Upon hearing these words, Scott was first taken aback, then he also lowered his voice, saying, "Are you insane? You could die!"
As his hand tightened around him, Shiller found it increasingly difficult to breathe, he managed to stutter out, "So... you now have to make a decision. Bet... that your hands, shaking more than mine, as you hold the sharp military knife to my throat, won't puncture my windpipe and artery..."
"Aren't you afraid that I might just kill you?!" Scott asked between clenched teeth.
"I know you won't do it. As an experienced agent, you understand better than I do, cough cough..." Shiller paused to catch his breath, then continued, "He will stand across from you and try to communicate with you precisely because my life hangs on your blade. If I die, you'd better pray: that the Alligator Monster isn't hungry."
Scott's fingers were noticeably trembling as he saw, approaching him after taking down all the surrounding agents, the terrifying monster.
Though he was a seasoned agent with many years in the field, he had only ever faced dangerous and cunning normal humans, not these anomalous monsters.
Even in a city like Gotham, Killer Croc's appearance was intimidating enough to deter him from finding even a simple job as a mob thug. Even to the jaded Gothamites, Killer Croc was a bit too bizarre.
Watching as the towering monster approached him, Scott took several deep breaths, attempting to calm his racing mind and hoping he could control the trembling in his arm.
Just like Shiller said, the hostage is only valuable alive, now a slight tremor in his hands could lead to two deaths.
"If you don't have any experience with this kind of thing, do as I say," Shiller swallowed, his voice raspy, "Hold the knife correctly, puncture three centimeters from the back of the scar, then pull it out immediately."
With Batman and Killer Croc getting closer, Scott knew he had no other choice.
Before he made his move, he glanced at Batman, and as soon as Batman caught his eye, he started to speak:
"Don't...!"
"Arrgh!!!!!!"
In a flash, a fountain of blood burst forth. The Batman standing before Shiller, his black chest plate now bore a red scar, presenting a stark contrast like the dwindling sunset over Gotham River.
In an instant, the dark underground room waned, the ground collapsing, and Batman found himself standing on a bridge, directly above Gotham River bathed in the glow of the setting sun.
This tributary that flowed through Gotham out to sea was more humid and turbid than other rivers. Too many lost souls were buried beneath the hidden sands, never seeing daylight.
Batman remembered that the last time he had envisioned so much blood was when he stood in a dark alley, seeing a fallen pearl necklace.
That reminded him of the heavy snowfall in Gotham's winters, and the moon hanging high in the sky.
By the time, the river was fogging up, and soon, the dense fog obscured everything. The faint noise made by the smoke bomb woke Batman, and now, the chair in front of him was empty. Both the kidnapper and the hostage were gone.
Killer Croc coughed twice, waved the fog away from his face, and said, "That sneaky bastard, using a smoke bomb?! Batman, are you alright? You..."
Still, Batman staggered back from his original spot and shook his head hard. Killer Croc's gaze fell onto Batman's arm. Even through his clothes, you could see Batman's muscles were taut and beginning to shake.
"Waylon, Waylon..." Batman suddenly spoke, turned his head to look at Killer Croc, and stared at him intensely. "You can smell the scent of blood, can't you? Use that scent to track them down, go!"
After hesitating for a moment, Killer Croc sniffed and said, "There is a scent indeed... let me see... it should be this way!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he pointed in a direction, and Batman didn't even think before dashing in that direction. But as soon as he entered the passage, a wave of thick smoke gushed out. He hadn't brought a gas mask, so he had to retreat back into the room.
Killer Croc poked his head inside and got choked as well. He coughed a couple of times and then said, "Damn, they're clever. The thing I fear most in an enclosed tunnel is thick smoke because it messes up my sense of smell. I can't smell anything now..."
"Bang!"
Batman punched the wall, his shaky voice saying, "That wound... could have hit an artery or the windpipe. He needs immediate assistance."
"If it's an arterial bleed, there might still be a chance to save him... but if the windpipe is hurt, the blood will fill up and cause mechanical asphyxiation. If the windpipe is completely blocked, his heart will stop beating within a minute... he will be dead within three."
"Find him... find him!!!!!!"
Batman whirled around, sprinting out of the room from the other entrance. When his mind, virtually a fusion of all the wisdom in the cosmos, began to work at maximum speed, it felt as though time had slowed.