102 Chapter 102: A Mexican Standoff
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A special Thanks to my Celestial Emperor patrons Dwhateverprof, MacZeuss, Commander Jimmy & Zedd780 for supporting me on Patreon ~~~///(^v^)\\\~~~ Thanks for the immense support.
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"Meddling When You Don't Need To...Is The Essence Of Being A Hero."
- All Might, (My Hero Academia)
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<(Omniscient POV)>
"May I have everyone's attention, please?" Roman Sionis, the enigmatic leader of the Black Mask, called out, his voice a commanding presence even amidst the chaos among the public. "I urge you all to remain calm and I assure you of your safety. This altercation concerns only my associates and these... misguided individuals in their red masks who attempted to steal what rightfully belongs to me." His words carried weight, even as he fired his AR-15 rifle into the sky to catch everyone's attention. "Rest assured, as long as none among you intervene, no harm shall fall on you. Once the stolen funds are returned, we can all peacefully resume our happy lives."
"Stole? No, we took what could be taken and we aren't giving you back even a single dime you Black fuckers... No, I don't mean skin color, Edward, I meant members of the Black Mask gang, so stop looking at me like that." The leader of the Red Hood gang whom Bruce couldn't recognize since he had never heard of him snapped at one of his own men before focusing his attention back on Romanis. "Anyway, as I was saying, you might have us outgunned but you will never have me outdone. I will paint this entire mall red before I return even a single cent that we all worked so hard to steal." He yelled like an absolute maniac.
"The guy is dangerous," Bruce murmured from his position, his voice edged with a tinge of concern. His brief foray into the study of psychology in the past had equipped him with the tools to assess the different levels of danger posed by different sorts of criminals. He understood that the truly menacing criminals weren't just those who operated with intellect and caution; rather, they were the ones who were driven by an insatiable desire for destruction and chaos, indifferent to the consequences. And this man wearing that weird red bucket on his head embodied that reckless abandon, a stark reminder of the havoc such individuals could wreak upon society when they had nothing else to care about.
"Oh and you might not hurt civilians, but I certainly will. Today is going to be one hell of a red day, pun very much intended," He remarked. "Today is going to be one hell of a red day, pun very much intended." He chuckled at his own bad joke, a stark contrast to the gravity of the situation unfolding around him, as he gestured to his men to round up the civilians around them to use them as human shields.
Now, one thing that everyone knew about Black Mask was that he was smart. He might be ambitious with desires to grow his empire even bigger than Falcone's one day but at least he was discreet about it. He understood the delicate balance required to evade the scrutiny of the federal government, the Gotham City Police Department, and, above all, the vigilante shadow that lurked in the city's darkest corners—Batman.
Aware that his survival depended on staying beneath their radar, Sionis focused on less conspicuous endeavors like selling the less harmful drugs like cannabis and mushrooms while steering clear of the more lucrative yet perilous avenues of criminal enterprise. Moreover, he also adhered to one strict code: Civilians were off-limits, especially in public places.
But because of the Red Hood gang's leader, aka, Red Hood One, He was on the verge of betraying the one cardinal rule that kept him and his growing criminal empire safe and out of the cops' radar. Truthfully, Sironis wanted to leave after having realized just how crazy the Red Hood gang's new leader was, but he couldn't, because if he did, he would lose the street cred and respect that he had been cultivating in his men and the underworld for so many years. So, even while not at all liking what was happening, he still had to stand his ground to prove that he and his gang weren't at all afraid of the Red Hood gang.
The members of the Red Hood gang on the other hand had already started taking several members hostage, hiding their own bodies behind the hostages to protect themselves from the bullets of the rival gang members in case a gang war started.
"Hey you, come here. You look big, you might be able to take at least a few dozen bullets before you turn into a pile of useless flesh." A random masked Red Hood gang member near Bruce suddenly tried to grab him after noticing his extremely muscular physique.
Both Nyssa and Talia were ready to swiftly sever the man's carotid artery and jugular vein the moment his hand grazed Bruce's body. They even had their concealed blades as sleek as scalpels primed in their palms, but Bruce halted them with a subtle gesture before they could do anything.
Bruce was acutely aware of the danger lurking beneath the innocent facade of the two Ghul sisters beside him. Despite their beauty and unassuming demeanor, they were trained from infancy in the ruthless art of assassination. Their training left no room for mere incapacitation; they were honed to kill without the slightest hesitation or remorse. Bruce understood all too well that allowing them to unleash their lethal skills would not only result in the gang member's demise but also force him into the unforgiving glare of public scrutiny. After all, how could he justify traveling with two individuals capable of dispatching others with such chilling efficiency, even though their target was a criminal?
In fact, he could even see a few cameras from afar already aimed at them, waiting for anything exciting to happen.
Also, Bruce didn't really need their protection, and this was a fact that both Nyssa and Talia knew very well. Hurting Bruce even without any of his armor or tools wasn't exactly something a few mendane gangs could manage. Perhaps if it was an exceptionally powerful metahuman, there was a chance that Bruce would struggle but in front of 'ordinary' criminals like the Black Mask and Red Hood gang members, it was a walk in the park for Bruce if he wanted to get rid of them. The only concern for him was if he would be able to 'take care of them' before even a single civilian was hurt in the crossfire.
"Cortana?" Bruce asked in a bare whisper.
"The new Wayne security personnel are too far from your current location, so, it will take some time for them to reach there but the drones are already in position. I have my targets on everyone here and have calculated a 100% probability of achieving headshots on all targets before they can even react," Cortana's voice cut through the silence, transmitted discreetly through his newly adopted micro-earpiece. "Should I take the shot?" She inquired; her tone impassive like she didn't really care that she would have to kill a dozen people if I said yes.
"Not yet. Let's observe how this unfolds. I'll give you the signal if it truly comes to that. Perhaps they'll resolve their conflict amongst themselves, sparing me the need to intervene." Bruce responded with a glimmer of hope in his voice. With a sense of empathy, he stepped forward, meeting the gaze of the gang member who had been persistently attempting to move him but failing to make him budge even the least bit. Despite the criminal's efforts, Bruce remained resolute, refusing to yield even an inch. However, now in a gesture of understanding, he positioned himself in front of the Red Hood gang member as 'requested' by the criminal, silently contemplating the unfolding scene before him.
"W-wait... is that, Bruce Wayne?" One of the Black Mask gang members who had been staring at my face for a while now whispered in his boss' ears.
"What the fuck are you talking about? Why would Bruce Wayne be here of all places without any sort of... security?" Roman Sionis abruptly halted his words, his incredulity palpable in the air as his gaze shifted to Bruce Wayne whom he just noticed. However, that shock lasted only a matter of moments and soon melted swiftly into a blend of anger and annoyance, his features contorting with disbelief at the sight of the calm and collected billionaire standing before him.
"No chance they'll depart, my dear master, at least not without attempting to take advantage of you," Cortana's voice dripped with sarcasm in Bruce's earpiece. "Rarely do two criminal factions in Gotham stumble upon one of the world's wealthiest individuals, unprotected."
Well technically, Bruce was THE richest individual in the world, yet he didn't announce any public declarations of his financial status, refusing to confirm such details to any media outlet or publication seeking insight into his net worth. To the world at large, he remained merely one among the richest elites, the top 0.1%, with him being typically slotted within the esteemed ranks of the top ten richest individuals. Both Forbes and Fortune consistently positioned him at the sixth or seventh spot on their coveted lists,
"MY MY. Will you look at that? Another player in our Mexican standoff." The leader of the Red Hood gang, aka, Red Hood One chuckled. He had heard Roman Sionis' words and recognized me as Bruce Wayne as well even though I had no idea just how he wasn't blind as a bat while wearing that weirdly opaque red bucket. "Our own local billionaire, the Prince of Gotham is here too... Goddamn, we were just fighting for a measly million dollars in front of a billionaire, talk about a humiliating turn of events," he added, his tone tinged with amusement and a hint of sarcasm.
"What? You two want an autograph or something?" Bruce could not help but tease as he looked at the slightly greedy expressions on both of their faces. The two looked like a pair of greedy gold diggers who had just seen their dream sugar daddy.
"No... But a few billion might be nice. After all, you were the reason I lost what was supposed to be my biggest strength to rule Gotham. This fucking red clown might have stolen one million dollars from me but you, you plundered my entire bank," Sionis seethed, his teeth grinding as he leveled his rifle at Bruce, his attention no longer fixed on his rival gang.
"I thought you didn't want to harm any civilians, you black-masked hypocrite." Red Hood One snickered as he amusingly looked at the turnabout of the events even wondering which bank was Black Mask even talking about.
"He's far from ordinary, a man of vast wealth and influence, reigning as the wealthiest man in the state," Roman Sionis replied with an icy edge while methodically loading his rifle. "I'll choose Bruce Wayne and his fortune over any number of common folks, even if it means extinguishing every fucking life in this mall." His voice held a chilling certainty as he addressed the leader of the Red Hood gang before him, already scheming the avenues of profit this encounter might yield. "So, are we destined for a gang war, or shall we forge a partnership and unlock billions together?"
While he may have missed out on securing the Bertinelli crime family's fortune, through the elusive Bertinelli diamond that he was never able to find, as well as failed in his bid to acquire the coveted bank, this opportunity however presented a rare stroke of luck, perhaps even a divine intervention for him. Determined not to squander it, Black Mask resolved to capitalize on this one-in-a-million opportunity. Any ensuing complications could be swiftly taken care of using the funds that he intended to extract from the young billionaire. After all, according to him, why would the government try to arrest him once he shoves a couple of hundred million dollars down their corrupted tight little throats?
Roman Sionis had always prided himself on his restraint and cautious approach to crime, but for the first time in many years, temptation gnawed at his resolve. He just couldn't shake the feeling that now, of all times, a bit of greed might just be justified, that he might be able to get away with being a little too greedy.
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(A/N: I don't know if you got the reference or not but if you picture the standoff here in your mind, then you might be able to find some real similarity to a certain church meme 😁)
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