Seeing Bane fleeing with such remarkable speed despite his injuries, both vigilantes immediately pushed themselves to their limits and gave chase after their escaping opponent.
Neither Bruce nor Selina had any intention of simply allowing their enemies to escape, especially since one of the two people Bane had taken was Selina's friend. Of course they couldn't just stand by and watch as Bane carried them away to an unknown fate.
Both vigilantes pursued Bane relentlessly, determined to rescue Bridget and prevent the enhanced criminals from regrouping for another assault.
However, their maximum running speed was still somewhat insufficient compared to Bane's enhanced capabilities, even in his weakened state.
Although their battle suits provided impressive strength amplification and protection, the technology wouldn't improve their abilities without reasonable limits. There were certain physical boundaries they simply couldn't break through, regardless of their determination or effort.
Even though Bane's strength was steadily declining due to venom depletion, it would take considerable time for his speed to decrease enough that Bruce and Selina could overtake him. During that extended period, he would have more than enough opportunity to escape far beyond their tracking range.
After pursuing their enemies for an extended period through Gotham's streets, Bane successfully carried both Fries and Bridget into the wilderness surrounding the city's outskirts.
"We've lost them completely," Bruce said with obvious frustration.
Both vigilantes stood in the open suburban landscape, looking around at their unfamiliar surroundings with confusion and disappointment clearly visible in their posture.
They had absolutely no idea where Bane had fled to, having lost visual contact with their target some time ago during the chase through increasingly difficult terrain.
"That guy's strength hasn't completely faded yet, and now we have no idea where he's gone," Bruce said, his frown deepening with concern. "But if we don't eliminate him properly, he could return to Gotham at any time and threaten the lives of innocent people throughout the city!"
"So what should we do now?" Selina asked, shrugging with practical resignation. "We've already lost their trail completely. How can we possibly find them by searching randomly through all this wilderness?"
Selina understood very clearly that with just the two of them, it would be impossible to locate Bane and his companions in this vast, empty landscape.
Although she was genuinely worried about Bridget's current situation and safety, searching aimlessly throughout this area would be equivalent to looking for a needle in a haystack.
"Forget it then," Bruce decided with reluctant practicality. "Let's go back and have Alfred search for any trace of them using the surveillance network we've established!"
As he spoke, Bruce coughed several times, his body still aching significantly from their encounter. Bane's devastating attacks had been truly overwhelming in their force and impact. If it weren't for the advanced battle suits that Marcus had provided them, Bruce realized he might very well have been killed instantly by Bane's first serious punch.
"Speaking of which, this is the first time we've encountered such a genuinely challenging opponent," Bruce continued thoughtfully. "This battle has also exposed many significant problems with our current approach and preparation."
The two vigilantes began making their way back toward Wayne Manor, and during their return journey, Bruce started conducting a comprehensive analysis of their performance.
"We've been working together for quite a long time now," Bruce said, his voice taking on the analytical tone he used when developing new strategies. "Most of the time, we've been facing ordinary criminals and street thugs. Although they might be violent and dangerous, they're not particularly powerful physically, and they've been relatively easy for us to handle."
Bruce paused as they navigated across a rooftop, collecting his thoughts before continuing.
"This easy success pattern has made us somewhat complacent in our battle, and we've lost our proper caution when facing opponents whose capabilities are unknown. We've developed an unconscious assumption that we can easily solve any problem that comes our way."
He coughed again, feeling the persistent ache in his ribs where Bane's fist had connected.
"Tonight's situation should serve as a crucial lesson for both of us. The next time we engage in combat, I'm definitely going to develop contingency plans according to the highest possible threat standards, taking every conceivable unexpected factor into consideration."
Listening to Bruce's thorough self-analysis, Selina nodded with an appreciative smile.
Although Bruce's planning methods could be incredibly detailed and sometimes overly complicated, there was no denying that his systematic approach was genuinely useful in practical situations.
Just like during tonight's encounter, when Bruce had been preparing for their patrol, he had strategically placed numerous explosive traps along their anticipated route, which had caused substantial damage to Bane during their battle.
The only unfortunate aspect was that Bruce's trap selection had been designed specifically for the type of Beastmen they had encountered during their previous patrol. The explosive power of those mines could only be considered flesh wounds when used against someone with Bane's enhanced durability and regenerative capabilities.
"Next time we absolutely must take much stronger potential opponents into consideration," Bruce continued his tactical assessment. "At minimum, our preparations should be capable of significantly slowing down or restraining opponents of Bane's caliber."
Both vigilantes continued their conversation with a mixture of exhaustion and determination as they moved efficiently between the buildings of Gotham, using their practiced parkour skills to return home.
After Marcus observed that their battle had concluded, he opened a dimensional portal and returned directly to Wayne Manor, arriving well before his students would make it back on foot.
"The performance of those two was quite impressive," Marcus thought with satisfaction as he recalled the combat techniques they had displayed.
Remembering the various scenes from their fight against multiple enhanced opponents, Marcus walked into the manor's main building with a pleased chuckle.
"Alfred," he called out to the butler, "they'll be returning soon, and you should remember to provide them with some medical treatment for their injuries!"
Medical treatment?
Alfred, who had been planning to offer a formal greeting to Marcus upon his return, was momentarily taken aback by this unexpected information. He stared at Marcus with wide, concerned eyes.
His surveillance equipment in the secret room hadn't detected any signs of Bruce and Selina engaging in serious combat during their patrol.
"Master Bruce and Miss Selina are injured?" Alfred asked with growing alarm.
During the several years since Marcus had left Gotham, Bruce and Selina had conducted countless patrol operations and vigilante activities. Under the comprehensive protection provided by their advanced battle suits, they had never sustained any significant injuries during their missions.
But this time, they had actually been hurt badly enough that Marcus felt compelled to mention it specifically.
"That's correct," Marcus confirmed with a serious nod. "Although their battle suits absorbed and dispersed most of the damage they received, they'll still need proper medical attention and time to recover from their injuries."
Bruce and Selina were still not yet adults, and after suffering this type of physical trauma, it would be essential for them to focus on healing properly before facing any additional challenges or threats.
After receiving this alarming confirmation from Marcus, Alfred immediately left the room in obvious haste.
He had no way of knowing exactly how serious the injuries sustained by Bruce and Selina might be, but since Marcus had specifically mentioned the need for medical treatment, Alfred understood that he needed to treat this situation with the utmost seriousness.
A short time later, Alfred returned to the main living room carrying a comprehensive medical kit, arriving just as Bruce and Selina made their way through the manor's front entrance.
Alfred, who had been anxiously waiting for their return, felt his expression change dramatically after observing the actual condition of both young vigilantes.
Their physical state was clearly much more serious than he had initially expected from Marcus's brief warning. This was definitely not a case of minor scrapes or bruises, especially considering Bruce's condition as he continued rubbing his chest area with obvious discomfort.
"Master Bruce, what exactly happened to you?" Alfred asked with deep concern and growing alarm.
"We encountered a powerful opponent and sustained some injuries during the fight," Bruce replied with a pained but determined smile.
He could feel persistent aches throughout his entire body, with the most severe pain concentrated in the area where Bane's devastating punch had connected with his torso.
"But weren't you both wearing your protective battle suits?" Alfred asked with genuine curiosity and worry. "Shouldn't those have been sufficient to block most attacks?"
The equipment that both vigilantes wore consisted of advanced battle suits provided directly by Marcus. Alfred was well aware of just how remarkably strong and protective those suits were designed to be. How could such sophisticated protective gear fail to completely block their opponent's attacks?
"If it weren't for our teacher's battle suits, I would probably have been killed instantly by that guy's first serious punch," Bruce said with sobering honesty.
Hearing this frank assessment, Alfred immediately understood just how genuinely dangerous and powerful the opponent Bruce was describing must have been.
If even their advanced battle suits couldn't completely resist that kind of devastating attack, the strength of this particular enemy was truly terrifying to contemplate.
"Don't worry about discussing that right now," Alfred said with practiced efficiency, shifting into his caretaker role. "Please remove your battle suits so I can properly examine and treat your injuries."
After hearing Alfred's concerned instruction, both vigilantes offered no resistance and obediently began removing their protective combat gear.
The moment Bruce and Selina had stripped out of their battle suits, Alfred was completely stunned by the extensive damage visible across their bodies.
If he had harbored any remaining doubts about the strength and danger posed by their opponent, those uncertainties were immediately and completely eliminated by what he was now seeing.
Standing before him, both young people were covered with dark bruises and obvious signs of severe physical trauma. Selina's condition was somewhat better, with most of her injuries concentrated on her arms and shoulders. But Bruce's torso was almost entirely covered with deep purple and black bruises that spoke to the tremendous force he had absorbed.
"That guy's strength was absolutely overwhelming," Bruce explained slowly, his voice strained as Alfred began applying medicinal ointment to the worst of the bruises. "He could also continuously enhance his physical capabilities through venom supplied by several different pipelines connected to his breathing apparatus. If Selina hadn't managed to sever those supply lines, we would probably still be fighting him right now."
Bruce's eyebrows twitched involuntarily as Alfred's gentle but thorough application of the healing medicine contacted his most painful injuries.
"Master Bruce, perhaps you should consider taking some time off from your patrol activities to recover properly," Alfred suggested with obvious distress and concern.
Observing the extensive bruising covering Bruce's body, Alfred felt genuinely heartbroken. Here was clearly the heir to one of the world's wealthiest families, yet Bruce looked more like a professional boxer who had just lost a particularly brutal match.
"No, I'm fine," Bruce insisted with characteristic stubbornness. "I can continue our mission."
"You should really save that kind of bravado for someone else," Marcus interrupted with firm authority as he entered the room. "How old are you exactly? If you don't deal with your injuries properly and allow them to heal completely, there will be serious long-term problems with your physical development. Besides, Gotham doesn't revolve entirely around your personal schedule."
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