Under Jim Gordon's arrangement, the Lamborghini passed through the blockade without hindrance and vanished down the distant street.
This scene was witnessed by Victor Zsasz not far away. As one of Falcone's three major hitmen, Victor hated Batman to the core; it was Batman who had left an indelible mark on his chest.
"Boss, you guessed right. Those cops are useless. They let Batman go without firing a single shot."
Victor punched the wall, staring intently at Jim Gordon in the gray jacket. After a moment, he pulled back his gaze and said, word for word,
"The police are useless, but we're not. Remember... tonight is Batman's death day. If he doesn't die, we die!"
Everyone present shivered, an inexplicable chill rising among them.
Victor looked around and continued,
"Mr. Falcone just called. The reward for taking down Batman is ten million U.S. dollars."
The atmosphere immediately became thick. These carefully selected thugs all looked hideous, their eyes blazing like addicts high on drugs—which they actually were.
To eliminate the terrifying shadow left by Batman, Victor had distributed freshly produced nerve stimulants to his men before they came.
Once they started fighting, the drugs would turn them into fearless lunatics.
The Ambush
The Lamborghini drove quietly down the deserted street. Inside, Emily stared straight ahead, sometimes frowning, sometimes relaxing, her mind focused entirely on the scene that had just unfolded.
As an FBI agent, she knew Gotham City's situation well. It was the worst and most chaotic place for public safety in the entire U.S. Corruption was rampant, from councilors and the mayor down to beat cops and clerks—it was rotten to the core.
Finding an honest cop here was like chasing a pipe dream.
Jim Gordon's appearance, however, gave her a new perspective.
Luke chuckled. "What are you thinking about? You haven't said a word."
"That police officer just now!"
Emily turned, speaking intently. "Why did he let us go?"
"Because he is Jim Gordon!"
"You know him?"
"No."
"Then how did you know he would let us go?"
"Because he is Jim Gordon!"
The identical answer, even the delivery, hadn't changed. Emily grumbled in annoyance, "Stop patronizing me."
Luke shrugged. He couldn't exactly say: That's how the comic book is written. Jim Gordon is one of Gotham City's few remaining good cops, Batman's old partner, and has a super-intelligent, beautiful daughter.
Just as he was thinking, a rapid drip-drip sounded in his ear.
"Warning! Warning! Dangerous attack detected. Activating automatic defense system."
A micro-turret appeared on the car roof. A blue electric light shot from the muzzle, striking a rocket-propelled grenade six meters from the car.
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted from behind, shaking the entire car.
Luke's expression shifted. He gripped the steering wheel, trying hard to maintain control.
At the same time, a large truck appeared at the intersection ahead. A dozen men with submachine guns leaped out of the back, spraying the Lamborghini with wild gunfire. They charged forward, shouting war cries as they fired.
Bullets rained down on the car, sparking fiercely but bouncing off. The armored Lamborghini stood firm under the hail of bullets, like an armored tank.
"Who are they? Why are they attacking us?" Emily shouted.
"Who else but a gang."
The ambush happened too quickly. Luke didn't have time to analyze the situation. Seeing the thugs getting closer, he quickly spun the car around and drove back the way they came.
After only a few dozen meters, a row of headlights suddenly appeared ahead. Several black Mercedes-Benz cars were parked side-by-side in the middle of the road. Next to each car were thugs holding rocket launchers. At the very front was Victor Zsasz, who was now wearing a neat suit with a white flower pinned to his chest, as if in tribute to someone.
With a roar of savage delight, the ground suddenly shook.
The thugs with rocket launchers leaned back. The rockets blasted out of their tubes, whistling toward the Lamborghini.
Time seemed to freeze. Citizens awakened by the gunfire in the surrounding buildings covered their mouths, their eyes wide with horror.
The next second, time resumed.
A blue electric light shot out, and the foremost rocket instantly exploded. Two more electric lights flew out, hitting two more rockets. The last rocket surged through the flames, narrowly missing the car body in Emily's desperate gaze before crashing into the building beside them.
Boom!
The explosion came from the left, almost flipping the Lamborghini.
"Damn it! My car!"
Luke cursed. Before he finished speaking, familiar red dots appeared on the screen.
Two electric lights flew out, followed by a deafening roar that pierced the eardrums.
Firelight consumed the entire view. The Lamborghini, which hadn't even landed properly, was lifted into the air again. The car shook violently, as if it would disintegrate in the explosion any second.
The relentless attacks completely enraged Luke. He floored the accelerator, charging forward recklessly.
Seeing the car's hood about to plunge into the flames, Emily couldn't help but scream.
"Close your eyes."
"What!"
The girl stared at him blankly.
Luke turned his head.
"I said, close your eyes!"
The cold tone was just like his indifferent eyes. Emily shivered inexplicably, quickly lowering her head and squeezing her eyes shut.
Two seconds later, the electronic voice rang out.
"Activating Annihilation Mode."
Annihilation Mode? What is Annihilation Mode?
Emily felt uneasy. Just as she was about to ask, a white light flashed across her dark vision, like lightning splitting the sky.
The street fell into a sudden silence. The citizens peering out of their windows watched in disbelief at the white bolt of lightning, thicker than a human calf.
The lightning struck the Mercedes-Benz cars, creating an electric field that crisscrossed with countless dense arcs. Victor Zsasz didn't even have time to open his mouth before his vision went dark.
His body convulsed violently under the electric current. Charred marks even appeared on his skin.
With just one strike, nine thugs, including Victor, were taken down. This sight stunned not only the citizens but also the drug-fueled lunatics behind them, who instantly sobered up. They looked at each other, hesitating, but none backed down.
Luke spun the car around, aiming the blue-glowing cannon on the hood directly at them.
"Target locked. Commence attack?"
Luke took a deep breath and said coldly,
"Leave none alive!"
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