Chapter 105: I Am Arkham
Mr. Negative's negative energy surged like tides—interwoven black and white—striking Batman precisely as intended.
Negative energy immediately blazed like black flames, completely enveloping Batman, frantically eroding into Batman's psyche.
Mr. Negative drew closer. Simultaneously, negative energy extended from one hand, forming a longsword.
He waited for an opportunity—watching for Batman to be consumed by rage, fear, or hatred, becoming enslaved by emotions like all those he'd corrupted.
Or during Batman's violent resistance, using the longsword to pierce his heart.
Mr. Negative preferred the former. If he could completely control Batman, having such a formidably capable ally at his disposal, Mr. Negative believed he could skip the FEAST Center step entirely and directly begin his next plan.
But now, Mr. Negative needed completely guiding Batman's negative emotions to explode while absorbing them.
Absorbed negative emotions would transform into pure negative energy. The more absorbed, the stronger Mr. Negative would become.
He'd taken Eddie Brock precisely to further stimulate Eddie's negative emotions. But currently compared to Eddie, Batman's negative emotions appeared far more substantial—like a bottomless abyss.
As Mr. Negative approached closer, he finally reached less than three meters from Batman.
Kicking casually, Mr. Negative sent the convulsing Eddie Brock flying dozens of meters. He didn't glance at Eddie—now spitting blood from that kick—instead focusing on Batman.
Mr. Negative's empty hand slowly raised toward Batman. He wanted to truly feel those pains and rages within Batman's heart that he'd guided and amplified.
This was the price his ability demanded for usage—like personally drinking poison before transforming poison into his own weapon.
Mr. Negative's negative energy resembled ink dropping into clear water. From this moment he would empathize with all Batman's negative emotions, attempting absorption.
Next second, Mr. Negative discovered his catastrophic error.
He discovered this ink drop hadn't entered clear water but rather an immensely massive black iceberg floating in darkness. Even the exposed portion made Mr. Negative feel long-absent fear.
This colossal iceberg consisted of countless mad, chaotic yet paradoxically orderly plans—as if Batman's entire existence comprised nothing but plans.
Merely contacting a portion made Mr. Negative's head swell, as if receiving too much information his brain couldn't process.
"Is this human or monster?"
Mr. Negative's doubts resurfaced. He didn't continue deeply investigating Batman's numerous, incomprehensibly complex various plans.
This wasn't his goal. His goal was guiding Batman to either go mad—becoming a humanoid beast dominated by negative emotions—or become completely controlled by Mr. Negative.
"Feel your rage, your hatred! Release them! Stop being a coward hiding in shadows! Embrace your hate-fire—let it burn!"
"Release your inner beast! Look at me—I can transform your pain into power, your rage into reality! Hand all your negative emotions to me—I'll grant you true freedom!"
Mr. Negative's eyes turned completely white, language and negative energy jointly guiding Batman's negative emotions toward complete eruption.
Simultaneously, Eddie Brock—kicked flying by Mr. Negative—had nearly all internal organs shattered, his body almost folded in half from that kick.
But he didn't die. The small symbiote piece Batman had torn off with webbing crawled along the ground, slowly creeping onto Eddie Brock's body, penetrating and disappearing within.
Venom—suppressed inside Batman's body by absolute willpower—currently faced the black shadow symbolizing Batman's silent gaze. Continuous pressure like tides made Venom feel suffocated.
As Mr. Negative attempted guiding Batman's negative emotions, Venom immediately became excited, roaring within Batman's body:
"Yes! Crush him! Make him feel pain too!"
But events again exceeded Mr. Negative's expectations.
Ordinary people once contacted by negative energy would immediately have unbearable painful memories surface—empathized, absorbed, controlled by Mr. Negative.
Currently his negative energy had clearly entered Batman's body, capable of sensing those deliberately suppressed emotions interweaving rage, pain, and vengeance.
But Mr. Negative couldn't guide their complete eruption to drown Batman.
"Hah... I need using more negative energy for guidance." Mr. Negative exhaled deeply. He knew he couldn't use methods for ordinary people against Batman anymore.
Mr. Negative had to hold nothing back, completely unleashing all negative energy he commanded, exerting maximum effort to shake Batman's interior, guiding those negative emotions outward.
Dispersing the black-white mixed negative energy's condensed longsword, Mr. Negative strode forward, standing face-to-face with Batman at less than half-meter distance.
Both palms placed left and right beside Batman's head. From Mr. Negative's seven facial orifices, black and white negative energy erupted outward, releasing full force toward Batman.
Crack.
The iceberg in Batman's heart split a fissure. But what surged out wasn't Mr. Negative's anticipated negative emotions he could devour and manipulate—rage, hatred, pain, self-pity...
Beneath the iceberg wasn't the suppressed fragile humanity he'd imagined. It was deeper, darker, more massive iceberg.
The most bone-deep insight into human evil's nature. The most extreme deductions of failure. The coldest expectations of betrayal. The deepest tasting of fear. The most absolute acceptance of pain. The most relentless execution toward ending all crime.
These things mixed together had once been oppressed by Batman's absolute willpower but now completely drowned Mr. Negative in one overwhelming surge.
Merely the instant of contact, Mr. Negative's negative energy melted away completely like snow meeting fierce fire. He clutched his head, issuing inhuman shrieks:
"AAAAAAGH—!"
Mr. Negative's rationality was washed away by this orderly dark torrent far exceeding his comprehension range.
He couldn't control it, couldn't absorb it, couldn't even comprehend it.
Like a primitive person only knowing how to kindle small fires suddenly thrown into a stellar core, he collapsed like Eddie Brock moments ago—convulsing madly, foaming at the mouth.
His appearance was no longer Mr. Negative but Martin Li. The white glow in his eyes disappeared completely. The black flame-like negative energy vanished without trace.
"Plans... all plans... failed plans... backup's backup... darkness... so much darkness... cold... ah... bats... all bats..."
He continuously repeated those words. His eyes rolled back. Finally, with a final convulsion, he stopped breathing motionless.
Mr. Negative—or rather Martin Li—was dead.
Inside Batman's body, Venom felt terrified. It finally understood what kind of existence it had provoked—or perhaps didn't understand.
Even lacking brain or heart, composed entirely of pitch-black viscous symbiote matter, Venom currently felt deep psychic terror.
Its trembling, humble voice resonated within Batman:
"No, don't do this to me... I am Your most loyal servant, most faithful believer... I'm garbage, an insect—I shouldn't have attempted controlling You..."
"Let me survive—I, I abandon the name Venom. I will belong only to You..."
Batman's constantly deforming, swelling body finally gradually settled into Peter wearing the Arkham suit. He didn't acknowledge the continuously pleading, humble, pitiful symbiote within.
Looking at Mr. Negative who'd stopped breathing at his feet, Batman fell into several seconds of statue-like absolute stillness.
The Oracle AI didn't speak, automatically activating life-signs scanning functions. Batman simultaneously crouched down, using various methods to repeatedly confirm Martin Li's death.
Batman felt bone-deep chill penetrating him—not fear of corpses but horror at his own existence.
He'd become a weapon capable of killing merely through being witnessed. Though he hadn't acted physically, a life had vanished from contacting his memory's depths.
For an extremely brief instant, Batman felt god-like power—as if henceforth he needn't act personally to terminate threats.
But this feeling was immediately shattered by his powerful moral sense, filling him with shame.
Eddie Brock still lived. Though injured, his vital signs were stable. Batman didn't attend to him, instead approaching Martin Li's corpse expressionlessly.
Batman's fists creaked from clenching force. After silent moments, he subsequently lifted Martin Li's body, heading toward the Catholic church beneath Kosciuszko Bridge.
There was cemetery ground. Batman would dig a grave by hand to bury him.
This represented his slight respect for the philanthropist identity Martin Li represented—not for Mr. Negative—though Martin Li's original intentions establishing FEAST Center might not have come from genuine kindness.
Having done everything possible, Batman disappeared into Queens' night. The cold night wind carried only barely audible whispers:
"So... I am Arkham."
Wee-oo—
A siren's wail pierced the night sky.
***
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