Chapter 48 Collaborators? So many people.
After a moment of silence, Alan the rabbit couldn't help but ask, "...How did you know I turned into a rabbit?"
"I only know you won't do anything you're not sure of. Honey, trust me, maybe I know you better than you know yourself. So don't say anything like that about me killing you, you know I could never do that."
As they were talking, Dick had already driven off into the suburbs.
The Lighthouse Laboratory is still where it belongs. The swirling tumors and vines have not grown, and normal trees, not human-faced monsters, have sprung up in the dense jungle.
The car was parked in a quiet suburban forest. Night had fallen in Brudhaven, and the lighthouse in the clearing stood like a beacon in the darkness.
The air was refracted into strange light, just as Dick had seen before. In the brightly lit passageway, visible spores of viruses floated like plankton.
Dick turned to look at Allen: "So you didn't even go into the lab at all, right?"
"Everyone knows that Luther is inside, ready to deal with me, so why should I go in?" The rabbit sat calmly in the passenger seat, its two furry front legs dangling in front of its chest—Alan had just tried to cross his arms and strike a more composed and arrogant pose, but the rabbit's body clearly made him fail.
He obediently lowered his furry hand and continued to explain, "They presumptuously severed my connection with 'Trishkel,' but that only made it impossible for them to track my movements. The magical artifact that Norman Osborn used to put the monster into my body has only been weakened, not disappeared. I thought they knew Constantine had taken my money."
Dick processed what he had just heard before realizing that Allen had been preparing for this day for a long time.
“So what exactly was that thing I just saw?” Dick asked.
Allen paused for a moment, but didn't speak. The rabbit's body made him very uncomfortable, but he couldn't turn back yet. Even the slightest energy fluctuation was enough to attract 'Trishkel's' attention, let alone the fact that he had to spare his attention to control the 'copy' still inside the lighthouse.
He was able to do this thanks to his earlier mistaken belief that Dick had become a spirit, so he asked Constantine to replenish a huge amount of supplies. Now, instead of using these supplies on Dick, he's using them all on himself.
Dick reluctantly pulled the 'token of love' that Allen had forced on him from his collar and hung it on the little white rabbit's chest without hesitation.
Her boyfriend must have studied military strategy; he used the "golden cicada shedding its shell" tactic quite well.
However... Dick suspected that Allen was still hiding something.
If Allen only created a 'copy' of himself, where did his original body go? Why is there only a soul residing in the rabbit's body now?
“You definitely can’t use the double-barreled Remington anymore, baby. Forgive me, but I absolutely cannot watch a little rabbit fire a gun… Do you need a few more gadgets? Batman has some, all made by Constantine… I think I can make you a roller.” He lowered his voice for the last sentence, not daring to let Allen hear it.
Allen's long ears twitched, warily dodging Dick's claws that were trying to grab his tail again. He nodded regally while perched on the steering wheel, then directed Dick to drive the car in another direction in the suburbs.
There was another laboratory there that he had dug in advance.
Dick paused for a few seconds, then tugged at the bunny ears again: "This look really suits you, baby, since you love digging. Also, before you dig through the entire underground of Broodhaven, can I, your dear boyfriend, get a heads-up?"
The rabbit, completely unconcerned about its image, kicked Dick with its hind legs before slowly saying, "Didn't we break up a long time ago?"
Dick: "...If I remember correctly, it hasn't been more than 24 hours since we started fooling around together."
Allen suddenly fell silent.
He glanced at Dick and thought to himself, "Actually, many years have passed."
Dick thought the apocalyptic scene he saw hadn't happened, but it hadn't.
The Devil's Mirror that Norman Osborn acquired wasn't an ordinary mirror; it was the legendary Mirror of Tescalipoca. That mirror was born around the same time as the inverted triple helix, a symbol of rebirth and continuation, and they were intricately connected. Allen didn't know how much time and effort old Norman had spent obtaining this 'smoke mirror' capable of prying into people's hearts and tempting souls to corruption, but there was no doubt that old Osborn had been lucky in this matter.
However, it cannot be said that he was lucky. Rather, it should be said that old Osborn's cautious nature prevented him from easily trying to make a deal with the devil before his own life was in dire straits. Therefore, he made Allen, who also carried the genetic defect, the test subject.
Allen was both lucky and unlucky.
Despite Old Osborn's expectant gaze, Allen's genetic defect did not disappear.
Norman Osborn assumed the experiment had failed, but Allen later discovered that the Parker couple, who were in charge of the experiment, had concealed some of the true experimental data—after all, the alien fragments were something lost by S.H.I.E.L.D., and their orders were to destroy the experiment.
Before leaving New York, Allen revisited the abandoned subway station he and Peter had discovered. It was the Parker couple's secret laboratory, and Allen eventually found the experimental data they had hidden inside the subway tracks.
Perhaps out of sympathy for Alan, the Parkers did not report all the data to S.H.I.E.L.D., leading S.H.I.E.L.D. to believe that the alien debris had been destroyed in Osborn's experiments. However, the Parkers also died in an operation, and the secret remained forever until Alan unearthed it, along with information about the mirror.
When Constantine approached him, he was already learning to control the power of the mirror.
The so-called 'copy' is nothing more than a silhouette projected through a 'smoke mirror'. These silhouettes can briefly remain in the world, almost indistinguishable from real people. The 'squid' is a first-generation inferior product, so its internal organs are completely opposite to those of a normal person.
In the mirror world, everything Dick just saw had already happened.
Allen's power spiraled out of control, and 'Trishkel' injected spores into the bodies of every living being, including members of the Justice League. As everything came to an end, Allen was forced into a coma, ultimately merging with the monster.
The last bit of power hidden in the 'Smoke Mirror' allowed him to touch a mysterious timeline while he was asleep. He originally intended to use his last bit of power to destroy the entire world, but after waking up, he found himself back in the deep passage leading to the lighthouse.
Magic can sometimes have unpredictable consequences, and it's quite common for expectations to differ from reality. Allen wasn't sure if this change was permanent or temporary, but he decided to try again anyway.
Maybe he can save the world... That's probably what Dick would want to see too.
But now there's only one last chance. 'Smoke Mirror's' power is almost gone, and the balance of power within him has been completely shattered, with 'Trishel' gaining the upper hand. So, his body is inevitably devoured and assimilated by 'Trishel' inside the Lighthouse. 'Matthew' thinks his plan has succeeded, and the unfortunate Luther has been used and discarded.
A plan was gradually taking shape in Allen's mind. He had made some preparations beforehand, but he hadn't had time to use them last time because of the suddenness of the situation. His suggestion that Dick kill him wasn't entirely a joke; after experiencing that destruction, he was still somewhat driven by an uncontrollable madness.
Dick was still nagging and threatening Allen to tell him everything, because he didn't want to keep making wild guesses or act like a fool being manipulated by Allen.
Alan the rabbit looked at the silly boy with affection: "Seriously, you can consider killing me."
Dick gritted his teeth: "After this is all over, you'd better go see a psychiatrist! You little bastard with self-destructive tendencies, you did it on purpose! I'm going to lock you in a cage and only feed you carrots all day long, you just wait!"
Allen quickly interrupted him: "...I was just kidding. I got some help, and things will be over soon."
Dick glanced at Allen warily, suddenly realizing that the 'helper' Allen mentioned was probably not simple.
**
"So, is there a problem?" Robin glanced at Dick. "Grayson, the look on your face is absolutely ridiculous."
Dick shut his gaping mouth, gasped, took three steps back, and looked incredulous: "Allen, the helper you're talking about is Little D?"
The rabbit nodded: "Is there a problem?"
Damian picked the rabbit up from the ground and skillfully scratched its forehead. Allen wanted to resist, but the child's technique was simply irresistible to the rabbit.
“The Poké Ball I used to trap Robin had a communication system,” Allen said. “Back then, I made a plan B.”
Dick looked like he was about to choke, thinking to himself, "This isn't a Plan B, it's a Plan A through Z. You're not like Norman Osborn's son at all. You and Damian are the real brothers, aren't you?"
Oh no, Damian and I are brothers.
hateful.
Dick glared angrily at Allen. "I'd like to see if there's anything else you haven't told me. Who's your partner for Plan C? And Plan D?"
Allen hopped to the door of another laboratory, slammed his hand on a button, and the door opened. The three people inside turned around at the same time, looked at Allen, and then fell silent.
It's Batman, Superman, and Constantine.
Dick: ...
"...When did you get in touch?" Dick asked, his face ashen and his heart filled with despair.
How could she not know that her boyfriend had secretly developed such a close relationship with his elderly father? Alan hadn't told her anything about it!
Allen answered matter-of-factly, "Wayne and Osborn both donated to Broodhaven Hospital, and Harry added us to a group chat. Is that so strange?"
Ms. Goodman was also in their group, so he found Batman before he could find Dick.
This woman, who had served as a senior executive in the ER at Brudhaven for many years, was now dressed in a lab coat. She stormed in through the door, her expression extremely serious: "You guys actually have time to chat here? Please, someone help me analyze the experimental data! Do you think working in the infectious disease department is so easy?"
Ms. Goodman, who has not worked in the medical field for many years, was once an expert in superbugs and infectious diseases. Behind her, a large group of strangely shaped people in white coats appeared.
Dick even saw Dr. Edward with a bunch of frangipani flowers hanging from his head.
All the doctors were busy; it was like a miniature version of the Brudhaven emergency room.
Dick overheard one of the doctors complaining, "This stuff is practically a superbug! Can we ask the government for artificial rain? We can just scatter the vaccine everywhere..."
“Wind power, volatility, and vaccine stability need repeated testing,” another doctor said. “The most crucial thing is that I can’t handle my twig hand well! It makes me keep knocking over test tubes! Damn!”
Allen glanced at his colleagues, who, even after mutation, couldn't escape the hell of overtime, nodded in satisfaction, and then turned to look at Dick: "...You said it, we need to learn to cooperate."
Dick: ...
The colleagues turned around and finally saw Alan the rabbit.
Although they already knew that their respected Dr. Osborn had also mutated, but...
Nurse Maggie (the mutant version) covered her mouth, struggling to suppress the urge to hide Allen under her down jacket.
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