Chapter 10: Quinn Faces *****

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With a sharp blade pressed against his throat and his life in the hands of another, Quinn remained surprisingly calm. He even took the time to soothe Manaphy, urging her not to act impulsively.

(Be calm, don't move.)

Because it was Batman, and everyone in Gotham knew that Batman doesn't kill. However, assuming this meant he wasn't a threat and defying him would be safe was a mistake. Batman usually responded to resistance with a good beating, not lethal, but certainly painful enough.

Ordinary people would find themselves choked and questioned in a corner by Batman, but for Quinn to have a knife at his vital points was already a special treatment from Batman, given his regard for Commissioner Gordon.

However...

"Batman? Are you also investigating the Black Mask? It seems we've ended up thinking the same thing," Quinn spoke in a familiar tone as he slowly turned around to face a youthful face.

"Robin?"

When Quinn saw the red and green costume, he broke into a cold sweat. He had no idea which Robin was in front of him, and while he didn't mind Damian or Tim, if it was Damian...

That little brat might really kill him! Batman had a total of five Robins, and after the New 52, the history of Batgirl was wiped out, making Damian the fifth and most rebellious Robin. Trained rigorously by the League of Assassins from a young age, he learned various assassination and killing techniques. At his young age, he had already taken more than a dozen lives without any psychological pressure.

Robin withdrew the batarang with a smug look on his face, no longer disguising his voice as Batman's. "Seems his intimidation doesn't work well; he claims to be the embodiment of fear."

Whether it was Dick, Jason, or Tim, they all had respect for Batman. Hearing Robin's arrogant tone, Quinn was certain of who he was facing – only Damian, that little brat, would attempt to act like a lord! Well, it seemed like every Robin... nevermind, that little brat deserved a beating anyway.

It dawned on Quinn that he had just come face to face with death's door, and had he known Damian was behind him, he would never have dared to turn around so casually.

Quinn's face darkened. "Who taught you to point a knife at others? It surely wasn't Batman."

Damian showed no sense of wrongdoing. The distinct differentiation in Quinn's treatment only fueled his pride. "Batman can do it, so why can't I, Robin? Who taught me is none of your business; as long as I can hang you up and give you a good beating, that's all that matters."

Quinn unsheathed Lake toya from his back.

"Batman earned Commissioner Gordon's trust through his actions, and I trust Gordon, so I trust him too. But Robin, you just threatened a police officer with an unauthorized weapon. Do you know that's against the law?"

Quinn was answered by a swiftly thrown batarang. Quinn deflected it with a swing of his blade, sending it crashing into the display case.

"Now there's no evidence."

Damian smirked, clapping his hands. "Come on, show me if you're worthy of me using my weapons. Gotham's been boring lately; I'm dying of boredom."

His arrogant tone successfully enraged Quinn. He took two steps back and readied his sword.

Seeing Quinn brandishing his wooden sword with flair, Damian raised an eyebrow. "Is this some purely ornamental Eastern dance? Listen, I'm here to fight you, not dance with you."

Damian purposely spoke in Chinese, challenging Quinn further. However, after completing the sword dance, Quinn was enveloped in a translucent white light, enhancing his attacks by two levels. He could feel the power coursing within him.

"I don't know if Eastern martial arts are just for show," Quinn said, pulling a Glock from its holster and tossing it aside, "but I'll show you right now."

With that, Quinn rushed towards Damian, catching him off guard. Damian had to draw his blade from his waist to block the attack.

Wooden and steel blades clashed, sparking off little flames.

Damian couldn't help but feel embarrassed by the sudden turn of events. "To force me to use my weapons... I have a better impression of the police now. I used to think everyone except Gordon was worthless."

In a cold tone, Damian belittled the police, further fueling Quinn's anger. Because he knew how much the Gotham police sacrificed to maintain order in the city.

"Hey, arrogant kid, don't casually judge adults' work. Don't think I won't dare to beat you just because you have Batman as your backer!"

Quinn exerted force, pushing Lake Toya down towards Damian, who was surprised to find himself losing in terms of strength. Damian realized Quinn wasn't as simple as he appeared, and he stopped underestimating his opponent, taking the fight more seriously.

Sidestepping to press it to the ground, Damian executed a "Double Kick." Quinn leaned back to avoid it, and they swapped positions.

"Are you really a cop?" Damian questioned Quinn's identity.

"Come with me to the police station, and I'll treat you to some donuts. You'll find out whether I am one or not."

Without further ado, the two clashed again, with their blades, light, and sparks filling the air.

In the midst of this commotion, the detective conducting the investigation underground had to return to the surface. He crouched low, observing the battle from the edge of the secret passageway. Neither of the two combatants noticed his covert surveillance.

Batman recognized Quinn and wondered why Damian was fighting a police officer. As he prepared to intervene and stop Damian, his martial instincts made him sense something and he decided to hold back.

From the way the fight unfolded, it was evident that Quinn, now fully utilizing his skills, had the upper hand against Robin. Several times, he narrowly avoided being caught off guard by him.

"His combat skills have improved drastically compared to yesterday. It seems the effect of that sword is at play," Batman analyzed calmly.

Whenever the wooden sword glimmered with a silvery light, Quinn transformed into a master swordsman. Presently, he was relying solely on his own abilities to combat Robin, honing his swordsmanship by treating Damian as a whetstone.

This was the greatest value of the "Warrior's Soul" effect - it could be learned. Quinn keenly perceived this and put his observation into action.

Even Batman, an onlooker, could see Quinn's progress. And Damian being his opponent, felt it more deeply. Damian could sense Quinn's defense against his attacks becoming increasingly effortless, going from being defenseless to unexpectedly being struck by Quinn's blade. Quinn was rapidly assimilating the combat experience and techniques of the "Warrior's Soul" possession.

"I'm not someone you can use to practice your skills," Damian retorted, showing his frustration, ready to break Batman's rules and employ the killing techniques he learned in the League of Assassins.

With no fear, Quinn responded, "Yes, there's a law protecting minors in such situations."

Quinn was undaunted, and he still had at least two cards to play - the second stage of the sword dance and the Warrior's Soul. If Damian couldn't handle it, Quinn was prepared to teach him a lesson.

Just as the confrontation was about to turn into a real battle, two precise Batarangs struck their weapons, and a dark figure landed between the two restless youngsters, separating them.

"Batman?" Quinn rolled and picked up the handgun from the ground.

"Batman! Stand aside, he's mine!" Damian yelled, but Batman gave him a disapproving look, and Damian immediately fell silent.

In a calm tone, Batman said, "Robin, I asked you to stay up there and notify me if anyone came in, not to fight with the police."

"But..." Damian wanted to argue, but the stern gaze from Batman made him reluctantly close his mouth.

"Now, go back. You're not needed here for now," Batman ordered, and Damian left the clinic, dissatisfied.

As Batman turned around, he found a gun pointed at him.

"Batman, can I interpret this as the Bat family going to war with the police?" Quinn provocatively asked.

Unperturbed by the gun pointed at him, Batman covered his abdomen. "Are you trying to provoke me like a child? I thought you were as magnanimous as I am. Yesterday, someone stabbed me in the stomach, and I didn't hold him responsible."

Quinn reluctantly holstered the gun, "Who knows? Anyway, we were just 'sparring.'"

Batman looked at the sword marks on the walls, the shattered glass, and the scattered medicine bottles - all the consequences of their sparring.

"It's fortunate that I scouted ahead. The Black Mask left no clues in the clinic."

Turning towards the secret passage, Batman said, "I'll continue investigating down below. Do you want to come with your secret partner?"

"What secret partner? I just have a habit of talking to myself. Don't misunderstand," Quinn denied.

Batman activated the infrared lens in his cowl and looked at Manaphy hovering above him. He nodded, signaling Quinn to continue with his made-up story, as he was listening.

Quinn kept quiet as they descended to the underground level. There were two floors beneath the clinic, with the lower one housing an armory, and the weapons were still there.

"After the earthquake yesterday, the Black Mask left from here. He only managed to take a portion of the shipment due to the limited time," Quinn observed, looking at the assortment of firearms, clearly a gang's stash.

"What could be more important to a gang than weapons?" Quinn wondered.

Batman recounted his eventful encounter with the Black Mask's convoy, explaining, "Though I didn't see the contents of his shipment, when he fell from the bridge, he shouted out his grand plan."

The elevator doors opened, revealing a vast underground space of over five hundred square meters and reaching a height of ten meters.

He said,[ 'I'll plunge Gotham into a new era.'"]

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