Ch: 48 [Infiltration pt2]

As Batman hung from the ceiling, he watched the thugs continue their patrol, their footsteps echoing faintly in the hallway. His eyes narrowed behind the cowl, scanning their movements as they neared his concealed position. His keen sense of observation allowed him to anticipate their steps, planning his approach meticulously.

With careful timing, he waited for the precise moment when the thugs passed underneath him. Their hushed conversation echoed faintly in the corridor, the tension palpable in the air. His focus intensified as he readied himself for swift action.

As the last thug moved directly below him, Batman silently descended, his movements a dance of controlled grace. His gloved hand reached out, swiftly wrapping around the thug's mouth, muffling any potential outcry. With calculated precision, he executed a swift and efficient takedown, rendering the thug unconscious in seconds. He hid the body under the stairs.

However, the sudden absence of their comrade didn't go unnoticed by the remaining thugs. They halted, exchanging puzzled glances, their hands instinctively reaching for their firearms. The dimly lit corridor became tense, the atmosphere thick with anticipation.

"Hey! Where is Nick?" One of the thugs raised his submachine gun. "Something weird is going on... Spread out and search every corner."

'Good, scatter out. I will pick all ten of you one by one,' Bruce thought.

The first thug, armed with a handgun, was too focused on searching for his missing comrade. Batman silently emerged behind him, swiftly disarming him with a calculated strike, rendering the thug unconscious with a precisely placed nerve strike.

The second thug, distracted by his companion's sudden collapse, turned to investigate, only to meet the same fate. A batarang flew toward him, destroying his flashlight, followed by a swift kick that incapacitated him. A quick jab in his throat was enough to put him down.

Moving like a shadow, he navigated the corridors. His visor shows all the remaining thugs on the floor.

A third thug, wielding a crowbar, patrolled the darkened hallway, his grip tight on the weapon. Batman observed his movements, calculating the precise moment to strike. With a silent glide, he closed the distance and jammed his batarang in his throat. He dragged the bodies behind the stairs.

The fourth thug was equipped with a stun baton, scanning the area with cautious steps. Out of nowhere, a grappling hook flew toward his ankle, yanking him off balance. Before he could react, Batman descended upon him, delivering a swift blow to the back of his head. The thug crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Meanwhile, the fifth thug, armed with a shotgun, patrolled the perimeter, his eyes darting nervously in the dark.

"Jack, Vic, Nico... Where the hell are you guys?" He yelled in fear. His flashlight fell on the floor. The bright red pool of blood before his eyes made him yelp in shock, "Boys... Here... Quick. Regroup..."

The remaining six thugs regrouped, their voices tense and fearful in the dimly lit corridor. Their whispered exchanges were frantic, a mix of confusion and alarm evident in their hurried tones.

"Did you see that? Someone's taking us out!"

"Screw this, we need to stick together!"

Before the group could fully gather, he struck again. A smoke bomb and tear gas suddenly enveloped the area, shrouding it in a haze of confusion and panic. In the midst of the smoke, the dark figure of Batman emerged, his presence looming like a specter amidst the chaos.

Within seconds, a series of impactful blows echoed amid the smokescreen. The thugs' cries of surprise and pain cut through the mist, their attempts to retaliate futile against the relentless assault.

Bones cracked, and grunts of agony filled the air, each subdued thug collapsing in swift succession. Batman moved like a shadow, his strikes surgical and precise, taking out his enemies with ruthless efficiency.

His fast movements didn't allow the thugs to regroup or retaliate. In mere moments, the confrontation was over, the hallway now eerily silent save for the soft groans of the incapacitated thugs, sprawled on the floor.

'Oops. I might have overdone a bit,' Bruce thought as he saw the broken and battered bodies of the thugs. Some of their limbs were bent in odd directions, with some suffering from concussions. Two of them... Well, their heads were smashed so badly that one could barely recognize them, but nobody cared, nor should it be his concern, right?

All that mattered was that they were criminals and he was trying to fix a bad neighborhood, even if this meant the use of force. Maybe put enough fear in their heart and they will eventually stop doing bad shits... If not, then well... Death is the final option.

[Sir. Two men are approaching from the rear]> Jarvis's voice came through the earpiece.

Panting slightly, Batman glanced over his shoulder, noticing two thugs cautiously approach him from the opposite end of the corridor. His stun batarang is ready to fly...

Their eyes were focused, their muscles tensed, ready to retaliate at the slightest provocation, "Who in the fucking hell are you?" One of them spoke through the bandana that covered their faces, pointing their submachine guns at him.

But his demeanor was calm and confident as he threw two batarangs at them at a blinding speed as he aimed his batclaw at the wall behind them, "Good night." He pressed the button and the grappling gun started to work. The batarangs stuck their guns, and a burst of electric current immobilized them before he zipped through the air, kicking the two of them at the same time, breaking their spines. The sound of their bones cracked like tree branches.

'Well, that's enough fun for now. Need to get to Penguin,' Bruce thought. His only mission tonight was to catch the fat fuck and get info on the Black Mask's gang.

Batman swiftly made his way to the mansion's upper floors, navigating the dimly lit corridors with stealth and caution. As he ascended, his focus intensified, his senses keenly attuned to any signs of movement or potential threats.

Avoiding the remaining guards scattered throughout the mansion, he silently maneuvered through the labyrinthine hallways. His keen perception allowed him to anticipate their movements, slipping by unnoticed in the shadows. He followed the layout made by Jarvis.

As he neared the master bedroom, he noticed that there was no way to avoid the unnecessary fight. The reason is that there is only a single corridor to the room, which has three guards guarding it.

'I didn't want to use it, but..." He took out a new gadget from his belt, '...Incendiary grenade. Test results are one thing... Live target is another.' He activated a 5-second timer and threw the grenade, which bounced and landed between the guards.

They reacted too late. As soon as they heard the faint beeps, they tried to kick it back and run in different directions, but the grenades exploded, swallowing everything in the flames. There were no sounds or cries, and they didn't even feel any pain. It was just a burst of intense fire that consumed everything in its path.

'Wooo... That's awesome... Now, the Cryo grenade,' He took out another new experimental grenade and rolled the object. Unlike the flames, when the canister opened, everything that surrounded it froze in ice. The fire was completely replaced by an incomparably cold feeling as all the surrounding temperatures dropped.

Even though they had already been scorched to death by the fire, their remains were now freezing into ice lumps.

Batman kicked the door open and entered the room. Penguin was sitting on the sofa puffing a fat cigar and holding a glass of whisky. His right shoulder was bandaged.

"The infamous Devil Bat... To think you are still alive after all these years... Guess the Black Mask got on your nerves, huh?" Penguin spoke without turning his head towards Batman, who was standing behind him.

He puffed his cigar and continued, "You know what? I helped those bastards and they tried to get rid of me... How about I help you and you mumm... Probably turn a blind eye to me, yeah? Deal?"

Batman walked past Penguin and sat on the sofa across from him, "Talk," His voice was deep and distorted.

Penguin smirked and continued, "That guy likes to do things personally, especially when it comes to his secret mission. Even I don't know what it is... But what I know is that he plans to blow up Gotham and then Metropolis using some nuke or bombs..." He chuckled, "...Sounds crazy, right? Haha... That psycho..."

"Location," Batman asked, his gaze fixed intently on the fat crook.

Penguin put the glass on the table and took out a small piece of paper, "This is the location of his warehouse where he stores his stuff... Don't expect to find any nukes, though. He has already planted them, God knows where..." He laughed again, "...And that's all I know, Devil Bat. Take it or leave it..." He leaned back and puffed his cigar again. "Other than helping them cross the border, I haven't done anything illegal in the last 10 years. That fucking Thomas Wayne..."

"Jarvis. Search the surveillance in that area. Give me something concrete to go on," He ordered Jarvis through the earpiece.

Penguin raised his eyebrow in surprise, "What? You are now calling your helper by his name in front of me?"

[Target located. Sir, I have located Black Mask. He is still in the warehouse,]> Jarvis responded.

Batman stood up, "Guess why?" He took out a handgun, he had taken from one of the goons earlier and shot Penguin in the head twice. Blood splattered on the sofa and carpet as his lifeless body slumped forward. "Because dead men don't talk, and I am not Devil Bat."

He left the mansion, ignoring the commotion caused by the shooting.