Wayne Manor.
Batman was locked in a fierce struggle.
A master martial artist with expertise in 127 forms of combat, his physical abilities represented the peak of human potential—he could lift 800 pounds with ease, and all his physical attributes were at the highest level attainable by a normal human being.
However, faced with multiple highly trained assassins possessing powerful regenerative abilities, his movements were gradually slowed. He could knock them down repeatedly, but they kept getting back up, an unending wave that even someone of his stamina couldn't keep up with.
As a tactical genius, Batman was acutely aware of this. Recognizing the assassins' unique abilities, he constantly sought ways to escape the predicament. Finally, amid the relentless combat, a sudden idea struck him—he might have a way to turn the tide.
Kicking an advancing assassin hard into the wall, he spun around, putting the others behind him. Dodging their pursuit, he spoke into his communicator to Alfred on the other end, "Set the Batcave's temperature controls to the lowest possible setting."
If he could freeze these assassins before their regenerative abilities could fully restore them, would this unknown force still be able to heal them?
Alfred instantly understood the plan. But first, he needed to take care of a pressing problem of his own.
The white-haired gentleman turned his gaze toward the elevator entrance, where one assassin was violently attempting to force the doors open, the sound of metal wrenching and clanging filling the air. Although the materials used were solid, the assassin's attacks weren't random—he seemed to be using a strategy to weaken the structure, as the surveillance feed showed all too clearly. It wouldn't be long before the doors were breached.
Alfred decided against the idea of letting the assassin in for an ambush, as this might alert him before he entered the Batcave. Instead, Alfred opted to retract the outer layer of the door's protective barrier, allowing the assassin quicker access to hasten his overconfidence.
A faint rustling sound echoed in the hallway…
The bats clustered above the Batcave began to stir, growing increasingly restless as if something had disturbed them. Many were already flying back and forth in agitated patterns, seeming as though they were about to swarm.
The temperature in the cave dropped steadily. Following Batman's instructions, Alfred had lowered the Batcave's temperature to its minimum setting, which meant he couldn't stay much longer or risk freezing.
But before he could leave, he had one more matter to address.
The elder butler fixed his gaze on the elevator entrance, silently gripping his gun and a red button.
Bang!
The elevator doors burst apart, torn from their hinges, and a Talon assassin forced his way through, stooping to slip inside. Rage simmered within him, and he was already imagining dozens of ways to dismantle whoever had trapped him in the elevator.
But his visions of revenge evaporated in an instant.
As Alfred pressed the button, a flood of bats surged forward like a tidal wave, swarming the Talon and engulfing him in a split second!
Given the name "Batman," it only made sense that he would know precisely how to command his "kin."
The Talon, even with his near-immortal healing abilities, found it nearly impossible to fend off this assault. Killing all the bats surrounding him was out of the question, and as long as some remained, they continued their relentless attack. Killing only a handful at a time was futile.
Meanwhile, the temperature in the Batcave continued to plummet.
Alfred had already retreated toward an alternate exit. He had no intention of directly confronting the assassin—it was clear that his older bones wouldn't stand a chance against a professional killer. Thankfully, Batman, as meticulous as ever, had prepared for the possibility of intruders with a myriad of strategies, of which using the bats to defend the cave was merely one.
Seeing the bats beginning to falter in the cold, Alfred, who often fed them, decided to guide them to safety before stepping into the passage. Using sonic pulses to mimic bat sounds, he led them toward an exit—a tunnel leading outside, the same one a young Bruce had fallen through at age eight. The bats could easily escape this way.
Meanwhile, the Talon within the Batcave was in dire straits. Surrounded by thousands of bats, his regeneration was slowing under the unyielding onslaught. His healing, it seemed, wasn't immune to overuse.
This would surely count as a nightmare chapter in the Talon's career. His once-invincible abilities protected him from death but couldn't break him free from the swarm. He fell to the frost-covered floor, still alive but too weak to rise anytime soon.
With the last of the bats fleeing, they let up on their attack. If they lingered much longer, they too would freeze.
The bats swooped up and out, flowing in an orderly stream toward the distant sunlit tunnel, where they escaped into the waning light. They swarmed into the skies above Wayne Manor, casting a sweeping shadow over the landscape.
Luckily, Wayne Manor had no nearby neighbors.
Meanwhile, Batman entered the Batcave through a side stairwell. His breath condensed into a white mist in the icy air around him. Close on his heels were seven Talon assassins.
Batman knew he couldn't simply count on freezing these Talons solid; the cold would eventually take its toll on him as well. His plan was to quickly incapacitate them and use the frigid temperature to slow down their cellular regeneration, keeping their self-healing abilities at bay.
In extreme cold, all processes slow or halt—and their regenerative powers would be no exception.
With that thought, Batman pivoted sharply, landing a solid punch on the closest Talon, who slammed backward into the wall. Several white objects shot from the Talon's mouth, bouncing along the floor before coming to a stop.
Without pause, he engaged the next Talon, grabbing him and ruthlessly snapping both arms and one leg before hoisting him up as a battering ram to strike another Talon approaching him from behind. The force was so great that the impact sent both Talons flying against the wall.