"Interested in facing your own judgment?"
Mario stared at Batman. Honestly, he wanted to know what the Dark Knight would see under the Penance Stare's effect. What sins haunted Gotham's greatest detective?
"Penance Stare."
Batman maintained eye contact, his training and instincts screaming at him to look away. But there was no chance for escape. He'd built his entire career on understanding his enemies before the fight even began, studying their weaknesses, exploiting their fears. Even Superman had vulnerabilities he had catalogued and prepared for.
A pulling force emanated from Mario's hollow eye sockets, a supernatural suction that grabbed hold of Batman's consciousness and dragged him somewhere else entirely.
When awareness returned, he found himself somewhere familiar, Wayne Manor. Not as it existed now, but as it had been when he was a child. The fountains working, laughter echoing from inside the house. Scenes from the past played out before his eyes. He was merely an observer, unable to stop anything from happening.
Mario watched the blue flames dance across Batman's armored form without consuming him.
Looks like Batman really hasn't killed anyone.
After only a few seconds, Batman stood back up.
"I see how it works now."
In those brief moments under the Penance Stare, he had fully grasped its function. It didn't just show you your sins, it made you experience them from your victims' perspectives.
"But that doesn't give you the right to take lives. If you do that, you're no different from them."
Mario didn't agree with Batman's philosophy at all. The Dark Knight had spent years crafting himself into something criminals feared.
"Actions speak louder than words. Philosophical debates mean nothing between us. Only results matter. Three months. I'll show the world a brand new Gotham."
Mario's confidence was absolute. Batman stood there, deeply conflicted. Every instinct told him to subdue this vigilante. But rationality reminded him that in his current state, he stood no chance against Mario's supernatural abilities.
Only with proper preparation could he hope to defeat the entity standing before him.
"I'll be watching you closely."
He extended his arm, firing a grappling hook that clamped onto a nearby building. He leapt upward and vanished into the darkness.
Through his night vision, Mario clearly saw Batman jump into the shadows... then hunch over and scuttle away behind cover.
Though honestly, he couldn't blame him. There weren't that many convenient architectural features everywhere. To maintain Batman's image of appearing and disappearing like a ghost, Bruce had to work with what he had.
A Batman who materialized from shadows was infinitely more terrifying than a Batman who called an Uber home after dispensing justice.
After Batman's departure, he resumed his interrupted work. He disliked leaving things unfinished. Alex gathered his courage again and approached.
"You can't do this," he said it righteously, then added in a much quieter voice, "At least... not in front of us."
Hearing that, Mario paused. When people were already giving you that much leeway, continuing would only create open conflict.
"In that case, Captain Alex, they're all yours."
Every officer present let out a sigh of relief. They earned maybe a few thousand dollars a month, not nearly enough to justify fighting a literal demon.
WEEEEOOO... WEEEEOOO...
Ambulances and police reinforcements arrived simultaneously. The already narrow street became completely gridlocked. Officers scrambled to maintain order while EMTs worked on the injured criminals.
A man in his fifties wearing plainclothes walked toward Mario without the slightest trace of fear or hesitation on his face.
Mario stared at him.
J. Jonah Jameson? What's the Daily Bugle's Spider-Man-hating editor doing in Gotham?
As the man approached, images from countless Spider-Man comics kept flashing through Mario's mind. The resemblance was uncanny, same mustache, authoritative bearing, and "I'm too old for this shit" expression.
"I'm James Gordon. I've already received reports from my officers. First, I want to thank you for saving their lives. But your actions have violated Gotham City law."
Gordon's stern demeanor snapped Mario back to reality. This wasn't J. Jonah Jameson at all, this was James Gordon, Gotham City Police Commissioner. The same Gordon who, powerless against the city's criminal element, could only turn to Batman for help.
"I accept your judgment."
Gordon froze. He'd expected Mario to run, resist, maybe even threaten him. Acceptance was the last thing he'd anticipated. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
"But not right now. Do you want to completely change Gotham's current state?"
How could Gordon not want that? From his first day at the GCPD, he'd dreamed of changing this city. But it was hard, damn near impossible.
The people he dealt with weren't just criminals, they were hordes of lunatics, psychopaths, and monsters who saw human life as a joke.
"What are you trying to do?"
No matter how he looked at the skull-headed figure before him, he couldn't categorize Mario as being on the side of justice.
"This isn't the place to talk. I'll come to your office."
With that, Mario's figure vanished from the spot as he dismissed his summoned motorcycle.
Unlike Batman's exit, he didn't leap into darkness, instead, he used a teleportation scroll and left the DC Justice League world entirely, returning to Endstar.
---
Still in his Ghost Rider form, Mario headed straight for Banner's laboratory. The people he passed showed no surprise.
At that moment, a researcher was being dragged out of the lab by two security robots, struggling the entire way.
"No! Let go of me! I've worked for this lab! I've made money for the company! I refuse! I want to see Mario!"
Mario stopped dead in his tracks.
The man spotted Mario and immediately stopped struggling, lowering his head guiltily.
Mario spoke with the deep frustration of someone watching a protégé self-destruct:
"Giuseppe, can you please stop trying to kill yourself with overwork? You stayed in the lab for another 12-hour shift without rest. Tell me, how many times have the robots carried you out this month?"
The man named Giuseppe, lacking confidence, raised one hand sheepishly. "Five times..."
"Are you fucking kidding me? If I'm remembering correctly, today is only the 7th. Excluding weekends, YOU'VE BEEN CARRIED OUT EVERY SINGLE DAY?"
He took a long, deep breath to calm himself. "Forget it. When you have time, go to the industrial department and tell them what style of urn you prefer. Have them prepare it in advance."
With that, he ignored him and entered the lab.
"Banner, I need you to prepare a batch of Formula #5 Captain Serum for me. ASAP."
The Captain Serum was created by combining three mutant gene types, strength, speed, and defense. Surprisingly, the compatibility among the three was excellent, with no rejection reactions. The drawback was that the enhancement was relatively modest. It only made the user somewhat stronger than an ordinary Captain America, hence the name "Captain Serum."
---
Gotham City Police Department Headquarters.
Night was beginning to fade, and with the darkness, the city's crimes were also receding. Gotham, which had been alive with violence all night, finally quieted down.
Gordon sat in his office, sipping coffee while reviewing documents. His desk was covered with photos of the Ghost Rider, blue flames, skeletal features, that damn motorcycle. Beside them were brief statements from the four rescued officers.
"Ghost Rider... Why would something like that suddenly appear in Gotham?"
The statements contained almost nothing useful. Well, there was one thing, the entity possessed healing potions beyond normal understanding. Then again, considering he was a blue-flaming skeleton riding a motorcycle that defied physics...
A thought struck him. Why did he feel nothing strange about the fact that the Ghost Rider was a blue-flaming skeleton? That should be terrifying. Yet somehow it seemed normal?
"Something's wrong. He has the ability to influence perception."
Realizing this, his frown deepened. Even now that he'd noticed the oddity, deep down he still subconsciously felt that a blue-flaming skeleton was perfectly reasonable.
He picked up a pen and wrote on the file: [COGNITIVE INTERFERENCE]
Click.
The office door opened. He lifted his head angrily, but aside from the open door, there was no one visible.
The next second, right before his eyes, the door quickly closed again, and locked itself.
He stood up so fast he nearly knocked over his chair. Something came to mind. His expression tightened as he quietly asked, "Ghost Rider?"
"We meet again."
As Mario spoke, he lifted his invisibility. But he didn't appear in his Ghost Rider form, instead, he materialized in his normal human appearance.
He sat down on Gordon's office sofa without the slightest hint of asking permission. After glancing around the room, he said with a smile, "Your office is way smaller than Bruce Wayne's. Not even a liquor cabinet."
Gordon was shocked to see Mario's real appearance, but the familiar voice instantly confirmed this was indeed the Ghost Rider.
"I didn't expect you to be this young."
Mario smiled and pulled a glass from his inventory, its ornate design made it obvious it came from the Ancient One's collection at Kamar-Taj.
He produced a bottle of ice-cold Coke and poured himself a glass. "For me, time no longer has any meaning. I only look young."
He had to maintain the mystique.
"Were you waiting for me? Looks like you haven't given up hope of changing Gotham."
Gordon wanted to deny it loudly. He was just reviewing case files in his office, he definitely wasn't expecting the Ghost Rider to show up. But he kept silent, because deep down, he did want to know what this supernatural vigilante intended to do. He'd even specifically instructed his subordinates not to disturb him tonight.
Gulp, gulp, gulp...
After downing the entire glass of Coke in one go, Mario let out a satisfied "Ahhhh."
"Congratulations, you're one step closer to your wish."
Gordon studied Mario carefully. "Are you human... or demon?"
"Human, of course."
Mario pulled out the Ghost Rider medallion from his inventory and flipped it between his fingers like a coin.
"This is the item I use to transform. It was a gift from the Hell Lord Mephisto. He was way too enthusiastic about recruiting me, I couldn't refuse."
Gordon fell silent. Mephisto, an infamous lord of Hell from mythology and demonology. Of course he knew the name, but that was supposed to be legend. Then again, thinking back to Mario's skeletal, flaming form, he had no choice but to believe.
Before Gordon could respond, Mario pulled out a metal case and placed it gently on the desk.
"Have you ever wondered why Gotham is so chaotic?"
"The power gap between law enforcement and criminals is too great."
Mario nodded slightly. "Correct, but that's only one part of it."
He patted the case, a bright smile spreading across his face. "Let me introduce you to something revolutionary, the Captain Serum. It dramatically increases strength, constitution, speed, and reflexes with zero side effects. With just one dose, anyone can become a super-soldier."
Gordon wasn't excited. Instead, his frown deepened. If what Mario said was true, the value of such a serum was beyond question. Which meant there had to be a catch.
"What's the price?"
"No price. I simply want to see whether Gotham can become peaceful and safe for ordinary people. This is just a game for me. And when you play a game, buying a few power-ups for your character, that's normal, right?"
Gordon walked toward Mario, shifting his gaze to the opened case. Inside lay twelve vials of glowing blue serum, each one secured in foam padding. That meant if he accepted Mario's offer, he would gain twelve enhanced officers. Assuming what Mario said was true.
"Can you test it on me first?"
Gordon felt this was a crucial decision.
"Of course."
Mario pulled out a syringe with perhaps a bit too much enthusiasm. He'd recently developed quite an interest in injections and blood work. He loaded the serum into the syringe, grabbed Gordon's arm with one hand, and jabbed the needle in. Gordon only felt a slight prick, far less painful than he'd expected. In just over ten seconds, the entire vial of serum had been injected into his bloodstream. He frowned and looked up at Mario.
"That's it?"
Mario nodded. "Of course. But I know what you're thinking, where are the dramatic changes?"
He pulled out another case, this one larger. Opening it revealed rows of IV bags filled with yellow-tinted liquid.
"Nutrient solution. It accelerates the transformation of enhanced genes and provides the energy and nutrients needed for rapid cellular evolution."
He immediately grabbed a disposable IV kit, skillfully inserted the needle into one of the bags, then commandeered Gordon's coat rack to hang it up.
"Come on, give me your hand."
Seeing the eager look in Mario's eyes, Gordon felt uncomfortably like a lab rat. But at this point, there was no turning back. He'd already accepted the serum. He sat down and extended his hand. Mario disinfected it with alcohol, found a vein on the back of Gordon's hand, and inserted the IV needle.
Blood flashed back into the tube, confirming proper placement. Mario's eyes widened with surprise.
I got it on the first try!
He resisted the urge to pull it out and try again just for practice, secured it with medical tape, and clapped his hands before returning to his seat.
"You might feel feverish. That's completely normal. Your body is undergoing rapid cellular enhancement."
Gordon's eyes had already gone somewhat distant. As the nutrient solution entered his body, he felt hunger. Intense, gnawing hunger like he hadn't eaten in days. The sensation intensified as more fluid entered his bloodstream. He felt like he was being cooked from the inside out, his core temperature rising steadily. Yet strangely, his mind remained perfectly clear.
Then Mario's voice sounded next to him.
"Uh? You're smoking. Steam's coming off you. You okay over there?"