As Axel tossed the microphone to a reporter, he prepared to push through the crowd and attend to his own business. The reporters, already trained by him, stepped aside after he had answered two questions. Television crews cut their live feeds, and Axel swaggered toward the Diamond District.
People cheered as he passed.
"Hey, Axel!"
"They say you're the new king of Gotham!"
"Boss, can you raise our wages? We're barely scraping by!"
"Why do we always work nights? Gotham never sleeps, Buddy!"
"Help us, Axel! We're ready to die for you!"
Even with the applause, Axel noticed the occasional grumble from the crowd.
At a crossroads, an old man emerged from a cafe and splashed coffee toward Axel. In a blink, Axel was before him.
"Gotham isn't for your kind," he said.
Crack. Axel never heard the rest. With effortless strength, he pulled the man's head along with his spine and tossed him aside. Shaking blood from his hands, Axel chuckled.
"Thought you were going to say the emperor of Gotham has returned. Too bad, haha!"
He stomped casually on the old man's head, silencing the cheering crowd. Eyes widened in horror as chaos filled the street.
Wonder Woman flew from her hotel toward Axel. At the same time, a nearby citizen, after a brief pause, raised his hands in triumph.
"Long live Axel!"
The crowd erupted, and Axel raised his bloodied hand to wave. Diana grabbed it firmly.
"I hesitated for two seconds, and you already have another life on your hands," she said coldly.
Axel shrugged. "Sorry, I'll try one life per second next time. Efficiency is key, after all."
He swung his arm; Diana's feet slipped, and she slid across the ground as cracks spidered beneath her. Axel's growth in strength made her uneasy. She tightened her grip and flung him toward a nearby building.
Axel crashed through an office, snatching a cup of coffee mid-air. He took a gulp and pouted.
"Drinking coffee this early, white-collar life has its struggles."
Employees stared, stunned.
"Does this mean we can take a few days off?"
"Better worry about safety…"
"And where's my coffee?"
Diana caught up and locked Axel's neck, twisting him to press his face against the building. Axel exhaled a sharp breath, creating a shockwave that nearly destroyed the wall. Diana increased her grip, controlling his face with a cross-hold.
Axel couldn't escape. Desperate, he reached for Diana's face and shoved his fingers into her mouth.
Snap!
"Damn it!" Axel cursed as Diana bit off two fingers. She spat them out, cursing in return.
"Shameless!"
"Just wait, my dear, more shamelessness is coming!"
Diana's cross-hold finally subdued him. Axel transformed into a ball of flame, dissipating within her grip.
When he opened his eyes again, he stood before a Sky Rail support pillar. He spread his hands.
"No one can stop me, right?"
His fist slammed into the pillar. Boom!
The 2.8-meter-wide trapezoidal support pillar collapsed, sending the Sky Rail above into a mournful groan. Wayne Group had designed the tracks for safety, so one pillar's destruction wouldn't topple the line. Oswald's plan required at least three pillars to break the railway partially.
A dark figure descended from a nearby rooftop. Axel watched as the man retrieved a steel cable from his grappling gun. Amused, Axel waved.
"Ahem, Buddy, do I pretend not to know who you are, or pretend not to smell you? Covered your face, so… who are you? Guessing time, haha!"
He laughed, rubbing his eyes. Bruce, embarrassed, muttered through his deep electronic voice,
"I am… Batman."
Puhahahahaha! Axel's laughter turned into a belly laugh as he clapped his hands.
"This is epic! I will make you second-in-command of The Dead Souls Gang, Batman!"
"Don't joke, Axel! Gotham has no subway. If you destroy the Sky Rail, the city's transport will collapse for a year!"
Axel ignored him, patting Batman's shoulder. Bruce fell to the ground from the impact. Axel draped an arm over him.
"Buddy, why do you cover everything but your mouth? To let the police know you're a white man so they don't empty their clips on you?"
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