Chapter 375: Batman's Fighting Style
The Encounter on the Rooftops
As the heir to the Wayne fortune, Bruce controlled the world's largest private enterprise. If he wanted to, he could achieve almost anything.
Just like with the power armor, simply by studying the template provided by Luke, he had deciphered all its secrets. He innovated upon the original design, creating and developing his own custom Batsuit optimized for night combat.
Of course, some techniques were indeed borrowed from Tesla's patents, but the majority were innovations by Wayne Enterprises and Bruce himself. The fully upgraded Batsuit was slightly inferior to the MAX in performance but possessed superior flexibility, stealth, and low-altitude gliding capabilities that the MAX lacked.
Bruce trailed the three black armored figures like a phantom. When he realized their target was the police station, he immediately accelerated.
Beneath the night sky, the black cape flapped loudly. Accompanied by the sound of his grappling gun, a dark shadow abruptly appeared in front of the three.
"Batman!"
A tense voice echoed around them. The three figures stood ready, their hands unconsciously clenched. Arcs of light spilled from their fingertips, developing into crackling electrical pulses.
Blue energy radiated outward, forming a faint energy field. It looked thin but possessed extremely powerful magnetic defense and could reduce damage from energy weapons like fire, frost, and lightning.
Bruce's face was grim. He stared intently at his opponents. Over the past two days, through the Wayne family's contacts at the Department of Defense, he had obtained the full parameters of the MAX military power armor and understood the existence of the backdoor and the defense system.
The MAX used a dedicated user system, with control firmly held by the White House. Only experienced, highly combat-effective field agents were qualified to use it. The first step in activating the armor was defense system authentication. Only upon approval were combat functions like the energy field, electrical pulse, and electromagnetic blast unlocked.
The armor before him was clearly running at full power, completely different from the one he faced the other night. This meant the Court of Owls had successfully breached the MAX firewall and gained full control.
"Damn it!" Bruce cursed under his breath, driving through the air and leaping into the sky.
Boom!
An electromagnetic pulse exploded beneath his feet. The shockwave, mixed with electrical currents, swept out like a hurricane.
The loyalist soldier, having missed its attack, followed up with a punch to Bruce's face. Before the fist could connect, the crackling sound of electricity was already ringing in Bruce's ears.
Bruce's expression remained unchanged. He kicked sharply off a wall, drifting to the left. Dodging and retreating, he reached the edge of the rooftop, then suddenly flung his cape open. The black fabric billowed forward, obscuring a large swath of the soldier's vision.
"Watch out behind you!"
A warning from his companion rang in the soldier's ear. Startled, the soldier took a heavy blow to the back. The force was so immense that he was shoved into the air, over the eaves, and fell from the fifteen-story building.
The MAX did not have propulsion jets, meaning the soldier in mid-air could only watch the sky disappear in despair.
Bang!
The sound of a heavy object hitting the ground came from below. A complex emotion flashed in Bruce's eyes, then settled into silence. The performance of the MAX was too formidable; if he didn't use all his strength, he might be the one lying on the ground.
Whether that man lived or died was now up to fate.
The fate of their comrade shocked and angered the remaining two loyalist soldiers. They had assumed they were invincible in the power armor, but Batman had taught them a lesson before they could even strike.
"Take off the armor and leave now. I'll pretend this never happened," Bruce growled, his voice full of menace. "If you refuse, then pray you don't fall to your death."
The two soldiers exchanged looks and attacked simultaneously from the left and right.
Bruce threw his arms wide. Metal blades sprung from his gauntlets, and he charged toward them. His speed was noticeably faster than theirs, and his body was more agile. The moment one soldier extended a punch, he was stabbed in the chest.
The soldier roared, clenching his fists and smashing them forward heavily.
Rumble!
A chimney was shattered by the electricity-wrapped fists. Dodging the fatal blow, Batman rolled backward, then jumped up like an ape, throwing a grenade in mid-air.
The grenade exploded, and a white flash rushed toward them, illuminating the surroundings like daylight. The two soldiers' eyes were scorched by the light. Their vision was completely white; they couldn't see anything.
Bruce dashed forward like a shadow, striking one soldier with an uppercut that sent him flying. He wrapped his arms around the soldier's waist, smashed through a protective wall, and leaped off the fifteen-story building.
A cry of despair echoed in the night before quickly falling silent.
Using his grappling gun to return to the rooftop, Bruce stared expressionlessly at the last remaining man, the coldness in his eyes chilling.
"Take off the armor if you want to live."
The soldier roared, charging forward recklessly.
A New Warning
Ten minutes later, four police cars appeared at the street below. After investigating the scene, Jim Gordon walked into a nearby alley to smoke. Soon, a familiar voice came from behind him.
"Did he survive?"
Jim nodded. "He survived, thankfully, because of the power armor. Otherwise, he'd be dead."
Bruce was visibly relieved for some inexplicable reason.
"Their target was the police station, likely you," he paused, adding, "Just like the night three days ago."
Jim Gordon rubbed his temples, his fatigue evident.
"There's something I need to tell you. The Court of Owls has already breached the MAX military power armor's defense system. They will launch a full-scale operation tonight or tomorrow night."
"Where did you get this information?"
"It was Luke Shaw. He told me himself. The whole situation is bizarre. I still can't figure out what his relationship is with the Court of Owls."
Jim Gordon took several drags from his cigarette, then continued. "I suspect he's maintaining some kind of link with the hijacked power armor, maybe even able to locate them via GPS."
"Are you sure?"
Jim Gordon slowly shook his head. "It's all speculation without proof."
Bruce was silent for a moment, then suddenly said,
"Perhaps he's waiting for you to make the first move."
Jim Gordon froze. Remembering their previous conversation, he felt a moment of sudden clarity.
Bruce stepped out of the shadow, standing in the moonlight.
"You can call him, but be careful not to let him lead you by the nose."
"Understood." Jim Gordon let out a deep breath. "Is there anything you need me to do?"
"I need to take one of the power armor suits."
"No problem. A police car will drive west shortly; the power armor is in the trunk."
Just then, a frantic voice crackled over the radio.
"Commissioner, bad news! Something's happening at the station!"
Before he could respond, his phone buzzed. It was Harvey Dent. Jim turned off his radio and answered the call.
"What is it?"
"I just received confirmation. The Owls are going out in force tonight to launch another Night of Vengeance. Both our names are on their target list."
"Be careful, Jim. Don't get yourself killed."
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