Chapter 195: Heavy Armor Suit; Siege Engine Armor
Batman's current suit—beyond the wireless transceiver integrated within his cowl's pointed ears—carried virtually no additional systems.
This wasn't arrogance. Batman didn't assume the gamma bomb research facility required no supplemental equipment.
Quite the opposite. Batman remained extraordinarily cautious. Wearing the basic suit transformed him into the perfect reconnaissance operative. He could silently map the environment, confirm Norman's location and guard distribution, and identify the true threat's nature.
After all, bat-drone thermal imaging and spider-robot personnel sweeps had detected zero monsters. Batman suspected the facility's "creatures"—before transformation—remained human like Doctor Banner.
Banner's Hulk form demonstrated purely physical enhancement. But Batman wouldn't naively assume the gamma facility contained only identical mutation types.
Once Batman confirmed whether enemies resembled the Hulk's physical powerhouse classification, possessed Swamp Thing-style energy projection capabilities, or exhibited entirely different characteristics, he could deploy the Batwing to air-drop the most precisely targeted specialized armor and equipment—rather than versatile but unfocused general-purpose plating.
This mirrored Batman's previous Fenrir armor construction philosophy. Though the suit's inherent combat power proved effective against numerous opponents, its true purpose was Justice League confrontation. Every function was engineered specifically for that objective.
On the gamma facility's surface level, when Batman noticed that except for Emil Blonsky, none of General Ross's personal soldiers were present, he'd anticipated the heavily fortified situation awaiting underground.
Therefore, the instant the Abomination engagement concluded, Batman immediately ordered Oracle AI to deploy bat-pod two.
This pod contained not gamma creature containment equipment but modular heavy armor plating.
The armor shared its designation with the protocol: "Siege Engine Armor."
Its internal circuitry matched Batman's current suit—virtually nonexistent. It lacked even power systems, relying entirely on Peter Parker's superhuman strength for operation.
Peter Parker's body provided sufficient strength. But defensive capabilities remained suboptimal. At Oscorp Tower, Batman's body had sustained injury merely from repeatedly slamming through support columns and load-bearing walls.
Though those injuries proved trivial for this physiology, Batman had still engineered this specialized suit to compensate for inadequate defense.
RATATATAT!
Countless rounds poured toward Batman in relentless streams. The soldiers demonstrated professional discipline, operating in two-team rotation—one squad exhausting ammunition before immediately withdrawing while the second advanced to replace them.
On the bat-pod's forward surface, mechanical arms had completed armor installation over Batman's basic suit.
With the heavy armor fully deployed, Batman's tactical approach shifted accordingly—formally transitioning from stealth infiltration to direct assault protocols.
CLANG!
Batman casually backhanded the mission-complete second bat-pod aside.
Without the pod's protection, bullets struck Batman's armored form without obstruction.
But as seconds elapsed, machine gun fire frequency began gradually diminishing until complete silence fell.
General Ross's forty-nine personal soldiers stared with obvious terror at Batman emerging from behind the discarded bat-pod.
Rather than Batman himself, what confronted them now was a towering mechanized figure exceeding seven feet tall, encased in comprehensive heavy armor plating with zero vulnerable points.
The soldiers could clearly see Batman's shoulder guards measuring nearly two fingers' thickness. His chest plate reached almost absurd proportions. Bullets striking the armor couldn't even make him flinch.
THOOM. THOOM. THOOM.
Batman's footfalls resonated with profound weight. The soldiers had ceased firing. But Batman's advance was just beginning.
One soldier experimentally fired another round. The bullet ricocheted off Batman's chest plate, striking the shooter's own left leg. He collapsed screaming.
Batman glanced at him once. Armored against ballistic threats, he proceeded directly toward the glass chamber containing Norman Osborn.
For every step Batman advanced, the soldiers who should have been surrounding him retreated one step. By the time Batman passed through their formation, the troops had separated to either side.
Rather than attacking, they appeared to form an honor guard.
Batman ignored these soldiers. Even if someone attempted rear ambush, he remained completely unconcerned.
With spider-sense active, Batman maintained considerable agility despite the heavy armor—preventing him from becoming a static target.
Batman's gaze focused dozens of yards ahead—Norman Osborn's position.
Unlike other chambers, Norman's transparent containment unit occupied the underground plaza's central location, positioned directly beside the massive experimental apparatus.
Norman's eyes remained tightly closed inside the chamber. This differed from Batman's pre-infiltration expectations.
In Batman's original assessment, he'd anticipated General Ross would exploit Norman's scientific intellect rather than submerging him in unknown fluids for experimentation.
Observing Ross standing nearby, plus The Leader's back still turned, Batman's brow furrowed beneath the heavy metal faceplate.
From Batman extracting the bat-pod through the soldiers ceasing fire to Batman advancing toward Ross and The Leader, The Leader had continuously worked with his back to Batman.
That instant, Batman extrapolated three intelligence assessments:
First: Though The Leader possessed Gargoyle's massive cranium, Gargoyle demonstrated physical enhancement while The Leader exhibited intellectual augmentation.
Evidence: Norman Osborn submerged in containment rather than conducting research proved this distinction.
With The Leader's intelligence-enhanced capabilities present, General Ross no longer required Norman's brain—only the Green Goblin's body.
Second: Facing Batman's intrusion and soldiers' complete ballistic ineffectiveness, The Leader—ostensibly a scientist—remained absorbed in work with his back to Batman.
Only two possibilities explained this: extreme stupidity or extreme confidence. Ross showed no dissatisfaction or countermanding orders.
Combined with previous dialogue between Gargoyle and Abomination, Batman suspected The Leader had effectively seized control of the facility's core experiments. Ross had transformed from collaborator to glorified security or observer.
Batman had once confronted alongside the Justice League a criminal named Mr. Twister—whose massively developed brain had similarly generated psychic control, illusion projection, and related abilities.
Based on this suspicion, Batman covertly issued another command to the high-altitude Batwing:
"Bat-pod three on standby for immediate deployment."
Third: General Ross was definitely compromised.
Batman had shattered Ross's legs. Yet Ross now stood perfectly intact.
Barely a month had elapsed since the Oscorp incident. Conventional medicine couldn't restore severe trauma victims to full function within such compressed timeframes—much less standing normally.
Combining this location's gamma experimentation background with Ross's documented power obsession, Batman strongly suspected Ross had undergone gamma technology-based intensive treatment—possibly even systematic human enhancement.
Such aggressive treatment or modification would carry enormous risks. Ross's willingness to accept those dangers indicated his power craving had transcended mere weapon acquisition. He was actively transforming himself into the weapon.
The thoughts occupied barely an instant. Batman's stride never hesitated.
Regardless of what blocked his path—whether physical brutes, supernatural aberrations, or anything else—Batman would extract Norman Osborn.