Part 4

Mark kept training, lifting weights, punching a punching bag, doing pushups, and throwing Baterangs at targets. Mark packed almost every gadget on the weapons wall, he had prepared to the fullest knowing that this mission is the riskiest one he is going to. Jeff wanted to come since he believed Mark couldn't do it alone even with all the training, but he couldn't with the injuries he received. Mark told him that he should get some rest, and that he will call for help if he needs it. Mark then realized that his suit had been completely destroyed in the explosion, so he needed a new one. Alfred then walked into the Batcave and gave Mark admin clearance, he then told Brother Eye to open the hall of armor, only for a secret door to open that led to a room filled with many Batsuits. Mark looked around, he saw one with a blue cowl and cape with a gray bodysuit, an all-black suit with a yellow belt and bat symbol, and the final one he had seen was a suit that he had fallen in love with. Mark put on the bodysuit, pulled up his boots, buckled his belt, put on the cowl, and was officially ready for a fight. After Mark left, Jeff knew he needed help, but he didn't know how to provide it with his injuries. Jeff then thought about his years in Freeland high school, he remembered the term "Power to the people." Jeff then realized what he needed to do to help Mark.

Alfred set up a video camera for Jeff, he then used the Bat computer to send a signal through every device in the city. On every device, you could see a black screen with just audio, the audio had belonged to none other than Jeff.

Bane had been inside the town hall. After getting more than enough Venom to use for the undertaking of Gotham, he had taken it upon himself that he should be mayor, and keep the hostages alive just to keep the Gotham PD in line. He looked straight at the stick with the cowl on it and began to speak with it like a person. "I really need to thank you, without your help, I probably wouldn't have gotten to where I am today." Bane then heard a familiar voice behind him. "You have not become me." Bane turned around, only to see what looked to be a hallucination of the man he had seen as a kid, the strong one above all.

Bane: "What do you mean I have not become you? I have taken Gotham! I am the most powerful man in Gotham City!"

One Above All: "But you have not conquered the symbol of fear."

*Bane turns back around and avoids contact with the one above all*

Bane: "The Bat is dead! I made sure of it by killing him and his sidekick!"

One Above All: "No, you feel it too. The symbol of fear lives. You are not like me and will never be like me, you are a weak man who cannot conquer their fears."

Bane: "I fear nothing! I am the one who broke the bat! And I will do it again if I have to!!!"

Bane turns around and is about to try and attack the one above all, but when he does turn around he is missing. Frustrated, Bane goes out to his army to prepare them for the Undertaking. "Tonight is a special night for us 'Thugs.' Tonight is the night where the doormats people walk over decide to strike back at every inch of them! Tonight, Gotham becomes ours! I will not just rule it, instead, we shall all rule it! TO THE POWERLESS!" Everybody yells to the powerless, revealing that there are thousands of thugs who have Venom in them. The army walks through the streets of Gotham with many citizens watching in fear. There were no cars in sight as Bane walked in front of them in confidence as he leads them to victory, thinking there was nothing that could possibly stand in his way. As Bane walks, he hears something from up top, a grapple sound that is familiar. Just then, Mark Murdock drops in front of him wearing the Batsuit that the original Batman wore(basically dark knight returns suit). Bane realizes now that he is alive, that all his hard work to kill Mark was meaningless. Bane asks him how he survived, Mark says that Batman will never die even if he is struck down. Bane then asks what he's there to do, only for Mark to say. "To save my city." Bane then laughs with his army, acting like this is child's play. Bane calls Mark out for being the only one who is going to "stop him", and that he is fighting a battle he will lose. Mark says that he knows, and then gets ready to fight with Bane also getting ready to fight. Just when the one-man battle was about to ensue, he heard something on his coms device. "This isn't just your city Mark, it is ours." Mark was confused, wondering what Jeff meant. "Look behind you." Mark did so, only for Bane and him to be in shock. Thousands of people who lived in Gotham city had walked down the streets all carrying pipes, planks of wood, baseball bats, and other makeshift weapons. Bane wonders how this all happened, only for a black woman to speak out. "It's not just his city, it's ours too and we'll be damned if you try and take it from us." Mark smiled, looking at Bane like he was intimidating him. "They're right! It isn't my city or yours! If you want to make it yours then you're gonna have to take it from us!" Mark yelled as the crowd of people cheered at Mark's speech, with Bane looking surprised in horror. "Fine, if you want to play the hero. Then we shall indeed take this city!! Now go men!" And with that, Bane and his men began to run toward the citizens, while the public ran toward them as well with Mark leading them. Both sides kept running until they eventually reached each other and began to fight. Bane's men were swinging punches and knocking people away, while citizens were whacking away at them with their weapons. At first, it looked like Bane's men were winning, but the citizens pushing back made it difficult, to say the least until eventually, both sides' leaders met eye to eye. Mark looked at Bane in the eyes and Bane did the same. Bane told Mark that he was looking forward to this final battle. Mark only had one thought in mind, to beat Bane and free Gotham. Mark told Bane that he isn't like the original Batman and that he doesn't die so easily, Bane then asked Mark to prove it with the two beginning to finally clash fists. Bane and Mark were in hand-to-hand combat in the middle of the battlefield. Bane clearly was not just muscle since he had brains as well, Mark had also improved in strength in skill which made this battle extra even. Mark proceeded to punch Bane's stomach, which made Bane grab it in pain immediately, only for Mark to kick him down and make him fall to the ground. Mark took out a Batarang and aimed it at Bane, asking him if he surrendered, only for him to say that he would rather die than give into weakness. Bane pressed a button near his fingers, making his muscles break through his black trenchcoat and show the tubes in his arms with green pumping liquid. Bane was angry, he told Mark that he had gotten so used to using Venom that his body practically didn't need it and was strong enough without it, only to smash the ground in front of Mark and make a crater in the road. Mark backed away in fear, thinking that he can't win this fight, only for Bane to lunge at him and nearly Punch him before he dodges. Bane proceeds to attempt to hit Mark to no avail, with every punch being faster than the last. It looked like Mark had been safe since he could just dodge, but his luck had gone out when all of a sudden Mark was hit by a clean punch by Bane, knocking him into a lampost that bent on impact. Mark was nearly knocked out, he then realized that he is what killed Bruce, this moment, and now it was going to kill him. Mark was panicking and had nothing but fear in him, until he remembered what Bruce said in his head, "All people feel emotions and they can't keep it away forever, but the best people work with those emotions and use them to become much better instead of working against them." As Bane was hovering over him, he grabbed Mark by the cape and then held him up over his head. "You are no Batman, and you will never be." As Mark was about to have his back broken, the voice of Bruce once again echoed through his head. "You'll never be like me, but you will be like you." Mark then reached for a Batarang in his belt without being noticed and stuck it in Bane's neck. Bane dropped Mark in pain and began to panic over the Batarang, he then said that he doesn't care and now wants to kill Mark even more. Meanwhile, the citizens are celebrating the defeat of Bane's army and they continue to watch Bane fight Mark. Bane pressed the button again and he began to start yelling like he was in pain and then continued to fight Mark as it had never happened. Bane then went for a punch that was in front of Mark's punch, immediately, Mark's glove blew off him from the impact of the punch and also guarded his hand against the blow. Bane's knuckle had now been bleeding, this also made him mad, which also prompted him to push the button again and become even stronger. Bane kept missing his punches until he was able to blow Mark's cape, top of his bodysuit, and half his cowl off. Both were exhausted from fighting and pulled back their fists for a final clash. They both thrust their fists forward, only for Bane to miss and was shocked by it. Mark then heard the words of his loved ones echo through his head. "Mark, I believe you came back to Gotham for a reason. Ever Since that day you wanted to save this city, now promise me you will try your best, that will only matter to me." Mark launched his fist while clenching his teeth and blood flowing everywhere on his body, he uttered the words. "BANE YOU WILL NEVER HARM THIS CITY EVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!" Mark then finally punched Bane in the face as hard as he possibly could, knocking him to the ground him appearing unconscious.

Mark looked back at his arm to see it had been fractured from the blow, his glove also blown off from the impact, and his fist had been covered in nothing but blood. Mark breathed in and then out thinking the battle was over. Just when everybody thought Bane was knocked out, it turns out that he wasn't as he then started laughing with nothing but lunacy and anger. Bane got up with his weak body and proceeded to tell Mark that he had many fights left in him, even going as far as to push the button again, which was a horrible mistake. As Bane felt his muscles getting bigger, he began to feel a lot of pain in his head. He then started to feel his head and then started screaming. Bane's face muscles had been flexing and ripping his mask off, with all his veins turning the color to green, and his arm and leg muscles began to grow and shrink. After screaming an awful lot, he then started to have foam come out of his mouth, not before collapsing and becoming unresponsive. Mark was shocked at the horror he had seen, but he now was sure that it was all over, making him happy, along with the crowd as they started to cheer for Mark as he stood victorious.

After the battle, with night becoming morning

The criminals who were found knocked out that used Venom to get stronger were quickly arrested at the scene and sent to Arkham Asylum to see if there were any risks with the Drug in their bodies, nobody on the public side had been killed in the battle but many of them received massive injuries and were immediately taken to the hospital. Bane had been put in a special restraint device to hold Metahumans where he still remained unconscious and unresponsive, he was then taken to Arkham where he would be examined to see if the venom had not completely destroyed him on the inside. A news reporter reported the entire incident, giving an update that Bane will be tried for possession of illegal drugs, being accused of escaping prison, and being a runaway convict. Meanwhile, the reporter also revealed to the world that there had been a new Batman in Gotham who single-handedly defeated Bane with his bare fists, and risked his life to save the entire city. This grabbed the attention of many people watching television all throughout the world, Metropolis, Coast City, Central City, and even Gotham itself. The reporter told the world that Gotham is grateful for this new Batman, and there is a video playing of many faces in Gotham thanking Mark for all he has done. Gordon waited on top of the rooftop of Gotham PD, looking at his watch and wondering when he would be there. Gordon then called out that he knew Mark was behind him, only for him to be next to him instead. This made Gordon laugh and feel like old times with Bruce. Gordon proceeded to thank Mark for what he did and give him a medal of honor by the Gotham PD which Mark accepted. Mark told Gordon that he is sorry that the old Batman is gone, but he will try his best to give the city a symbol that it deserves, Gordon then salutes Mark with a smile. Before Mark leaves, he tells Gordon that he figured since they would work together from now on they would need something newer, revealing that he left Gordon something under the sheet. Mark proceeded to grapple off the roof and glide over Gotham into the night. Gordon ripped off the sheet only for it to be what he thought it was. As Mark waited for crime on top of a building, he looked at the sky, only to see a new Bat-signal(this one was of the dark knight returns logo). Mark smiled at the sight of this, thinking that if Bruce was alive today, he would be proud. Mark then heard a police chase down the street below him, Mark proceeded to jump off the roof and glide in the night, now becoming The Next Batman.