novelleonline Chapter 221, Section 118: Please put away the threat of heat vision
Chapter 221, Section 118: Please put away the threat of heat vision
Chapter 221, Section 118: Please put away the threat of heat vision
Rewind half an hour, Jason and Dick were escorting the people from Wayne Castle away from the battlefield when they encountered an uninvited guest carrying a scythe in the wasteland outside the city.
The one who blocked everyone's escape route with six members of the Round Table Court was the Primal Claw, the Immortal Uriah Boone.
Although the two young men had never dealt with this guy, they had received information about Isaiah Thomas.
The opponent is an unkillable monster with extremely high martial arts skills, which is undoubtedly fatal for the evacuation team, which is currently riddled with injuries.
Even Talia, who was secretly following and protecting everyone, frowned in the shadows.
"Uriah the Immortal! This guy is really troublesome. Apart from my father, I can't imagine anyone in Gotham who could be his match."
The women started planning to leave, but the youngest, Dick, once again lived up to expectations and stepped forward.
"I'll handle this guy, you guys move out!"
Looking at her apprentice's head held high and resolute expression, Talia rubbed the bridge of her nose, looking annoyed. She realized that in the past six months, apart from her skills, her precious apprentice hadn't learned a single thing about the assassin's discipline of knowing when to stop.
But since his disciple had said so, the master could only grip the scabbard tightly.
She wasn't aiming to kill Yuria; she was already hoping to buy them a few minutes to escape when the battle started.
However, the plot development that followed once again surprised everyone.
Behind Uriah, six men in suits wearing owl masks emerged from the shadows.
The lead owl spoke up, "It seems Bruce isn't here. Who's the leader of this group now?"
"It's me! What! Want revenge?"
Jason, gripping the two pistols at his waist, shoved Dick aside.
"The courts have long since fallen, and revenge means nothing to us. We have only one wish left: to execute the traitors. As long as you hand over Thomas and Dr. Reed, we will not make things difficult for you."
The atmosphere became awkward. These two guys were indeed insignificant. If handing them over could prevent a fierce battle that could lead to the annihilation of the entire army, Jason would be happy to do so.
The problem is that Thomas is the only one left in the crowd; Dr. Reed disappeared during the retreat.
"Only one?"
"We don't know which one is the traitor, so both of them must die."
Thomas, who was behind the crowd, breathed a sigh of relief. He knew how powerful the immortals were; if he were captured, his plan to kill the original owner and take his place would be completely ruined.
"So, is this how you treat your allies? If that live broadcast hadn't exposed the true nature of the court, could you have won so easily?"
Thomas's casual remark put Jason in a very difficult position.
Having said that, his gaze passed over Uriah and fixed firmly on the owl's mask.
Meanwhile, the barn owl was also watching him.
Don't forget, these two are both copies of the Creator, but at this critical juncture where they can't communicate, they treat each other as the original.
Thomas believed that the barn owl was causing him trouble because of the live broadcast, while the barn owl believed that Thomas was the creator who dumped the mess on him and betrayed the court.
Both of them had intense hostility in their eyes.
"Since the other one is missing, we can choose to back down. I only need him!" The owl pointed to Thomas.
It's no wonder that these clones can only become puppets of the Creator. As the side that holds the most key information in this war, they still haven't taken the initiative to share clues about the "Creator" openly, but instead use Yuria's powerful strength to coerce them.
The owl had its own plans. As a clone with Bruce's appearance, it only wanted to share this secret with Qin Wei. After all, the fewer people who knew this secret, the better they could conceal their identities in the future.
However, the owl and its clones failed to consider the other party in the negotiations.
Their dishonest behavior not only caused Thomas to misunderstand, but also forced the bats to unite as one.
"I would never use my own safety to negotiate with criminals, of course, this is just my personal opinion." Gordon was the first to step forward after handing the unconscious Barbara to Lucius, followed by Brock and Harvey.
"Even if it wasn't for justice, Thomas saved our lives!" Brock added, holding a shotgun.
Dick then drew his twin swords and declared war on Uriah.
Seeing that things had come to this, Jason could only shrug helplessly.
It was only then that the barn owls realized the situation was getting out of control. They only wanted to find the missing creator and didn't want to cause trouble for the bats.
"I think there must be some misunderstanding here—"
He was about to explain when Jason blared a gunshot, signaling the start of the battle. Forced to change his words, he shouted, "Uriah, grab Thomas! Don't hurt anyone else!"
Avoiding a complete falling out with the other party and leaving himself a way out is perhaps the wisest decision the barn owl has made so far.
"Yes I know!"
The immortal Uriah wielded his scythe, cleaving through the bullets, and engaged in a fierce battle with the onrushing crowd.
Under the hazy moonlight, a few cold glints flashed. The huge scythe in Uriah's hands was like a dancing butterfly. He used the wooden handle to knock Gordon away, turned and tripped Harvey, and then, braving a hail of bullets, used the broad blade to knock Jason down.
Only Dick, a formally trained child, was somewhat capable, but he only managed to withstand two blows before being kicked more than ten feet away.
Just as Talia had predicted, Yuria's martial arts skills were no less than Lei Xiaogu's, making her a super-powerful figure among this group of weaklings.
Immortal Claw lowered the blade of its scythe, aiming the gleaming scythe at Thomas's throat.
The two were still some distance apart, but Thomas felt as if his head had left his body.
In the blink of an eye, Uriah had already teleported in front of him.
Death's eyes were cold and indifferent, and the giant scythe representing execution was raised high.
Swish—just as the blade swept down, less than an inch from Thomas's neck, a woman's languid call finally rang out behind Uriah.
"Hey, didn't anyone tell you not to bring your employer on missions?"
Yuria turned her head and saw that many of the Round Table members behind her had been cut down, leaving only one barn owl, who stood motionless like an owl perched on a branch under the threat of the sharp blade.
"Ms. Talia Gul, the last time we met you were only six years old—"
"I have neither the time nor the patience for small talk. Put down your weapon unless you want him dead."
Talia used the tip of her knife to lift the barn owl's jaw, then put one hand on her hip and looked at Yuria.
Without the owl's prompting, Yuria voluntarily laid down her weapon.
Even if it weren't for loyalty, he would still need the barn owl to provide him with Dionysian factors.
At Talia's signal, the group took the wounded and disappeared into the wilderness.
"Good girl, I've done as you've said. Now it's time to show your sincerity." Yuria gripped the scythe, her fingertips tracing the blade. Her cold eyes, hidden in the backlight, resembled a cheetah lurking behind a bush, sharpening its teeth and sucking blood.
Now the problem lies with Talia; she hasn't figured out how to escape from Julia's clutches.
But just then, a piercing sonic boom rang out in the sky.
The two figures facing off dared not look up, so only the barn owl saw a blurry figure tearing through the clouds and rapidly approaching.
After being humiliated by the mob, Superboy Jonathan quickly shifted his focus, using his enhanced hearing to detect strange noises coming from the Gotham outskirts.
"A Kryptonian? No, he's not wearing a cape. He's the Superboy who's been active in Metropolis lately!"
The barn owl sneered and turned its gaze to Talia beside it.
"Hehehe, woman of the Assassin's Guild, if you don't put down your weapon, he'll consider you the biggest threat."
The owl was right; Jonathan, unaware of the full picture, had already labeled Talia as the villain who had taken the hostage.
Once he identified his target, Superboy charged towards Talia at full speed.
His speed was much slower than his father's, and his speed of Mach 20 gave Talia some time to react. When she sensed the "missile" coming from above, she immediately released the owl, sheathed her sword, and rolled away.
While Uriah, this old-fashioned guy, might have heard of Superman and know to hide from the red cape fluttering in the sky, it would be a bit of a stretch to expect him to know this Superboy who has only recently debuted.
So when Jonathan attacked Talia, he assumed she shared the same goal as him.
They're allies!
Thinking of this, Yuria raised her scythe and chopped at the woman's head.
Bang—crash!
The massive scythe shattered upon impact with Jonathan's body.
The moment the metal shards flashed before his eyes, the immortal felt like a drunkard he could find anywhere in Gotham City, swinging an empty bottle toward a hard corner of the wall.
"How could this be—"
Before the exclamation could even escape his lips, it was swallowed up by the shockwave from Superboy's landing. Although Jonathan tried his best to control his speed, Uriah was still thrown dozens of meters away by the churning air current.
Being in the center of the vortex felt like she had just experienced a devastating tornado. She plunged her scabbard deep into the ground and gripped it tightly with both hands to avoid being swept away by the hurricane.
She couldn't see what the newcomer looked like, but there aren't many people on Earth with that kind of speed.
Whether it's Superman or Superboy, the war was over the moment the newcomer intervened.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Qin Wei, who was preparing to evacuate, spotted Dr. Reed in a corner.
Why haven't you left yet?
At this moment, Wei wasn't wearing the Bat Armor. To guard against a possible sneak attack, he shrank behind Thomas.
-
He never let his guard down around Dr. Reed, even after the latter passed the forced water supply test.
The reason is simple: Dr. Reed is a person who shouldn't exist.
Each of Thomas's clones should have a role, but Reed is precisely the one who is detached from the plan. Apart from providing Qin Wei with some ideas, he is of no help to the court's plan.
It's like a square patch of grass in the middle of a desert, smooth yet eerie.
This is also why Qin Wei wouldn't let Reed perform the surgery on him. "Leave? Why should I leave? This is the safest place! Bruce Wayne can always clear away obstacles. As long as I stay by your side, I'm the safest." At this point, Reed didn't even bother to hide his tone.
"I want to thank you for your efforts. After tonight's major reshuffle, the Court of Owls will be completely under my control from now on."
Under Thomas's astonished gaze, Dr. Reed bowed to Qin Wei.
"It seems you noticed this a long time ago."
Seeing that the other person's face showed no emotion, Reed couldn't help but start talking.
As long as he is Thomas Elliott, he cannot ignore Bruce Wayne; the clone and the original are alike in this respect.
"Yes, I just want to know why you want to purge the court. As a high-ranking member of the Round Table, the court is already under your control." Qin Wei sighed. He didn't want to waste any more words with the villain.
"It's very simple. I don't pursue immortality. In my understanding, the original and pure physical body is the best gift that the gods have given to mankind. What mankind should do is to seize status and wealth as much as possible within a limited time."
"But look at what the court has been doing all these years. In their pursuit of immortality, they have wasted too much energy on meaningless things, searching for Wayne's bloodline and trying to awaken the gods." Even the influence of low-level gangs like Maroney and Falcone on Gotham is almost surpassing that of the court.
"Oh yes, I almost forgot! And those foolish claws," they are redundant, remnants of the last century, and the biggest destabilizing factor in the courts.
"The courts have so much money in their pockets that they can do many things easily without claws, yet the Dispute Arbitration Tribunal is still using the old methods to assassinate those who disagree with them. How foolish."
At this point, Thomas couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Bruce Wayne, you can only kill the form of the court. The real court, backed by the U.S. Constitution, is transformed into digital data flowing through the network and into accounts. It's like a giant net that envelops the whole world."
"Everyone in Gotham, everyone in America, everyone in the world, even you or him, are all puppets of the court, and I am no exception."
"Capitalism," Qin Wei added.
"Bingo, you got it right! But ordinary people don't call it that. Only those who try to incite the lower classes to rebel would use that tone and grit their teeth to call it that. Judging from your behavior, you are somewhat similar. This is not good news."
Dr. Reed straightened his collar, dusted himself off, and walked straight past Qin Wei.
"Now I'm leaving to inherit that countless unclaimed fortune. I hope we can meet again."
"What makes you think you can leave? You recklessly reveal your entire plan and then naively believe you'll get away unscathed?" Night Owl brandished his steel claws.
Dr. Reed did not answer, but chuckled and began to introduce himself.
"I am Daniel Reed, a clean-cut plastic surgeon. I am here tonight because I was kidnapped by a kidnapper named Bruce Wayne. If you have any doubts about my identity, feel free to investigate."
"But now, a law-abiding American citizen is being held hostage by two hideous kidnappers."
His face was as flat as a lake, and his mechanical voice sounded like that of an AI robot devoid of any emotion.
Thomas frowned, looking at Qin Wei with a puzzled expression: "What is he saying? It looks like he's talking to someone!"
"It's not just a feeling, it is."
Qin Wei spoke slowly and deliberately, removing his bat belt, unfastening the rifle slung over his back, and then raising his head.
He looked up at the robust figure high in the sky, shrouded in a flowing cloak.
"I've disarmed Mr. Superman, could you please put away your heat vision threat?"