Chapter 205: Impossible Choice
"Unknown Subject Designation: Batman."
"Suspected Capabilities: Super strength, super speed, enhanced reflexes, wall-crawling, web generation, danger precognition."
"Capabilities demonstrate extreme similarity to Spider-Man. Hypothesis: Batman represents Spider-Man's alternate identity."
"Subject possibly injected with super-soldier serum identical to Norman Osborn's treatment, resulting in dissociative personality disorder. Explains drastically different behavioral patterns from previous Spider-Man activity."
"Subject committed Norman Osborn to psychiatric facility but maintained zero contact with this observer—"
Tony's repulsor blast shattered Oscorp Tower floor sixty fenestration. Scanning mode activated, locating hidden compartment within massive office desk interior.
Opening revealed single pale green serum vial plus documentation folder. Documents contained extensive Batman analysis plus preliminary Spider-Slayer Initiative drafts.
The pale green serum—precisely what Norman Osborn had reserved for Spider-Slayer Initiative before his breakdown.
Both Batman and Spider-Slayer documentation displayed large red X markings. Obviously both projects canceled.
But beneath Spider-Man documentation lay additional single sheet. Handwritten black ink covered the page.
Tony initially dismissed these materials. But glimpsing "Batman" reference in handwriting, Tony immediately seized the document.
The Spider-Slayer Initiative meant nothing to Tony. He'd never monitored Oscorp's internal developments previously.
But Norman Osborn's breakdown—that Tony understood peripherally.
Norman Osborn donned Green Goblin armor, murdered the Spencer family, bombed Manhattan police headquarters at midnight, got extracted by Batman from Queens before materializing at precinct entrance that same night.
Following psychiatric evaluation determining dissociative disorder, Norman avoided Rikers Island incarceration, instead transferring to Ravencroft Research Institute upstate.
Observing that pale green serum vial, Tony hesitated.
Both Harry Osborn and Miles Warren balanced at death's threshold. Tony's Mark III couldn't safely transport two critically injured patients simultaneously to Metro-General.
Mishandling might kill both instead of saving either.
Tony could manage one maximum. Meaning the other would die without treatment.
From pure lifesaving perspective, injecting serum into Harry Osborn before transporting Miles Warren to Metro-General represented optimal protocol.
But the serum presented massive complications. Norman Osborn's serum created the murderous Green Goblin. What transformation would Harry undergo?
Tony stood paralyzed, internal conflict escalating.
Two options: inject Harry with serum, transport Warren to hospital—potentially saving both lives while risking Harry becoming second Green Goblin.
Or disregard serum existence entirely, transport one patient to Metro-General, watch the other expire from treatment delay.
Tony suddenly craved bourbon. Drinking until unconscious, avoiding these impossible decisions.
But he couldn't.
Raising armored fists, Tony fired multiple repulsor blasts at office walls—searching for hidden bedroom, bathtub, bed—anything enabling dual patient transport.
Finding any furnishing would eliminate this choice.
Unfortunately, neither Norman nor Harry maintained workplace affairs. Their offices remained strictly professional.
Tony's final hope evaporated. Time pressure eliminated contemplation options.
Oscorp Tower street-level experienced traffic gridlock—Morbius's earlier plunge creating chaos—blocking Happy's ambulance from visual range.
Watching Harry or Warren die passively—Tony couldn't accept either outcome. Every second mattered. He retrieved the pale green serum, returning to floor twenty.
Decision finalized, Tony eliminated hesitation. Loading pale green serum into medical injector, he administered full dosage into Harry Osborn's circulatory system.
Without awaiting Harry's physiological response, Tony carefully lifted Miles Warren's catastrophically bent form, launching toward Metro-General Hospital.
"Move move move!"
Metro-General emergency department had positioned physicians and nurses awaiting arrival.
Witnessing Tony descend in Mark III armor, cradling a nearly bisected patient, medical personnel mobilized instantly.
Tony gently positioned Miles Warren onto prepared gurney, preparing wordless departure when reporter microphones suddenly obstructed his trajectory.
Tony's frustration spiked violently. From contacting Happy arranging emergency protocols until now—maybe five minutes total elapsed?
Metro-General preparing gurneys and medical staff made operational sense. But these reporters materializing like carrion birds within minutes?
"Back off—" Tony's vocalization turned glacial. Zero tolerance for press engagement currently.
But reporters pressed relentlessly, refusing retreat:
"Iron Man, how do you respond to your employer Tony Stark declaring weapons manufacture cessation while simultaneously engineering your combat armor?"
Under typical circumstances, Tony might offer explanatory statements. Currently? Absolutely zero patience. Cold glare fixed on reporter:
"You're not wearing press credentials. Identify yourself."
The reporter glanced at bare chest. Media professionals typically displayed identification badges. But Eddie Brock had suffered Daily Bugle termination long ago:
"Eddie Brock, freelance journalist. Iron Man, can you address my question?"
Tony ignored him entirely. Boot repulsors ignited, rocketing skyward, leaving Eddie Brock standing helplessly.
Minutes later, Stark Tower rooftop landing pad: Tony hovered eighteen inches above deck before disengaging thrust.
THUD!
Tony collapsed onto landing pad, unable to rise for extended moment.
"Jarvis, remove Mark III." Tony's voice barely audible. One hand braced against concrete, opposite hand against knee—barely achieving standing position.
Landing pad flooring immediately fractured, panels sliding laterally. Mechanical appendages extended upward, systematically removing Mark III components from Tony's body.
Tony stumbled toward bar counter, pouring himself bourbon, downing it instantly before collapsing onto floor. Lifting shirt, he extracted chest-mounted miniature arc reactor.
Inside reactor housing, palladium energy core displayed complete carbonization, emitting acrid stench.