The roof of Wayne Enterprises
Marcus stood overlooking all of Gotham, a Razorfly with a cloth roll perched upon his fingertip.
"It's the one I left behind," he murmured.
Gently caressing the mechanical butterfly, Marcus untied the cloth roll secured by a silken thread. A simple message was written on it:
Alfred, don't worry about me. I'm safe. — Bruce
"So Bruce asked you to deliver this to Alfred? It seems the boy is in danger again."
Though Marcus smiled, his eyes turned cold.
Energy surrounded him as his body transformed into the ninja-like Ash [Shadow Assassin].
"I had planned to surprise Bruce, but now I'll show him the true strength of a ninja walking in darkness."
With those words, Marcus dissolved into smoke, vanishing from the rooftop. The Razorfly shot forward at incredible speed, returning the way it had come.
During its flight back, the Razorfly was occasionally enveloped by wisps of gray smoke. After traversing most of the city, it returned to the debris pile where Bruce and Selina were hiding.
Several grotesque-faced killers with powerful builds had gathered around the area.
They searched for traces of the teenagers, some pounding the walls in frustration—leaving deep imprints in the concrete.
Are these enhanced humans the ones attacking Bruce? Marcus wondered.
He could see clearly that these killers were far from ordinary. Their strength alone—evidenced by the fist-shaped craters in the wall—exceeded normal human capability.
Standing on the rooftop, Marcus observed them with interest, curious about their origins. Where had these enhanced killers come from?
His undisguised scrutiny immediately caught the attention of the transformed killers below.
One assassin hurled a dagger that spun rapidly through the air with a sharp whistling sound.
Clang!
Marcus's wrist flickered almost imperceptibly. Two shuriken instantly flew from his hand, not only deflecting the airborne dagger but continuing toward the attacker.
The shuriken, propelled by tremendous force, struck the killer and pinned him to the wall, instantly ending his life.
Marcus then initiated his next move. Looking down at the remaining killers, he activated Blade Storm.
Two gray, mist-like shadow clones emerged from his body, materializing behind various killers. Each clone used the Hidden Blade on its arm to inflict fatal damage to the targets.
Marcus himself vanished, reappearing among the killers to join his clones' assault.
The Hidden Blade on his arm pierced through one killer's skull with lightning speed. With a sudden twist, he cleaved the body in two.
His intervention accelerated the slaughter. The assembled killers began fleeing in panic.
Though enhanced, these assassins retained enough emotion for self-preservation. They recognized the futility of their position—they were no match for this shadow warrior. Their fallen comrades provided sufficient evidence.
The deaths of numerous killers drew Bruce's attention as agonized screams reached his ears.
"Selina, wake up!" he urged, shaking his resting companion.
Bruce frowned, listening carefully to the continuing cries.
Selina, instantly alert upon waking, also heard the screams.
"Those voices... they're coming from the killers!" she realized.
They had both heard these assassins' voices before, particularly when the Razorfly claimed its victims.
Was someone hunting down the hunters?
Bruce and Selina exchanged glances from their hiding place among the debris. The possibility grew in their minds, prompting Selina to rise silently.
"Stay hidden. I'll check what's happening."
With cat-like grace, she emerged from the rubble, positioning herself at a secure vantage point to observe the source of the screams.
In the dim light, she could barely make out the burly, monstrous killers being methodically hunted by three warriors who seemed to merge with the shadows themselves.
No matter where the killers fled, they couldn't escape these warriors, who materialized behind them to deliver fatal strikes.
"Bruce, come look!" she called softly.
Selina continued watching the shadowy warriors pursuing the killers.
Bruce was surprised by her invitation—typically, Selina would return to discuss her findings rather than expose them both.
Emerging from the debris, Bruce froze beside Selina as he absorbed the scene before them.
The killers who had been relentlessly hunting them had become prey themselves. Despite their frantic attempts to escape, none successfully fled the area.
After the last assassin fell, the teenagers suddenly realized the three warriors were looking directly at their position.
"We need to run—" Selina began.
Before she could finish, the three figures vanished. A familiar voice spoke from behind them.
"Where do you two think you're going?"
The voice stunned them both. They turned stiffly to find Marcus regarding them with an amused smile.
"Teacher! You're back!" Bruce exclaimed excitedly.
Selina remained silent, her eyes reddening with emotion.
Since Marcus's departure, they had scarcely known a peaceful day. Constant threats had kept them perpetually fleeing.
Smiling warmly, Marcus placed a hand on each of their shoulders and presented the Razorfly before them.
"If not for Bruce's message, I wouldn't have known you were in danger. Now that the immediate threat is gone, let's return home."
Neither teenager objected to Marcus's suggestion. They had complete confidence in his abilities, having just witnessed his systematic elimination of the assassins.
Though they didn't understand exactly how Marcus had performed such feats, they trusted him implicitly, knowing he would never harm them.
As they proceeded outside, intending to return to Wayne Manor, they knew they would need transportation.
While walking, they encountered another group of enhanced killers rushing toward their position. The collision seemed inevitable.
Swoosh!
Shuriken Strike
The moment contact became imminent, Marcus launched two shuriken from his hands, instantly neutralizing the approaching assassin.
Both teenagers stood shocked by this display, especially Bruce. He realized that Marcus had never revealed his full capabilities before.
The throwing techniques Bruce had learned from his teacher could apparently manifest with far greater destructive power than he'd imagined.
"Bruce, do you remember what I taught you?" Marcus asked.
"I remember," Bruce answered. "Always plan for every contingency so your strategy can be implemented at any moment. Never allow yourself to be forced into a reactive position."
Bruce recalled the teaching clearly—though it was far easier to understand in principle than to execute in practice.
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