518. Robin!
As the aura of the Vermin Beast manifested around Alex, an overwhelming sense of authority radiated from him without reservation.
Both being rodents, the Vermin Beast, a hybrid of human and beast with superhuman abilities, held a genetic dominance over ordinary rats. While the Ratcatcher could communicate with rats, he could not erase the deep-seated genetic imprint that the Vermin Beast exuded.
In an instant, as the rats gazed into Alex's crimson eyes, chaos erupted among their ranks.
They trembled in terror, desperate to flee but paralyzed by Alex's presence. Unable to move, they remained frozen, quivering where they stood.
Seeing these creatures devoid of any will to fight, Alex opened his mouth, revealing his sharp fangs, and exhaled a long breath.
"Get lost!"
This low growl was both a command and an act of rcy.
The swarm of rats, as if granted freedom from so unseen oppression, scurried away in all directions. It was as though a horrifying presence lood behind them, and they wished for nothing more than to sprout additional legs to flee faster.
Their departure was even quicker than their initial arrival. Within five seconds, the dense black swarm that had engulfed the area near the port dispersed entirely.
Initially, Alex had considered using a higher-level demonic aura to frighten the rats, but rats were rats—creatures at the very bottom of the food chain. They clearly couldn't withstand that level of intimidation.
If Alex had truly unleashed his demonic aura, the rats wouldn't have even had ti to flee. Within two breaths, they would have died of sheer terror.
The sight of the rats swarming the area was already nauseating to Alex. The thought of them dying en masse because of him, leaving a field of carcasses, was enough to make him gag.
In the end, Alex opted to use the Vermin Beast's ability instead. It didn't take much—just enough to send the rats scurrying back to the sewers.
Since Alex had his back to the Ratcatcher, the latter didn't notice Alex's brief transformation. All he saw was Alex turn around and issue a single command, after which the rats, once under his complete control, instantly broke free.
For the first ti since gaining the ability to communicate with rats, the Ratcatcher sensed such profound fear from them. This wasn't the fear of a mouse seeing a cat.
This was primal terror, born from instinct, as if staying any longer would lead to a fate worse than death.
"Who... Who the hell are you?!"
The Ratcatcher stared at Alex in horror, disbelief etched across his face.
But Alex didn't respond imdiately. He raised an eyebrow as if sensing sothing, then slowly relaxed.
His gaze shifted to a three-story stack of shipping containers nearby. Despite the darkness of the night, Alex could clearly see a figure clad in black standing atop one of the containers.
"Since you're here, there's no need to keep hiding."
Ignoring the Ratcatcher below, Alex addressed the shadowy figure.
Hearing Alex's voice, the startled Ratcatcher also turned his gaze. It didn't take long for him to recognize the all-too-familiar silhouette.
Watching as the figure leaped gracefully from above, weaving swiftly through the steel frawork and closing in on their position, the Ratcatcher's face darkened.
"Just a little bird, huh? Where's the old bat?"
It seed the old Batman had truly taken Alex's earlier advice. Judging by the Ratcatcher's reaction, this "Robin" had already started making a na for himself in Gotham.
It made sense—Bruce Wayne was well into his seventies, and Alfred had long since passed away. Relying on Batman to protect Gotham was becoming increasingly unrealistic.
If Gotham had retained its previous state of peace, Bruce Wayne's retirent wouldn't have been a problem.
But with General Zod's terraforming plan foiled and this tiline fully liberated, villains who had previously been "nonexistent" were now reerging in this world.
The Ratcatcher was neither the first nor the last. It was likely that Gotham would soon see the return of many familiar faces.
While Alex pondered this, the young man finally approached.
His gaze landed on the figure before him. Unlike the classic Robin with his short shorts, this version wore a sleek black bodysuit accented with deep red on the torso. A cape, similar to Batman's, draped behind him.
Wearing a mask over his eyes, Robin stared cautiously at Alex. He wasn't concerned about the Ratcatcher, whom he had fought nurous tis, but this unfamiliar Asian man put him on high alert.
Robin had arrived slightly late and missed the mont when the Ratcatcher had threatened the hostages. However, he had witnessed Alex effortlessly dismiss the swarm of rats with a single word.
This bizarre sight, coupled with the fact that he had never encountered anyone like Alex in Gotham before, instinctively made Robin associate him with a dangerous superpowered individual.
"Robin, right?"
In Alex's eyes, this man was also an unfamiliar presence.
He didn't resemble Jason, Dick, or Damian, whom Alex had encountered before, so it was difficult for Alex to determine the man's identity for the ti being.
"Who are you?" Robin maintained a defensive posture, gripping a short staff tightly as he glared warily at Alex.
"Relax, I'm not your enemy."
Alex looked at Robin calmly, then planted his umbrella on the ground like a cane. He was confident that Bruce Wayne was monitoring the situation.
Sure enough, the next mont, a faint sound ca through Robin's earpiece.
(Capture the Ratcatcher; this man is an ally.)
Though the voice was faint, Alex's enhanced hearing easily picked it up.
Hearing the familiar voice after so long eased Alex's nerves. He had worried earlier that Bruce Wayne might have passed away.
However, from the steady, powerful tone of the voice, Alex could tell that Bruce was still in fine shape, aging yet vigorous.
Robin's expression shifted briefly as he listened to Batman's words. Though he didn't lower his guard completely, he nodded slightly to Alex before rushing toward the Ratcatcher.
Alex didn't mind Robin's cautious behavior; in fact, he approved of it. It seed the aging Batman had indeed found a worthy successor.
The fight against the Ratcatcher didn't last long. Without the support of his rats, the scrawny Ratcatcher was no match for Robin, who excelled in close combat. Within a few moves, Robin knocked him unconscious.
After freeing the hostages, one of them—a rotund man—suddenly stood up. Gone was his earlier pitiful deanor. Glaring at the unconscious Ratcatcher, the man furiously prepared to exact revenge.
Before he could approach the Ratcatcher, Robin stepped in to block him.
"What are you doing?"
"Doing? Look at ! This bastard tied up and dragged here. He deserves to rot in the sewers. Do you even know how expensive this suit is?"
The man showed no respect for Robin, shoving him aside as he angrily moved to puml the unconscious Ratcatcher.
"He should be tried by Gotham's police, not subjected to your vigilante justice," Robin said firmly.
"Heh!"
The man let out a derisive laugh at Robin's words and turned to face him.
"Listen, little bird. I know you're trying to emulate the urban legend of old Gotham, but tis have changed. Do you even know who I am?"
"And do you know who I am?"
Alex, who had remained silent until now, interrupted the man coldly. Looking down at him, Alex spoke in an icy tone.
"I'll give you one chance to leave. Otherwise, want to bet whether that kid next to you can protect you when I decide to kill you?"
The chilling words hit the man like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing his anger. Fear flickered in his eyes as he glanced at Alex, recalling what had just happened.
The Ratcatcher, who had eluded Robin and the GCPD for months, was subdued by this black-clad man in re monts. Faced with such a figure, the man's courage quickly faltered.
He didn't fear Robin because he knew the young hero was righteous. Robin had always fought cri without harming ordinary people. The man might not have been a good person, but without evidence, Robin couldn't act against him.
But this man in front of him was a different story. Carrying an umbrella that could double as a weapon, Alex's deanor scread danger—more akin to a gangster than a hero.
Realizing this, the man decided to back down. After casting one last glance at the unconscious Ratcatcher, he hesitated briefly before climbing the stairs and hurrying off in another direction, careful to avoid Alex.
Watching Alex resolve the situation with just a few words—and seeming to know so much about what was happening—Robin couldn't suppress his growing curiosity.
"Who are you?" Robin asked again.
"A friend of Bruce's. Didn't he already tell you?" Alex replied with a faint smile, stepping closer to Robin.
This answer didn't ease Robin's confusion. If anything, it deepened it.
Robin had worked with Bruce Wayne long enough to have ford a bond as both student and friend. Yet, he had never heard Bruce ntion having friends before.
"My na is Alex. I'm just here to check on an old friend," Alex said, extending his hand.
Though hesitant, Robin eventually returned his staff to his belt and shook Alex's hand.
"Robin."
After a mont of consideration, he added:
"Tim Drake."
.....
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