Chapter 136 Clash

"Nick, you're not going to make this difficult for me, are you?"

Green Arrow tone was low as he stood by the teleportation beacon. His gaze, sharp like an arrowhead, swept across the faces of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, the cutting edge probing them one by one.

The expressions of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents subtly shifted.

Even Spider-Man, the Ninja Turtles, and Daredevil could instantly sense the covert struggle between Batman and S.H.I.E.L.D.

The atmosphere in the building, which had lightened somewhat after the remnants of the Foot Clan were dealt with, grew heavy once again as soon as Green Arrow spoke. The tension returned, no less oppressive than it had been during the earlier battle.

Some found it hard to breathe under the pressure.

Thinking that their opponent might soon shift from the Foot Clan remnants to the Justice League led by Batman sent shivers down their spines, leaving them unsettled for a long while.

Nick Fury, however, remained calm.

He fixed his eyes on Green Arrow and said slowly, "The teleportation beacon cannot be handed over to you—Green Arrow, you know what I'm going to say."

"You want to claim that S.H.I.E.L.D. is safer than the Justice League?"

Green Arrow sneered. "Nick, these past few days must have given you plenty of headaches, right? With your paranoia, haven't you realized what the problem is yet?"

Nick Fury face darkened further.

"Even so, I can't let the teleportation beacon fall under your control," Fury stated bluntly. His tone was firm. "This thing is too dangerous. I cannot trust you with it."

"Whether you trust us or not isn't up to you," Green Arrow replied with a cold smile. "After what happened, the entirety of New York, if not the entire U.S. or even the world, now trusts Batman. And who the hell are you?"

Who the hell am I?

When I was saving the world, you were still running around in diapers playing with mud pies!

Nick Fury temper flared at Green Arrow words, but just as he was about to lose control, he suppressed his anger and refrained from showing it.

The verbal sparring between the two made the tension within the building even more palpable. It was as if sparks were flying in the air from their verbal clashes.

A battle seemed imminent.

"Director!"

As the standoff dragged on, Hawkeye couldn't hold back any longer. He turned to look at Nick Fury, the meaning in his gaze unmistakable.

Even if they couldn't secure the teleportation beacon today, they couldn't afford to back down either.

"Looking for a fight?"

Anton Green Arrow clone, noticing Hawkeye—a subordinate he had defeated before—eagerly stepping forward, immediately understood his intentions. A faint smile appeared on his face.

Green Arrow clone did not maintain a friendly attitude toward S.H.I.E.L.D.

This was a deliberate move by Anton to differentiate the perspectives of Batman, Cyborg, and Green Arrow on S.H.I.E.L.D.

It was important to note that while Batman led the Justice League, internal differences of opinion were inevitable. Presenting minor disagreements within the group helped maintain authenticity.

Among the most enigmatic members of the Justice League—Batman, Cyborg, and Green Arrow—it was impossible for S.H.I.E.L.D. to get a clear read on any of them.

Additionally, the Green Arrow clone overt hostility towards S.H.I.E.L.D. served as a subtle warning from the Justice League to Nick Fury.

This was to prevent Nick Fury from constantly viewing the Justice League as a potential adversary.

It was necessary to make Fury understand that even if S.H.I.E.L.D. managed to assemble the Avengers, they still wouldn't be on equal footing with the Justice League, let alone compete with them at the finish line.

A rival? Fine.

A sworn enemy? That was just Nick Fury overthinking things.

S.H.I.E.L.D., or more accurately, the Avengers as they currently stood, had no one but Tony Stark as Iron Man who could somewhat hold his own. The rest were small fry, hardly worth mentioning.

"Hmph!"

After stepping forward, Hawkeye received an approving nod from Nick Fury. Taking the hint, he readied his bow and arrow, aiming it at Green Arrow.

Swoosh!

An arrow shot out.

It collided mid-air with an arrow fired by Green Arrow.

The clash was direct and unyielding.

Thunk!

Thunk!

The two arrows deflected midair, embedding themselves into the walls on either side.

Both Green Arrow and Hawkeye tacitly avoided using specialized arrows, opting instead for standard ones.

In essence, this felt more like a sparring match than a battle to the death.

After all, the relationship between the Justice League and S.H.I.E.L.D. was delicate at this moment. Even if they couldn't be allies, it was best not to become outright enemies.

This was a shared understanding between Batman and Nick Fury, achieved without the need for words.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Arrows continued to shoot through the air.

The spectators instinctively moved to the corners, becoming silent onlookers.

No one rashly stepped in to assist.

The duel between Green Arrow and Hawkeye symbolized, to some extent, the clash of strength between the two organizations.

Whoever emerged victorious would earn the right to speak and decide the fate of the teleportation beacon.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Cold sweat trickled down Hawkeye back.

Before him, arrows fired by Green Arrow whizzed toward him relentlessly.

Green Arrow assault was as relentless as ocean waves, each wave more powerful than the last, pushing Hawkeye under tremendous pressure.

It was reminiscent of that night when he first encountered Green Arrow and tasted defeat.

"Defeated foe!"

The phrase kept echoing in Hawkeye mind.

"Damn it!"

Clenching his teeth, Hawkeye knew that if this continued, it would only repeat the failure of that night. Determined, he decided to take a risk.

With that, he lunged at Green Arrow.

Arrows from Green Arrow tore through the air.

Hawkeye neither dodged nor flinched.

In a flash, he twisted his waist, dodging the arrows at uncanny angles with agile and precise movements, narrowly avoiding them.

"Barton!"

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents gasped, their expressions filled with shock.

No one had expected Hawkeye to treat this sparring match as a fight to the death.

The confrontation between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Justice League was vividly embodied in the duel between these two men.

Even Spider-Man and the others couldn't help but cheer for Hawkeye impressive skills.

The turtles, with their tough shells that could likely withstand ordinary arrows, still recognized the brilliance of Hawkeye combat prowess.

Spider-Man watched with heated excitement.

Despite his natural advantages, far exceeding Hawkeye physical capabilities, Spider-Man couldn't deny that Hawkeye combat skills and experience were leagues ahead of his own.

To achieve such terrifying abilities with a mortal body, the man before him had surpassed 99% of humanity, standing among the exceptional 1%.

Of course, Green Arrow was no different.

Though Spider-Man hadn't interacted much with Green Arrow and didn't fully understand his abilities, watching Hawkeye treat Green Arrow as a formidable opponent spoke volumes. He understood that Green Arrow was also a peak-level warrior and archer, a titan among humans.

As a member of the Justice League, Spider-Man didn't believe Green Arrow would lose to Hawkeye.

"The same trick won't work twice. You lost to me last time, and this time won't be any different."

Green Arrow face remained emotionless as Hawkeye charged at him.

Although the two shared similar physical capabilities, this time, Green Arrow clone had numerous advantages.

For instance, Cyborg clone, with its ability to share vision, analyzed every angle of Hawkeye attack through Green Arrow perspective, pinpointing all his vulnerabilities.

By the time Hawkeye moved, Cyborg calculations had already identified dozens of openings.

Green Arrow shared Cyborg enhanced vision.

In his field of view, Hawkeye vulnerabilities appeared highlighted in red, connected by a network of glowing lines.

Following the lines, Green Arrow launched a precise counterattack, his strikes fierce and swift, cutting through the air with sharp gusts.

Hawkeye pupils contracted. Green Arrow attacks were so cunning and precise that evasion seemed impossible—there wasn't even an opportunity to counter.

Bang!!

The next moment, Hawkeye was struck across the face by Green Arrow bow, leaving one side of his face instantly swollen like a loaf of bread.

Before he could recover, Green Arrow followed with a swift kick. Hawkeye grunted as an overwhelming force slammed into his body, sending him flying backward uncontrollably.

Boom!!

Hawkeye crashed into the wall behind him, nearly breaking through it. Slumping against the dented surface, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he glared at Green Arrow with a grim expression, unable to move.

Hawkeye knew that if he so much as tried to stand, he would collapse immediately.

There was no doubt.

He had lost to Green Arrow once again.

The shame and frustration boiling within him were beyond words, making him wish he could crawl into one of the cracks in the wall and disappear.

The entire building fell silent at the sight.

Not just the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, but also the Justice League heroes present exchanged uneasy glances. No one spoke up.

Minutes passed.

As the tense silence stretched on, with everyone looking at one another but no one daring to speak, the quiet was shattered.

Crash!

The sound of breaking glass tore through the stillness like sharp claws ripping the air apart.

Two figures entered the building—one tall and one short.

The taller figure was entirely black, with massive, white, lidless eyes and a gaping mouth filled with sharp fangs that exuded menace.

The shorter figure in red needed no introduction. His name was known to everyone.

Venom and Iron Man.

Venom nodded at Green Arrow, Spider-Man, and the others before unhesitatingly taking his place by Green Arrow side.

Iron Man, Tony Stark, stood opposite him, aligning himself with Nick Fury.

Though they had arrived together, they immediately fell into opposing factions.

"Just a heads-up—Batman here," Venom said in a deep, resonant voice that echoed in everyone ears as his grotesque mouth stretched into a toothy grin.

His razor-sharp fangs seemed to glint with a chilling light, and an aura of terror spread through the room.

The symbiote cared little for human ethics.

The oppressive presence Venom radiated was enough to make everyone in the room uncomfortable.

Everyone except the Justice League members, who were spared from the hostility.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, on the other hand, wore heavy expressions.

Partly because of the killing intent Venom exuded, but also because of what he'd just said.

Batman was here.

Where?

Whoosh!

As the thought crossed their minds, a shadow appeared before them.

Batman had indeed arrived.

"Nick," Batman—Anton in disguise—said calmly as he stood beside Green Arrow, "with me here, you're not taking the teleportation beacon."

His voice carried an undeniable authority. "Since you've already tried, let this be my final warning. If you plan to use force, think carefully about the consequences."

Boom!

As his words hung in the air, a figure plummeted from the sky, smashing through the ceiling of the floor they were on.

Swish!

The figure hovered just above the ground. The imposing presence of the tall newcomer immediately caught everyone attention.

It was a member of the Justice League.

The same hero who had recently defeated the alien Lang.

Cyborg.

Nick Fury sighed inwardly, knowing full well that S.H.I.E.L.D. had completely lost its chance.

If Batman weren't present, S.H.I.E.L.D. might still have had a slim chance to contend for ownership of the teleportation beacon against Green Arrow and his allies.

But as long as Batman was there, Cyborg and Venom would inevitably follow.

With this dynamic, S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't just facing Daredevil, Spider-Man, the Ninja Turtles, and Green Arrow anymore.

Under the immense pressure exerted by Batman and Cyborg, S.H.I.E.L.D. was left with no options.

They had no choice but to let the Justice League, led by Batman, take the teleportation beacon right under their noses.

"We're leaving."

After a long silence, Nick Fury expression shifted multiple times before he finally let out a grunt, turning to instruct his agents.

"Return to headquarters."

"Understood!"

The agents breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Coulson, noticing Hawkeye discomfiture, stepped forward to support him.

Natasha, having regained some mobility, walked over to Hawkeye side and sighed, "Barton, I think next time you should find a different way to compete with Green Arrow."

"What do you mean?"

"For instance, go to a shooting range and see who more accurate. At least that way, you might come away with a draw."

"..."

Before long, the S.H.I.E.L.D. team escorted the remnants of the Foot Clan out of the TCRI lab building.

However, not everyone left entirely.

Coulson stayed behind to handle the aftermath.

Meanwhile, Fury and the higher-ups split into two teams.

One team was tasked with interrogating the Foot Clan members for intelligence and ensuring they were properly imprisoned.

The other, consisting of Fury and the top brass, returned to their base in New York.

…

Anton and his allies watched as S.H.I.E.L.D. left.

"It over!"

Spider-Man let out a long breath.

The tension within the building had been almost unbearable for him.

After all, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents weren't outright villains.

However, it was clear that their organization had a competitive—or even adversarial—relationship with the Justice League.

This left him feeling conflicted and unsure of his place.

Daredevil and the Ninja Turtles, on the other hand, remained calm.

Daredevil had little interest in S.H.I.E.L.D., knowing only that it was some kind of secretive agency.

He had never been particularly interested in such organizations.

As for the Ninja Turtles, they had always placed their trust solely in Batman.

In their world, aside from Master Splinter, not even their current direct superior, George Stacy, carried as much weight as Batman words.

Venom, or rather Eddie Brock, couldn't have cared less about the situation.

He was fully aware of Anton overarching plans and was more excited about what was to come once the Justice League gained control of the teleportation beacon.

In truth, Eddie harbored a personal disdain for S.H.I.E.L.D.

During his time with the Life Foundation, S.H.I.E.L.D. had certainly been aware of the Foundation atrocities but had, for various reasons, refrained from intervening.

This experience had left Eddie with a clearer understanding of such secretive agencies.

Though ostensibly aligned with lawful good, these organizations often exhibited a level of cold-blooded detachment that surpassed even some villains.

"Everyone, while I know you might not care, I believe it necessary to explain why the teleportation beacon cannot be handed over to S.H.I.E.L.D.," Anton said as he turned to his companions.

He nodded at Cyborg, signaling him to proceed.