"How did the weapon test go? No one spotted you, right?"
In a residential building that appeared pitch-black from the outside but was brightly lit within, Shulman, dressed in a yellow-and-red vest, questioned the three men who had just returned.
He stood before a semicircular workbench cluttered with an array of tools, dominated by a pair of metal gauntlets large enough to cover a fist and forearm.
"The weapon test went fine…" one of the men replied hesitantly. "But we might've run into a ghost."
Shulman furrowed his brow, eyeing the trio skeptically. "What, are you three from the Middle Ages or something? Or are you religious nuts?"
"Uh, neither…" said the man who'd been grabbed by the shoulder by Batman, the same one who'd screamed "God!" earlier. "We really saw something… I don't know if it was human. I can't even describe it."
"It appeared out of nowhere and vanished just as fast, like some Egyptian ghost from The Mummy," another added.
"Not human? Appearing and disappearing out of thin air?"
Transformation: Shulman felt a nagging sense of familiarity, as if he'd heard this description before. His expression shifted. "Did it have any distinct features? Like, say, two pointed ears?"
The three nodded frantically, the image of Batman's sharply upright ears burned into their memories.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah! And an exposed chin!"
"Fuck!" Shulman cursed through gritted teeth.
The features were unmistakable. Shulman knew exactly who they were talking about—the one who'd taken down Walker and Scorpion Mike, then toppled Kingpin. It was Batman!
No time to waste on these three idiots. Shulman swiftly reached back, pulling the hood of his yellow-and-red vest over his face.
"Shocker, what's…" The trio stared at "Shocker" Shulman, bewildered by his sudden intensity.
"Get out of my way!"
Shulman shoved the three aside and thrust his hands into the metal gauntlets on the workbench. The gauntlets encased his fists and forearms with a metallic clank.
Buzz!
He swung his fist experimentally, and a humming vibration filled the air. A close look revealed the air distorting at the gauntlet's tip, with a fleeting shimmer of black-and-white energy.
These gauntlets weren't just for testing weapons—they were the weapon, crafted by Shulman himself. Named "Shocker," they doubled as his alias.
When clenched into fists, the "Shocker" gauntlets could emit ultra-high-frequency vibrations, creating shockwaves. The intensity had five levels: Level One could send several grown men flying ten meters; Level Three, at close range, could shatter bones. As for Level Five, Shulman had never tested it since creating the gauntlets.
His yellow-and-red vest was also custom-made, designed to absorb impact and prevent the gauntlets' recoil from turning him into pulp before they could harm an enemy.
"Phew… Batman, I knew you'd come for me eventually, but I didn't expect it this soon."
"I hope this works."
Shulman exhaled deeply, his gaze shifting from the "Shocker" gauntlets to the trio, who looked lost as he donned his battle gear. "You three, grab your weapons! If you see anything move, shoot it!"
"Uh, Shocker, didn't you say no testing guns inside the building…?" one of them stammered.
Their words were cut off by Shulman's furious snarl. "That was before! You morons led Batman right to us! You think this place is still a safe hideout?"
"Grab your weapons, and don't point them at me…"
Shulman's words were interrupted by a sudden snap! A light in the distance went out. He raised a fist to his lips, signaling silence. "Shh!"
"Shocker, maybe it's just a power trip…" one of the trio whispered.
Shulman wanted to pound them into paste, but he held back his rage. These three wouldn't have even qualified as low-level thugs in Kingpin's old crew—just disposable grunts. According to the original plan set by "Mr. Negative," Shulman was supposed to kill them after the weapon tests were done.
Getting mad at them wasn't worth it, especially now when he needed backup. More importantly… a faint rustling sound reached his ears, like someone pacing on the rooftop.
Shulman didn't hesitate. He swung a fist upward.
Buzz!
A buzzing vibration echoed as the "Shocker" gauntlet unleashed a ripple of black-and-white energy. The Level One shockwave surged upward, not strong enough to punch through the ceiling but enough to dislodge plaster and dust.
Debris and dust rained down, and Shulman instinctively squinted to protect his eyes.
Then, the next second—
Thud, thud…
This time, Shulman and the trio heard it clearly: footsteps, heavy and deliberate. They didn't sound human—more like some massive beast.
"Who's there?!" Shulman shouted, his fists glowing faintly with black-and-white light. He shot a glance at the trio, whispering, "Get ready to leave. I'm bringing this building down!"
"Oh? Oh! Got it!" The trio scrambled to move, clutching the energy weapons Shulman had made.
Swish!
A faint whistle cut through the air. Three batarangs flew from nowhere, striking the trio's wrists. Their weapons clattered to the floor.
As Shulman tensed, three strands of black webbing shot out from the darkness, snatching the weapons and retracting them. Shulman caught the direction this time—the spot where the light had gone out.
He strained to see, but then the building's lights began extinguishing one by one. Not a random outage, but a deliberate sequence, starting from the corridor's end. Snap, snap, snap… Darkness surged toward Shulman like a tide.
The footsteps had stopped.
Shulman's hands and feet went cold. Ignoring the now-disarmed trio, he turned and bolted in a random direction.
The "Shocker" gauntlets didn't give him much confidence. The invisible, intangible pressure and fear suffocating him drove one thought: escape.
This building was supposed to be his sanctuary, his hideout. Now it felt like a tomb ready to swallow him.
As he ran, Shulman used his "Shocker" gauntlets to blast holes through walls in his path. He had no intention of fighting Batman inside. His plan was to get out, then bring the whole building down, burying Batman beneath it.
But he didn't get far. After blasting another hole through a wall and stepping through, he saw a flicker of black-and-white energy in the dark room, identical to his gauntlets.
Instinctively, Shulman raised his arms in a defensive stance, but the light in the room mirrored his movement.
"Phew… just a mirror."
Shulman exhaled, starting to move past it toward the exit. But in the faint glow of his gauntlets, he caught something moving in the mirror.
His body froze.
Holding his breath, Shulman's eyes darted to the mirror's corner. His neck felt rusted, refusing to turn. He stared at the shadow, praying it was a trick of his nerves. But it wasn't.
In the mirror, Shulman saw a black silhouette with pointed ears, hanging upside-down from the ceiling corner. Its white, emotionless eyes stared straight at him.
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