When the incident occurred at Ryker's Island Prison, the external police support was blocked two or three kilometers away, unable to get through.
However, the prison guards themselves did absolutely nothing in the face of the prisoner riot. Batman would not unauthorizedly take another's life, but from a legal perspective, even Batman knew that the prison guards had the full responsibility to shoot the leading prisoners to achieve a deterrent effect on the others.
But the prison guards did not do so. Instead, it was Daredevil who arrived and attempted to drive the prisoners back into the facility, only to end up completely surrounded by them.
If the other "Batman" hadn't arrived in time, Daredevil would likely have been in grave danger.
It is hard to believe the prison guards are not compromised, and the New York police are no different.
"His skin wraps around his bones, with almost no muscle. His hands are claws, his hair is rather long, and there is the smell of blood in his mouth..."
Daredevil described the appearance of the other "Batman" point by point:
"He carries a damp, rotting scent, like he crawled out of a sewer.
"If judging solely by appearance, perhaps he looks more like a bat."
Batman ignored the topic of who looked more like a bat: "What did he say to you?"
Daredevil thought for a moment before speaking:
"He called himself 'Batman,' but said nothing else beyond that... I have a theory."
Batman looked at Daredevil without speaking, quietly waiting for him to continue. Daredevil did not play the Riddler and said straightforwardly:
"This is a newborn vampire who has just obtained supernatural powers and is attempting to give himself an identity.
"He perhaps believes you are a fabricated figure, and based on his own appearance resembling a bat, he assumed the title of Batman."
After speaking, as if afraid Batman would press for more details, Daredevil turned around and jumped off the edge of the roof, disappearing from sight.
This was a rare occasion where the other party left before Batman.
"He is hiding something from me.
"Judging him as a vampire solely based on the metallic taste of blood in his mouth is too arbitrary; there must be other factors determining his reasoning.
"He was unwilling to say it, and left directly because of it... is it because saying it might expose his abilities?
"Daredevil can move as freely as a normal person—does he rely on more than just hearing and smell?"
Batman quickly deduced that Daredevil was willing to provide a portion of help based on their past cooperation at the Oscorp Tower, but at the same time, was wary of Batman learning about his abilities from the intelligence.
His thoughts circled in his mind once. Batman quickly vanished from the rooftop, only slipping into the sewers several blocks away to take off the Arkham suit and return to the surface in the identity of Peter Parker.
This time, Batman's destination was Metropolis Hospital.
A crowd of doctors had gathered in Miles Warren's ward; any single one of them, if taken out alone, would be sufficient to sustain a private clinic.
They were gathered here for a reason.
After Norman Osborn entered the mental hospital, New York's biology community felt it was none of their business and watched from the sidelines. (Norman himself was also a scientist).
After Professor Connors went missing, the biology community began to feel puzzled and hesitant.
After Professor Morbius went missing, the biology community was in an uproar.
Seeing the renowned biologist, geneticist, and genomics expert, Professor Miles Warren, about to become the fourth missing or dead professor, New York's biology community was struck as if by a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
They did not necessarily truly care about Miles Warren; they were simply marveling at what results the Oscorp Group had actually researched to cause four scientists to meet with accidents in succession.
However, corporate undercover work and spies had failed to bring much useful information to New York's biology community, so they began to unite, sparing no cost to save Miles Warren.
This led to Professor Miles Warren becoming the most prioritized patient in Metropolis Hospital, with every top expert relevant to his injuries present on the scene.
Even Doctor Strange, who always disdained dealing too much with hospital administration—sometimes too lazy to even speak, and appearing to outsiders as having eyes higher than the top of his head—was surprisingly present.
"Professor Warren's vital signs have stabilized... The entire biology community of New York is pressuring Metropolis Hospital. We must save Professor Warren one hundred percent, or at the very least, restore his consciousness..."
In the extra-large ward, which was more than a size bigger than other rooms, the doctors and nurses wearing sterile surgical gowns and masks revealed only their eyes.
When Batman arrived and looked in through the observation window of the ward, he still spotted Doctor Strange—who had once performed the surgery to extract the symbiote without anesthesia on him—at a glance.
Only the identity was different; that time it was Batman, this time it was Peter Parker.
But Batman still reached out and waved to Doctor Strange, writing the letters "P.P" on the observation window with his finger.
Batman had not only met Doctor Strange as "Batman"; the identity of Peter Parker had also met him once.
Doctor Strange, who was already standing at the very periphery of the group of doctors and nurses, had long grown impatient listening to the hospital administration nag for half the day. Seeing Peter Parker outside at this moment gave him an out.
"Someone outside is looking for me."
Doctor Strange whispered to a nurse beside him, then naturally passed through the isolation area to stand before Batman.
"You are... Peter Parker?" Doctor Strange tilted his head and thought for a long while, speaking with uncertainty.
Batman nodded:
"It is me, Doctor."
"I remember you. Last time you accompanied Doctor Otto here for surgery," Doctor Strange said (Chapter 68). "How is his recovery?"
Before Batman could answer, Doctor Strange answered his own question:
"He should have recovered perfectly, because my surgery was extremely perfect."
"Correct." Batman nodded slightly, quickly skipping the question about Doctor Otto. "How is Professor Warren now?"
"Very bad." Doctor Strange was somewhat dissatisfied that Batman had skipped the topic so quickly.
The two looked at each other in silence for a moment before Batman spoke again:
"What are they doing inside?"
Doctor Strange briefly explained the matter of the biology community pressuring Metropolis Hospital.
Inter-disciplinary worlds are worlds apart; the affairs of the biology community seemed huge, yet there was not a sound about it in the outside world.
Conversing as they went, the two walked along the hospital corridor. Neither of them was someone who enjoyed endless chatter, and the topic quickly broke off for a few seconds.
Batman was currently silently contemplating that after bringing the old butler, Alfred, into the fold, he would have him include Metropolis Hospital and even the entirety of New York within his monitoring range.
Just as Batman was planning to place a few listening devices in the hospital first, Doctor Strange suddenly pulled a private business card from his pocket and handed it over.
Batman did not take it immediately; he glanced at Doctor Strange.
In the rumors of the outside world, Strange was a brilliantly talented but extremely arrogant and selfish doctor. Taking the initiative to hand out a business card was something that almost never happened with him, unless he believed the other party had utility value.
Batman rapidly calculated the value of the identity of Peter Parker, and after hesitating for a split second, accepted the card. Printed on it was the private number that Doctor Otto had once dialed.
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