REVIEWS AND POWERSTONES PLSSS!!!!!Chapter 142: Hidden Dangers on North Brother Island
"Who is Oyama Kenji?"
After delivering all three men to the Queens precinct, Batman spent the rest of the night driving the Batmobile through New York, treating the entire city as his hunting ground. One by one, he captured the criminals who'd escaped from Rykers Island during the daylight hours.
Interrogation proceeded simultaneously with capture. Batman gathered information he hadn't previously known.
For instance, even with most of his bones shattered, Kingpin had still become the king of Rykers Prison, commanding the loyalty of nearly every criminal locked up alongside him.
For instance, those criminals had escaped so smoothly not only because Vulture Toomes provided aerial coordination, but also because Kingpin's internal command had played a crucial role.
For instance, after escaping, these criminals had rapidly divided into nearly twenty separate teams, scattering throughout New York's boroughs.
For instance, Kingpin had assigned them all the same task—find a Japanese man named Oyama Kenji.
Inside the Manhattan Batcave, Batman accessed SHIELD's systems attempting to locate this name. SHIELD's internal databases contained no record of such a person.
The CIA. Immigration Services. No branch of the US government held any information on him.
Batman didn't fixate on this single question. Instead, he created a new file in the Oracle AI system labeled "King," storing all of Kingpin's information along with the name Oyama Kenji.
The sun rose slowly. Another day began.
After spending last night striking terror into every criminal who'd escaped Rykers Island while keeping the precinct officers frantically busy, Batman removed his Arkham armor.
This time he skipped the dark formal suit. Instead, Batman donned a charcoal gray lightweight coat, traveling to Rykers Island as Peter Parker.
Yesterday's prison break had left the island swarming with police vehicles parked everywhere. Handcuffed criminals stood in long lines, being processed back into custody.
All of them had been captured by Batman during the previous night.
But Batman wasn't here to deal further with Rykers Prison. He needed to reach North Brother Island.
Since Doctors Otto Octavius, Curt Connors, and Bruce Banner had been relocated to North Brother Island, Batman had only interacted with them in costume.
As the nominal owner of the island and financial sponsor of the three scientists' research, Peter Parker needed to make an appearance.
On the temperate California coast at La Jolla Shores, inside a cliffside oceanfront villa—
Besides Tony Stark's birthplace on Long Island, New York, and Stark Tower in the heart of Manhattan, Tony Stark had spent nearly half his time since returning from the Middle East inside this relatively modest villa of only eleven thousand square feet.
Currently on the first floor, in the garage filled with luxury vehicles, the second-generation miniature arc reactor in Tony Stark's chest glowed with cold white light.
Everything Tony had told Obadiah Stane was true. The first-generation miniature arc reactor he'd built in that cave under primitive conditions genuinely needed upgrading.
Tony was doing exactly what he'd said—linking the large-scale arc reactor beneath Stark Tower with deep-level authorization tied to his chest piece.
Obadiah had only caught the scent of the bait. He hadn't bitten yet. Tony Stark hadn't pushed any further.
Right now he was testing his new armor—the Mark II Iron Man suit.
"Test number thirty-seven, configuration two point zero. JARVIS, record all data. Dummy, stand by with fire suppression."
"Take it slow. Start with one percent thruster power."
Tony Stark's arms and legs were covered with metal armor plates. Circuits and thin conduits lay exposed.
Compared to the crude armor from that Middle Eastern cave, the components Tony wore now were far more precise and refined.
As Tony counted down, the thrusters beneath his boots ignited, jets of flame pushing his body slowly upward. He wobbled unsteadily, hovering in midair.
After ten seconds or so, Tony descended back to the floor. He immediately initiated another test.
"This time, use two point five percent power."
This attempt lifted Tony higher than before, his form noticeably more stable.
But the moment he grinned—that smile breaking across his face—Tony's balance shattered. The foot thrusters sent him careening sideways toward a limited-edition sports car.
Tony struggled to control his aerial trajectory, drifting over several vehicles before reaching the table covered with blueprints.
"Not bad, though this isn't where I was aiming..."
Joy and frustration mixed on his face. But this time he didn't immediately land. Instead, he circled the garage for several minutes until he'd gradually mastered the fundamentals of controlled flight.
THUNK!
Tony Stark returned to his original position, landing with a metallic clang. He took several deep breaths.
"Yes. I've got it."
"JARVIS, transfer the recorded data to the workshop computers. Begin coordinating assembly of Mark II's external armor plating with internal circuitry and shock absorption systems."
"Also, design the automated deployment mechanism for Mark II."
JARVIS's voice filled the garage. "No problem, sir. Estimated completion time: seven hours."
"I'm not on fire. Stop pointing that extinguisher at me like I'm about to combust."
Dummy lowered its mechanical arm, turning away obediently as instructed.
On North Brother Island, Batman's arrival as Peter Parker received an enthusiastic welcome from Professor Connors and Doctor Octavius.
After confirming this young man was indeed Peter Parker—who'd provided cover for his identity and research facilities—Doctor Banner somewhat shyly extended his hand for a brief handshake.
"Peter, while Batman's not here, I've got to ask—what's your relationship with him? Employer? Partner?"
Doctor Octavius poured coffee for Peter. "This is something the three of us developed in our spare time. Tastes far better than anything commercially available. Give it a try."
Batman was too cold and intimidating. Even Professor Connors, who knew Peter Parker lay beneath that mask, wouldn't dream of inviting Batman for coffee.
But Peter Parker presented no such problem.
Setting aside Peter's established rapport with Doctors Octavius and Connors, the simple fact that he funded their ability to live and conduct research on this island without worry had already earned acceptance from all three scientists, Banner included.
"Relationship? I suppose we're partners?" Batman played Peter Parker's role, speaking with uncertain inflection.
He could detect from Octavius's tone that the scientist was testing whether Peter Parker might actually be Batman. Batman had come to the island as Peter specifically to address this suspicion.
Unless absolutely necessary, Batman had no intention of revealing his identity to Doctor Octavius.
Octavius nodded, about to continue when Banner suddenly spoke up. "It's time."
Connors nodded, addressing both Octavius and the apparently confused Peter Parker. "Banner and I need to continue practicing emotional control techniques. You two take your time catching up."
"Emotional control?" Batman feigned confusion.
"Yes. I can transform into a giant lizard, as you know," Professor Connors cooperated with Batman's performance. "Though my transformation isn't emotion-triggered, Doctor Banner's experience suggests that learning emotional control significantly helps maintain rationality after transformation."
Batman nodded. Then Octavius immediately grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the area near the laboratory entrance.
Batman shot Octavius a questioning look. The scientist spoke quietly.
"Peter, I need to discuss something with you."
"Sharing a laboratory with them—one who transforms into the Hulk, one who becomes a giant lizard..." He paused. "Honestly, I'm extremely worried something might go wrong one day."
"I'd like to reactivate my mechanical tentacles for self-defense. But I'm also aware of the mistakes I made when they lost control before..." Octavius hesitated. "So, Peter, could you help me figure something out?"
Every time Batman visited North Brother Island's laboratory, whenever Banner or Professor Connors might transform into monsters, Doctor Octavius would react by retreating a considerable distance.
Batman had known this would eventually become a problem. Addressing it was the real reason he'd come to North Brother Island as Peter.