What Venom saw in Batman's memories was exactly the scene of the Justice League's core members forging the Hellbat suit for the Dark Knight.
Although Batman hadn't personally witnessed those moments, for someone capable of resisting Martian Manhunter's telepathy, fabricating a memory was hardly difficult.
There was no way Batman would, right on the cusp of departure, deliberately provoke Venom in the real world just to test whether it would spawn offspring; that would only invite trouble and delay their mission.
Attacking from the memory angle served two purposes: it let him probe whether Venom could still casually peek into his thoughts like before (and whether the symbiote's nature allowed it to deceive him), while also avoiding any real-world stimulation that might cause it to reproduce. At the same time, it doubled as training for his memory palace.
So far, the results were outstanding. Aside from the scene where six Justice League founders worked together to forge the Hellbat armor, Venom had practically been scared witless.
"Daddy! Save me! Daddy, where are you?! Save Robin!"
Up, down, left, right, front, back; six different environments from six directions, each one heavier than the last. Venom was pinned in the center, trembling like a sieve.
It tried to fight back. It tried to slip through what looked like the least oppressive environment: the digital world's torrent of information.
But an endless flood of garbage data nearly blew its mind apart in an instant. Its brain went bzzzzzt; blank.
It tried climbing the towering yet seemingly harmless Mount Olympus instead, only for the long-sword-wielding woman atop it to glance at it once. The soaring battle intent and razor-sharp sword light stabbed straight into Venom's eyes. It collapsed on the spot, unable to move.
As for the deep ocean, the lightning, the sun, and the green light stretching across the cosmos; Venom didn't even bother entertaining the thought of resistance.
Just when Venom was teetering on the edge of despair, a voice that instantly reduced it to tears rang out behind it.
"Robin, don't be afraid."
Behind it was the sun; the thing Venom feared most. Yet the moment it heard that familiar voice, Venom whipped around. Standing there, shielding it from the sun's light and heat, was the Batman it had been desperately begging to come save it.
Those broad, dependable shoulders blocked the blinding light and scorching heat. Even the deafening hammer strikes sounded muffled and distant.
One gauntleted hand reached down toward the symbiote sprawled on the ground.
"I came for you, Robin."
Venom didn't hesitate for a fraction of a second. It flung itself into Batman's palm, slithering up his arm and curling into his embrace, sobbing like a child.
"Daddy! I thought you abandoned me! Waaaaah~"
Batman cradled Venom gently and patted its little head.
The next instant, the sun, the deep sea, Mount Olympus, the digital world; everything vanished. Darkness swallowed the scene once more.
But this time, Venom felt perfectly safe, because it knew it was lying in Daddy's arms.
Then the darkness vanished too. A cool night breeze brushed against its surface. Venom looked up and saw stars glittering in the night sky.
In reality, it was still resting in Batman's palm. Everything that had just happened felt like a dream; yet impossibly real.
Stars were boring. Venom tilted its head and spotted that reassuringly square jaw beneath it. Only then did the realization click.
"Daddy, what was all that just now? You scared me to death…"
Batman pressed Venom to his chest. The symbiote immediately burrowed inside, then popped its little head out over his shoulder to stare up at him.
"I told you during the day that I needed to run some tests on you. Remember?" Batman asked as he walked toward the pre-warmed Batwing.
Venom's huge eyes went wide. "Of course I remember! You said you were going to test something on me?"
"Yes. Everything you just saw was one of those tests; to observe under what conditions you might reproduce," Batman explained.
Some explanations were necessary. Being excessively cryptic only bred suspicion and distance. Batman had learned that lesson long ago.
"So it was just a test… I really thought Daddy didn't want me anymore."
Venom let out a huge sigh of relief, then immediately perked up again.
"Daddy! Were all those scenes things you actually experienced? Who were they? They were; oh!"
Venom hadn't been able to peek at Batman's memories lately, but that didn't mean it had forgotten everything it once knew.
"The one in the sun was Uncle Superman, right? The ocean was Uncle Aquaman! And Aunt Diana… should I call her Mom or;"
"Robin!" Batman cut it off, slamming the Batwing's throttle to full. "We're taking off!"
BOOM!
The faint blue flames at the Batwing's tail erupted into a roar, then instantly dialed back until they were nearly invisible.
Batman launched straight from the Batcave's hidden pad on the island; stealth was priority one. The variable-thrust engines suppressed light and heat as much as possible during takeoff. Speed came second.
Even so, the heavily modified engines hurled the jet into the sky at a steep angle. In the blink of an eye, it vanished into the clouds.
Above the cloud layer, Venom poked its head out of Batman's body, staring in wonder at the huge, bright crescent moon unobstructed by clouds.
"Daddy, where are we going?" Only now did Venom remember it had followed Batman onto the plane in a total daze and still had no idea what they were doing.
"New Mexico. To rescue a scientist; or perhaps an entrepreneur; who's lost his way," Batman replied.
"Sweet! New Mexico road trip! …Daddy, aren't you tired of flying? Want me to take the controls for a bit?"
Unknown waters, aboard the Helicarrier.
"Natasha, report on the gamma bomb research facility in New Mexico."
"Lately we've been picking up frequent shallow-focus seismic events. I suspect Ross and Norman have already succeeded in replicating Hulk," Black Widow said coolly. "Requesting orbital bombardment authorization, Director Fury."
S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury gave Natasha a long, piercing stare, as if trying to burn her image into his mind.
"General Ross once threw tanks and bombers at Hulk. Did it work?"
Natasha shook her head.
"That's why we wait," Nick Fury said.
"Wait for what?" Black Widow didn't understand. Was there new intel she hadn't been looped in on?
Fury gave a cryptic little smile and said nothing.
"Director, if I'm not mistaken, that facility is completely off-grid; self-sufficient power and water, no external network connections. It's physically isolated from the outside world." Natasha didn't even glance at Fury's knowing smirk. Her expression was dead serious. "Latest intel confirms zero innocent civilians on site. Everyone inside besides Norman Osborn is Hydra."
"I'm requesting nuclear bombardment, Director Fury."
Fury froze. Looking at the deadly earnest face of the Black Widow, the words slipped out before he could stop them:
"Mother—"
But before he could finish, Natasha turned on her heel and walked out, leaving Nick Fury alone in the command center.
He shook his head, sat down in the captain's chair, and after a long moment glanced at his watch. It was already past midnight.
After a brief moment of thought, Fury tapped his comm:
"Agent Hill, get a Quinjet to Stark Tower. Bring Tony Stark here."
Hill's eyes went wide. "Now?"
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