Chapter Five

To be completely honest, I didn't want to fight Batman.

I suppose now, in retrospect, I should have known better than to even accept his challenge.

I should have knocked him unconscious and kept him in the Fortress for a month of two.

I could have asked Hal send him to Oa. I'm sure the Guardians could keep him under control for a little while.

I chuckled slightly to myself. Not a single option would work.

Bruce would have found a way to escape from the Fortress of Solitude, probably finding a way to dismantle my security system with a MacGyver-ed combination of a shoelace and a computer wire.

And he probably would have ambushed an unsuspecting Green Lantern and stolen his power ring.

And the last thing I needed was a drug-crazed Batman with a Green Lantern's power ring.

I sat in the library waiting for the grandfather that served as the entrance to the cave to show that twenty minutes had passed. While I was waiting, I began to worry.

I can't really explain it, and I know it sounds ridiculous, but I was a little nervous about fighting Bruce.

I know, I know… I'm Superman, and he has no powers.

Bruce has studied me. He knows my strengths, my weaknesses, my fighting skills, and my power levels. He knows everything he needs to know to destroy me.

But still, he isn't himself right now.

I couldn't handle the waiting any longer. I gazed up at the clock once more.

Five minutes left. Why not?

I stood up and walked over to the clock. I turned the hands of the clock until it read 10:47 and flew down the staircase to the Batcave's main floor.

I landed and looked over at the man who at once was of noble intentions, and I stood ready to fight.

"Are you ready, Clark?" he asked as he put on his under-sized trenchcoat.

He was wearing his Batman pants and his utility belt. He pulled out a Batarang.

I nodded.

"Then come and get it!"

I figured it would be best to end it quickly, so I flew towards him. He threw the Batarang towards me while I was in the air.

I tried to use my heat vision to deflect the projectile, but it suddenly quit working. The Batarang continued its path until it hit my shoulder. I soon became nauseated and felt intense pain all throughout my body. I fell to the cold ground of the Batcave.

Bruce smiled with satisfaction.

"It only takes a little bit doesn't it, Clark?"

Kryptonite. I should have guessed.

He calmly walked towards me and picked up the projectile that had landed near my feet. "I hid a small amount of Kryptonite in this Batarang," said Bruce, triumphantly.

He sat down next to me and began to play with the Kryptonite filled Batarang, twirling it between his fingers.

He smiled as he looked down on me.

"I had figured you would expect Kryptonite in our little fight, so I thought I'd hide some from you…"

I actually expected him to fight fairly…

My muscles tightened in pain. Bruce placed the small rock of Kryptonite about fifteen feet away from me—non-lethal range, but still rather painful.

With all my remaining strength, I pressed the alert button on my Justice League communicator.

As I blacked out, I saw Bruce throw a few pills into his mouth and exit the Cave.