As expected, yet still surprising, Batman himself, Gotham's richest man, Bruce Wayne, beneath the cowl, had come knocking.
This sort of entrance, heavy with psychological pressure, was perfectly in line with Batman's MO.
Interestingly enough, in this sudden confrontation, the first to make a move was neither Chris nor Batman. It was the Small Blue Car patrolling the ground.
The little drone, which had previously been hovering in confusion over Chris's chimera-like disguise, instantly whipped around without hesitation. It triggered its unit trait, causing its 8 points of Agility to surge to 16. With its drill at maximum horsepower, it ruthlessly rammed straight toward Batman's shin!
If one asked who the Moth Gang's greatest enemy was, the answer was unequivocally Batman.
In this universe, governed and supplemented by the Space's laws, the boss of the Moth Gang, "Killer Moth," was actually a twisted, obsessive fan of Batman.
Batman had the Bat-Signal to contact Commissioner Gordon; Killer Moth built a Moth-Signal to summon his gang members.
Batman had the Batcave as his sanctuary; Killer Moth dug out a Mothcave for his main base.
Seeing the retro coolness of the Batmobile, Killer Moth blew a fortune building a knock-off Mothmobile to swagger through the streets.
In a certain parallel universe, Killer Moth had even undergone extensive plastic surgery to perfectly mimic Bruce Wayne's face, attempting to replace him entirely.
It was safe to say that Killer Moth's twisted worship and terrifying obsession with Batman were second only to the Joker's.
Compared to a living, breathing Batman, some Asian guy wearing the wrong gang uniform didn't matter in the slightest!
Batman seamlessly dipped his head, his cape billowing as the unmistakable whistle of a sharp object cutting through the air echoed.
In the next instant, a Batarang wedged flawlessly into the wheels of the Small Blue Car's undercarriage. The drone flipped violently, crashing onto a nearby corpse. Its drill, still violently spinning, began spraying fresh blood and gore in all directions.
"Wow~ As expected of the deep, dark fantasy of the DC Universe~" Chris murmured, genuinely impressed by the visceral scene before him.
"...Did you do this?" Batman, still blocking the tavern's entrance, asked in his signature low, gravelly growl, the kind that sounded like gargling glass.
"I did." Chris admitted it without a shred of hesitation.
"Why?" Batman asked, his posture remaining rigid and imposing.
"Huh? Do I need a reason to kill mobs?" Chris, a player who only paid attention to the story on his first playthrough before mashing SKIP on every subsequent run, was genuinely scratching his head at the question.
"I see. A typical sociopath... It seems Arkham Asylum needs to open another cell." Unable to parse Chris's gamer logic, Batman naturally categorized him as just another Gotham sociopath.
Hearing this, Chris shook his head vigorously. He looked directly into Batman's lenses and spoke with utmost sincerity.
"I assure you, I am absolutely not a sociopath! Even in games, I'm not the type of guy who picks up a hooker on the street, pays her, drags her into an alley, shoots her in the head, and takes his money back!"
Chris was, of course, referring to a certain immensely popular sandbox franchise that was so profitable, it had seemingly delayed its sixth installment indefinitely.
"You possess physical capabilities far beyond these men, yet you chose to slaughter them. That demonstrates a blatant disregard for human life and the judicial system. You do not have the right to act as judge, jury, and executioner." Caught slightly off guard by Chris's bizarrely specific moral defense, Batman decisively pivoted the conversation.
"People? Aren't these guys just trash mobs?" To Batman's surprise, Chris didn't look chastised. Instead, he crossed his arms, looking even more confused.
This reaction cemented Batman's assessment: this Asian man was a bona fide, irredeemable sociopath!
Just like the outsider who had attacked Killer Moth earlier!
Words were useless now. Only force remained.
The very moment Batman solidified his judgment, an achievement prompt quietly manifested. The system considerately muted the notification sounds so as not to distract Chris mid-battle.
[Normal Achievement: Gotham Villain Professional Certification]
[Condition: Be recognized by Batman as a dangerous sociopath who must be incarcerated in Arkham Asylum.]
[Achievement Reward: Title "Madness is Prerequisite", gaining ticket qualification for Blueprint Missions related to "Batman: Arkham Asylum".]
[Madness is Prerequisite (不疯魔,不成活): Green / Excellent Grade. Through your own "efforts," you have successfully convinced Batman that you are a sociopathic patient in dire need of medical intervention and personality correction, even though the Dark Knight himself arguably needs therapy far more than half the inmates currently locked up in Arkham.
When equipped, you have a chance to comprehend the ravings of lunatics.]
Batman, the same vigilante who had just lectured Chris on the sanctity of life, yanked a heavy weapon from his utility belt. It was a Bat-gun. Specifically, a handgun with a staggeringly thick, oversized barrel.
The trigger was pulled. The oversized barrel spat out a miniature rocket propelled by blinding exhaust flames!
The missile closed the distance in a fraction of a second. But just as Batman raised his weapon, Chris had already brought Captain America's Shield up to guard his center mass.
The warhead slammed into the shield's surface, but it didn't detonate as Batman expected. Instead, much like a glass marble skipping off a wet bar of soap, the rocket's momentum was flawlessly redirected. It took a sharp ninety-degree lateral shift, ricocheting straight toward the battered dartboard on the tavern wall.
Boom!
The dartboard, and the wall it was mounted on, were violently retired from existence.
Having subconsciously executed a perfect parry, Chris didn't retreat. He advanced. A faint glimmer surrounded his body as he raised the shield and launched himself directly at Batman, accelerating like a loosed arrow!
Batman's eyes narrowed. He immediately crossed his arms in a defensive guard.
Simultaneously, an electrical stimulation device built into the Batsuit, reverse-engineered from the Electrocutioner's tech, flared to life. A calculated current surged through Batman's body, forcefully pushing his muscles past their natural human limits!
However, to Batman's absolute shock, the moment they clashed, there was no impact. Chris... simply phased right through Batman's body. It was as if they existed on two entirely different planes of reality. Chris blew right through the blocked tavern doorway and bolted up the stairs, taking three or four steps at a time!
[Flash Charge: Template Skill, Active Skill.]
[When you are not holding a shield:
You will execute a forced dash 10 meters straight ahead across 1 second. The dash will be abruptly terminated if you collide with any obstacles.]
[When you are holding a shield:
You will charge up to (Agility 2) meters straight ahead within 1 second. During this dash, you can forcefully knock back any targets in your path whose Strength is lower than yours, inflicting (Strength 2) + Shield Bash damage.
If the target's Strength is equal to or higher than yours, hitting them will instantly trigger the "Phase Movement" state upon impact, lasting for 3 seconds.]
[Skill Cost: 30 MP. Cooldown: 45 seconds.]
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]