"Don't you guys find it weird?"
After Batman left with the "Moon Eclipse Knight" Robin—a fusion born from the combination of moonlight, Venom, Vibranium isotopes, and Wakandan regeneration gel—Professor Morbius couldn't help but ask the others.
"Are you talking about Batman or that Robin?" Dr. Banner waved at Morbius, signaling him to come over.
Morbius took off his shirt, revealing a greyish-black chest with ribs tightly sticking out against his skin. He sat down on a rug across from Dr. Banner and said, "Batman, of course! Dr. Banner, you have to tell me the truth, is Batman actually a legendary vampire? The kind that can turn into a swarm of bats and fly away?"
Dr. Banner scratched his head, thought for a moment, and replied:
"I don't think he can fly... Wait, aren't you a vampire? Why are you asking me about this?"
Dr. Otto passed by, his four mechanical tentacles behind him each clutching a different scientific instrument. He interjected:
"Morbius is just a pseudo-vampire. At least I haven't seen him needing to hide in a coffin to sleep these past two days."
Professor Connors leaned in and plucked a hair from Morbius's head. "But when it comes to sucking blood, he's no different from a vampire. I need to help you research a substance that can replace blood."
"Will pig blood work?" Dr. Banner asked, stretching his neck.
"Uh, no," Morbius said with a darkened expression. "After I made my mistake on Ryker's Island, I tried the blood of all sorts of animals, but nothing can replace human blood. Even the effect of blood plasma from the hospital isn't very good."
After turning into this monster—neither human nor ghost—Professor Morbius's former poetic, melancholic temperament had completely vanished.
Now, all Morbius cared about was researching how to restore his human appearance and solving his bloodlust.
"What about Batman's... son," Dr. Otto said, forcing the title out awkwardly. " The previous Robin was a bit ugly, but he was still obedient and cute."
Professor Connors shot Dr. Otto a glare.
"I meant his personality was obedient and cute," Dr. Otto added, feeling a bit spooked by Connors's stare. "But after being endowed with moonlight by the Moon God Khonshu, it's like, it's like..."
Dr. Otto searched for the right word for a long time until Professor Morbius offered a hint:
"Rebellious phase?"
"Ah, right, the rebellious phase." Dr. Otto cleared his throat, then pinched his voice to mimic Venom Robin's tone: "FUCK Batman!"
"If Batman wants to beat you up, we certainly won't stop him," Dr. Banner chuckled at Dr. Otto.
Dr. Otto set down the instruments held by his mechanical tentacles, put on his white lab coat, and donned his goggles.
"I'm actually a little worried that Robin is going to get a beating after being taken away by Batman."
Professor Connors took the hair he had just removed from Professor Morbius's head, ducked over to his own workbench, put on his glasses, and began his experiment.
"He wouldn't, would he? If Batman really tries to beat Robin, I'll definitely stop him."
"Theoretically, Robin should be calling us 'Uncle,' so I couldn't bear to just sit back and watch."
Dr. Banner signaled Professor Morbius to take deep breaths, using the method he used to communicate with the beast inside him to help Morbius try and recover his human appearance. At the same time, he whispered into the conversation:
"A group of monster uncles, a monster dad, plus a monster kid from outer space empowered by an Egyptian god?"
"Are you sure Robin won't pop out with a 'FUCK Lizard' when the time comes?"
Hearing this, Professor Connors turned his head to look at Dr. Banner.
"Wait, I need to confirm: did Dr. Banner say that, or did the Hulk say that?"
Dr. Banner pointed a finger at Professor Morbius.
"Morbius said it."
Professor Morbius, who had just closed his eyes to take a deep breath, suddenly found himself scapegoated for no reason. His eyes snapped open wide:
"What?!"
Manhattan, inside the Batcave.
After being brought back to the Batcave by Batman, Batman had been busy writing something with pen and paper. Robin leaned in to take a few looks, only to find he couldn't understand a thing.
He had expected an argument or even a physical fight to break out between them, but Batman remained silent as a cold stone.
Finally, Venom Robin couldn't take it anymore. He stood with hands on his hips, looking up at Batman, who had his back to him.
"You'd better give me an explanation, Batman."
"Clearly, back in New Mexico, you couldn't have successfully pulled off those plans of yours without me. Yet after returning to New York, you never once tried to wake me up?"
Venom Robin stared at Batman's back, itching to take a bite out of him, but he was afraid that might come across as acting spoiled. So, fighting back the impulse, he continued to question him in a raw, youthful voice:
"I waited so long for you to separate me from the body, but you completely ignored me and instead let that bird-man Khonshu make a pact with me?"
"FUCK! Answer me!"
Scritch scratch scritch.
Batman silently finished his handwritten plan, but he didn't show it to Venom Robin. Instead, he turned around and looked down at the little guy, whose juvenile form stood less than 1.4 meters tall.
"When did you recover your memories?"
Venom Robin turned his head to the side and huffed twice.
"After the bird-man pact."
Batman stared intensely at Venom Robin, his voice low with a hint of coldness.
"I am referring to the Adirondack Mountains—your memories from before you were purified by Anti-Venom."
Robin's heart skipped a beat at those words. He whipped his head back to look at Batman.
"When did you find out? How did you know I recovered my old memories?"
"Because I'm Batman."
"FUCK! FUCK Batman!" Venom seemed to fly into a rage out of humiliation. "Can you stop putting on that cold face and saying 'I'm Batman' every time I ask you a question?!"
Seeing Batman remain unmoved, Venom Robin was so angry he leaped up, wanting to punch Batman. However, Batman simply extended a hand and pressed it against his head, stopping his advance.
His two short arms flailed but couldn't reach Batman. Venom Robin was clearly even angrier now; the pitch-black symbiote substance began to wriggle rapidly, surging toward Batman.
But the instant the symbiote substance was about to touch Batman, a piercing sonic blast suddenly erupted from inside the suit. The irritation forced Venom Robin to jump backward involuntarily.
"Oh, good! Batman, you were already guarding against me!" Venom Robin bared his teeth in rage, and abruptly flung both hands behind him!
Whoosh!
His white cape flared high as Venom Robin's hands swiftly reached for his lower back.
Venom itself could shapeshift into weapons, but at this moment, he didn't do that. Instead, he pulled out two short white batons—part of the abilities granted by the Moon God Khonshu.
"Old Bat..."
Venom Robin yelled incoherently, gripping the short batons in both hands as he prepared to charge. But just as he took a step, his body was hoisted into the air.
—Batman had grabbed the short batons in Robin's hands and lifted his entire body into the air, holding him right before his eyes.
"No matter how many memories you possess, you are still my Robin, correct?"