Greenland Shopping Plaza was the biggest one-stop mall in Gotham, and the only full-scale complex in the Greenland District.
For the people living there, visiting once a week was almost routine—watching a movie, going shopping, passing time with family.
Brianna's family was no different.
Since it was the weekend, she and her husband decided to take their daughter, Zoe, to see the newly released Big Hero 6. It was said to be a family-friendly animated film.
Zoe had been begging for it at home for days, waiting eagerly for this moment.
"Mom, is Baymax a superhero?" Zoe asked curiously as they walked out of the cinema.
"Of course," Brianna smiled. "Anyone who protects peace in the world is a superhero."
"That's right, just like Batman. He's always quietly protecting Gotham…" her husband Morris added with a grin.
As a Gotham police officer, it was definitely inappropriate for him to say that out loud. Batman was a vigilante, officially wanted by the authorities.
If any public servant praised him openly, they would certainly be written up.
But in private, most people had good feelings toward Batman.
After all, Gotham had always been in chaos, ruled by countless layers of criminal syndicates.
It was only after Batman appeared that the city finally saw a glimmer of hope.
The underworld still existed, but they no longer acted as arrogantly as before. They had been forced to restrain themselves.
For cops like Morris, there was quiet gratitude toward Batman.
So when his daughter Zoe mentioned superheroes, his first thought was naturally Gotham's dark guardian.
Brianna suddenly shot him a glare.
Only then did Morris realize he had made a mistake.
Because Zoe's biological father—Brianna's ex-husband—had been caught by Batman, right in front of Zoe's eyes.
Bringing up Batman now was like tearing open an old wound.
Realizing this, Morris quickly apologized. "Sorry, I didn't think…"
"It's fine, Morris. I'm okay," Zoe whispered.
But Morris could tell she wasn't really okay. Trying to comfort her, he said, "Actually, Lawton wasn't purely a bad guy. I read his file. The people he killed… they were all criminals too."
"Really?" Zoe's eyes lit up. "So that means Dad was a superhero too?"
"Well…" Morris froze, embarrassed.
What he had just said wasn't false.
The truth was, Zoe's father had only killed bad people—but not because he was doing justice. He took money to do it.
By most people's moral standards, Zoe's father wasn't completely evil.
But calling him a superhero was another matter.
And Morris couldn't bring himself to say that to her face. He didn't know how to answer.
"That's what you get for talking too much." Brianna shot him another look before gently stepping in. "Your dad's story is complicated. You'll understand better when you're older."
"Oh…" Zoe's face fell in disappointment.
For a girl her age, who wouldn't wish their father was a great hero?
Deep down, she knew if her dad really was a superhero, Batman wouldn't have personally come to arrest him.
But she couldn't help clinging to that tiny thread of hope.
Sadly, her mom's reaction told her it was nothing more than a fantasy.
"Don't be sad, Zoe. When you're on break—"
Morris cut himself off mid-sentence. The next moment, he threw his arms around mother and daughter.
Years of police work had given him a razor-sharp instinct for gunfire.
And just now—he was certain he heard it.
The next second proved him right.
As the three of them dropped to the ground, a burst of automatic gunfire suddenly rang through the plaza. Someone was spraying the crowd with bullets.
"Stay down and don't move!"
Morris motioned for Brianna and Zoe to stay put while he moved to check the situation.
As a veteran cop, it was his duty to get eyes on what was happening, so the incoming backup wouldn't be running in blind.
But his movement sent Brianna into a panic. "Where are you going? Come back here!"
Even an ordinary person could tell—that wasn't the sound of a pistol.
In this situation, even if Morris had his gun, it probably wouldn't help much.
But Brianna wasn't thinking about tactics or responsibility. She was just an ordinary woman. She didn't want her husband walking into danger.
Yet, for once, Morris didn't listen to her.
Shaking his head, he crept along the wall of the mall, edging toward the corner for a better view.
Then—another shot rang out.
Morris gave a muffled cry, clutching his leg as he fell to the ground.
From the mall's roof, thick ropes suddenly dropped down. Masked thugs were sliding from above, swarming into the plaza!
Morris's low crawl might have kept him hidden from those on the ground.
But from high above, he was an easy target.
One of the masked men fired the shot that struck his right leg.
Zoe shot to her feet and bolted toward him.
"Don't!" Brianna tried to grab her daughter but was a step too late.
"Zoe, get back!" Morris shouted through the pain, his face twisting.
But before the girl could react, a masked thug landed right beside her. He grabbed her by the collar and let out a sinister laugh.
"No no no, little one. Now's not the time for running around."
Brianna's terror for her daughter made her rush forward without thinking.
But before she could reach Zoe, another masked thug came up from behind. He yanked her into a chokehold, pressing the muzzle of a gun to her temple.
"One wrong move and not only you die—your daughter, and your husband, too."
The threat froze Brianna in place.
She could risk her own life. But she couldn't risk Zoe's.
"Please… let us go," Brianna begged, her voice breaking. "We're just normal people. We don't have any money to give you."
"Normal people? Tsk, tsk, tsk…"
The one who looked like the leader of the masked gang stepped forward, his voice sharp and mocking.
"The family of Gotham's number one hitman—do you really think that counts as normal?"
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