Chapter 311: Green-Skinned Friend
Batman should have felt relieved that Jack Monroe hadn't transformed into a criminal during these two days—going from a young college student with girlfriend and parents to having absolutely nothing, unlike so many in Gotham would have.
But Batman couldn't muster that relief. He knew that no matter how genuine Jack Monroe's smile appeared, that terrible day wouldn't actually make him happy.
Batman remained inwardly vigilant, watching whether Jack's mouth corners would stretch wider and wider until reaching his ears. But before that possibility became reality, Batman chose to offer comfort.
"You did the right thing. This truck belongs to you now. You shouldn't have abandoned it."
"You're a hero."
It sounded absurd. An ordinary person becoming a hero simply for not abandoning his father's delivery truck to flee.
But the definition of "hero" had never applied only to people like Superman.
Batman had studied sociology. He remembered one sociologist saying there's only one true heroism in this world—seeing life's truth clearly and still loving it.
"Romain Rolland said that, right?" Jack Monroe looked pleased Batman agreed with him. "Compared to a 'hero' like me, Manhattan needs heroes like you right now, Batman."
Batman shook his head.
"No. I don't consider myself a hero."
Jack Monroe started to say something more. He turned his head to find Batman had already vanished.
"When you face any trouble, you can choose to contact me." Batman's voice still echoed in the air.
Jack Monroe quickly stuck his head out the truck window, looking around. He only caught a glimpse of shadow disappearing behind One Times Square's massive billboard.
"You're the hero, Batman." Jack Monroe's smile didn't fade with Batman's departure. "You and Captain America, and his partner Bucky—you're all heroes."
Muttering to himself, Jack Monroe's peripheral vision caught something new on his passenger seat. A batarang.
Unlike the various types Batman used daily for combat, this one only had the batarang shape. A button on its back made it look more like some electronic toy.
"Is this what Batman left me? For calling him for help?" Jack Monroe picked up the batarang, studied it carefully, then carefully tucked it into his pocket.
CLICK.
Turning the ignition key, Jack Monroe inched the truck forward bit by bit, carrying his full cargo load as he continued striving toward his future life.
Behind One Times Square's billboard, Batman watched Jack Monroe drive slowly toward Brooklyn Bridge. Only then did he deploy his cape and glide toward another location.
"I hope I'm being overly cautious. This world needs Batman, but it never needs the Joker." Batman told himself.
WHUP WHUP WHUP.
Helicopter rotors churned the air overhead. Batman looked skyward. The armed helicopters that had originally surrounded Baxter Building, then dispersed to hunt dinosaurs individually, now flew in uniform formation.
These choppers distributed themselves in grid patterns. The machine gunners no longer fired randomly. They'd been replaced by snipers with rifles, occasionally firing single shots at targets below.
"Tony, you contacted NYPD?" Batman connected to Tony Stark's encrypted channel.
After a dozen seconds, Tony's voice responded.
"Right. Rather than having these gunners fight dinosaurs, they should be flying overhead as spotters, telling me where dinosaurs are."
"Guess how I got these cops to cooperate so nicely?"
Batman considered for a moment.
"You revealed your identity?"
"No. I bribed the New York chief with money." Tony said. "Ridiculous, right?"
"Yes." Batman confirmed.
"I contacted the NYPD chief, told him how to deploy his forces. He chose to hang up on me." Tony explained. "Until I transferred a huge sum into his personal account under Tony Stark's private name. Only then would he follow my commands."
Batman said nothing.
"I saw those random portals closing. Baxter Building situation resolved?" Tony asked.
"Yes."
"Then get to Empire State Building fast." Tony shouted. "Dinosaurs charged inside. And your green-skinned friend."
"One minute."
---
Hulk had held back inside Baxter Building.
But after leaping from the structure and seeing vortex portals everywhere with dinosaurs and primitives emerging—Hulk got angry.
He stopped restraining his strength. One punch could smash an Ankylosaurus with its thick keratinous armor plates—along with the ground beneath—into a crater.
Streets. Buildings. Vehicles.
Hulk unleashed his full power without reservation. The destruction he caused everywhere far exceeded even the large dinosaurs.
Fighting and smashing his way forward, Hulk killed over thirty large dinosaurs. But he'd destroyed over a hundred vehicles alone.
The roads he passed left crater after crater. Some sections completely collapsed, rupturing underground natural gas pipelines that exploded.
Accompanied by this trail of destruction, Hulk arrived at the Empire State Building.
He personally witnessed several Allosaurus charge into the structure. Without hesitation, Hulk also planned rushing inside to kill those dinosaurs one by one.
But someone blocked him. Not a dinosaur—Tony Stark in Mark IV armor, flying overhead.
"Hulk! Calm down! You can't go in there!" Tony desperately tried preventing Hulk from entering the Empire State Building.
If it were Hulk restraining his strength, that would be acceptable. But the destruction Hulk had caused along his route—Tony had witnessed it all while flying across the city.
If he allowed Hulk to enter the Empire State Building, Tony seriously suspected the structure would collapse under Hulk's fists within thirty minutes.
HUMMMM!
The chest beam capable of piercing multiple walls consecutively at Baxter Building struck Hulk's body. But aside from adding slight yellow-brown discoloration to Hulk's green skin, it had zero effect.
Even that faint discoloration would be rubbed off by Hulk's hand, revealing green muscle underneath still radiating power.
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