Scorching flames and freezing rays shot toward the two vigilantes simultaneously, creating a deadly crossfire that enveloped them in contradictory extremes of searing heat and bone-chilling cold.
"Handle them quickly!" Bruce whispered urgently to his partner.
Compared to the completely berserk and unpredictable Bane, the coordinated attacks from Fries and Bridget were much more manageable and tactical in nature.
Although the destructive power of both the flames and cryogenic rays was genuinely impressive, the damage output was still within the range that Bruce and Selina could potentially handle with their enhanced equipment and training.
"We need to destroy their weapons," Bruce continued his tactical assessment, "or we're going to be in serious trouble very quickly!"
As soon as he finished speaking, both vigilantes rushed toward their respective targets with coordinated precision.
At this crucial moment, the true effectiveness of their advanced battle suits became clearly apparent. Although Fries and Bridget wielded incredibly powerful and sophisticated weapons, they were still fundamentally within the category of ordinary humans—at most, they were slightly stronger and more durable than average people.
If it weren't for the devastating weapons in their hands, Bruce and Selina wouldn't be concerned about these opponents at all.
Swish, swish~
Two kunai flew from Bruce's hands with deadly accuracy, both projectiles aimed directly at the freeze gun in Fries' grasp.
Clang! Clang!
Accompanied by two crisp, metallic collision sounds, the powerful kunai struck the freezing weapon with tremendous force.
However, Fries' cryogenic gun wasn't constructed from ordinary materials. Despite being struck by Bruce's enhanced projectiles, the freezing weapon showed remarkably little damage or structural compromise.
After deflecting both kunai, only faint scratches and minor dents were visible on the weapon's outer casing.
"Impressive strength!" Fries called out with obvious surprise as his freeze gun swiveled to target the vigilantes once again.
As a genetically modified individual, although Fries wasn't designed to be a pure strength-based enhancement, his physical capabilities were significantly superior to those of normal humans. With his enhanced physiology, he shouldn't have been able to deflect Bruce's attack so easily—which meant the vigilante's throwing power was far greater than anticipated.
While speaking, Fries increased the output power of his freezing gun and fired another concentrated beam of absolute cold directly at Bruce, attempting to completely freeze the vigilante in place.
Following his weapon's activation, the cryogenic gun began emitting intensely low temperatures that affected the entire surrounding area. Even the ground beneath Fries' feet began developing layers of crystalline frost as the ambient temperature plummeted dramatically.
"Be careful!" Selina warned in a low voice as she observed the environmental changes around Fries. "That guy seems to be able to adapt perfectly to ultra-low temperatures!"
The extreme cold that was radiating from Fries' position might significantly affect Bruce and Selina's movement speed and reaction times, so Bruce needed to exercise additional caution when engaging this particular opponent.
After providing this warning to her partner, Selina turned her full attention toward Bridget, her former friend and current enemy.
In the past, she and Bridget had been genuinely close friends during their time living on Gotham's streets. If Selina were using her original appearance, Bridget would definitely recognize her immediately. But with both vigilantes concealing their identities behind masks and combat gear, it was impossible for Bridget to identify her former companion.
"This is going to be problematic," Selina thought grimly. "I can only try to knock her unconscious quickly."
When facing this former friend, Selina's only viable option was to render Bridget unconscious as rapidly as possible in order to end her flame-based attacks without causing permanent harm.
"But it's strange," Selina mused as she observed her opponent more carefully. "Bridget's flames are incredibly hot—why doesn't she seem to be affected by them at all?"
Even Fries, who was standing relatively nearby, had begun showing visible changes after increasing his freezing gun's output power. So why didn't Bridget, who was continuously spraying high-temperature flames, show any signs of discomfort or environmental effects?
With these troubling questions occupying her mind, Selina flicked her energy whip forward and launched her attack toward Bridget's position.
Facing the different types of attacks from their opponents, both Bruce and Selina chose the same tactical approach—closing distance rapidly to engage in close-quarters combat with the two specialists who were controlling ice and fire.
After all, their long-range attack options were extremely limited, consisting only of Bruce's kunai and Selina's remaining explosive pellets.
Bruce's kunai had already proven ineffective against Fries' advanced equipment, and Selina's supply of gunpowder bombs was almost completely exhausted. Moreover, when facing Bridget's intense flames, Selina seriously doubted that her homemade explosive devices would be useful rather than potentially dangerous to herself.
Observing that both vigilantes were rapidly approaching Fries and Bridget's positions, Bane—whose body had been mostly repaired through continuous venom absorption—had reached a state where he had almost completely lost his remaining sanity after ingesting even more of the enhancement drug. His mind now contained only a single, overwhelming objective: to tear both Bruce and Selina into bloody pieces.
THUMP!
The sound of crushing impact echoed across the battlefield as the ground beneath Bane's feet was instantly pulverized by the force of his movement. His massive form launched toward Bruce like a living cannonball, moving with terrifying speed and momentum.
"ROAR!" Bane bellowed as he charged forward.
While rushing toward his target, Bane—who now resembled a humanoid beast more than a rational person—released a primal roar of rage and bloodlust.
His physical strength had been pushed to its absolute limits through continuous venom enhancement, and every muscle in his body bulged grotesquely under the chemical effects. The air itself seemed to whistle and part around his massive form as he moved.
THUMP!
Just as Bruce was about to reach Fries' position, Bane's devastating punch intercepted him with perfect timing.
Faced with the choice between defending against the incoming freezing ray and blocking Bane's much more immediately threatening fist, Bruce decisively chose to focus on the greater danger. He brought his rapier up across his chest in a defensive position, attempting to absorb and redirect Bane's overwhelming physical force.
BANG!
The moment Bane's fist connected with Bruce's defensive rapier, the weapon was driven directly back against Bruce's own body, and he was sent flying backward along with his blade by the tremendous impact.
Bane, whose strength had been enhanced to its absolute maximum, possessed truly enormous physical power. Under the force of this single blow, Bruce couldn't even maintain his balance or control his trajectory through the air. The impact felt like being struck by a massive steel girder moving at high speed.
"Cough, cough, cough..." Bruce gasped harshly as he struggled to recover from the devastating attack.
Using his rapier's spatial properties to slow his backward momentum, Bruce coughed violently, and every cough sent waves of severe pain throughout his body, causing involuntary muscle spasms.
"This guy has gotten even stronger!" Bruce realized with growing alarm.
Bane was now functioning like a heavily armored tank—possessing not only incredibly strong defensive capabilities but also devastating offensive power that could end the fight with a single successful hit.
Even after Bruce's battle suit had absorbed and dispersed most of the attack's force, he had barely managed to survive the damage from that single blow.
Moreover, Bane's fist—which had been cut by the spatial fluctuations emanating from Bruce's rapier during the impact—had already healed completely within just a few seconds of the exchange.
Bruce, having been seriously injured by the devastating hit, desperately wanted to retreat temporarily and adjust his combat strategy. But Fries, who possessed the advantage of long-range attacks, certainly wasn't going to miss such an excellent opportunity to finish off a wounded opponent.
Within moments of Bruce's impact with the ground, the freezing ray was already racing toward his position.
"Damn it, this approach isn't going to work!" Bruce cursed as he realized his tactical situation was rapidly deteriorating.
Facing the incoming cryogenic beam, Bruce had no choice but to activate the full power of his rapier, releasing the spatial distortion effects that normally surrounded the weapon in a dormant state.
A faint but distinctly visible light began radiating from the rapier's blade, and as Bruce swung the weapon with desperate precision, it created an instantaneous barrier that blocked the space directly in front of him.
At the moment of Bruce's action, both Fries and Dr. Strange—who was monitoring the battle from his position deep beneath Arkham Asylum—were completely stunned by the impossible scene unfolding before their eyes.
The freezing ray, with its ultra-low temperature capable of instantly freezing virtually anything it touched, stopped in mid-air without any apparent explanation. It was as if an invisible wall had suddenly materialized somewhere in space, completely blocking the beam's forward progress.
As scientists trained in rational thinking and empirical observation, neither man could understand what they were witnessing. Why couldn't the cryogenic ray continue moving forward after Bruce had swung his sword through the air?
While the two researchers struggled to comprehend the implications of what they had seen, Bane—who had lost all capacity for rational thought—was already preparing his next assault.
The ground beneath his feet buckled and cracked under the force of his movement preparation, and with another earth-shaking impact, he launched himself toward Bruce's position once again.
Every step Bane took caused violent tremors to shake the ground around him. His drug-addled mind was focused entirely on his desire to tear this annoyingly elusive opponent into bloody fragments.
Seeing Bane rushing toward Bruce for another potentially lethal attack, Selina realized she had no choice but to abandon her current engagement with Bridget and intervene to help her partner.
She could clearly see that Bruce had been seriously injured by Bane's previous blow and was in no condition to handle another assault of similar magnitude. She had to help Bruce by drawing Bane's attention to herself, even if it meant leaving Bridget temporarily unengaged.
Selina cracked her energy whip forward with practiced precision, sending the crackling weapon lashing toward Bane's advancing form in an attempt to disrupt his charge and protect her wounded partner.
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