Western Crossover: Gotham's Owl Takes Flight at Dusk

Thomas woke up to find that he had not only lost his memory, but had also signed away his freedom to Gotham.

Criminals ran rampant here, and evil creatures roamed the streets. On top of that, every day he saw bats and owls fighting. The city's ecosystem was clearly in serious trouble.

But what did that have to do with him? He was busy retiring and just wanted to get a good night's sleep.

Other villains: Keep dreaming!

Thomas: What's wrong with you people?

Word had it that Gotham's richest man had invested in a famous psychiatric hospital, and might even be Thomas's biological brother.

He decided to give his good-for-nothing brother a hand.

Bruce was kidnapped. When he got home, he found he had a new brother.

Apparently, his younger brother had been sickly since childhood and had mental problems, and everyone in Gotham thought he was dead.

He didn't seem sickly, but he certainly did seem crazy. After years away from home, the first thing he did upon returning was announce his run for mayor.

Bruce suspected a Fifth-Dimensional imp was playing a prank on him, and decided to keep a close watch.

After all, what sane person would run for office on the slogan, "Owls and bats, get out of Gotham!"?

Owlman was reborn. This time, the world was a little different, and he planned to go straight.

On the day fate came calling again, Gotham told him there was still unfinished business between them.

He wanted to say that the one owed money called the shots, but unfortunately his brother hadn't died this time.

He was confident he could break their agreement without a fuss, until he discovered that his brother had turned into a bat.

Owlman: How do you take care of a bat?

Gotham: Sharing [Building Urban Legends from Scratch.pdf]

Gotham, a city steeped in mystery ever since its founding. Today, its best-known urban legend across the country is

The Jersey Devil.

Gotham locals: Are you people blind? That's no Jersey Devil. It's Batman riding a flaming horse!

Some obscure Gotham cult: Batman doesn't exist. The Mothman is real!

Batman: ...

Batman turned around and sent Firefly to Arkham.

They test, deceive, and fight each other, with secret identities flying everywhere. One remains steadfast, pursuing his ideals to the end, while the other discovers his true self and comes to understand what he wants.

A story about two brothers working together to build a new Gotham.

Before you read:

This story combines the Secret Histories setting with a mountain of original worldbuilding, and includes some Western horror elements.

Owlman's appearance follows the Two Balls animated series design.

Just to be clear, Owlman is Thomas, not Lincoln March. Thomas is not Lincoln March either.

Batman is Gotham's favorite child. The author has other plans for Owlman.

The story will combine elements from many comics. The timeline and character appearances are chosen according to the author's preferences.

For the sake of the plot, there will be many shifts in perspective and point of view.

Theme: True heroism is loving life even after seeing it for what it really is.