The Dark Crusader: Chapter 2

Wayne Manor

An alarm clock rang loudly inside the bedroom. The sound persisted until Bruce angrily smashed the clock into pieces. He then retrieved a new alarm clock from the desk and placed it where the previous one had been. Bruce let out a groan as he forced himself to get up, his muscular and chiseled physique exposed, except for his tight pants. He picked up his shirt from a chair and began to put it on.

Soon, he left his bedroom and headed straight for the bathroom to brush his teeth. After finishing, he made his way downstairs and entered the kitchen. There, he found his most trusted companion and loving butler, Alfred Pennyworth, who had already prepared breakfast for Bruce.

"Good morning, Master Wayne. Would you care for some coffee I've brewed?" Alfred inquired in his British accent.

Bruce took a seat at the table, accepted a mug of coffee, and took a sip. "Thank you, Alfred," he expressed his gratitude. After setting down the mug, he picked up a book to read. Meanwhile, Alfred opened the curtains, allowing the sunlight to stream in and bathe Bruce's face. Bruce closed his eyes for a moment, basking in the warmth, and then continued reading his book.

Alfred picked up the remote and turned on the TV. A news report about Gotham City had just started. "We have received news of a new threat in Gotham City, the most prominent being a well-equipped firearms group led by their boss, Bane," the newscaster announced. The report continued, but nothing else seemed to be of significant interest.

"Are you going to be busy tonight, Master Wayne?" Alfred inquired as he directed his gaze toward his master. Bruce set his book aside and made his way to the elevator. "I'll take that as a yes," the butler remarked, following Bruce.

They entered the elevator, and Bruce pressed the button to descend. The elevator slowly began its descent, with background music playing, while both of them stood in silence, not uttering a word.

As the elevator gate opened, they found themselves in an empty cave. An AI voice echoed, "Welcome back, Bruce Wayne." The entire cave lit up as they entered. The Bat was startled by the sudden light, and a swarm of bats took flight. The Batcave was the location where Bruce stored all of his gadgets and vehicles.

"Oracle, provide me with information about Bane, starting from the beginning," Bruce ordered. He walked toward multiple monitors and took a seat, turning them on. As each monitor powered up, one by one, detailed information about the criminals began to appear.

"I've gathered all the information on Bane. His real name is Antonio Diego, a mix of Mexican and American heritage. He was born in Mexico and lived with his father, Javier Diego, who was involved with drug cartels. Antonio later moved to other countries to live with his American mother, Gloria Desmond, who worked as a waitress. Unfortunately, both of his parents passed away a long time ago. His father was captured by the Mexican army and faced the death penalty, while his mother took her own life due to the scandal surrounding Javier and Gloria's relationship. These events led Antonio to become Bane and form his group to eradicate the Mexican cartels. This is all the information I could gather, I'm sorry," Oracle explained.

Bruce nodded. "That's quite all right; this information is sufficient." He then swiveled his chair around to face Alfred. In his mind, he believed this information was not enough. "Alfred, what are your thoughts on him?"

"He's...broken," Alfred stated with a sense of understanding. Bruce nodded, recognizing that Antonio had been deeply affected by the loss of his mother, which had driven him to seek vengeance against the cartels.

"What is your plan, Master Wayne?" Alfred inquired. Bruce got up from his chair and walked toward a mannequin adorned with the bat suit.

"To put him in the place where he belongs," Bruce responded as he began to work on his gadgets. Alfred joined him in the task, and as they worked together, Bruce cast a side glance at his butler and offered a faint smile.

EnchanceX Lab

In the lab corridor, injured guards lay scattered about, while a few others were not as fortunate and lay dead. The group of Bane members pointed their weapons at the professor, compelling them to enter the lab, which they did. On the other side of the room was where the professor had been developing their new prototype serum, known as VENOM. However, the lab had been attacked and taken control of by the group of Bane, led by their formidable leader.

In the room, the professor stood under the watchful gaze of heavily armed thugs as he prepared to fill three canisters with the VENOM serum. Once he completed the task, the professor handed over the canisters to the thugs, who then passed them on to their leader.

The leader, clad in a dark leather jacket with a flower symbol on the back, wore a black tactical vest underneath. He also donned tactical pants, boots, and gloves. On his face, he sported a black mask, with exposing eyes encircled by white paint, and a painted mouth. This was Antonio Diego, also known as Bane.

Bane examined the canister and flashed a sinister smile. With a single chuckle, he praised the professor, "You've done well, Professor. This VENOM you've created is highly profitable." He placed it inside a black suitcase, and they were ready to depart.

Bane and the rest of his group exited the facilities, promptly entering their vehicles and driving away. Little did they know, Batman was watching them closely. He swiftly threw his Batarang at Bane's vehicle and then checked his right gauntlet. A red dot was visible, indicating that he had successfully attached a tracking device, and now the red dot followed their vehicle.

Swiftly, he leaped and landed on the roof of his Batmobile. After starting the engine and closing the canopy door, the car's powerful engine roared to life, and he set off in pursuit of the target, skillfully tailing them without being detected.

Bane hideout

Upon their arrival at the hideout, Bane and his men entered an abandoned building with heavy security. Batman halted his Batmobile, opened the canopy door, and employed a grappling hook to reach the roof. Once perched above, he scrutinized every Bane henchman guarding the structure. He meticulously scanned each of the thugs, both inside and outside the building, including their leader. "Over 200 men," he whispered to himself as he assessed the situation.

After completing his preparations, Batman initiated his plan. He moved toward the two guard towers positioned at the front gate, with each tower being manned by two individuals, totaling four guards. Stealth appeared to be the best course of action.

One of the guard thugs let out a bored yawn while his companion, engrossed in an adult video on his phone, paid little attention to their surroundings. "Man, this job is so dull," the first thug muttered to himself as he contemplated moving. As he began to shift, Batman suddenly materialized behind him, swiftly choking him into unconsciousness, his struggles going unnoticed by his distracted friend.

Batman proceeded to approach the thug who was still watching the adult video, seizing the man's head and slamming it against a table with enough force to render him unconscious. He then employed his grappling hook to reach the second tower, repeating the process as before. One by one, each of the guards was discreetly neutralized without alerting the others.

Meanwhile, Bane was engrossed in a phone call with his dealer, his visage contorted with anger as the conversation persisted. "I thought three was sufficient, but now you require more!?," he shouted into the phone. His subordinates gradually began to distance themselves from their furious boss, keen on avoiding his wrath.

"I believed it would be adequate for my project's requirements, but evidently, it falls short. Follow my instructions, and I will double your payment. After that, our business will be concluded," he calmly conveyed, seemingly unfazed by Bane's earlier outburst.

Bane clenched his teeth, smashing his phone onto the ground. This sudden act caused his subordinates to scream in terror, and the rest of them opened fire on an unidentified intruder. Bane swiftly made his way toward the chaos, utilizing his tactical gloves as a weapon.

Upon his arrival, Bane found his men incapacitated and unconscious. As he surveyed the scene, Batman suddenly kicked him from behind. Bane turned around, taken aback by the unexpected appearance of his adversary.

Both of them stood their ground, locking eyes without exchanging words. Bane broke the silence with a smirk and a chuckle, initiating the first move. He threw a powerful punch toward Batman, who adeptly evaded the attack and countered with an elbow strike to Bane's face. Bane momentarily staggered but quickly regained his composure.

Batman attempted to land a jab on Bane's face, but Bane skillfully blocked the attack and seized Batman's arm. Bane then delivered two powerful left punches to Batman's stomach, causing him to wince from the pain. Despite the discomfort, Batman kicked Bane away, hiding the hurt on his face as they resumed their exchange of blows.

Bane drew upon his considerable boxing expertise, utilizing hooks and jabs to land punches on Batman. Batman, in turn, expertly blocked and evaded these potentially devastating blows. Swiftly, he countered with a barrage of punches to Bane's face, causing Bane to stagger momentarily.

Batman swiftly climbed onto Bane and delivered a knee strike to his face, causing Bane to tumble to the ground. Batman capitalized on the opportunity, relentlessly barraging Bane's face with punches. Annoyed, Bane managed to grab Batman and forcefully lifted him, slamming him onto his back. In retaliation, Bane retaliated with a series of punches aimed at Batman's face, which Batman diligently blocked.

Frustrated, Batman resorted to a headbutt to Bane's nose, causing the villain to stagger. Batman then employed his grappling hook, attaching it to a nearby wooden box and swinging it toward Bane, knocking him backward. Bane, despite having blood on his lips, smirked at Batman. "Not bad... It's been a long time since someone managed to hit me hard enough to make me bleed. Now, you're a worthy opponent," he declared. Bane charged at Batman, swinging a punch, while Batman skillfully blocked the attack.

They continued striking each other's faces, stomachs, and arms, displaying remarkable endurance and holding their ground. Bane unleashed a hook punch aimed at Batman's face, and Batman countered with a punch to Bane's face, intensifying their exchange of blows. The battle raged on until a few of Bane's men intervened by opening fire on Batman. He promptly leaped backward and made his escape through a window.

Enraged, Bane approached his men, and one thug attempted to explain, "Boss, we came here to sa–" but Bane cut him off with a powerful punch, knocking him down. Bane was not finished; he continued his brutal assault on the thug's face until it resembled a bloody mess.

"Dare you intervene in our fight!!!" Bane berated his men, who stood in silence, not uttering a word. "If you witness our battle, do not interfere, understand!?" he shouted while glaring at each of his men, who nodded in understanding without saying a word.

Batman managed to escape and watched as Bane and his men exited the building before leaving their hideout. Batman did the same, throwing a batarang with a tracking device as he tracked Bane's movements. Suddenly, Alfred called him on his earpiece, "Sir, Master Grayson wishes to speak with you urgently."

"Not now, Alfred. I'm not finished dealing with Antonio," Batman responded, ending the call. He then leaped back into his Batmobile and continued to follow Bane.

Unbeknownst to Batman, a man in red, white, and gray environmental tactical gear, including pants and a helmet with features similar to Batman's but distinct, observed the situation from the rooftop. His helmet sported dark blue eyes with faint glitches and white lines. "He's on the move," he relayed over the communication device before gracefully leaping away.

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Author note

Done with chapter 2! What do you guys think, is it good or meh?

Also forgot to mention there will be my own characters other than hero and villain, so stick around to find out.

Next chapter will be slightly interesting, hopefully you guys like it! Anyway enjoy the reading lads!