Murky sewage rippled beneath, submerging ankles in its sticky embrace. The faint light of a decrepit bulb illuminated mossy, damp walls, casting a dim glow over the grimy scene.
Liang exhaled heavily, grabbing a nearby corpse and hurling it at Bucky before launching himself forward.
Water splashed with each step, droplets scattering like fleeting stars. His sole remaining arm was a spear, his fist aimed squarely at Bucky's chest, with his thumb slicing through the air like a razor, leaving a sharp, whistling buzz in its wake.
But Bucky didn't flinch. The large man stood firm as though bolted to the ground. He caught Liang's arm with iron-clad hands, twisting it with a motion so swift it seemed effortless. In the next moment, Liang was lifted off his feet and slammed into the ground.
As soon as they hit the floor, Bucky shifted seamlessly into position, locking Liang in a tight armbar. His thigh clamped down on Liang's elbow while his calf pressed firmly against his neck, leaving him immobilized in a textbook jujitsu armbar.
The hold wasn't just effective—it was devastating. Known as one of the most successful techniques in Brazilian jujitsu, the armbar applied excruciating pressure to the elbow joint, exploiting the natural limitations of human anatomy. Even the strongest opponents found themselves powerless against its efficiency, and in the hands of someone like Bucky, it was a nightmare.
Liang's face turned purple as a sickening crack echoed from his elbow joint. His chest heaved, every attempt to break free thwarted by Bucky's superior leverage.
Desperate, Liang planted his toes against the edge of the channel, using every ounce of strength to shove himself backward, slamming both himself and Bucky against the wall. The impact created a split-second window of opportunity, and Liang twisted his body, landing a kick to the side of Bucky's head. He barely managed to wriggle free.
Yet, before Liang could regain his footing, Bucky had already swept his legs out from under him, sending him sprawling back into the murky water.
Brazilian jujitsu thrived in confined spaces, and Bucky was a master. Every move Liang made was countered with precision. Bucky's thick arms snatched Liang's collar, crossing his legs around Liang's neck and pulling down on his head. The closed triangle chokehold was near-unbreakable, cutting off airflow and leaving Liang gasping for breath.
Liang's face contorted in agony, veins bulging from his neck as his body convulsed. He slammed Bucky against the wall repeatedly, but the man absorbed each blow with the indifference of a mountain weathering a storm.
"I bet you didn't know this," Bucky began conversationally, watching as Liang's strength faded. "I was abandoned at a Gotham orphanage when I was just a month old."
Liang couldn't hear the words, his mind drowning in the screeching cacophony of suffocation and the desperate pleas of his oxygen-starved body.
"That orphanage," Bucky continued, tightening the chokehold with cruel precision, "was such a lovely place. Bible readings, hymns, even the occasional extra meal. At least, until the so-called holy men took us to their special 'exorcism ceremonies.'"
Bucky's tone darkened. "They weren't exorcisms, of course. They were debauchery. Gotham's elite—politicians, CEOs, media moguls—all taking turns abusing us. Some kids didn't make it out alive."
His voice grew cold. "I survived. Grew up. Trained. And when the Joker came along, he gave us a chance to get back at those monsters. One by one, we made them pay. Yet the headlines? Always the same: 'Mourned by the City,' as if they were pillars of Gotham's virtue."
Liang's vision faded to black, his body limp and lifeless. Only the faint movement of his lips betrayed any sign of life.
Bucky loosened his grip, leaning in to catch the faint whisper escaping Liang's lips.
"You talk too much...idiot."
Bang.
A gunshot rang out, the muzzle flash illuminating the gloom for an instant.
The bullet tore through Bucky's skull, spraying red and white across the wall. His grip slackened as his body crumpled to the ground.
Trembling, a young girl stepped out from the shadows, holding a gun with both hands. Smoke curled lazily from the barrel as she stood frozen in place, staring at the lifeless body before her.