Chapter 591: The Mad Cat's Debut! (Patreon)

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In the gloomy confines of the hospital, a black cat with piercing blue eyes led the way, adorned with an array of visible and hidden devices strapped to its agile body. Another black cat followed, bearing only a simple grey exoskeleton, its grey eyes gleaming faintly in the hallway.

"Professor Shiller, I must remind you that all the cats in the Mad Cat Asylum are extremely dangerous. They are the most notorious criminals I captured during the transformation of this city. It may not be a wise idea to engage with them," cautioned the lead cat.

"Bat Cat, don't worry. I've already explained my background to you. I'm merely curious about these lunatics. Of course, if I can cure a couple of them, it would benefit you and the city, wouldn't it?" Professor Shiller replied.

Before Bat Cat could respond, Shiller continued, "Speaking of which, why don't you just eliminate them? In my opinion, these heinous criminals have no place in this world. Clearing out the hospital for more deserving patients wouldn't be a bad idea, would it?"

Bat Cat seemed momentarily taken aback by this question. He paused and then replied, somewhat hesitantly, "No, if they've committed crimes due to mental issues, they shouldn't be put to death."

"But what if their mental problems are innate, beyond their control? In that case, they are also innocent and should enjoy the same rights as others, shouldn't they?" Professor Shiller countered.

"But I can't let them roam free to commit crimes again. That would be a disservice to the law-abiding citizens," Bat Cat argued.

"But by killing them, you ensure they will never commit crimes again," Professor Shiller stated.

"You seem to hate criminals more than I do," Bat Cat remarked, turning his head to look at Shiller.

Shiller didn't pause and continued walking deeper into the hallway. He said, "I've already told you about my background. Why do you think I'm investigating those serial killings?"

Bat Cat remained silent, for he wasn't entirely sure of the answer himself. Or rather, the answer he had in mind didn't seem to align with his understanding of Shiller.

It didn't make sense to Bat Cat that Shiller was driven solely by a hatred for criminals. It appeared more likely that Shiller, with his high intelligence, was addicted to the thrill of chasing serial killers.

Bat Cat stopped in his tracks, no longer following Shiller. He simply watched Shiller's departing figure. It was as if he sought solace in scratching the ground with his claws before eventually turning away.

As he left the hospital's doors, Bat Cat manipulated a controller near his neck, activating all the monitoring equipment. He hoped to find evidence of Shiller's crimes within what Shiller referred to as "treatment."

Standing outside the hospital, Bat Cat recalled his encounter with Shiller, a cat who had mysteriously appeared in the enigmatic high tower shortly before. Shiller was a cat who had never appeared on the list of Gotham citizens.

Gotham City wasn't a stranger to newcomers, but they usually assimilated quickly. However, unlike other newcomers, Shiller showed no intention of avoiding monitoring equipment. In fact, he seemed to deliberately court attention from Bat Cat.

Bat Cat had sought him out, and Shiller had informed him of his background as a university professor. He had been investigating various serial killings before coming to Gotham and had crossed paths with a formidable adversary, which led him to seek refuge here.

Shiller earnestly requested that Bat Cat take him in and proposed that he had better methods to bring an end to the chaos in the city. Bat Cat couldn't simply trust a stranger and an outsider, but his own trusted test system told him that Shiller was the most trustworthy person, as his likelihood of committing a crime was zero.

Before encountering Shiller, Bat Cat had held unwavering faith in this system. When the impossible happened, he instinctively refused to acknowledge that his system might be flawed. He tried numerous testing methods, exhausted all means, but Shiller's score remained consistently at zero. In other words, Shiller's score was even lower than Bat Cat's.

Bat Cat considered Shiller an experiment, but he didn't mind receiving advice from him. Shiller's suggested changes to patrol routes yielded positive results, convincing Bat Cat that Shiller's zero score wasn't without reason. Perhaps Shiller truly had ample experience in preventing crime.

Bat Cat had never fully trusted Shiller, but he hoped to use the man to achieve his own goals.

However, he found himself entangled in doubts. His intuition told him that Shiller was undoubtedly a criminal, the most dangerous kind, the type that should be confined to the lowest levels of the Mad Cat Asylum.

But the testing system contradicted his intuition, stating that there was no one kinder than Shiller.

Bat Cat couldn't bear to accept this outcome. He refused to acknowledge that his years of transformation had been in vain. So, he put on a façade of trust in Shiller to boost his own confidence, all while secretly seeking out Shiller's vulnerabilities.

Thus, he didn't decline Shiller's proposal to visit the most dangerous criminals' confinement area. He believed that if Shiller were with those criminals, his true nature might be exposed.

Then, ten minutes after Schiller entered the Mad Cat Asylum, all surveillance connections were severed.

Bat Cat, back in the Batcave, stared at the pitch-black screens, squinting his eyes. But the emotion that welled up within him wasn't anger; it was delight, as if he had finally uncovered a rival's vulnerability.

So, he began preparing his gear, getting ready to personally confront Schiller at the Mad Cat Asylum.

In his view, Schiller couldn't cause any trouble because he had strong confidence in the confinement measures he had set up. He had apprehended countless criminals, and all the facilities were designed based on their weaknesses, subjected to numerous security checks to ensure foolproof containment. Even if Schiller severed the surveillance, it wouldn't allow these dangerous criminals to escape.

Within the pitch-black Mad Cat Asylum, Schiller strolled leisurely through the corridors. It was more akin to a highly secure prison than a hospital, devoid of any medical staff. All nursing care was automated, making escape nearly impossible.

Superego, the one he had tossed out, had some conscience left and had let Grey Mist out. Schiller, using Grey Mist disguised as an external exoskeleton, disabled all surveillance and security systems in the facility. Then, he began going from one hospital room to another.

Since all residents were cats, the place didn't resemble an asylum much. It gave off more of a Blackheart Cat Trader's base vibe. Cats were kept in cages, each cat in a different one. It looked cute in some ways but was filled with an eerie atmosphere.

As Schiller passed each hospital room, he called out to the ailing cats inside, "Hello there, have you seen a Green Cat? The one who laughs!"

"Hello, have you seen a Green Cat? Or one with green overhead and ears, who loves to laugh? He's Bat Cat's old adversary..."

"We're all old adversaries of Bat Cat," a deep voice echoed from the end of the corridor. Schiller approached and saw a black-and-white-patterned cat inside a cage, but with many tubes attached to it.

Following the familiar tubes on the cat, Schiller began to speculate on its identity. He asked, "Hello, I'm looking for a Green Cat. Do you know where it's kept?"

"Are you a new machine made by Bat Cat? You look the part, but this old trick is hardly imaginative," the cat replied lazily.

"Can you tell me where a green cat, one who laughs, can be found?" Schiller repeated the question persistently. Finally, the black-and-white-patterned cat with tubes replied, "Well, if you insist, the lunatic is on the lowest level, right beneath my cell."

"You're lying. If such a cat existed, both of you should be on the same level. After all, for Bat Cat, your danger level might not necessarily be lower than his."

At that moment, the cat lying lazily on the ground, only swishing its tail, finally raised its eyes, staring at Schiller with a dangerous look. It asked, "Who are you? Another Joker Cat? Only he saw through my disguise..."

"That doesn't matter," Schiller said, standing at the cell's door. He reached out with his paw to manipulate the lock. The cat inside the cell, with black-and-white patterns, said, "Don't bother. Even if you cut off the signal, the physical security of this lock..."

"Click."

The lock was opened from the inside, and the cell door cracked open slightly. In that instant, the cat inside darted out at lightning speed.

Then, he stood in the corridor, looking back at Schiller, saying, "If letting me out is part of Bat Cat's plan, I can only tell him that he's gravely mistaken."

As he spoke, he turned to leave, but Schiller stopped him, saying, "Introduce yourself first. What's your name?"

"You can call me Bane Cat." The cat licked its paw, and Schiller looked at him, saying, "I've set you free, which was a favor to you. So, shouldn't you do me a favor too?"

"What do you want?" Bane Cat turned his head to look at Schiller. He had a strange feeling. His intuition was telling him not to get close to this cat across from him; he might be more dangerous than Bat Cat or Joker Cat.

Then, he saw the cat across from him give a slight smile, revealing two sharp teeth hidden in its mouth. Its grey pupils emitted a faint gleam in the darkness. He heard Schiller say, "Go ahead, release all the cats here..."

"I want to make Bat Cat understand one reason..."

"That pretending to be a bat cat is madness."

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 592: The Arrival of the Mad Cat! (Part Two)