Here is another update! It's a large one. Hope you don't mind! Thank you to all of you for your wonderful feedback. I hope you like where this little story is heading. Thanks again everyone!

Geeky- Awesome beta, friend! Thank you! And let's make Paxton Bob Barker. :)

Hepburn- Blight is a Hot Tranny Mess, indeed!

Disclaimer: The characters, of course, aren't mine. But they sure are fun to play with.


Chapter Eleven: Pretender

"What if I say I'm not like the others? What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays...

You're the pretender. What if I say I'll never surrender?" - Foo Fighters


Bruce had no idea what was happening in Gotham. He could only imagine the horrible state his city could have been in, and he could only imagine how Superman and Wonder Woman were handling the situation.

Or rather, he was trying not to think about it...

Still, he sincerely hoped that Terry was doing fine. Bruce wasn't in the cave; so he couldn't monitor him or help him.

But he knew they were all fine. That's what he told himself.

Bruce was thankful that he had taken the right jet; this one had amenities that could be useful. And they were almost to the city; he needed to prepare himself.

"Take the controls," he told Matt as he stood up from his seat

Matt looked up at him, more than shocked. "Bu- … what??"

Bruce didn't answer him, he only walked back into the cramped compartment of the jet. He opened the door and the sealed glass case stood before him. Immediately Bruce entered a code and the case opened with a hiss.

He always had extra suits on hand as a security measure. This time it paid off.

The black and red suit awaiting him was his latest prototype, almost a carbon copy of Terry's. Yet he had made a few suitable adjustments.

As Bruce put on the suit, fitting it around him, a twinge of familiarity hit his stomach. He never thought he'd be doing this again.

For one time only, the Gotham night was going to share two Batmen.

Matt had watched in awe as Bruce changed into his suit; it was a fascinating process. And to think long ago, Matt's boyhood obsession had been Batman and only Batman. And now the original himself was standing near him, ready to battle the villains plaguing his city.

It was giving him goose bumps.

Still, the small fact that the very same Batman of yore was his father hadn't quite dawned on him. However, it still prompted Matt to worry about the man.

"I hope you're not going to go do something stupid."

While easing into the feel of the Batsuit on his body, Bruce strode up to the cockpit. He was clenching and unclenching his fists, feeling the tight Kevlar that embraced his form.

"If I were you, I wouldn't be concerned about me," Bruce commented dryly. "I need you to stay in the jet. I also need you to take it back to Metropolis."

Matt now laughed. "I don't fly jets on a regular basis. I mean... ever. I don't know what you expect me to do. Unless you're expecting me to crash it..." He grinned. "I might be able to accomplish that."

Bruce went over a brief explanation of the controls. "It's not difficult to figure out. Besides..." Bruce entered in the coordinates to Metropolis and he pointed with his gloved hand at the auto button. "This will get you there. Once you arrive, call me. And if you need further assistance, contact me before that."

Matt shook his head. "You're far too trusting."

"No. I'm not." Bruce walked over to the bay door at the underbelly of his jet. They had finally arrived in Gotham, and a fight was awaiting him. "You're just a last resort. A very last resort."

At that, Matt rolled his eyes. "Thank you for staying positive."

He didn't receive an answer.

Matt swiveled around and saw the small bay door had been opened. Bruce was already gone.

Leaning forward, he caught a glimpse of the newest Batman flying through Gotham, heading toward the direction of Wonder Woman's position.

"Matt."

That was undoubtedly Bruce over the com.

"Yes?" The doubt in Matt's mind was slowly dispersing. He had no choice but to do as Bruce said. What else could he do?

"Close the bay door. The button is on the far right of your console."

Scrambling over the controls, Matt finally found the button he was referring too. Promptly he pressed it and the door behind him silently slid shut.

"Oh... and Matt?"

"Yeah?"

"Hit the auto-pilot now. The quicker you're in Metropolis, the better. Your destination is the old Luthor Corp. building. You're going to get into Wonder Woman's jet. But be cautious and use the radar when you get there. Her jet is invisible."

Matt could hardly believe what he was hearing. This plan was getting more ridiculous by the second. He was hoping it was just a bad dream and that he'd wake up from it soon.

Swallowing hard, Matt pressed the auto-pilot and it switched on. The controls seized up and the jet took over. It relieved Matt, only slightly. He just needed to calm himself.

"An invisible jet? Are you kidding me?"

"I have a plan, but you need to do exactly as I say. And if you damage either one of our jets... you're going to pay for it."

Matt was about to retort with some side remark, but Bruce added more before cutting the com connection.

"Call me when you get there."

"Bruce? Bruce!?" The line was dead.

Matt grumbled to himself and leaned into his seat. This night was far from over, and it seemed to be getting worse by the minute.


Even though the fight was on, Diana was trying to keep her head in check. Letting her emotions get the best of her wasn't going to be helpful. She needed to keep a watchful eye and figure out tactics.

But it was harder than it looked.

Diana was expertly avoiding contact with her current foe, but it was proving difficult. Blight's power source seemed endless, and if it were at all possible, he seemed to be getting stronger as time went by.

Flying out of the way of the burst of radiation he sent sailing towards her, she managed to pick up a city dumpster and throw it at him. It collided with his green body, sending him into a wall and giving her time to make contact with Terry.

She flew up to his perch; he hadn't moved much. He also seemed to be in pain, but he was doing his utmost to keep it at bay.

As if knowing what she was about to say, Terry shook his head. "I'm fine. Nothing to be worried about, just a blast to the chest."

"Terry... that's something to be worried about," she said in a soft voice. She was trying to avoid sounding motherly, but she couldn't help it. It was just natural.

Still she was focused on figuring her villain out first. "Does he have a motive? You must have dealt with him before... this Blight thing. I just can't figure out how to overcome this, his touch is..."

"Lethal."

Diana was avoiding that, but she nodded. "You can say that again."

"He's not the real Blight, ... but it's his son, Paxton Powers. And he's stronger than his father ever was. And his motive." Terry thought it over for a second. "I don't know his motive; I don't even know why he's here. Though, can you imagine what that radiation is doing to his head? I'm sure he's already lost touch with reality. He's probably thinking this is some sort of game."

A loud roar from down below alerted Diana of Blight; she was hoping to have bought more time, but underestimating him was the only thing she had accomplished so far. He was strong and durable enough to hardly be subdued in the slightest.

At least he couldn't fly.

Diana turned to Terry. "He's recreated kryptonite. How is that possible?"

"If I'm thinking right... it has to do with the component of the kryptonite itself. Superman draws energy from the sun's radiation, but it's almost as if the radiation from Paxton has the opposite effect."

Another roar from down below interrupted them.

Diana decided to press on with matters. "How did you take care of the first Blight... or rather the real one?"

Terry took in a labored breath. "He ...actually took care of himself. He over-powered his body and set off a nuclear reaction in a submarine, killing himself in the process while sinking the sub."

Diana nodded and looked over the side of the roof. Blight's skull-like glare was piercing, and he was looking straight up at her.

"You and the Bat can't run." He then held up his hand and motioned them forward. "Why don't you come on down?"

The remnants of the city dumpster were nothing but a pile of liquid around him.

Diana readied herself to attack him again, though it seemed futile.

"Diana, wait." Bruce's voice came over the com in her ear. His Bat-like baritone set her at ease for the time being, even while staring down at Blight's deathly gaze.

"Your sword given to you by Hephaestus is in your jet, correct?"

She pressed the com to answer. "Yes... " She was wary at what he had in mind, especially since Blight was powering up again and aiming at the two of them.

She didn't receive an answer as she ducked the blast of green.

"Bruce?"

A whoosh of air indicated someone landing on the roof.

To Diana's shock, she saw the other Batman walking over.

"I thought you might need help."

"It's about time," Terry commented.

"You haven't had experience for decades... Please, don't risk it." Even though Diana was thrilled she could fight by his side once again, she was horrified by the fact that she could lose him.

"Two Batmen!" Apparently Blight noticed as well. "This is going to be a party." He added a sinister laugh to punctuate his feelings on the matter.

However, the villain was surprised when a bright flash of light indicated more Leaguers joining the fight.

Blight turned and glanced behind him. A man adorned in metal bird-like armor was preparing to throw himself into the battle.

"Ah, Warhawk... now this will be a lot a fun." Blight smiled.

"Sorry I'm late," Warhawked drawled after acknowledging the group. But then when he took in a better look, that's what shocked him.

"Bat...men?" He asked, focusing his red eyes, unbelievingly. He also stared at the woman alongside them. "Wonder Woman?"

"Wonder Woman?!" Blight asked angrily while staring up at her. "Aren't you ancient history?"

Warhawk flew down to attack the green skeleton. "No, that would be you."

Diana knew this wasn't going to end well.

"No! Wait!" Diana called out to him.

Before Warhawk had much of a chance to finalize his strike, Blight had already hit him with a lightning-esque charge of radiation, sending him into the ground with enough force to leave a mark on the pavement.

Shaking his head, Blight was still laughing. "Oh, I've got something up my sleeve for that silly Nth metal armor of yours..."

"He's covered all his bases," Terry growled. He finally gathered enough strength to aide his fallen colleague.

Diana was preparing herself to follow Terry, but Bruce grabbed her arm.

"Hold on... I've sent Matt to your jet."

She turned to face him. "What? Why?"

"Your sword..."

"Ah, yes. From Hephaestus."

Diana and Bruce dodged a random barrage of radiation.

"What about it?" Diana asked.

Bruce kicked on his thrusters once again and flew to her side. "It'll feed on the raw energy he's emitting. It's not of a magical source, but it'll still..."

"Snuff him out," Diana finished for him, adding a confirming nod. Anything that could help wasn't to be ruled out.

"Yes, exactly. It could just work. Matt is to contact me when he reaches his destination. And then you can advise him on how to get into your jet."

Diana looked more than grim. "I hope this is the change in the tide we need." She turned back to the war zone below. "There's a good chance he could kill all of us."

"But I'm not going to let that happen," Bruce adding firmly. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

Diana smiled at him and together they took the plunge to recover Terry and Warhawk.

Blight seemed more than pleased about this. Soon he was in the center of a large circle; he was turning slowly to get a better look at the League members surrounding him.

Right then, Superman was next to join the group.

"Let's see," Blight paused when he focused on the newest Batman. "I have no idea who you are, but you've picked the wrong day to show your face." He grinned. Or at least it resembled a grin. "Perhaps, instead, you picked the right day." He pointed at Superman while shaking his head. "You're going to die first. What makes you think you can survive another blast like the first one?" He stopped and then turned to Warhawk. "You'll be next." He switched his gaze to Wonder Woman. "You're good-looking, but I have no use for you. Obviously." And finally he pointed with both hands at the Batmen at either side of him. "You'll both be last. Simultaneously."

Blight powered up in a shimmer of putrid green and held up his arms higher. "Now, let's put this plan into motion... shall we?"


Matt had finally reached Metropolis; he hated having to go back and forth so much. It seemed like a waste of time, but there wasn't any better way.

At once, the auto-pilot alert bleeped, telling him that the jet was now back in his control.

Matt felt his stomach drop and his mouth go dry.

He swallowed hard and grabbed the controls. The ship seemed to react to just the slightest of movements and, even though he was zigg-zagging quite a bit, he soon figured out how to steady the plane to do what he wanted. He was thankful for that since he was seconds and inches away from clipping the Daily Planet building.

Letting out an exasperated sigh of relief, Matt streaked forward towards the old Luthor Corp. building. At least he knew where it was. The jet responded favorably to his touch, and Matt was starting to feel smug about it.

"This is easier than it looks," he told himself. He smiled. He could get used to this. It was nothing like a flying car, and he was glad that he was at least above everyone in that sense, because otherwise... he could have accidentally crashed into someone.

Soon his destination was in clear sight. The monstrous building was just meters before him, and the roof was completely empty.

Once again Matt's confidence plummeted and he panicked.

How was he going to land this thing?

Still, he switched on the radar like Bruce had asked. He was thankful that the radar button itself wasn't difficult to find, since it clearly read 'radar'. After he did so, the screen on the console became dark green and the roof below was shown via the ship's forward sensors. And then to Matt's amazement, a jet similar to the one he was in was clearly highlighted in lighter green. Yet it couldn't have been seen by the naked eye.

"Awesome..."

But soon Matt let out a ragged breath. His awe was again cut short. He still needed to get down there.

"Bruce, I'm going to kill you..."

Matt circled the building, steering clear of the invisible plane.

He decided it was time to call Bruce. After pressing ion the com, he waited patiently. But he hadn't received an answer. Tapping his fingers on the console, he waited. And waited.

He pressed in the com again. Still nothing.

Matt decided to land the thing himself. At least if he died, Bruce wouldn't yell at him for wrecking his jet.

After taking in two deep breaths, he psyched himself up. He was ready to do this. Even though, he really wasn't. Not in a million years was he ready.

As Matt flew back around to the side of the building, and after wondering if Metropolis's inhabitants had seen him flying in circles, he started toward the helicopter landing pad. It was far from Diana's jet, and it gave him enough distance from it.

Right before Matt could focus, Bruce's voice boomed over the loud speaker.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Matt yelped and yanked up on the controls, sending him closer to the atmosphere of the planet rather than anywhere remotely close to the city.

"Son of a... Bruce! You scared ME!"

"I told you to contact me when you got there. And from the looks of it, you've been there for awhile."

"I tried contacting you... but... " Matt paused. "Can you see what I'm doing?"

"Does it matter?"

His voice alone ended Matt's desire to question him further.

"We-... well, uh, so I just need to know how to land this thing," Matt stated warily. He steered himself back down to the high rise buildings and made his way back to his former position near the Luthor Corp building.

"There's a button on the panel, it'll lower the thrusters and switch your propulsion, allowing you to ease the ship down on a secure landing area. You did find a secure landing area, right? You're not going to land on Diana's ship... right?"

Matt sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah. I'm not an idiot."

Still, Matt sincerely felt like an idiot. His eyes roved over the panel and he could hardly see what Bruce was referring to. The buttons themselves might as well have been labeled in Chinese. It was that confusing.

"It's adjacent to the radar screen," Bruce droned.

Instead of thanking him, Matt pressed the buttons he needed to and the ship eased a bit. Biting his bottom lip, Matt lowered the ship down onto the roof, slightly unsteadily. The jet wobbled a bit and for a moment Matt felt like hitting the seat ejector and bailing on the entire thing. He'd also have to move to Mexico to avoid whatever Bruce would do to him for that.

Pressing forward, Matt lowered the ship gingerly and it finally made contact with the roof. It also skidded to a halt. Matt winced at how close his ship came to touching Diana's, he hardly took his eyes off of the radar. Fortunately, he still had a few inches. If that.

He leaned into the seat and let out a large breath.

"Are you still alive?" Bruce asked. He hardly sounded concerned.

"Ye... yes. I think so." Matt poked himself in the face to make sure.

"You need to get into Diana's ship... now." Bruce's voice was very urgent. "It'll be simple."

This prompted Matt to get up, after placing a com-link earpiece in, and open the hatch above him. The adrenalin in his body was wearing off and his hands were starting to get shaky.

After about the third try, the hatch opened completely. Matt pulled himself up and he literally fell down to the ground in a heap.

"Ow..." Tonight so wasn't his night.

He brushed himself off and shook his head a bit. Feeling ready to accomplish his task, Matt walked forward. For the moment Matt unfortunately had forgotten that the other jet was invisible .

He ran smack dab into the side of it.

"OW!"

"Now what's wrong?"

"Oh, I don't know... maybe because I just ran into an INVISIBLE PLANE!"

Matt could have sworn Bruce laughed at that. Or it could have been static via the com connection. Either way, Matt was losing his patience.. Still rubbing his nose, he walked forward slowly with his arms outstretched.

He gently touched the ship with his palms and ran his hands across the side.

"Ok, I'm ready to do this. What am I getting anyway?"

Again, he didn't receive an answer. Greeeaaat.

Instead, Diana's voice came over the line. "Matt? Are you there?"

"I think I'm here... " He paused when he realized that there had been worry and stress lacing her voice. Whatever was happening to them was more than Matt wanted to know. "How are you doing?" He asked sincerely.

"It's ... We're okay. I need you to get the sword out of my ship, it'll help us tremendously. You have no idea how wonderfully helpful you are being."

At that, Matt felt more than glad he was able to help. He realized that their situation was dire, and he didn't want to lose anyone. Not even one of of his new extended family members.

"So... how do I get into this thing?"

"One second."

This time around, Matt waited patiently. He could now hear, after he paid attention, the fight going on in the background. He also heard an evil laugh. He could only imagine who that belonged to.

"Matt, look at the direction of my ship," she told him directly. And so he did, at least he was guessing at the direction.

At that, a sliver of light could be seen on the dark and windy roof top. It seemed to be hanging in midair as if held up by nothing at all.

"That should let you in. The sword is large and is resting on its pedestal. It also has a gold hilt. You can't miss it. Please... please get it to us soon."

Matt nodded. "Yes, of course I will."

He could then hear the com connection close and he stood there again, alone, looking at the sliver of light. He wasn't sure what she did. Or how she did it, since she was so far away, but it seemed to work... he guessed.

Holding up his hands again, Matt walked forward and found the side of the plane. He fingered the sliver of light carefully, unsure what it would do to him. As if responding to his touch, the sliver grew wider and the side of the invisible jet opened, revealing the interior of one of the coolest jets he had ever seen. Unlike Bruce's stark, black ship, this had character and everything looked meticulous.

He climbed in carefully and looked around. Weapons adorned the walls. And, above all else, a red and blue outfit stood before him. It had a golden eagle on the front and stars on the lower half. It looked very familiar and Matt wondered if she wore that outfit more often than the other.

As much as he wanted to stick around and check out the wonderment, Matt glanced over the weapons. There were a few to choose from, but each looked just as deadly as the next.

Finally a large sword stood out before him. It had a solid gold hilt and it seemed to shimmer on its own. It looked magical. He wondered silently if it was.

Taking a step forward, he reached for the sword and made contact. It seemed to tingle under his touch. Without anymore hesitation, he grabbed it and took it off of its pedestal.

But it was much heavier than it looked. Matt pulled the sword away from the wall and almost fell backwards by the weight.

Matt wanted to clobber Bruce for calling this feat simple.

"How about I don't carry the million pound sword next time," he muttered to himself.

Somehow he was able to climb out of her jet with the sword, without causing any damage to himself or anything around him.

Dragging the thing behind him, he stopped and turned to the open door of Diana's jet. Unsure how to close it, he pressed somewhere on the transparent door and it seemed to understand what he wanted to accomplish. Right away, the door sealed shut, closing away the interior of the jet and once again, looking completely invisible. The sliver of light was nowhere to be seen.

Feeling glad he had at least one thing completed, Matt dragged the sword to the other jet and then groaned when he looked up at the hatch and then looked back down at his cargo.

"I need to work out more often."

He somehow hoisted himself up to the jet and moved the sword along with him, inching it forward every step of the way. He was careful not to scratch Bruce's jet... or himself.

With one final heave, Matt threw himself down into the other jet and pulled the sword with him. He then placed the sword in the co-pilot's seat and strapped it in.

Powering up the jet, Matt sighed and thought about the other trip back to Gotham. What if he had taken too much time? What if he was too late?

Right then and there, Matt made a quick decision: he was going to head back to the Watchtower and beam himself to Gotham. It seemed like the logical choice. He just hoped that he wasn't too late.


As always... Thank you so much for reading!

Brutal2003- You're right about that! Thank you for the review! :)

fargirl2007- That's a good point. Diana can age now, but she still has her other abilites: some what invulnerability, strength etc... I don't plan on killing her anytime soon. Thank you for reviewing! :)

d- Heh, thank you! :D