Volume 2 Honoring Robin Chapter 9 Gordon's heart skipped a beat again
"Zombies appear again?"
On the dim street, Mason frowned.
He hesitated for a few seconds and looked around, then whispered to Batman:
"To be honest, after seeing those monsters in Blackgate Prison last time, I have been studying their characteristics in private. Do you need my advice?
I mean, I can speak from an alchemist's perspective, and that might give you a different perspective."
"oh?"
Batman narrowed his eyes and said:
"What did you find?"
"That's too much."
The new super villain "Three-Headed Dog" disguised as "Mason Cooper" solemnly took out a small notebook that looked like a research notebook from his arms and waved it in front of Batman.
After flipping through a few pages, he read out:
“I found that these guys are driven by bloodlust and hunger, their vision has completely degenerated, they are afraid of light but are more active in the dark.
They hunt by hearing and smell.
The body fat dissolves, leaving only atrophied muscle tissue and bones. They appear to move slowly, but once stimulated by flesh and blood, they will immediately enter a 'violent' mode.
All their body fluids are poisonous, their claws and teeth are rich in toxins, and even the decay after a second death will pollute the nearby land.
Its internal organs are highly alienated.
All organs except the digestive system dissolve themselves, and the highly toxic gastric juices can digest almost anything and convert it into energy to support movement. "
Mason said a lot of gibberish, and at the end he stroked his chin and said uncertainly:
"In fact, the more I study, the more I suspect that these zombies are like a designed 'weapon' that can quickly transform ordinary lives into ruthless killing machines after infection."
"Where did you find all this information?"
After a few seconds of silence, Batman suddenly said:
"You've only seen zombies once, right? Mason, are you...hiding something from me?"
"Well……"
Mason seemed stumped.
The young man lowered his head and pursed his lips guiltily. He hesitated for a long time before he made up his mind, as if he really wanted to reveal a secret that had been hidden.
He looked up, watched Batman muster up the courage to say:
"I actually dissected them and collected some specimens for private study in the sewers of Blackgate Prison.
I didn't tell you this because I didn't want you to think I was interested in monsters and make you... well, you know, I didn't have many friends growing up."
"The sewers of Blackgate Prison? You certainly didn't mention that."
Batman's heart moved.
Another doubt about the young man Mason seems to have been resolved, but for the cautious master, one-sided words are not enough to clear his suspicion.
However, the fact that Mason took the initiative to talk about this matter may mean that he really wants to maintain "friendship" with the Bat Family and cares about the impression he has in the minds of the Bat Family members.
"Very good, the information you provided is quite useful."
Even though the information Mason said was already known to Batman, the old man still encouraged the young man and planned to leave.
But the next moment, Mason spoke again:
"Batman, wait! I haven't finished talking about the last and most important conclusion of my research."
He tore a page from his research notes and handed it to Batman, who took it in his hand and took a look.
It was marked with some drawings and characteristic descriptions of zombie organs, as well as very clear alchemical transformation formulas, and it looked quite realistic.
But this thing does enter Batman's blind spot of knowledge.
He could only infer from those obscure "professional terms" that Mason might have reached some seemingly mysterious conclusions.
"I know you want to save everyone, but I advise you not to waste your energy. I have observed this in Blackgate Prison and have also conducted experiments on mice. This zombie virus does not cause illness or infection after entering a living body.
This is not as simple as 'poisoning'.
In alchemical terms, it is a transformation of life forms.”
Mason patiently explained to Batman in a professional and academic tone:
“Once a living organism is scratched or comes into contact with the virus itself, the transformation cannot be stopped and will be completed in a short time. Therefore, the best way to keep ordinary people away from disasters is to provide them with some preventive measures in advance.
Similar to a vaccine.
Alas, my alchemy level is too low to make a special preventive potion for this virus, and the antidote I can make is also useless against it.
But I am trying to make an ointment that will be effective in killing them.
If you need it, I can speed up the research and provide it for free."
"You've done a great job, Mason. In fact, your research results are beyond my imagination and really inspire me."
Batman nodded and replied:
"Go home now. If the three-headed dog targets you again, contact me immediately!"
"OK."
The young man also nodded. He quickly took out a folded letter from his arms, handed it to Batman, and said:
"I found this at the door of the cabin when I went out shopping this afternoon. It should be for you."
"Um?"
Batman took the letter.
After taking a look at the familiar handwriting on the envelope, he immediately knew that this was a letter from the missing Catwoman, which made the old man feel much more relaxed.
The cat-like woman is still alive.
It was nice as it was one less thing for him to worry about from the bottom of his heart.
The sound of a taxi was heard on the street ahead. Mason turned around and waved. When he turned around again to say goodbye, there was nothing in the shadow behind him.
This technique of fast movement and concealing one's breath frightened Mason.
If Batman was an assassin...
Tsk, I can’t even imagine it.
Mason got into a taxi and left. Above the tallest building in the entire block, in the cockpit of the Batfighter in optical camouflage, the master stared at the departing taxi.
After a few seconds, he said:
"Barbara, use the Batphone's location to see where Mason was tonight."
"Bruce, why do you keep doubting Mason?"
Barbara complained as she typed on the keyboard:
"And it's really bad that you installed a physical location in the phone you gave him. Have you ever thought about how angry Mason would be once he found out the truth?
He adores you so much.”
"Just because I'm tracking him doesn't mean I don't trust him."
The master said in an unchanged tone:
"This is just a cautious concern. I have sufficient reason to suspect that one of the goals of the three-headed dog's activities in Gotham is to recapture Mason.
He must be protected until this is over.”
"Well, there's nothing wrong with Mason's trajectory."
Barbara Gordon was silent for a few seconds, then looked at the path tracing diagram on the computer and replied:
"Except for the relatively long stay at the Iceberg Bar taken over by Kite Man and the magic supply store just now, it was almost a straight line. I didn't go anywhere else, let alone get close to those zombie infestations."
The Batplane took off silently at this moment.
"Very good, continue to monitor the entire city."
The master looked at the Gotham City with thousands of lights at night. He opened the letter in his hand and said softly:
"I have a feeling that what happened tonight might just be the beginning."
"Um."
There was a response in the communicator and then silence. Batman, who was set to autopilot, leaned back in his seat and looked at the letter in his hand. It contained some very ordinary greetings and said that he was dealing with some personal matters and would return to Gotham soon.
But for a world-class detective like Batman, the code hidden in the letter could not be hidden from him at all.
This immediately made the master alert.
What happened to Selina that made her need to use code words to convey messages to herself?
Is she in danger?
On the way back to the Batcave, Batman spent five minutes finding all the codewords, and then combined them into two sentences using the format agreed upon between him and Catwoman:
"Bruce, be careful."
The first sentence made the master's heart jump, and he immediately looked at the second sentence:
"When I get back, you're done for, you playboy! I'm really angry about what your other lover did for you!"
"ah?"
The master, who had originally thought that the letter would contain some message for help or a shocking secret, was stunned for a moment. He frowned and began to think about his relationship with Selina over the past period of time.
I didn't do anything wrong, did I?
Why is she so angry?
What about that playboy? That's just his disguise!
Her interactions with those models and celebrities were just a casual affair. This cat-like woman really had a cat-like temper. She was really hard to figure out.
The man wearing the bat helmet leaned against the cockpit, looking at the city flying by below. When he was alone, this nearly omnipotent man finally showed the same troubled expression as an ordinary man.
Alas, there is nothing I can do.
Who made him fall in love with a cool girl in leather and holding a whip?
But the master is the master after all. His melancholy was only fleeting and he quickly got back to work. He answered the old butler's phone and asked:
"Alfred, how far has Lucius' research on the zombie virus progressed?"
"His team has completed the extraction of viral gene sequences and produced several targeted drugs, and is currently conducting the first round of trials."
The old housekeeper sighed and said:
"That project is just a waste of money. In less than half a month, they have already spent the money for ten Batfighters! All the stock profits from last month were thrown into it.
Also, sir, I'm on vacation in Italy now!
Please don't disturb a poor old man at this hour, as I am on my way to dinner with some very charming ladies."
"Afu, tell Lucius to speed up! Don't worry about the money. It's meaningless in a crisis."
Batman paused and said in a deep voice:
"Zombies have reappeared in Gotham tonight, and they are spreading. The worst guess about this matter has come true. Whether Lucius can come up with results is related to whether we can safely survive this crisis."
There was silence on the other end of the call for a moment, and the old butler said briefly:
"I'll book a flight back to Gotham right away."
"No need, the manor's private plane left to pick you up an hour ago."
The master said in a deep voice:
"It's too much to ask an old man like you to ride a bumpy first-class cabin back home. Besides, Ah Fu..."
"Happy birthday."
——
"I made this potion last night. It is a destructive potion that I found in an alchemy book and is effective against undead creatures."
The next morning, a guest came to the office of the chief of the Gotham Police Department. Gordon, who had been up all night, drank strong coffee and watched Mason in front of him demonstrating a white potion to him.
Mason held the "Primary Black Blood" potion in his hand and talked like a salesman.
This potion is a combat potion specially used by demon hunters and is recorded in Lao K's alchemy book. It has the effect of increasing damage and weakening undead creatures.
Demon hunters usually drink it directly.
But ordinary people would go to see God immediately after drinking this stuff, so Mason slightly modified its formula and made it into an ointment that could be applied to weapons.
This successful modification of the formula gave Mason a 40-fold improvement in his skill proficiency, making him more determined to implement the practical idea that "the essence of alchemy is change."
“You can dilute it ten times and use it to soak bullets. This way, even if you can’t hit the zombies’ heads, it will still cause greater damage to them and slow down their reaction speed.”
The young man demonstrated to the director how to use the primary black blood potion, then picked up the bottle and threw it, and said to Gordon who was yawning:
"If you are surrounded by zombies, throw it out. Undead creatures hate this smell. If you pour it on your body, it will look like a moving pile of poop to the zombies.
They will naturally ignore you and stay away from you.”
"Great stuff, Mason, we really need it."
Gordon, who had not slept all night and was still shooting zombies with a gun three hours ago, thanked Mason with dark circles under his eyes. He looked at the small box of potions that Mason provided free of charge, stood up and thanked his legal "ward".
Mason glanced at him, took out a bottle of vitality potion and dripped it into Gordon's coffee. The director quickly regained his energy and became full of energy.
“Gordon, maybe it’s not my turn to say these words, but I think you can’t be led by the nose by the super villain who controls the zombies to attack the villains.”
Before leaving, Mason advised the Director:
"They can create zombies faster than you can respond to police calls. Even with the support of the Bat Family, you will soon be exhausted.
I also said this to Batman last night, and he thought it made a lot of sense.
Maybe you should contact the government medical department.
See if we can make some immune drugs and distribute them to the citizens, so that at least they don’t have to worry about being accidentally scratched or exposed to filth and getting infected.”
"I reached out after what happened at Blackgate, Mason."
Commissioner Gordon escorted Mason to the police station.
The old man, who was always under a lot of pressure, lit a cigarette and said to Mason with a hint of helplessness and anxiety:
“But I didn’t get a response from the higher-ups. I contacted some of my old friends and they told me that the matter had been taken over by the Sky Eye Society and they were fully responsible for the response measures.
Amanda Waller is a very annoying person.
The group of lunatics under her command had not reported any secret activities in Gotham in the past few years in advance, and as the commander of the secret department, she would not inform a small police chief like me of the progress of the incident. "
The old man blew a smoke ring and said to Mason:
"But we are already thinking of a solution. I trust Batman more than A.O.R.D."
"I trust him, but his power is limited after all."
Mason frowned and said:
"By the time he comes up with a plan, I'm afraid zombie attacks will have become normalized, which makes me feel very unsafe living in this city. Gordon, maybe I should take Barbara to Bludhaven to hide."
"Don't worry, Batman has a lot more power than you think."
Gordon threw away his cigarette butt, patted the young man on the shoulder, and said in a low voice:
“Targeted drugs are being produced, Batman has asked his good friend Bruce Wayne for help, and Wayne Industries’ medical division will soon begin mass production.
This news may give you peace of mind while you work on your wonderful potions.
But don’t tell anyone else, or it will cause confusion.”
"What?"
Mason showed a shocked expression and said in a lost voice:
"Bruce Wayne, the playboy who changes girlfriends all the time, is actually Batman's friend? How is this possible? They are from completely different worlds!"
"Didn't expect that, kid?"
Gordon looked at Mason with a shocked expression, then he chuckled and said mysteriously:
"The water in this city is much deeper than you think, young man. Bruce Wayne is, in a sense, a non-staff member of the Bat Family.
Well, this news cannot be leaked.
You know how important it is.”
"Yeah, I understand. This shocking news will take me some time to digest."
Mason shook his head and waved goodbye to Gordon. As he left the police station, he finally smiled. As he waved to stop a taxi, the young man sighed in his heart:
"You are worthy of me, sir. I knew that no matter what troubles I encountered, I would never be disappointed if I placed my hopes on you. Then the next stop for the super villain, Mr. Three-Headed Dog, is the Wayne Industries Medical Department.
Well, since I have decided to go there, maybe I can stop by the technology research and development department that specializes in providing equipment for the master.
Maybe there will be an unexpected surprise? "
