After the tour of Erick's underground laboratories, Jade Nguyen—still without the Cheshire mask—walked silently beside him. The technical impact of it all still echoed in her mind: sterilized rooms with surgical-precision 3D printers, regeneration capsules that seed to co from a distant future, Baymax robots in different stages of assembly, and an arsenal of weapons that mixed cutting-edge technology with rudintary alchemy. She knew he had hidden much of the true power of that place. His enterprise had barely begun, but it already slled of sothing bigger, more dangerous. Sothing that could change the balance of power in Gotham—and beyond.
They descended a wide corridor, illuminated by cold lights embedded in the ceiling. At the end, a double reinforced E10 door opened with a hydraulic whisper. The command room revealed itself before them: vast, yet extrely spartan. Polished concrete walls, devoid of unnecessary adornnt. In the center, a raised throne of black tal, with tactile arms and a backrest that molded to the body of whoever sat on it. In front of the throne, a semicircle of floating holograms filled the air like living windows to the underworld.
Erick sat on the throne with the ease of soone who had commanded that space for years. His blue eyes scanned the holographic panels: profiles of the League of Assassins—faces that didn't even theoretically exist in the "real" world, only shadows hidden in concealed fortresses or encrypted information networks. Assassins Jade recognized from past missions, so she herself had trained or fought. Other villains: Lex Luthor with his predatory smile, the Joker frozen in a surveillance photo, the Penguin surrounded by henchn, and nas she had known from her travels as a rcenary—Bane with the gas mask, Vandal Savage with eyes that seed to have witnessed the birth of civilization.
Jade stood beside the throne, arms crossed, her green combat kimono clinging to her athletic body. Her long black hair fell loose over her shoulders, framing her sharp, dangerous face. She watched the holograms with a mixture of fascination and caution.
Erick spoke first, his voice low and controlled, as if he were sealing an ancient pact:
"Your first job, now that you're on my side, is to act as an undercover agent. You already know the risk, Jade. The chance of dying increases exponentially. But I'm not going to send you to your death. Not like this."
Jade raised an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth curving into a skeptical smile.
— I know. I've lived for years with a noose around my neck. But if you give a real chance at freedom… I'll listen.
Before Erick could continue, the main door opened with a hydraulic whisper. Baymax, the inflatable security robot, entered pushing a simple tal cart. The robot stopped precisely between the two, its LED eyes blinking in a friendly pattern, and gently deposited the cart. On top of it were three objects arranged with surgical precision: a transparent rectangular bottle containing a luminous blue liquid; a compact, matte black device similar to a USB drive; and a small, finger-sized flip phone, folded and with no visible keys.
Baymax bowed his head in a chanical reverence.
"Delivery complete, sir. May I leave now?"
Erick waved his hand.
The robot left silently, the door closing behind it. Jade glanced at the cart, one eyebrow raised, but Erick continued talking as if the object didn't exist, deliberately ignoring it to keep the conversation flowing.
"If you want your freedom, Jade, you need to know one thing: information is power. And we can take advantage of your current state. You may be the only whole person on Earth who has any connection to all these people…" He gestured to the holograms, where faces of the League of Assassins, LexCorp, and shadows of the Light flickered like digital ghosts. "Which could be a great advantage. So, you can choose not to accept this mission. I'll still help you, but it will make my job a little more difficult. Or you can accept this mission… and make my job extrely easier. I guarantee it won't take long for to get your freedom. This mission should only last a few months."
Jade remained beside him, arms crossed, her eyes scanning the holograms that filled the space. Her thoughts spun like sharp blades: Lex Luthor, with his fortune and corporate armies; Ra's al Ghul, the immortal who saw the world as a garden to be pruned; the assassins she had t on shadowy missions, so who had trained her, others she had killed. She reflected silently for long minutes, the weight of the decision pressing on her chest like a stone. To accept ant betraying everything that had shaped her—the League, the constant fear, the noose around her neck. To refuse ant remaining trapped, waiting for the day when a mistake would kill her… or worse, kill her family.
Finally, she broke the silence, her voice low and determined:
"I'll accept the mission. But you'll have to pay."
Erick gave a slow, satisfied smile, his blue eyes shining with that intensity that Jade was beginning to recognize as his trademark.
"I'm the one who's talking. Don't worry. Whatever you want, I can get it."
In Jade's mind, the thought echoed like a silent vow: Accepting. She felt relief mixed with risk—like diving into deep waters without knowing if there was a bottom. Erick gave a genuine, almost warm smile, and added:
"But rest assured, as I told you before, I don't intend to send you to die."
Only then did he look at the cart in front of them. Jade followed his gaze, curious. The first object Erick picked up was small, rectangular, about the size of his palm. It was transparent, allowing him to see the luminous blue liquid inside, swirling slowly like a living potion. He lifted it, twirling it between his fingers so that the light reflected.
"This is a serum I developed using Bane's venom. It will increase your strength and durability, giving you another resource in case sothing goes wrong." He carefully placed the vial back in the cart, then explained: "I managed to significantly reduce the addiction level to this compound, so you don't need to worry about that. But I assure you: use it only in extre ergencies."
Jade examined the vial, her eyes narrowing in professional assessnt. A Venom-based serum? She knew the power—and the cost—firsthand, thanks to missions alongside Bane. But reduced… that changed the ga. She didn't comnt, only nodded slightly.
Next to the bottle, on the cart, was the second object: a device similar to a USB drive, small and very compact, matte black with no visible markings. Erick picked it up, holding it between his thumb and forefinger.
"This here, Jade. A device that's crucial to the mission. Every ti you find a computer, any entry point where one of these high-profile people is involved, I want you to attach this device. It will allow all data, encrypted or not, to be copied and sent directly to my databases. I developed this device to be as fast as possible. It's capable of downloading terabytes and terabytes of information in seconds. I made so copies as well, in case you happen to lose any, but I want you to be as careful as possible. Even though I managed to create a device, I couldn't develop a signature blocking thod. So, very possibly, if soone finds this, they could locate . So, I hope you'll be as careful as possible."
He placed the device back in the cart. Jade picked it up for a mont, turning it over in her hands. It was light, almost imperceptible, but she sensed the potential—data were sharper weapons than her sais. She returned it without a word, but the glint in her eyes betrayed her interest.
Next, Erick picked up the third object: a kind of telephone, quite small, about the size of a finger. Moreover, it appeared to be folded. He opened it like an old flip phone, but smaller and more elegant. Upon opening it, there were no keys—just a small screen that lit up with a soft glow, displaying a simple map and a communication icon.
"This is a device I created that will allow you to contact , even communicate with . Only use it in case of extre ergency. The mont you activate it, it will contact and show your location. And then I will co to you with a cavalry. So, this is your safety net, if we can call it that."
He closed the device and placed it back on the cart, next to the explosive. Jade watched everything attentively, her kimono moving slightly with her controlled breathing. She saw the value: tools for infiltration, not just destruction. Erick didn't see her as a disposable weapon; he saw her as a strategic ally.
And he continued speaking, his voice low and deep, as if he were sealing an ancient pact:
"Jade, regardless of this mission, I want you to listen. I want you to first focus on the less dangerous profiles, or those not really on this list. Everyone is extrely dangerous, but people like Lex and the League of Assassins, I want you to leave them for last. Because by then I will have already developed the serum. I'm persuaded, and you'll have even greater security. Focus on the smaller profiles, so we can get to the big ones later. I'm preparing sothing that will expand your skill sets. So, I want you to co back in a few days."
The throne chair slowly swiveled towards Jade. Erick looked into her eyes, his voice firm and serious:
"Jade, you can be by my side. Your safety is in my hands. I'm putting you at incalculable risk, but know that at any risk, at any sign of danger, contact . I will rescue you as quickly as possible. Okay?"
Jade held his gaze. Her brown eyes t his blue ones—and there, behind the hardened assassin's mask, she felt sothing rare. Safety. Not absolute, not like an unshakeable fortress, but real. Lex Luthor could crush her with a corporate army. Ra's al Ghul could order her death with a whispered word in the shadows. But Erick… he wasn't on the sa level yet, not yet. He was young, green (literally, now), but there was sothing about him—a cold determination, an intelligence that built empires in the dark—that made her believe. For the first ti in years, she felt she had soone to count on. Soone who wouldn't just use her as a tool, but who saw value in her survival. It wasn't love, not yet. It was an alliance. It was a rope thrown to soone drowning in a sea of betrayals.
She nodded, her voice firm despite the inner turmoil:
"Okay, thank you for your caution."
Erick gave a satisfied smile, his eyes shining with approval.
"Great, co back in four days, everything will be ready for your promotion."
Jade didn't quite understand what "ascension" ant—a code for the serum? A promotion in their sche?—but she nodded, accepting the mystery for now. The green kimono adjusted with the subtle movent of her shoulders, the weapons at her waist clinking softly.
The two stood there, staring at the holograms that filled the space like a war map. Lex Luthor, with his predatory smile and gleaming armor. Ra's al Ghul, the serene immortal in his green robe, ancient eyes full of contempt. Other nas—Vandal Savage, Deathstroke, the Joker—all with a high, extrely high degree of weight. Nas that represented empires, legions, threats that could extinguish lives like candles. Erick gave a slow, almost predatory smile, because this was the mont of the hunt. He processed everything once more on a step, in the distance. His rise is inevitable.
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