Listening to the Sky Rail's worsening alarms, Axel turned and shouted at Diana from a distance.
"This world runs like this: cats eat fish, dogs eat meat, I wreck shit as the villain, and you heroes keep saving civilians. Hell, it kind of sounds poetic, right? So why don't you consider—"
Dong!!!
Before Axel could finish, an explosion of force shoved a dozen of his ribs out of place in an instant. Diana had blinked to his side and grabbed him by the throat.
"If stopping you ends this madness, I'll pay any price. Stopping you is better than saving people after the fact!"
Axel spat blood, slapped Diana's wrist away, and wryly grinned.
"Are you sure you're willing to pay any price?"
He smiled like a sadistic bastard, then pointed toward a hotel sign bluffing in the distance.
"How about you accompany me for a quick romp in that bed, and I'll delay smashing the Sky Rail until tonight. For the sake of that waist and those legs, laughable as they may be…"
Before Axel could go any further, Diana's blade was already arcing down toward his neck.
But just as his head was about to roll, a trembling shout came from nearby.
"Stop time!"
A young woman stepped out from the corner, fear etched in every expression. It was Zatanna Zatara, and she glared at Diana, eyes narrowed.
"Stop killing him! Every time you kill him, he just comes back stronger! Can't you be rational?!"
Her voice was shaky, but she stood her ground.
Diana hovered above them, sword raised, looking stunned.
Zatanna puffed her chest out.
"I can stop him simply by pausing time!"
Diana gave a cold look.
"And after time resumes? Time always flows again. Then what will you do?"
Zatanna stammered, "Banishment! I can banish him… I swear I can!"
She froze mid‑sentence, staring at Diana alone in the sky and the world frozen all around them, completely motionless.
Even though she had confirmed her time pause, Axel's voice came from behind.
"Tsk tsk, banishment, huh? Not a bad idea, but you gotta know how long it'll take me to come back, right? If I can warp across space instantly, and if what I'm saying isn't hypothetical but reality… then all your 'brilliant' tricks just piss me off."
Then Axel reached out and grabbed Zatanna's head, ruffling her hair like she was a kitten.
"Ah ah ah ah ah!!!"
Her scream cracked through the frozen world just as time snapped back.
Diana landed in front of them, eyes blazing, and Zatanna — clutching her head — glared up with tears in her eyes.
"What the hell is happening?"
Zatanna sighed and explained as best she could.
"I stopped time, but Wraith — he couldn't be paused! I swear, his existence feels like it's outside the universe's timeline, like he has his own clock and his own spatial system. That's why normal magic can't affect him!"
Zatanna's voice cracked, panic in every word. This was her first battle, and it felt like she was already outmatched before the fight even began.
Across from them, Diana exhaled in irritation.
"That's not what I asked. I asked why you're here."
Zatanna huffed and stomped her foot.
"Who said I was a kid? I've worked my ass off for years. After my dad vanished, I kept the circus running and took care of our magical house. I thought I could help. I even got to Gotham before you flew back."
She glanced nervously at Axel, who seemed way too amused.
Axel pinched her cheek, laughing.
"Damn, this new generation's weird. One kid knows more than my crew, and another gets somewhere faster than Diana can fly. You young folk really make an old bastard like me nervous!"
He twisted her face a little, making her squeal.
Diana grit her teeth.
"Axel, this isn't about her. She's not even your fight. Let her go. I'll fight you for a whole year if I have to."
Axel chuckled, shook his head, and smacked Zatanna's head affectionately.
"What's your name again, little girl? I know your family does that backwards magic thing, but damn if I can remember your name."
Zatanna flushed, embarrassed.
"Zatanna Zatara."
"Right, right," Axel said, grinning. "Zatanna Zatara. There we go. I kept rackin' my brain trying to think who uses backwards spells all the time. Then I remembered your family's always been in the biz of magic."
He wrapped an arm around her shoulder like he was introducing her to an awkward dinner party.
"And honestly? Your skills are cute, but the Great Evil Beast that supposedly targets your family? The idea that you could be its enemy is laughable. Your magic might disrupt a few plans here and there, but you don't have the firepower to stand against something that big. Focus on getting stronger."
Zatanna was quiet for a moment, clearly frustrated.
"But…"
"No buts!"
Axel suddenly slapped her butt, smirking, then continued without hesitation.
"Here's some advice, sweetheart. Stay away from that name, it'll do you and your folks good. If you're ever serious about saving them, come find me after I finish my business. And you better be wearing those fishnet stockings and smell like roses. If you can make me find you more appealing than a suckling pig, I'll keep my promise and help you. That's Axel Voss's guarantee."
He slapped her again and flung her through the air.
Zatanna curled up, then flicked a finger and murmured.
"Float!"
She hovered in the air, seething.
Axel kept walking toward the next support pillar like she was just another unimportant object in the street.
Zatanna gritted her teeth and shouted at his back as he walked away.
"Why does everyone treat me like a damn kid?! Spatial Imprisonment!"
Magic bound Axel in place for a moment. But before her spell could even take effect, his body burst into flame and he instantly appeared behind her — clinging to her shoulders.
"Because your eyes are full of stupid!"
He patted her head like she was a misbehaving puppy.
"One last tip. Use your magic to save people. That's my last piece of goodwill. Otherwise, if you think you'll ever get to do anything with me in your future," he leaned in like a clown whispering a secret, "you're dreaming."
Axel vanished again in a surge of flickering flame, leaving Zatanna trembling and Diana staring at his trail of fire.
Meanwhile, Diana had started to predict his pattern. When Axel flickered toward the fourth support pillar, she was waiting. Her fist met his chest and sent him flying back.
But before he could go a full ten meters, he twisted in mid‑air and fired a punch backward. Even as he punched, he flickered to the far side of the pillar in a blur of flame — faster than Diana's reaction.
Boom!!!
She watched the rubble fall, eyes closed in frustration, while Axel vanished toward the next pillar.
Zatanna floated there, horrified but determined.
Though she didn't think it'd work, she had one last desperate plan.
"This might be my only chance at casting it!"
Zatanna closed her eyes, focused every ounce of her magic, and whispered:
"Banishment!"
Suddenly, Axel blinked and opened his eyes, looking around in utter disbelief.
"What the f***?!"
The world around him had changed.
Gotham looked different. And there, on the Sky Rail, two familiar figures were locked in battle — Bruce Wayne and Ra's al Ghul.
Axel's grin widened.
"So this woman actually threw me into Nolan's Batman universe!"
Without hesitation he blinked into the Sky Rail car.
Ra's al Ghul and Bruce stared at him, stunned.
Axel waved casually and said with a smile.
"Hello, Ra's al Ghul, we meet again. I killed you in another universe once, and here you are again. Fate, am I right?"
Before either could respond, Axel launched himself and kicked Ra's al Ghul straight through the train car. Ra's body shattered on impact, his flesh and bones disintegrating instantly.
Axel skipped over to Bruce, patted his shoulder, and cackled.
"What are you waiting for, Bruce? In another universe I was your dad's sworn brother and also your great sworn father!"
He slapped Bruce's shoulder again and poof vanished entirely.
Moments later, Axel reappeared nearby — which left Diana and Zatanna falling into despair again.
"How the hell did you come back so fast?!" Zatanna demanded.
Axel didn't even bother answering. He simply flickered toward the next support pillar.
Just as he punched it, a crystal light shimmered beside Diana — Doctor Fate had arrived back from London to join the fight.
Looking at floating Zatanna, Doctor Fate paused a moment and then asked Diana,
"Is that the reinforcement you summoned?"
"Sort of," Diana replied. "And what about you? Did you accomplish anything on your trip?"
Doctor Fate winced, clearly frustrated.
"Although I lost three million pounds, I gained something. I discovered just how powerful a trickster can be. I chased him from London to the Himalayas to the House of Mystery and couldn't lay a finger on him. He even tricked me three times, wasting that full three million dollars before I realized I wasn't even close."
Diana's expression didn't change.
"What kind of scumbag pulls that off?" she muttered.