Chapter 1644 The True Batman
I don't own Bleach or any of the powers and gear used in this story.
Eric was at his own base as he types on a computer.
"Well things have been calmed for a bit."
Then something happened as he got teleported away.
He arrived a different version of Gotham.
"What the heck?" He looks around.
He wonders how he even got here since this is not the same one from Bruce.
Eric then saw a man come out and it's Thomas Wayne, who's wearing a bat suit.
"Thomas Wayne? But your dead." Eric said.
"You are not Bruce, who are you?" Thomas said.
"I'm Eric, the new Batman." He said.
Thomas narrowed his eyes.
"Did my wayward son drag an innocent civillian into his pointless crusade?!" Thomas said.
"I'm more than a civilian, as I am a member of Team Light and the son of Judge Dredd." Eric frowns.
"I don't believe you but don't worry about because you are stopping now. That symbol brings nothing but pain and suffering to those who bear it."
"I carry this symbol to help others. If I have to prove it... Then I will surpass you!" Eric said as he summons his Bat armor wearing it.
"If I have to beat sense into you then so being it. "He throws several batarangs at Eric.
Eric dodges them and throws his own at Thomas, they went around as he dodges, but he noticed some were explosive.
This caused him to jump away as they exploded. Thomas then takes out his gun and fires at Eric
Eric crosses his arm to tank the shots. Thomas then tosses a couple of explosives.
Eric then uses his jet boots and flies up before they blow up, then he kicks forward as a sonic was activated making many bats come out surrounding Thomas.
Thomas growls and drives them away with a flashbang. He attacks Eric many times with the two trading blows, then he shoots a gas from his mask hitting Thomas in the face.
Thomas gags uncomfortably. "What the hell is this?"
"Scarecrow's gas." Eric said as he started to change.
Thomas begins hallucinating the death of his son.
He backs away before the demon bat rises up. "Now fear the bat!"
"Stay the hell away from me!"
He summons his Batmobile to run over the demon bat.
It then vanishes and he appears to the side walking towards Thomas.
Thomas takes out his blade and slashes at the apparition, it grew blades from it's arms to clash with Thomas with the two trading blows. The entire world starts to change becoming a twisted world.
After a while Thomas grunts in exhaustion before kicking the Demon Bat away and injecting himself with something from his utility belt.
The visions start to vanish as Eric was on the wall of a building watching him.
"No more playing around." Thomas said.
He taps a button on his gauntlet and missiles from his Batmobile fires at Eric.
Eric jumps around and presses a button too, then the Tumbler comes out of a portal crashing againt the other car.
Thomas grunted before his tapped his gauntlet again, this time a mech is called in. He enters the mech as it comes online.
"This ends now."
He shoots at him making many explosions as Eric grunts, Thomas watches before the entire ground starts to shake.
"What is going on?" Thomas said.
A new mech suit rises up and stares down at Thomas, it was the Justice Buster.
"So you have your own mech? Bruce has indoctrinated you worse than I thought"
"I made this suit. I always made mech suits, old man." Eric said.
"Why can't you see that being Batman is a curse? This job does nothing but break the person doing it!"
"Because my way will make the Bat, the hero everyone needs!" Eric punches Thomas back.
Thomas grunted and counterattacked. The two attacked with many energy ropes shooting out from the Justice Buster grabbing Thomas suit.
"This suit is meant to surpass all the Justice League, including Batman." Eric said.
"You said that you made this? Impossible!"
"No, I did this to protect many. So time to take you down!" Eric shoots many beams.
They all trike Thomas' suit causing it to self-destruct because of the damage but Thomas bails out at the last moment. However he is still injured.
He got up but energy ropes grabbed him, Eric came out. "This ends here. Your ways lost."
Thomas thinks of struggling but then gives up seeing the futility.
"Tell me what drives you to embrace this damn mantle."
Eric looks up. "My mother always wanted a world where nobody can live in fear. And my father wants to protect the innocent from law breakers. So I rather be there for others. As nobody should suffer."
Thomas becomes quiet as he digested what Eric said.
He remembered what drove his alternate reality son to fight crime.
"So do the right thing, as I will move on." Eric said.
"I-" He was interrupted as suddenly he was stabbed from behind.
He falls down as Eric got shocked, he saw Ma-Ma there holding a knife.
"Too bad." She said.
Thomas as he laid dying throws something to Eric.
"Take this it is the most I can do now. Tell Bruce that I am sorry..." He then dies.
Eric looks at his hands and opens them... It was a box containing coded information and inside was a picture of Bruce as a child.
"You'll pay!" Eric charges at her but she dodges.
"He was not the bat I wanted. I wanted someone more that laughs." She said.
He frowns. "Who are you after?"
"You'll see." She vanishes and he grunts.
Eric looks at Thomas as he carries him away, the Batman of this world... Is now dead.
Later
Bruce was at his cave looking at a computer and Eric came. "Bruce... Your father says he's sorry."
Batman closed his eyes. "If only things did not end up this way..."
Theres was a small silence.
"Regardless I know that you will prevent others from becoming like him. The cycle will end with you, I am sure of it."
Eric nodded as he hopes so too. But the words that Ma-Ma said worry him, what Batman is she after, and if he's more dangerous than they might be in trouble.
At the city
"So the bat has fought the Ma-Ma, now if he wants to play with her we'll play too."
Someone came to a rooftop and it was a version of the Riddler, and he's wearing a full body suit with question marks with a mask. (Batman Forever)
"Riddle me this, Riddle me that. What bat shall fall first."
Note: Eric fought against Thomas Wayne one of the strongest Batman's, and showed why he's the superior one as Eric has better skills and is in his prime compared to Thomas.