"Doctor Octavius has been on a killing spree in the Brooklyn sewers, and the New York police are currently in full pursuit of this once highly respected world-class nuclear physics expert."
"Although there's no direct evidence proving that Doctor Octavius is the perpetrator of the murder case on the third underground level of the Osborn Group, he has clearly become a threat even more terrifying than that killer."
"We were fortunate enough to interview several police officers who were on the scene when Doctor Octavius escaped. Let's hear what they have to say."
The miniature radio receiver integrated into the Batman helmet was tuning into the broadcast. Batman silently and swiftly headed toward the Osborn Group building, leaping between the towering structures.
"Doctor Octavius was like a monster straight out of a movie—he suddenly burst out from underground!"
"Those four tentacles could effortlessly grab and hurl vehicles weighing several tons. I suspect he could demolish an entire building."
"Rather than calling him Doctor Octavius, we might as well call him 'Squid' Doctor, but we just arrested a Squid guy not long ago..."
"Calling him Doctor Octopus might be more fitting."
Standing on the rooftop of a tall building opposite the Osborn Group, Batman used his equipped night vision and thermal imaging to clearly see the distribution of police officers stationed around the Osborn building.
The main entrance, side doors, underground garage, trash chutes... almost every entry and exit point had police on guard.
This was within Batman's expectations, but there were still some parts beyond his control.
Last time, after not finding the non-hostile Black Cat in Norman's office, Batman had deliberately trained his spider sense. Now, he sensed someone approaching from a distance, heading straight toward the Osborn Group.
The other party was over two kilometers away from Batman. In the pitch-black night, even with Peter Parker's eyesight, he couldn't directly make out their face.
But their movements and posture were still clearly visible under Peter's enhanced senses.
"Based on the movements and posture analysis, the target is female, possibly with relatively professional training, but she hasn't noticed me, even though she's now arrived on the rooftop of the adjacent building."
As the distance closed to less than two hundred meters, every move of the other party was as clear to Batman as if it were daytime.
It was Black Cat.
Hiss.
In the extremely faint sound of the nitrogen spring, the pitch-black spider web shot out, blending into the night, and firmly stuck to Black Cat's waist. Batman jerked his arm backward, instantly disrupting her balance, and she stumbled backward through the air.
Batman intended to pull Black Cat to his side and question her purpose for coming here in the dead of night.
Thud!
The seemingly off-balance Black Cat, flying backward, stretched out her body in mid-air. Her toes lightly tapped on Batman's hand, and with a flip in the air, she landed steadily.
The instant Black Cat's heels touched down firmly, Batman vanished from in front of her. Unbeknownst to her, he had circled around to her back and covered her mouth with his palm.
"Oh no!"
Black Cat's heart skipped a beat. She tried to struggle free from the restraint behind her, but Batman's Peter Parker-enhanced strength of up to twenty-five tons was utterly immovable for her.
Without time to think, Black Cat quickly raised one hand to jab at the eyes of the guy behind her, but it was firmly caught by the hand covered in the Batman glove.
"Black Cat, it's me."
Just as Black Cat was momentarily at a loss, a familiar voice sounded from behind her, and the hand covering her mouth was removed.
Black Cat Felicia turned around and saw her unusually mysterious "partner."
The familiar black, the familiar pointed ears, the familiar voice made Black Cat breathe a sigh of relief:
"Batman?"
"You almost scared me to death just now!"
She patted her chest to ease her tense emotions.
Batman's voice held no fluctuation:
"What are you doing here?"
"I want to get inside there." Black Cat pointed distantly at the Osborn building sealed off by police. "I suspect last night's murder case might be related to Kingpin."
Related to Kingpin?
The eyebrows beneath Batman's mask furrowed slightly. He didn't know why Black Cat would make such a judgment:
"What's the basis for that judgment?"
"According to the information I got, Kingpin very likely conducted a stock transaction during the day," Black Cat said.
Seeing Batman remain completely still, without even the slightest emotional ripple on his exposed mouth, Black Cat couldn't help but feel greatly disappointed.
"Kingpin conducted a stock transaction—aren't you disappointed?" Black Cat asked curiously. "We've lost the chance to sue him through a lawyer."
Batman remained as cold as a block of stone, as if beneath the suit wasn't an emotionally rich human, but a body composed of machinery except for the chin:
"I have a Plan B."
"Oh~ That's a shame. Your Plan B is going to fail, because not only did Kingpin not sell off his shares to launder his dirty money, he instead threatened a shareholder named Valentine into a stock acquisition," Black Cat said.
"Acquisition? Not selling off?"
Now Batman's face showed a trace of confusion, but it was only for an instant before he reverted to the cold machine:
"I understand."
"Understand what?" Black Cat didn't get it.
Batman walked to the edge of the rooftop they were on, his voice low:
"As you said, Kingpin is 'investing.' He wants to take this opportunity to become the largest shareholder of the Osborn Group in one fell swoop, transforming his identity from a underworld emperor to a legitimate businessman."
Black Cat stepped forward a few paces to stand beside Batman:
"We need to get our hands on evidence of his crimes as soon as possible."
With that, she looked at Batman, then lightly jumped, wrapping around him like an octopus—her arms around his neck, her legs tightly clamping his waist:
"You've already figured out a way to get into the Osborn Group, right?"
Batman said nothing and leaped off the rooftop.
With the help of the Batclaw and gliding gear, Batman didn't waste much effort reaching the rooftop terrace of the Osborn building, even with someone hanging on him.
There were police on duty here as well, making it obviously unrealistic to enter through the stairwell.
Black Cat lightly jumped down from Batman's body and pointed at the on-duty police, whispering:
"Want me to knock them out?"
Batman shook his head, bent down, and pressed a button at the base of his combat boot.
"...So, what next?"
Black Cat watched Batman standing motionless in their hiding spot and asked in confusion.
"Wait." Batman glanced at the little Black Cat squeezed in with him and said.
"Wait for what?"
This time, Batman didn't answer again, instead silently counting down.
.....
Half a minute later, a series of fluttering sounds suddenly erupted on the Osborn Group's rooftop. A large swarm of bats gathered, flying wildly across the terrace.
"This guy... is he even human?" Black Cat looked at the bats dancing overhead and the police whose attention had been drawn by them.
Her gaze shifted away for only two seconds, and the Batman in front of her had vanished. Black Cat only caught a glimpse of his pointed ears disappearing into the ventilation duct.
Without time to think, Black Cat quickly leaped lightly and pounced over, following Batman down the ventilation duct into the Osborn building.