"Claims and ideas can change for anyone, even you, Batman," Adrian said coldly, standing over the battered figure sprawled on the ground. "You just haven't faced the moment that would shift your perspective. The sickness of this world has become unbearable for me. If I cannot bend it to my will, I would rather watch it collapse."
"You…" Batman struggled to his feet, his bloodied mask partially torn, revealing the raw exhaustion beneath. "Trying to enforce your vision through tyranny and revenge will only make things worse. Whether it is to protect those you love, to end inequality, or to stop persecution, the world cannot be remade by force. We are human, not gods, and the rules of this place cannot be rewritten in a day."
"You still like to reason," Adrian remarked, shaking his head as he examined Batman's battered form. He reached forward and pressed on his chest.
"Ah!" Batman screamed as pain radiated through his ribs. He could feel them fracture under Adrian's fingers, sweat dripping from his brow despite the cold air.
Grasping Batman by the collar of his torn armor, Adrian lifted him with ease. "Submit, or die. That is your only choice."
Pain coursed through Batman's body, yet his gaze remained unyielding. "I will never become the person you expect, nor will I follow you into your river of tyranny."
With a roar, he plunged a vial of green reagent into his neck.
Pfft!
A hiss of burning flesh accompanied a surge of power. Batman's eyes glowed blood-red as the Super Serum, modified by Fox, coursed through his veins. His muscles expanded, his skin tearing in places under the strain, blood seeping from the cracks. The serum granted him immense strength and explosive speed, but its effects were temporary, lasting only a day, and carried severe physical and mental consequences. He had little choice; Adrian's assault left him no time for hesitation.
Gritting his teeth, Batman clenched his armored right fist and struck with all his newfound power. Adrian, taken aback by the sudden surge, was thrown backward. His body smashed through a glass door, crashing to the first floor of the building.
"Huff! Huff!" Batman panted, staggering forward. His body trembled violently, the pain from the serum and injuries intertwining, yet the raw power coursed through him.
Adrian recovered, launching himself back at Batman. Bang! He struck like a lightning bolt, fists moving faster than the eye could follow. Even with the enhanced serum, Batman could not match Adrian's natural speed and strength. He relied on experience, barely managing to raise his elbow to block a strike aimed at his neck. The impact sent him skidding backward, cracks forming in the concrete beneath him.
Batman spat blood, his armor shredded, bones fractured. He drew a Batarang, throwing it at Adrian while advancing with super speed. Adrian deflected it with ease, but before he could counterattack, the Batarang returned, silently homing in on him. Heat Vision flared from Adrian's eyes, incinerating the projectile before it could detonate.
The explosion rocked the building. Adrian backhanded Batman, sending him into the wall, and immediately launched another Batarang. Boom! Batman took the full impact, sliding down the wall, blood streaming, armor in tatters. Leaning against the rubble, he struggled to rise, but his body trembled violently, the serum's toll draining his vitality.
"It's over, Batman," Adrian said, walking forward calmly. "You are no longer a fighter. You are just a scarred man. Make your exit."
Adrian's foot shifted over debris, noticing a communicator beneath the rubble. He picked it up.
"Master Bruce, what's wrong? Can you hear me?" Alfred's panicked voice came through.
"Stop calling him! He's dead. Prepare to bury him," Adrian said coldly.
"Who… who are you?" Alfred asked.
"Homelander."
Silence followed. The line went dead. Adrian discarded the communicator and turned back to Batman, who was slowly fading. Without hesitation, he unleashed Heat Vision, piercing Batman's Super Skin and striking his internal organs.
Batman collapsed, blood spilling from his mouth. The green kryptonite he had held rolled across the floor. Adrian paused, surprised. This was the weapon Batman had carried, yet he never used it. Why hold it to the end without striking?
Adrian's moment of doubt vanished when a powerful energy beam slammed into him. The force pushed him back violently, enough to make him grimace. Raising his arms, he blocked the strike.
Across the room stood a figure clad entirely in silver metal—a cyborg. Adrian immediately recognized him: one of the seven founders of the Justice League, half-human, half-machine, attacking with lethal precision.
The battlefield had shifted once again. The Super Serum had leveled the playing field temporarily, but new threats loomed. Adrian narrowed his eyes, preparing for the next wave of combat, as Batman's body lay a temporary casualty of the clash.
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