Nitrogen gas springs were a strange piece of technology.
They were small, light, highly elastic, and incredibly durable. Under normal circumstances, they were almost useless for firearms. Even Batman's old grappling hook gun had never truly benefited from them.
But when paired with a web-shooter—
They became perfect.
Especially the flat, military-canteen-shaped nitrogen springs Batman had personally fabricated in the underground factory. Their curved profile fit snugly against the arm, distributing pressure evenly and avoiding unnecessary bulk.
The newly redesigned web-shooter no longer resembled its original form.
Calling it a "web-shooter" was almost misleading now.
It looked more like a compact wrist-mounted crossbow, angular and brutal in design, built for function rather than aesthetics. Batman wore it on the outside of his forearm, the firing mechanism connected directly to subtle muscle movements.
A flex.
A twitch.
The weapon responded instantly.
The original web-shooter relied on compressed air, launching liquid web at impressive speeds—already fast enough to outperform bullets from ordinary handguns.
But Batman's grappling hook gun had been something else entirely.
It had been modified to extreme limits, using gunpowder or ultra-compressed propulsion systems. Its launch speed surpassed standard firearms by a wide margin.
By combining the two, Batman created a tool that inherited the strengths of both.
Speed.
Range.
Control.
Precision.
He raised his arm.
A barely audible click sounded.
The web launched.
The liquid stream hardened mid-air, slicing through the darkness like a black lightning bolt before vanishing into the distance.
Batman nodded slightly.
Satisfied.
---
"Black Cat wasn't locked inside the police station," Batman thought as he recorded the test data. "Which means I can't immediately confirm whether she has a serious criminal history."
Arson. Murder. Armed robbery.
Those crimes would have disqualified her instantly.
But her escape itself was the answer Batman needed.
"She chose freedom—and initiative."
That meant she was neither broken nor blindly obedient.
While cataloging the performance of the new weapon, Batman shifted his attention to the next problem.
Peter Parker's computer.
It was painfully inadequate.
Even after upgrading what he could, the machine barely met the daily needs of an ordinary civilian. Running virtual machines was out of the question. Advanced encryption cracking? Impossible.
Batman needed something closer to the machines in Dr. Otto's laboratory.
A real workstation.
Something capable of sustained intrusion, parallel processing, and rapid memory wiping.
As his fingers moved across the keyboard, Batman mapped out the rest of his plan with cold clarity.
The steps were simple—but not easy.
First: attack New York's gangs, selectively and systematically, to accumulate starting capital.
Second: double that capital by correcting nuclear fusion formulas and inserting Peter Parker into Dr. Otto's research pipeline in a legitimate, believable way.
Third: build a business empire capable of supporting massive R&D expenditures.
And finally—
Research a crossing device.
A way home.
At the same time, Batman would continue doing what he had always done.
Fighting crime.
It wasn't a hobby.
It wasn't a mission.
It was part of him.
Even after being thrown into a completely unfamiliar world, that instinct had not faded in the slightest.
While naming the newly redesigned weapon "Batarang", Batman also completed improvements to the web fluid itself.
The new formula was far superior.
The web could now adhere to virtually any surface, regardless of texture or composition.
Metal.
Concrete.
Glass.
Organic matter.
Even mucus-covered skin.
Against someone like Squid Man, the web would no longer slip free so easily.
Not only that—
Batman changed the web's color.
Black.
White webbing reflected light. At night, it was a beacon.
Black webbing vanished into shadows.
Perfect.
---
It was still early.
Batman wasn't ready to confront Squid Man yet.
Before that, there were two practical matters to handle.
Money.
And guns.
The $150,000 in cash Joseph had brought the previous night was more than enough. Batman used it to purchase high-end components through various channels, assembling a workstation powerful enough to meet his temporary needs.
As for the firearms—
Batman inspected them one by one.
They were all manufactured by a military factory named Stark.
At first glance, the guns appeared normal.
But Batman immediately sensed something was wrong.
Someone had tampered with them.
The work was subtle. Skilled. Done by someone with deep knowledge of firearms.
But not perfect.
Every gun would jam midway through a magazine.
The internal structure had been deliberately altered.
Unless corrected with high-precision tools, they were useless.
Taking these weapons into a gang firefight would be no different than carrying water guns.
Batman dug a pit outside the shipyard and buried them all.
He had no intention of letting faulty weapons circulate.
With the remaining time, Batman switched identities.
He went out as Peter Parker.
Computer parts.
Tools.
Cables.
Discreet purchases, spread across different locations.
By nightfall, the workstation was complete.
Batman didn't rush.
Instead, he opened a drawing program and began sketching.
The subject was unmistakable.
Black Cat.
From memory alone, Batman recreated her perfectly—the sharp eyes, confident posture, subtle tension beneath the surface.
This was the next step of his plan.
Before worrying about Squid Man, he needed clarity.
He hacked into the New York Police Department system.
The information appeared quickly.
> Felicia Hardy.
Age: 20.
Student at Empire State University.
Father: Listed as a salesman.
Batman read every line carefully.
Most of it was accurate.
The only falsehood was her father's profession.
The system showed a criminal record.
But not the kind Batman had expected.
No arson.
No murder.
No robbery.
Instead—
> Assault: Kicking a male student in the groin during an attempted sexual assault.
Batman paused.
Then continued reading.
> Statement claims extensive training in martial arts and combat techniques since childhood.
Batman leaned back slightly.
"Good instincts. Good training. Strong motivation."
She had potential.
He closed the police files.
Now came the real task.
---
First action: Spider-Man erasure.
Batman meticulously deleted every video capable of exposing Spider-Man's movements, voice patterns, body proportions, or travel routes.
Only heavily blurred footage remained.
With Batman's level of counter-reconnaissance, this was enough.
Peter Parker was now effectively dead as Spider-Man.
The second action was far more dangerous.
Batman didn't dig deeper into the police system.
Instead, he turned his attention to a far more powerful organization.
The CIA.
This was why the workstation mattered.
Batman needed to know the truth about this world.
Supernatural abilities.
Mutations.
Artifacts.
Anything that could explain how he arrived here—or help him leave.
The intrusion began smoothly.
Firewalls fell one by one.
Encrypted files opened.
And the truth surfaced quickly.
> Don Callahan
Alias: Squid Man
Origin: New York City
Status: Mutated human
Batman's eyes narrowed.
> Subject underwent Osborn Enterprises Super Soldier Serum modification project.
So that was it.
> Capabilities include extreme strength, enhanced speed, near immunity to small-arms fire, aquatic respiration, and vertical surface adhesion.
> Employed by multiple gangs.
Confirmed kills: Seven.
Supernatural power existed.
That much was clear.
Batman noted everything.
Squid Man would be tonight's target.
Then he opened the second file.
> Bruce Banner
Alias: Hulk
Batman froze for a fraction of a second.
The name.
The irony.
> Status: Missing since military confrontation, 2003.
Another super-powered being.
Uncontrolled.
Unresolved.
The CIA files were thin.
Dangerously thin.
The third entry was familiar.
> Steve Rogers
Alias: Captain America
Status: Missing.
As for non-biological phenomena, only one item appeared.
> Tesseract
Before Batman could open the file—
An alert triggered.
The CIA had detected him.
Tracing protocols activated.
Location triangulation initiated.
Batman did not hesitate.
He severed the connection instantly.
Wiped all traces.
Shut the system down.
Then he stood.
Calm.
Focused.
Tonight was the night.
Squid Man was waiting.
And Batman was ready.