Nobody can stop me from drawing cards in Gotham!

Chapter 62: The Serial Disappearances in Crime Alley!

"Do you know about those people who have recently disappeared in Crime Alley?"

Perhaps influenced by Jaeger's behavior, Jason finally took a sip of hot milk and spoke solemnly.

"...Sorry, I've been staying home a bit." Jaeger became serious. "Have there been many missing persons in Crime Alley lately?"

“That’s right.” Jason nodded. “You might say that it’s perfectly normal for someone to go missing in Crime Alley… I thought so at first too.”

"But this time, it's different."

Jason lowered his voice, saying, "They didn't die from street fights, gang warfare, or drug abuse... they were taken away by a strange guy!"

"A strange guy?" Jaeger leaned down and started recording on his phone.

"Just a few days ago," Jason said, a look of recollection on his face. "I had arranged to meet a friend to sell the tires I had previously pried off..."

"What do you mean by the tires you pried off earlier? -- Never mind, you can continue." Jaeger waved his hand.

"In short, we were up quite late that day, and as soon as we got the money, we rushed back... After all, Crime Alley at night is several times more dangerous than during the day," Jason said.

"But right there on the street, we heard a strange sound."

"—That was a person's scream."

"My friend and I only dared to peek from the street corner, and we saw someone crying and screaming like a madman, rolling around on the ground, shouting things like 'No, help, let me go'..." Jason shuddered, but forced himself to remain calm. "Finally, that person suddenly collapsed as if all his strength had left him."

"It sounds like some hallucinogens might have similar effects," Jaeger said. "So what made you feel the need to come to me for help?"

Jason, upon hearing this, became agitated: "Because that wasn't the effect of hallucinogens at all! It was...it was caused by a monster!"

"My friend and I saw it with our own eyes: after that person fell, a gaunt monster emerged and dragged him away!"

Yes, a monster.

Jason couldn't help but recall the scene from that night.

The pitch-black night was like a breeding ground for all kinds of monsters, and a chilling coldness spread through the silent streets.

The moonlight that night shone down, illuminating the uneven paving stones of Crime Alley, the person lying on the ground, their life hanging in the balance, and also illuminating the monster that emerged from the shadows—

A head rotting like a rag, a gaping mouth stitched with needles and thread, crimson eyes in their sockets... and a straw hat perched askew on its head.

The moment she saw it clearly, my friend almost screamed out of the blue.

Jason suddenly displayed a decisiveness and intuition far beyond his years, covering his friend's mouth and carefully leading him to a place where the monster couldn't see him.

It wasn't until several minutes later that he let go and cautiously peeked out to check.

At that moment, the monster, along with the person lying on the ground, vanished.

No one saw it, but that person was definitely taken away by the monster!

Considering the recent increase in missing persons in Crime Alley, including the disappearance of a nearby hot dog vendor, Jason had a very ominous feeling.

Could it be that all these people... were actually taken away by that monster?

Worse still, the area targeted by that monster started in a corner of Crime Alley and spread out in a circle, getting closer and closer to where Jason was!

Jason not only needs to consider his own safety, but also the safety of his frail and sickly mother.

As for his father… Jason didn’t want to talk about him.

Unfortunately, as a child of about ten years old, his abilities were limited. He wanted to tell others about it, but he knew that everyone except his mother would think it was nonsense.

As for seeking help from the police... he doesn't trust the GCPD.

Even though the GCPD has improved significantly in recent years according to some adults, Jason still doesn't trust them. Besides, like most adults, they don't believe a child.

And that legendary bat that roams the darkness of Gotham...

If he could, Jason would be willing to ask that legendary being for help, but he had no way to contact them... It was already difficult enough to struggle in the old town, let alone secretly borrow the Bat-Lamp from the Upper West Side.

Finally, Jason remembered something he'd heard from a friend—that a strange detective who could solve cases involving mysterious forces had moved into the haunted apartment in Crime Alley.

Involving mysterious forces...

Can this detective deal with the monster that's wreaking havoc all over Crime Alley?

So, with a try-it-out mentality, Jason mustered up his courage and went to the apartment building that had been the subject of many terrible rumors in the neighborhood.

However, it wasn't quite what he had imagined. Although he almost died after entering the apartment, the detective was surprisingly young and easy to talk to.

Meanwhile, after listening to Jason's description of the monster and the recent disappearances in Crime Alley, Jaeger, sitting opposite him, fell into deep thought.

A minute later, he decisively picked up his phone and opened Pingo.

If you're unsure what to do, just ask the well-known bat of Gotham City if he's noticed anything unusual about Crime Alley lately.

As for this commission...

Seeing the boy staring at him expectantly, Jaeger cleared his throat and said solemnly, "I understand, so Jason..."

"I accept this commission."