Wham!
The Phantom's fist collided with Walker's helmet for the umpteenth time. Every single blow felt like a sledgehammer falling on him, like a hanging log trap being set loose, just to crush his body and soul. And how apt was that description? Fighting the Phantom was like running a gauntlet through a forest just absolutely crawling with booby traps.
You see an opening? Look again! It's actually a disguised pitfall and not a proper trail. Oh, you think you have a moment to rest? Well, not really, because here's a heavy overhead blow to fall on your fragile little head.
It finally made sense why that Alex kid was so obsessed with this random street fighter. This was an even rougher time than when he was forced to spar the Manticore. At least with him, he got some silly banter and was taken in with some dignity. The last time he felt so humiliated was when that vigilante wannabe, Batgirl, beat him and got him locked up. The first of them, at least.
Forcing his mind back to the present, Drury reeled at the pain that his body was in. He'd tested his new armor against firearms, and having the Phantom's blows rain down on him as fast as they came was giving him a similar experience.
Face. Arm. Shoulder. Ribs. Gut. Solar plexus. Face again.
Just over a minute in and he was already breathing heavy, bleeding from his nose, and seeing double. Though, when he managed to take a break and refocus, the Phantom seemed to be getting tired as well.
Drury laughed. He couldn't help it. The dry, wheezing sound erupted from his throat uncontrollably.
"The fuck's so funny?" asked the Phantom.
Drury shook his head, feeling around his belt for that quick-acting shot. "Nah, nothing. Just... you didn't think it'd actually be that easy, did you?"
He lifted his hand and made to stab what looked like an epi-pen into his thigh. It was that special formula that Alex had been cooking up with his eggheads. If it worked anything like what those two goons did, then—
Something fell to the ground. A light and wet thud, and the Phantom was suddenly holding a glowing blue something in his hand.
"Special kinda Venom, huh? Boy, am I gonna have a field day with this."
What was that kid saying? Drury was clearly going to—
'Wait...'
He lifted his arm forward. His hand had been severed. Blood squirted out of the red stump that was his wrist, its rhythm matching his elevated heartbeat. His breath grew heavy and sped up as well, and suddenly, he was on his ass on the ground.
"Man, grow a fucking spine, dude," said the Phantom who stood over him. "It ain't that bad. Just pick your hand up right now and run to like, one of those Wayne-funded clinics. They'll put it back on for you. You'll have go back to Blackgate though, but like... that's a win in my book."
He then pocketed the Venom shot that was supposed to be Drury's and walked off. "Seriously, though—piss off. I gotta deal with left nut and right nut over there."
৹ ◎ ◉ ◎ ৹
[ Quest "It's a Trap!" has been updated. ]
[ Objective [1] has been completed. ]
[ Selected the Ability: [Durable I] ]
[ Received 1,000 EXP. ]
[ EXP to next level: 3,775. ]
Lucian displaced the shot of Venom he'd just picked up, slipping it into his second tool slot. Then, made his was over to the Venom soldiers, gun in hand, shooting at their legs until they fell over.
"Hah! I'm liking you a lot more by the minute, rookie," Red Hood exclaimed, watching not-Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum fall over.
Lucian rushed over and stabbed the tip of Stinger into the Venom soldiers' bodies, shocking them into unconsciousness.
[ Defeated two powerful opponents. ]
[ 320 cumulative EXP has been granted. ]
[ EXP to next level: 3,455. ]
"And that's twenty-one. Tie of the century. Great hunting, dude." He put a fist forward, and Red Hood met it with his own.
"Yeah. Good hunting."
"Sorry to interrupt your forming brotherly bond, Bloodthirst Boys, but I've got an update. Aleck's seen everything through Killer Moth's helmet and is hustling to get out of the city."
Lucian met Red Hood's intense gaze through their masks. They let Oracle continue after she took a breath.
"Red Hood. I want you to take in at least Killer Moth for interrogations and formal recapture. And as for you, Phantom, you might wanna turn cat and chase this rat, but you don't have to worry about Wraith. She's already safe in Crime Alley."
Lucian gave Red Hood one resolute nod before splitting off. He climbed up the nearest tall building and shifted loadouts there. After receiving directions from Oracle, he took off into the night sky and flew as fast as he could.
৹ ◎ ◉ ◎ ৹
The Watson household came under fire. Only Maxie knew why, and she let the first few shots of gunfire pass before grabbing Tammy from her room. There was panic and confusion at first, but since she was prepared for the eventuality, she managed to drag Joseph into the basement as well.
The man of the house pushed his weight against the door while Maxie brought up objects to barricade it. With the door reinforced as much as possible, everybody settled down.
"What even was that?" Joseph murmured in horror. His breath was loud and ragged. Had the boiler not been on, he would have been exhaling thick clouds of steam into frigid air.
"It's probably the cartel," said Tammy, who curled up into a ball behind an old crate. "I told you Lucian was trouble..."
Maxie shook her head, absolutely done with the situation. "No. And it's like I keep telling you, Lucian is not the problem here."
An irritated whine slowly drew from the depths of Tammy's gut. "You just don't get it, do you?! He is the problem! He showed up in your life, got you involved in all of this shit, and now even dad and I are in the crossfire! Hell, Aleck had to put—"
Maxie cleaved through her tirade. "Don't. You. Ever. Talk about that asshole around me like he's some saint."
Tammy stood up from her hiding spot. "Oh. Really? Like he's the one causing all this?"
More gunfire erupted from above. Shouting followed, then something fell to the floor.
Maxie's eyes went dangerously narrow. "Like you wouldn't believe."
Scoffing, Tammy crossed her thin arms. "Yeah. I wouldn't believe any of it. Because it's, like you keep saying, bullshit." Agitated, she looked away for half a second before glaring eye to eye with Maxie again. "He's only trying to help."
"He started all this," Maxie insisted.
Tammy got more heated. "Like hell he did?! Don't you remember everything I told you?"
Maxie pushed her hands into her pockets. With one of them, she clutched at the single thing that she could use to effectively defend herself. "Like what? Mr. Suarez belonging to the cartel? The police investigations? Even the PIs?"
A window broke from above. People yelled. More bodies fell.
"Well, yeah. What else could I be talking about?" Tammy replied, her voice drooling with derision.
Sighing, Maxie asked, "Did you ever see the evidence?"
Tammy's expression went from exasperated irritation, to contemplative bewilderment. "What do you mean...?"
"Hard evidence," Maxie explained. "Or, not even hard evidence. Any pictures, records, solid stories. Have you talked to those cops that Aleck said he got on board? Any of the PIs?"
"That doesn't matter," Tammy stuttered in an attempt to retort, now unable to hold her friend's gaze.
"Tammy, it does matter," said Maxie. She took one step closer as more gunshots sounded. "It's one of the few things that do in something like this. C'mon. Honey. Please..."
Tammy's lips quivered. She gritted her teeth as she stared down at her feet, unable to talk back. Up above, things seemed to be quieting down.
"Alright. I think that's enough, girls," said Joseph, trying to mediate. "We're still in the middle of a shootout here, and—"
Maxie raised her hand to stop him from talking. "Not right now, Joe. Please."
Gulping, he held his tongue. "At least don't fight, okay? You can settle this later."
Breathing deeply, Maxie acquiesced. "You're right. Later."
She moved to approach Tammy then, who recoiled when she got close. She shushed gently at her, reaching out softly, mostly touching at her arms. "Hey... Tammy, baby... come on. You heard your dad."
Reluctantly, Tammy uncrossed her arms and held hands with her.
"I'm sorry, okay?" Maxie whispered, wrapping her arms around her first love. "I really am..."
With a jab of her fingers, she struck at a pressure point on Tammy's neck, who proceeded to go limp in her arms.
Startled at the sight, Joseph rushed over in a panic. "Max! What happened to her?"
After laying Tammy down on the dusty floor, Maxie rose up and let Joseph fuss over his daughter. "I'm sorry about this, too," she whispered, taking her mask out of her jacket and pulling it on.
Joseph was knocked out next.
...
The Red Hoods eventually won their fight on the surface. The aftermath were a handful of wounded on their side, a couple dead on Donovan's, and the rest of the enemies unconscious from gas bombs.
Such was the sight that greeted Maxie, once Oracle cleared her to leave the basement and get help. Of course, before all of that, she put her mask back on her face.
With assistance from Red Hood's goons, Joseph was removed from the basement and loaded into a car to be taken to a safehouse. She handled Tammy herself—she didn't trust anyone else with her, besides Lucian, and maybe the girls.
'I really wish you were here right now,' she said in her mind, as if thinking her thoughts hard enough would let Lucian hear them.
In that moment, she felt something warm over her chest. She put her hand over it and felt a lump under the thick cloth—her locket. While she was stunned in wonder as what that could've meant, one of Red Hood's troop leaders called out to her.
"Come on, get in!" The man yelled from across the driveway. He was easy to spot with that gaudy orange mohawk of his.
She loaded Tammy into the backseat next to Joseph, and was made to take shotgun herself. While mohawk drove the car, the radio on the dashboard crackled to life.
"We've got an emergency, boys," said a man's voice, which sounded tinny through the speaker. "The enemy's on high alert and there's a team headed your way. Scramble and scatter. Make sure nobody gets caught."
"Well, shit," mohawk drawled in his coarse voice. He checked the back seats just to make sure that the sleeping passengers were buckled in. Once he was sure, he pushed his aviators up his nose and started shifting gears.
"Hang on tight, miss," he warned. "Shit's gonna get a bit bumpy..."
৹ ◎ ◉ ◎ ৹
Aleck tapped his foot against the ground in impatience. Everything had gone to shit. Actually everything. When had he started making so many mistakes?
'Never rush anything, boy. If something truly is worth having, it is worth any amount of time and effort that you put into it.'
Another one of his father's lessons forced its way into his mind. Every single time something went wrong, it was because he had, at some point, somehow rejected those teachings. That wisdom.
'What a fool you've become,' he told himself.
He had already waited a decade to get where he was. And, when he was finally getting somewhere, he just had to choke up and lose it all. Where had all his patience gone?
'This is my fault for accepting that position under Black Mask.'
He breathed in deep, itching the back of his neck. The steel there felt more restrictive than reassuring as of late.
'No. It wasn't that. I... pride. Of course. Damn it all to hell...'
Finally, they were there. Everyone that he managed to keep. A small army of loyal, non-brainwashed soldiers. The heads of his departments. His women... though only five were present. His people failed to rescue Miss Watson in time.
As soon as the girls arrived, they fawned over him. Filled with an instinct that he planted, one that would make them coddle him and cater to his every want and need, they threw themselves at him as if he was the only thing that mattered in the world.
With a sigh, he had them all back down. "As much as I appreciate it, ladies, we need to get out of Gotham. I've already got escape routes planned, though none of us can go together. Going as one group would only make us easier to capture all at once..."
He assigned everyone to a different car, supported by his enforcers that would ride with them. Every girl got their own car and security detail of three enforcers. His heads of department received the same treatment as well. Lastly, he would be riding out with Orwell and two other soldiers. With that arrangement, Aleck was probably the safest among those who would escape that night.
'Everything is in place... with my head finally clear after so long, the only thing that can stop me is a wildcard.'
Ten cars drove out of his building. It was a shame that Killer Moth got defeated—if he hadn't, he'd be in the same car headed out of Gotham that very moment.
"He would've been a useful asset," Aleck mumbled as one of his nameless enforcers drove.
"You mean Walker?" Orwell scoffed. "He's third rate at best."
Aleck leaned his head against the tinted window. "Third rate is better than cannon fodder..."
Orwell stared at his boss from the corner of his eye. Arms crossed, he said, "Since when did you care about the extras?"
There was silence as Aleck considered his response. "Since I discovered that I've lost my way."
In the end, Orwell could only hum. Disbelief, mirth, and grudging respect mingled in his mind. He was about to say something, but his words were caught at his lips. In the rearview mirror, he saw something that shouldn't have been there.
"What is that...?" he asked to nobody in particular, leaning forward to get a better look.
Aleck twisted in his seat to get a direct view. In the distance was a growing shape. No—it was a light. Purple. Whatever it was, it was catching up with them.
"Hold on..." Orwell's tone was that of someone coming to an epiphany. "Shit. It's that Manticore fella."
"The one that Walker wouldn't stop rambling about?" Aleck asked, already pulling advanced weaponry from under his seat.
Orwell clutched at the nape of his neck, his thick metal fingers lingering over the button that sat directly over his vertebrae. "Yeah, some up-and-coming vigilante. Doesn't look anything like a person to me, though."
Arming a plasma rifle, Aleck filled the vehicle with a white-hot glow. He stared out the back window and punched the glass away. Now with a clearer view of the Manticore as it got closer, he noted the way it chased after them on all fours, claws sparking against the asphalt.
"I agree with your sentiment," he said in a low voice. "Whatever that thing is, it isn't human."
With a clicking zap, an orb of white energy flew forward and struck out. Aleck's body was jostled from the recoil, but he kept his eyes on their pursuer.
The Manticore leapt over the projectile and lost no momentum. However, the plasma shot did explode. Looking closely, one could barely make out something long and black striking out at the plasma ball.
As the Manticore landed back on the road, it reared a forelimb and struck down. Whatever it hit sparked hard, and in that moment, the least expected thing happened.
A manhole cover went flying forward. It was vertical, and it traveled so fast that it cleaved through the car's roof and windshield like a buzzsaw through paper.
"Holy fucking shit...!"
The driver swerved while Aleck and Orwell's attention were still on the Manticore. Somehow, it had thrown the manhole cover in such a way that, upon contact with the ground, it started rolling back towards the car, sending sparks flying as it went.
Still, that was the least of their worries. Because of the swerving, their momentum dropped. The Manticore soon caught up to them and leapt over the vehicle, burning with unholy fire and crackling with malevolent lightning. Within its clutches was a swirling mass of energy, and when it landed before them—
T h w o o m !
A wide, spiraling explosion burst forth, sending the car tumbling. Everyone within was thrown out as the wrecked roof finally came apart. The driver and extra companion suffered the worst of it—they were already on the ground, unconscious and bleeding. One of them even ended up pinned under the vehicle.
Aleck forced himself upright, clicking his wristwatch twice before hefting his plasma shot rifle. Orwell had gotten up himself, blue Venom already surging through his body. Though his form swelled, it was an even and smooth transition, and his eyes looked no less focused than before. Blue light glowed through his veins and scars as if they were artful seams along his skin.
From the smoke before them, the Manticore stepped out. A low and powerful sound rumbled through the air, its eyes burning with physical hate. Its claws and iron maw glinted in the city lights, reflecting them without blemish. From behind, its spike-tipped tail swung this way and that, crackling with agitated electricity.
In a single moment of finality, it pointed a single clawed finger right through Aleck's soul.
" Y o u . S i n n e r . "
...
Lucian went low, digging his claws into the ground and bracing his feet using adhesion. Briefly, he overchanneled One for All. Golden streaks formed along his legs, glittering with stark white.
He launched forward as an unrecognizable blur, rocketing towards Orwell. The force of his takeoff produced a thunderous sound, and when his target made to swing with a preemptive strike, he pivoted.
All four limbs slammed into the ground, thundering again. He twisted and his joints shook from the feedback, and he was now bolting towards Aleck instead. By the time Orwell's attack was finished, he was gone, and the asphalt where he once was exploded into pieces under a large metal fist.
Aleck, meanwhile, raised his rifle, startled yet still focused. A single round went off, and it struck Lucian right in his chest. Fur burned away first, followed by leather, cloth, and then skin—some bone was exposed beneath the surface. This ugly, roiling odor filled his nose and lungs, but he didn't stop. He slammed his limbs against the ground again, feeling the shock of it right in his core.
In a flash, he was on Aleck. His priority was that plasma rifle. He dug his claws into its surface and roared, stunning Aleck just long enough to pry it from his strengthened hands.
Once he had stolen the rifle away, he raised it over his head and made to swing down. It was going to slam into Aleck's head, which would both break the gun and give the bitch a concussion. Mid-swing, Lucian's head exploded with signals from [Danger Sense]. Orwell was upon him, his massive fist milliseconds away from making impact, center-mass.
Instantly, Lucian changed course and brought the rifle between himself and Orwell. At the same time, Blackwhip wove itself in layers between the rifle and Lucian's own body. The gun exploded with Orwell's punch, and though the force had been dulled by the tendrils, Lucian was still sent flying into a building.
His arms and chest whined in pain. Had he not blocked with all he had, his ribcage would've collapsed without his flesh to support more ki reinforcement.
Pushing his lifeforce to its limits, he accelerated [Moderate Regeneration]'s healing and closed his charred wound at visible speeds. Sadly, he had no time to breathe. Orwell was already advancing, his cybernetic limbs whirring and clicking with menace.
Lucian got up and attached himself to the wall behind him, overchanneling One for All for another explosive movement. He blasted out, taking down the wall behind him, and sank all ten claws into the enemy's massive shoulders.
Orwell roared in pain and instinctively went to grab the enemy. Before he could, that sparking tail speared into his gut and dug deep. That wasn't all—the powerful electric current already passing through it went and amplified. His diaphragm spasmed a hundred times a second, and by the time that stinger left his body, there was a smoking, cauterized hole in his abdomen.
Lucian hopped off now mostly healed, and dashed back out into the open street where he then met Aleck in battle. The first blow was a wide right hook, which Lucian sidestepped. He used that opportunity to pull Aleck into a hold, and with a burst of One for All across his entire body, he snapped that whole arm backward from the shoulder.
Aleck wailed in pain, slamming his left fist into Lucian's back on instinct. After the third strike, he stopped punching. He went for an open-hand strike instead, right to the head.
[Danger Sense] sent shocks of pain rolling all over Lucian's body. Tendrils erupted from him, lashing out in every direction. That knee-jerk reaction sent him hurtling away, as well as the enemy.
'Too close,' he thought. 'Gotta finish this right the fuck now.'
But he couldn't just win the fight. He needed to make Aleck feel helpless. Presently, that cunt might believe that he still stood a chance. Lucian needed more power.
Looking over, Aleck was still stunned by the pain of getting his arm twisted backwards. He clutched at his purpled shoulder, whimpering as he tried to set it back in place. Lucian took that opportunity and dashed back into the trashed building.
Orwell was barely conscious when he got there. The sucker actually grabbed him by the leg when he was near, and he broke that limb in response by shorting it using Stinger.
"Sit still, you Cyborg wannabe."
He slammed both gauntlets onto Orwell's overswollen chest. Since neither he nor Aleck seemed mentally affected by the blue Venom, Lucian figured it'd be fine to absorb unlike the common variant.
Immediately, he felt a powerful rush of energy surging into him. His ki, which typically burned purple, shifted more and more towards blue as he absorbed Orwell's lifeforce. The air felt cooler around him. His focus sharpened. And his strength—he felt like he could take on a mountain and win.
'Don't get carried away,' he reminded himself.
By the time Orwell was mostly drained of energy, Aleck had managed to fix his shoulder. He turned, snarling, and instead of continuing to fight, went to run away.
Lucian was impressed. That cunt actually cut his losses and fled. In no rush at all, he stepped out of the building, his ki now burning a brilliant fiery blue.
"You okay down there, Manticore?" asked Oracle.
"More than okay," he replied. "I'll finish this off in a bit."
"Alright. Just be careful. Your girlfriend's watching."
He realized then that there had actually been a news helicopter above him. The loud, rhythmic thumping wasn't just his heart beating in his ears. Ignoring them, he went low again, letting out one last threatening roar before exploding forward.
...
Aleck ran like the wind. Well and truly, he tried his best. He was even going faster than some cars would have been able to drive with the help of his Venom formula. Unfortunately for him, his hunter was much, much faster—and that was before getting a Venom boost of its own.
Steadily, the heavy thumping of boots against the ground grew louder. Closer. Aleck could actually feel the tremors produced from the Manticore's legs stomping against the asphalt. It wasn't even pumping them very fast—the sheer force behind every step was just so brutal that it was propelled a dozen feet with every stride.
Against decidedly every ounce of his better judgement, Aleck looked back. By God, he should not have done that.
Sprinting towards him was a demon made manifest on Earth. Its visage was blackened like charcoal—charcoal which burned with fire that purged souls from existence. Lightning poured out from its body as well, licking out and lingering in the air as if caught in an invisible time distortion.
With every step that thing took, the ground beneath rumbled. With every bound forward, one of those grasping claws reached forward and tore through the air. That thing leaned so far forward as it ran that Aleck thought there might have been hope that it would trip.
Then—it reached him. He was still looking back when it did. He didn't even realize that he'd stopped running.
The next thing he knew was that the Manticore had its claws on his face. It roared, then his world spun. Red exploded in one of his eyes, then its vision failed. Before he knew it, he was on the ground, facing the clouds up above. The buildings on either side seemed to close in, bending down towards him. They were like the fingers of a gargantuan hand, moving to crush some insignificant piece of rubbish in their grasp.
He didn't know how long he laid there like that. The last thing he heard was the Manticore roaring so loud that he believed his hearing would be permanently impaired. Then, some time later, people.
A crowd formed around him. Every last face was familiar. Most were women, but there were a few men among their numbers. They all stood over him, unmoving. Their eyes which never blinked stared right through him, piercing to the very core of his being.
He didn't speak. Deep in the pit of his soul, he knew why they were there.
As he accepted his perceived fate, the mob vanished. Into his vision stepped a familiar face, though it was one that he'd only ever seen through a television screen before: Gotham City's Police Commissioner, James W. Gordon. He said something, but Aleck could only very faintly make out his voice.
A contingent of police officers followed the commissioner's appearance, carrying with them reinforced cuffs and a meta-blocking collar. They restrained and detained him, and pushed his stumbling body into a reinforced transport truck.
The twin doors slammed shut, drowning him in shadow. Throughout the entire ride, deprived of his sight and anyone to speak to, he was left to feel the vehicle's rumbling. It resonated through his bones as a constant reminder of that thing that chased him. Wounded him. Brought him this low.
'I suppose only the chopping block awaits me now.'
—=—=—=—=—=—=—=—
[A/N]: Well, that was a chapter. We'll explore the aftermath of this next week—probably another double drop to finally close things off.
I had fun writing this story. Like, seriously. This was the most fun I've ever had writing anything, even if it could be a pain in the ass half the time. It was a great experience.
Again, after chapters 49 and 50 finally drop, I'm taking a break. In the meantime, a friend recommended that I start a page where people can support me. So, to that, I opened up a Ko-fi.
If you wanna support me in ways other than following along with my story and dropping power stones and the occasional comment, you could make a donation over there. It'd really make a mans happy.
[ To visit the page, just pop "mr_blorp" after the base Ko-fi URL. I'm not sure if I'll get in trouble if I just plop the link here, so I'm doing roundabout. Thankies! ]
Anyway, this is it for now. I'll smell y'all next time I put up a chapter.
...
OKAY THAT WASN'T ACTUALLY ALL
I JUST LOOKED AT GACHIAKUTA FOR THE FIRST TIME AND OIEGHWOIJHWITJ
RUDO
THAT SWEET BABY
I'm too scared to check out the next episode I was in pain during only the first one aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Okay this is actually it now. Bye 👋