"It is of no concern to us." Ra'as Al Ghul said coldly, his hands gripped around the arms of his throne. "The detective will not kill our followers that he has captured. It is only a matter of time until they return to us… and then we can take this city for ourselves."

The giant oversized doors burst open. Large muscular guards fell to the ground as a man with a baseball bat stepped inside, glowering up at them.

"You the boss here?" He rasped.

"Ah." Ra'as said, folding his hands in front of him. "The new boy." His eyes glittered. "I must say, I am impressed you found me here."

"Wasn't hard." Bat grunted. "I just beat the shit out of everyone who got in my way."

"You're strong, but uncouth." Ra'as said. "Do you really believe that what you do will lead to a better world?"

"Yes."

"That your actions will prevent the suffering of others?"

"Yes."

"That stopping my organization is for the good of all?"

"Yes."

"Then so be it." Ra'as said, as he spread his arms wide. "Talia." He said. "Let us show him the full power we have kept safe from the rest of the world for hundreds of years."

A couple of minutes later Bat was walking away, his bloody bat on his shoulder, as the broken bodies of Ra'as Al Ghul and his daughter lay behind him.

"Looks like I'm running out of people to kill." Bat complained, as he checked his list. "I might have to leave the city next…"

…

It was not typical for the Justice League to call a full meeting. The man who had defeated Batman twice and Superman once was today's topic of discussion.

"I like him." Wonder Woman said, as if that settled the matter. "Who are we to judge his actions, or his methods?"

"He's brutal." Batman growled.

"And?" Wonder Woman asked. "You… or perhaps…. We, as a collective… have become too soft." She looked around the table. "How many lives have been saved by this man, simply by killing the Joker?"

"We don't have the right to execute people." Batman said. "It's a slippery slope."

"There's nothing wrong with executing true evildoers." She argued. "This Baseball Bat Man… he is only targeting those he deems as a threat to Gotham. Ordinarily he mingles with every day people. He's quite popular, I'm told."

"Rather unlike you, Bruce." The Flash said, grinning.

"Enough." Batman said shortly.

Suddenly, an intense flash of light filled the entire room. The League shielded their eyes, blinking wildly, as a gray haired figure stepped out.

He was broken and bloody…he was gasping for breath. Superman's first instinct was to reach out to him.

"Are you alright?"

"S-Superman!" He gasped, as he fell forward, clinging onto the table. "Y-you're alive…"

He looked around the table, open mouthed. "A-are these…?"

"Identify yourself." Batman ordered.

The man coughed. Blood came pouring out of his mouth.

"My name is Omniman." He said. "I have come from another universe…" He shivered. "You… all of you should be dead…"

"What do you mean?" Superman demanded.

"I know you… Superman." The man rasped. "We…. Became partners… to destroy… " He coughed again. He shook his head.

"There is a man." He said, his voice quiet. "There's a man that we needed to defeat. A man that surpasses any and all I've ever seen, from any universe. His power far surpasses…"

He slumped over, gasping for breath. He was dying, Superman realized quickly.

"Get him medical treatment." He demanded. "Now!"

"You and I were the strongest in our respective universes." Omniman said to him quietly. "There were others with us… one who called himself Homelander. Champions all. And he defeated every one of us. He is, I am sure, the strongest in all of the multiverse. His name is-"

He gasped, and began to fall. He was dead before he hit the floor, but not before he gave them a name. A name that made Superman's blood run cold.

"King."

Superman's heart stopped. He stared at all of the other blank faces surrounding them.

"King?" Wonder Woman repeated, puzzled. "The name means nothing to me."

"It does to me." Superman said, his voice grim. "Baseball Bat Man told me of him. He said he was the strongest."

Wonder Woman stared at him. "You're saying… Baseball Bat is…?"

"He's a threat to us." Batman said, as he stepped forward to examine the man's body. "This man was a hero, to be sure. If he recognized Superman, they must have collaborated in another universe. That means…" Batman's eyes flashed. "This King is a true threat."

The Justice League fell into a somber silence.

…

"You're doing the lord's work, kid." The man said, as he set the meal down in front of him. "On the house."

"Thanks, old guy." Bat told him, grateful. "I haven't eaten since last night." His eyes flickered over to the other side of the room, where a pair of police officers were watching him carefully.

"You still sleeping in the gutter?"

"Yeah." He said. "Got no place else to go."

The old man grinned. "I'm sure some young lady would be happy to share her bed with you."

"Ha, ha." Bat said. "You might want to get out of the way."

The man ducked. The officers stood, raising their weapons and fired. Bat lazily raised the spoon and knocked them both aside with it. Customers were screaming.

"This is a restaurant." He told them. "Get out or I'll make you go."

"We're the police." The man said, as he advanced. "You're under arrest!"

The entire place erupted into boos.

"You heard them." Bat said. "Out."

"I'd like to see you make me."

In a matter of moments the men who out on the street, bloody and broken.

"There aren't a lot of folks who will stand up to the police in this city." The man said appreciatively. "The Batman lets them be."

"Can't imagine why." Bat said gruffly. "They're a bigger problem than the criminals."

"Is there a reason you haven't dealt with them yet?"

Bat shook his head.

"I don't like the idea of going after cops." He said. "It feels wrong to me… you know?"

The man nodded at him sagely.

"I mean they're just following orders, right?" Bat asked. "Maybe they would be good people… if the leadership changed."

The door banged open. A cop came in, holding a gun to the head of a woman.

"Surrender, or I'll shoot!" He shouted. The woman was crying through a black hair, shaking her hair wildly. Bat stared at them.

"Never mind, I'll kill them." He said, as he got to his feet.

"Good man." The man said dryly, as Bat bashed the man's head in, the girl running away in terror.

…

Commissioner Gordon sat deep in his officer, a large machine gun laid across his lap.

"I want the entire station locked down." He screamed into the phone. "Do you hear me?"

The dark shadow of Batman fell across him as he hung up the phone.

"Things are getting out of hand." Gordon growled, as Batman stood tall over him. "The people are getting uppity… No one's complying with the justice system anymore. Baseball Bat Man is targeting my guys now, and people are just letting it happen."

"Calm yourself, Commissioner." Batman said. "All seven members of the Justice League will defend your administration to the death." His eyes flashed. "Without you, this city will fall into chaos."

"I could say the same about you." Gordon said. "He has beaten you twice now, and has even bested Superman. You say the entire Justice League will protect this station… I'm not convinced you can stop him."

"We've beaten things worse than a man with a baseball bat."

"Yes, but you're not winning now, are you?" Gordon snapped, the panic overtaking his sensibilities. He pointed the machinegun at Batman and stood up, his hands trembling. "It's because of you that everything we've built is crumbling!"

Batman loomed ever taller than him. "It's because of me that we ever accomplished anything to begin with." He growled. "Do not forget.. I am the reason that they call you commissioner."

Gordon lowered the gun and let out a sob.

"Leave Baseball Bat Man to us." Batman commanded. "By our powers combined, no force in the multiverse can possibly stand up to us."

The door burst open. Gordon whirled, machine gun in hand, as Bat strolled into the room.

"Hey." He growled, as he brandished the bat. "You in charge around here?"

Gordon didn't answer: Instead he opened fire. Bat evaded the shots, his eyes narrowed, as he dashed around the office, narrowly avoiding the gunshots. Gordon kept firing until the gun started clicking, and the moment it did Bat leapt in, swinging the bat wildly.

Batman cut in, catching the bat mid swing. He buckled under the sheer force of the blow, and his knee touched the floor. Bat growled, and kicked out at him. The Batman stood tall.

"You must stop this." Batman said. "You are destroying this city and everything we value."

"Destroying?" Bat repeated. "You allowed criminals to run rampant… your police officers are worse than the monsters back home." He pushed downward, and Batman slid back.

"It is necessary." Batman said. "Fear breeds compliance to authority. Before you came here, the people of Gotham were perfectly content to allow the status quo to continue."

"They deserve better than this." Bat insisted, The floor under Batman began to crack from the pressure.

"They deserve nothing." Batman snarled, as the floor gave way entirely. He began to fall, and Bat, thinking quickly, brought the bat upward.

Batman was thrown up into the ceiling and slammed into it. He began to fall again, and Bat squared up, intent on taking the man's head off this time. But once again Gordon opened fire on him, and he had no choice but to charge ahead.

"Ah!'

Without Batman protecting him, it was a cinch: Bat swung, and clobbered the man's head in, sending his brains splattering against the office wall. Batman spun around in mid-air and landed on his feet, and glowered at him.

"Do you have any idea what you've just done?"

Bat shouldered the bat and looked at him. "Yeah." He drawled. "I fixed the problem."

The window behind him shattered. Powerful arms wrapped around him and restrained him as he struggled.

"It's over." Superman said sharply, as Bat fought and kicked at him. "You've lost."

His grip tightened on him as he continued struggling.

"What you're doing is wrong." Superman said. "You can't simply take the law into your own hands. Only we must suffer that fate."

Bat continued thrashing. Superman held him completely still.

"You're not strong enough to take on this world." Superman said. "If you continue down this path, I promise you… it will never stop."

An intense aura began to surround Bat.

"I'd rather die than do nothing."

Superman flew back out the window, Bat still in tow. He held him high above the streets of Gotham. The other six members of the Justice League surrounding them from all sides, staring intently at them.

"You have done nothing." Superman said. "All you have managed to accomplish is to stain your own hands with blood. You are no better than the people you fight."

"You don't fight at all." Bat rasped.

Superman raised a fist and punched him in the side. Bat reeled, spitting blood onto the street below.

"We only fight when we have no choice." He said. "We are more than just mere brutes who get our way through violence."

"Could've fooled me." Bat said. Superman punched him again.

"Why do you fight?" Superman demanded. "What do you hope to accomplish?"

Bat could barely see, he was in so much pain.

"I want… to keep my little sister safe." He rasped. Superman raised his fist for another blow, but Bat spun… he broke out of his grip and swung the bat round in an arc, clobbering Superman in mid-air. He took the hit without flinching, staring down at him as he fell.