Nightmare

"That's Killer Croc!"

Talons Ross was shaken to the core, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

Even Jack, a fellow Talon standing beside him, stared at the corpse hanging from the stone pillar, dumbstruck.

"Killer Croc actually died just like that?" Talon Jack's eyes widened as he stared fixedly at the face that looked almost like a crocodile's.

If someone had told him a few minutes ago that Killer Croc would be impaled on a stone pillar, he never would have believed it.

Yet here he was, seeing Killer Croc brutally slaughtered in such a cruel manner.

Judging by the shock in the corpse's eyes and the state of the blood, he must have been killed in an instant.

And it had happened only a few minutes ago!

Could it have been when they heard that loud crash earlier?

What kind of sick joke was this?!

Before coming here, they had thoroughly investigated Killer Croc.

Killer Croc's strength was terrifying—over two tons—and his endurance and toughness were several times greater than a human's.

What was more, conventional firearms couldn't even pierce his scales.

And now this terrifying monster, the kind that made ordinary people tremble at the mere mention of him, had died here for no apparent reason?

Ross and Jack exchanged a glance, both seeing the horror in the other's eyes.

Then they turned their attention to the rest of the room.

At last, they saw—

Opposite the corpse stood a hulking figure, dark as night.

A few bats occasionally flitted around him like angels of death.

Just then, the dark figure seemed to sense something.

He slowly raised his head, his face shadowy and grim.

Ross and Jack, the two Talons of the Court of Owls, held their breath.

But the dangerous figure in black seemed to have sensed something.

The corner of his mouth curled into an inexplicably chilling, cruel smile!

Whoosh!!

In an instant, the figure became a blur, streaking through the air like a bat with outstretched wings. He reached the vent and yanked them both down!

With a dull crash, the two veteran Talons, who had fought countless battles, were slammed hard into the ground by Bai Lang.

The force was enough to smash apart a building made of reinforced concrete.

Ross and Jack felt their entire bodies being crushed. Their hearts still beat faintly, but they could no longer feel any other part of themselves.

It was as if all their flesh, nerves, and bones had been pulverized.

Staring at the figure before them, a nightmare in black, Ross and Jack were filled with terror.

Meanwhile, on Arkham Island.

"Batman, Gotham's Dark Knight is about to become my subordinate..."

Black Mask Roman Sionis watched Batman Bruce Wayne, who was clutching his head, with a sinister expression.

His ability allowed him to control other people's minds.

"Your ability only works on the weak!"

Batman Bruce Wayne growled. Then, gripping a Batarang, he seized Black Mask.

"Tell me, where is Arkham now?"

After learning Arkham's location, Batman Bruce punched Black Mask in the face, the heavy blow knocking him unconscious.

Ten minutes later, Batman Bruce Wayne carried the equally unconscious Dr. Arkham into the Batmobile.

"Dr. Arkham can't die. At least, not yet."

Batman Bruce looked at the unconscious Arkham beside him and thought this to himself.

"Young Master Wayne." His butler Alfred's voice came through his earpiece.

"What is it, Alfred?"

"While you were on Arkham Island these past few days, that fake Batman has appeared in Gotham City every night."

"And..." There seemed to be a hint of horror in Alfred's voice.

Batman Bruce Wayne's heart sank. What had happened to make Alfred feel such fear?

"At Gotham Mercy Hospital... he killed dozens of ordinary people from the lower classes. Killer Croc and two Talons also appear to have been killed by him."

When Batman Bruce Wayne heard this, his pupils shrank.

He knew just how difficult Talons were to deal with.

These were tough, tenacious bastards with incredible healing abilities, the kind who seemed impossible to kill—and now two of them were dead?!

It seemed that man was even more troublesome than he had imagined...

Bruce Wayne floored the accelerator and sped toward the Batcave.

After settling Dr. Arkham in, he hurried to the Batcave.

Several photos of the scene at Gotham Mercy Hospital appeared on the large screen.

Dozens of ragged corpses lay piled to one side. On the other, a massive stone pillar had been driven through Killer Croc.

In the center were two figures that looked like charred remains. Judging by the owl helmets scattered nearby, they seemed to be Talon assassins from the Court of Owls.

Looking at the dozens of innocent people who had been killed and Mercy Hospital, now reduced to rubble,

Bruce Wayne clenched his jaw and fists, veins bulging on his forehead.

"Alfred, investigate these ordinary people who died. Find out whether their families need any assistance."

He carefully examined the wounds on the ragged corpses.

"He didn't kill those ordinary people."

Each of them was missing some flesh and organs, more or less. From the looks of it, Killer Croc was responsible.

But Killer Croc and the two Talon assassins had suffered such horrific deaths that not one of them had been left with an intact corpse.

That had to be the work of the fake Batman!

He slowly unclenched his fists and took a deep breath, his face expressionless.

"Also, contact Fox and ask how far along he is with the Anti-Superman Armor."

On a rooftop in Gotham's old town.

[Ability Points +40]

A pale blue notification appeared before Bai Lang, but he had no time to look at it.

The gathered spirits stood beside him, repeatedly thanking him.

Death sat on a nearby rooftop ledge, gazing at the night sky above the city.

The lights of distant skyscrapers glittered, while the low houses nearby stood dark and dilapidated.

They were all in the same city, yet the divide between them was stark.

The distant buildings belonged to a new age, while this place—and its people—seemed to have been left behind as the times moved on.

Wearing the Batman suit, Bai Lang finished comforting the spirits and walked over to Death.

"Um... sis, some of them want to come with me. Can I let them stay?"

Sitting beside Death, Bai Lang thought for a moment before finally asking.

After all, if he intended to use Death Whisper to enslave spirits, he would have to tell Death sooner or later.

Better to tell her now than later.

At least then he'd get a clear answer and avoid having Death come after him over it later.

"Oh?" Death looked at him in surprise. "Some of them still have attachments to this world?"

"The dead would want to stay in this world, no matter how it treated them," Bai Lang said.

"Looks like you really want to help them." Death turned to look at the spirits behind her.

They were nervous, and when they met her gaze, they forced smiles.

Bai Lang fell silent for a moment, gazing at the distant high-rises. Then he said slowly, "I'm just... acting out of the kindness of a good person."