Shane Freak
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Chapter 461: The Butler is Always Right (Part 2)
🕑 Added 2023-07-28 07:11:52 +0000 UTCIn DC World With Marvel Chat Group : Table of Content/Chapter List
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On the sixth-floor corridor, Benjamin limped back, muttering under his breath. He tightly held his handgun, and the strain caused veins to pop up on the back of his hand.
Since becoming a senior agent, Benjamin had never suffered such a serious injury. A penetrating wound was undoubtedly one of the most painful types of injuries. What worried him even more was whether there was rust on the nail that had pierced him, potentially leading to tetanus.
Tetanus, once contracted, had almost zero chance of recovery, with a mortality rate of 100%. The only solution was to get a tetanus shot as soon as the wound appeared.
Currently, Benjamin had backed himself into a corner. He had severed communication, destroyed the helicopter, and had no medical supplies, let alone a tetanus vaccine. Even if he started preparing to restore communication and transportation now, he would undoubtedly miss the best treatment window.
Agents were prepared with medical supplies, but they were stored in the warehouse downstairs. Benjamin hurriedly wanted to go downstairs to find bandages and stop the bleeding. As he walked towards the dimly lit staircase, he suddenly saw a faint green light appearing at the staircase entrance.
Benjamin's heart tightened in the moment.
Never mind that foreigners weren't superstitious; their legends about old castles and ghosts were quite widespread, and ghosts appeared in various colors, with green being particularly terrifying.
Taking a deep breath, Benjamin gripped his gun, took a half-step forward, and saw a little boy emitting a green glow standing at the staircase entrance. Benjamin's heart rate skyrocketed.
It had to be said that different images combined with different light effects could create completely different effects. If it were Hal standing here now, Benjamin might think of some superpower, but the one standing there now was Dick.
The ancient Manor, the howling cold wind, the snow falling all around, and the little boy appearing amidst the eerie green light...
Benjamin didn't run away, which already showed his strong mental resilience.
However, he then heard a noise behind him. He didn't dare turn around because he couldn't be sure if the little boy in front of him emitting the green glow had malicious intent. He took two steps back, turned his head slowly, and caught sight of a little girl standing behind him.
This little girl was even younger and was dressed in a beautiful and thick dress. When Benjamin saw her face, he was stunned because she looked remarkably like Bruce.
Bruce Wayne's handsome face left a deep impression on anyone who saw him, and Benjamin was no exception. So, when he saw a little girl who bore at least eighty percent resemblance to Bruce, Benjamin's thoughts froze.
Switching worldviews too many times in a short period could lead to mental stagnation. Initially, Benjamin was playing a spy drama, then it turned into a kid's home-alone story, followed by the haunted castle, and now it seemed to be a melodramatic ethical play...
While Benjamin was in a daze, the little girl rushed towards him at a speed that ordinary people couldn't see. Benjamin didn't have time to dodge and was knocked to the ground.
The boy emitting the green glow didn't use any special abilities; he just quickly ran up the staircase and then grabbed Benjamin's neck.
As Benjamin was about to struggle, the little girl who had knocked him down kicked his gun away and then swiftly retrieved it, passing it to another little boy.
The boy took the gun and pointed it at Benjamin's head, his movements skilled, nothing like what one would expect from a child of that age.
"Who are you? What's your relationship with Bruce Wayne? Why are you here?" Although Benjamin was the one being held at gunpoint, he still managed to ask a series of questions.
Dick stepped aside, leaving room for Benjamin to get up. After he got up, he tried to placate Dick by raising his hands and saying, "Don't shoot, kids. That's not something you should be playing with. Put it down and give it to me..."
Dick remained silent, just aiming the gun at him. Just as Benjamin was considering a violent action to snatch the gun back, he suddenly felt something pressing against his lower back.
Alfred emerged from the shadows, causing Benjamin to slowly raise his hands. He turned his head, and the moment he saw Alfred's face, his eyes widened.
"Pennyworth?!"
"You surprised to see me? Thought I would ask you how you knew my name?" Alfred's tone was exceptionally low, something Dick and Aisha had never seen before.
At that moment, a whistle came from the end of the corridor. Aisha and Dick turned around and saw Hal waving to them from a room. They glanced at Alfred but obediently went to join Hal.
"It seems you're not surprised by all of this," Benjamin lowered his head, looking at Alfred's reflection on the floor. Alfred's face looked old, but his body wasn't frail, and he didn't have the stoop typical of an elderly person. On the contrary, he appeared strong, almost on par with the upright and robust Benjamin.
"The invitation you sent to Wayne Manor had numerous loopholes."
"Impossible. It was prepared by the mayor."
After saying that, Benjamin's expression stiffened, and Alfred prodded the shotgun forward, saying, "This indeed seems to be your trap. What do you want?"
"Pennyworth, I'll be direct. No matter who you used to work for, as long as you hand over that list, we can let bygones be bygones."
"Do you think I'll believe you?"
"I must emphasize that this matter is highly important. You raised Bruce Wayne single-handedly, and if you let him be implicated because of this, it wouldn't be worth it."
"I don't know what you're after, but I'm telling you, don't bother me. I've already bid farewell to the past."
"Alfred," Benjamin called him by his name, saying, "Both of us understand that you can't just say goodbye to this line of work."
Alfred's eye contact became intense, and as he fell silent, Benjamin continued persuading, "You can indeed rely on the Wayne family, and young Wayne might protect you unconditionally, but you should also consider what Wayne Enterprises will pay for this."
"Once young Wayne is compromised, anyone can use it against him at any time, even decades later. That stain will never be erased."
"On the other hand, you can receive an assurance from me. If you hand over the list, everything will be forgiven. You can retire at Wayne Manor with young Wayne, and no one will disturb you again."
"Is this the sort of tactic the CIA is fond of? Wanting everything without giving anything, just saying 'show mercy and let me go,' and expecting me to believe you?"
"You don't have any other choice." Benjamin gritted his teeth, moved his neck, and turned his head back to face Alfred. "Once you're marked as a target, you'll never have peace."
"Unless you and your employer never leave Gotham, you'll forever face the threat of pursuit from the CIA. Besides, there are many other ways to strike at a corporation. While Wayne Enterprises is significant, it's not entirely indispensable."
"Has anyone told you that?" Alfred's tone suddenly lightened, but Benjamin had a bad feeling.
"You're not a good agent, immersed in your own fantasy spy world. The way you carry out agent work isn't much different from how those bosses build companies."
"Am I wrong?" Benjamin retorted.
"No, I have an excellent child, or perhaps more than one."
Just as his words fell, Benjamin suddenly saw another shadow appearing at the staircase entrance. With the figure slowly walking up the stairs, a familiar face appeared before Benjamin—Kayla.
The female agent now raised her handgun and aimed it at Benjamin's head.
"Kayla?! You..."
"Bang!"
The gunshot echoed through the dimly lit staircase, and a burst of flame erupted from the gun's muzzle, illuminating the darkness. After a gush of fresh blood flowed down the staircase, the snowy scene outside was tainted with red.
Benjamin's lifeless body lay in the pool of blood, and Kayla lowered the gun, standing still as she took a deep breath. She turned her head, looking at Alfred, and both of their eyes shone with a brightness stronger than that of the gun's muzzle.
The female agent holstered her handgun, and Alfred let out a slightly aged sigh, resonating through the corridor.
"Long time no see, Valeria."
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Next Chapter>>Chapter 462: The Secrets of the Past (Part 1)
