Chapter 31: A hero
Even the most self-assured researchers, those who have spent decades in their fields, recognize that their understanding of infection events remains profoundly limited. Despite the vast amount of data collected, many phenomena defy easy explanation, leaving gaps that must be bridged through further observation, analysis, and exploration. Consequently, when an unusual source of infection and monstrous entities like the ones in this incident emerged, they weren't entirely caught off guard.
Over the past year, these researchers have been forced to expand their acceptance of the paranormal. They've witnessed things that defy conventional science, challenging their previously unshakable beliefs. The sheer frequency and variety of these events have numbed them to the point where, if someone claimed that a group of infected individuals were playing football while flying on broomsticks in the sky, they might raise an eyebrow, but they wouldn't dismiss it outright. Their skepticism has been tempered by experience.
However, this newfound openness is limited to phenomena directly linked to infection. They've become specialists in the impossible, but only within a specific domain.
So when faced with this plane—this utterly inexplicable black aircraft captured on the screen—they found themselves struggling to comprehend what they were seeing.
The jet-black aircraft, its shape fuzzy and indistinct even on high-resolution footage, seemed to mock the foundational principles of aerodynamics and physics. It defied everything the technicians in the room knew, especially those whose expertise lay in aviation and weaponry.
As they watched the footage, the plane hovered for a moment, its presence dark and menacing. Then, without warning, it fired a volley of freezing bullets. These weren't ordinary projectiles; they encased a massive, grotesque monster in solid ice almost instantaneously, shattering it into fragments of ice and frozen flesh. The sheer impossibility of what they were witnessing left one of the attendees unable to remain seated.
"Impossible!"
The exclamation came from Dr. Richard, the head of the equipment department. Dr. Richard was a man known for his unflappable demeanor, a rock amidst chaos. But now, his voice was tinged with disbelief, bordering on hysteria.
"No weapon can achieve such a rapid freezing effect," he declared, his voice firm but shaken. "This technology doesn't exist in our world."
"But this is exactly what I witnessed with my own eyes, and it's precisely what the video equipment recorded," Ivan responded with a calm that belied the gravity of the situation.
Dr. Richard fell silent, his frown deepening. His mind raced, desperately searching for a rational explanation, but he found none. His voice dropped to a mutter as he repeated to himself, "Impossible... unscientific... it just can't be."
As the footage reached its climax, the meeting room fell into a hushed silence. They watched, transfixed, as the enigmatic figure in the bat suit—now dubbed "Batman" by the few who had seen him—walked into the heart of the dark storm. The storm was a vortex of chaos, a maelstrom that seemed to consume all light and hope. Yet, the Batman walked into it without hesitation, his silhouette gradually swallowed by the darkness, leaving no trace behind. Though everyone present had already been briefed on the events leading up to this moment, seeing it unfold with their own eyes stirred something deep within them. It was a moment of sheer, raw human emotion—courage, sacrifice, and an unfathomable resolve.
[TL Note - Just for the sake of sh*ts and giggles, I wanna change the name to "Batboy," Who opposes and who agrees]
"Detective Petrov, you mentioned earlier that even you were affected when you neared the edge of the storm?" It was Professor Miyazaki who broke the silence, his voice measured but with a hint of urgency.
"Yes," Ivan nodded. "That storm contained one of the most potent sources of infection I've ever encountered. The pressure, both physical and mental, was overwhelming. I can't even begin to imagine what might have happened to me if I had ventured into the eye of that storm."
"Detective Petrov's infection rate is at 87%, making it the highest among the Special Service's regular agents. His resistance to infection is exceptionally strong," Professor Miyazaki said, his tone turning analytical as he shifted into the mode of a scientist dissecting a complex problem.
"And based on your account, that bat-like figure was able to enter the very center of that storm and neutralize the infection source. This raises intriguing questions about his infection level. Could he be an idiosyncratic infected at a level of 99-100% ? If he's completely immune to all forms of infection, that might explain his ability to do what he did..."
"I don't think that's the case," Ivan interrupted, shaking his head slightly as he reached into his pocket. He retrieved a sleek, silver-gray device, its design minimalist yet advanced, and placed it carefully on the conference table.
"This is a special identification device that you, Professor Miyazaki, developed," Ivan explained, his eyes locking onto the professor's. There was a weight to his words, a significance that everyone in the room could sense.
Unlike ordinary infected individuals, the degree of infection in specific people cannot be accurately measured using conventional testing equipment. These idiosyncratic individuals—people with unique, often inexplicable abilities—required a full suite of physical examinations to determine the extent of their infection. Thus, Professor Miyazaki, always at the cutting edge of technological innovation, had developed this recognition device to detect anomalies in idiosyncratic individuals.
However, the device was still in its experimental phase, its functionality limited. It was a prototype, not yet ready to be standard issue for special agents. While it couldn't measure the exact infection level of an idiosyncratic person, it could distinguish between ordinary individuals and those with these unique traits—a distinction that could mean life or death in the field.
"I managed to scan the Batman during the operation, and the results were... well, perhaps you should see for yourself," Ivan continued, his tone neutral but his words charged with an undercurrent of significance.
Someone from the table reached out and handed the device to Professor Miyazaki, who took it with a mix of anticipation and dread. He activated the monitor on the back side of the detection device, his fingers moving with the precision of a seasoned expert. The room held its collective breath as he studied the data displayed on the screen, his brow furrowing deeper with each passing second.
Then, a sound of surprise escaped his lips.
"Wait... No, it's impossible." His voice was barely above a whisper as he raised his head, his expression a mixture of confusion and disbelief. "Did you scan the wrong person?"
"My first reaction was the same," Ivan replied. "I wondered if the device was malfunctioning."
A slight smile tugged at the corner of Ivan's mouth as he continued, pleased that the professor was experiencing the same astonishment he had felt.
"But I can say with absolute certainty that I didn't make a mistake. The device was functioning perfectly. The video footage can confirm the accuracy of my actions, and you can easily verify the device's functionality yourself."
Professor Miyazaki, ever the meticulous scientist, didn't waste a moment. He inspected the device thoroughly, running a series of diagnostic checks with the efficiency of someone who had designed it. His frown deepened as he murmured to himself, "There's nothing wrong... but how? It shouldn't be, it can't be. No one can do this; no one should be able to..."
"What's the matter, Professor Miyazaki?" someone finally asked, unable to bear the suspense any longer.
Professor Miyazaki looked up, his eyes scanning the room with an expression that was almost haunted.
"That Batman... according to this device, he's just an ordinary guy."
A stunned silence fell over the meeting room.
"Wait," someone finally spoke up, their voice shaky with disbelief. "Are you saying he's not a specialist individual? He's not idiosyncratic?"
"That's exactly what the readings indicate," Professor Miyazaki confirmed, though his voice was tinged with the same confusion that everyone else was feeling. "He's an ordinary person, nothing more, nothing less."
Everyone in the meeting exchanged incredulous glances, their expressions as if they had just seen a ghost.
An ordinary person eliminated the source of infection under intense mental pressure—pressure so severe that even extraordinary individuals might not withstand it? The very idea was preposterous.
"Maybe he's an Absolute Extraordinary?" someone suggested hesitantly, referring to individuals who, despite appearing ordinary, theoretically should possess abilities or traits that defied all logic and understanding.
"No. I accounted for that scenario when designing the recognition device. This device can even identify Absolute Extraordinaries," Professor Miyazaki replied confidently. "That man is definitely an ordinary person, as real as it gets."
The room fell silent once more as everyone tried to process this impossible revelation.
"Is it reasonable for an ordinary person to withstand such an intense infection pressure and eliminate the source of infection?" one person asked after a while, their voice filled with incredulity.
"It's beyond unreasonable; it's impossible," Professor Miyazaki replied, his face etched with disbelief. The very foundation of his understanding of infection was being challenged.
"Then what do you think could explain this?" someone pressed, almost desperately.
"How should I know?" Professor Miyazaki retorted, his frustration evident as he rolled his eyes. "This defies all logic, all science!"
The room once again descended into contemplative silence.
The reason why idiosyncratic individuals are given that name is because they possess a special constitution, something in their very being that allows them to resist infection. How could a mortal, a regular human, withstand the erosion of such a potent infection?
As the entire room sat in contemplative silence, Ivan's lips curled into a faint smirk, as if he could barely contain his amusement.
Commander Ross noticed this and addressed Ivan directly. "Detective Petrov, what do you think?"
Ivan's smile broadened slightly as he met the commander's gaze. "Yes, I do have a theory. But I'm afraid you'll find it hard to believe."
"Try us," Commander Ross encouraged. "Everyone here is an authority in their field and has received professional training. No matter how ridiculous your theory might seem, we won't be easily surprised."
"Really?" Ivan's expression grew serious as he spoke, his tone thoughtful. "I believe that the reason he can fight the infection isn't due to any special ability or physique, but rather pure willpower."
"Willpower?" The experts in the room were taken aback. Willpower, as a concept, was familiar to them—important, even—but to suggest it could have such a tangible, measurable impact was beyond anything they'd considered.
"That's right," Ivan confirmed, his eyes scanning the room as he continued. "It's willpower, far beyond anything any of us here possess. It's a force that drives him, that gives him the strength to do what seems impossible."
The expressions around the room became animated, disbelief mingling with curiosity.
A mortal body relying on willpower to resist infection? And not just any infection—one of the most potent, devastating sources they'd ever encountered? It sounded like the stuff of legends, not science.
All eyes turned to Professor Miyazaki, the foremost expert in this field. Surely, if anyone could debunk this, it would be him. But even he wore an expression of incredulity, as though the very idea was laughable. Yet, beneath that disbelief, there was a flicker of something else—wonder, perhaps, or even fear.
"See? I knew you wouldn't take it seriously," Ivan shrugged, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "You may not understand because you haven't seen him in action. But let me tell you, I've always been very good at reading people, even when they're hidden behind a uniform and a mask."
"Oh?" Professor Miyazaki asked, his interest piqued. "And what kind of person do you think he is?"
Ivan took a deep breath, his demeanor shifting as he prepared to share his thoughts.
"A man with extreme calmness, someone who can walk into the storm without hesitation. He's a relentless avenger, driven by unshakable beliefs—beliefs so strong that they override the natural fear of death or pain. He's not just a madman; he's someone whose will has been tempered by unimaginable loss and pain."
He paused for a moment, letting the weight of his words settle over the room.
"In short, he's a hero."
---
[TL Note- Ivan's got it Wrong,
He's... Batman]
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