056. The Demon Who Represents Justice

Staring at Batman, who was almost upon him, Ivan Vanko could do nothing but whirl his two long whips frantically at his sides, all the while screaming inwardly, “Don’t come any closer!”

“Afraid now, are you?” Su Ye intoned in a deep, resonant voice. Dressed head to toe in black, with his bat-themed suit, he truly seemed like a demon risen from the underworld—come to claim a soul for hell. In Western mythology, devils and demons are always depicted with bat wings. Bats themselves are symbols of evil in Western culture, fundamentally different from the way they are revered in the Dragon Country, where the word for “bat” is a homonym for “good fortune,” and bat motifs are carved on festive decorations as emblems of happiness and luck.

Thus, Batman’s aura and presence were at their peak; just from his appearance alone, he was already halfway to victory. Coupled with his relentless, almost supernatural approach, he utterly shattered Ivan Vanko’s confidence. Though Ivan flailed his whips desperately in all directions, he felt not a shred of safety.

In that moment, Ivan Vanko was filled with regret. If only he’d equipped his whip-armor with some kind of long-range weapon. Hammer’s “Ex-Wife” was unreliable, but there were other options; if worst came to worst, he could have cobbled something together himself. Yet, in pursuit of the ultimate thrill, he had chosen to lash Iron Man with his whips—and now, he realized, that decision was a disastrous mistake.

Batman, meanwhile, paid him no mind. Closing in, he reached out with his arm.

Ivan only saw a blur; when he came to his senses, both his arms had already been seized in Batman’s iron grip. His whips fell to the ground, hissing and sparking, but it was useless; no matter how many sparks they spat, they couldn’t touch their foe.

Throughout the entire exchange, Ivan had no idea what had happened.

“Avenging your father—there’s nothing inherently wrong in that,” Su Ye spoke again, his voice measured. “To repay kindness with kindness, and enmity with enmity—that is the way of the world. In fact, I could even give you a nod for what you did in Monaco.”

The meaning in his words made Ivan’s eyes brighten, while in the distance, Tony Stark’s face darkened.

Back in Monaco, Ivan Vanko had destroyed several F1 racecars, but the casualties were minimal. F1 cars might look flimsy and fast, but their safety features are exceptional. Didn’t Tony Stark’s car flip and crash, only for him to emerge unscathed and agile enough to battle the Whiplash? If Stark could walk away from a wreck, so could the others. Of course, not so for a Tesla...

But before Ivan could savor this sliver of praise, Su Ye continued:

“However, you should not have let your private vendetta harm innocents, causing countless civilians to be injured or even killed. For that alone, your crimes are unforgivable!”

Ivan felt a chill run down his spine.

“So, I will judge you.”

As he spoke, Su Ye wrenched Ivan’s mechanical arms outward with a mighty force. The mechanical limbs twisted and deformed instantly, and inside, Ivan’s own arms were dislocated with a sickening crack, forcing a scream of agony from him.

But Su Ye was not finished. He raised his leg and, with a powerful upward kick, struck Whiplash’s helmet. With a bang, Ivan’s scream was abruptly cut off. The metal mask caved in, mashing his face and muffling his cries so only a dull groan could escape.

At that moment, Su Ye released one of Ivan’s arms. With a flick of his wrist, a weapon appeared—a short, double-edged dagger shaped like a black batarang, its sides stretching out like the wings of a bat.

In one swift motion, the blade fell. With a crunch, Whiplash’s iron-clad arm, thicker than a grown man’s thigh, was lopped clean off, blood spraying as it flew through the air.

“Mm! Mm!”

His arm, severed at the root along with the armor, left Ivan writhing in agony. He longed to scream, but his crushed helmet trapped the sound inside.

A flash of black—his remaining arm, too, was shorn away.

The searing pain, compounded by the suffocating lack of air from his blocked helmet, caused Ivan Vanko to pass out cold.

Unmoved, Su Ye gripped the dagger in one hand and, with the other, plunged his fist into Whiplash’s chest to wrench out the glowing reactor inside.

Whiplash was finished. His helmet filled with his own blood and spit, and in his unconsciousness, his breaths faded to silence.

From afar, Tony Stark and James Rhodes watched Batman’s cold, black silhouette and shuddered in unison.

“Hey, what’s with this guy?” James Rhodes whispered, sidling closer.

Tony Stark shook his head; he had no idea what Batman’s deal was. He’d even had Jarvis run a quick search, but nothing had turned up.

“So, should we...?”

Rhodes didn’t finish his sentence, but as close friends, Tony instantly understood—while Batman was busy with Whiplash, they should make a run for it.

But before Tony could reply, Batman suddenly turned to look at them. Beneath the black mask, his piercing eyes were as icy as a demon’s stare.

Both men broke into a cold sweat. This Batman had cut Whiplash to pieces without hesitation—would he spare them?

At his peak, Tony wouldn’t have feared Batman. But now, his ammo was gone, his arc reactor was almost drained. He had only one option left.

“Run!”

With a shout, Tony fired up his repulsors, flames flaring from his hands and feet as he tried to ascend. Beside him, James Rhodes did the same.

They barely rose a few meters before two black cables shot out, snaring their legs and anchoring them to a nearby steel structure.

“We haven’t finished our conversation yet—why are you in such a hurry to leave?” Batman stood atop the steel frame, gripping the cables in each hand. “And without my permission, did you think you could just sneak away?”

With a powerful tug, Batman yanked the cables, pulling Iron Man and War Machine from the air and slamming them down hard.

Thud! Thud!

The two hit the ground, their arc reactors flickering uncertainly as their power neared exhaustion.

“Who are you? What do you want?” Tony’s voice was strained; unlike Rhodes, if his arc reactor died, he was finished.

“I am Batman,” came the reply. “And I’d like to have a serious discussion with you both about the damage you caused to the city while flying around just now.”