Over a million homes were hit by a power outage. Tragically, over 37 people lost their lives.
Fortunately, this sword didn't fall among them!
Before we dive into this chapter, let's take a moment of silence for the fallen...
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Enjoy the chapter.
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Batman walked through the ancient door that had been closed for an unknown number of years, stepping into the shadows beyond. The heavy creak of the door echoed through the empty halls. Dust hung in the air like a mist, disturbed only by his silent footfalls and the faint hum of his tech-enhanced suit.
For now, he's Adhering to the strategy—teammates handling the chaos while he worked behind the scenes—Charlie wasn't planning to stay with the others for a direct confrontation. The ongoing skirmish at the pharmaceutical factory was a useful distraction.
Besides, half of the mercenaries in the backline had already been neutralized quietly by his interference, and if Ivan and the others couldn't handle the frontlines by now, they might as well dig their own graves.
However, Before leaving the site, Charlie hacked into one of the mercenaries' body cameras and instructed Friday, the AI assisting him, to monitor the footage for any useful information. This way, he could listen in on their conversations, keep tabs on what the pharmaceutical company was really after, and identify any potential unknown threats without having to be physically present.
Now, while all the attention was focused on the main battle, no one noticed the door he had slipped through. It allowed him to scout ahead, to investigate the hidden depths of the facility and locate the real objective—the evidence they needed.
The door he passed through was formidable, thick and heavy. The mercenaries from the pharmaceutical group had clearly spent a long time trying to breach it, but they hadn't made much progress. The telltale signs of their frustration—a few dents, scrapes, and scorched marks from various tools—were obvious.
Yet, as soon as Charlie stepped through, he found another door just a few steps away. Same heavy material, but with a different lock system—a cruel twist for anyone trying to break in. Even if the mercenaries had successfully breached the first door, they would've been stopped in their tracks by this second, stronger one.
But for Batman, none of this was a problem.
He had the Alan system.
The Alan system, a technological breakthrough that allowed him to vibrate his armor's atoms at a high frequency, granted Batman the ability to phase through solid matter. It made him feel almost like a fourth-dimensional being navigating a three-dimensional world. The door, no matter how thick or sophisticated, held no significance in front of him.
The only real limitation of the Alan system was its power consumption. The atomic oscillation mode wasn't powered by Batman's standard energy reserves; it drew from a separate system simulating the "Speed Force" used by the Flash. It allowed him to blur and phase through objects, but the energy drain was significant.
In the corner of his suit's heads-up display, a golden energy bar tracked the power reserves for the Alan system. Each time he activated the mode, the bar would drop, visibly depleting. The system had to be used in short bursts; otherwise, it could drain all the power before he even faced any real danger.
Still, it was more than enough for these obstacles.
"Friday, I'm through," Charlie said.
"The radiation signature of the target is peaking, sir. We're close," Friday's voice chimed in, calm and focused.
"Wait, I see something," Charlie replied, activating detective mode. Through Batman's specialized lenses, the dark room was illuminated, revealing details hidden in the shadows. At the far end of the room, something stood out—an elevated display platform rising from the floor, framed by intricate carvings on the ground around it.
In the center of the display was the object they had been searching for. The evidence known as Exhibit A-086.
"Friday, confirm what I'm seeing."
"Confirmed, sir. Object identified as A-086, a missing artifact from the Ninth Special Service Division. Radiation levels continue to rise."
As Charlie approached, he failed to understand why people called this artifact a "key." The object looked very much like a brick—an ancient brick, but still a brick. It was made of an unusual metal that shimmered faintly under the lights of the detective mode, and it was partially inserted into a slot in the pedestal, like it had already begun unlocking or completing something.
"The radiation increase is coming from beneath the floor, sir," Friday reported. "This artifact is definitely the key to something in this ruin. When it was inserted into the pedestal, it triggered a reaction—something is waking up."
"Classic," Charlie muttered. "An ancient seal, a forgotten weapon, maybe a demon god waiting to be released. What's next, an army of undead?"
Just then, Charlie froze mid-step. He quickly rotated Batman's view, scanning the room through the detective mode once again. In one corner of his display, a humanoid figure suddenly appeared, lurking in the shadows.
"Acquiring target image," Friday said, her voice precise. The figure's face came into focus on the HUD, and Charlie knew instantly who it was.
"Link," he muttered under his breath. This guy again? Twice already, Charlie had seen this man die, only for him to reappear. What was going on?
"Sir?" Friday interjected, her tone tense. "It seems... it's more complicated than just him."
Charlie understood her meaning immediately. More figures began materializing around the room, one after another, filling the space from all directions. They emerged from every shadow, moving with eerie synchronization.
Even the way back to the door was now blocked.
"Friday," Charlie said, his voice low, "are these all...?"
"Yes, sir," she replied. "While there are minor variations between them, facial recognition confirms that every individual is Link."
"Wonderful," Charlie grunted, cracking his neck in preparation. "Looks like we walked into a hive."
"Batman."
The word echoed from every one of them—each Link spoke in unison, their voices harmonizing into a cold, haunting chorus. It was as if the air itself vibrated with their shared speech.
"The third round," they said. "This time, you have no chance."
Charlie's lips twisted into a sardonic smile behind the mask. "No chance, huh? We'll see about that."
Without waiting for them to make the first move, Charlie sent Batman charging forward. He knew from experience that being reactive was a mistake in battles like this. Instead, he would strike first, throw off their balance, and force them to adapt.
As the Links moved to attack, their tentacles shot forward, cutting through the air like venomous snakes. There were too many of them to dodge traditionally—they covered the entire space in seconds, leaving no room for evasion.
But Batman didn't need to evade.
With a flick of his fingers, Charlie activated the Alan system. Batman's form blurred, becoming intangible as his atoms oscillated. The tentacles passed harmlessly through him as if he were a ghost.
While phasing through the enemies, Batman released several small devices from his belt. Two of the Links dodged instinctively, but the third wasn't so lucky. The device exploded in a brilliant flash of icy energy, freezing the Link solid in an instant. Frost crept over his body, trapping him in a shimmering cage of ice.
A freeze grenade—one of Batman's many gadgets, designed using the technology of Gotham's infamous Freeze Man. The small but powerful device could unleash sub-zero temperatures in an area, freezing anyone within its radius.
Without hesitation, Charlie had Batman continue pressing the attack. Using the Link clones against one another, he skillfully manipulated their movements, causing them to tangle up with their own tentacles.
A brutal punch shattered the jaw of one clone, while a high-voltage shock from Batman's gauntlet sent another stumbling backward. A kick to the chest of a third sent him flying across the room, crashing into the others.
But the Links adapted quickly. One of them lashed a tentacle around Batman's ankle, pulling him off balance. Another grabbed his arm, trying to immobilize him. Before he could react, a third aimed a punch at his head.
With a swift twist of his body, Batman deflected the punch, redirecting it into the face of the Link holding his arm. But before he could break free, more tentacles coiled around his limbs, tightening their grip.
"Alan system, now!" Charlie commanded.
Once again, Batman phased into an afterimage, slipping effortlessly through the grasp of the Links. Their tentacles clutched at nothing but air.
As he rolled out of reach, three grenades detonated at his feet, sending waves of concussive force and flame through the enemy formation. The blast sent several of the Links sprawling, their bodies riddled with damage.
The power bar for the Alan system dropped below 50%.
"More Links are approaching, sir," Friday warned. "And I've scanned the room's structure. Beneath you is an empty chamber—there's something hidden down there."
"Then we head down," Charlie decided, eyeing the rapidly approaching clones. "We'll regroup below and plan our next move."
Before the Links could converge, Charlie activated the Alan system once more. Batman's form blurred and became insubstantial as he phased through the floor.
The Links slammed into each other, their attacks missing completely. Left behind was only a small, blue bat-shaped grenade.
Boom!
The freeze grenade detonated, encasing the remaining Links in ice.
Batman landed smoothly in the chamber below, his cape flaring out to slow his descent. The space was vast and cavernous, the ceiling high above, but mostly empty—save for one ominous detail.
Suspended in the center of the room was a man.
Naked, his body limp, he was hanging from some strange apparatus, his arms stretched out in a crucifixion-like pose.
It was Link.
Again
[TL Note - Ngl, I thought it was Jesus]
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