Chapter 210: Batman VS Red Hulk
SPLAT.
Three meters separated them—Red Hulk's arm extending for capture—when multiple strands of abnormally viscous webbing shot forward, plastering across Red Hulk's eye sockets.
Simultaneously, Batman's opposite hand targeted The Leader's position. Additional adhesive web globs struck The Leader, binding him completely.
The Leader lay collapsed amid aircraft wreckage. Webbing fused him to twisted metal debris, cementing everything to scorched ground.
Having battled Anti-Venom's tremendous strength, Batman had already upgraded web fluid formulations significantly.
These specially-loaded web cartridges didn't produce strand configuration. Instead, adhesive mass emerged in concentrated globs—like rice cake consistency forming singular cohesive unit, completely encasing The Leader.
Against gamma mutations primarily affecting cranial development rather than physical capabilities, Batman subdued The Leader effortlessly.
But Red Hulk presented different challenge.
Batman's viscous webbing only temporarily obscured Red Hulk's vision. Under extreme surface temperatures, webbing rapidly lost adhesive properties, becoming brittle and desiccated—fragmenting at contact.
But merely blocking sight lines, forcing Red Hulk's instinctive hand movements clearing eye socket webbing—those few seconds proved sufficient. Batman had secured necessary tactical advantage.
TING!
Batman's left forearm bat-claw opened under muscular control. Compressed web fluid capsule ejected. Batman snatched it mid-flight, hurling toward Red Hulk.
During throw, Batman's fingertips generated thirty-plus ton pressure, crushing capsule deliberately—flinging web fluid contents at Red Hulk before atmospheric exposure triggered solidification.
Instantaneously—WHOOSH—Red Hulk received another coating of viscous webbing across head and face.
Once again buying Batman precious time.
This iteration, Batman didn't repeat tactics. Instead, right hand reached utility belt, extracting different capsule. Fingertip flick loaded it into left forearm bat-claw.
This capsule contained extremely high-tensile webbing—formula Batman had specifically engineered on North Brother Island for Anti-Venom engagement.
While Red Hulk roared furiously, both hands clawing at scalp attempting to tear facial webbing free, Batman rapidly utilized new web formula establishing battlefield configuration.
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!
Right arm's extremely viscous webbing plus left arm's abnormally tensile webbing simultaneously discharged under Batman's muscular control, firing omnidirectionally.
Concurrently, Red Hulk's surface temperature vaporized facial webbing again, desiccating adhesive effectiveness. Red Hulk charged Batman once more.
Batman glanced at Red Hulk, instinctively calculating post-charge attack probability ranges within milliseconds. Footwork shifted, evading laterally.
Still refusing direct engagement, Batman continued battlefield preparation while single foot hooked ground debris, kicking stone toward The Leader.
WHAM!
Stone struck The Leader's forehead heavily, rendering him unconscious immediately.
Batman had considered threatening The Leader—commanding psychic suppression of Red Hulk.
But analyzing The Leader's previous behavioral patterns, Batman preferred personally defeating Red Hulk rather than gambling on Leader's cooperation.
Beyond other considerations—Norman Osborn emerging from containment chamber immediately attacked Batman, despite The Leader's prior suggestion that Batman was "overly cautious, just extract Norman directly."
The Leader had obviously attempted misdirection. Fortunately, Batman hadn't fallen for deception.
Furthermore, Batman required new Batwing transporting Norman Osborn, The Leader, and Red Hulk back to New York simultaneously.
Allowing The Leader aboard Batwing controlling Red Hulk's transformation for sabotage—Batman couldn't secure third Batwing reinforcement short-term.
He maintained pressing New York concerns: Tony Stark's palladium poisoning, Bat-Island construction, Alfred AI assembly, vibranium research protocols.
Professor Morbius's blood disease treatment approach already conceptualized—Batman planned attempting therapy using Batcave's residual Anti-Venom white symbiote fragment.
Batman refused allowing New Mexico operation complications during return transit.
Therefore, combined factors determined Batman's approach: directly incapacitate The Leader, personally engage Red Hulk.
Within eyeblink, Batman had maneuvered against Red Hulk for thirty seconds.
Under frantic web discharge rates, Batman's left arm bat-claw depleted extremely tensile webbing rapidly.
Another TING sound. Empty capsule ejected. Batman's right hand accessed utility belt again—this extraction: specialized capsule.
Interior web fluid formula, post-discharge through bat-claw, generated webbing with corrosive acid properties.
Batman again executed identical deployment—firing webbing omnidirectionally across battlefield until depletion, then swapping another capsule...
Repeatedly cycling. Five minutes elapsed.
Centered on Batman and Red Hulk's engagement zone, twenty-meter radius now featured extensive coverage—multiple layers, varying densities—white and black webbing throughout.
Like cavern spider webs, layered webbing blanketed ruins densely, transforming environment into complete web domain.
These webs served three separate contingencies simultaneously. Batman required testing different protocols defeating Red Hulk—otherwise wouldn't have expended majority capsule inventory.
Throughout this period, Batman consumed extensive web capsules restraining Red Hulk. Despite possessing rational consciousness, Red Hulk now roared continuously, seemingly maddened—desperate landing single punch on Batman.
But under Batman's positioning and web interference, Red Hulk never contacted Batman once throughout entire engagement.
"Red Hulk possesses rationality. But his human form is General Ross. I destroyed his Oscorp operations. Demolished gamma facility objectives."
"Verbal pacification attempting voluntary human reversion—tactically improbable."
All webbing deployment completed. Batman retained only partial capsules for personal usage, then hefted broken wall section, hurling toward Red Hulk.
"Hulk strengthens proportionally with anger. But Red Hulk demonstrates zero strength escalation thus far—only continuous surface temperature elevation."
Broken wall impacted Red Hulk's torso. Damage negligible against Red Hulk's physiology. But his eyes currently blazed almost literally—fury barely contained.
"Plan A: Continuous provocation escalating Red Hulk's anger, forcing temperature increase. Determine whether Red Hulk possesses 'overheating' critical threshold."
Batman retreated single step, entering his prepared web network. Observing Red Hulk charge furiously into trap.