"Koff—!"
In the end, Killer Croc couldn't withstand the brutal blows. His massive body collapsed onto the concrete with a heavy thud, making the ground tremble under his weight. Blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth, staining his teeth red as the fury in his half-open eyes began to fade.
Standing before the scene, Robin turned, still in a combat stance, his gaze fixed on the strange masked man who was now calmly wiping the blood from his hands.
"So, Batgirl, care to tell me who this guy is?" Robin asked, pointing to Garou as he cleaned Killer Croc's blood from his hands.
"His name is Garou," Batgirl answered without hesitation. "He's my… friend. And he's here to help us."
Robin stared at him for a moment. His vigilante instincts were on high alert, but something about Garou's demeanor stopped him from seeing him as a threat. Robin stepped forward and extended a friendly hand.
"Robin. Nice to meet you, man."
Garou raised his eyebrows beneath the mask and shook his hand firmly.
He wasn't the least bit bothered about someone else taking down his prey. With a cheerful smile, he greeted the masked man.
"Pleasure to meet you, Robin. Batgirl already said my name, but I guess it won't hurt to say it again. I'm Garou."
---
While Garou and Robin talked, elsewhere Batman was facing his own enemies: Joker and Bane.
"Hey there, Batman~" came a slow, deranged voice. The Joker was lazily leaning against a makeshift table, twirling a small remote in his fingers. "We meet again… and this time, I've got an explosive gift for you!"
With a gentle click...
BOOM!
A violent explosion shook the night sky. A building several blocks away was consumed by fire, collapsing like wet paper in a rain of burning debris.
"No!!" Batman surged forward, eyes wide. But before he could reach the Joker, a wall of muscle stepped between them.
"You have a date with me, Batman."
Bane removed his heavy coat, revealing the green tubes attached to his spine and neck. With a guttural roar, he activated the injection system. Venom surged through his body at full force, grotesquely inflating his muscles. His veins bulged, pulsing with a sickly green glow.
The Joker laughed maniacally as he skipped away.
"Let the grand show begin! Hahahahaha!"
Bane charged like a raging bull. Batman rolled to the side, barely avoiding the blow. The wall behind him was pulverized.
"If that's all you've got, I'm going to be disappointed…" Bane taunted, approaching slowly like a confident predator. Batman analyzed his movement, searching for openings, but something shifted.
CRASH!
The ceiling beside them burst open with a deafening roar. A figure descended like a missile from above.
It was Garou.
Dust barely had time to settle before every eye turned toward him. Bane recognized him from rumors—the man who had mercilessly torn through Black Mask's and Penguin's thugs. Batman, meanwhile, saw Robin and Batgirl behind him. The connection between them was clear.
"Wow, wow, wow~" The Joker smiled like an excited child. "The circus just got another clown. How thrilling!"
Without missing a beat, the Joker vanished into the shadows, cackling.
"Batman," Garou said bluntly. "Why don't you go after the Joker? I'll handle the Colombian Hulk over here."
Batman hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"Don't underestimate him."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
Without another word, Batman vanished into the darkness.
"Where the hell did you come from?!" Bane roared, furious at being ignored. He eyed the three standing before him. Killing them would be a heavy blow to Batman.
"You want a fight, right?" Garou said, raising his fists. "Then how about I be your opponent now?"
"Heh, you'll pay for interrupting my duel with Batman." Bane snarled and threw a titanic punch. Garou calmly raised his arm and blocked it. The impact sounded like metal slamming into metal.
Surprised, Bane threw another punch. Again, Garou blocked it effortlessly.
Frustrated, Bane lunged with a headbutt straight at Garou—but the result was a dry thunk. Bane staggered back, dizzy.
Garou tilted his head slightly.
"Your name's Bane, right? Wanna know the first thing I did when I got to Gotham?"
Bane scowled. "…What?"
"I'll show you."
In one swift motion, Garou grabbed Bane's wrist and—CRACK!—snapped his arm with a sharp twist.
"AAARRGGHH!"
The scream echoed like thunder. Before Bane could react, Garou spun and kicked him square in the chest, launching the villain into a wall with brutal force.
THOOM! The wall cracked. Dust rose. Bane was pinned against it, gasping for breath.
But it wasn't over.
"I'LL KILL YOU!!"
Bane screamed and cranked the Venom system to maximum. Green gas hissed out in bursts. His muscles swelled grotesquely, tearing through parts of his suit. His eyes glowed a neon green, filled with rage.
Now nearly three meters tall, he looked like a warped version of a titan.
"Aah~," Bane exhaled a burst of green gas, his glowing eyes shining with a twisted light. After this fight, his body might not survive even short-term Venom use.
Robin took a step back and swallowed hard.
"This is completely out of control. That guy's gone totally insane."
Batgirl nodded.
"You're right. We can't face him head-on, but we can support Garou. Let's flank and keep him distracted."
"Got it."
The two began moving to the sides, trying to divert the monster's attention.
Garou, however, stood firm, eyes gleaming behind his mask.
(Ah, yes… this is what I was looking for.)
He lowered his stance, muscles flexing.
(That reminded me of Tai Lung's line…) he thought with a silent grin.
---
(End of chapter)
I am back my loyal subjects, I was on a trip to literally the other side of the country to solve some issues and I forgot to let you know here hahaha
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."