Near the Oscorp Building.
The Green Goblin's proposal to recruit Batman and Spider-Man to his cause was flatly rejected by both, as expected. The rejection only fueled his murderous intent.
"What a pity..."
The Green Goblin sneered, pulling a hidden throwing knife from behind his back and launching a sudden sneak attack.
The Goblin's blade moved with terrifying speed, spinning toward Anton and Spider-Man.
Ding!
Anton, having anticipated the attack, countered with a Batarang. The two projectiles collided mid-air, detonating in a fiery explosion.
The resulting flames spread across the area, sending shockwaves that blew away the thick smoke rising from a nearby burned-out car.
Spider-Man seized the moment, shooting webs to try and restrain the Green Goblin. However, the Goblin dodged swiftly, landing near his damaged flying skateboard.
He stomped on it forcefully, triggering a hidden preset program. In moments, the flying skateboard's emergency backup system activated, restoring enough functionality for it to take flight again.
This contingency had been designed by the Green Goblin himself. As long as the primary structure and core systems of the board remained intact, it could rely on the backup power to retain most of its functions.
The Green Goblin stepped onto the board, intending to take the battle to the skies.
But Anton was one step ahead. He deduced the Goblin's intent the moment he saw him move.
Anton fired his grappling hook gun once more, forcing the Green Goblin to dodge. Using the retracting line of the grappling gun, Anton propelled himself forward and delivered a powerful kick.
Boom!
The kick dented the armor on the Green Goblin's chest, sending him flying off the skateboard.
Anton seized the opportunity, gripping the board tightly. Without giving the Goblin a chance to react, he activated the full power of the Arkham Knight's armor.
The immense force allowed him to tear off the energy shield beneath the skateboard and smash its internal systems with a single punch.
This time, the flying skateboard was completely destroyed, instantly dashing the Green Goblin's plan to dominate the fight through aerial combat.
"Batman, I will kill you!"
Despite the loss of his equipment, the Green Goblin didn't falter. Instead, he sneered, his eyes glinting with cold malice.
Sensing something, Anton quickly retreated.
Boom!
The Green Goblin detonated the remains of the flying skateboard, transforming it into a fiery explosion. The blast triggered additional weapons on the board, causing a chain of secondary explosions.
Shards of steel flew in all directions, propelled by shockwaves that engulfed Anton as he tried to escape.
Crash!
The ground beneath the impact sank nearly half a meter. Vehicles parked on both sides of the street were obliterated, their glass shattered and frames set ablaze. The acrid smell of gasoline filled the air, and flames consumed what was left of the street.
The area directly opposite the Oscorp Building had become a full-fledged war zone.
"Batman!!!"
Spider-Man screamed in despair. Tears welled up in his eyes as he disregarded the danger of further explosions. Without hesitation, he rushed into the inferno, desperate to save Batman.
"That's the price, Batman!"
The Green Goblin stood on the side of the street, shrouded in the immense shadow cast by the Oscorp Building under the pale moonlight.
The fiery glow from the explosion of his flying skateboard illuminated one side of his body in crimson, amplifying his menacing aura.
He allowed Spider-Man to rush into the flames without interference, confident in his belief: Batman couldn't possibly have survived the explosion unscathed.
His cold eyes fixated on the raging fire, now cloaked by thick smoke. Beneath his helmet, his face twisted with madness, pride, and exhilaration.
The superhero who had become a symbol across America—defeated by him!
The Green Goblin was certain: even if Batman had somehow survived, he must have been left gravely weakened, barely capable of fighting.
In the Goblin's mind, Batman was about to endure the ultimate punishment—one entirely orchestrated by himself.
But then, two figures emerged from the fire and smoke.
One tall, one short.
The tall figure was, of course, Batman. The shorter one—Spider-Man.
Anton's armor, however, was visibly damaged. Steel fragments from the exploding flying skateboard were embedded in the plating, and the flames and shockwaves had left scorch marks and dents.
Though protected by the advanced Arkham Knight armor—far superior to traditional, lightweight iron suits—Anton had still taken a serious hit.
Had it not been for the armor's durability, he would have been incapacitated. Even so, he was far from unscathed.
The damage to his armor had reached 67%, significantly reducing his combat effectiveness.
The Green Goblin began to laugh.
Though the head of Oscorp, he was also a highly educated scientist, skilled in analyzing weaknesses.
"Batman, even if you're still standing, how do you plan to fight me now?"
The Goblin had already assessed the situation. Batman's armor had sustained extensive damage, leaving him with barely half his original combat power.
Even with Spider-Man by his side, their chances of overpowering him were slim.
His confidence soared. Despite losing the mobility of his flying skateboard, he still had enough weapons, strength, and intellect to eliminate both Batman and Spider-Man here and now.
"Goblin, you..."
Spider-Man began to speak, but stopped when Anton raised his hand slightly.
Anton's exposed chin carried a faint, enigmatic smile. He wasn't panicked—he exuded calm confidence, almost as if he were still in control of the situation.
Anton's voice was steady, even mocking:
"Goblin, do you really think I'm the one in your control right now?"
"Let me see how you plan to resist me!"
The Green Goblin, envisioning himself in Batman's position, was confident there was no way for Batman to turn the tables.
But in the very next second, his eyes widened in disbelief, his face frozen with shock and incredulity.
Batman smiled faintly and patted Spidey on the head.
"Kid, let me teach you a trick."
"What?"
"When you face a problem you can't solve, just stretch out your right hand and snap your fingers. Who knows? Maybe your wish will come true."
"...?"
Spider-Man blinked in confusion. Downcast moments ago, he had almost bought into the Green Goblin's taunts. He never expected Batman to say something so absurd.
Then, in front of both Spider-Man and the Green Goblin, Anton snapped his fingers.
"Snap!"
A faint sound echoed through the air.
[Repairing the Arkham Knight armor will cost 4 million fans (40% of the armor's original value of 10 million). Confirm?]
[Yes]
The moment the snap ended, under the stunned gazes of Spider-Man and the Green Goblin, Anton's armor began to change.
It looked as though time itself was rewinding. The damage quickly repaired itself, the scratches vanished, and the armor returned to pristine condition within seconds.
"This... this is impossible!"
The Green Goblin screamed in disbelief. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fathom what he had just witnessed.
Under his mask, Spider-Man's expression was equally perplexed.
He remembered Batman pulling a similar move during a fight against Kingpin.
To be honest, such a phenomenon defied all logic—it couldn't even be rationalized as magic. It went beyond anything Spidey could explain.
'Pretending to be damaged in battle, only to restore everything just as the enemy feels triumphant... Is this some kind of twisted Batman mind game?'
Spider-Man shifted his gaze between Batman and the Green Goblin, who now looked on the verge of a breakdown. He had to suppress the urge to laugh out loud—just as the Green Goblin had done moments earlier.
Beside him, Anton grinned defiantly at the Green Goblin.
"Now," he said with mock seriousness, "have you thought about how you'd like to get beaten up?"
..
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