Hunter x Gotham

The Batmobile roared down the empty streets, its engine a low growl that echoed through Gotham's underbelly. Batman's hands gripped the wheel, his eyes scanning the dark alleys and deserted roads. Hisoka wasn't just another psychopath looking for attention. He was methodical. Patient. Batman needed to understand him before he struck again.

The first stop was The Iceberg Lounge.

---

The Iceberg Lounge was quieter than usual. The underworld was still reeling from the massacre of the four crime bosses. Penguin's empire hadn't collapsed, but the goons left behind were jumpy. Nervous. Perfect.

Batman slipped through the shadows, moving past the neon lights and into the private rooms. Two men stood guard outside Penguin's office. They weren't expecting the dark shape that crashed down between them.

One reached for his gun. Batman disarmed him with a twist of the wrist. The other lunged. Batman caught him mid-air, slamming him into the wall. The first man scrambled backward, hands raised.

"W-Wait! Don't! Please!"

Batman loomed over him. "Where is Hisoka?"

The man blinked. "Who?"

A fist slammed into the wall beside his head. Plaster cracked.

"The guy who ripped Black Mask apart. Who crushed Penguin's skull." Batman's voice was low, steady. "Talk."

"I-I don't know! No one does!" The thug trembled. "People say he came outta nowhere. Some say Joker called him in. Some say he's from Blüdhaven. Others say he ain't even human."

Batman tightened his grip. "What do you believe?"

The man swallowed hard. "I heard… I heard he likes to play with his victims. Like the Joker, but worse. They say he watches. Picks you apart piece by piece." He shook his head. "I swear, that's all I know."

Batman knocked him out cold. The second thug was already unconscious. No leads. He needed to go deeper.

---

The Narrows were a maze of crumbling buildings and flickering streetlights. The rats were smarter than the criminals here. Batman dropped onto a rusted fire escape, scanning the alley below. A trio of thugs huddled around a burning barrel.

He dropped silently behind them.

"Got a light?"

They spun, guns already drawn. Batman moved fast. One pistol clattered to the ground, its owner falling with a broken wrist. The second thug tried to run. Batman's grappling hook wrapped around his legs, yanking him off his feet. The third swung a crowbar. Batman caught it mid-swing and drove his knee into the thug's gut.

The last man standing groaned, coughing blood. Batman lifted him off the ground. "Hisoka."

The thug gasped. "H-Hisoka?"

Batman didn't blink. "Where is he?"

"I don't know! No one does!" The thug whimpered. "He moves like a ghost! Some guys say he's picking off the big names. The real freaks." He coughed again. "They say he's coming for you next."

Batman dropped him. The thug crumpled to the ground, clutching his ribs. Batman turned, cape sweeping behind him as he vanished into the night.

---

The docks reeked of salt and oil. They were quiet tonight. Even the smugglers were taking the night off. But Batman knew one man would be here.

Sloane "Ratface" Donovan.

Batman found him near a stack of shipping containers, smoking a cigarette and nervously glancing around. Ratface was a survivor, the kind of guy who always knew when to switch sides. Batman grabbed him from behind, yanking him into the shadows.

"Gah!" Ratface squirmed, but Batman pinned him against the container. "I didn't do nothin'!"

"Tell me about Hisoka."

Ratface froze. "Oh. Oh no. No way, man. I ain't sayin' his name. You think I'm scared of you? He—he's worse."

Batman's grip tightened. "Talk."

Ratface whimpered. "Okay! Okay! He… he ain't like the others. Doesn't make deals. Doesn't want turf. He just wants… a show."

Batman's eyes narrowed. "Explain."

Ratface licked his lips. "He takes his time. Watches you. Doesn't just kill—he plays. Some guys say he's got powers. Strings or wires or somethin'. One guy swears he saw him crush a man's heart with a flick of his wrist."

Batman's mind raced. Bungee Gum. A flexible, sticky substance that could be weaponized in countless ways. Combined with enhanced speed and strength, it made Hisoka nearly unstoppable.

"Where will he strike next?"

Ratface hesitated. "I heard… I heard he's looking for the strong ones now. The freaks. Ivy. Croc. Freeze. The ones even you struggle with."

Batman let go. Ratface collapsed to the ground, gasping. Batman vanished into the shadows.

---

Back in the Batcave, the massive screens lit up as Batman uploaded his findings. Alfred stood nearby, arms crossed.

"Master Bruce," he said softly. "I've seen you like this before."

Batman didn't respond. His fingers danced across the keyboard, pulling up crime scene photos, reports, surveillance footage.

"Four crime bosses torn apart. Ivy barely escaped. Every lead ends the same way." He paused. "Fear."

Alfred raised an eyebrow. "And what do you feel, sir?"

Batman's eyes narrowed. "Curiosity."

The screens shifted, pulling up a grainy security feed from Robinson Park. For a moment, the screen flickered. Then, there he was.

Hisoka.

The red hair. The painted face. The smile. He moved through the park like a ghost, barely disturbing the leaves. His fingers twitched, and something unseen lashed out, dragging a thug into the trees. The screen cut to static.

Batman leaned forward. "I know your game."

Alfred sighed. "And what game is that?"

Batman clenched his fists. "He's hunting."

Alfred frowned. "And who is the prey?"

Batman's gaze hardened.

"Me."

---

The next night, Batman found himself in Robinson Park. The air was thick with tension. He moved silently, his senses on high alert. Then, he heard it—a soft, almost melodic hum.

"Oh, Batsy," a voice called out, playful and mocking. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

Batman turned. Hisoka stood a few feet away, his grin wide and unsettling. "You've been busy," Batman said, his voice steady.

Hisoka tilted his head. "And you've been following me. I'm flattered."

"You've killed four crime bosses. Why?"

Hisoka's grin widened. "Why not? They were boring. Predictable. But you… you're different. I've heard so much about you."

Batman's eyes narrowed. "If you're looking for a fight, you'll get one."

Hisoka laughed, a sound that sent chills down the spine. "Oh, I'm counting on it. But let's make it interesting, shall we?"

Before Batman could react, Hisoka's fingers twitched, and something lashed out. Batman manage to dodge, but the attack grazed his arm, leaving a shallow cut.

"Fast," Hisoka said, his grin never fading. "But not fast enough."

Batman lunged, his fist aimed at Hisoka's face. But Hisoka moved like liquid, dodging with ease. He countered with a kick, but Batman blocked it, the impact sending a shockwave through the air.

"You're good," Hisoka said, his voice filled with glee. "But can you keep up?"

Batman didn't respond. He focused on Hisoka's movements, looking for a pattern, a weakness. But Hisoka was unpredictable, his attacks coming from all angles.

The fight continued, each man testing the other's limits. Batman's mind raced, trying to find a way to counter Hisoka's strange abilities. But Hisoka was always one step ahead, his grin never fading.

Finally, Batman saw an opening. He feinted left, then struck right, his fist connecting with Hisoka's jaw. Hisoka stumbled back, his grin faltering for the first time.

"Not bad," Hisoka said, rubbing his jaw. "But the night's still young."

Batman didn't wait for Hisoka to recover. He knew he couldn't win this fight—not yet. Hisoka was too unpredictable, too dangerous. He needed time to regroup, to plan.

With a swift motion, Batman threw a smoke pellet to the ground. The area was instantly engulfed in a thick, impenetrable cloud. Hisoka's laughter echoed through the smoke.

"Running away? I thought you were made of sterner stuff!"

Batman didn't respond. He moved silently, using the smoke as cover to make his escape. He could hear Hisoka's voice fading behind him, still mocking, still playful. He called on the Batwing and quickly grappled onto it

"Hahahaaa!" Hisoka let out a laugh.

---

The Batwing sliced through Gotham's night sky, its engines growling like a beast unchained. Batman's hands gripped the controls, his eyes scanning the city below. The investigation at Robinson Park had left him with more questions than answers. Poison Ivy had barely survived, and her description of her attacker… unsettling.

A faint thwip snapped him out of his thoughts.

Something hit the Batwing's tail. Batman glanced at the rearview display. A pale figure dangled from the fuselage, scarlet hair whipping wildly in the wind. Hisoka clung to the aircraft, a strand of Bungee Gum stretching from his palm to the hull.

"Persistent," Batman muttered. He banked hard, trying to shake the unwanted passenger. The Batwing spiraled between skyscrapers, engines screaming.

Hisoka laughed, the wind tearing the sound from his lips. "Don't run, Bat! You'll only make me want you more!" He pulled himself along the Bungee Gum, his body twisting through the air like an acrobat on invisible strings.

Batman's voice cut through the cockpit. "You won't keep up." He fired the afterburners. The Batwing surged forward, nearly ripping Hisoka loose. The magician swung wide, flipping onto the wing, crouched low as the city blurred beneath him.

"Faster!" Hisoka grinned, his eyes glowing with bloodlust. He flicked his wrist, sending another line of Bungee Gum latching onto a passing crane. The elastic snapped him forward, slingshotting him ahead of the Batwing. He soared through the night, landing atop a construction site.

Batman watched from the cockpit as Hisoka flipped midair, sticking the landing. "He's adapting," Batman growled. He yanked the stick, pulling into a steep climb, engines roaring.

Hisoka sprinted across the rooftop, flinging cards charged with Nen. They sliced through the night, sparks bouncing off the Batwing's armor. Batman rolled the craft, dodging the barrage, weaving between buildings.

"Too slow, Bat!" Hisoka leaped again, Bungee Gum attaching to a passing blimp. He swung wide, twisting through the air. As Batman shot toward the Gotham River, Hisoka latched onto a radio tower, dragging himself after the Batwing with a snap of elastic force.

"Impressive," Batman admitted. He scanned the skyline. There—Gotham's old bridge. He angled the Batwing low, skimming the water. Hisoka followed, arms wide, balancing on a strand of Bungee Gum like a tightrope walker.

Batman dove under the bridge. Hisoka shot after him, eyes gleaming. The Batwing twisted through the steel supports, weaving a path only a master pilot could navigate. Hisoka followed, each movement fluid, each swing perfectly timed.

But Batman knew the city.

At the last second, he banked hard, scraping past a water tower. Hisoka swung wide, nearly smashing into the rusted metal. He twisted, Bungee Gum snapping him out of danger.

Batman climbed higher, pushing the Batwing past the speed of sound. Hisoka stretched his arm, Bungee Gum latching onto the tail again. He pulled hard, trying to drag himself closer.

The Batwing hit full thrust. The sudden acceleration ripped the Bungee Gum free. Hisoka spun through the air, twisting to land on a rooftop. He crouched, watching the Batwing vanish into the clouds.

He licked his lips. "Oh, Batman. You're a fun one."

The chase was over. For now.

---

Back in the Batcave, Alfred was waiting. "You're hurt," he said, his tone a mix of concern and disapproval.

"It's nothing," Batman replied, his voice tight.

Alfred sighed. "You can't keep doing this, Master Bruce. Pushing yourself to the brink. This Hisoka… he's dangerous."

"I know," Batman said, his gaze fixed on the screens. "But I can't let him continue. He's a threat to Gotham."

Alfred placed a hand on Batman's shoulder. "And what about you? Who's looking out for you?"

Batman didn't answer. He couldn't. Because deep down, he knew Alfred was right. Hisoka was unlike anyone he'd faced before. And if he wasn't careful, this game of cat and mouse could end in disaster.

But for now, there was work to do. Gotham needed him. And Batman would never back down.

---

The night was far from over. And somewhere in the shadows, Hisoka grinning as wide as ever. The game was just beginning. And he couldn't wait to see how it would end.