Formality

Usak quickly realized another unexpected benefit of merging with a human: through Dedalus, he could now experience human perspective directly, absorbing modern knowledge and understanding their tools, strategies, and vulnerabilities. It was a kind of twisted symbiosis, but in that moment, it gave Usak an edge he hadn't considered.

He took full advantage.

"Stay where you are, hero," Usak's head said, emerging again from Dedalus's shoulder, his voice carrying a sinister calm. "This human and I are fully merged. The only way to separate us now would be to stop his heart."

Dedalus, his face bruised and distorted from the earlier blows, managed a twisted grin despite the agony lacing through his body. His stance wavered as his altered flesh strained to heal itself, giving him the appearance of a barely-restrained monster.

"We've prepared for this," Dedalus rasped, drawing strength from his final gambit. "Five kilometers from here, we've set enough explosives to level an entire block. And the trigger? Synced directly to my heart. The second it stops beating…" he paused, letting the threat sink in.

"It'll blow immediately," Charlie said from inside the Steel Bat armor, his voice steady.

This was a classic play—desperate villains relying on hostages or traps to force a hero's hand, hoping their conscience would make them hesitate. But it was also painfully predictable. Villains like Dedalus, no stranger to underhanded tactics, didn't realize the full scope of what they were dealing with.

Dedalus might have believed he'd thought of everything, that the Steel Bat would now be forced to back down or negotiate. But what he didn't know was how often heroes like the Avengers or the Justice League had faced exactly this kind of ultimatum. Bomb threats and hostage situations were standard fare. Most seasoned heroes had several methods prepared just for these scenarios.

"Four options available, sir," Friday's voice intoned smoothly in Charlie's headset. "Would you like me to list them, or…"

"Just pick one," Charlie replied. He trusted Friday's instincts.

Usak's gaze narrowed, studying the expressionless face of the Steel Bat's helmet. His voice was laced with mockery as he said, "Even we ancients can appreciate the complexity of human minds—if only sometimes."

Charlie tilted his head slightly. "This isn't complex; it's basic. If you think you're clever, it's just because you don't know enough yet."

Dedalus grinned, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth as he sensed his perceived advantage. "This is my city, hero. I don't want to see innocents hurt, so why don't we play nice and call this off? Just back off and—"

Before he could finish, the Steel Bat's arm shot up. A powerful recoil beam, fully charged and primed in the last few seconds, blasted from the suit's palm with pinpoint accuracy, slamming directly into Dedalus's chest.

The energy pulse hit him like a sledgehammer, bypassing his outward defenses and driving straight to his heart.

Friday had already analyzed Dedalus's altered physiology. Despite Usak's modifications, Dedalus's vital organs, including his heart, were still in place. Using the Tisshield's integrity and AI-driven calculations, Friday had calibrated the exact force required to momentarily stop his heart without causing catastrophic damage to the building or the surrounding area.

The entire calculation, from scan to output, took a fraction of a second, and the beam fired the instant it was ready.

Dedalus's heart stopped with brutal precision. His eyes went wide with shock, a look of disbelief frozen on his face as his consciousness began to fade.

Impossible, he thought, staring at the figure before him. Aren't heroes supposed to protect everyone? How could he…

The realization hit him too late, and with that final thought, Dedalus's body went limp, crumpling as his strength faded.

Felix, who had been watching the fight from a cautious distance, was completely blindsided by the sudden turn of events. When Dedalus had mentioned the bomb, Felix's mind had instantly jumped to scenarios involving frantic negotiations and calculated moves to defuse the situation. This direct, calculated shot to the heart had left him reeling.

In his mind, he could already picture the explosion, envision flames and debris tearing through the streets. He imagined the damage and the lives lost as buildings were ripped apart.

But that reality never came. The bomb didn't go off.

Dedalus's body slumped to the ground, and from his shoulder, the Tis shield separated, slowly detaching as Usak's semi-corporeal form realized its host was dead. Panicked, Usak began to withdraw, desperate to escape the trap he'd just witnessed.

But the Steel Bat was already one step ahead. The armor's missile pod deployed, and with a soft whir, a freezing round shot out, detonating just as Usak tried to flee.

The missile exploded, releasing a blast of super-cooled ice crystals that immediately coated Usak's body in a thick layer of frost. He froze mid-motion, his strange form encased in ice, his face a contorted mix of anger and desperation as he stared out, trapped within his crystalline prison.

Charlie's voice cut through the silence, calm and matter-of-fact. "Sorry, but you're not getting away again."

Without even glancing at Usak, Charlie turned his attention back to Dedalus's still form. Before Dedalus's head could even hit the ground, the Steel Bat's gauntlet pressed firmly against his chest.

The arc reactor emitted a low hum, its energy surging through the armor and channeling into Dedalus's body. In a controlled pulse, the energy converted into a jolt, restoring his heart's rhythm. Dedalus's body convulsed as his heart restarted, his eyes snapping open as he gasped for breath.

The bomb remained silent, its trigger held back by the heartbeat's steady return.

Behind him, Felix gaped in utter disbelief.

Did that just happen?

This technique—one Tony Stark had pioneered in his encounters with petty criminals—was both practical and bold, allowing him to stop and restart a target's heart without risking an explosion. It was an advanced but calculated method for dealing with villains who relied on crude hostage tactics.

Felix felt a pang of realization as he watched. His respect for the Steel Bat—and his own awareness of his inexperience—grew immensely. The difference between him and a true hero was suddenly clearer than ever, and it went far beyond mere gadgets or powers. It was about instinct, training, and understanding the unpredictable nature of real battle.

In just a few seconds, an impossible situation had been turned on its head. Not only had the enemy been defeated, but Usak had been separated from Dedalus and frozen in place.

Felix felt the words stick in his throat. After everything he'd seen, his admiration for the Steel Bat distilled into a single, reverent thought: "Too strong…"

Charlie turned back to where Usak's frozen form was suspended in the ice, raising his right arm as his gauntlet's heating mechanism powered up, casting a red glow over the ancient's entombed shape.

From within the ice, Usak struggled weakly, his voice a faint, desperate whisper. "Lady Ophelia…" he murmured, the fear palpable in his tone.

Charlie didn't hesitate. A focused beam flared from the back of the Steel Bat's hand, slicing through the ice and vaporizing Usak's form. Within moments, the ancient being was reduced to ashes, his final echoes lost in the stillness.

Charlie lowered his hand. "I can't let you slip away again, Usak," he said calmly, as though it were a mere formality.