Knight of Gotham: Muscle Bound
CHAPTER I
Bane. That was his name. Nothing more, nothing less. A boy born from rape, a single name given by his mother while dying from giving birth. Hate resided in his heart all the years he lived. He was powerful. He was intelligent. He was menacing. But still, he was not what you'd expect. Bane was only about five feet ten inches tall, with barely any build and a face void of any facial hair. At the age of 27, he was physically weaker than any other around him. But in his mind...in his mind, he was a powerhouse. He was a warrior, one like Achilles. Through his brains and persuasive power, he rose in power in Mexico. He gained respect. He killed the men who raped his mother, with one shot each, to their left eyes. He was feared. No one opposed him. No one claimed authority over him. Until he met a man named Joseph. Joseph was all he heard of the man's name. That made him even more enigmatic, and therefore more exciting. Bane was fascinated.
It started on a day like any other, doing business in his headquarters with many other associates. Guards were positioned on either side of the door, making sure no one went in or out. Or so he thought. On that day, a man with bandages over one side of his face burst through the door, shooting both guards and those at the table with Bane. He trained his gun right between Bane's eyes, beginning to flip a coin. He lowered his gun, sitting down in the chair directly opposite from Bane. He said, "Hi. My name…is Harvey Dent." He coughed for a few seconds and stopped flipping his coin. "I'm otherwise…known as White Knight," he continued. Bane asked, "What's with the bandages?" White Knight nonchalantly said, "What can I say? My razor…slips from time to time. By the way…you are, as of now, expecting a call." Two seconds later, the phone on the table rang, and White Knight answered it, putting it on speaker.
The voice that came through was saintly, yet sinister at the same time. It began, "Hello, Bane. I imagine you've already met my employee. I apologize sincerely for whatever mess he made. But I am on serious business here. I have an important proposition for you." Bane looked at White Knight, who smirked. Bane asked reluctantly, "And what exactly is this proposition you speak of?" The man said, "This proposition will give you an opportunity to greatly expand your power." Bane leaned back in his chair and said, "I'm listening." The man said, "Good. It concerns a city in America called Gotham. You've heard of it, I assume." "Yes," said Bane, "Gotham is, from what I hear, a crucial city." "Indeed," said the man, "If someone like you were to take it, to subdue it, to cripple it, then you'd have a reliable foothold in America. You could broaden your territory, and with it your influence." Bane laughed.
He said, "I understand your proposition. I also understand that Gotham is difficult to subdue." The man said, "I already have something set up to sweeten the deal." "And what would that be?" asked Bane. The man said, "It is something that will greatly increase your physical power. It is called Venom." "Well, where is it?" asked Bane, interested. The man said, "It's coming to you now." A few seconds later, the man strode through the door with a phone and a syringe full of a red liquid. He was surprisingly unassuming, probably about sixty years old, with silver hair and a grandfather-like appearance. But his eyes were strangely haunting, as if he meant to strangle you. The man said, "Oh, nearly forgot. My name is Joseph." Bane nodded. Joseph smiled and said, "This may seem a strange question, but do you have a chair that has restraints?" Bane furrowed his brow.
Bane asked, "Why would I need that?" "Because," said Joseph, "Strength like this is begotten through pain." "I've been through a substantial amount of pain in my lifetime," said Bane, "I imagine I can handle this." Joseph said, "We'll see." Bane sighed and said, "I do have such a chair, and…I assume I'll be the one restrained?" Joseph nodded and said, "Yes. Now, I'd like to finish this quickly." Bane stood up, saying, "Follow me." He led them into the back of the headquarters to a room filled with various instruments of torture, and in the middle, a chair stained with blood. The chair was much like those you would find in a dentist's office, though with the aforementioned blood and hands and feet restraints. Bane took off the jacket of his uniform, leaning back into the chair. Joseph and White Knight tied him, tightly enough that he couldn't get up.
Joseph took off the cover over the needle, testing the syringe, hovering it over Bane's arm, saying, "Are you ready?" "Just get on with it," said Bane. "A man of action," said Joseph, glancing towards White Knight, "Exactly what we need. Alright then," he continued, looking back at Bane, "Prepare yourself." Bane inhaled deeply, and Joseph pierced his arm with the syringe. Bane tensed up, feeling his muscles burn with pain like electricity. His eyes rolled back, his body convulsed and his back arched, and he began foaming at the mouth. Eventually he calmed, his eyes closing. White Knight said, "Well, looks like that didn't work." Joseph responded, "Give him a minute. I didn't come all this way for failure." Bane woke up exactly a minute later, gasping and sweating. But something felt different. He felt heavier, and the pain still coursed through his body, but it was lessened. His eyesight was fuzzy, and he was not totally aware of what had happened.
Joseph untied him, and Bane stood. He nearly fell over when he noticed that he was now six inches taller than a man he'd been two inches shorter than just a few minutes ago. He steadied himself with one hand on a desk, his eyes clearing. He glanced toward his hand, and he couldn't take his eyes off of it. It was hulking, and as he ran his eyes over the rest of himself, he noticed his clothes were near the point of ripping, and his muscles and veins bulged greatly. He was about to laugh with glee when the pain swelled again. He doubled over, gasping. Joseph said, "Ah. I was afraid this would happen. But, fortunately for you, I like planning." Joseph pulled a mask that looked like a breathing apparatus out of his coat, slipping it over Bane's head. Bane breathed in, feeling the pain melt away. He looked towards the desk he had rested on, punching downward onto the top. It crumpled like a soda can under his fist.
Bane asked, "Will I need to take other injections to maintain this?" "No," said Joseph, "It's been developed as a one-use drug. You'll stay that powerful for the rest of your life." Bane laughed now, saying, "Excellent! Can I distribute this to my men?" Joseph shook his head and said, "The amount I gave to you took several months to make. This is all we can do for you." Bane felt angry for a few seconds before calming, sighing and saying, "Fine. I suppose this will suffice. With my intellect and the strength you've given me, my mission shouldn't be too difficult." Joseph said, "Well, it's time for White Knight and I to leave. Happy travels." Bane followed them back to the front of the headquarters. They walked out to a helicopter, which took off and left Bane standing at the entrance. Bane heard a click behind him. He turned around, seeing one of his men with his gun aimed at him. The soldier said, "Where's Bane?" Bane chuckled, seeing a chance to demonstrate his new powers.
Bane quickly strode to the soldier, crushing the gun. Bane laughed loudly and said, "I am Bane! And I have been given tremendous power! Bring me a tailor and a smith!" The soldier, still confused, snapped to attention and said, "Yes, sir!" Bane laughed again as the soldier scurried away. He went towards a mirror, flexing and posing in it. He stopped and felt the mask. It had already begun to feel like a part of his face. He knew that if he took it off, he'd be crippled by pain. A small price to pay, I suppose, thought Bane. He sat back down in the chair he'd been in before Joseph had arrived. He looked around the table, and saw that all those who White Knight had shot had been shot in the chest. Bane looked at his hands, then glanced towards one of the dead men. He walked towards him.
Bane looked at his now massive hands once more, picking up the chosen corpse by the head, lifting it from the chair. Bane took a deep breath, and, lifting the corpse even higher, he squeezed. He heard several small cracks followed by a final, massive crack, indicating the skull had been crushed. He dropped the corpse and laughed once more, and soon, the soldier returned with the tailor and smith. Immediately, the smith and tailor stared at the dead men around the table, mortified. Bane said, "Ignore them. Now…I require, as you've already realized, your particular services." The tailor gulped and said, "W-what do you need?" Bane chuckled and said, "I need a uniform that commands authority. And from you," he said, pointing to the smith, "I need you to make gauntlets." The smith, though he seemed confused, agreed, and Bane waved them off, saying, "Go on. I'll see the fruits of your labor soon." As they walked out, Bane smiled beneath his mask.
A few days later, Bane was pacing in the middle of the room, when a soldier ran in and said, "Sir! The tailor and smith are here." Bane smiled again and said, "Send them in." The tailor came in with a mannequin on a rolling platform, about Bane's size. The mannequin wore a uniform like that of a Spanish general. Along with that, a rather unexpected addition had been made. There was a black mask with red eyepieces, like a lucha wrestler's. Bane actually liked it. The tailor must've known that lucha wrestling was his favorite sport. "Your work is greatly appreciated," said Bane, "You'll receive your payment from my men, and you will remain on my payroll in case I need you again." The tailor expressed his thanks and exited. The smith came with gauntlets like that of a conquistador's. Bane put them on, telling the smith he would receive the same as the tailor. He laughed, and the soldier present said, "What now, sir?" "Now," said Bane, "we prepare for our mission."