"Cyborg…"
Seeing this scene, Coulson increasingly doubted the legitimacy of S.H.I.E.L.D. war with the Justice League.
Hill, however, did not think so.
Her tragic childhood had shaped her into a person who was cold and decisive in her actions.
There was no turning back for S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Justice League at this point.
Before launching the bombardment, Hill had considered that the Sky Carrier attack could impact the city.
But by then, it was a case of necessity over choice. After all, S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't just surrender without a fight.
Moreover, capturing Batman could still turn things around. For victory, some sacrifices were deemed acceptable. This was a lesson Hill had learned from Nick Fury.
"The Justice League is too arrogant!"
Hill stated gravely,
"Since Cyborg isn't planning to intervene in the battle, relying solely on Batman to infiltrate the Sky Carrier is very advantageous for us. Everyone, shift your targets, ignore Cyborg, focus your fire on that jet, and ensure Batman is brought down with it."
"Understood!"
"As you command!"
S.H.I.E.L.D. agents obeyed, intensifying their shooting.
However, the Bat Jet, circling the Sky Carrier, was slippery as an eel the agents couldn't target it precisely and could only use a barrage of ammunition to force it to keep its distance, preventing it from getting too close to the Sky Carrier.
Cyborg continued to intercept shells on the periphery, guarding the city.
At this moment.
All of Washington citizens witnessed an unforgettable scene in the sky.
A massive super warship blocked out the sun, furiously firing at a Bat Jet, which was less than a tenth of its size.
People already had their suspicions about who was piloting the Bat Jet.
The news was all over the internet.
Photo after photo, remarkably similar, was being wildly shared.
In the images, the Avengers, including the recently conspicuous Captain America, were captured and tied on the ground.
Surrounding the Avengers were members of the Justice League.
These included Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Spider-Man, Venom, Daredevil, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Visible to them, around the super warship in the sky, Cyborg, who had previously battled Iron Man, was now catching shells barehanded.
Thus, the only members of the Justice League not yet seen were Batman.
No, those familiar with the Justice League also knew of another superhero, demon, who had not yet appeared.
However, at this moment, no one considered demon relevant everyone was willing to believe that the person controlling the bat-shaped jet was definitely Batman.
In fact, these people thoughts were not mistaken.
Anton, controlling the Bat Jet, dodged artillery fire and intermittently fired energy beams to destroy the Sky Carrier cannon launchers.
S.H.I.E.L.D. and others even launched F-35 fighter jets in an attempt to deliver a fatal blow to the Bat Jet.
But they still underestimated Anton, or rather, underestimated Batman.
Anton was waiting for just this moment.
When the F-35s took off, the volume of shells fired by the Sky Carrier would decrease from intense to less frequent.
This was because the crew on the Sky Carrier needed to prevent their own shells from accidentally hitting their fighter jets.
So, the moment the F-35s were about to take off, Anton seized the opportunity, accelerating the Bat Jet and firing an energy beam that destroyed the wing of an F-35.
Then, the Bat Jet took advantage of this to breach into close range of the Sky Carrier.
Click, click!
The rear hatch opened, and Anton leaped out.
Under the gaze of countless shocked eyes, Anton, transformed into Batman, glided about a hundred meters, dodging shells, and landed on the deck of the Sky Carrier.
"Batman is here!"
"The Sky Carrier has been invaded, all agents engage, he must not be allowed to reach the command center."
"Hurry, hurry, hurry!"
On the Sky Carrier, Hill expression was calm yet grim as she issued a flurry of orders. All agents immediately armed themselves and mobilized, moving toward Batman on the deck.
She hadn't expected that despite their full efforts, Batman had still seized the opportunity.
Beside her.
Coulson sighed.
He seemed to already envision the scene of the Sky Carrier being breached by the opponent.
Meanwhile.
The radio host received an update from a reporter on the scene.
"The pilot inside the Bat Jet was indeed Batman..."
"Batman piloted the Bat Jet, destroyed the enemy aircraft about to take off from the super warship, crossed a distance of over a hundred meters, dodged countless shells, and glided onto the deck of the super warship..."
"We can no longer see what will happen next. After Batman reached the super warship, the massive vessel ceased its attacks, and Cyborg returned to his team, appearing very confident in Batman."
"Alright, friends, let hope for a positive outcome."
Countless people refreshed the images uploaded by those on-site in Washington to various forums, websites, and social media while tuning into the radio broadcast to listen to the host impassioned commentary.
Now, everyone knew Batman had infiltrated the enemy camp.
The final outcome, would soon be revealed.
…
After reaching the deck, Anton threw a Batman dart. Beep beep beep! The Batman dart exploded instantly.
The agents in protective gear were blown away by the powerful shockwave.
One by one, their heads were bloodied, their ears ringing.
S.H.I.E.L.D. equipment was advanced enough that a regular explosion wouldn't kill them, but it was sufficient to significantly reduce their combat capability.
Boom! Immediately after, Anton had no intention of holding back.
He released a flash grenade, blinding the agents who came after him, then, like a wolf entering a flock of sheep, used his fists, shoulders, knees, shins, and head—every part of his body became a weapon in combat.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, despite their rigorous training, could not withstand the assault from Anton transformed into Batman.
The entire scuffle on the deck lasted just two minutes.
Afterward, the spacious deck had only one person standing.
This person was undoubtedly Batman.
At that moment, Anton, with a cold gaze, looked at a camera in the corner of the deck, said nothing, and took a step forward.
He easily breached the first line of defense, the command center seemingly within reach.
Inside the command center.
Hill face showed extreme shock.
She hadn't expected Batman to so easily neutralize all the agents on the Sky Carrier, and even manage to hold back, effortlessly maintaining his principle of not killing.
"We've lost!"
Coulson, with a bitter expression, said to Hill, "Stop resisting. Let Batman through. It might at least reduce our losses."
Amidst the ruins of Washington Square.
As the Avengers witnessed Batman entering the Sky Carrier, they knew the outcome was inevitable.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had lost!
Before this battle, they might have harbored some doubts, but after witnessing the Justice League formidable strength, it surpassed everyone expectations.
No one believed that Batman, as the leader of the Justice League, could be defeated by a mere warship.
In a sense, as the defeated party, their confidence in Batman was even stronger than that of all the listeners tuned into the radio broadcast.
Swoosh! Cyborg returned from the sky to the square, greeting his comrades.
It turned out, this was one of the most united moments for the Justice League.
All were present except for Phil.
Indeed, this battle had been their strongest performance yet, fully demonstrating their style and momentum.
Now, no one dared underestimate the Justice League.
Even military personnel far away in the Washington district, upon hearing the news and seeing images online, couldn't help but be astounded.
At the scene, as Cyborg returned to the ground, Tony suddenly spoke.
"Even if you've won, this isn't over yet."
Tony said solemnly, "Cyborg, how will you explain Hydra and the issue of Nick Fury assassination?"
"Before coming here, we had already shaken off the military personnel to help us extract Nick Fury from the hospital.
Soon, you'll know the truth behind Batman being the mastermind, as identified by Nick Fury."
As Cyborg spoke, his gaze shifted to one of the tied-up Avengers members.
Under the astonished gazes of all the Avengers, Cyborg continued, revealing the unbelievable truth.
"Come to think of it, whether the Nick Fury we know is real or not doesn't matter."
"Based on our investigation and evidence, there is a Hydra member hidden among you."
"I brought this up when we first met…"
"Now, we can discuss the validity of this matter!"
With these words, everyone gaze turned toward rumlow.
Spider-Man, Daredevil, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and others in the Justice League had already been briefed on the situation before their mission.
Moreover, the recent revelations in the Daily Bugle had made them aware that Batman was battling a sinister organization lurking in the shadows.
This organization, known as Hydra, had its tendrils spread across the world.
And when they received the news, they could hardly believe that even the Avengers, launched by S.H.I.E.L.D. to symbolize peace and justice, included a member of Hydra.
Every one of the Avengers was undoubtedly a high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. official.
To think that among such esteemed ranks, there would be an enemy spy!
This seemed like a fantastical tale.
But when they came to understand the situation, the person mentioning it was none other than Batman.
No one thought Batman would spout nonsense.
And the other Avengers, in this moment, couldn't help but look toward rumlow.
At this point, with the Justice League in a dominant position, it seemed unnecessary to use such information to sow division or even to humiliate the Avengers.
Their brows were furrowed tightly.
Some couldn't believe that among their comrades, there was a spy for the enemy.
As for rumlow at that moment, his heart turned cold, shocked at the strength of Batman intelligence network that could even uncover his identity, yet he tried his best to maintain his composure on the surface.
"Don't believe what he says."
rumlow gritted his teeth, his voice low as he said, "They want to divide us from within."