Diesel fumes choked the air. A speedboat idled thirty feet off the starboard side, its engine a low, predatory hum. Men in Black Mask's colors lounged on deck, cigarettes glowing in the dark, watching you like you were already dead.

Across the harbor, Gotham's skyline flickered—distant, indifferent, a wall of neon and steel.

A fishing trawler limped around the jetty, its deck light flickering. Three figures on board—one at the wheel, one braced at the rail, and one...

The tallest. Helmet gleaming crimson under the harbor lights.

The gap was still wide. Maybe a hundred meters. Maybe more. The speedboat's engine revved, ready to cut loose.

The man in red didn't hesitate.