Bruce Wayne sat in his armchair, ice pack placed firmly on his head, as his gaze was fixed squarely on the evening news.

"There's a new bat in Gotham City- and this one isn't afraid to come out during the day."

The boy who had so easily overpowered him, was now standing over the broken and bloody body of Killer Croc. Upon hearing the news that there was a giant monster lurking in Gotham, Metal Bat had taken it upon himself to find and fight it. It hadn't been much of a fight… he told the reporters, gruffly. But it sure was a hell of a lot harder than taking on the GPD. The officers who had been standing by to arrest him shirked away… the crowd gathering around were shooting them death glares.

"Any thoughts on the new boy, sir?"

Bruce ignored Alfred, his eyes fixed on the screen. "Only that he needs to be dealt with." He said. "It's only a matter of time until he becomes worse than the people he fights."

Metal Bat turned away from the camera as the reporter took center frame.

"Gothamites have lately taken to calling this vigilante Baseball Bat Man… but he prefers to be known as Metal Bat."

"Stupid name." Bruce said gruffly.

"Is that a hint of jealously, sir?"

Before Bruce could respond, the report continued:

"Just who will Metal Bat take out next? The way things are going now, there will no longer be a need for the Batman."

Bruce threw the remote at the TV and stood up. He glowered.

"Prepare the Batsuit, Alfred. I'm going out again tonight."

Alfred bent his head.

"Of course, sir."

…

Bat fell asleep in his little enclosure, his hand grasped firmly around his weapon. He barely noticed as the shadowy figure crept up on him in the darkness. It barely made a sound as it moved, and it brought down its hands to strike-

In his sleep Bat jabbed the hilt of the bat upward, knocking the figure right in the chin.

"Argh! You-"

Bat opened his eyes, and in a moment he had a handle on the situation. He struck out again, consciously this time, and the figure fell flat on its back with a cry.

"Who are you?" He demanded, as he slammed his foot onto its stomach. It struggled vainly: squirming under his weight. He narrowed his eyes.

"A girl?"

"A heartbroken girl!"

She tried getting off a shot at him with a concealed pistol: Bat tilted his head to the side and it swerved harmlessly past.

"Look, if you wanted my autograph there are better ways to do it." He said. "I'd turn away better girls than you for interrupting my beauty sleep."

She snarled at him, baring her teeth like an animal.

"You killed the love of my life… you… you jerk!"

"I only kill bad people." Bat said impatiently. "If I killed someone you cared about he deserved it."

She fell silent. She stopped struggling. He released her, stepping his foot back.

She was crying.

"You k-killed Mister J…" She moaned, "H-how could you?"

He rolled his eyes.

"Come on, don't cry." He complained. "Or if you have to at least get the hell out of here."

She shot him a dark glare.

"You don't feel sorry for me?"

"No." He said bluntly. "Get out."

He kicked at her and she went sprawling out of his little enclosure. She sat him a murderous glance as he stepped outside, brandishing his bat.

"Beat it, or I'll hit you again."

"You don't have the guts."

He hit her again. Again she went sprawling. She let out a choked sound of pain as he advanced.

"Third time's the charm." He said, as he brandished the bat in front of her face. "One hit is all it would take."

She snarled at him. "You can't kill me. That's illegal."

He raised the bat and began to swing. She let out a shocked scream of fear as a dark shadow descended from above, tackling Bat to the ground.

"Argh!"

Recovering quickly, Bat rolled over, throwing the dark shadow to the side. Batman landed on his feet, and they glared at each other.

"You again, huh?" Bat asked, as he shouldered the Bat and took in his opponent. "You should be in the hospital, old man."

"Leave her alone." Batman rasped. "She has done nothing wrong."

"She tried to kill me." Bat told him darkly.

"You are a murderer."

"A murderer, am I?" Bat asked, as he began to circle around, swinging the bat around in an arc. "What does that you, who allow these criminals to run rampant in the streets?"

Batman flung himself at him again, and Bat swung at him: The Batman expertly caught the bat on his gauntlets, but the blow was so harsh that it immediately shattered them. The bat broke his armor, and shattered his arm. He roared in pain as Bat swung around, and once again caught him on the side of his head.

The cowl was specifically made to withstand Bat's blow. But the sheer amount of force he exerted now far exceeded that which he used last time. This armor, although far superior to the last, also broke, and Batman fell.

The girl watched on, enraptured.

"Y-you killed him!"

'Nah, he's not dead." Bat said callously, as he bent down and removed the mask from the man's face. Harley gasped.

"It's Bruce Wayne?"

Bat shot her a look. "You know him?"

"He's- like- the richest man in Gotham!" She gushed. "Wow, so he was Batman the entire time, huh?"

"He kept his identity a secret…" Bat murmured as he stared down at his fallen foe. "Why?"

"Probably so he could keep living his normal billionaire life during the day." The girl said. "What he's doing is illegal, you know."

"Illegal?" Bat repeated. He stared down at the still, unmoving form of his opponent. "What he does is illegal?"

"Yeah…"

"So you're saying he isn't the problem."

Without waiting for an answer, he turned away from her.

"Hey!" She called after him. "Where are you going?"

"Fixing the problem." Bat said quietly.

…

"Due to the threat that the Gotham's supervillain population has on the city, we would like to formally request more tax payer dollars to support the city…"

And into my pockets, the Mayor of Gotham City thought wryly, as he wrung his hands. Yes… the money that was meant to go to protecting the people of Gotham would instead go to expanding his private estate and elite security team. And next year he would be able to demand more.

He was trying to hold back his chuckles as shouts and cries from downstairs filled the air. Two-Face. He thought with disgust. To this day he still thought he could run this city… Well. His elite security squad would make short work of him.

The door burst open and the caved in skull of a superhuman who had been raised from birth to protect him from the villains of Gotham was thrown into the room. He stood up, shouting, as a black haired youth stepped into the room… bloody bat in hand.

"Hey." He said. "Why is it illegal to beat up criminals?"

The mayor pressed the emergency button under his desk and a giant automated robot- that had been paid for with tens of millions of dollars funneled from the city's budget- rose from the floor and attacked. Equipped with enough weapons to take down superman, the Mayor sat back down in his chair and smiled as it advanced upon Metal Bat. It would not be a long fight.

He was quite right.

CRACK.

The bat tore right through the circuity. The Mayor cried out in pain as the head of the giant robot was slammed into the wall, exploding into a shower of sparks.

"You really thought that thing could protect you from me." Bat said darkly. "I hate rich people."

The mayor scrambled away from him.

"N-no… get away from me!"

Bat ran the bat along the ground as he advanced, his eyes fixed squarely on the Mayor's back. The man scrambled to get away, his breath hitching in his throat.

"That's enough."

Bat stopped. He glanced to the side.

It was Superman. He was standing with his arms crossed, glaring intently at him.

"I've heard of you." Bat said shortly. "Don't interfere."

In a flash Superman was standing in between him and his target.

"This isn't the way." He said shortly. "Stand down now, or reap the consequences."

Bat gave him a hard look.

"Back where I come from." He began. "There's a hero named King."

Superman closed his hand into a fist.

"King is, without a doubt… the greatest hero on Earth." Bat said, as he began to advance. His bat trailing along the ground. "I've watched him kill creatures that I couldn't even fathom."

"Last warning…" Superman growled, as he raised his fist.

"King's a real man." Bat said. "No matter who he's up against, he always stands his ground. A real hero doesn't back down just because someone told him to."

He raised the bat and swung it at Superman's head. Superman caught the bat in mid-air and tried to crush it: only to be surprised to find that it wouldn't bend. His surprise turned to concern as Bat raised the bat upward, taking him with it, only to slam it back down into the ground. He landed on his feet squarely, completely unharmed, as they stared at each other.

"You aren't human." Superman said quietly. "Who are you?"

Bat grimaced.

"I'm just the man with a bat."

Superman raised his other fist and slapped him aside, sending him soaring back. Bat grimaced, and finding his footing, threw a punch at the man of steel.

"In spite of your power, your strength is worthless against me." Superman said. Bat grimaced. Superman grabbed his hand and twisted it cruelly. Bat gasped out in pain as he fell to his knees.

"Perhaps I was wrong." Superman said. "Perhaps you are only human."

Bat's grimace deepened. An intense aura began to emanate from him.

"I'm a MAN!"

He headbutted Superman right in the force. Superman did not budge: expecting the blow to hurt his opponent more than himself. But he was surprised when a sharp feeling of pain shot through his skull.

"Wha-"

He staggered backward as he relinquished his grip on Bat. He ripped the bat from him and raised it upward. With one brutal swing he clobbered the man of steel so hard that he went flying through through the window. The people below cried out in surprise and fear as Superman fell to the ground, unmoving.

"I don't care much for heroes who protect monsters." Bat said, as he continued towards the Mayor, who was still struggling to get away. "I tend to think they're part of the problem."

He placed his foot on the back of the Mayor's head, who squealed out in surprised as Bat raised the Bat.

"Remember." He said. "I'm not a golfer."

He struck the man's head and sent it flying through the window. It went soaring out, blood flying through the air, before falling right on top of Superman.

Bat shouldered his bat and let out a yawn.

"Dinner sounds good." He said to himself quietly, as he made his way back downstairs.