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Chapter 452: War
He was smart enough to have already realized that his every move was under Tony's watch. He had been prepared for this for a long time.
All of Gotham City, inside and out, was filled with Tony's pawns, including the mayor so beloved by its people.
Batman was no fool. He might not have discovered the problem in a day or two, but how could he not figure it out after several years?
Besides, Tony had never even tried to hide his intentions.
"Is he not worried about me at all? No, knowing Tony, he must have a deeper purpose."
Batman knew Tony all too well. Years of observation and research had given him a deep understanding of the man's character.
But he couldn't figure out what Tony truly wanted from him.
He was just a powerful ordinary human. Unless... Tony also had his sights set on his brain, just like this one before him, which he suspected belonged to Lex Luthor.
An organic computer?
It probably isn't that simple.
With a grim expression, Batman opened the transparent tank and scooped out the pieces of brain. They were incredibly cold to the touch. The once-fragile brain tissue had solidified considerably, allowing him to hold it steadily.
He could confirm if it was Lex Luthor's by running a DNA test.
After copying some of the data, he retraced his steps. Batman was prepared for a bloody battle to fight his way out, but unexpectedly, no one came to stop him.
It was as if he didn't exist.
The signs of this being deliberate were too obvious. Was he still so disdainful that he wouldn't even bother to conceal it?
Batman's heart felt heavy. He was completely in the dark about Tony's intentions. His every move was now under Tony's surveillance, and yet, he had no choice but to proceed.
Was he supposed to just abandon the brain and the bizarre experimental data after a single glance and walk away? Impossible. He wouldn't be Batman if he did.
Yet, the more he thought about it, the heavier his heart became.
"Batman, Electro has been watching you. He's here, too. Your top-of-the-line human magnetic field detection device didn't even pick him up," came Robin's bitter voice. The usually high-spirited young man sounded dejected. "We're like fools dancing naked under a spotlight, and we were even feeling pleased with ourselves."
"That's to be expected," Batman replied. "Electro's abilities are constantly evolving."
Under the cover of night, Batman leaped out of the basement and departed without a backward glance.
On a building several hundred meters away, the azure form of Electro, Max, was incredibly conspicuous. He had appeared abruptly, observing, but made no further moves.
With that feeling of eyes boring into his back, Batman didn't need to turn around to know he was being watched.
His mood was absolutely foul.
After rendezvousing with Robin outside, Batman boarded the Batwing, activated the stealth device, and immediately piloted the aircraft into the sky.
"Whose brain is this? Why would Tony want us to have it?" Robin asked in confusion.
"He wants us to do something for him," Batman answered in his gravelly voice. Even after boarding the jet, he refused to revert to his normal voice, remaining extremely cautious.
"This feels awful," Robin grumbled.
Batman's face was livid, his mood just as foul.
Max watched the departing Batwing, stood silently for a moment, and then left the rooftop, dissolving into countless streams of electricity before vanishing.
Tony usually entrusted guard duty to him, and only to him.
...
In the quiet of the night, a bombshell of news jolted many high-ranking officials awake.
"What? Hundreds of thousands of robots are gathering in East Africa?"
"Three hundred ships formed from a massive number of Transformers are heading for Africa?"
"What do those robots want? No, what does Tony want?"
"He wants to seize Wakanda's Vibranium Mine to build his own planet! Tony would never let something as valuable as a Vibranium Mine go."
"Compared to that, I'm more worried he might go after our own mineral deposits."
Many were deeply worried, but not for the fate of Wakanda. If it weren't for the Vibranium Mine that they all coveted, they couldn't care less about the fate of some indigenous African nation.
They were more worried that this was the first domino to fall.
If Tony decided to plunder the world's resources, what could they do? They couldn't stop him.
"Contact Crane immediately! Go ask A.R.G.U.S. what the hell they think they're doing," someone ordered.
Going to Tony's estate was useless; anyone sent there would just be brutally beaten and thrown out. This was a lesson learned from countless painful experiences. So, everyone knew that Tony was unwilling to discuss "official business" at his home.
Thus, A.R.G.U.S. became their channel for contacting Tony.
This could be a dangerous sign, but it was also very likely the final one.
For Tony to seize the Vibranium Mine before leaving Earth—to do something so blatant—meant that his departure was now on a countdown.
The news that came back from A.R.G.U.S. confirmed their suspicions.
Once he seized the Vibranium Mine, Tony would officially leave Earth.
"In truth, we all understand that given the unpleasant incidents of the past, coupled with Tony's own immense power, his departure from Earth is only a matter of course."
A member of a think tank said to his leader.
The more brazen his actions, the more they solidified his resolve to leave Earth.
After a round of debate, which mostly devolved into cursing, they realized it was all useless.
Power was the only true currency for negotiation. No matter how much they cursed him, they couldn't harm a single hair on Tony's head.
...
At that moment on the Atlantic Ocean, over three hundred bizarrely shaped warships, surrounded by nearly three hundred thousand Transformers, were advancing at high speed.
When their collective acceleration reached its peak, a massive vortex channel suddenly appeared ahead, swallowing all the Transformers whole.
The scenery changed in an instant. They had traveled from the west coast of the African continent to the east coast, to a location not far from East Africa.
"Strange. The Wakandans didn't interfere with the teleportation process?"
Megatron stood at the prow of a warship. Behind him, Starscream stood to his left, and the tower-like Vortex to his right.
"I'm guessing they didn't expect us to use 'Land Bridge' technology instead of teleportation magic to transport our army," Starscream said with a shrug.
That was correct. The "Land Bridge" technology, designed for intra-planetary transport, had been fully developed and was ready for large-scale deployment.
It was a form of technology that adopted the principles of Kamar-Taj's teleportation magic, but expressed them through scientific means. At its core, both were a mastery over space itself.
Before the development of the Space Bridge was complete, the Land Bridge was the Transformers' swiftest method of transport.
"Starscream, do not underestimate Shuri," Megatron said coldly. "That woman possesses a cosmic-level intellect."
Shuri, the daughter of the former Black Panther and younger sister of Prince T'Challa, was a person even more brilliant than Tony Stark, possessing an intellect of a higher order.
This woman was the greatest obstacle standing between them and the conquest of Wakanda's Vibranium Mine.
(end of chapter)
He was smart enough to have already realized that his every move was under Tony's watch. He had been prepared for this for a long time.
All of Gotham City, inside and out, was filled with Tony's pawns, including the mayor so beloved by its people.
Batman was no fool. He might not have discovered the problem in a day or two, but how could he not figure it out after several years?
Besides, Tony had never even tried to hide his intentions.
"Is he not worried about me at all? No, knowing Tony, he must have a deeper purpose."
Batman knew Tony all too well. Years of observation and research had given him a deep understanding of the man's character.
But he couldn't figure out what Tony truly wanted from him.
He was just a powerful ordinary human. Unless... Tony also had his sights set on his brain, just like this one before him, which he suspected belonged to Lex Luthor.
An organic computer?
It probably isn't that simple.
With a grim expression, Batman opened the transparent tank and scooped out the pieces of brain. They were incredibly cold to the touch. The once-fragile brain tissue had solidified considerably, allowing him to hold it steadily.
He could confirm if it was Lex Luthor's by running a DNA test.
After copying some of the data, he retraced his steps. Batman was prepared for a bloody battle to fight his way out, but unexpectedly, no one came to stop him.
It was as if he didn't exist.
The signs of this being deliberate were too obvious. Was he still so disdainful that he wouldn't even bother to conceal it?
Batman's heart felt heavy. He was completely in the dark about Tony's intentions. His every move was now under Tony's surveillance, and yet, he had no choice but to proceed.
Was he supposed to just abandon the brain and the bizarre experimental data after a single glance and walk away? Impossible. He wouldn't be Batman if he did.
Yet, the more he thought about it, the heavier his heart became.
"Batman, Electro has been watching you. He's here, too. Your top-of-the-line human magnetic field detection device didn't even pick him up," came Robin's bitter voice. The usually high-spirited young man sounded dejected. "We're like fools dancing naked under a spotlight, and we were even feeling pleased with ourselves."
"That's to be expected," Batman replied. "Electro's abilities are constantly evolving."
Under the cover of night, Batman leaped out of the basement and departed without a backward glance.
On a building several hundred meters away, the azure form of Electro, Max, was incredibly conspicuous. He had appeared abruptly, observing, but made no further moves.
With that feeling of eyes boring into his back, Batman didn't need to turn around to know he was being watched.
His mood was absolutely foul.
After rendezvousing with Robin outside, Batman boarded the Batwing, activated the stealth device, and immediately piloted the aircraft into the sky.
"Whose brain is this? Why would Tony want us to have it?" Robin asked in confusion.
"He wants us to do something for him," Batman answered in his gravelly voice. Even after boarding the jet, he refused to revert to his normal voice, remaining extremely cautious.
"This feels awful," Robin grumbled.
Batman's face was livid, his mood just as foul.
Max watched the departing Batwing, stood silently for a moment, and then left the rooftop, dissolving into countless streams of electricity before vanishing.
Tony usually entrusted guard duty to him, and only to him.
...
In the quiet of the night, a bombshell of news jolted many high-ranking officials awake.
"What? Hundreds of thousands of robots are gathering in East Africa?"
"Three hundred ships formed from a massive number of Transformers are heading for Africa?"
"What do those robots want? No, what does Tony want?"
"He wants to seize Wakanda's Vibranium Mine to build his own planet! Tony would never let something as valuable as a Vibranium Mine go."
"Compared to that, I'm more worried he might go after our own mineral deposits."
Many were deeply worried, but not for the fate of Wakanda. If it weren't for the Vibranium Mine that they all coveted, they couldn't care less about the fate of some indigenous African nation.
They were more worried that this was the first domino to fall.
If Tony decided to plunder the world's resources, what could they do? They couldn't stop him.
"Contact Crane immediately! Go ask A.R.G.U.S. what the hell they think they're doing," someone ordered.
Going to Tony's estate was useless; anyone sent there would just be brutally beaten and thrown out. This was a lesson learned from countless painful experiences. So, everyone knew that Tony was unwilling to discuss "official business" at his home.
Thus, A.R.G.U.S. became their channel for contacting Tony.
This could be a dangerous sign, but it was also very likely the final one.
For Tony to seize the Vibranium Mine before leaving Earth—to do something so blatant—meant that his departure was now on a countdown.
The news that came back from A.R.G.U.S. confirmed their suspicions.
Once he seized the Vibranium Mine, Tony would officially leave Earth.
"In truth, we all understand that given the unpleasant incidents of the past, coupled with Tony's own immense power, his departure from Earth is only a matter of course."
A member of a think tank said to his leader.
The more brazen his actions, the more they solidified his resolve to leave Earth.
After a round of debate, which mostly devolved into cursing, they realized it was all useless.
Power was the only true currency for negotiation. No matter how much they cursed him, they couldn't harm a single hair on Tony's head.
...
At that moment on the Atlantic Ocean, over three hundred bizarrely shaped warships, surrounded by nearly three hundred thousand Transformers, were advancing at high speed.
When their collective acceleration reached its peak, a massive vortex channel suddenly appeared ahead, swallowing all the Transformers whole.
The scenery changed in an instant. They had traveled from the west coast of the African continent to the east coast, to a location not far from East Africa.
"Strange. The Wakandans didn't interfere with the teleportation process?"
Megatron stood at the prow of a warship. Behind him, Starscream stood to his left, and the tower-like Vortex to his right.
"I'm guessing they didn't expect us to use 'Land Bridge' technology instead of teleportation magic to transport our army," Starscream said with a shrug.
That was correct. The "Land Bridge" technology, designed for intra-planetary transport, had been fully developed and was ready for large-scale deployment.
It was a form of technology that adopted the principles of Kamar-Taj's teleportation magic, but expressed them through scientific means. At its core, both were a mastery over space itself.
Before the development of the Space Bridge was complete, the Land Bridge was the Transformers' swiftest method of transport.
"Starscream, do not underestimate Shuri," Megatron said coldly. "That woman possesses a cosmic-level intellect."
Shuri, the daughter of the former Black Panther and younger sister of Prince T'Challa, was a person even more brilliant than Tony Stark, possessing an intellect of a higher order.
This woman was the greatest obstacle standing between them and the conquest of Wakanda's Vibranium Mine.
(end of chapter)
