CH 20

At this moment, it's nighttime.

Outside of the Gotham City district of the Narrows, a post-modern wasteland-like settlement near the river, several oddly dressed people are busy here.

"It's hard to imagine that a magically protected building exists in such a chaotic place."

A black-tailed suit-wearing girl with a magician's top hat, bold fishnet stockings, and high heels, shining all over like she's ready to perform on stage at any time, looks at the three-story apartment standing in the night.

She waved her magic wand and exclaimed:

"It's like an aerial garden established in the center of the Sahara Desert, it's so magical."

"What's even more magical is that the 'invincible' Batman didn't even notice such a 'dangerous item' in his own city before."

Behind the beautiful and trendy girl, a guy smoking a cigarette with his hands in his pockets deliberately elongated his voice.

Clearly, he is provoking the Dark Knight.

"Alright, John."

Hearing her ex-boyfriend's impolite words about Gotham's local hero, the black-haired girl sighed helplessly and turned around, saying:

"If you have time to complain, why not help me dismantle the enchantment that surrounds us? It's protected by magic that I've never seen before, and I need some time to study it."

"Za, it's not academic time now, please restrain your research desires."

The man with a cigarette, a scruffy beard, and messy hair stepped forward, and the wind of the night blew his khaki-colored windbreaker, making the red tie hanging around his neck sway with the wind.

He walked to the magician-like girl, took two cigarettes between his fingers, and placed them in front of him. At the moment his fingers loosened, the burning cigarette fell as if it had been swallowed by an invisible object and disappeared before their eyes.

He shook his head and said:

"Look, this enchantment is dangerous and still in an open state. I suggest we blow it up directly instead of trying to find a safe way in. Can't you see that Batman is getting impatient? There must be something he needs to get from this house, and I can even smell his tension from here."

"There's a child in the house."

In response to this guy's ridicule, Batman, who had been silent all along, explained:

"Five days ago, a young man I was following was kidnapped by an unknown force and taken here. It was also at that time that I discovered this 'hidden' building. Before the two of you arrived, I tried many ways but couldn't get in. It's like a maze with fog-like monsters guarding it. I don't understand magic, but I believe that child is still alive."

"No wonder."

The black-haired girl nodded.

It seems that she and Batman knew each other before. She stroked her hair and smiled, saying:

"I said how could the Batman of Gotham, who has always been unwelcoming to outsiders, contact me proactively? I thought you were here to drive me and John away."

Faced with the sweet smile of the beautiful sorceress, Master replied expressionlessly:"You were invited by Bruce Wayne to perform magic at the annual city charity event, Zatanna. You are a guest of this city, and you are also my friend.

Me and that child need your help."

"What do you mean?"

The man beside Zatanna immediately became unhappy. He took out a pack of Silka cigarettes, picked one out, and put it in his mouth while saying,

"Little Zatanna is a guest, right?"

"You are not a guest anywhere, John Constantine."

Batman said coldly, "A year ago, when you summoned hell demons in my city, I warned you not to step into Gotham again!"

"Okay, two of you, stop arguing."

Zatanna, the black-haired female mage, saw her ex-boyfriend and her childhood friend, who now had a deep relationship as a superhero, about to fight and immediately put her hands between the two men.

This charming lady shook her hair and said firmly to Constantine, "John, come help me save that child! I still need to prepare for tomorrow's performance at Wayne Manor. If you want to be my assistant, then listen to me. Otherwise, I will have to ask you to leave."

"Humph, f*** Batman!"

Constantine glared fiercely at Batman and turned around, muttering under his breath. But facing his ex-girlfriend's angry gaze, who was both beautiful and capable of fighting, he had to come forward to help break the magic barrier.

Of course, as the world's top magician and troublemaker, Constantine had the ability, and his mouth was just as powerful as his magic.

With his assistance, Zatanna quickly figured out the flow of magic around the building.

The female magician's black hair spun wildly in the wind as she floated in the air, not caring at all about the spring scenery revealed when her tailcoat skirt flew up. While sensing the changes in the barrier, she said to Batman,

"It was the right choice for you not to rush in, Batman. This barrier connects Gotham's ancient underground magic. Once you break in forcibly, you may be trapped inside forever.

But the good news is that no one is currently controlling this barrier. With me and John's magic, we can open it with just a little preparation."

"Blowing it up would still be faster."

Constantine, with a cigarette in his mouth, stared at the apartment building in the mist and whispered,

"Who knows when the owner of this barrier will come back... Why are you looking at me like that? Although there is a risk of magic going out of control, as far as I know, the people living on this island are all cheats, robbers, and fugitives. Does anyone really care about them?"

"John!"

Zatanna was really angry now, and Batman had already grabbed a handful of bat darts, ready to give Constantine a stab if he acted recklessly.

A few minutes later, while Zatanna and Constantine were dismantling the barrier, Mason and the Kite Man Charles, surrounded by red light, fell to the ground in a sorry state. Behind them, the energy stone on the world gate's cat's eye shattered with a click, and then the door closed automatically.

"Hot! It's so hot, like magma pouring in."The Kite Man screamed and climbed up holding his head, but Mason didn't fare any better.

Feeling dizzy and cold in the nose, he realized his hands were covered in blood.

In his spinning vision, the character card screen was flashing red like a virus invasion, and Mason's personal information was changing:

Name: Mason Cooper

Status: Minor injury, mental pressure, soul curse applied (unknown effect, unknown trigger, extremely dangerous)

Identity: Penguin traitor, E-class member of the Star Association, and captain of "Team K"

Traits: Cold-blooded shooter, skillful engineer, self-mutilating first aider

Mason tried hard to read the text in front of him. He shook his head and sat on a chair, wiping the blood from his nose with a handkerchief, looking around as if everything was burning.

Ashen phantoms hovered everywhere he looked, and there were also eerie sounds in his ears, just as Kite Man had described, feeling like he had swallowed magma.

This Star Association was really creepy, even the joining ceremony was so bizarre.

He looked at his left arm.

The circular emblem on it had constricted into a strange tattoo-like black claw.

This should be the emblem of a formal member of the Star Association.

But what made Mason feel strange was that as the terrible feeling in his body eased slightly, a black card appeared mysteriously in his hand.

It was about the size of an ordinary poker card, with a pattern of stars on the back and several lines of information on the front, just like an ID card.

It was not any known human language, but Mason could understand its meaning:

Subordinate team of the Star Association, Team K.

Members: 2.

Captain: Mason Cooper, E-class member.

Member: Charles "Chuck" Brown, E-class member.

Current assignment: None.

Current bounty mission: 1, not yet completed.

Current base world: Earth 41 in the N52 system of the multi-dimensional universe (A-level world, extremely dangerous, not recommended for C-class and below personnel to explore)

Current team status: Lost contact with the Star Castle, please wait patiently for reconnection by superiors.

"It's so formal, even the 'employee card' is issued across time and space?"

Mason mocked this thing, let go of his fingers and let it dissipate into a ball of light, and rested for a few minutes feeling himself becoming sober again.

He stood up from the chair and kicked the Kite Man lying there like a dead person. The latter gasped for breath and sucked in air like a suffocating person finally breathing again.

As Kite Man got up, he also had an "ID card" like Mason's, but with simpler information and without the comprehensive information card of Captain Mason.

"We're back, right?"

Kite Man stood up panting and walked to the window to open it and see the familiar Gotham night view.

But as soon as he opened the window, a huge bang came from outside, hitting Kite Man like a heavy punch, sending him flying and hitting the wall before bouncing a few times.

Then Mason heard a magnetic woman's scream from outside the window:"Oh no, the owner of the barrier is back and the barrier's power is getting stronger! It's trying to swallow us, Batman, stand behind me! John, hurry up and charge at it!"

"Hey, I'm your boyfriend! I heard that dark guy likes to mess around with bats. Stay away from him, little Zatanna, be careful not to catch some animal virus."

"What are they doing?"

Mason rushed to the window and saw the three people in the three-story apartment in the distance.

He immediately recognized the girl floating in the air, dressed like a magician with long hair flowing like a girl transforming into a beautiful young lady. She must be Zatanna Zatara.

A very powerful magician and superhero.

No need to say anything about the master.

His iconic dress was the most eye-catching wherever he went, and the guy in the yellow windbreaker smoking and summoning dangerous magic energy to blow up the apartment...

Wasn't that Constantine?

Master, how could you allow such a dangerous scumbag to enter Gotham?

This is a walking disaster!

"Is that Batman?"

Kite Man ran over holding his head in pain, and the three-line villains instantly widened their eyes in shock and fear. He had never seen such a scene even when he was with Joker!

The usually solitary Batman was actually working with two formidable guys?

"Constantine! Control your strength!"

Master was protected by Zatanna's magic, but still shouted at Constantine who was casting magic:

"That kid is still inside, don't hurt him!"

"Batman and his magic friends are here for you, boss."

Kite Man was amazed at Master's shout.

He seemed to be meeting Mason for the first time, looking up and down at him, and said in wonder:

"You say you're an ordinary 17-year-old high school student, but you can make the terrifying Batman value you so much. Tell me, boss, are you Batman's illegitimate child?

But you're Asian...

So, did Batman meet your mother when he was on a mission?"

"Shut up!"

Mason wasn't in the mood for jokes.

He was very grateful that Master didn't give up on finding him after five days of disappearance, and even broke Batman's rule of going alone to find Zatanna and Constantine for help.

But if he met someone outside in his current state, it would be hard to explain.

And the fact that Master found him so quickly made Mason suspect that he had some kind of special tracking device on him.

Batman had a criminal record in this regard, so he had to be careful.

He squinted and quickly made a decision, turned around and opened the magic suitcase, took out the blood-stained invisibility cloak, and threw it to Kite Man, saying:

"Put it on. I'll give you a signal later. Take my suitcase and leave. We'll meet at the seventh pier in Miller Port at six o'clock in the afternoon three days later.

And!

Take out the magic book, alchemy tools, and potions you found in the ruins and tear them apart and throw them away.

Hurry!"

Under Mason's scolding, Kite Man quickly acted, and the two of them tore apart the Hogwarts magic book and scattered it everywhere in half a minute.

Then Kite Man put on the invisibility cloak, leaving only his head visible as he watched Mason open the suitcase on the ground.

He curiously asked:"What signal are you talking about, boss?"

"This one!"

Mason's hand rested on the edge of the magic suitcase, and he pulled a brass lock that looked like a decoration, activating the traceless extension spell inside the box.

Boom.

The entire three-story apartment, including the basement, was sucked into Mason's small suitcase in an instant, and with a snap, the young man closed the box and locked it.

The magic barrier that enveloped the surrounding area suddenly disappeared, causing the magic in the area to go out of control.

Strange smoke screens with cool but not particularly destructive effects appeared all around, causing visibility to drop to zero in the billowing fog, like steam bursting out.

Mason crouched at the bottom of the several-meter-deep pit and threw the box in his hand to Kite Man, who was staring in amazement beside him. He tore off his already tattered clothes and wiped the blood from his handkerchief all over his face.

He earnestly warned, "Don't open it casually! I have Yaya, Mao Mao, and McGee all inside. If you let them out, Gotham will be in trouble."

Kite Man, who had experienced the entire Hogwarts incident, of course knew what dangerous things these harmless names represented.

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread dot com".

He nodded vigorously, hugged the suitcase to his chest, waved to Mason, and disappeared under the cover of the invisibility cloak.

Half a minute later, Scrap-Kom, wielding a sword made of magic, was the first to rush into the mist, only to nearly have his head blown off by a bullet flying towards him.

"Damn it! So close, just a little bit more! This calamitous world could have been rid of one more scourge."

Mason, lying on the ground holding a pitiful ordinary gun, regretfully muttered to himself, then shouted hoarsely, "Come on! You crazy wizard! Come and kill me, I'm not afraid of you!"