Chapter 137: Research on Vibranium
Adrian Toomes. An electronic engineer with a hooked nose who yearned for the blue sky and longed to soar through the skies like a true bird.
This was the information Batman obtained from senior electronic engineer Max Dillon on Oscorp's thirteenth floor.
After touring Oscorp Tower with Harry Osborn, even though Harry mentioned Ravencroft Research Institute once, Batman still revealed no information to Harry about Norman Osborn's whereabouts.
Batman had been delayed recently by Tony Stark's situation and the Venom and Anti-Venom affairs, never having time to search for Norman Osborn.
Moreover, when he'd infiltrated SHIELD's Adirondack Mountains base, that data highly suspected of being taken by a Hydra agent still showed no activity.
Batman trusted his technology. He knew no one could browse the data without triggering the tracking virus he'd planted.
No activity until now—only one explanation existed: That Hydra agent used human transport methods rather than network data transmission.
Simply put, the Hydra agent carried the hard drive containing SHIELD's "Project Pegasus" on their person, traveling with that hard drive to a Hydra base.
'Harry currently isn't conducting any super soldier serum or weapons equipment research projects within Oscorp. I can relax about him temporarily.'
Batman bid farewell to Harry. Upon leaving, he habitually planted a program into Oscorp's internal systems—one that only monitored sensitive vocabulary like "serum."
Besides Oscorp, Batman had similarly planted surveillance programs inside Stark Industries. His ability to hear Tony Stark and Obadiah's conversation was that program's achievement.
Returning to City Hall station, Batman removed his neat dark suit and donned the Arkham armor.
After this location was converted to the Batcave, as construction and renovation proceeded on the sixty-six-story skyscraper—purchased and renamed Parker Group Tower—the Batcave evolved almost daily.
The internal core area used mechanical construction controlled by the Oracle AI, while the exterior employed ordinary workers under the pretext of renovating sewer systems.
The current Batcave only vaguely resembled the former subway station.
The original vaulted amethyst glass skylight was completely sealed, but the original brass chandeliers were preserved.
Currently, the space was divided into several zones: a central area storing the Oracle AI processor; transparent displays along the Batcave walls for storing Bat-suits—the Anti-"Anti-Venom" suit currently resided there.
Only a trace of unconscious white Anti-Venom symbiote was stored on the opposite side, in another wall display.
The Batmobile was parked conveniently for entering and exiting subway routes at any time. Additionally, the medical area was near the central zone, allowing Batman to perform surgery on himself whenever needed.
Below the current Batcave, Batman had excavated an even larger cavern—originally intended for storing servers and cooling systems for the Alfred AI he planned to build.
But after Anti-Venom purified all viruses and toxins on Hoffman Island, Batman temporarily changed his plans.
He decided to wait until the geological survey equipment ordered by the Oracle AI arrived before deciding.
If suitable, Batman preferred storing the Alfred AI's core on that island.
Currently in the Batcave, Batman held a silver-white metal piece no larger than a finger, observing it with the naked eye.
This was something Batman discovered on the black market when first ordering materials to create his Bat-cape—a metal material that simply didn't exist in his original world.
Even a finger-sized piece was completely beyond Batman's financial capacity at the time.
Only after Batman's first Batmobile was destroyed—when ordering components to build the Arkham Batmobile and Parker Industries was frantically accepting orders—did Batman finally have sufficient funds to purchase it.
But until now, Batman still hadn't had time to research this material. He only knew from the black market that this metal, nicknamed "sound-absorbing steel," possessed extreme hardness.
Placing this vibranium—purchased at great expense—atop Venom's containment unit, Batman turned to collecting information on the electronic engineer named Adrian Toomes.
"Adrian Toomes, fifty-five years old. World-renowned electronic engineer. Possesses a publicly known 'dream of flight' that remains unrealized."
"He attempted to imitate Icarus from Greek mythology—creating a flight suit from feathers to fly into the sky. And like Icarus, he fell from the air."
"Though not disabled, Toomes became disheartened afterward, gradually fading from public view... Currently resides in Brooklyn."
Adrian Toomes' personal information was quite comprehensive online. Batman locked onto his current residence with almost no effort.
"Money. Technical skills. Dreams. Physical characteristics also match the hooked nose in the video."
Batman was ninety percent certain the person in the green flight suit was Toomes.
This day had been quite long. Batman spent half the morning on Hoffman Island defeating Anti-Venom, then conducted comprehensive examination of Eddie Brock on North Brother Island.
Afterward, separately meeting with Tony Stark and Harry consumed most of Batman's remaining day.
Now the sky gradually darkened. Batman needed to continue to Brooklyn—to Adrian Toomes' residence.
However, Batman wasn't rushing to depart. Instead, he set about collecting information on criminals who'd escaped after Shocker Schultz and Toomes destroyed Rikers Prison this morning.
"Dad, TV says humans need adequate sleep. But in your memories, and these past days, you haven't rested even briefly."
Venom raised its head from the containment unit, addressing Batman.
Without Anti-Venom's threat, Venom didn't need to constantly hide in its containment. Batman had opened the unit—Venom could extend its head at any time.
But whenever Batman left the Batcave, he'd still completely seal the containment for safety.
"I don't have time to rest, Robin." Batman answered.
"If I grow up quickly and become your assistant, could you relax properly then?" Venom pressed.
"Robin, the word 'relax' isn't in my dictionary."
Batman's voice rumbled low. Outside, the sky darkened completely at that moment. Streetlights illuminated successively, transforming New York into a night city.
The Batmobile parking area slowly raised a circular platform that rotated half a turn, pointing the Batmobile's front toward the exit.
Batman stood to leave. Venom suddenly jumped onto his arm, clinging to Batman's forearm and refusing to let go.
"I want to come too! I can help!"
Batman looked down at Venom hugging his arm. He didn't refuse. He entered the Batmobile and shot into the subway tunnels, racing toward Brooklyn at high speed.acing toward Brooklyn at high speed.
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