Chapter 610: I, Joker (8)
Chapter 610: I, Joker (8)
Let’s shift scenes to another part of the city.
Inside a laboratory at Batmancastle…
The monitors on the lab walls were playing back footage from the police station parking lot battle. When Ruo Yu’s move, "Falling Petals Dispersal", appeared, every viewer wore expressions of disbelief. Robin, who had been helping The_Bruce into his armor-plated suit, froze mid-motion, staring at the screen in shock. “Well, I’ll be damned… That’s impossible…”
When the six figures collectively leapt onto the police station roof and out of camera range, Kliber finally spoke. “Five minutes ago, surveillance cameras near the police station parking lot captured this footage. The incident began when our undercover agent, Mr. Dal,illegally contacted a nearby patrol unit, claiming he’d created an opportunity to ‘annihilate the Resistance Organization and capture Qiao Yi.Colin alive.’”
The doctor shrugged. “Then, in mere seconds, our soldiers were killed by an unidentifiable energy force.” Adjusting his glasses, he shook his head. “With all due respect, this exceeds my comprehension. I’m afraid I can’t offer further explanation.”
Gordon shouted, “This is an Apocalypse… a disaster!” The Xianzhi of Batman’s disciple showed obvious panic, muttering incoherently. “She… and that Joker… they’re devils!”
“Shut up, Gordon!” Bruce snapped, his voice sharp. “Even if they can do the impossible, it doesn’t make them supernatural.” He paused. “They’re human… just… different.”
At this moment, he finished strapping on the “Combat armor-plated suit.”
“Hmm… feels…” Bruce muttered as he activated the armor’s system, watching data streams float across his visor. “…different.”
“I made some improvements,” Kliber quickly replied. “It’s been too long since your last field deployment. Over the years, I’ve upgraded the tech periodically to keep its combat power relevant.”
“Good, Kliber,” Bruce nodded, clenching his fist. “Superior defense, enhanced strength… and…” His eyes flickered. “A full arsenal of deadly weapons.”
Gordon wiped cold sweat from his forehead, forcing a smile. “Then… Joker and Harley Quinn won’t stand a chance?”
Whoosh—
Before he finished speaking, a gust of wind erupted.
In an instant, The_Bruce moved like a black phantom, grabbing Gordon’s collar and lifting him off the ground.
“Guh—no!” The sudden violence twisted Gordon’s face. For a moment, he truly feared Bruce would kill him.
But then…
“Have some faith in your god, Gordon,” Bruce sneered, slowly releasing him. “I don’t care what powers those four rats in the city have gained…” He scoffed. “With me prepared, they won’t even get half a chance.”
“Th-Thank you…” Gordon steadied himself, swallowing anger as he adjusted his collar. “I knew you were unbeatable.”
“No.” The_Bruce immediately rejected the flattery. “There’s one man in this city—very special—who might defeat me…” He turned, snatching his mantle from the table, afanatical grin spreading. “This excites me.”
“Just a few thugs or madmen won’t threaten me,” Bruce continued. “The only man who truly threatens me… is Qiao Yi.Colin.”
“That Resistance Organization kid?” Gordon frowned, pointing at the screen. “But his entire squad was just wiped out. Even Dal, who secretly worked for us, was killed by Joker.”
“Numbers never mattered,” Bruce countered. “As long as he can rally followers willing to die for him… eliminating one batch just breeds another.” He exhaled sharply. “I sent Dal back to spy on him. That bastard took initiative, got my men killed, and cost me control over Qiao Yi.”
Clearly, The_Bruce’s depth of character and intelligence were formidable. He’d long prepared comprehensive countermeasures against the Resistance Organization. If he had a weakness, it was overconfidence in his martial prowess—he hadn’t faced a real challenge in decades.
“Gordon,” Bruce paused, issuing orders. “Send a squad to destroy the Resistance Organization’s Sewer Base. Dal’s exposed; keeping that location alive is pointless.”
“Understood.” Gordon signaled a nearby Robin, who nodded and departed swiftly.
“Now…” Bruce’s voice turned contemplative. “Qiao Yi’s allied with those four strange criminals. Even I don’t know how tonight will end… Hmph. The situation grows more intriguing.” His tone brightened. “I knew he was special… because he’s the true Joker’s descendant.”
“That’s impossible!” Gordon gasped. “You killed them all in ‘that war’!”
“No, Gordon.” Bruce spun, mantle flaring, toward the exit. “I spared one survivor…”
“He’s insane…” Gordon whispered to Kliber, stepping back.
“Hmph,” Kliber lit a cigarette, smoke curling. “Aren’t we all, staff?”
As they spoke, The_Bruce strode from the lab. He’d heard Gordon’s remark—the armor’s enhanced hearing ensured it—but chose to ignore it.
At that moment, Bruce’s mood soared.
He strode briskly through the castle corridors, his blood—cold for years—boiling anew. Fear and hesitation had dissolved into his powerful spiritual energy. Now, only one thought remained: prove to the world he was still Gotham’s god.
“Joker, Two-Face, Black Mask, Lao Xiu Gu, Bane, Killer Croc…” The_Bruce paused by a floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the cityscape. “My ancestor, Bruce Wayne, battled true super criminals for years. But I… never had such a chance.”
He lifted his head to the night sky.
Multicolored light poured through the glass—countless Batman symbols from searchlights still drifting overhead. Symbols of The_Bruce’s dominion, reminding Gotham’s citizens: faith in Batman.
“If God exists,” he murmured, “I thank him for sending these four to me. Repeating the same circus act for the rabble, accepting challenges from trash… it’s boring. Nauseating.” A menacing grin spread. “These four… are the challenge I’ve waited for.” He declared, “I’ll prove my Strength’s supremacy with their blood.”
As this man tilted his head forty-five degrees skyward, delivering his middle-school-syndrome monologue…
Suddenly…
A blinding white light pierced his vision.
“What… is that?” Bruce’s smile vanished. His eyes widened, pupils contracting sharply.
Across Gotham’s night sky, a colossal cursor blazed to life. Its brightness and scale dwarfed all other city lights.
A century ago, the original Commissioner Gordon had used this rooftop-mounted searchlight to summon ‘that hero.’
Tonight, someone reignited this forgotten beacon. But the symbol they projected wasn’t Batman’s mark…
It was a grinning, snarling face.
The “smile” climbed the heavens…
Its light drowned all surrounding Bat-symbols, a full moon dominating Gotham’s sky.
(End of Chapter)
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