Page 168 - Musings 2022
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Mercenaries look down on him from above. Catwoman turns.
Catwoman: I had to find a way to stop them trying to kill me.
Batman: You’ve made a serious mistake.
Bane: Not as serious as yours, I fear.
Batman turns. Bane emerges from behind the waterfalls.
Batman: Bane.
Bane: Let’s not stand on ceremony here, Mr. Wayne.
Catwoman hears the name. Less sure of what she’s done.
Batman moves at Bane - strikes powerful blows - Bane catches his fist.
Bane: Peace has cost you strength. Victory has defeated you.
Bane: Theatricality and deception are powerful agents...to the uninitiated.
Batman lashes out at Bane - Bane counters - they separate.
Bane: But we are initiated, aren’t we, Bruce? The League of Shadows. And you betrayed us...
Batman: Us? You were excommunicated. From a gang of psychopaths.
Bane: Now I am the League of Shadows, here to fulfil Ra’s al Ghul’s destiny...
Bane: You fight like a younger man. Nothing held back. No reserves. Admirable. But I was
mistaken.
Batman hits a switch on his belt - the lights go out - Bane turns slowly addressing all the
shadows at once.
Bane: You think darkness is your ally. But you merely adopted the dark. I was born in it.
Formed by it...I didn’t see the light until I was already a man. And by then it was nothing to
me but blinding... The shadows betray you because they belong to me...
Bane SMASHES him into the ground, POUNDING, pounding, pounding the hard cowl with
his bare fists until it CRACKS.
Bane: I will show you where I’ve made my home while preparing to bring justice. Then...I will
break you.
A Mercenary tosses Bane a detonator _ and blows a hole in the ceiling which is just below
batman armoury and batman sees it still in bane grasp.
Batman: No...
Bane: Your precious armoury. Gratefully accepted. We will need it.
Mercenaries race through the stacks of equipment...
Batman climbs to his feet, swaying. Bane approaches.
Bane: I wondered which would break first - your spirit...
Batman SWINGS at him - misses - Bane GRABS him, lifts him HIGH.
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