Chapter 4: Skillful with Knife and Gun.
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Chapter 4: Skillful with Knife and Gun.
By the time Quinn retrieved his luggage at the evidence office, it was already 7 o'clock in the morning. Under the shining sun, Gotham's darkness seemed to recede slightly.
Quinn walked out of the police station gate, dragging his suitcase. Commissioner Gordon hadn't assigned him any tasks yet, so he was told to find a place to settle in first.
"Honk."
A white car honked, and Officer Kevin rolled down the window. "Get in."
Quinn wasn't sure about his intentions, but following his superior's orders was the right thing to do. He put his luggage in the trunk and sat in the backseat.
Kevin spoke casually, "Quinn, you've been assigned to my team. From today, I'll be your supervisor. Let's take a tour around the city first."
"That sounds great."
Quinn wasn't surprised by Gordon's arrangement. He had some preliminary contact with Kevin before, and being from the same minority group made it easier to get along. At least he didn't have to worry about racial discrimination, which was prevalent in Gotham.
Typically, a police officer would work under a sergeant, and a sergeant could have two to three officers under their command. However, Gotham's police force was always understaffed, and even though Kevin held the rank of a sergeant, he had no one under him except for Quinn. Thus, Kevin was particularly excited about having Quinn join his team.
"Quinn, I really don't understand why you wanted to become a cop in Gotham... Don't get me wrong, I don't have any issues with you. It's just that I've seen many Chinese people, and most of them prefer a stable life and rarely choose a career in law enforcement, let alone here in Gotham."
Quinn knew that Kevin was speaking the truth. Gotham's crime rate was infamous throughout the United States, and most outsiders came here for money. If they wanted quick money, why not join the gangs instead of becoming a cop?
Quinn was indeed an outlier among outliers.
[Disrupting Penguin's arms deal, earning 10 points.]
Quinn looked at the prompt from the system that popped up earlier, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
"My heart and actions are as clear as a mirror, and all my deeds are for justice."
At a red light, Kevin observed Quinn through the rearview mirror. Quinn met his gaze calmly, his eyes clear and determined. When the light turned green, Kevin turned away.
"I believe you, but that worries me even more."
Quinn was taken aback. "Why?"
Kevin drove slowly. "Look outside. This is the street I grew up on. Ever since I can remember, drug dealing, sexual assaults, and other heinous crimes have been as common as the rising sun here. Even with Batman around, nothing has changed."
Quinn looked out the window and saw several people of his age wandering on the street, arms folded, with vacant and soulless expressions, like mindless zombies.
"Don't think that taking down a few Penguin's thugs makes you impressive. While Penguin's gang is powerful, compared to other Gotham gangs, they are considered 'relatively mild.' There are still many super villains out there, and even Batman isn't a match for some of them."
Upon hearing this, Quinn smiled knowingly. Kevin was probably instructed by Gordon to warn him not to be like those rookie heroes who only cared about their achievements and wanted to challenge the big bosses right after they started.
Since the formation of the Justice League, countless self-proclaimed "heroes" with superpowers had sprung up like mushrooms, and many of them ended up as stepping stones for the villains.
So he patted his chest and assured, "Don't worry, Supervisor Kevin, I understand what you mean. I have a clear understanding of my own abilities, and I won't take on challenges that are beyond my capacity."
Kevin finally relaxed. "As long as you understand."
Quinn wanted to strike up a conversation with Kevin, but suddenly, gunshots rang out ahead. Both of them changed their expressions, and Kevin immediately bent down and hit the brakes. "Get down, quick!"
Bullets flew past, leaving a series of bullet holes on the windshield. Luckily, Kevin reacted swiftly; any delay, and they would have been sent to meet God.
"Damn it! I purposely didn't use a police car to avoid drawing attention, but it seems we were still targeted."
In certain areas of Gotham, police officers were at great risk when operating alone, as there could be crazies with bombs ready to attack them at any moment.
Quinn peered out cautiously, using the Lake Toya to smash the window open as he had noticed the door was locked.
Kevin said sternly, "I already called for backup. Stay here and watch, don't act rashly..."
Bang! Quinn used the Lake Toya to break the car window.
"Don't be impulsive!" Kevin didn't expect Quinn to act so decisively.
Quinn paused after jumping out of the window. "Supervisor, you've asked me so many questions, now it's my turn. Why did you become a police officer?"
Kevin originally wanted to scold Quinn, but he found himself unable to utter a word.
As Kevin had said earlier, he was born on this street. When he was five, his father disappeared, leaving his mother, Alison, to fend for herself. She had to sell her body to support him, and every day, different men came and went from their home. Occasionally, there were violent clients who would beat her.
At the age of 16, his mother died from a drug overdose, and the police later found out it was intentional, so they arrested the culprit, who was sent to prison and hadn't been released yet.
That incident might have been an occasional triumph of justice, but it made Kevin see a glimmer of hope. Crime did have consequences. Since then, Kevin vowed to become a police officer and swore that one day, he would change this street.
Years had passed, and the teenager had grown into a man approaching his forties. While his passion sometimes rekindled, Kevin couldn't understand why he continued to work as a cop when he realized that he couldn't change anything.
Click.
The car door unlocked, and Kevin lit a cigarette, as if reigniting the cooling blood in his veins.
"I have a good chance of taking them down."
Quinn smiled knowingly. "Supervisor, I've told you, I'm not a reckless person. On the contrary, I'm quite cautious."
About 80 percent sure."
"I'll cover you."
"Then it's 100 percent."
Gothamites might have their shortcomings, but when it came to escaping, they were undoubtedly top-notch. Within less than two minutes of braking, the street was almost empty.
Quinn kept close to the car, moving stealthily until he couldn't get any closer. His entire body tensed, like an athlete on the starting line, waiting intently for the gunshot to start the race.
Kevin, a seasoned officer, swiftly emptied his magazine with precise shots, quickly taking down one of the masked men. The other three were shooting back at Kevin's car with their submachine guns, creating a shower of sparks from the bullets.
Seizing the opportunity, Quinn vaulted over a parked car, charging towards the two closest assailants. With a swift thrust, he took down one with his knife and then executed a sweeping leg kick to knock the other guy away.
His strength was not as precise as before, causing the special effect of the Warrior Soul to not activate. The wooden knife was only used for practice, and the proactive Quinn didn't need guidance anymore.
"F*ck, there's a weirdo with a wooden knife."
Quinn took a little longer than expected to deal with the two, and he decisively threw the Lake Toya, knocking the last man's gun out of his hand.
"Stay still, all of you—"
Ignoring Quinn's warning, the man lunged for the gun on the ground. Kevin didn't have a clear angle to shoot, and he felt anxious. "Quinn, why did you throw away your weapon?"
"Ah!"
The man screamed in pain, clutching his thigh that was shot through, blood gushing out from the bullet hole.
Quinn extended his left hand, which had been hidden in his pocket, holding a Glock pistol.
Without any mercy, he stepped on the man's hand, his eyes cold. "To be skillful with a knife and accurate with a gun, that's what it takes to be considered complete."