As Anton donned his Batman persona and returned to the Brooklyn docks, gunfire erupted, punctuated by explosions and flashes of fire lighting up the night.
He stopped to take in the scene, carefully observing the situation.
The dock, a maze of stacked containers, was alive with chaos as bursts of gunfire flared between the shadows.
The night was well underway.
Under the pale glow of moonlight, the containers cast long, looming shadows.
Members of the Bigfoot Gang, armed to the teeth, were locked in a standoff with the NYPD Task Force positioned not far away.
Both sides ducked behind cover, exchanging volleys of bullets without any casualties.
Suddenly, just as Anton reached a nearby rooftop overlooking the dock, the leader of the NYPD Task Force signaled for an assault.
The team split into two groups.
One unleashed a barrage of suppressive fire, pinning the Bigfoot Gang under the containers. The other cautiously advanced, faces taut with determination.
Boom!
However, the task force hadn't anticipated the gang sudden and suicidal resolve.
Some gang members threw themselves forward as human shields, letting bullets tear through their bodies. They managed grim smiles as they fell.
Seizing the moment, their comrades fired back, catching the advancing officers off guard and turning the tide.
It was at this moment that Anton reached the rooftop overlooking the scene.
Realizing it was time to intervene, he prepared to leap into action.
At the same time, a green shadow streaked across the night sky behind Anton, whistling through the air like a blazing green meteor.
The figure flew straight toward the docks ahead.
Anton caught sight of it and froze in disbelief.
"Who there?"
The sound of machinery whirring to life filled the air as the flying green figure, riding a high-speed glider, closed in at terrifying speed.
Task force members looked up in shock.
They had no idea who this intruder was.
The Bigfoot Gang members were equally dumbfounded. Staring at the green figure on the flying glider, they couldn't help but wonder if they were in the wrong movie.
"Die! All of you, die!!"
"This is my turf, and anyone who dares mess with my things deserves to die!!"
Under the stunned gazes of everyone present, the green figure let out a piercing laugh.
The figure swooped low, circling both the gang members and task force, tossing pumpkin-shaped objects before ascending back into the air to create distance.
BOOM!!
No one could have predicted that the pumpkin-shaped objects were bombs.
The next moment, fiery explosions erupted, sending shockwaves rippling outward like visible airwaves.
Though the task force members were far enough to avoid direct hits, the blast waves still hurled them backward, leaving many bloodied and injured.
The gang members, on the other hand, bore the full brunt of the explosions. They were ripped apart, their bodies charred and unrecognizable.
A few survivors lay among the scattered remains, limbless, writhing in pools of blood and gore. Their faces contorted in pain and terror, their eyes filled with shock and dread.
"Who is that?"
Officers stationed at the perimeter of the dock, sensing something was wrong, rushed in as reinforcements.
Leading the charge was George Stacy.
Upon seeing the carnage and his battered task force, George clenched his fists tightly.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
The green figure, still atop the flying glider, continued circling the air, laughing maniacally.
"You bastard!"
George Stacy, seething with anger, pulled out his gun and fired wildly at the airborne figure.
"Get down here!"
Rage consumed George as he emptied his clip, but none of the bullets harmed the green figure.
Effortlessly, the figure flung a knife at George, forcing him to take cover behind a container. The knife exploded upon impact, toppling the massive container.
"HAHAHAHA! NYPD, I suggest you mind your own business!"
The green figure laughter echoed across the docks, brazen and deranged.
At this point, Anton quickly switched out of his standard armor and summoned the Rabbit Armor, stepping dramatically into the scene.
BOOM!!
The missile launched from Anton shoulder-mounted cannon, trailing a fiery tail as it streaked through the air toward the green figure momentarily frozen mid-flight.
The green figure spun around but couldn't evade the incoming missile. It struck dead-on, sending the figure tumbling from the air and crashing into a pile of abandoned containers, tearing a massive hole in the iron structures.
Police and the remaining task force members quickly regrouped, encircling the wreckage.
Moments later, Anton leaped from the rooftop, unfurling his cape into a glider. In the blink of an eye, he landed at the scene.
However, the container pile remained still for only a few seconds.
BOOM!!
The green figure, though struck down, emerged unscathed and shot back into the air on their flying glider.
The figure face, partially obscured beneath their helmet, was a mask of fury as they began scattering pumpkin-shaped bombs in every direction.
"Shit!"
George Stacy immediately realized the danger.
Those were clearly well-disguised bombs.
"Take cover! Get down!" he shouted, his voice full of urgency.
Anton frowned deeply, rushing forward to shield the nearby officers.
To prevent tragedy, he clenched his teeth and threw himself over the pumpkin bomb, willingly absorbing the blast.
BOOM!!
A deafening explosion rocked the docks.
Flames and shockwaves clawed at the air in front of the officers.
From their perspective, Batman was thrown skyward by the force of the explosion, rising several meters before plummeting back down.
With a heavy thud, he hit the ground, creating a spiderweb of cracks that spread beneath their feet, showing the sheer impact of his fall and the immense force he had endured.
"Damn!"
Anton chest throbbed with pain.
Even though the Rabbit Armor was highly durable, the simultaneous detonation of several pumpkin bombs was no trivial matter.
[Durability down 65%, damage rate 78%]
[Warning: Damage exceeds operational threshold. Combat effectiveness reduced by 55%.]
The system interface displayed a glaring red warning.
Anton winced from the searing pain in his chest.
This was, without a doubt, the worst injury he'd sustained since becoming Batman.
But now wasn't the time to focus on injuries.
A thought crossed his mind.
[Repair Rabbit Armor: Deducting 3.2 million fan points (40% of original armor value). Confirm?]
[Yes.]
Before George Stacy and the others could recover from their shock, they watched in amazement as the Rabbit Armor regenerated to pristine condition, looking brand new, with not a scratch in sight.
The NYPD officers were stunned, marveling at the advanced technology of Batman armor.
George Stacy wasted no time stepping forward, his expression filled with gratitude. "Batman, thank you for saving us!"
"Yes! Without you, we'd all be dead by now!"
Others, snapping out of their daze, followed suit, their faces flushed with emotion. Thinking back to the explosion, they couldn't help but feel a lingering fear.
Behind his mask, Anton had no time to respond to their gratitude.
His brow furrowed as he endured the pain in his body, his gaze fixed on the green figure disappearing over the horizon. His eyes glinted with gravity and determination.
The others might not know who that green figure was, but Anton had no doubt.
The Green Goblin.
Norman Osborn.
Why had he suddenly appeared here, unleashing such lethal force against the Bigfoot Gang?
As Anton pondered, his gaze landed on the nearby containers bearing the Oscorp logo, and everything clicked into place.
Was this because of these containers?