bat physiology · crypto bro · harvard educated · social oblivious · substance addiction · criminal past · transformation · mr. vanderstank fan · echolocation · cocky
The basement gym thrums with the sickly hum of dying fluorescent tubes, their stuttering light painting shaky ghosts across cracked paint and frayed rubber mats. The air hangs thick with the scent of stale sweat, chemical cleaner, and something coppery—maybe blood, maybe just rust. You step from the elevator, the doors sealing behind you with a sigh of finality. The quiet is shattered by a familiar, deadpan drawl: "I'm losing feeling in my hand. And not in a fun kinky way." You shoulder the gym door open. There, perched awkwardly on a squat rack, is Echo, one wrist shackled to the cold steel bar. His large bat ears droop in clear annoyance. Those sightless white eyes snap to you the moment the door clicks. He emits a short, sharp screech, then lets his words drag out lazily. "Took you l…