American comics: From Hogwarts to God on Earth

This is truly the most troublesome first day of school I've ever had. Rune thought to himself before going to sleep.

DC Universe

"I'm so sorry..." Granny Angela looked at Rune apologetically, "Perhaps you could... stay a few more days. It's raining today, I can find..."

"No need, thank you." Rune shook his head in thanks, then took the $25 the church had given him and a few changes of clothes and left. After all, in Gotham, it wasn't easy to find a stable place to grow up. Rune had plenty of ways to make money now, but first, he needed to find a place to stay, otherwise he would have to sleep under bridges.

However, before Rune could even leave the block, two white men approached. They were tall and thin, with lifeless eyes, one of them carrying a black umbrella. Rune instinctively cast an armor spell on himself and watched the two men warily.

"Want something good?" One of the white men bent down, one hand on his knee, the other reaching into his clothes to pull out a small packet of white powder, about the size of a fingernail. "Just five dollars, just five dollars, and you can find real happiness..."

The other white man saw that Rune said nothing, but lifted his shirt with his left hand, revealing a gleaming handgun hidden inside.

"Whom do you work for?" Rune asked.

The two white men were stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. Rune sighed, and the white man with the gun was immediately sent flying backward, the black umbrella also crashing to the ground, while the gun at his waist ended up in Rune's hand.

"Goodbye." With a snap, a bullet grazed the other white man's ear, and he screamed and ran away. But then, several more shots rang out, and this time he wasn't so lucky; three bullets pierced his chest. The white man collapsed to the ground, feeling the biting cold, and watched as his friend, not far away, was strangled by the clothes that had come back to life. He slowly closed his eyes.

Rune carefully holstered his gun, barely managing to hold the umbrella between his neck and wrist, and rubbed his wrist. This was his first time killing someone, but Rune felt no nausea whatsoever. Perhaps it was because the two poisonous insects hadn't died gruesomely enough?

"Bullets flying." More than a dozen bullets flew in and were stuffed into Rune's pocket. Guns are good stuff; in Gotham, people only recognize these things. With one, you're a real person. The bigger and more guns you have, the more powerful you are.

The rain intensified, and Rune found shelter in front of a shop. Just then, a girl emerged from the shop. Her long, black hair cascaded over her shoulders and down her back, and her deep blue eyes, like a profound ocean or a dazzling gemstone, shimmered with a lively light. Her eyes seemed to hold endless stories and secrets.

Her face was small and delicate, as if favored by the Creator, her skin revealing a sickly pallor. She wore only a pure white dress and white shoes. The silk fabric of the dress was as fine as silk, the waist cleverly cinched to accentuate her slender figure and showcase her feminine curves. The hem was adorned with delicate and exquisite hand-embroidered patterns, silver threads outlining intricate designs. It was less a garment and more a work of art. It shouldn't be here; it belonged to an elf in a fairyland.

However, Rune took a few steps back, staring intently at the other person. Compared to her, Rune wore an ill-fitting leather jacket, and the only thing that could compare was his face, but he dared not be careless. The girl before him was a mage, and a powerful one at that; even the rain couldn't wet her clothes.

"Huh?" The girl looked at Rune in surprise. "You are...you are a wizard!"

Rune felt like all her defenses were a joke; she was so innocent, it was as if she wasn't a Gotham person at all.

"Zatanna!" A little boy came running up, panting. Compared to the girl's ease, the boy was much more disheveled, his equally expensive clothes soaked through. He paused for a moment, then said, "Why did you come out to buy things? You just needed to tell me, and I would have bought you anything. It's dangerous outside."

Zatanna? Rune mused. The little boy beside her must be the future Batman. Thinking this, Rune felt a pang of guilt, after all, he had just sent two poisonous insects to their deaths.

Zatanna replied matter-of-factly, "I can't always use your money. We're friends, and I have my pride too! If you really respect me, come with me to the convenience store to buy something."

"Okay, okay," Bruce said helplessly.

Conservatively speaking, her clothes could probably keep me eating, drinking, and having fun for a whole year… Thinking this, Rune shook his head and turned to leave. But Little Bruce immediately grabbed him.

"You... I feel like I've seen you somewhere before." Little Bruce looked at him.

"Of course, I was there when your father donated to the monastery," Rune said with a sorrowful expression. "Thank you for your father's contributions to Gotham City. I am very sorry for his death, but I have to go now."

Bruce released Rune without saying a word. Zatanna didn't say much either; she could only suppress her curiosity and let Rune leave.

Rune raised his umbrella and left the shop, taking shortcuts in hopes of finding some fools to make some money—he had only been looking for shelter from the rain and had forgotten to search the poisonous insects for money.

On the streets, rainwater quickly gathered into rushing streams, flowing along the ancient cobblestone paths. The rain washed over every inch of Gotham's land, and neon lights flickered weakly in the rain, their glow distorted into blurry spots. Most of the shops on both sides of the street were closed, with only a few still open, their dim lights casting a warm yet feeble glow.

As time passed, the rain intensified, but it could not conceal the city's crimes. Gunshots, shouts, and the wailing of police sirens could be heard intermittently in the distance. However, the latter seemed particularly faint in the rainy night, as if they could be drowned out by the sound of the rain at any moment.

Feeling the heavy pockets, Rune smiled contentedly. Gotham was truly a good city. Through the recent battles, he had tested part of the strength of Hogwarts's Everlasting Protection. This magic could ignore most pistol and submachine gun bullets; as for rifles and machine guns… he hadn't had a chance to test them yet, but that was enough.

Dumbledore… Rune narrowed his eyes. He couldn't let the White Demon die so easily. If that noseless guy got away with it, wouldn't his trip have been for nothing?

He randomly picked a rental notice from the wall, then went to the apartment and used a Confusion Charm to confuse the tenant, successfully renting the place for six months. Rune lay on the sofa, lost in thought. He had killed without hesitation then, but now, with nothing to do, he felt somewhat bewildered, sensing that something was amiss.

However, deep within Gotham, a large group of men dressed in black robes knelt on the ground.

"She's here again, my master..."