Was it difficult to deal with Riptide?
In truth, it wasn't difficult at all.
Though he possessed the ability to summon violent storms, at the end of the day, Riptide was still just like a regular human being. His powers had enhanced his reaction speed, sharpened his senses, and allowed him to manipulate wind at will, but physically, he remained as vulnerable as any man.
A single sniper shot from five hundred meters away could have ended him just as easily as any ordinary target.
Because of that, 'Batman's' preparation to deal with the mutant was very simple. He had calculated the route Riptide would take to help Magneto escape the base and planted a large number of metal blades along the exit in advance.
Given the urgency of the situation—the Joker Venom surging upward through the base's ventilation system—'Batman' knew Riptide would have no choice but to use his full power to race ahead of the deadly gas. In doing so, he would inevitably surround himself with a protective vortex of swirling winds.
But storms, much like tornados, not only spun at high speed but also sucked everything around them toward the center.
As Riptide hurtled out of the underground passage, wrapped in his personal hurricane, the scattered blades hidden in the area were caught by the violent updraft and hurled directly toward him.
"What?!"
The mutant was shocked by the sudden appearance of the blades but reacted quickly. The reason he dared to use his storm to cover his body was because he had confidence that his own powers would not hurt him.
Realizing that deadly blades had mixed into his storm, he instantly dissolved the surrounding winds. The air around him exploded outward in a stronger burst, trying to blow the blades away.
And this too had been within 'Batman's' calculations.
He understood the nature of experienced mutants: those who survived long enough inevitably learned to master their abilities with precision.
So, some of the blades had been coated with a special liquid explosive developed by Wayne Enterprises. It was the same explosive spray 'Batman' loved to use to destroy enemy weapons.
The moment 'Batman,' watching from nearby, noticed the storm around Riptide stop, he pressed the remote control in his hand.
Instantly, the liquid explosives detonated.
A brilliant flash erupted, and Riptide was swallowed by the explosion.
"Ah!!"
A scream rang out. It was not just the pain from the explosion itself. Many of the blades, propelled by the blast, also pierced deep into his body. His nose and one of his ears were sliced off. Only two fingers on his left hand and one on his right were still intact. His body was full of embedded blades, leaving him in unbearable agony.
At the same time, Joker Venom began to pour out of the underground base's ventilation system. In the blink of an eye, the entire block was turned into a hell filled with the green gas.
Caught off guard, Riptide inhaled a mouthful of the gas. If he hadn't forced himself to suppress the urge to laugh, the strength left in his battered body would have vanished with the first burst of laughter.
Staring at 'Batman' standing a short distance, Riptide knew he had been tricked. The enemy must have been secretly observing their every move and had prepared for this from the beginning.
He desperately wanted to kill this cunning foe right here, but deep down he knew it was impossible now.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Joker Venom spreading toward the Gotham Police Department. There was no more time.
Gritting his teeth, Riptide endured the stabbing pain from the blades and spun himself into a storm again, rushing toward the police station.
...
Present time.
Knowing Riptide could not answer his question, Magneto wasted no more precious seconds. He used the metal around him to drag himself upward, flying high into the sky where the Joker Venom could not reach.
Most chemical gases were denser than air. Naturally, as long as one could fly, this kind of gas attack would hardly pose a threat.
"Riptide, I'm coming to get you," Magneto muttered grimly.
Reaching the higher altitude, he tried to use the nearby metal to pull Riptide out, who had stopped spinning and was now trapped within the gas. But before he could succeed, a small object arced through the air and landed at the mutant's feet.
A grenade.
"What?!" Magneto's eyes widened in horror.
He had seen it clearly—the grenade had been thrown from within the Gotham Police Department. But the precinct was already completely engulfed by Joker Venom. How could they possibly still move?
Confused, Magneto looked toward the station, and what he saw made his heart sink. Commissioner Gordon, Harvey Dent, and dozens of Gotham police officers were standing unharmed within the gas, still fully capable of attacking him.
And that moment of hesitation cost the mutant leader the chance to save his comrade.
There was no longer enough time to disassemble the grenade. A loud boom echoed through the gas, and Riptide was completely wiped out under the police department's attack.
A hero was still a hero. 'Batman' was still 'Batman.' Gotham Police was still Gotham Police.
Gordon and Harvey might believe in justice, but this was America. In this land, police officers didn't need many reasons or moral justifications to pull the trigger on a murderer.
"Bastards!" Magneto roared, his voice echoing across the city skyline.
Looking at the Joker Venom now covering the entire Gotham, he knew it was over.
The Brotherhood of Mutants was finished.
Maybe only he and those who hadn't joined this operation would survive. Like his daughter, Polaris. The others he had sent to attack Joker's gang would all lose their lives in the spread of this gas.
And Magneto knew the truth better than anyone: there were no mutants among his ranks who could resist the Joker Venom.
"You insects," he hissed under his breath, trembling with rage.
Thinking about it, especially about how these tiny, ant-like humans under his feet would live, while his mutant comrades suffered such terrible losses, Magneto's eyes turned blood red.
He knew it. There was no way he alone could control Gotham. But even so, he would not leave Gotham to the humans. Their actions this time had exposed the existence of the Dionesium. He could not allow humans to seize that kind of power.
"Die," Magneto whispered, his voice heavy with hatred. "All of you."
Slowly, he raised both his hands upward. At the same time, every metal object across Gotham floated into the air, and the steel-supported skyscrapers began to shake violently.
Inside the GCPD, Gordon and Harvey struggled to stay on their feet as the entire building quaked beneath them. Finally, they lost their footing and fell hard to the trembling floor.
"He... he wants to destroy Gotham!" Gordon gasped.
He had heard before. The reason the Brotherhood could move so freely around the world wasn't because countries couldn't locate them. It was because this Magneto had the power to threaten entire nations.
"Is that... Batman?"
On the other hand, Harvey caught sight of something. On top of the swaying skyscraper, there was a figure in black. The man who, for some reason, could still stand firmly as if nothing was happening, was staring straight at Magneto in the sky.
"Does he still have a way to deal with this?"
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