"It pains us to do this, Superman" Nightwing started with a solemn tone of voice. "But you leave us no choice.
"What you did to our mentor, our father, shall be revenged by his prodigal sons", Robin continued, taking his place by Nightwing's side. "The humiliation, the pain, the suffering… All that you inflicted on him, we shall return to you today."
"Not just that, Robin", Nightwing added, "but all that you have inflicted on our teammates, our friends..." He paused and looked down. The sturdy look on his face weakened and saddened. "What you did to our idols…" Robin placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, but his anger remained strong and directed towards the man in the big S.
"Nightwing… Robin…" Superman tried, but they didn't bite. Nightwing continued undisturbed.
"You probably won't believe it under these circumstances, but I actually looked up to you once. You where the light, the day… All the things that we or our mentor couldn't master, you symbolized. You could do what we would never be able to do. That is why it saddens me to inflict so much pain on you, as we will do today."
Nightwing looked at Robin, who immediately continued the speech.
"You are a tough opponent. As a single man, you have done what many of us couldn't do together. You have beaten almost all our friends, but we dare challenge you today, sir. And with my brother, whom I've gained through our fallen father's philanthropy, by my side, I know we will succeed."
"Alright, enough!" a strong voice yelled form behind the two young men. When Robin and Nightwing turned around, they saw Batman had crossed his arms and tilted his head in that particular manner, one quickly learned to respect as his mentee. "What did I say you about trash talking like that?"
"But it's the finals!" Nightwing whined. Robin raised his arms and pointed at all the bystanders. "Yeah! It's the bat-boys vs. the big S. The game everybody's been waiting for. And if you taught us one thing, it is the importance of showmanship."
Batman gave in and gave them a little smile. "But for a fussball tournament? The whole idea was ridicules to begin with."
Batman had been against the tournament to begin with, but many of the original leaguers had insisted that it was a good way to let them know the titans, the outsiders and the young justice members. "Soldiers will always work better in the field with the soldiers they have shared a dining hall with", Green Lantern had stated as the winning argument.
"You're just saying that because you never even made it to the finals!" Superboy yelled from a back row. Batman never had a chance to answer him before Kid Flash interrupted: "Could you please just play the game?" He and Flash had been beaten in the semifinals by Robin and Nightwing and he couldn't wait for his own loss to be 'revenged'.
"Oh relax," Supergirl said, placing a calming hand on his arm. "We both know they don't stand a chance against Superman. Let them have their fun while they can."
Batman thought for a second, raised a brow and then leaned in between the boys to whisper: "Beat the Kryptonian-snot out of him."