Chapter 35: Orphan Harbor.

The wind at the harbor was strong, carrying the salty smell of the sea. Several cargo ships were docked at the dock, containers neatly stacked beside them. Meanwhile, several trucks were docked near the shore.

Nearly a hundred burly men stood near the trucks, their guns drawn, their faces alert and vigilant. Numerous porters were loading cargo from the containers onto the trucks.

Batman and Robin watched from a high point in the distance, trying to find a way in.

Robin crouched beside him and whispered, "The Penguin has brought a large group this time. A direct confrontation wouldn't be cost-effective. Perhaps we should just hijack the trucks while they're delivering the cargo."

Batman nodded, approving of Robin's plan.

"Okay, I'll see you later—"

He suddenly stopped, staring toward the dock—

where a burst of gunfire erupted, mixed with the clatter of heavy objects and angry shouts. The crowd, previously moving cargo in an orderly manner, erupted in chaos, many shouting something

—as if someone had launched an attack.

Batman's expression shifted. He motioned for Robin to remain where he was while he went to investigate the situation on the dock.

"You stay here and continue observing," he whispered, deploying his glider and descending.

As he successfully landed on the container using his grappling hook, he saw a dark figure in the crowd deftly kicking a gun out of a burly man's hand.

The figure was moving at high speed, dodging all incoming bullets with pinpoint precision. She elbowed the attacker next to her in the temple and kicked another in the neck, knocking him down. She

wore a gray-black combat suit, short hair, and a black mask.

Batman recognized this person.

It was the short-haired girl who had aided them during Poison Ivy's previous attack.

In fact, he later tracked down her movements and discovered that she always operated alone, with no discernible pattern to her appearances and relatively sporadic locations.

Her few sightings had been near the slums, where she had helped thwart several robberies.

She hadn't yet made a lasting impression on the Gothamites.

Batman informed Robin of the situation and then jumped from the container.

The girl noticed him, gave him a cold glance, and said nothing.

Batman quickly joined the action, his strikes clean and precise, avoiding vital points while still striking the enemy with pinpoint accuracy.

The enemy's firepower was ineffective against him, and Robin also jumped down. The three of them worked in perfect harmony, steadily suppressing the gang.

Upon seeing Batman, some gang members began to panic and retreat. Robin, sensing their intentions, pursued them and struck them down one by one.

Within ten minutes, the gunfire in the warehouse ceased, and the enemy was completely routed, leaving only the gang members lying on the ground.

Batman found the diminutive Penguin behind the container. He gasped for breath and tried to draw his gun, but Batman, without hesitation, knocked him unconscious with a punch and threw him to the group of gang members lying on the ground.

Batman then turned and looked at the figure standing in the shadows.

The girl in black with neat short hair didn't leave. She kept watching Batman and Robin deal with the fallen gang members.

Bruce looked at her from a distance. It was not difficult to observe that her equipment was made of special materials. The combat suit had a certain bulletproof effect, and the protective gear was comprehensive and light, which did not affect her movements.

Maybe someone was funding her behind the scenes, Batman made a silent judgment.

She was very skilled and good at fighting. Her movements were crisp and clear, but she also knew the limits and would not kill the enemy.

She was a partner worth recruiting.

"See you again."

The girl looked up at him, and their eyes briefly met in the air for a second.

"Thank you for your assistance." Batman said in a deep voice.

The girl did not speak, but lowered her head to organize her equipment.

Batman hesitated for a few seconds, then slowly spoke, "You're well-equipped and your intelligence is accurate. I can see you have helpers. Your actions intersect with ours. I need to understand the purpose of you and your team." "

I won't interfere with your actions," she said for the first time. Her voice was sharp, yet her youth was evident. "We're protecting Gotham."

Given her actions, it didn't sound like a lie.

Batman nodded, and he said, "If you're willing, we can work together."

"If you need it," the short-haired girl pulled a card from her belt and tossed it to Robin, who was closer. "It has my contact information."

"Cool!" Robin took the card and looked at it, raising an eyebrow in interest. "So what should we call you? You know—we have to have a code name, right?"

"Orphan."

The black-haired girl didn't pause, turning and disappearing into the deep night.

After she left, Robin approached and handed the card to Batman.

"I have to admit," his face looked a little strange, a mixture of admiration and surprise, "I'm a little in love with her, she's really amazing, isn't she?"

Batman glanced at him.

"You just got her contact information, I don't think I need to teach you how to ask her out-"

"Wait, I didn't think about dating her!" Robin interrupted him hurriedly, "That's admiration! I don't believe you don't like her crisp fighting style-"

Batman did not comment, he did not talk about this topic anymore, but called the GCPD.

After contacting the police and asking them to come and arrest people, he turned to Robin and said:

"You go back in the Batmobile first-turn on the automatic cruise control, I'm going to drive Jack back to his apartment."

"Oh, okay." Robin agreed, he fired the grappling hook and left.