"Ha, isn't this our mighty Arkham Knight? What's wrong? You ran into Batman once and ended up like this?"
Scarecrow's voice came from beside the door. The Arkham Knight, repairing his gauntlet, paused. In an icy tone, he said, "How did those two hostages get away?"
Then he turned and fixed Scarecrow with a stare. Scarecrow froze, taking half a step back. "You suspect me?"
"That kid the old man found and Poison Ivy aren't capable of something like this. Don't argue. I know them better than you do."
Scarecrow cursed under his breath, then stepped forward. "Not capable? Do you know that kid ripped a car door off without even bending his elbow?! I thought Metropolis's retrieval dog had shown up!"
The Arkham Knight narrowed his eyes slightly. "You're saying that young man, Peter Parker, is a Superpower User?"
"Why else would I have let them escape?" Scarecrow gritted his teeth. "And Poison Ivy—do you think I didn't try controlling them with Fear Gas? She's completely immune to all toxins."
"I've always kept a small amount of Fear Gas sprayed on myself. That kid didn't collapse when he first saw me, which means he's no ordinary person. He's a Gotham freak, just like you."
"He's not from Gotham at all." The Arkham Knight turned away, his expression unreadable.
He began recalling the details of his fight with Peter Parker. He remembered arriving at Wayne Manor and seeing two figures emerge. He had rushed forward, knocked Poison Ivy down, then punched Peter Parker in the face.
No, he vaguely remembered seeing thin, shining strands. They had been very close to him, yet when he tried to remember them clearly, they seemed impossibly distant.
It was getting blurry again. The Arkham Knight shook his head. He knew his mental state had