Thousands of miles away from the Middle East, in the City Hall subway station in Manhattan, New York, Batman dialed a virtual call on his computer.
"Silver Sable, this is Peter—Peter Parker."
Batman spoke into the virtual phone in Peter Parker's youthful tone to Silver Sable on the other end.
"I'm Peter…" Inside the containment unit, the pitch-black symbiote—which Batman had been feeding chocolate for a week straight, growing its size to nearly match the former Venom—mimicked Batman's voice.
Batman shook his head at the symbiote in the containment unit, transferred the call permissions from the computer to his Arkham suit, and stepped away from the unit.
"Peter Parker?" Silver Sable's voice on the phone carried a note of delight. "My rescue gear is finally done?"
It had been two weeks since Batman had arranged for Silver Sable to customize a rescue series of equipment at Parker Industries. Silver Sable had long been eager to overhaul her security company's gear from top to bottom, pivoting toward a full rescue operation.
"Yes, but before I deliver the equipment, I need you to do me a favor," Batman said. "More precisely, I want to hire you for a rescue mission."
"Ha, who'd have thought my first rescue contract would come from you, my own student?" Silver Sable chuckled. "No problem. What's the job?"
"Rescue Tony Stark," Batman said.
"Him? Peter, are you kidding me? He's been missing for a full week, and even the military can't find a trace of him." Silver Sable fell silent for a few seconds on the line, as if amused by Batman's request.
"I'm not joking, Miss Silver Sable," Batman replied, still maintaining his current Peter Parker persona. "I got my first round of funding through Tony Stark to start Parker Industries."
"I heard from Batman that you're turning your security company into a rescue outfit. I'm hoping you can help me."
"I'll pay anything—name your price. I need you to take this job."
Silver Sable went quiet again for a few seconds.
"Does Batman know about this?"
Batman gave a slight shake of his head.
"He doesn't care."
"Don't get me wrong—I'm not trying to stir anything between you two, though… uh…"
Silver Sable struggled to find words for what she saw as the dynamic of "naive college kid Peter being ruthlessly exploited by the cold-hearted Batman."
"I get that you want to save Tony Stark, but even the military can't pinpoint his location. If my rescue team heads to the Middle East, we'll probably come back empty-handed."
"What if I've already found Tony Stark's exact location?" Batman said.
Batman had already pulled every detail within a hundred-kilometer radius of Tony Stark's locked position, including a full extraction route, and sent it all to Tony.
From the surveillance feed hacked into the Middle East cave via the City Hall station, Tony Stark had clearly received the intel.
"What? You found him before the military?"
Silver Sable's voice pitched up sharply on the call. She was starting to understand why Batman had taken an interest in this kid who hadn't even graduated from Empire State University—and decided to use him.
Batman's voice remained steady, still in Peter Parker's tone.
"That's right, Miss Silver Sable. I've located where Tony's being held and given him an escape route."
"If you don't want this job, any other rescue company would snap it up in a heartbeat."
Silver Sable couldn't hold back her urgency. A flurry of sounds came through the phone—chair scraping, combat boots slamming onto the floor.
Clearly, the Silver Sable from moments ago—who had been sprawled in her chair with her legs kicked up on the desk during Batman's previous visits—was now fully alert.
"I'm in! If everything you're saying is true, I have to take this! I'll even do it for free!"
Silver Sable wasn't stupid. On the contrary, she keenly sensed just how massive this rescue job from Peter Parker could be for her.
Her security company had only just pivoted. Building a reputation in the industry with Parker Industries' rescue gear would take time.
Three years, maybe five, before "Silver Sable International" earned real recognition and professional credibility.
Tony Stark's ambush and disappearance in the Middle East had dominated the news cycle for a week straight. Practically the whole world knew about the playboy billionaire's plight.
And if what Peter Parker was saying on the phone was true… if her rescue company pulled off what the military couldn't—finding and extracting Tony Stark…
She could imagine the explosion of attention and fame. She'd complete the pivot in record time and put "Silver Sable International" on the map overnight.
Silver Sable wasn't worried about fading after the initial splash. The rescue gear from Parker Industries wasn't for show—it had been vetted by both herself and Batman.
"When do we move?"
Silver Sable asked, practically vibrating with anticipation. After she spoke, a sense of déjà vu hit her.
She thought it over and realized this moment felt eerily similar to when she'd agreed to Batman's request to take down Kingpin.
"Right now. I'm sending you a satellite map. It'll mark your search route for the next forty-eight hours. Once you find Tony Stark, escort him straight back." Batman said.
As he finished, Batman used the portable computer on his Arkham suit to transmit the satellite map.
On the other end, Silver Sable received the map from Parker Industries. She studied it closely for a moment before asking:
"One more thing… are you sure Tony Stark can escape those terrorists in the Middle East on his own?"
"Your search route doesn't intersect with any of their strongholds. It's like I just need to fly my team over the area and pick him up like it's nothing."
"I don't buy that a playboy can just waltz out of there."
This time, it was Batman who fell silent for a few seconds. He glanced at the computer screen on the nearby workbench, watching Tony Stark in the surveillance feed—hammering away at the armor shell with heavy, deliberate strikes.
Even through the screen, across thousands of miles, Batman could feel it: Tony Stark had changed.
He might still be arrogant. Still a playboy.
But the image of Tony Stark forging armor in that cave echoed Batman's own memory of being broken by Bane and thrown into the pit—climbing out, again and again.
After a long pause, Batman answered Silver Sable in Peter Parker's youthful tone:
"He's not alone. I believe in him."
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