Universes Reverse

Chapter Four: One, Little…Two, Little…Three, Little Heroes

At lost for what to do with the 24 hours she was given after spending only 60 minutes in her apartment, Wonder Woman decided to patrol her home base of Boston. With a jump she soon off into the air sailing through the cool night wind with the great city below her.

As she was gliding along, Diana's thoughts turned to the discussion she had earlier with Batman. She wanted to dismiss it, but what Dark Knight said resonated in her mind.

I have been keeping a close eye on companies of questionable interests and reputations… Something strange is going on… vague and brief only saying it was exploring the forces of electro-magnetism, and light wave manipulation… Don't you think you are taking this too lightly…What about the business last year…that made the people doubt our integrity, and nearly destroyed the League? You call that nothing…Diana.

The Amazon closed her eyes. Bruce…

But a commotion brought her to present. She realized now that she was on the outskirts of city hovering over a deserted warehouse complex. Well not so deserted. Crouched near one of the warehouses was a larger than life red haired woman; Giganta, one of Wonder Woman's many rivals.

What is she doing here? Diana wondered. Why didn't J'onn report this?

But despite this, Wonder Woman knew that action not thinking was called for. With a rush of speed she flew and struck her nemesis to the ground. Giganta was soon up again revealing elevated height of ninety stories.

"What are you doing here Giganta?" the Amazon questioned.

The giantess glared, "What makes think I'd tell?"

She ran toward her, with her enlarged fist aiming for her. Diana blocked it with her arm brackets, and the fight between mighty Wonder Woman and formidable Giganta ensued. The Amazon kept driving her back but giantess continued to fight.

But then something strange happened; Giganta all of the sudden shrunk down to her normal size and ran into one of the warehouses.

Diana was puzzled. What's going on? Why did she intentionally turn back to her original size?

Wonder Woman then glided down and entered the structure. It was empty and extremely dark since it had no windows except for an opening in the roof from which the moonlight illuminated a ten foot square area in the center of the compound. Diana went towards it and looked around. It was silent till she heard noise that was headed her direction. She turned quickly but didn't see anything.

"Who's there?" she shouted at the darkness.

Unknown to the Amazon princess a pair of glowing cat-like eyes were staring straight at her in the shadows behind her. Then from the darkness, a furred cheetah patterned leg unleashed a kick that threw Wonder Woman forward. Before she could response the enlarged hand of Giganta appeared out of blackness the grabbing her. Diana squirmed against the giantess's grasp trying to escape.

"Well, well, well." a feminine voice resounded in the emptiness in the darken compound. "The cat finally catches her prey after all."

Wonder Woman turned to see another one of her enemies, the fierce feline mercenary, Cheetah who had stepped out from the shadows into the moonlit area. Arrogantly she swished her tail and purred as she approached the struggling raven-haired heroine.

"You never know how long I waited for this moment." And as she spoke the mutated cat woman drew out what appeared to be an aerosol can.

"Pleasant dreams, princess." female feline tauntingly whispered, as she sprayed sleeping gas directly into Diana's face. She coughed at the cloud and still continued to struggle, attempting at least to get to her comlink to call J'onn for back-up. But the drug soon dulled her senses and she began to feel drowsy. The warrior princess soon fell to the floor of the warehouse defeated by the red-haired giantess and the cheetah mercenary.

____

Great! First full day I have had off in a while, what did I decide to do? The Scarlet Speedster mentally scolded himself as raced about the deserted Central City fairgrounds. Patrolling the city! "Recent decline in criminal activity" my eyeball! Far as I am concerned J'onn, it has gone up by one point within an hour! And that point is Mirror Master! The last thing I need is to be tracking that maniac down for the rest of the night! Oh why didn't I just stay home and watch reruns of 'Whose Line is it Anyway'?

The Flash then soon spotted the carnival maze of mirrors, and speeded in. Ever since his first encounter with the "Master of the Mirrors" Wally was never interested in them anymore even when he went on rare occasions to fairs and carnivals. He would be looking over his shoulder making sure that his reflection was still there not of that mirror manipulator. And that would be especially embarrassing to do that on a date.

Then a voice then echoed throughout the maze, "I see that you found my hiding place."

Flash looked around him and saw the image of Mirror Master on all the mirrors.

"This is a maze of mirrors and you are the Mirror Master, so it pretty obvious!"

Green and orange costumed villain chuckled, "Not as quick-witted tonight are you, Flash?"

Frustrated with his enemy's comment Flash then ran into one of the mirrors, breaking it in hopes that he would be trapped in it. But it was to no avail; it was one of his many illusions.

"But you are still quick-footed, though." mirror villain added.

"Look, Mirror Master what's your game?"

"My game!" the superhuman criminal laughed, "You ask me what my game is?"

His image disappeared from the mirrors but his laugh continued for a few seconds before it stopped.

"Come on!" Flash shouted, "A powerful villain like you hiding from your greatest enemy is definitely not your style…Oh wait it is!"

There was no response, to his humorous insult. The red and golden costumed hero raced through the maze but saw with no sign of the villain. He stopped in the middle of the labyrinth.

After a few moments he taunted, "I dare you Mirror Master, show yourself unless you are afraid to face me."

Then Mirror Master appeared on the mirror in front of him.

"It is not the question about what I will be facing." he said.

The Scarlet Speedster was going to combat it with another sarcastic response, till sudden a boomerang hit the mirror to his left. The Flash quickly turned but was not quick enough to escape the sleeping gas fumes that came from another boomerang that hit him the chest crashing him into the mirror.

"Good day, mate." the all too familiar Australian accented voice of Captain Boomerang was heard, "Or shall I say good night."

Flash fell to floor coughing and trying to support himself on his arms and knees with the glass of the broken mirror surrounding him. He attempted to reach for his comlink, but gas' effect was all too quick even for the fastest man alive. He as collapsed he saw vague and shadowy outlines of his two enemies standing over him. He remembered nothing more.

_____

The Dark Knight raced along in the Bat-mobile doing his usual patrol of Gotham. The streets of city were unusually quiet, but despite what was said to be a lack of criminal activity the Batman still stuck to his philosophy. Crime never takes a holiday and neither do I.

But then for once his mind turned to something other than what he was doing. Bruce felt terrible about how the conversation with Diana went.

However that does not mean she is right. the Caped Crusader mentally argued, Something foul is going on and as soon as this patrol is done I am going to take a closer into this MRD company.

He pulled over into an alley and then brought up on the screen the information he had learn thus far in the case, which was not much to beginning with. However, as he tried it look over his mind drifted.

Still I should not been so harsh to her. Bruce thought. There could have a better way to explain…

Then a voice from the special Bat-comlink came through the speakers of the car, interrupting the Dark Knight's thoughts.

"I'm not interrupting anything I am?" the voice of his young protégée asked.

There was an awkward silence for a moment then he glumly replied, "This better be important, Robin."

"Well it not really important, I just was checking in."

Batman then asked, "Did you complete your patrol of your sector yet?"

"Just finished."

"Really?"

"Yes, and no crime as far as I can tell."

"You sure?"

"Yeah I know it is unusual, but isn't this the kind of news you supposed to like?" the young criminal fighter asked, "And didn't I hear correctly there's slack in criminal activity worldwide?"

"That doesn't mean we should let down our guard." Batman irritatingly emphasized.

"I think I will head back to the Bat-Cave." Robin inadvertently changed the subject.

His guardian sighed and soon said, "And Tim, double check your patrol route."

"I don't think much would have happen since I last did, but if you say so."

"I am going to be checking in with Batgirl at the Cave and tellling her you will soon be coming."

"Okay then, Robin signing out."

The Dark Knight then switched channels and relayed the information Barbra.

"Have you picked up any police reports?" he then asked.

"Other than domestic disputes gone ugly," Batgirl stated, "there are no formal crimes to speak of. My father for once is not a busy man tonight."

Her father was none other than Gotham City Commissioner Jim Gordon. He was one of the few that defended Batman in his early days of crime fighting before first Robin, Dick Grayson, now Nightwing, Batgirl, and the second Robin, Tim Drake came along.

"That will be all Barbra."

"I will expect you late as always."

_____

And with that Batgirl signed off leaving Batman in complete silence, but not for long. One of tracking monitors beeping indicating a disturbance at the newly opened Gemini Jewelry Boutique.

"Two Face, no doubt." the Dark Knight muttered aloud. He was once Harvey Dent the former DA of Gotham before his accident that scared his face and his evil split personality took control of him. His crimes always involved around the number two. He recently escaped from Arkham Asylum, two weeks ago.

He put the Bat-mobile into high gear and raced to the scene. He decided not call Batgirl or Robin because he knew it would be easy enough to take care the likes of Two Face. He soon arrived entered through employee entrance in the back of the building. The Dark Knight then made his way stealthfully through the darkness of the backroom to the showroom.

He soon spotted Two Face in front of a glass display case. He was preparing to flip his special coin to decide whether or not he would steal the articles of jewelry inside. The Caped Crusader then drew out one of his batarangs and hit Two Face's coin in mid air. The two faced villain was able catch the currency just as it fell back down.

"Shopping time's over." Batman said.

His old friend now enemy turned and spoke in a raspy voice, "On the contrary, it has begun."

Before the Dark Knight could ponder upon his riddle, Two Face procured his gun and fired. He dodged the bullet and continued to dodge others that soon followed. He soon found cover behind a pillar, and from there he threw a smoke capsule that clouded up the room. And before Two Face knew it Batman sneaked up behind him, struck him in face, and twisted his gun arm in such a way that barrel was pointed directly at his spine cord.

"You were saying?" the Dark Knight asked as he twisted his arm harder.

"Alright, you win." The villain relented.

"I will take it from here." a familiar sounding voice soon spoke.

The Caped Crusader glanced behind him and saw that it was Commissioner Gordon. He was about to hand over Two Face, but then…

"Wait a minute you're not…" he started as he was about to turn to look again. But the "commissioner" drew and out his gun and something pierced Batman's skin on the back of his neck. He lost his hold on Two Face, and fell down. Feeling along his neckline he soon found the sharp object that hit him.

Sedative dart. the Dark Knight thought he let it drop to the ground.

He tried to get up, but the tranquilizer had already done its work. A sleepy fog already clouded his mind, so he was unable to call for support. Before he passed out, Batman saw the "commissioner" morph back into another one of Gotham's despicable villains, Clay Face. Both he and Two Face closed in and gloated over him.

"Didn't see that one coming did you, tough guy?" the shape shifting villain taunted.

And with those words the Batman's mind went into absolute blackness.