บท 213: Chapter 135 R: Great Bat Event (17)_2
These crazy bats are utterly suicidal, willing to inflict eight hundred wounds on the enemy even if it cost them a thousand of their own, they just kept on attacking.
Hawkeye put down his bow and cursed under his breath, then said to Natasha on the other end of the intercom, "What the hell is going on? These bats are even more insane than they were last night!"
"It's very possible that their so-called Bat God is controlling them with some sort of power." Despite the situation, Natasha's voice remained calm as ever. "But Nick told me there might be a turn of events soon."
As the battle intensified, the human advantage gradually dwindled, and both sides descended into a war of attrition.
Stark repelled an attacking bat with a single shot, followed by the Iron Armor soaring into the sky and driving back a group of bats trying to break through the line. At this moment, Jarvis's voice echoed from his cheekpiece: "There's a communication coming in from Doctor Connors in the Stark Tower Laboratory."
"Put him through." Stark commanded, floating mid-air.
Doctor Connors's voice came through the earpiece, speaking quickly and calmly, "Listen, because even though I don't know why, I have developed a serum that, if properly distributed, can disable all of the bats on the battlefield at once."
"Just tell me what we need to do," Stark replied succinctly.
"I told Nick earlier that I had a better solution to deal with the root of the problem, it's successful now, and just a final step away."
"In short, I've extracted the Lizard Serum – the same substance that can turn me into a lizard monster – and made it into an infectious mutation serum aimed at the bats."
"Once the bats are infected, they'll start to undergo lizardization, unlike humans, who'd turn into Lizard People. They'd instead become lizard-like with their bodies developing thick scales, growing tails and legs, and losing the ability to fly."
"I adjusted the mixture, making it even more unpredictable—so tails could sprout from their chests, or they might be suffocated by their own thickened scales."
"This mutation is entirely uncontrollable, so once infected, the mutated bats will almost entirely lose their ability to fight."
"But won't this infect humans?" Stark asked.
"Of course not, what do you think I was doing with all those bats I was researching? This serum specifically targets the bats and has no effect on humans. I've tested it."
"Okay, what else do you need?"
"To eliminate all of the bats' fighting capabilities at once, I need a large-enough vapor-emitting device, one capable of blasting out and blanketing the entire battlefield with the mutation serum all at once, infecting all the bats quickly before they have the chance to counter it."
Stark pondered a moment, watching the increasingly brutal battle unfold on the ground: "Then let's do it. I recall that I have a UV-emission device, would that work?"
"I've seen all your emission device designs, and based on my calculations, their power isn't enough. Light and gas are different; gas requires a massive push to rapidly envelop an entire battlefield."
"Then modify it as fast as possible. I've already granted you complete authorization to all lab resources."
"Ethan and I have already created a prototype, just need a final adjustment, it should be ready to roll within half an hour. The question you guys need to work on now is where to set up and how to detonate."
Connors spoke quickly: "In theory, its dispersion radius should be an approximately 300-meter sphere. To make the most use of this spread, we can't just place the device on the ground. Find a tall building within the skirmish zone, and as soon as you site it, we'll bring the device there."
Stark said: "Actually, there's only one building within this whole radius."
He looked up and saw the Brooklyn Heights Building on the east side of the Brooklyn Bridge.
As if sensing something, Stark paused and the intercom went quiet. Connors asked, "What's wrong?"
After a moment, Stark's voice came through: "No... nothing, there's only one building that meets your criteria. As soon as the device is ready, immediately transport it to the rooftop of the Brooklyn Heights Building. Jarvis has already sent the exact coordinates. I'll wait for you there."
From the end of Stark's speech, Connors detected a peculiar emotion, but he didn't have time to chat and quickly hung up the call.
Elsewhere, Peter swung on his spider silk and landed next to Stark, then said, "The situation at the front is not good. where is the turn of events Natasha mentioned? Do you know, Mr. Stark?"
"Forget about it," Stark's voice emanated from the Iron Armor, distorted by some sort of electrical interference. Stark continued, "Tell Steve to lead a team to clear out all the vampires around the Highland Building. I need to go up there."
"Highland Building?" Peter looked back to see the highest building nearby and said, "No! Wait! You can't go! You forgot about my..."
"I haven't forgotten, Peter, but I have to go." The Iron Man, clad in his Iron Armor, flew straight towards the building. Peter chased after him, shouting, "No!! You know you'll die if you do that! Oh my God..."
Peter pulled out his walkie-talkie to speak to Steve, "Quick! Stop Stark! He's gone mad! He's heading to the Highland Building!"
"Peter, protect Stark." Steve's voice came through the walkie-talkie. Apparently, he had also received Connors' message. He said, "Some things must be done even if you know they won't end well."
Frantic, Peter vehemently objected. Having seen that scene, he couldn't possibly let this happen. He said to Stark, "You don't have to go. I can do it alone. What can't I handle? I..."
"The activation of the device will take time, and so will the infection. One person cannot simultaneously defend against the bat attacks, start the device, and arrange an extraction. It cannot be done alone," Stark replied calmly.
"Then we can think of another way, we don't have to..."
"Peter, as I have said before..." Stark stopped and lifted his face guard. Peter saw Stark's face, devoid of any hint of panic or fear. He looked even calmer than usual.
"If I were afraid of death, I would be hiding under the multiple layers of protection in the Stark Building, not here fighting."
"I know better than anyone that no amount of advanced armor can protect me if I'm destined to die. I never felt safe in this Iron Armor. I am facing death every moment."
Under the pitch-black night sky, Peter clung to the side of a building, looking at Stark floating across him.
The wind played with Stark's hair under his raised face guard, his eyes seemed to be absorbing all the surrounding light. This reminded Peter of the sunrise he saw with Stark back in their early days.
"Even without your prophecy, I worry about every minute I spend on the battlefield."
"Advanced armors, even more advanced armors, I've been ceaselessly developing various types of armors, all because of the fear of death."
"What I didn't tell you was, during that night in the cave in Afghanistan, besides the pain, there was endless fear. No one is not afraid of death."
Peter could hear the pain in Stark's voice. As if he was recalling things he didn't want to remember.
"Back then, I knew I was dying. No one could tell me if I could survive..."
"Same as today, I know I'm about to die..."
Stark closed his eyes. His voice began to tremble, gradually dissolving into the cold Brooklyn night.
"Maybe I'm crazy. I'm knowingly heading towards certain death, yet there's a voice inside me constantly urging me to do so. I must..."
"This is the only way."
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