Bane Attacks

Poof!

Bane retracted his hand, coated in blood and brain matter, and casually crushed it like a blister. He disgustedly shook off the white goo, letting the headless corpse fall to the floor with a splat. "Pathetic gutter trash. You are foolish enough to try spying on me." He kicked the body into a corner. "Even more foolish for not running when I discovered you."

"We apologize, Bane! This guy's an undead zombie. We pierced his head, but..."

"Ah-ah, say no more, my friends." Bane ignored his panting subordinates and gently placed the clawed assassin of the Court of Owls behind him. He relaxed his muscles, his broad chest rising and falling with deep breaths. "Relax. Feel it with me." Bane's three men looked at each other, sensing nothing but the stench of blood from the corpse.

"What do you feel, Bane?"

"Look out into the street... what do you see?"

"Empty," answered Caveman and Zombie Man. "Dead. A city accustomed to its own horrors has now tasted fear," Birdman chimed in."Yes, Bane, that is your power. You instill fear in them. They plan to use the army against you, but they have no idea what they're up against." They cautiously flattered him, "They are only fit to tremble at your feet."

The men didn't speak the words aloud, but the sentiment echoed in their hearts. "No." Bane's answer took them by surprise. "That's not it at all!" Bane roared in a low voice. "You don't feel it. Batman has cast his shadow over this city for too long. Gotham was once the biggest drug production and trade hub in America! The largest human trafficking market! The most prosperous gambling den!" He spread his arms wide, as if embracing the unseen darkness." Gotham is a criminal's paradise! For years, the US government has been dumping criminals from across the country into Blackgate Prison.They're quickly released on bail, parole, or escape, and they become citizens of Gotham.

Gotham has always been a super-prison, a place where they hope all the scum will kill each other off until someone steps in to stop them from using it as a dumping ground! "He laughed bitterly. "Before Batman, America was ten times safer than it is now! You say Gotham fears me? What a joke. Gotham isn't afraid, but excited! How vicious, Gotham is actually excited! Finally, someone will defeat the Bat. Finally, someone will break the Bat. Those scum, gangsters, and villains can finally return to their unrestrained criminal lives."

"The silence on the streets isn't born from fear, but from anticipation! They are jubilant, looking forward to it. Everyone hates Batman, they want him gone! The criminals hate the Bat, the powerful hate the Bat, even the workers in the chemical plants hate the Bat! Batman tried to save Gotham Don't be ridiculous. Gotham doesn't want to be saved. This city wants to fall forever!"

Bane felt it. He could feel it. Gotham was like a cruel mother, urging him to murder her only son, the wounded vigilante. This vicious city, flirting in front of him, posing like a queen, asked him to pass the trials set by those ignorant fools, to prove his greatness and strength to her, and then, to take the crown that has never been touched by anyone -To break Batman!!! This was truly An honor.

He sat back on the sofa, his body unconsciously tensing and leaning forward, making him look slightly hunched. But this didn't damage his image, it made him look like a beast ready to pounce. "You three, leave this building immediately. Surrender to the police, and I will deal with you later. I cannot act freely with you here." Bane's voice was low, yet it resonated with an unsettling intensity, like magma rumbling beneath the earth's surface. The light filtering through the curtains shoned on his bulging biceps, casting him as a figure of formidable strength. His men departed without hesitation, their faith in Bane's decisions unwavering. Bane remained seated on his sofa, gazing upwards in quiet anticipation. The long street was deserted, an eerie silence hanging in the air.

...

"Zizizizi...

"M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks and M2A3 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles are ready."

"Received."

"M109A6 self-propelled howitzers and M777 howitzers are in position."

"Received." 

Somewhere in Gotham, within the National Guard's command center, Mayor Carlo turned to Jim Gordon, who wore a grim expression. "Hey, Jim, don't be so gloomy. You don't really think I'm a fool, do you? How does that saying go? Underestimate the enemy strategically, but take them seriously tactically. We've deployed nearly 40,000 National Guard troops, tanks, machine guns, armored vehicles, even semi-automatic missiles."

Mayor Carlo couldn't help but boast. "This kind of firepower could conquer a small African nation. Gordon, you've been a Gotham cop for years. Have you forgotten the terrifying power of modern weaponry? It's not like we haven't encountered these so-called 'freaks' before, but in the face of overwhelming force, they're nothing." Mayor Carlo continued, "This is all thanks to your intel, Gordon. I believe that once we evacuate the surrounding residents, we can level the area with missiles. Bane, even if he were made of steel, would be melted. There's no need to involve Batman at all."

"Is that why you've been belittling Batman on TV?"

"Oh, come on, Gordon!" Mayor Carlo slung an arm around Gordon's neck. "That was just bait for Bane. Didn't you adjust the TV signal yourself to make sure he'd see it?"

"It was also bait for voters. Showing your 'tough on crime' image is a great way to get reelected." Gordon shrugged off the mayor's arm, bluntly exposing his motives. "Tsk - people need a little reassurance. But Gordon, do you really think it's wise for them to put all their faith in a masked vigilante?" Carlo leaned back in his chair, nonchalant. "Batman is powerful, but he's only one man. I acknowledge his contributions to Gotham, and I bear him no ill will, but you must understand that against the might of the state, individual power is insignificant. Humans are inherently social creatures."

Mayor Carlo spread his hands, making a grasping motion in the air. "There is strength in numbers. The people need to regain their faith in the government, not in lone heroes. Don't you think their fanatical admiration for Batman is a dangerous sign? They don't trust the police, they only trust Batman. No matter how we discredit Batman on TV, we have to admit his influence has grown beyond what's healthy. Remember Harvey Dent? The Dent Act, hahaha, famous, ha! Then Dent went bad and the act went down with him."

Mayor Carlo continued, "Only a stable organization like the government can guarantee the city's long-term stability. Even if I were to die today, this machine would continue running smoothly. The government's authority must be re-established, starting with the arrest of all these super-criminals today."