"There's been a minor incident at the theater. Today's performance has been canceled. Please follow the officers' instructions and leave in an orderly fashion!"
The officers on the evacuation team shouted themselves hoarse through megaphones. The news hit like a drop of cold water in boiling oil, instantly sparking panic and whispers. But with so many police present and the terrifying thought that more "incidents" might follow, the evacuation actually accelerated amid the stifling tension.
Li Jie ignored the commotion in the lobby and the theater manager stranded behind the police cordon, leading a squad of fully armed officers straight backstage. Wilson led the way, looking grim as he pointed at a closed door. "They're in there, Jay. Bruce Wayne and another man arrived about two minutes ago and went straight in. We couldn't stop them..."
"Couldn't stop them?" Li Jie shot him a glare.
"Young Master Wayne got in on his face alone. What was I supposed to do?" Wilson replied helplessly. "That other guy looked irritating as hell. If it weren't for Wayne..."
Li Jie stopped listening to his rambling and shoved the door open.
Inside the dressing room, Zatanna had already changed out of her stage costume into casual clothes that allowed her to move freely, her anxiety plain on her face. Bruce Wayne stood beside her, still every inch the prince of Gotham. When he saw Li Jie enter, he instinctively stepped forward to shield Zatanna. The third person quietly retreated a small step, hiding his own shadow behind Bruce Wayne's imposing figure.
He was a man in a rumpled khaki trench coat, a nearly burned-out cigarette dangling from his mouth. His short blond hair was slightly disheveled, and his eyes held a cynical weariness and the mockery of someone who had seen it all. He