35 hours prior
The maintenance room underneath the fountain was tiny it was hard to stand straight in that room. Pipes were leaking here and there and the floor was moldy. Batman used his night vision and found in the far left corner stairs leading down.
-Follow me. - he said to White Shadow and they both walked to direction of the stairs.
-Do you see anything downstairs? - asked White Shadow when both she and Batman looked down.
-I see. I see barrels and I think it's our missing chemicals. - Batman went down and White Shadow followed him.
And there it was a pumping machine. A heart of the fountain wasn't pumping water it was pumping evaporated chemicals. Next to the pumping machine was an addition something like a boiler. It was where chemicals were heated and going from a liquid form to gas then the pumping machine was taking gas through its pipes out. The fountain worked but instead of water it poured out thin streams of gas invisible for human's eyes.
-This is … he built it… constructed this machine and connected to the fountain…how genius is that! - said White Shadow.
-This thing was destroying air in the city for months. The chemicals evaporate very slowly so they probably use one barrel for one week. - Batman was looking around trying to get any evidence and finger prints.
-If so then this place is not only one. There is not enough chemicals in here.
-I thought about that. Do you know how many fountains in the city?
-I have no idea.
-I know and I think he uses only old fountains those what were built before the subway. Most of them don't work according to my data and used as a sculptures and historical marks more then fountains. - Batman looked at the small screen on his wrist he already checked locations of every old fountain. - Guess what? Every old fountain has that pocket underneath because city government didn't want to demolish old machinery underneath each of them.
They looked around and the room wasn't small but one side of it was completely dark.
-Do you hear that sound? - asked Batman.
-This is water. I bet it is an open spot of the sewer underwater branch.
Batman walked into the darkness and flashed his light. White Shadow was right there in the end of the room sewer had an open stream and there was floating one of the barrels. The barrel was covered with huge bubble wrap what allowed it to float.
-They wrap them and push through the sewer undercurrent offshoot and then it floats out right here.
-Did they made a hole in the floor to see the stream?
-I think so doesn't look like it was done according to the sewer plans. I bet they did it in every old fountain in the city. Look this is the pile of broken bricks. - the flash light slid down the opposite wall.
-You are saying that Evan made old fountains into chemical reactant and this is why this city can't rid of pollution?
-Right. - Batman nodded but his attention was attracted by something else behind White Shadow.
She turned around following his line of sight and saw a metal box on the wall. A red light was flashing inside this box because both Batman and White Shadow saw red blinking in a door gap.
-Is it what I think it is? - asked White Shadow.
Batman didn't answer but walked to the box and very carefully opened it. It wasn't locked. Inside was a bomb made of two bulbs one with white and one with green substance and lots of cords no timer no ticking just silent blinking small red light.