Chapter 576: Stitched Together (Part 1) (Patreon)

In DC World With Marvel Chat Group : Table of Content/Chapter List

XXX-----XXX-----XXX-----XXX

When Thomas finished shouting those words, both Batman and Copperpot were left dumbfounded.

Batman was caught off guard, struggling to comprehend what Thomas was saying, while Copperpot remained utterly clueless about the recent string of murders and believed Thomas was implicating Lex as the serial killer.

Thomas gasped for breath, his voice trembling hysterically as he exclaimed, "This is beyond my plan! I didn't commit those murders! Things shouldn't have turned out this way; I had everything planned..."

Seeing Thomas on the verge of a breakdown, Batman realized that this might be the opportune moment to uncover the truth. So, he turned to Thomas and inquired, "You mentioned that your fiancée is in danger and that there's a serial killer involved. Could you please explain what's going on?"

Thomas's voice quivered, and he appeared reluctant, but he understood that Batman was his only hope to stop this, so he reluctantly began to speak.

"I killed Doris," he admitted, "I borrowed a javelin from the gym equipment room and stabbed her in the chest, but my intention wasn't to kill her. I only wanted to use that incident to..."

"…create an alibi for myself," Batman interjected with a calm and collected tone. He continued, "You arranged to put yourself in prison, had your associates murder the Elliott couple to provide you with an alibi, and then planned to find a way to clear your name and inherit the Elliott family estate."

"And your method of clearing your name was to have your associates continue committing murders resembling Doris's case, turning it into a series of serial killings to prove that you couldn't have killed Doris."

Thomas froze for a moment, then his expression shifted from anger to a complex mixture of emotions. He said, "Batman... Batman... You truly are a genius. I should be as well... I should..."

"Before we continue," Batman interrupted, "could you please explain what's going on with your fiancée and the serial killings?"

"Yes, yes! You must find Belenna quickly! She's in danger now! Someone's after her," Thomas exclaimed, his trembling arm betraying his anxiety. "The second victims of the cheerleading squad, I did kill them because as long as the serial killings continued, it would prove my innocence."

"But the third incident wasn't me... there's another killer! His next target is my fiancée, Belenna!"

Thomas's words seemed jumbled and illogical, leaving Batman struggling to discern any logic. He only heard Thomas admit to the first two murders while denying involvement in the third.

Logically, if he confessed to two murders, there was no need to deny the third victim. At this point, regardless of Thomas's actions, there was no way for him to avoid facing the consequences.

"First, tell me who your associates are and how you committed these crimes," Batman demanded, paying little attention to Thomas's anxious demeanor. He couldn't afford to be deceived, as he needed to understand the full story.

Thomas appeared to have abandoned his reluctance and spilled out the story, "It was about two weeks ago when I, due to my anxiety, wanted to see a doctor. I left my telephone number somewhere, and not long after, a psychologist named Dr. Hugo contacted me..."

"He claimed to have extensive experience in this field and offered to help treat me. Since I didn't want my parents to know about my mental health issues and couldn't seek treatment at a legitimate hospital, I decided to give it a try."

"After I arrived at the designated location, I realized there was no psychological clinic there. Instead, I found them hiding in Gotham's sewers."

"There was an abandoned cold storage warehouse they had converted for their purposes. For some reason, it was abandoned, and they chose to hide there."

"At first, I wanted to leave, but this Dr. Hugo person stopped me. We talked for a while, and he seemed like a genuinely skilled psychologist who had fallen on hard times. So, I offered to support him, but on the condition that he must cure my anxiety."

"He and I talked extensively, and I confided many of my inner secrets to him. He convinced me that my anxiety and pressure came from my parents, and once I removed the source of pressure, my anxiety would naturally disappear."

"He encouraged you to kill your parents?" Batman asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Correct," Thomas gulped and continued, "He devised a series of plans, saying that as long as I followed them, everything would be fine. But now, none of this was part of our plan!"

"He told me that after I got imprisoned, he would kill my parents and then stage another incident, selecting a girl with a similar identity to Doris, committing a similar crime at the same location, turning it into a series of serial killings to exonerate me and get me out of prison."

"He said he would only carry out one more incident, but later, I heard about a third one. So, I tried to contact a lawyer and reached out to Dr. Hugo, but he told me that he wasn't responsible for the third incident."

"It was at that moment that my fiancée, Belenna, called me. She was crying heavily on the phone, sounding incredibly sad and frightened. She said someone had been threatening her through mail and notes, saying they were going to kill her..."

Copperpot, who had been listening, spoke up, "Belenna? I think I know her. She's a student in the environmental college. She hasn't been in the laboratory for the past few days. She used to use this laboratory for her project quite often, but I haven't seen her around."

"That's why I came here to find her!" Thomas shouted. "I know she was working here. She left her bag at my place with keys to this location, specialized gloves, and protective gear inside. I recognized it as equipment for the cryogenic laboratory..."

"So, that's how you managed to open the laboratory door?" Copperpot looked at Thomas's hand, noticing the glove that concealed any fingerprints. It was a thin, tight-fitting glove that wasn't easily detectable.

"She must be missing!" Thomas's emotions continued to escalate. "She might even be dead. I need to find her!"

As Thomas's emotional state grew increasingly unstable, he tightened his grip on Lex's arm, making Lex struggle to breathe, his face turning red and his lips starting to purple.

In any case, Lex's physical condition was truly poor. Even someone as robust as Thomas, a tall and strong adult male, could force him to step back. Copperpot, though very slender, held a deadly weapon and had the same effect. When Thomas pinned Lex down, he had no room for resistance.

Even the most brilliant mind couldn't convert intelligence into physical prowess in such a situation. Lex's genius brain had even begun to experience shallow unconsciousness due to lack of oxygen.

Batman, of course, observed this situation keenly. He took a couple of steps forward, trying to exert pressure on Thomas, but Thomas didn't retreat. He knew that moving back would lead him to the window, with nowhere else to go. He needed more space to deal with the possible attacks from Batman, so he moved to his left, which was farther away from Copperpot and Batman.

In that direction lay the larger laboratory interior. Batman advanced, and Thomas stepped back, always retreating in that direction until he had his back against the largest apparatus in the center of the room.

As mentioned earlier, it was a massive machine, cylindrical in shape, connecting two floors. Besides the surrounding control panels and fixtures, it housed a cylindrical liquid storage unit filled with the materials Victor used to create super ice. Due to certain material science constraints, this substance couldn't be stored in a solid state and had to be kept in a special chamber in liquid form. It needed constant stirring and the use of another chemical agent to maintain stability.

At this moment, the blue liquid inside the cylindrical storage unit behind Thomas churned continuously, resembling both beautiful waves and ever-changing nebulas. The cold light shone on his back, but due to the excellent sealing, there was no hint of chill.

Indeed, necessary stimuli can heighten one's awareness of a potentially dangerous item. Just like a person's hand instinctively recoiling from touching a boiling kettle, Thomas didn't sense anything unusual from the object he was leaning against, so he didn't realize how dangerous it was.

Batman's attention was firmly on Lex, and no matter whom Thomas was holding hostage, Batman's top priority was to save the hostage.

At this point, due to the immense pressure Batman was exerting, Thomas appeared to be on the verge of losing control. He began to grip Lex's neck forcefully, saying, "You're all the same! You geniuses... geniuses? Do you think you're superior by birth? Why not me? Answer me! Is this fair?"

"Bruce Wayne!" Thomas suddenly raised his voice. "Do you think I don't know who you are? Batman! I've been investigating since the moment Batman appeared..."

"I've seen through your tricks! You're not some superhero lurking in the shadows! You, you damned hypocrite! You're just using your exceptional talents and wealth. Now, I want it all too..."

However, what Thomas had anticipated, a shocked Batman upon discovering his true identity, didn't occur. Batman didn't react to this revelation, which was not surprising at all. In this altered timeline, where the storyline had been changed by Schiller, almost everyone knew Batman's true identity. Schiller knew, Gordon knew, Victor knew, Constantine knew, and even Hal knew.

During their private gatherings, regardless of what Bruce was wearing, whether it was casual clothing or the imposing Batman costume, these people would just call him "Bruce." Despite Bruce emphasizing countless times that he should be called Batman when in costume, they treated him like a child. When in a good mood, they'd play along; when it came to serious matters, they would conveniently forget.

So, in the circle of Gotham's oddities, Batman went by his real name. Over time, he gave up correcting them. Let them call him Bruce; successfully desensitized.

Seeing Batman's lack of reaction, Thomas became even more hysterical. He increased the pressure on Lex's neck, saying, "You're all the same! You geniuses... geniuses? Do you think you're superior by birth? Why not me? Answer me! Is this fair?"

"Bruce Wayne!" Thomas suddenly raised his voice. "Do you think I don't know who you are? Batman! I've been investigating since the moment Batman appeared..."

"I've seen through your tricks! You're not some superhero lurking in the shadows! You, you damned hypocrite! You're just using your exceptional talents and wealth. Now, I want it all too..."

However, what Thomas had anticipated, a shocked Batman upon discovering his true identity, didn't occur. Batman didn't react to this revelation, which was not surprising at all. In this altered timeline, where the storyline had been changed by Schiller, almost everyone knew Batman's true identity. Schiller knew, Gordon knew, Victor knew, Constantine knew, and even Hal knew.

During their private gatherings, regardless of what Bruce was wearing, whether it was casual clothing or the imposing Batman costume, these people would just call him "Bruce." Despite Bruce emphasizing countless times that he should be called Batman when in costume, they treated him like a child. When in a good mood, they'd play along; when it came to serious matters, they would conveniently forget.

So, in the circle of Gotham's oddities, Batman went by his real name. Over time, he gave up correcting them. Let them call him Bruce; successfully desensitized.

Seeing Batman's lack of reaction, Thomas became even more hysterical. He increased the pressure on Lex's neck, saying, "You're all the same! You geniuses... geniuses? Do you think you're superior by birth? Why not me? Answer me! Is this fair?"

But Batman was focused on Lex, and he knew he had to intervene, or Lex's life would be in danger. Just as he was about to act, a figure moved faster than him. The slender Copperpot swiftly reached Thomas and raised the dagger in his hand. Thomas tried to dodge to the side.

At this moment, two swift "swoosh" sounds echoed as two batarangs brushed against the side of Thomas's neck. To avoid the encirclement, Thomas had to find cover, and the nearby control console seemed like a good choice. However, to get there, he had to let go of Lex; Lex was in the way.

Thomas pushed Lex aside and rolled to hide behind the control console. But just then, the two batarangs Batman had thrown didn't stop. They hit the glass of the liquid storage unit directly behind Thomas.

Batman had taken into account the possibility of damage to what was behind Thomas, so he had used minimal force. The sound of the batarangs hitting the glass was very soft. Afterward, they landed on the floor, seemingly without causing any damage.

However, a tiny crack appeared silently at the point of impact. Batman and Copperpot quickly retreated. Then, with a "bang," the liquid storage unit exploded.

Batman and Copperpot, who had moved to the other side of the room, were unaffected, feeling only the bone-chilling cold. However, Thomas, who had not had time to escape from behind the control console, and Lex, who Thomas had tossed aside, were both submerged in the splattered blue liquid.

Then, Batman saw a series of bubbles suddenly appear in the dreamlike blue waves. Immediately after, a pale and gaunt hand reached out from the liquid. At the same time, in the midst of this frenzy, Gotham's eternal nightmare, resurrected and reborn, echoed with manic laughter: "Hahahaha!"

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, without ads and support the work.]

XXX-----XXX-----XXX-----XXX

Next Chapter>>Chapter 577: All Stitched Up (Part 1)