DC: I Became A Godfather

Clark Kent, who had been smiling politely all evening, adjusted his glasses and fixed Adam with a look of genuine curiosity. It wasn't hostile, more like an audience waiting to hear the next act of a performance.

"Light and shadow have existed since the dawn of time," Adam began, his voice carrying a deliberate weight, as though reciting an old proverb. "Balance is the law of the world. Spears will always create shields. Body armor will invite stronger bullets. And Superman…" He paused, letting his words hang. "Superman will always bring forth stronger monsters. Before he showed up in Metropolis, the worst crime you had was from people—ordinary people. But now? What do we see? General Zod. Lobo the interstellar thug. Alien nightmares that came here because of him."

Before Adam could finish, Lois jumped in, her tone sharp.

"Are you seriously trying to say Superman is responsible for alien invasions? That's exactly the kind of propaganda Lex Luthor spreads! Those beings would've come sooner or later, Superman or not. If anything, without him, we'd all be dead by now."

Adam shook his head slowly, almost pityingly. "And that, Miss Lane, is your second mistake—overreliance on Superman. Humanity built civilization with its own blood and grit. We didn't leap forward because some god in a cape descended from the sky. In Gotham, we've faced horrors you can't even imagine—monsters that defy reason—and we fought back without a Superman to save us. That's the difference between Gotham and Metropolis. You wait for miracles. We bleed for survival."

Lois's lips tightened. Her fanatical defense of Superman was obvious. She was about to lash out again when Clark's foot subtly tapped her under the table. She stopped, biting her tongue, and drowned her irritation with a sip of rum.

"Speaking of Gotham," Clark said, shifting gears with a friendly tone, "I've heard stories about its dark protector… Batman, right? Some people say he's a vampire. Drinks blood, stalks the night…"

Lois rolled her eyes. "Clark, please. Batman isn't a monster—he's as much a hero as Superman. Maybe more, considering what he's up against every night. The problem is, Gotham doesn't like acknowledging him. Neither the government nor the people. If Batman were in Metropolis, we'd be honoring him with statues and parades by now." She glanced at Adam with a challenging smirk. "That's the difference between our cities."

Adam chuckled. "A statue? That's your solution? A chunk of metal for pigeons to crap on? Sure, Superman's got his monument, but does that statue stop crime? In Gotham, we don't need statues. When the Bat-Signal lights up the night, every thug knows it's time to crawl back into their holes. That's our totem. A living one. A real one. Statues are just tricks to worship men as if they're emperors. Real heroes don't stand on pedestals—they live in people's hearts."

Lois faltered. She didn't have a comeback for that. Clark, on the other hand, looked intrigued.

"But Batman," Adam continued, "for all his brilliance, got it wrong from the start. Violence to stop violence—it's a losing game. Gotham is a snake cutting off its head, only for two more to grow back. He beats the Penguin tonight, tomorrow Black Mask rises. He can't win this way. He'll die trying… and the city will keep rotting."

Clark rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So you're saying Batman's war is… endless?"

"Exactly. Gotham doesn't just need a Dark Knight. It needs a Light Knight." Adam's voice sharpened. "The city's corruption, greed, and inequality are the real roots of crime. The rich live like kings while the poor rot in the gutters. Batman can't fix that. We need someone with influence, someone who can fight the disease in the daylight while Batman handles the shadows. Light and dark together, only then can Gotham survive."

Lois tilted her head and asked, "You're saying… someone like Thomas Wayne? I read he tried to fix Gotham through philanthropy, but look what happened. He and his wife were murdered in an alley by the very people they tried to help."

Adam nodded. "Exactly. Thomas Wayne was the first Light Knight, but he was alone. A man with ideals but no shield. If Gotham had both knights—one to reform the system, one to scare the hell out of criminals—maybe the Waynes would still be alive."

Clark's gaze hardened slightly, as if the weight of Adam's words struck a chord. "So you think… Batman needs a partner. Not another vigilante, but someone who can stand in the light."

"Without one or the other, Gotham will burn," Adam said, his tone grim. "The knight in the dark will burn himself to keep the city warm. And when there's nothing left of him but ash… Gotham will follow."

Clark leaned back, visibly impressed. "I wish Batman could hear you. He might not admit it, but I think he'd agree with a lot of what you just said."

Adam smirked inwardly and thought, 'If only you knew, Kent. Batman and I have already had this conversation—with fists and blood.'