A/N: 2022.10.23
HOLY SMOKES! I ACTUALLY DID IT! ALL THREE CHAPTERS UP THIS WEEKEND! No, seriously, you guys have no idea, how difficult this was to pull off!
But I won't keep you waiting any longer... now, the battle ends.
Chapter 33
After emerging from the sewers a couple of miles away from the Castellum crash site and where the chamber room fell, Bane hurried down the Gotham streets as fast as he could. However, given his physical condition, that wasn't as fast as he would've liked to have been. To Bane's regret, it was more of a hobble than a run at this point. He had his hand pressed to his side, where a wound from the chamber crash was bleeding out. It wasn't life threatening yet, but he certainly was at an even greater disadvantage than before. Bane realized he had to get somewhere to hide out, for now; perhaps escape Gotham to return to fight another day.
Despite the circumstances, Bane actually began to laugh. All of his schemes, all of his methods, all of the secrecy and the precautions, all of his planning, and he still failed. Batman managed to outmaneuver him. Not by a large margin, in Bane's estimation, but it was enough to win. Bane couldn't help but be impressed. He would have to do better next time. Perhaps he could plan a counterattack.
Several exploding batarangs landed a few yards in front of Bane, stopping his advance.
"Hm." Bane turned around to see Batman and the others glaring at him.
"It's over, Bane," Batman declared.
"It would seem, wouldn't it?" Bane considered the situation and realized the truth.
There was no escape. But he did have one option.
Bane took a deep breath, pushing out the pain from his mind. The fall and the wound, coupled with the preceding battle, was wearing out his Titan formula. He probably couldn't fight much longer.
But he could still fight.
Bane studied the leader of the clan. "Well, then, Batman… we began this night facing each other… should that not be how we end it?"
"What's the trick, Bane?" Runner asked.
"Look around, Nightrunner. You believe I have some sort of plan left?"
"It's you. You're damn right I think you still have a plan."
Bane chuckled, "Well… in this case… to my regret, you are mistaken. I must confess to underestimating all of you. But…" He focused on Batman, "I still wish to settle this matter. Once and for all."
Batman held his gaze on Bane. "Actually…" he stepped forward. "…that sounds damn good to me!"
"What?!" Huntress shouted.
"Are you nuts?!" Batwing asked.
Runner and Batwoman studied Batman. They looked at each other and shrugged.
Runner looked at the rest of the team, "Everyone… stand down. This is their fight."
"Runner, c'mon!" Ember shouted.
"I'm serious."
"He's right, guys," Batwoman agreed. "Let them settle this."
"Batwoman…" Koutetsu whispered.
"I'm sure."
Ghost-Wing stepped forward and put his hand on Batman's shoulder. "Beat the crap out of him."
Batman smirked and looked at Ghost-Wing, "Think I can?"
"If you can't, no one can."
Batman nodded, appreciatively, "Thanks, Ghost."
"Just be careful, Batman," Vixen implored.
"Don't worry. I don't believe for a second this is gonna be any easier. But I'm gonna kick his ass anyway."
Batman walked forward and stopped a few feet away from Bane.
Batman smirked. "A setting like this? Middle of the street? You brought this one on yourself: 'We playin' for blood? I'm your huckleberry!'"i
"He did not…" Runner groaned, quietly, throwing his head back. The rest of the team fought laughter, though some snickers escaped from Batwoman, Huntress, and Ember.
Bane smiled at Batman. "You know the classics."
"They never go outta style," Batman replied.
"Blood will be required for this victory… and only the true warrior will claim that victory."
"Beat me?" Batman asked. "'You're a daisy if you do. Say when.'"ii
"I'm never watching Tombstone with him again," Runner, quietly, grunted.
"Yes, you will," Batwoman whispered with a smile.
"Twice! We watched it twice! I had to make him watch it the first time! Now, he's quoting it?!"
"You can be nursemaid when you wanna be," Huntress joked.
"I keep forgetting you used to live in England until you say things like that," Runner shook his head.
Bane entered a battle stance.
Batman did the same.
"Here we go…" Koutetsu whispered.
Letting out a hard exhale, Bane charged at Batman. While everyone expected Batman to move, he held his ground.
"BOSS!" Ember shouted.
"MOVE!" Batwing implored.
Bane drew back and threw a punch.
Batman ducked, immediately.
Surged the electric charge through his armor again and punched Bane directly in the open wound on his side.
Bane gasped.
Batman kicked Bane in the knee then used his rocket boots to tackle Bane, sending them down the street.
Bane managed to throw Batman off but Batman recovered midair, flew back at Bane, and punched him across the jaw.
Bane regained his balance and landed a punch to Batman's chest, but the pain and fatigue prevented his strikes from having the power they had previously.
Though the punch still hurt, Batman knew immediately it wasn't as strong. Batman now saw this fight as no different from his teenage days, getting into the street fights. When the bigger guys started to run out of steam, that was when it was the best time to punch harder, faster, and as often as humanly possible.
Batman and Bane glared at each other then rushed at each other again, throwing every punch they could.
The heroes all watched in wonder at the fight they were witnessing.
"HELL YEAH!" Runner shouted.
"OH, THIS IS LIKE WATCHING ROCKY!" Ember yelled. "OR CREED!"
"Now, this reminds me of Baki!" Koutetsu declared.
"Right?!"
Batwing just looked on in awe. It was almost impossible to picture Terry McGinnis was the same man, the same hero, the same fighter he was seeing right now.
Vixen blinked. "I knew he was good… I had no idea he was this good!"
Ghost-Wing held his gaze then scoffed.
Jaguar looked at Ghost-Wing, "What?"
"He deserves it. He earned it. He's better than me. He's Batman. No question. The real Batman."
As Huntress stared in amazement, she looked at Batwoman and smiled. "This what you fell in love with first?"
Batwoman kept her focus on Batman and grinned, lovingly. "Actually, no. It was the nice guy behind those punches. The punches just made him hotter."
Huntress had to stop herself from laughing.
As they continued to exchange blows, Batman noticed that his last punch seemed to hurt Bane more than the previous blows. Not only that but Bane's punches were coming slower and slower, and less and less brutal.
Batman drew back and punched Bane again. While Batman almost felt his own knuckles bruise, he also could tell Bane was staggered.
This was Batman's opening. Maybe his last chance. And no amount of pain was going to stop him.
Batman attacked Bane, relentlessly. He could hear his family and friends cheering him on, which was only fueling him. Batman usually hated the cliché, but he almost swore he could tell their encouragement was making him stronger.
Each time Batman connected with an attack, he could see more than just Bane.
Batman saw Runner, Ember, Koutetsu.
Huntress, his sister.
Batwoman, his wife.
All of his friends. So many who were putting their lives on the line to help him.
And Bruce.
More than anything, Terry wished he could save Bruce's life. If it only were as easy as defeating Bane.
For now, that's what Batman knew he could do to protect his mentor and father: he could defeat one of his greatest enemies.
Batman landed a few more blows before jumping and coming down with a powerful kick, hard enough to knock Bane for a loop. Bane stumbled away from Batman, falling against a turned over car. Summoning the last bit of strength, Bane charged and swung at Batman but missed. Batman roared and put every bit of power he had into an uppercut. The strike was strong enough to lift Bane off of his feet.
"WHOA!" Jaguar shouted.
"HOLY SHIT!" Runner, Ember, Ghost-Wing, and Batwing yelled.
Bane landed back first on to the street. After laying motionless for a moment, Bane grunted as he managed to push himself to a seated position. He struggled to stand but it was no use. He simply scooted back to lean against the car he crashed against a moment ago.
Batman could see the fight was over and breathed a sigh of relief, doubling over and clutching at his knees as he struggled to get his breath back.
"HELL YEAH!" Runner shouted.
"THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" Batwoman threw her arms in the air.
"Nice work, man!" Ghost-Wing smiled and folded his arms.
"HE DID IT!" Ember jumped in the air, throwing a fist. "EFFIN'-A! THAT ROCKED!"
"Nice, Batman!" Jaguar smiled.
"Way to go!" Vixen shouted.
"Awesome!" Huntress grinned.
"Batman!" Batwing shouted, excitedly.
Batman, tiredly, looked at the others, smiled, and gave them a thumbs-up. Batwoman and Huntress hurried over to Batman, Batwoman embracing Batman immediately. Huntress patted Batman on the shoulder.
"HEY, GUYS!" Static shouted.
Everyone looked up to see Static, Nightwing, and the rest of the heroes approached.
"Hey, everyone!" Batman greeted, exhaustedly, as Batman and Huntress helped him stand. Everyone exchanged brief greetings.
"You okay, Batman?" Static asked.
"Not bad. Thanks for coming, Static." Batman looked at Gear, Outlaw, and Plastic Man, along with Vixen. "All of you. Thanks."
"Glad we could make it, Bats," Gear smiled.
"Anytime, friend," Outlaw nodded.
"But next time you have a supervillain problem this big, just call us first," Static joked.
"I promise to think about it," Batman chuckled. Static and Gear laughed.
"Where're the other losers?" Ember asked.
"After setting the ship down, the GCPD came and started locking them up," Outlaw answered.
"Azrael and Nyssa have Ikram and Athanasia," Catwoman informed. "They're keeping an eye on them nearby."
"Works for me," Batman replied.
They all looked at Bane. "So…" Plastic Man said, nervously, "is he… down down?"
"One way to find out," Runner answered. They slowly approached Bane.
Bane laughed, groaning as he did so. "Very good! Very good, Batman! You've bested the devil!"
"Thinking the devil's a little tougher than you," Batman joked.
"Indeed!" Bane growled as pain shot through him again. "Tell me, Batman… all my threats, all my schemes… was there ever a time you considered killing me as an option?"
"Nope," Batman replied. "Not once. And we both know why."
"Oh, but I want to hear it."
Batman glared at Bane then conceded, "Fine. It was because, no matter what, this symbol…" he pointed at his chest, "…stands for more than just fighting and darkness. It stands for justice. For honor. It always will. It's always been stronger than you. And it always will be."
Bane smiled. "Even if you couldn't beat me alone?"
Batman thought that over. "Ya know what? You're right. And you've been right. All of the bad guys I dealt with the last few years. I've never even fought Fiend one-on-one. You're right. I didn't beat 'em alone. I had help. I needed help. And I'm not ashamed of that."
The heroes all smiled.
"I couldn't do it alone, Bane. And I'm glad I didn't. I'm glad I had people I could trust. I'm glad Batman isn't on his own anymore." Batman paused. "Because maybe… maybe… Batman was never actually alone… because he never should've been."
All of the heroes looked at Batman, proudly. Static even patted Batman on the shoulder.
Bane chuckled then let out a full-on laugh. "The consummate professional. A worthy successor. The true heir." He laughed. "Congratulations. It's as I always knew: you are the true Batman." He covertly pressed and held his finger on a button on his belt. "This fight… it would determine who truly would rule over this city. Who deserved to. Well done, Batman. Though you must realize… your fight may never end."
"Yeah…" Batman looked at his allies. Then back at Bane, "Yeah, I get that. And that works just fine for me."
"Very well. Be proud of yourself. Live better than your former did."
"How he lives ain't your business, asshole," Ember growled.
"A fair point," Bane agreed. "It doesn't matter, anyway. Not to me, at least. These concerns are no longer mine. I made it clear to you, Batman… I'll never go back to prison."
"And I told you I won't kill you, Bane," Batman reminded.
"I never doubted that. You're your predecessor in honor, above all else. I knew for a fact, no matter what I did, you'd never kill me. You just don't have that in you. That's a good thing. So… I decided to take care of that myself." Bane suddenly seized up.
As everyone moved back in shock, Batman's eyes widened. "BANE!"
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Runner shouted.
Bane let out a stifled laugh. "Fare… well… Bat… man…" His head drooped down and he exhaled.
Runner used his mask sensors to scan Bane's body. He hurried over and checked his pulse. "Oh, God! He's… he's dead!"
"How…" Ember whispered.
Runner checked Bane's suit. He felt around until he noticed the belt. "An injector…" He removed the belt and found an injector apparatus in the lining.
"What is it?" Ghost-Wing asked.
Runner removed a small forensics device from his boot and scanned the little liquid left inside Bane's belt. "It's… it's Venom! But… like a deadlier variant."
Nightwing blinked. "He poisoned himself?"
"It…" Catwoman swallowed, "it must've been some kinda fail-safe."
"He did say he would never be trapped in a prison again," Koutetsu declared. "Of any kind."
"But what a way to go out," Batwing noted.
"I can't help but think…" Batman mused, "that he wanted it to go exactly this way."
The team stopped, letting the weight of what happened completely come over of them. And what it truly meant.
Ember was the first to find her words. "Then… that's it, right? We won?"
"Yeah," Runner whispered. "It's over."
Batman exhaled. "Yeah. Almost." He looked around, "City's a mess. Let's… clean up as best we can, get the rest of the Scourge guys locked up, search for any civilians and police, then call it a night." He looked at everyone, "Everyone good with that?"
"You got it, boss," Ember nodded.
"Right on, boss," Nightwing smiled.
"Sounds like a plan, Batman," Static grinned.
A few hours later, as the sun was rising on the horizon, the news reported the victory of Batman's team, leading to collective shouts of victory from Gotham citizens still in the city and out of it. Chelsea cheered and ran all around her living room. Mel sat back in relief knowing it was over and it was confirmed all of Batman's team made it out alive.
In Kane County, Diana sat back and smiled. She took hold of Bruce's hand, "He did it. They did it!"
Bruce smiled, squeezing her hand. "Never doubted it for a second."
"But you were still worried."
"Of course. After all… he's still my son. They're all my children, in some respect." He looked at Diana. "I'm just never going to tell them I was worried."
Diana didn't even bother trying to stop the laughter that came out of her.
i Tombstone, directed by George P. Cosmatos and Kevin Jarre (1993; Burbank, CA: Buena Vista Home Video, 1997), DVD
ii Ibid
A/N: Exeunt, Bane. Thank you for being a worthy competitor. I toyed with the idea of him living or dying ever since my ORIGINAL draft of this story. But I decided to bring closure to Bruce's past in the form of his villains. What did you guys think?
As you can see, I referenced the movie Tombstone (I had to do a proper reference, curse of being a writing tutor; I couldn't not include a reference) but there was also a reference to the "Batman: Knightfall" story. In that story, when Jean-Paul has his new armor and is fighting Bane one final time, Harvey Bullock mentions how the fight is like Rocky. It's one of my favorite film franchises and I also loved Creed. I CANNOT WAIT FOR CREED III! But I digress...
Well, my friends, the battle with Bane and the Scourge is now over. But... we still have matter of Bruce Wayne's impending passing. How will the heroes recover from the battle while readying themselves for that struggle? Find out next time.
Thank you all for continuing to support this. It means the world to me!