Growing Subordinates.

When Maulketh, Grimnar, and Trihexa appeared back in Wayne Manor in the Batcave, Batman was already there. He was typing away as the alarms at Arkahm Asylum were going off like crazy. The cameras showed that several dangerous inmates were released by an invisible force. Most of the guards were frozen still for several minutes as Maulketh allowed their time to return slowly to normal.

"Damn it."

Maulketh called out to him as he had teleported silently.

"You can calm down, it was me."

Batman turned around and was about to glare at Maulketh, but he froze. His gaze slowly went to what Maulketh was holding in his right hand and saw the wide-open grin of the Joker meeting his gaze.

He was dead for sure, and yet his gaze and grin still looked alive.

"What DID YOU DO!?"

Maulketh grinned as he raised the head in his hand.

"Got rid of Joker, and saved Superman. You are going to want to see this."

Maulketh allowed Bruce to read Joker's newest scheme. He was planning on creating a new type of Feartoxin using Kryptonite as a base and using it on Superman to set off a Nuke in Metropolis.

But the worst part is that he planned on using Lois as the remote control. But Maulketh did not just send over the information, he allowed him to feel the emotions Joker felt when planning this.

When this vision ended, Bruce opened his eyes wide open as Joker was mas to the extreme. He clenched his fist as feeling what the Joker felt for even a moment was horrifying. Maulketh walked toward Bruce and handed him the head of Joker.

"Here, a gift from me to you. Now you don't have to dirty your precious hands. I would hang it above the Bat computer, it would really creep up the place."

As for Trihexa, she felt the head of a normal human was not a good decoration.

"I would just eat it."

Batman was horrified to be holding the severed head of the Joker especially cause he was still smiling. He closed the Joker's eyes and covered it up with a cloth which disgusted Maulketh. That as the Joker and Batman was still giving him respect.

"What is the deal, Batman? Are you in love with him or what?"

Bruce set down the head and clenched his fist.

"Murder is n-"

"Don't care what you think Bruce. I really don't. Also, I just took care of the biggest source of the curse of Gotham so the city will begin to recover naturally. As for the people, that will be harder and I will leave that to you. Goodbye."

Maulketh left Trihexa behind as he returned to his personal Dimension where he left recruited Arkham inmates. All of them were still inside as they did not want to get picked off by one of the stray beasts that were waging battle against each other.

Here, Killer Croc, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Manbat, King Shark, Scarecrow, Amygdala, Clayface, and Electrocutioner were all looking outside the window. However, when Maulketh and Grimnar appeared outside of the mansion they all backed away from the door as Maulketh entered.

"Welcome. You are all here as I believe you all have a particular set of skills, knowledge, or straight-up craziness. As for who I am, my full name is Maulketh Imperator Tempus, Dragon God of Tyranny. And this here is Grimnar."

Grimnar barked as a greeting. He expected them to stay silent, but Harley raised her hand.

"Yes."

"What's with the big fight outside? And the weird rain?"

"This is the world I created. Everything here represents an aspect of myself but taken to the extreme through my power as a Dragon God. The right to live here is not given but earned. The creatures fight without end to get stronger and to not be replaced. That answers your question?"

Harley nodded.

"Yup, for now."

Poison Ivy walked past Maulketh to look outside. There was little plant life outside, as regular plants would not make it in this world. The ones that could survive in this environment were all carnivorous like everything else in this world.

"Your world has little to no plant life. I can probably fix that."

"If you want to try go ahead, I don't mind. This mansion is large enough to house well over 1,000 people and will be a safe area. But if you step away 2,000 meters from it the safe zone will end and you will be subjected to the same rules as the rest of the creatures here. I am not keeping you prisoners, but it is a test."

King Shark thought about it.

"Is there an ocean here?"

Maulketh nodded.

"Yes, this world is many times bigger than Earth and is covered in oceans, but the creatures that call those waterways home are deadly titans. In the same way, swamps, desserts like the one we are in, forests, tundras, and jungles exist here, every biome exists here. Even some that would not exist in regular nature."

Firefly-burned skin began to itch like crazy.

"Fire biomes?"

Maulketh nodded.

"Yes, entire stretches of land continent-wide where nothing, but creatures of fire call home. If you all get strong enough you could stake out a claim on this world once I drag it into real space. Scarecrow, you could become a true fear mage here and create new more potent toxins.

Kirk, the same goes for you, you are a researcher, so research anything you want. Amygdala, here you can rage and fight all you want no one to tell you otherwise.

Clayface, instead of a blob of Mud, becoming an Earth Dragon is possible. Wayland, same for you, you already feel what I can give."

Everyone had asked Wayland what had happened to make him so much stronger and Maulketh just gaze at the answer.

"Electrocutioner, staking a lightning biome for your personal use is in the works."

The mercenary grinned.

"Count me in."

With that said Maulketh bit down on his tongue and from the cut drew out 9 drops of blood which entered the hearts of the 9 recruits other than Killer Croc. The moment his Divine blood entered their bodies they all began to mutate.

Through the use of his Domain, he ensured his blood would not kill them. Each one had a different reaction. Harley Quinn had a unique reaction as she grew 2 large black horns. The toxins she was subjected to seemed to have given her stronger toxic abilities so that made sense.

Freeze's horns though were liked to be made of dark blue ice and his body bulked up to be more refined and stronger. King Shark kept his shark base, but he grew wings, his tail grew larger, and his skin was covered in scales and dark blue lines.

Firefly regenerated his burnt skin and his affinity was pure fire. Electrocutioner was totally different as lightning began to crackle off his body like snakes and he grew larger as well. Scarecrow's horns were yellow and his body began to release a green mist.

Ivy's horns looked like antlers made of wood as she took on a more Life affinity. Just as he thought she would eventually become a forest dragon. Meanwhile, Amygdala grew a burning pair of black horns much like Maulkeths.

His brain was healed from its mental disorder, and Kirk became larger, his bat features warped into more draconic ones, but still visibly batlike. As for Clayface, the giant mud man had a very strange reaction.

His mud body began to grow larger and become more solid. When he reached a height of 20 feet his entire body seemed to become not mud, but scale-covered stone. He grew a tail, wings, and a pair of stone-covered horns.

Clayface reached up to touch his face which had been sludge, but now was a solid draconic head.

"I am solid."

That would have been a problem, but with a thought he became sludge once more, but it was different. He could feel something different, mana. They were all feeling the magical effects of mana.

Once all of them had been affected by his Dragon Blood they all felt different, stronger, smarter even. Freeze reached up and removed his helmet as he took a deep breath. When he exhaled cold hair was released, but not in a bad way.

He looked at himself in the reflection of his helmet and saw the horns on his head. They all had them, but they were made of ice.

"I have tests to run."

Maulketh nodded.

"Freeze, your unique condition, and my Dragon blood reacted positively to begin the process of turning you into a glacial dragon. Each one of you can one day reach that level if you get more blood from me. But for that to happen, you have to show me your worth more.

As for the scientists among you, do all the research you want. This world is vast and as long as you think you are strong enough you can go out and fight. Dragons gain power through battle after all. That is if you think you can face them."

He pointed outside to show the giant battle that raged without end. And this was just one small piece of his world as this place was twice the size of Jupiter. The gravity was insane, and only through his protection were they not crushed.

Killer Croc squinted his eyes as he stepped out of the house.

"Be right back."

To Wayland, the offer to become a Dragon had been a blessing. Why be a crocodile man when you can be a dragon? Seeing him step out, King Shark followed him as well. Seeing the two of them step out, made Electrocutioner smash his fists together as he followed.

Then Kirk, Amygdala, Kirk, and even Freeze followed. Harley giggled as she stepped out while dragging Ivy outside. Soon all of his recruits stepped out as they were going to get involved in the fight.

'Seems the effects of Divine Dragon blood affects the mind more than my regular blood. Experiment successful.'

Those with his blood were more loyal toward him and if they did betray him he could detonate them at any moment. Maulketh grinned as he could see it now, him unleashing his army of this world along with an army of special dragons he raised.

'Now, I need to find new beings worth eating.'

Once he finished what he had planned on earth he could set his eyes on the bigger universe. So many alien races with powerful abilities were waiting for him. But for the moment he decided to leave.

"Come Grimnar."

He and Grimnar vanished from the mansion and appeared back in Gotham. More importantly, they appeared at the top of Wayne Tower. Maulketh's Divine Domain covered the entire city and using it he began to drain the entire curse of Gotham toward himself.

A tidal wave of cursed energy began to be refined by his Domain before being absorbed into his body. There was several millennia' worth of built-up curse which he could feed on. All of that energy was refined and used by his Concept to refine his body and soul.

The many blessings over his body began to glow which actually increased the connection he could feel to those in his original world. The stronger he became, the stronger the connection that could be felt.

He raised his hands high and drained the entire curse that covered Gotham. He had to work slowly because of the curse was ripped off, and all of Gotham could crumble. Instead, he slowly replaced the curse with one of his own.

He was staking his claim to the city of Gotham as the city would be useful to him. Trihexa appeared next to him as she saw he was once again feeding.

"You really are greedy."

"Of course. Power is everything."

"I agree."

She sat down next to him and just kept him company while he finished this. Once he was done here, he would go to Belle Reve to pick up some extra muscle. And then, he would leave Gotham. He did not have to be present to keep teaching Bruce some basic magic abillities.

He would make a temporary clone to do all that for him.