REVIEWS AND POWERSTONES PLSSS!!!!!Chapter 143: Testing and Pressure
Batman wasn't some detached deity beyond human concerns. Even now, possessing Peter Parker's extraordinary physical capabilities and strength, he still considered himself fundamentally human at his core.
He understood Doctor Octavius's anxieties. Every time Octavius subtly retreated, Batman noticed.
Without his mechanical tentacles, Otto Octavius was simply a somewhat overweight middle-aged man. His colleagues on North Brother Island included Professor Connors, who transformed into a four-meter-tall lizard creature, and Doctor Banner, who became the Hulk.
Working long-term alongside two scientists who could transform into monsters at any moment kept Octavius in a perpetual state of high psychological tension. The mental strain constantly weighed on him.
Even now, standing face to face, Batman could clearly see shame written across Octavius's features.
That shame stemmed from multiple sources—Doctor Octavius had once been controlled by his tentacles and harmed innocent people. After choosing to have them removed, he now found himself requesting them back.
Octavius kept his head down. Despite being considerably older than Peter , this middle-aged man resembled a student who'd committed some terrible mistake, unable to meet his eyes.
He felt Peter's gaze burning into him. He could almost imagine the contempt and mockery reflected in those young eyes.
But Doctor Octavius had no other choice. He hoped to compensate for his past mistakes through scientific contributions. However, continuing to work alongside Professors Connors and Banner had pushed his psychological stress nearly to the breaking point.
Only three seconds had passed since Octavius made his request to reinstall his mechanical tentacles. To the doctor, it felt like years.
Just as Octavius stood there awkwardly, heart pounding, hands fidgeting with nowhere to rest, Peter Parker's hand landed unexpectedly on his shoulder.
"Doctor Octavius, I'm genuinely glad you're willing to discuss this openly," Batman said, using Peter's young but measured voice.
This meant Octavius had been honest about his situation rather than secretly installing the mechanical tentacles and walking down that dark path again.
Octavius's head snapped up, staring at the young man whose hand rested on his shoulder.
Batman didn't continue speaking to Octavius immediately. Instead, he walked over to where Connors and Banner sat cross-legged on the floor, practicing deep breathing exercises, and sat down beside them.
Octavius didn't know what Batman intended, but he followed and sat beside the three men.
"Professor Connors, Doctor Banner—" Batman looked at both scientists. "Batman mentioned some things happening here to me."
Neither possessed super-hearing. They'd been focused intently on their emotional management exercises. The conversation between Batman and Octavius had gone unheard.
Now both Banner and Connors turned their attention to Batman, who got straight to the point, honestly laying out Octavius's situation.
"During the time you three have shared this island, Doctor Octavius has unconsciously made dozens of defensive retreat movements. All occurred during close-range interactions with either of you."
"This isn't his weakness. It's not your fault either. This is a natural human survival response under sustained, reasonable pressure. I would react the same way."
Batman normalized Octavius's fear, eliminating his shame while placing himself on the same level as the doctor—the level of "human." Batman was attempting to lift the burden of humiliation from Octavius's shoulders.
Professor Connors and Doctor Banner said nothing. They'd both noticed every intentional or unintentional retreat Octavius made.
But since they were the source of the problem, neither Connors nor Banner had ever addressed this issue directly with Octavius.
Professor Connors's urgent desire to completely master the creature inside him was partly motivated by Octavius's defensive reactions.
Doctor Banner smiled bitterly. His human form had always been gentle-natured. But once people learned about the beast called Hulk residing within him, almost no one maintained a normal relationship with him.
That Octavius had persevered this long was already remarkable.
"What should we do?" Professor Connors asked quietly.
"I'll contact Batman and have him design protective armor for Doctor Octavius. At minimum, the doctor should have some self-defense capability when facing unexpected situations," Batman said, speaking as Peter.
Batman hadn't immediately agreed to restore Octavius's mechanical tentacles. He was still testing the doctor's true intentions.
If Octavius rejected this proposal and insisted on having his mechanical tentacles back, Batman would need to reassess the doctor's mental state.
But Octavius didn't demand his tentacles. Instead, upon hearing about armor being designed for him, the overweight middle-aged man visibly relaxed.
He genuinely only wanted to feel safe, to conduct scientific research without constantly looking over his shoulder.
"Thank you, Peter," Doctor Octavius said, a smile spreading across his face. Maintaining constant tension while working alongside two monster-scientists had worn him down considerably. "Actually, I have some good news to share with you."
Batman looked toward Octavius.
The doctor had recovered some of his characteristic confidence. Batman could sense him relaxing noticeably, despite the promised armor not yet existing.
"Professor Connors and I have nearly completed our prosthetic limb research. By combining mechanical components with his biological cell technology, we can create mechanical limbs that read signals from the nervous system, giving disabled individuals control over their bodies again."
Batman nodded. That qualified as genuinely good news.
Parker Industries' recent order growth had begun slowing. After purchasing an entire building in Manhattan and funding construction of the Arkham armor and Batmobile, Parker Industries had limited remaining capital.
Even using a low-margin, high-volume strategy, the prosthetic limb research from Doctors Octavius and Connors could dramatically expand Parker Industries' business reach across global markets.
The Batplane design and assembly that Batman had postponed could gradually move forward.
Seeing Batman apparently assume this was the good news Octavius referenced, the doctor couldn't help but laugh, continuing eagerly.
"That news isn't really the good news. With Connors—one of the world's top biologists—helping me, prosthetics were always within reach. The real good news is..."
At this point, Octavius and Banner exchanged glances before the doctor continued.
"Doctor Banner and I jointly reviewed the formulas for nuclear fusion clean energy. We discovered a calculation error that's been overlooked all this time. Once we correct it, fusion energy becomes completely viable."
"Peter, my dream is about to become reality."