Chapter 237: Black Widow vs Ant-Man and Wasp
Regardless of what Batman meant suddenly reciting Descartes, since they were researching combining Venom with moonlight, they'd obviously begin from scientific angles.
"Real-world moonlight is simply solar radiation reflected by the moon—different from what our Moon God Khonshu represents. But regardless, its essence remains some form of energy... Lord Khonshu, you don't mind me saying this?"
Despite excitement, Dr. Banner hadn't forgotten his research subject was a deity.
Moon God Khonshu nodded slightly, voice actually carrying slight pleasure:
"Ye mortals wish using earthly measures to gauge divine radiance?"
"I have endured millennia. Faithful offered sacrifices, priests prayed, knights wielded blades... Priests viewed me as arbiter, faithful as guardian, knights as power's source... Today scientists view me as what?"
"Let ye scholars unravel this puzzle for me."
CLACK CLACK CLACK...
Banner's fingers flew across the keyboard, retrieving their previous Venom research data. The other three scientists' heads immediately crowded closer.
Dr. Octavius wasn't proficient in biology. After observing briefly, he abandoned it, turning to extend tentacles disassembling the previously constructed proton accelerator, extracting various lenses.
These lenses underwent Octavius's reassembly and processing, forming a complex prism apparatus.
"Lord Khonshu," Octavius adopted Banner's form of address, speaking to the Moon God. "Could you demonstrate?"
Khonshu nodded his falcon skull lightly. Just as he prepared raising hands releasing moonlight, Octavius quickly supplemented:
"I hope you can manifest directly on Batman."
Following this statement, the three scientists previously crowded before computers researching symbiote data also turned around.
Batman also regarded Octavius.
"We need understanding what methodology Moon God Khonshu employs granting proxies abilities. Your body conveniently contains Venom. Regardless of symbiote reactions, we can conduct further research accordingly."
Octavius explained.
"No problem." Batman didn't refuse Octavius's proposal, gaze turning toward Moon God Khonshu. "Without signing contracts, can you grant abilities temporarily?"
Moon God Khonshu chuckled twice:
"Naturally."
As words fell, Moon God Khonshu's crescent staff levitated, orbiting around his body.
Each rotation caused the staff's crescent filling incrementally fuller. After twenty-plus rotations, the staff stopped behind Khonshu. The crescent had completely transformed into a full moon rising brilliantly behind his skull.
Pale white moonlight poured like Nile River waters from the full moon disk, converging toward Batman.
This moonlight behaved like living creatures, gathering at Batman's feet then spreading throughout his entire body.
Mummy wrappings rapidly wound around, enveloping Batman's body completely.
The pitch-black Arkham suit was replaced by moon-white bandages. Even Batman's exposed chin was covered. A broad cloak rose behind him. Inside the enormous, sharp bat symbol on his chest appeared a crescent moon.
Morbius and the others expressed continuous amazement. Batman remained expressionless. Moon God Khonshu observed the blatantly visible black bat symbol on white bandages, tilting his head slightly.
---
Unlike Pym Tower's dilapidated exterior, inside—though not brilliantly lit—numerous experimental lights filled the space with soft illumination.
The building's interior was hollow. A light well extended from the rooftop directly to the first floor.
Surrounding the light well was a spiraling ascending staircase. However, this staircase apparently wasn't used by humans but by giant ants measuring approximately one meter.
These ants wore various electronic instruments or mechanical devices. Though they should communicate via head antennae, they currently functioned like individual entities separated from the colony, busily working.
Natasha observed Pym Tower's interior scene, involuntarily raising her eyebrows, quietly activating her wrist electro-shock device "Widow's Bite."
"You don't actually need doing that, Natasha. They won't proactively attack humans unless I command it."
The voice emerged beside Natasha's ear. She immediately retreated half a step into defensive posture, gaze vigilantly scanning surroundings.
Within Natasha's vision, those previously busy ants turned individually toward her direction, head antennae swaying slightly.
"I've been separated from SHIELD extensively. Why infiltrate my territory?" The voice continued emerging beside Natasha's ear, but zero figures appeared around her.
"Dr. Pym? The Director hopes reestablishing SHIELD's relationship with you." Unable locating the voice's source, Natasha addressed empty air.
After speaking, Natasha felt someone pat her left shoulder. Then a black dot jumped from her shoulder, landing on the floor.
BUZZ—
Within subtle humming sounds, that dot smaller than sesame rapidly enlarged, becoming Dr. Pym at 1.83 meters height.
"You're not here seeing Dr. Pym. You want Ant-Man, correct?"
Currently wearing red-and-black combat suit, donning silver helmet—Dr. Pym, or rather "Ant-Man"—smiled at Natasha.
Having her true purpose exposed, Natasha's face showed zero embarrassment:
"Not just Ant-Man. Also Wasp Janet."
The instant Natasha finished speaking, another crisp female voice emerged from her opposite side:
"I assumed this didn't concern me."
Wing-flapping sounds grew from faint to loud. Wearing black base with bright yellow armor, transparent insect wings beating behind her—Wasp Janet also appeared before Natasha:
"Long time no see, Natasha."
"Haven't seen each other since World War II ended." Natasha studied Ant-Man and Wasp, supplementing.
"Heard you found a new partner called Hawkeye? I'm guessing he's currently aiming his bow at this location?" Janet wasn't wearing a helmet. Her short-haired, pretty face was completely exposed to Natasha's vision.
Natasha circumvented the Hawkeye topic:
"I'm here under SHIELD Director Nick Fury's orders, hoping to establish cooperation with you."
"Secretly infiltrating my home at midnight doesn't demonstrate cooperative attitude." Ant-Man crossed both arms, regarding Natasha with ambiguous smile. "Moreover, you've already joined Hydra's embrace."
After speaking, Ant-Man and Wasp's physiques rapidly shrank, charging toward Natasha from left and right.
---
Venom resided within Batman's body. When Batman transformed into Moon Knight, Venom showed zero reaction.
Several hours passed. Moon God Khonshu had already withdrawn moonlight granted to Batman. The white bandage-woven combat suit was replaced again by pitch-black Arkham armor.
Batman didn't personally join research. With Banner possessing seven doctoral degrees and Octavius—who'd hand-crafted artificial suns, a prodigious talent—present, Batman needn't constantly handle everything personally.
Moreover, even bringing Moon God Khonshu to North Brother Island didn't mean Batman had abandoned vigilance toward this deity.
Batman continuously maintained covert caution regarding Khonshu.
As experiments progressed continuously, Banner couldn't help scratching his head, sensing progress had stalled.
Octavius's mechanical tentacles ceased dancing. Morbius rubbed his eye sockets. Connors stroked his chin with his sole remaining hand.
"Theory's abundant, but reality's stark." Octavius shook his head. "Batman's concept is genuinely excellent. But I believe moonlight and Venom cannot combine."
Inside North Brother Island's laboratory, after several hours' research, the scientists ultimately reached one conclusion: moonlight and Venom absolutely couldn't mutually parasitize each other.
Using Morbius's words:
"Making a poem drive an engine."
"Completely impossible."
Moon God Khonshu stood at the laboratory's center, continuously providing moonlight for the four scientists' research.
But after several hours, beyond initial moonlight energy essence analysis, experiments had achieved zero progress.
"Moonlight can illuminate all things, cannot become all things. This is not thy fault." Moon God Khonshu appeared consoling the scientists.
Banner removed his glasses, rubbing his somewhat painful temples:
"Moonlight either passes directly through Venom like passing through air, or gets absorbed by the symbiote then sinks like stones into the ocean—zero ripples."
"Following Batman's concept—'I think, therefore I am'—making Venom's existence depend on moonlight, moonlight's existence depend on Venom's reactions... I do have one idea. From quantum realm perspectives, facilitating mutual symbiosis. But they'd require an extremely stable element completing preliminary combination."
Connors thought of one element:
"Gold?"
"Gold won't work." Octavius shook his head. "I just considered that. But gold doesn't even match vibranium quality. Yet vibranium is excessively stable... We need a stable but not excessively stable substance completing this."
"...Huh?"
Octavius stopped mid-sentence, suddenly recalling that proton accelerator he'd disassembled into scattered pieces. He whipped his head toward Batman:
"Try vibranium isotope?"