Spider-Man turned as he spotted Kraven the Hunter across the room, a menacing figure clad in a leopard-print vest and armed with an array of gadgets. He placed a hand over the cut the spear left and quickly shot some webbing over it so he could keep his injuries to a minimum.
"Kraven, Sergi, buddy, come on, this is not your night," Spider-Man said with a sigh. "Can't we just call it quits?"
Kraven growled as he marched towards Spider-Man. "You underestimate me, Spider. The thrill of the hunt knows no bounds, especially when my prey is a spider."
With a swift motion, Kraven tosses a net made of reinforced webbing toward Spider-Man. The webbing glimmers in the light, designed to ensnare.
Spider-Man flips off the pillar, dodging the net with agility and landing on his feet. He quickly retaliates, shooting out a webbing strand that wraps around Kraven's legs.
"Nice try!" Spider-Man shouts as he leaps out of the way.
Kraven grunts, using his strength to break free from the webbing. He charges at Spider-Man, who dodges to the side, leading Kraven into a packed lounge area filled with the armed men from earlier.
Kraven snarled as he whipped some blood from his lips. "You can't escape! I will prove I am the greatest hunter!"
As Kraven lunges, Spider-Man vaults over a group of startled guests, sending drinks flying, the guests gasp and scatter, some pulling out their phones to record the action.
Spider-Man uses the chaos to his advantage, swinging up to the second floor and onto the balcony overlooking the lobby. Kraven leaps after him, his powerful legs propelling him into the air.
"You can't hide, Spider! I can smell your fear!"
Spider-Man quickly spins a web to create a barrier on the balcony. Kraven crashes into it, collecting a face full of sticky webbing. "Fear? Nah, that's just the scent of my latest cologne—Eau de Victory!"
Kraven, furious but undeterred, frees himself from the webbing and scales the side of the building, catching up to Spider-Man on the rooftop. The two face off against the stunning backdrop of the Gotham skyline.
"This ends now! I have studied your every move!" Kraven proclaimed.
Spider-Man panted. "Oh yeah? Then you should know I've got a few tricks up my sleeve!"
With that, Spider-Man launches himself forward, using his momentum to deliver a powerful kick. Kraven narrowly dodges, countering with a series of rapid punches. The two engage in fierce hand-to-hand combat, exchanging blows and showcasing their agility.
Spider-Man uses his acrobatics to evade Kraven's strikes, flipping over him and kicking him over to the side of the building.
Right before he could land another punch, Bane came crashing and grabbed his arm before pulling him forward and head-butting him. Bane then threw Spider-Man and he crashed just at the feet of Batman.
"Oh, hey, it's you," Spider-Man said as he found his footing. "So how's it going with the overgrown luchador?"
"You should worry about yourself," Batman responded as Kraven charged toward the two.
Just as Kraven swung down with his blades in hand, Spider-Man jumped over him. Using the surprise to his advantage, Spider-Man grabbed Kraven's coat and swung him right into Bane. The crash caused Bane to stumble a bit but due to his size, he was able to recover quickly.
"Watch it, pendejo!" Bane cursed as Kraven got back up.
"Then stay out of my way, you brute!" Kraven fired back.
"Not taking too kindly to the insult," Bane scoffed.
"Now, where were we?" Bane rhetorically asked as he pressed a button on his fingerless gloves, activating the venom to course through his veins.
Bane charged at the two but missed as they rolled to the side, only hitting Joker's crew instead. Not giving them time to recover, Bane charged towards Batman, who dodged him again. Bane tried one more time in another failing effort before changing tactics. Bane jumped up and slammed his fist down, creating a shockwave.
Seizing the opportunity, Batman stunned Bane with his cape and hit him with a combo of punches. Batman hit him with one final punch that made him stumble back right into Spider-Man who immediately grabbed one of the venom tubes on his back and ripped it off, causing Bane to return to normal.
Bane tried to steady himself before he was back-to-back with Kraven.
"We shall be victorious today!" Kraven yelled as he threw more knives off toward Batman.
Bane then changes his direction towards Spider-Man, but again he moves out of the way, shooting a web at his face as he leaps over him. Bane struggles to rip the webbing off as Spider-Man begins his own assault on Bane. Out of ideas, Bane activates his venom again and finally tears the webbing off his face before jumping high in the air to create a large shockwave as he lands back down. He slams both fists on the ground which causes everyone to fall down.
As Bane walks toward the downed heroes, he hears a noise in the distance.
"You just ran out of time," Batman says as GCPD helicopters fly into view and aim their spotlights and weapons at them.
"Stand down! Repeat, stand down!" Ordered the officers in the helicopters.
"I'd do what he says if I were you," Spider-Man commented. Suddenly, a gun starts firing at the choppers. Above the battlefield, Joker is firing an automatic weapon with one hand while holding onto a light post with the other.
"This is what I call a party!" Joker laughs as his men begin firing their weapons as well. The choppers respond by firing their own guns, hitting all the thugs on the rooftop.
"Well so much for that," Spider-Man says to himself out loud.
"This rooftop's getting too hot," Bane comments as Joker continues to fire away, laughing.
"I agree," Kraven agreed.
Out of nowhere two missiles hit the choppers' tail rotors, causing them to spin out of control and fly into each other. Once the two made contact with each other they immediately exploded.
"NO!" Spider-Man screamed as more helicopters came in, however, these ones were Bane's and Kraven's.
"You two got off easy," Bane states before running towards the edge of the rooftop and jumping into the helicopter that had lowered itself down for him.
Kraven ran off towards his own chopper, using his spear to latch on and get away. As they ran, Batman threw a tracker on his back just before he jumped. Kraven missed as Spider-Man managed to slip a tracker onto his back during their fight and managed to get it stuck in the collar of his lion skin.
As he climbed in, he heard the clown of crime call out to him, "Just where do you think you're going? Huh?"
Joker started firing at him but soon realized that it was pointless when Bane pulled out a rocket launcher. Joker dropped the gun and held out his arms, accepting his fate. The rocket hit the wall behind him which caused him to go flying off the roof laughing.
The two heroes quickly sprung into action. They leaped over the railing as Spider-Man quickly shot two webs at the Dark Knight and used them to fling Batman at the Joker. Batman used the momentum he was given to dive toward the Joker. He was luckily able to grab him as they fell.
"Ooh back for more, eh?" Joker laughs as he tries to punch the dark knight. Batman easily blocks it and headbutts him.
Spider-Man rapidly fires his webs, trying to create a softer landing for them instead of the concrete. "I got it! I got it!"
However, they were falling way too fast and Spider-Man wasn't able to create enough webs in time.
"Nope! I don't got it!" He screamed as they fell through the webs.
As a last-ditch effort, both heroes fire their webs/grappling hooks at the Overview bar high above to stop their descent. They are only able to hang on for a little bit but the extra weight in their arms causes them to lose their grip and fall through the glass ceiling of the Hotel Lobby.
As they fall, they hit the various giant Christmas ornaments hanging from the ceiling. Batman and Joker crash right through a wooden desk while Spider-Man slams into several ornaments and falls into the rubble of the crash.
"Ow." Spider-Man groaned as he tried to get back up. "That... that hurt." He groaned as he felt the splinters in his suit. "My everything hurts."
Joker gets back up as two of his men surround the duo. "Now… Why? Why? Why would you do that?" Joker questioned as he picked up his revolver from the ground. "Newsflash... I'm the one who's been sending those guys out to kill you two."
Joker then aimed his weapon at his men and shot them both.
Batman and Spider-Man were about to rush him but were stopped by Joker pulling out another gun from his jacket and aiming it at both their faces. "Those two were VERY bad men. The things they've done… You really don't want to know. They deserved death, hohohoho! Just like me." As he said that final part he aimed the guns at his own head.
Batman moved the gun away from his head before punching him to the floor. Suddenly the doors are kicked in and SWAT surrounds them as Batman ties up Joker's hands. "Freeze!"
Batman presses a button on his gauntlet and backs up.
"DON'T MOVE, FREAKS!" Brandon yells at the duo.
"Oh, great. Now you guys decide to show up." Spider-Man quips.
"I think he's talking to you two," Joker commented.
Above them the Batwing flies over them and hovers over the broken glass ceiling. Using the surprise Batman grabs onto Spider-Man and grapples up to it.
"TAKE THEM DOWN, NOW!" Brandon orders as they fire at the jet. Their bullets do nothing as the Batwing flies off, leaving the Joker behind.
The men stop firing and watch it fly away as Gordon and Bullock walk in.
"Let me guess... they got away," Gordon says as Brandon looks at him before looking to the floor. Gordon turns his gaze towards the Joker, "Take him to Blackgate." he orders his men.
Outside the hotel, police cars have swarmed the entrance of the hotel with multiple officers waiting outside, guns at the ready. Bullock drags Joker over to a police car.
"Where'd they go? Huh?" Bullock was interrogating him as he pressed the clown up against the police car.
"Who?"
"The Spider and The Bat! Your partners."
This caused Joker to laugh, "My partners!?" he questions as Bullock shoves him in the car.
"Who else would jump off a building to save your ass?" He retorts as he closes the door and hops in the front seat.
"You know, officer… I was wondering the same thing myself." He mutters while looking back up at the hotel as the fire continues to burn the penthouse down.
The two heroes sat in silence on the ride back to the cave, the previous events at the hotel played through their minds.
"So… what now?" Spider-Man asked, breaking the silence.
"Now, I need you to track down Vulture and Firefly. See if you can stop them before they do anything dangerous."
"Okay, what about you?"
"I'm going back to the Batcave and see if I can find out where Bane and Kraven ran off to using the trackers we placed on them."
"Alright, just drop me off here." Spider-Man offered. "I might make a call while searching. My systems know Adrian's vapor trails, so maybe I can track him using those."
"Good luck, then," Batman said as the top of the Batwing opened up and Spider-Man leaped out, disappearing in the clouds.
Once landing the Batwing, Batman begins to think about what happened at the hotel with the Joker. "Now… Why? Why? Why would you do that? Newsflash: I'm the one who's been sending these guys out to kill you two."
Bruce walks towards the Batcomputer, he starts having flashbacks of him in Crime Alley. Watching his parents get murdered all over again
"Walt… Why do you guys do what you do?"
Batman takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. Suddenly everything disappears and he finds himself back in the cave.
"Master Bruce." Alfred said as he approached with a dish in hand, "Where has our wall-crawling friend gone off to?"
"I have him out looking for Firefly and Vulture."
"Well, that's a shame. I was hoping you might finally be ready to celebrate Christmas Eve, now that the Joker's behind bars. And maybe for once you might have a friend over to celebrate in the holiday cheer."
"Bane and Kraven are still out there. I've got to locate the signal from the tracker I placed on him."
"Even you must eat, sir," Alfred states as he places the dish down on the desk next to Batman.
"If you hadn't called the police, he'd already be in custody." Batman scolded. He then turns the radio channel to listen in on the GCPD chatter.
"Dispatch, this is Delta 47, the Ellsworth building. Confirmed. The building was under construction. Appears to have been empty. No sign of any casualties."
"You know I made a promise of my own, to your parents." Alfred quietly comments.
"Not now, Alfred."
"What's the story back at the precinct?"
"Place's evac'd. Found bombs under the foundation. The same kind they found at the Royal."
Batman turns the nozzle of the radio again, looking for anything related to Bane.
"Some kinda hopped up freak, must've been four hundred pounds of muscle. Took six cops to gun that bastard down."
"Yeah, I saw the body in the morgue."
"Sounds like this could be Bane or one of his men. If I hurry to the GCPD morgue, I can inspect the body and the autopsy report."
"Well before you leave, I've run some tests on the compound you found at the Steel mill. Looks like a match for your 'globular projectile for non-lethal restraint'."
"You mean the glue grenade?"
"Indeed. The resin has finished curing. It's at your workbench. Of course. I'd recommend testing it here in the lab before you go but I'm sure you won't listen to me. You never do."
Batman just blows off that last comment and heads towards his workbench. He immediately spots the glue grenade and picks it up.
"So I take it you won't be testing it then?" Alfred remarks as Batman walks back to the Batwing.
"It's called field testing, Alfred."
Batman presses a button on his gauntlet and fires up the Batwing. As he does that, Alfred quickly walks towards him.
"Master Bruce. Stop, Master Bruce. BRUCE!" Alfred shouts as he grabs Batman's shoulder.
"What are you-"
"I will not in good conscience allow you to go. You're out-matched by these assassins and-"
"I'm what?" Batman angrily asks. "The only man who's capable of stopping these criminals is already out there. you're not some hardened vigilante with special abilities like he is. You're a young man with a trust fund and too much anger. You are in over your head and I don't want this to be your end."
Batman walks past him before stopping, "Alfred, who do you see, when you look at me? The boy whose shoes you used to tie every morning, the teenager you drove to his first date? While you are here every night I am out there. the ONLY THING between the innocent and the predatory in this city."
"You may be, but -"
"No. Not 'may be'. I am. When the mugger or the thief stops to think twice, that is fear. That is what I am. That is what Spider-Man is. That is why they hired assassins because we are the reason the criminals are always looking over their shoulders. So, no. Alfred. I am NOT in over my head" Batman turns his back to Alfred and walks towards the Batwing. "Tonight will not be my end. But it will be theirs!" He finishes before getting in the jet and flies away.
Spider-Man took a moment as he walked off and wanted to make a call. He had an eventful night and just needed to call someone. He tried calling Diana, but it seemed like she was asleep and wasn't picking up. May would most likely also be asleep, but there was someone who he knew would be up. He made the call and waited a moment for Pamela to answer.
"Hey, Pam," Peter said as he removed his mask.
"Peter. Oh, thank god. I was worried something happened to you," Pam said with relief in her voice.
"Sorry, it has been kinda a crazy night," Peter admitted with a laugh. "You would not believe what hell I have been through since the last we spoke."
"Did you get Kraven?" Pam wonders.
"No." Peter sighed. "But we got their boss. This clown calling himself the Joker. He hired Kraven and a bunch of assassins to hunt me and Batman down."
"Batman keeping you safe?" Pam wonders.
"Well, he has a tough outer shell, but I think I finally cracked him." Peter slightly joked. "I wore him down throughout the night."
"You do have that effect on people." Pam joked. "You still think you'll make it back?"
"Yeah," Peter promised. "Once we deal with Kraven and Bane, that should be about it." He said with a sigh. "And also Vulture. But that shouldn't take too long." Then he got a bleep on his tracker, revealing he found where Kraven was hiding. "And I found Kraven. I gotta go. See you soon, Pam."
"Alright, stay safe, Peter," Pam said. "I..." She almost said something that she wasn't sure she could say over the phone. "I hope you come home soon."
"Me too, Pam," Peter said as he hung up and got ready to swing out.
"I trust you realize you can't just waltz into the GCPD after everything that's happened there tonight," Alfred said over the earpiece in Batman's ear after he jumped out of the Batwing.
"I know I can't do that. I'll have to find a way in that will avoid detection." He responded as he glided towards the said building.
"Indeed. Look. I'm sorry about what I said before you left. I hope you understand it's just because -"
"It's OK. I understand."
Batman stealthily navigated through the treacherous sewer tunnels to gain access to the GCPD morgue, where he stumbled upon the lifeless body of a venom-enhanced henchman who had fallen victim to Bane's wrath. As he examined the scene, he realized that the fallen thug was not Bane himself, but rather one of his loyal mercenaries.
"Hmm. It's not Bane, but one of his men, the same one I saw at the riot in the precinct's holding cells earlier. I should scan his corpse." Batman noted before using his Evidence Scanner on the body. "The victim was dosed with a chemical that caused temporary deformation of his physiology. I'll need to check the autopsy report to find out more."
Batman hacks into the computer using his gauntlet and pulls up a screen of the victim.
"Interesting. The victim was using a powerful compound with many similarities to the street drug Venom at the time of his death. It changes the user's muscle and bone structure, greatly enhancing strength for a temporary period. It appears that whatever this compound is, it reduces mental capacity in several ways, including severe damage to the brain's memory center. Prolonged use could seriously compromise the user's memory." Batman noted as images of the victim's anatomy popped up on the screen.
Suddenly, the tracker Batman had placed on Bane earlier activates as an image of Gotham appears in front of him. "There's Bane's tracker."
Suddenly, the tracker Batman had placed on Bane earlier activates as an image of Gotham appears in front of him. "There's Bane's tracker." Batman deactivates his gauntlet and calls Spider-Man. "Spider-Man, have you found anything on Firefly?"
"No, not a thing. It's like he vanished right after he left the hotel." Said Spiderman
"Pause your search, for now, Bane's tracker was activated somewhere around this area. I'll send you the location. It should show up in your lenses." Batman presses a few buttons on his gauntlet.
"I see it. Huh, looks like I'm close by. I'll let you know if I find anything before you get here." Spider-Man says before hanging up.
Batman made it to the building and saw Spider-Man already finished the job and fought the people outside. He was also sitting at the entrance, waiting for Batman. "Hey. What took ya?"
"What are you doing?" Batman asked as he approached him.
"Waiting for you." Spider-Man shrugged as they entered. "Kraven was here, and I had a feeling Bane was also and didn't wanna fight them both alone."
"You were right," Batman admitted. "He was spotted here minutes ago. Rushed over when I could."
"Great, so we can sneak out way in and take them by surprise," Spider-Man said as they continued on inside.
As they descended they came across not only Kraven's men but also Bane's mercenaries and defeated them
They soon enter a big room with carts medical supplies and other things around the area. As the duo explores the room they come across After walking down a flight of stairs and opening a heavy metal door, the two enter to see a full lab setup.
"My tracking device is in here somewhere, which means Bane is likely in here as well," Batman said.
Spider-Man nodded as they looked through the lab. Glancing over at the computers and vats of chemicals of whatever Bane was making.
"Impressive work, but it looks like Bane hasn't found a way to counter the damaging side effects this compound has on the brain's memory centers. Some of this research is dedicated to overcoming his own addiction and dependency on venom. He can't survive without it." Batman noted.
"This 'venom' stuff is the same thing he used back at the hotel, right?" Spider-Man asked before spotting something nearby.
"Yes, it alters the user's muscles, making them stronger and more durable to pain. But it also damages their memories."
"Heh, bet that could be useful after a night at the club." Spider-Man tries to joke but is met with a glare from Batman. "Right, not funny." He said as they continued their search.
"Hey, I found something else," Spider-Man said from around the corner.
"What is it?" He asked, Seeing Spider-Man standing next to a gurney holding a blood packet in his hand.
"This, Project TN-1. Looks like Bane is experimenting with a new form of venom. Whatever it is, it must be what caused the physiological changes we saw during the breakout back at the GCPD."
"And the same kind I found in the corpse in the morgue there as well." Said Batman.
"Wait, you went back to the GCPD? After everything that's happened?" said Spider-Man.
"I needed answers."
As they continue to explore the room they come across a side room with vials of some mysterious liquid
"What is this stuff?" said Peter as he picked up one of the vials.
"We need to run a test because it doesn't look like the TN-1?" said Batman as Peter scanned a sample over to Alfred.
"Hey Alfred can you tell us what this is?" Said Spider-Man.
"Of course. Just give me a moment" said Alfred. After a few moments, Alfred gets back to them and says, "This is interesting. It's a strength enhancer but that's not the interesting part. It also holds lion, leopard, and cheetah DNA. Although it is not perfected effects might only be temporary"
"Wait what? This seems oddly similar to what turned Doctor Conners into the Lizard years ago." Spider-Man said.
"If Kraven and Bane are planning something with this then we have to find them before they enact whatever they are doing?" said Bruce
"Yep. I rather not deal with a similar situation to the Lizard again." Said Spider-Man as put the vial down.
"Let's keep searching for Bane" Said Batman.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Before Spider-Man can respond, a deep, booming voice echoes through the warehouse, reverberating off the walls. "Sadly, you will not be off to find him!" Kraven's voice echoed as the two of them stood back to back, looking around. "For you see... tonight, I will be the hunter!"
Kraven steps into the light, his imposing figure clad in his animal pelts, a wild glint in his eyes. He brandishes a spear, its tip glistening ominously. He then held out the tracker Spider-Man left on him and crushed it in his palm.
"The hunt, the hunt, the hunt," Spider-Man groaned in annoyance. "Seriously, Kraven, pick a new hobby. All you ever wanna talk about is 'the hunt.' Seriously, why couldn't someone like Scorpion get the bounty? He is more fun to talk with."
Kraven snarled as he readied his spear. "You jest, but this will be your last battle. Tonight, I will prove I am the greatest hunter of all time!"
With a primal roar, Kraven lunges forward, spear aimed at Spider-Man. Spidey quickly dodges the strike, flipping out of the way and shooting webs at Kraven's legs. Batman, using the distraction, throws a Batarang that slices through the air, hitting Kraven in the shoulder. He grunts but quickly tears it free, rage fueling his movements.
"You think you can defeat me with the same mere tricks?" Kraven questioned as he prepared to strike. "I am a master of the hunt!"
Spider-Man swings overhead, delivering a kick to Kraven's head, but Kraven quickly recovers, grabbing Spider-Man's leg and swinging him into a stack of crates. The crates crash to the ground, splintering on impact.
"Stay focused! We need to work together." Batman tells him.
"Got it, I'll follow your lead," Spider-Man offered.
Kraven charges at Batman, who sidesteps and delivers a powerful punch to Kraven's midsection. The hunter staggers back but quickly regains his footing. He throws a series of knives, forcing Batman to dodge and roll behind a crate for cover.
Spider-Man groaned. "We need a plan. What do you think?"
Batman began to consider how they could fight him. "Divide and conquer. Distract him while I flank from the shadows."
Spider-Man nods, shooting webs to obscure Kraven's vision. He taunts him, swinging around the warehouse "Hey, Kraven! Ever thought about taking up a less dangerous profession? Like lion tamer? Or maybe a zookeeper?"
As Kraven swings at Spider-Man, Batman emerges from the shadows, delivering a powerful kick to Kraven's side, sending him crashing into a stack of crates. The impact sends wooden splinters flying.
Kraven began breathing heavily. "You are both formidable, but I will not be defeated by mere insects!"
Kraven, his anger boiling over, swiftly triggers a concealed mechanism on his belt. In an instant, a ferocious pack of genetically modified hunting cats is unleashed, hurtling toward Spider-Man and Batman with savage determination. Their enhanced speed and strength seem eerily reminiscent of Bane's infamous formula, adding an extra layer of danger to the perilous situation.
Spider-Man groaned as he had never seen these things before. "Great, now we have a furry problem!"
As the genetically enhanced felines launch their attack, Spider-Man relies on his incredible reflexes, agility, and acrobatic skills to deftly evade and outmaneuver them. With seamless fluidity, he swings from building to building and somersaults through the air, skillfully using his web shooters to ensnare and disable each threat with remarkable precision and finesse.
Meanwhile, Batman draws upon his unmatched expertise in various martial arts disciplines, including karate, judo, and ninjutsu, to methodically incapacitate each feline adversary with a precisely calculated sequence of strikes. His rapid and exact movements enable him to systematically take down his opponents one by one, demonstrating his exceptional combat abilities and strategic acumen.
"Spider-Man, now!" Batman cried.
As the cats were momentarily distracted, Batman and Spider-Man strategized and launched a synchronized assault. Batman swiftly delivered a powerful uppercut to the first cat, causing it to stagger back and collide with the second one, effectively incapacitating both foes.
"Aaaand Kraven's gone," Spider-Man noticed.
"But why?" Batman wonders.
They could hear a beeping noise coming from a nearby room on the desk, which Batman identified as his tracker. Once he picked it up, the monitors turned on. Showing a few images of the new venom Bane was working on but that wasn't the shocking part. Two videos played Batman on the hotel rooftop and Bruce Wayne in the interview from earlier both saying "You just ran out of time."
On two separate monitors, a video played, capturing the moment when Peter was leisurely strolling through STAR labs, while on another screen, Spider-Man was seen fearlessly battling villains, with the unmistakable label 'Peter Parker' conspicuously displayed above the action.
Spider-Man's eyes widened in disbelief as he darted his gaze back and forth between the screens. He was overwhelmed with horror at the thought that Bane now possessed knowledge of his true identity. This freak could go after May. Pam. Diana... well, she could probably handle him. But he still needed to protect them.
In a sudden burst of fury, Batman forcefully struck the control panel of the monitor and forcefully yanked out its engine. After taking a moment to compose himself, he meticulously planted devices at strategic points all over the room and the remaining monitors.
"What are you doing?" Spider-Man asked, out of his shock.
"Destroying it," Batman replied with a bit of anger behind his tone. He then walked out of the room with Spider-Man behind him before pressing a button on his gauntlet. Activating the devices and causing them to explode.