Storming Arkham (Part Two)

Barbara looked down on Thea's behavior of planning a retreat before even starting the fight, but she suppressed her feelings.

Commissioner Gordon and Lyla, both from military backgrounds, didn't see anything wrong with it and swiftly proceeded to arrange tasks.

Perhaps because the Arkham inmates were prepared for an indoor battle, their convoy marched unhindered without any attacks along the way, disappointing Thea's hope of collecting some heads using the helicopter.

As they approached the gate, Lyla was about to order the helicopter to return, but Thea felt it would be a waste to let go of such heavy firepower.

"Why don't we blast that gate?" Thea pointed at the rusted gate of Arkham. If the timing had been right, she would have wanted to take a picture there or leave a mark of "So-and-so was here." The place was too famous to pass up.

Lyla thought Thea was being childish, a stark contrast to her usual seriousness. But she considered that blowing up the gate could facilitate a retreat, so she picked up the radio to contact the helicopter's operator.

Two anti-tank missiles whooshed through the air and precisely struck the iron gate.

The gate, already corroded with rust, would have been easy to break even with an ax in hand, let alone with such powerful missiles.

With a loud clang, as the smoke cleared, the convoy drove straight into the renowned Gotham landmark.

"Go, go, go!" Hundreds of officers jumped out of the vehicles and entered Arkham in an orderly formation.

The whole team was divided into three parts: leading the way were Commissioner Gordon and two hundred officers, while Barbara and Dick bravely protected the old commissioner.

In the middle were Lyla and Selina, leading the special agents, and over a hundred enthusiastic veterans. Originally, Lady Firefly wanted to join Selina, but Thea was a bit wary of her. What if she was an enemy spy? Plus, she was carrying such a large flamethrower, making herself an easy target. Couldn't she be a bit more discreet? If Thea were an enemy, she could take out most of the over five hundred people with one arrow aimed at the tank of the flamethrower.

Thea made an excuse that she was a long-range attacker and needed to stay back to ensure everyone's retreat route. She walked with Lady Firefly and the remaining officers at the rear.

She felt that the enemy might set up a blockade or trap halfway through the team's entry, then pick them off one by one. So she proceeded very cautiously, keeping an eye on the ceiling from time to time, fearing that a whistle would sound and a rain of arrows would kill everyone on this path.

But when everyone entered the asylum without any such ambush, she felt somewhat uncomfortable. Was it because she was too cunning, or were the enemies too foolish? Perhaps they had no intention of setting up an ambush at all?

Indeed, Arkham had no intention of launching a surprise attack. Not long after, Thea noticed that the front team had stopped. She leaped onto a nearby table and looked into the distance.

The location where both sides now stood was an indoor gymnasium, reportedly funded by the Arkham Health Committee. The space is large, but there are not many facilities around, and the seats on the four sides of the stands were also severely damaged.

Thea pushed through the crowd and walked to the front of the team.

In front of her, the enemies were divided into two groups. On the left was the elite squad of her old acquaintance, Scarecrow, still in their usual American military uniforms, with very sophisticated equipment, but their numbers were small, probably less than thirty. Behind this group stood a motley crew of armed thugs, each with different attire, equipment, and skin tones.

On the right side stood a short, chubby man in a suit, carrying an umbrella, and Thea recognized him as the Penguin. Rumor had it that his umbrella concealed various deadly weapons, but Thea was not impressed. Seeing him limping on one leg, she doubted his capability. In a direct confrontation between the two sides, no matter how formidable he was, his effectiveness would be limited.

Following the Penguin were a large group of gang members in black suits, numbering at least two hundred. Each of them carried a handgun, and a few even had automatic weapons.

Next came the age-old "demonstration of forces" stage, which in ancient times was called parley, and in modern times, negotiations.

On the side of justice, Commissioner Gordon naturally took charge. Thea had no intention of taking the spotlight for herself; she valued her life too much.

The villain to come forward was the Penguin. Perhaps because Scarecrow's subordinates had been decimated by Thea's team, the Penguin's authority had risen. Although there was still some resentment in his expression, Scarecrow, formerly known as Professor Crane, tacitly accepted the fact that the Penguin would lead their side.

"Hey, Jim, old friend," the Penguin greeted with a sly smile.

"Oswald, long time no see," Gordon responded solemnly.

The two exchanged pleasantries and then began the phase of justifying their respective actions, each portraying themselves as victims.

On one side: "You must release all abducted personnel and disarm immediately, surrendering."

On the other side: "Arkham has always been the territory of our Gotham underworld. You have no right to interfere with our affairs."

Both sides knew that the other would not easily surrender, but they reluctantly went through the motions.

Thea couldn't be bothered to listen to their nonsense. She whispered through the dedicated earpiece to her team, "Be careful; the enemy's top fighters haven't shown up yet. Stay alert for potential ambushes."

The team understood this well. Scarecrow had an academic background from Gotham University, completing a master's and a PhD, then staying on as a professor. He looked as thin as a pole, and without his fear gas, his combat effectiveness was less than mediocre.

As for the Penguin, although everyone said he could fight, Thea didn't think he looked formidable with his small stature and limp.

The opponents who could fight were clearly hiding. What else could they be planning, if not an ambush? Especially with the unpredictable Mr. Freeze hiding somewhere, even Thea felt a bit troubled, glancing around every now and then.

Soon after, the "commanders" finished their counting ceremony, returning to their respective camps. Almost simultaneously, a furious "open fire!" echoed from both sides.

The sound of gunfire rang out like a continuous downpour of raindrops on both sides.

Thea had already found a good cover, observing the battlefield while occasionally firing a few shots. Yes, she was skilled with a gun too. After practicing archery for so long, her expertise in long-range combat was top-notch. Although she couldn't claim to hit every target, she was certainly above the elite level.

As she turned to call out to her teammates, she was taken aback. She saw Selina and Dick, both brandishing batons, looking around cluelessly.

These people lacked experience in coordinated combat. At the very least, they should carry a gun and put on a show. Barbara was doing well in this regard, understanding that one needed a gun, at least as a backup option.

"Thea, why not use magnetic arrows?" Felicity, watching the live broadcast from the base camp, suggested.

After observing the situation in the field, Thea shook her head. "Not yet. We have the advantage here. The veterans are formidable; those gang members are no match for them."

Just as she thought they had the upper hand and was about to call in reinforcements to maximize their gains...

"I am the Angel of Death, Azrael!" A tall, thin figure clad in red and black leather with a hooded cloak, wielding a longsword, charged into the ranks of the officers like a whirlwind, easily taking down three officers with ease.