The Daily Planet
7:12pm
Lois Lane sat in her cubicle, squinting at her computer screen in frustration. For the past week, she had been trying to finish her latest article for the Superman column of the Daily Planet newspaper. The Man of Steel's reputation had taken a severe nose dive after he had been brainwashed by Darkseid. He had led an invasion of Darkseid's forces straight into Metropolis, and he nearly succeeded in destroying Earth.
Though Superman was eventually pardoned after it was proven he had been controlled, nearly 80% of the global population still feared the once beloved superhero. Lois knew first-hand how much Superman desperately wanted to atone for his mistakes, to regain the trust of the world. This is why Lois was doing the only thing she knew how to help him. She was writing an article, aptly titled "Why the World Needs Superman".
She was so lost in thought that she almost didn't hear her co-worker, Clark Kent, knocking on the wall of her cubicle. She jumped at the noise, turning sharply towards Clark.
"Why don't you head home, Lois." He told her. "You look like you could use some rest."
"Are you saying I look bad, Smallville?" she asked playfully.
"Umm, no." Clark quickly replied, adjusting his glasses nervously. "I just- I mean-"
"Relax, Clark." She told him. "I'll head out in a few. Just need to finish up this last paragraph."
Clark glanced at the title of the article, a small smile crossing his face as he read it.
"Alright." He replied. "Drive safe."
He walked off, allowing Lois to return her attention to her article. She flexed her fingers, popping her knuckles before resuming typing.
"The Darkseid invasion left the entire world shaken to its very core, but none more so than our once beloved superhero, Superman. He learned he was not as invulnerable as we all believed him to be, and that even he is capable of making mistakes. Rather than make him the villain most of us now see him as, this ability to make mistakes simply makes the Man of Steel all the more human."
She hit the final period with a small flourish before leaning back, happy to have finally finished the article. She quickly sent the draft to Perry to go over, then closed down her computer, thoroughly exhausted.
"I guess Clark was right." She mumbled as she grabbed her purse, heading for the elevator. "I could definitely use some rest."
She made it down to the Daily Planet parking garage. As she shuffled over to her car, she was surprised on how empty it was. She yawned, finally reaching her car and climbing inside.
"I'm going to sleep until next week." She said as she started her car.
"Is that so?" a deep, raspy voice asked from the back seat of the car.
Lois turned around, coming face to face with a tall figure in dark green clothing, a terrifying burlap mask on his face, long, ragged black hair, and a noose around his neck.
"Scarecrow-"
Lois prepared to scream, but was interrupted by a needle being jabbed into her neck. Her eyes closed and she sagged forward, slumping over her seat. Scarecrow slid out of the back seat, moving Lois and taking the wheel.
"You just rest now, my dear." Scarecrow told her, stroking her face. "There will be time for screams soon.
…..
Clark sat in his apartment, talking on the phone with Kara, his cousin. She was down in Gotham, supporting Barbara Gordon, AKA Batgirl, after she was shot by the Joker. The two of them were close friends, and considering all that had happened, Clark could understand Kara's desire to be there for her friend.
"How's Barbara doing?" he asked.
"She's doing better." Kara replied. "Her dad is having a rough time though. I guess after everything he went through with Joker after…. Well…. After, nobody can blame him."
"And what about Bruce?" Clark asked. "Have you seen him around Gotham?"
"Less Bruce, more Batman." Kara muttered. "Nightwing says he rarely if ever comes home, and when he is, he's in the cave, working on one gizmo or another. Robin's getting worried about him."
"Throwing himself into his work is how Bruce copes with pain." Clark explained. "He just needs time. He's human after all."
"Right." Kara agreed. "Anyway, I'll call you later. If you see them, tell Ma and Pa I said hi."
"Will do Kara, good night."
As he hung up the phone, Clark felt his ear twitch. His super-hearing was picking something up. Closing his eyes, he focused on the sound, trying to make out who, or what it was. It didn't take long, and soon, he heard the sound all too clearly.
"Superman…" a raspy voice called out in a taunting tone of voice. "Oh Superman…"
Turning towards the sound, Clark's eyes began to glow as he activated his super-vision. Like a zoom lens with an x-ray feature, he looked through the various buildings of downtown Metropolis, his gaze eventually settling on one of the many hotels under construction after the Darkseid invasion. Due to the late hour, it should have been empty, but Clark could sense two heat signatures coming from the building.
"Who is-?" he began
"Don't keep me waiting, Superman…" The voice called out. "Miss Lane here wouldn't like that."
Clark gasped, realizing who the second figure was, and the possible danger she was in.
"Lois."
Jumping from his bed, he went to his closet, pushing his clothes aside to reveal a hidden panel where he kept his Superman costume.
"Hang on, Lois." He said as he got dressed. "I'm coming."
…..
The hotel construction site was the perfect place for Scarecrow's plan. He set himself up in the large, industrial sized freezer, white condensed air clouding the area as he waited. Lois Lane was still asleep, though Scarecrow had bundled her up. After all, a dead hostage was useless.
There was a sound, almost like a missile flying through the air, coming towards the hotel. Under his mask, Scarecrow smiled. He was finally coming.
The door to the freezer was suddenly ripped from its hinges, tossed aside as Superman strode through the condensation.
"Well, well, well… The Man of Steel himself." Scarecrow hissed. "So glad of you to finally join us."
"Scarecrow…" Superman growled.
"Aww, you know who I am." Scarecrow said with an eerie, sarcastic smile. "I'm touched. Did Batman tell you about me?"
"He told me enough." Superman replied, scanning the room for some kind of trap.
"Don't bother, Superman." Scarecrow told him. "This entire fridge is lead lined. Your X-Ray vision is useless here."
Superman snarled, trying to figure out what Scarecrow had planned.
"You know, I have spent my entire life studying fear, and the effect it has on the human psyche." Scarecrow began to explain. "And do you know what most of the world fears?"
Superman crossed his arms, his eyes never leaving Scarecrow.
"Something tells me you're going to tell me, whether I want to know or not." Superman replied.
Scarecrow pointed a long, pointed claw-like glove at Superman.
"It's you." He rasped. "After seeing the wave of destruction you brought upon the world, over 90% of the population fears you. Though the years have allowed that number to drop significantly, over half of the world's population, especially those in positions of power, are terrified of what you are capable of."
Superman couldn't hold himself back anymore. He grabbed Scarecrow by the front of his costume, hoisting him into the air effortlessly.
"Enough talk!" he shouted. "What is your game, Scarecrow?"
Scarecrow just chuckled.
"I just want to see the entire world tremble at your power once more." He said with a maniacal undertone. "I want to watch as every man, woman, and child is cowering in fear at Metropolis' former poster boy!"
"That will never happen again!" Superman declared.
"Oh, it will, Superman." Scarecrow told him. "Just you wait."
Superman pulled his fist back, prepared to punch Scarecrow's lights out. However, just as he was about to, a loud boom echoed outside. The sound made Superman falter, dropping Scarecrow and allowing him to scramble away.
"No…"
Punching through to the roof of the building, he emerged to find the skies of Metropolis a deep, red color as a boom tube opened above him. From this portal, dozens of parademons came pouring out. At the sight of them, Superman gasped.
"Not again."
Thinking fast, Superman dove back into the freezer, grabbing Lois from where she laid. She didn't appear to be harmed, which Superman thanked God for, but she wasn't safe in Metropolis. He didn't have time to take her to the Fortress of Solitude, so he thought of the next best thing.
…..
The Kent family farm was as peaceful as ever, and probably the safest place Superman could think of. Not wanting to wake Ma and Pa Kent, Superman flew through his old bedroom window, laying Lois down on his bed. Brushing a lock of hair from her face, he gently kissed her head before flying out of the window once more.
As he left, Lois stirred slightly, mumbling under her breath.
"Superman… it's…. not…. Real…."
…..
Back in Metropolis, the city was not under attack like Superman believed. In fact, everything was perfectly fine. Most of the city was fast asleep, save for those who chose to burn the midnight oil in order to get work done. Among these night owls was a young woman named Kari Miller.
Kari was a student at the University of Metropolis, currently working on a degree in law, and at the moment, she was studying for a major exam she had the next day. In her dorm room, she sat at her desk, lit only by a sole lamp, surrounded by a literal mountain of books on law.
"Ugh…" she groaned, her head banging against the edge of her desk. "Why did I have to wait until the last minute to study…?"
She grabbed a can of energy drink sitting next to her, downing the last swig she had before tossing it at her already overflowing trashcan. As it hit the other cans, there was thunderous crash that shook the entire building. Kari sat up, looking over at the can she just threw as it rolled towards her foot.
"Okay…" she muttered, catching the can with her boot. "I know I didn't do that."
There was another explosion, this time accompanied by a bright red light that set the night sky alight. Kari scrambled to her feet, running to her window in time to witness twin beams of red light piercing through the darkness. Having lived in Metropolis all her life, Kari knew what those beams were almost immediately.
"Oh no, not again!"
The laser beams returned, this time making a bee-line for the University. Thinking fast, Kari threw the door to her dorm open, grabbing the fire alarm and yanking it. The alarm began to blare as students and staff alike came running into the halls.
"What's going on?" one of the other students on Kari's floor screamed.
"It's Superman!" Another shouted. "He's tearing apart the city!"
More lasers came in, spurring everyone into a frantic stampede. As students jumped out windows, freshly made holes, and just any other exit they could find, Kari followed along, her brain working a mile a minute, trying to process what was going on. Landing outside, she saw another blast of red light coming from downtown Metropolis. Realizing now where the destruction was originating, she felt a cold lump of fear settling in her stomach.
Both of her parents were lawyers, their law firm settled right in the center of the business district. Considering Kari's study habits had to come from somewhere, her parents were most likely still at the firm, doing some sort of paperwork or other business related tasks.
"They're in danger…" she muttered.
Thinking fast, Kari dove back into the dorm, grabbing her purse and car keys before making a bee-line for the parking lot.
"I've got to get them out of there!"
…..
The bat mobile zoomed into the bat cave, coming to a stop in its designated spot. The windows lifted up, allowing for Batman to jump from the driver's seat and onto the platform. There to meet him was Alfred Pennyworth, a platter of dinner in his hands.
"Good evening Master Bruce." He greeted.
Batman pulled his cowl down, revealing Bruce Wayne underneath.
"Alfred."
He walked past his butler, making a bee line for the bat computer. Alfred set the tray of food down next to the computer, taking a similar plate of food away.
"I received a call from Miss Gordon." He explained. "She is now out of the hospital and resting comfortably at home."
Bruce's finger's hovered over the keys for a second before resuming their typing.
"Good to know."
As Alfred prepared to walk out of the cave, a red alert began to go off, the multiple screens on the computer suddenly flashing over and over.
"What the devil?" Alfred questioned.
Bruce hit a single key on the keyboard, turning the alert off and bringing the live news on screen.
"This is Snapper Carr! Coming to you live from-"
There was a massive explosion that shook the screen, a cloud of dust erupting from behind Mr. Carr.
"-from Metropolis Business District… Where Superman is tearing our fair city to pieces!"
Bruce jumped out of his chair, leaning forward as the camera panned up, revealing Superman flying above the city, blasting everything in sight with his heat vision, or with his ice breath.
"The army has been called in, but even their best efforts have yet to pull the Man of Steel from his latest rampage, which leads this reporter to wonder if Superman has gone permanently to the Dark Side!"
"Damnit Clark…" Bruce swore. "Why are you-?"
That's when he noticed something in the corner of the screen. Pausing the footage, he zoomed in on that corner, enhancing the footage. As the picture came into view, his eyes narrowed in fury.
"Scarecrow…"
He yanked his cowl back on his face, turning towards the bat plane.
"I shall put your dinner in the fridge Master Bruce." Alfred told him.
Batman jumped into the plane, reaching into his belt to grab a small, glowing green ring. After Lex Luthor had attempted to use the ring to kill Superman, Batman had taken it for insurance. Superman knew about it, and trusted him with it, saying that should he ever become a threat to the world, he wanted Batman to stop him.
He looked at the ring, as if in contemplation, then slipped it back into his belt. He hoped he wouldn't have to use it, but he would if he needed to.
…..
General Wells stood on the top of the Daily Planet, looking up at Superman through a pair of binoculars. Behind him, several of his men were readying missile launchers.
"Sir, do you think these will even work on him?" One of his men asked.
"I don't know, Lieutenant." He replied. "But, at the very least, they'll by those innocent citizens some time to escape."
He lowered his binoculars, turning to his men.
"Ready!"
The men lifted their weapons.
"Aim!"
The missiles were locked onto Superman.
"FIRE!"
The missiles launched, heading straight for Superman. They struck him in the back, sending him careening into a nearby building. However, a few seconds later, he pulled himself free of the building, his eyes glowing red as he set his sights on the General.
"Oh no…" Wells swore.
Before Superman could let off a shot, a blur of silver came out, tackling Superman into a different building. As the Man of Steel pushed a mountain of rubble off of him, his attacker came down to try and reason with him.
"Superman." Captain Nathanial Adams of the United States Air Force, more commonly known as Captain Atom, called. "By order of the Armed Forces of the United States, I order you to stand down!"
Unfortunately for Captain Atom, Superman did not see him as who he really was. In Superman's eyes, he was looking up at one of Darkseid's Lieutenants, specifically, Steppenwolf. He also heard a warped version of Captain Atom's demand.
"I will never bow to your Master again!" Superman declared.
"Master?" Captain Atom questioned. "What-"
Superman charged forward at a blinding speed, pushing Captain Atom through three separate buildings. The Captain charged up his hands, summoning red solar radiation, and brought his fists down on Superman's back. The two went flying into the street below, creating a fair sized crater upon impact.
"I'll give you one last chance, Superman!" Captain Atom warned hovering over the superhero once more. "Surrender!"
Superman just grabbed Captain Atom's arm, crushing the metal of the containment suit with ease.
"Never!"
Superman then punched Captain Atom repeatedly in the stomach, the force of the blows denting the suit to the point that a breach was imminent. Seeing the potential danger continuing the fight would cause, Captain Atom pulled away, flying off as fast as he could. Superman watched him retreat, seeing only a cowardly enemy fleeing for a boom tube.
"That's right, Steppenwolf… flee back to your master."
All of sudden, a halo of green energy suddenly engulfed him, trapping him in what appeared to be a translucent safe. A small tendril of the same green energy led back to a green ring worn by Kyle Rayner, the Green Lantern of the sector.
"You know, maybe I was wrong when I told the Guardians of Oa that you were worthy of the lantern."
…..
Kari rushed down the street, swerving her car left and right to avoid pedestrians and rubble alike. She was almost to main street when a large chunk of a parking garage came crashing down into the road, effectively blocking the way. Kari slammed on her brakes, but she still hit the rubble hard enough for her air bags to deploy. She hit them hard, her nose crunching on impact as her car shuddered to a halt.
Kari groaned in pain as she batted the air bag down. Her nose throbbed as blood poured from it. Having broken her nose once or twice in her youth, Kari took hold of it and snapped it back into place.
"Gah!" she screamed, holding her face. "That hurt!"
That's when the ominous sound of stone cracking drew her attention. Through her broken windshield, she could see another section of the parking garage preparing to fall right onto her car.
"Uh-oh!"
Kari began to try and get out of her seatbelt, but the crash had her trapped. She yanked on it to no avail, trying to escape. Then, seconds before the rubble hit, a blur of red and yellow came over, tearing the seat belt to pieces before yanking her out of the car.
Kari stared at her now flattened car, then up at her savior, the famous Flash.
"You okay there?" he ask as he set her down on the ground.
"Uh… yeah. Thanks." She replied.
"You better get out of here." He told her before he prepared to run off. "Things are gonna get really bad really fast."
"Wait!" she called before he could speed away. "Can you help me? I need to get to the Miller and Miller Law firm! It's on 33rd and 2nd street!"
Flash seemed skeptical, and a bit confused as to why Kari wanted to go right into the middle of the war zone.
"Look, I don't think that's the best-"
Kari grabbed the front of his suit, looking him in the eye. He could see the desperation, and the fear in her eyes as she pleaded.
"Please!" she practically screamed. "My parents are there! I have to make sure they're okay!"
Flash hesitated, but knew that she wouldn't take no for an answer, and would probably go off on her own if he did. Considering her odds of survival were better with his help, he let out a sigh and scooped her up.
"Alright." He relented. "Just hold on tight."
She wrapped her arms around his neck, crying as she whispered under her breath.
"Thank you…"
He sped off, Kari's form in his arms.
…..
Kyle kept the manifestation of the safe around Superman as he pulled the crazed superhero towards him.
"I don't know what's gotten into you, but you need to stand down!" Kyle ordered.
Superman just glared at Kyle, only seeing Kanto using an Apokolips energy gauntlet to trap him. Superman then pulled back his fist, punching through the energy as if it was nothing. Kyle let out a yelp, then formed an anvil, using it to punch Superman across the street.
"You can't win, Superman!" Kyle shouted. "Just stop this now!"
Superman just blasted the anvil manifestation with his heat vision, causing Kyle to falter.
"Alright…"
He formed a large bat as Superman came flying towards him.
"Batter up!" he screamed as he swung.
The bat connected, sending Superman flying into the large globe on the roof of the Daily Planet. Coming around, Superman grabbed the globe, pulling it off the roof and heaving it at Kyle. Thinking fast, Kyle summoned a jack hammer, successfully destroying the globe before it struck him. However, Superman came blasting towards him, using the rubble of the globe as a smoke screen. He punched Kyle in the face, then grabbed his ring hand, crushing it in his grasp and breaking every bone in the hand. Kyle let out a scream, the green energy fading as Superman dropped him.
"Good riddance."
"Hctac!" a female voice called out.
Underneath Kyle, a large, fluffy pillow suddenly appeared, catching the unconscious Green Lantern. Superman turned to face his next opponent.
"I don't know why you're doing this, Superman, but this ends now!" Zatanna Zatara, the magician, called out. "Niartser!"
Ethereal chains suddenly appeared out of nowhere, wrapping around Superman in a snake-like vise. As he struggled in the grip of the magical chains, in his mind, he saw Granny Goodness using her energy whip to restrain him. The sight of the woman who brainwashed him sent the Man of Steel into an absolute fury.
"You won't control me THIS time, witch!"
…..
Batman flew as fast as his plan would allow, trying to get to Metropolis as soon as he could.
"Alfred. Give me an update on the situation in Metropolis." He ordered.
"So far, the army has failed to keep his attacks at bay." Alfred explained. "Captain Atom and Mr. Rayner have attempted to subdue him, but both have failed. However, according to the Military radio, Superman did not seem to recognize them at all."
"What did Scarecrow do to him?" Batman muttered.
"There's more, sir." He told him. "Apparently, Superman told Captain Atom that he would not follow his 'Master' again."
"Master?" Batman repeated. "What could that mean?"
That's when an incoming call came up on the bat plane's onboard phone system. Checking the caller I.D, he was surprised to see it was the Kent Family Farm's home phone number.
"Hello?" he asked, answering the phone.
"Batman?" Lois Lane's voice asked. "Is that you? Please tell me it's you!"
"It's me, Lois." He replied. "What is it?"
"It's Scarecrow!" she explained. "He tricked Superman. He's not in his right mind!"
"I know." Batman told her. "I'm on my way to Metropolis now."
"Please hurry!" she begged. "Scarecrow taunted me, saying he was going to make Darkseid's invasion look like a child's nightmare. Oh God… Superman…"
Lois' explanation suddenly answered the question Batman had been trying to figure out.
"That's what he's seeing." He realized. "He's seeing Darkseid's invasion again!"
"That would explain his remarks to Captain Atom." Alfred commented. "The 'Master' that he mentioned must be Darkseid himself."
"And no doubt he's seeing the other heroes as Darkseid's subordinates." Batman added.
"Then I hope that no female hero tries to stop him." Lois prayed.
"Why is that?" Batman asked.
"Because a horrible old woman called Granny Goodness is the one that brainwashed him into attacking us all those years ago." She explained.
There was a small gulp on Alfred's end of the line.
"Oh dear…" he muttered. "Sir, we may have a problem."
"What now?" Batman demanded.
"Miss Zatanna has appeared and is trying to restrain him."
Batman slammed the thrusters into overdrive, determined to get there before anything bad happened to the magician.
…..
Superman struggled against the magical chains, rubbing wounds into his arms due to their magical nature. Still, he pulled and struggled until they all snapped with a mighty crash. Zatanna gasped, then threw her hands forward.
"Niartser! Dnib! Niatnoc!"
More chains, accompanied by ropes and an ethereal straight jacket all appeared, trapping Superman in a cocoon of bindings.
"Hgiew Namrepus Nwod!"
A large weigh was suddenly attached to Superman's bound feet, sending him crashing into the ground with a loud explosion. Zatanna panted, then tentatively looked down at the new crater in time to see Superman pull himself free of the bindings.
"Oh no. Po-"
Before she could utter another spell, Superman grabbed her by the next, effectively choking her and cutting off her spells. She gasps for air while struggling to free herself from Superman's grasp.
"This. Ends. Now!" Superman shouted.
That's when a small, black projectile came whizzing through the air, striking Superman on the bad. It exploded on impact, causing him to drop Zatanna and turn to face his latest attacker.
"I agree." Batman called out.
Superman flew right up towards him, stopping mere inches from his face.
"You…" he snarled.
"I know you're not seeing me as I am. Believe me, I know what Scarecrow's gases can do to someone, but you need to snap out of it."
"I'm not listening to a word you say, Darkseid!"
Batman's eyes widened.
"What?"
The punch came out of nowhere, sending Batman careening off the roof he had been standing on. Only the timely release of his cape allowed him to glide safely to the next one. Still, the punch had easily shattered a few ribs and he could already taste blood. Realizing that with Superman seeing him as Darkseid, the only way he would win is with the kryptonite ring.
As he reached for it, he saw Superman attempting to charge. He dove to the side, his ribs screaming in protest, and pulled the ring from his belt. He slipped it onto his finger just as Superman landed in front of him. Almost immediately, the radiation from the glowing green rock began to take effect.
"You let me keep this ring for moments like this." Batman told him as he punched Superman across the face. "You wanted someone to have the power to stop you if you ever became a threat to this world."
Superman tried to tackle Batman, but the dark knight merely stepped aside, punching the man of steel in the neck.
"Snap out of it, Clark!" Batman demanded. "Before I am forced to do something we'll both regret!"
Another punch sent Superman falling off the building, where he landed with a large crash. Batman used his grapnel to lower himself to the ground where he could examine Superman. However, he only got about halfway down before a beam of red light came from the crash site, locking onto Batman's ring. The heat melted the kryptonite into useless green goo, and severely burned Batman's hand.
Yelping in pain, Batman lost his grip on his grapnel and began plummeting to the ground. However, Superman intercepted him, catching him by the throat.
"I owe you big time, Darkseid." Superman snarled.
…..
Flash made it to 33rd and 2nd street, just as Kari had directed him. Unfortunately, almost the entire block had been reduced to rubble. When Flash came to a stop by a fallen sign reading 'Miller & Miller Law Firm', both he and Kari were horrified to see the building completely gone.
"Oh no…" Flash winced, gently putting Kari down. "I'm so sorry."
Kari just ran over to the rubble, her brain unable to process what was going on. She grabbed rock after rock, digging desperately in hopes of finding any evidence that her parents had not been inside when the building had come down. The entire time, tears filled her eyes, making it harder and harder to see. Flash came over, at first to tell her it wasn't safe to stay, but instead, he began shifting rubble as well.
After a few minutes, though to Kari it felt like hours, their efforts uncovered two figures lying in the dirt, holding each other closely. Upon seeing them, Kari screamed.
"Mom! Dad!"
She fell to the ground beside them, grabbing them to try and wake them up. However, the second she touched them, she stopped. The two of them were cold and unmoving. Kari didn't need to be a doctor to know that no amount of shaking would wake them up.
"No…." she sobbed. "No…"
She just fell to the ground crying after that, Flash coming over and holding her. For a minute, they just sat there, Kari crying into his shoulder as he held her. Then something came flying towards their location. Kari opened her eyes, saw it coming, and screamed.
"Move!"
In a second, Flash had moved himself and Kari to the left by about five feet, just as the projectile landed where they had been sitting. Flash shielded Kari from the spray of stones, then they both looked to see what had nearly crushed them. Both of them were shocked to see that the projectile was not a what, but a who.
"Batman!" The two of them shouted at the same time.
Flash got to his side first, of course, with Kari following close behind. The dark knight was in horrible shape, bruises covering most of his face and his costume in shreds. He seemed to be barely holding onto consciousness as he struggled to get to his feet.
"Bats, don't tell me Supes did this to you." Flash asked.
"He's…. not…. In control…."
"What do you mean?" Kari questioned.
"Sc-… scare… crow…" Batman stuttered.
"Scarecrow?" Flash asked. "You mean that quack doctor with the fear juice?"
Even Kari recognized that name, having seen the reports about him on the news from his previous exploits. Now Superman's actions made some sort of sense. Batman slowly got to his feet, despite the great amount of pain he was likely in.
"Flash, get….. Her out…." He began
That's when Superman came flying out of the sky, landing hard in front of the group. On instinct, Kari hid behind a larger piece of rubble for safety as Flash got between Superman and Batman.
"Look Superman, I don't know what that sack of straw has you seeing, but you need to snap-"
Before flash could get another word in, Superman batted him aside, sending him flying across the city. Kari gasped as Superman looked down at Batman in disgust.
"Hiding behind a weasel like Desaad… How pathetic, Darkseid."
"Darkseid…" Kari whispered. "He doesn't know what he's doing."
Batman struggled to remain on his feet, determined to face Superman once more. The Man of Steel then began to power up his heat vision. Realizing that Batman stood no chance of surviving the hit, Kari did the only thing she could think of.
She ran in between Batman and Superman.
"No!" she screamed.
The blast struck Kari in the stomach, almost tearing right through her. She screamed in agony as she fell, much to Superman's shock and Batman's horror. As she fell, Superman reached out and caught her before she hit the ground.
"Wh-why did you do that?" he asked, completely confused.
Kari was in too much pain to talk, but she pointed weakly towards Batman. Superman looked up, and for the first time, saw what was really going on. He saw Batman, leaning heavily on the rubble, just staring at Kari's injured form.
"Not…." Kari gasped. "Darkseid…"
She then slumped in Superman's grasp, unconsciousness claiming her. For a moment, both Superman and Batman just stood there, their thoughts in turmoil. For Batman, he was reliving Barbara's paralyzation at the hands of Joker, and the feeling of helplessness he had felt upon learning exactly what had happened.
For Superman, it was much worse. He had been used once again, turned into a weapon against his friends and his home. More than that, who knew how many innocent people had lost their lives in the carnage he had caused. The girl in his arms only cemented the already crushing guilt he felt.
Flash whizzed back up the street, his suit a bit torn from what was probably a horrible landing, approaching the two dumbstruck superheroes.
"Okay Supes, bat me like that again and I'll-"
When he finally realized what was going on, his witty retort died on his tongue.
"No."
He rushed forward, grabbing Kari from Superman and checking for a pulse. He let out a sigh of relief when he got one, even if it was weak.
"She's still alive, but she needs a hospital." He said. "What happened?"
Flash's query seemed to pull the Batman from his stupor.
"She took a hit for me…." He explained. "And she managed to provide the… necessary stimulus needed to pull Superman out from Scarecrow's control…"
Flash glanced over at Superman, whose fists clenched tightly at the mention of Scarecrow's name.
"So this is what he meant…" he muttered.
"Look, you can tell me what you mean by that later. Right now, I need to find a hospital that can help her!"
Flash vanished as Superman stood up, scanning the surrounding area for any sign of Scarecrow. He eventually found him perched on a broken train line that ran a few feet above the ground. Batman, realizing what Superman was thinking, made a grab at the Man of Steel.
"Superman, don't!"
Superman didn't listen. Instead, he blasted towards Scarecrow, murder in his eyes. The villain watched Superman come, but didn't run, or try to escape. Instead, he just stood there as Superman grabbed him by the neck, choking him.
"Give me a reason…" Superman snapped. "Give me a reason I shouldn't end you right here and now!"
Batman's grapnel attached to the track, allowing him to come up to Superman's level.
"Let him go, Superman!" Batman ordered
"Why should I?!" Superman demanded. "I am sick and tired of being used, of being a puppet for some sick, twisted fiend!"
"And if you kill him, that's all you'll ever be!" Batman shouted.
Superman hesitated as Batman's words rang with truth. He looked at Scarecrow in disgust, then dropped him back onto the track. Scarecrow coughed and hacked, struggling to regain the breath he had lost.
"Pathetic…" he spat. "And here I thought…" he broke into a fit of coughing. "…that you'd take that final step…"
Superman just landed on the track as the army and a mass of police officers closed in on their location.
"Never…"
…..
It had taken hours to convince the army and the police that scarecrow was responsible for Superman's rampage, and even after that, Superman had to physically show them the freezer Scarecrow had used in order to poison him. A quick look in the cooling unit revealed the remains of Scarecrow's fear toxin, proving Superman's innocence. Still, the two heroes knew that there were going to be repercussions from this incident for days to come.
As the army withdrew and disaster efforts were initiated, the Flash came running up to Batman and Superman, his gloves stained with a light pink fluid and a lot of darker red.
"Bats, Supes!" he called. "We get everything squared away?"
"Scarecrow won't be seeing the outside of a padded cell for a very long time." Batman replied.
"The girl." Superman interrupted. "Is she okay?"
Flash nodded.
"She'll live." He explained. "Though I had to run her to the other side of the state in order to find a hospital not swamped by relief efforts."
That's when Batman noted the pink fluid, something he recognized all too well.
"Flash, what is her condition?"
"The docs were able to save her from any internal bleeding, but according to the head surgeon, her spine was severed by the blast."
Superman had to lean against a wall as Batman looked down.
"Paralysis…" he muttered.
"Yeah…" Flash said with a nod. "She'll live, but she'll never walk again…"
Superman's head rested on his arm as he tried to come to terms with what he had heard. After a moment, he looked over at Flash, the sorrow evident in his face.
"What hospital is she in?" he asked.
"Our Lady of Mercy Hospital." Flash replied. "She's in ICU for observation."
Superman gave a nod of thanks, then took off in the direction of the hospital. Both Batman and Flash watched him go, then Flash turned to Batman.
"You should go after him." He said. "They probably won't let him near the hospital after what happened, even with Scarecrow's involvement revealed."
"He'll be fine." Batman replied. "Besides, I'm needed here."
With that, both Batman and Flash turned their attentions to the relief efforts.
…..
A rhythmic beeping pulled Kari from unconsciousness and back into the waking world. As she opened her eyes, she saw a canopy of white on all sides. Once her vision cleared, it became obvious that she was in a hospital room. Just beyond the closed glass door, she could see doctors and nurses running about, dealing with what seemed to be an onslaught of patients, probably from Metropolis.
As she stirred, she found that she couldn't move anything below her waistline. In painfully slow movements, Kari reached forward, resting a hand on the blanket covering her legs. She could feel the blanket with her hand, as well as the shape of her leg, but it was like she was touching someone else's leg. She couldn't feel a thing. Removing her hand, she lifted the blanket to reveal several large bandages wrapped around her lower abdomen.
All of her memories came back like a tidal wave. Superman's attack, her parent's death, Batman beaten to within an inch of his life, and jumping in between him and Superman to save him.
As she remembered, the rhythmic beeping became more frantic as tears flowed down her eyes. One of the nurses at the station noticed the spike and gestured for a doctor. The door opened and he entered, running to her side and putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Miss, miss, calm down."
Kari did her best to do so, taking deep breaths, but the onslaught of memories and the lack of feeling in her legs made it nearly impossible. Still, she managed after a minute as the doctor laid her back down.
"Miss, what's your name?" the doctor asked.
"K-Kari." She replied. "Kari Miller."
"Miss Miller, my name is Doctor Cooper." He explained. "You're in Our Lady of Mercy Hospital. The Flash brought you here after you were badly wounded in the attack."
"I-I remember…" Kari whispered. "Superman… he was…. And I… is Batman okay?"
Dr. Cooper nodded.
"According to the news reports, he's helping with the relief effort."
Kari let out a sigh of relief. She had saved him. She'd managed to do something to help.
"And… Superman?" she asked.
Dr. Cooper fiddled with the collar of his shirt nervously.
"He's… He's actually waiting outside…" he explained. "He wanted to see you… if you'll let him."
For a brief moment, Kari wanted to say no. However, then she remembered the look of horror on his face when she'd been hit. The genuine regret he held after she got hurt. More than that, even though his power had been used to destroy Metropolis and kill her parents, he had been manipulated into believing he was fighting an enemy.
"I'll let him." She finally decided.
Dr. Cooper seemed surprised, but gave a nod and left the room. After a minute, the door slowly opened as Superman walked in. Kari looked over at him, watching as he sat down beside her bed. He didn't meet her eye at first, and his hand almost reached for her, but he stopped himself, placing it in his lap.
"The… the doctor said your name is Kari." He said after a moment, as if unsure of what to say.
"Kari Miller…" Kari replied.
There was a moment of silence before Superman spoke again.
"Kari I… I know that no amount of apologies can ever return what you've lost because of me… but I-"
"Superman." Kari interrupted. "You don't need to apologies for what happened to me."
Superman looked up in surprise as Kari reached out for him. Her hand met his as she gently squeezed it.
"You were under Scarecrow's control." She told him. "You didn't know what you were doing. It's his fault, not yours."
Superman placed a hand over hers, genuinely grateful for her words.
"You have no idea how much that means to me."
Despite all the pain Kari was in, despite the madness going on outside of that hospital room, in that single moment, everything was peaceful and quiet.
…..
Batman returned to the bat cave, where he was greeted by Alfred. When the butler saw the state bats was in, he ran to the side of the bat mobile, gently pulling him from the seat.
"Sir, are you alright?" Alfred asked as he led Batman over to the cave's medical bay.
"I'm fine, Alfred." Batman told him, removing his cowl. "Considering what almost happened…"
Alfred did not like the implications of that sentence.
"What do you mean by what 'almost happened'?" he asked, grabbing a bottle of disinfectant and a rag.
"He thought I was Darkseid." Bruce explained as Alfred began cleaning his wounds. "He was about to kill me when…"
He trailed off as the memory flashed through his head. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to force the memory back.
"This girl… this young woman… took a blow for me."
Alfred raised an eyebrow.
"A young woman took a hit from Superman?" he asked.
"Not just any hit, Alfred. Had she not jumped in between me and Clark… Who knows how much more damage he may have caused… She did more than just save me… she saved countless lives."
Alfred finished cleaning Bruce's wounds and began to wrap them up. While dealing with a nasty burn on Bruce's left arm, Alfred noticed a saddened look in his eye, one he had seen only three times before; when Barbara Gordon had been shot, when Jason Todd had been murdered, and when Bruce was just a little boy.
"This girl… did she live?" he asked.
"Yes." Bruce replied. "But, she'll never walk again… and she doesn't have any family anymore… she's alone."
Alfred finished tying off the bandage, then looked Bruce in the eye.
"Well then, perhaps she could use some help." He suggested, "And I think Bruce Wayne can provide her all the help she'll need."
A small smile graced Bruce's face as he stood up.
"You're right Alfred." He agreed. "He can."
Alfred just smiled.
…..
Several days past as Kari began her first trek across the hospital in a wheel chair. Having never really developed any major strength in her arms, it was slow going. Still, she was determined to do it on her own, waving off well-meaning doctors who offered to push her.
As she paused to flex her cramping fingers, a suited man walked up to her.
"Miss Kari Miller?" the man asked.
Kari looked up, preparing to tell whomever it was that she didn't need any help. However, the words died on her tongue as she came face to face with Bruce Wayne.
"Y-You're Bruce Wayne…" she whispered.
Bruce chuckled.
"That's what my butler keeps telling me."
Kari snorted, covering her mouth as she chuckled. As she settled down, she cleared her throat and sat up in her chair.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"Actually, I'm here to help you." He told her.
He stepped aside, revealing a sleek, black and blue wheelchair. It had a padded seat, arm rests, and a thick pair of wheels with the words Wayne Tech emblazoned on them. Kari's eyes widened at the sight.
"Is that-?"
"You've become quite a popular story on the news." Bruce explained. "And when I heard about your brave acts, and what they cost you, I figured this was the least I could do to thank you for your actions."
Kari turned her chair, wheeling over to the new one. Very slowly, she tried to lift herself over to the new one. Unfortunately, she lost her grip and nearly fell. Thankfully, Bruce caught her and helped her get settled. As she tested the new wheels, she couldn't help but smiling.
"Thank you." She told him.
"Don't thank me just yet." He told her. "I have something else for you."
He placed a hand on her shoulder, his face going solemn for a moment.
"I also heard about what happened to your parents." He said softly. "Speaking from experience, I know what a devastating blow that can be."
Kari looked down as Bruce squeezed her shoulder.
"I know they were paying for you to go to college, and on their behalf, I'm going to pay all of your college expenses."
Kari gasped.
"You are?"
"Yes. You can focus on your recovery, and your future while the Wayne Foundation takes care of your hospital bill and your schooling."
Tears came to Kari's eyes as she leaned forward as best she could, grabbing Bruce around the waist and hugging him. He was surprised at first, but slowly returned the hug, a smile of his own.
"Thank you." She whispered. "I can't say it enough. Thank you."
"No, thank you." He whispered back, a knowing smile on his face.