Chapter 271: I Have Experience With This!
WHOOSH!
Lizard Professor's eyes closed tightly. He fainted. Those reptiles gathering due to his dispersed pheromones seemed suddenly awakened—chaotically scattering in all directions.
Batman raised his eyes observing. He even saw one snake whose body had already grown four limbs. As Lizard Professor fell unconscious, the limbs rapidly retracted.
Imaginably, if one step later, this snake would have completely transformed into lizard-like creatures, then enlarged physique, standing upright becoming lizard-people.
But unfortunately, Batman hadn't given these reptiles opportunities. One strike knocking Lizard Professor unconscious, one hand gripping the web while dragging Lizard Professor toward Bat Island's shores.
Different from usual, even in unconscious states, Lizard Professor didn't revert to Connors—instead consistently maintaining dinosaur-approximating lizard appearance.
Batman thus step-by-step dragged head-to-tail, over-five-meter-length Lizard Professor through forests, arriving at East River shores.
Bat and North Brother Islands were relatively close—under two hundred meters distance.
Batman silently calculated parabolic trajectories, then bending down while lifting Lizard Professor entirely overhead. His body slightly leaned backward.
"Hulk, catch."
Batman murmured once, then suddenly exerting full-body force—throwing Lizard Professor toward North Brother Island's direction!
Previously he hadn't thrown Norman Osborn this way because Batman couldn't guarantee whether this would stimulate Norman Osborn, thereby making him transform into Green Goblin again.
But facing Lizard Professor, Batman lacked these concerns. Full fifty-ton strength forcibly threw Lizard Professor over two-hundred-meter distance.
---
North Brother Island shores. Hulk sat cross-legged on ground, furiously observing Norman Osborn.
Norman Osborn lowered his head, observing ground ants. He didn't dare looking at Hulk once—didn't even dare excessive movements, even though his legs had gone numb from sitting.
He didn't understand why this green-skinned giant consistently maintained furious expressions. He also didn't dare speaking—could only obediently accompanying Hulk sitting in position.
Just as Norman Osborn's legs and feet grew numb from prolonged sitting, Hulk suddenly propped one hand on ground while standing, gritting teeth while looking toward Bat Island's direction.
Norman Osborn rapidly seized opportunities exercising legs and feet, raising his head observing Hulk's broad back muscles.
But quickly, Norman Osborn's gaze passed over Hulk, looking toward sky.
He observed one gigantic beast balled together, following parabolic trajectory flying here.
Before Norman Osborn reacted regarding what that was, Hulk had already spread both feet apart—firmly planted on earth—simultaneously opening both arms.
Hulk saw clearly what was flying over—precisely that big lizard he'd always found somewhat unpleasant, missing one arm.
Though current big lizard no longer possessed previous four-meter-tall, seven-meter-long enormous physique, Hulk's decent vision still let him see clearly.
Two-hundred-meter distance arrived in eyeblinks. Hulk used both arms solidly catching Lizard Professor thrown by Batman, then casually dropping him groundward, kicking with foot:
"Hey!"
Batman's return speed to North Brother Island didn't lag much behind Lizard Professor. Just as Hulk prepared using more force kicking Lizard Professor, Batman—THUD—landed beside Hulk.
Without excessive explanations, Batman approached Norman Osborn's side, raising his hand patting his shoulder, then one hand-chop striking Norman's rear skull base.
PLOP.
Norman Osborn collapsed responding—falling onto ground.
"Hulk, thanks."
Only then did Batman raise his head toward Hulk—who was kicking Lizard Professor with foot.
Hulk said nothing. One palm comparable to Batman's head size extended upward palm-open.
Batman expressionlessly extended his hand, extracting one chocolate bar from his utility belt, placing it in Hulk's palm.
But Hulk shook his head. One palm-swipe threw this chocolate bar flying unknown distances away. He looked toward Batman again.
"..."
Batman remained silent two seconds. He extended his empty hand over, then magic-trick-like making one chocolate bar appear at fingertips, placing it in Hulk's palm.
This time Hulk appeared extremely satisfied. Tossing chocolate into mouth, he proudly flexed developed chest muscles.
"Don't tell Robin." Batman's voice remained low. "Next I need Dr. Banner's assistance, Hulk."
Hulk snorted twice. His entire skeletal structure crackled. Green skin gradually transformed toward white.
Several breaths later, strength-representing Hulk was replaced by wisdom-representing Dr. Banner.
But after Banner recovered, his first action wasn't observing Lizard Professor—rather looking downward at his purple shorts.
When he observed shorts completely intact on his body without slightest discomfort, only then did he satisfiedly smile toward Batman, then rapidly approaching Lizard Professor's side while crouching:
"He's transforming toward new species."
Dr. Banner wasn't professional biological field expert. But he still immediately observed transformations occurring with Lizard Professor.
"Correct. New species capable of relying on pheromones, making other reptiles evolve." Batman supplemented.
"Have you read Journey to the Center of the Earth?" Dr. Banner asked one completely unrelated question.
Batman shook his head. He hadn't heard of this book in his original world.
"One earth-center world filled with prehistoric creatures. Naturally this is over-a-decade-ago science fiction novel."
"I suspect if dropping Connors into earth-center world-like environments, after some time he'd even develop one new lizard-people civilization." Dr. Banner spoke cheerfully.
"You appear unconcerned about Connors's predicament." Batman said.
"Nothing to worry about. I know how to resolve it." Dr. Banner stood upright, smiling somewhat shyly. "Hulk's blood can also achieve effects similar to Lizard Professor. So regarding this matter—speaking frankly—I've handled it with considerable experience."
---
Garrett had collected Batman-related leads at Rikers Island last night.
Tonight, he'd arrived at the Metropolitan Museum.
Like SHIELD Agent Hawkeye, Garrett—through collecting New York intelligence—knew consecutive locations where Batman had appeared in New York.
The most recent instance was even last night.
But the Metropolitan Museum—especially its Roman galleries—had experienced consecutive infiltrations these past days. Previously theft. By last night it had evolved into explosions and combat.
Though not knowing who'd battled Batman, the Metropolitan Museum wasn't detectives. They simply increased guard security measures to maximum.
The entire Roman gallery was brightly lit—bright as daylight.
Under these circumstances, Garrett possessed absolutely zero infiltration space.
He could only distantly passing through the Grand Colonnade Hall, confirming Roman gallery entry impossibility before quietly departing.
Garrett was visiting New York for the first time. But currently inside the Metropolitan Museum, he seemingly returned home—regardless how increased-security-measure guards patrolled, Garrett consistently could find hiding positions, passing by these guards.
As though the entire Metropolitan Museum had been carved into his mind already.
"Appears I cannot search for Batman during this period. Previously he appeared at locations leaving absolutely zero leads. Nearly all individuals who've witnessed Batman are either at police stations or prisons..."
"Should I proactively commit crimes attracting Batman's appearance? Or first visit Iron Man? Or Ant-Man and Wasp?"
After departing the Metropolitan Museum, Garrett followed streets entering alleys, climbing walls into one unpopulated apartment, lying on bed while contemplating.