Chapter 15 Chapter 15 I poked the wrong spot, it seems...

The speedboat sailed out of Gotham, speeding across the sea. The Black Gang members glanced back repeatedly, but saw no sign of the cape. They circled a few times, apprehensive, before finally delivering the cargo to the port of Bludhaven on time. The lab staff, already growing impatient, roughly slapped black hoods on each of the "cargoes" and shoved them into the next truck.

They had been very careful, even the vehicles they used to move the goods were specially sheathed in lead, but nothing could protect them from the eagle's eyes.

Inside the hood, Elio opened his eyes.

(“I understand how you feel,” Alvin demurs, “but this is my job, and I have the final say.”

Elio puts on his trench coat. "The people locked up are my friends.")

In the swaying carriage, the blue-violet lights of Bludhaven flickered in the dripping rain, illuminating his eyes. Elio didn't move, simply averting his eyes and glancing at the other unconscious gray figures around him. In the driver's seat, two red figures complained about the rainy night.

(“I’ll bring them back,” Alvin said. “I promise you. I’ll get everyone back who can still be saved.”

Elio adjusted the position of his hidden blade. "I thought you were training me to be independent."

"I am." Arvin puts his hand on his shoulder. "But this mission is too early for you. I haven't even asked you to kill anyone yet.")

The truck rattled through downtown Bludhaven. The driver pulled the tabs on his beer cans, talking about getting a new car after this job. They drove past John Rabe Memorial Hospital and the open-air stage in Melville. In the rainy night, the towering cross of St. Eustace Church silently looked down as the truck entered Highway 61 and crossed the short channel.

A flash of lightning flashed by.

A blue-black figure flipped lightly in the air and landed on the platform under the bridge.

(“Does this mean I’m not good enough?” Elio met his eyes.

"No," Alvin told him, "it means you still have a chance to get out of this.)

The truck entered the southern tip of Bludhaven Island. They drove through the rainy, almost-entire Cantina Park, finally stopping at Laney Point, the easternmost point. The driver threw a can out the window, hunched his shoulders, and got out, opening the rear door.

"When will it get warmer?" he complained.

"Maybe when the rain stops."

"But this rain looks like it's going to last forever!"

They chattered as they switched speedboats, lit the lights, and transported the cargo to the small island to the east. After mooring, the driver walked to the abandoned hut and scanned the chip. The lights in the hut lit up, and the elevator slowly ascended.

(“It means you still have a chance to make a choice.”

"choose?"

"To choose to be ordinary. To live an ordinary life," Alvin said. "And that's the life none of us ever wanted. Once you choose the path of an Assassin—once you choose to go before the Templars—there's no turning back. No one ever ends well on that path, at least not anyone I know."

"oh."

Elio looked at his mentor for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "I never knew you were doing charity."

Alvin rolls his eyes. "That's not funny.")

Like the other "cargo," Elio was escorted to a laboratory hidden within the mountain. Under the glaring white light, they were frisked and thrown into holding cells one by one. No one had woken yet, so Elio didn't hesitate to open his eyes, simply listening to the noises outside.

The sound of the pen tip sweeping across the paper, "Guess how long this batch can last?"

"Researchers should be thankful if they can survive more than a month."

The keys jingled, and the footsteps faded away. "I wonder what all the hassle is going on..."

"Mind your own business," another voice whispered to him, "and you'll live longer."

("I know what you're trying to say," Elio said, his smile fading. "You're trying to say I can just step aside and let you guys figure this out. I don't have to do anything. I can just forget about this, treat it like a one-on-one private training session, and go back to my life pretending I didn't know anything, pretending I wasn't going to be terrified that some Templar thug would show up—"

"Elio."

"—and then kill me and everyone around me!"

silence.

“I’ve already run away, Alvin,” Elio said, catching his breath. “I’ve tried. The truth is, it’s not an option.”

In the laboratory, the researcher who had just washed off the blood came out wiping his hands.

"Where are the new test subjects?" he asked casually. "We're monitoring and evaluating them. I want to see the report tomorrow."

"Yes, Dr. Blackwood."

Captain Gunnar responded. Ever since the Templars decided to hand over the "minor matter" of hunting down assassins to Hydra, their specialized counterparts, some of their own agents had been assigned to the Bludhaven lab, tasked with guarding the test subjects and maintaining order.

"Let's go," he turned to his two subordinates and said, "Let's get to work."

They walked towards the place where the newcomers were being held, their footsteps echoing in the white-lit corridor.

"When will Hydra catch the assassin?" the agent muttered. "Are they working?"

"Who knows," Captain Gunnar said. "They keep complaining about how hard it is to live in Gotham. I don't think they want to do it."

"I thought we were working together. If they had caught any of the assassins earlier, we wouldn't have to stay in this dark place every day."

The light from the corridor cast a pale light on their faces. These young men had not seen the sun for a long time and complained about it. They also mentioned Dr. Blackwood - not only did his name sound dark, but his daily routine was also dark, and he was not affected by the lack of light at all.

Some people even swore that they saw spiders crawling inside the doctor's white coat.

Captain Gunnar certainly tried to stop them, but it was ineffective. Deep down, he also disliked this underground work.

"That's enough," Captain Gunnar scolded them casually. "Stop talking."

The agent shrank back, falling silent. Behind Captain Gunnar, they exchanged silent glances until they reached the holding cell, where they finally put on serious faces. Normally, newly captured individuals wouldn't wake up immediately, but some subjects had a higher tolerance and woke up quickly.

They came together to prevent this.

"Same old story," Captain Gunnar glanced around the lifeless cell, "number them first."

Agents registered the unconscious test subjects one by one, manipulating them into positions for testing. Despite specifying specific body types when purchasing, Gotham Black still sent over a number of substandard specimens, most of which would be scrapped at the first stage. Then came genetic sequencing, hormone testing, and immune system testing...

("You never know what they're going to do to you," Arvin laughed. "But I won't let that happen to you again. Come here."

Elio followed his mentor's gesture and walked up to him, then turned his back doubtfully. He felt Alvin's fingers quickly stroke the back of his neck, and then a slight pain pierced through him.

"Ouch!" Elio cried. "What is this?!"

"What do you think a locator is?" Alvin threw away the syringe. "It's just to prevent us from catching up with you. And your hand, hold it out."

Elio reached out, rubbing the back of his neck. Alvin found a spot on his wrist for the hidden blade and pressed it down. It suddenly became a blur and vanished.

"A new type of optical camouflage," Alvin explained to his apprentice's surprised eyes. "It's made of nanomaterials. Even if you can't see it, you'll find it does its job perfectly. Just don't let anyone else touch this button."

"Beautiful," Elio exclaimed.

"I'll get you," Alvin tells him. "Go make a scene.")

The sound of a door opening. Two red targets walked up to him, one in front of the other, and stood still, relaxed. Under their gaze, the black-haired young man's eyes moved rapidly several times under his eyelids, as if he were dreaming.

"Captain," the tall agent turned his head hesitantly, "I think this guy looks familiar."

"What's wrong? Have you ever seen someone take out the trash?"

"No, seriously," the tall agent waved his hand, "he looks like..."

Behind him, Elio suddenly opened his eyes. In just two or three sentences, he had unfastened the taller agent's holster and, with a flick of his finger, the pistol slipped into his palm. The taller agent, still unaware, waved at the captain. Captain Gunnar's face paled, and he immediately drew his gun; but Elio had already turned the gun and fired.

"Bang!"

It all happened so quickly. The short agent, standing there recording data, had barely raised his head when, before he could protest, a bullet lodged itself between his brows. His body fell backward, and the taller agent, closer to the assassin, whipped his head around, but the moment he reached into the empty holster at his waist, his defeat was sealed.

“Bang, bang, bang!”

The assassin leaped from the bed. The bullet grazed his cheek, leaving a bloody mark on his cheekbone. No one moved.

The situation was at a stalemate.

Captain Gunnar glared at him. Elio's arms were wrapped tightly around the tall agent's neck, holding him in front of him. Under the assassin's gunpoint, the agent kicked his legs in anger.

"Have we met?" Elio asked thoughtfully.

"We've seen him before," Captain Gunnar stared at him, "at the hospital."

"Oh," Elio said, "I see. I never thought we'd meet again in this situation, this..."

"Stop talking nonsense," Captain Gunnar narrowed his eyes. "Raise your hands and surrender right now, and we'll make life easier for you. Do you think there's no surveillance here? If anyone sees this, they'll rush over immediately."

"That sounds scary."

Captain Gunnar approached him indifferently.

"But what a shame," the assassin's green eyes rolled around, "it's just you and me here."

He opened fire without further ado. The tall agent, who had been kicking just moments before, was instantly transformed into a warm, fresh corpse. Elio pushed him forward without hesitation, hurling him towards Captain Gunnar. The captain dodged to the side, and the assassin dodged behind him in the blink of an eye.

With a "clang" sound, Captain Gunnar was all too familiar with the sound of a sword being unsheathed.

He had known for a long time that the voice of death would ring in his ears one day, sooner or later. But he had never thought it would be this day. Didn't they search him?

Captain Gunnar opened his mouth, subconsciously trying to utter the question, but no sound came out.

"Oh, I hit the wrong spot," Elio muttered. "It looks like it's a lung."

He drew his Hidden Blade. Blood spurted, and Captain Gunnar fell to his knees. The assassin grasped his shoulders and gently lowered him to the ground. Captain Gunnar was sweating profusely, his face pale, as if death had sucked his soul from him. He opened his mouth, but only coughs and bloody foam came out.

He stared intently into the assassin's eyes. Elio stared back.

"If I had a father," Elio said, "he would be about your age. Do you have any children?"

Captain Gunnar certainly didn't answer him, but Elio got the answer from the change in his expression.

"I won't hunt them down. They haven't offended me." The assassin said, "I was just thinking..."

Elio didn't finish his words. He saw Captain Gunnar's shoulders shaking, his abdomen heaving, veins bulging. His instinct for survival made him try his best to get more oxygen, but that was no longer possible.

Elio sighed, unsheathed his Hidden Blade, and with a swish, he stabbed Captain Gunnar's heart, ending the Templar's suffering.

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The anniversary of Elio's first kill (not really)