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Chapter 76: The Bat in the Night
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
"What is this thing? A robot?"
"Quick, kill this damned thing!"
The gangsters were sent scattering by a small Transformer, with severed limbs scattered everywhere. They fumbled, firing their guns wildly, but the small Transformer was too agile; even the occasional bullet that struck it proved ineffective.
Every time the small Transformer appeared, someone would inevitably fall screaming, clutching their now-severed feet.
"This thing is... You're that mechanic? You're an esteemed guest of Stark Industries, why are you making an enemy of our Falcone Crime Family!"
The leader, Aaron, fired wildly. The small Transformer, under Tony's conscious control, dodged him. He needed to keep Aaron alive to ask some questions.
Anderson was dumbfounded. He clenched his fists, having already resolved to fight to the death. He never expected this new boss to be so formidable, nearly wiping out the entire group in an instant! Mechanic? Could this young man be the person who had been mentioned so often lately? If it was him, then maybe he really could topple the Falcone Crime Family…
As Anderson's thoughts ran wild, the entire narrow alley had practically turned into a small hell, littered with the bodies of gang members. Many had their ankles severed and were screaming shrilly. For those who weren't dead yet, Tony finished them off with a headshot, sending them on their way.
In the end, only Aaron was left alive. Aaron was scared witless. It was true he was a minor leader, but he had never encountered an enemy like this. The realm of the superhuman was simply not something a person like him could get involved in.
"You... you... Monster!" Aaron muttered, his face splattered with a few drops of blood.
Tony kicked Aaron against the wall, grabbing him by the neck. "Tell me your position, everything you know, who sent you, and some of the Falcone Crime Family's strongholds."
"I know!" Anderson stared at Aaron, his gaze filled with venomous resentment. It was this lackey, Aaron, who had led the men that destroyed his family. "Some of the Falcone Crime Family's strongholds are no secret, including several hotels. They're all Falcone's properties."
Aaron's face was ashen. The hand on his neck was like an iron clamp, choking him until he could barely breathe.
"The Falcone Crime Family sent me to clean up anyone who's a liability to them, to nip any potential hostile threats in the bud..." Aaron said, gasping for air.
"You're lying. Your heart rate just spiked," Tony said expressionlessly.
Aaron's expression did indeed change. He gasped for a few breaths, calmed his heart, and swallowed before saying, "Someone paid me to come here at this time to eliminate Anderson and you."
"Oh? Was it Wayne Enterprises that sent you?"
"It should be... The person was very generous..."
*CRACK!*
The next second, Tony snapped Aaron's neck. Anderson watched this scene in a daze, his mind a bit muddled, not understanding what had just happened.
"Wayne Enterprises? Aren't you a representative of Stark Industries? Why would they want to eliminate you? Besides, Aaron is definitely one of the Falcone Crime Family's men. Everyone in Gotham City's underworld knows that," Anderson asked, bewildered.
"You actually believed what he said?" Tony gave Anderson a meaningful look. "His first statement was indeed a lie. This operation was not sent by the Falcone Crime Family at all, because there's no need for them to make an enemy of me so easily. The losses would outweigh the gains..."
Tony paused, then continued, "But likewise, his second statement was also a lie... The heartbeat is a funny thing. When the first lie is exposed, anyone's heart will race; detecting a subsequent lie using heart rate alone becomes much harder."
"Besides, whether it was someone from Wayne Enterprises or not is no longer important, because the result is the same either way... A person like him wouldn't know much anyway." Tony narrowed his eyes, reached out, and retracted the small Transformer, then slowly left the alley.
Anderson looked around blankly. Tony's words were a bit cryptic and had confused him. What did he mean by "the result is the same"? Who was it, then? By the time Anderson looked up again, Tony's figure was already distant. Anderson's expression was conflicted, but in the end, he gritted his teeth and quickly followed.
As long as Tony didn't reject him, he would follow Tony! Besides, this person had just arrived in Gotham City and would definitely need a local guide. And he, Anderson, having grown up in this city since childhood, was the best local guide there was!
An ordinary-looking car on the side of the road automatically drove into the alley without a driver and transformed into a two-meter-tall Transformer. After gathering all the bodies and tossing them into the car, it quietly departed, the process alerting no one.
...
Several hours later, someone discovered the fresh blood covering the ground in the alley and hurriedly called the police. Several police cars swarmed the alley with sirens wailing, and a team of police officers cordoned off the scene with tape.
Veteran police officer Gordon, as one of the few conscientious police officers in Gotham City in recent years, was dedicated to the public good and never accepted any bribes. From the Falcone era to the current Falcone era, he had always stuck to his principles.
"What's the situation? Any leads? Is it human or animal blood?" Gordon was the first to arrive on the scene. Since the chaotic era of Falcone, there had been few large-scale violent incidents like this in recent years.
"The test results are in. It's all human blood, and it happened just a few hours ago," a forensic officer at the scene reported.
"Pull up the camera footage from this area."
"All the cameras here were deliberately destroyed. We can't view them. We can't even find a single fingerprint here."
Gordon slammed his fist against the wall. He hated lawless criminals more than anything in his life. Thanks to Batman, the Dark Knight, fighting crime, the city had finally become a little better.
That night, the Bat-Signal lit up once again, shining high into the clouds, carving a bat shadow in the sky. As the cold wind blew, Gordon couldn't help but wrap his overcoat tighter. He was getting old, and his body wasn't what it used to be.
"We've got new trouble. It's a murder case," Gordon said to the black figure that had suddenly appeared. He was long accustomed to the way Batman showed up. This was how the two of them had cooperated over the years: get down to business, and leave when it was done.
"Who? The Joker again?" Batman was completely shrouded in shadow, asking in a raspy voice that had been altered by a voice modulator.
"Hard to say. Maybe, maybe not. Here's the relevant report," Gordon said, handing the file in his hand to Batman, his face grim. "For now, let's tentatively classify this case and the Joker incident as a single investigation, and focus on tracking down the Joker's whereabouts... But my gut tells me we might have a new problem on our hands."
"What a coincidence. I have the same feeling."
Batman leaped from the top of the tall building. He spread his cape, facing the biting cold wind, in the dark night sky like a giant, fearsome bat, pouncing ferociously towards its prey.
(end of chapter)
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
"What is this thing? A robot?"
"Quick, kill this damned thing!"
The gangsters were sent scattering by a small Transformer, with severed limbs scattered everywhere. They fumbled, firing their guns wildly, but the small Transformer was too agile; even the occasional bullet that struck it proved ineffective.
Every time the small Transformer appeared, someone would inevitably fall screaming, clutching their now-severed feet.
"This thing is... You're that mechanic? You're an esteemed guest of Stark Industries, why are you making an enemy of our Falcone Crime Family!"
The leader, Aaron, fired wildly. The small Transformer, under Tony's conscious control, dodged him. He needed to keep Aaron alive to ask some questions.
Anderson was dumbfounded. He clenched his fists, having already resolved to fight to the death. He never expected this new boss to be so formidable, nearly wiping out the entire group in an instant! Mechanic? Could this young man be the person who had been mentioned so often lately? If it was him, then maybe he really could topple the Falcone Crime Family…
As Anderson's thoughts ran wild, the entire narrow alley had practically turned into a small hell, littered with the bodies of gang members. Many had their ankles severed and were screaming shrilly. For those who weren't dead yet, Tony finished them off with a headshot, sending them on their way.
In the end, only Aaron was left alive. Aaron was scared witless. It was true he was a minor leader, but he had never encountered an enemy like this. The realm of the superhuman was simply not something a person like him could get involved in.
"You... you... Monster!" Aaron muttered, his face splattered with a few drops of blood.
Tony kicked Aaron against the wall, grabbing him by the neck. "Tell me your position, everything you know, who sent you, and some of the Falcone Crime Family's strongholds."
"I know!" Anderson stared at Aaron, his gaze filled with venomous resentment. It was this lackey, Aaron, who had led the men that destroyed his family. "Some of the Falcone Crime Family's strongholds are no secret, including several hotels. They're all Falcone's properties."
Aaron's face was ashen. The hand on his neck was like an iron clamp, choking him until he could barely breathe.
"The Falcone Crime Family sent me to clean up anyone who's a liability to them, to nip any potential hostile threats in the bud..." Aaron said, gasping for air.
"You're lying. Your heart rate just spiked," Tony said expressionlessly.
Aaron's expression did indeed change. He gasped for a few breaths, calmed his heart, and swallowed before saying, "Someone paid me to come here at this time to eliminate Anderson and you."
"Oh? Was it Wayne Enterprises that sent you?"
"It should be... The person was very generous..."
*CRACK!*
The next second, Tony snapped Aaron's neck. Anderson watched this scene in a daze, his mind a bit muddled, not understanding what had just happened.
"Wayne Enterprises? Aren't you a representative of Stark Industries? Why would they want to eliminate you? Besides, Aaron is definitely one of the Falcone Crime Family's men. Everyone in Gotham City's underworld knows that," Anderson asked, bewildered.
"You actually believed what he said?" Tony gave Anderson a meaningful look. "His first statement was indeed a lie. This operation was not sent by the Falcone Crime Family at all, because there's no need for them to make an enemy of me so easily. The losses would outweigh the gains..."
Tony paused, then continued, "But likewise, his second statement was also a lie... The heartbeat is a funny thing. When the first lie is exposed, anyone's heart will race; detecting a subsequent lie using heart rate alone becomes much harder."
"Besides, whether it was someone from Wayne Enterprises or not is no longer important, because the result is the same either way... A person like him wouldn't know much anyway." Tony narrowed his eyes, reached out, and retracted the small Transformer, then slowly left the alley.
Anderson looked around blankly. Tony's words were a bit cryptic and had confused him. What did he mean by "the result is the same"? Who was it, then? By the time Anderson looked up again, Tony's figure was already distant. Anderson's expression was conflicted, but in the end, he gritted his teeth and quickly followed.
As long as Tony didn't reject him, he would follow Tony! Besides, this person had just arrived in Gotham City and would definitely need a local guide. And he, Anderson, having grown up in this city since childhood, was the best local guide there was!
An ordinary-looking car on the side of the road automatically drove into the alley without a driver and transformed into a two-meter-tall Transformer. After gathering all the bodies and tossing them into the car, it quietly departed, the process alerting no one.
...
Several hours later, someone discovered the fresh blood covering the ground in the alley and hurriedly called the police. Several police cars swarmed the alley with sirens wailing, and a team of police officers cordoned off the scene with tape.
Veteran police officer Gordon, as one of the few conscientious police officers in Gotham City in recent years, was dedicated to the public good and never accepted any bribes. From the Falcone era to the current Falcone era, he had always stuck to his principles.
"What's the situation? Any leads? Is it human or animal blood?" Gordon was the first to arrive on the scene. Since the chaotic era of Falcone, there had been few large-scale violent incidents like this in recent years.
"The test results are in. It's all human blood, and it happened just a few hours ago," a forensic officer at the scene reported.
"Pull up the camera footage from this area."
"All the cameras here were deliberately destroyed. We can't view them. We can't even find a single fingerprint here."
Gordon slammed his fist against the wall. He hated lawless criminals more than anything in his life. Thanks to Batman, the Dark Knight, fighting crime, the city had finally become a little better.
That night, the Bat-Signal lit up once again, shining high into the clouds, carving a bat shadow in the sky. As the cold wind blew, Gordon couldn't help but wrap his overcoat tighter. He was getting old, and his body wasn't what it used to be.
"We've got new trouble. It's a murder case," Gordon said to the black figure that had suddenly appeared. He was long accustomed to the way Batman showed up. This was how the two of them had cooperated over the years: get down to business, and leave when it was done.
"Who? The Joker again?" Batman was completely shrouded in shadow, asking in a raspy voice that had been altered by a voice modulator.
"Hard to say. Maybe, maybe not. Here's the relevant report," Gordon said, handing the file in his hand to Batman, his face grim. "For now, let's tentatively classify this case and the Joker incident as a single investigation, and focus on tracking down the Joker's whereabouts... But my gut tells me we might have a new problem on our hands."
"What a coincidence. I have the same feeling."
Batman leaped from the top of the tall building. He spread his cape, facing the biting cold wind, in the dark night sky like a giant, fearsome bat, pouncing ferociously towards its prey.
(end of chapter)
