Batman: Arkham City Chronicles Ch. 11

"What is the Shattering?" Bruce and Helena ask at the same time.

"It's the event that created the Multiverse," answers the Major, deciding to explain as best he can to the two, by his standard, primitive humans, "Billions of years ago, there was only one reality, only one Earth, known today as First Earth. It was shattered into two, and later Second Earth was shattered into 24 more realities. Eventually, those 26 Earths was shattered into the current structure of the verse hence the 52 variants of each alternate Earth. The original shattering was caused by the divide between the Old Ancient and the New Ancient. Once, one race that becomes two with the Old Ancient being the founders of the Light and the New Ancient being the founders of the Darkness. That divide, known as the catalyst, is the divide that all other divides or rifts spring from. The issues with Superman can be traced back to that single divide, just about anything else in the multiverse can be traced back to that first divide."

"It sounds like this can happen again," voices Helena, as the Major replies, "Oh, it can happen anytime. You see the Darkness believe all choices, decisions, outcomes are irrelevant because in another reality you make the opposite choice. Though, that is not correct, as some outcomes happen more often than not, whereas..."

"Wait a minute!" interrupts Bruce, "You're telling me that all of the problems within the multiverse, go back to a single disagreement between a species, somewhere in a very distant past?"

"Wasn't just a single disagreement but it was the first disagreement, but we're digressing. The reason why the Arkham Knight didn't attack you, is because according to the rule book, he must give you a fair chance of defeating him. Just like if you were to attack, a technologically less advanced species, you must fight them with the same level of technology. This is why alien invasions of the Earths, haven't happened or are extremely rare."

"What are some of the rules?" asks Helena, though this 'rule book' didn't help her reality be spared the wrath of the Knight.

"One of the rules forbids the Light to get directly involved in any non-aligned dimension that is not currently under attack from the Darkness," voices the Major, explaining the reason, why he can't directly help this reality, he can only offer 'advice.'

"Why does the Arkham Knight want to take over the multiverse?" asks Helena, the Major stares at Helena before commenting, "It amazed me that you and Bruce are made from the same genetic material. The Arkham Knight wants to bring peace through the multiverse and each Earths. There is a reality where Bruce led the world resistance against the Nazi Regime that controls that Earth, there is also another reality where he's a fucking Nazi!"

"I'm a Nazi?" asks Bruce, who would never see himself like that.

"In that reality, Nazi Germany doesn't win World War II! However, they did conquer the planet, fighting little to no resistance in what is known as the Six-Day War. The six days is the length that the world resisted, before the final nation surrendered to the Third Reich, on June 10th, 1967," explains the Major, referring to Earth-1918KH, where British soldier, Henry Tandey shot and killed Adolf Hitler during World War I. The other Earth-10X, is where Bruce Wayne is a Nazi, though all of the Earth-10, the Nazi won the Second World War, and then Earth-1959LI, where Bruce is leading the resistance to an Earth dominated by the Third Reich.

"Oh, my Lord!" voices Helena, as Bruce give her the strange look.

"I guess that your Earth-11K counterpart didn't tell you that she was raised by Sister Thompkins, a Roman Catholic Nun," answers the Major, who knew Bruce is a non-practicing Christian.

"Wow!" replies Bruce, who knew Leslie is a practicing Catholic.

"Yes, I was raised by Sister Thompkins. Is she not a nun in this reality?" asks Helena, who is still trying to get to use to the fact this isn't her Earth. No, her Earth is under Wonder Man's control, thanks to his allying himself with the Arkham Knight.

"Oh, no," answers Bruce, "Leslie, is a highly--respected Doctor, she works for the Justice League. After her clinic was closed down, because of the creation of Arkham City. Though recently she had mentioned trying to reopen her clinic, somewhere in Gotham."

"What happened to Arkham City, since the incident?" asks Helena, as the two talk like the Major isn't even standing there, something he isn't used to, but he had his orders. Bruce answers, "It still exists. But it exists in a state of limbo. Prisoner paperwork is still being processed, while the D.A. tries to determine which inmates are actually guilty vs. the inmates who are innocent or political prisoners. My main rogues still reside in the City, they come and go more freely now than they did before. There is a project on the table known as 'Arkham Reborn' that seek to develop the Arkham City into affordable housing for Gotham's middle and lower families..."

"Well, all of this is so interesting! I'm actually here because I need Batman's help," voices the Major, interrupting the brother/sister, he guessed. Even he is not even sure on how to describe the relationship between almost the same person from different realities, with the only major difference being sex, then the minor differences that extend from their different sex.

"What do you need from me?" asks Bruce, wondering why someone so powerful needs him, but then he guessed, he had help Superman in the past to deal with problems that he couldn't deal with alone.

"The Council of Ancients has decided that you're ready for them to offer a position in the Knights of the Light. If you accept, then we have a series of missions. This will also help you in recruiting allies against the Arkham Knight," explains the Major, since the Old Ancient, like the New Ancient mastered time a long time ago, but they don't try and change the past, as that would violate the agreed upon rules, but since time is relative, days for normal individuals like Bruce, can be seconds or months for the Old or New Ancients, depending on their whims.

"How long will I be gone?" asks Bruce, but the Major chuckles, "A few seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years? When you're a member of the Knights of the Light, time is irrelevant. The Old Ancients will get you back, as close to when you left as possible, though time for you will be the same i.e. one day will still feel like one day, but there is also the example of a soldier on a mission for six months but when he returned home it only been a few hours. The mission will be to the Earth-43121B."

"What's happened on Earth-43121B?" asks Helena, wondering why the Major, would pick Bruce instead of her, maybe it is because she thinks the Major is a misogynist sexist asshole. The Major, calmly explains, "Earth-43121B is about to be invaded by a force known as the Imperium. There Batman was injured in a battle and needs more time to recover, but the chances are high without Batman that his Earth will fall to the invasion. Bruce-43121B requested we find another Bruce to temporarily fill in for him as Batman, while he is recovering from his injuries. Only that Bruce, Alfred, and you will know the truth. Now, any questions?"

"What about J'onn who can read minds?" asks Bruce, debating if he should go or not. The Major isn't concerned and replies, "We can protect your mind from the Martian's mind-reading ability."

"Can you tell us more about why this Bruce was injured?" asks Helena, curious to see just have much detail, she can get from the Major who says, "He'll tell the details about the incident."

"Alright, I will go for no other reasons to seek possible allies. Give me a few minutes and I will be ready to leave," voices Bruce, who then turns around to call Alfred and tell him, before walking to get his newest Batsuit ready. Helena is watching when 20 minutes later, Bruce comes back in his new Batsuit and Helena asks, "Bruce, where the hell did you get that suit from?"

"Fox created it for me, following the Arkham Asylum Incident," answers Bruce, in an armored Batsuit, but Bruce also had another surprise, pressing a button that raised a prototype Batmobile, the Design 7 Batmobile, affectionately nicknamed 'the tank' by Dick.

"Wow!" voices Helena, as the massive, tank-like vehicle, designed in response to a series of incidents, as Batman explains, "The only thing that can damage the D7, wouldn't be from this Earth."

"Why didn't you use it during the Arkham City incident?" asks Helena, but Bruce simply finishes by saying, "It was a prototype..."

Then Batman turns to the Major and continues, "...I am ready now!"

"Excellent," voices the Major, just a moment later Batman, the Design 7 Batmobile, and the Major just disappear from the Batcave. Helena walks up the steps, leaving the Batcave, before stopping on the very top step, she scans the Batcave but finds no sign of Batman. 'I guess, he really is gone,' thought Helena, as she switches off the lights, with darkness enveloping the cave.

Sunday, January 15, 2012 -- Night:

Clock Tower,

Bleake Island,

Gotham City

"So, he just disappeared like that?" asks Oracle, as Batwoman, aka Helena Wayne had stopped during her patrol of Gotham City. Helena and Batwoman, aka Kate Kane, had decided to share the leadership role until Bruce gets back, this way there is a united command instead of each woman trying to do things her way. Helena had stopped at the Clock Tower, to tell Oracle, what is happening since she wasn't present for the early meeting today. Helena was quite surprised at the lack of reaction to Bruce just up and disappearing on them, for who know how long but Harley said, "Master knows what he is doing," and despite not liking Harley calling Bruce Master, even Helena had to admit that they're going to need allies against the Arkham Knight. Then all of a sudden, Oracle picks up radio chatter and loses all colors in her face, as she voices, "The Arkham Knight is at the Ace Chemicals building, inside Arkham, along with his militias..."

Batwoman immediately jumps into action, before racing off to confront her old foe. She may have failed to save her Earth because she isn't going to fail this Gotham. Oh no, never again...

Apartment Building One-A,

1 North Rogers Avenue,

The Bowery, Arkham City

Batwoman, aka Helena Wayne, arrives near Ace Chemicals to find a huge battle raging around the Ace Chemicals building and she voices, "Oracle, who is the Arkham Knight fighting?" seeing the Arkham Knight battling someone on the rooftop of the Ace Chemicals building, but she can't see who the unknown figure is.

"Batwoman," says Batwoman, aka Kate Kane, or Batwoman-3022, "I'm nearby along with Robin, but we'll there in just a few minutes."

"I don't know if the individual fighting the Arkham Knight has a few minutes because they're getting their ass kick..." replies Batwoman, then all of a sudden, she screams, "No! It is Batman!"

"What?" asks Batgirl, over the radio, as Alfred voices, "The Batmobile Master Bruce took with him is back but badly damaged..."

"I can confirm that's Bruce," announces Oracle, with joy in her voice, but only for a moment, "Bruce needs help. His vital signs..."

"I'm going in," interrupts Batwoman, not waiting on anybody else...

Ace Chemicals,

1900 West Hamill Avenue,

Park Row, Arkham City

Batman, aka Bruce Wayne and the Arkham Knight are exchanging punches, but it's clear to Bruce that he's no match for the Knight in his weakened condition, having just arrived back from his trip to several other realities, when the Arkham Knight and his Militia ambushed Bruce and a portion of his Sons of Batman. As Bruce is struggling to defend himself and barely holding on, the Arkham Knight is sent flying across the rooftop and Bruce sees Batwoman, standing there. Bruce, using the last of his strength, voices, "Batwoman, we must retreat we can't hope to defeat him."

Hearing something in his voice, Batwoman quickly helps him to his feet before using her grapple gun, while Batman radios for his Sons of Batman to withdraw and Oracle also issue retreat orders for the other members of the Batman family. Though claiming victory over the Batman, would make most villains jump for joy, the Arkham Knight instead lets out a scream of profanity, "Fuck!"

"Enough!" yells the Major, appearing on the rooftop of the Ace Chemicals building, "Is that acceptable behavior for a Knight?"

The Arkham Knight turns around and stares at the Major, still full of anger, as he asks, "Why don't you just let me kill him?"

"Oh, no that is not the way the Light will fight this conflict," voices the Major, who knows the Arkham Knight is President of the Unified Earth, in his reality, Earth-3435, "The Endless War is in a crucial stage right now, and we need you to have patience."

"That is who I should be fighting, the Darkness," voices the Arkham Knight, who started his Crusade across the multiverse, known as the Forty-First Crusade, since the last Crusade, the Forty Crusade was 1991 to 1994, during the Crisis of the Lost Years.

"You fight who the Old Ancient tells you to fight!" replies the Major, but if he could see through the Arkham Knight's helmet he would see him roll his eyes before turning back looking across the Gotham night. For his part, the Major is glad that the Arkham Knight can't see him grinning, because the Knight would probably attempt to punch the Major but since his presence here is just a hologram, it wouldn't do any good. Just a split second later, the Arkham Knight starts gathering his militia, before departing the area around the crippling Arkham City. The Arkham Knight needs time to plan his next series of moves, but he is getting sick and tired of all of the limitations placed upon him by the Light, they should give him an objective and just let him achieve it, but instead, he has to fight this war by their rules. As the Arkham Knight is departing the Ace Chemicals Building, the Major is watching him, still using the hologram projector, he turns to the man, beside him dressing in a similar military uniform to his, before he asks, "What is your opinion?"

"Hmm," voices the Colonel, "This new development's problematic..."

"Do you think we have been discovered?" asks a third man, standing behind the Colonel, but the Colonel answers, "Lieutenant, if we had been discovered, I can assure you we wouldn't be here having this conversation, right now. What're involved in is highly against the rules and if we're caught, they will end us."

"Then we better not get caught," voices the Major, who was recruited by the Colonel into this little group of conspirators.

AN: I would like to thank Emily Thayer for editing the entire chapter and writing the second sex scene. I also would like to thank Dragonknightleader for writing the first sex scene.