Ceiling

Melanie was dead.

Ivan confirmed it with his own eyes. Both Melanie and her Phantom's heads had been obliterated, reduced to a pulpy lake of flesh, bone, and blood. There was no coming back from that. The once formidable adversary lay in ruins, and yet, something about her Phantom's persistence was unnerving.

Despite being headless, the Phantom's body still twitched, refusing to die. If it weren't for the thick layers of webbing from Spider-Gwen, the creature might have risen again to continue the fight. It was a disturbing sight, a testament to how unnatural and resilient this foe had been.

Ivan pressed his gun against the Phantom's mangled head and fired multiple rounds in quick succession. The sound of gunfire echoed through the chamber, each shot like a hammer, driving the Phantom deeper into the wall. Its body twitched grotesquely with each impact, but Ivan didn't stop. He kept pulling the trigger, emptying round after round, until what remained of the Phantom's skull was nothing more than a mess of shattered bone and liquefied brain matter. 

Even then, the thing struggled, convulsing briefly as though it might fight back. But finally, as Ivan's last shot rang out, the Phantom's movements stilled. Silence fell over the room as its body went limp.

Ivan stood over the remains, breathing heavily, but his expression was eerily calm. He didn't seem rattled by the carnage. He simply looked down at the smoking gun in his hand, flicked his cigarette to the ground, and exhaled a long breath of relief.

"Uh, are you okay?" Spider-Gwen's voice broke the silence. She hung upside down from the ceiling, her large white eyes blinking with concern. 

It was Charlie speaking through her, projecting his worry. He had every reason to be concerned. Shooting an old friend—no, executing an old friend like that—wasn't something that came easy, even to a hardened agent like Ivan. The amount of rage or cold resolve it took to pull the trigger again and again until there was nothing left of Melanie or her Phantom would break most men. 

Charlie couldn't help but wonder what was going on inside Ivan's mind. Had this mission pushed him too far? Would Ivan snap? He feared that at any moment, Ivan might break down, his sanity shattered by the horror of it all. Maybe he'd laugh hysterically, like the twisted villains Batman often fought. Maybe he'd lose himself, blaming the world for driving him to this point.

But none of that happened. Instead, Ivan gave a tired smile, as though he had just finished a day's work.

"I'm fine," Ivan said, his voice steady. "Great, even. One less piece of garbage in the world. What's not to feel good about?"

Charlie: "..."

Ivan's response was unsettling in its nonchalance. There was no trace of guilt or remorse in his tone, only relief. He holstered his weapon casually, as if killing Melanie and her Phantom was no different than taking out a regular target. As if he hadn't just gunned down a former friend.

Ivan's cold detachment wasn't lost on Charlie. It spoke to a deep-seated darkness within the agent, a place where emotions were walled off and death had become just another part of the job.

Ivan turned to Gwen, who was still hanging from the ceiling.

"I thought Batman would be the backup," he said, his tone neutral, as if discussing a tactical misstep.

"Uh, he's... not available right now," Gwen replied, her voice light. "So I'm covering for him."

"Well, good thing you showed up," Ivan said, rubbing his forehead. "But don't stick around if you don't have to. I'm fine here."

Gwen blinked her large white eyes again. "If you need someone to talk to—"

"Go on," Ivan interrupted, waving a hand dismissively. "There'll be people coming soon. I'm sure you'd rather avoid the scene."

Gwen gave him a final nod before grabbing two web strands and swinging away, disappearing into the shadows at the end of the corridor. Ivan watched her go, taking in the oddity of her presence. Another hero he had never seen before, this one looking like a teenage girl with the agility and precision of a seasoned warrior. 

It was strange to him how these heroes kept popping up, each more impressive than the last. He had witnessed Spider-Gwen's skill firsthand, watching her dismantle Melanie's Phantom with a swift, brutal series of kicks that most combat veterans couldn't pull off, let alone a young girl.

"Are all the heroes in this organization monsters?" Ivan muttered under his breath. He stared at the aftermath of the fight, his mind heavy with the realization of how outclassed he and his team were.

---

Meanwhile, Batman had already completed his mission and was flying off in his jet, cutting through the night sky with a trail of fire in his wake. The Batjet's roaring engines were visible from the command center, and it almost felt like Batman was rubbing it in. He had come, done the impossible, and left, all in the span of a few hours.

Dr. Hines, the head of security, watched the Batjet disappear from view, a sinking feeling tightening in his chest. Batman might have been gone, but the damage he left behind was incalculable. The base had been compromised, their most dangerous criminals had escaped, and Batman had effortlessly handled everything before their very eyes. 

Not only had they failed to stop Melanie , but Batman had squatted at their door, taken care of business, and left without so much as a scratch. 

Unbeknownst to all, Spider-Gwen was staying behind, stationed at the floating graveyard as a permanent agent. Batman had set it up so that next time something went down, Charlie wouldn't even need to call him in. Gwen could handle it, all while Batman worked in the shadows, orchestrating everything remotely.

Spider-Gwen might not have Batman's years of stealth experience, but her abilities more than made up for it. With her spider-like agility, enhanced senses, and combat skills, she could move undetected and strike with lethal precision. In some ways, she was even more unpredictable than Batman.

---

Back in the command room, Link's cryptic final words echoed in Charlie's mind. Despite the satisfaction of victory, Link's warning left a bitter taste. "You don't know anything… everything…" What did it mean? Was there something bigger going on behind the scenes? Something they had all overlooked?

But Charlie had little time to dwell on these thoughts. The battle was over, but the aftermath was only beginning to unfold. The chaos in the command room reflected the deeper troubles lurking beneath the surface.

---

The fallout from the night's events was just beginning. The entire base was in turmoil, and the security failures were glaring. Dr. Hines, head of security, knew he would face the brunt of the blame. Melanie had escaped, or at least her Phantom had, and that alone was enough to send shockwaves through the higher-ups. Heads would roll for this, and Dr. Hines knew his would likely be the first.

Worse, Batman had made a mockery of their operation. He had arrived, handled everything with surgical precision, and left without breaking a sweat. The security team had been utterly outclassed, and there was no way to spin it.

The agents in the room reviewed the surveillance footage of Batman's fight with Link. The more they watched, the more the realization dawned on them: they had been in over their heads from the start.

The footage showed Batman moving with impossible speed and precision, blending advanced martial arts with cutting-edge technology. Every move was calculated, every strike devastating. When the Alan System activated, allowing him to phase through attacks like a ghost, the expressions of the agents watching turned to awe—and fear.

No ordinary human could do what Batman had done.

As the footage ended, all eyes turned to Dr. Richard, hoping for an explanation. But instead of offering some insight or plan, Dr. Richard simply stared at the ceiling, his face blank, as though lost in another world.

Dr. Richard had always been the authority when it came to their equipment and technology. He was the man who ensured that their gagets were top of the line. But now, in the wake of Batman's display of power, even he seemed out of his depth.

For the first time, Dr. Richard had no answers.

---

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