It was an ambush, and Matthias is not ready. There are at least fifty gang members currently surrounding him, and being on the open ground just adds the disadvantages.

But Matthias wasn’t worried. No, it was a lie to say he wasn’t worried, but it’s not much of a problem either.

‘I’m far stronger than I was three months ago. My being ‘The Vindicator’ adds my relevance to the world. People believed me to be able to defeat crime no matter how many and how strong they are.’

Matthias preps his batons; the steel baton on his right hand, and the stun baton on his left. He’s ready.

“You seem like a small fellow, but to think that you’re still able to beat us up with that small stature... I want to crush your bones to dust, little guy.”

One of the biggest guys in the group walks forward. Matthias marks him as the leader type. The other thugs are shouting words of intimidation, and Matthias responds with making a cross stance with his batons.

“Hmph, think you can beat us all with that stick?” the big guy speaks. He smiles and shouts to the others, “If anyone can beat this Vindicator, I will give you a huge bonus!”

Loud yelling ensues, and the thugs form a circle. Several thugs went in the circle with weapons; knives, clubs, steel baseball bats, crowbars, you name them.

‘I shouldn’t underestimate them, now I must try and break this circle. I can hide inside the plant and pick them one by one after this.’

As Matthias was planning in his head, one thug approaches. Matthias snaps from his thoughts and quickly intercept.

*Clang!* *Clang!* *Clang!*

The sound of steel baton and steel bat clashes; the thug keeps attacking and Matthias keeps defending

Matthias did not use his full power so the clash happens for a while before he finally finds an opening and parries the attack.

*Cling!* and then *Blam!* “Argh!” the steel bat flew upwards, and his baton hits the thug’s sides.

Matthias then stood tall, readying himself.

The thugs then continue sending each other to attack.

From then on, it’s an endurance battle for Matthias.

*Swoosh* *Clang!* *Swish* *Clang!* *Swish* *Clang!* *Zap!!*

“Argh!” “Ouch!” “Gaaaah!” “Shit, Ack!”

*Clang!* *Zap!!* *Swish* *Whoop!* *Clang!* *Wham!* **Zap!!* *Clang!* *Whack!*

Steel meets steel and other weapons, and then they meet the thugs’ bodies. Occasional zapping noises continued with twitching bodies.

*Swoosh* *Swish* *Clang!* *Zap!!* * Swoosh * *Clang!* *Whack!* *Zap!!*

“Dammit, Aaah!” “Ack!” “OOF!!!” “Aaah!”

*Swoosh* *Clang!* *Whoop!* *Clang!* *Wham!* *Blam!* *Clang!* *Whack!*

With every noises happening in this dark of night, one by one, the thugs are falling.

Right now, twelve thugs have fallen, and Matthias is slowly exhausted.

“You’re good, bud... real good. But you’re facing an army. No matter how good you are, you can’t simply win alone.”

Matthias did not respond. He heaved a bit to catch a breath, and he slowly reached for his satchel on his back.

“Whatever trick you have, buddy, it won’t end well for you!” the thug leader was alert. He knows Matthias was about to do something. He knows this Vindicator will not use any lethal weapon. The evidence of his actions was clear, but he’s still wary to this vigilante’s actions.

Matthias took something from satchel. A flash bang on his hand. He pulled the pin and threw it at one side of the circle.

“Shit!” the thug leader screamed. Too late though.

*BANG* FLASH! *Riiiiiiingg...* the deafening loud bang rings on the thugs ears, and the bright flash blinds them. They’re all stunned.

“Aaaaaargh! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”

“Where is he? Where is that sonovabitch!”

Everyone’s looking for Matthias, but he’s gone. But someone notices where he’s running to.

“The plant! Guys, he’s going for the plant.”

“What an idiot, he’s cornering himself there.”

But the thug leader did not think so. This Vindicator has been slowly beating them one by one, and even though he’s exhausted now, it does not mean that he’s powerless now.

“Go wake up those who’re knocked out. We need everyone on their toes.”

...

...

...

Matthias hid himself in a dark facility, between some large metal lumps. He checks the content of his satchel. “I still have one more flash bang I stole from the GCPD a month ago, plus two riot control tear gas grenades. I knew they would come in handy.”

...

The thugs are looking for him. The facility is dark, but still lit with some LED lights. The thugs will have a hard time looking for him, and with how big the size of the facility, they need to split up to have a wider search area.

Matthias sneaks to one group with only two thugs. He silently strikes the neck of one with his hand, and then chokehold on the other. No sounds are made.

He sneaks to other targets; some stragglers walking alone thinking they can find him. Matthias did a silent takedown to these stragglers.

Another group with only three thugs; Matthias sneaks up and did a multi-takedowns quickly and cleanly. By the time the other group checks the noise, he’s long gone.

This keeps on going for twenty minutes, and the thug leader notices that their number dwindles with each passing minutes.

The thug leader, noticing the problem, went for the control room.

Matthias was bidding his time decreasing the numbers bit by bit, but then...

*Click*

The whole facility lit up.

‘Oh shit!’

No longer hidden, Matthias soon charges to the exit door, but it’s blocked by the thugs.

“Nowhere to run now.”

‘Damn!’ Matthias then throw another flash bang in the middle of the largest group.

*BANG* FLASH! *Riiiiiiingg...*

“Aaargh! Dammit!” “You fucking bitch!”

Matthias throws his tear gas to another group, and then began striking them down.

*Swoosh* *Blam!* *Swish* *Wham!* *Swish* *Whack!* * Swoosh!* *Wham!*

The thugs, all stunned by the flash bang and the tear gas, became an easy target to Matthias.

Matthias keeps whacking and striking them, but then.

*Crash!* *Blam!* “Ow!” *Thud*

Something hit Matthias.

“We’re done messing around now, you ain’t gonna be home after this.” A big thug kicks him by the abdomen.

“Aah!” Matthias was thrown quite far. “No...”

Matthias reaches for his satchel; one more tear gas is left... but,

*Blam!* “Aaaah!” another kick strikes. The tear gas fell off Matthias’ hands. He’s surrounded, and currently exhausted.

‘They’re not your everyday thugs; they’re some big shots of the gangsters.”

Matthias stood up, readied his only steel baton in his hand, and puts up his stance.

“You’ll make a good soldier, little man, but it’s a pity that your actions piss off many of our men.”

...

*SCRAAASH!* *Shatter* * Shatter*

A window shatters so suddenly. The thugs were on alert, thinking that I had another back-up with me.

A man dressed in a simple clothing of black hoodie jacket, grey jeans, gloves, and a mask came bursting from the shattered window. He quickly bombarded the surrounding thugs with quick jabs and knee strikes, and with haste, charged towards the big guy near Matthias.

“Another vigilante? Dammit!”

*Woosh!* *Hit* *Punch * *Kick!* *WHAM!*

The newcomer, though unarmed, is capable of beating the big thug with his quick attack and precise dodge.

During all this, everyone inside the plant can hear sirens. Damn, it’s the police, the thugs all thinking the same thing. These two annoying vigilantes have perhaps called in the police as a last measure.

As the newcomer was fighting numerous thugs surrounding him, Matthias has already woken up and ready to fight again... but the newcomer, seeing Matthias finally stood, reaches for his belt.

The newcomer wore some sort of a utility belt with a leather pouch on it, albeit looking like a poor self-made one at that. He then grabs several small black balls in his palm, and threw it on the ground.

*POOF!*

The balls explodes and smokes came out.

“Damn, they’re trying to escape! Don’t let them get away!”

In the midst of chaos within the smoke, Matthias felt his arm being pulled away. He tried to resist, but-

“-we have to go now! GCPD will surround this area soon. Follow me.”

Matthias heard the voice and felt familiarity coming from him. But he had no time but to escape now.

Moving out of the smoke, Matthias sees that the voice was from the newcomer, and he lead Matthias upwards, to the roof of the building.

... On the roof now, and Matthias sees the newcomer approaching a certain corner; there’s a rope already tied there.

The newcomer waves at Matthias to come to him, “Use this rope to go down,” he says.

... On the ground now, and the two vigilante sprint away into the darkness of the night.

They ran towards a parking lot of an apartment. An expensive black car is parked there, and a shadow of a person stood tall beside it, as if defending the place.

*! ! !* “... A-Alfred... how-- why are you here?”

“Master Matthias, I believe Master Bruce has all the answer you seek right now.”

In between his shocked and confused state, Matthias turns around to look at where Alfred was currently looking; the newcomer is still around, and he took off his mask.

“Ah, b-brother?”

“Hello Matthias, it’s been long, yes?” Bruce Wayne, all grown up and all mature, looks at Matthias with a smile.

The eldest son of the Waynes has returned from his journey of power, and the two brothers reunited.