-1CHAPTER 4

Ka-BOOOM!

The virtually indestructible Batmobile was split in twain by a single bombastic blast of concentrated, tighter even than an industrial laser, heat vision of the hovering, still, Superman. Hurling the Batman from its cramped cockpit-like interior so as to land, hard, upon the paved roadway, then roll-skid for a dozen more feet, before finally rolling to a lazy halt.

"What the hell...?"

So yelled the Batman, caught up in a curious collection of emotions, seconds after being blasted out of a now wholly wrecked, something such as he had never ever considered as possible, Batmobile. Every inch of his protected-by-bullet-proof-blue-grey outfit shrieking in stinging pain, Batman stood, somewhat unsteadily, to cast his cowl-covered eyes upward to see the super-powerful figure gradually landing a mere hundred feet before him. Even the Dark Knight knew whom this brightly colored red-blue superhuman being was...

"Superman", breathed Batman, as the stinging sensation caused by roll-skidding away from a completely smashed, supposedly indestructible, Batmobile. "I was wondering how long it would take your megalomaniacal super-Self to come to my city. So...I suppose we're about to battle to the death now. Bet you think such shall prove especially easy, because I am a mere Human."

"Ordinarily", said Superman as he started to slowly walk toward the Batman, his face a twisted scowl of malevolence yet to be unleashed, "I would've already killed you. Just as I have done with countless other disrupters-of-peace across the planet. But, being the omnipotent purveyor of said peace, to make things better for men, women, and children not caught up in plans hell-bent to bring about death and destruction...things can get really boring. I trust you shall provide me with some excitement...before I bury you as I have done terrorists and criminals the world over."

As a smirk spread itself across the lower half of his cowl-covered face, the Batman muttered somewhat loudly, "So let's do this, you super-powered despot."

Having said such to the Man of Steel, still striding slowly toward him, the Dark Knight pulled one of the very few non-lethal items from a compartment of his Bat-belt, and hurled it hard onto the paved ground still separating himself from Superman...

Pop-BANG-ssssssssssss!

Even a Strange Visitor from Another Planet, with powers beyond those of mortal men, couldn't help but be temporarily stunned by the small-but-powerful flash-bang grenade, as black in color as the lethal articles carried in that self-same bright yellow Bat-belt, that had exploded directly in front of this Man of Steel.

After coughing, from the preponderance of smoke generated by such a small grenade, not to mention the sudden flash that had blinded a pair of super-eyes for the span of seconds such was designed to do, Superman simply blew away that which lingered with a quick blast of his super-breath, before noting that, not at all unexpectedly, the Batman was no longer standing a few scant feet before him.

"If that's how you want to play", Superman stated through tightly clenched teeth, as his otherwise handsome features formed a mask of restless dissatisfaction, and even outright hatred. "Then let the game begin."