Batman rarely goes out during the day. If he chooses to appear in Gotham City during daylight, it means he has some urgent business to be done, such as catching the car thief who stole his tires.
Batman was not particularly upset about his Batmobile's tires being stolen; he found it somewhat absurd. It was peculiar that a man capable of cracking the Batmobile's security system could only be a car thief in Gotham. This city had a surrealistic charm.
Locating the thief's hideout was not challenging for Batman. Quite evidently, the two scoundrels who stole his tires were not as skilled in evading capture as they were technically. Before long, Batman had traced them to a basement at the end of Curled Tail Street.
The underground base had no remarkable security measures. Batman slipped in easily and found the tire that had been hung against the wall, hardly tampered with.
Normally, Batman would have lain low there, waiting for the thief to return and then apprehending him.
That was Batman's initial plan, but while waiting for the thief to arrive, he decided to investigate the base out of idle curiosity.
The longer Batman investigated, the more he became perplexed. Multiple signs indicated that the occupants were not adults but a few children.
This was easy to tell. The floor was not concrete or tiled but sandy soil. The footprints left behind were obviously smaller than an adult's and hadn't been cleaned up quickly. Fingerprints were found on the tools left on the workbench. Everything indicated that the user of these tools was a child, not even ten years old.
Apart from surprise, Batman could not help considering other scenarios. In his experience, the adults in Gotham City were almost beyond salvation. Their mindset and ways of doing things were already set. There were no other solutions except for throwing them into jail. But children were different.
Batman also knew that even if Gotham's children were worse than those in other cities, constantly forming gangs and having street fights, they still had the potential to be rehabilitated, especially talented ones like they were.
By dusk, Jason, wearing a worn-out jacket, was limping towards his base, supported by Little Sly. Little Sly said, reluctantly, "I get that you have to fight to keep our turf, but you've been fighting too often lately. You haven't even recovered fully from your last injuries."
Jason wiped his lips, stained with a trickle of blood that dyed his sleeve. He showed no sign of discomfort as he snarled, "I had no choice. Those damned Red Beak gang members were too aggressive. If I give up the turf at the entrance of the alley as well, then we really won't have any income."
He rubbed his eyes vigorously, shaking off Little Sly's hand before slowly descending into the basement.
Little Sly quickly followed him down, afraid that he would trip. But as they approached the workbench, they heard the basement door snap shut behind them. Then a figure appeared in the shadows.
Both of them jumped in surprise. When they turned around, Little Sly exclaimed at the figure, "Batman?!?"
Batman paused and then posed a question. "You know who I am?"
Jason glanced back at the Bat-tire he had hung on the wall and then at the ominous Batman. Seeing the basement door was locked, he knew there would be no escape. Exhausted, he leaned against the workbench and said, "How could we not know you? The illustrious Batman."
There was no trace of respect or admiration in his tone; only deep disillusionment. Assessing the situation, Little Sly rubbed his hands together and apologized, "I'm really sorry, Batman. It's true; we stole your Bat-tire. But we didn't damage it. You can take it back. Let's just forget the whole thing...
"Besides," Little Sly adjusted his glasses and added, "the police don't take children. If you turn us in, they'll just send us back here tomorrow. It'd be better if we sincerely apologize to you and skip the whole process."
Batman looked at Jason, noticing a dark bruise on his exposed neck and a cut at the corner of his mouth that appeared to be from a recent fight. His bloodstained sleeve was hard to ignore. Batman inquired, "How did you get hurt like this?"
Jason shook his head, showing a savage expression as if he had no intention of talking to Batman. Thankfully, Little Sly was also there. He explained, "He's the boss of the Tail Gang. There's a turf war, so he has to fight..."
"And I won!" Jason emphasized.
"What exactly did you do to get my tires off?" Batman inquired.
"What's so difficult about that?" said Jason, raising his voice, "Your precious car is absolute junk. If only that tire wasn't so big, I would've taken off all four of them!"
His language was filled with local slang and expletives. His manner of speaking and demeanour were typical of a gang member. He embodied the archetypal 'little rascal' character.
Batman, however, didn't let him provocate him. Having been a vigilante in Gotham for so long, he had met countless children with the same attitude.
"Batman, leave us alone. We're just kids. Jason stole your tire because he desperately needed money. We know stealing is wrong, but we don't have other options."
Little Sly said, "There are over a dozen kids in the Tail Gang that Jason runs, but five or six of them are too young. They often get bullied by older kids from other gangs when they go out to sell cigarettes; they don't make much in a day. Jason has to earn money to support them, or their gang leaders will kill them."
Batman furrowed his brow and asked, "You mean to say, the kids under him sell cigarettes?"
"Right, aren't these the members of the Youth Gang?"
"Who are they supposed to pay money to?"
"Their leaders, usually some of the older kids, then these kids give it to their 'parents'."
"And then?"
Little Sly shook his head, "I don't know, I'm not involved in it, but I've heard they pass it up the line, to someone called Big Boss."
"You're not involved?" Batman studied Little Sly, observing that he indeed looked different from other kids in Gotham. He wasn't wearing a jacket, but an old turtleneck sweater. His hair was combed in a pageboy haircut and he wore glasses, looking more like a bookworm.
"I am a technical worker, currently studying at Gotham's vocational school. Jason saved my life, so I hang around him."
"I didn't save you for you to repay me! You'd better leave at once! I am the one who intended to steal the tire. If there's any trouble, it should be my responsibility!" Jason retorted.
"Jason, don't be like this. I believe Batman is a good person. I've heard he once saved a robbed dancer. He should be willing to hear our explanation…"
Continuing, Little Sly said, "Not all kids are as lucky as I am, having a good skill to work for the mob, or even being able to attend school peacefully. Most kids are under the thumb of their 'parents', either selling cigarettes, begging or doing some dirty work…"
"You stole my tire. Normally, I should have arrested you or taught you a lesson. But considering you are kids, I'd let you off. However, you must promise me one thing…"
Jason glanced at Little Sly, then touched the wound near his mouth, "All this is on me. Whatever the condition, just say it."
"I want to know, what's going on with those people forcing kids to work for them? Who is this supposed Big Boss? I hope you can help me investigate this…"
"No way." Jason shook his head, "Big Boss is mysterious. So many adults are involved, he's not someone we kids can meet. And how can I investigate?"
"I think you'll find a way, won't you?"
"Your name's Jason, right? Listen, Jason…"
Looking Jason in the eye, Batman said: "You were willing to fight for the kids' business, and even generous enough to financially aid them, which shows your inherent goodness and loyalty."
"You should also realize, this is not the solution. Once these kids grow up, there'll be a new batch of children. You can't always protect them like that. The only solution is to thoroughly investigate those exploiting them, then find a way to deal with them."
Jason rested his forearm on his knee and dropped his gaze silently. Batman continued, "You must have heard of me, knowing that I have dealt with many criminals. However, in this sort of thing, I do need an assistant. After all, I am an adult and I can't infiltrate your group..."
"And if I succeed, you and the kids under you can live a better life, right?"
After a long silence, Jason finally said, "Alright, but this needs to be carried out my way, not just by force. And you have to promise that, successful or not, you won't cause trouble for the two of us again."
Batman nodded, then threw Jason a cylindrical device, a small flashlight, and said, "Press the button at the tail end, and it projects a miniature Bat Light into the sky. When I see it, I will come over. Press and hold the button to send a communication that only I can receive, for contacting me in case of emergencies."
Little Sly looked down at the device, his eyes sparkling. Batman said to him, "Don't think about disassembling it. You won't be able to put it back together. If you can provide useful information, I can lend you a lab of mine in the Southern Suburb Base. There's plenty of good stuff in there..."
Little Sly and Jason exchanged a glance, then turned to Batman. In unison they said, "Alright, deal."
After Batman left, Jason turned to Little Sly, "You should leave this behind. There's no need for you to get involved in this kind of business. If I really help him investigate, it's going to be dangerous. The 'parents' won't let me go easily."
"Jason, Batman had a point," Little Sly spoke calmly, "You've also said before, these 'parents' have been getting more and more outrageous. They're setting higher targets, demanding more money, and punishing more heavily those who fail. If it continues, those kids won't survive. We have to put a stop to this."
Jason frowned and said, "Actually, I've been thinking too, isn't this a bit strange?"
"Ever since I started hanging out on the streets, I haven't heard of any changes in the system. But recently, it seems to be getting worse. Could there be trouble on Big Boss's end that's making him squeeze these kids so hard?"
"Not just that," Little Sly stroked his chin, "While going to vocational school, I've met the parents of the students, who are the mob bosses. From their idle talks, I gathered that the situation within the Gotham Gang is unstable. The Twelve Families at the top seem to be stirring..."