RoleplayNovel Chapter 143 Collapse
Chapter 143 Collapse
Chapter 143 Collapse
He was deliberately wearing down Bane's stamina, gradually amplifying the devastating backlash from the potion, using the calmest tactics to defeat the most ferocious enemy.
This was not a simple contest of force, but a crushing defeat of wits, and an ultimate showdown of wills. Bruce's will was far stronger than Bane had imagined.
Bain gradually fell into a disadvantageous position, his movements became clumsy and awkward, and his roars were in vain. He became more and more passive, and his former arrogance had long since disappeared.
Every punch he threw was easily dodged by Bruce, and every counterattack was precisely neutralized. His pride in his strength seemed so laughable in the face of Bruce's wisdom.
The invincible aura that once broke Batman's spine has long since vanished, leaving only a desperate madness and resentment. He simply cannot understand how he could be suppressed by Bruce, who has risen again.
Li Wei's tense nerves slowly relaxed. Victory was within reach, almost within arm's reach. The liberation of Gotham was just around the corner.
Bruce seized the fatal opening when Bane's punch missed, and slammed his elbow heavily into the nerve in Bane's shoulder and neck, precise and powerful, without the slightest deviation.
Bain groaned, staggered, lost his balance, and could no longer maintain his standing posture, his body falling forward uncontrollably.
This is the decisive weakness; just one more blow will completely subdue Bane and end this months-long reign of darkness.
Bruce leaps forward, ready to end this long and painful catastrophe, restore freedom to Gotham, give hope to the people, and complete this long-overdue redemption.
Li Wei clenched his fists, held his breath, and quietly waited for the final moment to arrive. He had even begun to imagine what Gotham would look like after it regained its light.
But at this critical moment, Bane suddenly threw his head back and burst into wild laughter. His laughter was shrill, manic, and full of desperate malice, piercing the deathly silence of the rooftop like a sharp blade.
There was no frustration of defeat in that laughter, only the madness of mutual destruction, which made Li Wei's heart sink, and that unease instantly reached its peak.
"Want to beat me? Not so easy! I'll drag the whole of Gotham down with me! I'll make them all pay with their lives!"
Bane suddenly looked down, staring at the tiny button hidden under the black panel on his waist. It was his ultimate weapon, which he had kept hidden for months, the death switch to destroy Gotham.
It was an inconspicuous but deadly switch, big enough to destroy an entire city. It was only the size of a fingernail and was tightly covered by a protective plate, never being discovered by anyone.
Before anyone could react, he used the last of his strength to press the button hard, his fingertips turning white from the force, his eyes filled with a destructive pleasure.
"You'll all be buried with me! Batman! Gotham! Everyone! I'll send you all to hell, where you'll never see the light of day again!"
A sharp red alarm instantly tore through the air, its piercing sound like a death knell echoing across the entire rooftop. The red warning lights flashed wildly, turning the rooftop a blood-red hue.
Beep beep beep—
The alarms were cold, mechanical, and devoid of any emotion; each blast knocked on the door of death, each blast pushed Gotham toward the abyss of destruction.
The giant electronic screen in the center of the rooftop suddenly lit up, its scarlet light so bright it was blinding; it was the color of death, a symbol of despair.
Lines of cold white text danced on the screen, shocking and chilling, making one's blood feel completely frozen at that moment.
[Gotham's underground strategic nuclear facility: activated]
[Countdown to Explosion: 10:00]
[Lethality Range: The entire city of Gotham]
[Status: Cannot be paused, cannot be canceled, cannot be removed]
The bright red numbers on the screen jumped wildly, devouring the lives of everyone in the city every second, and with each jump, they brought the city one step closer to destruction.
10:00
9:59
9:58
Time is slipping away at the cost of lives, leaving no room for retreat and with no possibility of turning it back.
The rooftop fell into dead silence instantly. Even the howling wind seemed to freeze completely. Everyone stood frozen in place, bewildered by this sudden and devastating disaster.
Catwoman's expression changed drastically. Her once lively eyes were now filled with shock and disbelief. She froze, her claws slowly retracting from her fingertips, her mind going completely blank.
Robin's pupils contracted sharply, and he froze on the spot. For the first time, the boy's face showed such panic and helplessness, and his hand holding the short stick trembled uncontrollably.
Li Wei's heart suddenly stopped, his blood froze completely, and a bone-chilling cold permeated his limbs. His mind went blank, leaving only the word "nuclear bomb".
Nuclear bomb.
Beneath Gotham City lies a strategic nuclear bomb capable of completely obliterating the entire city—a terrifying weapon capable of instantly turning millions to ashes.
From the very beginning, Bane never intended to escape unscathed, nor did he ever think of ruling Gotham. His goal, from start to finish, was destruction.
His ultimate plan was not revenge, nor conquest, but to drag everyone down with him and make Gotham disappear from the world completely.
Destroy everything Batman stood for, crush all hope and light in Gotham, and turn this city that symbolized hope into utter ruins.
Let this city, all its people, and all its rebels be reduced to ashes and dust, so that Batman may live forever in the agony of losing everything.
This madman, this demon, truly succeeded, binding the entire city to a death train, leaving no one a way out.
Li Wei's mind went blank for a moment, then was filled with extreme calm as he rapidly thought of a way to break the deadlock. He couldn't give up like this; he couldn't let Gotham be destroyed.
"See that? This is my trump card! My ultimate revenge! This is my gift to Gotham, and to you!"
Bain laughed maniacally, tears streaming down his face, appearing completely irrational. He had finally achieved his goal and was about to destroy all hope.
"The city you protected will soon be reduced to ashes! The people you cared about will soon turn to dust! Everything you upheld will be lost!"
"You won the battle, but you lost everything! This is the consequence of upholding justice! This is the price you pay for believing in hope!"
Bruce's eyes were icy cold, and the pressure around him plummeted to rock bottom, as if the air around him was about to freeze. He never expected that Bane would be so insane.
He held back, lunging at Bane to forcibly seize the deactivation device and stop the destruction, determined to protect Gotham even at the cost of his life.
"stop!"
His deep roar concealed an unprecedented anxiety and rage; this was a loss of composure he had never displayed before. This man almost never lost his composure, but at this moment, he panicked.
Bane had gone mad, struggling desperately to resist, using his hands and feet like a dying beast, disregarding everything, wanting to see Gotham destroyed and Batman despair.
The two instantly began to wrestle, the muffled thuds of their fists colliding echoing across the empty rooftop, shaking the very soul. Each collision carried the ferocity of a life-or-death struggle.
Bruce's attacks were all deadly; he only wanted to suppress his opponent as quickly as possible and end this insane plan of destruction. Every punch he threw was delivered with all his might.
But in that life-or-death moment, an unexpected event suddenly occurred, shattering the entire situation and plunging what was on the verge of victory into the abyss.
The old injury has recurred.
A piercing, excruciating pain shot through his spine, rapidly coursing through his body like a thousand steel needles piercing him—the pain from the injury Bane had inflicted, now erupting completely.
The old injury that Bane had broken had completely recurred during the strenuous exercise, causing excruciating pain that made Bruce freeze and freeze in place.
Bruce's body swayed suddenly, his movements froze for a moment, and his attack was interrupted instantly. This brief pause was enough to decide life and death, enough to destroy everything.
That one moment could be fatal.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Bane shoved Bruce away with both arms and broke free with all his might. His strength surged again under the crazy boost.
Bruce staggered backward, his steps unsteady and weak, and finally fell heavily to the ground with a dull thud. His suit scraped against the ground, leaving shallow marks.
Even with the mask on, Li Wei could clearly feel Bruce's pain and helplessness. His heart sank; he knew Bruce couldn't hold on any longer.
His old injuries recurred, and his combat effectiveness was greatly reduced.
The victory that was within their grasp collapsed in an instant, the situation reversed, and what was once a sure win became a hopeless predicament of certain death.
The situation, overwhelmingly, plunged into a deadly abyss with no room for maneuver. Everyone was trapped on the rooftop, awaiting destruction.
The countdown continues relentlessly, each second bringing death ever closer. There is no way to stop it, no force to halt it.
9:01
9:00
8:59
Each jump felt like a heavy hammer blow to Li Wei's heart, making it hard for him to breathe and almost suffocating him.
Bane laughed maniacally as he retreated, moving away from Bruce's attack range. He was ecstatic; he had won, and he was finally going to see Gotham destroyed.
He patted the button device on his waist, his eyes filled with destructive pleasure and madness, like a demon watching the world collapse.
"See? Even the heavens are on my side! Your wounds will never heal! You can never truly defeat me!"
"You can't stop me, and you can't stop the nuclear bomb! The countdown is still going on, Gotham is doomed! Everyone is going to die!"
'
Despite the excruciating pain, Bruce braced himself with his hands on the ground, struggling to stand up again. He couldn't give up; Gotham was still waiting for him, and the people were still waiting for him.
But with each exertion, the excruciating pain in his spine intensified, and cold sweat instantly soaked through his black battle suit, sliding down his cheeks and dripping onto the ground.
He struggled three times but failed to stand up straight. He could only kneel on one knee, panting heavily. The once invincible Dark Knight was now so vulnerable that it was heartbreaking.
The once invincible Dark Knight is now heartbreakingly vulnerable; the Batman who would never fall is now trapped by pain.
Catwoman and Robin reacted immediately, rushing towards Bane to try and hold him back, determined not to give up even if there was only a sliver of hope.
"Bruce! You rest first! We'll stop him! Even if it costs us our lives, we won't let him get any closer to the button!"
The catwoman's voice was urgent, her sharp claws flashing coldly as she charged forward without hesitation. Her figure was petite, but she possessed courage that rivaled anyone else's.
Robin gripped his short stick tightly, his eyes resolute. Knowing the disparity in strength, he did not back down an inch. The boy's spine was as straight as a pine tree.
But at this moment, Bane, empowered by both madness and the drug, had his power surge to its limit, making him an existence they could no longer contend with.
Faced with the two attacking him from both sides, he casually threw a punch, easily repelling them. The force was as heavy as a mountain and impossible to resist.
Catwoman was struck by the force of the punch and stumbled against the railing. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, her face was pale, and she felt a sharp pain in her ribs that almost made her suffocate.
Robin was sent flying and crashed heavily to the ground. His short stick slipped from his hand, and he was in excruciating pain, unable to get up. The boy's body simply could not withstand such a heavy blow.
The two struggled to get up again, but they had lost the strength to fight. They could only lie helplessly on the ground, watching Bain laugh maniacally.
On the rooftop, only the crazed Bane and the vigilant Levi remained standing; everyone else had lost the ability to stop the destruction.
Bruce knelt on one knee, his old injury throbbing with pain, unable to fight any longer. Even standing was a luxury. His eyes were filled with resentment and despair.
With Neferpitou and Robin injured and unable to restrain Bane, they completely lost their ability to stop him, and a sense of despair spread across the rooftop.
The countdown has reached 5:00. These are the final five minutes of life and death. In five minutes, everything will be gone.
5:00
4:59
4:58
In the final five minutes, the entire city was wiped out, life and death hung in the balance, there was no way out, no chance of survival.
Li Wei stared at Batman lying on the ground, at Bane grinning, at the red text flashing on the screen, countless images flashing through his mind.
Countless images flashed through his mind—all the perseverance, all the sacrifices, all the expectations, all the hopes. Those images were the entire meaning of his persistence.
The people of Gotham are still waiting in the streets for victory, for light, for Batman to bring hope and peace. Little do they know that death has already come to their side.
Unbeknownst to them, death had already raised its scythe, and in five minutes, everything would be reduced to nothingness—their home, their loved ones, everything they owned would vanish.
Bruce struggled to lift his head, looking at the screen, then at Levi, his eyes filled with resentment and entrustment—his last hope, his last entrustment.
That was an expression Li Wei had never seen before—despair, pain, yet hiding a final trust and expectation; it was a look in his eyes that entrusted everything to him.
Levi's heart was pierced at that moment, the pain making it hard to breathe. He couldn't accept the destruction of Gotham, he couldn't accept the despair in Bruce's eyes.
He couldn't let Gotham be destroyed, he couldn't let Bruce's perseverance be in vain, he couldn't let everyone's efforts go to waste; he had to do something.
A crazy but only feasible plan instantly took shape in his mind. Without the slightest hesitation or retreat, he was determined to do it, even at the cost of his life.
The nuclear bomb was transported away.
Gotham City is densely populated, making it impossible to dismantle the bomb on-site or deactivate the detonation procedure. Any method of on-site disposal would be a dead end.
The only way to survive is to send the nuclear bomb to the deserted outskirts of Gotham and detonate it in an empty place, sacrificing the city to save its life.
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