Chapter 22 – Unraveling the Web
Ibrahim sat in his safehouse, eyes locked on the glowing interface of Lex Legis, his AI legal assistant. The broadcast had shattered Gotham's illusion of order. The Court of Owls was publicly exposed, their influence crumbling, but the city hadn't stabilized.
If anything, the chaos had only evolved.
With the Court gone, something—or someone—had stepped in to fill the void.
And Ibrahim knew exactly where to look.
"Lex, pull financial records for all shell companies linked to crime syndicates in Gotham," he ordered.
[Processing… Cross-referencing hidden transactions…]
Lines of data flashed across the screen—bank transfers, offshore accounts, dummy corporations, all linked in a tangled web of corruption.
It didn't take long to find the pattern.
These weren't independent accounts. They weren't scattered, chaotic criminal finances.
They were organized. Structured. Efficient.
Every major criminal enterprise, from Penguin's smuggling rings to Black Mask's weapons trade, was tied to a single economic hub—a central network handling their finances, funding their operations, and ensuring seamless transactions.
And at the core of it all?
One nameless financial entity.
A ghost in Gotham's economy.
Ibrahim narrowed his eyes.
"Who the hell are you?"
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Tracing the Phantom Accounts
The first red flag was Blackgate Penitentiary's security budget. On paper, Blackgate's funding had been increased by 20% in the last two years. Yet prisoner escapes had doubled in the same timeframe.
Ibrahim traced the budget's approval. The request had come from an unnamed consultancy firm—one that didn't exist outside of digital records.
A ghost company.
"Lex, scan for all government contracts issued to that firm."
[Matches found: 17 government contracts, 32 private sector investments, all routing through offshore accounts.]
The same consultancy firm had secured real estate, security contracts, and police logistics—all pieces of Gotham's infrastructure.
Ibrahim's stomach twisted.
"This isn't just crime funding." His fingers tightened into a fist. "This is corporate infiltration."
He wasn't dealing with a mobster.
He was dealing with a financial architect.
Someone wasn't just controlling crime—they were monetizing it, investing in it, treating Gotham's underworld like a private stock market.
And they were doing it legally.
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A Name Behind the Curtain
One transaction stood out.
A real estate purchase in the Diamond District—an entire skyscraper bought under a shell company. But unlike the others, this one had a traceable signature.
Ibrahim followed the lead. The shell company linked to another firm, which linked to another offshore account, which finally led to…
A single name.
"Sterling Voss."
Ibrahim stared at the screen. The name was unfamiliar, but the implications were obvious.
This was his Broker.
This was the man turning Gotham's crime into an investment empire.
Ibrahim exhaled.
"The Court was the past." His jaw clenched. "This is the future of corruption."
His enemies were no longer masked cultists or hired assassins.
They were billionaires in boardrooms, signing contracts instead of carrying guns.
And somehow… that made them even more dangerous.
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