BATMAN: TARGET

CHAPTER THREE: The Last Stand

The two heroes stared at each other.

"Batman," The Man of Steel, as the Daily Planet had dubbed him, smiled at the Dark Knight.

"What do you want in my city?" Snarled the black clad vigilante. He wasn't going to have this star spangled boy scout disturb his mission.

"I came to…" Began Superman.

"Save it! I have a job to do, and you're wasting my time!" Bruce didn't even know why he felt this anger towards The Man of Steel. He turned to walk away.

"Just listen to me, dammit!" The Caped Crusader turned back to Superman, shocked… from what he'd heard, any anger was unheard of in The Man of Steel, "I came to offer you help!"

"Huh. Maybe there is one thing you can do, Superman. But after that, you piss off back to Metropolis and your beloved headlines and leave me to do my job!"

Tetch laughed. What kind of idiot was the Batman? The Dark Knight was just sitting on a roof, seemingly ignorant of the helicopter hovering above him, only alerted as Tetch opened fire with the turreted chaingun!

Batman somehow dived aside and turned, hurling a shuriken that disrupted the gun's mechanisms… the weapon's barrel exploded in sparks! Tetch fell back.

"Jesus," Hissed Zsasz in his terrifying, violent tone, "You couldn't even kill that runt then?"

"Well, it's your turn now, isn't it, Victor? Get the Hell down there and show me your any better than I am!" Spat Jervis, slipping on his top hat and overcoat, "Come on! Let's roast this phony!"

Batman was running, diving, rolling, hurling shuriken… but he had no hope. The five sociopaths were determined… Crane's fear gas was too much this time, concentrated, and Stirk was coming at the hero, hatchets raised. Batman struck him, weakly, yelling…

Zsasz slashed his face… Bruce screamed:

"FATHER!"

No… not Father… SUPERMAN!

The red blur struck Zsasz, almost crippling the villain. Batman was up again, roaring… what was fear other than a form of adrenaline? And adrenaline gave him strength…

Batman dived on Crane, kicking him across the roof. Tetch's limp, unconscious, hurtled past the Dark Knight, and the rage departed. He stood, hunched up, on the roof. Superman hovered above him.

"Are you OK?"

"I will be."

"I'll be off. Back to Metropolis."

Superman began to slowly fly away,

"Wait!" Called the Dark Knight. Superman paused, "Thanks. And… you're welcome in Gotham from now on."

"Thank you," Smiled the Man of Steel, "I'm sure we'll meet again."

COMING SOON:

THE FINAL CHAPTER IN THE TRILOGY- Batman: Revolution!