CHAPTER 120 — THREADS IN MOTION
Deep beneath Wayne Manor lay the Batcave.
At its heart stood a massive computer wall. Dozens of screens formed a wide arc, each alive with data, graphs, and live feeds, maps of Gotham, scrolling numbers, shifting charts. At the center, the largest screen displayed the wide green lawn of Wayne Manor.
Batman and Tony Stark sat side by side before it.
Neither spoke.
On the screen, a sparring match played out in real time. Gaius moved through Naruto's clones with smooth, controlled precision. Every strike was clean. Every step measured. Each clone vanished in a burst of smoke as it was struck down.
Smaller windows showed different angles, wide shots, close-ups, overhead views, captured by hidden cameras placed around the grounds.
They are watching it live.
Tony leaned back slightly in his chair. He was not wearing his armor. Instead, his red and gold armor stood nearby on a sturdy metal stand. Mechanical arms extended from the stand, folded neatly now, quiet and still.
Batman sat forward, elbows resting lightly on the table, his eyes fixed on the screen. His face was calm, unreadable.
Tony glanced at the screen as Naruto rushed forward, clones forming around him.
"Kid's got spirit," Tony said lightly.
Batman did not reply.
Tony didn't seem to mind.
Tony's armor stand shifted slightly as the mechanical arms adjusted themselves, responding to a quiet command from his wrist device. Tony glanced at them and smiled.
"I built those three days ago," he said casually. "Used your tools. Hope you don't mind."
Batman's eyes flicked toward the stand for half a second.
"As long as they don't interfere with my systems," Batman said, though he already knew that.
"Good," Tony replied. "Because pulling the armor on and off by hand gets old fast. Especially when you're stuck somewhere for days."
Batman remained silent.
Tony went on anyway.
"I mean, I love my suit," he said. "But it's not meant to be lived in. No offense to my golden friend upstairs, but my armor doesn't recycle waste or clean itself. You try wearing it nonstop and see how fast it becomes a problem."
Batman did not comment on Tony Stark's antics.
On the screen, Gaius moved through Naruto's clones with smooth, controlled steps. Every strike was precise, every motion measured, each clone dispersing into a cloud of smoke as it was struck down.
Batman watched closely.
The system quietly recorded everything. Every sound. Every motion. Every change in air pressure when Gaius moved.
A small icon on the screen confirmed the footage was being saved and tagged for later study.
Tony leaned forward slightly as Gaius caught Naruto mid-fall.
"Oof," Tony muttered. "That roar still gives me chills."
Batman said nothing.
But his mind was working.
He had already accepted the truth.
These beings were not from his world.
The way Naruto moved didn't match any known fighting style on Earth. The energy he wielded didn't align with any power source Batman had ever studied or cataloged.
Batman glanced at another screen, one not visible to Tony. On it were wireframe scans of Tony's armor.
While Tony watched the fight, his armor sitting unused on the stand, Batman took the opportunity to run his own quiet analysis of it.
Only the surface.
Materials. Shape. Structure.
He could not see inside the suit. Tony had protected it well.
Still, Batman learned enough.
The armor's design was elegant. Smart. Efficient. Given enough time and effort, Batman knew he could recreate the outer shell, shape the plates, match the joints, build the frame. He could even imitate the weapons, the thrusters, or modify it by adding his own enhancements.
But it would mean nothing.
Batman's eyes shifted briefly to Tony's chest.
The Arc Reactor.
That was the heart of it all.
Without it, the armor was just metal. Heavy. Limited. Weak.
Batman understood then that even if he copied the suit perfectly, it would never truly work without the power source that made it alive.
The video reached the final moment.
Gaius roared.
The sound filled the Batcave, even on replay. The speakers vibrated slightly.
The fight ended.
The screen paused.
Silence returned to the cave.
Batman stood.
"I have work to do. I'm leaving." he said simply.
Tony nodded.
"No argument here."
They did not shake hands. They did not exchange thanks. There was no dramatic farewell.
They simply went their separate ways.
Batman turned and walked deeper into the cave, his cape flowing behind him, blending into the shadows.
Tony watched him go for a moment, then turned back to his work.
Deeper within the Batcave, behind sealed doors and restricted access, Batman entered his private lab.
The lights here were dimmer.
The air felt colder.
This was where plans became weapons.
Several large frames stood upright, half-built, supported by metal arms. Dark armor plates lay on tables nearby. Tools were arranged with perfect order.
This armor wasn't meant for Gotham's criminals.
This was armor meant for Superman.
Batman moved between the tables in silence. He checked measurements. Adjusted parts. Made notes on a digital display.
There was no anger in his movements.
Only purpose.
Only preparation.
He knew Superman was powerful. Stronger than anything this world had ever seen.
That was exactly why Batman was here.
Back in the main Batcave, Tony stood before the Mother Box.
It hovered slightly above its platform, glowing faintly, reacting to his presence. Symbols moved across its surface, slow and fluid.
Tony's eyes shone with interest.
"Okay," he said quietly. "Let's try that again."
He adjusted a device connected to the platform. A soft hum filled the air.
The Mother Box responded.
A block of stone beside it began to shift. Slowly, carefully, its surface changed. Edges softened. Shapes formed.
Tony watched closely.
The stone reshaped itself into a smooth curve.
Tony smiled.
"Still limited," he muttered. "But not bad."
He stopped the process before it went too far.
Tony leaned back, rubbing his chin.
He could build a machine to control the Mother Box. He knew that now. But that wasn't what he wanted.
The Box was too dangerous, too unknown, and it needed to be turned in to the Multiversal Chat to complete the objective.
Instead, he focused on what it had shown him.
Matter could be shaped.
Controlled.
By rules.
By systems.
Tony felt a spark of excitement.
"If I can do this," he said softly, "then it's only a matter of time."
The Mother Box pulsed once, almost as if listening.
High above ground, far from the Batcave, Lex Luthor stood in his office.
The room was clean. Sharp. White and glass.
Documents covered his desk. Photos. Screens.
None of the evidence was perfect.
None of it was complete.
But Lex did not need perfection.
He needed certainty.
And he had it.
Bruce Wayne was Batman.
Lex leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled, eyes calm.
He had already been guiding Batman. Feeding him ideas. Pushing him toward the truth about Superman.
Now, he knew exactly who stood behind the mask.
Lex stood and walked to another table.
At the center lay a photograph.
Clark Kent.
Reporter.
Beside it were other photos.
A farmhouse.
An older woman.
Martha Kent.
Lex smiled slowly.
Then came a knock at the door.
Lex's smile vanished.
"Come in," he said.
A secretary entered, holding a small folder.
Sir," she said, nervous but maintaining her professionalism, "we've located the individuals who took the Mother Box.
She handed him the folder.
Lex took it without looking at her.
"Get out," he said calmly.
She left at once.
Lex opened the folder.
Inside were photos of a remote farmhouse. Reports. Flight records.
He read quickly.
General Swanwick.
An unknown group.
Another aircraft.
Ownership confirmed.
Bruce Wayne.
Lex laughed softly.
"So that's where you're hiding," he said.
He closed the folder and looked out the window.
~~~
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