Okay, this is just an idea I had after watching Divided We Fall. I have no beta, so don't mind any possible errors, spelling not included. Unless of course it's just the wrong word spelled right in a strange place. The usual disclaimers apply, ect.
Just a thought on what could have happened between the scene with Luthor and the end gathering in Divided We Fall. Could Batman's actions have been misinterpreted?
Superman stood alone in the dining hall, in which he was the only patron, staring out at the stars. Over and over he questioned himself, Could I really have killed Luthor? Can I get angry enough to do that? Would I do it if the circumstances were repeated? Am I a potential threat? Could I lose control and kill Luthor and any other innocent bystanders next time? His now chosen isolation was both now both a blessing and a curse. No one was talking to him, asking questions, demanding his attention, but then he was also left alone with his thoughts, memories, and questions. The doors swished open, and he watched the reflection of Wonder Woman make her way across the room towards him. She stopped approximately a foot away, and waited for him to turn.
"We need to talk." Diana told him bluntly as a preamble, no pleasantries at all.
"About what?" Clark asked, hoping that this conversation wouldn't be about the recent events.
"Bruce." Diana preferred to refer to the senior members by name when she could, something the rest of them didn't partake in terribly often. "Did you see what he did?" Now he was confused, and it must have shown on his face because she spoke again. "He held me back Clark! He would have let you kill Luthor, just like the Justice Lord's Superman!" Diana told him angrily.
"No, he wouldn't have." Superman said defensively, but he doubted even those words now.
"You didn't see." Diana gave him a hard look before she turned, leaving the room, and Clark to his worries. Could he really have wanted me to kill Luthor? Would he really have let me? Did he somehow think it was necessary, or inevitable? Why? Why would he do that? Questions and doubt swirled about inside him. I have to know. Clark left the room swiftly, heading for Batman's quarters, hoping he was there.
Reaching Batman's quarters, he hesitated before knocking on the door. He was surprised when it immediately opened, but the lack of vocal response was unsurprising. Stepping in, Superman found Batman standing in the middle of the dim room, waiting for him. For a moment no words would come, but finally he could speak.
"Why?" He asked quietly. "Would you have really let me kill Luthor? Were you willing to hold everyone back so that I…" Superman couldn't even finish his sentence.
"I trusted you, Clark. I trusted the man you are, trusted that you wouldn't do it." Batman told him quietly before sweeping past him out the open door, pausing only to add, "I trusted you to do the right thing."
Shocked at this admission, Clark sat down on the edge of the bed. He hadn't realized how much trust Bruce really placed in him until now. For a time he just sat there, letting the words cycle through his head. He trusts me.
When J'onn came upon him later, he was still seated upon the bed, a goofy smile plastered across his face. Before J'onn could even speak, he blurted out, "He trusts me, J'onn!" Standing up he started towards the door. "He actually trusts me." A look of surprise crossed the Martian's features.
"He said this?" J'onn asked.
"Plainly." Clark answered. "He said he trusted me to do the right thing."
"Fascinating." J'onn said, a thoughtful expression on his face. A comfortable silence stretched, and then J'onn spoke again. "The others do not know this."
"No, and I'm guessing they're questioning his actions."
"Yes."
"Then we'll just have to set them straight."
As they approached the conference room, Clark's super hearing picked up the conversation taking place within.
"Are you sure?" John asked.
"He may be dark, scary, and just plain creepy sometimes, but I don't think…" Flash piped up.
"We know it happened in the other universe." Shayera cut him off. "I don't want to believe it, but we have to consider the possibility."
"I wouldn't think he would, but why else would he hold me back?" Diana asked. The door opened and Superman stepped in, answering the question.
"Because he trusts me." The words sounded foreign, but were full of hope for the future. Stunned looks greeted this statement. Given Batman's nature, they were a shock given his past level of trust, but in this situation they were more than welcome.
"How do you know?" Shayera asked.
"Because he told me." Clark told them. "Straight to my face he told me the reason he held Diana back was that he trusted I would do the right thing." He paused for a second. "I think he wanted to give me the chance to make the decision for myself so I wouldn't always be question whether or not I would do it. Somehow I think he knew that even before the opportunity presented itself I was asking myself if I would actually kill Luthor. I am glad that he did that." As he spoke, Clark realized the truth of the words, and the gift that Bruce had given him. "He has given me peace of mind." Even before the words had left his mouth, he realized their truth. Just a short time earlier he had questioned himself, but now, as he thought through the entire situation, in its entirety, he realized the answer to all those questions. The answer he had given when he had released Luthor earlier, telling him he wasn't the man who killed President Luthor, and now he realized he would never be the man who killed for revenge.
It's amazing what such a simple thing as trust can do. Clark thought to himself as he left the conference room. Not only has it given me a deeper understanding of Bruce, but it has also given me a deeper understanding of myself. I should thank him sometime.
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