Both vigilantes rushed toward the location Bruce had indicated, with Bane pursuing them relentlessly from behind. His heavy footsteps pounded against the ground as he gained on them with terrifying speed.
Swish, swish~
Two more kunai flew from Bruce's hands with deadly precision. Enhanced by the strength amplification from his combat suit, the razor-sharp projectiles easily penetrated Bane's enhanced skin, burying themselves halfway into his muscular torso.
The sharp pain caused by the kunai piercing his flesh momentarily cleared some of the drug-induced haze from Bane's mind. But in the next instant, as more venom flowed through his breathing apparatus, his rationality dissolved completely into even more violent rage.
Thump, thump, thump~
Bane's relentless charge created vibrations that could be felt through the ground, each step producing muffled impacts that spoke to his tremendous weight and power. The kunai embedded in his body were gradually forced out as his muscles flexed and moved, and the wounds they had created were already healing at an alarming rate.
"What's wrong with this guy's body?" both vigilantes wondered aloud as they continued their desperate retreat.
They couldn't understand the biological processes that were allowing Bane to function. It was obvious that the kunai had penetrated what should have been fatal areas, but the injuries didn't seem to affect Bane's performance at all.
"That's enough running!" Selina called out to Bruce while maintaining her pace. "What exactly is your plan?"
They were completely out of conventional options for dealing with Bane. This opponent was like some kind of undead monster—no matter how they attacked him, the most they could accomplish was leaving temporary scars on his body.
Those injuries had absolutely no lasting effect on Bane whatsoever. On the contrary, each wound seemed to stimulate him further, making him even more violent and aggressive than before.
"Just ahead!" Bruce responded with growing confidence as they approached their destination. "I anticipated exactly this kind of situation!"
Under Marcus's careful instruction and guidance, Bruce had gradually learned the importance of formulating comprehensive battle plans. Whether or not those plans would ultimately be needed, he now made it a habit to prepare contingencies in advance for any patrol mission.
The area they were approaching contained preparations he had made before beginning tonight's patrol, specifically designed to handle encounters with violent enhanced individuals exactly like Bane.
Of course, Bruce had to admit that his strategic planning wasn't yet complete. There were many variables and possibilities he hadn't fully considered, especially regarding Bane's unique type of enhancement. This particular opponent had capabilities that were completely beyond his initial expectations.
"Right there—lead him into that specific area!" Bruce shouted as they approached his predetermined position.
Bruce's hand moved to his utility belt once again, producing another gleaming projectile that he launched directly at Bane with practiced accuracy.
The moment Bruce made his move, Selina acted as well, sending two specialized explosive pellets flying from her hands toward their pursuer.
Although she hadn't yet learned the advanced kunai throwing techniques that Marcus had taught Bruce, she had been working alongside him for months now. Even someone with limited natural talent would have picked up the basic throwing methods after so much observation and practice. Selina was far from limited in her abilities, and she had frequently asked Bruce to teach her proper projectile techniques during their training sessions.
While her throwing skills couldn't yet match Bruce's precision and power, they were still extremely impressive compared to most people's capabilities.
The two explosive pellets were her specialized equipment—devices that would detonate instantly upon impact. Although the destructive power of each individual pellet wasn't enormous, they could at least buy them precious seconds to execute their escape plan.
BANG! BANG!
Both explosive pellets detonated against Bane's body simultaneously, and the sudden explosions left his gas mask scorched and blackened with smoke and residue.
Even Bane himself was momentarily stunned by the unexpected dual explosions occurring so close to his face and breathing apparatus.
Fortunately for the vigilantes, the effects of the venom flowing through Bane's system allowed him to recover from his disorientation after only a brief moment of confusion. But that single moment of hesitation was exactly what Bruce and Selina needed.
They successfully rushed into the area where Bruce had prepared his contingency measures, reaching their destination just as Bane recovered his focus and resumed his pursuit.
THUMP! THUMP!
Accompanied by ground-shaking impacts that sent vibrations through the earth, Bane leaped high into the air and prepared to crash down directly on top of both vigilantes with his full body weight.
"You can't escape from me!" Bane roared, his voice distorted by the venom coursing through his system.
Having consumed massive quantities of the enhancement drug, Bane had lost most of his remaining sanity, but his physical strength had increased to several times his previous level.
However, instead of continuing their retreat pattern, both Bruce and Selina suddenly stopped running and turned to face their approaching opponent.
"The one who should be escaping is you!" Bruce declared with newfound confidence.
While he spoke, there was a sudden mechanical click sound from directly beneath Bane's feet, followed immediately by bursting, scorching flames that erupted from the ground below him.
BOOM!
"Let's see who should be running now!" Bruce called out triumphantly.
What had just exploded was a specialized landmine that Bruce had planted in this exact location—one of the latest technological products developed by Wayne Enterprises' advanced research division.
This particular landmine was specifically designed for covert operations. It was compact enough to fit easily into the utility pouches around Bruce's waist, and it featured both manual activation and pressure-trigger response systems.
When they had rushed through this area moments earlier, Bruce had manually disabled the mine's pressure sensors to prevent accidental detonation. But now that Bane had stepped directly onto the device, there was no reason to prevent its activation. Bruce immediately chose to trigger the explosion remotely.
The moment the landmine detonated, it demonstrated its unique and deadly design philosophy. While most conventional mines were designed to create widespread area damage, this device attempted to concentrate its explosive force into the smallest possible radius in order to maximize lethality against a single target.
The effect of this concentrated blast was absolutely devastating. The violent explosion almost completely enveloped Bane's massive form, and the searing flames and shrapnel burned and tore his body into a mangled, bloody mess.
"Now's our chance!" Bruce shouted to his partner.
Both vigilantes rushed toward Bane simultaneously, brandishing their daggers with the intention of finishing off their severely wounded opponent while he was still disoriented from the explosion.
Hum~
Facing their coordinated assault, Bane—despite his serious injuries—managed to take another deep, desperate breath through his damaged breathing apparatus. His gas mask began continuously releasing venom at an accelerated rate, and massive quantities of the enhancement drug poured directly into his bloodstream.
The sudden influx of such concentrated venom caused Bane to become completely intoxicated with the overwhelming pleasure of rapidly increasing power flowing through his body.
Swish~
Both daggers rushed toward Bane's vulnerable position, and the razor-sharp blades easily cut through his burned skin and damaged muscle tissue.
Ding! Ding!
The weapons quickly reached their intended target—the crucial pipelines connected to Bane's gas mask and venom delivery system. At the exact moment both daggers made contact with the tubes, Bane—who had been completely absorbed in the euphoria brought by his strength increase—suddenly snapped back to awareness and sent both attackers flying backward with a devastating punch.
"Ugh..." Both vigilantes gasped as the blow connected with their stomachs, causing them to double over and retch from the impact.
"I think I understand what this guy's real weakness is now!" Bruce said through gritted teeth, his analytical mind working despite the pain.
The gas mask that they had previously assumed was merely protective equipment was actually the key to everything. The pipes and tubes connected to that mask represented the most crucial component of Bane's entire enhancement system.
With their current strength and energy reserves, it would require enormous effort and perfect coordination to defeat Bane through conventional combat methods. But if they could target and destroy the pipeline system that supplied his chemical enhancement, they might be able to neutralize his advantages entirely.
Both vigilantes looked at each other once again, immediately understanding each other's tactical thinking without needing to discuss details.
Their objective was about to change completely. If they wanted to weaken Bane's overwhelming strength, they had to destroy the venom delivery system that was the source of his power.
In the next instant, several streaks of silver light flew from Bruce's hands while Selina simultaneously threw every remaining explosive pellet from her equipment pouches.
These projectiles struck Bane's body without any difficulty, finding their marks with deadly accuracy. The sharp, piercing kunai and the continuously exploding pellets wreaked havoc across Bane's already damaged form. Most importantly, several of the attacks managed to damage the pipeline system—tiny drops of precious venom began slowly dripping from newly created punctures in the tubes.
As the enhancement drug leaked away, Bane's rapidly increasing strength began to level off and even decrease slightly.
"It's working! Let's finish this together!" Bruce called out with renewed determination.
Both vigilantes charged toward Bane once more, but this time their daggers were aimed specifically at the remaining intact portions of his gas mask's supply system.
The blades in their hands sang through the air as they rushed toward the pipelines that supplied Bane's life-sustaining venom enhancement.
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