After spending three full hours thoroughly learning from Atreus, a senior spider researcher specializing in mother spiders, he had the following conversation with his female assistant:
"Why do you have barbs coming out of your fingers!?"
"Isn't your skin thick? I didn't scratch you anyway."
"Wait, I heard that female spiders have a habit of eating their mates."
"The main reason is that a lack of food triggers their predatory instincts due to extreme hunger. Since male spiders are usually small, they can't fight back when the female decides to attack. Do you think you're that small?"
"Uh..."
Gwen's "Flying Acrobat" stunt wasn't only thrilling but also quite proper.
Atreus had to admit he was hooked, though he couldn't shake off some lingering fear afterward.
When Gwen scaled walls or reacted quickly, the barbs on her fingers could easily be lethal to an ordinary person. They could support a hundred-pound human without issue while climbing, but if they latched onto human skin, they'd rip off a chunk of flesh in one swipe, possibly even tearing a major artery with enough force.
If not for Atreus's talent for "hardened skin," he would've been in real trouble.
When Gwen got startled, webs would sometimes shoot wildly from her wrists.
Their room often ended up in complete chaos.
Atreus started to realize why superhero women often had to date other superheroes—ordinary men couldn't handle it.
For days, Atreus was hooked, until he heard some news.
Gwen shared an inside scoop from the NYPD: "In line with New York City's anti-crime efforts, the Gotham City Police Department is launching its largest-ever crackdown on the underworld. Police Commissioner James Gordon will personally lead tens of thousands of officers into the sewers to eliminate the criminals hiding there. Gordon even requested reinforcements from New York's SWAT team."
Atreus was stunned for a moment.
He had been hanging around with Spider-Man Peter for so long that he almost forgot about Gotham's mess.
With his strength now, Atreus didn't think much of Batman's two sworn enemies—Joker and Bane. They were just regular humans without high-tech enhancements, so it felt like Batman was engaging in trivial squabbles with them.
He thought, "Let my old man deal with them."
Gwen's information struck a chord with Atreus: "Tell your father that the place is a criminal stronghold. Be careful not to get trapped in there without a quick victory."
Gwen was momentarily stunned but quickly caught on: "Alright, I'll tell my father to have his men bring compressed biscuits, drinking water, and emergency lighting systems. They might even bring shovels and explosive tools."
Atreus smiled; talking with an intelligent woman was always easy.
Gwen becoming close to Atreus had stirred some emotions in the Lance sisters.
And with that, the timeline quietly shifted.
"What? Your friends want to meet me?" Atreus was a bit intrigued.
"They want to meet Mr. Atreus," Dinah emphasized.
"Oh? And why is that?"
"One of the women is named Helena Bertinelli."
As soon as Black Canary finished speaking, Atreus narrowed his eyes: "Oh, now that's... a familiar name!"
Atreus hadn't forgotten that, aside from his dad's bank card, what truly allowed him to become a wealthy young man was the diamond from Black Mask. The money from the Bertinelli family, embedded in that diamond, had enabled him to invest in Stark Industries and, by shorting Oscorp, he had achieved his current status.
Even without relying on Wayne Enterprises, Atreus had become a wealthy young man in his own right.
Sarah stepped forward, gently hugging Atreus's waist: "But we sisters believe it would be better if Kratos met with them."
"Oh?"
"Helena has a nickname—'The Huntress.'"
Atreus knew that well. Like Black Canary, she was a member of the historical *Birds of Prey*.
What an interesting connection.
In the past, Atreus might have looked down on these human heroes.
But with the spread of the zombie universe's chaos, things were different now.
King to king, general to general.
Atreus needed some fighters to help clear out the zombie minions.
"Alright then, let's meet."
In an abandoned warehouse, two agile women cautiously stared at the three strangely dressed individuals before them.
The pale-skinned Kratos, who had recently become famous in New York, stood alongside two women in tight-fitting metal armor, both wearing egg-shaped face masks.
"Who are you? Why are you here?"
Their shock and caution were understandable—after all, they were expecting Black Canary, not these three unfamiliar figures.
Atreus, amused, observed the two masked female heroes before him. Though they hadn't introduced themselves, he recognized them instantly.
The woman in blue and purple leather, holding a crossbow, was undoubtedly "The Huntress" Helena.
She came from a mafia family in Gotham and was a devout Catholic.
However, misfortune seemed to have followed her from birth, as her family was wiped out by *Black Mask* shortly afterward.
Though she didn't inherit her family's wealth or status, she became a vigilante, punishing criminals.
In another timeline, Helena was even Batman's daughter.
Regardless of which version, Helena was highly skilled for a human—cool-headed, excellent in tracking and stealth.
As for the other woman, also masked and wielding a katana, she was *Katana*, another member of the *Birds of Prey*.
Tatsu Toro had once been a regular Japanese girl, except for her samurai family lineage and decent martial arts skills.
Her defining feature was her *Soultaker Katana*, forged in the 14th century, capable of sealing souls. She could even communicate with the spirits trapped within.
"Don't be alarmed, it's me." Black Canary was the first to remove her high-tech mask, and the tension in Helena and Tatsu relaxed a bit.
Seeing the Lance sisters, Helena was still confused: "I wanted to meet Mr. Atreus, not Kratos."
"No, I think it's better if you meet Kratos," Dinah insisted.
Atreus smiled, holding up the diamond: "Ms. Bertinelli, is this what you're looking for?"
Helena narrowed her eyes: "Yes, and no."
"Oh?"
"I'm not that interested in my family's blood money. I'm more curious about how it was used."
"Probably for a 'noble cause,'" Kratos said with a playful grin.
"If Lord Kratos took the money, I have no objections. You've proven your stance with your actions," Helena's response surprised Atreus a bit.
He had planned to tease them, but Helena turned and seemed ready to leave.
"Oh, you're leaving already?"
"Why not?"
"Recently, both New York and Gotham have seen an uptick in zombies. Interested in joining me? I've started a new group called the *Birds of Prey* to deal with those pests."
"No thanks! If I had a choice, I'd rather join Batman."
Atreus bared his teeth: "I don't think Batman would be keen on hiring a killer."
Helena felt as if she'd been struck by lightning, recalling her ruthless methods of punishing criminals and contrasting them with Batman's no-kill policy. Reluctantly, she had to admit they weren't on the same path.
Suddenly, both she and Katana smiled.
"You want to control me? Do you have the skill?"
"Want to be my boss? Ask my sword first!"
Facing the two women ready to fight, Atreus's grin only grew more arrogant: "Both of you can come at me together."
(End of Chapter)