Gotham's Story
You push yourself to the limit. One more pull up. Five more push-ups. Ten more kicks. A hundred more punches. You sweat through training and physical therapy until you collapse from exhaustion.
Then you eat, sleep and begin again.
It took months, but you have kept you mind singly fixed on the goal of regaining your body. Ban broke you- that much is true- but you are Gotham's repairman. You have come to fix what is broken and your body will be restored.
You sought training again, but soon you surpassed every martial artist, guru, and acolyte that you could find. So strong was your determination that immediately upon your return to Gotham, you hunted down Bane again. This time, there would be no surprises, no disadvantages, and the fight would be on the ground that you decide upon.
***
"I know you are up there, Bat," Bane said as he strode out into the alley. His criminal presence had grown since breaking your back and he had quite the following of thugs and deadbeats who did the muscle work for him. It took some planning, but you found the time and place where you knew he would be alone. A convenient place at that.
"I must say that I am surprised to see you so soon after I had broken you." He smiled as he turned up toward the spot where you sit veiled in darkness. "Can you walk yet, Little Bat? Or even stand? You fear tactics will not work on me."
With the sound of a flutter of wings, you leap to the ground and walk slowly and purposefully towards Bane. The arrogance in his demeanor slips ever so slightly.
"It seems that I did not break you enough. I will have to make more pieces this time." With a speed that belied his size, he lunged forward with a jab that could break stone. You are the better fighter, though. You move out of the way and strike the soft muscle under his arm. For good measure, you also strike three times to his ribs and sweep his legs out from under him. With a whoosh of air escaping his lungs, Bane hits the ground.
"Enough," He groaned as he rose from the concrete. "I will bring you to a shame that you can never rise from."
He pushed the dial on the injector on his wrist. The Venom formula courses through his veins and you can see his muscles convulse and expand. You have prepared for this moment. You lock your feet on the ground and you lock your mind. What was it the Himalayan guru had said? Fix yourself to the ground. Mother Earth is the Beginning and she will be the End. Join with the ground and you will never be moved.
You focus on the ground. The street of Crime Alley is in many ways your beginning. Here you saw your parents gunned down. Here you became Batman. Your boots grind into the damp concrete beneath you as Bane swings an oversized arm at you with inhuman speed. Time slows and you cast his fist aside. A kick follows but you stand your ground. Bane unleashes a flurry of strikes with superhuman strength and you deflect them with almost careless ease.
With this exertion, Bane begins to wear out in less than a minute. You take your oppurtunity to pin his arm with the next punch and twist it until you hear the wet pop of his shoulder coming out of socket. As he reels from the pain, you unlease a flurry of kicks to his ribcage until you the crack of bones echoes down the alley. Bane lashes out with his foot, but you grab it and twist savagely.
Bane convulses on the ground and reaches for you with muscles that can barely respond. You walk towards his broken body, ensuring that your boot lands on his hand.
"I want you out of my city, Bane."
Bane looks up. "H-how? I broke you."
You give him your most contemptuous smile.
"It's because I'm Batman."
Then you eat, sleep and begin again.
It took months, but you have kept you mind singly fixed on the goal of regaining your body. Ban broke you- that much is true- but you are Gotham's repairman. You have come to fix what is broken and your body will be restored.
You sought training again, but soon you surpassed every martial artist, guru, and acolyte that you could find. So strong was your determination that immediately upon your return to Gotham, you hunted down Bane again. This time, there would be no surprises, no disadvantages, and the fight would be on the ground that you decide upon.
***
"I know you are up there, Bat," Bane said as he strode out into the alley. His criminal presence had grown since breaking your back and he had quite the following of thugs and deadbeats who did the muscle work for him. It took some planning, but you found the time and place where you knew he would be alone. A convenient place at that.
"I must say that I am surprised to see you so soon after I had broken you." He smiled as he turned up toward the spot where you sit veiled in darkness. "Can you walk yet, Little Bat? Or even stand? You fear tactics will not work on me."
With the sound of a flutter of wings, you leap to the ground and walk slowly and purposefully towards Bane. The arrogance in his demeanor slips ever so slightly.
"It seems that I did not break you enough. I will have to make more pieces this time." With a speed that belied his size, he lunged forward with a jab that could break stone. You are the better fighter, though. You move out of the way and strike the soft muscle under his arm. For good measure, you also strike three times to his ribs and sweep his legs out from under him. With a whoosh of air escaping his lungs, Bane hits the ground.
"Enough," He groaned as he rose from the concrete. "I will bring you to a shame that you can never rise from."
He pushed the dial on the injector on his wrist. The Venom formula courses through his veins and you can see his muscles convulse and expand. You have prepared for this moment. You lock your feet on the ground and you lock your mind. What was it the Himalayan guru had said? Fix yourself to the ground. Mother Earth is the Beginning and she will be the End. Join with the ground and you will never be moved.
You focus on the ground. The street of Crime Alley is in many ways your beginning. Here you saw your parents gunned down. Here you became Batman. Your boots grind into the damp concrete beneath you as Bane swings an oversized arm at you with inhuman speed. Time slows and you cast his fist aside. A kick follows but you stand your ground. Bane unleashes a flurry of strikes with superhuman strength and you deflect them with almost careless ease.
With this exertion, Bane begins to wear out in less than a minute. You take your oppurtunity to pin his arm with the next punch and twist it until you hear the wet pop of his shoulder coming out of socket. As he reels from the pain, you unlease a flurry of kicks to his ribcage until you the crack of bones echoes down the alley. Bane lashes out with his foot, but you grab it and twist savagely.
Bane convulses on the ground and reaches for you with muscles that can barely respond. You walk towards his broken body, ensuring that your boot lands on his hand.
"I want you out of my city, Bane."
Bane looks up. "H-how? I broke you."
You give him your most contemptuous smile.
"It's because I'm Batman."