Professor Connors had a great deal to say regarding the alliance Batman was about to form, ranging from minor logistical details to the coalition's future operations.
It was clear he had been contemplating this for a long time; he had even come up with a name: "Frankenstein."
Batman rejected the name the moment Professor Connors proposed it.
In this world, "Frankenstein" was merely a character created by a science fiction novelist. The name certainly suited the image of the scientists involved, including Connors himself.
But for Batman, that was the name of a former teammate—a member of the Justice League Dark, a team personally assembled by Wonder Woman, Diana Prince.
Unlike the Justice League, which enjoyed financial backing from Batman, the members of Justice League Dark—Deadman, Phantom Stranger, Etrigan, Black Orchid, Katana, and the rest—had little concept of money.
Zatanna and Constantine occasionally took private jobs, such as stage magic or exorcisms, but it was never enough to provide sufficient cash flow for the entire Justice League Dark.
Magical threats were numerous, and Batman needed a team like the Justice League Dark—composed of all sorts of eccentric individuals—to combat them.
Consequently, leveraging his personal friendship with Zatanna, Batman provided long-term anonymous intelligence and non-lethal equipment to the team.
Only Zatanna knew this; even Constantine had no idea where the money came from.
Batman had fought side-by-side with Justice League Dark more than once. He could tolerate his own alliance not being called "Bat-something," but it absolutely could not be called Frankenstein.
Faced with Professor Connors' puzzled look, Batman simply refused the name with a cold, emotionless "No."
Professor Connors remained on Bat-Island to reinforce the identity recognition of the red Tyrannosaurus Rex.
It is worth mentioning that since the name Frankenstein was not adopted, a dejected Professor Connors gave the red T-Rex a different name: Devil Dinosaur.
The red skin, scorched by flames, had not reverted to its original olive green as its injuries healed; instead, it remained a permanent, vivid red.
The red T-Rex seemed to quite like the name Devil Dinosaur. At that moment, it was lying on its back, using its ten-ton body to act coy and play with Professor Connors.
While the surface of Bat-Island presented a harmonious scene of "father and son" bonding, the Batcave beneath was a completely different story.
This facility was not yet fully completed, but it already possessed the basic amenities of a Batcave.
For instance, it was equipped to design and build a new Batsuit—one intended for tonight's mission to infiltrate Pym Technologies and rescue Black Widow.
The contingency plan Batman had formulated for Ant-Man was titled "Project David," a name derived from Ant-Man's involvement in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s "Project Goliath."
However, the plan itself had nothing to do with Ant-Man's giant form. Batman was never worried about being helpless against a giant; what he feared was the shrinking.
"I don't need to see a shrunken Ant-Man with my naked eye."
Based on this principle, Batman did not add complex microscopic target tracking or locking functions to the new armor.
"Referencing the Atom, Ant-Man has been to the microscopic Quantum Realm. It is highly likely he can easily shrink his body to a subatomic state, bypass the armor's layers of defense, and enter my body directly."
Batman's gaze was sharp. He knew a conventional suit could not defend against Ant-Man's intrusion.
Therefore, the new suit had to utilize unconventional defense modes. It had to be a fully enclosed system, leaving no gap at the jaw or eyes.
"Ant-Man's strength remains the same when shrunk—he might even be stronger than normal. Furthermore, the ant swarms inside Pym Technologies will attack me under his command."
"Therefore, conventional physical plating for the new armor remains essential."
One layer of conventional defense, one layer of unconventional defense. Even then, Batman didn't think it was foolproof.
"If he still manages to break through the defenses and enter my body... in a subatomic state, he cannot physically affect me. He would need to enlarge himself—at least to the size of an ant—within my organs or bloodstream."
"I need to be prepared for an internal response."
One by one, the sub-plans based on Project David were methodically listed and implemented into the new Batsuit.
The suit was officially designated the Field-Interference Tactical Exoskeleton Armor, though its more common name was the Vulcan Armor.
"Vulcan" was the Roman god of fire and the forge, one of the twelve Dii Consentes.
This was a suit specifically designed to deal with Ant-Man and the Wasp.
The armor was a fully enclosed model, primarily black, but featuring bright yellow accents on the arms and chest.
On the chest specifically, in the center of the massive bat emblem, sat a glaring symbol resembling a radiation warning—a very blunt declaration of its lethality.
Batman did not prepare a cape for this suit. Instead, he utilized another relatively "new" project.
On the back of the Vulcan Armor, replacing the cape, was a pair of pitch-black wings.
These were the wings Batman had prepared for Adrian Toomes, the Vulture, for when he was eventually released from prison. They provided Batman with enough lift to counter gravity.
When Batman emerged from the underground Batcave wearing the Vulcan Armor, Professor Connors had shifted back into his Lizard form, huddling and sleeping soundly with Devil Dinosaur.
The moment the black-and-yellow armor—colors symbolizing danger—appeared, Professor Connors bolted upright. Without hesitation, he lunged at Batman with his claws.
Whish!
Batman unfurled the black wings on his back. He leaped backward while flapping the wings, hovering in mid-air.
"Professor, it's me."
The Lizard looked at Batman with suspicion and uncertainty.
"I can't smell you, and I can't sense your presence. Is this a new suit?"
Batman nodded.
"What's in there?" the Lizard asked.
He was pointing to a backpack Batman was carrying, which looked bulging and full of unknown contents.
Batman didn't answer. With a sudden surge into the air, he flapped his wings and vanished into the pitch-black night.
Pym Technologies.
Hank Pym, the Ant-Man, stood in his lab coat before Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow. Her arms were currently pinned by the mandibles of two giant ants.
"To this moment, I still find it hard to believe that a highly trained agent would accidentally break a coffee cup and then step on the shards," Ant-Man said, looking at her.
"The fragments embedded in your sole have been completely removed. But just to be safe, I still need the ants to keep you restrained."
Lying on the medical bed, Black Widow gave a nonchalant nod. "This is a bit boring. Can you turn on the TV for me?"
Ant-Man ignored her request. He left the lab—which was being used as a makeshift operating room—under the guard of the ants and returned to his work researching the symbiote.
"I've returned to my normal size. If my guess from last night was correct, Batman will still try to sneak in here tonight."
Will he come?
Black Widow looked up at the ceiling, then glanced at the giant ants pinning her arms, asking herself the question in silence.
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