Batman stared at Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy standing before him. From the look on their faces, he could tell this whole superhero act was probably just another one of their whims.
Still… that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Even if it didn't last, as long as they stayed in this phase, they could actually be useful.
Batman extended his hand.
"Let's work well together."
Harley grinned, grasping his hand with both of hers.
"Let's go knock some bad guys around together!"
Of course, that wasn't her only goal.
While helping Batman take down criminals, Harley also had another plan — to find him.
The Joker.
If that bastard dared show up, she'd make sure to beat him senseless before tossing his sorry face right back into Arkham.
She knew one thing for sure: the Joker loved tormenting Batman. So, sticking close to the Bat would eventually draw him out.
A sly smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
That was when Poison Ivy spoke, her tone calm and sharp.
"Someone's coming."
Batman and Harley turned to see a crowd approaching — escaped convicts, dozens of them, most still wearing tattered prison uniforms. A few among them had serious grudges against Batman.
But Harley and Ivy weren't the least bit afraid.
Not a single one of these thugs was a real threat. If a fight broke out, Ivy could handle them all by herself — it would be a slaughter.
Meanwhile, up on a high-rise rooftop, the Joker sat at the edge of the ledge, watching the scene unfold below.
Beside him stood several other criminals. One of them — a heavily armed man — spoke cautiously:
"I'm not taking a shot at Poison Ivy or Harley right now. They're Superman's people. If we kill them, we're as good as dead."
That man was Deadshot, a master marksman skilled with every weapon imaginable. Despite his talents, he knew he didn't stand a chance against Superman Colin.
He wasn't afraid of Batman — but Colin? That was a different story.
Deadshot shook his head. "Not worth it. I just want to make some money, not end up a pile of ash."
"Actually, you don't need to worry," another villain said. "Colin doesn't interfere when villains fight each other. As long as we're not killing innocents, he won't care."
It was true. Before Superman Colin came to this world, Harley and Ivy had been infamous criminals. Even now, despite their supposed redemption, they still fell within the "villain" category under Colin's rules.
Villain vs. villain — whoever died, died. Colin wouldn't intervene.
Deadshot frowned. "Still not risking it. I'll find a bank to rob while the Bat's busy with those idiots."
He turned away, followed by a few others.
The Joker chuckled, low and mirthless.
"So that's all you people want, huh? Just money?"
"That's right," one man said flatly. "We're not crazy like you."
They walked off.
The Joker tilted his head back, gazing at the sky. A strange emptiness crossed his grin.
"Still so boring, aren't you…"
Even with a godlike being like Colin in the world, everything still felt dull.
Colin's new rules — forbidding villains from killing innocents — had turned the world quieter, safer… and infinitely more boring.
The Joker's gaze drifted upward, almost wistful.
He imagined Colin's colossal figure somewhere beyond the clouds, reshaping the world with his bare hands.
"Your existence," he whispered, "has made this world even duller."
When Colin had first arrived, the Joker had been thrilled. Watching him slaughter corrupt elites and self-proclaimed heroes had sent shivers of excitement through his veins. He'd believed Colin to be a kindred spirit — someone gloriously unpredictable, gloriously chaotic.
But as time passed, he learned the truth.
Colin wasn't a mad god.
He was a rational man — a being of terrifying power but grounded morality.
A part of him could be cruel, yes… but his core was still good.
And that made him boring.
The Joker sighed, spinning a knife lazily in his fingers.
Compared to Colin, Batman was far more fun.
In his eyes, Colin was nothing more than a lazy farmer — the Earth his personal field. Occasionally, he'd clear out a few pests, but never with passion or purpose. Just because it was routine.
Still, under Colin's watch, the world was slowly improving — painfully slow, but steady.
Everything now operated under his quiet, unspoken law.
And that, to the Joker, was hell.
He didn't crave peace or order. He craved chaos — glorious, world-consuming chaos.
And that dream was slipping further away.
Meanwhile, far from Gotham, a desperate cry echoed through a mountain ravine.
"Jie… jie! Are you okay!?"
A young girl knelt beside her sister, who lay sprawled on the rocky ground, pale and barely breathing. They had come hiking, but one misstep had sent her sister tumbling into the valley below.
The younger sister had raced down, heart hammering, only to find her sibling half-conscious, body broken and cold.
She pulled out her phone — no signal. Not even a flicker.
If she stayed here, her sister would die.
So she made her choice.
Biting her lip, she secured her sister to her back with a rope and began to climb.
"Don't worry, sis. I'll get you out of here… I promise."
The slope was steep and littered with jagged rocks that tore at her hands. Even with gloves, her palms burned and bled.
She could still feel her sister's faint breathing against her shoulder.
That tiny rhythm was all that kept her going.
"Still alive… still breathing…" she whispered to herself, forcing her trembling limbs upward.
Minutes stretched into half an hour. When she finally dragged herself over the ridge, she collapsed, gasping, drenched in sweat.
Her muscles screamed. Her vision blurred.
But she didn't stop.
"I can still move," she panted. "I can still walk…"
Tears spilled down her cheeks as she stumbled forward, carrying her sister's weight.
She knew deep down she wouldn't make it to a hospital. Her legs were giving out, her body was done — but she refused to let go.
Please… God… anyone…
She prayed silently, desperately.
If someone would just save her, I'd give anything… anything at all.
Her knees buckled. She fell face-first into the dirt, trembling.
She tried to crawl, dragging herself inch by inch.
"I can still move… I can still—"
Then
A hand appeared before her.
Clean. Steady. Almost radiant under the sunlight.
A warm voice spoke above her.
"Looks like you could use some help."
She lifted her head, and the blinding sun framed the silhouette of a man — towering, calm, and impossibly familiar.
Silent God Superman Colin.