amaotonovel Chapter 21 Bane Strikes
Chapter 21 Bane Strikes
Chapter 21 Bane Strikes
puff!
Bain withdrew his large hand, stained with brain matter and blood, as gently as if he were crushing a puddle of horse urine.
He disgustedly flicked the white, sticky liquid off his hands, letting the headless, bleeding corpse slump onto the floor: "Trash from the gutter. You're stupid enough to try and spy on me."
He kicked the body into a corner: "What's even more stupid is that when I discovered it, I didn't run away immediately."
"We're sorry, Bane! This guy is an undead zombie. We clearly ambushed and stabbed him..."
"Ah—ah, no need to say more, my friends."
Bain ignored his panting men, quickly putting the Court of Owls's Claw assassins out of his mind. He relaxed his muscles, his broad chest rising and falling with his deep breaths.
"Relax. Feel it with me."
Bain's three men exchanged glances. They sensed nothing but the strong stench of blood from the corpses.
"What do you feel, Bane?"
"Look out onto the street... what do you see?"
"Empty and lifeless," the caveman and the zombie man replied, one after the other.
"A city that had become accustomed to its own terror has tasted fear," Birdman said.
"Yes, that's right, it's your power, Bane. You instilled fear in them."
"They plan to mobilize the army to deal with you, but they don't understand what they're facing at all."
They flattered cautiously: "They only deserve to tremble at your feet."
My master.
The men didn't say it aloud; they kept it to themselves.
"No."
But Bain's answer surprised both of them.
"That's not it!" Bain suddenly growled in a low voice, "You didn't feel anything at all."
"Batman has been looming over this city for far too long. Gotham City was once the largest drug production and trade center in the United States! The largest human trafficking market! The most prosperous gambling city!"
He opened his arms as if embracing the darkness invisible to the naked eye.
"Gotham is a haven for criminals! For so many years, the U.S. government has been cramming criminals from all over the country into Blackgate prison."
Then they will soon be released on bail, granted medical parole, escape from prison, and transform into Gotham citizens.
Gotham, from the very beginning, was a super prison. They wanted all the scum to kill each other until someone came along and stopped them from treating Gotham like a dumping ground!
He laughed sarcastically, "Before Batman was created, the safety of the entire United States was ten times better than it is now!"
"You say Gotham is afraid of me? What a joke."
"Gotham isn't afraid at all; she's actually excited! How vicious of her to be excited!"
"Finally, someone is going to defeat the bat. Finally, someone is going to kill the bat. Those scum, gangsters, and villains can finally return to their carefree criminal lives."
"The silence on the streets wasn't out of fear, it was out of anticipation! They were jubilant, eagerly waiting. Everyone hated Batman; they wanted Batman dead! Scum hated Batman, the powerful hated Batman, even the old women and women working in the drug factory hated Batman!"
"Batman trying to save Gotham? Don't talk nonsense. Gotham doesn't want to be saved at all; that bitch just wants to remain corrupt forever!"
Bain sensed it; he could feel it.
Gotham was like a cruel mother, whispering in his ear, urging him to murder her only son, the battered and bruised fighter.
This wicked bitch, posing and acting like a queen before him, demanded that he prove his greatness and power to her through the filthy trials of those ignorant fools, and then…
Go and pluck that laurel wreath that has never been touched before—
Murder Batman!!!
This is really...
It is an honor.
He sat back down on the sofa, his body unconsciously tensing and leaning forward, a movement that made him slightly hunched. But this did not diminish his majesty; on the contrary, it made him appear like a beast poised to pounce.
"You three, get out of this building as soon as possible. Surrender to the army. I'll come back for you later. I can't act freely with you here."
Bain's voice was deep, yet surprisingly resonant, like magma surging and roaring underground.
Light streamed through the curtains, illuminating his bulging biceps and making him look like a real iron man.
His three men hurriedly left, without a doubt about Bain's decision or daring to question it.
Bain sat on his sofa, looking up and gazing at the sky, waiting quietly.
The long street was deathly silent, devoid of any human presence.
……
……
……
"Buzz buzz buzz... M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks and M2A3 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles are ready..."
"receive."
"The M109A6 self-propelled howitzer and the M777 howitzer are in place."
"receive."
This is a location in Gotham, the National Guard's field command center.
Mayor Carroll turned to look at Jim Gordon, who seemed rather sullen beside him. "Hey, Jim, stop looking so grumpy. You don't really think I'm an idiot, do you? What's that saying again?"
"Despise the enemy strategically, but take the enemy seriously tactically."
"We deployed nearly 4 National Guard troops, tanks, machine guns, heavy machine guns, armored vehicles, and even semi-automatic missiles."
Mayor Caro couldn't help but complain.
"This kind of military configuration is enough to conquer any small African country. Gordon, you've been a cop in Gotham City for so long, have you really forgotten how terrifying modern weapons are?"
"We've seen our share of so-called extraordinary people, but in the face of real modern force, they're all trash."
Mayor Caro said with no small amount of pride, "This is all thanks to the accurate location you provided, Gordon. In my opinion, as long as we relocate all the residents in the surrounding area, we can simply bombard the area with missiles. Not to mention Bane, even a person made of iron would melt into water. There's no need for Batman to come."
"So that's your reason for belittling Batman on TV?"
"Oh, come on, Gordon!" Mayor Carlow casually hooked his arm around Gordon's neck. "That was just a way to distract Bane. Didn't you personally adjust the TV signal to make sure Bane's attention was drawn to the program?"
"This is also a way to attract voters, the most powerful way to show everyone your tough image." Gordon pushed away the arm that was hooking his arm, mercilessly exposing Mayor Carroll's words.
"Tsk—everyone needs something to rely on. But Gordon, do you really think it's a mentally sound choice for people to place all their hopes on a masked vigilante?"
Carlo lay back in his chair, completely unconcerned.
"No matter how strong Batman is, he is still just a person. I do not deny his achievements in Gotham over the years, and I have absolutely no ill will towards him personally. But you have to know that in the face of the violent machinery of the state, the power of an individual is insignificant. Human beings are essentially a collective species."
Mayor Caro spread his arms out and made a grasping motion in the air.
"Many hands make light work."
He said, "The public should regain their confidence in the government, instead of placing their hopes on individual heroes. Don't you think the current fervent adoration of Batman is a dangerous sign? They don't trust the police; they only trust Batman."
"No matter how much we smear Batman on television, we have to admit that Batman's influence among the public has exceeded normal limits."
"Remember Harvey Dent? The Dent Act, hahaha, infamous, ha! Then Dent went bad, and the act ended."
Mayor Caro said, "Only a stable organization like the government can guarantee the city's stability in the long run. Even if I die today, this tightly woven machine will continue to function properly."
"The government's authority must be re-established, starting today with bringing all these super criminals to justice."
(End of this chapter)