Capítulo 85: Black Mask #85
As he sat on his knees, tending to his arrows, Arthur King, The Dark Archer's breathing was relaxed and smooth as he gazed into the monitor before him, showing the five-story building across the street.
Arthur King, also known as Merlin, was a deadly bow-wielding assassin and contract killer, though he wasn't doing much of that lately because of his never-ending rivalry with the Green Arrow.
Though the emerald might not describe it as a rivalry, more of a lifelong enmity, Merlin didn't care. The Dark Archer saw his relationship with Green Arrow as nothing but a mere rivalry, as he used it to sharpen his skills.
However, Green Arrow wasn't cutting it anymore for Merlin. The Dark Archer had proved time and time again that he was superior to his emerald counterpart in every possible way that mattered.
Merlin was the better marksman, the better martial artist, and the better killer. Green Arrow was no longer a challenge, so he left Star city to look for one.
And what better place than Gotham city, the caped crusader's home, to find a challenge that Merlin can use to better himself? What better man than Batman to act as the grinding stone for Merlin to evolve his skills?
Still, the caped crusader was a hard man to find, so he'd settle for someone less, for now, to keep his instincts and skills sharp until the chance to fight Batman arrives.
The Dark Archer decided to join the hunt for the vigilante known as Wraith, but Merlin was no head-strong brute like the rest of the mercenaries prowling the streets.
He was a true hunter and refused to act like the common rabble. Thus, he came up with a simple plan, so simple, in fact, Merlins was surprised not many thought of it.
There was bait for every prey, and Black Mask was the ultimate bait for Merlin's current target. The Dark Archer would need to do nothing but stay near the gang boss and wait for the Wraith to show up.
Merlin wasn't the only one to think of such a simple plan as he noticed two other people lurking near Black Mask's hideout, but he wasn't worried about them.
If it came to it, he would merely neutralize the two mercenaries if they got in his way, and that will be the end of that.
Now, Merlin only had to play the waiting game, and he was nothing if not patient.
...
"Merlin, Lady Vic, and Deadshot..." I mused as I stuffed mouthfuls worth of chocolate cake into my maw and began chewing while formulating a plan of action.
'If I take them out first, I might alert Black Mask...' I mused as I shoved the last bits of the cake into my mouth, my gaze alternating between Black Mask's hideout and the surrounding buildings where the three mercenaries lay waiting.
If that happens, then it would only be a matter of time before every mercenary and thug in the city shows up here to claim the bounty on my head.
'And if I go for Black Mask first... they'll probably get in my way...' I sighed, scratching my head as I hesitated. I had a way to deal with the three mercenaries without causing a scene, but it would put a wedge in my plans.
'I don't want to take them there too early... but I guess there's no other way,' I shrugged as I stood up, activating my phantom belt and jumping off the roof to swing my way toward Black Mask's office.
...
Black Mask couldn't help but frown as he sat on his expensive mahogany desk, slowly and methodically tapping at his chair's armrest, unable to get rid of the bad feeling gnawing at the back of his mind.
Everything was his way for a few days now. Batman was away on League business, and that annoying new vigilante who kept getting in his way was nowhere to be seen, likely hiding in some hole while cowering in fear.
The ungodly number of mercenaries who entered the city to claim the price of Wraith's head would be enough to make anyone sweat. Their presence caused chaos, to which Black Mask capitalized, taking out several rival gangs without anyone's notice.
No one dared challenge him in Gotham other than Batman's sidekicks, but they were too busy dealing with the contract killers and thugs flooding the streets, leaving him to do as he pleased.
Yet, Black Mask, Roman Sionis, couldn't help but have a bad feeling, as if everything would suddenly collapse and come crashing down on him, crushing him into paste.
He moved out of his main office room into a more fortified one with bulletproof windows and had his best men guarding the building and patrolling the area, but the dreadful feeling wouldn't go away no matter what.
And sure enough, Black Mask almost choked on his own saliva when he heard a thud and turned to the window, seeing Wraith materialize out of thin air, staring into his eyes through the red glowing lenses on his helmet.
Through surprised, Black Mask quickly gathered his bearings and pushed a red button under his desk. He even let out a smug grin, trusting the safety of his office.
As long as Wraith was on the other side of the bulletproof windows, there was nothing he could do to Black Mask, or so he thought, but the reality was far from it.
Black Mask's ever-present grin, carved into his face as it was, wavered as Wraith cocked his fist back, and the gangster's eyes widened when he saw it shine with a golden hue.
The vigilante brought his glowing fist upon the bulletproof window, and it immediately shattered into countless tiny pieces, some of which flew right into his disfigured face, causing him to scream in agony.
The office door opened, and several armed men came in, immediately opening fire on the Wraith, but the latter didn't move a muscle or flinch as the bullets bounced off his body.
The vigilante calmly took out a gun from his coat and slowly fired one bullet after the other, and Black Mask's subordinate fell every time he pulled the trigger.
Black Mask didn't know if his men were dead or unconscious, and he didn't particularly care as the fifth and last of them fell, giving him the urge to go and kick them while they were down for their incompetence.
Regardless of his urge, he didn't get the chance to do anything as the vigilante began approaching him.
Being the cliched villain that he was, Black Mask turned to Wraith to spew threats and remind the vigilante of who he was messing with, but the latter didn't seem to be in the mood to listen.
Wraith raised his fist and buried it in Black Mask's nose, instantly breaking it and rendering the gang boss unconscious as the vigilante picked him up and threw him on his shoulder before moving back to the window.
...
"Now that's one ugly sack of potatoes..." I remarked, shaking my head with a chuckle as I picked up Black Mask, put him on my shoulder, and walked back to the window.
I peered through the opened window and noticed a man in a tight black body suit standing on the rooftop of the opposite building. The man had a blank expression as he knocked an arrow into the bow in his hands.
The man's expression didn't change as he drew the bow's string to its limits and let loose. I raised an eyebrow at how fast the arrow flew and moved my head to the side at the last possible second, causing it to fly past me.
The arrow hit a wall behind and exploded loudly, and I merely raised my hand, giving the archer my middle finger before using my steel wire to swing away, to which he frowned and quickly began chasing after me.
I noticed another man in a black and red suit aiming at me with a sniper rifle and stored the steel wire in my inventory, throwing Black Mask ahead of me as I somersaulted in the air to dodge the shot.
The bullet flew right above my shoulder, and I didn't forget to give the man the middle finger as well before I dived behind Black Mask to pick him up before he fell to the ground and turned into a pancake.
I caught up with the gang boss and picked him up, merely three meters away from hitting the ground. Then I retrieved my steel wire and swung away from the sharpshooter's line of sight.
...
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