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| “ | I am Bane -- and I could kill you... but death would only end your agony -- and silence your shame. Instead, I will simply... BREAK YOU!
— Bane to Batman
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” |
Bane is a core member of Batman's rogues gallery. For the first 17 years of his life, Bane spent his entire most of his time inside a chamber connected to the ocean within the prison named Pena Dura located in an island nation called Santa Prisca, spending every day in secluded boredom and every night swimming for his life to stay afloat when the tide would come in and fill his cell. Over the years, he grew stronger, more cunning, and filled with hate for the world. Anytime Bane wasn't struggling for his life in the prison, he was training for the moment when he would finally break out. Later in his life he broke out of the prison and became the leader of his own criminal organization. With his skills and intellect, his organization soon developed into a global crime syndicate, which naturally resulted in his countless conflicts with Batman, the hero and protector of the city with the highest rate of crime in the world.
Among all the Batman villains, Bane has hurt Batman the most. For not only did he break the caped crusader physically in the infamous Knightfall Storyline, but also he is directly responsible for the murder of Alfred Pennyworth, the butler of Bruce Wayne. In addition to his feuds with Batman, Bane, as a high-ranking member of groups such as Secret Society and Injustice League, is also an active player in many universal events in which he fought Justice League or various alien and extra-dimensional forces that attempt to invade the main universe.
Battle vs. Green Goblin (Comics) (by Battlefan237)[]
Dark Side Club, DFederal[]
Pushing open the door of this small, unremarkable pub, Bane looks around the main room, hoping to spot one or two familiar faces, only to find no one at all except the bartender, who greets him with a gentle but somewhat inscrutable grin.
"Greetings, Bane. " Says the bartender, in a deep and eeriely calm tone, "I have been expecting your service for quite a long time. Fancy a drink ? "
"Watch your words. I don't serve any one. I only come here because you contacted me at first, Turpin." Bane replies, as he stares down at bartender, who appears to be a short, elderly man in his 70s with the sheer amount of wrinkles, scars and shade on his face strongly suggesting that he has been through more than a lot of ordeal, and his health is probably not very good. "And since I am in urgent need of funds and you are in urgent need of the thing locked in that clinic, I suggest skipping the drink and cutting to the chase scene. "
"Ah, business-oriented, I like your attitude. " The bartender responds, pushing aside the already-prepared drink and unfolding a map on the counter. Pointing to a marked spot in the center of the map, the old bartender informs Bane that the thing he desires is locked inside this particular room. "Since this place is, after all, a clinic, I don't expect it to be heavily guarded, but it is highly possible for you to encounter at least one or two heavy-hitters, so it won't be an easy operation. But I trust you, for your record is good. "
"Wait, have I worked for you before ? I have just arrived in this place." Bane asks, in confusion.
"You certainly haven't worked for me in this reality. But your reputation has graced this place long before your arrival. If you were to successfully complete the job, you would receive great fortune. "
"You need more than money to persuade me into doing it. Even though I am a new comer, I am aware that money itself is quite futile in this place."
"Then I will offer you the address of every version of Batman in this place. When you've done your job, you can track all of them down and break their backs, one by one. " Says the bartender.
Intrigued, Bane nods in agreement. Picking up the map, he heads out.
Ravencroft Clinic for Sinister Six and its Associates[]
"For the past few weeks, surgical department has not been very busy. Most patients come for treatments of minor injuries and left on the same day. The only serious case was Curt Connors - fella got several of his ribs broken when he was delivered. He claimed he got attacked by a clown-like figure while journeying through the sewers, but we don't believe him. Anyway, who believes in the word of a drunk lizard man ? We treated him well, and he walked out in perfect shape after resting for two days. Dean Octavius. "
"Very good, Doctor Kraven. Now, Doctor Kingsley, how has the psychiatry department been doing ? Is our Mr. Osborn feeling better ? "
"Progress has been made. He no longer thinks he is a god, which is a good sign. However, he still cannot get over the sadness and regret of being beaten by freaks that dress like clowns or use umbrellas as weapons. And he still sometimes thinks he is an unbeatable goblin. "
"Good. Since Mr.Osborn's delusion syndromes are disappearing and we here at Ravencroft only treat injuries that are not related to those so-called battles, I believe Mr.Osborn's treatment can be stopped after two more weeks. Now that we have no more work left to do for today, I think we have time to have a nice meal together. I've heard that there's a new restaurant in Little Italy. It is run by two brothers, and the food there is great. Call Mysterio and tell him to meet us at that place at 6pm, Doctor Kingsley. " Says the dean, happily, as he takes of his sunglasses and grabs the patient files across the table with his robotic tentacles, while Hobgoblin stands up and goes for the phone. Kraven, however, has something else to say - " Are you sure about that, Otto ? I mean, according to what I've heard, one of the brothers there is an illegal citizen, and none of them is chef material. Before the illegal one arrived, the other brother had always been working as a plumber for hire. Sabertooth once hired him to fix up his toilet. He only opened the restaurant to support the expense of both of them. In addition, our friend Eddie's comment about that place isn't good either - he went there last Friday, and Venom apparently had diarrhea after the experience - "
Before Kraven can finish his rant, the siren of the clinic suddenly burst out ringing, as a man mountain barges into the front door. Grabbging Kingsley by the collar, Bane tosses the man out of the window with ease. With his hunter instinct, Kraven swiftly pulls out a syringe and inject it into Bane's muscular arm, but the man simply shruggs it off.
"Impossible ! It is intended for whales ! " The hunter shouts in disbelief, as the giant delivers a punch toward his head, knocking him out instantly. With two enemies taken down, Bane immediately goes for the third one, as he grabs Doctor Octopus's incoming tentacle, easily breaking it into two parts. He then proceeds to finish off the dean by throwing a part of the broken robotic arm at the doctor's head, sending him into a coma like Kraven.
With all the staff member terminated, Bane strides down the corridor towards the marked room. "CARNAGE ! The world's a maze with multiple dead ends, and only through carnage can we find our way out !" A voice from a nearby ward shouts, as Bane passes it. Given the number of psychos he has encountered back in Gotham, the man mountain ignores the insane rants and proceeds his own goal. Breaking into the room, he quickly takes notice of the small, rectangular case the bartender has tasked him with retrieving. Laying his hands on the case, he pauses, as he feels an annoying sense of electric shock overwhelming suddenly, as Norman Osborn emerges from the door and pats on his body with the Goblin Gloves. Having taken his daily dose of the goblin formula, Norman once again has something funny going on in his brain and has already put on the mask. Turning back, Bane pushes aside the Goblin's arms, ending the electric current that speeds through his body.
"Who are you ? " Bane asks, readying his giant fists for attack. The goblin, however, downright initiates his assault, as he launches himself forward in seconds, punching Bane on his jaws with great strength, sending him backwards and crashing into the shelf, with his face mask shattered by the punch. Adjusting his balance, the man mountain is fast enough to dodge the goblin's second punch and draw out the firearm tied to his back. Firing back at the intruder, Bane is surprised to see bullets having little effect on his enemy - most of the rounds simply bounce off, while those that actually succeed in hurting Osborn only leave minor wounds, and the wounds heal almost instantly.
"I am the Goblin King ! " The mad man replies, and he chuckles maniacally, closing his distance between Bane at the same time.
"The way I see it, you are nothing more than a costume freak. You belong to Arkham like the rest of those garbage. And I'm going to break you like I break all those garbage. " Bane shouts, in defiance, as he retaliates with an offensive punch, which is avoided by the Goblin rather easily. However, more punches soon follow, as Bane puts his skills into use. As the creation of a remarkably-trained martial artist, the series of punches attack the goblin from multiple directions in a short span of time, leaving the untrained Normal dazzled and shocked, as several hit him hard in the chest and on his face. The goblin formula ensures that these punches will be futile in hurting him, but it cannot ease the pain. Roaring in agony, the Goblin is pummeled to the floor and subsequently lifted up by Bane.
Pressing the button on his suit to increase the amount of venom, Bane grab the Goblin's leg with his other arm, placing Norman's body in position for his infamous strike. Putting all of his strength into his knee, Bane crashes it onto Norman's back. This time, the goblin formula does little to help, for the force is simply too strong, and Norman has no choice but to scream, as the sound of the goblin armor and his bones being broken echoes across the room. Thinking that he has taken care of his opponent, Bane violently smashes Norman's body across the room.
"Ha ! You should have continued your attack instead of ending it like this. What you have done to me is more than enough to take down others you have faced, perhaps, but I am different from everything you have seen. I gotta say, though, you are strong, very strong, but certainly not as strong as the Spider-Man. And since I am the equal of Spider-Man-- --no, no, the superior of that vigilante, I think you are doomed at my hands. "
The Goblin laughs, as he stands up, recovering from the attack as some of the broken bones reconnect themselves, courtesy to the formula as usual. Grabbing up the bag of tricks, Norman reaches inside for a pumpking bomb that contains knock-out gas. Setting it off instantly, Norman is once again surprised to see his opponent stands still, completely unfazed by the gas. Throwing out two more bombs, the gas quickly fills up the room, and Bane remains unaffected.
"Just as the rest of them, you go for gadgets when you cannot defeat me in a straight brawl. But how naive of you to think such simple chemicals like this may do any harm to me. Back in Gotham and Santa Prisca, others have tried to tackle me with chemicals that are actually lethal in twisted ways, and I shrugg them off like nothing. Now listen, freak, you think you are different from what I have faced ? In the past few decades of my life, I have fought with and along the most extreme pack of human beings on this planet, many of them being the worst of the worst. Each and every one of those abominations, tried to take me down with methods that are physical, mental or even magical, and in the end, I walk out alive and rip all of them apart. I am not a spider or a goblin, I am something beyond the worst of your imagination, something that only appears in your worst nightmares. I AM BANE ! And I am going to BREAK YOUR SOUL ! "
Marching forward, Bane abruptly halts, as he notices an evil grin appearing on the goblin's face, as Norman snatches out a different bomb. Despite the fact that it has been heavily modified to resemble a cartoonish halloween pumpking, Bane, with his extensive experience in the fields of global warfare, is sharp enough to realize it is a grenade, which won't necessarily hurt him, but might destroy the venom tubes at this short of a distance. Throwing himself out of and window and landing safely on the ground, Bane only has seconds to regain balance when the Green Goblin comes out of the explosion, with the glider under his feet.
"Beware the wrath of the Goblin ! " Norman shouts, as more pumpking bombs rain down, which Bane retaliates in vain with his AK-47, because the Goblin is too fast of a target to aim properly. The air superiority leaves Bane with no choice but to run for his life, but despite his superhuman speed, he is still not fast enough to outrun the Glider, as the Goblin soon catches him up. With his MP5 and AK-47 out of ammo, Bane discards both firearms and pulls off the door of his vehicle for his minigun.
Holding the heavy weapon with bare hands, Bane unleashes it against the Goblin. Bullets from the weapon clashes with the pumpking bombs mid-air, leading to them exploding before hitting the ground. "You fool ! " Goblin laughs, as he swiftly dodges some of the bullets, while tanking the rest. "You seriously believe that you can kill me with guns , after we have been fighting for this long ? "
Bane, however, replies calmly - "While it is true that guns cannot kill you with ease, an overwhelming number of bullets will potentially do the job, or at least severely break you and make you hurt, or else you wouldn't have screamed when I broke your bones or dodged when I fired at you. So, at this very moment, I'm not trying to kill you with the gun. Instead, I'm trying to make you dodge, so that you will be in the right position for me to kill you. "
"What ? " The Goblin asks in confusion, as he swiftly glides aside to shun another barrack of bullets. "What the f**K are you talking abo - ? " Suddenly, Norman pauses, as he realizes what Bane has meant. In the past few minutes, when he was being forced to glide aside, the cape of his broken costume has been entanged on the spiked gargoyle decoration of the top floor of Ravencroft.
"Finally, it's time to break you ! " Bane shouts, as he drops the minigun and picks up the rocket launcher, swiftly climbing up the car and taking aim. A huge explosion soon follows, sending both the Goblin and the Glider crashing into the building, utterly shattering the Goblin Armor in the process. Blood pours out of various parts of Norman's body, as he struggles to stand up. But the Goblin eventually picks himself up and once again boards the half-destroyed glider. Gliding out of the building shakily, the Goblin smirks as Bane watches in shock.
"You are still alive. Impressive. But you won't last very long, for - " Bane stops in terror, for he realizes what the Goblin is attempting. Instead of fleeing or dropping out more bombs, the mad man is actually readying his already-broken body for a dash, and judging from the state of the glider, it is still functioning and more than capable to accomplish the mad man's goal before Bane finish reloading his rocket launcher.
"Don't, you will kill us both, you psychopath - " Bane shouts , as he jumps aside to avoid the incoming doom, but as previously described, he simply cannot outrun the glider. Having maximized its speed, the Goblin bumps into the man mountain alongside his Glider almost instantly, sending himself flying backwards and crashing onto the ground, while the Glider thrusting into Bane's chest. Both men groaned in extreme pain, as they hit the ground hard. But Norman Osborn, with most of his body intact apart from several broken bones and bleeding wounds, manages to stand up, albeit in a crippled fashion. "I am unkillable. I am immortal ! " He mocks, "While you are certainly not ! " While Bane, on the other, with the glider piercing his body and all the tubes on his back damaged by the impact, coughs out huge amount of noisome liquid, which is a mixure of vomit, blood and venom, as his mind fades into blankness.
This time, the Goblin has broken the Bane.
WINNER : NORMAN OSBORN AKA THE GREEN GOBLIN
Epilogue[]
"Now, let's see what this man wants so badly from the institute. " Norman whispers to himself, as he kicks aside the large corpse of Bane, revealing the small box his enemy has been tasked to retrieve.
"Strange. I can feel a stream of powerful energy that is inconsistent with its size floating inside this tiny device. No wonder this thing intrigues Otto. "
Picking it up, the Goblin observes it with curiosity, as he touches the totems engraved on the box, seeking for a handle to open it. Sensing a button, Osborn presses it, and all in a sudden, he is plunged into a realm of complete darkness, and just before his eyes could adapt to the darkness, he hears something bizarre -
BOOM
The noise itself is not loud, but it is a poweful one, for it reminds him of hearing large explosions from a long distance. Another strange thing is that, despite the noise, he himself is not injuried. To make things even more complicated, he now finds himself no longer in the street in front of Ravencroft, instead, he is now in a small basement. The strong smell of alcohol and the barrels displayed around him are signs that tell him he is below a bar.
"What the hell just happened ? " Hardly has Goblin adjusted to the new environment, when a concentrated beam of pure red energy is launched towards him.The goblin dodges it instinctively. "Cyclops ! Glad to know that you're here as well, but you've missed, you utter fool - " Before he can finish, the red beam, which passes him , unnaturally takes a turn in its trajectory and blasts him from behind, instantly reducing him and his armor into ashes.
"Now that's unnecessary, Turpin. You could've just knocked him out instead of killing him. "
"He'll get resurrected in couple of days. So will Bane. This is how things work around here. The power of Anti-Life Equation is pathetically trivial when compared to the power of them, those who are in charge. And by the way, since here's only the two of us, you can use my real name, Luthor. "
"Very well then, Darkseid. So, back to the topic. What do you want from me ? "
"Plain and simple. I need you to construct a device that will help connect to Apokolips, with this motherbox and other resources at my disposal. In this way, I can regain my powers that were lost in my fight against the old one. "
"That's not how things work around here, Darkseid. Once you've been brought into the Federal, you can run, you can fight, but you can never escape. For years, I have attempted to escape with every physical, metaphysical and magical methods imaginable. All failed disastrously. So why not stop trying and start enjoying your life in this brave new world ? "
"For a 12th level intellect, your ability to comprehend at times baffles me. I'm well aware of how this place works and the futility of attempting to escape. Therefore, my request is not a device that will send me back to Apokolips, but instead, a device let will enable me to communicate with my followers stranded back there. So that even without the presence of great Darkseid, they will continue my research into the Anti-Life for eternity, until eternity itself has been conquered under the name of Darkseid, and then all are Darkseid and Darkseid is. "
"If that is what you are aiming to do, I would like to put forward a more feasible alternative. You see, I've recently received this piece of information - it comes as a rumor, but it is the kind of rumor that usually turns out to be true. The being that orchestrated your fight with the old one is planning another fight. He has already selected a group of extraterrestrials with godly powers to represent one side, but he hasn't yet decided their opponents. And I happen to know a certain individual whose suggestion is always valued by the being, so with the correct set of manipulation, I think there's a high chance that we can determine this particular choice. "
"So what are you trying to suggest ? "
"The Dark Side Club has always been troubled by a lack of personnels, doesn't it , Darkseid ? You always find it hard to offer good service in busy hours, both in terms of custome service and the quest for the equation. I think here comes a chance to solve this issue. "
"I see....You do have an astonishingly good idea. " The bartender lets out a grin, as he sets aside the mother box, and begins formulating his desired line-up for the fight.
Expert's Opinion[]
Despite Bane's superior skills, experience and mental health, his lack of effective weapons and physical capabilities ultimately hold him back in his fight with the Green Goblin, who is able to compensate for his insanity and lack of fighting skills with the strength required to bring down the back-breaker.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.
Battle vs. Saxton Hale by (Jackythejack)[]
It was another dull, dark, and gloomy day in Gotham City. Grey storm clouds rolled over the sky, and it looked like it was threatening to rain at any moment. Compared to some of the rundown and impoverished streets of Gotham, Wayne Manor stood out like a sore thumb. Something so rich and prestigious in a city riddled with crime wasn't very common, but all the same, the Manor stood.
Inside the manor, Alfred Pennyworth was currently preparing food for his master, Bruce Wayne. Though Bruce often neglected his basic needs, what with being caught up in his vigilante nonsense, Alfred always made sure the master did not go hungry. Even if it was the most basic of food, to get Bruce to eat anything at all made Alfred feel a little better for the billionaire.
Just as he had put the food in the oven, there was a knock at the door. Normally, he wouldn't had heard the knock; the kitchen was all the way in the back of the manor, but this was a different knock. It was loud, and booming. It seemed to shake the whole manor with how powerful it was. Alfred hated to admit it, but he momentarily jumped. He glanced to the kitchen doorway, and let out a tired sigh. He should be used to this by now.
With little hesitation, he moved to the door. He pulled it open, only to be met with the biggest man he had ever seen. By all accounts, the man was larger than life. Almost twice the size of Bruce, and had about twice the muscles to back it up. His arms were like barrels, and his chest as wide as a truck. Alfred only brought attention to his chest, mind you, because it was so out there. The man wasn't wearing a shirt. In fact, he was barely wearing anything! Shoes, shorts and a hat were all that kept the man from being practically naked.
A look of confusion flashed on the butler's face, as the man tipped his outback hat. "G'day!"
"Uh...yes, hello. May I help you? Is there something you need?"
"Aw, man, did Bruce not tell you? We're here to have a little business meetin'. This is Wayne Manor, right? I didn't jump out at the wrong spot, did I?"
"Well, yes, it is, but-...wait, did you just say jump out?"
"Sure did!" He pointed up at the sky, towards a plane that was flying away from the premises. "Only real way for a man to get anywhere. Now, I don't mean to be rude, but can I come in? A bit nippy out here, you know?"
Alfred narrowed his eyes, for a moment not trusting the man, but he eventually relented. You know, this looked exactly like one of the men that Master Bruce would be associating with nowadays, anyways. He sighed and opened the door further. "Come in. Master Bruce is currently taking care of other business. I will send him out as soon as possible."
"Ah, take your time, no worries." The man waved an arm, holding likely the same force as a battering ram, as he stepped into the mansion, looking around. "Wow, Bruce's sure got a nice place. A bit too fancy and rich for my taste, but it looks just fine!"
Alfred ignored the man's comments and moved on, further into the mansion. After a bit of looking behind him to make sure Hale did not follow, he had arrived in the Batcave, where Master Bruce was assuming his Batman persona, currently typing away at his supercomputer.
"Master Bruce."
"What is it, Alfred?" Batman didn't look away from the computer, typing at inhuman speeds in order to study who knows what about who knows who. "And does it have something to do with that shaking? I was just looking at the seismic signatures but-"
"That would be your new guest, sir." Alfred interrupted. He was the only man who could consistently interrupt the Batman without him getting upset about it. It happened far too often for Batman to be affected by it. "There is a shirtless Australian man in the foyer; says that he is here for a business meeting with Bruce Wayne."
"What? I...dammit." Batman stepped away from his computer, for the first time in what may have been several hours. He walked deeper into the Batcave, to change out of his batsuit. "Hale wasn't supposed to be here, yet. He's a day early."
"Hale, sir? You wouldn't happen to mean Barnabus Hale?"
"No, it's his son, Saxton Hale." Batman stepped behind a cover, and began to undress himself. "He's the CEO of Mann Co., the fastest growing arms manufacturer in the world. The weapons he provides are said to have special qualities: rocket launchers that propel their users while leaving them unharmed, weapons that can turn men into ice statues, even weapons that can disintegrate people."
"And...you want these weapons for yourself, sir?"
"No. What I want is to keep a close eye on Hale. I need to make sure that Mann Co. doesn't sell these weapons to the wrong people. Otherwise, things could get messy."
"And the best way to do that is to make him a business partner. Of course." Alfred sighed. More convoluted plans. "Well, you shouldn't keep your new business partner waiting."
"Of course not." While Batman had walked behind the cover, Bruce Wayne had walked out. Adjusting a button on one of his suits, he walked to the exit of the Batcave. "Tell him I'll meet him shortly. I just need to put some finishing touches on my look."
"As you wish, sir."
---
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Hale." Bruce said as he stepped into the foyer. Walking down the large set of stairs, his eyes quickly found the mountain of a man that was in his house. Alfred wasn't lying; he really wasn't wearing a shirt. He looked more prepared for a night out clubbing than holding any sort of business meetings. "I would have been more prepared, but you showed up a day early."
"Ah, yeah. I had something that came up suddenly. Needed to move the meetin' to today." Hale shrugged, and crossed his arms over his chest. He was staring at one of the paintings in the foyer. An wonderful painting of an ideal, upper class family of three. A mother, a father, and the little boy standing between them. Hale's expression saddened for a moment. He pointed one of his fingers, as big as a bloated sausage, at the boy in the middle. He turned to Bruce. "This is you, ain't it?"
Bruce's eyes fell upon the painting, and he held back a sigh. Keeping his cool demeanor, he approached the man. "That's right. That painting was commissioned by my father. It was only a few months before..." his voice trailed off, and he let it hang there.
"I'm sorry that it happened, Bruce." He said, in a moment that actually felt very sincere. His dynamic, outback wrestling attitude melted away for a moment, to show genuine care for the billionaire. "A boy should never have to watch his parents die. That ain't right."
"Thank you, Hale." Bruce adjusted his suit before clearing his throat. "Well, let's move on from the topic, eh? Not much can be done about it. Best that we continue with our negotiations."
As if a switch was flipped, Hale went from upset and mourning to smiling and jovial. "Haha! That's the spirit. Never let the emotions get in the way of a good deal. I like the cut o' your jib, Bruce." He gave him a pat on the back. Any harder and he might have cracked a bone. Bruce held back a wince.
"I was thinking we could discuss this over drinks. I already asked Alfred to prepare us some."
"I'm liking you more and more." He laughed, putting a hand to his toned abdomen. "What do you got prepared? Whiskey, scotch? I prefer the real hard stuff. They're the only drinks that make me feel anything nowadays."
"I was actually preparing a wine, one of my better brands, but I can tell Alfred to get you a bottle when he comes back."
"A bottle? How about you try a barrel!" Another laugh, but this one was cut short. Suddenly, the giant doors to Wayne Manor burst open. It was a frankly a miracle they stayed in one piece. They both turned to the entrance, and saw one of the biggest men alive today: Bane.
"Ah, Mr. Wayne. We meet again." There was a hint of amusement behind his voice as he stepped into the manor, the doors swinging to a close behind him as he passed them. His eyes turned to Hale, and he raised an eyebrow. "And I see you have a guest. I was hoping we'd be meeting alone."
"Now, Bruce, I don't want to be a nosy Nelly or anything, but who's the man who could give my workout routine a run for its money?"
“That’s Bane, one of the most notorious criminals in Gotham.” His tone became hostile, uncharacteristic of the charismatic businessman that Hale had expected.
“I’m the one who broke Gotham over his knee,” Bane continued, taking a step forward as he pointed a finger towards Bruce. “And I will be doing the same to you, Bruce, once I get my hands on you.”
Bane moved to step forward, but before his foot even hit the ground, Hale lunged at him. He was on Bane in less than a second. Hale threw a powerful punch, slamming the fist into Bane’s jaw. Bane stumbled back and almost tripped over his own feet.
Regaining his footing, Bane was silent. That thick silence hung over the entire mansion, as all three stared each other down. Hands balling into fists, he glared at Hale. “That was your first and last mistake.”
“Oh, I’m gonna enjoy this.” Hale stretched, grinning from ear to ear. “Bruce, I suggest you step back. This is going to get messy.”
“Hale, you don’t have to-”
“Don’t worry, Bruce. I’ll make sure I don’t bust up your mansion too much. Now…” He pounced forward, punching at Bane. Bane avoided the punch by stepping to the side. He punched Hale in the gut, which barely made the man wince. He let out a laugh. “Let’s get to the fun part!”
Bane grabbed at Hale, who did the same to him. The two mountains grappled against each other in an attempt to push the other one away. It was becoming clear that neither were going to budge, and Bane was the first one to react accordingly. He slammed his knee up into Hale’s stomach. Hale’s resulting wince allowed Bane to push him away.
Stumbling back, the Australian was open to an attack. Bane charged forward with an outstretched arm, slamming it into Hale’s chest. He was sent back, landing on the ground with enough force to shake the whole mansion.
Bane lunged forward once more, bringing his fist down onto Hale. Saxton moved out of the way at the last moment, and Bane ended up punching a fist-sized hole into the ground. Wooden splinters shot out of the ground, and Bane tugged at his arm to free it.
Saxton didn’t waste time. Crouching down momentarily, he grabbed Bane’s legs, before lifting him up off the ground. He then flung the man into the air. With Bane’s arm still embedded into the floor, it was more like Bane was flipped than thrown. He fell on the ground back first, leaving a body-shaped indent in the floor.
Hale got down on his knees and slammed both fists into Bane’s chest, causing the criminal to cry out in pain. He brought his hands up, and slammed them down once more, but this time Bane was prepared. He ripped his hand out of the floor and used both hands to catch Hale’s fists. He gritted his teeth as he pushed against Hale’s mighty muscles. With a bit of effort, he pushed him away.
Hale was knocked onto his back. He used the rest of his momentum to roll backwards and get back up on his feet; a surprisingly agile move given his physique. It didn’t help him much. Bane was already up, and Saxton only got to his feet in time to get another punch in the gut. Hale winced, but pushed through the pain.
Another punch was sent his way, but he was prepared. He caught Bane’s fist before it could hit, and squeezed his hand with enough pressure to crack bones. Bane cried out in pain as he attempted to pull his hand back. Saxton bashed his forward, slamming it into Bane’s. The luchadore was sent stumbling back, grabbing his head with both hands.
“This is one of the best tussles I’ve had in years!” Hale let out a laugh of pure joy as he got back into his fighting stance. Bane let out a low huff of irritation. “But I gotta say, son, I think my ex has more bite than you do! Haha! That’s son in a metaphorical sense, by the way, but I’d be proud to have a son like-”
“Shut up already!” Bane charged, ready to tackle Hale to the ground. Hale maneuvered out of the way at the last minute. He brought his leg out and managed to trip Bane. The behemoth of a man stumbled and fell to the ground front first. Hale grinned and picked Bane up, causing him to struggle fruitlessly against the man’s hold.
“I think it’s ‘bout time for you…” he walked to the doors of the mansion, and chucked Bane as hard as he could. The doors splintered from the massive projectile, and Bane went tumbling out onto the Gotham streets. “To go back where you came from!”
It had started raining outside now, and a torrent of rain was pouring down on Bane as he stumbled to his feet. He had never in his life met a man who could match him in strength, and now, it was pissing him off. “I’ve had enough of this.”
“Aw, come on. Things were just starting to get fun!”
“I meant I had enough of you. I only came here for The Bat, but you’ve made yourself my new target.” With the threat given, Bane slammed a hand down on a button, which jutted out of the harness on his chest.
As the button was pressed, the tubes that were feeding into Bane’s body started growing with a green liquid. Bane’s green took on a greenish hue, and his veins bulged out of his muscles. He seemed to get more jacked as the seconds passed.
Saxton saw this, and he was...absolutely ecstatic. “Oh, rippa! I was hoping you weren’t done just yet!”
The two beefcakes charged at each other, and they clashed on the garden of Wayne Manor. This time, there was no grappling, or fight for dominance; there was just Bane slamming into Hale with enough force to send him flying.
Hale tumbled on the ground, using his momentum to get back to his feet. He stumbled, which left him open to an onslaught from Bane. Bane began to really unload on Hale, swinging on him with punch after punch. Hale could just barely bring his arms up to block the man’s attacks. He was getting overwhelmed, and quickly.
“You’re no match to me. No one is.” Bane slammed both fists into Hale’s gut, causing him to double over. “Not the so-called crime lords of Gotham, not The Bat, and certainly not you.”
Bane grabbed Hale’s head and slammed it down into his knee. Hale grunted in pain and reeled back, blood dripping from his face, which would be slowly washed away by the rain. Bane kicked Hale in the shin, causing him to drop down to one knee.
“I am Bane: the one that Gotham fears, the one who brought Peña Duro to its knees.” He grabbed Hale and lifted him up to the sky. Hale struggled, but Bane kept a tight grip on his body. “And I. Will. Break you!”
Bane slammed Hale down on his knee, causing his back to bend unnaturally. The CEO cried out in pain, accompanied by the unnatural sound of his spine snapping. Like an empty can, Bane tossed Hale to the side. Hale tumbled on the ground, and landed on his back. He let out a pained groan, staring up at the sky.
Bane turned his back on Hale, seeming to relax just slightly. He walked towards the entrance of Wayne Manor. “And now, The Bat.”
There were footsteps behind him. He didn’t pick up on them before it was too late. His eyes widened and he turned around. A fist was flying right towards his face. He was hit with enough power to shatter concrete, and he was sent flying further into the front yard. He landed with a loud thud, and let out a groan as he got onto his knees. “What? How…”
“Did I say I was done?” Hale said with a grin. It was like his back had never been broken in the first place. Thank the Australium in his blood for that. “I could do this all day, you jobber!”
“You are tough, I must admit...but not tough enough.” He rushed forward at the same moment as Hale. Once more the two clashed, but each of them were expecting the sheer power the other brought. Under the stormy and rainy weather of Gotham, two behemoths clashed.
The two engaged in a fight, so quick that those with an untrained eye would barely be able to see it. Both combatants were unleashing tens of punches in a matter of seconds. They either missed completely, or hit their targets dead on. There was no in between for these two; it was all or nothing.
Unfortunately, in an exchange of all or nothing, Hale’s all was not enough. More punches were hitting Hale than Bane, and they were starting to take their toll. As the fight went on, for what must have been full minutes, Hale began to get slow and sluggish. He was practically a sitting duck at this point.
Putting all of his strength into one final attack, Bane slammed his fist into Hale’s chest. He was sent flying back, and slammed to the ground back first. Bane took his time, walking over to Hale. He slammed that button on his chest once more, giving him another powerful dose of Venom. The drug coursed through his veins, filling him with strength fivefold.
“You put up a good fight.” He hovered over Hale’s body, bringing his foot up over the CEO’s chest. “But now...you die.”
Just as he was about to slam his hand down onto Hale, a batarang flew at him from his blind spot. It hit him dead on, and exploded once it made contact. Bane cried out in pain and stumbled back. He let out an irritated growl, as Batman leaped down from the roof of Wayne Manor.
“Leave him, Bane.” The Dark Knight took a commanding tone, holding three more batarangs in his hand. “He’s not the one you’re after.”
Bane regarded The Bat with hostility. If looks could kill, Batman would be dead ten times over. Though, similar could be said about Bane. “I...cannot fight you now. Not in my condition.” He let out a tired sigh. “You were lucky this time, Batman. You will not be so lucky the next time we meet.”
And Bane turned around and ran off into the Gotham streets. Batman thought about following him, but the moment he noticed Hale writhing on the ground, he moved to assist him. “Are you alright?”
“Ah, well, I’ve been better.” Hale chuckled a little, looking the vigilante up and down. “Crikey, and to think I’d get saved by Batman. I was thinking about huntin’ you down and fightin’ ya. Guess I can’t do that now, huh?”
Batman decided to let that slide for the time being. At least Hale didn’t seem to be lethally injured. “I’ve already contacted the paramedics. They should be here shortly. Afterwards, I suggest you get out of town. Making an enemy of Bane leaves a large target on your head.”
“Are you kidding me?” Hale slowly got up, wincing as his back still cried out in pain. “That’s one of the reasons I should stay! I’ve read about the city, I know Bane ain’t the only tough nut ‘round ‘ere! Best get used to my mug, Batman. I think I’m going to be hanging out here for a while!”
Well, Bruce did want to keep an eye on Hale.
...but this wasn’t exactly what he had in mind.
Expert's Opinion[]
While Saxton was considered to be a worthy equal to Bane, having similar speed and debatably greater strength, the voters agreed that Bane was far too skills for Saxton to properly take in a fight. Bane regularly fights opponents such as Batman, who are far more skilled than Bane. Add onto this that Saxton Hale would not be taking the fight as seriously as Bane, and it meant that Bane would be able to score a victory against the Mann Co. CEO.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.
Battle vs. Noodle (by Jackythejack)[]
Noodle, face covered with a kitsune mask, walked down the dimly lit sidewalk. A katana was in one hand, gently scrapping against the concrete ground, a tommy gun was strapped to her back, and she had a small burlap sack tied to her waist. She didn't expect to need any of the equipment, but having it for security reasons was useful.
She stopped the moment she stepped in front of the establishment. She looked up at the giant neon sign to the gym, narrowing her eyes a little at the assault to her senses. Glancing down at the note she was given, she made sure she was at the right location. After a quick once over, she determined this was the place, and put the note back in her pocket.
According to the note she was given, this building was some sort of front for a drug ring around the city. Some sort of performance enhancing, rapid muscle growth stimulant. It was being distributed in the city's underground market, helping those strongmen roid up to get even stronger than they already were. If she was honest with herself, Noodle had never heard of this so-called "Venom" drug, but she was willing to trust her sources.
A quick look around determined that there was no one nearby to watch her. Reaching down, Noodle grabbed a nearby rock and chucked it at a street light above. The lightbulb broke, and she was plunged into darkness. She made her move; rushing to the back of the building. There was supposed to be some sort of small storage room attached to the main building, where they'd apparently store merchandise...including that kind of merchandise. The kind that Noodle was looking for.
She found the building she was looking for and...wow, yeah. It literally just looked like some big, makeshift shed that was attached to the otherwise professional looking building. Whoever had build this small room wasn't the most gifted constructor. Not really her problem, though. She circled around the room for a moment, locating a window. A quick elbow to the glass and it shattered. It made a little more noise than she wanted, but she'd be in and out so quickly that it wouldn't be an issue.
Slipping through the broken window and landing on the ground, Noodle kept a low profile as she prowled around the storage room. The only light that illuminated her surroundings came from the windows, one of which now being broken. It didn't provide much light, but just enough for her to work with. At first, she found basically nothing. Sure, there was some merchandise there; some shirts with terrible designs on them, plastic water bottles for working out, even branded towels, all with some weird logos to represent the gym. No drugs, though, and that was the one thing Noodle was looking for.
The room wasn't that big, though, and eventually Noodle came across a big, unmarked crate at the very back of the room, hidden in some corner. She unsheathed her katana, crammed it in the small slit between the lid and the rest of the box, and pushed down on her sword. The lid flipped off and spun in the air like a coin. She caught it before it landed and gently placed it on the ground. Giving it a small pat, she turned her attention to the contents of the now opened crate. The first thing that she noticed was that, whatever was inside, it was glowing green.
Then she leaned in, and saw dozens upon dozens of syringes, filled with this glowing green liquid. It reminded her of the neon sign outside with how intense the colors and the glow was. This was it; this was the Venom she was looking for, and there was way too much of it for her to take all of it.
Just as she was starting to formulate a plan on how to take all of it, the room was flooded with light. She winced and looked up, noticing that the few lights set up in the room were now on, casting a dimly lit glow over the room and giving just enough light to look around. She then turned to look to the other side of the room.
Her eyes met an absolute mountain of a man. He must have been at least twice her size, if not more. He wore a luchador mask, with a red mesh over the eyes that seemed to stare right through her. His eyes were absolutely huge; his arm as thick as her entire torso and his chest looking almost unhealthily buff. This was without a doubt a man that used a hell of a lot of Venom.
"Who are you?" The man asked. Though his tone was calm, Noodle detected hostile intent behind his words. He seemed ready to jump into action if anything went wrong. For Noodle, things have already went wrong, and she needed to act quickly. "What are you doing here?"
Noodle didn't respond verbally. Instead, she slid the tommy gun off of her back, and pointed it at him. She was holding it one handed, but despite this her aim didn't falter. The buff man stepped back and put his hands up, to show he was unarmed. Noodle didn't feel any safer. Those muscles of his were all the weapons he needed. They might as well make him bulletproof for all she knew.
With a split second to think, Noodle pointed her gun at the lights in the room, and fired. Three pulls of the trigger, three bullets, three shattered lights. The room was plunged into darkness, Noodle only being partially illuminated by the green glow of the Venom. She snagged a couple handful of the syringes and put them in the bag around her waist. She was pretty sure this was what one would call an escalated situation.
She had figured the darkness would keep the muscleman at bay long enough for her to pack up some more Venom and get away. Just as she was about to shove more syringes into her bag, she heard a click. A click that she would never be able to misidentify; it was the click of a gun being loaded.
Oh, shit.
She had less than a second to respond. She leaped backward, just as bullet ripped through the air and hit where she was just standing, peppering the walls with bullet holes. Spinning around, Noodle hopped onto one of the tall shelf racks, clearing what must have been at least ten feet in a once bound. As she landed, the shelf below her wobbled and threatened to fall. The shelf leaned forward, and she quickly brandished her gun and shot towards the muscle bound man. The man leaped out of the way, bullets sparking against the ground where he once stood. The kickback from her gun caused the shelf to lean back and stabilize itself.
This must have been that Bane person the note warned her about, Noodle realized. The note had said he was buff, but she didn't expect this level of muscle. Realizing she needed to get out of here, and fast, she hopped from one shelf to another, and then another, moving like a rabbit on a caffeine high.
Bane brought his AK up and shot at the girl on the top shelf. Noodle jumped out of the way before the bullets could hit their mark, and crossed the distance to the shelves on the side of the room opposite of her. She shot her gun at Bane's feet once again, forcing him to move away and now clearing the doorway for Noodle to make a quick exit. Bane gave her a death stare before grabbing a nearby container of branded shirts. He chucked it towards the shelf and it hit it dead in the center.
The shelf teetered backwards, threatening to fall. Noodle wobbled on top of the shelf, before leaping down right as it fell over, knocking into the shelf behind it. Once she landed, Noodle leaped forward, similar to a frog. The sudden movement caught Bane off guard and, with a little maneuvering on Noodle's side, she kicked him in the side of the face. Bane stumbled over himself, almost ramming into another shelf. As he turned back to face Noodle, she began to run away.
"Get back here!" Bane charged through the door and fired in the vague direction of Noodle. he didn't have time to aim, making the bullet spread incredibly inaccurate. The bullets hailed around Noodle, but at worst they only grazed their target, and either shot through glass windows or embedded themselves into walls. Bane cursed under his breath as Noodle ran towards the exit.
He followed her outside, only to realize the streetlight directly outside the gym was out. He couldn't see very well in the dark, and he could see no sign of Noodle whatsoever. He narrowed his eyes and glanced around, his senses heightened. "Where are you...?"
Suddenly, a sharp blade raked down his back, causing his body to buckle and him to cry out in pain. He spun around, waving one of his gigantic arms around in an attempt to swat away his attack. He made contact, and he could just barely see Noodle flying into the darkness from his strike. He let out an angered huff before moving forward. He didn't have any Venom in his system, so he'd just have to beat her manually.
"I don't know why you're here, and I don't take kindly to being attacked, but simply return those vials to me, and we can-"
Gunshots filled the air, and three bullets found themselves embedded into Bane's leg. He screamed in pain, and fell down to one knee. Gritting his teeth, he flexed his leg muscles, hard. He forced the bullets out of his body manually, and it was accompanied with a small plinking sound as they hit the ground. He forced himself back to his feet, his leg feeling like it was going to give out, but Bane refused to do so.
He charged forward, in the direction of the petite woman. He slammed his shoulder into her, and sent her flying. Noodle tumbled across the ground, gritting her teeth. She was just hit with enough force to give a freight train a run for its money. She forced herself onto her feet, and brandished her katana. She could barely see Bane in the dark, but she didn't need to see him well to slash him.
Bane, who had now forgone the use of a gun, charged forward once more. Like a raging bull, he had full intent of running Noodle down and knocking her unconscious from there. Noodle waited until the very last moment before bolting to the side. As Bane ran past her, she sliced at his side, drawing blood, but his skin was so tough that she couldn't make a reasonable gash.
Bane could just barely stop himself, only a few feet away from Noodle. He spun around and threw a punch at her, but he whiffed entirely as Noodle ducked underneath his approaching fist. He made an attempt to grab her, but again she moved out of the way. Her smaller frame proved to be much harder to deal with. His frustration grew with every missed attack, and he eventually ended up just throwing his body at her.
Noodle outmaneuvered him again, and this time literally jumped over him. She easily cleared the entirety of Bane's body, landing behind him just in time to deliver a horizontal slash across his back. Again, his muscles and flesh did not give easily, as there was too much bulk in the way. She wasn't strong enough to apply any major damage. She needed a way to get stronger, and fast.
She leaped away from Bane, just as he spun back around to swing a giant arm at her. She stumbled for a moment, before catching herself. Opening the bag at her waist, she yanked out one of the syringes, and held it into the air. The dim green glow just barely illuminated her masked face, and it didn't take long for Bane to realize what she was going to do.
"No!" He reached a hand out to stop her, but Noodle had already brought it down and jabbed the needle into her neck. She pushed down on the plunger, and the Venom drug entered her body. Noodle had only just gotten the syringe out when she her entire body began tensing up. The drug ran through her body, dispersing under her skin and causing her veins to grow that sickening neon green. She doubled over herself, a horrendous scream leaving her as her face contorted in pain.
Just as the pain had reached its peak, to the point where Noodle's vision started to blur and distort, Bane closed the distance between the two. The last thing she saw was a fist about the size of her head barreling towards her, before it all went black.
Bane watched her unconscious body fall to the ground, almost limp. Even when unconscious, her body convulsed due to the drugs inside her, writhing in pain. It would take a minute longer before she died, body now going limp as the Venom attacked and stopped her heart. Bane let out a sigh, glancing down at the corpse.
"What a pointless death," he muttered to himself before heading back into the building, leaving a dead girl on the sidewalk, to stare up at the cold, uncaring night sky.
Expert's Opinion[]
While the experts had a general consensus that Noodle was rather skilled, and arguably more agile and faster than Bane, they all came to the agreement that Bane was still stronger and more durable, to the point that Noodle would have a hard time taking him down. Combine with his superhuman stamina, it would be hard to even wear the muscle man down for a final, killing blow.