Chapter 12: My Name is Nightwing!

Just as Kaito Haruno received his mission reward and decided to take it easy for a while, someone was not pleased—Middle. As someone who had been ambushed by Kaito, Middle couldn't understand it. Weren't these vigilantes supposed to fight crime as their life goal? Why was this one different? A huge bounty was put out, and yet after all this time, there wasn't even a single lead. It felt as if the whole situation was personally targeting him.

"You mean to tell me that after an entire week, you still haven't found any solid information on the guy who destroyed millions of our assets?" Middle asked, his face darkening as he looked at his subordinates in the office of the Hellfire Bar.

"Boss, we know he beat Wesley last time, and a few days ago, it was him again. But besides that, there's no word on the street. Maybe we've angered someone big?" one of his henchmen replied helplessly. It seemed like these incidents were all targeting their Hellfire Gang, while no other group was facing similar troubles.

Once could be bad luck, but twice in a row? It felt like a deliberate attack—though they still had no clue who was behind it.

"I don't care if this guy is a vigilante or an old enemy, I just want to know who he is and what his name is, got it?" Middle roared, furious that his men couldn't even get such basic information. Everyone in the underworld was laughing at them now. If he didn't retaliate soon, the Hellfire Gang wouldn't last long in the northern district.

In the criminal world, being ruthless was key. Middle had gained control of such a large area in the northern district by being tougher than his rivals. He treated his subordinates well, was merciless to enemies, and had a strict code, which was why so many criminals frequented his bar. But now, after having two deals ruined by the same person and losing so much money, if they didn't strike back, their gang's reputation would suffer badly.

His henchmen remained silent, knowing they had failed. Middle's outburst was justified. After venting his anger, he calmed down.

"Double the reward."

"Boss, isn't that a bit much?" his men asked, startled by the increase. The bounty was already tempting enough, and now it was even higher.

"Too much? Not at all. This is the rule: we pay, you get the job done. Make sure to add another ten thousand for any information on this guy. I refuse to believe he can just vanish in New Nuo City!"

It was clear that no matter where you were, money spoke volumes. Middle knew how to maintain his grip on New Nuo City—not just through fear, but by keeping his word. Even in the underworld, a leader like him commanded respect, because his men didn't have to worry about being stabbed in the back. Just as the henchmen were preparing to update the bounty information, the brightly lit Hellfire Bar was suddenly plunged into darkness.

"What the hell? Power outage?"

The sudden blackout caused panic among the gang members gathered at the bar. The sound of guns being cocked filled the dark space. Middle, who had been brooding over a drink in his office, sensed danger immediately. Grabbing an Uzi, he stepped out of the office. Hearing the chaotic voices, he fired a burst into the ceiling to get everyone's attention.

The gunfire lit up the room for a brief moment, and everyone turned to look at Middle.

"Stop panicking! You, go check the power room! The rest of you, quit standing around like idiots!"

Seeing that his men were still shocked by the gunfire, Middle cursed, and a few of them reluctantly headed to the power room. The others lowered their weapons, prepared to re-holster them.

"Ah!" A short, sharp scream cut through the darkness, ending as suddenly as it began. The gang members immediately tensed, raising their guns once more.

"Who was that? Who screamed?"

"It sounded like Kyle."

"Ah!" Another scream rang out, and the already on-edge Hellfire gang members began to panic.

"Hey, something's not right! Where are the guys who went to the power room?"

"Who's there? Who just brushed past me?"

"Damn it, Richard, why are you touching my butt?"

"Screw you! I'm over here!"  

"Damn it, the door's locked! Who the hell did this?"

Voices of frustration filled the sealed bar as the gang members' nerves frayed. More screams echoed through the dark, and the feeling of being trapped with an unseen enemy caused their fear to spike. Darkness was always terrifying because no one could tell what was hiding in it. Every scream meant another comrade had been silently taken out.

And there was no escape—without them even realizing it, all the doors and windows had been sealed. One by one, their comrades disappeared, as if vanishing into thin air. This strange, horrifying situation led many of the gang members to think of one person.

"It's Batman! It has to be him! Who else fights crime in the shadows like this? Damn it, isn't he supposed to stay in Gotham?!"

For these gangsters, if they had to rank the current superheroes in terms of fear, Batman would undoubtedly be at the top. Even Superman, often referred to as a "god among men," doesn't inspire as much terror. The gangsters know this blue-suited Boy Scout (note), because his immense power makes him unafraid of their firearms.

So when Superman deals with armed robbers, the moment he appears, they usually surrender, and Superman doesn't give them a hard time. He just hands them over to the police, and that's the end of it. Most heroes act this way, but Batman is the exception. Even if you're not in Gotham City, you've heard whispers of Batman's ruthless methods.

Once Batman sets his sights on you, no matter where you hide in the world, he will find you and drag you back to Gotham for judgment. Batman has no mercy for criminals; anyone who crosses paths with him ends up in the hospital for at least half a year, and the most unfortunate ones get a room at Arkham Asylum. He will appear where you least expect it and interrogate you in the most terrifying way. In front of Batman, there are no secrets.

And now, everything they were experiencing matched what people who had dealt with Batman had said: darkness, stealth attacks, and a combination of psychological and physical fear that would push anyone to the brink of collapse.

"Come out! I know you're here! Get out now!" Middle screamed. He knew Batman's reputation, especially after having just dealt with Kovar from Gotham. He understood that once Batman found him, it meant his identity and deals would be exposed, and endless imprisonment would await him.

Fear can lead to madness. Middle wildly sprayed bullets at the ceiling with his Uzi after hearing a noise, but aside from wood splinters and debris, nothing came down.

Suddenly, the scattered screams among the crowd grew frantic. The sound of blades cutting through the air, coupled with panicked screams, drove the already mentally fragile group into uncontrollable fear. People, now shooting in every direction, couldn't distinguish between friends and foes.

In the flickering light, a muscular figure leaped through the air, and with every movement, one or more people fell. Middle could no longer control his men. Their minds had collapsed, and stray bullets flew all over the bar. Middle himself got hit in the shoulder by one of his own men's shots and groaned, taking cover behind the bar.

As the gunfire outside the bar became sporadic, the shelves of expensive liquor were shattered, and the once valuable liquid turned into worthless puddles on the floor. Middle felt his heart bleed. This bar was half of the Hellfire Gang's assets, and it wasn't destroyed by enemies, but by their own hands. Outside the bar, there was no more gunfire, only the occasional groan of the injured.

Clutching his wounded shoulder, Middle slowly crawled out from behind the bar. His men were all down, either injured or dead, and the ground was slick with a mixture of blood and alcohol. Furious, Middle shouted, "Come out, Batman! You got what you wanted! I'll talk! Just turn on the damn lights!"

*Click!* The bar suddenly lit up again, and the strong lights forced Middle to close his eyes. Just then, a heavy hand pressed hard on his wounded shoulder, digging into the bullet wound. Middle screamed in pain, and a masked face appeared in front of him.

Clad in a blue and black suit, with a white eagle emblem on his chest, the masked figure looked young and furious.

"My name is Nightwing! Remember what you just said, or I'll be back for you!"

With that, Nightwing slammed Middle's head, knocking him out cold. After finishing his work, Nightwing walked over to the bar, found a surviving bottle of tequila from the shattered shelves, grabbed a glass, and dropped in a few ice cubes. He poured the last bit of tequila into the glass, sprinkled some fine salt on his hand, and lit the surface of the drink with a flame. The blue fire danced on the liquid, and Nightwing downed the drink in one gulp, sucking the salt afterward.

"Screw Batman!" Nightwing cursed the absent Dark Knight before leaving the wreckage behind.

**End of chapter. Nightwing makes his grand entrance!**

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**Note**: Superman is often referred to by gangsters as the "blue Boy Scout" because he was raised to be kind and compassionate, even towards criminals. His primary goal when facing criminals is to disarm them quickly, which isn't difficult for him. So criminals aren't too afraid when encountering Superman, thinking of him as a naïve Boy Scout trained in kindness.