Instead of calling it Batman, it would be more accurate to describe it as an oversized bat with a human head. Based on its current behavior, Su Ming believes it lacks human intelligence or character, merely a beast.
However, this kind of large, ugly creature indeed makes people feel uncomfortable, especially when it's flying around overhead, making sharp, eerie screeches. Whether due to malnutrition or unstable genes, its fur keeps shedding during flight, filling the room like a fall of dark brown snow.
Su Ming also drew his gun and opened fire. Although this thing flies not slowly, compared to the Sharp Claw from the Owl Court, it's rather unimpressive.
No help for it, these genetic monsters were merely ordinary people before mutation.
On the ground, it's probably no better than a rat of the same size because a bat's bone density is very low, with hollow-filled bones like those of birds, allowing it to be light enough to fly.
These scientists performing genetic experiments with bats and humans is definitely unnecessary.
Atlanteans live in the sea, so if they are the hypothetical enemy, why not conduct experiments with aquatic creatures? Of the monsters seen so far, none can swim.
All are useless creations.
But now is not the time to criticize these folks for wasting taxpayers' money; the bat has been shot down by the two of them, crashing into a few other glass jars and falling in the corner not far away.
Cindy drew a knife and walked over slowly: "I hope there aren't too many bullet holes to ruin the pelt. Every wealthy house has a bearskin rug, and now I can have a bat skin one. Such a big bat is quite a collectible."
The bat wasn't dead yet, just severely injured, lying helplessly on the ground. The red blood mixed with the blue nutrient solution shattered earlier, turning into a black liquid.
Its face showed a human-like expression as it stared at Cindy approaching.
"Ah… ah…" It opened its mouth wide, making strange sounds.
Cindy swapped her knife for a gun.
"Ah… ah… help… help…" It surprisingly uttered simple words.
"Bang!"
Cindy decisively fired, the bullet striking it in the forehead, the bat convulsed slightly before lying still.
Barbara pressed her lips tightly. If it were her former self, she might have tried to save this talking bat, but now she understood that only by killing it could it be truly saved.
If it really did possess human wisdom, being trapped in a bat's body would be the cruelest thing; only death could be the ultimate liberation.
Cindy took out her magazine and reloaded, heading back to the group.
"No bat rug?"
Su Ming asked Cindy while reloading, having already shot indiscriminately at the creatures thrown out of the jars.
"No, hanging a dead thing at home isn't auspicious."
Cindy said indifferently.
Maybe when the bat showed that human-faced terrified expression, Cindy had changed her mind, even Su Ming had to admit it was indeed a person…
Vico sighed, signaling Pete to get back to filming. After recording a few shots, the team set off again.
The samples in these jars could still be considered to be from the outer sections of the lab, all useless waste products, soaked in sleep-inducing nutrient solutions, their lives maintained by these jars.
A pitiful existence.
Before leaving the hall, Barbara, at Su Ming's request, executed the disinfection command for all the life-support pods, ensuring these monsters would all die in their sleep.
Barbara knew she had killed them. At least half of their genes were human, they looked human, and could even potentially speak human language.
But she knew she had done the right thing; killing them was a good deed.
For the first time, she understood this truth, which challenged her previous beliefs, leaving her thoughts in disarray, so she silently unlocked the door leading to the next room.
Su Ming, meanwhile, was discussing with Cindy. According to his hypothesis, Earth -11's Indian Mountain was more like a madman's toy.
"This is a genetics lab, so below could very well be a virus or something else, be careful."
Cindy nodded: "Don't worry, just keep a bit of distance from me, I know what to do."
The door gradually opened, practice makes perfect, and this time it was much quicker to unlock the door than before. Cindy entered the room first, while Su Ming stayed behind to guard the group.
Upon entry, there was a human skeleton, a blackboard, and many educational facilities reminiscent of those commonly found in medical schools. Scattered around were some exercise equipment and some desks and chairs.
It looked like a gym that had been abandoned for many years.
The instruments and equipment here were much fewer, but each took up more space, larger and more towering, the oversized metal instruments looked like shipping containers.
Cindy cautiously scoped out the area, not missing places like overhead. She quickly signaled the all-clear.
Su Ming recognized the place, it was the Mutant Research Experiment Zone. In the TV series, it held many mutants, who, as experimental subjects, hated outsiders extremely.
Those giant metal instruments beside them were actually isolation chambers; each was like a room, with mutants confined inside, observed like zoo animals at all times.
He approached the side of one chamber, noting that the facility was still operational. Peering through the observation port, he saw chaos inside. Originally arranged like a bedroom with a pretty wooden bed and thick mattress, now everything inside was shredded, with furniture bearing bite and claw marks.
In the center of the room lay an extraordinarily large skeleton, positioned in a spread-eagle posture.
Su Ming guessed it died of starvation.
In the TV series, Indian Mountain was discovered and opened in the 1990s, practically found just as the lab closed, and the mutants inside were alive and strong.
But now on Earth -11? Decades have passed, and no matter how strong a mutant was, they would starve to death. Unlike in DC and Marvel, there is no concept of mutants here, mutants don't possess innate superpowers.
All mutants here were once human.
The military captured them, then induced genetic mutations through large doses of radiation or chemicals, turning them into monsters.
Earth -11, the history of the lab would probably be localized, possibly with scientists trying to find a way to mutate Atlanteans, leading them to self-extermination.
But that's a false proposition.
Atlanteans, like Amazonians, are of demigod blood; how can scientists experimenting on humans come up with weapons effective against Atlanteans?
They died in vain.
These mutants are humans, with thoughts and hearts just like anyone else.
Hence, the skeletal remains in the rooms varied: some huddled in the corner, clutching themselves, others lay peacefully on the bed, and others had clearly taken their own lives.
There's nothing worth seeing, the hall is safe.
Su Ming called over Vico, having her also take a look at the isolation facilities, while giving a brief account of the situation.
"This topic should interest reporters like you, the government experimenting on the populace."
"Maybe, but perhaps I've seen too much news today, I can't quite get excited…."
Vico thought for a moment, scratching her chin with her finger, and replied.