Chapter 358: Wayne Manor (5)
Luke Takes Control
"You people!"
A sigh, laced with exasperation, came from the stairwell. Luke strolled out, holding a device that resembled a projector.
"You stole my cargo, you're wearing my armor, you broke into someone else's house, and you're killing people—the Gotham District Attorney, no less—right in front of me."
"Even if you're trying to frame me, you don't have to be so brazen about it. You clearly don't take me, Luke Shaw, seriously."
"Luke Shaw!" The two remaining attackers' faces instantly contorted. They lunged toward him.
Luke snorted, turning the device. A blue light, embedded with a decryption sequence, shone onto the two men. Their power armor immediately went into a freeze state.
"And the worst part is, you stole the armor but didn't bother to crack the program. A bunch of idiots!"
Luke was thoroughly disgusted, feeling a profound sense of insult by their amateurish approach.
The immediate fatal crisis was averted. Alfred let out a long breath and quickly approached.
"Mr. Shaw, this armor..."
Luke shook his head. "Now is not the time for this. Get the guests out through the back door. The faster, the better."
Alfred frowned slightly. He wasn't blind; he could clearly see the attackers' armor was closely related to Tesla. After a moment's consideration, he resigned himself to silence. The priority was the guests' safety; everything else could wait.
With the three assailants neutralized, the servants opened the back door, escorting the guests to evacuate in an orderly fashion.
The incident had happened too fast. No one had ever imagined that someone would dare to attack Wayne Manor in Gotham, especially during such a high-profile event.
Gunshots continued to ring out intermittently outside, punctuated by brief screams. Since many VIPs were present, Alfred had specially brought in security personnel from a Wayne Enterprises subsidiary. It was these guards who had bought the guests precious time to retreat.
A Demonstration of Power
The crowd poured frantically toward the back door, but Harvey Dent remained. He clutched his bleeding shoulder and walked up to Luke, his eyes fiercely locked on him.
"That armor they're wearing—did you manufacture it?"
Luke glanced at him dismissively. "No comment."
"Luke Shaw!" Harvey Dent roared hoarsely. "Don't try to lie to me. I saw the armor's performance. It's not the common armor on the market. You manufactured it specifically, didn't you?"
"Why would armor manufactured by Tesla be on these criminals? Did you sell it to them?"
Luke frowned, a flash of impatience in his eyes. "Mr. Dent, watch your tone. Don't forget, I just saved your life. If I hadn't intervened, your gut would be sliced open by now."
"One should be grateful, understand?"
Luke gave him a cold look and strode over to the first attacker. He casually reached out and the faceplate automatically slid open, revealing a completely unfamiliar face.
"What's your name?"
The man grinned maniacally. "Luke Shaw, you can't escape. No one in this manor tonight is getting out alive. You're all going to die here."
Luke was amused. "It seems you want to play the hero. Fine. I admire men like you the most. A friendly reminder: The core program of this armor was designed by me personally. Which means, if I want it to expand, it expands. If I want it to contract, it contracts."
With that, to the stunned gazes of the onlookers, he raised his right hand, spread his five fingers, and slowly closed his fist. A horrifying scream suddenly echoed through the hall.
The three armored assailants' faces twisted, rapidly turning congested as if their necks were being squeezed. The armor on their bodies began to shrink inward. The plates crushed their flesh, grating against their bones with a sickening crunch. It felt as if a giant's hand was slowly crushing a man to death. Blood squirted out through the armor's seams, forming a dozen small, crimson fountains.
They were bleeding from everywhere, unable to scream, their tongues extended, only making strange gurgling sounds.
The gruesome sight made everyone's skin crawl. Harvey Dent frowned deeply, hesitating, but ultimately choosing silence. He wasn't a traditional prosecutor; he harbored a deeply chaotic side. While Luke's actions violated the law, extreme times called for extreme measures.
Time ticked by. The armor plates embedded in muscle were now blood-red, yet Luke showed no signs of stopping, watching with emotionless eyes.
The shadow of death enveloped the three men. They were terrified, suffering unimaginable agony, their eyes pleading. But Luke remained unmoved.
Crack!
One man's kneecap snapped, and he collapsed onto the floor.
"Mr. Shaw!" Alfred strode over. "That's enough. This is Wayne Manor."
Luke was silent for two seconds, then slowly opened his right hand. The three men gasped for air like they had been reborn, blood dripping from the armor plates onto the floor, leaving garish crimson stains.
In that moment, everyone remaining in the hall felt an extremely complicated emotion: a fear mixed with awe.
"The Young Master Shaw of Coast City!" The veiled lady murmured to herself, taking a deep look at Luke before hurrying out of the hall with her attendant.
Luke always ignored the opinions of others. He walked up to the assailant and looked down at him.
"Now, answer my questions. Who are you? How many people came? What is your mission?"
The attacker was terrified. He dared not conceal anything and spat out all the information he knew. As the words "Court of Owls," "Talons," and "Vengeance" were spoken, the faces of Harvey Dent and Alfred paled.
Everyone who lived in Gotham had heard the stories of the Owl, but most dismissed them as mere legend. Now, the legend was reality.
The three attackers belonged to the Court of Owls. Their targets were not only Luke Shaw, Harvey Dent, and Bruce Wayne at Wayne Manor, but also others. The attacker wasn't sure who, but based on the intel, it was likely key members of the judicial system, including the Police Commissioner and the District Attorney.
They planned to destroy Gotham and welcome a "new birth" from the ruins.
"No, I have to get back to the Prosecutor's Office."
Harvey Dent couldn't stand idly by. He strode toward the exit but was stopped by Alfred. The attackers had surrounded Wayne Manor, and their people were at every entrance and exit. Going out now would be suicide.
Just then, the intensity of the gunfire outside suddenly increased, followed by cheering and shouts of "Batman is here!"
Barbara ran back from the rear, shouting excitedly,
"Luke, it's Batman! Batman is outside, fighting those guys!"
Luke didn't bother to reply. This was Wayne Manor, Batman's home base. If he didn't show up, who else was supposed to clean up his mess?
Batman's arrival slightly eased the tension in the hall. Even Harvey Dent, who held deep prejudice against Batman, breathed a sigh of relief.
Alfred stepped forward and said in a slightly pleading tone,
"Mr. Shaw, I have a favor to ask. Could you please assist Batman? Could you use your device to stop those criminals in the armor?"
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