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Starting With Batman

Ancient existences awaken in the abyss, demons whisper in people’s ears, unknown horrors erode the spirit, and madness breeds in the darkness of people’s hearts. But it is not only darkness that descends on this world. Heavily armed dark knights walk in the shadows to judge crimes; tight-fitting supernatural beings wander between buildings, acting as friendly neighbors; the impossible god on earth, the "S" symbolizing hope, shines like the sun on his chest… No one could have imagined that behind all of them, there was just a player sitting in front of a computer screen, furiously typing on a keyboard.

One_sword · Films
Pas assez d’évaluations
415 Chs

Special Case

After Batman left the prison, Charlie logged off the game and checked in on his latest project: the tech module.

"Friday, what's the status on the second batch of drones?" he asked, scrolling through his monitors.

"They're still in development," Friday replied. "So far, thirty-two drones are complete. The first stage of testing is underway, but debugging may still be required. Also, some materials for this batch have run out. We'll need to wait for the next shipment to finish production."

Charlie frowned, thinking. Thunder City wasn't even on his radar initially. A small, quiet town far from Riverton City, it didn't seem relevant. He hadn't planned on sending any heroes there soon, at least not according to the original strategy.

But the massacre at Tixon Prison had changed things. A killer with phantom abilities posed a clear and present danger, and every moment of delay could mean more lives lost.

Charlie saw a chance to test his drone network for real. If the drones worked as intended, they'd be able to find a target like this quickly. Even if, as Friday mentioned, the Starry Sky Technical Committee was still gathering materials, the shipment would be here in two days.

But they didn't need to wait for that.

"Deploy the thirty-two finished drones to Thunder City," he ordered. "And reassign some drones from Wendelani's formation to extend the coverage."

"Understood, sir."

As they spoke, the orbital watchtower above Earth opened its hatch once more. Over thirty drones dropped down in formation, breaking through the atmosphere and heading toward Thunder City. Meanwhile, some drones patrolling Wendelani peeled off, turning to speed across the horizon toward Thunder City. Those left in Wendelani's skies adjusted their routes, filling any gaps in the coverage network.

Of course, all of this happened without anyone knowing. Every drone stayed cloaked, invisible to the public, the authorities, and the underworld alike. To the rest of the world, the electronic eyes watching from above didn't exist.

"And the facial recognition program I mentioned?" Charlie asked, keeping an eye on the monitors.

"It was completed just ten minutes ago, courtesy of Mr. Stark," Friday replied. "We've used the most advanced facial recognition algorithm available. Its accuracy and efficiency are light-years ahead of any current global tech."

"Good. Upload it to the central server, and have each drone download it. Let's see what it can do."

"Yes, sir."

The transfer took mere seconds. As soon as it was done, the system registered Aslan Khalifa's facial data, marking him as the highest-priority search target across all drones.

Thunder City was small, and within minutes, the drones had full surveillance coverage. Gliding through streets, alleys, and high-rises, their scanners swept the city like an invisible net, capturing every corner.

The test exceeded even Charlie's expectations.

Within ten minutes of deployment, an alert sounded. One of the drones had spotted Aslan Khalifa, his face partially obscured, the image blurred by distance, but still unmistakable.

He wore a wide-brimmed hat, oversized sunglasses, and a high collar pulled up, but Stark's software saw through the disguise instantly.

"I think we've found him, sir," Friday announced.

"Excellent. Arm the drone, but keep it low-profile—no need to alert him. Just follow him, make sure he stays in range."

Charlie was already logging back in, pulling up the hero selection interface.

Though the drones he used weren't quite as advanced as those in the movies, they had some firepower. Still, Aslan's phantom abilities made him unpredictable. Charging in without backup could spook him and risk collateral damage.

Besides, Charlie preferred to use the drones primarily for surveillance. They were meant to observe, undetected. If a drone got spotted, it could ruin the system's secrecy and undermine the entire project.

The drones' true value was in staying hidden. They saw everything, but no one ever saw them.

"Send Agent Ivan a message. He'll want to be on this," Charlie added.

"Yes, sir."

---

Thunder City Central Plaza.

It was the city's main landmark, one of the few places that actually felt metropolitan. At the plaza's center was a circular flower bed, surrounded by bright neon lights and enormous electronic billboards flashing images of famous movie stars. Even at this hour, the streets buzzed with people.

Aslan Khalifa, concealed under a long trench coat, headed toward the largest shopping mall in the plaza.

This was the meeting spot Naoya Iwanaga had picked—central, visible, and sure to draw attention. It was the kind of place where headlines would be made.

"Go in, handle what you need, and leave right away," Naoya had instructed, handing him a file through an assistant.

"My people have an escape route planned for you," Naoya had continued. "You'll have fifteen minutes before the Sheriff's Department or anyone else shows up. Just follow the plan, and you'll…"

"I don't need that," Aslan had scoffed, cutting him off.

"…I admire the confidence," Naoya had replied, giving a slight smile. "But in my experience, it's always good to have a backup plan."

Aslan had hesitated but eventually accepted the file, though he doubted he'd need it. Since gaining his new abilities, he felt untouchable, more powerful than ever before.

As Aslan approached the mall entrance, a security guard stepped forward, blocking his path.

"Sir," the guard said, "please remove your hat and sunglasses. We're under high alert, so we have to take extra precautions."

"Oh, high alert?" Aslan tilted his head, his tone mocking. "Well, I guess I'd qualify as a 'special case.'"

He raised his head, a mocking smile on his face—and raised his gun.

In a flash, the security guard's hand shot out, twisting Aslan's wrist with surprising strength, forcing him to drop the weapon. Pain shot up Aslan's arm, and he looked up, stunned.

Blue ripples shimmered over the guard's uniform, and in a second, the guard's true form emerged—a towering, armored figure, a bat-shaped emblem on his chest.

"Well," Batman said coldly, "I guess I'm your 'special case.'"