American comics: What kind of evil intentions could Batman have?

Chapter 76 The Duel

Chapter 76 The Duel

No one in this world can predict everything.

Clouds and mist roll and ripple, and clear springs flow.

The development of everything in this world is like these, with an unpredictable and ever-changing trajectory.

A single change can have far-reaching consequences; variables bring forth new variables, and even Brainiac could not possibly calculate all the possibilities.

But Batman can.

Because Batman makes everyone believe he can do it, everyone will believe he can do it. So every time…

He really can do it, no matter how lucky he is.

And I am Batman.

But I'm not Batman.

I am Chen Tao, a time traveler, an imperfect mortal.

I guess Bruce Wayne too.

But Batman will always be perfect.

Therefore, what matters is not who the face behind that mask is, but that at this moment, that mask is here.

Batman is here!

I saw Bain yelling into the phone... His voice was lofty and distant, as if separated from my world by a thick film, seemingly unreal, yet also very close.

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and figure out how to get the stuff back! What? Your leader has been kidnapped? Who was captured? Birdman—zombie—caveman—"

I used an unplanned pawn to steal his trump card that he thought no one knew—although I still don't know how he found out where the Penguin hid the nuclear bomb, or whether someone was helping him behind the scenes, but none of that matters anymore.

Bain will never have the chance to use that nuclear bomb to intimidate anyone again.

I could hear the anger, disappointment, and frustration in that voice—the kind of anger Bain was supposed to inflict on me.

But now he is reaping the consequences of his own actions.

I can hardly believe I did it.

Bain is too focused on the Court of Owls, and he doesn't understand me at all. And I happen to understand him very well…

Click.

Bain hung up the phone.

He stared intently at Chen Tao, a raging fury condensing within his body before finally settling down.

"You're very good," he said. "You did a great job."

A green plant sprout suddenly burst through his flesh on the other side of his body, and drops of blood seeped from his skin. Then, his half of the body began to writhe unsettlingly.

Bain remained indifferent. His expression was obscured by the hood, and this sudden change lasted only half a second, making one wonder if they had simply imagined it.

He slowly backed away. He had decided to escape; he knew he could escape, and if he wanted to, no one could stop him, not even Batman in his current form.

This is not yet the best opportunity for a final showdown with Batman.

He was alone and utterly defeated, while his opponents were numerous and powerful.

So he slowly backed away. This backing away seemed to have happened many times before, when facing Batman.

The other person's figure slowly overlapped in Bane's eyes.

On the garbage mountain, in the slaughter swamp, right now.

He escaped in different ways, retreated in different ways, while Batman simply stood there, always.

I'm so unwilling to accept this.

But it doesn't matter. He's a patient hunter. This city belongs to Batman, and he has countless chances to fail, but if he wins just once... just once, the city will fall into his hands.

Even after failing so many times and being forced back by Batman time and time again, Bane never doubted that he could take over the city.

Even after failing so many times, he never doubted himself!

He repeatedly emphasized this to himself.

He said:

"We'll meet again, Batman. I am the necessary evil, Batman."

Chen Tao understood what Bain was saying:

In some philosophical theories, the state and social system are considered a necessary evil because they restrict absolute freedom. The system is essentially a suppression and constraint on individual freedom, a suppression, punishment and deterrence of individual evil, and it suppresses the bestial side of human nature.

But this power of the system is granted by the people, while Bane calls it a necessary evil, which on the surface is just finding a righteous reason for his evil deeds, as if his theory is no different from the Riddler's Dark Binding or the Joker's Bad Day.

But in reality, Bane's statement implies that he represents a just system and order—the kind of order he learned and became accustomed to in the prison where he was born, the kind of order found in a cruel world.

Therefore, for Bain, all his actions were not a challenge to the existing order, but a collision between one order and another.

He killed people, he stole nuclear weapons, he did all sorts of bad things, but he knew he was an orderly citizen, and he upheld his own set of rules.

But clearly, his necessary evil skipped the most important link of "being given power by the people," making him the most thorough dictator.

Chen Tao was speechless at how he had understood Bain's meaning and seen through the other party's true nature in just two short sentences.

Can a normal person really understand Bain's nonsensical and rambling words?

Maybe I'm not so normal either.

Chen Tao thought to himself.

He tried to turn his head away and pretend he didn't understand what Bane was saying at all, but his knowing look in that instant made it clear to Bane.

Bain's face, hidden behind the mask, broke into a wide smile.

But he soon stopped laughing.

"Yes, we will indeed meet very soon, much sooner than you can imagine, Bain."

Chen Tao said, "You heard what the person on the phone told you, right? Your three henchmen, the three who grew up with you and fought their way out of prison together, Birdman, Caveman, and Zombie."

"I've already arrested them all."

Bain's slow retreating motion stopped.

"So you understand now? The situation has changed, Bane, my brute-force enemy. I hope you understand... the balance of power has been reversed."

"There will never be another day when you can come and go as you please."

Chen Tao told him:

"Four days. Four days from now, I'll see you at Arkham Asylum. Hehehehehe..."

Chen Tao chuckled softly, "Don't worry, I'm definitely not some kind of villain without any moral boundaries. You know, you're the villain in the story, the kind of urban legend parents use to scare kids. I'm a righteous superhero, I wouldn't do something like killing someone."

The killer crocodile standing next to him tried hard to suppress the urge to roll his eyes, then suddenly shivered, turned his head sharply, and dared not look at Chen Tao anymore.

"If you hadn't come, I wouldn't have done anything particularly bad to them. After all, I'm not some kind of monster."

Chen Tao told Bain, "I'll just chop them up piece by piece. Have you heard of the Lhasa Pool? The Fountain of Youth? I assure you they'll never die."

"Of course, you can bring your army and men with you then, hmm?"

Those superstitious and blindly obedient criminals, simple-minded musclemen and killers—if you think they can be of any use, feel free to bring them all—if the presence of this cheerleading squad gives you even the slightest bit of confidence.

"Four days later?" Chen Tao asked.

Bain remained silent for a moment.

"Four days later."

He said.

(End of this chapter)