บท 285: The Plot Thickens...
Somewhere in Riverton City.
Jack stumbled through the door of the convenience store, eyes half-shut, hands fumbling for balance. Behind the counter, Linda glanced up from her phone, peering at him through a pair of reading glasses. She could tell, even from across the store, that he hadn't slept in days.
"Out of wine again, Jack?" she asked, her voice casual but with a note of concern.
He gave a weak grunt, ignoring the question as he made his way to the back shelves. Jack knew the store layout by heart and didn't need any guidance; his feet wobbled unsteadily, but they knew the way. His face was flushed, steps slow and deliberate as he teetered around the narrow corner. He nearly tripped, but caught himself just in time, muttering something under his breath.
"Try not to knock anything over back there," Linda called, shaking her head.
Jack didn't respond, soon shuffling back to the counter with a cheap bottle of wine tucked under his arm. For a moment, he glanced at the video playing on her phone, his blurry gaze catching a flash of something sleek and metallic.
"The Stark Smart Bracelet," the announcer on the video proclaimed. "A device that will redefine the future…"
"Portable, lightweight, capable of projecting a holographic display," it continued, "integrated with an augmented reality module, bringing a full array of functions directly into your field of vision…"
Jack snorted, squinting at the ad. "You believe any of that garbage? 'Design your future,' or whatever they're saying now?"
Linda shrugged. "I don't know much about tech, but the thing does seem handy. A lot of the boys around here got them for us. Seems better than a cell phone, if you ask me."
Jack scoffed. "Yeah, they're just trying to look like heroes. They don't care about folks down here who could actually use the help."
Linda only sighed, not surprised by his bitterness. "Another interview didn't go as planned?"
Jack didn't answer. He tucked the bottle tighter under his arm and turned to leave. "Put it on my tab, alright? I'll pay it off by next month. Promise."
She nodded, taking a moment to reach under the counter, scribbling a note in her ledger before looking up just in time to see him stumble out the door.
Outside, Jack staggered into the night, his steps uneven. Before he'd even gone a block, he was already twisting the cap off the bottle, lifting it to his lips, gulping the wine. The warm burn of alcohol seemed to ease the tension in his chest, dulling the sense of failure clawing at him. His eyes wandered aimlessly until something in the shadows seemed to catch his attention.
He blinked, squinting at what looked like a pair of faint, red lights hovering in the darkness. He took another swig, frowning as he tried to focus. Were those eyes? No, couldn't be…
Then, without warning, the lights rushed toward him.
Jack jolted, the alcohol-induced haze vanishing in a flash of panic. The shadows exploded around him, a massive figure emerging, swallowing him in darkness.
"AAAHHHHH—!"
Linda froze at the sound of a scream. Her heart hammered as she reached the door, and what she saw outside the shop would haunt her forever. In the dark, there was nothing but a mangled heap. Something small and solid rolled toward her feet, tapping her shoe. She looked down, and a sudden wave of nausea hit her.
It was Jack's head.
His eyes were still open, locked in a frozen stare of terror.
Linda stumbled back, her vision blurring as she clawed her way to the counter. Somehow, her shaking fingers managed to dial 911, though each ring felt like an eternity. She clutched the phone to her ear, praying for a voice, any voice.
"911, what's your emergency?" The voice was calm, steady, but she could barely speak.
"Help… help! There's a dead man in front of my shop! His body… his head… oh, his head…"
"Ma'am, take a breath. What's your address?"
Linda took a shuddering breath, managing to give her location.
"Stay with me, ma'am. Officers are on their way. They'll be there in five minutes. Did you see what happened?"
She swallowed, a vision of those eerie red lights flashing in her mind. Her hands trembled so much she could barely hold the phone.
"Yes… yes, I saw something. The attacker was… he was…"
She paused, lowering her voice as if the thing might still be close enough to hear.
"…Batman."
…
"Friday, list all technologies available in Dr. Pym's module and remind me to organize them when I get the chance."
"Understood, sir."
Charlie closed out of the technology module, barely able to contain his excitement. With Ant-Man now in his roster, his technology options had grown exponentially, but combing through all the details would take time. And time was something he didn't have much of right now.
At that moment, he was busy upgrading the city's drone network in the equipment customization module.
The first two batches of drones had rolled out, and the third was nearing completion. Soon, they'd be ready to cover all of Riverton. But before launch, he planned to add an essential feature.
Using an infected-person identification program developed by Professor Miyazaki, Charlie had already integrated it into Batman's detective mode. Now, he was programming it into the drones, so they could scan every street and alley for signs of infection, picking up on even asymptomatic carriers before they became contagious.
This would make his network a powerful weapon, able to monitor for both criminals and disease vectors—areas of expertise that gave him points far faster than standard combat missions.
He'd already tested the network in the desert zone and the tightly guarded city of Wendelani. Riverton was next, and this rollout would add a new layer of protection against outbreaks, allowing him to cut infection chains early and save precious time, resources, and lives.
If ancient threats or otherworldly creatures ever arrived, this system would be invaluable in defending against them.
Charlie had always enjoyed games that involved customizing weapons and equipment, even if they took a while to learn. They had a way of drawing him in, letting him tinker for hours without noticing the time slip by.
As it had now.
"Sir, Iron Man will arrive on the target's location in sixty seconds," Friday announced.
"Huh? Already?" He glanced at the time in surprise. "Have I really been here that long?"
"Yes, sir. You also set Iron Man's auto-navigation to track Hasenstein, the cult leader."
Charlie smirked. Hasenstein had tried to flee in a private jet, but he couldn't escape the network. Iron Man was closing in, forty seconds away and gaining.
"Good," Charlie said, saving his work and entering the hero selection interface. He clicked on Iron Man.
The screen flashed to life, revealing the red-gold Mark 43 suit soaring through the night sky, flames roaring from its boosters as Iron Man homed in on a white jet struggling to get away in the distance.
Charlie grinned. "Alright, let's go say hi to the leader of the Order."
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