Gotham City, United States

1:00 AM

The air was still humid and warm, but the heat was no longer blistering like it was in the day. The streets below were still teeming with life, even at this late hour. With the cacophony of running cars, honking horns, laughter and shouting, Gotham truly fit the bill of 'The City that never sleeps'. The architecture of Gotham was irregular to say the least, a sprawling megalopolis composed of the sleek present and gothic past. From up here, Batman thought to himself as he stood on top of a stone gargoyle, It's almost… peaceful.

The Dark Knight was a couple hours into his patrol. So far he apprehended a knife-wielding psychotic. It was a slow night, however, Batman remained on guard. From his vantage point 100 stories high, no sight escaped him and no sound eluded his ears. By day, he helped Gotham as Bruce Wayne, using his company and vast wealth to fund homeless shelters, provide jobs for reformed prisoners, and offer free healthcare, among other things. By night, he donned the cowl to stop the problems that couldn't be solved by money alone.

It had been years since Batman had begun his crusade against the underworld of Gotham, years since he started his never ending war on crime itself. And though he's been able to start a new (Bat)family and forge new bonds, the path he tread also brought with it unimaginable suffering and loss along the way. He'd be lying if he claimed that doubt never entered his mind, urging him to forgo this Sisyphean task and live a normal life.

But that'll never happen, he vowed silently, As long as darkness needs to be kept from the door, Batman will always be there to stop it.

CRASH

Batman's head snapped up when he heard the loud noise, his eyes looking 5 blocks down from where it came, and his body reacted soon after, jumping off the gargoyle and nose diving through the air. The Dark Knight plummeted down and built up momentum, and after 50 stories, his arms outstretched to his sides and his cape unfurled, allowing him to glide through the air with inhuman speed. As Batman closed in, he began to hear the sound of screaming civilians, which only urged him on further, and before touching down on the ground, Batman's eyes picked up a large green and scaly figure wreaking havoc on the street, his only clothes being a pair of ripped jeans.

Killer Croc? What is he doing back in Gotham?

To say that Killer Croc was big would be an understatement - he'd put the most prolific bodybuilders to shame with his physique - but Batman knew that calling him a simple-minded monster would be an oversimplification.

As Croc was preparing to lift up a car, Batman landed and rolled on the ground 20 feet in front of him. Simultaneously, his hand reached to the side of his utility belt and he pulled out his grappling gun, firing the line at Croc's torso and wrapping him up.

"RAAAGH!" Croc hissed in frustration, "Batman… shoulda known you'd show your black hide sooner than later!"

Batman used his full strength and leveraged the full capabilities of the grapple line to keep Killer Croc's form restrained, "*grunt* Waylon…" Batman's voice came out in that classic authoritative baritone, "you need to stop what you're doing." Batman opted to talk to Croc first, his motivations being two pronged - to try and reach his humanity, and to buy enough time for the nearby civilians to make their escape.

Croc let out a low, guttural growl, "…you think calling me by that name is gonna work some kinda magic on me?!"

"Doesn't *grunt* matter what I think. What matters is why you're doing this…" Batman spotted the last of the civvies scurrying away in his peripheral vision, but he kept his eyes trained on the beast before him.

Croc shook his head, letting out a chortle, though it was devoid of any glee, "…thought you were a detective. I'm just doing what I do best, the only thing I'm good for!" The line around Croc's body began to groan under the tension.

"You know that's not true, Wayl-"

"SHUT UP!" The line snaps under the immense strength of Croc being unleashed and the green monster lets out a war cry before lunging at Batman, diving at him through the air, claws first. The Caped Crusader rolled under Croc, narrowly dodging the beast. At this point, it became clear to him that there was no talking him down. Whatever his motivations were, Batman resolved to figure it out after he dealt with him.

Croc, having missed his prey, landed on the ground, but immediately turned around to face Batman once more. With long, powerful strides, he began to try and walk Batman down, swiping at him with his clawed hands with the ferocity of a predator.

As Batman gracefully weaved his head and body and dodged Croc's attack, he was forming a counter attack in his mind at the same time. He ducked under a swiping attack, delivering a left jab and right straight to Croc's torso and then deftly attaching a small device onto Croc's body. Normally, Batman refrained from utilizing his full strength in his attacks, the force being enough to kill a man, but he knew better than to make such concessions now. Croc grunted in pain from the counter before reaching down and trying to bear-hug the Bat. Batman, seeing this coming from a mile away, flipped back to dodge, his peak human prowess allowing him to spring and move swiftly through the air. While mid-air, he pressed a small button on his gauntlet, activating the device he put on Croc, setting it off before landing back down.

Croc roared as the device began to envelope his body in a rapidly hardening pink foam, the substance eventually covering him from head to toe, leaving only his face exposed. "This- THIS WON'T STOP ME!"

Batman calmly watched as Killer Croc tried to break out of the gel, walking up to the restrained figure, "It will. That's a high density polyurethane foam of my own creation. The more you strain against it, the harder it becomes. It's over." The sound of police sirens grew louder as they stood there. Croc became incensed with the fact that he was once again going to be locked away in Arkham, in that dreaded cell of his, "DAMN YOU, BATMAN… WHEN I GET OUT, I'll GNAW THE MEAT OFF YOUR BONES AND-"

Before Croc could finish with his threat, Batman picked up a shift in the air, a shift so strong that even Croc paused. Before Batman could even respond, a most peculiar thing happened. One second, the Dark Knight stood there, the next second… he was gone, blinked out of this existence.

—

As Batman opened his eyes, he looked all around him and saw only an empty, white plain. He remained calm while his mind moved 100 miles a minute, trying to determine what was happening.

This isn't a boom tube… I've been shifted to some… other dimension. "Unreality?"

He heard a giggle at that very moment, almost child-like, but not quite innocent. He turned his head, trying to spot the source of the laughter, but it echoed all around him. His mind began to put the pieces together - the sudden teleportation, the cadence of the voice, his current surroundings. He let out a sigh, feeling a headache borne from annoyance, "…Bat-Mite."

In a puff of smoke, the small figure appeared in front of Batman, floating in front of him and sporting a crude recreation of Batman's own suit, "Hee hee… you're good!" Bat-mite said cheerily, "World's Greatest Detective? I honestly think that's a big understat-"

"What do you want?"

Bat-mite stopped, but his smile never faded. "All business, cool cool, heh… pretty on character. It's been fun watching you from the sidelines, taking down your villains and helping the Justice League. I mean… what you did to Croc just now? That was pretty badass if do say so myself!"

"Get to the point." Batman said through gritted teeth.

Bat-mite smiled even more, only being amused by the Dark Knight's stoic demeanor. After all, he was his biggest fan. "Okay, okay," Bat-mite held his hands up, "Look, Bruce, even though it's been fun watching you kick ass and take names, I feel like you're not really getting the proper chance to shine, y'know what I mean?"

"No."

Bat-mite giggled again, "Heh… what I'm saying is… your ability to strategize and prepare! To adapt and think on your feet, no matter the situation! I feel like it's being wasted with you just being stuck in Gotham. You see what I'm saying now?" Bat-mite's small body floated closer to Batman, the imp's head tilting to the side, showing a mischievous little grin.

The cog's moved inside Batman's head. "…You're going to send me to a different dimension," he said flatly.

"Ding ding ding!" Bat-mite said enthusiastically, throwing his arms up in celebration, causing his body to slowly flip over. "Who needs powers when they've got a brain like yours! Yeah, Bruce, a different dimension," Bat-mite faced Batman again.

"I don't have time for thi-"

This time, it was Bat-mite who cut Batman off, "And don't worry. I've frozen time in your world so no need to get that cape in a twist!" The way he said it, so nonchalant, yet the feat was something a god would do. Bat-mite flicked his wrist to manifest a small bubble where Batman could see Croc still frozen in the foam with the police standing there in place, before dissipating the bubble in a flash.

"That's not the point and you know it," Batman said, trying to keep his anger at bay, "This isn't a game, Bat-mite. This is my life you're playing with here."

"Don't be like that, Brucey," Bat-mite's tone was still casual, "And you're right, it's not a game, it's a test. The most epic kind of test that one can do!"

"Listen to me, I-"

"NO," Bat-mite cut him off again, the imp's cheery demeanor slightly giving way to show a hint of his anger, "You're gonna do this… because I know you can."

Batman knew he was outmatched here and that there was no persuading this rabid fanboy. The only thing he could do was play the imp's game and hope he could win. But first, he needed to figure out the rules, "...Where are you sending me? And what do I need to do to go back home?"

Bat-mite shrugged, his lighthearted attitude taking over once more, "Just do what you do best… Win. And you'll find out where I'm sending you soon enough."

Bat-mite disappeared in another puff of smoke, and soon after, Batman's vision went black.

—

Bruce woke up in a small room. He sat up on the futon he was laying on and looked around him. He was in a small apartment room, and he also noticed that he was no longer wearing his Batsuit, but instead, wearing a black t-shirt and black jeans. The futon was on the left side of the room against the wall with a small wardrobe cabinet at the foot end of it, a flat screen tv was in front of him against the other wall with a mini trashcan next to it. To his right, he saw a small kitchenette with the apartment door to the left of that. Adjacent to the entrance was a half-closed door leading into the bathroom and another . He rose from the futon and made his way to the window, peering out of it. The sun was shining without a cloud in the sky, and he began to assess his new surroundings. He looked at the city before him from his low rise apartment, the urban setting much more clean than his own city. The buildings were relatively simple in their design, but the writing on the various billboards, street signs, and stores wasn't English.

Japan? Bruce thought. He's been to Japan before, but the place he was sent to wasn't one he was familiar with. This city he was in didn't quite resemble any that he knew of back on his earth- Tokyo, Fukuoka, Osaka, Kyoto, etc. - none of them fit the bill. How long am I gonna be here for? How long before I can see my family again? Alfred, Dick, Damian, Tim, Barbara. Bruce closed his eyes and quieted his thoughts. Like what the imp said, time is suspended back there… Focus on the mission. Focus on the now, Bruce.

Bruce turned back and sat down on the futon again. He picked up the TV remote in front of him and turned on the television, something he usually didn't partake in, but given the circumstances, he knew it'd be prudent to watch what was on and get a sense of this new world. From the cursory glance out the window, everything about this place seemed normal, but Bruce had a gut feeling that that was just a facade.

Turning on the TV, he flipped over to the news. There was a local story with a female reporter with brunette hair tied neatly in a bun, wearing a gray pantsuit and holding a mic. The man standing next to her was quite large and well-built, his attire and hair were… flamboyant to say the least. He wore a striped black and yellow tank top with short buzzcut hair colored in a similar manner.

The reporter smiled, "This is Takashi Izumi coming to you live from Z-City!"

Even though Japanese wasn't his first language, being a hyperpolyglot was one of Bruce's many skills, so he could understand her just fine,

"And I'm standing here with the C-class hero, Tanktop tiger, who just stopped a string of recent burglaries," She kept up the appearance and cadence of a professional, but it was obvious to Bruce that she felt a little nervous - no. She was a fan of this… 'Tanktop Tiger'. "Tell us er… Tiger-Sama, how did you manage to stop this dastardly criminal?" She moved her mic to Tanktop Tiger, but he snatched it out of her hand. Before he even spoke, Bruce had him pegged. From the way he carried himself, the expression on his face, the 'loudness' of his appearance, Bruce could tell this guy was in love with himself.

"It was nothing, Izumi-san," he said with a smug grin, "Not for me. Lemme tell you, when I tracked that robber down, I beat him so badly that he was crying for his mother! But I didn't relent! Not when the safety of the good citizens of Z-City was at stake!" He declared proudly before handing the mic back to the reporter. She took the mic back, and Bruce could see that Izumi was starry-eyed and blushing, lapping up that whole spiel from this local 'hero'. "Wow…" She cleared her throat and regained her composure, turning back to the camera, "There you have it. Z-City is once again safe because of the efforts of one of its most daring heroes. This has been Takashi Izumi, signing off!"

The tv cut to commercial, leaving Bruce to ponder what he just saw. Z-city? C-class? The picture was becoming a bit more clear in Bruce's mind, the objective becoming less obscure.

Bat-mite's words echoed inside his head, Just do what you do best… Win.