MARVEL/DC: DOCTOR IN THE MULTIVERSE

Iwassetupfromtheverybeginning.Theaccusationwasn’tjust“medicalmalpractice”—itwasdeliberatelyengineered.Theevidencehadbeenaltered,testimoniescoerced,andevenhospitalsurveillancerewritten.Inacitywherecrimesyndicatesrivaledcorporations,myso-called“mistake”becametheperfectscapegoat.BythetimeIrealizedit,Iwasalreadyinthehandsofprofessionals.Notpettythugs—organizedcriminalswithmilitarydiscipline.Thekindthatdidn’tleavelooseends.“Bosssaysyoutalktoomuch,”oneofthemmuttered,grippingmycollarasthedarkwatersoftheHudsonreflectedbeneathus.Iunderstoodthen.Thiswasn’tpunishment.Thiswaserasure.Justastheypreparedtothrowmeover—Ding.Acold,mechanicalvoiceechoedinmymind.[MiraculousHealerSystemactivated.][CoreDirective:Heal→Analyze→Replicate.]Timeseemedtoslow.[Ability:PerfectMedicalRestorationunlocked.][Passive:Targetconditionseverityincreasesreplicationefficiency.]Theworldsnappedback.Ismiled.Thedoordidn’tjustopen—itexplodedinward.Abodycrashedacrossthefloor,armorcracked,capetorn,breathingshallow.Eveninthatstate,Irecognizedhiminstantly.Batman.Butnotjustinjured—criticallycompromised.Hisribswereshattered,internalbleedingsevere,andmicrofracturesacrosshisspinesuggestedarecentencounterwithametahuman-levelthreat—likelysomeoneintheBane/KillerCroctier…orworse.Yethiseyeswerestillconscious.Stillcalculating.Evendying,hewasassessingme.“Don’t…callanyone…”herasped.Ofcourse.Canonicallyconsistent—Batmanavoidsexposure,evenatriskofdeath.Icrouchedbesidehim.“Relax.I’madoctor.”[Healinginitiated:Full-spectrumtissuereconstruction.]Unlikeordinarymedicine,thesystemdidn’ttreatinjuries—itreversedthematthebiologicallimit,restoringhimtopeakhumancondition.Ding![Target:Batmanfullyrestored.][Replicationacquired:PeakHumanConditioning+Genius-LevelIntellect.]Correction:Not“HumanPhysicalLimits”vaguely—thisisDCpeakhuman,borderingmeta-levelinfeats(reactionspeed,endurance,combatadaptability).“SuperIntelligence”refinedtoBatman-tierpolymathgenius,includingstrategy,engineering,anddeductivereasoningconsistentwithcanon.Batmansatupslowly,staringathisownhands.Heunderstoodimmediately.“...Youdidn’tjusttreatme,”hesaidquietly.Ismiled.“Ihealedyou.”Hisgazesharpened.Suspicion.Calculation.Contingencyplanning.Exactlyasexpected.Secretly—Everyoperationwasaharvest.Everycriticalinjury…anopportunity.Batman’smind.Superman’sbody.Thor’spower.AndIdidn’tstopthere.Magicusers.Mutants.Metahumans.Eachoneexpandedmyceiling.Unlikethem,Ihadnospecialization.Ihadeverything.WhenThanos’fleetdarkenedthesky,theworldfinallyunderstooddespair.Thiswasn’tanalieninvasion.Thiswascosmicinevitability.Eventhestrongesthesitated.Evengodspreparedforloss.Andme?Isighed.Thenslowlyremovedmywhitecoat.Behindme—Phantomprojectionsemerged:Superman’ssolar-chargedsilhouetteDoctorStrange’slayeredmysticconstructsScarletWitch’schaoticrealitydistortionNotillusions.Notmimicry.Buttheperfectintegrationoftheirabilities.Ilookedatthemall.Heroes.Legends.Symbols.“Sorry,”Isaidcalmly.“I’mcomingclean.”Apause.Then—“Ihaveallyourabilities.”