novelhk Chapter 116 Come and Fight Me One-on-One
Chapter 116 Come and Fight Me One-on-One
The Joker and the Scarecrow are the two most troublesome, and also the two that will wear Batman down the most.
After finishing his analysis, Li Wei looked at the dispatcher.
"Immediately contact the fire department and have them do their utmost to deal with the fire in the city center and evacuate the hostages."
Delay as much as possible, without waiting for Batman; our officers will try to deal with the Joker first.
In the suburbs, the technical department was instructed to immediately allocate gas masks and simple antidotes.
In addition, specialized police officers were dispatched to set up a containment barrier to prevent the spread of the toxic gas.
"What about Batman? If he really goes back and forth to provide support, he'll be worn down sooner or later."
Gordon said with concern.
"I'm going to the suburbs."
Li Wei made a decision immediately, grabbing the hazmat suit and backpack that were on the table.
Inside was a simple antidote spray prepared using forensic laboratory equipment—its main components were pralidoxime and diphenhydramine, which neutralize neurotoxins.
While it cannot completely neutralize the scarecrow's fear-inducing gas, it can quickly alleviate nerve inhibition and restore the poisoned person to consciousness.
"I went there under the pretense of investigating the source of the poison gas, and if I encountered Batman, I would try to help him out."
"Delay things in the city center as much as possible. Once I'm done here, I'll rush over to provide support."
"No, that's too dangerous!"
Gordon immediately objected.
"The suburbs are now filled with terrifying poison gas, and there are scarecrows lurking in the shadows. You'll have to go alone..."
"I am the most suitable candidate."
Li Wei interrupted him, his tone firm.
"I understand Bain's plans and I know how to deal with fear gas."
Moreover, I am an "outsider" and will not attract Bain's special attention.
"You're more useful staying at the police station to oversee the overall situation than coming with me to the suburbs."
Without saying another word, he turned and rushed out of the dispatch room, walking quickly towards the parking lot.
The pickup truck sped away, and outside the window, the Gotham sky remained a hazy gray.
Thick black smoke was already rising from the direction of the city center in the distance, and the flames had dyed half the sky red.
The screams of citizens and the sirens of police could be faintly heard, weaving together a symphony of despair.
Li Wei's car was going incredibly fast, the tires screeching as they rolled over the gravel on the road.
His eyes were fixed on the road ahead, but his mind was racing.
Bane released so many hardened criminals not only to wear down Batman.
There is likely another purpose—to take over Gotham's underground order.
Most of those fugitives had their own power bases and territories. Bane let them go, allowing them to wreak havoc in Gotham.
In reality, they were using them to disrupt the situation, keeping Batman and the police busy dealing with the chaos.
He then reaped the benefits and completely controlled Gotham's underworld.
Forty minutes later, the pickup truck arrived at the edge of the Blackwater Swamp in the suburbs.
From afar, Li Wei could see a strange green mist shrouding the swamp.
The fog spread with the wind, reaching the nearby residential area.
Several police officers in hazmat suits were setting up a cordon, their faces grave.
Upon seeing Li Wei arrive, he immediately went to greet him.
"Mr. Li Wei! You've arrived! The toxic gas is spreading very quickly, and we have already evacuated some residents."
But some people are trapped in a hut near the swamp, and... the Scarecrow is inside, and Batman has arrived too!
Li Wei nodded, put on a gas mask, and slung his backpack over his shoulder: "Take me there."
The officer led him along a path along the edge of the swamp, where the green mist grew thicker and thicker.
The pungent, sweet-smelling odor, though penetrating the gas mask's filter, still lingered, causing him to feel slightly dizzy.
He suppressed his discomfort, quickened his pace, and walked through a dense thicket of bushes. The sight before him caused his pupils to contract slightly.
In the clearing in the middle of the swamp, Batman is confronting Scarecrow.
The scarecrow was hunched over and wore a tattered trench coat.
He was holding a huge gas canister, from which green mist continuously poured out and permeated the surroundings.
Batman's black cape swayed slightly in the mist, and his eyes under the hood had lost their usual sharpness, becoming somewhat unfocused.
His body swayed slightly, as if he might fall at any moment—he had clearly inhaled a lot of fear gas and was hallucinating.
"Batman, look at yourself now."
The scarecrow's voice was hoarse and eerie, like the friction of rusty iron.
"You think you're the guardian of Gotham? Actually, you're just like us, ruled by fear!"
You're afraid of failure, afraid of Gotham's destruction, afraid you can't protect anyone... These fears are your weaknesses!
Batman did not respond, but stared intently at the Scarecrow.
His hands were clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white.
His body trembled slightly, clearly struggling with hallucinations.
Occasionally, he would throw a punch, but it would miss because his vision was blurry.
Instead, because of the large movement, he staggered back a few steps and barely managed to stand up by leaning against a dead tree. Li Wei knew he couldn't wait any longer.
If Batman continues to inhale the toxic gas, he will soon be completely controlled by hallucinations.
Not only will you fail to defeat the scarecrow, you might also hurt yourself.
He quietly retreated behind a large tree, unzipped his backpack, and took out the simple antidote spray.
A device made from a modified plastic bottle can spray a mist of medicine by pressing the top, with a range of about three meters.
He needs to get close to Batman and deliver the drug without being spotted by Scarecrow.
Li Wei took a deep breath and, using the bushes and dead trees as cover, slowly approached the two.
The green fog grew thicker and thicker, making him even more dizzy, and his vision began to blur.
But he persevered, keeping a close eye on Batman's position, calculating the distance and angle.
Just then, Scarecrow suddenly raised a gas canister and sprayed a thicker cloud of green mist toward Batman.
"Feel the fear! Let it consume you!"
Batman instinctively raised his hand to shield himself, but because of his slow movement, he inhaled even more toxic gas.
His body trembled violently, his eyes became completely unfocused, and he let out a low growl, as if he were fighting an invisible enemy.
It's now!
Seizing the opportunity, Li Wei suddenly burst out from behind the tree, crouching low, and lunged towards Batman.
He stopped two meters away from Batman and quickly pressed the top of the antidote spray.
The white, misty medicine dispersed amidst the green toxic gas, precisely enveloping Batman's head.
"Who?!"
The scarecrow noticed the commotion and immediately turned its head to look in Li Wei's direction.
Li Wei did not linger in the fight. After administering the potion, he immediately turned around and hid behind the tree again.
He peered through the gaps in the leaves and saw that after Batman inhaled the antidote spray, his trembling gradually subsided, and his unfocused eyes regained some focus.
He shook his head violently, as if waking from a nightmare, and began to cough violently.
The saliva he coughed up contained a trace of green, the residue of the poisonous gas of fear.
"hateful!"
When the Scarecrow saw that Batman had regained consciousness, it roared angrily and raised the gas canister again.
But Batman had regained his senses, and without hesitation, he charged forward.
Although its speed was not as fast as usual, it still carried a sharp and imposing aura.
He raised his hand and threw several bat darts, which accurately hit the poison gas canister in the scarecrow's hand.
With a "bang," the gas canister fell to the ground, and green mist instantly gushed out before gradually dissipating.
The scarecrow, having lost its weapon, appeared somewhat flustered.
He turned to run away, but Batman grabbed his shoulder and punched him hard in the face.
The scarecrow screamed, collapsed to the ground, and fainted.
Batman, panting heavily, bent down to pick up the gas canister from the ground and turned it off.
His body was still swaying slightly, clearly indicating that the antidote spray could only relieve the symptoms and could not completely eliminate the effects of the poison gas.
Coupled with his previous fatigue, his condition remained very poor.
He glanced in the direction where Li Wei was hiding, a hint of gratitude in his eyes.
However, he didn't say anything more, turned around and sped off towards the city center.
The fighting there continues, and that clown is still causing trouble.
Watching Batman's departing figure, Li Wei felt a pang of worry.
After two consecutive battles, coupled with the corrosive effects of the Fear Gas, Batman's stamina has been pushed to its limit.
But he had no time to rest and had to rush to the city center to provide support immediately.
Without pausing, Li Wei immediately turned and ran towards the pickup truck.
He had to get to downtown as soon as possible to help Batman before he was completely worn down.
Roads from the suburbs to the city center have become extremely congested as many residents try to escape the fire in the city center.
Meanwhile, police officers and fire trucks were rushing towards the city center, where traffic from both directions was intertwined, making it difficult to move.
Li Wei had no choice but to abandon the car and run wildly along the sidewalk.
His chest heaved violently with rapid breathing, and sweat slid down his face, soaking his collar.
The closer to the city center, the more intense the fire became.
The roof of the department store was engulfed in flames, with flames shooting into the sky and thick black smoke making it difficult to breathe.
The streets were a mess, with broken glass, burning debris, and overturned vehicles everywhere.
The citizens fled in panic, their cries and screams filling the air.
The clown's henchmen, armed with guns and Molotov cocktails, wreaked havoc in the streets.
They opened fire on the police officers as soon as they saw them, acting completely like madmen.
Li Wei hid behind an overturned bus, observing the situation.
The clown stood on the roof of the department store, wearing a purple suit and with exaggerated makeup on his face.
He was holding a remote control and laughing wildly.
"Batman! Where are you? I can't wait to play games with you!"
"If you don't come soon, I'll blow all the hostages in this building to bits!"
The cries and calls for help from the hostages echoed from inside the building, making one's heart clench.
Several police officers attempted to approach the mall but were forced back by the clown's henchmen at gunpoint, making it impossible for them to carry out a rescue operation.
Just then, a black figure descended from the sky and landed on the open ground in front of the mall; it was Batman.
But he was in worse condition than he had been in the suburbs; his steps were unsteady, and his cloak was covered in dust and blood.
The wound on his arm seemed to have reopened, and blood seeped through the bandage.
He looked up at the clown on the rooftop, his voice hoarse.
"Joker, release the hostages."
"Oh? Batman has finally arrived!"
The clown laughed even more maniacally.
"You look really disheveled. Are you exhausted from my little surprise? But it's okay, the game has only just begun!"
He pressed a button on the remote control, and the mall's windows closed instantly, and the doors locked.
"Did you see this countdown? In ten minutes, this shopping mall will turn into a giant firework!"
If you want to save them, you must complete my challenge—defeat all my men, then climb to the rooftop and fight me one-on-one!
As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of the Joker's henchmen rushed out of the surrounding alleys, wielding various weapons, and swarmed towards Batman.
Batman took a deep breath, clenched his fist, and charged forward.
But his movements had become extremely slow, and each punch seemed exceptionally difficult.
His once precise and sharp attacks became somewhat clumsy, and he almost got hit by the enemy several times.
With his rich combat experience and tenacious will, he barely managed to evade the attacks while simultaneously counterattacking.
He knocked one of his men to the ground after another, but he also paid the price.
He was struck in the back by a steel pipe, and staggered back a few steps, a mouthful of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
Li Wei knew that Batman wouldn't last much longer.
He must find a way to distract the Joker's henchmen and relieve the pressure on Batman.
He looked around and saw a fire hydrant not far away, and immediately had an idea.
He rushed over quickly, installed the fire hose, and then forcefully opened the valve of the fire hydrant, causing high-pressure water to gush out instantly.
Thanks to his enhanced strength, he had no difficulty controlling the fire hose.
He adjusted the direction of the water flow and sprayed it towards the area where the clown's henchmen were concentrated.
The water flow was extremely powerful, instantly drenching several of his men. They paused, their faces showing utter disarray.
Batman seized the opportunity, punching one of his henchmen to the ground, while glancing towards the direction of the water, seemingly noticing Li Wei's presence.
He didn't say much, but simply quickened the pace of his attack.
Although he was still exhausted, Li Wei's cover had relieved much of his pressure.
Li Wei moved quickly along the buildings on both sides of the street, using the terrain as cover to quietly approach the lone clown's henchmen.
He was agile and ruthless, aiming every attack at the enemy's vital points.
Often, they would punch the opponent in the chin or trip them up, then quickly seize the weapon and knock them unconscious.
He did not use a gun to avoid causing unnecessary chaos or revealing his position.
With Levi's covert assistance, Batman gradually eliminated most of the Joker's henchmen.
The unconscious henchmen lay sprawled on the street, leaving only the clown on the rooftop.
Batman, panting heavily, walked step by step toward the mall.
His steps grew heavier and heavier, each step feeling like he was using up his last bit of strength.
His face was as pale as paper, his lips were cracked, and his breathing was heavy, like a bellows.
His chest heaved violently; he was clearly on the verge of collapse.
"Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic!"
The clown stood on the rooftop, clapping his hands and laughing.
"I can't believe you could still defeat my men even when you're exhausted! But the game isn't over yet!"
He pressed the remote control again, and the countdown in the mall started to accelerate, changing from five minutes to two minutes.
"Now, let's have a one-on-one fight! If you can beat me, I'll tell you the code to disarm the bomb!"
Without hesitation, Batman leaped onto the exterior wall of the mall and then quickly climbed up the wall.
However, he was already severely exhausted and was climbing very slowly.
Several times I almost slipped and had to use all my strength to grab onto the protrusions on the wall and move upwards little by little.
Li Wei stood on the street, looking up at Batman's climbing figure, feeling extremely anxious.