Chapter 4: Past

On the night streets of Gotham's East End, the Penguin who had been injected with a syringe no longer cried out in pain.

Batman had injected a hemostatic agent into his wound and used a special spray to prevent the serious finger injury from worsening. He then signaled Commissioner Gordon using his Bat-Communicator.

The Penguin had disrupted some sort of "understanding" and attacked the police station, so it was only natural that the Gotham Police Department would handle the situation.

The VIP ticket to Blackgate Prison had already been delivered into the hands of Oswald, the Penguin himself, by Bruce Wayne, which was a demonstration of the integrity that a superhero should have.

However, things were not over yet today.

Mason knew he couldn't just leave like this because Batman was staring at him with those cold, almost emotionless eyes even though the Bat-helmet's visor, Mason could feel the icy cold eyes.

Clearly, Batman was very dissatisfied with his "shameless sneak attack."

"Mason Cooper is a high school dropout from Gotham, a 17-year-old young man who has had no unique qualities and has been raised by a violent old gangster." Batman said in a low voice and added, "Your performance tonight is shady with your past experiences, Mason Cooper. Perhaps you should explain?"

"I guess you probably don't understand how tragic it is to have a drunken father who goes crazy since childhood. What's even more unfortunate is that the man drinks heavily every day."

The young man squatted down under the old man's gaze, picked up the black umbrella "dropped" by the Penguin, and held the exquisite and deadly weapon in his hand.

Without looking into Batman's eyes, he lowered his head and said in a calm but bitter tone, "You have personally put my father in jail three times. I think you know him better than me. In my childhood memories, he rarely smiled. After my mother died, he brought home many women to fool around with. To him, I was more of a burden than a gift.

"Have you ever had a childhood like this, Batman?"

Mason looked up and glanced at Batman, saying, "I guess you certainly haven't. If you had, you would know I have secretly trained and practiced marksmanship to protect myself. Especially after I secretly called the police to take me away when I was seven years old and was almost beaten to death by that man when he found out, I knew that no one could protect me on those worst days, not even you, who could make Gotham tremble.

"You won't show up in that nightmare to take me away, like in comic books."

This sentence instantly pierced Batman's heart of steel like a knife.

Of course, it didn't break through all at once.

But those familiar with the origin story of Batman know that when faced with Batman's questioning, it is easier to gain some sympathy by turning the topic to his parents.

Besides, Mason wasn't just making things up. From the memories he gained after taking over this body, the young man lived a painful life, and his father's death in a gang war was not so much a curse for him as a release.

Of course, such words cannot be said right now. "Tonight, the people I hurt were all members of the Penguin's gang, and they are bad people!"

Seeing the old man's silence, Mason knew his words had worked. He stroked the penguin umbrella in his hand and took a step back, stepping on a fallen bat dart with his foot.

He said loudly, "Since I was a child, Penguin and his gang have locked everything about me. I thought I could get rid of them when I went to high school, but they found me right after my father's death and asked me to drop out of school and join them."

"The bastard at your feet buys insurance for all his subordinates to win their hearts. He claims to be the most righteous boss in the city, but he still hasn't given me my father's insurance money to this day. I hate them. Is there a problem with that?" he asked.

"Only when they're all gone can I get rid of the past, overcome my fears, and embrace a new life. Batman, You're an amazing person, you're not afraid of these guys. They can't hurt you even with guns. But I can't." he added.

"I'm just an ordinary person with good marksmanship. If I get hit, I'll die. I even helped your friend. Is it wrong for me to pursue a new life? Do you want me to apologize to them?" Under repeated questioning, the progress bar for analyzing the "Penguin's armed umbrella," a special engineering creation, has appeared on the screen in front of Mason.

Compared to Batman's high-tech equipment, which often takes hundreds of hours to analyze, this thing's analysis speed is much faster.

In a few more minutes, the blueprint will likely be recorded.

However, this umbrella is most likely going to be taken by Batman, and Mason just wants to get his deserved spoils after the conversation ends.

After an exhausting dozen seconds of confrontation, he opens his hands and says to Batman: "This is my entire background. It's the story of a young man who endured for 17 years and finally found a chance to escape from hell. Believe it or not, it's up to you! But I'm not here to blame you. Actually, I'm here to thank you."

"Without your intervention, the conflict between me and the Penguin's gang wouldn't have ended so easily" Mason added.

"End?" Batman finally spoke.

His cloak covered his body, and the dark, low battle armor maintained his usual aloof posture as he spoke hoarsely, "This is not the end at all. It's just the beginning. What you did tonight cannot be concealed. The Penguin's gang will not disband just because he and his cronies are jailed. Oswald has a group of killers in the city specifically for dealing with situations like this. I won't comment on the enmity between you and the Penguin's gang."

"I also have no intention of pointing out your views on your father. But, Mason, you've put yourself into a terrible situation and may not even live past tomorrow night." Batman added

"That's my business, the path I choose. I walk alone," Mason felt a little uneasy, but he still acted like a rebellious young man. He picked up his gun and slung it over his shoulder, looked at Batman, and whispered,

"Can I leave now? Batman, I need to go back and prepare to go on the run."

"Stay here and wait for Gordon. He'll protect you," the Batman said briefly.

Mason widened his eyes and said in a low voice "There are gangsters in the police station! If it weren't for you showing up tonight, those corrupt cops would have sold Commissioner Gordon to the Penguin the first chance they got. You can't be unaware of this, can you? Are you asking me to jump into the tiger's den?"

"Gordon has a few trusted, safe houses," Batman replied.

Batman didn't explain much. When the sound of sirens echoed in the distant streets, he swung his hook gun and threw his Batarang high up.

As he flew up, Batman warned, "If you say you want a peaceful life, Mason, you better stick to it. I'll be watching you." With a swoosh, the man's figure disappeared into the night, blending in with the darkness.

Mason stood still and watched him leave, taking another look at the armed umbrella of the Penguin in his hand.

Did Batman leave it for him to hold? Or maybe he thought Mason needed it to protect himself in the coming situation? Mason blinked his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

Regardless, it seemed that the carefully prepared rhetoric he had planned along the way had indeed moved the Master. Perhaps it was some kind of "resonance" between the two orphans?

"Drop your weapon!'"

As the police car swiftly skids to a stop, Commissioner Gordon's loud shout echoes in the dark night. Mason has no intention of showing off his bravery. He raises his hands and allows the officers to approach and confiscate his weapons.

Chief Gordon walks over with an expressionless face, harshly taking the tracker from Mason's arms, threatening to punish the disobedient child. But in the end, he only pats him on the shoulder and rushes to check on the unconscious Penguin, handcuffing him himself.

Batman stands alone on a rooftop like a statue on the corner of the street, watching the police cars leave. After the shining lights completely disappear, Alfred is activated, and Batman speaks into the communication device in his ear.

"Alfred, enter the Gotham City resident database, the keyword 'Mason Cooper,' and check all of his information. Focus on whether he has a police record at age seven and any records of abuse by his father."

"Wait a moment, sir."

Alfred's calm voice comes from the communication device hidden in Batman's helmet's bat ear tech. After a few seconds, the old butler sighs and answers, "Yes, the information matches your description. This child has been sent to the hospital three times at the ages of six, ten, and thirteen. The mildest case resulted in a fractured rib. He himself is well-behaved. Despite having a father involved in organized crime, he has no record of theft or burglary. Although his grades were not outstanding in school, according to his graduation records, all his teachers had positive evaluations of him, except for his slight tendency to be unsociable."

"Oh, by the way, this child is a fanatic 'Batman fan' and was a key member of a group of high school students who worshipped you," Alfred said.

After finishing, Alfred hesitated for a moment and asked, "Master, are you training a new Robin again? Do you need me to prepare adoption documents and call that person? This child has no remaining family."

"No."

Batman firmly refused, and as he turned to leave, he said to Alfred.

"I see Jason in him. Maybe he'll be safer without contact with me. Keep an eye on him, Alfred. He's been suppressed by the darkness for too long. Tonight's outburst may just be the beginning. But whether he'll return to calm or become distorted. As for me, I just don't want to see another inmate in Arkham Asylum. This city has enough troubles already."

In the early morning hours, Commissioner Gordon personally drove Mason to a safe house in the Otisburg area. He was very cautious and had no accompanying personnel except himself.

Clearly, he also knew that his police station was not so clean.

"Next few days, you'll stay here and wait for further instructions," the Commissioner said, throwing a large bag of emergency supplies onto the bed of the small apartment.

He then looked at Mason, who had changed his clothes and was wearing a baseball cap to hide his appearance and said, "Don't go out. There's a takeout phone on that table and an emergency communicator on the nightstand. Let me ask you again, are you really willing to testify against Oswald in court?"

"I've already angered him to this point, if I don't testify, they won't let me go," Mason replied, walking to the window and slightly raising the blinds. From there, he could see the Miller Harbor and the Gotham River flowing through the city at night.

He turned to Commissioner Gordon and asked, "How long will the Penguin be locked up for?"

"With his record, at least 235 years." added the Commissioner, shrugging his shoulders. "Of course, assuming he doesn't escape from prison.' "

This information didn't seem to faze Mason at all, as he quipped, "So, as a police commissioner, you're already assuming that the bad guy you'll personally catch and send to prison will inevitably escape, huh?"

"This is Gotham. Anything is possible here" the Commissioner replied with a nervous chuckle."

Checking the time on his watch and getting ready to leave, the Commissioner was stopped by Mason's request. "Leave me a weapon, just in case. What about my custom-built gun?"

"It's in the evidence department."

Gordon pushed his black-framed glasses and glanced at Mason. Perhaps he thought this young man was indeed special. After hesitating for a few seconds, he took out his backup gun from his pocket and placed it on the table, leaving an extra magazine. He said, "Stay safe."

Mason watched as the Commissioner left and played with the gun, looking out the window as the car drove away. He locked the door and took a bath before returning to the room to grab his umbrella and two bat-shaped throwing darts he had found in his shoes.

He placed them on the table, and the screen immediately displayed their information tags.

Title: The Armed Umbrella of Penguin Man

Quality: Fine Engineering Special Item · Excellent Craftsmanship

Status: Complete Set (Semi-Automatic Rapid Fire Gun · Combat Spear · Staff Sword · Miniature Flame Thrower · Miniature Poison Gas Sprayer · Umbrella Surface Bulletproof Shield · Ejection Flying Knife)

Manufacturer: "Penguin Man" Oswald Cobblepot

Item Description: We generally refer to this kind of creative and versatile self-defense weapon as the "Deathtrap 3000."

Tip: The blueprint has been included, and after upgrading engineering skills, it can be deeply modified.

"Click."

Mason twisted the bent umbrella handle, causing the umbrella to emit a gear-like click. Under his gaze, a snow-white blade protruded from the umbrella's tip.

Again, with a slight turn of the umbrella handle, the tip of the umbrella was replaced with a thin nozzle.

As he turned the umbrella handle to the end, the sharp umbrella tip shot out with a whoosh and slammed into the wall. The hollow point the size of a pinkie finger plunged into the concrete, and the tip still trembled rapidly.

Mason grinned and retrieved the umbrella tip, then opened the loading port on the umbrella handle and filled it with bullets from Commissioner Gordon's gun.

This thing held fifteen rounds, but loading was time-consuming, and shooting was clearly its most insignificant function.

All those dazzling little accessories were hidden in a circular mechanical box at the top of the umbrella, which looked very delicate, just like a music box.

With Mason's current engineering level of Lv0, he could be certain that if he took this thing apart, he wouldn't be able to put it back together by himself.

He played with the umbrella for a while, then picked up two sharply designed and exaggerated bat-shaped throwing darts and held them up to his eyes, and the information label popped up again.

Basic Bat-Dart

Quality: Excellent forging/engineering item · Outstanding craftsmanship

Status: No components installed. The central part of the Dart reserves seven different weapon slots of different sizes, which can meet different needs, including explosives, electromagnetic shock, blindness, toxins, and monitoring.

The Dart be used for close combat when the blade is pulled out.

Maker: Wayne Industries Technology Research and Development Department

Item description: Do you know that the cost of this small piece of iron is enough to buy a new car if you borrow some fucking money? Are you willing to throw it out and hurt someone

Tip: Sample collected, blueprint included.

"Who can afford to use this shit other than Bruce Wayne?"

Mason sighed and said, "So the villains who were knocked down by the Bat Dart were actually hit by a luxury car? That's buying power. Sigh, I envy him."

But before the young man's envy had subsided, a message appeared on the screen in front of him: entering combat mode.

"?"

Mason blinked in surprise.

The next second, some heavy object hit the wall of this "safe house," followed by a violent explosion that shook the entire apartment. Mason was blown away and hit the other side of the wall, then climbed up and spat out blood.

But he reacted quickly and grabbed Penguin's umbrella in the chaos, opened it with a whoosh like a shield, and held it in front of him.

The impact hit the cover of the umbrella with bangs, and the flying bullets pulled Mason back into the crazy gun battle of several hours ago.

The black smoke rose from the collapsed wall. Several masked men rushed in with automatic weapons, but Mason had already locked onto them with his floating targeting crosshair before they even saw their target.

Holding the umbrella in one hand and the trigger of the gun attached to the umbrella handle in the other, Mason fired three shots and took out two of the intruders.

He grabbed the closest dropped rifle, tucked Gordon's backup gun into his pocket, and rushed out of the door in the middle of the sound of gunshots from behind.

The safe house at the Gotham City Police Department was indeed safe, at least for the killers.

.....

https://www.patreon.com/Abyssuit

You can find up to 13 advance chapters at my patreon