A kunai materialized in Marcus's hand, gleaming with cold light under the Marcus. From his elevated position, he quietly observed the approaching Talons.
"The Court of Owls... Are these little birds so desperate they're willing to expose themselves?"
As he spoke, the shuriken flew from his hand toward the Talons. He deliberately chose not to eliminate all of them. After all, whether facing the Court of Owls or other threats, Bruce needed to confront these enemies on his own. Such challenges would help Bruce grow into a truly formidable fighter.
The shuriken split in two mid-air. As it neared the Talons, it changed course as if guided by an invisible hand.
Chii... Chii...
Two unfortunate Talons were pinned to the wall by the powerful projectiles before they could even reach the battle scene.
The Talons had been enhanced with electrum and the Dionysus Factor—special metals that greatly improved their physical regeneration abilities.
Even impaled to the wall by Marcus's shuriken, they endured the pain, tearing their own flesh to free themselves.
Blood stained their bodies as they pulled away from the wall, their wounds looking particularly gruesome.
Though their healing ability wasn't as extraordinary as Logan's, they could still visibly regenerate tissue.
Beneath the wounds, a faint metallic gleam was visible.
The attack on two of their number made the remaining Talons more cautious. They realized the assault hadn't come from the vigilantes—a third party was watching from the shadows.
"They seem quite careful," Marcus mused. "Unfortunately, they're far too weak."
The only aspect of these Talons that interested him was the electrum and Dionysus Factor in their bodies. But the last time he'd captured a Talon, the amount of these metals had been disappointingly small.
Based on the quantities contained in that specimen, even dozens of Talons wouldn't provide enough material for a single Aya Stars.
With diminished interest in the Talons, Marcus's only remaining goal was to extract information about the Court of Owls from their memories.
Leaving the Talons behind, he moved directly to where Bruce and Selina were fighting. The area had been devastated by the rampaging beast-men, and police sirens wailed in the distance.
Terrified screams echoed through the night. The destruction of buildings had left many residents in panic. Though accustomed to Gotham's dangers, they couldn't readily accept these hideous monsters.
They had witnessed creatures smashing solid walls to pieces with single punches—far more terrifying than typical gang violence.
As more people fled, the beast-men began spreading to other parts of the city.
Screech!
A car slammed into one beast-man, sending the creature flying. Inside the vehicle, Commissioner Gordon and Harvey frowned as they watched the beast-men hunting down civilians.
"Maybe you're right—these things are getting out of hand," Harvey said quietly.
As an officer who had always prioritized self-preservation, the current state of Gotham shattered his understanding of the city. Even the police station no longer felt safe.
As he spoke, the beast-man they'd struck rose from the ground, roaring at the car.
ROAR!!!
The violent impact had enraged the beast-man. It stomped the ground, cracking the pavement beneath its feet.
The creature charged toward the car, intent on crushing the metal "box" to pieces.
Seeing the beast-man's renewed attack, Gordon floored the accelerator, driving straight toward it. He would show no mercy to these monsters hunting innocent people.
Beside him, Harvey drew his pistol and fired repeatedly at the beast-man.
Bang! Bang!
Flames erupted from the muzzle as bullets struck the maddened beast-man.
Though reasonably powerful, Harvey's pistol did minimal damage. The bullets merely created small wounds that quickly closed as the beast-man's enhanced muscles pushed the projectiles back out.
"Damn it—pistols are useless against these things!"
Harvey cursed, reaching behind to grab a shotgun from the back seat, checking that it was loaded.
"Pistols don't affect you? Try this!"
BANG! BANG!
Two shotgun blasts tore through the beast-man's body, creating massive exit wounds.
"Ha! Shotguns are definitely more effective!"
Harvey smiled grimly at the fallen beast-man. He'd always preferred weapons with stopping power.
"Stop grinning—we need to get over there. Something major is happening!" Gordon continued driving, determined to find the source of the beast-men outbreak.
They encountered many more beast-men along the way, each more bestial than human.
"God, how many people have been brutally murdered?" Harvey sighed, watching as more beast-men appeared.
The tragedy extended to both the victims and the beast-men themselves. Innocent people were being hunted, while the beast-men—once ordinary humans—had been transformed by shadowy manipulators. All were victims of the same catastrophe.
"Save the sighs—we don't have time for that now."
Heeding Gordon's reminder, Harvey raised his shotgun again, firing at an approaching beast-man.
BANG!
The shotgun blast caught the beast-man in the head, shattering its skull. Blood and brain matter splattered in all directions, adding to the scene's horror.
While Gordon and Harvey fought their way through the streets, crime bosses across Gotham—including Cobblepot—received reports that the beast-men, supposedly being handled by the vigilantes, were now rampaging throughout the city.
"So those beast-men have broken loose!" Cobblepot stared out his window. "Gordon, what will you do this time?"
He turned to his lieutenants standing behind him.
"Tell everyone to secure our territory. If you encounter a lone beast-man, capture it—I don't care what methods you use!"
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