The light spat them out again. Harry hit hard asphalt this time, scraping his palms raw. He groaned, rolled over, and looked up at a sky that wasn't a sky. It was black, heavy with clouds, but lit faint orange by fires somewhere far off.
Rain drizzled, cold and thin. Neon signs flickered in the distance, some buzzing half-dead. The air stank of smoke, wet brick, and something rotting.
Spider-Man landed crouched, mask-eyes narrowing. "Okay… this feels familiar. But not my New York."
Flash stood already, looking around with his jaw tight. "Gotham," he said, like it was a curse.
Naruto wrinkled his nose. "Smells gross."
Kakashi didn't answer. His single eye studied the rooftops, the alleys, every shadow. He looked more serious than usual, and that made Harry's stomach knot worse.
The dagger was still glowing faint silver in his hand. He didn't even remember holding it tighter, but he was. His scar gave a soft throb, like it was agreeing with the city.
"Gotham?" Harry repeated.
Spider-Man straightened. "Big city. Crime everywhere. Guy in a bat costume tries to keep it together. Not the friendliest neighborhood."
Naruto grinned. "A guy in a bat costume? Sounds awesome!"
"Yeah, you'll think that until he glares at you," Spider-Man muttered.
Flash sighed. "If Gotham pulled us here, it means the fracture's spreading faster than I thought."
Harry frowned. "What's that mean?"
"That it's not random anymore," Flash said. "The key is dragging us into places where the walls between worlds are thin. Which… is bad."
"Great. Just great." Harry shoved his wet hair back from his face. "So what do we do now?"
Kakashi's voice was low. "Stay alive."
A noise cracked the silence.
Not zombies this time. Not spiders. Not elves. It was something sharper. Gunfire. Distant but echoing through the alleys, popping fast in a burst.
Harry flinched. Naruto tensed. Spider-Man whispered, "Not good."
Another sound followed. Not bullets. Something heavier. A scream cut off. Then silence again.
They moved slow, down the empty street. Rain soaked their clothes, dripping into their eyes. Shadows stretched tall on the walls. Gotham didn't feel dead like the last city. It felt alive, but sick. Like the streets themselves hated them.
Harry's scar itched again. The dagger pulsed harder, faint lines of light crawling up his wrist before fading. He muttered, "Stop it," but it didn't listen.
They turned a corner.
And there he was.
A man in black armor, cape dragging through the rain, mask with pointed ears. His presence filled the street even though he wasn't huge. He just… was.
Batman.
Naruto gasped. "No way."
Spider-Man raised a hand. "Careful. He's not the cuddly type."
Batman's eyes glowed pale white through the mask. His voice was gravel and steel. "You don't belong here."
Harry swallowed. "You don't say."
Batman's gaze flicked to the dagger in Harry's grip. His jaw tightened. "Put it down."
"I can't," Harry said, throat dry.
Flash stepped forward, hands up. "He's telling the truth. The thing is stuck to him."
Batman's cape shifted. Rain ran down it in streams. "It doesn't matter. That blade is tearing holes in this city. I can feel it."
Harry wanted to argue but the dagger pulsed harder, like it was mocking him. A crack split faint in the air above, just for a second, then sealed.
Batman saw it. His fists clenched. "Then we fix it before Gotham breaks."
The street shook suddenly. A boom echoed from somewhere close. Harry spun. A building a block away shuddered. Windows blew out, flames flashing bright.
Through the smoke, laughter. High, sharp, wrong.
Naruto froze. "What is that?"
Spider-Man groaned. "Oh no. Please no."
A figure walked out of the fire. Green hair, white skin, purple suit. Smile carved too wide.
The Joker.
Harry's skin went cold.
"Now what do we have here?" Joker called, voice lilting, carrying over the rain. "Tourists? Oh, Batman, you didn't tell me you invited friends!"
Naruto muttered, "This guy looks like trouble."
"Understatement," Spider-Man said.
Batman didn't flinch. He just stepped forward, cape dragging. "This ends now, Joker."
Joker laughed, spinning with arms wide. "Oh, it never ends, Batsy! Not until one of us is—oh?" He tilted his head at Harry. His grin stretched. "And who's this little wizard boy with the shiny knife? Oh, I like him."
Harry's scar burned hot. The dagger hummed, glowing brighter, silver veins crawling higher up his arm. The Joker's laugh only got louder.
"Look at that! Magic and madness, right in my city. This is going to be fun."
The dagger pulsed harder. The whispers rose again.
"Open."
"No," Harry hissed.
But the cracks in the air flickered brighter.
Batman growled low. "Control it. Now."
Harry's knees buckled. The dagger shook in his hand. The world around them trembled.
Naruto shouted, "He can't stop it!"
The Joker's laughter rang, wild and endless. "Yes! Break it all, my boy! Tear the world apart!"
The cracks widened. Rain froze midair. Light bled out of the dagger in blinding arcs.
Harry screamed.
And Gotham began to split.