Chapter 234: Darkness Approaches Like a Tide, Heroes Still in Infancy
"I have observed thee long. Thy darkness pure, thy will like flint, thy desire for order resonates with mine."
"Thou hast already cloaked thyself in night's mantle. I offer moonlight as thy blade. When moon rises, thou exist. Moon eternal, thou eternal. Let the covenant be sealed, thou shalt become my earthly vessel—"
Moon God Khonshu appeared completely unconcerned about how many souls resided within Peter Parker's body, speaking independently in benevolent, elderly tones.
But Batman interrupted Khonshu's voice at that moment:
"No."
One simple, low, forceful word. Moon God Khonshu's voice stopped abruptly. The next instant, cold lunar fire ignited within the hollow falcon skull's eye sockets.
His gaunt figure suddenly grew immense and imposing. The enormous falcon skull nearly covered the entire Egyptian galleries' ceiling. White mummy wrappings danced wildly with his movements:
"Dost thou refuse a god?"
Overwhelming pressure nearly solidified the Egyptian galleries' atmosphere, making breathing impossible.
Moon God Khonshu's voice no longer carried benevolence—filled instead with divine majesty.
Pressure crashed like collapsing mountains. Batman remained an immovable solitary reef amid waves, voice still low and powerful:
"I refuse the contract."
Batman looked up at the enormous Moon God Khonshu without retreating one step. In fact, during the mere ten-plus seconds since Khonshu's appearance, he'd already identified a method countering this deity:
Destroy the moon!
As Moon God, if even his symbolic lunar representation ceased existing, Khonshu's power would inevitably suffer tremendous suppression—potentially falling from divinity as time progressed.
Unlike Olympian gods—those entities were less gods than primitive beings possessing various divine powers.
Zeus didn't equal lightning itself. He was the ruler employing lightning.
Even without lightning, he remained King of Gods because his power foundation was ruling order, not natural phenomena themselves.
Egyptian mythological deities differed. They represented conceptual embodiment itself.
For instance, Sun God Ra wasn't "a god possessing a solar disk"—he was the sun itself.
If the sun disappeared, Ra would die or slumber because his existence bound directly to solar presence.
Moon God Khonshu was identical. Ancient Egypt's "Book of the Dead of Ani" clearly recorded:
"Khonshu is the moon, the moon is Khonshu. The two are one, inseparable."
Moon God Khonshu could perceive Batman resided within Peter Parker's body. But he couldn't penetrate Batman's thoughts.
Nevertheless, when Khonshu observed those cold eyes watching him, he detected the scrutiny and danger contained within.
For a deity, this represented intolerable blasphemy.
But one and a half months ago, Moon God Khonshu had witnessed the dark turbulence this world would soon face. He urgently required an earthly proxy protecting this world.
He'd searched throughout the entire world's scope, ultimately selecting Batman.
"You've observed me extensively?" Batman asked the majesty-filled Moon God. "Since when?"
The instant Batman heard Khonshu say "I have observed thee long," he'd recalled something:
Since arriving in this world, regardless of daytime weather, once night fell—clear skies, bright moon suspended high.
Oscorp Tower's night. FEAST shelter's evening. Adirondack Mountains infiltration. Covertly assisting Tony Stark against Iron Monger during deep night. New Mexico gamma facility's crescent moon.
Until today—Batman tracking those thieves, similarly blessed by moonlight.
Beyond Batman's artificial rain two days ago preventing Max Dillon and Morbius—only the evening after Oscorp Tower's conclusion had experienced rainfall.
Even earlier—the night Green Goblin Norman Osborn destroyed Manhattan Police Station under dark clouds, those clouds had rapidly dispersed following Batman's movements.
Everything seemed premeditated.
Indeed, as Batman continuously recalled every previous night operation's sky, Moon God Khonshu spoke with majesty:
"The night of August thirteenth."
Precisely Batman's arrival night.
"You possess all my information?"
Batman's voice remained low and powerful. His gaze toward Moon God Khonshu had completely transformed.
If all Batman's secrets existed under Moon God Khonshu's observation, then Hydra would no longer represent Batman's greatest threat in this world—rather, all other deities represented by Khonshu, plus potential observers.
"No."
Moon God Khonshu reduced his enormous falcon skull occupying the entire Egyptian galleries, reverting to original appearance:
"I am not omniscient."
After Khonshu spoke, seeing Batman unmoved—apparently completely distrusting him—he contemplated before speaking again:
"I knew that extraterrestrial entity dwells within thee. But its weakness exceeded my predictions."
"Much like this, thou possessest too many secrets unknown to me."
He referenced Venom slumbering within Batman's body.
Batman didn't care whether Moon God Khonshu spoke truthfully.
Regardless of truth, Batman would immediately establish protocols countering the entire Egyptian pantheon upon returning to the Batcave—additionally investigating this world's other civilizations' mythological systems.
If necessary, Batman would proactively destroy the moon, replacing it with an enormous artificial satellite.
However, Khonshu's words did answer why he'd known Peter Parker's body contained two souls—one being Batman himself, the other naturally Venom.
"What's your objective?"
Regarding the moonlight-condensed falcon-bodied Khonshu, Batman addressed him as though merely an ordinary person, questioning directly.
"Darkness approaches like a tide. Heroes remain in infancy." Khonshu completely disregarded Batman's interrogative tone. "The coming war is not a war of power, but of survival."
Khonshu needed Batman. Not Batman needing Khonshu.
Batman determined this fact instantly.
But after arriving in this world—already refusing superpowers, fearing addiction, loss of control, catastrophic consequences—Batman had unavoidably accepted Peter Parker's physiology.
Then, due to Venom's symbiotic characteristics, after recruiting it as Robin, Batman had once again unavoidably possessed Venom's power.
Batman hadn't attempted awakening Venom since returning from New Mexico—partially from time constraints, partially because Batman had detected faint dependency developing toward the symbiote's tremendous power.
Batman always considered worst-case scenarios. He'd witnessed his dark multiverse counterpart—the Batman Who Laughs. He couldn't allow himself becoming similar existence.
"You don't need me. You need a proxy." Batman regarded Moon God Khonshu. "Perhaps I can provide a suitable candidate."
Moon God Khonshu's falcon beak slowly opened, seemingly smiling:
"Daredevil Matt Murdock? This one's darkness stems from wounds inflicted. His light, born from wounds sustained. Beautiful yet fragile—like dew beneath moonlight. Beautiful but ephemeral. His order depends upon human law... and law decays."
"He would become a qualified Moon Knight. But only that."
Batman studied Moon God Khonshu's hollow eye sockets, slowly articulating words:
"No."
"My candidate is—Venom."