Deadshot was terrifyingly fast at close range.
He drove forward with a combination that would have overwhelmed most fighters. A straight right that Bruce slipped, a knee that connected with Bruce's thigh and sent pain shooting up his leg, a follow-up elbow strike that Bruce barely got his arm up to block.
The blocked elbow felt like getting hit with a steel pipe.
Thud!
Bruce staggered back two steps. Deadshot pressed the advantage, throwing a low kick that Bruce caught on his shin instead of his knee, which saved him from having his leg buckled.
'He's faster than NEXUS modeled,' Bruce thought, reassessing rapidly. 'Military training plus natural ability. Not superhuman but close to peak human himself.'
Bruce stopped absorbing and went on offense. He countered with a palm strike combination from Muay Thai, forcing Deadshot to cover up. Then shifted immediately to a wrestling takedown attempt, changing rhythm completely.
Deadshot defended the takedown well but it cost him position. Bruce used the scramble to create space and reset.
They circled each other on the rooftop. Deadshot's head tilted again with that same expression of surprised interest.
"Multiple martial arts styles," Bruce said. "Or somewhere around there. Enough to mix and match until I find what works against any specific opponent."
"You've been busy," Deadshot acknowledged. "How old are you?"
"Old enough."
"You move like a 40-year-old veteran. Which tells me you've had help. Or something else entirely." Deadshot's voice carried professional assessment. "Doesn't matter. Better opponents than you have tried to take me in close quarters."
"I know. None of them studied you first."
Deadshot attacked again. This time a clinch attempt, trying to tie Batman up and use his size and strength advantage. At close quarters on a rooftop with no room to maneuver, size mattered.
Bruce let him get the clinch partially, then executed a judo rotation that used Deadshot's forward momentum against him. The bigger man went over Bruce's hip and toward the rooftop.
Boom!
Deadshot hit the concrete hard but rolled immediately, coming back to his feet faster than he should have been able to. He pulled a combat knife from his thigh sheath.
'Of course there's a knife,' Bruce thought.
The blade moved in fast controlled arcs. Deadshot knew knife fighting at an expert level, which Bruce had factored into his assessment. His reach with the blade extended his effective strike range significantly.
Bruce backed up, creating space, watching the knife patterns. His enhanced perception tracked each movement, looking for the gaps.
Deadshot feinted high and cut low. The blade caught Batman's forearm, finding the gap between gauntlet and sleeve.
Pain flared white and hot as the knife opened a cut four inches long.
Ssshk!
Bruce ignored the pain and stepped inside the next slash, getting too close for the knife to be effective. He grabbed Deadshot's knife wrist with both hands and applied a joint lock, forcing the wrist into an angle that required Lawton to either drop the knife or have his wrist broken.
Deadshot dropped it and head-butted Bruce instead.
Crack!
Stars exploded across Bruce's vision. His grip loosened. Deadshot broke free and created space again.
Both of them breathing harder now. Both of them bleeding, Bruce from the arm, Deadshot from where the initial elbow exchange had cut his lip.
But Deadshot was smiling beneath his visor.
"Okay," Lawton said, genuine amusement in his voice. "I'll admit it. This is more fun than I expected."
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Batman said, tracking Deadshot's hand movements carefully. "Because it's about to get less fun."
Deadshot's hand moved toward his chest. A secondary weapon, some kind of compact firearm built into his tactical suit. NEXUS hadn't had data on that particular modification.
Bruce moved first. He reached to his utility belt and pulled a smoke pellet, throwing it directly at Deadshot's feet.
Pop!
Gray smoke erupted between them. Bruce moved left instantly, dropping low, circling wide. In the smoke, his tactical sensors gave him a significant advantage. He could track Deadshot's heat signature while Lawton was effectively blind.
Bang! Bang!
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