Chapter 317: Whitman Family
The instant Batman finished speaking, Kingpin realized he'd been played.
Batman had done nothing to harm his wife and son. But before revealing this truth and providing photographic proof, Batman's entire behavior had completely misled Kingpin toward assuming "wife and child already murdered."
Yet once Kingpin had thrown Reed aside, leaving only the two of them on the terrace—Batman told him his family remained unharmed, merely relocated.
Batman looked at Kingpin.
"Tell me the content of your government negotiation."
"Unless you have reasons preventing me from re-arresting and imprisoning you."
"Otherwise, regardless of your current identity—cooperating with the US government, superhuman with adamantium skeleton—I won't tolerate you remaining active in New York."
Kingpin clenched his fists. He stepped forward once, positioning himself at perfect distance to touch Batman with one extended hand.
"Reasons?"
"I can—"
Kingpin's words remained unfinished. From Empire State Building's direction, several laser beams suddenly shot forth!
Batman rapidly ducked and rolled away. The lasers struck his original position, leaving finger-width holes.
"NEIGH!"
A horse's cry echoed from distant sky. A black dot rapidly enlarged—the Black Knight riding his dark winged horse, gripping his staff, flew toward Baxter Building at extreme speed.
FWOOSH FWOOSH!
During the Black Knight's flight, his staff's tip continuously fired laser beams.
Aside from the initial laser striking Kingpin's forehead, virtually every subsequent beam targeted Batman, forcing him to dodge continuously.
"Who?!" Kingpin roared. He glanced at the rapidly approaching Black Knight, then strode quickly toward Batman.
Just as they'd nearly concluded negotiations and Kingpin was about to obtain family information even he didn't know—this sudden attack interrupted everything. The fury Kingpin had just suppressed immediately flared up again.
FWOOSH!
Another laser shot toward Batman. But this time Kingpin blocked it.
The laser capable of blasting craters in the concrete terrace struck Kingpin's forehead. Aside from burning a blackened wound at the edges, it failed even penetrating his skull.
"Tell me Vanessa and Richard's information, Batman." Kingpin gritted his teeth, touching his forehead wound while still using his body to shield Batman. He spoke simultaneously.
After leaving Ryker's, Kingpin had flown directly to Yokohama, Japan. At the Yami Kaze Group via Kenji Oyama, he'd replaced all Batman-shattered bones with adamantium alloy.
Conventional bullets and even lasers could only pierce Kingpin's skin and muscle—they couldn't harm internal organs protected by adamantium.
Batman's expression remained neutral watching the winged horse flying closer. He revealed Kingpin's family information.
"I hope you're not lying." Kingpin lowered his voice. "As for my government negotiation content... you only need to know that once I'm imprisoned or lose contact with the outside world, New York will face a crisis far exceeding today's dinosaurs."
"Batman!" Kingpin's words had barely finished when the Black Knight arrived above Baxter Building, staff pointing directly at Batman. "I'm here to arrest you on behalf of the New York Police Department!"
While speaking, the Black Knight bowed toward Kingpin whose forehead showed laser burns.
"Apologies, Mr. Wilson. I accidentally hit you earlier. But you appear unharmed."
Kingpin looked at the mounted Black Knight, frowning deeply.
"You'd better hope it was accidental."
"Of course." The Black Knight smiled. "My target is Batman."
"Oh? You also have history with him?" Kingpin looked at the Black Knight's staff. He'd once owned a similar laser-firing staff, crafted by his chief engineer Schulman.
But after Kingpin's Ryker's imprisonment, that staff's whereabouts had long since vanished.
"No." The Black Knight said. "Don't you remember what I just stated?"
Kingpin said nothing. The Black Knight continued:
"I'm here to arrest this criminal on behalf of the New York Police Department."
Throughout the Black Knight's speech, Batman had been studying him.
The Black Knight wore full armor, completely concealing his body and face—making specific features invisible.
But Batman wasn't examining appearance. He focused on patterns adorning the winged horse's saddle, the longsword sheathed at the Black Knight's waist, armor engravings.
Batman confirmed this was his first encounter with this Black Knight. Yet he'd definitely seen similar patterns somewhere before.
Since arriving in this world, Batman had encountered very few matters involving patterns or engravings. He didn't require much effort recalling the mysterious black tablet nearly stolen from the Metropolitan Museum.
'Someone from the Whitman family?'Batman thought.
Rather than immediately confronting the Black Knight here, he reached toward his utility belt while the knight conversed with Kingpin.
CLINK CLINK!
Several crisp metallic sounds. A smoke bomb flew from Batman's hand, exploding with a BANG.
"NEIGH!"
The winged horse cried out, flapping wings to generate winds gradually dispersing the smoke.
The Black Knight gripped his staff, continuously firing lasers toward Batman's previous position. Unfortunately, too late.
When smoke cleared, aside from several new wounds on Kingpin's body, Batman had already vanished without a trace.
---
"The Black Knight appears to be a Whitman family member. His armor patterns match the shattered tablet with over ninety percent similarity."
"The Metropolitan Museum theft connects to the Whitman family and also to the Yami Kaze Group in Yokohama, Japan."
"Kingpin similarly received modifications at the Yami Kaze Group—skeleton replaced with adamantium alloy forged from vibranium and other metals."
"Kingpin's backing also seems to be the Yami Kaze Group... what else exists there beyond adamantium and Whitman family employment?"
On Bat Island, Batman watched the massive red T-Rex resting here, falling deep into thought.
Now all clues pointed toward the Yami Kaze Group. Only after Ronin Clinton Barton completed his investigation there could Batman pursue the truth further.
He hadn't even continued conflict with Kingpin and the Black Knight, choosing retreat instead.
THUD THUD!
During Batman's contemplation, heavy footsteps echoed from the East River shore direction. The Lizard Professor dragged the giant horned T-Rex he'd killed, approaching Bat Island step by step.
"Hmm? It's not dead yet?" The Lizard Professor immediately spotted the still-breathing red T-Rex upon arrival.
"Correct. I'm planning to save it."
Batman glanced at the thoroughly dead giant horned T-Rex, returning his gaze to the red T-Rex.
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