Sweeeeet! I'm back, baby. -Ahem-…Well, here's the next story, which will delve deeply into the Lords' and the League's battle, mainly the two Batmen. I've been told that my last chapter was more of a physical connection than an emotional one, which I'll agree on, but hopefully I'll change that around, this time. I think I did.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Not Worth Saving

Batman dropped silently into the cave, rappelling down the side of the cliff within the nature-made complex. He released his grapple, deftly landing onto the edge of the platform, knelt down on the ground. Instantaneously, he saw the dimensional portal towards the far wall, near the exit to where the manor would be.

The Bat felt a chill run up his spine, as he thought about what had become of Alfred in this alternate timeline. He had mulled over using the manor entrance for a brief moment, but he wondered if this universe's Alfred would notice that he wasn't the actual Bruce Wayne. Then a thought rose into his mind, wondering if he was dead…or actually condoned the actions of the Justice Lords.

Batman shook his head ferociously, blotting out those ideas from his mind. He had a job to do, find a way to get back to their dimension and stop the Lords from taking over, again.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Nine-one-nine-three-nine," the Crusader declared. Flash gave him an inquisitive look, before keying in the combination. He heard a door unlatch and slid it open., racing to the Knight, and unlocking his hands.

"How'd you know?" the speedster asked.

The Bat lowered his head, slightly, before replying. "They're the numbers I always use." He glanced at the hero, again. "How'd you get out?"

"I sped up my heart rate until it looked like it flat lined," he stated, matter-of-factly.

"I didn't know you could do that."

"Neither did I," Flash answered, unlocking his other arm. "But I had to come up with something, if you weren't going to."

"I couldn't," the Dark Knight informed him, getting an awkward look from the Red Streak. "Not with him anticipating everything I could ever think of." He unlatched the midsection and foot bindings, before continuing. "But who could anticipate you?"

After a few moments of releasing the other League members being held captive, Green Lantern aimed his ring towards Superman, and fired a laser to cut the metal blindfold used on the hero. Superman ripped off the remains, his face filled with anger. He began to advance forward, preparing his fists for battle. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready to kick some serious---"

Flash sped in front of the red-and-blue hero, arms folded, and giving his best attempt at a glare to the Kryptonian. "You're going to have to wait on that," he announced. "They've got Hawkgirl in a hospital, somewhere."

Batman re-connected his utility belt around his waist, and checked his contents, to make sure they were all accounted for. "You need to find out which one she's in and get there before they hear about this," he stated. He closed the last of his compartments, satisfied that he would have enough equipment to suffice.

"This is your city!" Superman protested hotly, his eagerness to get revenge on the Justice Lords obviously getting the better of them. "You know the hospitals better than we do!"

He glanced over his shoulder, causing Superman to widen his eyes in surprise, noting that the Caped Crusader looked even grimmer than normal. "I have a portal to find," he grunted.

Apparently, the Knight noted, everyone noticed the dark look on his face, as J'onn asked to help him. Batman simply shook his head. He looked at each of the heroes firmly in the eyes, before landing his eyes on the Martian and the Princess in front of him. "I have to do this alone." He withdrew his grapple, and fired it to the ceiling, carrying himself to a catwalk a few stories up, and disappearing down the corridor.

The other heroes began to file over to the computer room, as Diana took one last look at the hallway Batman vanished down. J'onn walked over and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Without even probing for a discussion, Diana simply said, "I somehow get the feeling that…this is the last time I'll see this Batman, ever again."

J'onn nodded. "I think we'll all be changed after this ordeal," he responded. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't fight on. We have to believe in him, and have his faith in us be rewarded, by rescuing Hawkgirl from her confinement." Diana smiled softly to him, nodding in agreement, and the two walked into the makeshift Monitor Room, watching Flash search for the hospital they'd keep Hawkgirl in.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Batman sighed, as he approached the computer to the portal, overlooking its mechanisms, though his mind was relayed back to that last meeting. It's not that he didn't want the help J'onn and the others would have offered him, but that he would undoubtedly meet Lord Batman, in a battle that would take its toll on him physically, and, most likely, emotionally. He didn't wish to be seen in the weakened state he would undoubtedly be in, once the battle ended, in case he needed to come up with something unconventional to win. There was also the distinct possibility that he could lose…

He didn't want to think about the ramifications if that should happen. However, it was a challenge he wanted to face on his own; needed to face on his own. Any outside help would just interfere with the result, and, besides, he had to know…

"It doesn't look too difficult to figure out," the Crusader muttered to himself, turning towards the portal, itself. He began to advance on it, when he heard a whistling sound behind him. 'Right on schedule.'

Before the Bat could react, the Lord's Batarang had pinned his cloak to the portal. He ripped his cloak free from the Batarang's hold, and was met with a punch to the face by his counterpart. Batman flew backwards off the landing, and onto the floor, but prepared himself for the Lord's most probable next maneuver.

Batman read him like an open book, taking his two feet, and placing them into the Lord's abdomen, rolling backward to flip the opposing Knight over him. The Lord took the attack, landing awkwardly on the upper part of his back, but if it harmed him, he didn't show it, rolling to his feet. The Leaguer charged towards the fallen warrior, both performing a mix of martial arts moves on each other, with neither able to give way to the other. A few moments went by, as both tried to attack each other cleanly, when Batman figured he had lulled his counterpart into a pattern, he decided to go for a straight punch to the face.

The Lord had already planned that move, as well. He easily deflected it to the side, and launched a fist of his own, this one connecting with his target's visage. Batman exhaled a grunt in pain, as he dropped off the edge of the landing, onto a smaller plateau below. Batman held his head, as it began to throb furiously. He reached down for his grapple, as the Lord walked to the end of the cliff, glaring daggers at him. "I knew you'd come here," he stated harshly, "just like I know you'll…" he paused as the hero fired his grapple over the man's shoulder. The Lord dodged it, and the incoming projectile of the Bat's body, finishing his previous statement, "Do that."

Batman disappeared into the darkness, as an evil grin grew upon the face of the Lord for a small moment. "What are you hiding for?"

'Ah, now come the mind games,' the Leaguer realized. He glanced over a ledge at the Lord, who was looking directly at his position, but wasn't advancing in his general direction, keeping out of the range of a Batarang. "I do my best work in the dark," he replied.

"I used to think that, too," the Lord explained. "But what have you ever accomplished from there? Aside from scaring a few punks half to death, and putting a few more in jail." His grin faded into a scowl. 'You're not living life the way we should.'

Batman frowned. "It all adds up," he retorted. 'I'm keeping the streets of Gotham safe. It's what they would have wanted.'

The Lord's face soon contorted into what could only be defined as pure, unadulterated rage. "Not fast enough," he growled darkly. 'You're obviously not understanding what I'm saying.' The chilling frown vanished, replace by the basic Bat-scowl. "If you really want to make a difference…if you want to change the system, instead of just patching it, you can't be subtle." He continued his pacing, searching for where the voice of the Leaguer was originating from. "You've got to step into the sunlight. Take over…like we did."

Batman shook his head in confusion. What was he getting at? "Why would you want to change the system?" The silently moved from his position, as the Lord closed in on his location. 'Why don't you tell me directly, instead of remarking in riddles?'

"You don't understand!?" the Lord howled. "Then let me explain it to you. How many demons are you haunted by, each and every night?" The Dark Knight cocked an eyebrow from his position. "Don't wish to say? I see. You've gotten so used to the dark, it's not that you use it as a weapon any more, but a shield. A shield, hoping that those you are close to won't realize how many mistakes you've made, or see the number of ghosts following you every night!"

"So, you stepped out into the sunlight, and decided to leave the promise we made unfulfilled?" the Leaguer sneered. "Quaint."

The Lord laughed loudly, but the sharpness of the laugh caused the Crusader to shudder involuntarily. "No," he stated, "I went into the sunlight, for everyone to see my ghosts. Then I beat them back to hell, where they belong, and made it so nothing could ever affect me that way, again. I showed the people just what can happen if you let society run amok, and then demonstrated how much better it is if someone regulates it so."

"You're twisted," the Knight coldly answered. 'I can't believe you were able to fall this far.'

The Lord seemed unfazed. "Maybe. But if that is necessary to make the world a safer place, then that one man's sacrifice is worth it." Batman had the sudden feeling that the Lord knew exactly where he was, and was just toying with him, making him listen. "Isn't that what we tell ourselves, every time we thought someone was getting to close to us to stray us to far from the path we chose?"

"Everyone's happiness comes before ours, no matter the cost," Batman reiterated, hastily finding another perch to watch from. "But you haven't given these people happiness. You've just told them that they are happy, and remove those from society who don't listen." He stalled and saw the Lord looking in the opposite direction. 'You've become the very thing we swore to fight against.'

"If you think that, prove me wrong!" the Lord declared, advancing into a small opening, his head on a swivel. "Come out from behind your shield, and show that your way is best." He followed the path, which inched ever closer to Batman's position. 'If you're right, defeat me.'

"Might doesn't make right," The Knight savagely answered. "If it did, there'd be no need for government, because everyone would follow the strongest warriors in existence." Batman's frown got even darker. 'We have to set an example to others, and show that the strong ones are those who protect the weak, not rule them.'

"Then you've already contradicted yourself!" the Lord answered, as Batman finally lost track of his position. "How many children desire to become someone like Superman or Wonder Woman, or even yourself!? If everyone becomes 'strong', what's there left to protect? We have to let everyone know that crime fighting is not something they should worry about, or they might end up taking matters into their own hands." He could hear the dark chuckling of his opponent echo throughout the Batcave. 'Like Andrea Beaumont.'

The blow struck harder than any physical strike could have done to him, even a punch from Superman. "Do not bring her into this…" He withdrew a Batarang from his belt.

"Why? Because you still feel that you could have saved her?" the Lord wondered. "Or is she another of your demons that follows you around endlessly? You think you know everything, and yet, somehow, people like her still slip through your fingers. Or is it because you feel that, somehow, you had a part in corrupting her?"

Batman had heard enough, lunging at the Lord with a battle cry, and attempted to slice the individuals throat. When he realized just what he anted to do, he moved his weapon to the side, missing completely. The Lord grinned viciously at the Leaguer, and kicked him in the ribs, dislodging the Batarang from his grasp. Batman withdrew his grapple, and fired it to the ceiling, disappearing from view, once again.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?" he asked, as Batman attempted to regain his breath, which the kick had taken from him. "Face it. Every time we come into contact with someone, it ends up hurting them. Maybe not physically, but psychologically. Just look at how much Diana has changed since coming here from Themyscira."

Batman's scowl deepened. "I said to leave them out of this."

"You don't think we had a hand in that?" the Lord continued, unrelenting. "Soon, even someone as pure as her might fall into the darkness. Do you really think as much as she cares for us, that it can't happen?"

"ENOUGH!!!" the Leaguer roared, leaping out into the open again. This time, the bloodlust had fully overtaken the Knight, and he wrapped his hands around the throat of the Lord Batman. The mouth of the hero had contorted itself with a rage that only the Lord could have deemed possible, and grinned at the hero.

Batman gasped slightly when he finally regained control, and loosened his hold. It was enough so the Lord could breath, and swung both of his legs up to hit the hero in the chest. The Bat was knocked back, but saw the Lord begin to launch a punch with his fist. He dodged it, and nailed a punch on the Lord's jaw, himself. The fallen hero bounced off the wall and proceeded to drive his shoulder into the abdomen of the Crusader, launching him away from the combat.

The Lord raced forward a few steps, but the Knight had already disappeared again. "Good," he acknowledged. "You're starting to catch onto my patterns of attack, and letting your anger control your reasoning." The echo of the harsh breathing of the Bat was the only response. 'So…you do realize that you're enemies aren't just the poison in society, but you are, as well.'

The Batman became desperate, withdrawing another Batarang as a makeshift dagger. The Lord continued, "But, think about what we have done with that poison, here. I have healed myself and removed the others from society, thereby eliminating any foreseeable problems. Think about it…a world where there's no crime…no victims…no pain." The last seemed forced out, because it was hoarse, almost like he had been crying.

Batman calmed himself down, slowing his breathing so he could keep it quiet, but the hairs on the back of his neck still stood upright, and the sweat mixed with blood dripping from his forehead didn't stop. "And no choice," he hollowly finished. Suddenly, his sixth sense flashed off a warning, telling him to turn around. He did it just in time to see the Lord had already sprung at him. Batman stumbled to the side, and slashed at him with his blade, cutting the Lord on his arm, who grunted in pain and flew past him. Batman to the opportunity to find another place to hide. "If there's no choice, then the people have no happiness, nothing to look forward to. They just follow the same pattern as everyone else, conforming and not thinking for themselves. Who elected you to be their god, anyway!?"

"Who elected you!?" the Lord responded, though where Batman's voice sounded harsh and extremely annoyed, his voice sounded glad, confident, and unwavering. "Everyone may have to follow the same path, but this way there won't be any crime or meaningless battles, because the weak obtain weapons and feel the need to prove themselves to the strong. That's wherein the problem with democracy lies. It doesn't keep you very safe. You, of all people, should know that."

Batman felt the rage boiling up within him, but satisfaction began to rise up along with it. The Lord's voice was getting louder. This time, he could have the surprise attack on his opponent, rather than vice versa. "It has other virtues. Such as liberty and life. The ability to allow people to choose what they want to do with their lives. Even God allows the freedom of choice. We've never allowed someone to control us, like this. Why would you decide to make decisions for others and act like gods, ourselves? You seem to have forgotten those ideals."

The Lord's cold laugh reverberated throughout the cave, dislodging a contingent of bats from their perches, who decided to flee, rather than watch the ongoing battle. "I didn't forget," he corrected, "I just chose peace and security, instead."

"You only did what other totalitarian regimes have done, under that guise!" Batman could hear him clearly, now. He knelt down near a large crack in the floor, and saw the Lord walking underneath him. The Knight swiftly, silently, lowered himself to a ridge just above the Lord, who had walked past him, seemingly unable to notice the Dark Knight above him. "You grabbed power!"

"I won't deny it," the Lord admitted. Batman smirked at this, he crept up to the edge of the cliff, looking down of the Lord Batman, and prepped his Batarang. "But with that power, we've made a world where no eight-year-old boy will EVER lose his parents, because of some punk with a gun!"

Batman's face fell, his entire body went numb, and he felt incredibly sick. He had just been given the lowest of attacks, and the Lord knew it. However, Batman would not…could not…counter it. He hadn't the ability to do so. His brain was telling him to unleash the projectile from his grasp…that he could win this battle, but his limbs wouldn't respond to his commands.

The grip on his boomerang released, and it dropped off the cliff in front of him, clanging down behind the Lord. The opposing Batman whirled around, Batarang at the ready when he heard the noise. No…maybe the man knew where the Knight was all along. It didn't matter. The Lord looked at the object, making sure it wasn't a trick, a primed explosive. Satisfied that it wasn't, he looked up at the Dark Knight standing on the ridge with an emotion Batman couldn't place. Pity? Sorrow? Gratitude?

The Crusader's limbs still wouldn't respond, just dropping to his side, as he glared at the figure, who now had the upper hand. His brow furrowed in both anger and sadness, his jaw nearly trembling from the psychological backstab he had just received, before he let the hardest phrase he'd ever have to say come tumbling out of his mouth.

"You win."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The two Batmen stood by the surveillance computer, as an alarm went off on the upper left hand corner of the computer. The Lord pressed a button, showing a camera where the trouble was. "Your friends are tearing up Arkham," he announced.

He heard footsteps behind him and turned to find the Leaguer already heading for the Batmobile. "Then shouldn't we stop them?" he questioned, seeing the Lord stare at him inquisitively.

The two Batmen sat in the vehicle, driving down the street. The Lord Batman kept his eye upon the Leaguer, as he was reading the street signs, as if he didn't know exactly where he was going. "What's wrong?" he asked him.

"I can't believe this is Gotham…" Batman gaped. "Where's the litter?"

Lord Batman glanced over at him. "If you want respect for the major laws, you have to enforce the small ones."

The Lord Batman kept his gaze out the window, when suddenly, it seemed like everything started to slow down. He turned his gaze over to the hero, who kept his eyes out on the road. The vehicle then slowed to a stop.

"What are you doing?" Batman questioned.

Batman cocked an eyebrow at his counterpart, giving a look of mock surprise. "The small laws, remember?" he stated, matter-of-factly.

The Lord Batman's brow furrowed in annoyance at his mockery of his opinions and the law, but chose not to grace him with a reply. He turned his eyes forward on the road, when he heard something outside of the vehicle. His head swiveled over to the commotion, where an elderly-looking man in khakis and a blue sweat coat was arguing with a waiter at an outdoor restaurant.

"I'm not paying for this!" the customer growled. "Bad food, lousy service, and then you add up the check wrong!? Give me a break!!"

The waiter grinned smugly at him, and whispered, "Sir, you're disturbing the other customers."

"What!?" the man roared. "Look! Five and five make FIFTEEN!?" Unbeknownst to the man, a van with a police insignia had pulled up on the side of the road. The door to the van slid open, and two MPs walked out, one bearing a set of handcuffs.

The one without the cuffs placed his hand on the man's shoulder. "Could you come with us, please?"

"Get your hands offa…" He cut himself off with a gasp when he felt one of the cuffs click into place on his wrist, and saw the SWAT members. "Wait, I didn't mean it! I'm sorry!"

The policemen would hear none of the mans pleas for an apology and a second chance, as they led him into the armored van. The Lord Batman kept his gaze firm, but was somewhat appalled at what he saw just took place.

Batman sensed this moment of weakness, and took his chance. "They'd love it here, don't you think?"

The Lord Knight turned his gaze towards his black-caped driver. "Who?"

"Mom and Dad," he replied. His eyes furrowed. "They'd be so proud of you," he sarcastically added.

The Lord Batman knew that it was low, and he knew that it was delivered because of the statement he made at the end of their fight. But like that statement, the knowledge of it's reasoning didn't stop it from hitting hard and deep. He turned his face forward, his eyes narrowed darkly, and replied, coldly, "Just drive." Almost instantly, the light turned green, and the duo sped off towards Arkham.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Batman knew it would happen, even though he tried everything he could think of to prevent it. He couldn't find it within him to blame Lantern. If he had been in the same position, he didn't know if he could shoot a decisive blow on the one he cared for most, even if it was actually someone else. Besides, berating him about it at this juncture would do little to solve the matter at hand

However, that didn't make the situation any less problematic, now that the Justice Lords were freed from the electricity-filled cage. The Lord Hawkgirl had launched her mace at the console that controlled the voltage to the room and destroyed it, before the Crusader could do anything about it.

Lantern, to his credit, finally regained his bearings. These were the ones who injured his Hawkgirl, in the first place. He fired multiple shots at the Thanagarian, finally able to clip its wings with a glancing shot. The momentum from her flight took her straight into the wall and knocked the wind out of her.

She rebounded off the wall, attempting to get back into flight, but was unable to do so. J'onn lowered himself to her, and attempted to restrain her, so that she wouldn't be able to fight back when she did recover her wits, but suddenly heard a loud growl of an ancient Martian serpent. He whirled around, and saw the beast charge at him, though he knew that the Lord Martian must have changed itself. He, too, turned himself into a massive serpent, though his opponent had four arms while J'onn only amassed two. The creatures rose up and crashed into the ceiling, causing a large portion of it to collapse. Batman used the height of his agility and instincts to dodge the incoming blocks, finally able to get free from the danger. He realized this was no place for him, unless one of the Lords was forced to stay on the ground. He'd wait for his chance.

Lantern then flew to the entrance, ducking to the side. He pivoted in front of the smoking doorway, but was forced back into the wall by a massive beam of a Green Lantern's ring. Stepping out into view was the Lords' Lantern, glaring venomously at the Lantern who had just made an imprint of his body within the wall. He raised his arm, and willed an energy sword into existence, and dashed towards his opponent, stabbing the saber at the former marine. Lantern closed his palms around it an inch before his head was skewered and was able to redirect the makeshift blade into the wall beside him.

The smoke had almost cleared, now, and out came the Lords' Diana. The League's Diana threw her lasso around the anti-heroine and began to swing her up towards the ceiling. The Lords' Wonder Woman, however, had already grabbed a hold of the lasso and yanked it toward her. The female Leaguer went headlong into the awaiting high heel of the Lord, knocking her back towards the ground. Diana, however, recovered in time, as the Lord grabbed her head for a second attack, the League's Amazon threw a left and then a right, knocking her opponent away.

Batman was starting to get edgy. He wanted to help his companions in their fight, as, even Flash had used his talents to distract the Lord Superman, the last of the Justice Lords to exit from their trap. It was the first time that he ever was eager to go into battle, during a crime fight. And it was one of the few times he could do nothing.

Suddenly, he heard a crash nearby, and saw the lower half of the Lord Diana disappear beneath the hole. 'Diana!' he noted mentally, and hurried over to the gaping crater. He slowly lowered himself down via his grapple, and noticed that the Lord Diana was standing over something. The lower he got, the more the silhouette underneath her came into view.

'No…!' he thought, clenching his jaw. He dropped behind the fallen heroine, and inched up behind her. When he mused that he was close enough for an attack, he leapt at her, preparing to strike several pressure points to knock her unconscious.

If only it were that easy. The Lord Diana knew Batman as well as the League's Diana did, and whirled around, snatching his neck within her grasp, before he got near enough to touch her. Batman noticed that the Lords' Wonder Woman's face contorted in a ferocious rage, befitting a wild animal, at him, and could almost see unshed tears.

She launched him nearly 10 yards across the room, and he skidded a few yards more after the landing. Stunned, Batman rolled over to his side, gasping for air, and glancing at the Amazon. He saw her look back at the League's Wonder Woman with a look of something near…pity?

The Lord then picked up a massive piece of debris that fell with her and the League's Wonder Woman only minutes earlier, tossing another look that said, 'You'll thank me for this' at the Themysciran warrior, and advanced on the Dark Knight with her previous enraged gaze when she had ensnared him only a moment ago.. Batman attempted to move, but his limbs just wouldn't respond fast enough. He clenched his jaw as he watched his oncoming doom close in on him.

He then heard a whistling sound, like that of a Batarang, nearby. He cocked an eyebrow, and saw the Amazon turn a second before a gold discuss struck her square on the forehead, knocking the Amazon off her feet in a loud groan of pain. Batman rolled to his side to escape any glancing damage the falling warrior with the large rock could have done, before looking at the Amazon and nodding his gratitude.

Diana, however, was in no mood to chat, instead choosing to dash towards her target with a rage that seemed to match the Lords' when she prepared to strike the Crusader.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Lord Batman sat at his console, switching off the camera, sighing heavily. 'It had to be done…just like Luthor's assassination, this also was necessary.' He bit his lip to stop it from trembling. 'Why is it that I'm taking this so hard? I said that the sacrifice for the happiness of the people was always worth it. So why…?'

A loud crackling of electricity echoed throughout the cave. 'Right on schedule,' he told himself. He turned to see the former heroes drop in from the dimensional portal and onto the Batcave floor, obviously still weakened from the Power Disruptor's absorption of their powers.

"Welcome back," he greeted somberly, walking up to the five Lords.

"You…!" Superman howled, standing up on sheer will and launching a punch straight to the Bat's face. The Knight's face jerked to the side slightly, but it didn't deter him, turning his face back to the furious heroes. "How could you let them come back!? We nearly had begun to cleanse their world of crime! Everything that happens will be on your head, now!!"

"It wasn't our world to tamper with," the Crusader replied, simply. He felt pity for them, but, like all of his previous decisions, even the ones as a Justice Lord, he didn't regret them. 'Correction,' he reminded himself, 'all but one.'

"Bruce, we could have restored honor to their world!" Diana insisted. "You were willing to throw that away because you felt we shouldn't have tampered with their world!? Why build that portal in the first place!?"

"Look, I realize I deserve your contempt, but now's not the time for that," he informed them harshly. The other Lords' brows furrowed at him, at which he exhaled. "Look, you guys only have a little time in here, before you have to leave."

"What do you mean…?" John Stewart wondered fiercely.

The Lord Batman turned and walked over to the computer, turning back towards his comrades. "While you were gone, as I'm sure you've figured out, I eventually allowed the Justice League to return to their own time to fight you, and, hopefully, return you here. It was the only solution…the best solution."

"What do you mean 'the best solution'?" Hawkgirl asked, her anger fading gradually into curiosity.

Batman clicked a button, and a screen came up, blocked by the Lord Batman's body. "After I returned the Justice League to their time, I had asked their Batman to return you to our dimension, should they defeat you," he stated. "Meanwhile, I was busy at work helping to 'rebuild' our world, starting with this."

He turned away from the screen, revealing the headline on the Daily Planet website: Fall From Grace: The End of the Lords' Reign.

The five former heroes all gaped at the headline, unable to believe what they were witnessing. Superman growled in anger. "BRUUUCE!" he roared, charging towards the Dark Knight.

This time, the Bat didn't let him punch him, instead shoving a fist just underneath the ribs of the Kryptonian, knocking the wind out of the past-hero. "Don't tempt me, Kent," he savagely whispered.

"Our world…what will happen to it…?" the reporter gasped, the man was on the verge of tears. "You'll let it run amok again…let it destroy itself…!?"

"KENT!" the Bat roared, silencing the entire cave, even the bats, seemingly. "This is necessary. How long must our occupation go on? We keep saying 'It's only temporary', but when does that 'temporary' end? When we all perish? Or were you hoping Diana could keep it going for all eternity? This had to end, eventually, whether we ended it how I'll be doing it today, or with pointless bloodshed in the future."

"We could have kept the planet safe for all time, if only you'd…" the Kryptonian insisted.

"That might have been ok for now, but our 'assistance' would only end up repeating history!" the Bat snapped. "The history full of meaningless and endless battles!" The two heroes kept their gazes firm for another moment, before the Bat raised his hand to his cowl.

Diana noted that the Dark Knight's lip had been quivering involuntarily every so often, but now she noticed that it was continuous, and hadn't stopped for some time. She suddenly realized the Dark Knight was holding something back, and it wasn't just this argument he was having with Superman.

"Kent, tell me, how many more lives must suffer before it all ends?" he asked, slowly removing his cowl from his head. Clark's eyes narrowed back at the hero, as the Bat pulled it back all the way. The Kryptonian saw the full features of the normally stoic hero. "How many more times must I disrespect the memory of my Mother and Father?" the Dark Knight hoarsely inquired, tears soundlessly streaming down his cheeks.

The hero wiped his eyes with the back of his glove, turning back to the console, placing his hands onto the computer and leaning on it. Diana slowly walked up and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

He placed his hand on top of hers, and took it off of his shoulder, standing tall. "I don't deserve your pity," he somberly stated, having finally composed himself.

"Wait," J'onn said, "What happens to all of us?"

Bruce grinned. "Well…" he explained in a voice so hollow, that it didn't sound at all like his own. "The government proclaimed that the superheroes have all been allowed to live out their lives, unharmed, for the rest of the lives, if they continue their lives like normal people. It shouldn't be too hard for you, considering all of you have lost your powers."

"That doesn't sound like something that they will allow so easily," John stated. "How did you manage that?"

"Ah, always the perceptive one," the son of Thomas and Martha declared. "There were several prerequisites required before you were the Lords would be set free. First, the company Wayne Enterprises would be dissolved, and its technology and assets will be distributed amongst the government aid programs. Second, the Watchtower will be disabled. "And third…" The hero gulped, turning to face his comrades, "in order for his comrades to go free, the Justice Lord Batman will take his own life."

The eyes of the other members widened and their mouths dropped in shock. "You can't agree to that!" Hawkgirl insisted.

"I already did," he told her. "I showed them a video of the battle you had with the Justice League, so they know that you had all lost their powers. But I, having no powers to lose, technically haven't lost anything. In order to rectify that, well…"

"But they would have already taken your company!! Isn't that enough!?" John inquired fiercely.

"I'm the one who told them to make that last requirement," Bruce announced. "They originally had just wanted to put me on trial, but the end result would most likely have been death row or life in prison. Instead of going out on a note like that, I decided to go out on my own terms."

"But you could have hired the best lawyers…" J'onn mentioned.

"If I had won that case, do you think the rest of you would have been spared?" Bruce questioned. "At least, this way, they have no complaints."

"Bruce…" Clark started, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"There's no more time to argue, you all have to get out of here," Bruce stated. "I'm performing both of the final requirements at once. I'm crashing the Watchtower, here, on top of the Batcave. I promised to give them any technology that could help the world, but any technology found here will only give someone the urge to do what we did again."

"But…!"

He motioned them to the portal, before keying coordinates into it. The formerly green portal now turned into a purplish-blue. He walked through it, gesturing the others to follow him. They all reappeared out in the middle of a field, still within the site of Wayne Manor, but far enough away that there was no way they could be affected by the explosion.

The heroes all walked forward, away from the portal, and turned around, facing the de-cowled but Kevlar wearing Bruce Wayne. All the anger and rage that had been on their faces had long since transformed into sorrow. Bruce smiled a genuine smile at the group. "Well…I'm not good at these kind of things, but I suppose I better say something…"

The Bat sighed heavily, and looked up, noticing a growing object in the sky. The Watchtower. "I'll start with you, J'onn," he said. "When we first met, I'll admit I didn't know what to think. But I'll honestly say that there was no one who I would confide in that I was more sure that my secret would stay safe than you."

He turned and faced the Thanagarian. "Hawkgirl, I'm sorry that I ended up betraying you by allowing the League back into their time. But, I'm sure, in a while, you'll realize it was all for the best. You were always the most open with your feelings, and it was refreshing, in a way."

He glanced over at the marine, John Stewart. "John, it's good to know that you've found someone who will honor your existence the way you honor everyone else's. It was good to have someone else in the team I could trust in to hang back and give directions, when I couldn't be there.

He moved his head over to look at Superman. "Kent…despite our differences, I have nothing but the greatest respect for you. Although you probably think that you've fallen too far to come back, think bout the fact that the only life you've ever taken was President Luthor. I think that you probably are haunted by that, even to this day."

He finally glanced over at Diana, whose eyes were shining with the first tears she had since disowning her Amazoness ways and donning her new outfit. Bruce suddenly found himself unable to say anything, as the two just gazed upon each other for an unknown amount of time. "Diana…" Bruce began. He remembered watching her battle against the League and her pained look when she snatched the other Batman by the throat. He remembered the events of his resignation from the Lords, how much it had hurt her. He remembered her despair the weeks after Flash's demise over four years ago. He lowered his head, suddenly feeling unworthy to meet her gaze. "I'm sorry…for everything."

He raised his head, before finishing. "It's been an honor." He turned and walked into the portal, which vanished after he entered, thought Diana attempted to follow him for a step, Clark placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. The five remaining Justice Lords watched as the Watchtower slowly descended. It had deteriorated into only half of the satellite's actual size, but was still more than enough to, when it hit the ground, create a large force to obliterate the surrounding area.

The fortress touched down atop of Wayne Manor, creating an explosion with enough force to knock the five heroes off of their feet. After a few moments, the explosion subsided, though an enormous amount of dust had been kicked up.

Diana slowly crept to the edge of the crater, her site blurred by the water building up in her eyes. "Bruce…" she whispered. She dropped to her knees folding her arms across her chest, as her chest throbbed. "Bruce." she breathed again. Finally, she could no longer hold back the pain that racked her body, as tears began to stream down her cheeks. She leaned back and howled out, "BRUUUUUUUUCE!!!!"

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Batman was ferociously forced from his reverie, as he sat in the Meeting Room, with the rest of the League members discussing the recent events involving the Justice Lords. He felt his body grow heavy and go numb, as if from fatigue, and was wondering what it was he just saw. It was as if he had awoken from a nightmare, but then replayed the events of the 'dream' in his head, and realized the truth. 'That idiot…!' he angrily thought, clenching his fists.

"Batman…?" Superman's voice broke the hero's thoughts,

"What?" he said, quite a bit more venomously than he had intended. He cleared his throat when he saw the recoiling of his comrades, before restating his message, "What were you saying, Superman?"

"I was wondering what we should do with the Power Disruptor," he inquired, cocking an eyebrow in confusion at the sudden change of the hero's emotion. "Do you have any ideas?"

"I say we just destroy it," Flash stated. "Why keep something like that around, anyway?"

"We don't know what will happen, though," John stated. "All that power has been absorbed by that thing, it could create an enormous explosion."

"But we can't just leave it, and possibly allow someone else to get it!" Flash explained loudly.

"Maybe we can find a large area in space and set it to explode then?" Hawkgirl asked, her abdomen wrapped in bandages and her arm in a sling.

"We could try that," J'onn said. "We'll have to find a large enough space, though."

"I think we could find something," Superman stated, placing his hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Ok, who's got Monitor Duty, next?" Batman grunted in acknowledgement of the question. "Could you find somewhere in space to hold an explosion large enough to destroy a planet?"

"A planet!?"

"I'd rather not take any chances," Superman replied.

"Agreed," Batman nodded.

"All right, I think that's all for today," the Kryptonian noted. "I'm sure we all need a rest from…the recent events."

The members of the League slowly began to file out of the room, while Batman stood up and went to a console nearby, and typed in his combination. A compartment slid out, and he snatched the disc from it, to review anything he had missed from his daydreaming, earlier.

He turned around to exit the room, when he saw the Amazon Princess standing a few feet away from him. She was giving him a stare, but she stood slightly in the shadows, so he couldn't get a good view of her eyes, though her mouth was firm.

"You saw it, right?" she questioned, though it was more like a demand.

Batman wondered what he was talking about, but then figured the end of the Justice Lords. He nodded slightly, in response to the question. "I never thought that is how he would 'rebuild' their world," the hero replied, "but if it was the only way…"

The Amazon's mouth opened slightly, as though she was surprised at his answer. "You mean, you would do the same, if it was you?"

Batman considered her question for a moment, as she stepped closer to him. "If it was to save someone, even if it had to be all of you, I would gladly have done it," he informed the Princess.

She stepped closer again, she muttered something inaudibly. Batman raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "What did you say?" he wondered.

"I felt her pain…" she repeated quietly. "Her chest…her heart…her soul…it was like they were being ripped from her…" She was now within arms reach of him, but he still couldn't get a good look of most of her facial features, the he could feel something emanate from the female's body.

Batman swallowed hard, but kept his jaw firm. "I've always said that my happiness would be the last thing that I thought of. And that I would give my life in order to help others, if it would make them happy."

It was like a gunshot went off. He felt his head jerk to the side harshly from the slap she gave him. It definitely wasn't expected, and nearly knocked the Knight off balance. He brought his head back in line with the Amazon, but his jaw popped open slightly when he finally saw the Amazon's face which was now only a few inches from his face.

Her teeth were clenched, but it was in a way like she was holding something back. Her eyes were glistening with water, and were narrowed, in an intense combination of sorrow and anger. "And what about the people you'd leave behind!?" she howled at him. "What would you do about that!?"

Batman regarded her, but could not find an answer to her question. He remembered how he felt when he had thought that the Amazon was crushed under the weight of the missile in Gorilla City. He thought about Andrea Beaumont, and how he felt when she decided to leave him. He thought about all the times he was afraid someone else had taken the bullet in his place and froze. "I…" he whispered.

Diana's visage softened when it seemed her point had been driven home. "You're life is more precious to everyone than that, Bruce," she said, sadly. "You may sacrifice yourself for us, but how do you think we would feel if you did that? No matter how many demons one may be hiding, one's life is never worthless enough to be thrown away, like that. That's what you've taught me since I've been here." She finally allowed a few of the tears she'd been holding back to flow and did something else the Bat did not expect. She gently laid her arms around him and brought him into a hug placing her head upon his shoulder.

The hero tensed slightly, wondering how to react, before slowly slinking his arms around her in return. "I can't make I promise I may not keep…but know that I will try to not throw my life away…" the Knight said. "And that's all I can give."

Diana breathed heavily, but he felt her smile, over her shoulder. "Then that will have to be enough."

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I'm not sure I like or hate this chapter. It is long, though. oO; Definitely emotional. I hope that the…uhh…randomness wasn't too…bad. Read and review!