Chapter 89: Batman and Peter Parker
An unremarkable office building. Its entire twenty-first floor belonged to Silver Sable Security.
The moment Batman's wide cape blocked the outside light as he materialized in Silver Sable's office, the security company's CEO reflexively launched herself from her chair, driving a kick toward him.
Batman deflected Silver Sable's strike effortlessly with one hand. The force that could easily floor an ordinary man didn't budge him an inch.
"Silver Sable." Batman's voice remained low. "I'm here to fulfill my promise."
"I've been waiting days for this." Silver Sable lowered her extended leg. "You promised technical and financial support. What kind of high-tech weapons are you offering?"
Batman stood motionless by the window like a statue, blocking most of the light streaming in. His voice dropped even lower.
"Not weapons. Relying on weapons won't transform your company into 'Silver Sable International.' You'd simply become an armed force that every nation's military views with suspicion and targets for elimination."
Silver Sable still wore her signature white tactical suit. She couldn't understand what else her former private mercenaries—now security personnel—could possibly do besides their current work.
Batman didn't need lengthy explanations, and he didn't waste time with circumlocution.
"I can provide the funding and technical blueprints to make you Silver Sable International. Fifty million dollars has already been transferred to your company account."
"How do you know my company account—" Silver Sable stopped mid-question, realizing how pointless it sounded.
Batman naturally ignored the question and continued.
"Regarding technology: I don't manufacture anything myself, but I have a trusted, independent third-party supplier. I provide the designs; they've already begun production. The development isn't complete yet—the technology still has enormous upgrade potential."
"More importantly, they're the only team capable of understanding and implementing my technical blueprints. My technology will be supplied to you through them."
"This technology will allow Silver Sable Security to transform into Silver Sable International, with rescue operations as your primary focus."
"Silver Sable International, focused primarily on rescue operations..." Silver Sable's interest sparked immediately. She pressed for details. "Anyone receiving technology from you can't be ordinary. Who are they? Where? How do I contact them?"
Nobody wanted to live constantly on a knife's edge, bathed in blood. Silver Sable was no exception. She'd simply struggled with the reality that her people were former mercenaries—transformation seemed impossibly difficult.
But rescue work was different. Regardless of the mission type, rescue operations had always been part of their mercenary repertoire.
With Batman's financial and technical support, Silver Sable could rapidly complete the company's transition.
Batman's exposed jaw showed no trace of the manipulation about to unfold.
"Brooklyn industrial district. Find a startup called Parker Industries."
"Parker Industries?"
Silver Sable frowned. She'd never heard of this enterprise.
Returning to her computer, Silver Sable's fingers flew across the keyboard. Within moments she'd pulled up information on Parker Industries' CEO, Peter Parker.
"A brilliant student, top of his class, poor kid from Queens... No offense, but this is your partner?"
Batman nodded slightly, his voice so deep it seemed impossible to connect with the young face beneath his mask.
"His identity is impeccable. A clean college student with no complex power networks behind him. Nobody will connect him to me."
"His technical talent is genuine. I can fully utilize it."
"He's sufficiently naive. He genuinely believes I'm simply funding Parker Industries. He sees me as a mysterious mentor, a silent partner. He doesn't know my complete agenda—and doesn't need to."
Silver Sable drew a sharp breath. She'd been attempting to joke with Batman moments ago, but now he seemed entirely cold, utterly inhuman.
"That poor kid probably has no idea what he's dealing with..." Silver Sable silently prayed for Peter.
"You can do business with Parker Industries. You can commission the boy to manufacture whatever equipment you need. But you must maintain distance. Don't try recruiting him. Don't intrude into his life. And absolutely don't ask him anything about me."
Batman's voice grew even colder, his eyes locking onto Silver Sable like a predatory beast.
"If you disturb my tool, if you compromise this perfect cover... you'll lose far more than just technology and funding."
"You'll discover that Silver Sable International can go bankrupt faster and more completely than Parker Industries ever could."
For the first time, Silver Sable felt Batman's threat viscerally—even more terrifying than when he'd dangled Osborn from a skyscraper days ago.
Suspicious, controlling the entire board, treating others as chess pieces. Powerful, cold-blooded, willing to use any means necessary... This was Silver Sable's complete impression of Batman now.
Silver Sable still didn't notice when Batman departed. She simply felt the office suddenly brighten. Looking up, she found the window empty, Batman's silhouette gone.
"And completely without manners!" Silver Sable mentally added another label to Batman's profile, teeth gritted.
"In Silver Sable's eyes now, I'm completely separated from Peter. One is the cold-blooded Batman. The other is the talented but exploited Peter."
"The information Silver Sable can find online about Peter Parker is exactly what I've deliberately left accessible."
"She'll naturally assume Peter obtained his initial capital by selling technology to Stark Industries, then got targeted and manipulated by Batman."
"For a very long time, my identity won't raise any suspicions with her."
These thoughts flashed through his mind instantly as Batman's body plummeted from high altitude, heading directly toward a manhole cover.
Still dozens of meters from impact, Batman fired a white web—designed specifically for daytime use. It caught the manhole cover, yanking it open. The cover flipped mid-air, then settled back into place perfectly after Batman dropped through.
Due to Batman's speed, surrounding pedestrians only heard the cover clanging shut. None noticed Batman's presence.
Changing into his thin trench coat, assuming his identity as young entrepreneur Peter Parker, he drove straight to Parker Industries to collect the dozens of military-grade gun oil samples Tony Stark had promised.
Dusk fell. The subway stopped running. Nobody knew that the abandoned City Hall Station now blazed with light.
Nearly a hundred gun oil samples—from black markets, ordinary military surplus stores, and Stark's armory—were arranged on the workbench.
Displayed alongside them: a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry system Batman had purchased and modified, plus a small air sampling vial from his utility belt beneath the trench coat.
Air samplers were standard equipment in any Bat-utility belt.
The instrument began its work, decomposing each gun oil's chemical composition into unique electronic spectra, comparing them against the air sample Batman had collected outside Norman's isolation ward.
"Barbara, is the audio file analysis complete?"
Batman set the chromatography system aside to run autonomously while addressing the Oracle AI.
"Analysis complete, Bruce."
"Play it."
After brief static, a deliberately lowered voice—amplified and clarified by the Oracle AI—emerged from the speakers.
"Norman Osborn. General Ross is willing to give you one more chance. This time without constraints. You'll have a stage where you can unleash your full capabilities."
"Brief failures aren't unforgivable. Cut off one head, and two more shall take its place."
"Hail Hydra!"