The massive safety net had successfully caught all the falling civilians, and Gordon felt a tremendous wave of relief wash over him. The sight of innocent people being saved from certain death was exactly what he'd hoped for, though he hadn't dared believe it would actually happen.
Meanwhile, Alfred smiled with satisfaction as he monitored the situation from the vehicle's control systems. He knew this wasn't just luck—this was the result of Bruce's increasingly sophisticated planning and preparation.
The emergency net system was entirely Bruce's idea, inspired by Marcus's teachings about anticipating every possible danger during operations. In the past, Bruce's contingency planning had been limited to basic concerns like weapon selection and backup escape routes.
But months of intensive study had broadened Bruce's perspective considerably. He'd begun thinking about complex scenarios that might arise during their activities, including situations where innocent civilians might be endangered in ways that couldn't be prevented through direct action.
Of course, with Bruce and Selena's enhanced abilities, falling from buildings wasn't a significant threat to them personally. Their modified combat suits and physical conditioning meant that dropping from several stories would be no more dangerous than jumping off a high diving board.
But Bruce had insisted on installing the net system anyway. Even if the probability of needing it was small, even if he was confident in their abilities, preparation for unlikely scenarios was what separated professionals from amateurs.
"Good thing we planned for this," Bruce muttered, watching the hypnotized civilians struggle weakly in the safety net. "Otherwise we'd have had a real massacre on our hands."
While Bruce and Selena were certainly fast and capable fighters, they weren't superhuman enough to save dozens of people falling simultaneously from multiple buildings. At best, they might have rescued a handful of individuals while the rest plummeted to their deaths.
The two vigilantes released the newlywed couple they'd saved and turned their attention to the Mad Hatter, who was still standing in the middle of the street looking absolutely furious at having his revenge scheme disrupted.
"This guy is way too dangerous to leave running around," Selena said grimly. "We need to put him away permanently."
Without further discussion, both young crime fighters moved in perfect coordination. They holstered their daggers and closed the distance to their target with determined efficiency.
Despite his elaborate schemes and mind control abilities, the Mad Hatter was physically just an ordinary man. Bruce and Selena were confident that subduing him would be straightforward once they got within striking range.
Thud!
Bruce's punch connected solidly with the Mad Hatter's jaw, and the maniacal expression on Jervis Tetch's face instantly went blank. He flew backward like a discarded rag doll, crashing into a pile of garbage bins with a satisfying clatter.
"That was almost too easy," Bruce said, flexing his fingers as he watched their opponent struggle weakly on the ground.
Crack!
From the other side of the conflict, Selena's strike found its mark on the Scarecrow. Her punch sent him sprawling across the pavement, and in the process, his burlap mask was torn away, revealing the man's actual face underneath.
"Wait... Klein?" Gordon stared in shock at the revealed features of the fear-spreading criminal.
Gordon recognized him immediately. Dr. Jonathan Klein had been a psychiatrist who worked with the police department on several cases. Gordon and Harvey had actually saved Klein's life during a previous incident involving dangerous criminals.
The transformation from respected medical professional to fear-obsessed killer was completely bewildering. What could have driven Klein to become this twisted scarecrow figure who spread terror and murdered innocent people?
Seeing both criminals sprawled on the ground but still conscious, Gordon drew his service weapon and aimed it at them.
"Klein, Tetch—you're both under arrest!" he announced in his most authoritative voice.
The Mad Hatter let out a strangled cry and struggled to push himself upright, blood trickling from his split lip.
"This is all your fault!" he screamed at Gordon, his voice hoarse with rage. "It's all Gotham's fault! I'm going to destroy this entire city and everyone in it!"
Thunk!
"Destroy Gotham? I don't think so, pal." Detective Harvey Bullock appeared behind the Mad Hatter, casually swinging a wooden baseball bat. "You'd better just lie down and stay quiet."
Harvey had originally been positioned on a nearby rooftop, preparing to attempt a rescue of the hypnotized civilians if necessary. When Alfred's emergency net had saved everyone instead, Harvey had grabbed his emergency equipment and hurried down to street level.
He'd arrived just in time to hear the Mad Hatter's threats about destroying the city.
"Well, Gordon, looks like we wrapped this up pretty neatly," Harvey said with satisfaction, lighting a cigarette and taking a deep drag. "Our original plan was just to buy time and try to save as many people as possible. We never expected to actually capture these lunatics."
Gordon nodded in agreement, though he was still processing the revelation about Klein's identity. "Let's get them secured and transported before either of them tries anything else. Tetch especially—we can't let him attempt any more hypnosis."
Harvey completely agreed with this assessment. The Mad Hatter's mind control abilities were genuinely terrifying. Harvey had no confidence in his ability to resist that kind of mental manipulation, and the thought of being hypnotized was deeply unsettling.
Moving quickly, Harvey secured the Mad Hatter with handcuffs, making sure they were extra tight. But he didn't stop there—he also gagged the man and pulled a canvas bag over his head to prevent him from making eye contact with anyone.
This was clearly a dangerous individual who required extreme precautions. There was no room for taking chances with someone who could control minds.
"Better be careful with this one too," Harvey said, indicating the Scarecrow. While he was less concerned about Klein than about the Mad Hatter, anyone who could spread terror through chemical means deserved serious security measures.
As Harvey worked on restraining Klein, he noticed Gordon looking toward Bruce and Selena, who were standing near their vehicle.
"What do we do about them?" Harvey asked quietly. "Those two really saved our bacon tonight."
The volunteer vigilantes had been instrumental in preventing a massacre. Without their intervention and their vehicle's emergency equipment, dozens of innocent people would have died.
"I'll talk to them," Gordon decided, holstering his weapon and walking over to the pair. "You get these criminals into the car."
The Gotham Police Department had developed a complex relationship with these two volunteer crime fighters. While their methods weren't exactly orthodox, they consistently helped stop criminal activity and protected innocent people.
"Good to see you again," Gordon said as he approached. "You two have been pretty quiet lately."
"We've been focusing on improving ourselves," Bruce replied as he and Selena prepared to board their vehicle. "We want to be more effective at helping change Gotham for the better."
"Well, you certainly made a difference tonight," Gordon said sincerely.
As Bruce was about to climb into the driver's seat, he paused and stuck his head back out the window. "By the way, that Scarecrow's fear gas is seriously dangerous stuff. You might want to have Klein thoroughly examined by medical professionals."
The comment reminded Bruce of how difficult the gas had been to overcome. The chemical had forced both him and Selena to confront their deepest fears and fight through psychological terror that could have easily paralyzed less prepared individuals.
If it hadn't been for Marcus's training—specifically his lessons about confronting and overcoming fear rather than running from it—they might not have been able to function at all under the influence of the hallucinogenic gas.
With that warning delivered, Bruce and Selena departed, leaving Alfred to navigate the vehicle through Gotham's darkened streets.
While they hadn't encountered the enhanced criminals they'd been hoping to test their new techniques against, the night had certainly revealed areas where they needed to improve their preparations.
Gordon walked back toward the police cars, mulling over Bruce's warning about the fear gas. The young vigilante was right—Klein's chemical weapons were unlike anything the police department had dealt with before.
"Harvey, I want you to search both prisoners thoroughly," Gordon ordered. "Remove everything they're carrying—every piece of equipment, every vial, every tool."
Harvey looked confused by the comprehensive search order, but the Scarecrow's expression immediately changed to one of alarm.
Klein still had several canisters of fear gas hidden on his person—emergency supplies he'd been planning to use during his escape attempt. If Gordon was ordering a complete search, those plans were completely ruined.
"Don't touch me!" Klein protested desperately.
Crack!
Harvey's response was swift and decisive. His baseball bat connected with the back of Klein's skull, immediately rendering the criminal unconscious just like his partner.
"Why would I listen to a psycho like you?" Harvey muttered, beginning his systematic search of both prisoners.
The amount of equipment he discovered was staggering. Vials of various chemicals, electronic devices, mechanical components, and numerous items whose purposes weren't immediately obvious.
"What's all this junk?" Harvey wondered aloud, examining the collection of confiscated materials. "Do these guys collect this stuff as a hobby?"
But Gordon was studying the items with growing concern. The sheer variety and sophistication of the equipment suggested that tonight's incident was just the beginning of something much larger and more dangerous.
The undercurrents in Gotham were definitely shifting, and not in a good direction.