13: Ghost? or a Bat?

[Narrator's Pov]

The dead of the night enveloped the scene, and the moon's glow cast an eerie light on two figures standing by an open crater in a garden. Black Tarantula and Elektra, their faces etched with confusion, surveyed the aftermath of the intense confrontation. The once-vibrant garden now bore the scars of the energy beam that had ripped through it. But amidst the destruction, there was a conspicuous absence—the fallen man, Gorgon's pupil, the man who had been rag dolled out of the room, had simply vanished once.

With bewilderment etched on her face, Elektra turned to Black Tarantula. "Did the beam evaporate him?"

"No," Black Tarantula replied, a touch of frustration coloring his usually composed expression. His gaze remained fixed on the crater.

"Then where did he go?" Elektra asked again

Black Tarantula brushed off Elektra's question, his frustration morphing into a grin. "I expected nothing less from a man hand-picked by Gorgon." Turning toward Elektra, he continued, "Let's get out of here. This is going to cause us a lot of trouble. Gorgon won't let this slide." Elektra nodded in agreement, acknowledging the impending storm they might face.

As they prepared to leave, Tarantula's gaze lingered in a distant direction. "This is not the end, little bird," he muttered to himself with a crazed smile on his face.

----------------------------------------------------

[ 9 kms away from the mansion]

We could see an adult bat flap its wing all its might as blood dripped from the various cuts on its body. The bat seemed to have run out of gas as it soon crash landed next to a tree on the hill. As it lay there panting, the creature underwent a slow transformation, morphing into the figure of a man, Clad in a distinctive mask with a katana in hand, he bore the signs of a battle, with blood dripping from all over his body. As he looked to be at the brink of collapse. This man was none other than our dear hero.

Bruce Pov

As I lay there panting, I leaned against the trunk of the tree, desperate for support. I felt myself slipping into unconsciousness, but I held on I couldn't afford to rest now, I needed to fix myself quickly and get out of here. I risked getting caught if I stayed here too long, but but I couldn't move much in this condition. I had at least two broken ribs and was in danger of having my organs punctured if I moved. I was also losing too much blood, I had no energy to move or even talk for that matter.As I lay there, I thought back to how I had escaped. I would have died from that energy beam if it hadn't been for the system.

[Flashback]

Right after I had made that cut on Tarantula, I knew I had gone too far. The cut had wounded his pride. I would know, as I felt his response that came right after. I saw no hope of escape; the man was extraordinarily fast; he would split me in half the moment I showed him my back. As a lady, death loomed over me. I turned to the only source of help I could think of. The System. I brought it to the forefront of my mind as I mindlessly accepted the rewards from the mission I had cleared.

[MISSION SUCCESFUL]

[ REWARDS HAVE BEEN GRANTED]

[ THE POWER WHEEL HAS BEEN SPUN]

[ THE ABILITY 'BAT SWARM' HAS BEEN GRANTED]

[ BAT SWARM: THE USER TURNS INTO A SWARM OF BATS.]

[EQUIPMENT WHEEL HAS BEEN SPUN]

[ 'SANGUINE CAPE' HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE INVENTORY]

Just what I wanted I thought as I looked at the system notifications. All I needed now was the perfect opportunity. As I continued being thrashed around the room,the opportunity soon presented itself to me. The tarantula threw me across the room one final time before he stood in a stance with his hands pointing towards me. As I lay before the opening on the wall. I saw white and blue energy gather around Tarantula's hand and I had an idea what was going to happen next. Which lead me to formulating my plan. Was it a flawless plan? No, there was a good chance I might not make it through but I had no other option available. As I remained on the floor to minimize the damage to my body, I braced myself for the eventual impact and it soon hit me.

Hot. Searing hot. A wave of scorching pain surged through every inch of my body as the energy beam landed on me. As the heat coursed through my body I realized if it weren't for my heat resistance I wouldn't have survived this. While the heat resistance saved me from the heat to some extent, the overall impact tore through skin producing various cuts on my body. As the beam pushed me out of the room into the open air. I quickly used my new ability granted by the system. I felt my organs shift as I saw myself shrink and transform into a bat. I saw more bats appear next to me but I had no control over them. Without wasting a second I flapped my wings with everything I had and flew towards a random direction. As I flapped my wings I didn't dare turn around. Escaping was the only thing on my mind right now.

[End of flashback]

And that's how I ended up here. As I tried to position myself better. I heard the system speak up.

[ Host you are losing blood quickly. An urgent remedy is required. May I suggest something?]

" You may, system" I replied hurriedly I couldn't waste more time here

"[Please pull out your sword, host.]"

And so I did. I wasn't in the condition to question things I drew out my sword. It looked as beaten up as I felt. I doubt I could use it anymore. As I saw the blood drip from it, I heard the system go off again.

"[I suggest the host drinks the blood dripping from the sword for faster regeneration.]

"?!!?"

"Can you repeat that system"

"[I suggest the host drinks the blood dripping from the sword for faster regeneration. The blood on the sword belongs to The Black Tarantula. ]

[Black Tarantula possesses a unique and mystical property in his blood, it has very potent healing and regenerative properties]

[ So I suggest the host drink. It might also elevate your regenerative abilities]

That was enough of a reason. I brought the sword close to myself, and while I was never a picky eater, I was certainly never prepared to drink blood. As I inched the blade closer, a metallic scent wafted up, hitting me like a gut punch.

I hesitated, my stomach churning at the thought. The metallic tang filled my nostrils, and my own internal resistance screamed at the absurdity of what I was about to do. But the urgency of the situation overrode my disgust. With a deep breath, I steeled myself and pressed the blade to my lips.

The taste was overpowering, and every instinct revolted against the act. It was warm, thick, and unmistakably iron-like. My face contorted with a mix of revulsion and determination. I had to fight the reflex to gag as I forced myself to swallow, the metallic taste lingering on my tongue.

In that moment, survival trumped my own aversion, and I grimly accepted the necessity of this macabre remedy. The metallic warmth flowed down my throat, and I heard the system speak up.

[DING]

"[HOST HAS UNLOCKED MINOR REGENERATION.]"

"[I now suggest the host rest for a bit. And use all the energy for healing.]"

The system was surprisingly proactive with its assistance, but it made sense. As long as I existed, it existed. With a nod to myself, acknowledging the logic of the suggestion, I finally allowed my eyes to close as I drifted off to sleep. The system would be my guardian, waking me if anything entered the radius.

----------------------------------------------------------

I woke up after an hour when I heard the familiar sound of the system.

[Condition stabilised]

[The host is free to move now]

As I got up, a pleasant surprise awaited me. Most of my injuries had magically healed up. While I wasn't perfectly fixed yet, the system had worked wonders—my broken bones were now whole again. As I moved, a lingering sense of pain reminded me that the healing process was ongoing.

Looking around, the darkness still enveloped the outside world. To make my move from this spot, I toggled my newfound ability once again. Sensations rippled through me as my organs shifted, and I felt myself shrink, seamlessly transforming into a bat. Flapping my wings, I surveyed the surrounding bats, only to realize that the other bats weren't real—they were just energy constructs. They were a distraction for the real bat to escape. I had no control over them and they would just swirl around in a place. This power, though not the best, proved invaluable for escaping and infiltration. However, it consumed my stamina on a very high rate, making it draining to keep it active all the time.

Not wasting any more time, I took to the sky, moving towards the distant light emanating from the city. I had to contact Gorgon and inform him about what had transpired here. After today's event, things were bound to get ugly. After today's events, things were bound to get ugly. Gorgon wouldn't take this slight lightly, and it could be the catalyst that tips the organization into a civil war. All I could hope for now was that it wouldn't come to that. I still had much to learn from Gorgon, and a civil war at this point would ruin many things for me.