Batman and Spider-man

Chapter 5

The bat monster stood over Barbara, Peter could see the fear in her eyes but more importantly he could see the fear in the bat's eyes.

Peter wanted to leap at the beast, get her off Barbara and chase it away but he knew that wasn't the right way to do things.

"Peter," Barbara squealed. "Help."

Peter launched a web overhead causing the beast to swerve his head at Peter. Immediately the beast stepped off Barbara and started to back away.

Peter walked carefully towards Barbara's side, hands held up in surrender to make sure his intention was good.

Peter supported Barbara, propping her up.

"Peter what the hell is that?" Barbara said, her voice shaking.

"I... I don't know," Peter said. "But I don't think we should fight it."

"But it... it looks like a monster," Barbara said, slowing down.

"I... I know," Peter said. "But... I don't think it's that simple."

The Bat swerved to its side, holding its wing over itself like a shield.

"Look," Peter said, holding his hands up. "We don't want to hurt you."

The bat screeched.

"I know you've trusted people before and they wanted to hurt you," Peter said. "But we don't want to hurt you. My girlfriend and I... we're here to investigate and we don't know what you're doing here but..."

Barbara and Peter looked at each other and they both realised something. They realised what the creature was doing here. The creature looked at them, confused.

"You were here before," Peter said. "Something happened to you and..."

The bat spread its wings apart, no longer defensive.

"So..." Peter said, looking at Barbara.

Barbara nodded. "Yep, the blood belongs to that creature over there."

...

Curt synthesised the new formula Peter had come up with. In front of him, in the cage was the rat that he'd used the new formula on. If all things went well the rat would regrow its limb without any major alterations to its personality.

Curt had a bottle of whiskey and glass on his left and his phone on his right to tell Peter the good news. His lab was the only one with its lights on. The other members of the Wayne science division had left the building, leaving Curt alone to observe the rat under the most careful of scrutiny.

His phone suddenly rang, breaking his concentration. The fact that it was his wife calling didn't make things any better.

"What?" Curt said.

"Your son," Martha said. "He wants to visit you."

"Tell him he can visit this weekend," Curt said. "I'm busy."

"This wasn't in the agreement," Martha said. "You made such a big deal about custody during the proceedings and now..."

"Like I said," Curt said coolly. "This weekend."

He hung up. And while he was in the call, he noticed that the rat who had been missing his left limb had regrown it.

Curt's eyes widened in elation. Could this be it? Could all their research finally have paid off?

And like a grim reminder the rat started mauling the other rats in the cage. Curt had to pull it out of the cage and inject it with the cyanide injection. The rat nipped furiously at his fingers until the poison set in. Its body shuddered and then was still.