Fine strands of rain pattered against the metal armor. On this turbulent night, the cold iron was sharp as a blade.
"You injected Batman with Fear Gas?"
The Arkham Knight looked at Spider-Man's bright costume. A color that had originally clashed with Gotham's somber palette now strangely suited the neon signs behind him in Chinatown.
It was not a straightforward chilliness or severity. That had never been Batman's style. Had Batman truly never noticed?
The Arkham Knight could not accept that Batman had been deceived, much less that he had fallen for such a laughable trick. He stepped forward and chambered a round.
"That was just a little repayment," Spider-Man said.
The Arkham Knight heard an indescribable indifference in those words, and his memories began to blur again.
"He abandoned you, you useless, pathetic worm. You trusted him so much, but he never came looking for you. He never came to save you. Is this how he repaid your love and trust?"
That sharp, hoarse voice rang in his ears again. The Arkham Knight squeezed his eyes shut, nearly able to hear blood rushing through his cerebral cortex.
"Jason, Jason Todd, your departure was exactly what he wanted. So was your disappearance. He has already returned to Gotham's skies with his new Robin."
The skin around the right side of his waist began to twitch with pain. The Arkham Knight drew a deep breath.
"Read the contents of this newspaper to me, good boy. See how they reported on Batman and his new Robin's heroic exploits. Either memorize it, or I'll sew it into your body."
His breathing grew faster and faster. The Arkham Knight heard his own heartbeat again, followed by that euphoric dizziness. All pain vanished, and his memories became increasingly hazy.
"No... don't..." the Arkham Knight murmured.