CHAPTER 56

Weeks have passed since I started working for the crime families and gangs of Gotham, and my reputation as "Ghost" is starting to spread. Only those who are well-connected can find me, and they know that my services come at a steep price. I carefully review each job that comes my way, rejecting anything that doesn't meet my standards or fails to pique my interest.

Selina and I have been making progress, she's friendly at the other end of the bar but she has this wall she keeps up. I know she has a thing with Batman and all, and she sometimes gives him certain information when he asks for it. That's why I tend to watch my steps when it comes to her. She's a potential candidate for the team I intend to build because her skills would be needed and I can put them to good use, but first I would like her to end whatever fling she's having with Batman. 

I've been keeping a low profile lately, and surprisingly, the Bat family hasn't interfered with any of my operations. It's possible that they haven't caught wind of the increased crime rate in Gotham's criminal underworld, but I highly doubt it. It's safe to assume they already noticed and might start doing some digging soon. 

But dwelling on that won't do me any good right now. My stomach was rumbling, and I needed to refuel. Ordering in is easy enough, but every once in a while, I crave a well-cooked meal to nourish my body and sharpen my mind.

I stroll through the city streets, my senses on high alert as I take in my surroundings. The sights, sounds, and smells of Gotham are a cacophony of chaos, but amidst the madness, I find solace in the little things - a warm smile from a passerby, the aroma of fresh-baked bread wafting from a bakery, the soft rustle of leaves in the wind.

I've been hearing a lot of buzz about a new Japanese restaurant in town, and being a lover of authentic Japanese cuisine, I had to check it out. It's been a while since I've had the real deal, and not the watered-down imitations that are so common these days.

As I stepped inside the restaurant, the intoxicating aroma of freshly cooked Japanese food greeted me, making my mouth watered in anticipation. The decor was sleek and minimalist, with traditional Japanese elements such as paper lanterns and bamboo screens adding to the ambiance.

I took a seat and browsed through the menu, feeling like a kid in a candy store as I perused the array of dishes on offer. I spotted my favorite Japanese dish - ramen - and my mouth watered at the thought of the rich, savory broth, tender slices of pork, and perfectly cooked noodles.

The waiter approached me, and I ordered my ramen with pork and a few other toppings. As I wait for my meal, I can feel the tension in my muscles melt away. There was something about the simple elegance of Japanese cuisine that soothes the soul and feeds the spirit.

When my ramen arrived, I took a tentative sip of the broth and felt a rush of flavors explode on my tongue. It's the perfect blend of salty, savory, and umami, with a depth of flavor that can only come from carefully simmered bones and spices.

I took another slurp of the rich, steaming broth and savored the complex flavors dancing on my tongue. The restaurant had been generous with the toppings, and I relished the tender slices of pork, perfectly cooked noodles, and the crunch of fresh vegetables.

A whole bowl of ramen is a hearty meal, reminding me of the few times I spent with my dad in my past life. But I shake off the memories and focus on the present - the delicious meal in front of me, and the goals I've set for myself in this new life.

As I leave the restaurant, feeling satisfied and energized from the delicious ramen, I decide to take a shortcut through a quiet alleyway. The sun is starting to set, casting a warm glow over the cobblestones. On my way I accidentally stumbled on some guys who were beating the crap out of some dude and it seemed like he could drop dead anytime soon. I stopped and stared at them for a while, they looked at me and asked me to move along. That did not concern me, and yes it absolutely did not. 

The few seconds I stopped there staring at them while sitting on my bike, was me wondering what would it benefit me if I saved him. Yes it's the right thing to save him and I could do that without even lifting a finger, with just a thought and it'll all be over. But then again it came to me, if I keep on saving everyone I saw that was in some kind of trouble or interrupting every inhuman crime I saw, then it'll be me developing a hero complex. 

I do not want anything to do with heroes and I'd rather stick to my ways of only doing things that would benefit me in one way or another. I took one last look at the dude who seemed like he was about to blackout, then I started my bike and just drove off without giving it another thought as if it never happened and I never saw that. 

Suddenly I sensed something approaching me, I wasn't worried and shrugged it off because there's no possible harm it could cause me. But the trajectory wasn't directed towards me, it was… 

SCREEEE…

Before I knew it my back tire suddenly seized and I struggled to control my bike, I almost crashed when I immediately nullified the kinetic force acting on my bike and multiplied the amount of frictional force exerted on the tires, and the bike came to an impromptu stop. 

I wondered what ass hole would dare to attack me who was simply minding my own business and going about my day. 

"You should probably get your bike checked out." The voice I heard came from the top of the building and I swear I could feel the smugness on his face even without seeing his face. I didn't bother turning to him at once and just came off my bike as I inspected it. What seemed to have affected my tire was a bat-shaped thingy which I didn't know what it was. But it stopped the mobility of my bike just by making contact with it. 

I slowly stood up and turned to look at the bastard who had the guts to ruin my evening which was going really smoothly and without any hiccups or anything to rack my brain about. 

"How dare you interrupt my ride?" I calmly spoke, my tone neutral as I slowly emphasized every word while staring at him with an equally unfazed expression as the wind whooshed through my hair and also spread out the cape of the brat I saw standing up there. It was "Boy Wonder."

"How dare I? I saw you stop by to look at the dude who was having his ass kicked back there, and you just drove off like you didn't care what happened to him."

"Exactly." I said as I threw the bat stuff on the ground and chose to ignore the little brat. 

"Exactly what? And don't turn your back on me like I wasn't talking to you."

"I meant you've said it all, I simply did not care what happened to that dude over there. Of which I'm assuming you said him and decided to pick a fight with a bystander like me." I sat on my bike and was about to turn it on, when I sensed another object projectile towards me but the trajectory was towards my bike. I stopped it on its tracks and it just fell to the ground. 

"You are a meta, then why didn't you help that guy who could have died from that beating."

"Like I said kid, I simply do not care."

"Don't refer to me that way and give me a reasonable answer." He shot his gun at a wall and jumped off the roof. 

What else do I have to explain to him, when my reason is as simple as I've already told him? Or do I have to get it deep into his skull that I just don't care? 

I turned and with a thought I removed his grapple hook from the wall and he suddenly switched from swinging, into a crash. He landed on his feet then rolled on the floor to nullify the impact from the fall, a smart move if you asked me. 

I don't want any kind of issue with the bat family, especially since I'm already doing some shady-ass shit on their territory. It's wise to keep a low profile and not draw any attention to myself as my alter ego goes on overtaking crime in Gotham. 

But this encounter might put me on their radar. "Sigh." I sighed as the thought that crossed my mind was, it's better to just drive off and ignore the brat who seemed to be looking for a fight for some reason. But I'd also like to test my hand with a well trained sidekick, also spending a little more time with him might give me an idea on which Robin he might be. Night Wing was already out. I know Batman had either three or four Robin's, so it's better to know which. 

"Did you do that?" He asked as he sprung into a battle stance and approached me slowly, as if walking with caution. 

"Did what?" I replied to him with a question as I feigned ignorance. 

"You know what I meant, you are responsible for my hook coming off the wall." He said firmly, like he was confident in his skill to aim solid spots on the walls of a building. I don't blame him though, he had been doing it for years now and suddenly this happened. I was the only foreign element there so it was dumb to assume it was my doing but also logical to keep his guard up, especially since he saw me use one of my powers. 

"Ughh. Okay fine, it was me." Holding a conversation with the kid was way more boring than I could have imagined, it seemed like every question that came out from his mouth was an interrogative one. I came off my bike and stood facing the direction of the complacent kid, he had his arms up as if ready to evade and block whatever I might throw at him but he stopped advancing when I came down from my bike. 

That's good, either he's just being cautious of his opponent or he had a small sense of danger. Because right now I was just itching to hand his ass over to him. 

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