Chapter 652: The Roaring Crimson Sea (Part Two) (Patreon)

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

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

In the presidential suite of the Beverly Hill Hotel in Los Angeles, Hal and Oliver were engrossed in a card game. Glancing out the window, they observed Arthur swimming in the open-air pool below, drawing the attention of numerous women with his strong and muscular physique, who emitted gasps of admiration with each movement.

"The ship may not be faring well, but he sure knows how to show off those muscles," Oliver sighed and remarked, "I used to do the same when I was young, spending two months in the gym in preparation for pool parties."

"You should be thankful for your fitness experience. It's what kept you alive on that desert island. Otherwise, you wouldn't have made it this far," Hal tossed a poker card onto the table and said.

Oliver nodded, then continued, "I just made a call to Star City. My butler was surprised to hear I'm still alive and thrilled. He hopes I'll return soon..."

"Why are you still here, then?" Hal extended his hand to check his watch. "Star City isn't too far from here. If you leave now, you should arrive before daybreak."

Oliver shook his head, pondering, "During my time on that island, I couldn't help but contemplate one thing: where does human suffering truly originate?"

"How did you suddenly start thinking about that? Are you a philosopher now?" Hal took a sip of his ice-cold sparkling water, shivered, and then said, "I thought only professors like Schiller would delve into such seemingly pointless philosophical questions."

"Why would you say it's pointless? Haven't you ever thought about it?" Oliver asked.

"I have, but is merely thinking about it productive?" Hal sighed and added, "Sitting here and contemplating these questions won't alleviate anyone's suffering in the world. I'd rather use this time to help others."

"But can your help make all the suffering in the world disappear?" Oliver inquired.

"Of course not, but every bit we can alleviate counts, saving one person at a time," Hal replied. "Isn't that so?"

"That's a pessimistic perspective. If we don't understand the root causes of everyone's suffering on a psychological level, we can never truly save them," Oliver stated earnestly.

Hal paused, his hand hovering over the deck of cards. He said, "I've heard similar arguments from someone before."

"Who was it?" Oliver asked, looking into his eyes.

"It was probably Schiller. I think he's the only person I know who would say such things," Hal scratched his head and continued, "Sometimes, I can't understand those theories of psychology and philosophy, but often, those words keep circling in my mind, as if I've understood and memorized them."

"He didn't seem like a patient philosopher when he was treating my wounds," Oliver remarked, pursing his lips.

Just as they discussed this, the room's door creaked open, and Schiller entered. He gazed at the two sitting in the living room, playing cards.

"You guys are still awake?" he said. "It's quite early. As for you, how was your visit to your old friend? He didn't even offer you to stay the night?"

Hal looked up at him and inquired, "It's early, but you've returned from your visit. Did your old friend not keep you overnight because he wanted some quality time with a beautiful policewoman?"

Oliver and Hal couldn't help but burst into laughter, clearly relishing the irony. After Schiller changed his shoes, he joined them and took a look at the cards.

As they continued to play cards and chat, the conversation eventually circled back to their survival on the deserted island. Hal recalled Oliver's earlier statement and asked, "You mentioned something about drug traffickers massacring an entire village. What happened exactly?"

"When I first arrived on the island, I found signs of human habitation, and I was overjoyed," Oliver began. "However, upon investigation, I didn't find any survivors but discovered the ruins of a village."

"That should have been where the island's original inhabitants lived. Judging by the signs of life, the last activity there must have been a long time ago."

"I didn't find any corpses, but I did find some body parts. Following these traces, I stumbled upon the gruesome burial site of those villagers. There were about a dozen corpses in total, likely the entire village..."

"They had plundered the entire village, leaving nothing of value behind. I thought about surviving there, but..." Oliver shook his head, a somber expression on his face. "Seeing the traces of their lives and the horrifying condition of their corpses, I felt immense sadness. Additionally, the place was far from a freshwater source, and food was scarce. So, in the end, I decided to leave."

"Those damned drug traffickers are becoming more audacious!" Hal took a deep breath. "You might not know this, but Coastal City used to rely on fishing for a living. During that time, the biggest fear for the deep-sea ships heading out was those South American drug traffickers."

"If they encountered pirates, the pirates would only kidnap the crew and demand ransom. As long as you paid up, they wouldn't easily take lives. If the captain was willing to part with some money and hand over the cargo, there was no imminent danger to life."

"But drug traffickers are different. They have no humanity. They don't need any living witnesses. Once they boarded a ship, they would kill all the crew members," Hal's expression darkened considerably. He continued, "My eldest uncle, my father's eldest brother, died at their hands."

"And if you dared to resist, they would torture you to death and then throw you into the sea. My uncle, who was a retired army officer, endured inhumane torture. His body was never even found..."

Hal lowered his head, his sorrow evident between his brows. He said, "Since then, my parents have strongly opposed me traveling far because I'm their eldest son. They worry I might encounter such danger as my uncle did..."

"I want to seek revenge for these villagers," Oliver hesitated for a moment before saying, "I understand that the drug trade has a long history and is challenging to eradicate, but I feel I can't stand by."

"How do you plan to do that?" Hal immediately asked, clearly sharing the same sentiment. Oliver turned his head to look out of the window and towards Arthur, who was still frolicking in the pool downstairs.

"Arthur can communicate with marine life. He mentioned that a mother Killer Whale was killed by these traffickers. We can use his ability to guide us and the Killer Whale to locate the traffickers' base, then avenge those villagers," Oliver explained.

Schiller had been silent throughout the discussion. Hal and Oliver both looked at him, but Schiller offered no opinion. He simply said, "If you want to go, then go. But I get seasick, so I won't join you."

"Do you not think they are truly cruel?" Hal asked Schiller, looking at his unchanged expression, but then he added, "Ah, I don't mean to insist that you should go..."

Schiller sighed and said, "Have you ever considered why all of this is happening?"

"Of course, it's because of those vile drug traffickers!" Hal detested this group of people and seized every opportunity to curse them. He gritted his teeth and said, "I'm determined to wipe them all out and seek vengeance for all the innocent victims..."

After saying that, Hal stood up, seemingly overwhelmed by anger. Oliver also stood up, and the two of them had come to an agreement on this matter. After a while, they called Arthur over, telling him of their plan to confront the traffickers, and he strongly supported their idea.

"Mexico Bay and the Caribbean Sea offer abundant fishing resources, and many fleets go there during peak seasons. They aren't afraid of pirates; their greatest fear is running into these traffickers. Their methods are brutal, and I've heard terrifying stories about them since I was a child," Arthur explained.

"We should set off now. I can use Green Lantern's energy to make the ship move quickly. With Killer Whale's guidance, we should reach our destination swiftly. Once we find their base, they're done for," Oliver added.

"Let's go now," Oliver remembered the horrifying scene he witnessed on the deserted island.

After the three of them left, Schiller didn't have much time to relax. Lucifer Morningstar and Chloe sought him out again. When they entered the hotel room, it was already daylight. Schiller was planning to have breakfast, so the three of them went to the hotel restaurant to eat and talk.

"So, did you find Delilah's partner and cause a scene at his wedding to get information?" Schiller asked while taking a bite of his salad.

"He wasn't cooperative," Lucifer Morningstar scoffed, and Chloe wore an exasperated expression. "You should've listened to me; we should have followed the proper procedure..."

"Alright, the goal was achieved anyway. What information did you get from him?" Schiller inquired.

"Delilah's partner told us that she had a boyfriend who frequently abused her. Delilah had even cried in his recording studio. Officer Chloe and I went to her boyfriend's place. He's a rapper, and his personal life is chaotic..."

"When we arrived, he was high, so I had to figure out a way to sober him up. I lifted him, hung him outside the balcony, and let the wind blow on him until he finally revealed some information."

"He said that he abused Delilah because she was cheating on him, and Delilah frequently visited a psychologist to confide in. The psychologist's name is Linda."

"So, we came to you hoping you could do us a favor," Lucifer Morningstar looked at Chloe, then spoke, "This psychologist, Linda, is quite stubborn. I believe that, being a renowned psychologist, you might be able to convince her. We want to know who Delilah was cheating with."

"Did he tell you that it's against a psychologist's professional ethics to disclose patient information?" Schiller asked.

Chloe immediately nodded and said, "Correct, that's what she said. We asked her repeatedly, but she didn't budge. So, we thought..."

"Keeping patient information confidential is indeed a psychologist's professional ethics, and it is for me as well. So, I won't force my colleague to reveal a secret. However, I believe there might be a better way to investigate the truth."

Chloe and Lucifer Morningstar exchanged glances, then looked at Schiller. He put down his fork and knife, turned his head slightly, and glanced at a familiar figure in the corner of the hotel restaurant, who was getting food.

The figure was dressed in a yellow-and-black uniform and stood out among the suits and long dresses.

"Long time no see... Death Knell."

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

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

Next Chapter>>Chapter 653: Red Sea Fury (Part Three)