an old all-out war that occurred in the street of Gotham long ago.

There were of course alliances amongst the crime families, so the allied family had to give some indirect help to their ally, either the Russian mob or the Cartels. Of course, it has to stay within a certain line, something like funds and weaponry.

It's safe to say that none of the other crime families expected the Russian mob to start a war, especially with the circumstances surrounding them.

They don't even know for sure if the Cartels are the murderers, but when has the lack of evidence stopped the crime families from doing whatever they want. The most problematic thing isn't really that, it's Batman stalking them in the dark, this could be the end of two crime families.

The Rose family rules half of the east end while the other half is divided between some of the other families, some of which are the ones in war currently, and that's only one of his goals.

The Rose territory is also one of the strangest places in Gotham. It may not be perfect, but it's the least dark place in Gotham which is entirely due to how they manage it.

Everyone within the territory just started feeling this sense of belonging to it, especially the formerly homeless people. It's mostly due to their hard work that it became what it is today, and their actions can be traced back to the Roses' influence, it's almost as if this was Ian's intention all along.

The peacefulness of the territory naturally attracted investors, but much to their surprise, pretty much every available piece of land, building, houses there were already bought by four different people, and none of them want to sell.

The price of properties in the area was going up, and businesses were vying for opportunities to buy in, but Ian held on for quite a while until now.

He just had to wait for a bit until this small war ends, and he can get the returns from all of his investments.

All he had to do was to make sure his territory stay safe, and with all the thousands of people working under him in a fairly obedient manner, that wasn't too hard.

They never had a shortage of guns due to the charity of the crime families. All the crime families' warehouses they robbed previously had more than enough guns.

All Ian had to do was to scratch the guns' serial numbers lest all the robberies get traced back to them, then distribute the guns to the trusted members.

Another week passed in the blink of an eye, and the war as most wars are was progressing slowly, mainly due to Batman and his sidekicks' constant interferences.

The peculiar thing noticed by most crime families is the Russian mob head's unhingedness. He was getting more and more aggressive and brazen as time went on, it was only a matter of time before he gets caught.

Ian on the other hand started working on something else, himself. He's very proficient in boxing, but he knows that's not enough in this world, so he decided to learn some more extreme techniques.

"How will this one help me exactly?" Ian questioned. His face was a bit sweaty but his breath was quite rough.

His position was a bit bizarre, to say the least, some yoga positions and he doesn't know much about yoga. The yoga position he was performing was so hard for him that Selina had to keep him balanced.

He was basically standing on his hands, his legs were reaching backward and his spine was arched. His feet were dropped toward the crown of his head. His gaze was focused on the ground with his neck also arching. It was quite the strange pose.

"The position is called Handstand Scorpion. It's one of the most difficult poses in Yoga, so you should be proud to have been able to do it in just a week. Granted, you were extremely fit to begin with."

She helped him keep his balance by holding his waist, she then added, "It helps in building your stability and improves the strength of your forearms, back, and shoulders. It also improves your balance.

There are other benefits but these are the major ones, especially your balance, trust me, you'll thank me for this later. Now I will take my hands off, try to remain balanced, just remain calm and still."

And she took off her hands right away, and just observed him taking one last deep breath before he regulated his breath, and tried to remain as still as possible.

'Damn, how is he so hot?' Selina couldn't help but bite her lips as she observed his immaculate pose. The only thing he was wearing is soft white swear pants, giving a view to his excellent muscles, he was sweaty, so it gave them a nice glossy look.

She approached him again and circled around him while licking her lips, "Hmm, How about a test? Try to stay still and calm while I try to distract you."

Right away her fingers found themselves trailing along with his six-packs, she could even see a hint of 8-packs, perfecting the picture further, his genetics allowed for them to grow.

'God how is he so ripped and perfect? Who would've expected this from a crime lord? I've devoured him with my eyes pretty much every day since then, but it never gets old... Perhaps I am getting too obsessed with him? Or did I just fall that much in love? Either way, it doesn't matter.'

Her attention was drawn to his chest as she gave it a soft peck. Her hands were wandering all over his skin, but she made sure not to touch him with too much force lest she mess up his balance.

She left a trail of kisses along his chest, his abdomen before her face was before his bulge, and it was extremely apparent due to his position.

"I am starting to think you have a different goal by helping me in training. I don't mind, I just wish our position were reversed." Ian mumbled softly, trying not to make much movement.

"Hmm, you're almost done mastering all the poses, once you've done, I'll allow you to do whatever you want with me, and I mean whatever you want." Selina naughtily murmured, still eyeing his bulge, "But for now, let me enjoy myself."

She then gave a gentle peck to the bulge, then another kiss albeit rougher. She then licked his bulge like an obsessed slut. She was getting naughtier by the day, or perhaps the naughty cat was already in her, she just got more comfortable and bolder with Ian, and didn't shy away from expressing her kinkiness anymore.

She was adorned in black gym tops and tight shorts, so while I may not have been too clear, Ian could still see a wet spot between her thighs, and it was getting wetter by the second as she licked him.

Ian wasn't that patient to let her continue for whoever knows how long, she easily gets lost in her adoration of him, so he relaxed a bit and fell back while bending his leg to stand on them, a natural flow of movement. Yoga seemed to be working.

"Wha-what a bad student you are," Selina mumbled, her face was a bit flushed and her breath was irregular.

"Hmm, indeed, and what does a bad student deserve," Ian spoke with amusement as he pulled down his pants, letting his large meat breathe some air.

Selina knelt before him almost too quickly, her face was mere millimeters away from his massive road, she let out a long hot breath on it, "You deserve a punishment."

She then got to work, almost in a hurry to get his cock in her mouth. She tended to it with utmost devotion. Ian could tell she was trying her best to please him, perhaps because of their strange sex life. She didn't want to be the only one pleased and satisfied.

Perhaps satisfied is not the right word as sucking his road always overwhelmed her. She was trying her best not to cum too many times as she kissed, licked, and worshiped his cock.

She left a trail of saliva along with his cock with kisses and licks before taking it into her mouth. Her eyes never left Ian's, she was making sure he can see all the love in her emerald eyes, and the worship of her every action.

The blowjob soon turned into a fucking mess of spit and blob as she tried to ease more of his cock down her throat, massaging and licking his length with her tongue with adoration akin to religious worship.

Ian's hands reached out to Selina's head as he started to gasp out of pleasure. He held her short silky hair tightly as he tried to force more of his length through her soft lips, alas, she still couldn't take it all inside her despite the mess of blob and spit all over his cock and her mouth.

He drove his cock in as much as he could before pulling back, fucking her throat with as much roughness as she could take, and she couldn't take much more as she was already shuddering with ecstasy, her cunt was gushing with womanly fluids, only she knows how many time she had cum.

"Selina!"

His voice told her all she needed to know as his shaft started to throb in her mouth.

Her face was crimson not only by pleasure but also because she was out of breath, yet she still continued to devour and slide her tongue alongside his shaft in welcome of his gift.

The moment she felt his shaft pulse, she instinctively took charge and devoured as much of his cock as she can take before she sealed her lips around it and eyed Ian with glazed loving eyes.

And God Ian couldn't handle her worship and dedication. It was driving him nuts as he let his cum erupt in her mouth, driving Selina's mind blank with spikes of unrivaled pleasure. Her crotch was gushing with fluids, and her gym shorts were completely soaked.

Yet as if out of instinct. her lips were still sealed around his length, swallowing every drop of cum as if it's some kind of divine fluid, unwilling to spill even a single drop.

"God... Selina, I love your kinkiness." Ian murmured as he opened his eyes after a few seconds of basking in the pleasure of her delicate lips and religious worship. She just has this way of stroking his ego with her every action as if she knows exactly what he desires.

Selina only pulled back once she made sure she swallowed every drop. Hell, she even made sure to open her mouth and show him of her achievement, one she seems to be proud of.

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Chapter 48: Post Nut Clarity With Perfect Timing!

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Selina only pulled back once she made sure she swallowed every drop. Hell, she even made sure to open her mouth and show him of her achievement, one she seems to be proud of.

Ian brought a towel before crouching beside Selina and cleaning her face. She was still absentminded in what appeared to be euphoria.

He pinched her cheek, bringing her back from the lands of the lost. Then he kissed her forehead and picked her up in his arms, "Breathe lest you pass out."

It was silly that he had to say that in the first place, but she did pass out because she forgot to breathe just a few days ago.

Selina was finally able to speak after quite a while, "Did I do good?"

"Beyond my highest expectations, so just rest for now." He made sure to give her the compliment she deserves as he reached his room, he gently placed her on the bed and took off her wet clothes before he gently cleaned her up with a towel.

He then covered her with his blanket, or their blanket now. "Rest well."

Ian still sat there beside her, just stroking her dark hair until she fell asleep. He knows she isn't able to move after the previous intense exercise, so he let her rest then went back to his personal training space to continue what he was doing before she did what she did.

This isn't the first time something like that happened. It's a regular ritual of theirs, and they were getting used to it.

In a way, Selina was working on her resistance to his overwhelming life force because like the first time, the moment he drives his road in, she passes out.

So instead, she started giving him blowjobs in order to please him, and finally, yesterday she was able to make him cum without passing out. She was finally able to handle that much work, and only she knows how happy she was at her achievement.

'Hmm, she really doesn't need to push herself this much, I was able to handle life without sex for months though who am I to complain? Anyway, she seems like she loves it, so whatever.'

Despite his thoughts, a satisfied smile was painted on his pale face. He does feel more relaxed and calm after each session of theirs. What they call post nut clarity perhaps?

He just feels like all the tension he accumulated over the past few months is going away, and in contrast to other people, he becomes more energetic after the sessions than the opposite.

It was something he valued quite a bit as it soothed his brain, especially with what he have scheduled in the afternoon.

So he headed back to his personal training room and started using that energy on something beneficial, yoga. It had truly benefited him despite only doing it for a week.

'I guess now I not only can do mental gymnastics but also physical ones, pretty cool huh... Hmm, it feels nice to make progress in almost anything, and I am making progress in a lot of things that I'm almost overdosing.'

He then stopped his nonsensical thoughts and focused on performing different complex yoga poses. There is even a yoga pose named Destroyer of the universe, now if that doesn't make him feel unshakable, what will?

Afterwhich, he brought out his Kryptonian dagger and started training with it, creating a fighting style of his own, one only viable for him.

He had already read a book about combat stances and swordplay. Now, he just has to do a few changes and build the muscle memory for it.

He then went on to the underground training area, small sections created for training in gunmanship. Since it was made, Ian had rarely missed a day where he didn't train his aim with all kinds of weapons. He mostly focused on handguns though, they're his thing.

If his aim was already great before, then after months of training, it's almost reaching the realms of perfection which is partly because he has the luxury to waste so many bullets and can acquire a variety of different guns.

He finished only when the time for his meeting arrive. He put on a long-sleeved black shirt, white pants, and black shoes.

He brought his personal gun and hid it in his waistband. He has grown fond of this gun, he rarely uses it but he can't help but bring it with him everywhere.

It was after all the first gun he acquired since he arrived in this world, a gun that was stolen from a common everyday store, ah how far has he come.

He made his way to his S-class Mercedes Benz and drove to the meeting location, an isolated Apartment close to the police station.

He knocked on the door and waited for about ten seconds before it was slightly opened. The person who opened it seemed to have looked through the peephole and just opened the door slightly before walking away.

Ian entered and locked the door behind him, and followed after the bat to the guest room where several people were already waiting.

"Ian Rose, nice to meet all of you... A few familiar faces I see." Ian spoke as he eyed everyone in the room, from The police commissioner James Gordon to Nightwing, and even Batgirl. That was strange to Ian because he knows she's Gordon's daughter.

They nodded at him as he took a seat while Batman remained standing, "Familiar faces?" Gordon wondered with curiosity.

"Of course, how could I not know the commissioner of Gotham with my line of work? And I met these two a while ago, and they're quite famous." Ian casually explained.

"You don't seem surprised that he's here." Nightwing doesn't seem to be a fan of Ian as he questioned.

Ian started stroking his chin with amusement, "It's called the science of patterns. You observed a pattern of events that happen many times, a sequence of sorts. Then you come to a conclusion, and Batman working with some of the police is something I already assumed."

"Really? Is that easy? Do you expect us to believe you? You might as well tell us that you know Batman's identity." Nightwing really didn't like him, and certainly had no trust in him.

"I do... Well, not exactly. Batman can only be one of five people, but the pattern isn't long enough to know which one of them he is. However, I am certain he's one of those, that or there is something supernatural around him which throws all my deductions in the garbage."

Ian didn't mind explaining as he eyed the seemingly calm Batman while speaking. He noticed the latter narrowing his eyes for a split second while the rest were quite surprised at his words.

Nightwing didn't believe him, but still used Ian's words against him, "Do you still want to work with him even after this? He's insane and definitely can't be trusted!"

"No no no, I am not insane... I am crazy sane. It's different, and you're right, I am not to be trusted, but I think you know that, right?" He turned his attention to Batman by the end, ignoring Nightwing's frowning face. His words didn't offend him, he just seemed a bit naive to Ian.

"Yeah, and enough of your banter. We're here to speak about our collaboration. Nightwing, I already spoke to you about this before, so set your prejudice aside. I know what am doing."

Batman finally spoke after observing Ian for quite a while. Ian's words didn't discourage him at all, in fact, he was even more hellbent on keeping him close and more controlled.

"This is James Gordon as you already know, and yes, we're working together.

And this is Ian Rose, the leader of the Rose family, a crime lord, and I want to work with him to get the underworld under control. That only became more required after the recent events, specifically the new gang wars going on."

Gordon frowned and seemed thoughtful for a bit, "Don't tell me you're actually planning on helping him take control of the underworld?"

He frowned even more, "Why? We're doing fine now. It may take time, but we'll bring peace to the city eventually. Moreover, have you thought of what'll happen when he gets to the top? Do you think he'll still abide by the rules?"

"I invited you here to clear your doubts. I've thought this through and this is the most efficient solution I've come up with.

Aside from the questions of whether we can succeed or not, we have the question of how long will it take? How long can we last? I've done this for years, and as he said, I know the patterns."

Batman has already worked with a few criminals by now, so he wasn't so against the idea. However, how his previous collaboration with them ended up made him more cautious, especially with Talia's betrayal as she returned to the league of shadows, something that hurt him deeply.

"Hmm, let me explain it, I think I can be more convincing in this regard. Then you can explain how you plan to keep me under a leash, alright?" Ian interrupted the Bat and spoke with amusement, seemingly undisturbed by the last part.

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Chapter 49: Wow, Just Wow!

...

Ian interrupted the Bat and spoke with amusement, seemingly undisturbed by the last part.

Batman nodded, also wanting to hear Ian's perspective. As for the last part of his words, they both are smart people, so he understood that Ian will understand that he understands.

Gordon also nodded, then Ian started his speech, "Batman has been doing this for years as he said. He had caught numerous criminals, entire crime families even... Yet it has only been getting worst, almost as if your existence has produced an opposite effect.

I think it's called the law of reverse effort, it states that the harder we try with the conscious will to do something, the less we shall succeed. It doesn't apply to every situation, but it certainly applies here.

That or Gotham is somehow cursed, or perhaps just the usual sinful nature of humans. Excuse me, I was going on a tangent there, too lost in my philosophical thoughts.

Speaking of philosophy, let's talk about The Law of Opposites which states that the path to success requires going against the norm; doing what might be unpopular, unreasonable, or unorthodox.

The norm is what the police were doing before most of them became corrupt, the police in Gotham became unorthodox, and their corruption was a major success because crime thrived in the city until you appeared, and what you symbolize is unorthodox.

However, it's not unorthodox enough, you need to go far and beyond, and what better way is there than to work with a crime lord? Fucking genius."

It was like he was putting on a show, one that'll amuse some such as Batgirl, but get on the nerves of another, Nightwing of course.

"Now that I am done with the philosophical stuff, I'll talk in a way that can make sense for one of you. I understand that his brain is a bit too slow, and the kind person that I am, I will simplify it for you.

The way I rule my territory forbids me from ever being involved in businesses that can put it in danger. My territory is the most peaceful area in Gotham by far, this is why it's thriving and why I am making so much money.

You should all know that the Rose family is barely involved in any illegal business which is why the cops try as they might have yet to find even a tiny piece of evidence about us despite trying to.

Yeah, I know that the cops are investigating the Roses. I also know that some of the other crime lords used their influence in the police to put more focus on the Roses."

"What?!" Gordon opened his eyes wide in shock, but he got his bearing back quickly and questioned, "Are you saying that their influence on the cops is that deep? No, that's not possible because if so, how am I at my position now?"

Ian raised his brow at the middle-aged man, "It's that deep. As for how you reached your current position, I guess it's due to hard work, coincidences, but mainly luck... Perhaps you got a bit of help from the bat." Ian did help back then with the Frank Falcone situation, but he can't say that now, can he?

"My point is that I am semi-moving to the legal business, so I need legal businesses to thrive, and that's not happening in Gotham currently." Ian started explaining things seriously after enjoying Nightwing's changing facial expression for a bit.

However, Nightwing of course wouldn't let that go, "And why should we trust your words?"

Ian eyed him strangely for a good few seconds, "I was joking earlier, but you're actually a bit slow? Or perhaps you wanted to ask another question such as why would I go into the legal business when I can go deeper into the shady businesses and make a ton more money with less effort?"

He ignored Nightwing's apparent seething of anger and Batgirl's giggle, and explained, "Well, there are several reasons, one of which is because of the likes of you... Well, not you but the strong heroes, like Batman and superman. One for his mind and the other for his godly abilities. They make it hard to succeed with my line of work under their watch.

I can certainly rule Gotham if I continued like this in a few years, but that's too long for me.

I can just cooperate with you all and attain that control in record time. Granted, I won't be making as much money at first as I would if involved myself in shady businesses, just a few tens of millions or perhaps hundreds? But I will be making much more eventually.

At the end of the day, it won't matter how many criminals you throw in prison, someone will take their place the very next day.

This rule not only applies to violence but also to drug dealers, gun trafficking, and so on. If I take control of Gotham's underworld, that won't be something to worry about. It will all be controlled."

"Will you still be involved in that? In gun trafficking and narcotics I mean." Batgirl questioned, and Ian noticed her voice was a bit strange, almost as if she was using a voice changer somehow. Understandable as she doesn't want her father to know what she does.

"I don't know... I mean, I don't want, but I might have to though it should be kept to a minimum. I am still unsure about what effect stopping narcotics from entering the city so suddenly would cause. Well, I kind of know, and it's certainly not a good future."

Ian was disappointed that Nightwing remained silent, not saying something even dumber, so he just shrugged his shoulders.

"I also have a vast network of information in Gotham, so I can provide you all with information. It shouldn't be hard to take down the crime families with that. I can even acquire the identity of more corrupt officers, more than the ones I already know."

That was quite the tempting offer, it truly was. Nightwing and Batgirl even thought it was too good to be true. After all, they know a bit about the Rose family, and Batman spoke about how its information network functions, he even told them it's scary if it expands too much.

"Well, I believe my speech has been satisfactory to some, tempting to others, and even incomprehensible to one. I said all I had to say, and well, Batman, it's your turn. How exactly do you want to keep a leash on me?"

Batman's face couldn't help but twitch much to the surprise of Batgirl, but she shouldn't have been that surprised, she experienced the same thing.

She eyed Nightwing noticing his expression remained unchanged almost... almost as he had yet to comprehend the vague roast in Ian's words, 'Was he always this slow? No way, right?'

"My conditions are quite simple. I want evidence regarding several crimes you committed, Damning evidence, and enough to put you in jail for the rest of your life.

I want you to donate 30% of your illegal earnings to charities of my choosing every month. I don't want your organization to ever be involved in a war of any kind, or even do something that might lead to people dying.

How you run your narcotics business will be largely controlled by me. We'll start by a distribution of the minimum until we get rid of it altogether. We will construct or fund some support centers for drug addicts to solve the problem in the meantime. All the earnings from narcotics will be in support of these facilities, meaning you'll be the one funding them."

"Why is it even necessary for narcotics to exist, I still don't understand?" Nightwing couldn't help but voice his doubts.

"If the narcotics supply is suddenly cut off without any preparations, the addicts will seek a new source of supply and perhaps even follow after that source.

Someone might use that as an incentive to start a war with the addicts as the fighting force, and I know that can happen. I have seen how much desperation can change people or drive them to act suicidal and irrational."

Batman took time to explain. He then added, not paying much attention to Gordon and Barbara's baffled expression. After all, his conditions were too harsh, and Gordon knew there and then that Batman was serious about all of this, and that he already thought it through.

"There will absolutely be no gun trafficking in the city, any weapons of any kind aren't allowed. I don't think that's a problem because it's not something you'd want anyway.

No one of the Roses or anyone working with you in general will be allowed to kill people or threaten their livelihood.

If it happens and I find out you ordered it or didn't stop it, you should know the consequences.

You're also required to tell me of all of your illegal businesses, every detail about them, then I'll decide whether you can continue to work in them or not.

There are plenty of other restrictions I have formulated, but these are the important ones. I will send you a document of the others later."

He was still standing in his place, his arms were crossed and his face was expressionless. He seemed extremely intimidating as he spoke a few last words, "I believe you have no objections, right?"

And then there was silence as most of the people in the room gazed at Batman and Ian with gaping mouths. The two looked at each other with a tension that almost started manifesting itself.

"Wow, just wow. What can I say? I am speechless... If only she didn't appear at my doorstep, I would've still been able to scratch some of the restrictions, but now..."

...

Chapter 50: Does Why She

...

"Wow, just wow. What can I say? I am speechless... If only she didn't appear at my doorstep, I would've still been able to scratch some of the restrictions, but now..."

He almost looked insane with his small occasional laughs as if in remembrance of something hilarious, "You're really don't trust me at all. It's okay, even I don't trust myself."

Batman frowned and narrowed his eyes, "She?"

"Hmm, you know, I lied about something before, about my deduction of your identity. It's not actually five people, it was five just a week ago, but I had a meeting with her, and I deduced a few things from her words, bringing that number to three, perhaps two even."

A hard cold threat, that's what it's. Just imagining what would happen if those three names were released... It's frightening. The crime and Batman's enemies will certainly not care to investigate any further, they'll just target them all.

"I expected this to be a negotiation, so speak your mind." He did. Batman believed that he won't be the only one prepared for the meeting, especially with how high he viewed Ian.

"What? You don't actually believe he knows, right? He must be bluffing! Moreover, can't we just help someone of our own become the ruler of the underworld instead of him!"

Ian's calmness and amusement were very apparent, almost as if this was a game to him. The fact that a criminal was before them, yet they can't apprehend him but had to listen to his nonsense was wrecking Nightwing's nerves, increasing his agitation.

"Hmm, I don't think that'd work, or at least it'd be nearly impossible." Batgirl voiced her mind after a bit of contemplation while eyeing Ian with interest.

"Why?" Nightwing was exasperated, it almost felt like the world was turning against him.

"Too many variables. Too many conditions to be met. It'd likely end up having an opposite effect, but I needn't explain any more because the Bat already understands that."

Ian really seemed to be having the time of his life, as his face was almost radiating amusement, "Now, let's talk conditions. I'll be donating 10% instead of 30% of my illegal earnings to charities of your choosing. That's something I was already planning to do anyway, for the greater good, and things.

There will be gun trafficking but only for my group. I have to arm my people, but I am not interested in arming my enemies, so that'd be the farthest I'd go.

As for the narcotics thing, I will be keeping thirty percent of the earnings aside from the base expenses, I don't mind donating the rest. It's better for me anyway.

Also, you'll absolutely not be allowed to look through our illegal activities. Perhaps I can tell you about the general way we work, but you won't be hearing any details."

"No." Batman simply spoke with his raspy voice, "No gun trafficking. There will be no compromise about this. The same for your last point."

"She." Ian simply responded with a smile, "Let's talk about the she. A woman I had an unexpected meeting with. She visited my coffee uninvited, and we had a pleasant second meeting... I believe you know who am I talking about."

Batman approached Ian, trying his best to keep his expression unchanged. His hand was swift as it found itself clutching Ian's neck before the latter can react, "You're overstepping your bounds..."

Gordon frowned and placed his hand on the Bat's shoulder, "Bat, calm down. I don't know exactly what he's talking about that made you so worked up, but please calm down... And you, stop being so childish."

He acted as a voice of reason for Batman in a bit of a vulnerable state. He let go of the choking Ian, allowing the latter to take a few deep breaths to get himself back together.

"I gues *Cough* Yeah, I really should stop being so childish." Ian muttered while massaging his neck before a childish smile surfaced on his face, "It's been quite a while, but I still remember the last time I couldn't breathe. I had to hold my breath for minutes, and I almost died if that didn't happen... Pffft hahaha, it was so funny."

Only then did notice all the deadpanned looks everyone is giving him, especially Batman who's eyeing him with a stern look, "Ah right, Ahem. I was saying that I had a pleasant meeting with your girlfriend, or former girlfriend I assume?

Also, you might've misunderstood what I mean by a pleasant meeting. What I meant is that it was an unpleasant meeting which is the opposite of what I said, but it's what I mean, so pay attention."

Ian took a seat again, seemingly not bothered by what Batman just did. He was after all not that petty of a person... I think?

"And now I lowered down the possibilities to a hundred percent one of two people."

His words were certainly absurd, making everyone except Batman confused about how he's coming up with such nonsensical deductions, and who are those two people whom one of them could be Batman?

"What did she want?" Batman didn't seem to care about those two possibilities as if knowing his identity was useless.

"She wanted to make a deal with me. No, she wanted to use me, I mean, she's a bit of a poisonous snake. I think she wanted to take over my family because she had seen our potential.

She also wanted to hire the Roses to distribute a bunch of bombs around the city at a certain point in time."

"She wanted what?" Gordon blurted out in shock before turning his attention to Batman, "Is it true? Were you with someone like that?"

"No no, fret not. I believe she lied. It was more of a bait and that was most certainly not her true intention." Gordon was almost about to let out a sigh of relief only to hear Ian continue in his usual dramatic fashion.

"Her goal should be something much worse, but I don't really know, I think Batman here can enlighten us more about her. She also threatened me since I refused her offer, so I really want to know."

"She's with the league of shadows. That's all you need to know. I'll take care of the rest.

However, I'll still not change my mind about gun trafficking no matter what. It's not allowed, and it will never be allowed no matter the reason. I can however give up on knowing all of your illegal deals as long as I know a general idea of what you do."

Ian started stroking his chin, seemingly thoughtful, "Hmm, sure. Alright, just send me the document and we'll discuss the other terms, and well, I am glad this worked out."

"You don't have a problem with the part where you have to give him evidence of crimes you did that can send you to prison for life?" Batgirl couldn't help but question with curiosity, and the more she spoke, the more ridiculous it sounded.

"Oh yea, about that. I don't have a problem with it at all as long as only he knows of those crimes. Priso... No, Arkham Asylum also sounds like a fun place, so I don't mind spending some time in there."

Ian let out a small laugh after that, amused by the prospect of that in contrast to the rest in the room. He believes himself insane? they thought.

Ian lifted his hand in the air waiting for Batman to shake it, and he did. The cooperation has begun though Batman seemed to still need to confirm a few things with Gordon and his friendly sidekicks.

So Ian took his leave, and while his latest words were foreshadowing to some, Batman thought otherwise.

They both have something on the other that can bring them down, or at least hinder their every action, they came prepared, so if one of them chooses to betray the other, they'd have to be ready for the consequences.

'I had hoped you'd change Talia. I should have known better.' Those were Batman's bitter thoughts before he turned his attention to Gordon, ready to discuss with him a few things.

Ian on the other made his way back to the coffee, then to his room where he found Selina seating next to his desk and surfing the internet with his laptop.

He remained frozen in his place for a while, just admiring her attractiveness. She just looked way too hot with what she was wearing, a white shirt that looked too big for her, reaching just a tiny bit beneath her meaty butt.

It left her creamy thick thighs for him to see, and God didn't they look enticing. He kept staring at them, neglecting how stretched his shirt looked in her chest area due to her bountiful tits. Another wonderful spectacle, however, he seemed more into thighs than anything else.

"Hmm, enjoying yourself there, are you?" Selina has certainly noticed him as she naughtily spoke while lifting her legs, giving him an even clearer look at her irresistible flawless thighs.

He walked beside her, picked her up making her yelp in surprise before he took a seat himself and placed her on his lap, "You really know exactly what I want."

Selina circled her arms around his neck and leaned her face closer to his before murmuring, "How can I not with how you gape at them every single time."

"How can I not gape at them? I mean, look at them," Ian muttered as he traced his hand along her thighs, squeezing them from time to time.

"Ahn... Ahem. Then I suppose we are for another treat today, another pure and chaste training session." She was quite embarrassed due to a moan slipping out of her mouth, and all he did is touching her thigh, so as one might expect from Selina, she alleviated her embarrassment by becoming even naughtier and taking a long lick on his pale neck.

"Pfft hahaha, cute..."