Li Ang raised his hands high, putting on a facade of trembling fear. "It wasn't me who called the cops! I swear!"
One of the masked thieves snatched Li Ang's phone, briefly checked it, then smashed it to the ground. The boot of his heavy leather shoe came down hard, reducing the device to a crushed mess.
From the second floor, Pennywise peered out through a window. "Boss, the cops have us completely surrounded!" he shouted down.
"Damn it!" Bucky growled. He turned to Li Ang and slammed the butt of his gun into his forehead, opening a deep, bloody gash.
Li Ang grunted and collapsed, clutching his head. Not yet... he thought, stealing a glance at the surveillance cameras on the bank walls.
The twins' quiet sobs caught Bucky's attention. Irritated, he fired a few shots into the air, shouting, "Shut the hell up!"
Reaching down, he yanked Elizabeth out of Li Ang's arms by the collar, lifting her as easily as if she were a doll. The little girl's feeble kicks and punches had no effect on his massive arms, as thick as tree trunks.
In a few strides, Bucky reached the bank's floor-to-ceiling windows, holding Elizabeth up for the police outside to see.
The cold steel of the Ruger SR1911's barrel pressed against her temple, and Elizabeth burst into terrified tears.
From behind the open door of a police cruiser, a lean, mustachioed man barked into his radio, "Hold your fire! No one shoots! Do you hear me? They've taken a hostage!"
This man was Jim Gordon, a beacon of justice in Gotham's mire of corruption. For years, he had fought tirelessly to uphold the law in a city consumed by crime, only to see his efforts met with failure.
Gordon had come to Gotham from Chicago decades ago, swearing to root out darkness in every corner of this godforsaken city. Yet Gotham was a city where politics and organized crime were inseparably entwined. Gang bosses trafficked drugs, women, and organs while playing golf with city officials, sealing dirty deals with million-dollar checks at the 18th hole.
The judiciary system was in shambles. Any prosecutor who dared to act was met with bloody warnings—like the decapitated head of their pet left on the bedside table. Even Gotham's police force was riddled with corruption, where those who worked honestly were often outcast.
Gordon, a mere mortal without superpowers or eloquent charisma, bore the thankless burden of doing what others would not. Like a solitary lighthouse, he stood resolute, guarding this city in its darkest hours.
Now, with his teeth clenched in frustration, he tried to think of a way to defuse the crisis.
He recognized these criminals: fervent followers of the Joker. After the Clown Prince of Crime vanished, they had felt abandoned, spiraling into even more depravity while simultaneously growing to hate their former idol.
Bucky pressed the gun harder against Elizabeth's temple, shouting to the police, "Move all the cars out of the way! Clear a path, or I'll start shooting!"
To emphasize his point, he jammed the barrel against Elizabeth's chin, forcing her face against the glass. Her tear-streaked, contorted expression left no doubt about her terror.
The officers looked to Gordon, who, suppressing the fury bubbling inside him, gave a curt nod. "Do as he says."
The police cars reversed, their engines growling as they reluctantly made way for the orange school bus.
"Now, that's more like it!" Bucky laughed, retreating back into the bank with Elizabeth still in his grip.
"Load the money onto the bus," he barked at his crew. "When we leave, everyone takes a hostage. Stay behind them, or you'll get sniped."
Elizabeth kicked her legs and thrashed, but Bucky's grip was unyielding, like an iron vise. Annoyed by her struggling, he clamped his hand around her neck, causing her face to flush red from lack of oxygen.
"Let her go."
Li Ang rose unsteadily to his feet, his head wound still bleeding profusely. "I'll take her place as your hostage."
Bucky turned, narrowing his eyes. "Who the hell are you?"
Li Ang swallowed hard and stammered, "She's too small to be a proper human shield. She's just a kid—she'll squirm and try to escape. But me? I can block them completely."
"Her brother, are you?" Bucky sneered, loosening his grip on Elizabeth. She collapsed to the ground, coughing violently, her tears streaming down her face.
"Something like that," Li Ang replied, forcing a pained smile. "So? Deal?"
"No." Bucky grinned. "Why would I take a grown man as a hostage? You might fight back."
Li Ang didn't respond. Instead, he placed his left arm on the counter, grabbed a heavy ceramic figurine from the desk, and smashed it down on his elbow.
A sickening crack echoed through the room as his arm broke at an unnatural angle. Bone splinters jutted against his skin, and his hand now hung limply, bent grotesquely.
Sweating profusely from the pain, Li Ang gritted his teeth and said, "Not much of a threat now, am I?"
Bucky blinked, momentarily stunned, before bursting into a fit of manic laughter. "Ha! You're insane! I like you!"
Dropping Elizabeth unceremoniously to the cold marble floor, Bucky grabbed Li Ang by the collar and dragged him onto the bus.
With a thud, Li Ang was thrown onto a pile of money-filled duffel bags, joining several other hostages.
Before he could rise, Bucky shoved his face against the window.
The bus roared to life, its tires screeching as it pulled away, merging into Gotham's chaotic traffic.
Leaning out, Bucky yelled to the police, "No helicopters in the sky! No cars on the ground! If I see anyone following us, I'll kill every last hostage!"
Turning back to Li Ang, Bucky leaned close, his voice dripping with menace.
"Don't move, 'hero.' If you so much as twitch, I'll blow your brains out before a sniper can even pull the trigger."