Chapter 267: Rescuing Black Widow
Oscorp Tower rooftop. Landing pad.
Venom Robin looked up at the completely-scrapped helicopter, asking Batman standing beside him:
"How do we handle this?"
Hawkeye couldn't have appeared in New York from Cube Prison from thin air. Though he hadn't mentioned it, Batman had rapidly discovered this helicopter stopped atop Oscorp Tower.
But this already-scrapped helicopter couldn't assist Hawkeye or Batman's operations whatsoever. Currently it could only serve training Robin.
"Before handling it, try analyzing this helicopter's last flight distance. Where did it depart from?" Batman asked.
Venom Robin rolled his eyes:
"You already know, don't you? Hawkeye rode it from Cube Prison."
Batman patiently instructed:
"What if we'd never contacted Hawkeye? This inexplicably-appearing helicopter on Oscorp Tower's landing pad sits before you. What intelligence can you obtain from it?"
Venom Robin climbed into the helicopter's cockpit, fiddling briefly with internal electronic instruments, then slapping the side glass completely outward, poking his head out toward Batman:
"Can't obtain anything. Its electronic equipment is completely scrapped."
Batman didn't speak. He slowly approached the helicopter's fuel tank, carefully observing before beckoning Venom Robin:
"Come here."
Tonight lacked moon. Sky filled with dense clouds. But whether Batman or Robin could observe every detail in pitch-black environments.
Venom Robin exited the cabin—THUD THUD THUD—running to Batman's side, looking upward at the helicopter's fuel tank:
"Batman, you shouldn't be poor enough requiring recycling this fuel."
Batman shook his head:
"Distinguishing military and civilian fuel represents one skill we need mastering."
"This helicopter obviously uses high-purity military fuel. If using instruments probing the fuel tank, we could determine pre-last-mission fuel tank volume."
Venom Robin glanced at Batman's waist belt:
"But we probably don't have that instrument."
"If necessary, I can craft it anytime." Batman observed the pitch-black Venom face beneath white bandage cloak. "Based on this helicopter's fuel consumption and initial fuel calculations, we can determine how far it flew, then—based on military fuel usage characteristics—pinpoint its departure point."
Venom Robin immediately understood. He nodded, re-raising the initial question:
"How do we handle it?"
"Drop it at lower Manhattan's abandoned shipyard." Batman said.
Hearing this, Venom Robin extended several pitch-black tentacles wrapping the helicopter, then single-handedly lifting this under-ten-ton helicopter.
Together with Batman, both proceeded front-and-back rapidly toward the abandoned shipyard Batman had used as temporary operations center when first crossing over.
These past days, Venom Robin attended Dr. Banner's classes during daytime, following Batman accepting various training at night.
Not just combat techniques and tactical training, but also various detective skills and specialized knowledge instruction.
Over several days, Venom Robin progressed rapidly. Any content Batman taught once—Venom Robin immediately learned on-site, combining previous Batman-possession-acquired memories with practice.
Moon God Khonshu hadn't appeared since establishing covenant with Venom Robin.
He'd even stopped forcibly intervening in New York's nighttime weather, letting moonlight shower earth. New York's night sky also began experiencing consecutive cloudy weather.
Distance from Oscorp Tower to abandoned shipyard wasn't excessive—at minimum for Batman and Venom Robin, several minutes' journey.
THUD!
The scrapped helicopter was casually dropped by Venom Robin beside one long-decayed ship.
"Bat Island temporarily unavailable. North Brother Island's scale too small." Batman addressed Robin—who'd single-handedly carried the helicopter several minutes yet appeared completely relaxed. "Tonight this location serves as your training grounds."
Venom Robin looked around, walking to three stacked counterweights Batman had previously used for weighted training. Bending down, he lifted them, then casually tossing them outward.
BOOM—heavy counterweights crashed groundward, stirring dust.
Venom Robin shook his head:
"These aren't heavy enough, Batman."
Easy arrogance seemingly represented all Robins' common flaw. Venom Robin was no exception.
Batman didn't anger. Walking to counterweights Venom Robin had tossed, he bent down similarly lifting them and tossing them back:
"I don't need you continuing developing body potential. I only need you achieving hundred-percent manifestation of current existing capabilities."
"Strength, speed, reaction capability, conditioned reflexes—each requires training."
"Oh." Venom Robin disliked training. He wanted quickly acting alongside Batman—doing his favorite thing: beating others up.
But Batman's words couldn't be ignored. Whether initial Venom, later-reawakened symbiote, or current Venom Robin—he'd long grown accustomed following Batman's commands.
And this was precisely Batman's desired effect.
The abandoned shipyard was massive—at minimum its footprint exceeded Obadiah's once-secretly-controlled Stark weapons manufacturing facility.
Norman Osborn needed spending tonight on Bat Island. If still showing zero incidents, only then would Batman consider taking him away.
By then, Batman would bring Venom Robin returning to Bat Island for more professional and thorough training.
Though verbally unwilling, once entering training states, Venom Robin was nearly Batman's harshest self-disciplined Robin.
This naturally stemmed from his symbiote-and-moonlight-composed body—unafraid of bodily damage. But his ruthlessness required even Batman's constant supervision, avoiding excessive consumption re-transforming into pure Venom.
---
LaGuardia Airport near Rikers Island. Hawkeye boarded flights toward Yokohama, Japan.
Simultaneously, fellow SHIELD Agent Garrett arrived at Rikers Island.
As Level 8 agent, Garrett possessed all skills and qualities other SHIELD agents should have.
After arriving in New York last night, Garrett immediately reached identical conclusions as Hawkeye: Black Widow seemingly vanished into thin air—no discoverable leads.
"Batman, Iron Man, Ant-Man and Wasp."
Garrett murmured quietly. His voice dissipated with wind:
"Black Widow cannot disappear without reason. Since she's a snake, she definitely contacted one of these individuals. Recruitment failed. Therefore exposing her own identity, getting imprisoned by opponents."
"She's hidden deeply enough. Even I didn't know she—like me—was a snake lurking within SHIELD."
"Nick Fury wants me arresting her? What a joke! If she's genuinely Hydra, I'll find methods rescuing her!"
"Hail Hydra!"