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Chapter 451: The Bat in the Night
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
In the silent, pitch-black night, a massive bat-like silhouette glided through the sky.
The shadow of this figure was cast upon the ground, forming a huge, menacing bat-shaped shadow.
Batman, under the cover of night, was on the move again. This time, however, his location was not Gotham City.
Instead, he was in Queens, New York.
He had received reliable intelligence that Tony had left New York with the main fighting force of Donnie's, their destination unknown.
This gave Batman an opportunity.
He moved like a phantom in the darkness, expertly scaling the wall and landing on the lawn.
The eyes behind his mask, as cold as an iceberg, vigilantly scanned the surroundings for any sign of movement.
His investigation of Donnie's estate was meticulous, even accounting for the behavioral habits of some of its inhabitants.
He knew very well that because many people liked to rest on the lawn at night, detection devices like infrared sensors had not been installed.
"Batman, I've cut the internal sensors. You have five minutes. But are you really going to do this? If Tony finds out, he'll come after us."
Robin's voice came through the earpiece.
Batman didn't respond. After dashing into a dense thicket and waiting for a few seconds, he immediately got up and quickly moved towards a patch of lawn that was clearly different from the rest.
This was the location of a basement he had observed via satellite.
With the defenses of Donnie's estate weakened, Batman seized the opportunity, deciding to investigate some things himself.
For example, the disappearance of Lex Luthor.
Regarding Luthor's disappearance, although A.R.G.U.S. had immediately tried to cover it up, Batman had still found a lead.
Or rather, it was a message Luthor had prepared to send him that had raised his suspicions.
If all went well and Luthor returned safely, he would have canceled the message. If he failed to return after a certain time, it meant something had happened, and the message would be sent automatically.
"The cunning bastard," Batman thought.
Luthor could have sent the message to many people, but he ultimately chose him, chose Bruce Wayne. Because between himself and Tony, there were certain irreconcilable conflicts, the seeds of which were sown back in Gotham City.
After Batman paused, Robin's exasperated sigh came through the earpiece, sounding incredibly harsh in the silent night. Following Robin's complex operations, the patch of lawn suddenly moved, then rose, revealing a gap.
"Batman, we've definitely been exposed," Robin warned in a hushed voice. "If this is Tony's laboratory or storage room, he wouldn't need to set any electronic passwords. His superpowers are the best password. Animating machinery and teleportation are both more effective than an electronic password."
"It's like he set it up this way on purpose, just waiting for us," Robin's voice was tinged with anxiety. "Let's fall back."
Batman turned sideways, ducked, and rolled into the narrow gap. Just as he was about to tumble down the stairs, his formidable physical conditioning allowed him to steady himself. He began a side flip on the first step and landed firmly on the sixth.
"I know, Robin, but that's no reason to back down," Batman said, his eyes behind the mask filled with coldness. "No matter what he has prepared, I will not retreat. He has no reason to kill Luthor, so I need to find out why he captured him."
Batman was smart. The moment he successfully infiltrated and entered the basement, he knew he was exposed. He had already prepared for this, with countermeasures ready for any contingency.
"It's just Lex Luthor. Even if you two have business ties, is it really necessary to risk so much for him?" Robin grumbled.
"This is just the beginning. Tony is no longer the Sorcerer Supreme. He has been freed from the shackles of responsibility, like an unbound monster. I know him better than you do, and I understand just how dangerous he is. That's why I must find out what he wants, and Luthor is an excellent starting point."
Batman descended the stairs quickly, silently counting the steps and his own paces. After seven turns, thirty-two meters deep underground, he finally saw a faint light in the darkness.
Robin's helpless voice sounded again: "Alright, alright, I don't get you... You finally drive off the Joker, and now you immediately go and provoke Tony? What on earth are you thinking...?"
"Robin, believe me, Tony is a dangerous man. More than that, he's intensely pragmatic; he doesn't do things without a purpose. Just like what he did back in Gotham City—whether it was the revolution or becoming mayor, he filled the entire city with his people. He planted a huge number of agents to monitor me from every angle... Oh, dammit! What has he done?!"
Batman's voice was suppressed, laced with shock and rage.
He had no time to answer Robin's question from the earpiece. The sight before him had left Batman utterly horrified.
In the deepest corner, numerous instruments were arranged. Inside a transparent tank filled with liquid, a brain bristling with tubes was bobbing up and down. Hundreds of supercomputers were lit up, displaying and storing massive amounts of data every second.
Batman cautiously scanned his surroundings. Finding no traps, he quickly strode forward. He first shot a quick glance at the grotesque brain, then looked at the nearest computer screen.
The rapidly scrolling data stream was dazzling, but Batman still managed to pick out some key words.
"Experiment Simulation 949..."
"Kryptonian Gene, tenth segment, dominant variant 3, activated."
"Failure... analyzing cause and backing up..."
"Rebooting..."
"Experiment Simulation 950..."
Batman warily watched the terrifying data streams flashing across the hundreds of supercomputers around him, then focused his attention on the brain.
Between the several pieces of the brain, eerie filaments connected them. Batman, an expert in human anatomy, realized that this method of sectioning the brain was clearly done according to its different functional regions.
Ever astute, he had already deduced what this brain was.
It was very likely Luthor's brain.
A flash of fury crossed Batman's eyes. No matter whose brain it was, this type of experiment had crossed his moral line.
He quickly typed on the computer, browsing the information on it, and saw words like "Kryptonian" and "Doomsday."
"Tony, are you targeting the Kryptonians this time? What does he want from them?" Batman thought silently. Then, gritting his teeth, he opened the transparent tank and shut down the equipment.
In the dim light, his face was illuminated. His tall figure cast a long bat-like shadow on the ground.
Tony... what does he want from me this time?
Batman clenched his jaw, his face ashen.
(end of chapter)
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
In the silent, pitch-black night, a massive bat-like silhouette glided through the sky.
The shadow of this figure was cast upon the ground, forming a huge, menacing bat-shaped shadow.
Batman, under the cover of night, was on the move again. This time, however, his location was not Gotham City.
Instead, he was in Queens, New York.
He had received reliable intelligence that Tony had left New York with the main fighting force of Donnie's, their destination unknown.
This gave Batman an opportunity.
He moved like a phantom in the darkness, expertly scaling the wall and landing on the lawn.
The eyes behind his mask, as cold as an iceberg, vigilantly scanned the surroundings for any sign of movement.
His investigation of Donnie's estate was meticulous, even accounting for the behavioral habits of some of its inhabitants.
He knew very well that because many people liked to rest on the lawn at night, detection devices like infrared sensors had not been installed.
"Batman, I've cut the internal sensors. You have five minutes. But are you really going to do this? If Tony finds out, he'll come after us."
Robin's voice came through the earpiece.
Batman didn't respond. After dashing into a dense thicket and waiting for a few seconds, he immediately got up and quickly moved towards a patch of lawn that was clearly different from the rest.
This was the location of a basement he had observed via satellite.
With the defenses of Donnie's estate weakened, Batman seized the opportunity, deciding to investigate some things himself.
For example, the disappearance of Lex Luthor.
Regarding Luthor's disappearance, although A.R.G.U.S. had immediately tried to cover it up, Batman had still found a lead.
Or rather, it was a message Luthor had prepared to send him that had raised his suspicions.
If all went well and Luthor returned safely, he would have canceled the message. If he failed to return after a certain time, it meant something had happened, and the message would be sent automatically.
"The cunning bastard," Batman thought.
Luthor could have sent the message to many people, but he ultimately chose him, chose Bruce Wayne. Because between himself and Tony, there were certain irreconcilable conflicts, the seeds of which were sown back in Gotham City.
After Batman paused, Robin's exasperated sigh came through the earpiece, sounding incredibly harsh in the silent night. Following Robin's complex operations, the patch of lawn suddenly moved, then rose, revealing a gap.
"Batman, we've definitely been exposed," Robin warned in a hushed voice. "If this is Tony's laboratory or storage room, he wouldn't need to set any electronic passwords. His superpowers are the best password. Animating machinery and teleportation are both more effective than an electronic password."
"It's like he set it up this way on purpose, just waiting for us," Robin's voice was tinged with anxiety. "Let's fall back."
Batman turned sideways, ducked, and rolled into the narrow gap. Just as he was about to tumble down the stairs, his formidable physical conditioning allowed him to steady himself. He began a side flip on the first step and landed firmly on the sixth.
"I know, Robin, but that's no reason to back down," Batman said, his eyes behind the mask filled with coldness. "No matter what he has prepared, I will not retreat. He has no reason to kill Luthor, so I need to find out why he captured him."
Batman was smart. The moment he successfully infiltrated and entered the basement, he knew he was exposed. He had already prepared for this, with countermeasures ready for any contingency.
"It's just Lex Luthor. Even if you two have business ties, is it really necessary to risk so much for him?" Robin grumbled.
"This is just the beginning. Tony is no longer the Sorcerer Supreme. He has been freed from the shackles of responsibility, like an unbound monster. I know him better than you do, and I understand just how dangerous he is. That's why I must find out what he wants, and Luthor is an excellent starting point."
Batman descended the stairs quickly, silently counting the steps and his own paces. After seven turns, thirty-two meters deep underground, he finally saw a faint light in the darkness.
Robin's helpless voice sounded again: "Alright, alright, I don't get you... You finally drive off the Joker, and now you immediately go and provoke Tony? What on earth are you thinking...?"
"Robin, believe me, Tony is a dangerous man. More than that, he's intensely pragmatic; he doesn't do things without a purpose. Just like what he did back in Gotham City—whether it was the revolution or becoming mayor, he filled the entire city with his people. He planted a huge number of agents to monitor me from every angle... Oh, dammit! What has he done?!"
Batman's voice was suppressed, laced with shock and rage.
He had no time to answer Robin's question from the earpiece. The sight before him had left Batman utterly horrified.
In the deepest corner, numerous instruments were arranged. Inside a transparent tank filled with liquid, a brain bristling with tubes was bobbing up and down. Hundreds of supercomputers were lit up, displaying and storing massive amounts of data every second.
Batman cautiously scanned his surroundings. Finding no traps, he quickly strode forward. He first shot a quick glance at the grotesque brain, then looked at the nearest computer screen.
The rapidly scrolling data stream was dazzling, but Batman still managed to pick out some key words.
"Experiment Simulation 949..."
"Kryptonian Gene, tenth segment, dominant variant 3, activated."
"Failure... analyzing cause and backing up..."
"Rebooting..."
"Experiment Simulation 950..."
Batman warily watched the terrifying data streams flashing across the hundreds of supercomputers around him, then focused his attention on the brain.
Between the several pieces of the brain, eerie filaments connected them. Batman, an expert in human anatomy, realized that this method of sectioning the brain was clearly done according to its different functional regions.
Ever astute, he had already deduced what this brain was.
It was very likely Luthor's brain.
A flash of fury crossed Batman's eyes. No matter whose brain it was, this type of experiment had crossed his moral line.
He quickly typed on the computer, browsing the information on it, and saw words like "Kryptonian" and "Doomsday."
"Tony, are you targeting the Kryptonians this time? What does he want from them?" Batman thought silently. Then, gritting his teeth, he opened the transparent tank and shut down the equipment.
In the dim light, his face was illuminated. His tall figure cast a long bat-like shadow on the ground.
Tony... what does he want from me this time?
Batman clenched his jaw, his face ashen.
(end of chapter)
