章節 12: Chapter 12: Do you have pets
Need some stones
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Chapter 12: Do you have pets
After knocking on the door, Quinn heard the sound of a table leg scraping against the floor inside the room, quite grating to the ears.
A moment later, the door opened, and Barbara was sitting in a wheelchair, her cheeks flushed, and her clothes slightly disheveled.
"Quinn?" Quinn was puzzled by Barbara's appearance as he held a tray in his hand. "The commissioner said you were busy, so I prepared some pastries and tea for you to lift your spirits... Barbara, your face is very red, are you sick?"
Barbara, who should not be able to exercise while in a wheelchair, maintained her composure and touched her burning cheeks with her hand. "Maybe the room lacks ventilation. Please come in."
Quinn entered Barbara's room, which was spacious but minimally furnished. All the furniture was placed against the walls, leaving a large open space in the middle to ensure unobstructed movement for the wheelchair.
"Feel free to sit. So, Quinn, did you encounter any problems at work?" Barbara could tell that Quinn had something on his mind, even though he deliberately tried to show otherwise. Nevertheless, she treated him like an older sister would care for her younger brother.
Quinn put down the tray of refreshments. "The first half was alright; I caught three small troublemakers. But there was an incident later on that really troubled me."
"Share it with me; maybe I can give you some advice."
Barbara thought Quinn might be grappling with doubts typical of rookie police officers who faced criminals taking extreme measures to save their loved ones. This kind of emotional struggle was quite common among newcomers.
However, Quinn had his own set of standards to distinguish right from wrong. He wouldn't have such doubts.
"I had a conflict with a superhero. He took a weapon and attempted to hold me hostage without authorization. I suspect him of assaulting a police officer, so we ended up fighting."
Quinn described his "dilemma": "Neither of us got hurt, but I'm wondering if I can arrest a so-called 'hero' if he breaks the law."
Barbara hadn't expected Quinn to encounter such a social issue so quickly – the clash between "superheroes and the police." This problem had been present since superheroes first emerged and still hadn't been fully resolved. Opinions remained divided, just like with Commissioner Gordon and Batman; they didn't start off with a perfect partnership, and Batman was once wanted by the Gotham police.
The attitudes of other police officers varied depending on the circumstances. Some felt that superheroes were stealing their jobs, while others believed that superheroes lightened their workload. The Gotham City Police Department, for example, wanted more people like Batman to help them deal with the overwhelming number of villains in the city.
But Quinn didn't immediately mention the real issue. He was concerned that Barbara might spit out her tea in surprise, which would stain her clothes. He waited until she put down the teacup before speaking again.
"It's Robin, Batman's follower."
Boom!
There was a sudden movement from the closet against the wall, and Barbara's expression changed.
Quinn looked over, asking, "Barbara, do you have pets?"
His first thought was pets, but then he recalled Barbara's messy clothes when she opened the door.
Barbara tried to compose herself and pushed the wheelchair between Quinn and the closet, saying, "No, it might be a rat. I'll contact the rodent control company tomorrow."
This answer came at a really inopportune time!
Dick Grayson, Batman's first Robin, had left Gotham and was now active in Bludhaven under the new identity of "Nightwing." He also had another identity as Barbara's current boyfriend.
Quinn realized that he might have interrupted the long-lost reunion of the young couple, and he decided to leave. After all, he had achieved his goal of gaining Gordon and his daughter's endorsement. If Damian dared to cause trouble again, Quinn would be ready to use his full firepower.
However, he felt a bit embarrassed by the fact that he had fought his own son in front of Batman during the day and now talked about arresting him in front of his brother's girlfriend
Barbara pretend to think for a moment, propping her chin with her hand. "If you investigate the circumstances, gather crucial evidence, and confirm criminal suspicion, you can make an arrest."
"In this matter, you don't need to consider his identity as a 'superhero.' Breaking the law is breaking the law, regardless of who it is. As long as you have evidence, go ahead and fulfill your duty as a police officer. On this point, I'm sure my dad would support you. With him backing you up, you can rest assured.".
"Thank you for your advice, Barbara. I now understand what to do. Robin is also a human being, a citizen of Gotham, and if he breaks the law, he'll have to face the consequences!" Quinn said emotionally and left, waving his fists.
Barbara didn't know what expression to show. After Quinn left, she closed the door.
"Come out, he's gone."
The closet door creaked open, and Dick, wearing a blue-black bodysuit, jumped out.
Given the obvious noise, Dick knew Quinn had already figured out someone was in the closet, so he left promptly. That was smart, and the resentment from having his good news spoiled dissipated.
"So, this is the person your dad has taken a liking to – quite capable," Dick said in surprise. He had fought with Damian before, and that little lunatic aimed for the vitals in every move, making Dick unsure if he could win. Yet Quinn managed to hold his own against Damian?
"Yeah, he's impressive. Rumors say that he single-handedly confronted the Penguin Gang when he first arrived in Gotham," Barbara wouldn't belittle someone her father had chosen.
Hearing his girlfriend praise another man, Dick suddenly felt uneasy. Moreover, considering Quinn's special identity as Gordon's successor, he couldn't help but ask, "Barbara, your dad didn't have any ulterior motives, did he?"
Barbara pushed him away with a touch of annoyance. "Don't assume everyone is like you."
After all, Dick had earned the title of "DC's First Flirt," and though he hadn't embarked on such a career yet, he had already shown signs of it. Especially since they were separated for long periods, Barbara, who was paralyzed from the waist down, lacked a sense of security.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
Dick hugged his girlfriend, bending down.
Barbara used her fingers to cover the lips that were getting too close. "You still have the mood to do this? Batman must have called you back to Gotham for an important mission."
Dick shook his head, gently moving Barbara's hand away. Softly, he said, "I don't care about that right now. At this moment, you're my top priority."
Actually, Batman called Dick back from Bludhaven, not to assign him a task right away. Batman is not good at being a father, but he knows how to handle personal relationships as he's experienced in the dating scene. Tonight, he left Dick and Barbara some time to be together.
Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a gentle glow on the love-struck couple, just like their tender kiss, so warm and affectionate.
...
Quinn patrolled alone on Flock Avenue, with Manaphy invisibly perched on his shoulder, treating the patrol like a leisurely stroll.
After several encounters with Quinn's "justice enforcement," and with the Mask Society gone from Flock Avenue, the security in the area noticeably improved. Other gangs, upon hearing of a formidable individual who could deflect bullets with a blade, decided it wasn't worth the risk to challenge him. Consequently, Flock Avenue became the first area that Gotham City Police Department managed to reclaim from the control of criminals in the past year.
Having walked for quite a while without witnessing any crimes, people along the way even saluted Quinn, leaving him puzzled.
Taking a bite of the complimentary donut from a street dessert shop, Quinn leaned against the railing on the side of the road, deep in thought.
He had only slept for a day, not a century, yet the criminals he couldn't catch yesterday seemed to have disappeared today.
Quinn was considering asking someone about the situation when he suddenly felt a dart coming his way. Reacting swiftly, he caught the dart and looked up to see a figure dressed in red and green leaping across rooftops.
"Oh, it's this little troublemaker again, and the timing couldn't be better." Quinn carefully put the dart into a plastic bag and decided to follow.
The chase led them nearly a kilometer away. Damian stopped in a deserted alley and turned to face Quinn with his hands behind his back. He began to read out loud, "Father Qin Zhengren and mother Hina Quinn, you were born in Central City in 1994. graduated from the Central City Police Academy and were close friends with Barry Allen. In 2000, their mother died of cancer."
As Damian mentioned his mother's name, Quinn remained remarkably calm.
Damian didn't care about Quinn's reaction at all. He jumped onto the trash can next to him and looked down at Quinn from a height.
"You investigate me,"
Damian corrected, "Not just investigating you, but I need to know about my future partner."
"Future partner?" Quinn's eyes turned cold.
Damian was still immersed in his fantasy of having everything decided: "Yes, I will definitely take over as Batman in the future. You are Gordon's successor. Batman and Gordon are partners. You and I should be the same." Damian's pride was at stake. It was almost a certainty that Quinn would succeed Gordon. Anyone with insight could see that Gordon had his thoughts about it. However, Robin was different. From Dick to Damian, Batman had replaced five Robins. It could be said that Robin was the iron link in Batman.
"But," Damian continued, "compared to the previous Robins, I have an unparalleled advantage" – his surname is Wayne.
"It's inconvenient to tell you the reason. Just know that they were mere followers. I am the only one who is qualified to inherit the name of Batman!" Damian declared.
Dick, who was eavesdropping nearby, was not happy. "This guy's arrogance hasn't changed after all this time."
Batman called Dick back to Gotham and assigned him the task of keeping an eye on Quinn and tracking down the Black Mask. Quinn had confessed to Batman, but the skeptical Batman wouldn't easily believe Quinn's words alone. Batman didn't even fully trust himself, so he asked Dick to observe whether Quinn displayed any abnormal behavior.
For a long time, Quinn didn't make any moves, but now Damian, Batman's younger son, showed up at Quinn's door. Dick knew Damian's character. After Batman had taught him, Damian had shed the assassin's inclination to kill at every turn, but he still carried an air of superiority in his speech.
Older generation heroes might think that Damian had a bad temper and find him cute, but the newer generation of heroes had more opinions about him. Many didn't like him, and Dick had grown used to cleaning up after Damian's messes.
Seeing Damian investigating someone else when he disagreed with him, Dick felt that a fight was imminent. He was about to go down and try to prevent it, but then he heard Damian's declaration of "I am the next Batman," and he sat back down.
Alright then, he's a follower; Dick wanted to see just how capable the future Batman was.
"Very well, I acknowledge your future identity as Batman," Quinn said. He removed the Toya Lake from his back, turned around to perform a sword dance.
As the blade came towards him, Damian blocked it with his arm armor. His immature face flushed not because he couldn't resist but because he felt humiliated. "What do you mean? Aren't we partners?" Quinn pulled back and turned around again.
A two-stage sword dance, twice the strength! Quinn said sternly, "Yes, I said I acknowledge you as Batman. Isn't this just replicating the beginning relationship between Batman and Commissioner Gordon – to apprehend Robin."
This time was different from the last. Both of them were truly angry now. Damian had wanted to befriend Quinn, but he felt tricked by him. Quinn, on the other hand, was angry.
They both gave their all, and under the blessing of triple power, Quinn and Damian fought evenly, unable to gain an advantage. Quinn couldn't fully control his power, and Damian didn't have enough strength.
Damian was a true fighting genius, and just like Quinn could hone his skills through fighting, Damian had been doing the same. Neither stood still.
The glint of their blades flickered, and they separated at the same time, both catching their breath.
"Your strength is indeed impressive, but your swordsmanship seems to have regressed, unable to adapt to the increased power," Damian remarked, gradually adapting to Quinn's strength. He was confident that he could take Quinn down within three minutes.
But Quinn wasn't going to give him those three minutes.
[Name: Secret Learning Tool "Slash"]
[Type: Other]
[Quality: ★]
[Special Effects:]
[Description: Allow Pokémon to learn Slash, which can be used repeatedly.
Slash: Concentrate the power on the blade, make a quick slash, and cut down a big tree.]
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