Starting With Batman

Grove Group, the largest medical conglomerate in Riverton City, was known far and wide for its influence. Yet, for Charlie, the name wasn't associated with healthcare or prestige. His memories of the group were tied to Felix, a wealthy senior whose family sat atop a fortune. He recalled the lavish dinner from the dining establishment. The table had overflowed with exotic delicacies, chandeliers sparkling above; such an extravagant meal was nonchalantly dismissed by Felix, who didn't even bother to show up.

But now, standing in the cold, dark depths of an ancient ruin, Charlie couldn't help but wonder why a company with such wealth had sent three of its employees to a place like this. It seemed far removed from their pristine boardrooms and medical breakthroughs. Was this some twisted form of corporate team-building? It didn't make sense.

"The holographic simulation is offline."

Suddenly, the light around Batman shifted. The digital camouflage he had been using—an advanced system that cloaked him in the uniform of The Ninth Special Service Division—faded away. As pale blue ripples of light shimmered over his body, the illusion dissolved like water running off a stone. The gray-black armor beneath emerged, dark as the void, and his iconic cape billowed into view. Batman, the Dark Knight, was fully revealed.

There was no point in continuing the deception. The group of unknown forces he had been tracking wouldn't be fooled for much longer, especially now that they had entered the ruin. Pretending to be an agent of the Division had gotten him past the heavily guarded entrance, but inside, where the pitch-black maze unfolded, stealth was far more effective than trickery. This environment was his home field.

However, this place was unlike any other he had encountered. The labyrinthine structure defied logic. High platforms floated in the air, and the moment anyone tried to climb them, their position would shift as if reality itself was playing tricks on their senses. Batman couldn't rely on his usual method of grappling across rooftops or tracking his targets from high vantage points. The ruin's structure seemed to warp space, making navigation metaphysical, confusing. One wrong move, and you could lose your bearings.

Charlie, controlling Batman from the shadows, observed carefully. His years of experience in operations like this allowed him to quickly adapt, but even he hadn't yet deciphered the ruin's patterns. The real challenge would come if the opposition had night-vision capabilities. Stealth would be far trickier. Thankfully, Charlie excelled in operating under such conditions.

As Batman slipped deeper into the darkness, his eyes remained fixed on the group he was tailing. They were a small team—two men and one woman—moving cautiously through the ruin. Each wore combat uniforms, their gear light but functional. The formation they held was classic: a triangle with their backs covered, always on guard. Charlie couldn't help but feel a slight sense of irony. This setup was something you'd see in military operations or even adventure novels. It made him think of hero trios like Team Seventh or Hogwarts' famous group. But here, in this shadow-filled ruin, they were no storybook heroes. They were survivors.

"It's so dangerous... Those things didn't catch up, did they?" Hank Shaw, the youngest of the three, spoke first. His voice was ragged, his breaths coming out in gasps. He sounded like he had just finished running a marathon, his words barely able to keep up with his lungs.

"No... we should be clear," Jenna Blake, the only woman, replied in a steady tone. Her gaze remained focused on the dark passage ahead, but her mind seemed elsewhere—perhaps still processing the horror they had just escaped.

She glanced at the third member of the team, James Quinn, admiration shining in her eyes. "Thanks to you, James. Your quick thinking saved us."

James leaned against the cold stone wall, trying to catch his breath. His chest heaved, his muscles tense from the recent exertion. Sweat dripped down the side of his face, but he managed to wave her praise away. "Just luck," he muttered, his voice modest but tinged with exhaustion.

But even as he spoke, his sharp eyes scanned the darkness beyond. He couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that they weren't alone. His hand instinctively tightened around the weapon at his side. "Don't let your guard down," he warned, his voice dropping to a whisper. "They could still be out there."

"Those ghouls were terrifying," Hank said, shuddering as he spoke. "The captain warned us they were tougher than the infected, but I wasn't ready for that. It was a miracle we got away."

Charlie's mind raced. Ghouls? That must be what they called the twisted black creatures he had encountered earlier. Based on their conversation, it seemed this team had anticipated facing such horrors, which meant they had more knowledge than most. They were well-prepared for this mission—far more than anyone else who had ventured into the ruins.

Charlie thought back to the four creatures Batman had dispatched without breaking a sweat. Was that really what these three were so terrified of?

"Don't worry," Hank said, trying to inject some bravado into his voice as he gave Jenna a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "If they come back, I'll take them out."

James snorted, half amused. "You were the first one to run. We could barely keep up."

"Hey, I was just drawing their fire," Hank stammered, his face turning red as he laughed awkwardly. "Gotta protect the team, right?"

"Enough." James pushed himself off the wall, his tone firm. "We need to move. We're not safe here."

The three regrouped, each taking a moment to steady themselves before moving forward. They had no idea that Batman was watching, covering their every move from the shadows.

James pulled out a handheld device, something resembling a high-tech smartphone. The screen illuminated his face in a ghostly glow as he scrolled through it, occasionally glancing up to compare their surroundings to whatever was on the screen. His expression grew more serious with each step.

"Friday, can you intercept his screen?" Charlie asked, intrigued by what James was looking at.

"Apologies, sir. The device isn't networked. I can't hack it remotely."

"Alright," Charlie murmured, "we'll do this the old-fashioned way."

Batman crept closer, his movements as silent as the night. With calculated precision, he slipped into the shadows just behind the trio, getting close enough to see the device in James's hand. A quick flick of his wrist activated the universal decoder, and within moments, the screen's contents were mirrored on his own device.

It was a map—a highly detailed, 3D map of the ruin. The paths on the screen shifted in real-time, as if the entire facility was alive, constantly moving and rearranging itself.

"Friday, does this look like the ruin's layout?" Charlie asked, his eyes scanning the ever-shifting display.

"Very possible, sir. It matches the environment's unpredictability."

The more Charlie looked at the map, the more convinced he became. This group wasn't just wandering aimlessly. They had somehow unlocked the ruin's secrets, using this map to guide them through the treacherous terrain.

But how had they managed to create a dynamic map of such a place? And more importantly, how had they even gained access? The entrance was guarded by The Ninth Special Service Division. Even Batman had needed to disguise himself as an agent to infiltrate the ruins. What was their connection to this place?

Just then, Friday's voice cut through his thoughts. "Enemy detected, sir."

Charlie's gaze snapped to the shadows, where two ghouls emerged, their bodies twisted and malformed. Their glowing eyes locked onto the trio, hunger and malice burning in their depths.

Oblivious to the danger, Hank let out a nervous laugh. "Looks like we really did lose them."

Batman moved swiftly, and within moments, the ghouls were no more—dispatched silently by the Dark Knight, their bodies crumpling to the ground before the trio even realized they were in danger.

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Posted up to chapter 183

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