Gotham at night was always different, as if, with the fall of darkness, beasts had been released from their cages.
On the rooftop of a high-rise, Miao Mu stood at the edge with both hands in his coat pockets and a thin cigar clenched between his teeth, looking down at the darkness amidst the neon lights and revelry.
Barry stood beside him, wearing a police cap and a mask to keep Batman from recognizing him.
"Is this the city Batman protects?"
Barry looked at the flashing police lights below, at the sedan smashing through the guardrail as it fled from pursuing patrol cars.
In the distance, gunfire crackled like popping beans, creating a surreal savagery as it displayed its cruelty and terror.
"Can you tell me why you want to meet Batman? If what you said is true, you two shouldn't have any connection right now."
Miao Mu bit down on his cigar and exhaled a cloud of smoke. The night wind tousled even his gelled hair.
"Forget it if you can't say."
"I can." Barry looked toward the sky. There was no familiar Bat-Signal here, only even heavier storm clouds.
"I came to this world while chasing a black Speed Force. That Speed Force felt familiar. I know that guy, and..."
"That guy is Batman?" Miao Mu turned to ask.
Barry shook his head. "I don't know. But since I fell through, that guy should be here too. I can't guarantee it, though. I fell through first, so I want to see for myself."
Miao Mu said nothing. The Speed Force was certainly The Flash's trademark, but quite a few people possessed it.
Besides the Flash Family, the most famous was probably The Flash's fated nemesis, Reverse-Flash!
The leader of The Flash's fan club, a man who could welcome