Batman stood atop the bell tower of Crocus, Fiore's capital.
The difference between when Batman entered Earthland, and when he left the time chamber that Doctor Fate created, wasn't seen much at first.. but when Batman entered just the right amount of lighting, the pronouncement of his muscles under his armor, was incredible.
His body had become far more toned, and he had grown about half a foot taller, forcing him to switch out to a longer cape to compensate for his weight when gliding. The 2 years that Doctor Fate had accelerated in 2 seconds.. 2 years of training in the strange magic body enhancing environment of Earthland, had turned Bruce strong..
Very strong..
"Sir?" said Alfred over Batman's coms. "You sure you're ready for this..?"
Batman picked up a piece of concrete, and crushed it into powder in one hand. "Time to put this new strength to the test. Don't worry.. I'll be fine.."
As Batman continued to look for his quarry.. for a brief moment.. a shadow.. shaped like Scarecrow drifted behind him..
"You let her get captured... you let her die.. whatever happens to her... is on you.."
Batman shook his head. Something wasn't right just now.. was that his own voice in his head?
Batman then saw it.. a human looking form, with a long bushy tail, making his way through the vast streets..
Jackal.. former member of Tartarus, well known Etherios, and leader of this reality's version of Skill Out..
"Hey!!" Jackal growled, as he stepped up to a market stand and smacked an apple down on the table. "Ya call these good prices!? I have half a mind to tear your head off!!"
"I have half a mind to do the same to you.." a voice growled as a tall pointy eared shadow towered over Jackal.
Jackal turned around. "Wha!? Who are- WHAMMMMM!!!"
Batman grabbed Jackal by the collar of his shirt and smashed him against the ground, rupturing the stone. "TALK!!! TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT FAIRY TAIL!!!"
"A-a.. ack.. guy.. dressed like a bat.." Jackal chuckled as blood trickled down his chin. "I've heard of you.. Fairy Tail's... out for blood... for your head..."
"I don't care!! THEY HAD A GIRL WITH THEM!!" Batman growled. "Perhaps dressed like me! 5'3, chestnut hair!! HEARD OF HER!!? And I swear, if you lie to me.. I will break EVERY bone in your body! Starting with that collarbone! Then I'll work down to your spine!!!"
"YOU'RE FREE TO TRY!!!" Jackal roared, thrusting out a hand..
Immediately, a massive explosion erupted in the street, and citizens ran screaming as Jackal cackled, jumping onto the roof of a building. "HOW DO YOU LIKE MY CURSE YA JACKASS!!? I'll blow ya to smithereens!!!"
Suddenly, a bat shaped shadow appeared flying down from above.
"it's sluggish.." said Batman as he landed a punch right at Jackal's jaw.
Jackal spat out blood as he crashed through the ceiling of the house.
"DAMN YOU!!!" Jackal roared, whirling his hands around. "TAKE THIS!!!!"
"BOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOM BOOOM BOOOOM!!!"
Explosions razed across the city as Jackal jumped into the air, letting his attacks blast further and further around him, as he cackled. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!! LET'S SEE YOU BURN THROUGH THIS BAT GUY!!!!!"
Batman grunted as he moved like a shadow, barely avoiding the immense and intense explosions that were blasting around the place. He threw down a smoke bomb, and disappeared.
Jackal landed on the smoking street, looking around.. gritting his teeth. "Where are you?"
Suddenly, a grapple gun's line wrapped around Jackal's torso, and he found himself being pulled backwards and being pulled straight into the waiting fist of the Dark Knight himself.
"WHAM! WHAM!!! SLAM!!! CRASHHH!!!"
Batman punched and kicked Jackal with the speed and strength of the world's most dangerous hand to hand combatant, smashing Jackal's head against the wall, before pulling him back up on his feet, and continuing to punch and kick him with his knew immense strength.
Jackal spat out blood as Batman punched him straight in the gut, and sent him flying.
Jackal held out a hand as he flew back. "SCREW YOU!!!"
"KKKKKAAAAAABBOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!" The entire street erupted in an intense explosion.. and Jackal laughed. There was no way that fool could escape.. right!?
But Batman walked out of the flames.. fire burning off his cape.. staggering a little, but otherwise okay.. he had covered himself with his cape.. his cape was heat proof.. but... the explosion..!? HOW!?
Which was the question Jackal asked out loud. "HOW!!!!?"
"My suit is made of Titanium plated tri-weave armor over a nano liquid mesh that hardens on impact." said Batman. "Combine that with a bit of heat resistance, and ducking in the right manner, and as long as I reach the edge of your explosion, where the power is minimal, I'll be able to take it without too much damage.
Batman cracked his knuckles. "Your explosions have no shrapnel. Sure, they're powerful, but unlike a dirty bomb, which adds deadly projectiles to the mix that can shred at a target, you only use heat and pure force.. that's a weakness anyone with experience can exploit.."
That's true.. thought Jackal. But from what I heard through connections, even Gajeel managed to kick this guy's ass without using any of his Dragon Slayer magic.. Somebody with that abysmal amount of natural endurance shouldn't be able to survive an explosion of that magnitude even with that serious tech under his belt!
"Just.. what the hell happened to you!?" Jackal growled. "Why are you so much stronger!?"
"I have this world to thank for that." said Batman.
Jackal laughed. "But you're still gonna die ya costumed dork!! You've been touching me a bunch right?"
Batman blinked and stared at the suddenly burning and sizzling marks on his body, especially his fists and feet.
"You've just turned into a human bomb!!" Jackal roared. "Asta la vista b*tch!!"
Batman stared as his body glowed, and suddenly, another ginormous explosion filled the air.
"DEAD AND DEADER BAT FREAK!!" Jackal cackled.
Suddenly a batarang flew down and embedded itself in Jackal's shoulder.
"Geh?" Jackal stammered as the batarang began to beep
"BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!" an explosion rocked the street once more.. but this time, it didn't come from Jackal..
"GRROOOOOAAARRR!!" Jackal ripped out of the explosion, having become massive muscular wolf-like creature. "WHERE ARE YOU!!!!" HOW DID YOU SURVIVE!?"
Batman walked out of the shadows, completely fine. "I've studied your every move.. I've analyzed your every tactic.."
Batman pointed at his glove. "Molecule stabilizing gel. You're not the first magic user with explosions in their arsenal that I've fought.. this special gel contains nanobots working on the molecular level. Whenever they sense a molecule that's going unstable, they immediately work to stabilize any vibration or movement in the molecule, stopping the creation of heat by storing the energy, and expelling it in the form of flames.. the result is something that looks like an explosion.. but really, it's just the gel letting off it's excess energy.. nothing more then a puff of fire.."
"You.. s-studied me!?" Jackal stammered.
"Frankly, you disappointed me." said Batman. "While all the combatants of this world have learned to hone and train their art, you've stuck with the same old explosions, never bothering to train your arsenal of tricks.. in other words.. you're just another criminal, armed with a bomb.. "
"F***CK YOU!!!!!!!" Jackal roared, running at Batman, his new form's powerful muscles bulging.
Batman took out a mechanized glove and fit it around his right hand. He then sent a punch hurtling into Jackal's gut as he came at Batman.
The mechanized glove's strength enhancing properties worked like a charm, creating a shockwave as it sent Jackal hurtling down the street and crashing into the cobblestone.
Batman walked over to the exhausted and barely conscious demon. He put a foot on it's chest. "Now.. tell me! WHERE IS SHE!?"
"Ya jerk.. ya know where she is.." Jackal groaned. "And when those Fairies find ya.. they'll take her back.."
"What do you mean!?" Batman demanded. "TALK JACKAL!!!"
"Not.. any more.." Jackal choked.. before his body began to glow..
Batman ran aside, ducking down and covering himself with his cape like a vampire avoiding the sun..
The explosion's shockwave shook the street as Batman was nearly flattened by the force of the impact.. when the dust cleared.. Jackal was nothing but a stain of ash in the middle of a crater.
Batman grunted as he got to his feet. "There goes my source of information.."
"Just what are you going to do now sir?" Alfred asked.
"I'm returning to Gotham.. I need to gather some new equipment.." said Batman. "It's about time I went to war."
As Batman disappeared into the night.. Scarecrow chuckled and watched from a rooftop afar.
"Yes Batman... allow this conflict to brew.. allow it to fester.. and when the dawn comes.. neither you or the Fairies will be left standing.."
________________________________
"Urrgh.." Mikoto Misaka awoke in a dark, dank dungeon..
The very floor was cold to her touch.. the very atmosphere hissed of deception, lies.. and possible torture..
Her guild mark on her upper thigh, was barely visible in the dark light, and yet, Mikoto could tell from her bare skin touching the air and stone, that she was naked.
She felt no embarrassment.. there was nobody else around after all.. She couldn't smell anybody else..
"Oww... wha.. happened?"
Mikoto nearly jumped out of her skin.. there was another girl.. who looked completely identical to her.. lying face down and opposite of where she was.. Only she looked slightly younger, by maybe a year or so.. and there was no guildmark.. though with Mikoto's decelerated age, for all she could tell, she could be actually quite older then this apparent other self.
Was she a sister?
Or was she.. another Mikoto Misaka.. from another world.. like the ones she had met before..?
Mikoto shivered, hugging her shoulders. She then touched the other Misaka's shoulder. She was in poor health, that was for sure. This girl didn't have a dragon's immune system.. though Mikoto had to admit, this other Misaka's body looked more toned than her own.
"Hey.." Mikoto whispered.. shaking the other girl awake. "Come on.. wake up.."
"I.. don't want to go to school today Bruce.." the other Misaka groaned. "Five more minutes.. I've been hunting Penguin's weapon trucks all day.."
Mikoto scratched her chin. How would Natsu do this? Oh.. right.
"Look! A Gekota convention!!!"
"WHERE!!?" The other Misaka sat up immediately, her eyes wide. "Wait.. EH!? Damn I fall for that every-.. every... where.. am I?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out.." Mikoto said.
The other Mikoto stared at her other self. "Uh.. what.. the.. you.. wouldn't happen to be a-?"
"Not a Sister." said Mikoto. "So you have those in your world too huh? Wow.. "
Whoa.." said the other Mikoto. "So you're like Shock Talon.."
"Sh-.. wha?" Said Mikoto.
"Nevermind.. just know that I get the whole other version of me in another universe thing." said other Mikoto. "But uh.. another question.. why are we naked?"
"Don't know that either.." said Mikoto, folding her arms and thinking. "Knowing the kind of luck we Mikotos have, probably something involving our enemies having some maniacal plot and etc."
"Well.. I'd like to find some clothes at the very.. very.." Other Mikoto began to pant hard.
"The environment doesn't seem to agree with you too much.." Mikoto said. "I'm.. er.. different.. I'm only part human, my body's tough enough to take a not so serious punch from Saitama when I'm not trying.."
"Sai.. who?"
"Sparring partner.. we met last year." said Mikoto. "We're good friends now.. Come on.. let's find you some-"
"Clank!" a large spotlight beamed down on a large table.. on which.. a familiar pointy eared cowl, cape and suit lay, along with a prisoner's jumpsuit..
"-thing to wear.." Mikoto finished. "Okay... that.. er.. wasn't creepy or anything..
"I swear.." Muttered Other Mikoto. "If I got captured by PENGUIN of all people.. a face palm is in my future. "
That's when a familiar voice cackled throughout the room... as if through an intercom.. a voice.. that could be easily imitated by Mark Hamill.
"YOU AND ME BOTH KIDDO! Ha! You and me BOTH!! Now I'm definitely going to remember that joke... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Oh... and by the way.."
The Joker smiled from within the control room he was hiding in. "Scarecrow says... hi.."