A quick run through the sewers, and we were on our way to the Blackport docks. In the meantime, Alfred had access to the operational information, finding out that it all started with four policemen who had come to a call about a robbery. Determined to catch the perpetrator in the act, the officers accidentally wandered into a warehouse where a tense transaction between drug dealers and smugglers was taking place.
Further events developed as in a standard American action movie: the outsiders were noticed and identified, and then began an active pissing match with everyone, because both groups thought that their sworn friends had ratted them out to the cops.
Naturally, the policemen themselves were aghast at such a performance, as they try to follow unofficial rules, especially in criminal neighborhoods, so as not to get into such a situation. It is quite possible that they would have tried to quietly get away and pass this case to more competent comrades, but one of the first shots wounded Officer Peterson, so the law enforcement officers had to actively shoot back, causing even more chaos.
Leaving the car a couple of blocks from the target, our awesome superhero duo jogged a few kilometers and perched on the roof of a relatively tall building to assess the disposition. And there was a lot to assess.
The active phase of the firefight was already over by this time, as reinforcements in the form of several police cars arrived on the scene, but the brave young men were not in a hurry to storm the entrenched criminals, but only set up a cordon. Judging by the intercepted negotiations, the four who were caught in a bind now acted as hostages, and those present are waiting for the negotiator in the company of special forces.
Perfect, especially if you take into account the wounded man, who may well bleed out without medical help. Besides, with the arrival of new actors, the roof will definitely become unsafe, because it is a great place for snipers.
You can't get in on the ground, which means.
"Oracle, is there an underground way to the warehouse?" I asked after a moment of active thinking.
"Wait a second," there was a thud, "it's possible that there is. There are two communication tunnels under the building, but I can't guarantee that there's a convenient access. Otherwise, the criminals would have tried that route long ago.
I look through the visor at the building, in the windows of which periodically flicker illuminated red silhouettes. I should get myself a toy like that, since my eyesight may be excellent, but I can't do something like that yet. Hmm, I think I've seen a spell with a similar effect. When we get to Zee, we should definitely look at various simple spells besides illusions to expand our arsenal, and the average cost can be looked at now, given the supply of diamonds and access to the dragon vein.
The smart tech noted the automatic weapon in the hands of one of the bandits, assigning the target a high threat level. Damn, it sucks that they have automatic weapons. It's very dangerous indoors, even under fun memories. Thoughtfully I open the warehouse plan the butler sent me, a couple clicks and now I can see all the wiring. Even if we take into account that local electricians could lay some cables in their own way, the switchboard should still be in the basement. That's settled.
"Sailor, your task is to go down into the sewers and try to get into the basement to knock out the lights. If it fails, then here," I hand over the explosives, kindly left by the owl ninja in Leroy's basement, and then I mark the power cable on the navigator screen, which I also hand over, "detonate it here. Then act according to the circumstances.
"And you?" The blonde asked, tucking both items into a spatial pocket and pulling out a bat.
"I'll make Bats," I straighten my cloak and activate the battery, making the fabric stiff.
"It's cool, - my beloved looked with delight at the upgrade, the capabilities of which I had never demonstrated before. - Can we go down together?
"I'm afraid this thing can't hold two people, at least not without reinforcement.
"Hmm, will it hold one?" She glanced up at the roof of the warehouse, which was about thirty meters away.
"He's got Bats! We're done, or there'll be no one left to save. I said, "I don't know what to do, but I'm going to have to do something about it.
"Knight?" Sailor stiffened, then covered her eyes and pulled her lips into a tube.
Okay, I was going to cast a cloaking spell on her, but that cute and innocent look provokes me to do something completely different.
~Smack~
A light chaste kiss turned into something more.
"Mwah *-* - with a sweet groan, Harley pulled back a little to look at me with loving eyes, deep within which twinkled sparks of fireworks set off by the cockroaches.
"Ahem," I heard the butler murmur tactfully through the speaker of the miniature transmitter in my ear. - I don't know what's going on in there, but from the sounds of it, the preparations have gone awry.
"Shit," I struggled to pull away from the sweet lips and still completed the spell, using up two diamonds on the dynamic illusion. - The spell will last about an hour. Let me know when you're in position.
"Done! Be careful, my Knight.
The pretty girl, wiggling her seductive ass, headed for the stairs, and I turned toward the building, reactivating my visor and watching for enemy movements to distract me.
"Are you sure you can manage?" My counting of sheep... I mean criminals, was interrupted by Alfred's voice, in which I could clearly hear a great deal of doubt.
"Uh-huh, there's no more than thirty of them, and they can hardly see in the dark.
"I was referring to your adventure with the rooftop planning. The Master had been doing special training before he started to actively use this feature of the suit.
The man's words made me think a little, so I immediately climbed up on the three-meter ventilation box and tried to jump from it, at the same time spreading my cloak. Ha-ha-ha-ha, that's really cool.
The first attempt, despite many sayings, was successful. The main thing is to hold the edges of the fabric firmly with my hands and try to position the body in the middle of the structure, which was quite easy to do given my developed body and excellent coordination. Five more planning sessions to consolidate the result, after which I returned to the edge of the roof and put on a disguise that changed my facial features and voice.
While I was practicing, reinforcements arrived at the cordon in the form of a couple more police cars and three SWAT vans.
Here comes the negotiator: Gordon got out of the vehicle with a megaphone and headed for the fence.
I was interested in listening to the commissioner's speech, but I was distracted by Harley's call to report the successful mining and the bandits breaking down. Clever bastards.
"All right!
Standing on the edge of the roof.
Yeah, now my idea of cosplaying Grim Mouse doesn't seem so good, but oh how I want to try!
The oracle kept saying something, but I wasn't really listening as I concentrated on drawing out a new rune construct that would temporarily turn my silhouette into a blur so that I would be less visible against the night sky. "Sprinting off the cliff."
"Hah!" the veil of reason will fall from your mind.
Fucking hell!
That's not planning!
Why the fuck would I even think of an idea like that?!
I swiftly cut through the air to land on the roof of the warehouse in the next instant, rolling several times on inertia, making my cloak completely tangled.
"Ugh, bitch..." I struggle to lift myself up, holding my battered side.
Okay, it was still planning, but too fast. Honestly, what else would you expect from an enlarged analog of a wingsuit?
A successful landing (arms and legs seem to be intact) does not negate the main question: why the hell did I do it?! I admit, I've always wanted to try something like this, but not in the same way!
"Are you all right?
"A knight?
Concernedly my companions asked.
"Ugh... Yeah, I'm fine..." I reply, trying to transform into a beautiful butterfly by disentangling myself from a tight fabric cocoon
~Tresk-tresk~
The glass on which I had "successfully" landed echoed quietly.
"Lights out!" I shouted before I was hurled downward, accompanied by a rain of glass.
"It's Batman!" Some thug yelled as I slammed onto the metal parapet two meters below like a sack of shit.
Yeah, I mean, this is literally the worst superhero appearance ever. I didn't even get to make a speech! My moral turmoil was interrupted by the first shots, which flew just a few centimeters away from my mortal body.
Yeah, what the hell is this!
"Huh!" I roll to the center of the structure, bite my cheek, frantically activating the reinforcement runes, and turn on the battery, feeling a few weak jolts in the body.
~Boom~
There was a thud below, suggesting that the explosives in the Court of Owls were not simple, and then the lights went out, silencing the gunshots. I hope Harley wasn't hurt.
"Where is he?" There was a panicked cry in the darkness.
I'm tempted to say "here" because the question sounded so stupid.
The bandits fell silent, and so did Gordon, who had been speaking into a megaphone, which didn't stop me from gently releasing my hand and fumbling with the edge of the thick fabric. Let me just get out of this, and you'll be dead.
***
Dan Walker frantically fumbled with the dim beam of his flashlight across the huge warehouse, clenching the grip of his gun painfully in the palm of his hand. If his boss's rescue plan went awry, one of the man's worst nightmares would soon come true. And no, it had nothing to do with Batman's appearance.
The Mexican motherfuckers should have started shooting when a few cops happened to show up at the warehouse. You could see they just happened to walk in on the deal. Boss would've straightened it out, and maybe their gang would've gotten a few informants...
Walker sighed quietly, slowly shifting to the wall in the company of his two companions.
There was a lot at stake today... Months of negotiations so their small group could gain access to secret drug cartel routes in exchange for a large shipment of weapons.
A shriek sounded nearby, which was immediately silenced.
"It's really bad," he licked his parched lips.
They got into serious debt for today's deal, and now the police will take away all their hard-earned money, after which their gang will have no escape from retribution even in prison.
Another shriek sounded very close by, but no one rushed to come to the rescue.
"Why the fuck did the boss send us here?" The biggest and dumbest of the trio, nicknamed The Rock, asked sternly.
"He's got a plan," Dan muttered quietly, shifting the flashlight beam to the ceiling, "now shut up and keep your eyes open.
Suddenly, he was blinded by the brightest flash, after which his head exploded with the pain of a blow, sending the man into a solid blackout.
***
It was a bit of a struggle with the three of them, but I managed to try out the potion. I don't know if it worked properly, but it knocked out a hundred and fifty-pound carcass in one breath. Now I just had to figure out if he was alive or not.
No pulse is expected, Zee's amulet doesn't react in any way, which confirms the theory... Half of the success is already in the pocket, and the remaining half will be if the subject wakes up.
"Knight, the hostages have been saved," my thoughts were interrupted by the voice of my faithful assistant.
"That's fine. Then move to the center of the room, looks like their boss is up to something.
"Got it.
In a couple of movements, I shackle the hands of the knocked out criminals with a zip tie and swiftly climb up to a large container, from where I have a marvelous view of the bastards entrenched by the car.
Wait. They're doing the loading?
Under my surprised gaze, the last crate went into the back of the truck, and then people climbed in, and the truck, gaining speed, drove toward the exit.
They're getting away!
I throw myself in front of the bandits who have decided to ram the warehouse gate. At the last moment I managed to jump onto the roof of a passing vehicle below, realizing in flight that it was a stupid idea.
~Crack~
Fifteen tons of metal collided with the flimsy obstacle, taking out the wooden sashes with ease.
To the accompaniment of machine gun fire, the fugitives tried to break through the barrier at speed, but the police are not idiots, so on the pavement there were spikes that had successfully punctured the tires of the truck.
~Bam-dzang~
The car, which had lost its normal traction, shook violently from the collision with a barrier of cars with flashing lights, and I flew off the roof, landing almost under the feet of the surprised policemen, who immediately pointed their guns at me. Hmm... What am I supposed to do now?
"Hands on your head! Face down on the floor!" The armed man indicated my next move as some of his comrades rushed toward the truck that had overturned from the collision.
I began to rapidly weave a flare, preparing to scramble away.
"Medics now! The commissioner is wounded!" There was a loud shout from my right.
I glance down and freeze, watching James leaning back against the wrecked car, trying to clutch the gruesome wound in his neck. Blood oozed from between his fingers.
"Hands behind my head, face to the floor," my opponent was still holding me at gunpoint, in no hurry to approach me, which was not surprising, given my unusual spring appearance.
"The carotid artery has been severed," the doctor said briefly after a quick examination, pulling from his briefcase the bandaging materials that would only prolong the agony of the dying body a little longer.
"I can help," I said, still not fully aware of what had happened. - We're running out of time. He'll be dead within seven to ten minutes, and a medic won't be much help.
A second pause, after which the officer covers his eyes, lowering his gun.
"Give me a hand.
This reaction is not particularly surprising. Police officers are definitely trained in first aid, so they must realize the seriousness of the situation, because the nearest clinic is at least fifteen minutes away.
Rushing over to a pale Gordon, touching the wound.
"Hmph. Jus vitae necisque, vis medicatrix naturae," the words of the incantation seemed to fall from my lips. - Vires unitae agunt. Mens sana in corpore sana.
Now I pumped mana into the construct to the max, using up eight diamonds at a time and adding prana, experiencing a not-so-pleasant sensation. The lines of the spell began to glow in the visible spectrum, judging by the startled gasps of those present.
"Sanatio-- Sanatio-- Sanatio.
Minus five minutes, but the wound is only slightly healed despite the massive amount of energy invested, it seems to require more advanced enchantments that I don't fucking know!
"I'm sorry," James whispered quietly, suddenly clutching at my arm. - Not even magic can save you from the old woman with the scythe... ah... Tell your daughter that Daddy loved her with all his heart.
He looked somewhere over my shoulder.
"Kha-ha," the commissar smirked weakly, "it looks like I died in battle and with a weapon in my hands since they sent a beautiful Valkyrie after me.
The man peacefully covered his eyes as if about to sleep.
"Don't you dare! Jus vitae necisque, vis medicatrix naturae...
My fingers stop fumbling for an already weak pulse.
Bitch! You're one of the main characters in this fucking universe! Where's the plot armor? How am I supposed to look Mouse in the eye after this?!
Once again I bite my cheek, expending my life energy, making my head feel cast iron.
Real magic doesn't need all those complicated constructions and pathos words of a dead language, the main thing is faith, will and imagination, and I have plenty of that.
Live!
The scream stuck in my throat. It felt like I was being slowly peeled off, piece by piece, like I was some kind of orange, and fun memories were useless.
The torture felt incredibly long, but when I came to, I realized that it had hardly been more than thirty seconds. The only thing that had changed was the commissioner, who had opened his eyes and seemed very surprised to be back in the world of the living.
With a sigh of relief, I remove my palm. I felt surprisingly well, except for the phantom pain from the skinning.
"Thank you... - Gordon incredulously touches his bloody neck, trying to feel for a wound that didn't exist. - What's your name?
"Knight of the Moonlight," I try to put on a lofty air.
The man choked.
"Ahem... Nice to meet you... Jim Gordon," Mouse's father shook my hand firmly, then cast a thoughtful glance behind me. - Strange... I can still see the beautiful Valkyrie.
I turned my head, colliding with Harley, who had a sea of worry in her eyes.
"Ah, this is my incomparable assistant Sailormoon.
"That's how... - the man cautiously stood up and looked carefully at his subordinates, who stood nearby, staring in amazement at the resurrected superiors. - What are you hatching? Get back to work!