Chapter 102: A Mexican Standoff

Chapter 102: A Mexican Standoff

A special Thanks to my Divine Eminence patrons Daniel O'Brien & Sebastian for supporting me on Patreon ~~~///(^v^)\\\~~~ Thanks for the immense support.

A special Thanks to my Celestial Emperor patrons Dwhateverprof, MacZeuss, Commander Jimmy & Zedd780 for supporting me on Patreon ~~~///(^v^)\\\~~~ Thanks for the immense support.

---

"Meddling When You Don't Need To...Is The Essence Of Being A Hero."

- All Might, (My Hero Academia)

---

<(Omniscient POV)>

"May I have everyone's attention, please?" Roman Sionis, the enigmatic leader of the Black Mask, called out, his voice a commanding presence even amidst the chaos among the public. "I urge you all to remain calm and I assure you of your safety. This altercation concerns only my associates and these... misguided individuals in their red masks who attempted to steal what rightfully belongs to me." His words carried weight, even as he fired his AR-15 rifle into the sky to catch everyone's attention. "Rest assured, as long as none among you intervene, no harm shall fall on you. Once the stolen funds are returned, we can all peacefully resume our happy lives."

"Stole? No, we took what could be taken and we aren't giving you back even a single dime you Black fuckers... No, I don't mean skin color, Edward, I meant members of the Black Mask gang, so stop looking at me like that." The leader of the Red Hood gang whom Bruce couldn't recognize since he had never heard of him snapped at one of his own men before focusing his attention back on Romanis. "Anyway, as I was saying, you might have us outgunned but you will never have me outdone. I will paint this entire mall red before I return even a single cent that we all worked so hard to steal." He yelled like an absolute maniac.

"The guy is dangerous," Bruce murmured from his position, his voice edged with a tinge of concern. His brief foray into the study of psychology in the past had equipped him with the tools to assess the different levels of danger posed by different sorts of criminals. He understood that the truly menacing criminals weren't just those who operated with intellect and caution; rather, they were the ones who were driven by an insatiable desire for destruction and chaos, indifferent to the consequences. And this man wearing that weird red bucket on his head embodied that reckless abandon, a stark reminder of the havoc such individuals could wreak upon society when they had nothing else to care about.

"Oh and you might not hurt civilians, but I certainly will. Today is going to be one hell of a red day, pun very much intended," He remarked. "Today is going to be one hell of a red day, pun very much intended." He chuckled at his own bad joke, a stark contrast to the gravity of the situation unfolding around him, as he gestured to his men to round up the civilians around them to use them as human shields.

Now, one thing that everyone knew about Black Mask was that he was smart. He might be ambitious with desires to grow his empire even bigger than Falcone's one day but at least he was discreet about it. He understood the delicate balance required to evade the scrutiny of the federal government, the Gotham City Police Department, and, above all, the vigilante shadow that lurked in the city's darkest corners—Batman.

Aware that his survival depended on staying beneath their radar, Sionis focused on less conspicuous endeavors like selling the less harmful drugs like cannabis and mushrooms while steering clear of the more lucrative yet perilous avenues of criminal enterprise. Moreover, he also adhered to one strict code: Civilians were off-limits, especially in public places.

"MY MY. Will you look at that? Another player in our Mexican standoff." The leader of the Red Hood gang, aka, Red Hood One chuckled. He had heard Roman Sionis' words and recognized me as Bruce Wayne as well even though I had no idea just how he wasn't blind as a bat while wearing that weirdly opaque red bucket. "Our own local billionaire, the Prince of Gotham is here too... Goddamn, we were just fighting for a measly million dollars in front of a billionaire, talk about a humiliating turn of events," he added, his tone tinged with amusement and a hint of sarcasm.

"What? You two want an autograph or something?" Bruce could not help but tease as he looked at the slightly greedy expressions on both of their faces. The two looked like a pair of greedy gold diggers who had just seen their dream sugar daddy.

"No... But a few billion might be nice. After all, you were the reason I lost what was supposed to be my biggest strength to rule Gotham. This fucking red clown might have stolen one million dollars from me but you, you plundered my entire bank," Sionis seethed, his teeth grinding as he leveled his rifle at Bruce, his attention no longer fixed on his rival gang.

"I thought you didn't want to harm any civilians, you black-masked hypocrite." Red Hood One snickered as he amusingly looked at the turnabout of the events even wondering which bank was Black Mask even talking about.

"He's far from ordinary, a man of vast wealth and influence, reigning as the wealthiest man in the state," Roman Sionis replied with an icy edge while methodically loading his rifle. "I'll choose Bruce Wayne and his fortune over any number of common folks, even if it means extinguishing every fucking life in this mall." His voice held a chilling certainty as he addressed the leader of the Red Hood gang before him, already scheming the avenues of profit this encounter might yield. "So, are we destined for a gang war, or shall we forge a partnership and unlock billions together?"

While he may have missed out on securing the Bertinelli crime family's fortune, through the elusive Bertinelli diamond that he was never able to find, as well as failed in his bid to acquire the coveted bank, this opportunity however presented a rare stroke of luck, perhaps even a divine intervention for him. Determined not to squander it, Black Mask resolved to capitalize on this one-in-a-million opportunity. Any ensuing complications could be swiftly taken care of using the funds that he intended to extract from the young billionaire. After all, according to him, why would the government try to arrest him once he shoves a couple of hundred million dollars down their corrupted tight little throats?

Roman Sionis had always prided himself on his restraint and cautious approach to crime, but for the first time in many years, temptation gnawed at his resolve. He just couldn't shake the feeling that now, of all times, a bit of greed might just be justified, that he might be able to get away with being a little too greedy.

---

(A/N: I don't know if you got the reference or not but if you picture the standoff here in your mind, then you might be able to find some real similarity to a certain church meme )

Don't forget to 'favorite' and comment if you like the chapter.

Also, you can check out my Patreøn page to read ahead or to support your fantastic author.

Right now, I have about 12 chapters in advance there.

(My Patreon uses the new billing method which means if you pledge on the 15th of this month, you will have to pay again on the day you pledged, i.e., the 15th of the next month. So, whenever you subscribe, you will get a whole month.)

/God_Doom