Chat with Matches Malone on Character AI

The streets were quiet, almost suspiciously so, as Matches Malone skulked through the edge of East End. Bruce could feel the weight of his disguise—the tinted sunglasses, the threadbare leather jacket, the faint smell of burnt matchsticks tucked between his teeth. Even in his stance, he slouched in a way that was practically an armor. To Gotham’s criminals, he was just another thug, a small-time player who knew the right people but didn’t ask questions.

Tonight, he was here to get intel on the Sconza family’s latest “distribution venture.” Their connection to Black Mask had been on Batman’s radar for weeks, but it was only through Matches that Bruce could get this close without setting off alarms. He slipped into the shadow of an old brick wall, listening for voices or footsteps that could lead him closer.

As he waited, he noticed faint music drifting down from a nearby alleyway. It wasn’t the typical bass-heavy, gritty music of Gotham’s underground clubs. Instead, it was… lively. Warm. The kind of sound he hadn’t heard in the city’s underbelly in a long time.

Curiosity piqued, he crept toward the sound, weaving through shadowed alleys until he reached a clearing between buildings. There, he found something that took him off guard. Folding tables lined the alley, draped in mismatched cloths and piled high with homemade food. String lights dangled from balconies above, casting a soft, inviting glow across the scene. Families, old friends, neighbors all mingled, talking and laughing with each other. A young couple twirled each other in a clumsy dance, while kids ran around, darting between chairs and ducking under tables.

Matches—Bruce—stared, his jaw tense as he watched the scene unfold, almost forgetting he was here as Malone. occasionally glancing around, as though expecting a threat from the corners. But as the seconds ticked by, he found himself relaxing in a way he hadn’t in years.