Chapter 17 Wonder Woman comes with her exclusive bgm
168.
A few days later, Luthor's charity gala took place as planned. The most prominent figures from Gotham City and Metropolis turned out, creating a bustling atmosphere. Luthor's grand hall was lavishly decorated, with ornate crystal chandeliers casting a warm glow. The neatly arranged tables and attentive waiters made the entire occasion look impeccable.
But I know that this party is definitely not as simple as it seems.
Bruce, dressed in a classic black suit, blended seamlessly into the crowd. With his usual charming Bruce Baby smile, his every move exuded the suave elegance of a Gotham prince, as he chatted effortlessly with the guests, looking like a butterfly among the flowers.
Alfred wasn't in the banquet hall at the moment, but stayed in the Batcave, responsible for remote monitoring and intelligence support. His slightly teasing voice rang out through the headset: "Master, your Brucie Baby performance has improved again. Even I'm almost convinced that you're the dumbest person here."
"Thanks for the compliment, Alfu," Bruce replied casually, his eyes still roaming among the people at the banquet, trying to detect any anomalies. "Any new discoveries?"
"Nothing unusual," Alfu replied. "However, I noticed that Luther seemed to be trying to talk to Miss Diana all the time, while Miss Diana deliberately avoided him. Could he be looking for a new spokesperson for his company?"
"Diana Prince can't become Luthor's pawn." Bruce responded in a low voice with a firm tone.
"Where do you think Luther kept those files?" I whispered into the headset.
"Probably his office," Bruce replied. "He'll be welcoming a few special guests at the party, but I'm more interested in what he's hiding while he's away."
"Understood." I flew next to the Luther Building wearing an invisibility cloak, and after hearing what I said, I climbed into the building through the ventilation duct. Barbara and Dick also successfully sneaked into the building with disguise and quietly sneaked to the top floor.
169.
"Peregrine, I've locked down the office." Barbara's voice came through the headset, calm and composed. "It's in the east wing on the top floor. There are a lot of security guards there."
"The number of security personnel in the East Wing has increased." Ah Fu's voice came through the headset, a little worried. "Are you sure you don't need reinforcements?"
"Thanks, Pennywise. We can handle this," I whispered back, my eyes flicking towards the heavily guarded office door. "Besides, these are just regular people."
"Ordinary people can cause extraordinary trouble, Peregrine," Alfu teased. "Just make sure you don't show your heroic side on Luther's surveillance tape."
"Don't worry, Penny One, my invisibility cloak is top-notch." I chuckled and took quick action.
"I can get their attention," Dick whispered, a hint of eagerness in his voice. "Just give me three minutes."
"Don't be too conspicuous." Bruce warned in the headset, "Luthor won't use ordinary security systems. Every move he makes is a trap."
"I see." Dick lowered his voice reluctantly.
From the ventilation duct, I could see the lavish banquet downstairs. Luther stood in the center, his trademark smile like a mask plastered on his face. He exchanged pleasantries with the guests while cleverly avoiding any deeper conversation. He seemed busy, yet he maintained a constant grasp of his surroundings.
"He's really good at pretending." I whispered.
"Luthor's disguise is just as good as my 'Brucie Baby,'" Bruce quipped softly, "but that makes him even more dangerous."
"That's right," Barbara added in a low voice. "I've already hacked into his internal network. It looks like there's a separate server that can't be hacked remotely."
"Then we'll just have to take action," I whispered, approaching the top-floor office.
Two burly bodyguards stood guard at the top-floor office door. Wearing the latest bulletproof gear, they looked well-trained. Dick approached quietly and said in his usual teasing tone, "Two big guys, what a lively night!"
"Don't play tricks, just get rid of them." Bruce's voice sounded coldly.
"Understood, Batman," Dick replied using his codename, then deftly flipped over and leaped over the bodyguards, quickly knocking one of them down with a silent, uniformed move.
Barbara used a talisman to create a brief distraction, rendering another bodyguard unconscious.
"Okay, door's clear," Dick whispered.
"Peregrine, you can enter now." Barbara commanded in the headset.
"Understood." I jumped down neatly without making any sound.
The room was filled with Luther's usual style—cold, luxurious, yet with an unsettling sense of order. I quickly searched the desks and filing cabinets, finally finding some clues in a hidden server.
"People like this always like to show their power so bluntly." Barbara said softly and began to quickly connect to Luther's computer.
"This place has a security system." Dick reminded in a low voice, his eyes quickly scanning the surroundings. "I feel like there are cameras."
"It's been hacked." Barbara's voice was full of confidence. "Search quickly and find out what he's hiding."
"These documents mention an experiment..." Barbara quickly flipped through the contents on the screen, "about that green radioactive mineral. Luthor named it 'Kryptonite'."
"Kryptonite?" Bruce's voice was cold. "Tell me more about it?"
"According to the documentation, it seems to have a fatal effect only on Kryptonians," Barbara explained. "Luthor collected a large amount of this ore and conducted experiments in various aspects to understand its basic properties."
"What did he do with it?" Bruce demanded.
"He was experimenting with the energy reactions of these minerals." Barbara frowned. "There are even some records of human experiments."
"Human experiments?" Dick's voice rose a little. "Where did he get these people from?"
Barbara quickly flipped through the files, "Hiring the Kryptonians that Deathstroke killed in the war a while ago."
"He doesn't even spare the dead?" I clenched my fists, my voice filled with undisguised anger.
"And the Kryptonian technology he acquired at the same time... He seems to be trying to use it to create some weapons."
"More than weapons," I added, pointing to a folder on the screen. "He's also trying to harness kryptonite, studying its effects on Kryptonian genetics."
"Luthor isn't just targeting Superman; he wants to use this to control all the power of Krypton," Barbara concluded with a hint of chill in her tone.
"This is Luthor," Bruce said coldly. "He'll use any means necessary to achieve his goals. Keep searching... Oh, hello, your name is Diana, right?"
Bruce turned off the communication when we were quietly listening...Tsk, what a stingy guy.
As we continued our search, I came across a chilling document.
"He has people in Congress," I read in a low voice. "If Superman rescues Lois in Africa, he'll create a publicity stunt, accusing Superman of murdering innocent people."
"Despicable." Dick cursed angrily, "This guy really has no bottom line."
170.
Meanwhile, in the banquet hall, Bruce was talking to an elegant lady.
Just looking at the handsome men and beautiful women toasting each other and chatting and laughing under the dazzling lights of the banquet, people who don't know the situation might think they are chatting about something romantic, not knowing that there are daggers hidden in their smiles and swords in their words.
Diana's eyes flicked to his profile—in theory, this Batman-made micro-communicator wouldn't let any ordinary person see anything amiss. But Bruce knew the person on the other side wasn't an ordinary person.
So he silently turned his face to the side with the communicator away from Diana.
His perfect smile remained unchanged, and his words were filled with pure, uncontaminated stupidity and innocence. "Oh? What did you just say? I only came here because he said he was going to have an awesome party! And I just happened to have the time, Luther? What big of a problem could he have?"
Diana smiled faintly, but her gaze remained undimmed by Bruce's "innocence." She lifted her glass and gently swirled it, the amber liquid reflecting a captivating radiance under the light.
"Yeah, who would have thought there would be anything wrong with Lex Luthor?" She said it lightly, as if she completely agreed with Bruce's point of view. "However, sometimes, the more harmless things seem on the surface, the more likely they are to hide unknown secrets."
Bruce raised his eyebrows in mock confusion, putting on a perfectly bewildered expression. "Secret? What do you mean? Is it Luthor's... party menu? I heard that tonight's meal is a little out of character for him."
Diana chuckled softly and brought the glass to her lips, but didn't actually drink it. Her voice lowered slightly, a hint of teasing, "Bruce, I thought you'd be better at hiding the knife in your words."
Bruce was slightly taken aback, then smiled flawlessly. "Diana, that's not fair. I'm just an ordinary Gotham tycoon, and words are just a tool to share my feelings with my friends. As for 'hiding a knife', that's a bit scary."
Diana stared at him silently for a moment before speaking, "Perhaps. However, you are Gotham's 'ordinary rich man', and I am Metropolis's 'ordinary historian'. It seems that we both have some unusual friends."
Bruce raised his glass and clinked it with hers. His voice was low but cheerful. "Then let's drink to these extraordinary friends."
The two of them sipped their champagne, each with their own thoughts, while Dick's voice came from Bruce's headphones:
"Batman, we found some more documents containing records of Kryptonite and Luthor's experiments with it. Oh, and we also found some laboratory addresses."
Bruce tilted his head slightly, pretending to look at the decorations of the venue, and then shifted his gaze in the direction of Luther. The latter was still smiling and chatting with the crowd, seemingly unaware of what was happening upstairs.
"Keep a low profile." Bruce whispered.
Diana noticed his movements and tilted her head slightly, her eyes slightly sharp. "Why, do you think the party is too boring?"
"Oh, no." Bruce returned to his casual tone. "I just think Luther's smile is a bit too exaggerated. His 'party' may not be so perfect."
"Maybe." Diana said lightly, then glanced at Luther, a complicated look flashing in her eyes, "However, I think the real climax of tonight may not be on this dance floor."
Bruce raised an eyebrow, "Really? I'll have to look forward to it then."
Diana smiled slightly and put her glass down, "I look forward to seeing your next move, Bruce."
Bruce's smile remained the same, but his eyes grew darker. "Same here, Diana."
171.
Just as Diana and Bruce were talking, Luthor came over.
"Bruce Wayne!" He opened his arms and greeted with exaggerated enthusiasm. "I didn't expect you to come! What a surprise."
"Of course, Lex." Bruce kept his signature flirtatious smile. "How could I refuse your invitation?"
"Diana Prince." Luther turned his gaze to Diana. "I've heard of your name for a long time, but I have the honor of meeting you today."
"Mr. Luther," Diana responded with a smile, her tone just the right amount of distance. "I heard you've made remarkable achievements in many fields recently. Do you have any new plans?"
"You're welcome." Luther smiled modestly and contentedly. "There are always too many problems in this world that need to be solved, and I'm just doing my best. Recently, we've been promoting a technological project that aims to benefit all of humanity. After all, I've always believed that only humans themselves can truly control their own destiny."
"Indeed, some problems do need to be solved," Bruce said, waving his hand. His anger was genuine. "Especially that weirdo in a black tights stalking my city! Honestly, compared to that violent maniac, Superman, who flies through the air every day saving cats and dogs, looks so handsome..."
"I don't completely agree." Luthor shook his head and said meaningfully, "I think instead of relying on that Kryptonian rescue dog, it's better for us humans to rely on ourselves. Power should be in the hands of us Earthlings... right?"
Diana and Bruce looked at each other and smiled faintly.
"Well, Mr. Luther, I wish you good luck." Diana raised her glass gracefully. "Perhaps next time, we will have the opportunity to discuss your 'power' in depth."
"I'm looking forward to it." Luther's smile was still perfect, but there was a hint of coldness in the depths of his eyes.
172.
After the dinner, we return to the Batcave, where Barbara displays the documents she copied from Luthor's office one by one.
"This is Luthor's complete plan," Barbara said calmly. "He's using the media and political power to discredit Superman while developing weapons against Kryptonians. He not only wants to eliminate Superman, but also to guard against any alien forces that might emerge in the future."
"His ambitions are greater than we imagined," Bruce whispered. "This isn't just pure hostility. Under the guise of fighting aliens, he also wants to manipulate others."
What Bruce didn't finish saying was that Luthor also wanted to infiltrate Congress and he wanted to have more political power.
"So how do we deal with this?" Dick asked. "He now has Kryptonite and even Kryptonian technology."
"We must act faster." Bruce turned and looked at Superman. "Lex's next target may very well be your weakness."
Clark nodded, his eyes determined, "Whatever he has planned, I will stop him."
"Well, first, let's see where the kryptonite is." Bruce's voice was low and firm. "Batgirl, continue analyzing this data and see if there's any mention of the location of his lab."
"I understand." Barbara quickly tapped on the keyboard, calling up more files. "Luthor's laboratory isn't in the core area of Metropolis, or even within the city limits... He built it in an abandoned industrial area. It's a secret location with tight security."
"We must act quickly." Bruce turned and looked at everyone. "If he continues to study these things, the consequences will be disastrous."
"So when do we start?" Dick asked impatiently, doing a backflip in the Batcave.
"Wait until I have a battle plan ready." Bruce ignored Dick's lost voice in the background and turned to Superman. "Luthor's target is you. He will find your weakness and attack it repeatedly. It's obvious that he has found it now. He has also deployed special defenses against you near the laboratory... I think you are more suitable to look after your family."
"I'll pay attention...eh?" Clark's resolute eyes turned into small ones. "Don't you need me?"
Batman remained silent, just making preparations.
Ah Fu interjected at the right moment, his tone full of his usual sense of humor, "Master, I have prepared some backup plans based on Luther's layout. If you feel the need, I can also prepare some special 'drinks' to cheer you up - such as your favorite 'Gotham Special' coffee."
Bruce chuckled at that, "Thank you, Alfred, but what we might need is more intelligence and backup."
"You know, I'm always on call." Alfu's voice was filled with concern, "But don't forget, heroes also need to rest, especially when dealing with people like Luther."
Bruce didn't answer, but just lowered his head and continued to look at the documents on the screen.
173.
As night fell, we split up and headed towards Luthor's hidden lab. Batman and I went to retrieve the kryptonite and destroy the weapons, Batgirl and Pennywise provided remote technical support, and Robin provided cover from the outside.
"Peregrine, what's your position?" Batman's deep throat voice came from the communicator.
"We've entered the lab's outer passage," I whispered, scanning the surrounding surveillance equipment. "The security system here is more complex than we expected. I'm worried that if Luther sees it through the surveillance, he'll be desperate and destroy the evidence remotely."
"Batgirl, can you disrupt his security system?" Bruce asked.
"Wait a moment, B," Barbara's voice came, with her usual calmness. "I'm trying to implant a virus through the internal network... Very good, you have about ten minutes to infiltrate and proceed."
"That's enough." I casually cut open the frighteningly thick door with my sword, and the complex circuits inside sizzled in the smooth cut.
I bared my white teeth at the heavily armed security guards and said briskly, "Hi, good evening. Could you please have a quiet sleep? It will be over soon."
"Why not?" I used my sword to knock back the bullets, carefully avoiding the fatal parts. "Then I'll have to give you general anesthesia."
174.
Batman walked lightly and quietly through the screams of ghosts and wolves, as if all the noise around him did not exist, and headed straight for the experimental area in the center.
"Peregrine, watch your pace," he warned softly, his tone devoid of any emotion. "We need to be quick, but we can't leave any clues behind."
"Understood." I knocked down the last struggling security guard while checking the surrounding equipment. "The defenses here are quite impressive, but it's a pity they don't have enough manpower."
"That's Luthor's style," Batman said coldly. "He focuses on technological defense rather than manpower."
At this time, Barbara's voice came from the communicator, "B, I have unlocked the core experimental area, but there may be an automatic defense system inside. I will try my best to interfere, but you need to be careful."
"Got it." Batman responded in a low voice. Without any hesitation, he entered the laboratory in a few steps.
175.
The center of the laboratory was unsettlingly tidy. Rows of transparent, sealed containers lay on the lab bench, emitting a faint green light. Though the light was gentle, it held an indescribable danger.
"Is this kryptonite?" I took a step closer, my eyes scanning the containers warily. "I didn't expect it to look so... beautiful."
"Appearances don't tell you anything." Batman pulled a detector from his belt and quickly scanned the container. "Luthor's information is correct. These minerals are extremely lethal to Kryptonians, but harmless to ordinary people."
"What a convenient weapon," I muttered, my hand already reaching for one of the containers. "What are we going to do with this? Take it all away or destroy it?"
"Take them all." Batman said firmly, "Luthor may have other hidden labs. If we destroy these, he will redouble his efforts to create more. Only by controlling it can we stop him."
"Understood." I put the containers into the system space one by one. The green light disappeared before my eyes, and only the low hum of the equipment remained in the laboratory.
176.
Just as we were about to evacuate, Dick's voice came over the communicator, "B, there's trouble! Luthor's reinforcements are here, and they're equipped with heavy firepower, weapons that appear to be specifically designed to target Superman!"
"Hold the line, Robin," Bruce commanded quickly, "We'll be out soon."
"This place is a trap." I frowned and glanced at the lab exit. "Luther knew we would come."
"He may be prepared, but he always underestimates us." Batman's voice was calm, almost icy. "Peregrine, escort these kryptonites away. I'll cover them."
"We are not here to sacrifice ourselves." I gripped the sword tightly, a sneer on my lips, "Don't worry, I won't let anyone disturb your retreat."
Barbara's voice sounded at the right time, "I am retrieving the map of the laboratory and providing you with a safer retreat route."
Alfred interjected, his tone tinged with humor. "Batman, please make sure you don't get yourself hurt by being a hero. Otherwise, repairing your damaged equipment will be quite a hassle."
Bruce's mouth curled up slightly, "Don't worry, Pennywise. I'll be careful."
"Peregrine, let's go." He motioned me to go first, his eyes showing his usual determination.
"Don't die here." I whispered, turned around and rushed towards the exit.
177.
After leaving the lab, I quickly transported the kryptonite back to the Batcave, while Bruce and Dick continued to hold off Luthor's troops to buy us more time.
"The kryptonite is safely in our hands," I reported through the communicator. "What should we do next?"
"Batgirl, lock down the locations of Luthor's other laboratories." Bruce's voice came from the headset, slightly panting, but still calm. "We can't give him any chance to breathe."
"We're already working on it," Barbara responded quickly. "But it will take some time. Luther's firewall is very complicated."
"Time isn't the issue," Bruce whispered. "The issue is, we have to make sure he can't continue to threaten Superman, or anyone else."
I looked at the system space containing the kryptonite, but my eyes gradually froze.
"Damn it." I cursed and held my forehead.
When Ah Fu came to ask me, I replied with a grim expression, "These kryptonites... only one piece is real, the rest are fake! That guy tricked us, he knew we would get there first."
My face remained calm, but my feet kept pacing around the Batcave. "I was wondering why the security in the lab was so weak... He was just taking advantage of our lack of knowledge about Kryptonite, so he used other things to trick us! How dare that damn bald guy with no hair at all lie to me! I'm going to twist the top of his head off and plant some flowers on him!"
"Calm down, Peregrine." Batman's steady voice cooled my brain, which was soaked in hot oil. "At least we have destroyed one of his laboratories and brought back evidence and research data of his illegal research. Believe us, we will find his true storage location and stop all his future plans. No matter how deep he hides, we will dig it out and destroy it."
"You're right, Batman." My expression had become abnormally calm, enough to give goosebumps to even those I know.
"I'm going to use a special hair growth agent to grow hair for him and then burn his hair and the follicles together," I said, "to fertilize my spiritual field."
The system arrived slowly.
[Special mission: Grow hair for Luther and then make him bald.
Mission Introduction:
Lex Luthor, the bald villain, is a bald billionaire on the surface, but actually a bald evil genius. He is as cunning as a fox, always taking the lead in various plans, and even deceived your team in the kryptonite laboratory.
But you won't give up. If he can tease you with fake kryptonite, you can tease him with the things that matter most to him—like his bald head.
Mission objectives:
1. Use your secret refining techniques from the world of cultivation to create a "super hair growth agent".
2. Successfully give Luther lush hair, preferably brightly colored (pink or fluorescent green are good choices).
3. Then somehow, gracefully restore his hair to its original smooth state.
4. Record all of this and upload it to the "Gotham Documentary" channel.
5. Or scatter his ashes into your spiritual field? It depends on your perspective.
Notice:
This mission is entirely to satisfy your desire for justice against the bald villain. Please be sure to complete it in a safe and life-saving manner.
Mission reward: 20 cosmic fragments, your mood becomes cheerful.
Notes:
"We don't advocate revenge based on appearance, but... Luther does need to be punished."]
There was a silent pause, followed by a gasp from Dick.
"Whatever you want," Bruce said.
178.
"Um, Peregrine..." Dick's voice came cautiously, "Are you... okay?"
It's amazing that he was so shocked that he still remembered to call out the code name.
Ah Fu coughed softly, his tone dry and teasing, "Miss, although your plan sounds very creative, I suggest you take a break first to avoid your emotional fluctuations affecting your judgment."
Ah Fu advises people to take a rest, Hello Ah Fu.
Luther is looking for a job for someone late at night. Luther is bad!
"Alfred is right." Barbara chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Besides, Luther's hair is already gone. Inflicting additional torture on him would be a bit superfluous."
The child was so frightened that he even used honorifics.
"Haha." I maintained that creepy calmness. "I must let him experience what true humiliation is."
"Peregrine, stay focused." Bruce began to change the subject silently, his voice undeniably calm. "Luthor won't give up easily, and neither will we."
"Understood." I nodded, looking gloomily at the data on the Bat's computer screen, "His hair follicles, don't even think about escaping."
Dick swallowed silently and said quietly, "Well... I think Luther might miss his bald head in the future."
"Peregrine, stay focused." Bruce broke the atmosphere and calmly turned the topic back on track. "Luthor won't give up easily, and neither will we."
"Understood." I nodded, looking gloomily at the data on the Batcomputer screen. "We will thwart his plans one by one."
179.
After that, I returned to Batman and prepared to go to the next destination without stopping. Diana appeared at the door of the laboratory.
She changed out of her elegant evening gown, and the armor on her body gleamed in the light, making her look particularly majestic.
"It seems I've arrived just in time," she said slowly, her eyes scanning each of our faces. "Lex Luthor is a dangerous enemy, but he's not the only threat. We need to work more closely together."
"Cooperation?" Superman's voice came from the other side. He settled Lois and Martha and hurried over to help.
He looked at Diana and gave her a warm smile, "You mean, we should act together?"
"Superman." Wonder Woman turned to look at him, her tone filled with unquestionable determination. "You know, you alone are not enough to deal with all possible crises. Moreover, not all enemies will confront you directly. Some conspiracies require different methods to dismantle."
Ding Dong, the system started to work again.
[Side quest: Promote the alliance of superheroes.
Character Introduction: Each hero possesses their own unique abilities, but fighting alone is no longer enough to cope with the onslaught of crises. Now, it's time for these top warriors to band together and form a super team! Your mission is to bridge this diverse group of characters and foster an epic collaboration. After all, saving the world is never a one-man show.
Mission Objective: Facilitate the first joint action of superheroes and ensure the successful completion of the mission.
Mission Rewards: Cosmic Fragments x 50, Star Track Pass x 1. 】
"That sounds like a team." I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow at Bruce. "What do you think, Batman?"
Bruce pondered for a moment, his mind swirling with countless data and thoughts. After a moment, he looked up, his eyes calm and sharp. "Teamwork is indeed an option, but it requires trust and a clear goal. And trust... is difficult to build."
"Trust takes time, but it's not impossible." Wonder Woman's tone was calm but revealed unquestionable strength. "We don't need to be each other's family, but we need to be allies."
Superman nodded in agreement. "Lex Luthor's plan is a start, but there are far more threats that could arise on Earth. If we don't unite, we will all be fighting on our own, defeated one by one."
"Okay." I shrugged. "You're talking about this like we're forming a 'Justice League'."
Wonder Woman smiled slightly, "Perhaps this is where we begin."
"Batman?" Superman looked at Batman, waiting for his response.
Bruce was silent for a moment, then he finally raised his head and said in a calm voice, "If it's for the safety of the Earth, we can try it."
Wonder Woman nodded, clenched her fists, and spoke with hope and strength in her tone: "Then, let's start from now on. Together we will protect this world, no matter what challenges we face in the future."
"Alright." I stood up and walked towards the lab. "I hope you're prepared for the madness that's going to happen on Earth. Otherwise, you might regret forming this 'alliance.'"
Dick muttered under his breath, "I think we've gone crazy."
Clark smiled and patted Dick's shoulder, "This is just the beginning."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
