More Tentacles

Two minutes ago, after skillfully neutralizing the three phantoms that guarded the gate, Charlie made sure the hostages were safely back on solid ground, having rescued them from the intricate and dangerous pipeline system. With the situation momentarily under control, Charlie once again operated Batman, guiding him back toward the gate. However, upon arrival, he made a surprising discovery—the large-scale team battle was still raging on, far from its conclusion.

Not only was the fight still ongoing, but it appeared to be on the verge of collapse. What initially seemed like an easy victory for the team from the madhouse had quickly turned into a chaotic free-for-all. Amidst the confusion, an unexpected opponent had appeared out of nowhere, laying waste to the asylum team with calculated precision, single-handedly turning the tide of battle and throwing the well-coordinated team into disarray.

"Link?" Charlie's thoughts immediately flashed back to a conversation he had with Detective Ivan not too long ago. He distinctly remembered hearing that name before. "The defected agent?" he muttered under his breath, still processing the unfolding events.

"I believe so, sir," came the calm, matter-of-fact reply from Friday, the AI assistant guiding him through the chaos.

"So, there are ace agents from the Nine Divisions that have joined the 'Dead' organization?" Charlie's brow furrowed as the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place.

"It appears so, sir."

Charlie could only sigh inwardly at this revelation.

"Well, that figures," Charlie thought, a sarcastic smile tugging at his lips. In Charlie's mind, the 'Dead' organization had earned a new nickname—'The Circus.' It reminded him of those crime dramas where one competent ringmaster led a pack of bumbling clowns. This group seemed the same, filled with either disposable lackeys or shadowy figures lurking behind the scenes.

Yet, something felt off about this whole scenario. According to the information at hand, Link had been an exemplary agent before his defection, known for carrying out the most dangerous and morally ambiguous missions with cold efficiency. He had been the go-to choice for any dirty work. If the asylum had to rely on anyone to carry out their darkest agendas, Link would have been their first pick, hands down.

But now, the dynamic had shifted.

In short, this chaotic, leaky asylum wasn't getting better anytime soon. It was perfectly normal for this organization to have massive internal security breaches while still wreaking havoc externally. As long as their metaphorical 'graveyard' continued to hover ominously in the sky, without crashing catastrophically to the ground, half the battle was already won.

And that was fine with Charlie. The more mess this organization left behind, the more opportunities for him to exploit, allowing him to grow in strength and expertise without much resistance.

As Batman sprinted toward the battlefield, Friday was already hard at work, utilizing the first-person perspectives of the nine agents present to evaluate the enemy's movements. Batman remained in position, allowing Friday to share her analysis as soon as it was available.

"The target's strength is comparable to that of the scale-armored male phantom we fought earlier," Friday reported. "In terms of speed and reflexes, he is similar to the female phantom."

The combination of both strength and speed in a single opponent sounded formidable.

"His defense is also highly advanced," Friday added. "Link is completely encased in an unknown substance, resembling something out of a horror movie—almost like a grotesque creature from Tokyo."

From what Charlie could see, Link was wrapped in this eerie, armor-like substance that didn't resemble any known material, adding to his growing list of dangerous attributes. The sheer unnaturalness of it all screamed that this person was no ordinary agent—he was likely the leader of the 'Dead,' or at the very least, a high-ranking figure within their organization.

There was no doubt in Charlie's mind that capturing Link alive would yield valuable information. There were so many unanswered questions: How many people were part of the 'Dead' organization? Were there more leaders lurking in the shadows? What was the purpose of the graveyard evidence they had stolen? And most intriguingly, what had driven Link to defect?

Unfortunately, capturing infected individuals had always proven to be an exercise in futility. Infected agents felt no pain, and more disturbingly, they had a tendency to self-destruct the moment they were subdued. Every time Charlie had tried to pry information out of one of these infected operatives, they would activate some sort of explosive within their heads, effectively wiping themselves from existence before they could reveal anything useful.

But the Phantoms were different. Since they were a relatively new threat, there was still much to learn about them. Based on previous encounters, it seemed these creatures did feel pain, unlike the infected. This meant there might be a chance to extract information from them—if they could be captured alive, that is.

"Do you think we can take him alive?" Charlie asked, glancing at the ongoing battle on the HUD.

"There is a 90 percent chance of success, sir," Friday responded confidently. "If you wish, I have already formulated a detailed plan for capturing him."

Charlie gave a quick glance at Friday's proposed plan, his eyes skimming over the details.

"Not 1000%... but close enough," he muttered to himself, deciding to trust Friday's strategy.

With that, he activated Batman's stealth functions, using them to plunge the environment into darkness. Manipulating the environment had always been one of Batman's strengths, and Charlie ensured they were now in a venue suited perfectly for him.

Meanwhile, Detective Ivan, still nursing his injury, lay on the ground nearby, laughing weakly as he watched Link. "You had your chance," Ivan called out mockingly, "but now it's too late to run."

Link didn't respond. Instead, he stood motionless, scanning the pitch-black surroundings with cold, calculating precision, the mask over his face giving him the appearance of a seasoned predator, waiting patiently for the right moment to strike.

Then, out of nowhere, a blur of movement.

A tentacle shot out from behind Link, slicing through the darkness like lightning. It moved with terrifying speed, snatching Batman out of his hiding place and dragging him forward.

The tentacle had wrapped itself around Batman's ankle, but as soon as he hit the ground, Batman rolled, quickly regaining his footing and breaking free of the grip. Without wasting a second, he put distance between himself and the threat.

"WTF, this guy has tentacles?" Charlie exclaimed in disbelief as he controlled Batman to evade a second tentacle, which now emerged from Link's back. There were two of them now, writhing ominously in the darkness.

"It seems he has combined the abilities of the previous Phantoms we fought," Friday observed. "He may have accumulated their powers."

"Ah, a classic patchwork villain," Charlie remarked. It was a common trope in stories—when writers couldn't come up with a fresh, menacing new villain, they'd often resort to stitching together the abilities of previous foes, resulting in a 'supervillain' that was essentially a blend of all the others. Time-saving, effective, and in some ways, a tribute to the old enemies.

But there was still one nagging question in Charlie's mind.

"How is he seeing us?"

Batman's stealth skills were legendary. In "The Dark Knight Rises," even after eight years of retirement, Batman's stealth techniques were still top-tier. For someone like Link to see through that kind of shadow-hugging mastery wasn't normal.

"It's most likely sound-based, sir," Friday explained. "Based on his response patterns, there's a high probability he has enhanced hearing."

"Ah, that makes sense," Charlie nodded. "So, Bat radio it is then."

As Charlie spoke, Link chuckled darkly, his eyes locked onto Batman.

"I've heard a lot about you, Batman," Link said, his voice steady and unnerving. "People around me say you're terrifying. But look at you. You're no different from the rest—just another human being. Compared to us, who have evolved…"

Before he could finish his sentence, the sonic cannon went off. The tentacles around Batman's ankle instantly went limp, releasing him. Link collapsed, writhing on the ground, clutching his head as violent tremors wracked his body.

The agents watched in stunned silence as Batman stood calmly, while Link, who had seemed nearly invincible moments ago, lay twitching in defeat. The sudden shift in power left everyone speechless. How had Batman pulled this off?

Of course, it wasn't some kind of magic. Charlie knew better than to rely on something as unreliable as sorcery. Batman's sonic cannon, a carefully designed tool that emitted high-frequency ultrasonic waves, had been the real trump card.

The weapon had made its first appearance in "Batman Begins," where it had been used to summon bats for support. Humans couldn't hear the ultrasonic waves, but they were enough to call hundreds of bats to Batman's side, making them invaluable allies.

Later on, Batman had upgraded the device. Instead of just summoning animals, it had become a weapon. Though ordinary people still couldn't hear the frequency, anyone with particularly sensitive hearing—whether dogs or aliens—would find it unbearable.

The decision to lead with Batman in the attack had been a tactical one. Despite Batman's lower offensive output compared to other heroes, his utility belt was stocked with control gadgets. And in battle, it was always smart to start with crowd control before going for the kill.

As Charlie reflected on the flawless execution, he couldn't help but think about the broader implications. The sonic cannon was not just a tool—it was a reminder that even in a world of gods, monsters, and magic, technology had its place, and Batman, for all his human limitations, still knew how to win a fight.

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