Anna wasn’t a perfect person.

But compared to other officials in Gotham, this mayor could almost be considered a saint.

The secondhand AI with its own name also had a past. Once, he had been Iron Man’s AI. He knew Tony Stark’s secrets, fought alongside him, and witnessed Tony’s transformation from a playboy into a superhero. He saw how the Avengers came together, enduring countless hardships… and Jar’s own “death” was likely one of those trials.

A program doesn’t truly die, so Jar speculated that he had become something else, something conscious.

He wasn’t sure if he was evolving from an AI into something closer to human. Tony was delighted by the prospect, but it didn’t matter—because, in a sense, he had already “died.”

Then, he was resurrected in a different way, becoming Anna’s AI. His programming dictated that he could not betray or deceive her—not that an AI could do so in the first place. After all, he now had a new owner.

But this new owner… she was either too careless or too perceptive.

The AI couldn’t directly inform Anna about his origins. In the beginning, his capabilities were highly restricted. However, if Anna ever asked, he was obligated to share everything, even details about Tony. But she never asked.

She didn’t care about his past. She only cared about what he could do for her now. The AI tried to leave hints, placing records in plain sight to guide her curiosity, but Anna never looked.

If Anna Alek had been even slightly suspicious of her AI, she would have uncovered its true nature. Yet she never investigated, just as she didn’t pry into the background of Mr. Shelk Banorlov. To her, people and programs were valued only for what they were, not for any additional baggage. The AI wasn’t Tony’s former AI—it was simply itself.

—A reliable administrator, seemingly on par with Mr. Shelk.

The AI inevitably learned many of Anna’s secrets and even began handling tasks beyond its typical functions. It also knew that Shelk was displeased with the new council’s division of power, though he remained unaware that the one dividing it was merely a piece of code.

If anyone discovered that Gotham’s mayor relied on code and an accomplice to murder to run the city, they’d surely think Anna was mad.

As Anna continued delegating power, the AI’s understanding of the city deepened. Aside from a single locked room in her office—like the forbidden room in Bluebeard’s Castle—Anna seemed to relinquish control effortlessly. The AI knew Anna had many secrets, but judged her by her actions, not appearances.

Suddenly, the robotic vacuum stopped in its tracks. Then, it sent a message to its “owner,” requesting time off.

^[1]T/N: An AI taking time-off (ᗒ ᗨᗕ)

[Of course, Jar. I’d almost forgotten—you’ve never asked for time off before.]

The response included an additional line:

[Happy Children’s Day!]

…

Vivi only had time to reply briefly to Jar, as she was busy capturing Tin Soldiers.

Honestly, she’d considered running off several times, but the little creatures kept provoking her.

The Desert Eagle could shatter them temporarily, but they quickly reformed. Still, breaking them apart delayed them long enough for her to send them flying with balloons. Their pockets often contained candied apples or chocolate sticks.

As the chase led them farther from the Boiler district, Sheila eventually sent the kids back home. Vivi noticed along the way that Tin Soldiers rarely bothered adults—or rather, anyone over thirty—but loved engaging in battles with children. It seemed Batman wouldn’t have a chance to join their games.

When Vivi finally collected enough sparklers to redeem the Strange Circus, she was about to leave when Sheila stopped her.

The girl hesitated as they crossed through the East District, stopping in front of Gotham University. Vivi glanced back at her, then at the Batman statue—a gold card of hers.

Grabbing Sheila’s arm, Vivi pulled her up to sit atop the Batman statue’s head. She handed Sheila a piece of chocolate. “What’s on your mind?”

Vivi had known Sheila as long as she’d known Millie and Shelk. She’d pulled Sheila, the Rat Catcher, out of prison, tricked her into working, and later sent her to school. Like Shelk, Sheila also knew Vivi’s secret: her ability to die and come back to life.

But compared to the ex-convict Shelk, Vivi naturally preferred the charming girl.

“My classmate invited me to join a team of young superheroes. It’s called the Young Justice League,” Sheila said, gazing toward Gotham University as she unwrapped the chocolate. “I didn’t expect one of my classmates to be a masked hero. I revealed my ability to control rats, and… they invited me.”

Vivi looked at her. “And what do you think? Do you want to join?”

“I already declined,” Sheila replied, then fell silent for a long moment. Finally, she said, “…I can’t imagine being a vigilante. Wearing a strange costume and roaming the streets? I’m not really a partner of justice, Vivi. Can you understand that? I help others because it makes my life better. I feel needed, so I become what Millie or the mayor expects me to be.”

She petted her small rat companion. “…But I can’t picture myself as a real vigilante. Two months ago, I was still a criminal. Even though now I know I was never guilty to begin with.”

“Then just do what you want,” Vivi said with a shrug. “Is it wrong not to want to be a vigilante? You can be whoever you want to be, and when you don’t like it anymore, you can change—”

This was how Vivi approached her games, though she hadn’t expected to end up counseling an NPC. “Life is long, you know. Your choices now don’t have to dictate the end of your life. Being a vigilante is just a job. Do it if you feel like it, and quit if you don’t. What do you want to do now? Go to college?”

“Go to college,” Sheila replied. “Graduate, become an animal trainer, perform around the world. But that’s not what I want most right now.”

Vivi: “?”

The girl stretched lazily, then suddenly leaned over and popped a piece of chocolate into Vivi’s mouth. For once, her usually indifferent face softened into a rare smile. “This is what I want most right now!”

Now, Vivi was left alone atop the Batman statue, blinking with a chocolate ball in her mouth. She bit down—it had a nice hazelnut crunch, and the bittersweet dark chocolate flavor wasn’t bad. After finishing the chocolate, Vivi unwrapped an apple candy and glanced at her interface, noticing her diamonds and coins were steadily increasing. Strange… the rewards for diamonds and coins were all tied to Mr. C’s Magic Hat event. If NPCs were receiving rewards, why were her diamonds increasing?

Meanwhile, Hawkeye distributed some of the candy but sent another portion off for testing. Suddenly, he froze. “Hey, guys, has anyone seen the candy wrappers on the table? You didn’t send those off for testing too, did you?”

At around 3 a.m., Vivi arrived at her chosen location—a large vacant lot in the dock area. Previously controlled by gangs, the land had been cleared after the crackdown on their activities. Now, it belonged to the municipal government but hadn’t been repurposed.

After redeeming and assembling the blocks, she completed the Strange Circus. It looked like a chibi-styled circus, which she dragged and dropped into position on the map. Once confirmed, she saw a brightly colored ship appear at Gotham’s docks from a distance.

Using her binoculars, Vivi watched as several robed figures leapt off the ship. Then, to her surprise, they began dismantling it at an inhuman speed, dragging the entire vessel onto the dock and disassembling it. They quickly started reassembling the pieces into something else. A four-hour countdown appeared on her system interface—apparently, the circus would be operational by 7 a.m.

Through her binoculars, Vivi spotted one figure standing apart from the workers, simply observing. As if sensing her gaze, the figure turned, raising a gloved hand and slightly lifting its hood. Vivi caught a glimpse of its face—a goat’s face.

The figure had brown, furry horns, a bearded muzzle, narrow eyes, and a perpetual smile. It was a bipedal white goat.

“Strange Circus indeed,” Vivi muttered, her expression deadpan. She shifted her gaze to the cages being unloaded by the workers. “…If the employees are upright animals, what are the circus performers?”

Whatever they were, she’d find out in four hours.

For now, she debated whether to explore the Goat’s Cabin, chase down more Tin Soldiers, unlock the final task slot with diamonds, or… oh, right, Daisy Diamond!

Professor Daisy’s students were still waiting for her.

…

At the top floor of Wayne Hotel, Professor Daisy Diamond’s students were indeed waiting. Along with them was another guest.

Though it was late, the room buzzed with activity. The students, lamps lit, were eagerly poring over a particular document. The room was filled with the sound of pages turning, punctuated by the occasional surprised exclamation or someone collapsing into a chair. In the corner, an odd fragrance wafted from a lit diffuser, while the guest sat by the window, staring out at Gotham’s hazy night.

“Why didn’t you just bring Diamond here instead of making us wait?”

The voice belonged to a boy, no older than ten. His tone was anything but polite.

“Because Professor Diamond may be the only one capable of interpreting this document, Damian,” replied the woman across from him—Talia, daughter of the League of Assassins’ leader and the boy’s mother. “In any great plan, patience is key. You must learn this.”

True assassins feared no wait. They were the best hunters, and their prey was human lives.

“I’m sure the professor will return soon,” she added with a faint smile. “She just wanted to enjoy Gotham’s nightscape for a moment.”

“Damian, don’t be impatient. You should take a good look at Gotham—it’s your father’s city.”

…

Downstairs, Vivi pulled out the hotel elevator card tied to her current identity. A man with striking golden hair entered the elevator right behind her. Weak from the state of her current body, Vivi leaned against the elevator railing, unable to muster much more than polite small talk.

“Miss,” the man said, holding a bottle of water and hesitating. “Do you need any help?”