Phantom Kid in the World of American Comics

”Sheriff Foley, what is it you want to tell the Queen?”

Johnny came forward and asked.

Foley smiled mysteriously, pointed to the battle above the watchtower, and said, “It has to do with those two guys up there.”

Johnny, however, did not move out of the way.

”Where is Commissioner Gordon? Why are you the one who came to explain by yourself?”

Foley cursed Johnny in his mind, but only a complicated look was shown on his face at the time being.

”This matter concerns a scandal in Gotham eight years ago. It is inconvenient for too many people to come, and Commissioner Gordon happens to be the center of the vortex of that scandal.”

Johnny took a deep look at Foley, examining his face, and nodded to let him see the Queen.

”Your Majesty, I must sorrowfully tell you about a past event in Gotham …”

On the watchtower, Mathison’s Bullet Time lifted as he was soaking with sweat.

He used Bullet Time just not long ago. Although both times lasted for a short period, the physical energy consumed will only be recovered after a while.

Batman, on the other hand, did not suffer too serious injuries.

Only very shallow wounds were left on his right shoulder and right rib, and more than half of the left calf was directly shot by a playing card.

Ordinary people will not only lose the ability to move immediately after this kind of injury, but the intense pain would have long caused them to fall to the ground.

But Batman seemed to be totally okay. He squatted down on the spot, squeezed the playing card and pulled it out of his calf.

The blood immediately spilled out from the wound.

Batman quickly took out the wound coagulation spray from the multifunctional belt, sprayed it on the wound several times, and the blood stopped flowing out immediately.

”This is just an ordinary playing card. Theoretically, it is impossible to be this sharp… and that bizarre state just now…”

Batman stood up and gazed at Mathison.

”Phantom Kid, it seems that you are not as simple as you seem…”

Mathison forced a smile: “There are so many things you don’t know.”

Seeing that Batman’s mobility was barely affected, he understood why Batman had just covered the left half of his body with the cape, leaving his right leg to take the worst of the damage.

Because Bruce’s right leg was already nearly senseless. Batman was relying on the addition of an exoskeleton to the right leg in order to move normally, and also to further strengthen the kicking power of his right leg.

So the right leg injury just needs to stop bleeding, and it won’t have any effect on Batman.

”Looking at you, the burden of using that ‘ability’ must be very large. You should not be able to use it again.”

Batman’s sharp eyes seemed to penetrate Mathison’s mind.

The truth is: if Mathison forced Bullet Time one more time, that would directly exhaust his stamina. Then, he won’t be even able to walk, nor escape the fate of arrest.

”Do you really think that I showed you everything ?”

No matter what, on the surface, Mathison can not let himself look weak. Mathison’s hands were full of cards again and his face was full of confidence. The sweaty weary face he had on has instantly disappeared.

Both Batman and Kid are masters of micro-expressions, and no one can guarantee that they will be able to see through each other.

«The construction of the magic circle is not yet complete…»

Mathison, deep down, pondered how he should respond if Batman forcefully attacked over in the next second.

«Just now, that state… Did time stop? if he could really manipulate time, then I wouldn’t be able to detect his real attack just now… What if he was controlling my perception of things in the outside world?»

Batman was thinking of the same thing.

       In case Phantom Kid happens to use this ability in the next seconds, what should Batman respond with. 

Once again, they were caught in the confrontation.

”Report, Chief, a group of people are approaching the watchtower … They are the United Kingdom’s royal guards!”

Suddenly, a GCPD officer shouted in alarm, and Gordon felt that something was wrong.

The royal guard specializes in protecting the queen, how could they easily leave her side?

But soon, Gordon thought of Foley, who had just left.

”Could he have said something to the queen?”

If this is truly Foley’s doing, then the royal guards action must be to target Batman and Phantom Kid.

Then, what should the GCPD do?

Or rather, who should they help?

Gordon certainly wants to help Batman, and almost the entire staff of the GCPD will also carry out this order.

Going up to help Batman will certainly be counted as Batman’s accomplice.

Staying below will be considered as “doing nothing productive.” 

Fighting against Batman is something against the will of the GCPD.

As for Phantom Kid, he still isn’t the main concern of many, in comparison to Batman …

How would one choose?

Gordon did not hesitate. He immediately led a team of policemen and rushed to the watchtower.

This is the creed of Gordon’s life; even if it sometimes costs him his conscience, he must do it.

The watchtower is not big. There was no need to bring too many people; both the royal guard and Gordon brought all together only about a hundred people.

All of them combined would be just enough to fill the whole tower.

”Tap tap tap”

”Hey!”

Just when Batman was planning to arrest Phantom Kid in one fell swoop, the royal guard broke the door and entered.

The door at the top of the watchtower was forced open and one heavily armed agent rushed in.

Gordon departed quite a bit later than the royal guard, so he was still running up the stairs.

”Wow, it suddenly became lively here.”

Phantom Kid surprisedly smiled.

His magic formation was constructed exactly when the royal guard interrupted the two men’s confrontation.

”Batman, you finally showed up! Maybe killing Gotham’s White Knight has made you suffer from guilt for the past eight years.”

Foley came out of the royal guard and looked at Batman rather triumphantly.

”Ah, yes, and you, the thief, thank you for pestering Batman enough for us to catch him now. I can guarantee you a lighter sentence.”

Foley seemed to have already sentenced Batman and Phantom Kid to death.

However, neither Batman nor Kid have paid any attention to him.

Mathison clenched his right hand across his chest, stretched outwards, spreading his five fingers open.

A prototype dark red wall of fire appeared out of thin air, surrounding Batman and Mathison to separate them from the others.

”This… what is this thing?”

Foley was so frightened that he couldn’t even think of this supernatural scene before.

A wall of fire also rose in the middle to separate Mathison and Batman.

Then, Mathison faced Batman, pulled down the bowler hat on his head a little bit, and looked directly into Batman’s eyes.

”Batman, you were once known as the world’s most powerful private detective…”

”If a thief is a creative artist, then the police and detectives will only follow his lead and blow the whistle on him …”

”At best, you all are just critics!”

As soon as he said these words, Phantom Kid snapped his fingers.

The magic circle that only Mathison could see was instantly activated.

Only to see a strange strong light flicker, and the figure of Phantom Kid can no longer be seen around…