"I need your help."
On South Brother Island, Batman spoke to the four scientists.
"Let's hear it," Doctor Banner said. "Since you're asking, I assume you can't do it alone? Do you need the Hulk to step in?"
It was currently lunchtime. The four scientists were seated around a square table, which was filled with food of high nutritional and monetary value.
Aside from the unavoidable restrictions on their freedom, Batman had never been stingy with the scientific team on South Brother Island regarding food, clothing, housing, or general living conditions.
Seeing Batman speak, Doctor Banner and the others unhesitatingly put down their food and looked over.
"Doctor Otto, I need you to create an ankle monitor with a concealed syringe inside."
"Doctor Banner, I need you to provide a device for this anklet that monitors Gamma radiation fluctuations twenty-four hours a day."
"Professor Morbius, you will build a miniature blood analyzer to install in the anklet, enabling it to transmit blood test data to this laboratory at any time."
"Professor Connors, your task is a bit more complex..."
Batman displayed a rare moment of hesitation.
Professor Connors immediately felt a bit anxious. Everyone else had been assigned clear tasks; why did it stall when it came to him?
As the only one among the four scientists who had known from the start that Peter Parker was under the mask, Professor Connors had always felt a faint sense of indebtedness.
Whether as Batman or Peter Parker, he had given selflessly to Professor Connors without asking for anything in return. Yet, Connors felt he hadn't contributed much help so far.
Doctor Banner could help develop Gamma inhibitors and lead most experimental projects; Doctor Otto had successfully achieved controllable nuclear fusion.
Only Professor Morbius, a newcomer like Connors, had contributed very little. Instead, their very existence had consumed a great deal of Batman and Peter's attention.
"What is my assignment?" Professor Connors couldn't help but press.
"I need you to go next door to North Brother Island," Batman said.
Professor Connors swallowed the food in his mouth, feeling that Batman's hesitation had been unnecessary.
"That's simple. When do I go?"
"In the form of the Lizard," Batman added.
Clatter!
As soon as Batman's words fell, three of the four scientists couldn't help but stand up.
The one who didn't stand was Professor Morbius. He looked left and right blankly, unsure why the other three had such a huge reaction.
He knew about North Brother Island, the island that had once served as a quarantine center for various diseases and later as a drug rehabilitation facility.
He was also aware of Professor Connors' lizard form; Morbius had seen it on his very first day on South Brother Island.
Since he himself had turned into a monster resembling neither man nor ghost—and couldn't even revert to a normal human appearance—he took it for granted that Professor Connors, who could transform into a lizard and back into a human, had perfectly mastered the beast within him.
Morbius didn't understand why the other three stood up.
But while he didn't understand, Doctor Banner and Doctor Otto certainly did. They knew very well that Professor Connors and the lizard inside him had indeed become a unified entity.
But to have Connors maintain the Lizard form on North Brother Island... Heaven knew what unpredictable events might occur.
"Batman, this seems inappropriate. What are you planning?" Doctor Banner was still the first to speak. "The ankle monitor you asked Otto to make isn't for Connors, is it?"
"No," Batman confirmed Banner's thought.
"Aren't you afraid of an accident?" Doctor Otto stared at Batman.
"I have a comprehensive plan," Batman said.
"I can go, but I want to know why." Professor Connors looked down at his empty right sleeve. "Is there a new threat?"
Treating the four scientists on South Brother Island, Batman didn't need to hide as much as he did with Norman Osborn. He spoke quite directly:
"Norman Osborn, whom I rescued, has awakened. But he appears to have lost his memory."
Doctor Banner took his glasses out of his jacket pocket, put them on, and sat back in his chair to listen as Batman continued.
"Ordinary prisons cannot hold him, and neither can mental institutions. Furthermore, if I send him to government custody, I worry he will once again be targeted by Hydra."
"That is true. Even specially constructed prisons aren't safe, like the Cube where I was previously held." Doctor Banner nodded, agreeing with Batman's assessment.
Professor Morbius silently made a mental note of the term "Cube," which he hadn't heard before, and pricked up his ears to listen to the conversation between Batman and Banner.
"I have built a secure confinement zone on North Brother Island, but it is not yet complete. Even if it were finished, Norman Osborn, having lost his previous memories, is not suitable for solitary confinement inside it."
Seeing Doctor Otto and Professor Connors slowly sit back down, Batman continued:
"I need to observe Norman Osborn for a period of time to ensure no further issues arise. North Brother Island is a natural isolation zone."
"I appear on the island in Lizard form..." Connors frowned. "I understand. I need to observe him and provide a certain level of intimidation to confirm he has truly reverted to Norman Osborn?"
"At the same time, we are confirming whether you can maintain your reason while remaining in the Lizard state for an extended period," Batman said. "And aside from Doctor Banner, you are the existence most capable of physically suppressing Norman in terms of appearance and strength."
Regardless of the reasons they had turned into monsters, in Batman's eyes, these four scientists were extremely pure.
Moreover, they were currently allies, not opponents. Batman didn't need to treat the four scientists the way he treated that gang of villains in Gotham.
Compared to how he was in Gotham, Batman spoke much more plainly.
His directness did not cause resentment among Professor Connors and the others. On the contrary, all four of them, including Professor Morbius, nodded repeatedly, believing there was no issue with what Batman said.
"South Brother Island indeed lacks the conditions to let Professor Connors maintain the Lizard form for a long time. If we can use this opportunity to kill two birds with one stone... I agree with Batman's idea," Doctor Banner was the first to express approval.
Professor Connors himself had no doubts. More than anyone, he hoped to take a step further in mastering the beast within him, and this was indeed a rare opportunity.
"When do we leave?"
Batman's voice was low:
"Now."
In the Batcave, Venom Robin watched cautiously as Norman Osborn sat on a chair not far away. One of Robin's hands was firmly guarding the pile of chocolate in front of him.
Gurgle...
Norman Osborn's stomach growled. Venom Robin understood this meant the other person was hungry.
But Robin turned a deaf ear, actually speeding up his consumption of the chocolate, afraid Norman Osborn would snatch it from him.
Gurgle...
Five minutes later, Norman Osborn's stomach was rumbling like a pond full of frogs after the rain.
Venom Robin hesitated for a while, then picked up a piece of chocolate and tossed it from a distance.
With a splat, the chocolate hit Norman Osborn on the head and casually fell to the floor.
Norman Osborn didn't seem to react at all. Clutching his head, he looked at Venom Robin. Thirsty, hungry, in a strange environment, and with the safety of himself and his son unknown, he couldn't help but feel a trace of grievance.
"I wasn't trying to bully you," Venom Robin panicked a little seeing the complicated look in Norman Osborn's eyes and hurriedly pointed to the floor. "I wanted to give you chocolate."
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