314. The Rise of the New Queen!

Alex wasn't particularly focused on the fight happening in the ring. He had no concerns about Ashley's situation at all.

Forget Lois and Harley Quinn—even if you rounded up all of Gotham's super-criminals without any preparation, they still wouldn't be a match for Ashley.

That crazy girl was nothing like the kind and merciful Spider-Man. When she fought, she fought to kill. The only reason she was toying with Lois and Harley now was because they were ordinary people. If it were a real fight, Ashley could easily paralyze them for life with a single move.

As Alex's gaze swept around the prison, he noted the presence of several hidden super-criminals scattered among the crowd.

Blackgate penitentiary had become the last sanctuary for these criminals. Not only were Gotham villains like Bane and Hush here, but even Black Manta from Aquaman's world and Cheetah from Wonder Woman's were among them.

Roughly counting, including members of the Suicide Squad, there were more than twenty infamous villains present!

Keep in mind, the number of surviving superheroes left on Earth wasn't even this large, which went to show just how formidable these villains were.

In the past, Alex wouldn't have thought much of them. After all, they were on opposite sides, with no real need for communication. But now things were different.

These criminals in Blackgate were not only potential allies for the battles to come; in the future, they might also be the new residents of the wasteland. So Alex felt it was necessary to evaluate them.

As Alex observed them, the villains scattered throughout the hall were also discreetly keeping an eye on him and his group.

It couldn't be helped. The costumes worn by Nightwing and the others stood out too much. Whether it was members of the Bat-Family or the Teen Titans, nearly every villain here had crossed paths with these young heroes at some point, so they knew exactly who they were.

"Aren't you going to have a little chat with your 'old friends'?" Damian nudged Nightwing with his elbow, smiling as he spoke.

"Uh, I think we'd better stay low-key. We need their cooperation after all," Dick said, a bit awkwardly.

As one of the first to debut among the younger generation of heroes, Dick had a long history with many of the criminals here. While they were chatting, the fight in the ring had already been decided.

The result was no surprise—Ashley, with her venom-enhanced physical abilities and spider-sense, easily defeated both Lois and Harley Quinn, emerging as the sole victor in the arena.

"Yeah!!"

"Awesome!"

"Wow! Wow!!"

On the stage, Ashley raised her arms high, soaking in the cheers of the crowd. For her, this was the moment she had dreamed of since she was young. Her goal was to become the most powerful queen of the underworld, someone feared and respected by all villains. And now, she had finally done it.

Though it wasn't the wasteland, in some ways, this was even better than the wasteland!

"Alright..."

In the crowd, Captain Boomerang hurriedly tossed away his bottle of booze and climbed up onto the stage. Grabbing the microphone, he announced Ashley's victory to the entire hall.

"Well done, sweetheart! The results are in, gentlemen! The winner of this match and the new champion is none other than our very own—"

At this point, Captain Boomerang leaned down and asked, "What was your name again?"

"Spider-Woman," Ashley replied, then added, "Ashley Barton."

Captain Boomerang waved his hand dramatically and shouted loudly,

"Alright! Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for the new queen! Her name is Spider-Woman, Ashley—Barton!!"

Instantly, a wave of thunderous cheers swept through the entire hall, rising all the way to the ceiling. If it weren't for the good soundproofing, that deafening roar would probably have attracted Doomsday-like creatures from halfway around the world.

Many of the criminals in the crowd were already drunk, shouting Ashley's name loudly. While most of them were just caught up in the excitement, there were a few who could see through Ashley's true combat strength. Even Bane gave a symbolic clap or two.

Captain Boomerang grinned as he walked up to Ashley, bowing to her.

"Captain Boomerang at your service, ma'am."

Who knew how much sincerity was behind his words, but Ashley didn't care. She was confident in her ability to control these unruly, good-for-nothing types. She simply smiled, then stepped forward, snatching the microphone and holding it to her lips.

"Listen up, you bunch of freaks!"

Her voice, amplified through the sound system, echoed throughout the prison, quickly silencing the cheers.

"I don't care who any of you are or what you've done. But here's what you need to know—from now on, I'm in charge here!"

The crowd began to settle, looking around at each other with strange expressions. Particularly Clark and Nightwing—they both turned their gazes toward Alex with looks of 'mystical' curiosity.

"Uh... the kid's a bit... overdramatic," Alex awkwardly covered his face.

But then again, who cared?

Everyone was doomed anyway, so who would bother with something as trivial as being 'the boss'? After a few moments of silence, the criminals erupted once more, chanting Ashley's name.

"Ashley! Ashley! Ashley!!"

Hearing the crowd's response, Ashley smiled. She gripped the microphone tightly and shouted,

"In fact, guess what—I have heard of you all before.

"I know you have a glorious past. You made people tremble in fear! You were the ultimate power in your cities!

"You were the ones the so-called superheroes could never defeat!!"

"Yeah!"

This time, Ashley had truly struck a chord with them.

"So, shout louder! Drink more!"

Ashley raised her arms high.

"The era of heroes is over! They couldn't save Earth. Now, gentlemen, it's time for us freaks to show those alien scum what we're made of!"

"We're going to take Lex Luthor's fortress and show those worthless fools our strength! So raise your glasses, gentlemen, to all of us here tonight!"

Ashley grabbed a bottle of vodka from Captain Boomerang's stash and downed it in one go.

"And tomorrow..."

With a mighty throw, the vodka bottle shattered, the sound of breaking glass reaching everyone's ears.

"We're going to take the fight to Apokolips!!"

Awwwooooooo!!

It was like dry wood catching fire, or drops of water falling into a boiling pot. In an instant, the entire Blackgate penitentiary exploded with energy.

People were shouting at the top of their lungs, releasing all the pent-up emotions they'd been holding back. Some even jumped onto tables, stripped off their jackets, and waved them around in a frenzy, embracing one final act of madness.

Behind Ashley, Lois and Harley Quinn helped each other stand up.

Watching Ashley stir the crowd into an uproar with just a few words, Harley burst out laughing.

"I like her!"

.....

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315. No Need to Worry About Manpower.

316. Both Sides in Action.

317. The Ruins of Baxter building.

318. Blood Battle with the Subterranean Creatures.

319. Crisis Approaches!