A silver lining

If someone had acted this arrogant after having his identity exposed, William and Stuart would probably have attacked already.

But the reality was that Bane sat beside them, his enormous backside filling the two-seater sofa. With each heavy breath he took, the sofa legs creaked in rhythm.

That did not mean William would simply keep putting up with it.

"I've had enough of you!!!"

As he slammed the table and rose, Floyd abruptly raised his gun.

"Come on, then! Let's make this a bloodbath!"

Stuart frowned deeply without a word, concealing beneath his palm the colored pencil he had swiped from the shoe cabinet earlier.

The moment the other man's finger moved to pull the trigger, that pencil would pierce the arrogant mercenary's throat.

But someone else reacted before he could.

A Mug came crashing down on Floyd's head and shattered.

Deadshot picked the bloody glass fragments off his head and stared at Bane in disbelief.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Enough. Stop being so stubborn. It's time to quit. Lika will find out everything sooner or later. How will you face her then?"

"Why wouldn't I be able to face her? I'm earning money with my own two hands, just like you!"

"At the cost of blood and death. The people who fall to your bullets... don't they have families? Maybe their daughters are the same age as Lika."

To spare his old friend's pride, Bane lowered his voice for the latter half.

But that only provoked even fiercer resistance from Floyd.

"Then what am I supposed to do? Follow your example, put on some ridiculous tights, and perform fake wrestling for those big shots? Roll around in some brightly colored ring?"

"Let me just say, tights aren't ridiculous."

Stuart raised his hand in protest, but no one paid him any attention.

Only William patted his shoulder and gave him an I understand look.

The argument continued. Floyd made it clear that he had no intention of giving up this chance to earn some money.

"This money is enough for me to take Lika away from here. She's incredibly talented at painting. She shouldn't have to waste that talent in No Man's Land!"

"If you don't mind my asking, exactly how much did your client offer you?" William cut in.

"A hundred thousand."

"Was it Scarface?"

"How did you... so he sold me out?!"

"Whoa, I offered too much!"

Floyd's reaction left William beating his chest in regret. He had never expected Scarface to exploit Floyd so ruthlessly just because he lived in No Man's Land.

This guy ranked among the best marksmen in the entire DC Universe, and that was all he was getting paid? Didn't their consciences hurt, screwing him over like that?

"How about this? I'll give you double..."

"Who wants your money? I get paid to do a job!"

Floyd refused outright, though his reason was nowhere near as high-minded as he made it sound.

He did not dare break the contract. Neither the middleman nor his employer would spare him or his daughter.

Bane could not protect them around the clock.

Seeing the negotiations on the verge of collapse, Floyd decided to strike first and suddenly aimed his gun at William.

At that same instant, the pencil shot beneath William's arm toward Deadshot's throat.

Both sides believed victory was assured.

But the person who truly controlled the battlefield was Bane.

He tensed the muscles of his left arm and held it in front of Floyd like a shield. Once the flying pencil tip pierced that dense muscle, it could not advance another fraction of an inch.

Meanwhile, his right hand closed around the revolver.

He easily bent the barrel through ninety degrees.

Reacting swiftly, Floyd threw away the exploding handgun, braced himself against the sofa, and kicked open the bedroom door.

Stuart followed close behind, turning sideways to evade Bane's grasping hand.

By the time he burst into the room, Floyd had already grabbed his equipment and escaped through the window.

He tried to pursue him, but Lika sprang out from under the bed and clung tightly to his leg.

"Don't hurt my daddy!!!!"

With a piercing scream, she bit into Stuart's thigh.

Enraged, Stuart lifted his right foot and stomped down, only to stop a few centimeters from the girl's head.

That instant of hesitation cost him his chance to pursue Floyd. He watched the man's figure disappear into the tangled gaps between the row houses.

Coming back to his senses, he returned to the living room seething and took all his anger out on Bane.

"This is all your fault, you goddamn bastard!!"

Dull thuds of muscle striking muscle came from inside.

A dozen seconds later, Stuart was thrown out the window.

Bane dusted off his hands, then turned to find William holding up a fish tank, ready to ambush him.

"Uh... look at this tank. It's... big and round!"

William grinned at Bane, showing off his neat, gleaming white teeth.

Then he was thrown out too.

"Sorry. I thought that would help you both calm down. I'm sorry I couldn't be of any help... anyway, I apologize."

Bane held the wailing Lila in his arms, guilt etched into the furrows of his brow.

He had failed to persuade Floyd to turn back. The only thing he could do now was protect Lila.

William waved to let the matter drop. At this point, he no longer wanted to take all his anger out on Bane.

Of course, he could not beat him anyway.

As for Stuart, he would just have to comfort him as best he could.

"Don't lose heart. He's not an opponent you should be facing at this stage. Train hard, and don't let him break your spine someday."

"Are you trying to comfort me? Why does it feel more like pity?"

Stuart was not as dejected as expected.

Even he found that strange. Despite never having experienced defeat before, he had so easily accepted the fact that Bane was stronger than him.

He brushed the wet mud off his clothes and followed William.

"Actually, I think he's a pretty decent guy."

"So do I. He's got this... uh... unexpectedly endearing side."

"If possible, I'd rather not be his enemy."

"Who would?"

With their target gone, the two wandered back into central Gotham City.

In theory, there were still forty-six hours before the shooting, but neither knew whether Floyd, now lost in the crowd, would strike earlier.

At this point, William had no idea what to do next. Fortunately, he had a resilient disposition and did not sink into defeat or self-doubt. He showered, changed into clean clothes, and took Stuart to the Diamond District for a French meal.

Since he did not know whether tomorrow or disaster would arrive first, why not enjoy life?

A light rain began to patter outside. William chewed his salt-baked escargot, his gaze settling on the raindrops clinging to the window.

They reflected the Diamond District's colorful neon lights, spreading a rich, dreamlike haze across his vision.

With the meal and drinks finished, William patted his belly in satisfaction.

"Fancy food that doesn't fill you up. I'm going to buy a burger."

Stuart was deeply dissatisfied with dinner. Rather than indulge his palate, he preferred to feed every muscle in his body plenty of protein.

He borrowed William's umbrella, while William waited beneath the awning of a clothing store.

A mother and son were waiting there too.

They were discussing what to have for dinner that night-an egg porridge, perhaps, or potato soup.

The boy played with a rubber toy, giggling beside his mother.

William smiled and casually glanced over. The next second, a sharp pain flashed through his head like an electric shock.

This woman...

Where had he seen her before?

He had definitely seen her somewhere!!

Who was she?

Why couldn't he remember?

William stared blankly at her until the woman turned toward him in displeasure.

"Sir, the way you're staring is offensive!"

At that moment, the sealed box of William's memories sprang open.

She was the mother whose child had been killed in the car accident before the reset. No wonder William had failed to recognize her. Back then, she had looked haggard and aged, as though her soul had been drained away.

But at this point in time, the accident had not happened. Her child was still alive.

The creases at the corners of her eyes, her smile, and her happiness had not yet faded away.

That might have been the only good news today.

Just then, the pedestrian light changed. The mother drew the boy close, pulled up her coat, and stepped into the rain.

The boy dropped his toy, broke free of his mother's hand, and turned back to pick it up.

At the same moment, a piercing screech of brakes rang out from the end of the street.

The Ferrari Testarossa's taillights swept into a winding arc.

Disaster struck without warning. William had not expected it to happen the very next moment. His instincts moved faster than thought, driving him toward the boy in the middle of the crosswalk.

The headlights illuminated the streaks of rain in the night, freezing William's dive into a single silhouetted frame.

Amid the startled cries of passersby, the front of the car swept past his ankle.

William rolled several times through a puddle, only stopping when he struck a fire hydrant.

But he had no time now to listen to the mother's tearful thanks.

"Stuart, we've got a new target!!!!!"

He shouted toward the fast-food restaurant across the street. Beneath his dripping hair, his eyes gleamed with excitement as he watched the swaying taillights recede.

If not for this accident, he would have almost forgotten the final crucial detail before the reset-the one most easily overlooked.

The driver responsible for this accident was "Bruce Wayne"!