Multiverse: Deathstroke

After a moment of silence, Falcone suddenly burst into laughter. He laughed heartily, filled with a sense of triumph and grandeur.

"Incredible! That such a person could emerge in this world. If she had been around in our time, I'm sure Maroni would have paid to have her kill me."

Sofia, with little interest, pinched the white cat's ears, shaping them into rabbit ears as she corrected him:

"Uncle Maroni couldn't afford that. Deathstroke is a mercenary, and she prices her targets based on their entire net worth, usually at 30%. I checked her price for Bryce Wayne, not counting her identity as Batwoman, just as Bryce. Guess how much it is?"

"How much?"

Falcone was intrigued. He picked up his glass, took a sip of wine, and curiously asked his daughter.

In their time, they often dealt with assassins. The cheapest would be hiring some random thug off the streets, which would cost just a few hundred dollars.

He couldn't even remember how many times he had hired people to handle problems when he was younger. It wasn't until the family grew strong enough to have their own enforcers that they stopped relying on outsiders.

He was curious to know the current market prices since he hadn't bothered with such "trivial matters" in a long time.

"Bryce controls 80% of Wayne Enterprises' shares, and combined with all his real estate and investments, plus inflation over the years, his net worth is roughly 80 billion dollars. So, Deathstroke's price for him is 24 billion dollars. If someone offered that amount, she would kill Bryce."

Sofia counted on her fingers, coming up with a staggering figure.

"Pff, cough, cough..." Falcone choked on his drink, coughing as he wiped the wine from his mouth. "She sure dares to ask."

It seemed that Deathstroke was not only powerful but also incredibly capricious, as if everyone's life was just a commodity with a fixed price tag in her store, waiting for wealthy buyers. No money? Then don't bother hiring the world's number one mercenary! Go find a street thug instead!

"So, by that calculation, even if Deathstroke had existed back then, you would have been safe, Father. Although our family didn't have physical industries, the annual income from protection fees could serve as a standard. Back then, your price would have been over 100 million, while Uncle Maroni could only have managed 40 million. He should have been the one worried every day."

Sofia concluded, leaving Falcone unsure of how to feel. It almost made him feel poor, and Bruce was making way too much money!

"How did Bruce do it? Even combining the Wayne and Kane families' wealth, it shouldn't be this much."

Falcone asked her. After all, he hadn't made that much money running the underworld in Asia, and Wayne Enterprises was a legitimate business.

Sofia shrugged. "He got lucky with the information age, Father."

"But does Deathstroke's pricing actually bring in business?"

Falcone was doubtful. He put down his wine glass, feeling his age as he struggled to understand the current economy.

"Yes, business is good. Celebrities like Bruce aren't all over the place. The majority of hits are for ordinary people. Like she mentioned on TV earlier, basic service starts at 2 million dollars."

Sofia sat up straight, glancing at Gordon, who was completely lost in his memories, and continued explaining to her father:

"For example, if you're a small business owner and your competitor keeps giving you trouble, you just need to contact Deathstroke. For 2 million, your rival will disappear overnight. The next morning, you wake up to a bigger market share, and maybe even take over their business. You'd feel that money was well spent, and there would be no trace leading back to you."

"Just like that? Her highest fees are astronomical, but her lowest fees are affordable for ordinary people?"

Falcone found the price standards rather inconsistent.

"Yes, Deathstroke doesn't care who you want to kill or why. She's just doing business. Of course, the richer or more famous the target, the higher the price."

Sofia explained further.

Falcone pondered for a moment, picking up his glass once more. "But Barbara wasn't part of any contract. Deathstroke's target was Gordon. Why kill Barbara? No one paid for it."

Sofia didn't know the answer either; she could only speculate.

"I heard that Deathstroke is very emotional. When she's happy, she might kill someone for free. But when she's not, she'll kill anyone she sees. Barbara probably just had bad luck."

"Crazy. Another crazy person." Falcone shook his head, his patience with this city wearing thin. He was eager to see the new Gotham. "In that case, let Deathstroke perish with the old Gotham. No matter how strong she is, she can't survive a toxic rainstorm. That will be some consolation for Gordon."

"Yes, Father. But our other guests haven't arrived yet. They might have been delayed by the storm."

Sofia became serious, setting the cat aside to one corner.

"The League of Assassins delayed by rain? Is this one of your jokes? They never arrive late, especially when it's about revenge."

Falcone dismissed her idea immediately, showing his familiarity with the League:

"Have our surveillance systems at full capacity. Monitor every shadow entering or leaving the city. When they set foot in Gotham, we'll release the toxin into the clouds. They won't be able to leave."

Sofia nodded. Her long black hair waved slightly, catching a hint of red in the firelight. But then she asked, "But will Ra's al Ghul and Talia really come?"

Falcone resumed his calm demeanor, placing his hands on his knees and sitting up straight.

"They will. Once they know I'm their opponent, they'll definitely come because they know their assassins can't deal with me. You made sure Gordon left them the clues?"

Sofia smiled and nodded, pouring herself some tea from the pot on the table with practiced elegance.

"Yes, Commissioner Gordon thought he was being clever by carving numbers on his glasses where I wouldn't notice, but as a martial artist, I saw his little trick clearly. I even confirmed the license plate number he left was correct before I brought him back."

"Good. When the League of Shadows finds out I killed their people and then gets Gordon's clue, they'll come quickly to prepare. All we need is to leave Ra's al Ghul and Talia alive."

Falcone praised her, feeling that his daughter was much more competent than his son. As for Alberto, that guy should just stick to studying.

"Why leave them alive, Father? Are you getting soft?"

Sofia asked.

"No, Ra's and Talia have both bathed in the Lazarus Pit. They're nearly impossible to kill. Besides, the new Gotham will need enemies."

"Without them, you, Gordon, and Bruce would be scattered. You need a reason to unite. An enraged master assassin will be the perfect opponent for the new Gotham."

Falcone smiled as he answered. He knew that the new Gotham would need unity, and only an external threat could unite the three of them.

When Ra's al Ghul, having lost all his followers and driven mad, lingers outside Gotham, Gordon and Batwoman would rely more on the forces in the shadows—on Sofia.

Sofia glanced at Gordon. He seemed more awake now, at least appearing more alive. She lowered her voice.

"But, Father, are you sure Commissioner Gordon will work with me?"

"There were doubts before, but now…"

Falcone picked up his glass, taking a gentle sip, his eyes fixed on the dazed Gordon.