Tell Me your Plan

[The SWB project is expected to be completed today, with all 406 chapters uploaded by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on P@treon. Consider supporting if you'd like, and happy reading! 

The next project is Marvel's Blood God, a Blade fanfic. For those who don't know who Blade is… go educate yourself! (Seriously, you don't belong on this platform if you don't know him. Heretic!) Anyway, someone else started translating Marvel's Blood God, but the translation is... well, mid. They seem to have dropped it around chapter 300 or so. The novel has over 600 chapters, but I haven't read it yet, so I'm not entirely sure what to expect. 

It's the same process as with SWB—I'll translate as I go. For those asking me to translate other fics, don't worry; I see your comments, and they're on my to-do list. I expect to complete Marvel's Blood God in about two months. 

What else? Oh, the two $15 membership giveaways are still on. To join the raffle, just comment "Me" on the Wendelani chapter. To everyone else, please consider joining the P@treon family—even as a free member, your support is very much appreciated. 

Lastly, I was talking to a coworker recently, and now I really want to write a Warhammer + Lord of the Mysteries fanfic. It's going to be epic! Sadly, I need to finish Path to Supremacy and Marvel: Hail Hydra first, so… yeah. 

Anyway, enjoy this chapter! Sword out.]

"Ahhh!" Ken's scream tore through the air as pain shot from his hand. He stared, horrified, at his left pinky finger lying severed on the ground, a dark pool of blood spreading around it.

At that moment, Charlie's view snapped over to Deadpool's perspective.

"C'mon, man, quit your whining," Deadpool said, waving his mangled arm stump at him. "Look, I got my whole hand chopped off back there, and you don't see me making a fuss about it." He paused, glancing around, as if considering. "Okay, maybe a little. But I had to put on a show, didn't I?"

Deadpool looked gruesome. Blood streaked his face and torso, fresh cuts leaking as he moved. His arm—or what was left of it—was regenerating in a bizarre, almost alien way, tendons and muscles knitting back together in a grotesque mass. For anyone watching, it was like a horror show that couldn't be unseen.

Ken's face went pale. He was looking at a man—if you could even call him that—who was more than willing to chop himself up and come right back for more. And he wouldn't hesitate to do worse to his enemies.

"Alright! Alright, I'll talk!" Ken gasped, the pain and terror overwhelming him.

"It's Dedalus Reed," he spat out, his voice shaking.

Friday, already prepared, logged the name instantly. Charlie glanced at her findings on his interface and frowned.

"Dedalus Reed?" he muttered. "You mean… the mayor?"

The confirmation flashed back. Yes, the mayor of Wendelani.

"That's right," Ken said, breathing heavily, each word coming out with difficulty. "But he's not just a politician. Not even close. Nearly everyone here knows there's more to him, but nobody's stupid enough to say it out loud. This is his city, top to bottom."

Ken paused, his face twisted in a mix of pain and anger.

"So you're saying the mayor's a psychopath who hires hitmen?" Felix asked, eyebrows drawn together.

Ken managed a bitter chuckle through the agony. "Yeah. He's not just running this city—he owns the whole underworld here. If you've got a finger in any kind of shady business in Wendelani, you report to him. And those who don't play along, well… let's just say people learn to keep their mouths shut."

Felix shook his head, struggling to take it in. "But going after Stark? Why him?"

Ken's laugh was dark. "You think the mayor just cares about keeping things running smoothly here? Dedalus has money tied up in everything—tech, energy, electronics. And Stark's new 'sustainable future' ideas? They're ripping his investments to pieces. Stark's been threatening to reshape entire industries, which means Dedalus and his kind stand to lose everything. So, he's fighting back. Simple as that."

Felix's jaw tightened. "But Stark's helping people. He's actually trying to do something good!"

Ken's expression turned grim. "Guys like Dedalus don't care about 'good' or 'progress.' All they see is their bottom line. Stark is stealing his empire right out from under him. And Dedalus Reed doesn't let anyone steal from him."

The pain in Ken's hand was dulling now, settling into a steady, manageable ache. He took a shaky breath. "There. You know everything I do. Now get out of here."

Charlie's perspective snapped back to Batman, who loomed over Ken, eyes like ice.

"Emergency services are on their way," Batman said, his voice low and cold. "You'll survive this. But if we find out there's more you didn't tell us…" His voice dropped even further, sending a shiver down Ken's spine. "You'll wish you hadn't."

Ken held his breath as the trio turned and left, and he only let it out when they were gone. Within minutes, the Sheriff's Department and emergency medics had swarmed the club.

Outside, Batman glanced over at Felix once they were clear of the scene. "You said you're on a case?"

Felix sighed, nodding. "Yeah… it's complicated." He hesitated, looking away. "It's about my family, actually. Turns out my family's business has some connections to… well, people like Ken."

He kept the explanation short. "I came across some records linking Grove Group to the underworld here. It threw me for a loop."

He'd tried asking his uncle about it, but that had gone about as well as he'd expected.

"Just business, Felix," his uncle had said, almost dismissively. "We deal with whoever suits our needs. That's how we got to where we are. It's all legal, nothing more."

Felix had been shocked. "But these are criminals. You're supposed to know what they do."

His uncle's response had been chillingly cold. "We do know. But we have bigger priorities. Grove Group operates on a different level, Felix. Don't let petty crime distract you."

Felix let out a frustrated sigh, still grappling with the weight of that conversation.

"That's why I'm here," Felix said, looking at Batman. "I needed to see it for myself."

He took a breath, steadying himself. "Looks like the next step is a talk with Dedalus Reed."

Across town, at the mayor's residence…

Rain pounded against the large windows as Dedalus stood, watching the downpour. Lightning flashed, illuminating the room for a brief second as the rain traced eerie lines down the glass, obscuring his reflection.

His phone rang, and Dedalus listened quietly, a frown forming on his face.

"The nightclub? Ken's place?"

He took in the informant's report, face hardening. "Batman… in Wendelani? Interesting. Alright, keep things as they are. He'll find his way here eventually."

Ending the call, Dedalus remained at the window, staring into the storm. He knew things were about to escalate.

"They're faster than I gave them credit for," he murmured, as if to himself. His gaze sharpened. "Looks like we'll need to move up the schedule."

Lightning flashed again, lighting the room in a blinding burst. And in that instant, a shadow detached itself from the corner, standing tall and silent.

Batman was there, hidden in the darkness, eyes hard as steel.

"Now," came Batman's cold voice from the shadows, "tell me your plan."