Crane's Wings Facility — Training Room
Around a dozen Jaina duplicates occupied the training space in a loose formation. Each duplicate held a weapon or stood ready for what was coming.
Crane moved through them with steady purpose.
The fear energy flowed from him in controlled bursts as he was not using any toxin alongside it the energy possessed only enough force to throw a duplicate backward or generate a barrier dense enough to stop rifle rounds before breaking and needing to be reformed.
He stopped at the center of the formation.
The duplicates also all paused their movements.
He stood completely still.
He reflected on the tunnels beneath the Hassaikai compound and recalled the moment when the tight enclosed tunnels were filled with people breathing his toxin. The fear ran through all of their bodies at once and fed back into his Quirk in a powerful loop giving him the strong version of the energy. To put simply that collective fear from many sources fueled his power dramatically that he could not fully replicate on its own.
As well as that strange moment with that Rocklock hero…
The Jaina duplicates were not clones, they were more like extensions of Jaina herself and all the bodies were connected so while physical damage wouldn't transfer the case was different neurally as any mental effect on one extended to all of them in the hive mind network as long as that duplicate was active. He kept the toxin out of this fight as Jaina managed over a hundred active duplicates across the facility and he wouldn't compromise all the work she was doing to confirm what he already knew so perhaps he should try something different...
He remained still for a long moment while the duplicates watched him in silence.
The energy surged upward from the center of his chest in a massive burst. One duplicate flew backward hard and slid down the reinforced wall after a slicing impact and the remaining duplicates raised their weapons and opened fire. Crane covered his entire body in dense fear energy and the body shield protected him completely as the rounds struck and fell away not destroying it.
He moved with smooth speed using the energy around his legs to boost it dramatically.
He passed a pair of duplicates on his left and extended tendrils of energy outward who found their targets and threw them aside with powerful force into the concrete walls. He jumped high as the energy beneath his feet launched him to an impressive height and at the apex he pushed both hands downward and on instinct a spread of yellow projectiles launched forward and pierced four separate duplicates with clean accuracy. Each impact dropped its target effectively and the duplicates turned to dust.
He landed in the center making small steps with the energy before landing on the ground.
The final duplicate raised both hands in a clear signal.
"That is enough," Jaina said through the duplicate.
A cautious laugh followed. "That was an impressive display, where did that strength come from?"
Crane straightened his posture. His breathing came deeper than standard sessions produced.
"I used my own fears," he said. "Reaching them took effort to reach though you can see the power it creates."
He then thought about the downside however which is if he lost one of those few fears he had this way of using his quirk would again be limited.
"Useful information though I'm surprised to hear you fear things," the duplicate replied then paused briefly. "I am speaking with Silver right now through another duplicate, Eri just achieved some meaningful progress in the greenhouse. You should know about this development."
Crane's Wings Facility — Ivy's Greenhouse — Earlier That Day
When Eri began visiting regularly, the plants responded to her with the same warm attention they gave Ivy.
Several large vines near the eastern wall had taken to swinging Eri with gentle care.
It started on her third visit just after she got her new clothes. Eri had reached up to touch one vine, and it curled softly around her wrist before lifting her. She was scared at first but then slowly began to have fun as they lifted her high and carried her through the columns of plants while broad-leafed plants shifted into position underneath to catch her safely on the descent.
Today Eri laughed with full joy for the first time ever.
One vine carried her in a smooth arc toward a large blue flower near the western column. The bloom displayed a deep violet center shifting outward to rich indigo edges. She reached out as she passed and her fingers brushed it a little too hard.
The petals came away with her hand.
Eri landed softly on the wide catch-leaf below. She looked down at her hands and then back at the plant. The flower stood stripped to its stem while the petals lay scattered across the soil. As she watched, the stem bent gently and the bloom wilted with visible speed,.
Eri froze in place.
She stood beside the leaf with both hands held at her sides. Tears gathered in her eyes as she gazed at the wilting flower with deep worry that she had damaged something precious.
A broad leaf descended smoothly from the upper canopy. Ivy arrived on it with calm grace and settled near the damaged flower. She crouched down and touched the stem with careful fingers. Eri moved to stand right beside her, eyes wet with concern.
"Did I kill it," Eri asked, her voice small.
Ivy examined the flower closely and touched the stem once more.
"It looks so…," she said.
Eri knelt quickly on the soil and she placed both hands around the flower's lower stem. She drew a deep breath, closed her eyes, and focused completely. The horn on her forehead began to glow with soft light that grew steadily brighter.
"Please work," Eri whispered.
The flower rewinded.
The wilted stem straightened with fresh strength and it began to bloom once again. Deep violet color returned first at the center, followed by the rich indigo spreading outward to the edges until the flower stood restored to its full beauty.
Eri opened her eyes.
She gazed at the restored flower with wonder, then turned to look at Ivy.
Ivy's expression showed genuine wide-open surprise.
"Are you mad…" Eri asked, her voice carrying nervousness as she anxiously rubbed her hands together.
Ivy regarded her for a moment, then she smiled with real warmth in a way she almost never did for anyone besides Suguro.
"This just made my day," she said.
Eri's shoulders relaxed fully and relief flowed across her face as the fear she carried dissolved away. She felt happy that Ivy, whom she held some nervousness toward, now showed at least a little liking for her.
Ivy reached out and placed one hand gently on top of Eri's head in a soft pat then stepped back onto her leaf and ascended smoothly into the upper canopy, disappearing among the deeper layers of lush plant life.
Silver had stood watching from the greenhouse entrance.
She realized the full significance of what just occurred and took out her phone and sent a quick message to Jaina, letting her know to come to Ivy's area.
Eri turned around with a bright smile, her eyes still carried a trace of wetness, yet happiness shone through clearly.
Silver put her phone away and stepped forward and saw Eri yawn with visible tiredness.
Silver lifted her up and Eri accepted the hold without hesitation and tucked her head comfortably against Silver's shoulder, it had become a familiar habit between them as she trusted Silver the most as she then drifted into sleep before they even reached the greenhouse door.
Silver carried her with steady steps, a small smile on her face as she felt the child's relaxed breathing.
Crane's Wings Facility — Corridors — Present
Crane and Jaina walked out of the training room together after discussing this new progress Eri made on her own.
"This is good timing," he said. "Victor has begun his preparations for the move to our facility. When we have finished constructing a new level for him and what he needs."
"We should be ready for his arrival by the time the war ends at best." Jaina said.
"In the meantime perhaps it would be best if we convince Eri to keep practicing her Quirk." They then separated as he continued deeper into the underground network, lower levels and finally the room he was looking for but the screaming from it reached him well before he arrived at the door.
Crane's Wings Facility — Testing Room
Sen Kaibara remained strapped to the table he had been at for over a week now still in his UA tracksuit holding its recognizable appearance despite prolonged wear and tear.
His eyes darted rapidly in multiple directions at once as they tracked movements visible only to him through the toxin's influence and screamed in a sustained flow that had become the constant background state of the room.
He showed no awareness of when the door opened stuck in his own world.
William stood over him with an extra syringe prepared, the liquid inside carried a darker concentration than the standard fear toxin it was a new variant Crane had wanted to test. He stabbed the syringe into the boy's chest and injected the extra dose only for his own sycophantical pleasure.
"Ah," William said, with genuine pleasure in his voice. "Good to see you boss as you see, our UA student earns his place here with excellent results."
He looked over at the UA student with little more than indifference.
"He makes an excellent subject." William said as he released a laugh full of delight.
Crane observed the teenager closely, he had eyes wide and fixed with total conviction on the upper corner of the room now bloodshot red.
"Though I must ask why bring him all the way from Japan?" William asked with open curiosity. "Gotham offers many available subjects for this I really can't say I understand."
"He carries a greater purpose than testing toxin variants, though he won't be of true use for some time to come" Crane replied with firm clarity.
William met his gaze and accepted the boundary Crane was setting.
"Well," William continued smoothly, "he remains fully available for that greater purpose whenever you decide the moment arrives."
They left the testing room together as the door sealed shut behind them with a solid click. The screaming faded into muffled tones and then complete silence as they moved down the corridor.
Crane's Wings Facility — Research Laboratory
The Nomu tank was in the center of the laboratory and its specimen still floated suspended in blue-lit fluid while support systems cycled at a steady, reliable rate. Crane passed the tank as this was not the reason for why he came down here today.
William guided him directly to a table at the far end of the room.
A glove rested on a purpose-built stand in the center of the table though only upon a second look could one process its true nature. The surface carried a skin-flesh texture with the exact feel of living human tissue, along with some metal reinforcement that ran along the back and sides and integrated seamlessly.
"Overhaul's arm was a true work of art when I was experimenting with it and decided on this deisgn," William said, pride evident in every word. "I performed the degloving and hollowing process while keeping nerves intact and alive throughout the entire structure." He gestured toward the metal reinforcements with satisfaction. "I added structural support here to allow the user to lock it in tight."
Crane examined the glove with focused attention.
"The nerves in the hand now read directly from the user's own nervous system," William explained. "Once placed on the hand, connections establish themselves automatically though it seemed impossible at first I managed to pull it off. I tested the glove across eight separate drones and the response time stayed within one hundred milliseconds of my natural hand movements." He paused briefly for emphasis. "Overhaul's Quirk remains fully active in the tissue as even when we remove his brain he will technically still be alive and just to be safe I plan on keeping his body alive even without a brain though it will require lots of energy or a tank similar to what the nomu is in."
Crane reached forward and picked up the glove and pulled it over his hand, the fit felt tight and required minor adjustment at the wrist where the metal framing sat. Once ready with the nerve connected to his. A strange warmth spread first, followed by a clear flow of the feeling of touch from the glove as if it was his own hand.
He moved his fingers and the glove responded in perfect sync, however the true test was yet to come.
William raised an eyebrow with clear anticipation. "The capabilities extend well beyond simple finger movement."
He crossed the laboratory to the far wall where a covered cage stood and pulled the tarp away with a dramatic flourish.
The man inside wore remnants of green gang-affiliated clothing, he had extensive bruising covering his pale skin. When the man saw William, he pressed himself against the back of the cage.
"Langstrom found this insect too close to the surface building," William said in the tone of someone discussing raw materials. "He carried a reputation as a fearless gang member from his neighbourhood but that reputation meant nothing once he arrived here." He studied the man with mild professional interest. "He has a good animal to practice new techniques on but his usefulness is now at an end."
William took a small remote from his coat pocket and pressed the control.
The cage door swung open smoothly.
"Step forward"
The man stared at the open door before he rose from the ground and walked forward into the center of the room.
His movements completely obeyed William though he was still mentally free and had no control of himself, a prisoner in his own body.
"Stop"
The man stopped in the exact center of the room and his eyes moved rapidly between Willaim, and Crane, before looking at the glove in the glove in his hand.
Crane studied the man's face for a moment.
He reached out with the gloved hand and placed it firmly on the man's head.
The Overhaul Quirk activated through the grafted tissue immediately. The power felt like it was truly part of him as he then tried to use it more.
In under three seconds the man transformed smoothly first into a tall spike, then into a compact sphere, and finally into a flat paste of blood and skin across the floor.
William clapped with enthusiastic approval.
"Bravo," he declared with complete sincerity and admiration.
Crane examined the glove once more.
"This exceeds everything I imagined possible," he said.
William straightened with the bearing of a man whose professional excellence had received full recognition.
"You should expect achievements of this quality from me on a consistent basis, boss," William answered, proud of his work.
Arkham Asylum — West Residential — Common Room Same Time
Roman sat in the lounge area of the west wing while Alberto had returned and occupied the best chair in the room now holding an expensive bottle of wine.
"My father has realized his errors," Alberto said in greeting. "He will soon have me out of this place."
Roman sat across from him with calm interest.
"How will this happen?" Roman asked.
"Everyone possesses a price," Alberto replied as he swirled the wine in his glass with smooth motion. "Strange knows better than to refuse a request from the Falcones especially when we have offered to bribe him."
"The Falcones truly stand as the best," Roman said.
"You speak the absolute truth," Alberto declared. "The Falcones represent the only name in this city that carries real and lasting meaning. I stand as the future of that institution, my father understands this truth now with full clarity, he has witnessed what occurs in my absence."
Alberto took another sip of wine and set the glass down.
"It has been genuinely pleasant knowing you, masked friend," he continued. "Few individuals here prove worth extended conversation, and you rank among the valuable ones."
Alberto brushed down his jumpsuit with careful hands and rose from the chair and walked toward his cell with confident strides.
Roman remained seated for several minutes in the now-quiet lounge. He then returned to his own cell and stood by the narrow window. The view showed a section of the island perimeter, the water beyond it, and the distant Gotham skyline and then saw a helicopter crossing the sky above the asylum. It sounded like it just took off and was no moving away from the island toward the city. The markings on it easily identified it clearly as the Falcone family's private vehicle. The helicopter banked smoothly over the bay and continued onward until the smog of the city swallowed it completely.
A few hours later, a knock sounded at his cell door. It was a guard though one loyal to Strange alone and opened the door just enough to toss a bag through the gap with a message, then departed without further words.
"Delivery from Strange" the guard had said.
Roman picked up the bag and examined its contents; he could feel a handgun resting inside along with the knife that accompanied it, and lastly a note in Strange's lay at the bottom.
The note read: Distractions will be provided for escape
He placed both the gun and the knife under the mattress with deliberate care as he lay in bed knowing he would need the sleep for tomorrow.