"Aaah!"
In the laboratory on the second basement level of the Osborn Corporation, faint screams and groans added a chilling undertone to the otherwise sterile, brightly lit environment.
The moment Batman infiltrated the Osborn Corporation, he located a computer and hacked into the system to pinpoint the laboratory's location.
Patrolling security guards and reinforced doors were no obstacle for Batman. He was now crouched in a blind spot of the surveillance system, observing the scene before him.
In front of him stood a transparent tank containing a man in tattered clothing, his body covered in grime. His frame was grotesquely distorted, his ribcage protruding unnaturally to form a pigeon chest.
The laboratory housed over fifty such tanks, each containing a human subject. Most were already dead, and the few who still clung to life were barely conscious, their minds shattered as if they had endured unimaginable torment.
They were kept alive only by the equipment within the tanks, leaving Batman powerless to free them.
Beyond their varying degrees of deformity, these people shared a common trait: they were filthy and disheveled, indistinguishable from the beggars found in alleyways.
"Or perhaps they were beggars, kidnapped by the Osborn Corporation for forced human experimentation."
"In theory, I should report this to the police and let the NYPD investigate and shut down Osborn's experiments."
"But what if this has the backing of the government or the military? Perhaps exposing it directly to the media would be the better option."
Clad only in his lightweight stealth suit, stripped of the advanced features of his usual Batsuit, Batman made his way to the laboratory's control room. He sent the surveillance footage to the email address of The Daily Bugle.
After transmitting the footage, Batman didn't leave immediately. Instead, he quickly sifted through the laboratory's files.
"Test Subject No. 5: Enhanced physical strength, tested to be eight times that of an average human. Side effect: Growth of eight squid-like tentacles, exhibiting all characteristics of a squid. The only successful experiment to date."
"The experiment has provided a new direction for the Super Soldier Serum, but Test Subject No. 5 escaped and has not been recaptured."
The file clearly referred to the villain known as Doc Ock.
Other records of test subjects were uniformly marked with bold "FAILED" stamps. Batman's original goal had been to gather evidence of the Osborn Corporation's crimes, but buried at the bottom of the stack was a record without a number:
"Unnamed test subject, suspected to be an even more perfect and successful specimen than No. 5. Codename: 'Spider-Man.' Identity of test subject unknown. Hypothesized to have consumed the serum after it was stolen by an outsider, resulting in acquired powers."
"Estimated abilities: Super strength, super speed, super reflexes, self-healing, web generation, danger sense."
This information hit Batman like a sledgehammer.
"Peter Parker, an Osborn Corporation test subject? At the cost of dozens of lives?"
Batman felt as though two mountains were pressing down on his shoulders, suffocating him.
"No, that's not right."
His unyielding resolve pulled him back from the brink. He distinctly recalled Peter Parker's diary, which detailed how he gained his powers: bitten by a genetically altered spider during a visit to the Osborn Corporation's biotech facility.
This account completely contradicted the Osborn Corporation's records. Spider-Man was an accidental creation, not a "test subject."
"Perhaps it's just wishful thinking on Osborn's part. They're researching the Super Soldier Serum, and Peter Parker happens to be active in New York as Spider-Man."
"But I need to visit the Osborn Corporation's biotech facility myself to confirm."
The Osborn Corporation's biotech facility was located on the twentieth floor and above of the Osborn Tower. Unlike the human experiments hidden in the second basement, the biotech division—Osborn's claim to fame—was openly displayed.
Taking a deep breath, Batman abandoned the paper files. He accessed a laboratory computer and hacked into the Osborn Corporation's core database.
Most of the classified data concerned biotech projects, the foundation of Osborn's success as a multinational corporation.
Aside from the human experiments, the majority of the company's operations and experiments were legal.
Beep, beep, beep…
The Osborn Corporation's security system detected the intrusion, and alarms blared immediately.
As Batman prepared to make a swift exit, a file labeled "Spider-Slayer" caught his attention, halting him in his tracks.
"Codename 'Spider-Man' likely holds the key to the success of the Super Soldier Serum. Compared to Doc Ock, Spider-Man, who is active daily in New York, is a far easier target for capture."
"Spider-Slayer Plan: Utilize humanoid powered armor developed for the military, modified with glider wings, designed specifically to target 'Spider-Man'…"
Crash!
The sound of hurried footsteps followed, and the unlocked security door Batman had opened was violently kicked open. The unmistakable sound of fifty-one firearms being cocked filled the air.
"The system shows an intruder here… Damn it, Norman Osborn never told me he was conducting these kinds of cruel human experiments?! Is this what I've been protecting day and night?!"
A sharp, melodic, yet commanding female voice reached Batman's ears from his hiding spot.
From his vantage point, he could only see the back of a woman in a silver-white combat suit, her short silver-gray hair catching the light. Her slender yet powerful waist and curvaceous hips formed a striking silhouette.
"Uh… President Silver, that's because Norman only ordered us to guard the outside of the lab. With the security doors in place, we couldn't get in here either," someone said in a hushed tone.
Silver Sable was momentarily speechless. Norman had indeed given her those instructions.
"So… Miss Silver, what do we do now?" someone asked hesitantly.
Without hesitation, Silver Sable replied:
"Capture the intruder. Secure Norman's commission first, then send Norman to prison to be preached at by some jailhouse zealot…"
"Don't shoot. Some of these poor souls might still be alive."
"You do your jobs. I'm going to take photos of this place and expose it."
Batman silently applied a small amount of gel explosive to the floor. This group, alerted by the alarm, had completely disrupted his plans.
But that was fine. The more people who knew about the Osborn Corporation's human experiments, the better. From what this "Silver Sable" woman said, it was clear she and her team were mercenaries hired by Osborn, and they were just as repulsed by the human experiments.
"I can't let them catch me. I still have too much to do."
With that thought, Batman stealthily moved to a safe distance from the gel explosive and detonated it with a soft snap.
The amount of gel was minimal—Batman had no intention of using it as a weapon. He only needed to distract Silver Sable's team.
One against fifty. The advantage was his. Batman lunged from his hiding spot.
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