Despite the increasingly dire situation, Bruce Wayne knew he had no choice but to keep pushing forward. He had already fought against the Skrulls, killing several of them. No matter how things unfolded, the Skrulls would never let him go. Therefore, Bruce had to make the best use of the terrain and his sharp movement and shooting skills to fight his way out.
Bang! Bang!
Bruce destroyed all the surveillance cameras along the walls, creating enough strategic depth for himself while ensuring the Skrulls couldn't track his exact location. As Gotham's Dark Knight, Bruce had mastered countless ways to conceal his movements. If he had access to his gadgets, he could've crafted equipment that would not only help him escape but also potentially wipe out the entire base of Skrulls.
With a quick mental shift, Bruce fired a laser from his stolen laser gun, hitting a Skrull who had just peeked his hand out.
"He's here!" The Skrull screamed in pain as his hand was pierced, dropping his weapon. His companions immediately shouted, calling for reinforcements.
Pew! Pew! Pew!
However, the Skrulls couldn't risk sticking their heads out because Bruce was firing rapidly, forcing them to take cover behind a corner. They couldn't match Bruce's firepower.
The Skrulls were confused. How could one man fire so intensely, as if several people were shooting at once?
While the barrage continued, keeping the Skrulls pinned down, Bruce silently approached the wall's edge. By the time the Skrulls noticed, he had already positioned two guns on them.
Pew! Pew! Pew!
Laser shots tore through their bodies, killing them all before they had a chance to react. A ten-man squad lay dead in a pool of their own blood. On Earth, traditional firearms wouldn't have achieved such results, but the penetrating power of energy weapons far surpassed that of conventional firearms, helping Bruce achieve an impressive outcome.
As for the guns that were still firing, they were set up as decoys. Using materials from the dead Skrulls, Bruce had rigged the laser guns to fire automatically, tricking the Skrulls into thinking they were still being shot at.
"Not bad. I lost three guns, but I gained ten more. Plus, I can use these alien corpses to set up an even better crossfire trap..." Bruce quickly gathered the weapons and began planning new traps for the Skrulls, his mind racing with ideas.
What Bruce didn't know was that after killing these two squads, the Skrulls had initiated a new strategy.
Fourteen dead Skrulls were a significant loss, especially after Robert had already decimated much of their ranks. Each Skrull was now a valuable asset. Realizing Bruce was too difficult to handle, eight Skrulls stepped forward, their bodies morphing until they took on Bruce Wayne's exact appearance.
Yes, Skrulls could shapeshift into a single person. While they couldn't perfectly maintain the disguise for an extended period due to differences in their psychological makeup, they could hold the form long enough for a fight.
"More are coming!" Bruce's keen ears detected movement, but he quickly frowned when the sounds vanished, as if the approaching group had disappeared. His instincts screamed that the enemy was still nearby, just as adept at concealing their presence as he was.
"As expected of aliens, they're no pushovers. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been captured by them in the first place!" A glint of determination flashed in Bruce's eyes as he grew more vigilant.
Bruce never underestimated the Skrulls. He knew they weren't weak and hadn't expected them to let him slaughter them easily. What he hadn't anticipated was that he would be facing eight versions of himself.
When Bruce caught a glimpse of the eight identical copies of himself through a mirror reflection, even his calm demeanor faltered for a moment. He nearly got hit by their lasers.
"Could they have mimicked my combat skills as well?" Bruce found it hard to believe. It was already impressive that the Skrulls could shapeshift, but if they also possessed the skills of the person they mimicked, it would be a nightmare scenario. It would be nearly impossible for the original person to prove their identity unless the Skrulls were forced to reveal their true forms.
Pew! Pew!
Bruce rolled across the floor, activating the traps he had set earlier. A barrage of lasers rained down on the Skrulls' location, forcing them to remain hidden. Yet there was no immediate reaction from the Skrulls, leaving Bruce unsure of how they would counterattack or how much of his combat prowess they had replicated.
"What now? If they really have my skills, how would I handle this situation? Should I do the opposite of what I would normally do? But what if they predict that too?" Thoughts raced through Bruce's mind. With little preparation time, his usual tactical advantage was slipping away, leaving him momentarily hesitant.
But Bruce knew he couldn't afford to hesitate for long. Not only because time was running out, but because the energy in the laser guns was limited. The suppressing fire wouldn't last much longer.
Click!
Just then, the Skrulls tossed a round object toward him. Though Bruce didn't know exactly what it was, he wasn't about to take any chances. He swiftly retreated.
Boom!
A massive explosion shook the base, sending waves of heat and energy ripping through the corridor and even blowing apart nearby cells. Though Bruce had managed to move away in time, he was still caught in the blast, his body slamming into a wall, pain radiating throughout his entire frame.
But Bruce was the Dark Knight—he had endured worse. Gritting his teeth, he quickly recovered, rolling into a broken cell for cover and using the wreckage as protection as he opened fire at the shadows emerging from the smoke.
Pew! Pew! Pew!
Lasers streaked through the air, further destroying the walls. But when the dust settled, not a single one of the eight Skrulls had fallen. At most, they bore a few scratches.
Even the Skrulls had to admit that among all the targets they had ever mimicked, Bruce Wayne was exceptional. His abilities were remarkably effective, and even when injured, his combat effectiveness didn't diminish.
However, the battle dragged on, and both sides began to face the same problem: their laser guns were running out of energy.
Although Bruce had the upper hand initially, the guns in his traps were different from the ones he carried. As a result, both sides' weapons ran dry at almost the same time.
Unlike the Skrulls, who could expect reinforcements, Bruce had no such luxury. Injured and with no more resources, he knew that once more Skrulls arrived, he would be done for.
Unaware that Robert had already dismantled the Skrulls' secret invasion plan, Bruce decided to make a final stand. He charged out from behind the rubble, heading straight for the Skrulls.
Bam!
The eight Skrulls, all resembling Bruce, smirked in disdain as they surrounded him. Fighting with almost identical techniques to his own, they quickly overwhelmed him, knocking Bruce to the ground.
But then, something unexpected happened. One of the Skrulls hesitated, his body trembling as his combat rhythm faltered. Then another Skrull froze, causing the others to exchange worried glances.
Before long, the first Skrull's form reverted to his original appearance, and the others followed shortly after, unable to maintain their disguises.
"Their shapeshifting has its limits!" Bruce thought, his mind racing as he struggled to his feet, feeling a slight sense of relief.
These Skrulls were no longer as formidable now that their disguises had faltered. However, Bruce was injured and far from certain he could win this fight.
Bam!
Despite the odds, Bruce attacked first, kicking the nearest Skrull, sending him flying. He then punched another one square in the face.
The remaining Skrulls quickly regained their composure, two of them charging at Bruce in unison. But even though they were aliens with superior numbers, they couldn't overpower him. Despite his injuries, Bruce began to take control of the fight.
Unfortunately, his advantage didn't last long. The Skrulls who hadn't joined the fray earlier weren't just watching. They quickly morphed back into Bruce's form and surrounded him once again.
Though their transformation appeared unstable, they still retained Bruce's combat skills, which meant the fight was far from over. With the odds stacked against him, Bruce knew he couldn't hold out much longer.
Meanwhile, in the base's command center, a Skrull urgently issued orders. "Notify them! Either kill Bruce Wayne quickly or return now! We have to relocate, or the Sayian will be here soon!"
The other Skrulls, unsure of Gravik's status, grew anxious. Their only information came from the Skrull-controlled Arnim Zola, who had been monitoring S.H.I.E.L.D. Realizing the urgency, they prepared to flee.
"Gravik wouldn't betray us, would he? Betray the secret invasion plan?" one of the Skrulls asked, struggling to accept the idea. Gravik was, after all, the leader of the invasion. If he leaked critical information, no Skrull on Earth would be safe.
"Let's hope Gravik holds out! Right now, we need to retreat and preserve the future of the invasion. If necessary, we'll use the ship to temporarily leave Earth and wait for the Super Skrulls to arrive for our revenge!" the commanding Skrull responded.
"Gravik left me in charge before he left. This is my decision. If anyone disagrees, they can report it after the Super Skrulls arrive. But for now, we leave!"
"Alright, we'll follow your lead!" The Skrulls exchanged glances, eventually agreeing to
the plan.
"Good plan, too bad it's a bit late. If you had left right after the spaceship exploded, you might've actually had a chance to escape Earth..." A voice suddenly echoed through the base, causing the Skrulls to freeze in shock.
"Sayian! Gravik! You've really betrayed us? Betrayed the secret invasion?" one of the Skrulls cried out when they spotted Robert and Gravik. They raised their weapons to aim at Robert, completely ignoring Diana, who stood beside him with Gravik bound by her Lasso of Truth.
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