"Twenty dollars? You bought this entire island for that?"
On South Brother Island, nestled in the East River between the Bronx and Queens in New York, Professor Connors stared wide-eyed, unable to believe that in 2006, Batman could purchase an entire island in New York for a mere twenty dollars.
Batman nodded. He was clad in his upgraded Arkham suit, every inch of his gear refined and enhanced compared to before. Facing Connors' astonishment, Batman's expression remained impassive.
"In fact, that's already double the original price… In 1975, New York sold South Brother Island to a Long Island investment firm for ten dollars. I've now acquired it for twenty."
"As far as investments go, that firm doubled their return. That's no small feat."
The dry joke didn't elicit a laugh from Professor Connors. He looked at Batman, puzzled.
"I assume you didn't call me out here just to brag about this, right? Though, I admit, it's worth bragging about."
Batman's face, hidden beneath the cowl, betrayed no emotion.
"No, Professor. You're the only one who knows I'm Batman. I need you to keep that secret."
"In return, I'll provide you with all the support you need."
Professor Connors shook his head, a faint smile crossing his lips.
"Peter, you've already helped me more than enough. Even without that, I'd keep your secret."
Without Batman's foresight in having Connors transfer Oscorp's core data, without Batman causing a distraction, General Ross would likely have used advanced biotech to experiment with Dr. Banner's blood.
Without Batman's intervention, Connors, transformed into the Lizard, would have taken the regeneration serum straight to Metropolis Hospital, inevitably causing panic and chaos, possibly even unintentionally killing innocent people.
And if Batman hadn't used the Batmobile to draw soldiers to the tenth floor of Oscorp, evacuating the researchers in the process, countless lives would have been lost in the Lizard versus Hulk battle.
Compared to everything Batman had done, keeping a secret was the smallest of requests.
With Connors' assurance, Batman said no more. Together, they walked into the building on South Brother Island.
During the three days Harry had forced Batman to lie in a hospital bed, he had purchased South Brother Island through a trust and begun reinforcing and expanding its existing structures.
The island had originally been a summer estate. Batman's expansions maintained that aesthetic: the above-ground portion served as a living area, while the underground level was designated for laboratories.
As Batman and Connors entered the estate's interior, Dr. Otto Octavius was animatedly crouched on the floor with Dr. Bruce Banner, using a stick and the ground as a makeshift notepad to discuss something.
After the surgery to remove his mechanical arms, Dr. Octavius had recovered without complications. Now, he too had been brought to the island by Batman.
Seeing Batman and Connors enter, the two doctors paused their discussion, adopting a slightly reserved demeanor.
Dr. Banner offered a friendly greeting, while Dr. Octavius merely nodded.
Batman regarded the three scientists and broke the silence first.
"Gentlemen, introductions are unnecessary. Your names shine brightly in your respective fields, albeit for different reasons."
"For the foreseeable future, you'll work together here on your individual research projects. Peter and I will provide all the support you need."
"No one else will know you're here. No one will find you."
Dr. Octavius nodded slightly. He only knew Peter and still associated Batman with the man who had once beaten him. His presence on the island was entirely due to his trust in Peter Parker, not Batman.
Dr. Banner, meanwhile, looked thoroughly confused. He had no idea who this "Peter" was but placed unusual trust in Batman. After all, just three days ago, Batman had taken down General Ross by exposing damning evidence, proving he wasn't cut from the same cloth as Ross.
Professor Connors, the only one in the room who knew both of Batman's identities, glanced at the others before nodding along with Dr. Octavius.
"Should we openly discuss our research projects?" Banner asked. "I need to make sure we're not dealing with… the kind of things I'm imagining."
By "things," he clearly meant the monstrous experiments General Ross had been involved in.
Trust was one thing, but Banner wanted to lay everything out upfront.
Dr. Octavius, looking far more energetic than the other two, was itching to get started. After five or six days in Metropolis Hospital, he was eager to dive back into his work.
"I'm restarting my research on nuclear fusion for clean energy. But first, I'll work on prosthetics to secure funding."
"Nuclear fusion?"
"Prosthetics?"
Banner and Connors reacted differently, each catching something in Octavius' words that resonated with their own fields.
"My research here on limb regeneration is secondary," Connors said. "My primary goal is to find a way to cure my mutation."
Octavius didn't quite follow what Connors meant, but Banner understood immediately.
"Maybe curing it isn't the only option," Banner said. "It took me three years to learn how to communicate with my other self. I could share that experience with you."
"I'm not here for any specific research, but if Dr. Octavius needs help, I'm happy to collaborate on nuclear fusion for clean energy."
Dr. Octavius suffered from a disdain for lesser intellects, but faced with Banner—holder of seven doctorates and one of the smartest minds alive—his usual contempt vanished.
"Maybe it's not just fusion energy," Octavius said. "I could also explore whether my prosthetic technology could integrate with Professor Connors' limb regeneration research."
Connors' eyes lit up. He'd been about to ask that very question.
"Dr. Octavius, what are your thoughts on limb regeneration?"
The three top scientists in their fields dove into discussion, unable to stop. Batman stood silently to the side, watching them without a word.
With Banner's help, Octavius' fusion research gained new potential. His prosthetic work aligned perfectly with Connors' regeneration studies.
Banner, with his experience managing his alter ego and his expertise in nuclear physics, brought unique insight.
Though the three scientists had come together by chance, their mutual support formed a stable, synergistic trinity science team.
While the lab equipment on South Brother Island wasn't fully set up yet, the living quarters were complete. Batman refrained from interfering too much in the scientists' affairs.
Stepping out of the summer estate onto the eastern shore of South Brother Island, Batman bent his knees slightly, then launched into the air. At the peak of his jump, he spread his cape, gliding toward the nearby Rikers Island.
Batman hadn't forgotten his original goal of finding Dr. Banner. He needed Banner's gamma radiation research to treat the malevolent personality within Norman Osborn.
Unlike Connors, who, as the Lizard, had focused on delivering medicine without harming anyone, Norman Osborn's actions as his alter ego were purely destructive.
"Ravencroft Institute in the northern suburbs…"
Swapping his suit for a plaid shirt, Batman drove toward the northern suburbs.
--
Support me & read more advance & fast update chapter on my pa-treon:
pat reon .c-om/windkaze