lerbook Chapter 103 Epilogue
Chapter 103 Epilogue
Chapter 103 Epilogue
"Not bad strength. I really want to cut open your body and see what kind of powerful heart is supporting your operation."
Deathstroke clenched his fists and parried from both sides, moving with swift, delicate steps, while also keeping some attention on Qin Wei on the fourth floor, guarding against any possible sneak attack.
In fact, Qin Wei did want to launch a sneak attack, but unknowingly his attention was drawn to the fight.
Unlike Talia's solo instruction, this was a rare life-or-death battle between top-tier fighters. But how could a mere thrilling fight make him forget his main purpose?
In fact, when the postures and fists and feet of the two men were imprinted on the retina, it was as if an invisible hand simultaneously flipped the memory switch in the brain.
The fragmented images broke through the blockade and flooded into my mind.
He vaguely saw a blurry figure holding his hand, making one set of movements as if manipulating a puppet.
Parry, kick, throw a punch—every time the opponent loosens their grip, I repeat the same move. Frame by frame, these scenes unfold like photographs covering an entire sea of memories.
"Young Master, today's training is complete."
"Young Master, can you hear me?"
"Young Master—will you—won't you wake up?"
When he came to his senses, Qin Wei was already in tears.
"Alfred—why!"
He hurriedly wiped away his tears, but the surging emotions in his heart were uncontrollable, like a burst dam.
Am I Bruce? Then who is Qin Wei?
"Understand me, be me, transcend me, and save Gotham, save the poor people!"
The familiar words rang in my ears once again, but unlike the previous whispers, they turned into a deafening shout.
Through the churning orange-yellow vitamin fluid in the container, and past the blurry glass door, he saw a thin young man sitting in a wheelchair.
Such a familiar figure.
That intense gaze seemed to scorch his chest.
With a loud crack, the fake bat's head was twisted 360 degrees.
But the execution by the death knell was far from over. He grabbed a sharp piece of iron from the side and smashed it down hard on his opponent's twisted neck.
a bit!
Two!
Three times!
Until blue blood soaked half his body, until he held a head in his hand.
When the poorly stitched leather mask was removed and the true face hidden beneath was revealed, even this well-traveled mercenary couldn't help but gasp in shock.
"Damn it, are you the Li brothers?"
Having eliminated the fake bat and effectively curbed his murderous intent, Deathstroke was in no hurry to kill anyone. Instead, he carried the head to Qin Wei, intending to satisfy his curiosity.
They thought the other side should be ready for battle, but Qin Wei knelt on the ground like a wooden man. If he wasn't still breathing, Deathstroke would have thought he had suddenly died on the spot.
"Hey, young man!"
He tossed his head aside and nudged Qin Wei's shoulder.
Having just been bombarded with a barrage of memories, Qin Wei, still in a daze, blinked, seemingly not quite remembering who the guy in front of him was.
"Stupid? What a pity."
Slade's curiosity vanished in an instant, and upon reflection, he realized he really didn't need to hold a grudge against his defeated opponent.
Whether you are human or a demon from hell, it's none of my business.
He picked up the long knife and raised it high, aiming it at Qin Wei's neck.
The prey has already cooperated and posed, so how can we not bestow upon it a noble beheading ceremony?
But just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket.
"No...."
He frowned and muttered something in dissatisfaction; of course, he knew where this news came from.
He blocks messages while working, except from the HIVE mercenary organization. The fact that the organization could send a message at this point indicates that there's a major problem with this deal.
Upon opening the screen, sure enough, it was bad news from the organization—Maroni was wanted by the police, all his assets had been frozen, and the deal was off.
Slade raised the blade and then brought it down heavily, as if he were struggling with his inner demons.
After a long silence, he made his choice.
"Young man, you are lucky; I am a mercenary, not a gunman. But I will come back to find you."
Even if it's just about the name, we can't just let it go like this.
Slade sheathed his longsword, a satisfied smile curving his lips. He'd had a great time today.
It was a worthwhile trip.
But is all of this really just a coincidence?
"Deathstroke is so strong that he's almost invincible, but he's also a mercenary who adheres to the code of conduct to an almost pathological degree. If you can't deal with him, then find a way to deal with his employer. Although he's never encountered a similar situation before, given his stubborn personality, as long as HIVE determines that the order has failed, he will definitely stop."
From the moment the old mercenary in the Black Forest bar told Freud the third way to deal with Deathstroke, the ending was already predetermined.
The Deadshot told Qin Wei the news, and Qin Wei then relayed it to Gordon:
"Please, guys, my life and my friends' lives are in your hands!"
Just like the entrustment in the sewer, only this time it's Qin Wei who should entrust his back to his teammates.
Thus, outside the main battlefield, a race against time quietly began.
Risking being shot in the back, Gordon bypassed the informants planted by Rob's corrupt cops and drove straight to the New Jersey State Police Department. Harvey closed all the riot doors and, along with Brock, who was holding a spray cannon, stood ready. Finally, they received the arrest warrant from the State Police Department in front of the fax machine.
In order to maintain stability in Gotham City, they only submitted criminal information about Chief of Staff Robert Rooney and Maroney, but this was enough to save Qin Wei from Deathstroke's blade.
It's all over.
Selena pushed open the skylight in the hospital corridor, her long silver hair fluttering in the night breeze. She gazed at the full moon in the sky and blinked lightly.
The moonlight is beautiful tonight.
After Qin Wei had finished digesting those memory fragments, the factory was empty.
Before him lay a bloody human head, a handsome face with sharp features, even his angry, glaring expression was captivating.
Qin Wei looked at himself in the mirror several times a day. If it weren't for the blue blood flowing from the broken bone, he would almost think he had been killed by Deathstroke.
Normally he would have studied it thoroughly, but today he was just too tired—physically injured, mentally exhausted, and with the ever-thickening fog surrounding his identity.
All he wanted now was a soft velvet mattress to bury every inch of his skin in.
Dragging his body downstairs, he saw the headless remains.
Perhaps it was fate, but the moonlight shone through the broken tin wall and onto the back of the house, casting a bat symbol on the cloak.
Sleepy fluid rolled in his dry throat as Qin Wei reached out and took off his cloak.
He didn't understand why he was doing this, but he knew that someone must want him to do it.
In his fragmented memories, he heard gunshots from the crime alley.
I heard the flapping of bat wings.
I heard Alfred's desperate cry.
I heard Gotham's lament.
He clearly sensed that something was gradually awakening and emerging from its cocoon.
Who would want to embrace that thorny mission? But this is Gotham, a filthy place teeming with corruption and evil. It can disregard the law, trample on dignity, and distort humanity. But someone has to do something to fight against this filth.
We all live here; there's no escaping it.
He picked up the hood from the ground and wrapped it around his head.
Iamvengeance
I am the night
I am......batman
"How's his leg?"
As Oswald was wheeled out of the operating room, Reus quickly went to greet him.
"I'm not optimistic. We need to prepare for the worst, that we'll be on crutches for the rest of our lives."
Looking at the pale, sweat-drenched face on the hospital bed, Royce rubbed his temples. He knew he should be grateful that he had survived the ordeal of the legendary strongest mercenaries, with several key members either seriously injured or crippled, yet all of them miraculously survived.
Pushing the little penguin back to the ward, Royce finally found the last teammate for the four-person waiting room.
Freud with his stomach wrapped in gauze, Jason with his leg in a cast, Dick who has just woken up from the clown's ether handkerchief, and Oswald who is still under the effects of anesthesia.
How about we set up a mahjong table so these four guys won't get bored?
"Why hasn't Wei come back yet?" Jason asked.
"He said that was the best chance to stay in the warehouse." Royce lowered his brows and hugged his arms tightly.
The immense pressure triggered his craving for cigarettes again, but the cigarette was snatched away as soon as he put it in his mouth.
"Smoking is prohibited in the ward." This was a stern warning from Selena.
"Hey guys, I have a little problem. Can we still split the money?"
Freud had intended to lighten the mood, but his opening remarks immediately drew several sharp glares.
"Alright, you're all fighters for your beliefs, and I'm just an ordinary person—"
"Don't be discouraged, everyone. Things might not be so bad. Trust in Will's abilities, and also trust in Chief Gordon's efficiency—or, let's watch some TV!" Selena also sensed the subtle tension and turned on the TV to try and distract everyone.
"Quick, find Friends, which channel is it on again?" Freud became interested.
"What's so great about Friends? A young person like you probably doesn't know that there's amazing stuff on the midnight channels at this time!" Royce chimed in eagerly, a loyal user of the pay channel.
"Romans, watch your words! Dick is still a minor!" With Oswald absent, Jason naturally turned his attention to Royce.
Just as the group was arguing amongst themselves, the screen suddenly switched to a news feed.
"Breaking news! According to our reporter, prominent local businessman Sal Maroney is wanted by police for multiple serious crimes, including but not limited to kidnapping and extortion."
Smuggling, drug trafficking, and hiring murderers—the circumstances are extremely heinous, and the methods used are appalling. This station hereby appeals to any citizen who has information about their activities.
After a brief silence, a piercing howl erupted in the ward.
If most of them hadn't been injured, these crazy guys would have huddled together and jumped up and down, causing the floor to collapse.
"Oss, wake up! Wake up!!! We did it! We did it!!!"
Royce rocked the little penguin's bed, Jason clenched his fists and roared wildly, Dick rubbed his wet eyes, and only Freud blinked blankly.
Talk? Who am I? What am I doing here?
"What's wrong with this room! Making so much noise so late at night—"
The ward door was pushed open, and the nurse poked half her body out aggressively, but was immediately startled by the gathered gazes.
Look at all these people in the room: a young man with a face full of scars, a fierce-looking thug in a suit, and a wicked woman in a leather jumpsuit. They don't look like anyone to mess with.
"I mean, perhaps you could lower your voices a little, of course! I'm not telling you what to do—you can continue arguing—that's fine too—"
"It's okay, they are all my friends, let me speak."
A scarred hand rested on the doorframe.
As the hospital room door opened, Qin Wei's exhausted smile was revealed to everyone.
Selena rushed forward first, opening her arms and embracing him whole. Although she said she trusted her teammates, she was probably the one most worried about Qin Wei's safety.
With a weight lifted from her heart, the girl buried her face in Qin Wei's chest, rubbing it back and forth to release the pressure that had been building up for so long.
Floyd breathed a sigh of relief; his commission was secured.
Jason, the thoughtful older brother, covered Dick's eyes at just the right moment: "Minors shouldn't watch this."
After Selena finished expressing her emotions, Qin Wei immediately went over to check on Oswald's injuries.
"He most likely won't be able to stand up."
Royce sighed, but before he could finish speaking, the little penguin on the bed chimed in.
"Who said that—I was standing perfectly straight—you tell me, isn't that right?" He lifted his heavy eyelids and looked at Qin Wei. "I want to hear you call me—" one more time—" "Boss.
What a strange fellow! Qin Wei thought to himself, but still complied with the other party's request.
"That was so much fun!"
Oswald forced a smile, revealing his dry lips.
After comforting the little penguin, Qin Wei checked everyone's injuries one by one. Except for Jason, who needed to recuperate for a few months, the rest were all fine.
"Friends, I announce that the plan has achieved a partial victory!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the ward was once again filled with deafening cheers.
Reus hadn't felt this good in a long time. He took out a cigarette to celebrate, but Qin Wei took it away just as he put it to his lips.
Smoking is prohibited in the ward.
"Huh?! Huh—"
"But don't get too excited yet—"
Qin Wei gave her a wink, and Catwoman understood and went to the door to keep watch.
"Maroni is still at large. Although we burned all his savings and froze all his assets, he will always be a major concern as long as he is not eliminated."
His guess was correct; Maroney had a backup of the stolen information. Because Gordon hadn't handed over all the data, the family officials who were being targeted remained unaware and were willing to provide Maroney with protection.
But such protection only exists at the legal level; in reality, none of these guys want Maroni to die as soon as possible.
Whether he was betrayed by his underlings or assassinated by mercenaries, as long as Maroni died under mysterious circumstances, the dirty deeds these guys committed would be buried forever.
What Qin Wei had to do was to comply with the wishes of these people, find Maroni, and personally break his neck.
Gotham's courts and prisons are not to be trusted; he wants to seize the power to judge criminals in his own hands.
But before that, he had an important task to complete: to figure out exactly what connection this body had with Bruce Wayne.
He always felt that his journey to Gotham was not so simple. Unlike the novels and TV shows where lucky people are randomly selected to travel to different places, this story had a strong scripted feel to it.
It was as if someone was orchestrating everything behind the scenes.
Of course, the key to solving the problem still lies with Alfred, Gordon's butler; he's been investigating this for a long time.
Asking the other party might be a good option.