"No rush, you have three days to complete these tests."
Batman didn't immediately take Electro, Max Dillon, to Oscorp Tower; instead, he handed over a sheet of paper.
Max Dillon received it with both hands. Tony Stark and Professor Morbius immediately stepped forward, and the three heads huddled together.
"Feasibility Study on Environmental Macroscopic Electrical Energy Adsorption and Directional Control..." Tony Stark looked up at Batman after reading just the first line. "I just realized Max hasn't been tested on absorbing and controlling natural lightning yet. I hadn't even gotten the chance to mention it."
Batman nodded, not bothering to argue with Tony Stark over the meaningless question of who thought of it first.
"Remember to prepare a Faraday cage for Max to facilitate the start and end of the experiments."
Tony Stark made an "OK" gesture with his hand and continued looking down at the test items on the paper.
"Micro-manipulation test: Attempt to have Max precisely control micro-circuits to confirm the level of precision in his energy manipulation."
"Form conversion test: Attempt to have Max convert electrical energy into a constant magnetic field or electromagnetic pulse, and test whether he can convert his own form into the same."
"Bio-electricity and signal level test: Confirm whether Max possesses the ability to sense, decode, or interfere with city power grids, radio communications, and even neural electrical signals."
"Vacuum test, extreme atmospheric pressure environment test..."
There were dozens of items in total, and none were simple, superficial data tests of Max Dillon's abilities.
These things were too detailed, too professional, so much so that not only Tony Stark, but even Max Dillon couldn't help but shift his gaze from the paper to look at Batman.
"These things give me only one feeling. Do you know what it is?" Tony Stark asked.
Batman remained impassive, while Max Dillon and Professor Morbius nodded.
Tony Stark didn't beat around the bush and spoke directly:
"It's as if this isn't your first time dealing with 'Electro' Max Dillon, but rather that before him, you had understood and interacted with another guy exactly like him...
"...or even fought him."
As his voice trailed off, Tony Stark's eyes widened. He actually saw the corners of Batman's mouth turn up slightly. He immediately threw the previous question to the back of his mind, pointed at Batman, and exaggeratedly exclaimed:
"Ha! You actually know how to smile! I was just considering hiring a mysterious Eastern doctor to treat your facial paralysis!"
The smile that had just appeared on Batman's face vanished instantly, reverting to the look where every stubble on his chin spelled out the word "serious."
Tony Stark guessed half right. Batman had indeed encountered someone almost exactly like Max Dillon—Superman's adversary, "Livewire."
The half he guessed wrong was that Batman hadn't personally fought Livewire; instead, she was defeated by Batgirl—later "Oracle" Barbara Gordon—who had learned most of Batman's skills.
Seeing that Batman offered no explanation to his question, Tony Stark rolled his eyes and closed his metal faceplate.
"Jarvis, scan the contents of this paper, then establish and refine these test plans."
"Yes, sir," the voice of the Jarvis AI rang out.
"Is three days enough?" Batman asked.
"Enough." Max Dillon nodded. "But I'll need Tony's help to conduct the tests in detail."
"I'll help you, Max," Tony Stark said.
As the two spoke, the Batwing hovering high above began to dive toward the Empire State Building, its speed not slowing down but increasing.
Whoosh!
The violent gale made Max Dillon's yellow windbreaker flap noisily. The Batwing abruptly flipped its fuselage less than twenty meters from the Empire State Building, then flew back up into the sky along the same path it had dived.
By the time Max Dillon came back to his senses, Batman, who had been standing right next to him, had vanished along with Professor Morbius.
He looked up again, and that full-moon-shaped Batwing had already soared into the clouds.
Tony Stark's expression shifted, and he quickly whispered:
"Jarvis, mobilize the Stark Industries low-orbit satellites and track that Batplane."
Max Dillon frowned and looked at Tony Stark.
"You want to track Batman?"
"Of course." Tony Stark chuckled, but soon he too frowned. "Jarvis? Why aren't you speaking?"
"Sir, please give your command," the Jarvis AI said.
"Track that Batplane from just now," Tony Stark urged.
There seemed to be a hint of confusion in the Jarvis AI's voice:
"I'm sorry, sir... I haven't detected any aircraft matching your description appearing within a five-kilometer radius of you in the last twenty-four hours."
"Dr. Cho, is Professor Warren doing any better?"
After dropping Professor Morbius off at South Brother Island, Batman took off the Arkham suit and arrived at Professor Miles Warren's ward in Metropolis Hospital as Peter Parker.
Batman timed it perfectly; Dr. Helen Cho was there recording the healing status of Professor Warren's injuries.
"I remember asking you to reduce the number of visits. The patient needs quiet space and enough time to recover."
Dr. Helen Cho, wearing a ponytail, raised an eyebrow as she saw Peter Parker arrive and spoke.
"I know," Batman brought out his acting skills, scratching the back of his head with a look of awkwardness. "Professor Warren helped me resolve the patent issue with the memory fibers. I just want to see him get better soon."
"Then you should disturb the patient less often." Seeing the greenness beneath Peter Parker's flash of a successful entrepreneur facade, Dr. Helen Cho couldn't help but soften her voice.
"I will." Batman nodded.
"By the way, I have some good news for you," Dr. Helen Cho said. "According to the brainwave monitor, Professor Warren is getting closer and closer to waking up... Of course, I'm not telling you this so you visit him frequently, I'm just sharing the good news."
"That is indeed good news." Batman didn't keep playing the green youth continuously; instead, he quickly managed his facial expression and body language, as if the awkwardness from a moment ago had been a subconscious reaction.
"Hmm... so I have to ask you to leave now, Mr. Parker." Dr. Helen Cho smiled politely at Batman.
Six hours later, inside the Batcave.
Venom Robin stood dazedly beside Batman, watching Batman's hands write the code for the Alfred AI at a dazzling speed—so fast that the code on the monitor almost blurred into a single block.
This wasn't the main reason for Venom Robin's stupor, however. It was because, in addition to writing the underlying code for the Alfred AI, Batman was also splitting half his attention to watch the surveillance monitors.
The footage on the monitors showed the surveillance feeds from Metropolis Hospital, and Batman was constantly switching between cameras to observe that woman named Helen Cho.
"Has the old Bat fallen for this married woman?" Venom Robin thought with malice.
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