69novels Chapter 208, Section 105: The Situation at Wayne Manor
Chapter 208, Section 105: The Situation at Wayne Manor
Chapter 208, Section 105: The Situation at Wayne Manor (Part Two)
"Even if you didn't say anything, I would still take action. Diablo is roaring inside me, and its anger is about to become uncontrollable. I can feel it."
Chato stood up and stretched his limbs.
The claws had scattered and lurked in the shadows of the cave walls. Some flanked from the left and right, intending to surround the group, while others climbed the cave ceiling like spiders. They were silent and agile, like a group of elusive American cockroaches.
Tim tried his best to remain calm, but the rustling sounds coming from all directions made him uneasy.
From Qin Wei's perspective, the boy had witnessed the terror of the claws firsthand, so it was not surprising that he had no confidence in Chato.
But he couldn't understand why Lucius Fox, who was also threatened with death, could maintain a peaceful state of mind.
"Panic and panic are the most useless emotions, especially when you are powerless to change the course of the battle—" Lucius seemed to have noticed Tim's unease and turned to wink at the boy.
"At this point, you only have two choices: either be pessimistic and prepare to accept the worst outcome, or be optimistic and choose to trust your friends and companions."
"There's no right or wrong between these two approaches, but I'm an optimist by nature, and I prefer the latter."
Lucius really likes Tim, and even sees his childhood self in him, which is why he's willing to give him advice and share some life experience.
If he had had a mentor who was willing to guide him back then, perhaps he would have avoided many detours in his life.
Meanwhile, Chato had reached the end of the cave and was facing Alexander across the underground river.
Surrounded by eager claws, he seemed completely unfazed, hands in his pockets, head tilted as he scrutinized Alexander in his night clothes, his disdainful gaze sweeping over him from head to toe.
Although he had reformed many years ago, when it came to the crucial moment of fighting, Chatto's roguish nature would just keep surging out.
"Hey buddy! I think you've come to the wrong place. The Leather Club is two blocks away."
Alexander had been wondering what Chato wanted by coming up to him, but it turned out to be nothing more than a verbal provocation.
What he found even more unbearable was that Chato's opening remarks went straight to the heart.
Before being recruited by the court, shrewd fighters are often sent to circuses to hone their skills, and Alexander was no exception. He considered his experience of wearing a tight leather suit and stepping on rubber balls to please the audience to be a great humiliation.
Chato's association may have been unfounded, but it inadvertently reopened Alexander's wounds.
"Fuck you!"
Enraged, Alexander leaped across the underground river and thrust his hidden blade at Chator's chest.
The leader charged ahead, and the rest of the claws followed suit. In the shadows, countless black shadows surged toward Chato from the walls.
"Tim, do you know what's most important in life?"
Just as Tim, who was watching from the sidelines, was on tenterhooks, Lucius put down what he was doing and asked the boy a question out of the blue.
"The most important thing in life—is it happiness?"
Tim tried to guess the deeper meaning behind the other person's words, and his serious and cautious appearance made Lucius laugh out loud.
"No, it's about the timing—hahaha, don't look at me like that, I just think you're being a little too reserved."
As soon as he finished speaking, a brilliant burst of flames erupted behind Lucius.
The intense heat swirled through the cave, drawing in all the slithering claws. The flames continued to expand, the temperature rose steadily, and the walls, soaked in moisture, dried at a visible rate.
Lucius was initially worried that the humid environment might affect the electronic components, but it seems that Chato can temporarily serve as a dehumidifier until the order for the waterproof cover arrives.
However, this dehumidifier is perhaps a little too effective.
"Mr. Santana, if you don't stop now, Tim and I are going to get roasted dry." Lucius licked his dry lips.
Chato was jolted awake by his words.
In the instant Diablo erupted, he almost lost control of his body, and at the same time, an inexplicable sense of anger surged and crashed through his heart, something that had never happened before.
Diablo, being a low-level demon, does not have a strong sense of self and is driven more by instinct. As a result, it is more likely to respond to the calls of its followers, and Qin Wei can even wake it from its slumber by calling its true name.
But this does not mean that Diablo has no memory.
It will always remember that night a hundred years ago, the night when the last Native American believer knelt before the wooden totem and prayed desperately to him.
It cannot understand human language, yet the anger and despair in the hearts of believers resonate strongly with its power.
It yearns for human hands, and if a believer is willing to reach out and touch the wooden carving, it can transfer its power to the poor Native American.
The believers were too devout; they would rather witness the tribe burning and children and women crying and writhing in the flames than reach out and touch the sacred totem objects left by their ancestors.
Diablo could only watch helplessly as Claws walked into the cave.
The assassin wearing an owl mask pierced the man's chest right in front of him.
Despite being worshipped by Native Americans for centuries, Diablo ironically couldn't even protect the last remaining members of his tribe.
All it can do is remember the mask and let the flames of revenge burn fiercely within its body.
Twenty years later, a Western cowboy named Lazarus Lane stumbled into an abandoned Indian shrine, where a greedy white man set his sights on a wooden carving possessed by a demon.
He brought it back to the city, and with it, he brought calamity back to the human world.
Alexander the Claw was reborn from the ashes. Its charred skin gradually peeled away under the influence of the amber-gold composite, revealing its fair and delicate skin.
But not every Claw escaped death by hiding behind the rocks like him. Those who were close were vaporized and evaporated, while those who were a little further away were burned to dust, and the residue flowed into the Gotham River with the groundwater.
Naked Alexander blinked, staring incredulously at the vengeful demon burning in the raging flames.
Chato spread his arms to contain the flames, but as the flames gradually solidified, the light emanating from his body became increasingly dazzling.
He opened his eyes, his pupils shining brightly like stars.
Alexander knelt down with a thud. If given another chance, he would definitely volunteer to go to Naihe Island to deal with it—
Lei Xiaogu.
At least, no matter how strong Lei Xiaogu was, he was still within the realm of humanity.
anμeAAnφaHA！ "
Chato's feet dangled in the air, and he extended his fingers, pressing them against Alexander Staunton's forehead amidst his dying screams.
The arrogant claws were vaporized in an instant, and apart from the amber-gold composite that fell to the ground with a clatter, there would be no longer any evidence that he had ever lived in this world.
"The heat is terrifying. It seems I was a bit too ambitious when I said I would make him a suit of armor."
Lucius glanced at the sensors on the table, scratched his head with a troubled expression.
The battle for the Bat Cave was the first to come to an end.
In contrast to Chato, who easily dealt with his enemies, Catwoman, who faced Elite Claw Evraim Newhouse in the stable, was having a tough time.
Compared to her exceptional agility, Selena's fighting skills are not top-notch, which is closely related to her job. If a thief has to resort to fists and kicks, she is definitely not qualified.
Dodging three strangely shaped projectiles, Selena weaved left and right amidst the flashes of Evraim's blade.
She was certain that the engine roar had alerted everyone, but since no one had come to their aid, it was highly likely that the others were also mired in the enemy's quagmire and unable to extricate themselves.
Selena knew that the claws were nearly impossible to kill, and given that her agility was equal to her opponent's but her hand-to-hand combat was far inferior, prolonging the battle would only put her at a disadvantage.
While the situation is still tense, she needs to think of a way to extricate herself immediately.
In fact, Evraim was also filled with doubt and uncertainty when facing Catwoman.
Selena hasn't made a move yet, only dodging left and right with her agility. And Selena's movements are so graceful, each time she dodges his attacks, she displays effortless elegance.
Oh no, this woman seems very strong!
The more Selena remained inactive, the more cautious Evraim became, hesitant to go all out for fear of being caught off guard and retaliating.
After all, he has a "criminal record".
Of all the elite claws, only Evraim bears the title of "sinner".
Twenty years ago, on the night of the riot, he ambushed Ressougu's escape route, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to the arrogant "Head of the Demons" according to the court's plan. However, when he saw Ressougu cruelly dismember dozens of claws and charging toward him murderously, Evraim was intimidated.
He may be the first Claw to drop his weapon and run away in front of the enemy.
But this action saved his life, and Lei Xiaogu behind him gave a sarcastic smile.
The "Demon King" disdained to lay a hand on Evraim.
Not only his enemies, but also his comrades cast disdainful glances at him.
After the enemy fled, Juria threw his weapons into the night. They were a pair of Ottoman scimitars made of Damascus steel with rubies inlaid on their handles. They had once been the swords of the Mamluk cavalry captains of the Ottoman Empire.
A century ago, the Ottoman scimitar left a deep psychological scar on Napoleon's army, but now its master has betrayed its bravery and loyalty.
Evraim also searched for them, but only found one of them.
The court did not blame Evraim. In the employer's eyes, as long as Claw did not betray him, he was loyal. But Evraim could not get over it.
He began to fear powerful enemies, even fearing that he would once again throw his weapon to the ground in exchange for his life.
Just then, Selena suddenly spoke up: "Is this scimitar yours?"
The claws, having been struck in the heart, suddenly retreated, holding a single blade to his chest.
Although talking to the assassination target is a major taboo, Evraim couldn't help but speak up.
"Do you have anything to say?"
"I have seen a knife that is exactly the same as it."
Selena was well-intentioned. Just now, while observing the swordsmanship, she noticed that the opponent's swordsmanship seemed unnatural in a few moves. His left hand was empty, yet he still symbolically chopped down, which was like a two-handed swordsman switching to a one-handed swordsman but failing to break the habit.
Upon further examination of the opponent's weapon—an Ottoman double-edged scimitar—everything made sense.
Selena felt that all of this was too much of a coincidence.
Two years ago, she stole an Ottoman scimitar from a wealthy businessman's wall, but since only one of the original two was left, the black market dealer drove the price down to an extremely low level.
Selena simply canceled the deal.
That knife is still hanging on the wall of the rented room.
"Do you want it?" Selena tried to ask.
Although Evraim remained silent, his silence seemed to answer everything.
Meanwhile, Dick, who had escaped from Naihe Island, split up with Talia as planned.
Talia, however, clearly carried a greater burden of hatred. The moment the two parted ways at the crossroads, Wu Juejue's claws emerged from the shadows of the tall buildings like a swarm of locusts, swinging their hooks and rushing towards the girl.
With only Felix Harmon leading about two thousand Claws in pursuit of Dick, the boy's pressure instantly eased.
Dick kept throwing projectiles behind him, harassing his pursuers as he made his way towards the Black Forest Bar.
Located in the heart of Coventry, the Black Forest Bar enjoys a prime location. Unlike other petty thieves and shady organizations, HIVE is an international mercenary organization. Even the Gotham government tacitly approves of their existence. The police don't usually visit, and no small gang dares to come knocking on their door to provoke them.
But today, they encountered a stubborn troublemaker who wouldn't listen to reason.
"Please let me in, I'm here to see Mr. Deathstroke!"
"I have no token of appreciation, nor am I a member of any mercenary organization. Please forgive my impolite request."
The bartender with a small mustache crossed his arms and looked at the tall, dark building across the street. His years of experience as a mercenary told him that there were more than a dozen pairs of eyes staring intently at the Black Forest and the panting young man in that building.
The bartender naturally assumed Dick was an unlucky fellow seeking refuge.
If every guy being hunted could walk into the Black Forest bar just by saying "I know Deathstroke," then all the rules would be in chaos.
Even though Deathstroke was drinking dark beer at the bar right now, the bartender didn't seem to have any intention of reporting it.
"Please leave immediately, or the Black Forest Bar will resort to violence to expel you."
The bartender frowned and gave Dick an ultimatum.