REVIEWS AND POWERSTONES PLSSS!!!!!
Chapter 218: Little Green Goblin
High overhead, the crescent-moon Batwing engaged stealth and hovering modes simultaneously.
With the Batwing operational, Batman's range had expanded dramatically beyond New York's boundaries. Currently, he sat inside a California coastal villa, facing Tony Stark in his Mark III armor.
"I'd rather see Peter Parker visiting than you." Tony's tone carried obvious irritation.
Batman hadn't used the front entrance. He'd hacked the villa's security systems and entered through a window.
Tony's supposedly impregnable oceanfront sanctuary had been breached three times in two days—twice by SHIELD, once by Batman. And the figure currently occupying his living room represented what Tony considered an extreme threat.
Despite spending all night discovering a new element, Tony leaned back with deliberate casualness, wearing sunglasses specifically to avoid direct eye contact with Batman.
After working through the night, Tony sat at the window-side table consuming coffee, fries, and a burger.
Watching the expressionless Batman seated across from him, Tony couldn't help pulling his food tray slightly closer.
Batman hadn't traveled from New York to California to observe Tony's food-guarding instincts.
Surveying the particle accelerator dominating the entire room, debris and dust scattered everywhere, then noting the palladium poisoning traces creeping toward Tony's face—
Batman got straight to the point:
"I have something for you."
Realizing his visitor apparently hadn't come for confrontation, Tony's expression softened marginally. But hostility toward Batman persisted:
"What?"
"A new element. To replace palladium."
"What??"
Tony couldn't help pushing his sunglasses down slightly, peering over the frames at Batman's impassive face.
"I should warn you—Jarvis is outdated. I haven't upgraded him. You're certain that SHIELD agent won't sneak up on us?"
Inside the villa's secure room, Tony had removed his Mark III armor, now wearing a casual t-shirt as he questioned Batman.
"He won't." Batman's voice remained low as he extracted the sealed diamond-shaped vibranium isotope from his utility belt.
"Be honest with me. What's your relationship with Peter? You expect me to believe he asked you to create a new element just to replace my palladium?"
Tony's expression grew complex as he studied the vibranium isotope. His tone toward Batman softened slightly.
"Partner."
Batman remained characteristically concise, placing the vibranium isotope on the table and sliding it toward Tony.
Batman deliberately avoided attributing the new element's discovery to Peter Parker.
To everyone aware of Batman's existence, Batman represented the figure with unfathomable technical capabilities and extreme mystery.
Peter Parker? Just a fortunate kid who'd accidentally discovered a new material and possessed some network technology talent.
Batman understood perfectly well that claiming Peter Parker had discovered the vibranium isotope would result in Tony reaching for his mask within minutes.
Tony would immediately deduce Batman and Peter Parker were the same person.
"Peter was willing to share information about my life-threatening condition with you, then asked you to create a new element—"
Tony stopped mid-sentence, expression shifting:
"Damn it. That sentence makes 'new element' sound like something you find lying around."
Batman maintained his expressionless observation of Tony. The armored suit's white lenses completely obscured his eyes, preventing Tony from examining Batman's pupils at close range.
Like fingerprints and anal folds, no two people possessed identical iris patterns.
Wearing the Mark III, Tony possessed sufficient technology to identify whether Batman's iris matched Peter Parker's, thus discovering they were the same person.
Understanding Batman wasn't an enemy, Tony visibly relaxed most of his wariness. After venting his frustration, he continued:
"If you can create new elements, you obviously recognize what's sitting on my floor."
"Particle accelerator." Batman nodded slightly.
"Like you, I also created a new element."
Tony studied Batman's expression. Finding only continued cold impassivity, Tony felt genuinely disappointed:
"Right. Yesterday SHIELD gave me a package. Contents my father left for me. That's what inspired the breakthrough."
When Batman still didn't respond, Tony couldn't restrain himself:
"Aren't you curious what was inside?"
"Tesseract research data?" Batman finally spoke.
"You know about the Tesseract too?" Tony rubbed his nose. "Part of the materials definitely related to the Tesseract."
"The other part?" Batman pressed.
This time Tony grew reluctant:
"The other part was video my father left for me. What, you find that more interesting?"
Batman shook his head silently.
Tony's face broke into a smile, as though he'd secured some victory over Batman:
"All right. Current situation: two people—I'm not certain you qualify as human—each spent one night using particle and proton accelerators respectively, each creating a new element."
"The last people who accomplished something similar were the Curies."
As he spoke, Tony placed his triangular Tesseract isotope on the table beside Batman's diamond-shaped vibranium isotope.
After arranging both elements, Tony extended his right hand:
"I believe we two changed the world overnight."
Batman didn't accept the handshake. He simply watched Tony in silence for several seconds before responding:
"I'm simply fulfilling my promise to Peter. Saving you a second time."
The first time had naturally been Peter—through Batman's intermediary—contacting Silver Sable Rescue Company to extract Tony from the Middle East.
Tony's extended hand smoothly transitioned to collecting his Tesseract isotope from the table:
"After creating the new element, I haven't tested whether it can successfully power the arc reactor core. Your timing's perfect."
Metro-General Hospital. Professor Miles Warren's room.
The space was empty except for a single figure wearing green armor.
"Professor Warren? Can you hear me?"
The green-armored figure was Harry Osborn. His physique appeared noticeably more robust than before, completely absent of his previous weak, unsteady appearance.
"Warren won't wake up. Morbius and the others have disappeared. I can't reach Peter..."
Harry's expression showed deep anxiety as he paced the room.
In one instant, inspiration struck. Harry realized one method guaranteed to locate Peter Parker—the "Green Goblin's" method.
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