7 Chapter-7 Gasping bat (Rewritten)

Gotham was never silent when night fell, but now it has become even noisier than before.

Although there is no lively nightlife, the sound of gunfire and occasional screams keep people from getting any sleep.

They were in the master bedroom on the second floor of the apartment.

Harley Quinn leaned back in Stephen's arms, but she couldn't fall asleep. She could hear Stephen's steady breathing, indicating that he was sound asleep, and his gun was within her reach on the bedside table.

After dusk, Stephen had asked her to take a bath first and then brought her to the bedroom to rest. She thought he might have some unsavory intentions. After all, he didn't strike her as a polite person. However, to her surprise, he merely held her in a cuddling position and went to sleep.

Though she had never been in love or had a boyfriend before, she still knew the typical expectations after two people showered and shared a bed. So, was he considering her as a mere companion? Even though she possessed ample curves and other attractive features, he didn't make any advances when he could have taken whatever he desired, and he even placed his gun near her table.

"What an unpredictable lunatic," Harley Quinn thought to herself, quietly closing her eyes.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

She woke abruptly to the sound of gunfire. Opening her eyes, she realized that it was already bright outside, and Stephen was nowhere to be found. Bewildered, Harley Quinn instinctively got up, opened the door, and went downstairs.

Downstairs.

The door stood wide open.

Stephen sat on the sofa, aiming a gun towards the outside.

Several lifeless bodies lay on the street, clearly victims of Stephen's actions.

"Good morning, how did you sleep?" Stephen smiled and greeted Harley Quinn.

"Morning. I slept well, how about you?" Harley Quinn asked.

"Not bad," Stephen replied with a smile, gesturing towards the kitchen. "I made breakfast. Care to try it?"

"You made breakfast?"

Harley Quinn found it a bit odd. It wasn't that she doubted his cooking skills, but her judgment of him told her that he wasn't the type to diligently take care of others' needs. She went to the kitchen and had breakfast. The taste was quite good. While eating, she watched Stephen skillfully shoot at people on the street who were attempting to enter.

Incredibly accurate!

One shot, one kill.

Perfect headshots.

"Thank you for the delicious breakfast," Harley Quinn approached Stephen after finishing her meal and whispered softly.

Stephen handed his gun to Harley Quinn with a smirk. "Here, take this."

"Me? Why? Why me? My aim isn't as precise as yours," Harley Quinn stammered.

"I'm not interested anymore," Stephen said with a bored expression. Initially, he had been intrigued by shooting, but after a few rounds, it lost its appeal.

Even without exceptional accuracy, it became as dull as shooting at thin air.

"I'll go out for a bit." Stephen patted Harley Quinn on the shoulder and sprang up from the sofa.

Gunshots erupted instantly, and Harley Quinn instinctively lowered her head, taking cover behind the sofa. She suddenly remembered that she had just stood up and raised her head.

To her surprise, she saw Stephen moving swiftly on the street. Despite the continuous gunfire, he seemed to predict the bullets in advance and easily dodged them at unusual angles. The sporadic gunfire gradually ceased, and by the time Stephen disappeared around the corner, he had left behind a trail of destruction.

This... isn't this too extraordinary?

Harley Quinn was shocked and inexplicably jumped out from behind the sofa, chasing after him. However, she couldn't replicate Stephen's incredible performance and could only dodge and return fire simultaneously. When she reached the corner, Stephen was already gone. Harley Quinn instantly regretted the chaotic streets. She had no idea where he was heading, and the remaining bullets were insufficient to clear a safe path back. Thus, she had no choice but to find a nearby hiding spot and wait for Stephen's return.

The turmoil of day and night had turned the streets desolate, littered with garbage, and devoid of people. Occasionally, heads would appear in the windows of the surrounding residential buildings, but they quickly retreated and drew their curtains tightly.

Ring, ring, ring... Ring, ring, ring...

About ten meters away from Stephen, a telephone booth suddenly started ringing.

The ringtone echoed through the quiet street.

Step by step.

Stephen leisurely walked towards the telephone booth. Then, he abruptly disconnected the call without even acknowledging the ringing, and continued on as if he hadn't heard it or spared it a glance.

The persistent ringtone continued until Stephen walked away, then sadly ceased. However, when Stephen reached the next telephone booth, it started ringing again.

Still, Stephen paid it no mind.

For the third time.

And the fourth.

Each time Stephen passed a telephone booth, it would ring. Finally, when Stephen veered off the main road and turned into an alley, he spotted a dark figure in the shadows, leaping from one rooftop to another—like a bat.

Click!

The bat landed on the ground.

The grappling hook retracted, and the eyes beneath the bat mask appeared somewhat annoyed. Was this guy deaf? After making so many calls, she had sprinted across several blocks' worth of rooftops. She took a deep breath, ready to speak, when she noticed Stephen pointing at her and chuckling.

"Perhaps you should take a break. You seem to be out of breath."

"..."

Expressing what she wanted to say in a single breath proved to be exceedingly challenging.

Real Author: Marvel King

Translator: Zatch[King]Rex