Marvel: The Sole Player

Just like that, Darian had his own house and even adopted a stray cat.

This cat could not only do backflips but also put its butt on the back of its head.

However, Selina wasn’t a house cat after all; the wildness in her bones couldn’t be suppressed. Making her stay home obediently was no less difficult than getting Gotham’s criminals to collectively reform.

During the day, she huddled in the house to avoid the underworld’s informants. As soon as the dead of night arrived, she would quietly slip out and run all over the city, always bringing back some expensive items.

Darian felt that Selina shouldn’t be called Catwoman; she should be called the Traveling Kitten.

Having lived on the streets of Gotham since she was a child, Selina understood the way of survival and knew how to share the loot... or rather, show respect. Every time, she would proactively hand over a portion of her spoils as a tribute to Darian.

Seeing how sensible she was, Darian followed Nick Fury’s example and turned a blind eye, letting her be.

After some time, Darian’s administrative leave finally ended, and he officially returned to duty.

Back at the Gotham City Police Department, from the entrance to the hallways, officers along the way nodded to him in greeting, their eyes filled with a bit of respect and admiration. Nowadays, Darian was a famous figure in the department, his fame even overshadowing Director Gordon.

For a single officer to strike terror into the hearts of various gangs—this kind of deterrent power was something even Director Gordon couldn’t achieve.

Although Gordon was the King of Duels, the limitations of that buff were too great. If there was more than one enemy, his combat power would instantly diminish. So, when mobsters saw Gordon, they would give him some face out of respect for his status as Director, but they didn’t fear him.

As for Darian, he was also a King of Duels, except he dueled an entire gang by himself.

In a place like Gotham, this level of combat power was top-tier.

Most importantly, he was the Gotham Gun God, and his primary weapon was a gun.

Aside from those supervillains with special abilities, no matter how tough other criminals were, a single shot to the forehead would make them lie down obediently.

They would rather provoke ten boxing champions than ever run into one Gun God.

Darian walked into the Director’s office and took his Police ID from Gordon.

Gordon looked at him and added earnestly, "Officer Darian, having drive is a good thing, but in all matters, safety and stability come first."

Darian took the ID, stuffed it into his pocket, and nodded. "Don’t worry, Director. I’m famously steady."

Gordon: "..."

You call that steady? Then the Joker could be considered reserved.

Darian suddenly said, "By the way, Director, I have a suggestion. I’ve noticed our Police cars are too slow. Every time we chase a criminal, we just end up eating their exhaust. So, I suggest raising the top speed of Police cars to three hundred miles per hour. That way, we can reduce unnecessary high-speed chases."

Gordon’s lip twitched slightly.

Racing through the streets of Gotham at three hundred miles per hour—setting aside whether they could catch the suspects, the photos of officers hanging on the department wall would probably all have to be changed to black and white.

He sighed. "Our funding is limited. We can’t afford to modify the Police cars like that."

"Why? Didn’t Wayne Enterprises donate a lot of money to us?"

Darian thought of the questionable practices of a certain S.H.I.E.L.D. Director and looked at Gordon with suspicious eyes. "Could it be that those funds all went into your..."

"What are you thinking?"

Gordon interrupted Darian irritably and explained, "The equipment wear-and-tear rate of our Gotham City Police Department is much higher than that of Police departments elsewhere. Most of the funding goes into filling that hole."

The supervillains in Gotham were each more insane than the last, every one of them a ’five-star citizen.’

Every time they caused a major incident, they didn’t run when they saw the Police arrive; instead, they would open fire or even greet them with RPGs.

As a result, the Gotham City Police Department had to write off a batch of Police cars, helicopters, and various equipment every few days.

If it weren’t for the continuous infusions of cash from Wayne Enterprises, the Gotham City Police Department would have regressed back to the era of cold weapons long ago.

Darian shook his head. "Ultimately, it’s because the equipment is too poor. Our officers use standard equipment, and when they face those supervillains, they have no power to fight back. If a violent institution lacks violence, how can it suppress those outlaws?"

Hearing this, Gordon felt that Darian did have a point.

"Then what is your suggestion?"

"My suggestion is that instead of wasting money on wear and tear, it’s better to directly upgrade the department’s equipment. Set the specs as high as they can go. If that’s not enough, cooperate with Wayne Enterprises and buy some high-tech gear from them. After all, Batman’s equipment is all provided by them."

Gordon hesitated. "Using Wayne Enterprises’ money to buy Wayne Enterprises’ products... that doesn’t seem right, does it?"

Darian said with a straight face, "Director, everything is for Gotham. Do you really want to watch the officers who risk their lives to maintain order die one by one at the hands of those lunatics?"

This sentence hit Gordon’s weakness precisely.

He let out a long sigh. "Fine, I will seriously consider your suggestion."

"And about raising the Police car speed to three hundred miles per hour..."

"Ahem, I suddenly remembered there’s an important case I need to handle. Let’s discuss this another day."

Darian walked out of the Director’s office and bumped into Harvey.

Harvey laughed and punched him in the chest. "You’re finally back, kid. Seeing you at the station is harder than seeing Batman."

It had been a while since Darian officially joined the Gotham City Police Department.

In the end, he had only clocked in for two days in total; the rest of the time was spent on leave.

Forget the Gotham City Police Department—even in the entire American law enforcement system, you wouldn’t find a second officer with such a ridiculous attendance rate. Darian replied cheerfully, "Harvey, I heard you cracked a big case recently?"

Harvey’s face immediately bloomed into a smile like a chrysanthemum in full bloom. He chuckled. "That was all thanks to the intel you provided. No more words needed—next time I’m treating you to dinner, and I’ll pick the place!"

"Shouldn’t I be the one picking?"

"I only have a bit of money left in my pocket, have some understanding."

"You’re a fifty-year-old bachelor, and your salary isn’t low. Where does all your money go?"

"Sigh, I met some girls from pitiable families—gambling fathers, sick mothers, and younger siblings waiting for tuition money. I’m the type who can’t stand to see human suffering, so I kindly gave them a hand... Wait, what are you writing in your notebook?"

"Nothing. Keep talking, I’m listening."

The two of them chatted back and forth as they began their patrol for the day.

Although Darian already had a reputation in Gotham, he was still a newcomer to the department after all. As the veteran, Harvey had to show him the ropes. Darian was cooperative, also wanting to see if he could trigger any new missions on the road.

This time, Harvey took the initiative to be the driver.

Ever since he let Darian drive once, he wouldn’t let Darian touch the steering wheel again for anything.

Gotham’s daytime crime rate was no lower than at night.

After all, criminals had figured out the patterns; they knew Batman was a night owl who usually only appeared at night, so they all tried to choose the daytime for their ’work.’

Before long, the two received a call about a home invasion robbery and immediately drove to pursue the suspect vehicle.

But Harvey drove too slowly, constantly eating the other’s exhaust.

Darian couldn’t stand this indignity. He leaned directly out of the car window, raised his hand, and blew out the suspect’s rear tire with a single shot. The car instantly lost balance, swerving and crashing headlong into a lamppost.

Several robbers stumbled out of the car, initially intending to put up a desperate fight. But as soon as they looked up and saw Darian getting out of the car, they threw away all their firearms without a word, put their hands behind their heads, and lay flatter than the floor.

And this wasn’t an isolated case.

Every criminal they encountered next, as long as they saw clearly that the person coming was Darian, would immediately give up resistance and surrender on the spot, fearing that saying it too slowly would result in a bullet.

After several such rounds, Darian and Harvey’s patrol efficiency was astonishingly high.

The two didn’t even need to draw their sidearms; it all relied on Darian showing his face after getting out of the car, and the case would be declared closed.

The only mishap occurred because Harvey got out of the car first. When two criminals saw him, they immediately fired two bursts of bullets.

Then... there was no ’then.’

The two criminals were instantly finished. Darian happily received another administrative leave, and the probability of a ’one-in-ten-thousand chance of death’ dropped a bit more.

Darian was also helpless.

Since becoming a Gotham officer, he had never finished a normal shift.

He sighed, habitually handed his Police ID to Gordon, and went back to continue his vacation with a depressed look.

Gordon: - 口灬囗-

Why does it feel like this kid’s Police ID is just a clock-in tool?

Darian returned to his large Villa, intending to go upstairs and play with his cat to find some fun and alleviate his depressed mood.

But when he pushed open the door, he saw Selina completely without her gear, struggling with her tight leather suit.

Selina heard the movement and turned around, meeting Darian’s wide, staring eyes.

"Why are you back!?"

Selina cried out in surprise, and the tight suit in her hands fell to the floor.

But she reacted quickly, immediately reaching out to cover her vital spots.

However, there were too many ’vital spots,’ and her two thin arms couldn’t cover them all. Most of the scene was seen clearly by Darian, and the remaining area could be filled in entirely by imagination.

Darian silently deactivated the Dead Eye that had somehow automatically activated before Selina covered up, and said calmly, "The department gave me leave, so I came back."

"But weren’t you on your first day back after vacation..."

Selina suddenly thought of something and gasped.

The Gotham Gun God was indeed terrifyingly formidable.

Fortunately, she hadn’t resisted that day, otherwise Darian’s vacation would have been extended again.

Seeing that Darian was still staring at her without blinking, Selina said irritably, "Haven’t you seen enough?"

"No."

Darian shook his head.

He was an honest man and wouldn’t lie.

Selina’s lip twitched. She scooped the tight leather suit up from the floor and, ignoring Darian’s gaze, started putting it on right in front of him.

However, this tight leather suit was really hard to put on. Even for someone like Selina, whose flexibility was maxed out, after struggling for a long time, it only got halfway up before getting stuck. Having struggled to no avail, she had to look up and ask for help from the spectator at the door who was still openly admiring the view.

"Help me."

"I really don’t understand why you have to wear this kind of tight leather suit. Aren’t you afraid that passing gas will cause a bulge?"

Darian complained as he went over to help.

But he also didn’t understand how to put on this tight leather suit. After studying it for a long time, he finally managed to help Selina put it on with great difficulty.

Selina rolled her eyes; this guy was definitely doing it on purpose.

Darian asked curiously, "Going out so early today?"

"I’ve found a super big fish. I’ve been watching him for several days, and he’s heading out tonight. It’s the perfect window for me to rob the rich and help the poor." Selina didn’t hide it.

After spending these days together, she had long figured out this man’s temperament.

On the surface, he was a Police officer, but in reality, his moral standards were extremely elastic. He did everything based on his mood, and things like bottom lines were adjustable options for him. If you kept him in a good mood, he wouldn’t even bother to care if you committed a crime right in front of him.

If you put him in a bad mood, he’d make up some charges even if you hadn’t committed a crime, and then shoot you dead.

Darian expressed that this was pure slander.

For someone who truly provoked him, he’d shoot them dead even without charges.

Hearing the excitement in Selina’s voice that she couldn’t suppress, Darian asked, "What big fish?"

Selina chuckled. "You’ll definitely know him when I say it. He’s the chairman of Wayne Enterprises, Bruce Wayne!"

Darian: "..."

This probably isn’t a big fish, but a great white shark.

Darian said kindly, "Take my advice, you little kitten can’t eat this big fish."

Selina was immediately unhappy upon hearing this and put her hands on her hips. "Looking down on me, are you? I can already use my abilities proficiently now. Although I still can’t beat you, I’m more than enough to handle an average person."

"And this time I’ve learned from my last mistake. To avoid running into a... strong person like you again, I specifically took the time to investigate Bruce Wayne. He’s just an ordinary playboy. At a glance, you can tell his kidneys aren’t good and his body is very weak. A weakling like that, I could knock him down with one punch."

I’m afraid if he punches you, he’ll have to kneel down and beg you not to die.

Darian truly admired Selina’s luck.

Last time, she ran into him, the hidden big boss of the Gotham City Police Department. This time, she was meeting the hidden big boss of all Gotham. Following this trend, she might just run into a cheerful boy who loves to smile the next time she went out.

Darian shook his head. "Forget it, I’ll go with you. I happen to be looking for some fun."

"You’re coming with me?"

Selina was stunned for a moment. "But aren’t you a Police officer?"

Before she could finish, a gold and red metallic luster rose from Darian’s chest, spreading outward from his front. In the blink of an eye, it flowed over his entire body, condensing into a red and blue metallic suit woven with fine spider-web patterns, with a golden spider emblem printed on the chest.

"Not anymore. Please call me Spider... MAN!"

Catwoman and Spider-Man.

This combination sounded quite fitting.

Selina’s eyes went wide. "Where... where did this suit come from?"

Darian said calmly, "Nanotechnology, young lady."

"Wait, why does this suit look a bit like Spider-Man’s?"

Selina stared at the suit; the more she looked, the more familiar it seemed. It was exactly like what she had seen in comic books before.

Darian said cheerfully, "To tell you the truth, I’m actually a Spider-Man who traveled here from a parallel Universe. I accidentally crossed over to Gotham, and to hide my identity, I joined the Gotham City Police Department and became a righteous officer."

Selina said blankly, "But you shot and killed those criminals. Does Spider-Man kill people?"

"Of course. My uncle taught me since I was young that truth must be held in one’s own hands. That is to say, the larger the caliber, the greater the truth."

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