Ascendant in the Shadows

Aftermath

Unsurprisingly, the Gotham Times ran with headlines like “Inspiring” and “Highly Effective” regarding the charity gala hosted by the City Development Foundation. The articles waxed poetic about Bruce Wayne’s speech, without a single mention of the “restroom incident” or “Richard Sappa.”

This wasn’t due to the Gotham press suddenly developing refined tastes but rather because dozens of phone calls had flooded every media outlet in the city that very night. On the line, the Mafia made it clear—albeit in a polite and composed manner—that if news of “Mr. Richard being dragged out of the restroom wearing nothing but star-spangled underpants” became widely circulated, the heads of newspapers, TV stations, radio networks, and online platforms might find themselves packed into oil drums filled with cement, enjoying a scenic reunion at the bottom of Gotham Bay.

The Porsche sports car was the first thing recovered—burned to a charred husk. The valet, meanwhile, packed his belongings and fled town that very night, likely already holed up in some rural backwater by now.

As for the culprit, Li Ang’s use of a bone-shrinking technique to alter his facial structure ensured the sketch-based manhunt by the Mafia yielded nothing. Even their attempts to leverage police resources and sift through surveillance footage proved futile.

The tracking device concealed in the suitcase lining? That little gadget was no match for Li Ang’s scrutiny. By the time the Mafia followed the signal all the way from Gotham to Atlanta, they were left with nothing but two empty suitcases in an old coal transport train car.

And so, the skies cleared, and the virtuous, harmonious city of Gotham welcomed yet another peaceful day.

At Robinson Park in the heart of the city, late summer sunlight cast a lazy warmth. The narrow gravel paths were scattered with golden leaves, still glistening with droplets from a recent rain. Tall red maples formed dense clusters overhead, their leaves shimmering with moisture.

Isabella hopped around, her red patent leather shoes splashing through a shallow puddle. She spun around, puffing out her cheeks. “Come on, you two! Can’t you walk any faster?”

“It’s not like you’re the one carrying all this stuff.” Li Ang held up the children’s roller-skate backpack, rolling his eyes.

On weekends, Christina shamelessly dumped her younger twin sisters on Li Ang while she attended a party outside the city.

Just last night, Li Ang had been dunking a mob boss’s head into a toilet. Today, he was babysitting. He couldn’t help but wonder how the superheroes gracing the front pages of newspapers managed to reconcile such split lives.

Elizabeth, the spitting image of her sister, was much quieter. Stretching her arms, she softly said, “Mmm, I love the smell of the earth after rain.”

“That’s not actually the smell of dirt,” Li Ang replied with a grin. “Want to hear a science lesson?”

Elizabeth gave him a deadpan stare. “Not even a little.”

“Well, in 1964, two Australian researchers discovered that the earthy scent after rain comes from actinomycetes, a type of filamentous bacteria. When the soil dries, these bacteria produce spores, and during this process, a metabolic substance called geosmin is released.”

Li Ang crouched, picked up a clump of dirt, and crumbled it in his hand. “Geosmin is volatile. After a light rain, tiny water droplets carrying geosmin—also known as aerosols—enter your nose and register in your brain as that ‘fresh soil smell.’”

He looked at the twins’ confused faces and burst out laughing. “In simple terms, that lovely earthy scent you’re enjoying is basically a big whiff of bacteria poop. Got it?”

“Why would you tell us that?” Isabella huffed, kicking Li Ang lightly before grabbing her sister’s hand and running off, their footsteps clattering along the gravel path.

“Careful not to trip!” Li Ang called after them, slinging the backpack over his shoulder.

Their giggles, like the tinkling of bells, echoed through the woods.

At the end of the gravel path lay a wide plaza. Being a weekend, it was bustling with visitors. Teenagers zipped around on bikes, roller skates, and skateboards.

Elizabeth dragged her sister over and demanded Li Ang retrieve the pink roller skates and protective gear from the backpack. Once properly outfitted, they excitedly joined the other skaters.

Li Ang wiped off a damp park bench with a tissue, leaned back, and closed his eyes, only to sense someone staring at him. He opened one eye to find Isabella perched on the bench backrest, gazing at him silently.

“Not joining them?”

She shook her head and pulled a thick, black-covered book from the backpack. “I’ll just read.”

“Hmm, knowledge is the ladder of human progress.” Li Ang patted her silky hair approvingly. “What’re you reading?”

Without a word, Isabella held the book up, its title gleaming in gold: Fifty Shades of Grey.

Li Ang’s eye twitched. “Uh… kids these days read this?”

“I took it from Christina’s shelf,” Isabella replied matter-of-factly, motioning for Li Ang to scoot over so she could sit.

Time flew by. As the sun began to set, Li Ang clapped his hands, calling for Elizabeth.

Her cheeks flushed from exercise, Elizabeth sat on the bench, gulping a drink and stubbornly resisting the towel Li Ang offered to wipe her sweat.

Meanwhile, Isabella was utterly engrossed in her book, her innocent eyes gleaming with curiosity.

“How about I treat you two to dinner at the Canary Restaurant and then take you home?”

“The Canary Restaurant? The super fancy one in the Diamond District?” Elizabeth’s eyes widened. “Last year, Gwendolyn went there with her parents, and she wouldn’t stop talking about it for weeks. She said the dishes have really long names.”

“Yep, the longer the name, the higher the price. French cuisine for you.” Li Ang dabbed at her forehead with the towel. “Any objections?”

“How’d you suddenly get so rich?” Elizabeth squinted suspiciously. “Did you cozy up to that Jacqueline girl?”

“Who knows?” Li Ang shrugged nonchalantly. “Maybe I robbed a billionaire last night. After dropping you off, I’ll take three million in cash to a laundering service.”

“Hmph, fine, keep your secrets.” Elizabeth tossed the towel aside and playfully butted her head against Li Ang’s stomach like a determined little drill.