The Man of Steel, The Darknight Detective. Individually they serve their respective cities of Metropolis and Gotham as their primary defenders. But there are times when being the most powerful super-hero or the most implacable is not enough. There are times when the dreaded hero of the night and the shining icon of the future must team together to battle forces that threaten those incapable of defending themselves, times when strength of arm alone or exemplary skills of both mind and body aren't enough. These are the times the world needs its finest heroes together,

Starring

and

Gotham horror!

Part one

By Ralph L. Angelo Jr.

Plotted by Ralph L. Angelo Jr and Steve Swartz

Prologue

Splash Page: A homeless man, sitting in an alley with his back to a wall stares up at the Bat signal reflecting off a cloud as two figures swing past the full moon , capes flowing behind them, towards the signal light.

Man"Hhmmph. There they go agin' . Goin' ta save da day welllll Ah guesss no one's evah gonna save me. Huh. Ain't my fault ah love the hooch."

Page 2

The man takes a long drink out of a bottle in a brown paper bag as a voice interferes with his reverie.

Voice: "You want revenge on those that have forced you into this lifestyle my friend?"

He drops the bottle, shattering it on the street and fights his way to his feet, swaying drunkenly in the midnight air.

Drunk: "Whadaya want? Look what ya made me do! My hooch is gone man. It's all your fault."

The other man steps forward from the shadows. He is a tall black man with deep set eyes and a shaved head. An earing glistens in his left ear. He wears a long overcoat that floats in the light breeze.

2^nd Man: "My name is Parnell. I can help you get your revenge on everyone whose forced you into this position in life. "

Drunk: "What about my hooch? You owe me anudder bottle."

Parnell clasps the older stooped man on the shoulder.

Parnell:" You'll have all the "Hooch" you could ever want my friend, I guarantee it. Now why don't you come with me, so we can start your new life as quickly as possible."

Page 3

The old man looks at Parnell and his broken bottle laying in the street at his feet.

Drunk: "All the hooch? An I never have ta buy it?"

Parnell: "Haha, no my friend all yours for the taking. "

drunk: "Okay Mister, I'm comin' with you. And just so's you know, my name is Stubbs."

Parnell: "Very good Mister Stubbs, come right this way then."

Across the alley, huddled in plastic garbage bags, trying to keep warm, another disregarded dreg of humanity sits and listens to the conversation, not knowing if he should ask for the help offered to Stubbs himself, or if he should be silent. Something inside him warns him to stay the latter course. A moment later he knows why, as Stubbs screams fill the alleyway from a distance, and then abruptly end. In fear the man huddles deeper beneath the piles of trash as a nondescript panel van pulls away from the alleys mouth, Stubbs' screams echoing in his ears.

Page 4

Chapter 1

Partners

Splash page: Batman thrust kicks a masked thug in the throat as Robin, using his battle staff pole vaults into another attackers face. Three more masked men rush towards the Dynamic Duo.

Robin: "These guys never learn, do they Batman? You'd think by now, after all these years that they would know not to pull this stuff in our town."

Batman : "No Robin, they never do. But it's usually just another in a long line of mistakes their kind make. Common punks like these are not exactly a brilliant lot."

Page 5

One of the three attacks Batman with a cruel looking knife, weaving deadly patterns in the air with the blade, as it glints evilly off the full moons light.

Thug: "Gonna cut you baby, cut you deep. You gonna die in this street freak. Die bad."

Batman says nothing, holding his hands defensively in a modified boxers stance, he feints to his right, causing the punk to attack Batmans left.

With a savage yell the thug slashes at Batman, but all he ends up cutting is empty air as Batman sidesteps and spins on his left foot, delivering a devastating right round house kick to the punks right rib cage area.

POW!

Continuing the arc , Batman lands on his right foot and spins his left into the air, landing a powerful wheel kick to the punks head. Wordlessly both the crook , and his knife fall to the ground. Not to move again.

Page 6

Robin:"Whoof! That looks like it hurt even from here! "

Even as he speaks, Robin spins his battle staff in his right hand above his head ,whirling it like unto a propeller, then suddenly lashing out with the six foot staff in a blindingly fast arc that connects with the two thugs before him, cracking them both in the jaw. One falls unmoving to the ground like a sack of wheat, the other rolls with the blow and ,regaining his footing , attacks Robin quickly, his forward punch stunning the young hero as the punk pushes his advantage.

Batman: "ROBIN!"

Nearby Batman sees his young partners predicament and leaps to his aid, only to be brought down from behind himself as a powerful hand grasps his billowing cloak and , with a tug, slams Batman , chin first into the pavement.

BRAK!

Batman shakes his head to clear the cobwebs.

Batman: (Damn amateurs mistake!)

Page 7

The strong hands grab him by the throat and rip him into the air. He turns as his eyes meet a dark faced giant who smiles evilly as he begins crushing Batmans' throat.

Batman: "A....bit......Overconfident.....aren't....you?"

Batman suddenly twists his knees and brings them up into the punks chest. Then pushing outwards with all his leg strength he breaks the punks hold and drops to the ground, gasping.

Batman: "This is over punk. Now."

Punk: "Ha! You fall now Caped fool."

The thug throws a right round house at Batman' head that the hero ducks underneath.

Batman: "I don't think so ."

Batman counters with a short, powerful left to the punks stomach, then , faster still, an uppercut that fills the big mans eyes with darkness as he hits the street, like a rag doll.

Page 8

Batman: (unngh, he hit hard. How did I let him get behind me?)

And suddenly the realization hits him, hard.

Batman: "Robin!"

Whirling he suddenly sees Robin scissor kicking his opponent in the chin as the mans eyes roll up into his head and he joins his compatriots in unconsciousness.

Batman walks over Robin.

Batman: "You okay ?"

Robin: "Yeah. What about you. That guy looked a little tough."

Batman: "He caught me by surprise. I was distracted when I saw you go down from that guys punch. It was my fault. Not yours. You're capable partner. I needn't worry about you."

Robin smiles nervously. That was a compliment. As much as one would get out of the Batman, especially when he was in the "Batman" persona.

Robin: "No Batman, I can take care of myself, but you just keep watching my back, and I'll keep watching yours."

Page 9

Batman: "Good. Lets get this trash bagged and put to the curb for Gordon."

Up the east coast from Gotham lies a city in stark contrast to it. It's shining spires are cut from the tapestry of the future, as is its defender, the man of tomorrow, SUPERMAN! He flies like a bullet across the skyline of Metropolis, coming from the west.

Supes: (Not good, those gunshots I heard were interspersed with the whine of those disrupter rifles I encountered the other day* .)

*See issue 4 of Superman, this story takes place between Supes 4&5.

Superman dives down towards the sound of gunfire, as he sees two cops pinned down behind their demolished squad car by three punks with the high tech weaponry.

Suddenly from above the three punks a voice booms out.

Supes: "Alright gentlemen. Drop the weapons now, and I won't have to get rough."

The three turn as one, their jaws dropping as Superman stands hovering twelve feet above them, hands on hips , staring down at them.

Supes: (If I do this right , no more shots will be fired . Sometimes a little intimidation is better then a hundred punches.)

Page 10

The punks stand stunned for all of one second then

Lead Punk: "Kill 'im!"

They fire their weapons in unison, smashing Superman through a wall!

Bra-Kow!

Supes: "Unnnghgh!" (Same problem I had last time with these weapons. Alone , they're no problem, but more then one, these things HURT!"

Tearing himself from out of the inside of the building he rockets into the street, flying through the hail of energy weapon discharge.

Supes: (Gotta end this fast.)

He unleashes his heat ray vision, faster then the punks can react, and melts the weapons in one blast, causing them to explode in their hands, taking all the fight out of them.

Ba-foom!

Page 11

As he helps the officers handcuff the punks , other patrol cars pull up, out of the lead one leaps Dan Turpin, the head inspector of the Metropolis P.D. and head of the Special Crimes Unit.

Turpin: "What's the story man o' steel?"

Supes: "More of those hi-tech zap guns we ran into the other day Dan."

Turpin: "Gettin' to be an epidemic Supes. More of 'em were out on the street last night. We took 'em down, but a few of our guys got hurt."

Supes: "Dan , I'm sorry, I was out of town last night. I should've been here..."

Turpin: "Don't blame yerself buddy. That's not what I'm saying. What I'm sayin' is , that we're startin' to have a problem here with these things. If we can't handle this ourselves, without yer help every time, then we got a serious problem here."

Supes: "I understand Dan. I'll help out as best I can, together we'll finish this infestation of those guns before they get any worse.*"

*To learn more about this, see upcoming issues of Superman.

Back in Gotham , Bruce Wayne visits a soup kitchen sponsored by Wayne Enterprises. With him is Lucius Fox, his second in charge at Wayne Enterprises. The two men walk past long tables of seated men and women, all huddled drinking their warm soup and coffee, as the volunteers continue to ladle it out to others still waiting

Page 12

Lucius: "Why do you insist on coming here so often Bruce? These people never change. They never want to help themselves out of bad situations."

Bruce: "I like to see that what I'm doing in Gotham is helping Lucius, at least a little bit. I know I can't save everyone, but if even one of the people here turns their life around because they got a helping hand from me, well then that's all I need."

Lucius: "huumph. Waste of time if you ask me."

Suddenly a man bolts from his seated position, knocking his soup over and runs to Wayne, grabbing him by the lapels.

Man: "Help me !~ Please Mr Wayne. Help me! "

Bruce: "Hold on friend, relax. Sit down. What seems to be the problem? "

Lucius: "Keep him there Bruce, I'll call the police."

Bruce : "No Lucius, you won't . Our friend here needs help, I'm at least willing to hear him out as to what his problem is."

Bruce sits down next to the dirty and bedraggled man, and motions for more soup to be brought over to him.

Bruce: "Now friend, what is your problem?"

Page 13

Man: "T-they took him Mr Wayne, took Stubbs."

Bruce: "Stubbs? Who's that? What are you talking about Mr.--"

Man: "My name is Cassidy. They took Stubbs, inna middle of the night. Came wit a big black truck and took him away. I heard his screams . Oh God, I still cin here 'em! Poor Stubbs. Poor Stubbs."

The man holds his head and begins rocking back and forth in his chair.

Bruce: "Okay Mr Cassidy, stop that for a moment, now focus. Who took Stubbs? Did you get a description of whoever it is? " ( I know who he's talking about. He and Stubbs are never apart. I recognize him from my last visit here a few weeks ago. Stubbs was with him then. But for all I know, Stubbs died and was taken away by the coroner.)

Cassidy turns towards Bruce, and digs deep into his pocket, finally finding a few crumpled pieces of paper.

Cassidy: "Here, take it. This is the man who took Stubbs."

Bruce looks at the rough drawn image on the back of a candy wrapper and sees a bald figure with an earing in an almost childlike drawing.

Page 14

Bruce: "I'm sorry Mr Cassidy, but this looks like Mr Clean. I don't think he hurt your friend."

Cassidy: "I-It's not Mr Clean, he said his name was Parnell."

Bruce suddenly focuses all his attention on Cassidy.

Bruce: "You have his name? How did you get this mans name Mr Cassidy?"

Cassidy"I-I heard 'im tellin' Stubbs his name as he brung him to the truck."

Bruce: "This truck, did you get a description of it?"

Cassidy: "It was big, and boxy. And all black. Black windows too."

Bruce: "I'm sorry Mr Cassidy, that's not much of a description to go by. Why didn't you try to go to the police?"

Cassidy: "I-I did. T-they laughed at me and through me out of the station. That's when I figured I'd find you. Been waitin' fer you ta show up fer days. As far as a description, I gots this. Will this help?"

Page 15

He holds up another scrap of paper, this one with a number scribbled on it. A license plate number..Bruce Wayne smiles, a grim smile.

Bruce: "Yes it will Mr Cassidy, yes it will."

Hours later.....

Far below Wayne manor lies a hidden catacomb of caves . In these caves a man driven by tragedy works feverishly to uncover a mystery. Batman pours over records on his mighty computers, cross indexing web sites and traveling from link to link . Robin enters the room from above. Descending the stair case jubilantly.

Robin: "Whatcha doin Bruce?"

Batman: "Looking into a mystery that found its way into my lap this afternoon. "

Robin: "What is it?"

Batman: "This is a license plate number that's owned by an LC Dynamics . They seem to be based here, in Gotham. But after some extensive searching I continue to run into dead ends."

Robin: "Hhhmm. Are you sure that they're from Gotham?"

Batman: "Yes, but I'm doing a reverse search on the plate number now, as well as one on a Mr. Parnell."

Page 16

As if in answer , the computer beeps twice. Batman walks over to a console and hits a few keys on the keyboard. He stares intently at the screen, then mumbles something beneath his breath.

Robin: "Huh? What'd you say?

Batman: "I said it looks like I'll be going to Metropolis in the morning."

Robin: "Great, I'll go pack a bag."

Batman: "No Tim, you won't . I'd have a hard enough time explaining to your father that your coming with me to Metropolis on business. Besides, I need someone here to watch over things. From what I was able to glean from Mr Cassidy, this has been going on for some time. There were several transients who've disappeared in the past month alone that he knows of. I can't imagine how many he didn't know of who have gone missing."

Robin: "Well what'd you find in Metropolis? Why are you going there?"

He flips Robin a piece of paper, as a computer generated image stares back at the boy wonder

then Batman holds up another piece of paper, this one with a hand drawn image matching the earlier one almost exactly.

Batman: "I found him Robin. Our mystery man, Mr. Parnell."

Page 17

24 hours later....

Night falls in Metropolis as a jet black car prowls Suicide Slum slowly. Its modern style and muted growl mark it as the Batmobile, and its owner, the Batman, sits behind its wheel. Looking for clues, surveying alleys as he circles closer and closer to the area of the great city he wants specifically.

Batman: (Parnell is employed by an "CL consortium". Considering the owner of the truck was "LC" I'd say the mystery deepens.)

Finally Batman finds the address he's been looking for. Parking the Batmobile in a side alley , Batman activates the auto defense system and climbs swiftly to a nearby rooftop. Then , using his powerful Bat-cable and piton gun, the Darknight detective makes his way

back to the address in question.

In apartment 1C, Solomon Parnell sits on his beat up couch, counting stacks of hundred dollar bills. His back to the window, the TV droning on in front of him, Parnell is all smiles, his greed is all that fills his mind, as his black soul thinks of the women, booze and drugs that this money will buy. From behind him a grim, powerful voice fills the room with dread.

Voice: "Quite a haul there Parnell."

Page 18

Parnell leaps up, drawing a gun and whipping it out at the man standing behind him in the blackened room. His eyes widen in fear as the dark cloaked shadow leaps out of the way, his gunshot blowing a hole in the wall behind the spot where the wraith-like apparition was standing.

Parnell:" B-Batman!"

Batman: "Drop the gun Parnell, don't make this worse on yourself then it already is.. "

Parnell: "Freak!"

He fires off five more shots quickly!

Across the city, supersensitive hearing picks up the gunshots, and in a blast of superspeed, Clark Kent becomes Superman and is gone from his desk at home and rocketing across Metropolis towards the sounds of action!

Supes: (Repeated gunfire, then silence. I don't like that. It came from this way. Time to use my telescopic and X-ray vision .)

Scanning the streets Superman suddenly sees a certain car that catches his eye, and he knows his city has a visitor.

Supes: (What's he doing here? He should've called ahead and let me know he was coming. Now I know who that gunfire involves.)

Pulling back to a distance where he can scan several blocks at once , Superman intensifies his X-Ray vision search, until...

Supes: "There."

Page 19

Batman's left cross knocks teeth flying from Parnells mouth as the large man stumbles back. Unfazed the criminal grabs his coffee table and heaves it at Batman. In the closed quarters Batman can't help but be hit by the flying table.

Batman: "Unngh!"

Parnell: "Ha! Tagged you that time you freakin' loser!"

With a mad glint in his eye, Parnell breaks a nearby beer bottle from a pile he dumped on the floor when tossing the table, and lunges at Batman, and this time he connects! The bottle slashes Batmans side nastily. His heavy armor-like suit deflects most of the blow, but he is still cut.

Batman: "I've toyed with you enough Parnell. This ends now, and you will talk to me."

Parnell lunges at Batman again, who ducks under the lunge and grasping Parnell by his shirt, heaves him towards the window, and out into mid air!

Parnell :"AAAAAAAAAAA-----"

Suddenly the screaming stops, as Batman stares calmly at the window. An instant later he sees Superman slowly rise into view, holding Parnell by the collar, the man fearfully looking down.

Supes: "You took quite a chance throwing him out that window you know."

Bats: "Not at all. I saw you arrive five minutes ago."

Supes: "Yes, I assumed you wouldn't want the assist."

Bats:" You assumed correctly. I do appreciate you watching my back though. I'm realizing it's always good to have someone around you can count on."

Supes: "You're welcome. What's his story?"

Page 20

Bats: "He's connected with a deluge of disappearances I've been monitoring in Gotham."

Supes: "What kind of disappearances?"

Batman: "Indigents . Many of them have been taken from Gothams streets of late. No one has seemed to notice."

Supes: "Except you."

Bats: "It's my city."

Superman nods.

Supes: "Where do we go from here?"

Bats: "From here , Mr Parnell tells us where those people are, and what he did with them."

Superman places Parnell into a chair in his ramshackle apartment, as Batman moves close to the burly man.

Bats: "And you WILL talk to me Parnell, have no doubt of that."

Twenty minutes later.....

The bat-mobile enters the industrial area of Metropolis. This part of the city lies in ruins from recent disasters visited upon it.*

*See the first four issues of Superman

Page 21

Inside the Batmobile , the worlds greatest heroes sit silently as Batman drives toward a certain destroyed building.

Supes: "Curiouser and curiouser ."

Bats: "What is?"

Supes: We're heading to the outskirts of where that battle with Apokolips took place. One of these buildings Parnell sent us too must have been a lab caught in the destruction."

Bats: "Yes, at least on the surface."

Supes: "Whomever is using this facility must have moved very fast."

Bats : "Yes. Here's the address he "Volunteered"."

They open the gull wing doors of the Bat-mobile and depart slowly, Superman again using his X-ray vision to scan the area.

Supes: "There."

He points to a dilapidated structure with a barely intact doorway.

Bats: "What is it?"

Page 22

Supes: "That door, and the walls surrounding it are lead lined. It's to keep prying eyes out."

Bats: "Your eyes."

Supes: "Umm-hhhm."

The two heroes walk over to the door, and with a slight shove, Superman knocks the door down. Batman walks ahead of him as they make their way down a freshly hewn staircase, leading to a sub-subbasement.

Supes: "Interesting. All of this was done very recently."

Bats: "Yes. I'd say within the past month."

Supes:"That'd put it immediately after the Apokolips incident."

Batman merely nods his head in the affirmative and continues walking. His night vision lenses in his cowl turn the darkened corridor into daylight for him. While Superman, well he is Superman.

Finally, they enter a large rough hewn room, filled with equipment , and one lone man in a long white coat, working over another man strapped to a table.

Superman : "Hold it Mister, what's going on here?"

The man spins ,obviously surprised and startled by the two heroes .

Scientist: "YOU! B-both of you!"

Page 23

He begins to back away, fearfully inching his way along the table, Superman zooms across the room in a burst of superspeed, catching the startled scientist as Batman , wide eyed, makes his way to the operating table.

Bats: "Superman, you had better take a look at this."

Superman follows Batmans gaze, and when he sees the creature lying on the table, his jaw drops.

Supes: "What the-- What'd you do to this man? What have you turned him into?"

Turning to Batman,

Supes: "He looks like a "Borg" from Star Trek, only it seems from closer inspection that those are Apokoliptian technologies in there."

Scientist: "Quite right man of Steel. And he's not the only one I have."

Before either can react, the man grabs his watch, pressing a stud on its side, and suddenly the walls themselves shudder as over twenty of the cybernetic horrors methodically move out from behind drawn curtains and on the heroes.

Supes: "Get to the surface Batman. Contact Inspector Turpin of the SCU."

As he speaks , several of the of the cybernetic creatures attack Superman, firing energy beams that slam him through the concrete walls. Batman attacks the one closest to him, but his flying kick bounces off the things force field, sending him sprawling.

Page 24

Outside Superman tunnels his way to the surface, as seven of the Cybernetic- creatures take flight after him.

Supes: (That's one thing the TV equivalent can't do, fly.)

Looping back around , Superman fires his heat ray vision, and immediately a force screen forms around the creatures, reflecting his energies prism like around the air .

Supes: "Not good."

Rocketing back, he slams through the Apoka-borgs, scattering them, but not really doing any harm.

Supes: (They're tough, very tough. And from sheer numbers, I may have a problem here.)

As the thoughts go through his mind, he's suddenly sandwiched between several of the things, as they fire their energy weapons , pinning him in mid air!

ZaaaRAACK!

Supes:"ARRRGGGHHH!"

Back in the hidden lab, the scientist laughs heartily, as Batman disappears beneath a mass of pummeling fists.....

Page 25

Epilogue: Across Metropolis a man answers a phone in a darkened room.

Man: "Yes, the project proceeds marvelously. You'll have your first finished product by Monday. Yes, from what I was just informed, a field test is proceeding as we speak, with very favorable results. You'll have your soldiers of the future delivered as scheduled. On that you have the word of Lex Luthor."

And as Luthor hangs up his phone, he steeples his fingers and smiles.........