They had never witnessed such a brutal person, someone who could casually wave a hand and smash a man against a wall.
After taking down the leading strongman with one blow, Eric threw another punch.
The seemingly casual strike contained an explosive force that erupted in the gangster's chest.
The opponent immediately spat out a mouthful of blood and crashed backward.
He hit a fire hydrant by the roadside, making a loud "bang."
The remaining gang members only reacted after two of their companions fell, then charged at Eric with their weapons.
But facing an opponent with such a vast power disparity, they could only be unilaterally beaten.
Eric, casually throwing punches and not even bothering to move his body, easily dealt with them.
The few people standing in the alley behind them only felt a blur before their eyes, and the gang members were sent flying.
Some hit walls, some directly slammed into the ground, and others were knocked into fire hydrants.
In just a brief moment, they all fell unconscious, their fates unknown.
Throughout the entire process, he only used one hand; his other hand, holding the umbrella, didn't even move after he finished off all the gang members.
Dense raindrops fell on the black umbrella, splashing down along its edges.
Eric stood silently for a moment, holding the umbrella, then looked up at the pitch-black sky above the alley.
He then lowered his head and muttered to himself, "I think 'Gotham Tourist Precautions' should add another item: Do not go to Crime Alley."
"Whoosh!"
The tarp opened, accompanied by the sound of raindrops being repelled.
A shadow, like Batman's wings, appeared in the air, then vanished into the alley.
Eric watched the area enveloped in shadow in the alley, expressionless.
Thump! Thump!
A figure emerged from the darkness, accompanied by footsteps.
Under the gazes of Eric and the young men and women, Batman walked out.
His dark battle suit was soaked with rain, and water trickled from where the chest plate connected to his protective gear.
"Batman!"
The boys who had been discussing Batman earlier cried out in surprise.
Their hearts were instantly filled with shock, disbelief, and pleasant surprise.
Batman walked from the shadows into the area illuminated by the dim streetlamp, and his hoarse voice rang out in the night, "When?"
"What?"
"You found me."
"My eyes can see what others cannot, and my ears can hear what others cannot."
Eric, holding his umbrella, took a step closer to Batman, "So, I saw an avenging messenger—"
"..."
Batman was silent for a moment.
"—and a criminal."
Eric deliberately paused for effect, teasing Batman.
Hearing the other party call him a criminal, Batman looked directly at Eric, "Whether I am a criminal is not for you to define. But right now, you have injured or even killed several people. I think you are the true criminal.
"And next, you need to go to GCPD for some reflection."
Batman looked at Eric, who remained calm. Although it was his first time meeting him, he felt a familiar aura from him.
It was dark and elusive, so highly coincident with the feeling he experienced when he fell into the Batcave as a child, that he even felt a subtle disturbance.
Moreover, after witnessing Eric's actions, his vigilance instantly rose to its highest.
Even Ra's al Ghul of the League of Assassins could not so leisurely defeat several armed gang members.
"Even in self-defense, you didn't have to kill them, but I understand—"
Batman prepared to act at any moment, "—your extremely dangerous mindset! It seems like just a game to you; you can indifferently disregard life. If crime is their sin, then your culpability is more severe than crime."
As soon as he finished speaking, a grappling gun appeared in his hand.
The moment he pulled the trigger, the grappling gun, carrying a rope, shot straight towards Eric.
Bang!
Eric easily caught the grappling gun's rope.
"Sounds good. This is the first time I've heard Batman give such a long speech to a criminal."
Eric crushed the grappling gun in his hand.
The rope at the end of the grappling gun also instantly splintered into pieces and fell to the ground.
At the same time, he instantly moved in front of Batman, and to his astonishment, punched him in the chest.
Batman felt a terrifying, explosive force erupt in his chest.
Like a firecracker!
The next second, his body, as if struck by lightning, was sent flying backward like a cannonball.
His sturdy Batman suit cracked inch by inch, and an uncontrollable pain spread throughout his body.
"Indifference? Is that your evaluation of someone you've just met for the first time?"
Despite the brief skirmish, Eric still held his umbrella steadily, revealing half of his face beneath it.
"Harboring prejudiced hatred, hatred, fear, anger—do you think I'm describing a criminal? No, I'm describing you. Just as you can evaluate me based on feeling, I can also see your inner self."
Shaking his head at Batman, who was struggling to stand up on the ground, Eric turned and left, "Go home, guard your Bat-Signal, watch the game of petty thieves and police playing out, and don't provoke me."
Thump! Thump!
Watching Eric walk away, Batman clutched his chest, gasping for air, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
It was the first time he had felt such a profound sense of facing an abyss.
Who exactly was this mysterious person?
A new criminal appearing in Gotham? Or one of the endless villains?
Why did the other party feel so strange to him?
Soaked in the night rain, Bruce fell into deep thought.
The trio standing in the alley exchanged glances, their expressions utterly astonished.
The scene that had just unfolded exceeded their expectations.
Batman, who had held a high position in their hearts, was actually defeated by an out-of-town visitor.
And it seemed Batman's defeat was very swift, not at all like his previous great battle with the robbers, where he displayed astonishing abilities.
The trio was somewhat dejected.
Especially the red-haired little girl, who clutched the plastic sheet in her hand and shook it, feeling a bit upset.
"Batman won't be able to fly like last time. If he could fly, maybe—"
She then shook her head, dismissing the thought, and looked towards Batman.
Batman didn't notice the children observing him from the alley. He took a deep breath and walked towards the fallen gang members, simultaneously opening the communication device on his wrist.
"Alfred."
"Here, Master. It seems you've encountered some trouble."
The butler's voice came through the device.
"Infested with trouble, the thing I fear least is endless trouble. Didn't you say I'm not only fighting criminals but also the police and even civilians? Being an enemy to everyone isn't so bad."
Bruce walked up to a fallen gang member, knelt down, "Help me call an ambulance. Wait... I think I've found something."
He reached out for a strange coin on the ground.
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