They knew he was superior. They knew he was the smartest. And as he stood in the middle of the city, he could hear them cheering and showering him with compliments.

"You're the greatest!"

"We are not worthy!"

"Your intellect is like no other!"

The city itself bowed to his superiority. Every building, wall and upright structure was plastered with green and black question marks, and at night fireworks would colour the sky, reminding everyone who was truly the greatest. And then he turned his gaze downward, and a grin spread across his face. There, fallen to his knees, cape torn and his suit covered in blood, was the Dark Knight. His greatest adversary. The Dark Knight's head was down, the once brooding symbol of hope now nothing but bloodied and broken. His grin widened as he stepped in front of the Dark Knight, eyes glinting with smug triumph.

"I have won." He declared. The Dark Knight lifted his head, and he was filled with pure joy at the look in the Dark Knight's eyes. He was broken. And he knew who was superior.

"You were a worthy opponent." He smirked before grabbing the Dark Knight's cowl and ripping it off the Dark Knight's head.

~O~

Everything was chaos. People screamed in terror, running through the streets and in and out of buildings. Some swatted at their arms and legs, trying to get rid of things that weren't really there. Some were huddled in corners, shrinking from things that weren't really there. And he stood in the middle of it, drinking the pure terror and the delectable screams.

"They're all over me!"

"Please Daddy, don't do it!"

"AHHHHHHH!"

"Keep away! Keep away! Keep away!"

And through all of the people, and all of the screams, and all of the terrified faces, he could see them. Those that had tormented him, taunted him, and called him names. Made fun of him for his appearance and his bookish nature. Even the two that he had almost and had killed at his high school prom were there, seeing their greatest fears unfold before their very eyes. An evil smile crept across his face as he stepped towards the bullies. They all locked eyes with him and let out a chorus of terrified screams, and his smile widened. He had won.

~O~

Her eyes fluttered open, and the alarm clock by the bed said that she had woken in the middle of the night. Jewels and valuables of all kinds littered every surface of the room, glinting and sparking in the moonlight shining through the window. Even the bed was covered in diamond necklaces and gold bracelets inlaid with rubies and sapphires. She stretched out an arm and touched cool metal, fingering a stray earring. A smile lazily stretched across her face. She was rich now; her room was scattered with billions of dollars worth of valuables. She lazily examined the earring in her fingers before dropping it back on the bed. She glanced at the full moon casting light into the bedroom before turning her head, and her smile returned. Next to her under the covers, eyes closed as he slept, was the Batman. His slow warm breaths tickled her face, and one of his hands rested on her as if protecting her. She smiled as she snuggled in close.

~O~

A smirk spread across his face as he stood centre stage. Around him, piles of gold and jewels scattered the ground, and the crowd chanted his name over and over. He waved and blew kisses to his adoring audience as he stepped up to the microphone, adjusting it so it was in the right position. The crowd whooped and cheered in anticipation as he drew a deep breath and began to sing. The crowd showed no sign of falling into a hypnotic trance, instead dancing and singing along of their own free will. It wasn't a crime. It was a concert. And they loved him. A joy-filled smile twisted his still singing lips as he looked out onto the crowd. None of them were jeering, pointing fingers and taunting the lowly choirboy. They were all enjoying the song of one of the greatest musicians the world had ever known. And far down in the very back row, a blonde-haired siren watched in regret and remorse, realising her mistake. But he didn't care. As he sung the final chorus, another voice joined his, harmonizing in perfect melody. He smiled again as he glanced to the side and saw his songbird with her own microphone, holding it in her hand as she sang with him to the crowd. She was the epitome of beauty, wearing a long flowing dress decorated with sparkling sequins. And as the final note was sung, the audience roared with applause and showered him with more valuables.

~O~

Everything was at peace. No caped figures swung across rooftops or kicked clowns through buildings. No peril. No danger. Everything was normal. She walked down the street, a content smile on her face. Few passed her, but any who did smiled and waved. No one shrank back in fear. No one whispered rumours or assumptions. She passed a construction area and saw a builder teetering dangerously on a ladder. The ladder swung away from the building, bringing the builder with it, but she flicked her hand and the ladder went back to where it was. The builder gave a sigh of relief before smiling at her, thanking her for helping.

"Thank you!"

She waved back, her smile growing. The builder didn't think she was a monster or a violent psychopath or a danger to the builder and everyone else. As she turned a corner, there were four people waiting for her. Two adults, and two teenagers. Three male, and one female. They all spoke in unison, four voices speaking as one.

"We're sorry. We never should have doubted you."

She grinned, not an evil grin, but a grin of pure ecstasy.

"We were wrong to judge you so quickly, without seeing what you were really like."

She wiped the tears of joy from her eyes, grinning wider than she ever had before. They didn't think she was a monster. Every assumption they'd ever had was wrong. They accepted her.