Red Robin jumped lightly from on high, knocking out the guard. He didn't rush to crack the security door, but instead watched the light screen projected from his wrist computer, where a white dot was flashing.
The white dot had already overlapped with him.
Red Robin looked up.
Colt came diving down through the wall on his skateboard, performing a sudden one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn right in front of him, skidded to a sudden halt at his side.
Red Robin turned to look.
Colt still had a cooling patch stuck to his forehead, his mouth slightly agape and his breathing rapid. It was unclear whether it was from exertion or the fever, but his flushed face was covered in fine beads of sweat, stray strands of hair clung to his neck.
Red Robin bit his fingertip, took off his gloves, brushed Colt's bangs upward, pressed his cool palm against his forehead.
Done.
Red Robin mumbled indistinctly while biting her glove, her hand sliding down, her fingers pausing behind Colt's ear.
Colt remained motionless.
Probably 101, he's still running a fever.
Red Robin stuffed the glove he was holding in his mouth into Colt's hands, then peeled off the fever patch that had become dry and warm. He fumbled behind his waist with one hand and pulled out a pack of rolled-up cold compresses.
Colt held the glove, his eyes widening: "You actually carry this on you?"
In our line of work, there are inevitably moments when an ice pack is needed.
Red Robin tore open the packaging and slapped a cold compress, which was stamped with the Red Robin logo, onto Colt's forehead.
Lower your head.
Colt did as he was told.
Red Robin pushed aside his hair, which was tied in a low ponytail, pulled open his collar, wiped his nape with a wet wipe, then applied a cold compress to his nape.
Colt shivered and pulled his neck in from the cold.
Red Robin smoothed the edges of the cold compress with his fingers to ensure it was sticking firmly, straightened Colt's collar, rolled up the trash, stuffed it back into the small pouch behind his waist, before finally picking up the gloves that Colt had been holding so carefully and putting them on.
From beginning to end, he always had one hand connected to Colt.
The patrolling guards rounded the corner, saw their colleague lying on the ground, immediately chambered a round, searching for enemies with extreme caution.
Red Robin looked at the gun barrel that had passed through his body and pointed to his left ear: "The signal is lost."
Colt grabbed Red Robin and pulled a locket from his jacket with one hand. He opened it and pressed a few buttons, after confirming Red Robin's communication signal source, he added it to the Spacetime Signal Stabilizer's trusted list.
The static in Red Robin's communication channel subsided, Oracle's intermittent voice became coherent and clear.
.. Red.. Robin.. Do you copy?
Red Robin pressed his index and middle fingers against the back of his ear and replied, 【Red Robin copies】.
[Your night patrol recorder has been interrupted. Do you require support?]
Because I cut the camera.
Everything is normal here, proceeding as planned. Red Robin, signing off.
Red Robin ended the communication, turned, stepped onto the back of the skateboard, placing one hand on Colt's shoulder and using the other to point the way.
The lengthened and widened skateboard was still a skateboard; with both of them standing on it at the same time, they still needed to stay close to each other.
Colt did not reject this closeness; feeling the rise and fall of Red Robin's chest, he felt his own heart pounding as well.
Of course, his heart had been beating all along.
He meant that the previous heart was like a machine, while the one beating now, with its changing pace, was a heart of flesh and blood.
Colt let out a slow breath, staring straight ahead as he passed through layer after layer of security doors and arrived at a laboratory.
The large incubation tanks were filled with green medicinal liquid, with humans soaked inside, tubes plugged into them, while researchers from all over the world were recording the experimental data.
They are talking. Go to the front and read their lips.
Red Robin leaned in to whisper, his breath lingering by Colt's ear.
Colt felt as if his ears were being brushed by lips, his mind began to bubble like hot porridge on a stove. Even though a cool sensation was constantly emanating from his forehead and the back of his neck, more heat was surging within his body.
Mental exhaustion affects emotions. Just as people become more sentimental when they are sick.
Colt sniffed the scent of gunpowder mixed with coffee, pulled a spare hearing aid from his backpack, turned to clip it onto Red Robin's ear.
The hearing aid was shaped like a crystal-like clip-on elf ear ornament, which automatically reassembled itself upon touching the skin, clinging tightly to Red Robin's ear, its weight as light as a feather.
A clear, childlike voice rang in Red Robin's ear: [New user detected. AI companion Watchin greets you. Voice auxiliary transceiver is set to a default of 2020000 Hz. Long press for three seconds to activate reset function; tap five times continuously to activate intelligent search recording..]
Red Robin froze.
It was Colt's voice, the voice of little Colt from his memories.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Starting tomorrow, the update time will be changed to 12:00 PM.
Chapter 26
With the assistance of the Hearing Aid, Red Robin's movements became much more convenient.
.. Mother.. her vital signs are still dropping..
.. The existing beta-nutrients are only enough to maintain Mother's dormancy. I hope Mr. Sinis can bring back enough materials tonight..
The researchers discussed in low voices.
Working for Black Mask meant having no freedom, personal safety could hardly be guaranteed, but the money was plentiful. These people didn't care whether their research was ethical; they only cared about how much money they would receive once the research was successful.
Red Robin stopped in front of a spherical incubation chamber one story high, where the Brain-eating worm Mother floated silently in the medicinal fluid like a puddle of yellowish-green bile.
Colt suppressed his nausea and leaned his head into the incubation chamber to get a closer look.
The disgusting Slime Monster suddenly pulsed like a jellyfish, immediately after, all the specimens in the incubation chambers began to stir, causing the researchers to crowd around instantly.
Mother has ended her slumber..
What happened? It's calling the drones..
Feed it Beta Nutrients, then calm it down first..
Quickly notify the boss!
The researchers were busy.
Red Robin glanced at the time; it was 22:00.
According to the plan, the infrasound insecticidal and bactericidal operation covering the entire city has already begun; Mother should have sensed the threat.
Stop the guards for me. Three minutes.
Red Robin assigned tasks to Colt without any hesitation.
The smoke grenade filled with anesthetic gas exploded, immediately after, the room went dark. Red Robin skillfully performed a blackout sweep, while simultaneously drawing his short staff and flicking it; the short staff extended into a long staff, knocking out the survivors in hazmat suits who had not inhaled the anesthetic smoke.
Specialized insecticide was injected into the Slime Monster's body through the feeding tube.
Bang! Bang!
Clang! Clang!
Crash!
The fifteen-centimeter-thick special glass of the incubation chamber cracked from the inside, the green-skinned specimens lunged at Red Robin.
Red Robin raised a lamp.
A deep blue light flared to life, under the radiation, the subjects' limbs grew sluggish, quickly collapsing to the ground as if their bones and muscles had been stripped away, their firm muscles turning to water.
[Red Robin online. The Brain-eating worm Mother has been destroyed. Repeat, the Brain-eating worm Mother has been destroyed.]
[Oracle received. All patients experienced brief loss of control just now; the riot is currently under control. Pest control operations are still ongoing. Jester, Orphan, Beacon are handling the aftermath. Note: Batman has discovered your rogue actions.]
【Thanks for the heads-up. What's the situation with Black Mask? 】
The hazardous materials have been destroyed, Batman successfully captured Black Mask. On a brighter note, Red Hood is currently leading the Outlaws to seize the Iceberg Lounge, so Batman won't have time to talk to you for a while.
Red Robin collected the lifeless Mother specimen and turned to look for Colt.
Colt was not in the laboratory.
Red Robin found Colt in the building's central control room.
A three-dimensional map of the building was projected in front of Colt. As if playing a game, he manipulated the building's entrances through its smart system, using the security system's built-in lasers and remote-controlled weapons to drive away guards and employees..
Never mind people, not even a mosquito could break through Colt's defenses.
Red Robin stood behind him and watched for a while.
Colt's operational style was akin to an AI. He seized control of the entire base's security system, first blowing up Black Mask's top-floor office and then detonating the underground vault. He diverted the guards, manipulated the security doors, jammed the intercom signals, creating the illusion that enemies were on every floor, before releasing anesthetic gas floor by floor.
Black Mask's heavily invested intelligent defense system became Colt's strongest ally.
If the anesthetic gas were replaced with Fear Toxin or Joker Gas, the building would instantly turn into a meat grinder.
Colt glanced back at Red Robin and pointed a finger toward the storage device plugged into the main control computer.
The data migration progress bar had already climbed to 98%.
He had taken on a five-million-dollar after-sales service contract, he had to make the client feel it was worth every penny.
Red Robin waited for the data download to finish, then connected the storage device to the small computer on his gauntlet to check. After confirming that all the desired data was complete, he nodded at Colt with satisfaction.
We should evacuate.
Colt didn't move.
Red Robin took a step and then looked back, seeing Colt handling the surveillance.
He was erasing all the irrational footage, such as scenes of Red Robin talking to thin air, or scenes where someone suddenly disappeared and then suddenly reappeared.
Red Robin was truly moved.
If those bastards at home were all as sensible as Colt and knew how to clean up after themselves, his sleep time would definitely have doubled!
Colt used the processed footage to cover the surveillance records, deleted the database in one smooth motion, caught up with Red Robin.