It took only a handful of minutes for Superman to cross the bay and into Gotham City. The bat signal sat on the roof of decrepit four-story building that looked like no one had been in it for years, maybe decades. All the buildings, warehouses he guessed, appeared that way. For good measure, he x-rayed them. Every one was empty.

Good. For once a fight where he didn't have to worry about collateral damage.

He hovered over the warehouse, eyes narrowed at the spotlight. He followed the beam into the dark, rainy sky, the bat symbol standing out against the storm clouds, mocking him.

Teeth clenched, he lowered his gaze. A lone figure stood in the alley, cape fluttering in the wind. Something stuck out from his back. A club? He also seemed bulkier than before.

He's wearing armor. Not that it would do this lunatic any good.

Batman didn't move a muscle. He simply stood there, staring up at him.

In a flash, Superman dropped to the ground. The pavement cratered beneath his feet. He aimed a hard stare across the alley at Batman, locking onto the glowing blue eyes of his helmet. He tried to x-ray him, but couldn't see through the armor. It was lead-lined. Did the Bat somehow know about that particular weakness of his?

"Well, here I am," the Dark Knight said in a deep, gravelly voice.

Superman shook his head. "I warned you not to torture people any more. I guess you have a hard time listening."

"I'm surprised you give a damn about those scum. You didn't care about all the people you killed in Metropolis."

"You think that day doesn't haunt me?" Superman yelled, lunging forward. "You think I never stop thinking what I could have done differently? How I could have saved more people?"

"Unless you can go back and change the past, your words are meaningless."

Superman took a slow breath. He'd long since reached the end of his patience with this delusional vigilante. "You know you don't have a chance against me."

Batman grunted. "Is that what you're going to tell the military when they show up to arrest you? Is that what you'll tell any world leader you don't like? Any person, period? Then you can set yourself up as dictator of the world."

"I'd never do that."

"You say that today. What about tomorrow? A month from now? A year? All power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Face scrunched in frustration, Superman looked away. The man was too damn stubborn, too convinced he was a threat to listen to reason.

I figured it would come to this.

He turned back to Batman. The dark-clad "hero" had something in his hand. A grenade?

Superman moved in a blur, stopping a foot from Batman. He rammed a hand into the vigilante's chest plate. Batman flew backwards, crashing into the ground and rolling several yards. The grenade bounced away from him. He clutched his mid-section, groaning.

In one leap, Superman landed next to him. Groaning, Batman tried to sit up.

Superman grabbed him by the shoulders and whisked him off the ground. He flung Batman into the corner of the warehouse. Bricks shattered. He dropped face first onto the filthy ground.

Superman stalked over to him. He considered knocking out Batman with one punch and flying him to Arkham Asylum. But no. He'd grown sick of the Bat's arrogance, thinking he knew what was going on in his mind. Thinking he could mutilate anyone he wanted without any consequences. Thinking his moral authority was absolute.

Yes, he'd drop him off at Arkham, but not before he showed the bastard he wasn't as smart and invincible as he thought.

Batman pushed himself to his knees. Superman kicked him in the gut, bouncing him off the crumbling wall. He yanked the Dark Knight off the ground and leapt into the air. Bricks exploded and cascaded around them as they flew through the outer wall. Batman groaned the entire way up.

Superman flung him across the roof. Batman slammed into the side of the skylight. Rearing his arms back, Superman flew toward him, gripping the thick black cape. He eyed the spotlight on the other side of the roof. That damn stupid light with its damn stupid bat symbol.

He whirled around and let go of Batman. A horrendous crash of glass and metal ripped through the air as the armored "hero" collided with the spotlight. The beam vanished. Batman tumbled across the roof, stopping at the edge of a hole. He coughed, groaned, and tried to push up with one hand.

Unbelievable. Doesn't he know when he's beaten? "Stay down!" Superman stomped toward him. "If I wanted it, you'd be dead already."

Slowly, Batman rose to his knees.

Superman shook his head. It looked like this would go on a little longer, until he humbled this psycho.

Teeth bared, Batman struggled to turn and face him. Superman's brow furrowed. The vigilante had another grenade in his hand.

"That's not going to stop me."

Batman exhaled loudly and slowly lifted his head. "Guess again."

The grenade fell from his hand.

Batman leaned backwards and fell through the hole.

Superman hurried over, staring through the darkened maw. What the hell was that guy's pro—

The grenade exploded. A green cloud surrounded him. Superman drew his head back. What sort of smoke was this?

Dizziness swept over him. His lungs burned. He hacked, sagging to his knees. His muscles turned heavy. All the energy dissolved from his body.

What's happening to me?

XXXXX

Batman fired the grapple gun, the hook burrowing into the ceiling. He jerked to a halt in mid-air, then reeled himself back up to the roof. His gauntlets clamped onto the edge of the hole and he pulled himself out. A green cloud hovered near the opening. In the center, Superman, on his knees, hacking.

Relief coursed through Batman. There had been that doubt in the back of his mind if this Kryptonite would work. Now he knew for certain, thank God.

"That's it. Breathe it in." He rose to his feet and started toward the alien.

The cloud dissipated. Superman struggled to stand, still coughing. He swayed right as Batman neared. Head lolling, Superman threw a roundhouse.

Batman blocked it. The Kryptonian's eyes widened, gazing at his unmoving arm. The disbelief on his face was clear.

A wicked smile stretched across Batman's face. He couldn't help it. The realization had hit the son-of-a-bitch that he wasn't all-powerful.

Batman rammed a knee into Superman's gut. The alien gasped and doubled over. A steel knee cracked against Superman's face. Batman stood him up and punched him, snapping his head back. He pivoted and launched a sidekick into Superman's gut. He stumbled back.

Elbow strike. Knee to the gut. Two punches to the face. Superman reeled. Batman couldn't believe he remained on his feet.

Not for long.

He grabbed Superman's shoulders and flung him across the roof. The alien landed on the skylight, which somehow didn't shatter.

Batman ran a few steps and jumped. His armored boots slammed into Superman's chest. The skylight exploded in a mass of dirty glass and wood. His body jarred when they hit the floor below, the blue-clad bastard still beneath his feet.

Fists clenched, he glared down at Superman, his head to the side, dazed. Batman stepped off him . . . and kicked him. Superman rolled across the floor, kicking up clouds of dust.

"Now you know how it feels to be weak, to be ordinary." Batman stomped toward him. "To be vulnerable."

He picked up Superman and drove him face first into a brick wall. Batman grabbed him by the hair and drove his head into the wall, again and again. The alien collapsed.

Batman stepped back and threw a roundhouse kick.

Superman caught his leg.

What the hell? Shock froze Batman.

Teeth bared, Superman whirled him through the air. Tremors rocked his body as he collided with the wall. Bricks exploded around him. Batman crashed to the floor.

Groaning, he pushed himself up. Pain crushed every inch of his body. He closed his eyes, fighting through it. Pain came with the territory. He couldn't surrender to it or he'd be dead.

And maybe the entire human race.

Batman got up and stared through the wall. Superman had also gotten to his feet, but pressed a palm against the wall, blinking. The Kryptonite had not worn off. Not fully.

Head lowered, Batman charged. He smashed through the remnants of the brick wall and tackled Superman. Both slammed into the floor. Batman yanked up the Kryptonian and drove him against another wall. He punched him in the face once, twice, three times. The fourth punch –

Clang.

Batman held his breath. It sounded like metal on metal. He punched Superman again, as hard as he could.

Another dull clang. The fingers on his gauntlet bent. Fire shot through his hand and up his arm. Batman growled. He'd definitely broken some knuckles. Maybe all of them.

Superman's face stiffened, his eyes narrowed. He looked pissed!

The alien rose off the floor. Batman reached behind him for the Kryptonite spear.

Superman rocketed forward. Pain exploded through Batman's insides. The floor burst beneath him.

They crashed through another floor. Another. Tiles caved beneath Batman. Invisible vises clamped down over his entire body. He tried to take a breath, wheezing instead.

Superman drew back a fist. Batman tensed. Ignore the pain. Ignore the pain.

The fist came down.

Batman dodged the punch, which cratered the floor. He brought up his legs under Superman's crotch. Using the alien's momentum, he flipped him over.

Groaning, Batman struggled to sit up.

Superman grabbed him by the cape. The world whipped by in a blur. One crash after another battered Batman as he sailed through a row of bathroom stalls. He slammed into the wall, falling on his side.

Stupid. Batman banged a fist on the floor. He hadn't considered the effects of the Kryptonite would wear off so soon.

Won't make that mistake again. Fighting through the pain, he grabbed another grenade and looked up. His chest tightened in dread.

Superman's eyes glowed red. A heat ray blasted across the room.

TO BE CONTINUED