theknightshift | inbox (etraya)

[ Collaborate? Hm. It is a chance to get to know this alternate Batman a bit better. And maybe shed some light on how he operates. Outside of the killing. ]

Time and place.

[Kirk sends coordinates. Bruce isn't the only Batman to set up a safehouse in Nova City. It's pointedly away from the Tower of Justice since there's no way in hell Kirk is trusting Bruce to be in the tower again]

Whenever you're ready.

[ Good instincts. Bruce wasn’t under the impression he would be invited in after their initial introduction. But it’s okay. He didn’t exactly need permission. The safe house would do for now.

He arrives several minutes after Kirk sends the coordinates and lets himself in through an unlocked window. ]

Dr. Langstrom.

[ he would say it was good to see him again. But was it? Was it really?]

[The space is rather utilitarian. Though if given the choice, Kirk's safehouse lab would have more top-of-the-line equipment. But it is what it is and he's at least made his secondary lab adequate enough.

He nods at Bruce in acknowledgement, having expected he would go through a window]

Guess I should thank you again for the meals.

[A dry statement as he doesn't want to get too hopeful. The formula has potential but he's done enough science experiments and studies to know something can still go wrong]

[ Something snarky lives on the edge of his restraint, but he opts not to say it and moves into the lab to get a look at the equipment. It's a little on the primitive side, but he can't expect much when it comes to what can be scavenged here. He'd have to do some of the work in the cave. ]

How long have you been like this?

[ Nosy. Let's start off nosy. ]

[Kirk can play along for now. He figured Bruce wants to know more about him and the feeling is mutual, along with seeing if the formula can be further enhanced]

Over a decade now. I suppose you picked up on how it happened?

[It's been a lot of dead bodies over the years. It's how Kirk still sees himself as a monster. He still finds it bizarre that Bruce seemingly wants to help him]

[ He didn't need a look in the files to have a guess. Langstrom can't seem to stay away from splicing his DNA with a bat's. The results here are just less drastic than they were back home. ]

I saw.

[ He's read their mission reports. If he could help Kirk find a better way to exist like this, he would. ]

Do you want a cure?

[Kirk nods]

I do. Been working on it for years.

[But is that Bruce's real intention as well?]

[ He hadn't delved deep enough to get into the details of what Kirk's cure might look like. He'd barely had time to scratch the surface of his transformation. The only thing he knows for sure is that the nanites are what's keeping him alive.

He reaches into a compartment on his belt and offers Kirk a USB drive. ]

The nanites are replicating the mutated DNA. If you figure out how to reprogram them, you might see some results.

Edited 2026-02-22 21:24 (UTC)

[Kirk nods and takes the USB drive. He'll need to scan it first before he can trust putting it into the Tower's systems]

It's part of what I've been theorizing. They're meant to self-duplicate. Unfortunately, I only recently learned I was working with false data about the nanites. Then there's the matter of how extensive the reprogramming needs to be. I don't know if they truly cured my lymphoma or just keeping it at bay.

[ Bruce isn't a oncologist. Still he imagines if the nanites had unmutated dna to work with, it should cure the lymphoma. Or at least buy Kirk time enough to figure out a more permanent fix. ]

Let's figure out the formula first.

[Kirk nods. Best to approach one problem at a time. The bigger picture of curing him is an enormous task, even more so after Will's betrayal. It's a lot to unpack. But improving his artificial plasma formula? It's a relatively less arduous problem to tackle]

I reviewed your notes from our last talk. You're a quick learner after you looked at my files.

[ It helped that Kirk is meticulous and organized. He didn't have to sift through a lot to start connecting dots. ]

What are your goals with this formula?

[The easy answer should be obvious but from what little he knows about this alternate Batman, Kirk senses there’s something else he’s looking for. Neither of them can help it. They need to analyze each other first before they can really trust each other, if ever]

First and foremost, keep my appetite in better control. The more sustainable choices I have, the less likely I’ll go berserk.

The second goal is it needs to be viable enough until a cure is found.

[There’s a minute pause as he considers another possibility, one that’s always been lurking but never comfortable to think about]

Or viable enough that if I can’t be cured, it makes my hunger more tolerable.

[ Without knowing more about the nanites - their source, the programing that runs them - it's true Bruce isn't going to be much help with a cure. Especially if Kirk's been working off misleading information himself. At the very least it's going to be a while off until he'd gotten a better understanding.

He listens to Kirk's answer, even if it doesn't seem like he is, wandering around the lab space, examining the equipment closely.

Finally, he stops and looks over at his counterpart. ]

Do you want to be cured?

[Kirk has no doubt that his counterpart is listening and examining his space, trying to get a better understanding of him.

At his question, Kirk remains monotone and his expression neutral]

Yes. But I’m aware it might not be possible. So it’s best to also consider other options.

[There are uncomfortable questions to think about but he doesn’t think he should unpack them with the alternate Batman at the moment]

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