"Is this the Batfighter? This is so cool! It's absolutely awesome!"
Watching the Batfighter land vertically, 2B's eyes widened in astonishment.
Since awakening her emotions and self-awareness, her behavior had begun to resemble that of a real human girl more and more—curiosity included.
"It really is cool," Loren said with a smile. He opened the cockpit and quickly climbed in.
Glancing back at the seat behind him, he turned and grinned at 2B. "Come on up! I'll take you flying with me!"
At his words, 2B beamed like a blooming flower, her joy unmistakable.
"Okay, boss!" she replied enthusiastically, gave a firm nod, and scrambled into the seat behind him.
Once settled, she scanned every detail of the cockpit with the wide-eyed wonder of a curious child.
In mere moments, she had already grasped the fundamentals of operating the Batfighter.
Though 2B's cognitive abilities couldn't rival those of the super artificial intelligence Alice—or even match a typical human's—her learning speed was extraordinary. This remarkable adaptability might well have been one of the key factors that led to her developing self-awareness in the first place.
"Fasten your seat belts—we're taking off now!" Loren announced as he pressed the console's ignition button.
A pleasant, synthesized voice immediately filled the cabin.
"Good evening, Boss. I'm Alice, your onboard AI. How can I assist you?"
Alice was integrated into all of Loren's smart devices. Not only the Batfighter, but also his Batmobile and even his Batsuit could be summoned or controlled by her at any time. This meant he could operate them manually—or delegate control to Alice whenever needed.
And Alice's operational precision far surpassed his own.
Since this was a test flight, it made perfect sense to let Alice—whose piloting capabilities were unmatched—take the lead.
An added benefit was her ability to analyze flight data in real time and make dynamic adjustments on the fly—information that would prove invaluable for optimizing the fighter later.
"Initiate the Batfighter's first routine test flight immediately," Loren commanded.
"Understood. Beginning pre-flight checks."
"Power system inspection: complete. All systems nominal."
"Weapon systems inspection: complete. All systems nominal."
"Radar systems inspection: complete. All systems nominal."
"Full system check complete. Preparing to commence test flight."
"The standard test flight consists of three phases: extreme-altitude testing, extreme-speed testing, and combat-capability evaluation."
"Beginning extreme-altitude test now…"
The moment Alice finished speaking, Loren and 2B felt an intense surge of weightlessness.
The Batfighter didn't rely on conventional engines—it used an anti-gravity drive, allowing it to hover effortlessly. Vertical takeoff and landing were trivial for it. As a result, during the altitude test, riding inside felt less like flying and more like being launched skyward on a silent, ultra-smooth bungee cord—no forward lurch, just a straight, breathtaking ascent.
"Altitude increasing: 1,000 meters… 2,000… 5,000… 10,000… 15,000… 20,000… 25,000 meters…"
"Warning! Warning! Ice accumulation detected on the airframe. Would you like to activate de-icing mode?"
Just as the Batfighter hit 25,000 meters, the fuselage began to vibrate noticeably—and Alice's alert rang out.
"Immediately activate de-icing mode. The Batfighter is set to fly much higher than this. Continue to ascend."
Loren didn't take Alice's warning seriously.
You should know that the Batfighter was his own creation—built using the world's most advanced fighter technology combined with an anti-gravity propulsion system.
The maximum operational ceiling he originally designed was 50,000 meters—far exceeding the capabilities of any existing fighter jet.
According to official records, the highest altitude ever achieved by a manned aircraft is approximately 37,650 meters (123,523 feet), set in 1976 by the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, not 1977. (Note: Some sources cite the X-15 rocket plane reaching ~108,000 m in 1963, but it was air-launched and not a conventional aircraft.) Regardless, no conventional jet-powered aircraft has surpassed the SR-71's record for sustained, level flight.
Today, even the most advanced modern fighter jets—such as the F-22 Raptor or Su-57—have service ceilings around 19,000 to 20,000 meters. Claims of 27,000 meters are inaccurate; that figure exceeds known capabilities by a wide margin. Ordinary fighters typically operate below 15,000 meters.
This makes Loren's Batfighter—capable of reaching 50,000 meters—all the more extraordinary.
Upon hearing Loren's command, Alice immediately activated de-icing mode.
As the system engaged, the ice that had formed on the Batfighter's surface instantly shattered and vaporized.
With the high-altitude icing issue resolved, the aircraft stabilized, its earlier tremors subsiding.
It resumed its climb toward the upper atmosphere.
In moments, it pierced through 30,000 meters… then 40,000… and finally leveled off at 48,000 meters, unable to climb further.
"Boss, we've reached the practical flight ceiling. We can't ascend any higher for now," Alice announced from the cockpit.
Loren nodded with satisfaction.
The design target had been 50,000 meters—reaching 48,000 was already beyond expectations.
"Excellent. Now descend to 25,000 meters and prepare for a maximum-speed test. The theoretical top speed is Mach 5. Let's see what we can actually achieve."
Alice responded instantly.
"Understood! Descending to 25,000 meters… altitude confirmed. Initiating extreme-speed test. Countdown: 5… 4… 3… 2… 1!"
BOOM!!
HMMMMMM!!!
The instant the countdown ended, Loren and 2B were slammed backward by an overwhelming surge of acceleration.
Their bodies flattened against the seats as if crushed by an invisible boulder—utterly immobilized.
Loren's face contorted under the crushing G-forces, his features momentarily distorted.
This demonstrated just how ferocious the Batfighter's initial acceleration truly was.
The resulting g-load would render an ordinary person unconscious in seconds.
Only thanks to Loren's enhanced physiology—courtesy of the perfected Super Soldier Serum—was he able to endure it.
"Warning! Warning! Humanoid flying object detected ahead—velocity: Mach 0.8."
"A humanoid flying object? What does it look like?" Loren asked, stunned.
Before he could finish speaking, a golden-red armored figure flashed onto the forward display.
"Hey… isn't that Iron Man?!"