The cape caught the air currents, transforming into a rigid gliding surface that carried him between the skeletal remains of skyscrapers. He could maintain this flight for several minutes at a time, hovering when needed, but eventually gravity would win and he'd need to find another perch. It was enough.
From above, this Gotham looked like an infected wound. Entire city blocks sat dark and abandoned, while others pulsed with the privileged kind of life—the desperate energy of predators and prey locked in an endless dance.
A scream echoed up from an alley three blocks east. Batman 47-X adjusted his trajectory, swooping down toward the sound.
He nded silently on a fire escape, his suit's adaptive camoufge immediately responding to the rusted metal around him. The dark fabric shifted and mottled, taking on the texture and color of corroded steel until only his outline could barely be seen.
Below, a man in his thirties had cornered an elderly woman against a brick wall. She clutched her purse with arthritic fingers while he waved a knife inches from her face.
"Just give me the money, grandma and some pussy. Nobody needs to get hurt."
Batman 47-X's hand moved to his utility belt. The throwing bde was weighted perfectly, its edges sharp enough to cut through Kevr. He drew back his arm and let it fly.
The projectile struck the predator at the base of his skull with a wet *thunk*. The man dropped instantly, his body crumpling to the alley floor as blood began to pool beneath his head.
The elderly woman looked around frantically, trying to understand what had happened. She stared at the mugger's still form for a moment, then clutched her purse tighter and hurried away into the night, her footsteps echoing off the narrow walls.
Batman 47-X remained motionless until she was gone, then dropped silently to retrieve his bde. One less monster in the world.
He spread his cape again and unched himself skyward, continuing his exploration.
---
The Gotham Harbor reeked of industrial waste and decay. Batman 47-X hovered above the maze of shipping containers and cranes, his technology helping him pick up fragments of conversation from below.
"...careful with that one..."
"...boss says this shipment's worth more than the st three combined..."
Movement caught his eye. Four men were wheeling a rge shipping container from a cargo ship, their movements furtive despite the te hour. Batman 47-X descended slowly, his suit adapting to match the night sky above.
Then he heard it—muffled sounds from inside the container. Not cargo. People.
His audio sensors amplified the sounds: rapid heartbeats, suppressed crying, the desperate scratch of fingernails against metal. His face tightened beneath his mask.
The men had stopped near a warehouse, one of them producing a crowbar to pry open the container. Batman 47-X positioned himself directly above them, hovering in the shadows cast by the dock lights.
The container popped open with a creak. Inside, five women—all young, all terrified—were bound and gagged. Their eyes were wide with fear and exhaustion.
"Fresh merchandise," one of the men said with satisfaction. "Boss is gonna be pleased."
The first man never saw him coming. A precise strike to the throat crushed his windpipe, dropping him to the concrete where he writhed silently, drowning in his own blood.
The second man managed to turn before Batman 47-X's fist caved in his chest.
The third had time to scream before the heel of Batman's boot drove into the side of his head, snapping his neck.
The fourth man pulled a gun. Batman 47-X caught his wrist, twisted until bones snapped, then drove the barrel of the man's own weapon through his eye socket.
The entire encounter sted less than thirty seconds.
Batman 47-X activated his communicator. "Bruce."
"Here," came Ultimate Bruce's voice through the encrypted channel.
"Docks. Shipping container 26-B. Five women, human trafficking. They need immediate medical attention."
"BC's already contacted the police and hospital," Bruce replied after a brief pause. "Anonymous tip. They'll be there in ten minutes."
"Good." Batman 47-X looked down at the women in the crate, their eyes now focused on him with a mixture of terror and hope. "It's over," he told them quietly. "Help is coming."
He spread his cape and unched himself into the air, leaving the scene before the sirens could arrive.
---
Twenty minutes ter, there was a soft knock on the hotel suite door. Bruce opened it to find what appeared to be an ordinary man in dark scks and a button-down shirt, his face unremarkable in the way that made him instantly forgettable.
"Impressive," Bruce said as Batman 47-X entered the room. "The suit's adaptive camoufge extends to civilian clothing?"
"Among other things." 47-X's eyes found Selina, who was curled up on one of the beds in borrowed hotel robes, looking cleaner and more rested than she had in months. "This Gotham does need my help."
He sat in the chair by the window, his posture rexed but alert. "Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to take care of your Mark problem. But after that, I want a year. A full year to explore this universe, see if it's worth saving."
Bruce nodded. "I can arrange portal access between universes for that long. After the year is up, you decide—stay and help this Gotham, or return to your own universe."
"Good." 47-X's attention shifted back to Selina. "I'm about to go deal with Mark's operation."
She sat up straighter, her green eyes bright with sudden intensity. "Can I go with you?"
"I don't think so, little girl. You'd just get in my way."
Fire fshed in Selina's eyes. "I'm not a little girl. I've been on my own since I was ten. I know how to handle myself, Mr. Big Bad and Scary." She stood up, crossing her arms defiantly. "I want to go, and I want to look into Mark's eyes when you kill him."
Batman 47-X studied her for a long moment, then smiled—a cold expression that somehow managed to convey approval. "I think I like you, kid. Sure, come along if you can keep up."
"I'll make sure she keeps up," Bruce said quietly.
47-X nodded. "Then we have a deal."
