Forged in Chaos: A Transmigrator’s Tale in the DC Universe

**Chapter 6: Shadows and Schemes**

Gotham had never been a place for the weak. Ethan Cross had survived its worst, but now he needed to do more than survive—he had to dominate. With Black Mask behind bars again, the power vacuum was undeniable. Crime bosses whispered in the dark, and new threats lurked around every corner. He had made a name for himself, but that meant he had also made enemies.

Batman stood at the Batcomputer, his sharp gaze fixed on the numerous red markers blinking across the digital city map. Each one represented criminal activity that had surged since Black Mask's latest downfall. Ethan crossed his arms, watching as Bruce analyzed the data.

"They're like vultures," Ethan muttered. "Picking at what's left."

"No," Bruce corrected. "They're worse. At least vultures have a natural order. Gotham's criminals only understand chaos."

The implications were clear. Ethan knew Black Mask had hinted at something bigger before the police had dragged him away. Something was coming, but what?

"Joker? Penguin? Who do you think's making a move?" Ethan asked.

"All of them. And none of them," Batman responded. "Power struggles never have one clear winner. But one thing's certain—there's a new player in the game. And they're not afraid to go to war."

Ethan cracked his knuckles. "Then let's make the first move."

Word on the street pointed to a secret meeting happening in a rundown warehouse near Gotham's East End. Ethan and Batman moved through the shadows, the night concealing them as they scoped out the area.

Through the grimy windows, Ethan spotted some of Gotham's most notorious crime lords—Penguin, Two-Face, and a handful of lesser-known mobsters. But at the head of the table sat someone he didn't recognize.

A man in a sleek silver suit, his face hidden behind a metal mask with only two glowing blue eyes visible.

"Who the hell is that?" Ethan whispered.

Batman's expression darkened. "Cipher. A ghost in Gotham's underground. He deals in secrets, and he's never been caught before. If he's here, it means he's got leverage over every criminal in this room."

Cipher spoke, his voice modulated through his mask. "Gentlemen, the city is in flux. The Bat is distracted. The police are weak. And you… you are scavengers, too focused on fighting over scraps. That's why I'm here. To offer a better way. A stronger Gotham under a single banner. Mine."

Penguin scoffed. "And what makes you think we'd listen to some masked nobody?"

Cipher chuckled. "Because, Cobblepot, I know things. I know about your offshore accounts in Blüdhaven. I know how Two-Face has been siphoning funds from his own crew. And I know what happened to the last man who questioned me."

He snapped his fingers. A large crate was wheeled in. When it was opened, the severed head of a rival crime boss rolled onto the table.

Silence fell. Then Cipher spoke again. "You either join me… or you end up like him."

Ethan didn't hesitate. "We're stopping this now."

Before Batman could respond, Ethan fused a flashbang with a smoke pellet and hurled it through the window. The warehouse erupted in blinding light and thick smoke. He crashed through a skylight, landing in the center of the chaos. Batman followed, taking down thugs with surgical precision.

"Kill them!" Cipher ordered, his voice cutting through the confusion.

Ethan ducked under gunfire, his reflexes allowing him to weave through the onslaught. He grabbed a rusted pipe, fusing it with a stun baton he had swiped from a fallen goon. Electricity crackled as he used it to knock out three attackers in quick succession.

Cipher didn't flee. He stood his ground, watching with interest. That unsettled Ethan.

"You're not running?" Ethan growled.

Cipher tilted his head. "Why would I? This was always part of the plan."

Then Ethan heard it—the whine of drones overhead. Dozens of them, armed with small but deadly weapons, hovered above. Cipher raised a hand, and they all pointed their barrels at Ethan and Batman.

"Surrender," Cipher said, "or become Gotham's latest ghosts."

Batman whispered through the comms. "We need to retreat."

Ethan clenched his fists, but he knew Batman was right. They had been outmaneuvered.

"Fine," Ethan muttered. "But this isn't over."

As they leaped from the warehouse into the night, Cipher's voice echoed behind them.

"Oh, I'm counting on that."

Back at the Batcave, Ethan paced. "I hate running."

"We didn't run. We regrouped," Batman corrected. "Cipher isn't just another gangster. He's something different. We need to find out who he is, what he wants, and how deep his influence runs."

Ethan exhaled. "Then let's get to work."

As he stared at Cipher's masked face on the Batcomputer's screen, he knew one thing for sure this war was only just beginning.