The Ventriloquist's Shutdown

"In Gotham, without money, you'll be at the bottom your whole life, nothing at all!"

"Without money, how can we ever climb out of the gutter?" The Scarface Puppet on the Ventriloquist's hand opened and closed its mouth, seeming to scold him.

"But this isn't right..." the Ventriloquist said timidly, "Can't we earn money legally?"

"Idiot, shut up! Earn money legally?! Do you want to never get married your whole life, to stay at the bottom forever?!"

"Alright..." The Ventriloquist shot a wronged look at the injured Police Officer, but still didn't dare to retort to Scarface.

Bai Lang stood by the counter, hearing the conversation between the Ventriloquist and the Scarface puppet, and at this moment, he recalled the background of this Gotham villain.

The Ventriloquist, a true bottom-tier villain in Gotham, had nothing to show for himself in middle age, and possessed an inferiority complex and a timid personality.

He dared not love, dared not hate, dared not hope for gentle treatment.

The persona he created was one of desperately demeaning and insulting himself, yet through his split personality, he fulfilled his own grand fantasies.

If one were to speak of Gotham's most tragic villain, it would undoubtedly be the Ventriloquist.

The Ventriloquist held a pistol, his voice shifting to that of Mr. Scarface.

His tone was icy, like that of a bloodthirsty executioner, as he spoke to the Police Officer before him:

"Don't come any closer, get me a car!"

Bai Lang looked at the Ventriloquist with pity, shaking his head inwardly.

This was a pitiful fellow, and also a mental patient suffering from dissociative identity disorder.

He took a step forward, and the swirling wind buffeted the patched trench coat worn by the Ventriloquist, Arnold, and the Scarface puppet.

A powerfully built figure clad in a black Bat Suit, with muscles like carved stone embedded in his body, instantly appeared before the Ventriloquist.

The Ventriloquist Arnold's pupils constricted, and his every hair seemed to stand on end.

His muscles tensed, sweat beaded on his forehead, and he was so startled by Bai Lang that he became flustered.

Was this black figure before him a human or a ghost?!

"Batman?" After a brief moment of stunned disbelief, the Ventriloquist regained his senses and recognized the person before him.

Mr. Scarface controlled his right hand, raising the gun and cocking the trigger, about to fire a few shots at Bai Lang.

But before the gun could be fired, the Ventriloquist felt a flash before his eyes, and the Scarface puppet in his hand was snatched away by Bai Lang.

He stared with wide eyes, dumbfounded, as Bai Lang took the Scarface puppet and began to play with it.

The Scarface puppet belonged to his alter ego, something used for self-protection, something incredibly intimate.

To the Ventriloquist Arnold, Bai Lang's actions were no different than being NTR'd right in front of him.

His expression froze, his timid gaze gradually becoming resolute, and the hunched posture of his back straightened.

The once small, white-haired old man seemed to be possessed by a demon in an instant.

He raised the pistol, aiming it at Bai Lang, who was clad in the Bat Suit.

His voice was low, as if torn from his throat, like a vengeful spirit snatching souls.

"Batman, give Mr. Scarface back..."

"No, don't shoot, Batman is a good person!"

In that instant, the Ventriloquist froze.

Because this voice came from Mr. Scarface.

Bai Lang, wearing the Scarface puppet on his right hand, parted his lips slightly, and the Current Propulsion within him surged in his chest, mimicking Scarface's voice from moments ago.

He could, of course, have instantly incinerated the Ventriloquist into a charred husk with the electricity coursing through him the moment he saw him.

But this was not his intention; the Ventriloquist was merely a pitiable figure from Gotham's underbelly, a patient with schizophrenia.

He wanted to try and change this villain in a gentler way.

The Ventriloquist stared at the Scarface puppet, which had spoken, and was completely bewildered.

"Don't shoot, Batman is a good person, he's here to take you out!" Bai Lang mimicked the Ventriloquist's voice.

"Nonsense! Idiot, hurry up and shoot! This isn't what Mr. Scarface would ever say!" a voice boomed from the Ventriloquist's abdomen.

"No! Even if you shoot, you can't kill Batman, and you'll just get beaten up by him. He's here to lead us to a better life!"

"Idiot! Shoot, shoot!"

"You have to listen to the Bat..."

For a moment, several voices within the Ventriloquist vied for control of the Scarface puppet.

The Ventriloquist was a schizophrenic patient, and the Scarface puppet was the manifestation of another of his personalities.

But when this personality was toyed with in the palm of someone else's hand, he felt as if his left and right brains were fighting.

And amidst this intense argument, Bai Lang continued to channel his Current Propulsion towards the other party.

Current Propulsion.

A faint flash of golden-red electricity, and the pitiful old man immediately lost consciousness.

Bai Lang squeezed the Scarface Puppet in his hand with all his might, crushing it into pieces.

Then, he brought the unconscious Ventriloquist to the injured Police Officers.

"Take him to a room filled with countless police puppets so he can be treated for his condition."

As soon as he finished speaking, he vanished.

As long as there were enough puppets, the Ventriloquist would enter a state of apparent system shutdown.

And if they were all identical police puppets, the Ventriloquist's sub-personality might become even more akin to a police officer.

Imagine, countless police personalities within one body, while the main personality is timid and cowardly – what would happen to this person?

Casually scattering a wad of US Dollars the Ventriloquist had stolen to some people in the slums, Bai Lang left.

Batman Bruce Wayne appeared on Arkham Island, while he himself guarded Gotham.

Fortunately, no major disturbances occurred that night.

The Joker's gang members were all locked up, and the Ventriloquist Arnold was, because of Bai Lang's words, confined to a place filled with identical police puppets.

The Ventriloquist's sub-personality was primarily created to protect the main personality.

If his protective sub-personality puppets were destroyed before, his mind would be in a state of extreme vulnerability and fear.

But what would happen if he were confined to a room with hundreds of identical puppets at that moment?

[Ability Points +10]

A blue notification box appeared before Bai Lang's eyes.

He knew this should be the Ventriloquist beginning to be treated by those hundreds of puppets.

He stood atop Wayne Tower, overlooking Gotham City below.

The dawn's rosy light shone upon him, highlighting his robust physique, as if he were the true Batman.

A new day arrived, and Bai Lang finally returned home to change his clothes.

Catwoman Selina had already left, but Bai Lang found a small note on his bed.

It contained Selina's contact information and a message.

"Mr. Detective, feel free to contact me if you have time..."

Bai Lang looked at the note and couldn't help but shake his head.

It seemed Catwoman Selina had grown fond of the feeling of the Electric Baton.

Was this her Windows?

He sat on the bed, controlling the friction of his cells while bringing up the blue panel.

[Name: Bai Lang]

[Lifespan: 23/120]

[Abilities: Level 1 Firearms Mastery (71%), Level 1 Power Control (85%), Current Propulsion 300,000 Volts / 500,000 Volts (Upper Ability: Magnetic Field Rotation), Death Whisper (Possesses partial Death Authority, can see spirits, converse with spirits, enslave spirits, enter the spirit realm)]

[Ability Points: 14 (Gained by causing fluctuations that affect the world)]

[Can spend 50 Ability Points to draw another ability, or unlock a function]

"I gained 14 Ability Points in just one night. If the news of two Batmen gets reported, I should be able to gain even more Ability Points."

"The Talons of the Court of Owls should make their move in the next few days. It's estimated that the Kryptonians will arrive some time after that."

"Many places will be affected then, I must become stronger..."

Bai Lang thought to himself, his gaze falling upon the panel.