Batman x Arc Reactor

Ch: 50 [One Bullet]

[Industrial District]

The city's industrial district lay draped in the dark shroud of night, with silhouettes of towering structures and the hum of distant machinery filling the air. The remnants of the destroyed warehouse lingered in the background, a stark reminder of the chaos unleashed moments ago. Flames still licked the skies, casting an eerie glow on the surroundings as the smoke billowed, carried away by the night wind.

The sound of GCPD's cars approaching echoed through the area, their red and blue lights flashing bright, while the fire engines tried to douse out the flames.

High above the district, Batman and Black Mask hurtled through the night sky, the city lights twinkling below them like distant stars. Black Mask's terrified screams merged with the rush of wind as they soared above the Gotham skyline.

"Please, please let me go!" Black Mask pleaded, his voice a frantic wail amidst the chaotic journey through the air.

'Look at him, screaming like a little baby,' Bruce thought to himself. 'To think he was planning to blow up Gotham." He glanced down at the dangling mob boss, noticing the look of sheer terror etched on his face as the buildings whizzed past beneath them. He could see Black Mask grabbing tightly onto the thin cable connecting him to the suit.

"Shh, enjoy the ride. We have places to go... Warehouses to blow up..." Batman taunted, turning sharply in midair towards another part of the city and aiming for the next location - another warehouse belonging to Black Mask's criminal empire. His keen eyes scanned the skyline, his mind processing the layout of the city, and he zeroed in on the targeted site, guided by Jarvis's assistance. Luckily, there were no civilians, only criminals.

The warehouse came into view, a shadowy behemoth nestled within the industrial labyrinth. Bright spotlights and patrolling thugs guarded the perimeter, unaware of the impending doom hurtling towards them.

"Say goodbye to your next venture," He launched a missile towards the warehouse located at the edge of the city. It exploded into a ball of fire on impact, reducing it to rubble and ashes.

Just like that, he flew from one warehouse to another, blowing them up without mercy. Each explosion sent shockwaves throughout the district, followed by plumes of black smoke rising up to the sky.

Black Mask shrieked in terror each time, his body swinging wildly through the air, helpless and utterly at Batman's mercy.

Six warehouses, six explosions... Black Mask's entire empire, his plans, his people- Everything was reduced to ashes. He stopped screaming at this point as he watched the scorching embers float through the sky, the acrid smell of charred wood, gunpowder, molten metal, and flesh stinging his nostrils. Bruce noticed his silence and smirked behind his mask. 'Good...'

But all good things must come to an end, and Batman knew it was time to end Black Mask's misery. However, he has to know about their main goal and if there's someone behind him pulling the strings. He will let the fucker live a few more hours till he gets all the info out of him.

[Gotham's outskirts] [Abandoned construction site of Lex Corps.]

Bruce landed near an abandoned construction site, far away from any prying eyes or unwanted attention. The place was eerily silent, save for the sound of crickets chirping in the distance and the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind. A thick blanket of fog enveloped the area, obscuring their presence.

Bruce dragged Black Mask to the middle of the site and tied him to a support pillar using a cable from his grappler. He then took a dirty molded cloth from the ground and plunged it into Mask's mouth. "There you go... Now we won't hear you scream, right?" He sneered and looked down at Mask who was staring back at him with fear in his eyes, shaking uncontrollably.

He got out of his Iron Man's armor, revealing his batsuit underneath it.

He examined the data Jarvis recovered from each warehouse. The gang has planted bombs in different parts of Gotham under Black Mask's orders. The ones in the sewer that GCPD's bomb squad neutralized were just a small percentage compared to the rest scattered around Gotham. There are also explosives hidden in other locations like schools, hospitals, churches, orphanages, etc.

Right now, he has all the info on the places the bombs were planted. They are all remote detonated via a special frequency.

"Ah, you motherfucking piece of shit!" Bruce yelled angrily and punched Black Mask in the stomach hard. His fist sank deep into Mask's abdomen, eliciting a muffled cry of pain from the man. Then followed by three more punches until Mask was wheezing heavily. Bruce grabbed him by the hair and pulled his head up to stare into his bloodshot eyes. "This is just the beginning. I know if I ask you a question, you will just lie to me and I have to beat you up and we are gonna repeat the process again and again till you give me the truth."

He took out a Batarang and jammed it into his right shoulder.

"Mummm!" Black Mask wanted to scream but his mouth was stuffed by the dirty rag, only producing muffled cries. Bruce twisted the batarang inside his shoulder and yanked it out, eliciting another wave of agony from him. Blood gushed out of the wound, staining the dark ground.

"So here's what I'm going to do... I am gonna put so much pain in you that you will beg me to kill you! And then maybe I will let you die after you answer all my questions." Bruce spoke coldly.

He kicked his kneecap hard, shattering it completely. Black Mask screamed in agony as tears ran down his cheeks, mixing with his blood. Bruce delivered two more kicks before he moved to his other leg.

"Mmmff!" Black Mask squirmed desperately, trying to break free but to no avail. Bruce smashed both his kneecaps simultaneously, sending waves of excruciating pain coursing through his body.

"I haven't even started yet... Just thinking about the fact that you were about to wage a war on Gotham makes my blood boil. All those innocent lives that would have been lost, had I not stopped you... You fucking scumbag!" Bruce growled as he continued beating him up mercilessly. Black Mask's face became a bloody pulp, barely recognizable anymore.

Finally, he took out a syringe filled with adrenaline from his utility belt and stabbed Mask in the neck. Mask felt a sudden surge of energy coursing through him, overriding the pain momentarily. Bruce injected the whole dose of adrenaline into him and stepped back to watch what happens next.

Mask struggled violently against his bonds, writhing like a madman. His veins bulged out visibly as the drug pumped through his system, enhancing every nerve ending in his body. Every single cell seemed to burn with excruciating agony. He thrashed furiously, banging his head repeatedly against the concrete pillar behind him, hoping to pass out or die from the intense torture inflicted upon him.

Bruce quickly grabbed his hair and kept his head steady. "Don't go dying on me yet..." He snarled menacingly. Mask groaned weakly in response.

It lasted for almost ten minutes before Bruce took out a morphine injection and injected Mask with it, dulling the pain temporarily. He took out a recording device from his utility belt and pressed play.

"Now, I will ask you some questions. Try to answer me correctly or else," He looked up at the foggy sky, "The night is still young and I have worse methods of torture under my belt..."

Black Mask stared at him with pleading eyes, begging him to stop torturing him further.

Bruce pressed a button on the recording device and began asking him questions.

"Where is the detonator?" He asked.

Black Mask mumbled something incoherently. Bruce removed the gag from Mask's mouth and repeated his question again.

"John... GCPD's traffic cop..." Mask croaked weakly.

"What was your goal for coming to Gotham and planning such a large-scale attack?" Bruce asked.

"We... Someone wanted us to secure some old blueprints from the Wayne Enterprise and kill Thomas Wayne. They supplied us with cash and weapons." Mask coughed painfully.

"All this preparation just for some old blueprints and assassinating the Mayor?" He inquired further. Bruce already knows the answers to these questions but he wants Mask to confess everything.

He nodded feebly, confirming his suspicions, "Yes... With Thomas holding the helm of Gotham and eliminating the crime families one by one, someone feared his influence would grow exponentially and pose a huge threat in the future." Mask wheezed.

Bruce frowned slightly at this revelation. His father was indeed a threat to certain powerful people but which blueprints are they after?

'Wait! Don't tell me they are after the Arc Reactor's blueprint?!' Bruce thought to himself.

"Which blueprints?"

"We don't ask questions... We just do what we were paid for..."

"Who ordered you to do all this?" He asked firmly.

[Bang!] A bullet pierced through Black Mask's skull.

'Sniper!' Bruce quickly entered the Iron Man armor and scanned the area. But there was nothing except fog and darkness.

"FUCK!" He punched a weathered pillar hard, shattering it to pieces, 'There is no one capable enough to take such a long-distance shot in this foggy weather.' Bruce gritted his teeth in anger. 'I am 100% sure it's Deadshot.'

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