Steph and numbers

I used to sleep 1 hour like Bruce, and stayed planing on my room 5 hours to pretend to be human. So I do the same, with an exception. I'm not in a hotel anymore. I'm staying at another of the sniper's clients. He lives alone in a penthouse. A representative of an asian mafia. As soon I insert the pen drive on his laptop, she calls.

" Get out of there, he is ... "

" Tomorrow. I like his house, and I'm taking the money. I don't like the jewels, ask if Selina is interested. "

She giggles, and ends the call. I don't need this, My ring can sustain me. But I need to create at least this trail. I plug my phone, and start charging it. Then I go to the bedroom and move around a little the sheets and blankets. Just enough to pretend that someone was sleeping there. I open the refrigerator, and start cooking. Pizza for Babs, and thai curry for ... here she comes. I'm with my back turned to her, and know that she's looking at the suitcase with cash, and jewels. I take the pizza from the oven, fold it, and put it inside the containers I bought. Then I do the same with the curry.

" Rude. At least could let me taste. I love Thai curry ... "

" This is all for you, Selina. the sun is almost rising, and I like to see it outside. "

" Where is the owner ? "

" Bathtub, sleeping. With half a bottle of Baijiu poured over him ... I helped him celebrating. "

" You want me to take that suitcase, and give to her ? "

" Have breakfast with her. For your trouble, you can keep the jewels. "

" Do you know how much this worth ? "

" I only work with money. The supermarket doesn't accept jewels. "

" That's ... a different way to see it ... What about ... "

" Oracle, call the police. Send a copy of the photos to Montoya. Selina we should go. "

I close the briefcase, and hand it to her. She grabs it and exits trough the window. I pull my hoodie over my head, and exit through the balcony. She is waiting for me on the alley, and I explain.

" I'm not going with you, I'm a day walker. Please hurry up, the pizza is getting cold. "

She looks surprised to me, I turn to the corner and I'm dive into the main Street. The sleepy city is getting the streets filled with living zombies. Even without reading their minds, I can see that they wish to be in bed. Humans are strange, they work to much, and do not sleep enough. They live in a big house, but spend most of the time out, working to earn the money to pay the big home. I walk slowly, until I arrive Lenny's. The shop I met Bullock. He is exiting with his usual box. 12 units, $10 ... I go near him, and reach my open hand to him. He pulls $10 from his pocket, I grab them, and he looks at me.

" Your friends ... beat him bad ... who are they ? "

" Don't know ... They give message, I pass message. "

" Ok ... call me always ... I have more money for you. Tell no one. "

"Me smart ... I tell, money stops. "

I walk out, and Montoya makes a joke about Bullock becoming human while she friendly takes a doughnut from his box. He also takes a doughnut, and they return to the police car.

The sun is rising, all is perfect ... but we are in Gotham. I see him. He drags the man to the corner, then takes his wallet and proceeds to buy himself a tuna sandwich from a nearby food truck.

I could relate to him, I'm not Bruce, and stealing a wallet from a thug with a knife hidden in his boot, is not a big problem ... but the tuna lover has a gun on his pocket ... and that's to much. A gun in daylight ... My ring tracks him, while I buy new clothes. Hoodie, cargo pants, boots. My old things are on the bag, and I go to the cashier to pay. The big man that was thinking that I was going to steal the items steps back, and I walk out of there. Street markets, cash only, best places to shop, keep the economy alive, and leave no trace.

Oracle, Bruce, Fox ... no one can see it ... digital money is the end of their freedom ... or not. Time line changed, and even my little actions, are changing it even more. I grab my bag, and put it in near the dumpster. Someone will make good use of them. Half of the money I put inside the suitcase that Selina took, the other half is with me, and I'm spreading it in all donation boxes of the temples.

Wayne's money doesn't reach all, with my new used clothes, I start following my next prey ... and see him getting beaten by Cranston. Batman's files suggest that he is a corrupt police officer, willing to beat confessions out of suspects. Bruce doesn't see how he is doing the same thing. Cranston is now beating my prey for not paying him enough for his protection. The victim is called Davis and he is saying that he acquired a massive gambling debts. The asian mafia I visited ... the people running this city prey the weak and the law protects them. The report is coming on the radio.

" After Danzer, a new victim of the Brooms was found this morning. "

Brooms ... they already gave a name to my group based on the splinters of wood they found ... victims ... Davis and the others are the real victims ... But the radio is right, let's aim for the small fish. The gambling house, is small enough ... unless my phone vibrates.

" Spencer needs your help, Steph. "

" Spencer ... Working for your team ... Birds not bats ... Send me the file ... no .... no data on my phone ... create a box on your page ... users only ... put all inside. Read only ... protected from copy and download ... "

" Wow ... that's a great idea ... we don't need special gear ... just my site ... And can be accessed with a phone."

" Rolling thunder, your company page. Login ... opening the box ... there we go ... a serial killer ... "

" Spencer is confused about this ... The bodies are pilling up ... and there are no clues ... except the random ... "

" Numbers ... they are not random. There is a logic in the criminal sick mind, and he wants to be caught ... Dewey ... Your speciality ... Make it public, Barbara Gordon helped Kate Spencer solving a crime. "

" Wait ... Dewey ... Decimal Classification ... these are books references ... How did you ... "

" Not me, you. Spencer called you. Your photographic memory and degree in the field caught the clue, and you called busy Steph during her breakfast to confirm it. 130, 100 for philosophy, and 30 for branches of psychology. The first victim's job. "

" 260, 200 for Religion, and 60 for catholic. The second victim's job ... and so on ... You're the best ... "

She ends the call, and I continue reading the files. Something is wrong here. She call after a few hours.

" I can see for your login, that you are looking at it ... Did you find out the future victim ? "

" 300, social science. Overlay the map of the streets were the bodies were found. It's a library. Check zero. "

" Zero ... General Works ... Library Science ... the killer is that dumb to give us ... "

" The assassin liker order, he is a fan of Dewey. In his sick mind, he is a librarian, that needs to be organised. "

" You talk like him and think like him ... Take it as a compliment ... "

She ends the call. I see the other files she placed on my box. Her way to ask my help ... Steph will help her, as long she understands the lines that I will cross to serve divine justice to this dark world.

He also sends me a message. A key to enter a lair. He can see it. Gotham as Birds and Bats, but Bludhaven does not have nothing ... It's his way to put me on a leash ... And out of his sight.