Chapter 222: Batman VS Vampire & Green Goblin Jr
"You know what? That idiot Harry thought tying himself to a chair and injecting poison would take me down with him."
"He had no idea I'd already replaced the poison with stimulants. Two full liters of concentrated stimulants! The dosage alone could kill someone!"
"Little Harry's already dead—died in a state of extreme euphoria. Consider it my compensation for him providing this body!"
Atop the rain-soaked Empire State Building, on a ledge barely half a meter wide, three shadows—one green, two black—intertwined in violent combat.
Batman fought ambidextrously, simultaneously engaging Morbius and Green Goblin attacking from both flanks.
Green electrified blade and pitch-black razor claws struck without pause toward Batman's body. Every attack targeted vital points.
Throat. Heart. Eyes. Abdomen. Even groin.
Green Goblin and Morbius attacked like rabid dogs, tearing viciously at Batman.
Batman remained purely defensive, not counterattacking. Despite Venom's dormancy within his body, despite their attacks resembling a hurricane's fury—
Batman stood like a stubborn reef amid ocean waves. Regardless of how violently the sea crashed against stone, the formation remained immovable.
Even without Venom, Batman's pure strength had reached fifty-plus ton capacity. Combined with Peter's body's agility, spider-sense, and Batman's combat expertise—
Morbius and Green Goblin—attacking purely on instinct, possessing zero formal training—even if they'd received training—remained no match for Batman.
Batman could even allocate mental resources for analysis during combat.
'Green Goblin jr attacks me frantically because he knows definitively that Batman imprisoned Norman Osborn.'
'What motivates Professor Morbius's equal madness? Green Goblin's manipulation? Or the claim about killing me to 'become Batman'?'
'No. Morbius isn't Dick or the others. He holds zero emotional investment in the 'Batman' designation.'
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
In barely one minute, Little Green Goblin and Morbius had executed over one hundred attacks. Every single strike blocked.
Batman's entire physiology appeared to possess zero vulnerabilities. Regardless of attack angle, regardless of how viciously they struck from blind spots—Batman intercepted everything.
His broad cape shifted between states—sometimes becoming soft as clouds, obscuring their vision completely; sometimes hardening like steel plate, blocking claws and blade.
Despite standing on a ledge barely half a meter wide, despite rain making surfaces treacherously slick, despite Green Goblin jr and Morbius's attacks exploding rain curtains with each strike, generating powerful gusts—
Bizarrely, Batman never left his position. Beyond occasional footwork adjustments and positional shifts, no matter how desperately Morbius and Green Goblin jr exerted themselves, they couldn't force Batman to fall.
Batman's gaze alternated between Green Goblin jr and Morbius's faces, analyzing their every thought.
Green Goblin jr seemed genuinely determined to avenge Norman Osborn, desperately attempting to kill Batman. The green intensity in his eyes deepened progressively as attacks failed to penetrate.
Morbius presented differently. Though equally frenzied in appearance, showing zero mercy—his eyes contained unmistakable fear.
Fear?
Batman understood instantly what occupied Morbius's thoughts.
'Originally Morbius considered me urban legend. But learning from Daredevil that I genuinely exist, he fears eventual confrontation.'
'The specific concern... relates to his killing Rikers Island prisoners?'
Beyond those inmates, Batman had found zero information about exsanguinated corpses anywhere in New York.
Morbius had clearly demonstrated hemophagic behavior on Rikers Island. But since then—complete silence.
This presented a contradiction. A vampire requiring blood who doesn't consume blood—what would he do instead?
Following that deduction, Batman immediately recalled information gathered while hacking Metro-General's systems—both deleting his own surveillance footage and investigating Warren's condition.
One detail: Metro-General's blood bank had disposed of expired plasma one day early.
Hospitals rarely processed inventory that way. But it wasn't impossible.
In Gotham, verifying this hypothesis would require extensive laboratory equipment. Here, unnecessary.
Peter Parker's enhanced olfactory sense provided sufficient discrimination.
Minutes ago, when Morbius and Green Goblin jr first arrived atop the Empire State Building, Batman had detected blood scent.
Initially, Batman had combined it with rot smell, categorizing it as sewer odor.
Fresh blood contains high iron content. Batman could clearly detect metallic rust scent. But hospital blood bank separated plasma doesn't contain hemoglobin or iron ions.
Beyond faint blood scent, no metallic undertones.
Peter Parker's olfaction. Batman's experience. Metro-General system access.
Three factors combined, Batman rapidly deduced required information:
Morbius had secretly manipulated Metro-General Hospital into early plasma disposal, then stolen it to satisfy his blood hunger.
Beyond fearing Batman himself, Morbius likely also feared his monstrous transformation's blood sensitivity.
Morbius could be saved.
"Harry..."
Batman's left armored forearm blocked Green Goblin jr's latest slash.
Green Goblin jr's eyes contained only madness. Only desire to kill Batman and Peter Parker. The green had grown sufficiently intense to completely fill his eye sockets.
Hatred toward Batman, Norman's disappearance, disappointment in Peter Parker—these had reduced his consciousness to singular purpose: revenge.
"Poker face, I'm celebrating with Dillon and his daughter. Say cheese!"
"How's your situation?"
"Stop zapping me, the electricity makes me need to pee."
"'Electro' sounds terrible. I'm renaming you 'Electric King.' How's that?"
"Need assistance over there?"
Tony Stark's voice erupted abruptly through Batman's communication channel.
Completely unlike Batman's one-versus-two lethal engagement—
Tony Stark and Max Dillon, apparently bonding as fellow engineers, hadn't fought at all. Instead they'd gone to Dillon's home for dinner.
The comm channel transmitted cheerful laughter, occasional exclamations of wonder—unclear whether directed at Mark IV-armored Tony or electricity-wreathed Max.
"Not necessary." Batman's voice remained low before disconnecting the channel.
Analysis of Green Goblin jr and Morbius complete, Batman abandoned purely defensive posture, instantly transitioning to offensive combat stance.
The Empire State Building summit situation reversed immediately.