The Dark Knight Appears

"Master Wayne, is everything alright?" Alfred Pennyworth asked as he rushed down the stairs and into the Batcave to find that his employer and friend, Bruce Wayne, had punched a hole in the wall of one of his work spaces.

"It's Dick, Alfred," the normally-composed Bruce replied in a shaky voice, he black hair hanging over his face. "According to the vitals monitor in his suit, he's dead. Not just dead, but the sensor indicates that he's been blown to pieces."

"D-Dick? Nightwing?" Alfred stammered, clutching his heart as he fell back against a wall. "N-No, are you quite sure, Master Wayne?"

"I helped design the tech in that suit myself, it's accurate," Bruce continued, grinding his teeth as he looked towards his butler through red eyes. "Alfred…please get my suit."

"Master Wayne, your shoulder hasn't healed yet!" the old man protested. "If someone like Dick was able to be defeated so easily, then his murderer is a serious threat. Call the Justice League, talk to your friends, Bruce. You might need help on this one."

"You helped me raise Dick, Alfred, so if anyone knows what I'm feeling right now, it's you," the billionaire hero continued as marched towards one of his Batsuits, which stood poised and ready to don. "Just promise me you'll stay here and back me up. I won't do anything stupid, I promise."

"Yes sir, but are you bringing Robin?" the butler asked as he slid into Bruce's chair in front of the expansive computer.

"No, I'll tell Jason when the time comes, those two were getting close," Bruce answered as he quickly peeled away his bathrobe and suited up, wincing as he pulled his arm into the grey and black garment. "If you see him, tell him that I stepped out for some fresh air."

Knowing that he wouldn't be able to change his ward's mind, Alfred relented and prepared to serve as backup to the caped crusader as Bruce pulled on his black mask and prepared to step out into the world as Batman.

Reaching the garage section of the Batcave, he mounted a small, older Batcycle and sped off on it towards the cave's hidden trapdoor, which opened up beneath Wayne Manor and led onto an adjoining street.

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Leaning against the wall of a brown brick apartment building, Saitama panted as his mind strained under the apparent transformation that he was undergoing. Normally calm and nonchalant, the bald hero was on edge for the first time in many years as his teary eyes darted back and forth between the pavement and the many adjacent buildings.

"What did that damn clown do to me?" he groaned as he fell back against the wall and slid onto his butt. "That crazy laugh of his, I keep doing the same thing, and then I proceed to kill people! Dammit, that Nightwing guy…how could I kill a fellow hero?"

Police sirens echoed in the distance as the caped baldy assumed that the authorities had discovered the obliteration of one of the city's protectors. Immense guilt welled up inside the hero, where he lamented on getting too close to the defeated clown and allowing himself to be hit by the gas.

Saitama continued to sulk beneath the shadow of the apartment building for many minutes, where with each passing second he grew more and more unsure of what to do next. His eyes drearily gazing across the street, the hero suddenly became aware of several projectiles hurtling towards his position. Ready to dodge, Saitama instead watched as several pellets bounced harmlessly against the brick wall, only to explode in a white-grey smoke.

"A smokescreen?" he asked himself as he raised his fists, where he watched while a towering figure emerged from the thick, blinding cloud. Spotting the large symbol that resembled a bat on the man's chest, Saitama fought a smile as his face again began to contort into a grin.

His suit primarily grey, the stranger's costume was also adorned with black gloves, a black mask with twin points on the side of the head, and tall black boots to go along with the flowing black cape blowing behind him.

"Hehehehe…you must be Batman!" Saitama snickered, before fighting through the lapse of sanity as he clutched his face. "Oh man, not again. Look, buddy, please get as far away from me as possible, I'm not safe right now!"

"You killed somebody very important to me," Batman replied as he stepped closer to the yellow and white-suited man. "You'll face judgement for that, so you can either come with me voluntarily, or I'll bring you in myself."

"Heheh…HAHAHAHAH!!" Saitama laughed loudly as his left eye twitched while the rest of his face contorted into a broad smile. "HAHAHAHA p-please, g-get away from me!!"

"That laugh…" the bat-themed superhero murmured as he rubbed his chin. "What did the Joker do to you?"

"H-he hit me with some kind of gas, and ever since, I can't stop this!" the bald hero groaned as his shaking legs forced him forward. "Hehehe…HAHAHAHAHA…Batman, I've been waiting to punch a hole in you!"

Before he could stop himself, Saitama reared his right fist back and prepared to throw a punch at the caped crusader, only to find that his opponent had vanished into thin air.

"Hehehehehe, you know, Bats, I can't recall the last time I've lost a fight," the caped baldy continued through his unhinged snickering. "So this trickery isn't going to do anything. I will find you, and you'll end up smeared all over the pavement just like your friend!"

Batman suddenly remerged from the smoke cloud, this time directly behind Saitama, and began to calmly stride towards him. Giggling to himself, the one punch man pretended to be oblivious to the cape crusader's presence as he waited until the towering man was almost upon him.

"HAHAHAHAHA, gotcha!" Saitama roared with laughter as he abruptly spun around to face Batman, who was now mere feet behind him. For a second, he hesitated, with his sanity returning for just a moment. The hero's new personality took over again, however, and faster than the Human eye could perceive, he threw a mighty punch towards the famous vigilante at point-blank range.