Overwhelming

Phtoo!Adam spat coffee onto the screen and banged his head against the van's ceiling.A horrifying realization dawned on him: this wasn't a game. Bane wouldn't patiently wait in his lair while the heroes leveled up and gathered allies.If his time-traveling shenanigans had altered Batman's behavior, then it was only natural for Bane to adapt accordingly.As the mastermind behind the Arkham breakout, Bane's plan hinged on using escaped lunatics to wear down Batman, waiting for him to tire. But Adam's interference had disrupted the "Bat Exhaustion Plan."Bruce Wayne's unwavering dedication to saving innocents had become his Achilles' heel. Despite seeing through Bane's scheme, he was still forced to expend his energy battling various villains.And what about Adam?He couldn't care less about a bunch of lunatics running amok in his city.Ding!Ding!Ding!Alarms blared inside a Gotham bank.Screaming civilians fled the building, followed by the Joker and his henchmen, laden with bags of cash.Gotham's Clown Prince of Crime laughed maniacally, spreading his arms wide at the bank's entrance.

"Hahaha! Come out, Bats! It's party time!"

Silence."Bats? Batman?"The street remained deserted, not even a police siren wailed in the distance.A gust of wind swept by, carrying a flyer that slapped against the Joker's face. It read: Cast your sacred vote for Mayor Carlo!The Joker tapped his chin thoughtfully."Hey... fellas, I've got an idea. Haha, haha, hahahahahahaha!"The scene shifted back to Adam.A cunning mind like Bane's wouldn't overlook the changes in Batman's behavior and the sudden appearance of mercenaries in the city.Perhaps Bane wasn't sure whether these mercenaries were allies or foes, or maybe his intuition had whispered a warning. Regardless, any potential interference between him and Batman could be swiftly eliminated through brute force.That was Bane's way. Simple, violent, and undeniably effective.The most sophisticated battles were often fought with the most straightforward tactics. Overthinking and getting fancy led to the same fate as Killer Croc.So the plan had changed.It was no longer "wait for Batman to tire, then kill him."It was now:"We rush in, eliminate the mercenaries, then kill Batman."What a perfect opportunity!Weren't villains supposed to let the hero power up before facing them in the final showdown?

Calm down, calm down.

Adam thought to himself.Bane's decision was more decisive than he'd anticipated, but his intelligence was flawed: he still believed Batman to be at full strength.This meant Bane wouldn't rush into a decisive battle before eliminating the disruptors that could put him at a disadvantage.In other words, if Deadshot and his crew could take down Bane...Bang!Adam watched in horror as Bane smashed Killer Croc's head into the ground.He grabbed the microphone, "Hold on! Just survive!""Shit!"Deadshot's forehead beaded with sweat.With two submachine guns in hand and two more mounted on his arm armor, he unleashed a torrent of gunfire, creating a formidable wall of lead.Deadshot was confident that even a fly couldn't escape his precise aim.But a miracle unfolded before his eyes—it was Bane!Spinning, leaping, the hulking brute weaved through the hail of bullets like a graceful dancer.Boom!Deadshot desperately fired an anti-tank rocket launcher, but the bulky weapon proved useless against Bane's agility at such close range."Damn it, if only I had..."His eyes burned with desperation as he watched Bane rapidly closing in."Help me!"

Clang!

Bane's masked eyes narrowed slightly.Cat's slash had pierced his skin, a testament to the superhuman strength behind the feline woman's lithe form. The blow would have cleaved through steel, but only managed to wound Bane, enhanced by Titan venom.With a single punch, he shattered her blade like paper. Bane then struck her crossed arms with an open palm, sending her flying backwards like a meteor, crashing into a building."Damn it!"Deadshot surveyed his remaining teammates.Cheshire Cat was buried in the rubble, her fate uncertain. Killer Croc lay unconscious on the ground. And Tattooed Man...Tattooed Man stood nonchalantly, watching his teammates' futile efforts with a shake of his head. "That's not how you fight."Idiots!Deadshot turned and yelled at his retreating teammates, "Fall back! We can't–""Oh yeah? I don't think so!"Deadshot almost choked on his own breath.Slipknot charged.He vaulted over the retreating Deadshot, a smirk twisting his lips, his white teeth and braided hair flashing in the air. In a blur of motion, he unleashed a dozen lassos, ensnaring Bane like a spider web. He grinned triumphantly. "You bunch of losers, I'll take this guy down! See? I didn't die!"

"Don't get cocky, watch out!"

But Deadshot's warning came too late.Idiot! If Bane could dodge bullets, why wouldn't he dodge those lassos?The next moment, Bane ripped through the drug-reinforced ropes like they were made of straw, then yanked hard. Before Slipknot could react, he was dragged towards Bane, bouncing helplessly on the ground like a yo-yo.Deadshot kept firing, but to no avail. He couldn't fathom how Bane could dodge his bullets while simultaneously pummeling Slipknot with the agility of a breakdancer.Tattooed Man quipped, "A knife to the gut would've ended it!""Shut up!" Deadshot snapped.Slipknot, enraged, released the lasso and lunged at Bane with blinding speed, aiming to grapple him.His name was Slipknot, and his fighting style was as deadly and constricting as his namesake."I don't believe it. We're both human. How could you–"He heard Deadshot's distant cry of "No, don't!" but there was no time to heed his warning.Slipknot locked eyes with Bane, who appeared momentarily stunned, not reacting to the attack. A smug smirk curled Slipknot's lips.The next instant, Bane seized his hand and effortlessly tore him apart like tissue paper, mirroring his earlier destruction of the lasso.

"Argh..."

Bane peeled the limp Slipknot from his body, wringing him out like a wet rag. Tattooed Man, ever the commentator, shouted from the sidelines, "Whoa! This is getting intense!"

Deadshot, growing increasingly frustrated, barked, "Forget this! We need to retreat–"

He heard his employer's voice in his earpiece, urging them on, but Killer Croc, in the distance, had lost all sense of self-preservation. He rose from the ground and charged at Bane with a guttural roar.

...But his injuries and recklessness were his downfall.

Bane seized Croc's arms and snapped them like twigs, eliciting a bone-chilling scream from the reptilian creature.

"Bane–en!"

But Croc didn't back down this time. His eyes glowed an ominous red, no, not just his eyes, his entire sclera and pupils burned crimson!

"Rooooar!"

He unleashed a bestial roar, inhuman and chilling. Deadshot could have sworn Croc's features were shifting, becoming more elongated, more...crocodile-like!

Killer Croc was stronger!

Killer Croc was furious!

Killer Croc was unleashed!

His muscles bulged as he barreled towards Bane like a runaway train!

Then, he was sent flying back even faster.

"Impossible!" Croc gasped, "You–"

His words were cut short by Bane's fist, silencing him with a brutal blow.

"Enough! How dare you–"

Bane grabbed Croc's ankle, swinging him around like a ragdoll before slamming him into the ground repeatedly, like a sadistic game of Whac-A-Mole.

"I'm...killing..." Bang!

"You..." Bang!

"Croc!" Bang!

Killer Croc lay sprawled on the ground, limbs akimbo, his once vibrant reptilian eyes dimming.

"Insect," Bane spat, his face a mask of cold fury. He'd grown tired of Croc's persistent resilience.

He cranked up the venom flow, his muscles swelling like balloons, transforming him into a monstrous figure nearly ten feet tall.

Deadshot raised his gun.

"Get Killer Croc out of here!" his employer's voice hissed in his ear.

"I know, shut up!" Deadshot snarled, pulling the trigger. Flames erupted, unleashing a torrent of metal that would shred ordinary men to pieces. This time, Bane didn't even bother dodging.

A flicker of triumph lit Deadshot's eyes.

Bang bang bang bang!

Four muzzles roared, dozens of bullets slamming into Bane's chest in rapid succession. Deadshot saw wisps of smoke rise from the impact points, then... small craters appeared in the flesh, oozing blood.

"Damn it!" Deadshot swore. "Is that thing even human?!"

He was ready to retreat.

But then he saw Tattooed Man step forward, "Out of my way, you pathetic losers! I got this!"

A strange look crossed Deadshot's face.