Two Batmen

Inside the empty training ground.

After Bai Lang's previous test, the training ground had been completely renovated today.

"Sea Tiger Explosive Fist!"

Crackle, crackle!!

Bai Lang swung his fist, red arcs of electricity flashing across his right arm as his muscles were violently stimulated and bulged high.

A fierce gust swept out, slamming against the walls.

"The core principle of the Sea Tiger Explosive Fist is to channel your fist force and strength through your fist into the opponent's body, causing devastating internal damage."

Bai Lang carefully assessed his own strength.

"Without using martial arts, my strength is already around sixty tons..."

"The core principles of this martial art are closely connected to Magnetic Field Rotation. I'm currently only at the realm of Current Propulsion, so I still can't unleash its full power."

"Not to mention that after mastering electromagnetic force, reaching a certain level would let me command gravity, as well as the four fundamental forces of the universe."

"By then, I won't have to fear that bastard Barbatos either..."

Bai Lang took off his clothes, revealing his powerful, sculpted muscles, then began training his body in the most primitive way possible.

Dense red light enveloped his entire body. As he trained, the red current stimulated his body to the fullest extent.

At the same time, Bai Lang controlled his cells, making them rub violently together to generate electricity.

Time gradually passed, and before he knew it, night had arrived.

After a full day of training, the current within Bai Lang's body broke through once more.

[Current Propulsion: 204,000 volts] → [Current Propulsion: 206,000 volts]

Bai Lang returned from the training ground to the police station.

Ryan and the others happened to be returning in a patrol car.

"I wrote several tickets today, but they were all poor people..." Ryan complained.

"Then why don't you go after the rich people?" Susan shot back from beside him.

"No thanks. I don't want to get hit with complaints." Ryan shook his head.

Judith and Markum sat beside them in a daze, seemingly lost in thought.

Edward looked at them and smiled. "Kids, don't go looking for trouble over that little bit of pay."

Bai Lang stood to one side, his cells rapidly rubbing together to restore his strength while his gaze settled on his Blue Panel.

[Name: Bai Lang]

[Lifespan: 23/120]

[Abilities: Level 1 Firearms Mastery (71%), Level 1 Power Control (85%), Current Propulsion: 206,000 volts/500,000 volts (Advanced Ability: Magnetic Field Rotation), Death Whisper (possesses part of Death Authority; can see spirits, converse with spirits, enslave spirits, and enter the spirit realm)]

[Ability Points: 8 (can be obtained by creating ripples of influence in the world)]

[Spend 50 Ability Points to draw another ability or unlock a function]

Looking at the newly acquired Death Whisper ability on the panel, Bai Lang tried to channel Ability Points into it.

But the Ability Points did not decrease, and the ability showed no change.

Death Whisper had no level and no further description.

It seemed this ability was fixed as it was...

When he had delivered Calvin's message to Molly earlier, he had also gained several Ability Points.

This was far more acceptable to Bai Lang than relying purely on killing to gain Ability Points as before.

Although everyone he had killed deserved to die, he did not enjoy the feeling of killing.

It had only been self-defense, except for that time with Deathstroke.

"Detective Bai Lang, someone wants to work with us," Judith suddenly said.

Bai Lang came back to his senses and realized everyone in the room was looking at him.

"Who? A gang?" he asked.

Judith looked at the others' reactions.

Ryan and Susan stared at her and Markum in confusion, seemingly curious.

Edward, meanwhile, wore an understanding expression.

He had encountered this sort of thing in his youth as well. Police officers had to eat, after all. With only meager salaries, they struggled just to get by, and it was hard to hold on to their original ideals.

Judith nodded. "There's a gang nearby called Night Crow. They want to steal things from rich people's cars and sell them for money."

"They said we can split it fifty-fifty."

After saying that, she lowered her head.

After all, while Gotham police working with gangs was hardly uncommon, saying it openly still made one feel somewhat ashamed.

Bai Lang asked, "What's their leader called?"

"Eli Strange."

Bai Lang pondered the name carefully, but when he realized he wasn't familiar with the man, he shook his head.

"Leave them alone for now. I need to observe them for a while."

After checking the time, he told Ryan and the others to clock out and leave.

Gotham's nights were always shrouded in clouds.

As Bai Lang walked down the street, the cells in his body began to rub against one another at high speed.

He walked on while looking up at the sight before him.

The haze hanging over the city refused to disperse. The glass curtain walls of the skyscrapers reflected faint moonlight onto the narrow streets below.

The streetlights beside the road glowed dimly, barely illuminating a small patch of ground. A few scattered figures hurried past, every one of them carrying a trace of vigilance in their eyes.

Sounds of fighting and screams came from the alleys. Police sirens occasionally tore through the night sky, yet they always seemed to arrive too late at the places that needed help most.

Whoosh!!

A faint sound suddenly came from behind Bai Lang.

He spun around at once and saw a figure clad in a black bodysuit appear before him.

Sharp claws tore through the air before slashing heavily across Bai Lang's chest.

Those razor-sharp claws, capable of crushing concrete and stone, seemed to have struck an unyielding wall.

Seeing the person reach for his head again, Bai Lang activated Current Propulsion within his body and stimulated an acupoint on the figure's neck, instantly electrocuting them into unconsciousness.

Only after the person fell did Bai Lang see clearly that it was Catwoman, whom he had met several days ago.

There still seemed to be traces of tears on her face. Who knew what she had encountered.

Catwoman Selina soon woke up. Looking at Bai Lang, she still seemed badly shaken.

"You don't seem to be in very good shape, Ms. Selina," Bai Lang said when he saw her awaken.

"What happened?" Catwoman Selina felt as though someone had struck her head several times with an iron rod. The pain was unbearable.

"You attacked me while you were out of your mind just now. You even tore my clothes..." Bai Lang pointed at the claw marks on his chest.

"Mm... I remember running into Batman. He helped me dispel the effects of Scarecrow's Fear Toxin... and then..."

Catwoman Selina's face twisted in pain, her mind reduced to a muddled mess by the throbbing in her head.

"...the printing plant..."

Before she could finish, Catwoman Selina fainted again.

Bai Lang picked her up and considered the current point in time.

Given the situation, if Catwoman had been infected with Fear Toxin, then the sample of Scarecrow's Fear Toxin antidote must have been stolen.

If he was right, Scarecrow should now be asking Batman to help him retrieve the sample.

And Night of the Owls was drawing near as well. When the time came, the Court of Owls' Talons would attempt to assassinate Dr. Arkham, only for Batman to save him.

He immediately avoided the surveillance cameras and raced home at a speed of one hundred meters per second.

After placing Catwoman Selina on his bed, Bai Lang put on the Batman suit he had remade.

With his resilient body and overwhelming defenses, no handgun would be able to hurt him this time—apart from heavy weaponry.

He still needed to become stronger.

The black figure sped into the distance, tearing through the air and leaving trails of afterimages behind him.

The abandoned newspaper printing plant on Painter Street.

The agile Batman held a grappling hook as he moved around the building.

"Scarecrow... what exactly are you plotting?"

Batman Bruce Wayne's expression darkened slightly as he considered what Scarecrow had revealed over the phone earlier.

Suddenly, he stopped.

In his line of sight, a black figure identical to himself appeared ahead.

Once he made out the figure clearly, his gaze sharpened and his brows furrowed.

The shadow moved at incredible speed, leaving countless afterimages in its wake.

With the thermal imager in his helmet, Bruce Wayne could clearly identify it as a human.

It was none other than the fake Batman from before!