True Strength

Basement Level One.

The elevator doors slowly opened, and Tina timidly followed Jino out.

Her eyes widened as she struggled to believe what she was seeing.

This was a vast experimental facility.

Rows upon rows of experimental tanks stood neatly arranged in the center of the base.

Scientists in white lab coats bustled about in perfect order. The place was like an anthill—busy, yet orderly.

"Th-those two... what are those?" Tina stared at the things floating in the tanks in horror.

In the dark green nutrient solution was a naked, pale, headless corpse.

The other corpse was as ugly and terrifying as a skinless zombie from some legend.

Jino snickered. "You killed your own mother, yet you're afraid of two corpses. How interesting."

Tina lowered her head in silence. She wanted to explain that she had accidentally pushed her mother down the stairs. It had only been an accident.

But when the words reached her lips, she couldn't say anything.

"Lex."

Jino approached the owner of the laboratory. His cheap older brother's bald head stood out in the crowd at a glance.

Lex glanced at Jino, then at Tina beside him, raising a brow. "This is the girl?"

"That's right. She can transform into anyone she's seen." Jino shrugged. "She'll be useful to me."

Jino's plan was simple. He wanted to send the girl to Talia's side as a spy.

However, just as Jino didn't trust Talia, he needed to place some restraints on Tina as well.

Tina kept her head lowered, but her ears were perked up as she committed their conversation to memory.

She couldn't help thinking back to the previous ten minutes, when Jino had taken out a camera to test her transformation ability.

From the woman in the photograph, to Lana Lang, to Chloe—only when she could no longer maintain her transformation did he end the experiment.

For a moment, Tina's mind buzzed. She was afraid he would throw her in here too and make her another piece of laboratory material.

"Then let's begin."

Lex waved a hand, and two scientists quickly approached carrying a syringe.

"Wait, what are you going to do to me? I-I don't want an injection." Tina's face filled with terror as she kept shaking her head and backing away.

"Don't be nervous." Jino glanced at Tina and explained, "This syringe contains a little thing called a Nano-bomb."

"It'll be implanted in your neck through the needle."

Jino smiled, using the gentlest tone to say words that made Tina shudder. "After that, it can be controlled by satellite. No matter where you are, as long as someone presses the button, the bomb in your neck can be detonated, blowing your head and body apart like fireworks."

As he spoke, Jino brought his five fingers together, then spread them apart in an imitation of fireworks blooming.

Honestly, he had gotten the idea from a movie called "Suicide Squad" that he had watched in his previous life.

Back then, that old, fat Black woman Amanda had used this very method to control a group of vicious antiheroes and make them work for her.

Jino thought it was a great idea. Not long after Talia left, he had told Lex about it.

In the future, whenever he encountered someone disobedient, he could just implant a Nano-bomb into that person's body, and then...

His older brother had not disappointed him. Lex made full use of his intelligence, diligence, and extraordinary wealth, creating the Nano-bomb in just one week and connecting it to LexCorp's satellites for remote control anytime, anywhere.

"N-Nano-bomb!?"

Tina's eyes filled with tears as she frantically shook her head. "No, I don't want something like that implanted in my body. It's too terrifying."

Just imagine it—if one day she lost her usefulness or learned too much, Jino could simply press the button and send her straight to hell.

The feeling of having her life in someone else's hands terrified Tina.

"Heh heh." Watching Tina cry, Jino smiled and shook his head. "Looks like you still don't understand."

Jino stepped closer to Tina, then mercilessly raised his hand.

Slap!

The girl stumbled and fell to the ground. A red mark quickly appeared on her delicate face. She shook her head, tossing aside her disheveled hair, and saw Jino crouching before her with a smile on his face, though his voice was icy. "I'm not negotiating terms with you. This is an order."

Did this stupid woman really think his money was so easy to take?

Tina covered her cheek and bit her lip. "I-I understand."

The girl slowly rose to her feet and watched the two scientists walk toward her.

She had also prepared herself to face the fate awaiting her.

After witnessing the horrors of this laboratory, Tina didn't think Jino had been lying to her.

"It hurts."

Tina rubbed her neck. She didn't know whether it was merely psychological, but ever since the needle pierced her skin, she had felt like something was wrong with her body.

Jino ignored the resentful woman and took Tina back to his castle.

"Young Master."

Old Butler came out to greet him.

Jino pointed at the girl.

"Her name is Tina. She's my classmate. Pick a room for her on the first floor. She'll be staying here tonight."

"Certainly." Old Butler nodded and led Tina away, while Jino returned to his own room. After turning on his computer, he sent a message to Talia from his contacts.

Demon Island.

Within this secret headquarters of the League of Assassins, in an icy stone cavern, the League's leader, Ra's al Ghul, fixed his hawkish eyes on the young man before him. "You wish to learn martial arts? What for?"

"For myself." The young man's expression remained calm. "And for certain things that must be done."

"Interesting."

Ra's al Ghul had not seen such a young man in a long time. He could see a flame burning in the young man's eyes.

A flame called vengeance. Its heat was enough to burn away everything. This stirred Ra's al Ghul's appreciation for talent, and he nodded with a cold laugh. "Then go undergo the League's initiation trial. If you survive, I will personally teach you martial arts."

The young man nodded and left.

After he was gone, Ra's al Ghul turned toward the shadowy corner behind him. "What do you think of him?"

"What do I think?" A figure emerged from the shadows. Under the moonlight, a pair of long legs slowly approached Ra's al Ghul.

Her gaze traveled upward.

After not seeing her for so long, Talia's aura had become even colder.

A faint sneer curled at her lips. Her foolish father simply did not understand what true strength looked like.

A body impervious to blades and bullets, terrifying speed and reflexes, and an oppressive presence capable of driving people to despair.

To be honest, Talia had not seen even the slightest trace of a true powerhouse in that young man. But she knew she could not defy her father.

So she smiled and said, "I share your opinion, Leader."

Hearing the woman's answer, Ra's al Ghul snorted in satisfaction and waved a hand, signaling for his daughter to leave.

DC Trivia: When Bruce traveled the world in his youth, he once studied combat techniques under Ra's al Ghul of the League of Assassins.