We are all Mortals

Adam stood at a distance, his mind adrift in a sea of darkness. A flood of knowledge overwhelmed him, vivid memories of Bane's first kill—the warm blood splattering his face as he snapped a spine.

"I am Adam," he repeated to himself, grounding himself in the present. In the split second before Bane could react, the massive dinosaur shrank back to a human-sized form. A devastating uppercut, like a comet streaking across the sky, sent the behemoth crashing to the ground.

The monsters inhabiting Bane watched as the bat-like figure soared into the air, then plummeted down as a multi-ton dinosaur.

Boom!

Poison Ivy, seated on her vine-woven throne, turned to Robin, who had suddenly appeared beside her. "The virus Jason and I created? He combined all the raw materials into that failed serum."

"It's all thanks to Professor Goldblum," Robin replied.

He stood beside Poison Ivy, then whispered, "Ivy, can't you do something with the Green?" He saw her lower her head, half her face turning a sickly gray. Young Robin jumped back in fright.

"Shh, quiet," the corpse-like Poison Ivy hissed. "The Green is severely weakened here, Robin. I can barely do anything. You need to maintain the illusion that I'm still fighting, instead of panicking!"

"But that's impossible!" Robin whispered urgently. "The Green has been eroding Bane's body through that potion. You should be stronger, and the Black of Decay should be weakening."

His eyes widened in realization. "Unless..."

Tim Drake's pupils contracted as he looked towards where Plant master lay. "Where's Jason Woodrue?"

"It's pointless, mortal." The minions of the Black of Decay had regained their composure after the initial shock. "Even if your power surpasses ours, you're still mortal..."

Bang!

Batman's fist, propelled by immense force, struck Bane's head like a pinball on his neck.

"You cannot kill what is already dead..."

Bang!

Batman, once again transformed into a monstrous dinosaur, grabbed Bane by the collar and shoved him into the mud, silencing his words with a mouthful of dirt.

"You cannot escape death, mortal," the creature of decay and darkness rasped. "You cannot resist us."

"I don't need to resist you. I just need to disperse you," Adam said, pinning Bane to the ground. "Bane wasn't part of my plan, but you were."

He pulled out the tube from his back, connecting it to the tube on Bane's back.

"Ha! What is this? The so-called Titan Venom?" Bane's numb, distorted face was incapable of forming a mocking expression. Half of it had been shattered by the previous blow, revealing a rotting tongue and broken teeth.

"Titan Venom won't work on this body. Your mortals cannot—"

"Shut up," Adam growled. "I am Bane-Batman now... A bat, but also Bane." He paused, then whispered, "Part of Bane overlaps with me. I understand him. And you don't understand Bane at all."

Sizzle!

Like acid on skin, a dual-toned shriek erupted from Bane. "What's happening?"

"Lazarus Pit water," Adam replied calmly. "The fountain of youth. A treasure I acquired from the League of Assassins. This tube connects us, Bane," he explained. "It can transfer Venom, or anything else I've prepared. I knew that anything with vitality would be your nemesis."

"I always come prepared. Listen, you piece of filth. Normally, I might crack a joke or two, but I'm tired of being called a mortal. I'm going to show you how we do things in Gotham."

 The scum heard the man's cold judgment: "You've never been to Gotham, have you? You don't understand the kind of adversaries we face. You see us as mortals... but you seem to have forgotten. The Black of Decay is a force to be reckoned with, yes, but you're just a low-level pawn. Compared to Arcane, you're nothing."

"Arcane... how do you know our master's name?"

"That's not important." It wasn't Batman who spoke this time.

Bane's eyes shifted, focusing on the other side of his face. "You..."

"I am Bane," the other half of Bane's face replied, the flesh restored to its human form, though bloodless.

"So what?" The Black of Decay's voice clamored, "How can a mere mortal escape the grasp of death?"

"You're just—"

Their words were cut short.

"Because I am Bane," the human side of Bane repeated. The grayish-white decay rapidly receded from his face. "I am Batman's enemy, his greatest foe."

Adam added, "Because as long as Bane's consciousness remains, he can overcome anything. As long as Bane wills it." The decay vanished completely, revealing Bane's eyes, filled with a complex mix of emotions. "I never expected this," he muttered.

"You've saved a poisonous snake, Batman," he continued. "I am no less dangerous than these creatures of death. Even if you help me, it won't change my resolve to kill you."

Adam replied, "But at least, as a living being, our battle lines are aligned. Your fate is to be defeated by me and sent to Blackgate, not to end up as a mindless zombie."

Bane fell silent. Then, he said, "I will spare your life—". He raised his voice, "No matter what, we will be enemies for life! But for now—I will spare your life."

"First, we must focus on the present." Bane saw Batman offer him a slight smile, the lines of his jaw sharp beneath the cowl. He knew he would never forget this day.

Adam spoke again, "The Black of Decay is opportunistic. I suspected they would try to take advantage of my absence."

Crash.

Trees toppled one by one.

Plant master, now fully consumed by the Black of Decay, stood before Bane and Adam. Bane locked eyes with Batman.

"Never thought I'd fight alongside you, my enemy."

"But I anticipated it, my enemy," Batman replied.