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Chapter 146: I Have Someone in Mind
2023-10-23 Author: Rowing Without Oars 233
Orin Vale felt he should have thought of this sooner.
Gotham is the Wayne Family's backyard during the day, and Batman's Amusement Park at night. To say this city is his isn't entirely wrong. Making trouble here and running into the Old Bat was only a matter of time.
Previous incidents, like those involving demonic spirits and demons, were supernatural events Batman generally paid less attention to. But with the Blood Cultists, although they were mystical in origin, the cult's activities were, after all, merely a gathering of evil cultists. It would be strange if engaging in human trafficking all day in Gotham didn't attract the Old Bat's attention.
Originally, Orin Vale had planned to come early, hoping to extract some information from the first believer who arrived before the third person appeared. But now, well, that plan went out the window. The first two to arrive were both undercover agents. Suddenly, there was nothing left to ask.
The questions he had prepared were instantly choked back. Orin Vale said nothing, arms crossed, leaning against the wall, as the two of them waited silently in the darkness.
A moment later, Batman was the first to break the silence.
"This time, things probably won't be too easy."
Orin Vale pondered for a moment.
Old Master clearly didn't know that the person in front of him was also an undercover agent, just like himself. He certainly didn't know that his cover had already been blown the moment Orin Vale saw him.
So from Old Master's perspective, he was still a genuine Blood Cultist Deacon, which meant he had a similar idea to what Orin Vale initially planned: to extract information from the one in front of him before the third one arrived.
He was bound to be disappointed then, because Undercover Agent Number Two also knew nothing.
"It definitely won't be easy." Orin Vale shrugged, casually adding, "You know."
Batman remained impassive, nodded slightly. "Of course, I know."
"Good, then now we both understand." Orin Vale nodded as well.
He then fell silent again.
Batman: "..."
The topic ended. After another two minutes of silence, he still didn't give up and launched a second round of questioning.
"'That business from 'that time,' how are things on that end?" he asked.
It was still a vague statement; "that time" could refer to a wide range of things. Perhaps he was truly referring to a specific operation of the Blood Cultists that Batman had previously discovered, or perhaps it was just a casual probe to get the other party to open up and reveal more.
Of course, he was doomed to be disappointed. Orin Vale shook his head. "Same old, same old. Nothing much to say. What about your end?"
"Same here."
"Mmm."
The conversation ended again, and the two once more fell into dark silence.
The awkward small talk couldn't continue.
Fortunately, at this moment, the third person emerged from the darkness, also wearing the signature black robe of the Blood Cultists.
Orin Vale casually swept his Ultra Vision over him. A gaunt figure, a prominent chin, a grim and cold face. This wasn't a fake face; he even had a bizarre and horrifying tattoo on his chest.
This time, it truly seemed to be a proper cultist.
The true Deacon walked between the two of them. "You're both here so early? Quite proactive, aren't we... But this way, everyone's here. Let's go. The flight arranged by the Organization is arriving soon, in about an hour. Let's go wait."
The other two, both hoping to meet the higher-ups of the Blood Cultists, naturally had no objections.
The Deacon seemed to intentionally fall half a step behind. He hadn't taken two steps before his expression changed. His magic power suddenly erupted, and a dark wave transformed into a blade in his hand, which he slashed towards the disguised Batman's back, trailing a streak of blood-red magic!
But Batman was extremely alert. He ducked and weaved, and the blade instantly skimmed over his head. He crouched and countered with a sweeping leg kick, but the Deacon was astonishingly agile and nimbly evaded it.
Batman stood up and said coldly, "What are you doing?"
"Heh, every one of us Blood Cultists bears the mark of our Lord." The Deacon brandished his magical scythe and sneered, "I don't know if you're from the Gotham City Police Department, the FBI, or something else. But for daring to offend the authority of our Lord, your only fate is to become a sacrifice."
He glanced at Orin Vale, who was standing by his side, and said gravely, "Let's take down this intruder together!"
"No problem."
Orin Vale said, moving closer.
In that split second, the Deacon's pupils shrank. He suddenly realized a crucial point.
Wait. These two had already met before I arrived. They should have sensed each other's mark. So if there's an impostor here who doesn't have the mark, why didn't my colleague here discover it earlier?
Could it be...?
Thwack.
Orin Vale struck the back of his neck with a Hand Blade.
The magical scythe in the Deacon's hand immediately dissipated. His eyes widened, his face filled with unwillingness just before he lost consciousness.
Impostors, all of them.
All liars...
Thud.
The only true believer collapsed to the ground, leaving the two undercover agents staring at each other.
Batman frowned, maintaining a wary posture as he watched him.
"Don't stare at me like that, I'm on your side..." Orin Vale spread his hands.
The Old Bat had no reaction, still looking ready to strike at any moment.
"On your side, my ass."
Orin Vale thought for a moment, then activated the subspace built into his bracelet. Metal parts materialized out of thin air, assembling in an instant and transforming into classic red-and-silver armor that enveloped him completely.
He was sure he caught a trace of astonishment in the cold eyes under the other's hood.
"It's you."
Batman finally lowered his combat stance.
Orin Vale knew this didn't mean trust; this guy was paranoid and trusted no one. However, the good reputation of his 'Ultraman' identity so far was enough to lower his status in Batman's eyes from 'a threat that needs to be dealt with immediately' to 'a target under observation.'
To him, it was probably like Superman before the Justice League was formed. Someone he could cooperate with, but against whom he had to remain vigilant.
"You're an alien." He sized up Orin Vale.
"That's right." Orin Vale admitted openly.
"Like that Superman?"
"Not from the same place, but for humans, there's not much difference, is there?" Orin Vale glanced at the unconscious man on the ground. "You're also investigating the 'Blood Cultists'?"
"Missing persons, serial incidents. Initially, I thought it was Scarecrow's doing, but as the investigation deepened, I noticed a dangerous religious group."
Batman said icily.
"They've displayed some extraordinary traits, certain supernatural abilities. Since you've shown up, perhaps they're aliens?"
"No. They are believers of a very powerful demon from another dimension. That demon granted them their abilities and gave them a magical mark that allows them to identify one another. That's why this guy discovered you—"
As Orin Vale spoke, he thought of something and asked, "Wait a minute, you don't have Trigon's magic power, which means you can't activate their communication stones... so how did you infiltrate?"
Batman looked at him indifferently and slowly said, "Because..."
"Because you're Batman? I already know that. Be more specific."
"..."
After a moment of silence, he said in an unperturbed voice, "James Cruise was a Deacon in one of the cult's branches. I tracked down his identity, took him down, and learned of this place through him."
"I see."
After all, besides being a superhero, Batman is also a detective. He relied on traditional investigation methods to find clues.
"Well then, it looks like if we still want to figure out what they're planning and catch the big fish, we'll have to go to the meeting point together and meet this so-called 'Bishop'."
"We're one person short." Batman said icily, looking at the unconscious Deacon at his feet. "They'll get suspicious."
Orin Vale pondered for a moment.
"This human-face mask of yours... is it digital? It looks like it can be adjusted to any face. Do you have a spare one of these?"
Batman immediately understood his meaning.
"You're saying we find someone else to impersonate this guy." He said gravely, "But these cultists all possess supernatural power, and they're extremely dangerous. That person must be trustworthy and must have enough ability to protect themselves..."
"Not a big problem."
Orin Vale smiled.
"They said the meeting place was in Central City, right? I happen to have just the candidate in mind, someone absolutely trustworthy and with more than enough ability to protect themselves."
(end of chapter)
2023-10-23 Author: Rowing Without Oars 233
Orin Vale felt he should have thought of this sooner.
Gotham is the Wayne Family's backyard during the day, and Batman's Amusement Park at night. To say this city is his isn't entirely wrong. Making trouble here and running into the Old Bat was only a matter of time.
Previous incidents, like those involving demonic spirits and demons, were supernatural events Batman generally paid less attention to. But with the Blood Cultists, although they were mystical in origin, the cult's activities were, after all, merely a gathering of evil cultists. It would be strange if engaging in human trafficking all day in Gotham didn't attract the Old Bat's attention.
Originally, Orin Vale had planned to come early, hoping to extract some information from the first believer who arrived before the third person appeared. But now, well, that plan went out the window. The first two to arrive were both undercover agents. Suddenly, there was nothing left to ask.
The questions he had prepared were instantly choked back. Orin Vale said nothing, arms crossed, leaning against the wall, as the two of them waited silently in the darkness.
A moment later, Batman was the first to break the silence.
"This time, things probably won't be too easy."
Orin Vale pondered for a moment.
Old Master clearly didn't know that the person in front of him was also an undercover agent, just like himself. He certainly didn't know that his cover had already been blown the moment Orin Vale saw him.
So from Old Master's perspective, he was still a genuine Blood Cultist Deacon, which meant he had a similar idea to what Orin Vale initially planned: to extract information from the one in front of him before the third one arrived.
He was bound to be disappointed then, because Undercover Agent Number Two also knew nothing.
"It definitely won't be easy." Orin Vale shrugged, casually adding, "You know."
Batman remained impassive, nodded slightly. "Of course, I know."
"Good, then now we both understand." Orin Vale nodded as well.
He then fell silent again.
Batman: "..."
The topic ended. After another two minutes of silence, he still didn't give up and launched a second round of questioning.
"'That business from 'that time,' how are things on that end?" he asked.
It was still a vague statement; "that time" could refer to a wide range of things. Perhaps he was truly referring to a specific operation of the Blood Cultists that Batman had previously discovered, or perhaps it was just a casual probe to get the other party to open up and reveal more.
Of course, he was doomed to be disappointed. Orin Vale shook his head. "Same old, same old. Nothing much to say. What about your end?"
"Same here."
"Mmm."
The conversation ended again, and the two once more fell into dark silence.
The awkward small talk couldn't continue.
Fortunately, at this moment, the third person emerged from the darkness, also wearing the signature black robe of the Blood Cultists.
Orin Vale casually swept his Ultra Vision over him. A gaunt figure, a prominent chin, a grim and cold face. This wasn't a fake face; he even had a bizarre and horrifying tattoo on his chest.
This time, it truly seemed to be a proper cultist.
The true Deacon walked between the two of them. "You're both here so early? Quite proactive, aren't we... But this way, everyone's here. Let's go. The flight arranged by the Organization is arriving soon, in about an hour. Let's go wait."
The other two, both hoping to meet the higher-ups of the Blood Cultists, naturally had no objections.
The Deacon seemed to intentionally fall half a step behind. He hadn't taken two steps before his expression changed. His magic power suddenly erupted, and a dark wave transformed into a blade in his hand, which he slashed towards the disguised Batman's back, trailing a streak of blood-red magic!
But Batman was extremely alert. He ducked and weaved, and the blade instantly skimmed over his head. He crouched and countered with a sweeping leg kick, but the Deacon was astonishingly agile and nimbly evaded it.
Batman stood up and said coldly, "What are you doing?"
"Heh, every one of us Blood Cultists bears the mark of our Lord." The Deacon brandished his magical scythe and sneered, "I don't know if you're from the Gotham City Police Department, the FBI, or something else. But for daring to offend the authority of our Lord, your only fate is to become a sacrifice."
He glanced at Orin Vale, who was standing by his side, and said gravely, "Let's take down this intruder together!"
"No problem."
Orin Vale said, moving closer.
In that split second, the Deacon's pupils shrank. He suddenly realized a crucial point.
Wait. These two had already met before I arrived. They should have sensed each other's mark. So if there's an impostor here who doesn't have the mark, why didn't my colleague here discover it earlier?
Could it be...?
Thwack.
Orin Vale struck the back of his neck with a Hand Blade.
The magical scythe in the Deacon's hand immediately dissipated. His eyes widened, his face filled with unwillingness just before he lost consciousness.
Impostors, all of them.
All liars...
Thud.
The only true believer collapsed to the ground, leaving the two undercover agents staring at each other.
Batman frowned, maintaining a wary posture as he watched him.
"Don't stare at me like that, I'm on your side..." Orin Vale spread his hands.
The Old Bat had no reaction, still looking ready to strike at any moment.
"On your side, my ass."
Orin Vale thought for a moment, then activated the subspace built into his bracelet. Metal parts materialized out of thin air, assembling in an instant and transforming into classic red-and-silver armor that enveloped him completely.
He was sure he caught a trace of astonishment in the cold eyes under the other's hood.
"It's you."
Batman finally lowered his combat stance.
Orin Vale knew this didn't mean trust; this guy was paranoid and trusted no one. However, the good reputation of his 'Ultraman' identity so far was enough to lower his status in Batman's eyes from 'a threat that needs to be dealt with immediately' to 'a target under observation.'
To him, it was probably like Superman before the Justice League was formed. Someone he could cooperate with, but against whom he had to remain vigilant.
"You're an alien." He sized up Orin Vale.
"That's right." Orin Vale admitted openly.
"Like that Superman?"
"Not from the same place, but for humans, there's not much difference, is there?" Orin Vale glanced at the unconscious man on the ground. "You're also investigating the 'Blood Cultists'?"
"Missing persons, serial incidents. Initially, I thought it was Scarecrow's doing, but as the investigation deepened, I noticed a dangerous religious group."
Batman said icily.
"They've displayed some extraordinary traits, certain supernatural abilities. Since you've shown up, perhaps they're aliens?"
"No. They are believers of a very powerful demon from another dimension. That demon granted them their abilities and gave them a magical mark that allows them to identify one another. That's why this guy discovered you—"
As Orin Vale spoke, he thought of something and asked, "Wait a minute, you don't have Trigon's magic power, which means you can't activate their communication stones... so how did you infiltrate?"
Batman looked at him indifferently and slowly said, "Because..."
"Because you're Batman? I already know that. Be more specific."
"..."
After a moment of silence, he said in an unperturbed voice, "James Cruise was a Deacon in one of the cult's branches. I tracked down his identity, took him down, and learned of this place through him."
"I see."
After all, besides being a superhero, Batman is also a detective. He relied on traditional investigation methods to find clues.
"Well then, it looks like if we still want to figure out what they're planning and catch the big fish, we'll have to go to the meeting point together and meet this so-called 'Bishop'."
"We're one person short." Batman said icily, looking at the unconscious Deacon at his feet. "They'll get suspicious."
Orin Vale pondered for a moment.
"This human-face mask of yours... is it digital? It looks like it can be adjusted to any face. Do you have a spare one of these?"
Batman immediately understood his meaning.
"You're saying we find someone else to impersonate this guy." He said gravely, "But these cultists all possess supernatural power, and they're extremely dangerous. That person must be trustworthy and must have enough ability to protect themselves..."
"Not a big problem."
Orin Vale smiled.
"They said the meeting place was in Central City, right? I happen to have just the candidate in mind, someone absolutely trustworthy and with more than enough ability to protect themselves."
(end of chapter)
