The freezing grenades didn't work. At least, not like Charlie hoped.
The technology taken from Freezeman was proven, reliable, tested in countless real-world scenarios by Batman himself. The moment the grenade exploded, it had seemed successful. The ice-blue flower of the blast bloomed, sharp and beautiful, dropping the temperature to an almost unbearable low. Link was instantly trapped within the solidifying crystal, his blackened figure momentarily locked in a cold prison. For a second, it appeared the battle had been won.
But that victory was short-lived.
Barely a heartbeat passed before the cracks began to snake across the ice. What was moments ago a flawless crystalline cage now splintered, an ominous prelude to its destruction. Then, with a mournful creak, the ice shattered. Shards exploded outward like jagged spirits, their sharp edges reflecting the dim light of the cave.
Link burst from the core of the ice with a guttural roar.
It was more than physical resilience. It was defiance—an unyielding force that refused to bow to something as simple as cold. His tenacity wasn't just a trait. It defined him. He wouldn't stop, wouldn't relent, not until Batman was crushed beneath his fists. His drive was fueled by more than the desire to win. This was personal, visceral—a primal need to prove himself.
But Batman didn't move.
He stood calmly, his gaze locked onto Link's wild, enraged eyes. He made no attempt to dodge, didn't even shift his weight in preparation for defense. He simply stared, calculating, cool, as if everything was falling neatly into place. It was a look that screamed control, the quiet confidence of someone who had seen this all before and had already planned ten steps ahead.
In Link's mind, this wasn't just disrespect; it was the worst kind of insult. It wasn't provocation—it was dismissal.
The message was clear: You don't matter.
You are not worth the effort.
And that was something Link couldn't tolerate. Not anymore.
A nameless fury surged through him, flooding his veins with heat and tightening his muscles with rage. For a split second, all rational thought vanished. His entire being narrowed down to one simple objective—tear that smug look off Batman's face, tear the bat-symbol from his chest, rip him apart piece by piece until nothing was left but a broken, defeated shell.
Link had vowed never to lose again, to never be the one left on the ground. Not to anyone. Especially not to some self-righteous madman in a bat costume.
Fueled by fury, he charged.
But in his single-minded focus, he missed the slight movement to his side.
"Hey, over here!"
Wham!
A blur of red and blue crashed into Link's face. Spider-Man flew in from Batman's side, delivering a brutal flying kick that connected with Link's jaw. The force was enough to stop a speeding bus, and Link, for all his superhuman resilience, wasn't immune to the physics of momentum. His body was thrown backward, flying across the cave like a ragdoll.
He crashed into the stone with a heavy thud, the impact shaking dust and pebbles loose from the cave's ceiling.
Charlie hadn't even been watching. The attack was a planned diversion, not an act of arrogance. Seeing that brute force was proving ineffective, he switched his perspective, taking control of Spider-Man instead. After all, if finesse wasn't working, why not rely on raw, kinetic power?
Spider-Man landed with effortless grace, flipping mid-air to land in a crouch. "Ouch! You hit that wall harder than a car crash. No wonder people say you need a license to drive. Dude, I bet you don't even have one—"
But Spider-Man's quip was cut short by a low growl.
Link was already back on his feet, barely giving himself time to acknowledge the hit. His four tentacles, slick and black like living shadows, shot out from his torso. Two lashed out toward Spider-Man, and two streaked toward Batman.
"Oh, okay, okay! No more jokes about the license!"
Spider-Man leapt into the air, a stream of webbing launching him clear of the tentacles. Batman, ever the tactical genius, sidestepped the attack with precise timing, his cape swirling in the dust and smoke of the battlefield.
But Link wasn't done.
His focus snapped back to Batman. There was something in him, something driving him toward the Dark Knight with an intensity that bordered on obsession. It wasn't just about winning anymore—it was about Batman. About defeating the symbol of everything Link hated. His fists became a blur, raining down on Batman in a furious barrage. The shadows of his fists moved faster than a normal human could track, aiming for Batman's vital points with the ferocity of a wild animal.
But Batman was no stranger to close-quarters combat. His steps were calm, his movements deliberate. He blocked two punches with fluid motions, redirecting the force with minimal effort. The next two he dodged with a quick shift of his feet, his black boots barely scraping the cave floor as he moved with the grace of a trained predator.
Batman's counterattack came swift and brutal. He drove his elbow into Link's face, the power armor enhancing the force of the blow. Link's head snapped to the side, his upper body swaying like a tree in a storm. But he didn't fall.
Link's counter came just as fast—a vicious uppercut aimed squarely at Batman's chin.
But Batman wasn't caught off guard. He bent backward, narrowly dodging the punch, the edge of Link's fist barely grazing the tip of his cowl.
In that brief opening, Batman retaliated. He threw a punch, his gauntlet connecting with Link's forearm. The impact produced a sharp, metallic clang, sparks flying from the clash of force and armor.
Link wasn't done. He retaliated with a light blow to Batman's head, staggering him for a brief moment. But Batman's helmet absorbed the bulk of the hit. He quickly regained his stance and retaliated with a precise grappling move, attempting to flip Link over his shoulder.
But Link's raw strength proved too much. With sheer brute force, he resisted Batman's hold, planting his feet firmly into the ground and pushing forward with a monstrous shove.
The impact broke Batman's grip, sending him skidding backward. Without hesitation, Link's black tentacles shot out, aiming for Batman's throat.
"The Allen system is activated."
Batman's form shimmered, vibrating with atomic energy. His body became a blur of gray and black as he phased through the tentacles, becoming intangible. In the same second, a massive shadow appeared overhead, accompanied by the sound of rushing air.
"Watch out for falling rocks!" Spider-Man yelled, swinging through the air on a line of webbing. In his other hand, he gripped a boulder as big as a car. With a mighty heave, he flung the boulder down.
The boulder crashed into the ground with a deafening explosion of stone and dust, burying Link beneath its weight. A crater formed in the ground, large enough to hold a small building.
Batman, still in his oscillating state, phased through the debris effortlessly, emerging from the other side without so much as a scratch.
"Spider-Bat team: ten points! Ugly villains: zero!" Spider-Man shouted, throwing a thumbs-up. Batman, ever stoic, ignored him.
But from the rubble, there was a loud crack.
A moment later, the boulder split apart, and Link stepped out once again, his body still healing, his gaze still locked on Batman.
Spider-Man's eyes widened behind his mask. "What are you made of, dude? Titanium?"
Friday's voice chimed in over the comms. "The substance regenerates quickly. You'll need continuous damage output to keep it from healing. The Allen system is low on power. We'll need a new plan."
Charlie smirked. "I've got an idea."
As if on cue, Link charged again, his eyes blazing with fury. Spider-Man shot a web, blinding him temporarily, but Link quickly ripped it off. When he looked again, both Batman and Spider-Man were gone.
"Up here!" a voice called from above.
It was too late to react, but Link had been through this before. He dodged the incoming attack with a quick step to the side, avoiding Spider-Man's aerial kick.
Link smirked. Did they really think the same trick would work twice?
BAM.
Before Link could react, a powerful kick slammed into his lower back, sending him hurtling through the air.
Twisting his body mid-flight, Link managed to catch a glimpse of his attacker—a girl in a white hood, swinging through the air on a web of her own. In a move almost identical to Spider-Man's, Spider-Gwen had delivered a devastating blow, launching him skyward.
Link: What the Fuck!
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