Chapter 342: You Need It, I Have Money
Dawn had broken hours ago, but the rain continued its relentless assault. The sky remained a murky gray sheet, and the abandoned shipyard lay shrouded in darkness.
Batarangs and spiral silver shurikens littered the mud. Blade's slender straight sword stood upright in the ground. One broken wing from Batman's Vulcan Armor rested beside it.
The shipyard's drainage system had been destroyed two months ago during Batman's fight with Squid-Man. Rainwater from last night until now had accumulated to ankle depth across the entire facility.
Within that standing water, two figures who'd maintained brutal close-quarters combat from last night until this moment now lay motionless on the ground.
One of Batman's wings was snapped off. The other hung askew at an unnatural angle. Fine cracks spider-webbed across the Vulcan Armor's plating. The pointed ears on his cowl had been sheared flat.
Blade's leather coat hung in shredded tatters, like rags on a beggar. His form-fitting armor beneath was covered in countless hairline fractures, resembling porcelain about to shatter.
His sunglasses had vanished long ago. Nearly every usable weapon on his body had been expended.
The two men lay less than half a meter apart, both face-up in the muddy water.
"You're not a vampire." Blade stared at the low-hanging black clouds, speaking as rain poured into his open mouth. "You had at least four opportunities to try slashing my throat open. Or crushing my skull with your fists. You didn't take any of them."
Batman said nothing.
During the prolonged battle, Blade had also possessed multiple chances to use injury-for-injury tactics—to forcibly shatter Batman's armor and cut into his flesh with silver shurikens or garlic-coated blades.
Blade hadn't taken those opportunities either. Halfway through the fight, he'd realized Batman wasn't a vampire. The silver weapons, crosses, and garlic that meant instant death for vampires had zero effect on Batman.
But competitive pride—the thrill of facing an equal opponent—had driven Blade to continue. He'd deployed every combat technique and killing method he'd mastered over his lifetime in a contest against Batman.
The fight had lasted hours. Dawn had arrived.
"You're a vampire hunter?" Batman's voice came out hoarse.
"Yeah." Blade's response was simple. "You didn't know vampires exist in this world? They look completely human on the outside. But they're not human at the core."
Batman watched raindrops fall from the sky. He thought of Professor Morbius.
The complete opposite of Blade's description. Morbius didn't remotely resemble a human on the outside. But his inner nature remained fundamentally human.
"Tell me about vampires," Batman said.
The two men who'd been trying to kill each other all night now lay like old friends, side by side in the rain. Blade considered for a moment, then shared his accumulated knowledge about vampires with Batman.
"Just like in the stories—sunlight burns their skin. That's why vampires prefer operating at night. Or on overcast days like today."
"Most of the time they disguise themselves as humans. Common occupations include nightclub or bar owners. The nature of those businesses frequently brings them into contact with organized crime."
"Silver weapons are the most effective countermeasure. Garlic and crosses come second. As for sunlight... artificial UV light doesn't affect them. I've tried it countless times."
"How do you identify them?" Batman asked.
"You can't. Not reliably. You rely on instinct and experience accumulated from years of fighting them." Blade's mouth twisted into a grim smile. "That's why I can kill them instantly with silver weapons—but I'm also constantly at risk of being ambushed by vampires."
"Of course, someone like you—completely encased in armor from head to toe—I had absolutely no way to determine if you were a vampire in a short timeframe. Fighting you properly was the only option."
Batman was silent for several seconds.
"Your weapons and equipment need upgrading."
Blade raised his arm, examining the exposed armor beneath his shredded coat. The cracks were wide enough to fit a toddler's pinky finger.
"That's exactly what's been giving me headaches. A complete set of quality Kevlar protective gear doesn't come cheap."
"I happen to have a lot of money," Batman said.
"You're joking, right?" Blade turned his head, looking at Batman's masked face.
Without his sunglasses, Blade's features carried an unexpectedly refined quality—like an elegant university professor. The appearance contrasted sharply with his brutally efficient combat style.
"Three days. Come back here. Your new weapons and armor will be waiting." There wasn't a trace of humor in Batman's voice.
Blade stared at the white glow of Batman's eye lenses, as if trying to see through the barrier to the face beneath.
"SHIELD contacted me recently. Asked me to deal with you."
"You're a SHIELD agent? What level?" Batman asked.
"I'm not affiliated with SHIELD. I just maintain certain connections with them." Blade shook his head slightly. "What about you? SHIELD claims you might be a Hydra vampire. I've ruled out the latter. But I can't confirm the former."
When Batman didn't respond, Blade continued.
"Your style doesn't match Hydra. But I need to hear it directly from you."
"I'm not Hydra," Batman said.
Blade seemed to exhale in relief. Then he watched as Batman braced himself on one elbow and slowly pushed himself upright. Batman waded through the ankle-deep water with uneven steps, heading deeper into the shipyard.
The Batmobile waited there, motionless since last night—a predator in hibernation.
ROAR!
The instant Batman activated the engine, the beast awakened. With a thunderous growl, it surged toward the shipyard exit.
"Can't fly, but gave himself wings. Doesn't use the wings for movement—drives a car instead." Blade remained sitting in the water, watching the Batmobile's red taillights vanish into the rain. He shook his head.
The downpour had cleared Manhattan's streets of pedestrians. The Batmobile streaked through the city, finally diving into the sewers at a location with no witnesses and no surveillance cameras. From there, it headed toward the hidden production line controlled by Parker Industries.
Half an hour later, Batman stood inside a facility dedicated entirely to suit fabrication.
The space was deserted. Not even Alice, Parker Industries' CEO, knew this production line existed.
As machines activated one by one, a brand-new Spider-Man suit began taking shape before Batman's eyes.
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