"Breaking news—Dr. Otto Octavius is currently rampaging through Brooklyn's sewer system. New York Police are in full pursuit of the once-respected, world-class nuclear physicist."
The news broadcast echoed quietly inside the Bat Helmet, transmitted through the miniature receiver as Batman moved soundlessly between the skyscrapers of Manhattan.
"Although there is no direct evidence linking Dr. Octavius to the murder on the third underground floor of Osborn Group, authorities now consider him a threat far more dangerous than the unknown killer."
Batman glided through the night, cape cutting through the air as he closed in on Osborn Group Headquarters.
"We managed to interview officers who witnessed Dr. Octavius's escape. Here's what they had to say—"
"—He came out of the ground like something from a monster movie!"
"Those four tentacles lifted cars like toys. If he wanted to tear down a building, I think he could."
"Calling him Doctor Octavius feels wrong. He's more like… a squid."
"Yeah. Maybe Doctor Octopus fits better."
Batman landed silently atop a high-rise directly opposite the Osborn Building. Night vision and thermal imaging activated simultaneously, revealing the full layout below.
Police presence was overwhelming.
Main entrance.
Side entrance.
Underground garage.
Service corridors.
Waste disposal access.
Every possible entry point was sealed.
That much, Batman had expected.
What he hadn't accounted for was another shadow.
On a neighboring rooftop, a slender figure crouched low, watching Osborn Group with the same intent as Batman himself.
"She's here for the same target," Batman deduced. "But my helmet lacks zoom and facial recognition. Identity unknown."
The figure began moving—leaping across buildings, circling the perimeter, changing vantage points with fluid grace.
"Movement analysis indicates a trained female operative," Batman assessed silently. "But she hasn't detected me."
Even when she reached his rooftop, she remained unaware.
Batman decided not to wait.
Hiss.
A near-silent nitrogen release.
Pitch-black webbing shot through the air, wrapping tightly around the woman's waist. Batman yanked backward, throwing off her balance.
She stumbled—but didn't fall.
Batman caught her.
Thump.
Mid-air, the woman twisted gracefully. Her toes brushed Batman's hand, using it as leverage. She flipped, landed cleanly—and in the same instant, Batman vanished.
An arm locked around her throat from behind.
"Damn it!"
She struggled, sharp and fast, but the grip was unyielding. When brute force failed, she struck upward, aiming for his eyes—
Her wrist was caught instantly.
Then a familiar voice spoke.
"Black Cat?"
The pressure vanished.
She spun around and froze.
Black armor.
Pointed ears.
A voice she knew.
"Batman?"
Felicia Hardy exhaled sharply, relief flooding her expression.
"You almost scared me to death."
She pressed a hand against her chest, her deep-V leather suit shifting with the motion. Batman's gaze swept over her—neutral, unreadable.
"What are you doing here?" he asked flatly.
"I'm breaking in." Black Cat nodded toward the Osborn Building, glowing under floodlights. "Last night's murder might be connected to Kingpin."
Batman frowned beneath the cowl.
"On what basis?"
"Stock movement," Felicia replied. "Kingpin made a major transaction today."
She waited for a reaction.
There was none.
Her smile faded.
"Really? Nothing?" she said. "We just lost our legal route to trap him."
"I have Plan B," Batman said.
Felicia's eyes narrowed.
"That plan won't work. Kingpin didn't dump shares or launder money. He threatened a shareholder—Valentine—and forced an acquisition."
Batman paused.
"An acquisition?" he repeated.
The confusion flickered for only a second before vanishing.
"I understand," he said.
"Understand what?" Felicia asked.
Batman stepped to the edge of the roof.
"Kingpin isn't fleeing," he said calmly. "He's investing. He wants control of Osborn Group—legitimacy. If he succeeds, he becomes a businessman, not a crime lord."
Felicia joined him, eyes sharp.
"Then we need evidence—fast."
Without warning, she jumped.
Her arms wrapped around Batman's neck. Her legs locked around his waist, clinging to him like a predator.
"You've already figured out how to get in, haven't you?"
Batman didn't answer.
He jumped.
The city dropped away beneath them as the Batarang grappling system fired. With the glide stabilizer deployed, Batman crossed the gap effortlessly—even with Felicia attached.
They landed silently on the Osborn rooftop.
Police patrolled nearby.
Felicia slipped off him lightly and gestured.
"Want me to take them out?"
Batman shook his head.
He crouched and pressed a switch at the base of his boot.
"…Then what?" Felicia whispered.
"Wait," Batman replied.
"For what?"
Batman didn't answer.
He counted.
Three…
Five…
Ten…
Then—
Flapping wings.
A massive swarm of bats erupted across the rooftop, black shapes flooding the air. Officers shouted in alarm, flashlights swinging wildly.
Felicia stared.
"…Is this guy even human?"
She blinked—
Batman was gone.
All she saw were pointed ears vanishing into a ventilation shaft.
Without hesitation, Felicia sprinted forward, leaping gracefully into the duct after him.
Black Cat and Bat vanished into Osborn Group together.
--
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