Gotchard in DC Ch 21

The inky curtain of night descended, draping National City in a cloak of shadows. The streetlights, like scattered fireflies, cast a dim, wavering glow that danced on the slick asphalt. The humid air, thick with the scent of exhaust and impending rain, hung heavy and still. Suddenly, the silence is torn asunder by the ferocious bellow of a high-performance engine.

Isaac, now Kamen Rider Gotchard, leaned forward on Golddash, his knuckles white as he gripped the handlebars. His gaze, sharp and unwavering, was locked onto the trio of black sedans tearing through the streets ahead. The gangsters within, faces twisted in a frenzy of desperation, periodically leaned out of the windows, unleashing a hail of gunfire with their submachine guns in an all-out effort to deter his pursuit.

Bang bang bang!

The cacophony of gunfire echoed between the buildings, each shot a desperate plea for escape.

The bullets hammered against Golddash's metallic frame and pinged off Gotchard's Steamhopper armor, each impact sending a shower of sparks into the night air. But the onslaught was little more than a nuisance, a light show that did nothing to impede Isaac's progress.

With expert control, Isaac guided Golddash through the urban labyrinth, weaving between slower vehicles and dodging obstacles with uncanny precision. His right palm glided across the Gotchard Driver on his waist, and in the blink of an eye, the Gotcharge Gun materialized in his left hand. The weapon, cool and solid, felt reassuringly familiar. He raised the Gotcharge Gun, his movements fluid and practiced, targeting one of the sedans with unwavering focus, and then squeezed the trigger.

PEW!

With a sharp report, orange-yellow energy bullets ejected from the Gotcharge Gun's muzzle, streaking through the air like miniature comets. The projectiles slammed into the tire of the targeted sedan with pinpoint accuracy. The tire shredded and the sedan, now crippled, swerved wildly, the driver fighting to maintain control. The vehicle careened into the roadside guardrail with a screech of tortured metal, crumpling against the barrier and belching plumes of thick, acrid smoke.

The remaining two sedans, witnessing their comrade's demise, ramped up their efforts, accelerating away in a desperate bid to escape. Isaac snorted in derision at their futile attempts, a predatory grin spreading across his face beneath the Steamhopper mask. He twisted Golddash's throttle, the machine responding with a surge of power. Blue flames erupted from the exhaust, bathing the street in an ethereal glow, and Golddash shot forward, its speed amplified.

In a heart-stopping burst of acceleration, Isaac closed the gap in what felt like a single breath. He was upon one of the sedans before the panicked gangsters inside could even register his approach. With a surge of adrenaline-fueled strength, Isaac reached out, his armored fist smashing through the car window with the force of a sledgehammer. Jagged shards of glass exploded inward as he reached inside, snatching the driver from his seat.

The sedan, now devoid of a pilot, lurched violently, its trajectory spiraling out of control. The vehicle careened off course and slammed into a lamppost with a deafening crunch. The lamppost crumpled, plunging a section of the street into darkness, and the car was instantly rendered a twisted heap of metal and broken glass.

The gangsters in the last sedan, their hopes dashed, made a desperate gamble. They slammed on the brakes, screeching to a halt, and piled out of the vehicle, scattering in all directions, their figures dissolving into the shadows.

But Isaac had no intention of letting them slip away. He dismounted Golddash in a fluid motion, his feet barely touching the ground before he launched himself forward. His figure blurred, a phantom streaking through the darkness. A series of muffled thuds, the sickening sound of flesh impacting with bone, punctuated the night air. One by one, the fleeing gangsters crumpled to the ground, their bodies limp and unconscious.

"Hmm, Master Gorrie Yen's 'Fainting Fist' is proving quite useful," Isaac mused, surveying the scene. "One punch and they're out cold. It's just a pity that using this means I can't send them to the hospital like before. Oh, well."

Waving his arm, he dispersed the red Fierce Ki gathered on his fist. Isaac was quite satisfied with the effect of his newly learned Fierce Beast-Fist technique.

Walking over to a fainted gangster and squatting down, Isaac extended his palm and chanted an Alchemy incantation. A faint blue light emerged from his palm. With his movement, the gangster's clothes began to twist and deform, eventually transforming into a thick rope that bound him tightly.

He repeated the same action for the remaining gangsters, binding them securely, and then hanging them individually on nearby streetlights. Only then did Isaac nod with satisfaction, summoning Smaphone to report to the police.

But the next second, his brow furrowed slightly, as his greatly enhanced perception ability, gained from cultivating Fierce Beast-Fist, made him aware that an unfamiliar presence was quietly approaching him.

"Stop hiding, come out."

Although he didn't feel any hostility from this presence, Isaac still maintained a certain level of vigilance. However, he didn't turn to look, merely spoke indifferently.

"Tsk tsk, these newcomers are really impressive now. Those few gang bosses who were hanged on the streetlights near the police station recently, that was also your doing, right?"

Just as he finished speaking, a man in a black and blue tight-fitting suit emerged from the shadows in the alley. His gaze swept over Isaac, then lingered on the naked gangsters hanging from the streetlights, a somewhat strange smile on his face.

"Nightwing? What brings Bludhaven's vigilante to National City?"

Turning to meet the man's gaze, Isaac instantly recognized the person before him after seeing the iconic attire—Nightwing, Batman's former sidekick and adopted son, Dick Grayson.

Although Nightwing's reputation was more prominent in Gotham City and Bludhaven, Isaac's predecessor had also heard of his deeds, and in some DC works he had seen before transmigrating, Dick was a very well-known character, so he still had some impression of him.

However, the strange smile on Dick's face at this moment made Isaac feel a little uncomfortable, so he decided to tease the guy a little.

"National City hasn't been very peaceful lately, especially with the frequent disappearances of minors. I heard you're also investigating this case, so I came to see if you have any clues to share."

Dick shrugged indifferently at Isaac's teasing, crossed his arms, leaned against the wall, and said with a smile.

"These people are among those involved in the kidnapping case. I originally planned to see if I could get something out of them, but they ran as soon as they saw me. I had no choice but to deal with them first."

Nodding thoughtfully, a hint of solemnity flashed in Isaac's eyes. The more he investigated this case, the more he felt it was deeper than it appeared.

"Then it seems our goals align. Since you're also investigating this case, why don't we cooperate?"

After roughly glancing at the gangsters hanging from the nearby streetlights and confirming that they had no life-threatening injuries, Dick turned back to Isaac and said with a smile.

". . . Okay, I also need a professional detective to help."

Hearing Dick's words, Isaac pondered for a moment before nodding lightly, accepting his invitation. The scale of this minor disappearance case seemed considerable, and he might be at a loss on how to handle it, needing professional help to sort things out.

Of course, besides this factor, Isaac also planned to ask Dick for help in investigating Rachel's matter once they became more familiar. He had tried to investigate in the past few days but still had no clues.

"In that case, we should have a good talk. But this isn't the place to talk right now. My base isn't far from here, why don't you come over and sit for a bit?"

Seeing Isaac accept his invitation, Dick was quite pleased, but just as he was about to say something, he heard the approaching siren, and couldn't help but frown.

For Isaac, since he had already agreed to cooperate with Nightwing and also intended to strengthen their relationship to ask for his help later, he naturally wouldn't refuse the invitation to visit his base.

Re-storing the Golddash into the Rider Chemy Card, Isaac followed behind Nightwing, quickly leaving the scene and disappearing into the shadows of the alley.