Nightmares and Reality

Nightmares and Reality

Blackgate Penitentiary.

Rooftop.

The moment Li Zu stepped out with his left foot, the biting wind wrapped around his ankle, its chill pricking into his pores like venomous needles.

"Whew..." He shuddered, hugging his arms as he trembled.

It was Christmas Eve, and snow was still falling from the sky.

As Li Zu tilted his head back to watch the snowflakes, he noticed a helicopter flying away, with Black Mask visible inside.

As Black Mask departed, his gaze lingered on Li Zu for several seconds.

Li Zu's presence here was inherently "unreasonable." In this world of superhumans, without superpowers, super magic, or super intelligence, it was absolutely impossible to get involved.

Yet now, Li Zu seemed to have joined them as an ordinary person, as though he had received some peculiar pass.

Proof that he was not ordinary.

"Wait for me!" Li Zu gave Black Mask on the helicopter a very "friendly" middle finger in farewell.

Whoosh—an urgent gust of wind.

At the edge of his vision, a black figure came hurtling down, aimed at Li Zu and Deathstroke!

Two seconds before it hit, Deathstroke casually stepped to the left, easily avoiding it. He folded his arms and calmly watched what happened next.

With Deathstroke out of the way, only Li Zu remained where he stood, facing the black figure flying straight at his face!

If it hit him, with Li Zu's slight build... he would definitely suffer broken bones.

No one thought he could avoid it.

Deathstroke thought so. The person who had thrown the black figure from afar thought so. Even the "black figure" itself thought Li Zu could not dodge.

Yet something astonishing happened. Li Zu rose onto his toes and gave a light jump.

His body drifted upward like a sheet of white paper carried by the wind, effortlessly soaring into the air. Hugging his knees, he completed two backward flips before landing on the tips of his toes.

The instant he landed, his body twisted awkwardly and staggered sideways, making the perfect dodge look somewhat clumsy.

Thud!!

Only then did the black figure crash into the ground.

The excruciating pain made him writhe and twist uncontrollably, while the bat cowl on his head revealed his identity.

Batman raised his head, his gaze settling on Li Zu.

A guy who looked so frail actually possessed extraordinary agility?

From what Batman had just seen, Li Zu looked exactly like a circus acrobat. His jumping ability and sense of balance were both top-notch!

Even Deathstroke's exposed eye contracted involuntarily.

"I'm not very fond of this way of saying hello when we meet again."

Li Zu slowly raised his lowered head and looked toward the culprit who had thrown Batman—Killer Croc.

The weapon Black Mask had left behind to deal with Batman was Killer Croc.

"Monkey, get lost!"

Though Killer Croc had also been stunned by Li Zu's remarkable agility, he did not believe Li Zu had the ability to hurt him.

But Li Zu slowly walked toward Killer Croc, utterly unconcerned by his threat.

He even wore a faint smile.

And he deliberately recalled Superman, recalling the fear the Lasso of Truth and the others had brought him.

An eerie mental ripple spread outward from Li Zu's body.

Killer Croc, the closest to Li Zu, became the first "lucky" victim affected.

Fear instantly surged into his heart.

That figure, those steps, and that strange smile on his face made Killer Croc suddenly remember his former "nightmare." In that nightmare, a terrifying person who looked exactly like Li Zu had turned him into a toy and even sealed his soul inside it!

In the dream, he had lived in the sewers, able only to hide and eat people.

That figure had been the unlucky bastard who accidentally fell into his "food bowl." But in the dream, Killer Croc had instead fallen into his toy box.

Li Zu had already walked up to Killer Croc. Under Killer Croc's wary stare, he uttered words that made Killer Croc tremble with terror. "Do you still want to become a toy?"

"What? How did you... Could it be? That world was real?"

Killer Croc stared at Li Zu in terror. He instinctively took two steps back, widening the distance between them.

"Huh?"

The sinister expression vanished from Li Zu's face. He scratched his cheek in confusion. "That world? You came from another world too?"

"No matter what you are, I'll never let you turn me into a toy again!!" Killer Croc threw back his head and roared. He prepared to strike first and kill Li Zu outright.

As long as this monster capable of turning people into toys died, he would fear nothing.

Bang!!

The enormous claw came down... and missed!

"I'm over here, Killer Croc~" A voice came from behind him.

A hand lightly poked Killer Croc in the back.

Even the cold-blooded Killer Croc shivered. He spun around and swung a backhand.

But... it still missed.

Batman lay sprawled on the ground, watching Li Zu circle around Killer Croc.

The impressive acrobatic skill Li Zu displayed even made Batman subconsciously ignore the pain of his broken ribs.

But as time passed, Li Zu appeared to be "running out of stamina," and his breathing grew louder and louder.

An acrobat was actually in poor health?

There was no more amusing joke than that.

"I say, Deathstroke, if you don't make a move now, I'll... I'll..." Li Zu panted heavily and waved at Deathstroke beside him for help.

"Die, die, die!!"

A massive shadow had already swallowed Li Zu's entire body.

A black figure flashed past.

Batman grabbed Li Zu by the back of his collar and dragged him out of Killer Croc's attack range.

"Wait here. I believe no one who belongs in Blackgate Penitentiary should be allowed to leave!" Batman's deep voice entered Li Zu's ears.

With that, he spread his cape and soared into the air again like a giant humanoid bat.

With his bat wings unfurled, Batman rode the icy wind, swinging through the air overhead on a grappling line.

He found Killer Croc's blind spot and instantly dove in to attack!

The battle between Batman and Killer Croc progressed rapidly.

Other than his mouse-gray defensive scales and immense strength, this burly giant was severely lacking in combat technique.

After using two small gadgets, Batman easily gained the upper hand and knocked him to the ground.

"Now, you should answer my questions!" Batman suddenly paused and slowly turned his head, only to find that Li Zu had vanished.

The helicopter landed at the docks.

Before the police arrived, Li Zu and Deathstroke fled, avoiding even greater trouble.

To get away, they had hijacked a military helicopter.

Li Zu still regretted that his ability was insufficient and that he could not perfectly take the helicopter for himself.

"Aren't we partners?" Li Zu walked beside Deathstroke and asked, "Why didn't you save me just now? I nearly got turned into minced meat by that bastard Killer Croc."

"If that's all you can do, there was no reason to save you." Deathstroke stared straight ahead with his one eye as he spoke.

"Mhm, mhm, mhm~" Li Zu's anger disappeared, and he nodded in rare agreement.

Perhaps his earlier accusation had been an act as well.

At least, Deathstroke had a strong feeling that was the case.

(End of Chapter)