Chapter 197: One Versus One Hundred Fourteen
The gamma facility's monitoring systems had been systematically compromised—first by Batman's electronic warfare virus, then demolished by the electromagnetic pulse ordnance mounted on the Batcycle. The Leader possessed zero intelligence regarding surface-level events.
Since Batman had now penetrated the underground plaza intact, Gargoyle and Abomination had obviously fallen.
Yet despite this, The Leader showed no concern whatsoever. He trusted his analytical intellect completely. Batman posed no genuine threat.
Observing Batman's unrelenting advance, The Leader sighed. Verbal warnings wouldn't deter his opponent. Time for alternative measures.
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
Without any visible command from The Leader, the glass chambers lining both sides of the underground plaza suddenly opened simultaneously. Pale green fluid gushed out in rushing torrents.
Within those chambers, experimental subjects opened their eyes, snapping the tubes connecting to their bodies before leaping free.
These test subjects had long since abandoned human appearance—or had never been human to begin with.
Some were various creatures subjected to gamma experimentation: docile rabbits and lab rats alongside vicious dogs and crocodiles. Others proved completely unidentifiable regarding original species. Hypertrophied musculature had piled into grotesque deformities. Twisted skeletons actually punctured through skin, jutting outward in jagged protrusions.
Some possessed only half-bodies. Others had undergone brain removal, operating purely on instinct.
Regardless of what they'd been previously, most now appeared horrifying beyond description. Upon escaping containment, they surged toward Batman in a frenzied mob.
General Ross's forty-nine soldiers retreated repeatedly. But several unfortunate individuals couldn't escape fast enough—one creature's jaws clamped onto a soldier's shoulder, tearing him cleanly in half with savage force.
Amid spraying blood, The Leader turned away again.
Batman observed everything with perfect clarity. This time when The Leader pivoted, his hand grasped a ring-shaped device positioned beside the massive apparatus, placing it atop his enormous skull.
SNARL!
The creature leading the charge—barely recognizable as having once been a coyote—lunged toward Batman's legs, teeth clamping onto the armor plating.
Enamel colliding with metal produced teeth-grinding shrieks. The coyote's fangs immediately shattered. It yelped, stumbling backward several steps.
Within moments, broken teeth regenerated completely. The creature launched itself at Batman again.
This time a dozen additional mutated beasts charged alongside it.
Behind that vanguard, nearly a hundred gamma creatures emerging from shattered containment snarled and shrieked toward Batman with bared fangs.
"Cannot determine consequences of prematurely shattering Norman Osborn's chamber and extracting him forcibly. Therefore I must ensure the containment unit remains intact until combat concludes."
Batman's gaze swept rapidly across the massive gamma apparatus, Norman's glass chamber, The Leader, and General Ross.
"Leader issued no visible commands yet the chambers opened automatically. Either he possesses object manipulation capabilities, or he analyzed vibrations from the Abomination engagement reaching underground and prepared accordingly."
Batman inhaled deeply several times, slowly clenching both fists.
His engagement with Abomination had involved zero direct exchanges. Beyond the bat-pod's aerial deployment and subsequent containment protocols, Batman had relied primarily on agility.
But currently surrounded by numerous gamma creatures, tactical adjustment was mandatory.
Decision made, Batman's knees bent slightly, lowering his center of gravity. His clenched fists—encased in thick armor—hammered downward into the underground plaza floor with devastating force.
BOOM!
Thunder erupted throughout the plaza, echoes reverberating endlessly. When Batman raised his fists, the floor bore a deep crater impression—and within that crater, a crushed serpent's head.
The skull had been flattened as though by steamroller compression. Cranium, oral cavity, and brain tissue formed an indistinguishable pulp. Only intact snakeskin adhered to Batman's gauntlets.
Despite lacking a head, the serpent's body continued writhing independently. Half a second later, Batman casually grabbed the twitching form, swinging it overhead to intercept an airborne gamma vulture—reducing the creature to scattered feathers with a single strike.
Total gamma creature count: one hundred twenty. Excluding the barely-mobile specimens consisting solely of brain tissue, combat-capable monsters numbered precisely one hundred fourteen.
Though Batman's heavy Siege Engine armor carried no weapons, as someone mastering 127 fighting styles—including but not limited to combat techniques from extraterrestrial civilizations—his entire body was weaponized.
Gamma creatures weren't human. Batman employed zero restraint.
Fists, feet, knees, elbows, skull—every inch of Batman's musculature transformed into weapons channeling dozens of tons of force.
From that first skull-crushing blow, Batman's offensive never ceased.
Thunderous impacts never stopped either. Initially sporadic detonations gradually evolved into continuous, uninterrupted roar—as though the underground plaza had transformed into storm clouds overhead with Batman the lightning deity commanding electrical fury.
Echoes rolled through the subterranean space perpetually. Before one impact's reverberations faded, second and third strikes arrived in rapid succession.
This Siege Engine armor had been engineered for Hulk-class opponents. Though the gamma creatures attacking Batman numbered significantly higher, individual capabilities fell short of the Hulk's.
Every Batman strike dispatched at minimum one gamma creature flying backward, bodies nearly disintegrating mid-flight. Upon landing, they could only twitch spasmodically.
Some gamma creatures possessed regenerative capabilities. Injuries from initial strikes healed rapidly.
Against such targets, Batman increased force output accordingly.
The thunderous impacts gradually vanished from the underground plaza, replaced by wet, meaty thuds.
Each dull impact represented another gamma creature exploding into scattered biological tissue under Batman's fists. This inevitably resulted in creature blood saturating Batman's armor.
Despite gamma mutation, most creature blood remained red. Only portions had shifted to green.
Their shattered forms sprayed blood across Batman from head to toe, transforming the silver-gray Siege Engine armor completely crimson.
In the plaza's corner, forty-eight soldiers huddled together trembling. Their bodies had been thoroughly soaked by blood splatter from Batman's combat. Many wore hanging viscera and severed limbs.
They stared with despair at the armored figure standing amid pools of blood and filth.
Due to blood viscosity, portions of gamma creature hide and internal organs had adhered to Batman's armor plating, impact force pressing them firmly into place. Batman's current appearance radiated pure horror—like a demon escaped from hell itself.