Author's notes: 11 802 words and 21 pages of Word Document is how much it took to write this chapter before adding A/N:s. And I'm glad I get to finally post it as the Batman Who Laughs is last one of the Dark Knights whose origin is still not shown. Well, only one besides the Drowned, whose case of not going through with her origin I covered in chapter... 6, was it? Again, it was not very well covered in her oneshot and if any of you is a better writer than me with more talent as a writer, do a better job than I did. Anyway, now that we're going through with the Batman Who Laughs, I can focus on my original ideas in the chapters coming after this one as all* the villain backstories are now covered.
And I need to acknowledge that Sun&Moon Anime has gone forward from the status quo of where I have Ash be in here as his Litten has evolved into a Torracat and he now has Poipole in his team, which is actually a big deal BECAUSE IT'S THE FIRST LEGENDARY POKÉMON ASH HAS MANAGED TO CATCH!
Then about the dialogue, I have used cursive, bold and both of those two for some of the other Dark Knights when they have spoken, but not when it comes to the Batman Who Laughs. This is because he is supposed to sound exactly like the main Batman, but colder. In this chapter however, his dialogue is shown in cursive when his voice is echoing or emphasized to be changing.
Trigger warning for Lovecraftian gore coming in the last scene of this chapter.
Replies to Reviews:
-Guest: Thanks, but you seem to say that about every chapter. Are they getting better as they go on or could be more specific on what's so great every time?
-Sailor Dragonball 87: It's a side-effect from his Doomsday Virus. Besides making his voice sound like an echo coming from a deep cavern, it also reduces his intelligence during his Devastator form depending how long he is in it. And manipulated how? He is following the Batman Who Laughs for the same reason as everyone else, because his world is gone and he has nothing left to loose. Also he wants a second chance to 'save' Metropolis from Superman.
Chapter 10: Give in to the Madness
The Darkness around them was cold and it was almost impossible to see in it. After Dawnbreaker had thrown them inside the Saffron City Gym and been surrounded by a glowing green aura of light, the sudden darkness was like a huge flash of light had been thrown at their eyes in reverse. The only thing they could use to get a hold of their surroundings was the cold floor under them, which didn't help them much when getting back up on their feet.
''Pikapi!'' Pikachu called out from in the darkness. ''Pika-Chu! Pikaka! Pi-Kachu! PikaPika!''
''Pikachu! I'm here, buddy,'' Ash answered back to his partner in the dark.
''Listen to me! Stay where you all are and don't talk or move until I say so,'' Owlman's voice spoke in the surrounding area. ''Key difference between bats and owls, the latter can see better in the dark than the former. Okay, let's see, umm… Brock, take five steps to your left, then three to your right and stop right there.''
No counter arguments, steps were heard being taken on the stone floor, until Brock announced his location.
''Okay, I'm here,'' Brock's voice said in the dark. ''What now?''
''Stay there and wait,'' Owlman's voice ordered. ''Okay next, Sinnoh and Hoenn Twerpettes-
''HEY!'' both Dawn and May yelled offended in a unison.
''Sorry, I don't know your names!'' Owlman said as a hasty apology before continuing. ''Both of you are standing close to each other, so wave your hands around in a circular fashion and they should- that's it, very good. You're holding hands now. Start walking in a straight line- No! To the other direction! Turn 90 decrees to your left and you should make it to Brock by walking in straight line.''
''Their names are Dawn and May!'' Brock's voice said from a direction to which the sound of two sets of steps begun to move towards.
''Noted, and Team Rocket stays exactly where they are,'' Owlman answered with authority and disinterest. ''Ash, you, Pikachu and the Kalos Twerpette-''
''IT'S SERENA!'' Serena's voice screamed as offended as May and Dawn before her.
''And we didn't get a chance for proper introductions,'' Owlman said reflecting back at her passively. ''Also stay there, I'll be coming to you and then I bring you together with-''
FLASH!
''AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!''
A bright light was brought to the darkness and while it was blinding to Ash, Brock, May, Dawn, Serena and Team Rocket, the damage was strongest on Owlman due to his goggles making him see in the dark and being flashed by the light that let them see their surroundings better. Ash and Brock recognized where they had been taken as soon as their eyes had recovered enough. As the Dawnbreaker had thrown them at the Saffron City Gym, they were now standing in the very lobby of the said Gym. As the former supervillain had to remove his goggles and cowl to administer eyedrops on himself, the attention on his injuries, and face, were drawn away from him by the voice of the Batman addressing to Ash and his friends.
''Stop me if you have heard this one before,'' the Batman's voice spoke, but at the first syllable it was clear that the cold voice did not belong to the same Batman that Serena, Dawn and May knew. ''Worlds will live, worlds will die, and nothing will be the same ever again.''
''Red Death, Drowned, Murder Machine, Dawnbreaker,'' Serena said looking at Dawn in her direction with May and Brock, and showed her she was counting with her fingers, ''that monster at the hospital, the one we saw in the sky-''
''That makes six that we have seen, and this is the seventh,'' Dawn said nodding her head and shaking fearfully. ''That 'Barry' ghost said the worst one of them-''
''But imagine if your every fear, each bad decision, gave birth to a malformed world of nightmare,'' the Batman's cold voice spoke again, speaking of fear as they were all afraid of the unknown they were trapped in. ''A world, that shouldn't exist. And desperate as it fights to survive in the shadow of the true multiverse far above, these worlds are destined to rot apart and die, because they are wrong at their core.''
The light begun to dim once again, and it begun to get clearer to see and something begun to form in front of them. Something that was moving in a formation from up to down. They looked like Pokéballs at first due to their shape, but then as their visions became clearer, Ash, his friends, Team Rocket and Owlman what they were. Series of identical planets like their own spiraling down from a light above to a dark hole in the bottom, where they were being torn apart into little pieces.
''Welcome to the Dark Multiverse, home to stories that should never be,'' the cold voice spoke again, and it was frighteningly clear the sound that speaker was grinning a mad smile. ''It's all one big cosmic joke, except no one on this side is laughing. …well, almost no one… Hah hah hah hah haa!''
''What the hell kind of Gym is this?'' Owlman asked jumping in front of them with his goggles and cowl back on.
''It's a Psychic Type Gym,'' Brock said looking at the masked man. ''When we were here 8 years ago for Ash's Gym battle, the first two losses got us turned into small dolls.''
''That sounds like PG rated torture from a kids' show,'' Owlman responded before rising his wrist against his face. ''Grid, come in! Grid? GRID!?''
''Who's Grid?'' Ash asked looking at Owlman. ''And what is your part in this?''
''Grid is the only ally I have from my old team, working outside in a cloaked airship,'' Owlman said frustrated as he tried to work on the interface on his gauntlet. ''To your second question, I'm the guy who is supposed to fix the mess we're in now. I'll tell you more once I'm sure we are NOT BEING LISTENED IN ON!''
''I know you're scared right now.''
Batman's cold voice spoke again, except this time it sounded clearer and coming from the same room as them. It caused everyone to move their gaze around the lobby with haste until they all got startled by the sight of the speaker in their own turns. The seventh evil Batman was standing there at the entrance doors to the Gym, blocking their way getting out of there. Unlike all the previously seen evil Batmen, this one made everyone's skin crawl, including Ash and Brock who had only seen the Devastator and the Drowned, by a signifying character trait that the previous Batmen and the Batman that Serena, Dawn and May knew did not share with this one. This Batman was smiling at them with a wide and disturbing grin on his face, which was pale and white contrast to the black and dark grey he was wearing in his clothes and his eyes were covered by a band of thorns that extended up as the ears in his cowl. Then there was his body language how he was just standing there, unarmed and with both of his hands pressed together by their fingertips.
''You don't need to pretend, I can see you trembling,'' the smiling Batman said pointing at Jessie and James, who were so afraid that they were holding onto each other with Meowth and Wobbuffet. ''You don't know why we brought you here but know the answer can't be good. And you're right, it's not.''
''AARGH!'' Owlman grunted reaching at the smiling Batman with his talons first, but the Batman stopped him with a passive counterattack by throwing three metal cards at him.
''You really thought you had it all figured out, that you knew every combination in the deck,'' the smiling Batman spoke as Owlman forced himself back up and the cards thrown at him begun to float around him, Ash and his friends. ''And it would thrill you every time you were right, when the hand came down in a familiar pattern. A familiar story…''
As the smiling Batman spoke, the metal cards floated around Ash, his friends, Owlman and Team Rocket, two of them placing themselves on their left and right sides and the third one floating behind them. Then, one by one, as the smiling Batman spoke about them, the cards begun to grow bigger and show them pictures portraying people.
''About an outsider who can see the good in all of us,'' the smiling Batman said as the first card grew bigger and showed them a picture of a man in a blue costume and a red cape with an S on his chest, floating in the air and giving them a reassuring smile.
''That's Superman,'' Owlman said identifying who the card was portraying to the group.
''About how we can all have the power to fight for what is right,'' the smiling Batman said as the second card grew bigger and showed them a picture of a woman wearing a red, gold and blue armor with bracers and tiara, standing with her hands on her hips.
''And that's Wonder Woman,'' Owlman said identifying the woman in the other card.
''Or how we can each overcome our darkest moments,'' the smiling Batman said as the third card showed them-
''Batman,'' Serena said quickly recognizing the picture of Batman as the enlarged cards formed together making all three people in them look like they were standing together.
Even with the current situation being confronted by the smiling Batman and being at his mercy, it was truly an inspiring sight to look at the three heroes standing together.
''But this isn't any of those stories!'' the smiling Batman said aggressively, breaking the inspiring moment as the three large cards begun to close in on them like a box with three walls. ''There are the familiar parts, but they're all in the wrong places. And there's nothing more frightening than when all the cards lay out on the table just right…''
''PIKACHU, USE THUNDERBOLT!'' Ash yelled pointing his hand at the smiling Batman.
''Pii-kaaa-CHUUUUUUUUUUU!'' Pikachu yelled, at first charging up electricity and then releasing it against the smiling Batman, who didn't try to dodge it.
Instead, he took out another Metal card and used Pikachu's Thunderbolt attack to charge it up. The card begun to vibrate as the electricity coursed around it.
''But then another card comes and changes the meaning of the entire hand,'' the smiling Batman said as the threw the card at them and it begun to grow bigger as it flew at them, trapping them inside a box made by the four cards. ''And there is no way to know what's going to happen next.''
There wasn't dark in the box as it had no roof, so those trapped inside it could see both each other and the picture shown in the fourth card. Unlike the three previous ones that had given Ash and his friends an inspiring feeling of unity, this fourth card made them feel uneasy by the picture in it. The picture in the fourth card was portraying another pale white skinned man wearing a purple suit and a tie with a mad grin on his face with green hair, sitting on a throne of dead bodies that were also smiling.
''Joker,'' Owlman growled under his breath, before beginning to try and push the wall made by the card down.
''Who are all these people?'' Dawn asked pointing at the three other cards besides Batman.
''Superman and Wonder Woman are two of the three greatest heroes in Batman's world, with him,'' Owlman said testing the integrity of the card wall with the talons in his gloves. ''And the Joker is a mass murdering serial killer who should have been put down long ago!''
''Why did he show them to us?'' Dawn asked as Owlman begun to try and break down the walls.
''I don't know!'' Owlman responded aggressively. ''Let's get out of here and go ask them!''
''Pikachu, help him with Iron Tail!'' Ash told Pikachu, who jumped into air and begun to hit the large card with his tail.
''Piplup, use Headbutt on the wall!'' Dawn told her still out Pokémon to help bring down their confinement.
''Owlman,'' Brock said pulling him away from the large card, ''how do you fit into all this and why are you working with Team Rocket?''
''I just told you, I'll tell you when I'm sure they are not listening on us. But you can be sure that I'm you're your side and so is Team Rocket,'' Owlman told Brock, defending Team Rocket as May and Serena looked at him unconvinced. ''You all have seen the Nightmare Batmen and the threat they impose. They are our enemies here and that makes us all allies. And I know the Batman you have met, that's how I fit in.''
''What do you mean by 'Nightmare Batmen'?'' May asked as Ash's and Dawn's Pokémon pushed the big card to go down. ''Wait, if you know the Batman, does that mean you're from the same world as him?''
''Yes and no,'' Owlman said as his answer before turning to look at the large card Pikachu and Piplup were trying to bring down and pulled a pistol from his belt. ''Get out of my way and go to that end, I'm going to blow us out of here and-''
FLAP! FLAP! FLAP! FLAP!
All four cards fell down from around them and to their surprise they were no longer in the lobby of the Saffron City Gym. Instead, they were standing in the middle of a city, that was burning and engulfed by flames.
''This isn't Saffron City,'' Brock said as they all looked around their new surroundings and the fire devouring the buildings. ''What is this place?''
''Gotham City,'' Owlman said looking at the old buildings and recognized the street they were on. ''East End District, Park Row to be exact.''
''Is this from your and Batman's world?'' Ash said looking around the street as Pikachu jumped on his shoulder.
''Yes,'' Owlman said in a bitter voice.
''Why does it look familiar?'' Ash asked taking a step forward but then stopped as he felt stepping on something, that turned out be multiple dead bodies of men and women in costumes.
The sight made him take multiple steps back as the blood escaped from his face as everyone else shared his shocked reaction when seeing the bodies, except for Owlman.
''I know these people,'' Owlman said recognizing the dead. ''Scarecrow, Penguin, Killer Croc, Catwoman, the Ventriloquist-''
''Hey, we have seen her before,'' Serena said pointing at the dead body Owlman had identified as Catwoman. ''Bruce used Dawnbreaker's ring to see her back in Goldenrod, he called her Selina-''
BOOOOOOOM!
There was an explosion in the burning city that cut Serena's sentence and was then followed by laughter.
''HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAA! Which one do you think it was, Batssss?'' the laughing voice spoke. ''Mercy Hospital? Or maybe it was the Gotham General… It's hard to keep the chaos straight this late in the game.''
''Joker!?'' Owlman said recognizing the voice and pointed at it's origin, to the purple suited pale man, standing before Batman, who was on his knees, tied and gagged at the pale man's mercy.
''-huff huff-'' was all that Batman could speak through the gag in mouth.
''Aw, come on! You have to get into the spirit of this thing to make it right!'' the Joker spoke as he was cleaning his bloodied knuckles on a brown overcoat. ''The drugs are only interfering with your body, after all, not your mind. I made sure of that.''
''MMMFF! MMMMFFF!'' Batman tried to speak back through the gag.
''Pikachu, Quick Attack!'' Ash yelled an order for his Pokémon partner as he pointed his hand at the Joker.
''PIKA!'' Pikachu yelled jumping off from Ash's shoulder and begun to charge towards the Joker. ''Pika pika pika pika- chuu…''
Pikachu hit an invisible wall before hitting the Joker and was rebounded back from it as the Joker gloated at the Batman at his mercy.
''Pikachu!'' Ash yelled concerned as he moved quickly to pick up his injured Pokémon as Joker continued to gloating Batman.
''Hee… Therre we go! Look, I know this must be very hard on you. It's hard on both of us. Do you have any idea how many charts you need to coordinate the systematic killing of an entire city?''
''Out of one prison and into another,'' Owlman said examining the invisible wall between them and Batman at the mercy of the Joker. ''They want us look as this is happening.''
''I guess you wouldn't. Because that's your one line, isn't it? Killing,'' the Joker said as Ash, his friends, Owlman and Team Rocket could only watch what was happening to Batman. ''You and your pals, sigh, like good old Jim Gordon. Right to the end, I heard him shout it over the radio, over and over… 'BY THE BOOK! BRING HIM IN BY THE BOOK!''
''What is he talking about?'' Serena asked as the Joker showed Batman a brown overcoat along with a pipe, a pair of glasses and a police badge that had a hole in it. ''And is this even real? What are we being shown here?''
''Heh, but when I finally got to him, he understood. I saw it in his eyes… right before I dissolved them, I mean,'' the Joker said as he put the glasses and the overcoat on himself. ''He called for his girl last, you know, hard to hear as his jaw was melting. 'Buh, buh, buh...' I saved the pipe for you though! Still warm…''
''MMMFFFFFF!'' Batman moaned as he seemed to understand what the Joker was telling him. ''JJJMMMM!''
''See, Batss, were running out of time, you and I. We need to evolve and fast, or we miss our chance. There is no 'by the book' anymore. I threw the damn thing out, BURNED IT!'' The Joker said as he kicked Batman on the ground off his feet and so his body would be facing where Ash, his friends, Owlman and Team Rocket were, along with the dead bodies. ''Every story, every character, one by one. All the cops, all the villains, looking for that breaking point.''
''UNNFFF!'' Batman moaned through the gag as he saw the dead bodies of his enemies, and Catwoman, and the observers could see the desperation in his eyes as he saw them. ''SSSLLNNN!''
''I told him to kill when I last saw him,'' Owlman said as Serena, Dawn, May, Jessie and James looked at the desperation and pressure building in Batman's eyes while Ash, Brock and Pikachu tried to break through the invisible wall. ''He has no one else to blame for all this but himself.''
''The joke too far, it has to exist, Bats. I know it does,'' the Joker said pressing his foot down on Batman's side passively before kicking him again. ''Well tonight I'm going to tell it! I'LL SHOUT IT FROM THE DAMN ROOFTOPS! CAN YOU HEAR ME, BATMAN!? CAN YOU?!''
''UMMFFFF!'' Batman moaned as the observers saw movement at the other side of the street.
''What is that?'' Jessie asked, speaking for the first time after being thrown into the Saffron City Gym. ''Is there someone else here?''
''Oh dear, what's this now?'' the Joker said reacting to the movement as he pulled out a handgun. ''A lovely young family coming home from the theater-''
''DNNNT!'' Batman moaned through the gag with his mouth bleeding as a mother, father and their child were shown walking towards them. ''NNNNN!''
''Oh, I know what happens next,'' the Joker said before-
BLAM! BLAM!
Shooting both parents to the head in front of their child before kneeling to talk to the orphaned little girl.
''Don't be afraid, you don't need you mommy and daddy anymore,'' the Joker spoke to the little orphaned girl as he put his arm around her and for some reason Ash could feel the outrage Batman seemed to feel as he was shaking with PTSD. ''You're the first citizen of a Brand New Gotham. One made from the best of Him and the best of Me. Doesn't that sound wonderful?''
''I… heh… I…'' the little girl tried to speak as the Joker stepped away from her and to a growing shock of the observers, her skin begun to pale white and her face turned to an insane grin as she begun to laugh and run away. ''HEE HEHHEHE HEHEHEH HEEEE!''
''HA HAH HA HA HA HAHA HAH HAHA HAHAA! NOW! BRING THE NEXT FAMILY! AND THE NEXT!'' The Joker laughed as suddenly the surrounding area was revealed to have twirling line of families being lead to the Joker and Batman by gun wielding goons. ''AND KEEP THEM COMING! OUR LINE FOR HIS LINE! HAH HA HAHA HAHHAAAA!''
BLAM! BLAM!
''NNNNNN!'' Batman moaned as the Joker kicked him on his stomach to force him watch as the families were brought before him, one by one, for the parents to shot and their children be turned insane by the Joker.
BLAM! BLAM!
''NN!'' Batman moaned as Ash, Brock, Pikachu, Owlman and Jessie tried to break down the invisible wall to come and help him.
BLAM! BLAM!
''MMPH!'' Batman moaned as Serena, May, Dawn, James and Meowth all joined them to try to break down the invisible wall.
BLAM! BLAM!
''NN!'' Batman moaned as the gunshots echoed into his psyche and his PTSD begun to feed his anger and turn it into strength. ''JKRRRRR!''
BLAM! BLAM!
RAAAAAAAAH! the ropes snapped from around Batman arms as he freed himself.
BLAM! BLAM!
''And here we go,'' The Joker said gleefully as Batman ripped the gag from his mouth.
''JOKER!'' Batman yelled with rage and emotional compromise in his voice.
''NEVER!'' The Joker yelled back, in a similar voice mocking at Batman outrage before turning at the mass of people with an automatic machine gun and beginning to slaughter everyone there, including his own men. ''I'm never going to stop! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAA!''
PTOOTH!
''STOP!'' Batman yelled grabbling himself up into the air and landed his feet first on the Joker's chest area and begun to beat his fists at the mad man as the beatdown drew them both to the alley between buildings and out of the observers' line of sight, leaving them to only hear what was happening. ''STOOOOOOP!''
''Uhh! NO, I'LL KILL-''
''STOP!''
''I'LL KEEP -ugh- COMING THIS WAY NOW..!''
''STOP!''
''YOUR FAMILY -ack- NEXT! HAH HAHAHA!''
''This is getting us nowhere!'' Owlman grunted with his teeth out as the sound of Batman and the Joker kept coming from the alley. ''Jessie, tell your Yanmega to-''
''-huff huff- NO! YOU'LL STOP!''
''Yanmega, use Echoed Voices!'' Jessie told her out Pokémon, which flew above them before starting to charge it's sonic attack.
''NEVER! -ungh-'' The Joker was heard spitting back at Batman from the alley. ''HAHAHA! You still don't have the guts… DO YOU, BRUCE?! No… HEEEE.. IT'S GOING TO BE YOU AND ME, TOGETHER FOREV-''
''STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!'' Batman yelled just as Yanmega released it Echoed Voices attack on the invisible wall and-
KRAK!
That sound broke the invisible wall before them before Yanmega's attack could hit it, causing it to fly past the dead space and as their first act out of their restrained area, they all ran to the alley Batman and the Joker had moved to from their fighting… to see a shaking Batman holding the Joker in a neck hold, with the mad man's head twisted out to hang out of its place.
''… stop… stop… stop…'' Batman kept repeating in a shaking voice as he held the Joker's dead body and looked through the observers with soaking eyes. ''…stop… stop… stop…''
''He did it,'' Owlman said taking a few steps towards Batman and the Joker's dead body in his hands while gesturing the others to stay behind him. ''He finally killed the Jok-''
''EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHH!''
''WHA-AAAAAAAAAAAH!'' Ash, Brock, Serena, Dawn, May, Jessie, James and Meowth screamed when suddenly the Joker's dead body moved, releasing green gas from his mouth.
''-cough- couch- cough-'' Batman coughed as the gas reached him as he was holding the Joker's dead body and was closest to be caught breathing it in his current state. As Batman coughed trying to get the gas out of his system, he let go of the Joker's body and his uncontrollable coughing caused him to fall on his knees.
''Bruce?'' Owlman asked as he tried to reach for Batman, but then the entire area around them turned dark.
''Back at the Gym lobby?'' Brock said as their surroundings were lit once again to be see better. ''What was that?''
''Psychic Gym,'' Owlman grunted as he moved tried to examine the surrounding with his goggles. ''Mind games, mental torture. We weren't in Gotham, we were just shown a believably realistic hallucination.''
''Why? What was the point of showing us… that!?'' May asked, shocked with jitters. ''What that man did- all those children, their parents…''
''And what it did Batman,'' Dawn said, thinking back to how they had seen Batman behave when he had gotten loose from his restraints. ''Batman? Hey, we still don't know where the real Batman is. That monster at the hospital said he switched places with him when we were in Goldenrod City!''
''Shit!'' Owlman said as if he had just realized something and looked at the hallway leading deeper into the Gym. ''If they have him, they could finish his mantling and turn him to their Wagon.''
''Wagon?'' Ash said confused. ''That's not a Pokémon or a-''
''No, it's something worse,'' Owlman said shaking his head and looked at the two doors in the lobby. ''The way out is locked and the way forward is open. They want us to go deeper into the Gym to get to Batman.''
''Are we going to?''
''Feel free to try and leave if you want,'' Owlman said passively, followed immediately by Team Rocket charging at the exit and trying pull the doors open, unsuccessfully.
''Yanmega, use Silver Wind on Wobbuffet!'' Jessie said telling her Pokémon how to open the door when pulling wasn't enough. ''Wobbuffet, counter that attack at the doors!''
The two Pokémon fired their combined attack at door and it's results were… unsuccessful. The doors looked untouched by the attack, which gave it's fair share of reactions from some being worried for them not being able to leave the Gym and being forced to move to deeper inside.
''One; if those were glass doors, I would be impressed,'' Owlman said in a disappointed tone in his voice, before grabbing Jessie from behind and pulled her face to face that she didn't miss what he said next. ''And second; you're lucky I need people working for me, because otherwise you'd be fired for mutiny, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!''
''Hey, Owlman?''
''What!?'' Owlman asked turning away from his underlings and to Ash and his friends, who were showing him their Pokéballs. ''If you're going send your Pokémon against me, you better kill me before I fight back.''
''It's not that, the Pokéballs don't work at all,'' Ash said showing how the Pokéballs didn't react to the press of the button on them. ''We can't let the Pokémon inside the Pokéballs out of them or recall the ones we have out.''
Owlman threw Jessie off his hands before reaching to adjust his goggles to look at the Pokéballs, which he grabbed from Ash's and Brock's hands.
''Hey, does that look familiar from somewhere?'' May asked discreetly from Serena and Dawn as Owlman was holding two Pokéballs in his hand and looking at the behind large round goggles.
''Yeah, but he doesn't sound the same,'' Dawn said partly agreeing with May. ''I don't think he is another version of Mr Wayne.''
''That should have been obvious from how he behaved next to that monster posing as Bruce,'' Serena added as Owlman threw the Pokéballs back to Ash and Brock and begun to work on his gauntlet's interface again. ''Dawn, remember how you first saw Bruce, did he seem like someone familiar you had known long enough to see as a friend?''
''Vaguely,'' Dawn said trying to remember back and looking at her Piplup. ''I was more focused on getting Piplup back then that- I just felt gratitude that he had brought Piplup back and- May, how did you feel when you saw Mr Wayne with us in Mauville?''
''You vouched for him and said he saved you from Lilycove so I just thought he was trustworthy,'' May said, ''and then we started talking about parallel universes and evil versions so I just rolled with it.''
''Some kind of interference signal that stops the Pokéballs from working,'' Owlman said looking up from his gauntlet and then quickly looked back adding, ''and is also keeping me from trying to connect to anyone outside.''
''And that means-'' Ash was about to say, but Owlman cut him off.
''Yeah, the only way we can get out is by going through the Gym.''
Seeing as the way out of the Gym was indeed both locked and blocked in such a way that it couldn't be broken through with Pokémon, the group moved to get deeper into the Gym. The lobby lead to a hallway, which had doors on both sides and another door leading to the arena, which was supposed to where the Gym Leader was waiting for challengers. The other two doors on the other hand, were meant for sparring arenas where the challengers were to prove themselves to be worthy to take on the Gym Leader and-
''Now what?'' Ash said as suddenly the lights went out in the hallway again and the only lights that stayed on were the ones above them and one of the side doors.
''Another show waiting for us behind that door,'' Owlman said raising his left fist to sign them to stay behind and then used his right hand to point at the lit door. ''Meowth, go open it.''
''Me?'' Meowth said in a delayed acknowledgement before crawling toward the door. ''What if they are waiting to get to us in there!?''
''Use your catlike reflexes and-''
Nrrrr…
The door opened itself ajar as soon as Meowth was close enough to reach it.
''Huh,'' James said voicing everyone's mild surprise to it.
''Never mind,'' Owlman said as they all walked to the door and walked through it.
But there was no sparring arena in there. Instead, they found themselves on a high catwalk in what looked like a warehouse with dim lighting. Not as dark as the hallway, but the dim lighting was uncomfortable, like it was trying to hide something.
''He was dying.''
''Bruce?'' Serena said when suddenly Batman's voice was heard speaking in the room with them again.
''There,'' Brock said pointing at another catwalk across them. ''Batman is over there.''
''With Superman and Wonder Woman?'' Owlman said disbelieved looking at where Brock had pointed.
Across from him, Team Rocket, Ash and his friends, there was another catwalk inhabited by Batman, who was standing straight with both of his hands on the railing. On his left there was the man in a blue costume with a red cape and S-symbol on his chest, leaning to the railing with his arms. On his right, the woman wearing red, gold and blue armor with bracers and a tiara, standing on her own without needing anything to keep her balance. They were all looking down from the catwalk and looking down there as well… the sight down there was sick and twisted to look at.
The orphaned children whose parents the Joker had murdered before infecting with poison. The were kept down there, cackling, grinning and glaring up at the people above them.
''The chemicals that made him the Joker, they were starting to eat him away from the inside,'' Batman spoke on the other catwalk with just his eyes flashing in the dim lighting as the rest of his face was kept in the dark by standing directly under the only lamp. ''That's what pushed him to take things so far… why he pushed me…''
''Are you alright, Bruce?'' Wonder Woman asked with concern in her voice.
''If you're asking whether I'm going to slide down the slippery slope, no,'' Batman said standing up with a focused posture. ''I'm not sorry he's dead, Diana, but I won't give him the satisfaction of becoming what he wanted me to be.''
''That's all we needed to hear, Bruce,'' Superman said looking down at the infected children. ''I have spoken to S.T.A.R. Labs in Metropolis about taking the children in. With Arkham destroyed and GCPD in ruins, it seems the least we can do.''
''He said he wanted to make something new out of the 'best' of us. My trauma and his, blended together…'' Batman said with his head lowering from his previous posture as he looked down. ''Clark, they might be beyond saving.''
''We can't believe that, Bruce,'' Wonder Woman said placing he hand on Batman's shoulder as moral support. ''No one is beyond saving.''
''I'll be administering their treatment myself, they need to deal with someone they can't hurt,'' Superman said fixing his posture and turned to look at Batman. ''A psychologist spoke to one of them this afternoon and she almost tried to bite her throat out.''
''Hah,'' Batman said in what seemed to be a sarcastic chuckle… to a serious issue, causing his friends to look at him confused. ''I'm… I'm sorry, that… that wasn't funny.''
''This is disturbing,'' May said rubbing her arms like she was cold when that room begun to dim into a similar darkness as before. ''When did all this happen? Is it happening right now or-''
''I'm afraid it has happened already,'' Owlman said turning to the door leading back to the hallway, where another door had been lit to wait for opening. ''Remember what we were told before? It's a story with all the familiar parts in the wrong places. And we're forced to listen to it going through the Gym.''
''Then we go forward,'' Ash said leading them to the hallway, where he saw the next door lit. ''The sooner we get through this, the sooner we get to confront the people who caused all this and make them pay for what they have done.''
The next room behind the lit door was mostly unchanged from the sparring arena there was supposed to be, but instead of an arena for Pokémon battles, there were big robots fighting four people almost the same age as Ash and his friends.
''Batcave,'' Owlman said identifying the area. ''This is place what Batman calls his home.''
''What's with the tights and robots?'' Meowth asked as the only Pokémon besides Pikachu and Wobbuffet with them as the others were left in the hallway.
''Pikaa pika,'' Pikachu said with his hands crossed.
''You're right, who am I to talk?'' Meowth said looking at the floor as did Jessie and James exchanged glances and their current team uniforms.
''Those four weren't in the cards we were shown before,'' Brock said with his gaze following the red haired female fighter in a purple and yellow costume. ''Who are these people?''
''They are Batman's family,'' Serena said as Ash looked at them fighting. ''When we were in Goldenrod City he used the Dawnbreaker's ring to see an image of them and told them that they were his strength.''
''Wait a minute?!'' Owlman said disturbed by something as he pointed out the female redhead fighter in a dark purple and yellow costume brought down a robot. ''I thought she was supposed to be paralyzed from the waist down and be replaced by that Asian girl?''
''He's right,'' Dawn said telling Ash and Brock. ''When we saw the real Mr Wayne looking at them, the redhead was in a wheelchair.''
''Are you kidding me, MORE ROBOTS!?'' the supposedly paralyzed Batgirl told Nightwing as their opponents kept on advancing. ''Since when has a single training protocol lasted THREE HOURS!?''
''What I want to know, Batgirl, is what Robin did to get out of the sparring session from Hell,'' Nightwing told her as a large tanking robot and a smaller fast robot advanced on them.
''Nightwing! I think Bruce added a new difficulty level,'' Red Robin yelled from the other side of the arena. ''They have never been this dangerous before- WATCH OUT!''
Batgirl barely managed to counter the smaller robot as it attacked her with cleaver knifes.
''No kidding, Red Robin. We need a new strategy,'' Nightwing yelled back dodging the bigger robot's flying rocket fists. ''Red Hood!?''
''Don't look at me,'' Red Hood yelled from his own end as the bullets from his handguns bounced out of the big robot. ''This thing is bulletproof!''
''This is Batman we're talking about!'' Red Robin yelled attacking the smaller robot with a low kick and removed it's head. ''We need to shut them down manually!''
''Hey, Batman!?'' Nightwing yelled as he jumped on the bigger robot and tore important parts from it
BLAM!
causing it's back to explode. ''Appreciate you brushing up our basics, but it's been years since you brought any of us into train in the cave.''
No more robots spawned to the arena as Nightwing continued.
''Something's wrong. Talk to us, Bruce. We're family.''
''You're right, Dick.''
FLASH!
The whole room flashed quickly and then the scenery changed from the training arena to a front of a large screened computer and console as Batman's voice answered to Nightwing. On the computer screen there was an x-ray of someone's head and the brain inside the skull charts, and in the front of it the four fighters standing in front of Batman who looked like he had trouble standing.
''I've been stalling, but there is no hiding from the truth,'' Batman spoke in a deep voice, like he was sick and confessing on his deathbed. ''When I… killed the Joker, I was infected with a new strain of nanotoxin unlike anything I've seen before. It was there all along… in his heart, more virulent than anything he had ever unleased. Trapped in his cells, harmless unless… unless…''
''Unless he died,'' Batgirl said looking at the charts on the screen.
''Yes, Barbara,'' Batman said nodding his head with his eyes on the floor. ''As soon as necrosis hit, the toxin was released. Just enough to infect one person at close proximity…''
''Oh my god,'' Owlman said shocked and took a step back, alarming the others as well by this reaction.
''It's been at work for nearly a week,'' Batman kept talking, ''rewiring my mind to be like… his. If the process is allowed to run it's course, I'll have the same highly ordered mind I have always had, with the moral core replaced with something evil.''
''Does that mean he is going to turn into..?'' Ash asked looking at the shocked expression on Owlman's exposed part of his face. ''Owlman?''
''It was his last wish, that whoever killed him would become him,'' Batman then said, answering to Ash's interrupted question. ''I confirmed this earlier tonight and called all of you here.''
''The training, it wasn't for the usual villains, was it?'' Nightwing asked, obviously trying to process and accept what they had just been told. ''You were making sure we were ready to fight you.''
Batman didn't answer, just kept looking at the floor.
''God, Bruce. We're not going to fight you, we're going to help you!''
''Okay, let's problem solve,'' Batgirl said trying to form a solution. ''We need a prison you can't break out of until we find a cure.''
''Phantom Zone?'' Red Robin suggested.
''No… that won't work,'' Batman said in a weak voice and turned to lean towards the computer console, so he could keep standing.
''Then we find another way,'' Red Robin said. ''Look, we were trained by the World's Greatest Detective. None of us are going to go rest until you're put to right. And if you're worried about the city, then we'll work in shifts helping them through the post-Joker chaos.''
''No, Tim, you don't understand…'' Batman spoke with really heavy breaths.
''Yes, we do, Bruce,'' Batgirl said as Red Hood flinched behind her, with his body language similar to Owlman's. ''We have all been hurt by that monster before.''
''This is just another one of the Joker's games, the last one,'' Nightwing said expressing his belief in him and trying to reassure his mentor. ''You prepared us for this.''
''I know,'' Batman said, now clearly as he turned his back to them to lean at the computer console with his both hands. ''That's why I brought you here.''
''Well, we're here to help,'' Red Hood said as Owlman and Ash both saw him slowly moving his hands to his jacket.
''No, not to help, Jason,'' Batman said as he was visibly shaking as he spoke. ''I brought you her because the four of you would notice something was wrong with me before anyone else would… and I'm sorry, but I can't allow that.''
''Turn around and don't look back,'' Owlman said turning around to Ash and his friends as well as Team Rocket, who had hard time to hear him as his voice seemed to have died under dry mouth caused by how shocked he seemd. ''I think I know what's going to happen next and you don't want to-''
''Bruce?'' Nightwing asked, with the same tone in his voice as Owlman as Batman seemed to turn to them again. ''What are you… what're you doing?''
''Something you weren't prepared for,'' Batman answered in the harrowing cold voice as he begun to turn around again and
''AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'' the observing party scream as soon as they saw Batman's face, pale with an insane grin on it, before Owlman jumped to cover it by spreading his multiple pieced cloak, which did block their view of what has happening but not the
BUDDA! BUDDA! BUDDA!
BUDDA! BUDDA! BUDDA!
BUDDA! BUDDA! BUDDA!
BUDDA! BUDDA! BUDDA!
sound of the automatic handguns that Batman was using to gun down and kill his own family as he maniacally laughed as he did it. ''HAH HAH HAH HA HAH HAH HAH HA HAH HAHA HAH HAHA HAHAH HAH HAHA HAHA HAHA HAAH!''
''Don't watch,'' Owlman said as he kept his cloak spread as much as possible to keep what was happening from being seen. ''Get back to the hallway!''
Team Rocket blasted off first, Ash and Serena second followed by Brock, May and Dawn with Owlman coming out last. As they did run away, Ash glanced back there as Owlman let his cloak fall from cover what was behind him. The cackling insane Batman holding the two automatic handguns in his hand as their empty shells to the floor at his feet along with the corpses of the four masked young fighters who had considered him as family.
When everyone was out of that room, Owlman shut the door behind them and leaned against it to keep it shut and as if to keep the horror inside it from following them.
''WHAT WAS THAT!?'' May screamed with cold sweat and her hand shaking. ''They were his family… he told us he misses them… he said they were his strength… HOW COULD HE-''
''Listen…''
''This isn't what we signed up for!'' James said from a group hug with Jessie, Meowth and Wobbuffet. ''We have been in haunted houses that-''
''I'M NOT COMFORTABLE HERE EITHER!'' Owlman yelled over everyone. ''To you, those people were strangers. I know their names, their birthdays and more then you do. Listen-''
''No, you listen!'' Ash yelled back at Owlman. ''We are being tortured by someone who looks and sounds like the person my friends owe their lives for and YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO SEEMS TO KNOW WHY!''
''And I told you, that I will tell you what I know,'' Owlman said glaring down at Ash, ''but not before I'm sure that WE ARE NOT BEING LISTENED IN ON!''
CLAP!
The doors leading to the Gym Leader's battle arena opened as Owlman yelled out that last part.
''We don't have to go in there,'' Owlman said looking at the opened door and the light coming from them into the dark hallway. ''No, you don't need to, I'll go. Jessie and James, help them out of here. None of you have done anything that would make you deserve whatever horrors wait for in there.''
Owlman took a step towards the doors with his left hand extended to his side as a sign to stay behind him.
''I have. I'm not a superhero like Batman is supposed to be,'' Owlman said in a bitter voice. ''I'm a former crime lord and a supervillain. If anyone deserves to go through a Joker infected Hell like this, it's me.''
''Does the Batman deserve to be in the middle of it?'' Batman's cold voice spoke from the Gym Leader's arena. ''Come on, you said it yourself, Mister Ketchum. Your friends owe their lives to him and what kind of thanks is leaving the Batman in our hands?''
Coerced by that, they all moved into the Gym Leader's Battle Arena. Owlman because he said he deserved it, Serena, Dawn and May out of guilt for owing their lives to Batman, Ash and Brock because they couldn't have let their friends go in there while staying behind and Team Rocket because they didn't want to leave behind alone in the dark hallway. Except when they did step in to the Battle Arena, they all knew that the dark hallway was better than what they had just stepped into. Just like the previous room, the Gym Leader's Battle Arena had been changed to look like different surroundings, in this case like a large hall in a space station with a large broken table, fallen chairs and dead bodies of people in colorful costume.
''What is this place?'' Brock asked looking around what might have once clean and grandstanding.
''Justice League,'' Ash read from the broken table. ''What is that?''
''This place once was the Justice League Watchtower,'' Owlman said identifying the area they had stepped into and looked at the bodies. ''Orbital satellite, floating 22 500 feet above Earth's orbit and these people were this world's greatest heroes. There's-''
''Bruce…''
''Someone is still alive in here!'' Dawn said pointing at the last man barely standing among the dead and the yellow S-shield on the back of his cape. ''Superman is still alive.''
Ash and Pikachu were the first ones to get to the Man of Steel and once they did, they saw how bad of a condition he was. Superman was barely standing by the remains of Wonder Woman, who looked like she had been strangled by the golden rope around the neck, while Superman was bleeding from his eyes with his legs in a spread position and arms hanging towards the floor, like he couldn't keep supporting his own weight.
''What happened here?'' Ash asked as if trying to ask Superman that question.
''Bruce…'' Superman said looking right at Ash, then-
''I've been thinking a lot the last few days, about the man I once was,'' Batman's harrowingly cold voice then spoke, echoing around the room and making everyone try to locate where it was coming from. ''I just walked through the Justice League trophy room, and it struck me how many weapons we have gathered over the years.''
''Whatever happens, remember that it has already happened,'' Owlman said obviously not just telling it to Ash's friends and Team Rocket but to also himself. ''This is just torture we have to withstand.''
''I remember how I justified bringing them here,'' Batman's cold voice spoke again, this time starting to jump from one place to another around the room. ''You thought they should be destroyed, but I pushed. I wanted to know how they worked.''
''And I do, Supreman,'' the cold voice said taunting the last survivor who also tried to locate it's source. ''I know how to operate Doomsday machines that could level cities in seconds.''
''How could he be doing this?'' Serena said looking as Superman tried to find where Batman. ''They were his friends who cared and were worried about him.''
''They used to keep me up at night, but I couldn't understand why,'' Batman's cold voice said now sounding clearer and coming from one direction. ''Now that my mind has been put right, I finally understand. It's simple.''
''There!'' Brock called out, pointing at the doors they had used to enter this room.
Batman was standing there, or rather, the thing that Batman had turned into was standing there, blocking the entrance to the room. His costume and appearance had changed as well from the grey and black costume he had previously worn. Now his costume was black with the Bat-symbol in his chest being yellow, the cape and cowl as well as the boots and gloves were dark purple, with the cape's inside yellow and on the exposed part of his face under the mask, the skin was pale white, and he was grinning like the Joker before him.
''I wanted to use them, Clark,'' Batman said approaching Superman maniacally. ''I wanted to use each and every one of them.''
''All this death,'' Owlman said looking around at all the dead bodies heroes, at the barely standing Superman and at the insane Batman. ''All this death… just because he killed the Joker!?''
''But why…'' Superman asked, trying to keep his distance as the insane Batman approached him. ''Why have you done this?''
''The same reason, because I want to,'' Batman said pointing his finger at Superman and any of the observers were unable to recognize him as the same man they had met before. ''Because I don't have to hold back anymore. Hell, I'm disappointed I only get to do this once. Can you imagine, do you have any idea, how many ways I know how to kill you!?''
''The people… they'll see what you are,'' Superman struggled to oppose his former friend. ''They'll fight back!''
''They better,'' Batman said standing up straight and looking down on Superman with a wide grin on his face. ''What fun would it be if they didn't fight back?''
''Oh God, Clark,'' a woman's voice said in the room as a mother and son suddenly appeared there with them. ''What has he done…''
''Dad! My eyes…'' the son yelled scared at Superman, as like him, his eyes were also bleeding. ''Something's wrong with my eyes… I'm scared!''
''Who are those people and why would they be here!?'' Dawn asked, both surprised by their appearance as well as scared for their safety.
''Why don't you pull out the old Superman magic?'' Batman said leaning away from them as Superman took the mother and son to his arms. ''Puff out that old chest of yours, throw a smile, tell your wife and son that it's going to be all right…''
''Superman had a son?'' Owlman said surprised by this turn of events.
''Tell them that the good guys are going to win in the end,'' Batman said as his voice begun to turn even colder and more harrowing.
''I won't cheapen what I stand for,'' Superman said holding his wife and son close to him. ''I won't lie to my family!''
''Aww, that's okay,'' Batman said as there was seen movement behind him. ''You can lie to mine.''
That movement was coming from the infected children the Joker had infected before his death, now crawling and jumping around Batman while wearing red tunics, green gloves and boots and yellow capes, with Rs on their chests. This sight reminded Serena and Dawn of the harrowing warning they had heard from the ghost inside Red Death when this had all begun for them:
''The worst one of them has his Robins with him…''
''Father…'' one of the Robins, this one walking normally like Batman was and was visibly older than the others, said looking at the boy in Superman's arms. ''Can I play with Jon, now?''
''Just a moment, Damian,'' Batman said keeping the oldest Robin behind himself. ''The grown-ups are talking.''
''You…'' Superman said even more shocked and now disgusted. ''You did this to your own son!?''
''That's his son!?'' Serena said shocked looking at the oldest Robin and covered her mouth with her hands.
Serena had not forgotten the conversation she had had with Bruce when they had met, how she had told him about her journey as a Pokémon Performer and Bruce had told her… a version of what his life was, including that he had friends and a son who… all of whom she was now witnessing as this evil and insane version of Bruce had gone to kill and torture while gleefully enjoying it.
''It only took a little push, and he did it to himself. It actually gave me the idea for what I'm going to do to you,'' Batman said glaring at Superman and his family as he pulled a shining black rock from the back of his belt. ''This is a modified strand of Black Kryptonite. When I tested it on your cousin Supergirl, she ripped her foster family apart before it's affects killed her.''
''Superman has a cousin?'' Owlman said surprised again.
''BRUCE!'' Superman's wife yelled scared for her life at Batman. ''You don't have to do this!''
''I know,'' Batman said as he then threw the black rock at her. ''Lois, catch!''
''Lois, AHHH,'' Superman said as the rock begun to effect on him, ''stand b-AAAAAAH!''
''Mom?'' the boy spoke as it begun to happen to him as well. ''What's happ- URGK…''
''Clark?! Jon!?'' Lois was heard saying as Owlman once again move quickly to raise his cloak up and block what was happening. ''STAND BACK! GET BACK! AAAAHHH!''
''Don't peak,'' Owlman said as he gestured everyone to get under his cloak where they wouldn't see what was happening as
SKKRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!
Ash, Pikachu and Serena were in the middle of it, Brock, May and Dawn in the next layer and Team Rocket fitted just about under Owlman's cloak as the Batman laughed at the family tearing itself apart.
''Hahaha hahaha hahah haa, it was simple really,'' Batman's cold voice spoke, now directly to them, ''killing my world.''
As Owlman took his cloak off from covering everyone's line of sight, they saw that the scenery had changed once again from the space station to an apocalyptic wasteland of bones, bodies and ash, with the Batman's attire having changed again, now to the black overcoat over the dark grey suit and boots with the mask now having his eyes obscured by the band of thorns, which extended as the bat ears. This evil and insane Batman was wearing the same costume as he had worn when he had first appeared to all of them in the Saffron City Gym's lobby and was sitting on a throne made from bodies burned together along with his Robins.
''No matter what they threw at me- armies of villains, alien tyrants, the wrath of God- they were just problems to solve. One by one, methodically, with precision and blood,'' the evil Batman spoke to them from his throne ad looking down at them as the ground begun to shake. ''Until the world was ASH under my feet, until the firmament begun to shake and the cosmic nothing swallowed everything I knew.''
THOOOOM!
KRA-KA-KA-KA-KA!
The evil Batman looked around at their surroundings as the red skies begun to throw lightning bolts at the ground and take away the ground everyone was standing on as the final touches to the end of the world.
''It felt right, you know,'' the evil Batman said smiling comfortably as he looked down at Ash, his friends, Owlman and Team Rocket. ''I had served my greater purpose, there was no lower to sink anymore… Or was there?''
Once again, the ground shook and then a large shadow was cast to cover the observing party before the evil Batman. As they turned around, they were faced by a large and tall being wearing a robe and a hood with ears similar to Batman's mask and the arms exposed from under the robes were skeletal thin with metal bracers on them.
''That… can't be… a Pokémon?'' Jessie, James and Meowth all said in their own turns shaking in fear and holding on to each other. ''Wooo-bu-feet?''
''Barbatos showed me the Dark Multiverse, volatile and roiling with cosmic horror,'' the evil Batman said, having landed from his throne down to them while they haven't been watching. ''It was beautiful, as I saw how small I had been thinking. There were countless of worlds left to kill.''
Seeing him there among them now, Ash, Brock and Owlman all charged at the evil Batman to try all three grab and restrain him with their over power, but then the evil Batman rose up into the air with his arms reaching to a light above them.
''And one world above them all, where Batman lived,'' the evil Batman spoke putting his hands together as he looked up and them looked down on the people and Pokémon below him. ''The Batman.''
When he said that, his throne begun to crumble down with the bones, bodies and dirt falling off to reveal they had been covering a glass box. Glass box holding another Batman, tied to chair, unmasked and wearing a headset and eye covering large goggles. And he was screaming, but the glass box was muting his painful screams.
''Is that him?'' Ash asked looking at Serena, Dawn and May, who were trying to look and be sure it was. ''Is that the real Batman you met?''
''Piikaa?''
''Barbatos said I was the perfect weapon to unleash on this world to drag it kicking and screaming into the Dark, but I wouldn't do it alone,'' the evil Batman said as he descended onto the glass box holding Batman as the other evil Batmen from before stepped out from the shadows. ''After all what kind of a world could stand the likes of us?''
The Dawnbreaker floated in the air with his ring glowing with the Murder Machine appearing next to him as cloud of floating nanites. Then the Devastator appeared in his large monstrosity as the hard and grey skinned tank with bone structures coming out of his body with his deep and hard breaths shaking the room's atmosphere. The Drowned was also there, showing the signs of the damage Team Rocket's Pokémon had given her and not looking happy.
Zoom!
Red Death appeared next with the use of his super speed and then there was the Batman wearing a dark blue armor, pulling Dialga, Palkia and Giratina in chains with him by his right hand and a struggling Arceus in his left by the horns. When they all were shown, the scenery had also changed to now show they were all standing in the middle of the Gym Leader's battle arena with no more hallucinations.
''WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE AND WHAT DO YOU WANT!?'' Ash yelled outraged as he took a step forward towards the Batmen. ''YOU DESTROYED MY HOME! YOU ATTACKED MY FRIENDS AND MY POKÉMON! I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF MY MOM IS STILL ALIVE AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!''
''Aah, you want that truth?'' the evil and insane Batman said chuckling as he turned to the Batman in dark blue armor. ''Merciless, give me the rope.''
THRAMB!
Merciless stroke Arceus head to the floor and pushed his foot it. Then, an astral arsenal of weaponry flashed circling him, until he picked up golden rope from it and threw it to the insane Batman.
''This is the golden lasso of Hestia, that belonged to the Wonder Woman of his world, which makes everyone bind by to tell the truth when asked'' the evil Batman said tying the rope around his left wrist. ''You saw her my little show to you. You know, the relationship between her and me varies in different worlds as I have learned in my travels. In some worlds we're friends, in others enemies and in a few we even have children together. Children, whose names I picked up before I killed them, hah hah hah haa!''
The evil Batman laughed at that last bit before kicking the glass box, which caused it to open in the front and the headset fell of the Batman trapped inside it, with the chair's restraints letting him go free to crawl out of it.
''We are the worst possible fears dreamed by this Batman, right here,'' the evil Batman said pointing down on the freed Batman who was crawling towards Ash. ''Every time someone dreams of a worst possible scenario, it's given birth to in the Dark Multiverse we are from. Like what if he lost his father figure and gave into his dependence on technology. What if he allowed revenge to go too far? What if his trust in his best friend was broken? Or what if the Joker up and went too far, took enough from him to make him give to the madness he has held back for so long. That is who we are, and we are here for one of us. A Bruce Wayne like us, who went wrong by being-''
''Stop,'' Owlman said stepping forward with his hand up. ''There is no other Bruce Wayne in here besides Batman. And you're not going… you're not going to be using-''
WHIP!
The insane Batman threw the golden rope back to Merciless, who used it to throw it around Owlman's extended hand and pulled it to make him more restrained by it.
''Go on,'' the insane Batman said with a wide grin. ''What were you going to say?''
''There is no other Bruce Wayne in here, only a vessel for one,'' Owlman said, compelled to tell the truth. ''I left his soul here during my last visit to this world and it has been living inside the body of Ash Ketchum ever since.''
''WHAT!?'' Ash, and everyone else who were surprised by this news, yelled turning to look at his body as if there was a something on it before turning to look at Owlman again. ''WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!?''
CRATCH!
While holding Owlman restrained, Merciless put his hand on his head and crushed his mask and goggles to reveal his face under it.
''Thomas Jr?!'' Ash said shocked as he recognized Owlman's face.
''I was there when your mother went into labor, I assisted her in giving birth to you,'' unmasked Thomas Jr kept on, compelled to keep telling the truth by the golden rope. ''And while I did it, I infused your newly born body with the soul of my deceased little brother Bruce, who had died in Crime Alley with our parents. You have lived your whole life with his soul as part of you, Ash. That they want you and have come here, because a part of you is from the multiverse Batman and I are from and you can let them in there.''
''Exactly,'' the evil Batman said as the freed Batman had crawled his way to between Ash and the others who helped him up, so he could stand. ''The Batman was originally supposed to be our Wagon to be used to climb out of the Dark Multiverse before he was thrown here into the Hypertime. And here inside the Hypertime, our lord Barbatos found the other Bruce Wayne, inside you, Ash Ketchum. So, we were sent to make you one of us and you would let us through this neutral space to the multiverse above ours.''
''Listen,'' the freed Batman, unmasked as Bruce Wayne in a Batsuit, spoke in a shaking voice to Serena and May as Brock and James helped him stand. ''You need to release your Braixen and Blaziken and use them burn both me and him so that nothing remains.''
''What!?'' Serena said shocked by Bruce had just asked. ''No, Bruce-''
''You have to!'' Bruce said with desperation in his eyes and voice. ''Your world it the furthest they can get on their own and they can't climb up to my world without using me or Ketchum!''
''I'm sorry,'' Thomas Jr said looking at Ash who was looking at him shocked and betrayed. ''I should let him rest and never come to your world.''
''You know what, big brother?'' the insane Batman said turning to Thomas Jr before Ash could have yelled anything else to him. ''I believe the Joker knew this was going to happen. Not the whole thing, but he must have seen the potential and knew we needed to evolve into something new together. See, he used to call me 'the Bat King' ruling my kingdom over Gotham and what is a king, really?''
''A powerful card,'' Thomas Jr answered compelled by the golden rope as the insane Batman pulled out two cards. ''It's the highest valued face card in the deck.''
''Not infallible, to be sure, but it is potent,'' the insane Batman said showing the two cards were of a king and the Joker. ''And the Joker card? On it's own it has not inherent value and is defined by what it's played against. Dangerous in it's potential more than anything. But if you hold the two together in a hand, they can hold nearly any value. They can shift and adapt to any threat they face, and so can I. Which is how I knew how to plan getting all of you here.''
''Why?'' Bruce asked in a shaking voice as he was kept up by Brock and James. ''You don't need them. They aren't-''
''You know when I was like you, Batman, I used to think that I could always win if I had a plan for every situation, but I was wrong'' the evil Batman said turning to talk directly to him. ''It's so clear to me now, the obvious answers are right in front of me. To win you need to adapt. And to adapt, you need to be ready to LAUGH AWAY all the restraints. Everything holding you BACK!''
CHA-CHAK!
''ASH!'' Serena, Dawn, May and Brock screamed shocked as the insane Batman threw the King and Joker cards in his hand into Ash's chest.
''PIKAPI!'' Pikachu screamed bolting at his Trainer as the blood begun come out of Ash's chest.
''WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!'' Bruce yelled out as Brock left to be at Ash's side with Pikachu and the girls as Ash was stuck in the shock of his current situation.
''Pikachu… Serena… Brock…'' Ash tried to speak to his friends with blood coming out of his chest and mouth when
BRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOHMMMMMMM!
A gigantic hand suddenly bursted through from his bleeding chest and grabbed Bruce from Jessie and James. Then another hand bursted through the bleeding wound, which made the blood flow increase and cause Ash to start sinking into the blood where the limbs were bursting out of.
''No, ASH!''
''PIKAPII!''
''You see.. a Batman Who Laughs…'' the insane Batman said, chuckling as a pair of feet bursted through the blood, ''…is a Batman who ALWAYS WINS! HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HA HA HAH HAH HAAA!''
In the laughter of the Batman Who Laughs, a large being with skeletal limbs wearing a wing shaped cloak with a hood with long ears had emerged into where Ash Ketchum had stood and was holding the Batman in his grip. The same being they had just seen previously in the vision shown to the by the Batman Who Laughs, except now it was standing straight without a hunchback.
''My Lord Barbatos,'' the Batman Who Laughs said between his laughter as the large being had properly taken it's form in the battle arena, ''I give you Batman, our Wagon into the Multiverse of Light.''
~Make Dialga and Palkia open a hole to his world, then throw him in there~ voice that seemed like it was coming from everywhere in the large being's presence as it held struggling Bruce in it's grasp and stabbed it's skeletal thin finger at Bruce's face. ~The Judas Tribe will intercept him and their Strigydae will finish the Mantling of the Wagon.~
TZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTT!
Barbatos pulled out his finger out of Bruce's face and placed him back on the floor of the arena in front of Serena, Dawn, May, Brock, Pikachu and Team Rocket.
~Know this,~ Barbatos said as Bruce's lifeless body fell to the floor, making everyone of them see that both Ash and Bruce were no longer there with them. ~ALL ROADS LEAD TO DARKNESS!~
Author's notes: Yeah, don't be that surprised. I foreshadowed something like this would happen 2 chapters ago. The follow up chapter might be done sometime in June when I get to enjoy summer vacation from school and have more time from school to write it. Now, I would like to get some reactions until that happens.