Chapter 81: Contingency for Batman

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Dean knew that Superman hadn't truly left. He had only flown a little further away, maintaining just enough distance to avoid interfering while still keeping Dean within range of his super vision. Superman was still watching—his gaze as persistent as ever.

But soon enough, the "local person" Superman jokingly mentioned made his grand entrance. The dark, sleek Batwing descended silently from the clouds, its streamlined body dropping into formation until it flew perfectly parallel to Dean's motorcycle form.

"Dean," Batman's voice came through the Batwing's external speakers, cold and sharp. "I think you owe me an explanation."

As expected from a state-of-the-art aircraft from the superhuman era, the Batwing easily caught up with Dean's Kamen Rider Accel motorcycle form—capable of 900 kilometers per hour. The chase wasn't even close.

Batman was the first to catch up, just as Dean had anticipated. If there was one person in this world whose arrival he could predict with certainty, it was the Dark Knight himself.

The wind howled past Dean's ears, roaring like a hurricane. But when it came to Batman, Dean knew that only honesty—brutal, unfiltered honesty—could pierce through his paranoia and suspicions.

With a deep breath, Dean yelled over the gale, "I want to save my mother! Batman, don't try to stop me!"

The words hit Batman harder than any physical blow. Hearing it aloud, it was practically a confession. Dean wasn't even denying the Batcave break-in. He wasn't making excuses or trying to justify himself—he was admitting it openly. He crossed the line, the very line Batman had drawn in the sand for him. But the raw, desperate emotion in Dean's voice… that struck a different nerve.

To save my mother…

Batman's face darkened. "You can't execute your plan in a way that endangers everyone else. I'll help you, Dean… but don't walk the same path as those two-faced traitors!" Batman's voice trembled with rare sincerity, his words edged with the regret of past betrayals.

But Dean roared back, his eyes burning with determination, "There's no time, Batman! Hand over Pandora's Box!"

In that instant, Batman knew words wouldn't reach him. Quietly, he pressed a hidden control on the Batwing's console. With a hiss, a magnetic field generator emerged from beneath the aircraft, locking onto Dean's bike.

"Then you leave me no choice, Dean… I'll bring you down by force."

Dean laughed—wild and unhinged. "Violence, Batman? I'm a cop, remember? The police are a violent institution. Let me show you what my violence looks like!"

With a magnetic hum, the Batwing's claws gripped the motorcycle's frame. Dean didn't resist—instead, he released his motorcycle form mid-air. At that precise moment, he slapped his Omnitrix, initiating another transformation.

Black and green liquid metal exploded from his body, coating the Batwing like a living symbiote, seeping into every mechanical crevice, every circuit.

Shapeshifter Form—Activated.

This form—crafted from the Young Hacker Universe—was not biological, but synthetic. A race of man-made aliens composed of advanced machines capable of liquefying and merging with non-living bodies, controlling and even upgrading them.

Within seconds, the Batwing's dashboard lit up with a glowing green circular eye. Dean's voice echoed through every speaker:

"You see, Batman… at 900 km/h, you can only catch me if you fly the Batwing. You can't keep up with your Batmobile, and the city streets aren't built for this. To use your magnetic snare, you had to get close. And I… I was waiting for this exact moment."

The Batwing shuddered under Dean's control.

"And now, this plane… this wonderful little toy… is mine. If you don't want Wayne Tower to end up like the World Trade Center, tell me—where is Pandora's Box?"

Dean's ultimatum landed like a gut punch, but Batman responded the only way he knew how—with his fists.

With a snarl, Batman delivered a crushing punch to the dashboard, the impact so hard it sent waves of pain up Dean's shapeshifter form.

"Listen to yourself, Dean!" Batman growled. "You sound just like them! You've failed Jim Gordon—he doesn't deserve this!"

Dean flinched. He could feel Batman's anger… and the weight of that name.

Still, he forced himself to smile through the pain. "No matter what you say, the outcome won't change. Here's a little suggestion for you, Bats… how about teaming up with Superman? Go be his sidekick for once!"

[Item Name: Fully Restored Omnitrix]

[Type: Other]

[Quality: ★★★★★★★]

[Description: A large, dark green watch severely damaged in battle, now fully restored by the power of the Meridian Horse Talisman. All functions unlocked. Transformation time extended to 10 minutes. Recharge time reduced to 7 minutes. Self-destruct mode enabled. Maximum charging time reduced to 74 hours. Power scaled to affect multiple universes on the same frequency.]

[PS: You've mastered the Philosopher's Stone, Dean. What are you waiting for? Dive into the initial card pool and draw wildly!]

Batman wasn't done fighting. Despite being trapped inside his own plane, he activated the micro-computer embedded in his gauntlet, trying desperately to reclaim control of the Batwing.

But no matter how many commands he sent… the system was drowned beneath a tsunami of data. A massive information flow, generated and controlled by the shapeshifter entity now fused with his plane—by Dean himself.

Batman's eyes narrowed. He knew shapeshifters' primary weakness: magnetic disruption and electromagnetic pulses. After all, their core was nothing but a swarm of highly advanced nanobots. A sudden EMP burst would scramble their coordination—reduce them to a puddle of useless metal slime.

But this wasn't a test lab. This was a mid-air dogfight, and Dean wouldn't give Batman even a second to try anything clever.

Worse still, Batman could feel the Batwing itself… changing. Dean was upgrading the plane—weaponizing it in real-time.

The thrusters pulsed, new plating covered weak points, targeting systems recalibrated. A low rumble echoed through the cockpit as the engines roared hotter.

Dean's voice came through the comm again, almost cheerful. "Oh, Batman… I added a few things to your precious wings. Upgraded the propulsion systems, enhanced the weapon arrays. Buckle up… I'm about to show you speed."

Without warning, two green, glowing safety belts snaked out, wrapping tightly around Batman, locking him in place. He struggled, but they were solid as steel.

"Sit tight, Bats," Dean chuckled darkly. "Time to pick up the pace."

With a deafening sonic boom, the Batwing's thrusters erupted with brilliant blue flames, pushing the aircraft to nearly double its maximum speed—hurtling like a missile straight toward Gotham.

The Dark Knight could only grit his teeth as the sky blurred around him. The Batwing—his symbol of control and power—was no longer his.

Because the glass of the Batwing cockpit was completely covered with thick black slime from the Shapeshifter form, Batman couldn't see the changing scenery outside at all. The skies, the buildings—everything was blocked from view. He had no way of knowing his current location, nor where they were headed. His voice turned deep and grave as he asked, "Where are you taking me?"

The green ring embedded on the joystick glowed brightly as the Shapeshifter's voice echoed coldly through the cabin, "Didn't I tell you to go with Superman as a companion? Of course… I didn't mean to let you stay with him. I meant for you… to enjoy the same 'treatment' as him."

As he spoke, Dean took full control of Batman's secure channel and sent a message directly to Alfred Pennyworth.

"Alfred, give me Selina's real-time location."

Alfred, still blaming himself for being overpowered and knocked unconscious during the Batcave invasion, hadn't yet recovered from the guilt. He felt responsible for the Batcave's breach, believing that he'd failed Master Bruce. So when 'Batman' sent a request—Dean cleverly disguised as him—Alfred responded immediately without hesitation.

["Miss Selina is currently admiring some… items she obtained—shall we say, 'acquired'—from others. She's in one of her safehouses. Would you like me to notify her of your arrival, Master Bruce?"]

Upon receiving the location, Dean swiftly ran calculations using the Batcomputer's computing power and estimated his arrival time down to the second. "Hmm… No need to inform her. Just tell her I'll be there in five minutes."

Throughout the exchange, Dean ensured that every message appeared in real time, projecting Alfred's responses directly in front of Batman. He didn't hide a single word. Batman's heart sank as he watched—feeling an unfamiliar sense of dread. Every person he cared about… was now within Dean's grasp.

"Dean… what are you planning to do?" Batman's voice trembled slightly, knowing full well that Dean wasn't bluffing.

Dean answered with brutal honesty, "I'm implementing the Tower of Babel plan, Batman. You know it better than anyone: if you want to deal with the 'Detective', you first find his emotional weaknesses—the people he cares about. Use them… as leverage. Distract him. Pull him away from the core of the crisis."

Batman froze. Dean… Dean had truly read his Tower of Babel contingency plan—and worse, was now using it against him. Word for word. Step by step.

"You… you know what I wrote at the very end of that plan," Batman's tone darkened into a growl, rage and disbelief battling in his chest.

"I do," Dean grinned from the cockpit's controls. "You wrote… 'Think carefully before you act.'" His green eyes glinted through the Shapeshifter's form. "Well, I've thought it through, Batman. And with the Batcomputer's help, I came up with a plan I think is… pretty damn good."

Instead of flying directly to Selina Kyle, Dean abruptly changed course. The Batwing made a sharp turn and headed straight for the Gotham Botanical Garden.

Even from miles away, Ivy's sensitive plant network sensed the Batwing's approach. Alarmed, she paused her secret experiment, her eyes narrowing at the incoming threat. Ivy could tell immediately—this Batwing wasn't normal.

The once-sleek black shell of the aircraft was now veined with pulsing green circuit patterns. Unknown weapons protruded from every side, and disturbingly, a high-powered drill bit spun slowly at the plane's nose, gleaming ominously in the afternoon sun.

Seeing this, Ivy took no chances. She immediately commanded the mutated plants she'd been carefully cultivating to rise, forming a dense wall of defense—an army of vines, thorns, and blossoms—ready to clash in a plant versus bat battle.

But just as tensions peaked, a soft chime echoed from the ring now mounted on the Batwing's drill bit.

"Ivy… sorry to bother you again."

The familiar voice made Ivy freeze. She quickly dismissed the defensive plants and smoothed down her long, vibrant hair with trembling hands. "Dean? You… Why did you come here again? I mean, not that I don't welcome you, I'm just… surprised."

Dean wasted no time. "I need your help. I heard from Harleen… you once cultivated a special plant—one that drives people crazy with desire for its holder. Do you… still have it?"

Ivy's face went pale. She fidgeted, staring at the ground, unable to meet the glowing green ring's gaze. "I… I have it. I did make a batch… but what I have left isn't as strong as the one I gave Harleen. It's… it only works in a small space. Within three meters, tops."

Of course… Ivy was lying.

The batch she made for Harley Quinn was long gone. That Valentine's Day special was meant to help Harley "fish" for admirers—it had a wide area effect, capable of turning entire streets full of people—men, women, children—into love-struck fools.

After returning to the Botanical Garden, Ivy had restarted her research, secretly refining the plant per Poison Ivy's suggestion. This time, though, she crafted it for private use, narrowing the effective range to three meters and… limiting it to only affect women. It was safer that way—less chance of it backfiring on herself.

Still, Ivy knew the truth—no plant could make someone truly fall in love forever. Manipulating hormones was easy, but emotions? Emotions couldn't be twisted that simply.

This was true even for Ivy. The Soothing Bell only worked because she already harbored feelings for Dean. Without that spark, not even magic would've worked.

But when Dean heard the range was reduced… he actually grinned wider. "Perfect! That suits my needs exactly!" he said, his voice almost gleeful—like Cao Cao choosing a sword.

Panicked, Ivy quickly turned to hide the experimental table behind her. She summoned a cane, reached deep into a hidden tree hollow, and pulled out a single pink fruit, tossing it carefully to Dean.

The Shapeshifter's form sucked the fruit in an instant. As Dean was now a swarm of nanorobots, he had no sense of smell nor need to breathe—making the fruit's effect null and void on him.

"Thanks, Ivy. I owe you one." Dean's voice was soft, but sincere.

Without another word, Dean slowly lifted the batwing and ascended, ensuring he climbed high enough not to disturb Ivy's beloved garden. Only after reaching a safe distance did the engines roar to life again, and the monstrous Batwing shot forward, leaving the Botanical Garden behind in a blur of green and black.

---

Dean used his own Shapeshifter body to transfer the fruit inside the cockpit. He didn't seal Batman's five senses during the process, so Batman heard every word of his conversation with Ivy—especially the part about the fruit—which instantly made Batman associate things in the worst possible way.

"Dean… is this your plan to hold me back?" Batman's tone was subtle, filled with a mix of irritation and curiosity. He quickly realized that Dean had no intention of harming either him or Selina. If Dean really wanted to, with the current firepower he'd added to the Batwing, it wouldn't be a problem to eliminate an entire armored infantry company, let alone catch Selina—who would be completely off-guard.

Dean responded triumphantly, his tone carrying a teasing edge. "Batman, the plan you created… it's designed to restrain each member of the League, with no limitations on the method. Right? Heroes falling prey to beauty… it's the simplest and most effective way to deal with you."

Batman, while keeping up the conversation to stall for time, was secretly using his microcomputer to analyze the Shapeshifter's nanobot body, trying to find any exploitable weakness. "It seems… you've already made your own plan. Let me guess… Superman? You've sent him somewhere, or maybe… that fool actually let you persuade him with some ridiculous reason and is now hovering somewhere… watching me through x-ray vision just for laughs."

From a distance, Clark Kent, who was indeed peeking through his super-vision, instinctively checked his suit as if he'd been caught. Impossible, he thought. I didn't leave any trace… How the hell did Bruce guess this?

Dean's grin slowly faded. "As expected of Batman… it took you less than a minute to figure it out. It's a shame… the plan requires a Batman who's completely clueless. Still… it doesn't matter. Fortunately, I prepared this fruit. In thirty seconds, we'll arrive at Selina's place. Heh… maybe this time, you'll have an extra daughter…"

Dean's words suddenly stopped. A green light flickered on the Shapeshifter's ring and pulsed in front of Batman's eyes. Batman, who had wanted to question further, suddenly understood—Dean was sending him a private message through the flashing frequency:

[Can't say]

The cabin fell into dead silence after that. Neither spoke another word until the Batwing finally arrived above one of Selina Kyle's safehouses—one of her many places where she stored the treasures and jewelry she acquired.

There, standing proudly on the eaves of the building, Catwoman wore her classic black leather catsuit. She admired her claws under the sunlight, the glint reflecting in her mischievous eyes. She smirked, sensing the approaching Batwing. Hmph. If Bruce is coming to find me in broad daylight… there's only one reason. That damn man wants a favor again.

"Heh… who told me… this little kitten… to always get bullied by a certain stinky man, huh?" Catwoman chuckled to herself as she noticed the Batwing drawing close. But… something was off.

Her eyes narrowed. She noticed that the Batwing's surface had changed. Its usual sleek black was now covered in strange, green circuit patterns. "Batman… I don't remember you having such… unique tastes."

Suddenly, the Shapeshifter's ring glowed and transferred directly onto the Batwing's spinning drill. A cold, electronic voice rang out, sharp and unfamiliar.

"Batman doesn't like it… but he can only accept it. Just like you… next, Catwoman."

The moment she heard the unfamiliar synthetic tone, Selina's muscles tensed. She crouched low like a predator, baring her teeth at the invader. "You're not Batman. What… the hell… are you?"

Dean's voice turned slow and deliberate. "Batman… is right here… inside my body. If you don't want anything to happen to him… eat this fruit."

With that, Dean dropped the pink fruit into Catwoman's hands. She glared at it suspiciously. Before she could decide, the Shapeshifter's liquid body spread thin over the cockpit's glass, revealing Batman—trapped, restrained, and very much real.

Seeing that, Catwoman hesitated no longer. She threw the fruit into her mouth and swallowed it whole. "Fine. What kind of poison is this?" She opened her mouth wide, showing it was empty now, then sneered coldly at the Shapeshifter.

"It's poison… but not for you. It's poison… for Batman."

With those words, Dean activated the Batwing's emergency ejection system. In one smooth motion, Batman was catapulted out and landed—directly into Catwoman's waiting arms.

Batman instinctively struggled, but when he landed in Selina's arms—his body strangely relaxed. He was breathing heavily, and his face flushed red. His mind cleared instantly. Wait… why am I… why is my body reacting like this?

Selina frowned, startled by Batman's reaction. Was it the fruit? A second of regret flashed through her mind—I should've pretended to swallow it…

Dean, satisfied, extended a tentacle from his Shapeshifter form and silently connected to every electronic device inside Catwoman's house. With a surge of current, he fried them all—monitors, cameras, microphones—every single hidden surveillance device destroyed.

"Eyes and ears are now offline, Catwoman. Enjoy your… special night with Batman."

Before leaving, Dean raised his voice deliberately: "And Superman… don't you dare peek at anyone's private moment again."

Somewhere far away, Clark Kent reluctantly turned his head. Hmph… That's rich coming from someone who just broke into the Batcave…

The Batwing blasted off, leaving a trail of light blue flames streaking across Gotham's sky. It was only then Batman realized… Dean had never used full speed while he was onboard.

After a pause, Selina gently let Bruce down. "He's gone. You can come down now."

With a bitter smile, Catwoman spat out the intact fruit she'd cleverly hidden in her cheek the whole time. Her voice was icy cold. "Whatever his goal was… he clearly brought you here… to distract you. And you… you're going to fall for it, aren't you?"

Selina's sharp instincts were right. Romantic night? Ha… Impossible. She knew Bruce well enough to understand he wouldn't stay… not when someone used her to chain him down.

But then… she froze.

Two familiar blue eyes stared into hers. Her heart skipped a beat. She felt it—that dangerous, thrilling excitement. Her breath caught in her throat as Bruce leaned in. No… this isn't like me… she thought.

But Bruce didn't pull away. Not this time.

When their lips finally parted, Catwoman gasped for air. "Bruce..."

Batman stayed silent. He understood. He had walked right into Dean's trap. That fruit, Selina, all of it… designed to trigger him. To keep him here.

Dean… you bastard… you really are following my "Detective" plan... Using my family… as leverage.

Resigned, Batman scooped Selina into his arms, sighed, and jumped down to the hole Dean dug for him… Oh no, it was a room, a clean, secured room Dean had prepared for him.

No one would see… what happened next.

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Chapter 81 - Chapter 81: Contingency for Batman