Chapter 226: North Brother Island's Overwhelming Pressure
"Just tie me up too."
Morbius adopted a posture of surrender. In this moment, he was no longer a murderous blood-drinking vampire, but Morbius the melancholic poet-scientist.
"No." Batman studied him. "Your condition differs from Harry's."
Morbius lowered his head, staring at the ground:
"Mine's worse, isn't it? Killed thirty-one people. I should be the one dying in atonement."
"Death doesn't grant atonement, Morbius." Batman said.
"Then what exactly do you want from me?" Morbius grew agitated, unconsciously baring his fangs.
Batman didn't answer the question directly. Instead, he asked:
"The plasma you took from Metro-General's blood bank—how did consuming it feel?"
Morbius shook his head:
"Not good, overall. I can sense the plasma only temporarily suppresses blood hunger. Long term... I'll likely lose control again. Crave fresh blood."
"When you can't control that hunger, could you accept killing again? Last time was prisoners. What about next time? When you inevitably lose control and target ordinary people?" Batman pressed.
Morbius couldn't answer. His eyes showed complete confusion, features carrying hints of internal fragmentation:
"I don't know."
"Then come with me, Morbius." Batman said. "I'm taking you somewhere."
Green Goblin jr hadn't harmed anyone yet, but his mental state was extremely unstable. Required significant treatment.
Even if—like the Hulk—he proved incurable, minimum requirements meant ensuring he couldn't harm others before release.
Compared to Green Goblin jr, Morbius maintained relatively stable mental state but had already committed extremely serious murder.
Considering New York lacked Gotham-style prisons designed for super-criminals, and the known Cube prison for extraordinary beings was likely a Hydra stronghold—
After weighing multiple factors, Batman had no choice but to adopt alternative measures.
"Where?" Morbius asked with obvious confusion.
Batman shook his head without elaborating. After triple-confirming the five unconscious figures in the Batcave wouldn't awaken soon, he departed with Morbius.
---
North Brother Island.
HISS—
The laboratory remained relatively quiet. Professor Connors's severed right arm currently connected to a mechanical prosthetic, faint hydraulic sounds occasionally emerging.
"Dr. Octavius, I believe your proposed approach is superior. Reading muscle electrical signals genuinely enables one hundred percent human movement simulation..."
Connors spoke quietly to Otto.
"I've developed a bolder concept—combining your incomplete limb regeneration technology with prosthetics. Not crude integration as initially conceived, but rather..."
Otto similarly discussed in hushed tones with Connors.
Both kept voices deliberately low to avoid disturbing Dr. Banner, who was currently absorbed in developing gamma antidotes for General Ross and Blonsky.
Banner wore glasses, presenting the image of an honest, unassuming scientist. Nobody could connect this figure with the raging green giant.
At that moment, the laboratory door opened gently. A black-clad figure entered—mud-stained, hair soaked and plastered to his forehead by rain.
Morbius stepped inside.
Instantly, all three scientists' gazes converged.
"Bat—"
Otto reflexively began greeting, then stopped mid-word, realizing this wasn't Batman at all—but an unfamiliar monster he'd never encountered.
Gray-black skin stretched over bone. Sharp claws. Bared fangs. Clearly a monster that had suddenly intruded.
The next second, four cold mechanical tentacles slithered from Otto's back like molting pythons. Two descended with audible CRACK sounds, gripping the floor and elevating his body mid-air. The other two extended upward, writhing menacingly.
Otto typically wore a deep brown coat concealing the green armor Batman had crafted for him.
But with mechanical arms now fully deployed, Otto no longer concealed his battle suit, letting the coat's hem billow freely.
Morbius froze momentarily, unconsciously baring fangs, body crouching slightly into attack posture.
But the laboratory didn't contain only Otto. Two other, purer monsters were present.
The instant Morbius bared teeth, Connors's eyes transformed rapidly into golden vertical slits. His mouth emitted lizard-like threatening hisses.
His spine produced teeth-grinding CRACK sounds. Scale growth sounded like countless grains of sand grinding together. Green scales covered Connors's body surface. Vicious bone spurs grew from his skull downward.
Simultaneously, a massive tail SLAMMED heavily against the floor.
The four-meter-tall Lizard Professor's head nearly touched the ceiling. His enormous physique blocked most laboratory lighting, making him resemble a mutated dinosaur from science fiction.
Despite becoming a vampire, Morbius's worldview remained fundamentally human. Acquiring vampire abilities didn't mean believing extraordinary power was commonplace.
But confronting the vicious, terrifying Lizard Professor, Morbius retreated one small step, opening his mouth in a roar:
"GRRR!"
During that roar, the slowest-reacting Banner also moved.
Not from sluggishness—his angle simply allowed seeing Batman following behind Morbius.
If introducing a new companion, Batman's characteristic caution would mean entering the laboratory first, then introducing the newcomer to the three scientists.
But Batman hadn't. Instead, Morbius had entered while Batman remained hidden outside the door.
In that instant, brilliant Banner immediately understood Batman's purpose in letting the gray-black skinned creature enter first.
'Intimidation!'
So Banner removed his glasses gently, setting them aside, then stretched his muscles slightly.
RUMBLE—
Bone detonations more violent than Lizard Professor's erupted within Banner's body, adding thunder-like sounds to the rainy night.
His white lab coat first grew taut, then silently tore into fragments under suddenly expanding green muscle fibers. Muscles stacked like bedrock, veins pulsing like cables, leaving zero doubt about the terrifying power this physiology contained.
The three transformed scientists didn't move. But Morbius had zero doubt—one additional movement would result in sharp claws, cold tentacles, and furious fists simultaneously tearing him to shreds.
Three refined, scholarly scientists had consecutively transformed into a killing machine, a mountain of rage, a prehistoric predator.
This was the spectacle Morbius witnessed within mere seconds. Overwhelming pressure transmitted bone-deep terror.
In this moment, Morbius finally understood how laughable his sub-one-ton strength truly was. Impulses to flee immediately surged through him.
But Batman behind him radiated even more terrifying presence than the three monsters ahead, leaving Morbius trapped.
Just as atmospheric oppression nearly solidified into tangible force threatening to crush Morbius completely, Batman spoke:
"Power takes many forms. The uncontrolled kind that devours you represents the cheapest variety."
"Here, power is mastered. Each of them once lost themselves. But all chose contracts with their inner monsters—agreements more difficult than death itself. Now it's your turn."
"Morbius."