Chapter 32: The Day Gotham Sinks (1800+)

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Chapter 32: The Day Gotham Sinks (1800+)

When there are superheroes present, Quinn wouldn't attempt to kill criminals in front of them without sufficient reasons, especially those related to the Bat Family. That could lead to the immediate rupture of his previously established relationships and even label him as a "rogue cop" abusing his law enforcement power.

In that case, he might end up living next to Poison Ivy.

But now, Nightwing's attempt has failed. As the last resort, Quinn pulls the trigger, and Black Mask becomes the first supervillain to die by his hands.

Quinn puts the gun back and jumps in through the wall hole.

Nightwing looks at the headless body of Black Mask, his fists clenched, "I'm sorry, and thank you."

Both the apology and gratitude are directed at Quinn. Nightwing feels that he let Quinn down and burdened him with the guilt of killing.

Quinn walks over, lightly patting Nightwing's shoulder, comforting him, "I have no psychological burden for killing Black Mask. You don't need to worry about it. Besides, it was my own decision."

"I acted as an insurance to prevent the worst-case scenario."

Nightwing doesn't mourn Black Mask's death; he just hasn't fully recovered from his own inner struggles. The electric shock was a method to forcibly awaken him, but it couldn't help him resolve his conflicts.

Looking at the towering behemoth submerged in green liquid, Quinn's expression becomes serious, "As expected, the incarnation of the earth, the creator of land, the Pokémon capable of creating and expanding the earth – Groudon."

Wrapped in deep red plate-like skin, symmetrical black patterns connect the grooves between the skin. Ferocious spikes grow all over its body, making Groudon look far from the benevolent god described in myths.

Indeed, that's the case. Groudon doesn't belong to the gentle and kind category of Pokémon. If Quinn had encountered Groudon instead of Manaphy from the beginning, even the calming Bell given by Arceus might not have worked.

Groudon never communicates with the weak. The only ones he would take seriously are those stronger than him or those he acknowledges.

Manaphy sticks her little head out from the wall hole and seeing another Pokémon behind, her eyes light up like stars, and she quickly flies in.

"Manaphy! Manaphy, Manaphy!"

Manaphy excitedly spins around the massive glass jar, but no matter how she calls, there is no response.

"Manaphy?"

(What's wrong with him?)

Manaphy flies back to Quinn's side, looking worried. Quinn lifts her and places her on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Groudon is just sleeping, and he's expected to wake up soon. But he might be a bit grumpy upon waking up."

Well, maybe an earthquake will boost Gotham's construction industry.

"So, you're Quinn... Hahaha, I can't believe Gordon chose someone like you."

Falcone collapses on the ground. Damian has temporarily disabled him, leaving him with no possibility of escape. Falcone wanted to meet Quinn, but he never expected the meeting to begin with Black Mask's death.

"If it were Gordon, he would only use a handgun, and he'd never aim for the head." Falcone seems to understand Gordon quite well.

"You deceived Gordon. Are you working for Cobblepot? It seems that Cobblepot's ambition is even greater than I imagined. Can't the underground world satisfy him?"

"Don't try to sow discord here. All my actions are based on solid evidence, including killing Black Mask."

"You guys have no idea what foolishness you've committed, trying to control a god with a broken mask?"

Roman's mask is made from the coffins of his parents. The black skull mask can interfere with and control a person's mind, and the effectiveness depends on the willpower and mental strength of the controlled individual.

Killing Black Mask or removing the mask would have the same result – when the mask's mental control is interrupted, Groudon's consciousness would awaken from its slumber.

Quinn points Toya Lake at Falcone's nose, scolding him, "If I had been just one second slower, allowing Black Mask to awaken Groudon and regain his full strength, the mental control would have failed. Groudon would realize that someone was trying to control him, and Gotham would face the wrath of a god!"

As Quinn points his sword at him, Falcone smirks, "What if I tell you that this was part of my plan?"

Everyone's breathing halts.

"Cough, even if Roman's control failed, Gotham will still be destroyed by Groudon. After that, the survivors will rebuild their homes on the ruins – just like the four major families did when they founded Gotham.

The difference is that this time, everyone will be involved. Gotham will no longer be the possession of the four families but will belong to everyone!"

The words of the Godfather leave all three present in awe.

Quinn wants to question the truthfulness, but recalling Falcone's willingness to give up control of the underground world for Gotham's future, he realizes that Falcone is indeed capable of achieving such a level.

Even if such a future would sacrifice the vast majority of people, it's hard for others to criticize him, as Falcone himself is part of the sacrificial ranks.

"It's a great vision, but unfortunately, Batman, Jim Gordon, and every Gothamite won't approve of this approach."

Quinn's eyes were clear as he spoke from an outsider's perspective, "In my view, Gotham has never been just a city. Gotham is defined by the people who live here, work here, marry, have children, and even commit crimes. They are the foundation of Gotham's existence. Killing others and rebuilding a new Gotham has no connection to the original Gotham."

"If rebuilding a new city can save Gotham, it's indeed a good strategy, but I'd like to make a slight modification. Let's name the central city 'Gotham City'."

His self-proclaimed "Gotham Salvation Plan" was completely dismissed as a joke. Falcone's eyes widened, his legs went stiff, and he almost fainted.

Quinn showed no mercy, "You chose to abandon Gotham yourself, so you wanted to drag others, including me as an outsider, into it. Penguin, Batman, Robin, we haven't given up yet!"

For a criminal mastermind like Falcone, physical injuries were far less damaging than the psychological trauma. Every word Quinn said struck him right in the core, and he couldn't refute.

Seeing Falcone on the verge of passing out, Damian worried that Falcone might have other setups. He quickly supported him and patted his back to help him breathe.

"Your Gotham subversion plan has turned into nothing. Tell me, besides the mental control applied by Black Mask, what have you done to Groudon?"

Boom!

The specially reinforced laboratory door suddenly dented.

Damian immediately grabbed his weapon. After another collision, the door was knocked open, and a dismembered corpse slid to Quinn's feet.

Although the corpse was unrecognizable, Quinn could still tell, "Trench?"

Batman, wearing impact armor, stood at the door, holding a still-breathing Trench in his hand.

"Batman, where's grandfather?" Damian didn't see Ra's al Ghul, and he felt uneasy.

"While interrogating Ra's al Ghul, these Trench broke in through the sewers. When I was dealing with them, Ra's al Ghul managed to escape."

With one hand, Batman crushed Trench's head. He had no principles against non-human creatures, and his hoarse voice came from under the metal mask, "Just now, the Oracle sent a message: Atlantis has officially declared war on humans, and they've chosen the battlefield... Gotham!"

Walking into the lab with heavy steps, Batman saw the headless corpse on the ground, but he didn't say anything. He input commands into the portable computer on his forearm and established a connection with the lab's computer system.

Several video feeds taken by unmanned drones were displayed on the screen. Towering waves swept over the land, and Quinn saw Superman and Mera trying to protect civilians.

"We've already evacuated most of the people. Only a small number of stubborn individuals remain, and Superman will send them to safety soon. However, there are some concerns. Mera alone can't stop the advancing waves, and with the continuous heavy rain, Gotham will be completely submerged in about 6 hours, conservatively estimated."

Hearing this, everyone realized the severity of the situation. The shelters could withstand earthquakes and tsunamis, but not the sinking of Gotham. If they couldn't stop the Atlanteans, the three shelters would become an underwater graveyard for Gothamites.

"Do we still have enough time to evacuate people to other cities?" Following Batman's line of thought, Nightwing had already started considering the worst-case scenario.

Batman shook his head, "No, the Oracle has calculated that the previous evacuation depleted a lot of resources. Restarting transportation can only send away nine million people at the fastest. I've already instructed Gordon to block the news, and the situation inside the shelters is still stable."

Gordon informed Batman that the access to the shelters was guarded by Penguin's forces, which greatly relieved the pressure on the police.

Batman heard that the Gotham Mafia was teaming up with the police to resist the sea. He was stunned for three seconds. In the past, this kind of cooperation only existed between the Mafia and corrupt cops.

A light screen popped up on Batman's forearm, and the Cyborg, who resided in the watchtower, sent a gathering signal: "Gotham is invaded by Atlanteans, and Aquaman is fighting with his brother. Green Lantern is not on Earth, but The Flash is on his way... Alright, he's here. Wonder Woman and Superman are already in position. But facing an army head-on, strength alone is not enough. We need your tactical wisdom, Batman."

"I'll be there shortly."

Batman ended the communication and the impact armor automatically disassembled, restoring him to his lightweight form.

He looked at the still-sleeping Groudon, "Now that you have a preliminary understanding of the dire situation outside, tell me when the situation here will be resolved."

No one answered.

Batman looked at the most reliable Nightwing, who shrugged helplessly, "Um, I need some time to think. The situation here is similar to a nuclear bomb with a countdown. It can't be resolved."

Batman: "..."

Only Quinn looked at the battle scenes on the screen being broadcasted and suddenly asked, "How much longer until the evacuation is complete?"

"Another half an hour."

"Not too long. It should work." Quinn extended his hand to the others, "Do you have timed bombs with you?"

The three Bat-family members simultaneously took out large, medium, and small-sized timed bombs, all similar in style.

Quinn couldn't help but cover his face, "Alright, I asked too much. Surround the bombs around the glass, set them to half an hour, and then we'll leave."

Batman looked thoughtfully at Groudon.

"Two bad things overlapping might not be worse. Batman, do you know the phrase 'Drive the tiger and swallow the wolf'?"

"Drive the tiger and swallow the wolf" is a Chinese idiom that means to have an ambitious and aggressive mindset, being determined to achieve great success and conquer difficult challenges. It implies a strong and fearless attitude towards pursuing one's goals, even if they are formidable or require significant effort. The idiom compares the person's determination to drive away a tiger and devour a wolf, both powerful and fierce animals, symbolizing the person's courage and determination to overcome any obstacles in their path.

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