Chapter 183: Dad! Save Me!
That night, after ensuring everyone connected to him in New York had been properly briefed, Batman stood alone on Bat Island.
He wasn't comfortable leaving. But every hour of delay increased the danger Norman Osborn faced in New Mexico.
He had to move now.
The first Batwing constructed in this world had completed its pre-flight sequence. The vectored thrust nozzles flickered with faint blue fire. Oracle AI was already loaded into the aircraft's systems.
The prototype lacked a proper cargo bay, so Batman had modified the internal structure extensively, reshaping the belly to meet his operational requirements.
Three objects resembling cryogenic suspension chambers rested in the modified cargo space alongside a Batcycle.
Batman had also prepared a device the size of a desktop printer. It could emit a composite waveform capable of temporarily controlling creatures born from gamma radiation on a neurological level.
This was the optimized version of the hasty gamma device program he'd overwritten during the Hulk confrontation at Oscorp Tower.
But given that the Hulk had retained rationality during that encounter—Batman's goal had been containment, not combat—and the device had only controlled him for less than ten seconds, Batman estimated this upgraded unit would buy him five seconds at most once activated.
The machine had cost roughly three million dollars. Like the disposable Batwing, it was single-use equipment. The Batcycle and the three suspension chambers fell into the same category.
Beyond these preparations, anticipating large numbers of Hydra soldiers, Batman had constructed a weapon that didn't exist in this world.
The gun could fire brief but extremely powerful laser bursts to disable enemy firearms, rendering them inoperative. He'd designated it the "Disruptor."
Batman had also manufactured various tools unnecessary in New York but essential for this mission: encrypted communicators, Bat-shaped rebreathers, compact surveying equipment.
The smoke pellets derived from Green Goblin pumpkin bombs had been upgraded to strobing smoke grenades. Flash-bangs became high-frequency sonic grenades. The Batcycle carried a large-scale electromagnetic pulse bomb.
A portion of the batarangs had been upgraded to high-frequency ultrasonic batarangs and gel explosive batarangs.
The former could be remotely detonated after throwing. The latter could be remotely controlled, designed to handle potential gamma monsters and ordinary soldiers respectively.
Batman had even replaced his Arkham suit. The new version eliminated most internal electronics and Oracle AI integration, stripped down for mission-specific requirements.
The remaining electronics contained a virus payload that would immediately infiltrate the gamma bomb research facility's communications, radar, and fire control systems the moment Batman penetrated the perimeter.
Beyond these functions, this suit's primary purpose was providing anti-radiation shielding, preventing any gamma-induced mutations to Batman's physiology.
Additional equipment included aerial reconnaissance drones and extremely small spider-like robots capable of navigating pipes and narrow gaps.
After the previous sedative had shown limited effectiveness against the Hulk and Professor Connors, Batman had upgraded the formula again.
This version no longer relied on airborne dispersion. Instead, collapsible needles stored in his utility belt contained enough tranquilizer to anesthetize a blue whale, equipped with diamond-tipped drill heads for penetrating thick hides.
Batman had prepared hundreds of web fluid formulas, upgrading the delivery system so field mixing was no longer necessary. Pre-configured solutions were compressed into individual capsules for quick loading and replacement.
He'd merged the web-shooters with grapnel guns into a single unified system mounted at his wrists rather than the backs of his hands, which needed to remain free for blocking attacks.
Batman hadn't deliberately chosen to differ from Peter Parker's "Spider-Man" configuration. He recognized Peter's web-shooting method as effective and worth adopting.
Batman simply didn't need to press his palm with his fingers. His palms had no sensors. Instead, he relied on muscle control exceeding most humans to activate the web-shooters through subtle wrist movements.
For the New Mexico mission, one final item remained.
Batman examined the vial of pale green viscous liquid in his hand.
He'd never forgotten his original purpose bringing Doctor Banner to North Brother Island.
Beyond keeping Banner's explosive power under close personal supervision and enabling collaboration with Doctor Octavius on fusion research, the most critical objective was having this gamma radiation expert create an antidote for Norman Osborn—saving Batman from investing excessive time researching gamma radiation himself.
The antidote had taken Banner two days to produce.
Not because Banner possessed that level of genius, but because this formula could only temporarily suppress the super soldier serum in Norman Osborn's system.
According to Banner, only after directly examining Norman—conducting complete, detailed physical analysis and testing—could he develop a targeted cure.
Best case scenario: Norman Osborn would be successfully treated, waiting at Ravencroft Institute for his eventual release.
Worst case: like Banner himself, Norman would spend his entire life unable to find a cure, forced to reach accommodation with his condition.
But these outcomes weren't Batman's current concern. Though he'd already prepared plans for both scenarios, they ranked lowest priority.
The New Mexico operation had cost over eighty million dollars across all preparations.
But now still wasn't the time to depart. Batman had one remaining task:
"Robin."
FWOOSH.
Venom's head immediately squirmed out from behind Batman's shoulder, extending its long tongue toward Batman's exposed jaw before Batman's raised palm blocked it.
Venom simply licked Batman's finger instead, its voice cheerful:
"Dad, are we leaving now?"
"Yes." Batman said. "During the time you've been bonded to me, you've discovered many memories you can't access, correct?"
"Ah, yeah?" Venom looked up blankly, not understanding why Batman would suddenly ask this question. "Dad, it didn't used to be like that before."
Batman remained perfectly still. He'd determined Venom wasn't lying.
Beyond continuously training Peter Parker's body—pushing baseline strength past fifty tons—Batman had simultaneously been secretly training his backup personalities and upgrading his memory palace to defend against Venom's intrusions.
The memory palace in his mind wasn't actually shaped like a palace. That was merely a conceptual framework.
As Venom finished speaking, it suddenly discovered its body retracting uncontrollably into Batman's form. Its vision gradually descended into absolute darkness.
"Dad? Dad! Save me!"
Venom didn't know what was happening. It could only call helplessly for Batman in the absolute blackness, trying desperately to emerge from Batman's body again.
But the attempt failed. It couldn't even locate Batman's body. It couldn't find its own body either. Everything felt insubstantial, as though only a fragment of memory existed floating in the void.
Time became meaningless. Then earth-shaking hammering sounds erupted through the darkness.
Venom wanted to shrink back, but it couldn't even find its own head. It could only curl into a terrified ball.
After an unknowable duration, the darkness suddenly transformed.
Venom saw a fireball filling the entire darkness, burning with terrible intensity. It shrieked before realizing the fireball was the sun.
The earth-shaking hammering emanated from within the sun. Between screams, Venom glimpsed a golden figure with billowing cape inside the solar inferno, using its fists to forge a suit of black armor with each thunderous blow.
CRACK!
Before Venom could process this vision, the sun vanished. A massive golden lightning bolt pierced the darkness, chasing a red figure running at impossible speed. The black armor waited at the darkness's end.
Suddenly Venom found itself in the deep ocean. Tremendous pressure crushed from all directions. A man with a golden beard wielding a trident generated massive whirlpools in the abyssal depths. At each vortex's center—that same black armor.
It saw the magnificent heights of Mount Olympus. Saw infinite data streams flowing through electronic worlds. Saw green light spanning the cosmos.
Venom nearly shattered. It had never known what "crying" meant before, but these extreme environments had terrified it completely:
"Dad, save me!"