Chapter 184: Request for Nuclear Strike
What Venom had witnessed in Batman's memory was the Justice League's most powerful members forging the Hellbat armor.
Though Batman hadn't personally observed those scenes, for someone capable of resisting Martian Manhunter's telepathy, fabricating a memory wasn't difficult.
Batman couldn't risk field-testing Venom's stress responses on the eve of departure—couldn't afford the offspring complications and mission delays that might result.
Attacking from within the memory palace served multiple purposes. It verified Venom could no longer freely access Batman's thoughts, preventing the symbiote from circumventing his defenses through its alien nature.
Simultaneously, it avoided real-world stimuli that might trigger reproduction while testing Batman's memory compartmentalization training.
The results were remarkably effective. Venom had been nearly traumatized by the fabricated scene of six Justice League founders collaborating on the Hellbat armor.
"Dad, save me! Dad, where are you! Save Robin!"
Six directions. Six different environments. Each pressure more crushing than the last. Venom was trapped in the center, compressed into a terrified ball.
It tried resisting. Tried escaping through what seemed the least threatening route—the electronic world's information streams.
But infinite cascades of junk data nearly exploded Venom's consciousness in an instant. Its mind went completely blank.
It attempted climbing the seemingly harmless Mount Olympus instead, but the sword-wielding woman atop that peak merely glanced its direction—and Venom collapsed motionless, pierced by her overwhelming battle intent and razor-sharp sword light.
As for the deep ocean, the lightning and sun, the green light spanning the cosmos—Venom didn't even bother attempting resistance against those.
Just as Venom approached total despair, a voice that brought tears of relief spoke behind it:
"Robin. Don't be afraid."
Behind Venom was the sun it feared most. But even so, hearing that familiar voice, Venom whirled around to see Batman standing there—the one it had desperately begged to rescue it.
His broad, solid shoulders blocked the sun's light and heat. Even the earth-shaking hammer blows faded to distant echoes.
He extended one hand toward Venom collapsed on the ground:
"I came for you, Robin."
Venom didn't hesitate. It lunged into Batman's palm, squirming up his arm, burying itself in Batman's embrace with heaving sobs:
"Dad! I thought you didn't want me anymore! Waaah!"
Batman cradled Venom, stroking its small head gently.
The next moment, the sun, deep ocean, Mount Olympus, electronic world—everything vanished. Darkness reclaimed the space.
But this time Venom felt completely safe, knowing it rested in Dad's arms.
Then its vision blurred. Even the darkness disappeared. Cool evening wind brushed across its form. Looking up, Venom saw stars in the night sky.
In reality, it lay in Batman's palm. Everything moments ago felt dreamlike yet impossibly real.
Stars weren't particularly interesting. Venom tilted its head slightly, spotting that infinitely reassuring stubbled jaw, finally processing what had happened:
"Dad, what was all that? I was so scared..."
Batman pressed Venom toward his chest. The symbiote immediately burrowed inside, then extended its small head from his shoulder, looking up at Batman.
"During the day, I told you I needed to run some tests on you. Remember?" Batman asked while walking toward the pre-heated Batwing.
Venom's eyes widened:
"Of course I remember. You said you needed to test something about me?"
"Yes. Everything you just witnessed was a test, designed to observe under what conditions you might spawn offspring." Batman explained.
Some explanations were necessary. Excessive mystery only bred distance and suspicion. Batman had learned that lesson long ago.
"Oh, it was just a test! I thought Dad didn't want me anymore." Venom relaxed with obvious relief, then immediately perked up again:
"Dad! Were those scenes things you actually experienced? Who were they? They were... oh!"
Venom could no longer probe Batman's recent memories, but that didn't erase what it had learned before:
"The one in the sun was Uncle Superman, right? And the ocean one was Uncle Aquaman? And Aunt Diana—should I call her Mom..."
"Robin!" Batman interrupted, shoving the throttle to maximum. "We're moving out!"
ROAR!
The Batwing's tail exhaust flared brilliant blue before quickly dampening to near-invisibility.
Batman launched directly from Bat Island. Stealth took priority over speed. The vectored thrust nozzles suppressed light and heat signatures as much as physically possible during takeoff.
Even so, Batman's modifications enabled the aircraft to achieve extraordinary velocity, climbing at a steep angle toward the sky, vanishing into the clouds within moments.
Above the cloud layer, Venom extended its head from Batman's body, gazing with fascination at the large, brilliant moon unobscured by atmospheric interference.
"Dad, where are we going?" Venom suddenly realized it had followed Batman onto the aircraft in a daze without knowing their destination or purpose.
"New Mexico. To rescue a scientist—or possibly an industrialist—who's lost his way." Batman said.
"Yay! New Mexico! Dad flies the plane so cool. Want me to try flying it?"
---
Unknown waters. The Helicarrier.
"Natasha, report on activity at the New Mexico gamma bomb research facility."
"The site's been registering frequent shallow-source seismic activity. I suspect Ross and Norman have successfully replicated Hulk clones. Requesting artillery bombardment, Director Fury."
SHIELD Director Nick Fury studied Black Widow Natasha intently, as though committing her features to memory:
"General Ross once deployed tanks and bomber aircraft against the Hulk. Did he succeed?"
Natasha shook her head.
"So we wait." Nick Fury said.
"Wait for what?" Black Widow couldn't understand. There was new intelligence she hadn't been briefed on.
Nick Fury smiled enigmatically, offering no explanation.
"Director Fury, unless I'm mistaken, that facility operates with self-sufficient power and water systems. No external network connections—achieving complete physical isolation by default. Latest intelligence confirms zero civilian presence. Everyone except Norman Osborn is Hydra."
Black Widow didn't even glance at Nick Fury's mysteriously smug expression. Her face remained deadly serious:
"The bombardment I'm requesting is nuclear, Director Fury."
Nick Fury froze, staring at Natasha's utterly serious expression. The words escaped before he could stop them:
"Mother—"
But before he could finish, Black Widow turned and departed, leaving Nick Fury alone in the command center.
He shook his head, settling into the command chair by himself. After a moment, he raised his hand to check his watch. Past midnight already.
After brief consideration, Nick Fury immediately summoned Agent Hill:
"Dispatch a helicopter to Stark Tower. Bring Tony Stark here."
Agent Hill's eyes widened:
"Now?"