183 Poor Assassin
"You didn't have a chance to plant explosives," Alfred interjected with an unusual somber expression on his face, displaying a hint of anger. "It was my fault for letting you sneak in, but I'm quite certain you didn't have an opportunity to do anything in Wayne Manor."
"There really isn't much our people can do, but a maid who's been working in Wayne Manor for several days has numerous opportunities," Duca remarked, casting his gaze towards Selina, who stood next to Jack. "For example, her."
"...He told me that the listening device was installed," Selina explained to Jack, responding to the scrutiny from everyone.
"That is indeed a bug, but besides eavesdropping, it also has a self-destruct function," Duca explained. "It's our last resort to prevent mishaps! If you don't let us go, then we'll all go down together!"
"Jack?" Bruce turned to Jack for a response.
"A minor hiccup," Jack downplayed it, then locked eyes with Duca. "You know what? You should prepare more strategies. Besides, I didn't plan to pull out this trick originally, but now..."
His words trailed off. Suddenly, Jack's eyes gleamed with a cold intensity.
Across from him, Duca's eyes briefly displayed a hint of internal struggle.
Duca possessed formidable willpower, allowing him to resist Jack's deceptive spell for a brief moment, but ultimately, he was only human.
In an instant, the internal struggle in Duca's eyes vanished.
"I understand," Jack turned around, gazing through the nearby window into the darkness. "Hey, do you want to play hide-and-seek with me? Then run quickly..."
In the distance, a assassin with a telescope observed the situation inside Wayne Manor, listening through a bug. He was aware of the events inside but refrained from pressing the explosion button, as it hadn't reached the point of no return.
Jack's voice echoed in his headset.
Coupled with Jack's distant gaze through the telescope and the prevailing atmosphere, the assassin suddenly felt a chilling sensation welling up in his heart.
Danger, danger!
The intuition from the depths of his heart screamed, but the assassin's logical thinking suppressed it.
How could someone have such vision? Knowing exactly where you are?
How could someone possess the means to swiftly deal with a person hundreds of meters away?
It must be a coincidence!
That person was merely feigning to frighten me!
Rationality intercepted the warning signal from intuition, pushing it aside.
The tension in the assassin's demeanor eased slightly.
Almost immediately, he noticed Jack had vanished from his line of sight.
"Where did everyone go?" The assassin's eyes widened in alarm.
"Are you... searching for me?" A voice from behind caused the assassin to tense up instantly.
"I warned you earlier, urged you to flee, but it seems you doubted my sincerity," Jack taunted, leaning casually against a nearby tree with a hint of menace in his tone. "And now, here we are... hehehehe..."
To ensure maximum effect and to test his abilities, Jack activated the Heart of Justice, Eye of Justice, and Halo of Justice. Adding the "Aura of Fear" he had just learned from Bruce, the combined special effects reached their zenith!
"..."
A heavy silence enveloped the dark forest.
Jack: "..."
Why the silence?
Jack wasn't concerned about the Shadow Warrior triggering the detonation button in his possession. With his prowess, he was more than capable of disarming the warrior before any harm could be done.
But the prolonged silence puzzled him.
It was this keen observation that allowed Jack to discern subtle clues.
Remaining silent, Jack prodded the figure on the ground.
Then, he flipped it over.
The assassin lay motionless, resembling a corpse... no, he was indeed a corpse, freshly transformed just moments ago.
Jack: "..."
...
Jack rarely resorted to the art of manipulation, knowing that if this ability became public knowledge, even his closest allies would view him with suspicion.
The simplest reason being - how could you trust your own perceptions and fondness for someone if you knew they could manipulate your mind?
Thus, Jack reserved this skill for situations where it was absolutely necessary, and Duka's predicament fit the bill perfectly.
As Jack returned to address the detonation issue, he took the precaution of dispelling his demagoguery skill, preferring not to be seen by Bruce and the others. It was crucial to maintain the element of surprise for their future plans.
In the meantime, Bruce found himself in a vulnerable state, having been swayed by Jack's persuasive tactics. Jack, however, was keen to avoid any further mishaps and focused on securing their 10% share before discussing further details.
In Duca's recollection, Jack had simply vanished, leaving behind a lingering sense of unease. Duca continued to clamor for their release, threatening to detonate the bomb and take them all down with him.
The threat paralyzed the wealthy and influential guests, who were unable to act for fear of triggering the explosives.
But Jack returned, a detonator in hand. He tossed it to Bruce, who caught it with a mix of shock and relief, having momentarily feared the worst.
"Can't you just hand it over properly?" Bruce demanded, his frustration evident.
"Didn't you catch it?" Jack replied nonchalantly, gesturing towards Duca.
Duca, meanwhile, maintained a serious demeanor. "We work in the darkness and guard the light," he stated, attempting to maintain a sense of dignity.
But the reaction he anticipated never came. Instead, Duca's face betrayed a rapid succession of emotions—disbelief, shock, disappointment, and finally, a deep sense of despair.
....
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