Chapter 594: Who is the Bat and Who is the Cat (Part 1) (Patreon)

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Batman moved slowly through the dark sewer tunnels.

Before leaving the sewer, he needed to conduct reconnaissance, as he had mentioned earlier. It was highly unlikely that Bat Cat had set up a surveillance network covering the entire city of Gotham without any blind spots. That would be nearly impossible.

If Bat Cat had been given ten or twenty years, maybe it could have been accomplished. However, according to what Croc-Cat had mentioned, Bat Cat had only been in the city for four or five years. Most of his time had been spent transforming the city itself. Therefore, the surveillance network must still have many vulnerabilities.

By sticking his head out from under a manhole cover to observe the surroundings, Batman gradually created a mental map of the camera patrol route.

After completing this preliminary map, he noticed a significant flaw in the patrol route.

From the ground level perspective, the patrol route seemed flawless, with hardly any loopholes to exploit. However, there happened to be a group of cameras that, at a certain time, didn't effectively monitor the ground or the area near the manhole cover.

This was quite interesting to Batman. He knew that this couldn't be considered a flaw because, if he were in charge, he would prioritize surveillance of rooftop and terraces over the inconspicuous ground area. Comparatively, the high ground was always more critical in any strategic planning.

But this seemed like a gap left intentionally for Batman, allowing him to safely move to the surface without being detected.

Even more fortuitously, this flaw in the patrol route occurred late at night, enabling Batman to use his fur color and the darkness as camouflage to safely transition to the surface.

Batman couldn't help but feel that all of this was too coincidental, as if someone were deliberately guiding him in this direction.

However, there was no time for hesitation. Every move he made on the surface had to be precise, taking advantage of any gaps in the surveillance to reach his intended destination.

Fortunately, the bank where the incident occurred wasn't far from the sewer entrance Batman used to reach the surface. It was only a couple of blocks away, and with a bit of caution, he wouldn't be discovered.

At this moment, Batman realized that cats were indeed natural hunters, with highly sensitive hearing. Even the slightest noise could alert them immediately.

This acute sense of hearing helped Batman avoid many dangers until he reached the scene at daytime where the bank was located.

At that moment, a scent wafted into Batman's nostrils. A keen sense of smell was one of the distinguishing features of feline creatures. Batman knew this, but his human brain couldn't identify the exact nature of the odor.

All he could say was that it was strange. The olfactory analysis of the cat's sensory neurons didn't match the knowledge in Batman's mind, but he remembered this peculiar scent for future reference.

After inspecting the area where the corpse had been found, Batman hid in the shadow next to the bank, contemplating a way to enter the building.

It wasn't easy because every door and window of the bank was under Bat Cat's control and were currently closed. To get inside, Batman would have to break in.

However, breaking in would undoubtedly alert Bat Cat. With Batman's current equipment, he didn't think he could take on all the devices throughout the entire city.

Batman wanted to understand how Bat Cat maintained control, so he decided to test the waters.

He targeted one of the window locks, intending to break it. However, using just his claws and fangs wouldn't be enough, so he intentionally revealed his presence, catching the attention of an automated turret at the corner of another building.

He led the automated turret towards the window lock and, as bullets rained down, the lock shattered, and the glass broke.

The building blared with alarms, but Batman didn't enter. He wanted to gauge Bat Cat's reaction time and how he arrived at the scene before deciding on his next move.

So, he took advantage of the distraction caused by the cameras and automated weapons, jumping to the top of another building, lying flat, with his tail touching the ground. He kept his eyes fixed on that direction.

After waiting for a while and not seeing Bat Cat, he did spot a cat that was somewhat familiar to him - the same white cat he had seen earlier at the daytime scene, dressed in police attire.

The white cat led several other police cats to inspect the scene. Suddenly, he bent down to sniff the ground incessantly. Batman on the rooftop felt a pang of nervousness.

After all these years dealing with humans, he had forgotten that cats' actions left behind scents, and these scents could be picked up by other similarly perceptive cats. Just because he couldn't understand these scents didn't mean other cats couldn't.

Soon, the white cat followed the scent trail to the building where Batman was hiding. He glanced up, making Batman sure that the white cat had seen him. Just as Batman was about to leap away, the white cat lowered his head, pretending as if nothing had happened, and flicked his tail as he left.

Batman let out a sigh of relief, but at the same time, he became puzzled. Why hadn't the police cat arrested him? Could it be that he had mistaken Batman for Bat Cat?

However, that didn't make sense. Cats didn't rely solely on appearances to identify one another. Judging from the white cat's demeanor, he was an important officer at the police station and should be familiar with Bat Cat's scent. Batman's scent was different from Bat Cat's, and there was no reason for the white cat to make such a mistake.

Yet, the white police cat not only didn't apprehend Batman but also left with his subordinates, preparing to depart.

Realizing that he was being ignored, Bat Cat's confidence grew a little. He jumped down from the rooftop and positioned himself in a corner of a balcony, then overheard a conversation from the police car.

"Boss, are we really not going to do anything about that window? And I think I smelled something strange just now. Shouldn't we investigate further?"

"No need. Haven't you noticed that Bat Cat hasn't shown up at all? If we have to change the lock and fix the glass, we'll have to find him. Haven't you noticed how busy he's been lately?"

Batman keenly sensed that the white cat had raised his voice slightly, saying, "Just now, I tried to call his phone. His smart butler told me he had left in a hurry, even without his communication device. It could be something urgent. Maybe we shouldn't disturb him..."

After saying this, the police car drove away, its flashing lights casting a bright glow on Batman's face, revealing his squinted eyes and a look of suspicion.

The departing police cat had just revealed an important piece of information: Bat Cat had rushed out moments ago, leaving even his communication device behind. This suggested that, even if Batman's acts of destruction had been reported to Bat Cat's base through the surveillance cameras, he might not be aware of it at this moment. It was a perfect time for action.

Without further hesitation, Batman agilely sprang forward. In just a few steps, he reached the broken window and entered the interior of the bank building.

Meanwhile, in the sewer base, Victor was discussing cryogenic technology with Freeze Cat. He subtly inquired about the technical details, but it was evident that Freeze Cat didn't fully trust him and wasn't willing to disclose too much.

The two cats were cautiously probing each other when suddenly, an alarm blared throughout the base. Croc-Cat rushed in urgently, exclaiming, "There's trouble on the surface! Several of our hidden monitors have been destroyed. We need to go check what's happening!"

Clark flew in directly, saying, "Let's go! I'll take you up. I can protect you from getting hit by automatic weapons."

To avoid revealing their location, several cats first moved to a manhole cover at a distance from the base and then emerged on the surface. However, as soon as they jumped up, they found that the automatic weapons surrounding them were firing wildly. A few cats were darting through the gunfire.

"That's Bane Cat!" Freeze Cat recognized the leader among them. He said, "Bat Cat's old adversary, a madman and a criminal. Wasn't he supposed to be locked up in Mad Cat Asylum? How..."

"Oh no, that's Bat Cat!" Croc-Cat suddenly shouted. He saw the fully armed Bat Cat pursuing the escaping mad cats on a hovering disc. The disc was equipped with numerous weapons, and it was currently targeting the fleeing cats.

Facing Bat Cat, Freeze Cat didn't hesitate. He adjusted the weapons on his back and leaped to a higher vantage point. Several ice spikes shot out and froze one side of Bat Cat's hovering disc.

Taking advantage of this moment, Bane managed to escape the range of fire. He turned to Freeze Cat and emitted a sharp call. Clark understood the meaning: "Kill Bat Cat!"

Before Clark could intervene, the frozen weapons on Bat Cat's disc thawed, and its powerful firepower swept through the area. A projectile exploded near Clark, singeing the fur of Croc-Cat, who was right beside him. Clark had no choice but to protect the cats near him.

Clark ascended into the air and quickly flew toward Bat Cat's hovering disc. With a resounding crash, he knocked the disc out of the sky.

Subsequently, beams of heat vision shot from his eyes and destroyed one side of Bat Cat's weapons. The disc wobbled and fell, but before it hit the ground, Bat Cat ejected from it. He controlled the wing-like structures on his back, resembling bat wings, and looked at Clark angrily. "You damn rodent!"

"You can't do this, Bat Cat. Locking up all the citizens is not right. Others may not need your control, and even if you want to do good, this is not the way," Clark said sternly.

"Outsider, you have no right to tell me how to deal with Gotham. Go back to your city; we don't need you here!" The wind generated by Bat Cat's steel wings brushed over the fur of the surrounding cats, causing it to ruffle.

Bat Cat snorted and swiftly changed the configuration of his wings, assembling many small weapons. Drones flew out from his shoulders, surrounding the cats.

Croc-Cat, Bane Cat, Freeze Cat, and the other mad cats who had escaped from Mad Cat Asylum huddled together, their bodies tensed, teeth bared, and ears flattened, facing the approaching weapons.

"Freeze Cat, after you used ice spikes to freeze my weapons last time, I added anti-freeze features to them. Last time, I let you go to lure out that guy who only laughs. This time, you won't be so lucky."

Freeze Cat's expression grew serious. He controlled the weapons on his back, firing an ice spike. However, the drones only momentarily paused and then emitted a vibrating hum, shattering the ice.

Clark sighed and said, "It looks like I'll have to make you stop first before we can talk."

"That depends on whether you have the ability to do so."

Bat Cat turned his gaze toward Clark, and in that moment, all Clark saw was a colossal fist coming at him like a sandbag.

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 595: Who Is the Bat, Who Is the Cat (Part 3)