The once-bustling New York City now lay in ruins, with nothing but dilapidated buildings and shattered remains. The dazzling neon lights were long gone, along with the heavy traffic, and even... people. In this zombie-infested world, only the undead remained.
And not just the lowly kind.
Ordinary people were unworthy of becoming zombies—they had long been devoured by stronger beings.
However, now, the shockwave from the massive explosion had changed everything.
The violent nuclear emissary showcased the power of technology, turning this dead city into a boiling pot in an instant. A red dot suddenly appeared in the center, like the rising sun, creating a circular ripple that expanded several kilometers in diameter.
Zombies at the center of the nuclear explosion didn't even have time to scream before they were reduced to dust, dissipating into the air.
Even the hero-level zombies were struggling; only those who had been top-tier heroes in their former lives had any chance of surviving such an apocalyptic blast.
In the blink of an eye, Manhattan Island across the gate was completely leveled.
But this had nothing to do with Atreus and his team in the main world.
In the main world, the U.S. military was on edge.
Even though it was a nuclear strike authorized by the President, the thought of a nuclear bomb exploding on their own soil was a world-class political scandal, causing many military leaders to be extremely nervous. They didn't even dare blink, keeping their eyes locked on the portal shimmering with a strange light.
"Confirmed detonation of tactical nuclear weapon!"
"No shockwave feedback!"
"Radiation levels on-site have not significantly increased!"
"We... did we succeed?" The messenger, speaking rapidly, was filled with disbelief.
The great leader of America almost had a heart attack at that moment. Even though the military had repeatedly confirmed that these zombies were real and not drug addicts from Philadelphia's Kensington Avenue, the decision to drop a nuke on their own soil still carried immense pressure.
Now that the bomb hadn't gone off on home ground, everything was fine.
After all, the nuclear fusion reactor from Wayne Enterprises had already been detonated by terrorists, which was troubling enough. A second explosion would be unbearable.
Soon, news came from the front line.
"Report! We've detected Iron Man's signal! He has successfully returned."
The messenger's words immediately caused a frenzy among the crowd.
Indeed!
To them, Tony Stark represented the American Dream. He and his father had used their intelligence to amass vast wealth and then used their high-tech suits to protect the world.
As for Batman and the bald guy who opened the portal, they were temporarily ignored.
"Is it over?" Batman asked over the comms.
"If the portal doesn't reopen, then yes, it's over." Tony, clearly shaken, continued weakly, "When we get back, I'll send you all the footage from the other side."
"Good!" the Wayne 'father and son' replied in unison.
The wild figure looked at the last of the "cleanup work" and jumped out of the Batmobile, shouting, "Bane!"
Nothing in the world could attract Batman's attention anymore. All his focus was locked onto Bane.
Although he didn't say it aloud, his underlying message was clear—it's just you and me now!
Bane was in terrible shape.
It seemed he had been cut off from his undead power source; the "flesh armor" of countless zombies began peeling away from his body.
Even though that flesh wasn't originally his, Bane had fused and devoured the souls of those zombies to gain greater strength. Now, as all that flesh fell away, the pain was akin to being cut by a thousand blades.
"Argh!" Bane would never show weakness in front of Batman, but the excruciating pain forced him to tilt his head back.
Batman spoke in a low tone, "Surrender! I promise you'll receive a fair trial."
"A trial?" Bane's grotesque face twisted in contempt. "Locked in prison? Or sent to Arkham Asylum to rot with those second-rate fools? Don't even think about it!"
"..."
"I was born and raised in prison! Every day, I vowed I'd never go back once I got out! What do you know about me?" With that, Bane launched a charge.
He screamed in pain, his body erupting with loud noises.
Blood blisters formed and burst on his massive, swollen frame, and his body seemed on the verge of collapsing. Yet Bane, the iconic villain from the "Dark Knight" series, even when gravely injured, showed no signs of backing down. Instead, he became more ferocious, swinging a massive hand to grab Batman.
In the past, this move might have been hard for the Dark Knight to dodge.
Bane's enormous arm had a span of over four meters—swinging at someone was like a van coming straight at them.
Interestingly, Batman had been enhanced by a certain "loyal son."
He jumped vertically in place with incredible agility. Seeing that his jump height exceeded two meters, Batman immediately realized something had definitely changed within him.
But there was no time to think. Moving like a real bat, he gracefully spun in mid-air.
His wide cape fluttered around his muscular body, riding the fierce winds stirred up by Bane's huge hand, lifting him high into the sky.
Bane's attack struck nothing but air.
This was just the beginning. Batman noticed several spine-like structures embedded in Bane's giant body.
Swooping past, Batman yanked them all out. Under his immense strength, chunks of Bane's now-blackened flesh came out with the spines.
"Argh—!"
Bane's screams grew more desperate.
If shedding his own flesh felt like being cut by a thousand knives, then Batman pulling out the spines—other zombies' bones that served as his base—was a unique form of slow torture.
Like a fluttering butterfly, Batman circled the giant Bane, each pass tearing off large amounts of flesh.
After just a few rounds, Bane's external flesh finally fell away, revealing his true form.
Bane had originally stood over two meters tall, which was imposing by any standard.
But compared to his former three-story height, his current size seemed rather unimpressive.
The moment Bane's true body was exposed, Batman raised his hand. Over a dozen Batarangs flew from his grip, piercing Bane's hands and feet, pinning him firmly to the ground.
"Bane, it's over," Batman declared, retracting his cape and slowly descending onto a broken pillar to look down at Bane.
"Yes, it's over," Bane replied. At some point, his trapezoidal mask had fallen off, revealing a face covered in scars, with lips torn apart.
This was Bane in this life.
A tragedy from birth.
Batman seemed as if he wanted to say something but eventually held back.
He realized that the fire of Bane's life was fading fast.
The forbidden power wasn't something to be taken lightly. Without completing a secret pact with the Enchantress, Bane was doomed to never fully transform into an immortal hero.
Batman just stood there, silently watching as Bane's body withered away, turning from skin to muscle, to bone, and ultimately, to ash, disappearing from this world.
(End of Chapter)