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Chapter 549: Batman vs. Superman
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
In Gotham City, an unconventional battle was fiercely unfolding.
Clad in his exoskeleton armor, Batman's figure appeared somewhat bulky and imposing, but he was full of intimidating power in the pouring rain. Every movement seemed a bit "sluggish," yet the pitch-black night couldn't hide the terrifying blue light glowing from within his steel cowl.
*Bang!* Batman smashed a heavy fist into Superman's face. Empowered by the new generation of his exoskeleton, his strength had already broken through two tons. This number wasn't high—nothing before Superman, who could lift millions of tons—but at this moment, Superman was unprecedentedly weak, his combat strength less than that of an adult human. The two tons of force instantly split open half of his face.
Struck by the heavy blow, Superman's face contorted at a terrible angle from the impact. A large patch of his skin instantly tore apart, splattering blood as his entire body was sent flying backward.
"Hah... hah..."
Rapid and difficult gasps, like a torn bellows, escaped from Clark's mouth. Superman lay prone on the ground, half his face smashed into a bloody mess. He was struggling to open his mouth wide, panting for air, breathing in the diminishing oxygen.
His eyes were wide as an unprecedented sense of weakness washed over him. All the cells in his body let out shrill screams, making his head buzz as his vision rapidly blurred.
Widespread cell death occurred. The cells that should have been brimming with energy comparable to a nuclear bomb had completely lost their vitality in just a few short seconds, turning into corpses.
"You are not a god, you never were! Mankind is!"
A cold gaze projected from Batman's ghastly blue electronic pupils. He began to walk, his pace quickening. His heavy body stomped on the ground, each step causing a small tremor.
"The people of Metropolis see you as a savior, but that doesn't mean you are their deity. In this world, humans are far more outstanding than you! You, a Kryptonian, an outsider! You couldn't save your homeworld, but humanity can save its own!"
Batman grabbed a corner of Superman's wide cape, easily hoisting him over his shoulder and slamming him down hard. Utterly powerless to resist, Superman was swung through the air and smashed into the ground with a boom.
*Pfft!*
Struggling to spit out another mouthful of blood, Clark's vision grew hazy. He felt like he was about to die.
For the first time, he was this close to death.
"Stop... Bruce... We need to talk," Clark forced out the words one by one, immediately taking deep gulps of air to keep from suffocating.
With a cold expression, Batman dragged Clark forward through the pouring rain. His glowing eyes were silently watching the vast amount of data displayed on the small screen before him, committing to memory every data fluctuation triggered by the armor's movements.
Giant raindrops fell from ten thousand meters high, smashing onto the ground, yet they only created splashes a mere few centimeters high.
When countless raindrops gathered, lightning flashed and thunder roared. A tsunami-like downpour cascaded, as if to destroy the entire world.
Batman looked up at the sky, then took out a set of specially made adamantium chains and wrapped them around Superman.
They should be able to bind this guardian of Metropolis.
"You told me to stop protecting Gotham, yet you command others to follow your will from on high. Do you know how nauseating that is?"
Batman placed a gun loaded with Kryptonite on the ground. The heavy armor made his every move seem strenuous, consuming a great deal of his stamina.
Coil by coil, Batman bound Superman tightly.
With every movement, he let out a heavy gasp.
Although this suit of armor was equipped with a power system and drive units, those were just auxiliary measures; it relied mainly on Batman's own operation. The intense battle had already consumed a huge amount of his physical strength and energy, not to mention the vast amount of rapidly changing data he needed to think about and process.
Compared to the armor, he trusted himself more. This was just like how he almost never used high-level artificial intelligence to directly assist him in combat.
In terms of technology, Batman was in no way inferior to Iron Man. It wouldn't be difficult at all for him to create a strong AI to rival Jarvis. With the right programming, it could help him solve all sorts of problems, whether in life or in battle.
But he didn't do so.
He couldn't trust something like artificial intelligence; he himself was more reliable. Therefore, he wasn't the least bit envious of Iron Man's highly intelligent armor; instead, he maintained a wait-and-see attitude.
Human will can conquer all—this was a truth Bruce firmly believed in.
Relying on artificial intelligence to solve problems? That was fine; the playboy from New York City did exactly that. But what if one day, even artificial intelligence could no longer be trusted?
You still had to rely on yourself.
Humankind is the greatest miracle, able to defeat any enemy, be they a deity or a devil.
At the same time, this scene was being secretly transmitted to multiple locations on Earth. Many people watched the unexpected footage, stunned into silence.
The mortal Batman had single-handedly taken down the mighty Superman. This outcome left them speechless.
"Aren't you going to stop them?" Pepper asked Tony.
Comfortably holding a glass of wine, Tony watched the blurry feed as if it were a blockbuster movie. "No need," he said. "They don't intend to kill each other. It's more of a... hmm, a brawl? Yes, that's it. A brawl sparked by a clash of ideals and egos. Once the fight is over, the problem will be solved."
"Then who should listen to whom in the end? In a conflict of ideals, one side has to win, right?"
"That's simple. Whoever wins proves their ideals are superior, and they're the one who should be listened to." Tony raised an eyebrow, appearing somewhat nonchalant, but in reality, he was on edge, closely monitoring the situation's development.
"Looks like that annoying fellow Bruce won... hmm, I take that back," Tony said.
...
After tying up Superman, Batman let out a long breath and slowly raised his head.
He met Superman's complex gaze.
A huge sense of crisis arose, jarring Batman's nerves. He quickly reached for the weapon beside him, but to a Clark who had already shaken off the effects of the Kryptonite gas, his speed was no different from a turtle's pace.
A long arm left a black afterimage in the rain. Before the shadow could even fade, the weapon was already in Superman's hand.
"Bruce, we need to talk." Superman took a long, deep breath. A massive amount of oxygen converged on him, creating a small hurricane that lasted for a brief second before vanishing.
Next came an exhalation that lasted for several seconds, creating a storm that blew away several abandoned houses.
This unprecedented feeling of replenishment made Clark feel alive again.
Batman's expression was incredibly grim. He had calculated Superman's efficiency at absorbing sunlight and estimated the kill rate of Kryptonite on Kryptonian cells—and don't forget, he also had the Doomsday virus stored in his utility belt, something even more advanced than Kryptonians themselves. This gave Batman a very deep understanding of the species.
But he had still made a miscalculation. Superman recovered far faster than he had anticipated.
Superman didn't attack immediately. Instead, he looked seriously at the stiff-faced Batman and said in a deep voice, "There's a problem with your method of protecting Gotham City. Cruel torture and killing will only lead to more revenge and hostility."
Batman replied coldly, "If I'm not ruthless, it will only lead to more crime."
Killing? That was something... he had started doing a long time ago.
(end of chapter)
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
In Gotham City, an unconventional battle was fiercely unfolding.
Clad in his exoskeleton armor, Batman's figure appeared somewhat bulky and imposing, but he was full of intimidating power in the pouring rain. Every movement seemed a bit "sluggish," yet the pitch-black night couldn't hide the terrifying blue light glowing from within his steel cowl.
*Bang!* Batman smashed a heavy fist into Superman's face. Empowered by the new generation of his exoskeleton, his strength had already broken through two tons. This number wasn't high—nothing before Superman, who could lift millions of tons—but at this moment, Superman was unprecedentedly weak, his combat strength less than that of an adult human. The two tons of force instantly split open half of his face.
Struck by the heavy blow, Superman's face contorted at a terrible angle from the impact. A large patch of his skin instantly tore apart, splattering blood as his entire body was sent flying backward.
"Hah... hah..."
Rapid and difficult gasps, like a torn bellows, escaped from Clark's mouth. Superman lay prone on the ground, half his face smashed into a bloody mess. He was struggling to open his mouth wide, panting for air, breathing in the diminishing oxygen.
His eyes were wide as an unprecedented sense of weakness washed over him. All the cells in his body let out shrill screams, making his head buzz as his vision rapidly blurred.
Widespread cell death occurred. The cells that should have been brimming with energy comparable to a nuclear bomb had completely lost their vitality in just a few short seconds, turning into corpses.
"You are not a god, you never were! Mankind is!"
A cold gaze projected from Batman's ghastly blue electronic pupils. He began to walk, his pace quickening. His heavy body stomped on the ground, each step causing a small tremor.
"The people of Metropolis see you as a savior, but that doesn't mean you are their deity. In this world, humans are far more outstanding than you! You, a Kryptonian, an outsider! You couldn't save your homeworld, but humanity can save its own!"
Batman grabbed a corner of Superman's wide cape, easily hoisting him over his shoulder and slamming him down hard. Utterly powerless to resist, Superman was swung through the air and smashed into the ground with a boom.
*Pfft!*
Struggling to spit out another mouthful of blood, Clark's vision grew hazy. He felt like he was about to die.
For the first time, he was this close to death.
"Stop... Bruce... We need to talk," Clark forced out the words one by one, immediately taking deep gulps of air to keep from suffocating.
With a cold expression, Batman dragged Clark forward through the pouring rain. His glowing eyes were silently watching the vast amount of data displayed on the small screen before him, committing to memory every data fluctuation triggered by the armor's movements.
Giant raindrops fell from ten thousand meters high, smashing onto the ground, yet they only created splashes a mere few centimeters high.
When countless raindrops gathered, lightning flashed and thunder roared. A tsunami-like downpour cascaded, as if to destroy the entire world.
Batman looked up at the sky, then took out a set of specially made adamantium chains and wrapped them around Superman.
They should be able to bind this guardian of Metropolis.
"You told me to stop protecting Gotham, yet you command others to follow your will from on high. Do you know how nauseating that is?"
Batman placed a gun loaded with Kryptonite on the ground. The heavy armor made his every move seem strenuous, consuming a great deal of his stamina.
Coil by coil, Batman bound Superman tightly.
With every movement, he let out a heavy gasp.
Although this suit of armor was equipped with a power system and drive units, those were just auxiliary measures; it relied mainly on Batman's own operation. The intense battle had already consumed a huge amount of his physical strength and energy, not to mention the vast amount of rapidly changing data he needed to think about and process.
Compared to the armor, he trusted himself more. This was just like how he almost never used high-level artificial intelligence to directly assist him in combat.
In terms of technology, Batman was in no way inferior to Iron Man. It wouldn't be difficult at all for him to create a strong AI to rival Jarvis. With the right programming, it could help him solve all sorts of problems, whether in life or in battle.
But he didn't do so.
He couldn't trust something like artificial intelligence; he himself was more reliable. Therefore, he wasn't the least bit envious of Iron Man's highly intelligent armor; instead, he maintained a wait-and-see attitude.
Human will can conquer all—this was a truth Bruce firmly believed in.
Relying on artificial intelligence to solve problems? That was fine; the playboy from New York City did exactly that. But what if one day, even artificial intelligence could no longer be trusted?
You still had to rely on yourself.
Humankind is the greatest miracle, able to defeat any enemy, be they a deity or a devil.
At the same time, this scene was being secretly transmitted to multiple locations on Earth. Many people watched the unexpected footage, stunned into silence.
The mortal Batman had single-handedly taken down the mighty Superman. This outcome left them speechless.
"Aren't you going to stop them?" Pepper asked Tony.
Comfortably holding a glass of wine, Tony watched the blurry feed as if it were a blockbuster movie. "No need," he said. "They don't intend to kill each other. It's more of a... hmm, a brawl? Yes, that's it. A brawl sparked by a clash of ideals and egos. Once the fight is over, the problem will be solved."
"Then who should listen to whom in the end? In a conflict of ideals, one side has to win, right?"
"That's simple. Whoever wins proves their ideals are superior, and they're the one who should be listened to." Tony raised an eyebrow, appearing somewhat nonchalant, but in reality, he was on edge, closely monitoring the situation's development.
"Looks like that annoying fellow Bruce won... hmm, I take that back," Tony said.
...
After tying up Superman, Batman let out a long breath and slowly raised his head.
He met Superman's complex gaze.
A huge sense of crisis arose, jarring Batman's nerves. He quickly reached for the weapon beside him, but to a Clark who had already shaken off the effects of the Kryptonite gas, his speed was no different from a turtle's pace.
A long arm left a black afterimage in the rain. Before the shadow could even fade, the weapon was already in Superman's hand.
"Bruce, we need to talk." Superman took a long, deep breath. A massive amount of oxygen converged on him, creating a small hurricane that lasted for a brief second before vanishing.
Next came an exhalation that lasted for several seconds, creating a storm that blew away several abandoned houses.
This unprecedented feeling of replenishment made Clark feel alive again.
Batman's expression was incredibly grim. He had calculated Superman's efficiency at absorbing sunlight and estimated the kill rate of Kryptonite on Kryptonian cells—and don't forget, he also had the Doomsday virus stored in his utility belt, something even more advanced than Kryptonians themselves. This gave Batman a very deep understanding of the species.
But he had still made a miscalculation. Superman recovered far faster than he had anticipated.
Superman didn't attack immediately. Instead, he looked seriously at the stiff-faced Batman and said in a deep voice, "There's a problem with your method of protecting Gotham City. Cruel torture and killing will only lead to more revenge and hostility."
Batman replied coldly, "If I'm not ruthless, it will only lead to more crime."
Killing? That was something... he had started doing a long time ago.
(end of chapter)
