National Guard

Chen Tao zipped across rooftops, transforming his legs into wheels on flat surfaces and switching back to legs for wider gaps. Bane couldn't catch him, even with all his might.

Fight? What a joke, can I even win? Screw this, I'm outta here.

His speed hit seventy miles per hour, his mood light and free. Bane, rockets, all of it was just exhaust fumes in his rearview mirror.

"Bane, aren't you going to keep chasing?"

The pale man nicknamed Zombie, carrying a rocket launcher, was sweating bullets, his face a mess of bruises. He'd gotten too carried away chasing Chen Tao, leaving Bane too far behind, and had been punched square in the face by the dinosaur.

How dare you get in my way of escaping!

... If Bane hadn't come to pick him up, he'd probably be in the ICU right now.

Damn it! I've never seen anyone run this fast in my life... well, a dinosaur, and I've never seen such a bizarre situation.

Bane's other two henchmen, Cave Dweller and Birdman, wore the same dumbfounded expressions as Zombie. They were all pissed off – not only couldn't they catch him, but Deathshot kept picking them off. This was impossible. Hearing Bane finally give up the chase, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

Bane stood silently in the middle of the street, gazing up at the rooftops where Batman had fled. He looked like a teenager on a midsummer night, surrounded by fireflies, arms spread wide to embrace the cool evening breeze.

"Cave Dweller, the situation has changed."

His subordinate, nicknamed Cave Dweller, wiped the cold sweat from his brow. "Understood, Bane. I'll immediately submit a comprehensive analysis report on Batman's weakened state and unknown abilities."

"No, that's not necessary. We're initiating a new plan. But we need time. Find something to keep Batman busy so he doesn't have time to bother us."

Bane's voice was deep, yet his tone gradually grew louder, like a beast tasting blood, or a lover whispering sweet nothings.

"Batman fled because he wasn't confident he could beat me, and coincidentally... neither am I. I wanted to test his strength, but he didn't give me the chance—he's more cautious than I imagined."

He leaped up, soaring between buildings like a comet. The distant sirens wailed for him, like the low chants of the Jews parting the Red Sea.

"The way we wage war must change... Everyone, prepare yourselves. Maintain radio contact."

"And. Don't clash with the police. It's not good to damage the streets, after all... this will eventually be my city."

Meanwhile.

Splat.

After more than half an hour of high-speed pursuit, Chen Tao tossed Deathshot, Cheshire Cat, Killer Croc, and Ventriloquist into an alley. The fight and chase felt like a dream.

"Ugh..."

My head is empty.

My thoughts are frozen.

Cheshire Cat said groggily, "I don't remember Batman being able to do this."

"Clearly, that guy spent a long time debating whether to be Batman or Dinosaur Man back in the day," Deathshot ground his bloody teeth, telling a bad joke.

"So, we're just going to be dumped here?" Killer Croc grumbled. "Where's the employer? Where's Batman? Where's my money?"

Deathshot didn't care about Killer Croc's ranting. For the first time, he was genuinely considering not taking this job.

Look at who I've encountered—Bane, Batman, and that superpowered individual named Tattooed Man. A few years ago, no matter how big the trouble, as long as the pay was good, I'd have dared to go for it. But it's different now; I have a daughter.

When Bane had his hand on his throat earlier, he'd thought more than once about what would happen to his daughter if he were gone.

The answer is, nothing much.

Zoey has adoptive parents. When news of my death arrives, my daughter might be a little sad... but eventually, she'll forget me.

My existence will dissipate like a hyacinth in the clear sky, unremembered, unmourned, not even living in anyone's memory, like a lone ghost, like Captain Boomerang, Slipknot, or Tattooed Man.

This is something Floyd Lawton could never accept.

Deathshot knew clearly that he was scum, a supervillain. His love for his daughter was by no means selfless or sacrificial. His love contained a vicious possessiveness, ugly yet deeply affectionate.

I want to watch my daughter grow up!

I want to live with my daughter forever!

I want to see my daughter get married and start a family!

I want to witness every important moment in my daughter's life!

I want to die in a hospital bed amidst my daughter's cries!

This is Floyd Lawton's cowardly and despicable wish!

Therefore, even if he was seen as a coward and a fool, the mercenary named [Deathshot] had to live on in fear.

So, he turned to Ventriloquist, who was still on the ground searching for his lost glasses, and said, "Enough, Arnold. Tell your employer behind the scenes that I'm out."

Ding!

The elevator doors opened.

Chen Tao took the elevator to the top floor of the Gotham City Police Department. A female clerk looked at him as if she'd seen Batman, and the file bag in her hand dropped to the floor with a splat.

Chen Tao maintained his composure, calmly turning into the stairwell next to the elevator and arriving on the rooftop.

Damn, why is this grappling hook so hard to use?

Commissioner Gordon was waiting for him on the rooftop.

"I turned on the Bat-Signal, I turned it off... Hey, I turned it on again, and off again..."

Chen Tao tiptoed up behind him.

"Gordon."

"Whoa--I wasn't playing with it at all!"

"Mm..."

Chen Tao spoke, "So, why did you call me in such a hurry?"

Gordon sighed, "There are lunatics all over the streets lately, the situation has gotten completely out of control."

That was stating the obvious.

Chen Tao narrowed his eyes from beneath his mask, waiting for Gordon to continue.

"I know you've already done a lot, you brought back the Mad Hatter, and Zas..."

"Get to the point."

"Alright." Gordon sighed, as if making a difficult decision, "The mayor has decided to deploy the National Guard. This is dangerous, but I can't stop him."

The National Guard was an independent military force under the state government, and the only regular army that could operate on American soil.

The mayor's decision meant they had completely lost confidence in Gotham's situation.

Chen Tao's thoughts on this were:

Excellent!

He wished the National Guard would send four or five hundred thousand troops to storm Gotham and pound Bane into a meat patty, then use a dimensional strike to round up all of Gotham's villains and send them to the electric chair. Then he, Batman, Bruce Wayne, could retire with honor and live peacefully as a rich old man.

Gordon rubbed the bridge of his nose, "But these guys have no idea about Gotham. They're treating Gotham's madmen like ordinary criminals, and that's bound to cause problems... But our foolish mayor is just treating this as another one of his campaign stunts."

"I'm worried about that, but what's more troublesome is that they've also put you on their target list, dead or alive."

"So you're asking me not to get involved in the National Guard's cleanup of Bane and Gotham?"

Yes!

Chen Tao cheered internally.

"That's right." Gordon wore a pained expression, "I'll do my best to prevent major issues with the military, but you really can't continue to poke the sensitive nerves of those politicians. I know this is unfair to you..."

Ah, not at all.

Chen Tao maintained a serious facade, but Gordon misinterpreted his solemnity.

"Alright, alright, Batman, you can continue to be involved in Bane's case--damn it, it's like you wouldn't participate even if I disagreed."

"No, you've misunderstood."

Chen Tao immediately stopped his rambling thoughts, "I really won't par..."

"Beep beep beep..."

But at that moment, the sound of the Bat-Communicator interrupted their conversation.