"This confined space is completely inadequate for a proper fight!" Bane announced loudly as he finished blasting a massive hole through the reinforced wall.
With deliberate precision, he reached up and tore two thick steel reinforcement bars from the damaged structure, the metal groaning and snapping under his enhanced strength.
"Let's take this battle outside where we can really test our capabilities!" he declared with obvious anticipation.
While speaking, Bane gripped the two steel bars firmly in his hands and hurled them toward Bruce and Selina with the force and accuracy of expertly thrown javelins.
Shhhhhhhh~
Ding! Ding!
The improvised projectiles created sharp, piercing sounds as they cut through the air, whistling toward both vigilantes with deadly speed and precision.
Bruce and Selina, who had remained on high alert throughout the entire encounter, reacted with trained reflexes the instant Bane began his throwing motion.
Both young fighters brought their daggers up into defensive positions in front of their bodies, adopting combat stances that would allow them to deflect the incoming projectiles. With two crisp, metallic collision sounds, their energy-enhanced blades met the steel bars in a shower of sparks.
"This guy's power has increased even more!" Bruce said through gritted teeth as he struggled to deflect the steel bar.
The arms of both vigilantes were wrapped in their blue energy as they used all their strength to redirect the heavy projectiles away from their bodies and toward safer areas.
Huff... huff... huff...
After successfully dealing with the steel bar assault, both Bruce and Selina were left breathing heavily from the exertion. At the same time, they maintained their defensive postures while watching Bane carefully, preparing themselves for whatever attack he might launch next.
"Their performance this time is actually quite impressive," Marcus observed from his concealed position, watching the battle with an approving smile. "Perhaps after this challenging fight with Bane, their overall combat abilities will improve significantly. But for now, they're in serious trouble."
Marcus continued to observe without intervening, having made the decision that unless this became a genuine life-or-death situation, he would not interfere with their learning experience.
The reason for his concern was entirely due to the fact that both students were rapidly approaching complete energy exhaustion.
Bruce and Selina, having only recently achieved successful training of their internal energy, were still extremely limited in how many enhanced attacks they could perform. The fact that they had managed several energy-augmented techniques during this battle was actually quite remarkable for their current skill level.
Although they had learned the theoretical foundations of other advanced Zenurik school abilities during Marcus's recent instruction, neither of them currently possessed sufficient energy reserves or experience to actually execute those more sophisticated techniques.
"No, my energy is almost completely depleted!" Bruce said through clenched teeth, his voice strained with effort and frustration.
He had launched several offensive attacks and used substantial energy to block the steel bars that Bane had thrown at them, which had caused enormous drain on his internal reserves. With his current remaining energy, he could launch perhaps one more serious attack before being totally exhausted.
"I'm in slightly better condition than you," Selina responded honestly, "but using energy to resist that last attack also consumed a huge amount of my power. I've got maybe two more enhanced strikes left in me."
Looking at the large hole that Bane had created in the asylum wall, both vigilantes exchanged meaningful glances and immediately rushed toward the opening.
The underground space was far too cramped and confined for them to employ their preferred fighting tactics effectively. They needed to get outside where they would have room to maneuver, and Bruce had already prepared contingency plans that could only be executed in the outdoor environment.
Seeing both opponents rushing directly toward him, Bane displayed a sinister, predatory smile. He positioned himself directly in front of the hole he had created, intending to intercept them before they could escape the confined space.
But Bruce and Selina, having no intention whatsoever of engaging in direct confrontation while at such a disadvantage, completely avoided any head-on collision with their powerful opponent.
No matter how Bane tried to block their escape route, they refused to engage him directly. Instead, they used his own momentum and positioning against him, exploiting his movements to make the hole in the wall even larger while smoothly rushing past him and out of Arkham Asylum.
"Follow me and lead this guy toward that specific location!" Bruce called out to Selina, pointing toward an area where they had previously established surveillance positions.
Bruce reached to his utility belt and withdrew two specially crafted kunai, throwing them with practiced accuracy directly at Bane to provoke him into pursuit.
The location Bruce was indicating was where he had prepared a backup plan specifically designed to handle situations exactly like their current predicament.
Both vigilantes began running toward their predetermined position while Bane casually pulled the two kunai from where they had embedded in his enhanced skin, tossing them aside dismissively.
"You think changing the battlefield to an outdoor environment will somehow allow you to defeat me?" Bane called after them with obvious amusement and confidence.
While speaking, Bane began striding purposefully after the retreating vigilantes. The minor cuts and puncture wounds covering his body were healing rapidly as he inhaled even more toxic gas through his breathing apparatus, further enhancing his already formidable capabilities.
Watching the entire group rush outside to continue their battle, Marcus smiled with satisfaction and turned to walk deeper into the lower levels of Arkham Asylum.
"Besides Bane, there are two other interesting individuals down here that deserve investigation," he murmured to himself.
Descending further down the facility's stairways, Marcus soon arrived back at the large chamber where numerous corpses had previously been suspended from the ceiling. However, most of those grisly remains had now disappeared, leaving the room much more open but no less disturbing.
In the center of the cleared space, Dr. Hugo Strange was engaged in what appeared to be a serious conversation with two individuals wearing highly unusual specialized equipment.
"Your biological systems are not sufficiently stable yet," Dr. Strange was saying with obvious scientific concern. "It would be best for you to remain here in controlled conditions and allow Bane to handle any external threats or complications."
Hugo's expression was deadly serious as he addressed his two experimental subjects. Unlike Bane, these individuals represented his true masterpieces—the culmination of years of genetic research and modification.
The first figure was Victor Fries, a man whose altered physiology could only survive in extremely low-temperature environments. His entire body had been modified to thrive in conditions that would be fatal to normal humans.
The second was Bridget Pike, whose genetic modifications had given her an almost supernatural tolerance for extreme heat and flame. Her passion for fire had been enhanced and weaponized through careful biological manipulation.
Both of these individuals were the products of deliberate genetic engineering, representing the most important aspects of Dr. Strange's research into human enhancement. They were completely different from Bane in both their creation process and their capabilities.
Even though Bane had also been transformed through Dr. Strange's experiments, his current state was more of an unintended mutation. He had become an anomaly who could absorb and metabolize toxic substances to dramatically increase his physical strength.
But in Dr. Strange's scientific opinion, Bane's transformation had been largely accidental. Among all the subjects who had been exposed to the Beastman serum, only Bane had achieved this particular type of enhancement. He alone had maintained his original human appearance and sanity while gaining the ability to strengthen himself through venom absorption.
This kind of unpredictable, mutation-based outcome was actually considered a failure by Dr. Strange's rigorous scientific standards.
In contrast, Fries and Bridget, who had undergone carefully controlled genetic modification procedures, represented genuine scientific successes in his research program.
Although neither of the genetically modified subjects could match Bane's raw physical power, their specialized environmental adaptations were far more sophisticated and reliable than Bane's chaotic enhancement method.
Fries, whose body temperature and metabolism had been fundamentally altered, possessed adaptation to cold environments that exceeded any normal human capability.
Temperatures that would be painfully cold or even fatal to other people created an extremely comfortable environment for Fries. Conditions cold enough to freeze water solid were actually the optimal temperature range for his modified physiology.
Combined with this biological adaptation and the specialized cryogenic freezing weapons that Fries had developed, he could freeze virtually anything solid without having to worry about the environmental consequences affecting his own survival.
Bridget, the other genetically modified subject, had been given tolerance to extreme heat that was completely beyond normal human limits.
Temperatures that would cause severe burns or death in ordinary people felt perfectly comfortable to Bridget's enhanced physiology.
This adaptation allowed Bridget to move freely through environments filled with raging flames and extreme heat, giving her tremendous advantages in fire-related combat situations or rescue operations in burning buildings.
"For now, you should avoid any unnecessary activity," Dr. Strange continued with his characteristic scientific precision. "I need to continue monitoring your physical responses to ensure the stability of your modifications."
Dr. Strange remained completely dedicated to his research methodology, and with Bane's overwhelming strength available to handle any external threats, there was no need for these two experimental subjects to risk exposure before their modifications had been fully tested and proven stable.
Marcus raised his eyebrows slightly as he observed the three figures, a faint smile of recognition crossing his features.
"I didn't expect so many of Bruce's future adversaries to appear in one location," he murmured with interest.
Except for Dr. Hugo Strange, whom Marcus had encountered during previous visits to Gotham, this was his first time seeing Fries and Bridget in person.
However, their distinctive appearances and the specialized equipment surrounding them immediately made their identities clear to Marcus's experienced eye.
Victor Fries, whose entire body was encased in ice-blue protective gear and cooling systems, was obviously Mr. Freeze—the notorious villain who would become one of Batman's most persistent and dangerous enemies.
Bridget Pike, who was currently holding an advanced flamethrower and wearing heat-resistant gear, was clearly the individual who would become known as Firefly—Gotham's most dangerous arsonist and fire-based criminal.
This combination of ice and fire would indeed represent significant challenges for Bruce during his future career as Batman.
Of course, Marcus had no intention of intervening to eliminate these potential threats before they could fully develop. After observing the three individuals and assessing their current capabilities, Marcus turned and left the underground laboratory.
Outside Arkham Asylum, Bruce and Selina were struggling desperately in their ongoing battle against Bane. Even with the substantial enhancement provided by their advanced battle suits, their combined strength simply couldn't match Bane's overwhelming physical capabilities.
The energy reserves in their bodies were now almost completely exhausted, which meant they could only rely on their conventional weapons and basic combat techniques for the remainder of the fight.
"Don't use those special weapons yet!" Bruce called out to Selina after deflecting another of Bane's devastating attacks. "We need to get to that specific location first!"
Selina had been reaching for the specialized weapons that Marcus had provided them for emergency situations, but Bruce still had one more contingency plan that he wanted to attempt before resorting to their most powerful equipment.