Hugo Strange 13: Chapter 13: Dr.
Hugo Strange Selina blew the smoke from her revolver, not missing the opportunity to lean against the slick wall and make a pose.
Vincent felt a sudden spike of emotion that almost moved him to tears.
If it weren’t for the biological barrier, he would have jumped forward and kissed her on the cheek.
Selina dropped smoothly to the floor of the shaft, pointing the gun at the remaining two Bio-Humans.
These monsters were born from humans after all, and the raw fear of firearms remained deeply etched into their genetic code.
They growled and hissed, retreating into the shadows.
“You ok?” Selina asked.
“Never better…
My bones are solid, practically peak condition,” Vincent faked a smile.
The Bio-Human’s grip had been extremely strong.
That squeeze had cracked several of his ribs, and every single breath now sent a stabbing agony straight through his chest.
Bullock’s condition, however, was far more critical.
He was semi-conscious, blood dripping from his mouth as Gordon dragged him to the center of the grate.
“You’re…
still breathing…
good…” Bullock slurred, forcing his eyes open just enough to let a thick line of blood dribble from the corner of his mouth.
“Thank you, Detective Bullock.
You’re a damn good cop, just like James here,” Vincent said, offering a serious nod of gratitude.
Selina had pulled him out, but he had seen with his own eyes how Bullock took a brutal hit just to protect him.
“Why the hell did you come back?” Vincent asked, turning to Selina.
“Did you find an exit?” The thief shook her head.
She had returned only for backup.
Her earlier suspicion kept nagging her.
The enemy had gone to immense trouble to lead them down to the absolute bottom of the sewer system, and the main drainage outlet was the lowest point available.
The more she ran it through her head, the worse it felt.
Gordon had been disarmed, and leaving three broken men to navigate a death trap just felt wrong.
So, she turned back.
Her instinct was right.
These Bio-Humans were being kept down here like wild dogs.
Dr.
Strange had driven them into this corner specifically to let his monsters erase the evidence.
Once they were dead, the doctor’s hideout would remain a secret.
But even with the immediate execution delayed, the question remained.
How to escape?
“Why did you want the handcuffs earlier?” Gordon asked.
“We can’t break this filtration mesh with bare hands, but those freaks can,” Vincent explained briefly, holding his aching side.
“The plan was to lock one end to the steel grate and the other to a monster’s foot, using its weight to rip the floor open…
But I was being too optimistic.” It was a desperate gamble, and looking back, it had plenty of holes.
The Bio-Humans were hyper-aggressive; how the hell was he supposed to get one to stand still while he cuffed its ankle?
Sing it a song?
Yet, Selina liked the main idea.
“Leveraging their strength…
The plan might work if we refine it.” Before they could discuss the details, a sharp click echoed through the shaft.
One by one, starting from the top, the large industrial lights fixed to the walls flickered on.
The sudden bright light blinded them.
Vincent squinted, rubbing his burning eyes.
When his vision finally cleared, he spotted a small silhouette standing on the platform high above them.
The man looked to be in his late fifties, completely bald with a sharp, sinister goatee.
He stood with his hands tucked into the pockets of a laboratory lab coat that was so oversized for his short frame it dragged along the concrete like an evening gown.
Dr.
Hugo Strange had finally showed up.
Vincent let out a long, exhausted sigh.
The classic villain monologue was right on schedule.
These bastards could easily stay hidden in the dark and let their traps do the work, yet they always insisted on showing up to give the protagonists a full breakdown.
But Vincent wasn’t Batman.
He didn’t give a shit about Hugo Strange’s psychological motives, nor did he care to condemn the man’s complete lack of humanity.
He just wanted the five million dollars, he just wanted to save himself and Oswald from Mr.
Maroni.
Selina cared even less.
The moment the doctor finished his grand entrance, she raised the revolver and fired three consecutive shots.
But the distance was too big, and the strong winds inside the shaft pushed the bullets off course, causing them to hit the upper concrete rail harmlessly.
Gordon reached over, placing his hand on her wrist telling her to save their remaining bullets.
“Welcome to my arena, gentlemen.
I hope you find my masterworks amusing?” Dr.
Strange spread his arms, looking down with absolute arrogance.
“Masterworks?
You mean those two oversized rats that cowered the second a gun went off?” Selina scoffed, resting a hand on her hip.
“Fear is the foundational instinct of all creatures,” Dr.
Strange replied smoothly, entirely unbothered by her mockery.
A polite, clinical smile remained fixed on his face.
“Without a healthy respect for apex peril, a species accelerates toward self-destruction.
And when mortality becomes the main constant, reproduction loses its systemic purpose.” Selina blinked, trying to understand the Doctor’s overcomplicate nonsense.
“Pretty sure your freaks don’t need to reproduce anyway.” Vincent stepped into the light, drawing the Doctor’s attention.
The moment Strange saw Vincent’s face, his face twitched.
He tried to maintain his cold, clinical composure, but the corners of his mouth curled into an irrepressible, manic smirk.
And that specific reaction told Vincent everything he needed to know.
“You recognize me.” “Indeed.
I have seen that face before.
More than once, in fact,” Strange replied, his eyes locked onto Vincent.
“One could even say I have been actively searching for the occupant of that specific vessel.
Unfortunately, I don’t have your name.
I have very little curiosity for boring paperwork, which is precisely why my clients feel secure doing business with me.” The doctor was being vague, but Vincent’s analytical mind quickly figured it out.
*Clients.* That meant the previous owner of this body had likely been a commodity traded in Strange’s network.
And since Strange had been looking for him, Vincent was clearly a high-value asset.
Maybe he could use that value to buy a ticket out of here.
But Strange shattered that illusion instantly.
The doctor reached into his lab coat and pulled out a small, metallic remote transmitter.
“You made a valid observation earlier.
My bio-men have no need for fear.
Therefore, I am terminating their emotions.
For the next ten minutes, they will function as pure killing machines.” “Hold on!
You just said you’ve been looking for me,” Vincent barked, taking a step forward.
“If I die down here.” “The value lies entirely within your body,” Strange interrupted coldly, his finger hovering over the switch.
“Whether your mind is still intact when I take it doesn’t matter to my research.” He pressed the switch.
The two remaining Bio-Humans let out a deep, terrifying scream that shook dust from the ceiling.
Dr.
Strange turned around and quietly disappeared into the shadows of the upper corridor.
The only stroke of luck was that the bastard forgot to turn off the lights.
For the first time all night, Vincent’s crew had full visibility.
But even with their eyes working, their chances of surviving two hyper-aggressive bioweapons were practically zero.
The change in the monsters happened instantly.
Before, they still showed signs of basic awareness, confusion, anger, and hesitation.
Now, their faces were completely empty, like lifeless masks made of flesh.
The two Bio-Humans unhinged their jaws.
Thick strings of foul, yellowish saliva dripped from their mouths and fell heavily onto the metal grate.
Selina didn’t hesitate.
She lined up her sights and fired two heavy shots at the closest beast.
*Bang!
Bang!* The creature’s left eye burst, spraying black liquid and blood across its twisted face, leaving a terrible bloody streak.
Yet, no scream.
No rage.
Only movement.
Both Bio-Humans dropped to all fours and charged.