Second Assault on Arkham (Part Eight)

"Commissioner, order your men to prepare and wait for the signal. Once the opposition is disarmed, we'll move in and take out this group first," Thea said. The area was too vast for her arrows to reach, so she entrusted the agile Selina with the task of infiltrating behind enemy lines.

"Thea, thermal imaging shows that the enhanced humans are about to come out," Felicity, who had been monitoring the situation, brought more bad news.

"Dick, get the wavelength emitter ready," Thea instructed. She continued to fend off the Talons with a barrage of arrows, providing cover for him and Barbara to retreat to the main group. Whether they were going to retreat or counterattack later, regrouping the team was the right move.

Selina, with her agility reaching the limits of human capabilities, maneuvered through the crowd and buildings. Her sense of direction was impeccable. After several twists and turns, she reached the rear of the enemy. She threw the arrow like a dart, planting it firmly on the ground directly behind the battlefield.

"All set," Selina informed Thea.

"Find a place with thick walls to hide." Thea estimated the timing and pressed the switch on the bow.

Like a replay of yesterday's events, a low hum filled the air, followed by a continuous "whoosh" sound. Many Arkham thugs were thrown off balance by the piercing noise, unaware that their weapons had disappeared.

"Attack!" Commissioner Gordon couldn't wait to sound the charge. He led the charge with a pistol in hand.

Seeing the Commissioner throwing himself into the fray and realizing the enemies were now disarmed, the officers, no longer fearing anything, rushed in like they were injected with adrenaline.

The casualties on the battlefield escalated rapidly. Despite their resentment, each thug fell to the ground. Although Commissioner Gordon felt some reluctance, he knew that enemy reinforcements were on the way. Having been on the battlefield before, he understood the urgency of the situation and didn't even mention the Miranda rights. His subordinates were also caught up in the heat of the moment, forgetting that they were police officers, not soldiers.

In future history books, this day will be known as the "Gotham Massacre." Countless humanitarian advocates, sitting in air-conditioned rooms, would express their discontent with the massacre at the Gotham City Police Department. Of course, that's a story for another time.

At this moment, unaware they had become part of a historic event, the police officers remained relatively calm, but the hot-blooded citizens and veterans were ecstatic. The urge to unleash violence overwhelmed them, and they opened fire with their rifles on the thugs, creating a barrage of gunfire.

In less than a minute, the dark soil of Arkham Square was stained red with the blood of the wicked. Whether it was the elite troops of Scarecrow or the loyal followers of Penguin, they fell in swathes on the ground.

Bruce couldn't help but feel uneasy witnessing this scene, but he knew he couldn't stop it. This was war, where either the good sacrificed themselves or the evil perished. It wasn't feasible to incapacitate and detain everyone in such a large-scale conflict, so Thea and Gordon's decision wasn't entirely wrong.

Thea noticed that the veterans were losing control, so she whispered to Lyla, "The enhanced humans are about to break out from the west side. Lead those people over to withstand the first wave." They both knew who "those people" referred to.

Behind the scenes, the orchestrator started to panic. Seeing their side losing and unable to control the enhanced individuals, they opted for explosives to clear a path, allowing nearly two hundred enhanced individuals to charge out en masse.

Facing this formidable wave were the bloodthirsty veterans, deliberately lured to the side by Lyla's disguised operatives, perfectly positioned to confront the strongest wave of attack since the battle began.

Thea held back from deploying the sonic weaponry right away. On one hand, this would eliminate some uncontrollable factors, and on the other hand, she wanted to ensure that all the enhanced individuals were within the attack range. She nodded to Dick only when no more enhanced individuals emerged from the asylum, signaling the start of the next phase.

This sonic attack differed from Thea's previous magnetic arrow tactic, which was an accidental side effect. This was Bruce's proper, full-scale sonic weapon.

While the people on the battlefield didn't notice anything unusual, the two hundred-plus enhanced humans began to stagger.

"Not bad," Thea gestured to Commissioner Gordon. "Let's continue." 

"Can't we treat these people?" The old Commissioner was still trying to salvage something. Thea shook her head. "The genetic transformation is irreversible; they are no longer the citizens they used to be, Commissioner."

With a wave of his hand, everyone began to focus their fire on these newly emerged targets.

The effects of the biochemical enhancements were undeniable. These people were much stronger, with many still charging forward after taking four or five gunshots.

However, as more and more fell, the remaining few tough-skinned ones had to face the concentrated fire of five or six guns simultaneously. The continuous bleeding, coupled with the ongoing sonic waves, only exacerbated the casualties among the enhanced individuals.

At this moment, a deafening, thunderous noise drew Thea's gaze eastward. The earlier ice-encased Bane had somehow created countless cracks within; his powerful arms had already extended halfway out, and the loud noise was the result of his powerful strike.

This was the first time Thea had seen someone break free from her ice. Although the method was a bit violent, his strength clearly exceeded scientific calculations. This was too exaggerated. Could she still handle him?

"Thea, get out of the way. He's lost his mind." Bruce, who understood this enemy well, quickly warned them.

Indeed, breaking the ice from the inside, how strong must he be? At this moment, Bane's eyes were bloodshot, and with punches and kicks, he shattered the ice covering his body. His upper body muscles swelled like small mountains, and about a fifth of the Venom behind him had been depleted, with more still being pumped into his masked mouth from the canister.

Thea suspected that she had inadvertently driven him into a berserk state. Now, who would dare to face him head-on?

The planned confrontation with the major criminal families had to be moved up. Turning to Lyla, she instructed, "Use your helicopter's machine gun to distract him. See if you can lead him away from the crowd. If necessary, use missiles."

What about Batman's fated showdown? Thea hadn't considered that far ahead. Given this guy's berserk state, Bruce may not be able to handle him right now and might as well get some rest.

The attack helicopter acted swiftly, flying over from its previous hiding spot. Facing the green-gas-emitting behemoth on the ground, it unleashed a barrage of bullets.

At this point, Bane could be considered a super-Bane. Stimulated by the venom, his body had tapped into its full potential. Faced with the onslaught of bullets, he casually picked up nearby objects and hurled them into the air.

Seeing they had successfully drawn Bane's aggression, the attack helicopters fired in bursts while maneuvering, continuously attempting to lure him away.