Chapter 316: Negotiation
"I've fought you. I know you're strong. But you must listen to me, Batman."
"Under any circumstances when encountering Wilson Fisk—run immediately!"
Through Ronin Clinton Barton's warning, Batman stood on Baxter Building's terrace, facing Kingpin across the distance.
Unlike his imprisonment at Ryker's—wheelchair-bound, wearing prison garb, looking pathetic—after a month and a half, Kingpin had once again recovered his white-suited appearance, his voice deep and warm like a benevolent father.
"Oh, I knew you'd sniff your way here, Batman." Kingpin rested his hand on Reed Richards's shoulder. Hearing Batman's footsteps, he turned with a smile.
Batman's expression remained neutral watching Kingpin's smiling face, discreetly activating the Arkham suit's scanning system.
'An unknown metal has replaced Kingpin's normal skeletal structure.'
Through the bat-mask's lenses, Batman clearly saw what Ronin Clinton Barton had described—Kingpin's bones replaced by metal called adamantium alloy.
"You claim this is vibranium and other metal alloy. Is this intel reliable?" Batman asked quietly.
"Yes. An unknown metal discovered by the Yami Kaze Group's Antarctic expedition. According to their files, they named it vibranium." Ronin replied.
Batman said nothing more. After closing his encrypted channel with Ronin Clinton, he looked at Kingpin.
"I told you I'd be back under the sun within two months, Batman." Kingpin watched Batman standing motionless. His voice carried unusual warmth. "Are you planning to punch me down like last time, then snap my bones one by one?"
"Kingpin." Batman's voice rumbled low. "I hope you understand how important the person you're controlling is to America. Release him."
Kingpin chuckled softly.
"Precisely because I know his importance to this country—that's why I grabbed him."
"As long as Reed Richards remains under my control, I can demand whatever I want from this nation. You can't possibly fail to grasp something so simple?"
Batman quietly observed the terrace surroundings and Kingpin's hand gripping Reed.
Though Kingpin appeared to be casually embracing Reed Richards, his tiger-mouth grip had already secretly locked onto Reed's neck.
If Batman acted rashly, Reed faced extremely high probability of having his neck snapped.
"I assume you've already negotiated terms with the government." Batman remained motionless, both hands hanging down with zero indication of action.
"Of course." Kingpin smiled cheerfully. "Though this seems like bad news for you, I must tell you anyway, Batman."
"I'm now a legal businessman cooperating with the US government. Should you attempt moving against me, what awaits is the FBI digging up New York three feet deep to find and publicly expose you."
FBI?
In two months since arriving in this world, Batman's government contact had been primarily SHIELD. FBI remained relatively rare.
"If you've negotiated terms with the government, continuing to control Reed Richards seems unnecessary." Batman said.
"No! Absolutely necessary!" Kingpin's voice immediately rose. He locked eyes with Batman. "You think I'm continuing to control Reed to squeeze more out of the President?"
Batman frowned watching Kingpin's facial muscles twist. He imperceptibly moved one hand behind his back.
"After finishing with the government, now I need to continue negotiating with you, Batman!" Kingpin lifted Reed with one hand.
"Ugh." Reed gagged immediately from being choked and lifted by the neck.
Kingpin dangled Reed single-handed over Baxter Building's terrace edge—ready to release him at any moment.
"Vanessa and Richard! Where are they?!" Kingpin's fatherly aura vanished completely. Now he resembled an enraged beast.
Those two names he mentioned were none other than his wife and son.
Batman still stood in place, showing zero intention of rescuing Reed.
Kingpin roared loudly:
"After leaving Ryker's, I discovered they'd evaporated from the world! I can't contact them no matter what!"
"The safe house I arranged for them became an empty room long ago!"
"You said you wouldn't touch them!"
"Damn bat, tell me what you did to them!"
Kingpin watched Batman standing motionless—no reaction whatsoever despite his roaring and rage. Fury continuously rose in his heart. He wanted desperately to strangle Reed Richards in his grip.
But he clearly understood that if he truly did so, not only would Batman never reveal his wife and son's information—even his freshly negotiated government terms would automatically void.
When Kingpin was serving time at Ryker's, Batman had approached him, using his wife and son's safety as leverage to force information about Stark weapons purchase sources.
But later when Kingpin escaped, attempting to contact his family, he discovered Batman had apparently deceived him.
His wife's phone wouldn't connect. Her residence stood empty. Whether they lived or died remained unknown.
"Hand Reed over." Batman said.
"I need my wife and son's status first." Kingpin made as if to release his grip.
Batman shook his head slightly.
"I'm not negotiating with you, Kingpin."
As he spoke, Batman moved.
He didn't flash forward rapidly to rescue Reed. Instead, he lifted his foot and stepped—slowly but firmly walking toward Kingpin one step at a time.
Throughout, no matter how far Kingpin extended his arm over the terrace edge, no matter how many times he tried releasing Reed—Batman completely ignored it all.
As if Batman genuinely didn't care whether Reed Richards lived or died.
Kingpin held his breath, watching Batman walk step by step right up to him. His face alternated between livid and pale. Several times he tried reaching out to grab Batman by the neck and lift him too.
Unfortunately, Batman's distance control was perfect. Unless Kingpin stepped forward, extending his arm longer wouldn't reach Batman.
And if he stepped forward once, Reed in his grip would leave the terrace edge and enter safety.
Kingpin's expression kept shifting. Finally he threw Reed down onto the terrace floor with a THUD, clenching both fists and glaring down at Batman.
"Tell me what you did to them?"
"Did you kill them? Imprison them somewhere?"
He decided the instant Batman spoke anything he didn't want to hear, those massive fists would smash Batman's head without hesitation.
And from Batman's step-by-step approach, completely unconcerned about Reed's life—the probability his wife and child had been harmed seemed extremely high.
After all, Kingpin had only escaped Ryker's because Batman had destroyed the wall and drained several inmates' blood.
In Kingpin's eyes, Batman was someone who publicly captured criminals for police, but secretly removed his mask to reveal a gray-black vampiric face.
Batman used peripheral vision watching Reed roll several times on the ground, coughing while scrambling toward the stairway. He told Kingpin:
"I simply had them move to a new home."
As he spoke, Batman raised his right arm, opening the portable computer screen. Two photos popped up showing Kingpin's wife Vanessa and son Richard.
"Just as I promised you before—I've been protecting them, not harming them."
***
20+advance chapters at patreon.com/Eatinpieces