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Chapter 96: Do You Bleed? (1)
In the downpour, two figures stood thirty meters apart, like opposing poles, the coldness in their gazes impossible to conceal.
The rain poured down in sheets, countless heavy drops hammering against their bodies, yet failing to make them waver in the slightest.
"Tell me, Tony... do you bleed?" Batman's hoarse voice emanated from within the Armored Batsuit.
Tony's gaze was cold. He had envisioned many possibilities in his mind, but now that he was truly facing this Dark Knight, he couldn't help but feel a sense of... regret and anger. This was a conflict of ideologies. One saw himself as a Superhero, unable to tolerate watching weak civilians fight for their lives; the other saw himself as a guide. Tony would rather watch many people die to let ordinary people learn to fight with their own two hands.
The two, locked in a head-to-head confrontation and unwilling to compromise, had finally come to stand on opposing sides.
"A type of Exoskeleton Armor... I didn't expect you to be able to build one already." Tony looked at the Armored Batman across from him—over two meters tall and completely sealed—feeling a mix of surprise and understanding.
Exoskeleton Armor, simply put, was a metal suit that adhered closely to the human body's surface. Many organizations had conceptualized such technology.
And this particular suit of Batman's, also known as power armor, was the most famous and frequently deployed of the six renowned super-armors he would one day possess. Due to its design principles, this type of Exoskeleton Armor could have several variations with minor differences, allowing for subtle adjustments when facing different enemies.
Batman's suit had another well-known name—the Anti-Superman Armor.
"Of course I bleed, but the one to make me bleed can't be you. Bruce, you can't possibly beat me with just this kind of Armor."
Tony slowly walked forward. In the cold weather, he wore only a simple single layer of clothing, which, soaked by the rain, revealed the chiseled muscles beneath.
"How could you know I..." The Armored Batman also took a step, each one incredibly heavy, producing a crisp metallic clang as it struck the newly paved ground.
"A lot of people know; they just don't say it. You only appear in Gotham City, you have an endless supply of new equipment and weapons, and you possess superb combat and stealth skills. Even with Gotham City's large population, when you consider who has money, power, and has learned various fighting techniques, and add in the League of Shadows attack on Gotham City last year... it all points to you, Bruce Wayne, the noble scion who mysteriously disappeared in the Far East for several years."
"It's not just me. A man like the Joker could guess it too, not to mention an organization like S.H.I.E.L.D. A lot of people know, they just don't talk about it. It would spoil the fun. As the owner of Wayne Enterprises, such a behemoth, The Authorities can't even think of touching you, so they just play dumb." Hearing those heavy footsteps, Tony's eyes narrowed slightly, but he kept his composure.
The Armored Batman continued his methodical advance, unshaken even after hearing such news. Each step was as precise as a Robot's, without a hint of deviation.
"Even so, I will arrest you... This has nothing to do with me being Bruce. It only has to do with Batman, and it only has to do with Gotham City," Batman said, his voice hoarse. "You just parted ways with those poor citizens. Seeing their terrible lives, don't you have anything to say? Does your heart not feel a shred of remorse?!"
Batman began to run, his pace growing faster, his footsteps heavier.
"I gave them a choice! They were the ones who refused to passively accept help! They were the ones who decided to stand up and resist! Bruce, in your year-plus career as a Superhero, you've saved many people, but you can only give them a Spark. After it burns, nothing is left. But I am teaching them how to make fire! The method is crude, but every step is built on solid ground!"
Tony also quickened his pace, eventually breaking into a run. In the last few meters, his entire body shot forward like a bolt of lightning, crashing toward Batman at incredible speed!
The two figures, one large and one small, slammed violently into each other! A deafening crash echoed out, but it was quickly swallowed by the sound of the torrential rain. Tony and Batman both threw out an arm, exchanging a blow without a hint of retreat!
Bang!
The result was Tony being sent flying back a dozen meters! He caught himself with one hand on the ground, carving a long trench in the rain-slicked surface, which was quickly filled by the water on either side.
Such immense power...
Tony's left arm had already been covered by a thin layer of armor, but he was still at a disadvantage in the head-on clash with the Armored Batman. He felt his left arm, which was aching slightly from the impact, through the metal layer, his brow unknowingly furrowed.
"What immense strength. My own strength has reached 1,300 jin, which is over half a ton, but based on that exchange, I was completely overpowered... The strength index of this Exoskeleton Armor must be at least two tons to start. And when we made contact just now, the material of this Armor was clearly..." Tony rapidly calculated in his mind, beginning to take this Armor seriously.
Admittedly, at first, Tony had somewhat underestimated Batman. He had originally thought Batman might use some other means, even wondering if Batman would go all-in and build a group of Robots imitating his Transformers to fight him.
But he hadn't expected this Exoskeleton Armor. He wasn't like Superman, who had a fatal weakness like Kryptonite, nor did he seem to have Superman's near-negative resistance to Magic, where a few powerful offensive spells could take him down cleanly.
But at that moment of contact, Tony understood something and abruptly changed his mind. Batman was truly Batman; he had considered every angle.
The suit was an Exoskeleton Armor, true, but its material was incredibly special—so special that it made Tony, who always saw himself as dirt-poor, green with envy, wishing he could snatch it for his own use.
Tony was genuinely drooling over this Armored Suit.
"Vibranium and Adamantium... Bruce, you're actually extravagant enough to use Vibranium and a small amount of Adamantium for the main parts of your Exoskeleton Armor. No wonder my Allspark Energy can't penetrate it, and no wonder you dare to face me head-on..." Tony's expression changed slightly, but that was all. This Armor was too cumbersome; with a little time, Tony could find its weak joints and dismantle it himself.
Besides, if he could snatch this Armor, damn, he'd have struck it rich. How much would this thing be worth...
"I know everything about you. Even if you deploy your Transformers on a massive scale, it will be useless. Tonight, you won't escape even if you sprout wings. I will send you to prison and personally build you an indestructible cage. You will repent for the innocent citizens who died."
Under the glow of the night lights, Bruce raised his head, the eye-slits of the Armor glowing with an ever-brightening light.
(end of chapter)
In the downpour, two figures stood thirty meters apart, like opposing poles, the coldness in their gazes impossible to conceal.
The rain poured down in sheets, countless heavy drops hammering against their bodies, yet failing to make them waver in the slightest.
"Tell me, Tony... do you bleed?" Batman's hoarse voice emanated from within the Armored Batsuit.
Tony's gaze was cold. He had envisioned many possibilities in his mind, but now that he was truly facing this Dark Knight, he couldn't help but feel a sense of... regret and anger. This was a conflict of ideologies. One saw himself as a Superhero, unable to tolerate watching weak civilians fight for their lives; the other saw himself as a guide. Tony would rather watch many people die to let ordinary people learn to fight with their own two hands.
The two, locked in a head-to-head confrontation and unwilling to compromise, had finally come to stand on opposing sides.
"A type of Exoskeleton Armor... I didn't expect you to be able to build one already." Tony looked at the Armored Batman across from him—over two meters tall and completely sealed—feeling a mix of surprise and understanding.
Exoskeleton Armor, simply put, was a metal suit that adhered closely to the human body's surface. Many organizations had conceptualized such technology.
And this particular suit of Batman's, also known as power armor, was the most famous and frequently deployed of the six renowned super-armors he would one day possess. Due to its design principles, this type of Exoskeleton Armor could have several variations with minor differences, allowing for subtle adjustments when facing different enemies.
Batman's suit had another well-known name—the Anti-Superman Armor.
"Of course I bleed, but the one to make me bleed can't be you. Bruce, you can't possibly beat me with just this kind of Armor."
Tony slowly walked forward. In the cold weather, he wore only a simple single layer of clothing, which, soaked by the rain, revealed the chiseled muscles beneath.
"How could you know I..." The Armored Batman also took a step, each one incredibly heavy, producing a crisp metallic clang as it struck the newly paved ground.
"A lot of people know; they just don't say it. You only appear in Gotham City, you have an endless supply of new equipment and weapons, and you possess superb combat and stealth skills. Even with Gotham City's large population, when you consider who has money, power, and has learned various fighting techniques, and add in the League of Shadows attack on Gotham City last year... it all points to you, Bruce Wayne, the noble scion who mysteriously disappeared in the Far East for several years."
"It's not just me. A man like the Joker could guess it too, not to mention an organization like S.H.I.E.L.D. A lot of people know, they just don't talk about it. It would spoil the fun. As the owner of Wayne Enterprises, such a behemoth, The Authorities can't even think of touching you, so they just play dumb." Hearing those heavy footsteps, Tony's eyes narrowed slightly, but he kept his composure.
The Armored Batman continued his methodical advance, unshaken even after hearing such news. Each step was as precise as a Robot's, without a hint of deviation.
"Even so, I will arrest you... This has nothing to do with me being Bruce. It only has to do with Batman, and it only has to do with Gotham City," Batman said, his voice hoarse. "You just parted ways with those poor citizens. Seeing their terrible lives, don't you have anything to say? Does your heart not feel a shred of remorse?!"
Batman began to run, his pace growing faster, his footsteps heavier.
"I gave them a choice! They were the ones who refused to passively accept help! They were the ones who decided to stand up and resist! Bruce, in your year-plus career as a Superhero, you've saved many people, but you can only give them a Spark. After it burns, nothing is left. But I am teaching them how to make fire! The method is crude, but every step is built on solid ground!"
Tony also quickened his pace, eventually breaking into a run. In the last few meters, his entire body shot forward like a bolt of lightning, crashing toward Batman at incredible speed!
The two figures, one large and one small, slammed violently into each other! A deafening crash echoed out, but it was quickly swallowed by the sound of the torrential rain. Tony and Batman both threw out an arm, exchanging a blow without a hint of retreat!
Bang!
The result was Tony being sent flying back a dozen meters! He caught himself with one hand on the ground, carving a long trench in the rain-slicked surface, which was quickly filled by the water on either side.
Such immense power...
Tony's left arm had already been covered by a thin layer of armor, but he was still at a disadvantage in the head-on clash with the Armored Batman. He felt his left arm, which was aching slightly from the impact, through the metal layer, his brow unknowingly furrowed.
"What immense strength. My own strength has reached 1,300 jin, which is over half a ton, but based on that exchange, I was completely overpowered... The strength index of this Exoskeleton Armor must be at least two tons to start. And when we made contact just now, the material of this Armor was clearly..." Tony rapidly calculated in his mind, beginning to take this Armor seriously.
Admittedly, at first, Tony had somewhat underestimated Batman. He had originally thought Batman might use some other means, even wondering if Batman would go all-in and build a group of Robots imitating his Transformers to fight him.
But he hadn't expected this Exoskeleton Armor. He wasn't like Superman, who had a fatal weakness like Kryptonite, nor did he seem to have Superman's near-negative resistance to Magic, where a few powerful offensive spells could take him down cleanly.
But at that moment of contact, Tony understood something and abruptly changed his mind. Batman was truly Batman; he had considered every angle.
The suit was an Exoskeleton Armor, true, but its material was incredibly special—so special that it made Tony, who always saw himself as dirt-poor, green with envy, wishing he could snatch it for his own use.
Tony was genuinely drooling over this Armored Suit.
"Vibranium and Adamantium... Bruce, you're actually extravagant enough to use Vibranium and a small amount of Adamantium for the main parts of your Exoskeleton Armor. No wonder my Allspark Energy can't penetrate it, and no wonder you dare to face me head-on..." Tony's expression changed slightly, but that was all. This Armor was too cumbersome; with a little time, Tony could find its weak joints and dismantle it himself.
Besides, if he could snatch this Armor, damn, he'd have struck it rich. How much would this thing be worth...
"I know everything about you. Even if you deploy your Transformers on a massive scale, it will be useless. Tonight, you won't escape even if you sprout wings. I will send you to prison and personally build you an indestructible cage. You will repent for the innocent citizens who died."
Under the glow of the night lights, Bruce raised his head, the eye-slits of the Armor glowing with an ever-brightening light.
(end of chapter)
