Chapter 6

Flash, Cyborg, and Superman were all on the Watchtower discussing the recent events. Flash was looking out the window at the Earth below when Superman asked from his chair, "Where's Diana?" "She's with Bruce, Hal, and Billy, ending the war in Afghanistan," Cyborg responded as he worked on circuits inside his arm. Superman scowled and said, "I don't like it." Flash looked at him and asked, "What do you mean?" Superman looked surprised. "Well, think about it, Barry," he said impatiently. "Bruce is trying to enforce worldwide peace, and he's pulled the entire Justice League into it." Cyborg, still not looking up from his work, responded, "Well, not all of us. J'onn hasn't been seen since the conference, even though Bruce keeps asking for him. Several more members haven't reported in, but that's no problem yet. They haven't yet been called on, and they're probably just busy enforcing the new rules in their own cities. I know that at least Green Arrow says that he'll be needing a fair bit of time to clear Star City of guns, even with Dinah's help." Superman nodded, but he still held out hope that not everyone was entirely on board with this plan. The next second, Barry was standing next to him, and Flash told him, "Look at the facts, Clark. Crime has fallen significantly all across the globe since Bruce's announcement. By the end of the week, thousands of displaced people in Afghanistan will be back in their homes thanks to what our guys are doing there now." Clark nodded in agreement, but internally, he was torn between support for his friend and the different direction of his own moral compass. He got up from his chair and walked out of the room. He needed to go see his wife and parents. Only they could help him with his conflicting emotions.

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In the Batcave, Damian Wayne sparred with Dick Grayson until Dick managed to trip him with his staff. "What did you do wrong?" Dick asked. "Legs," Damian growled out. Dick nodded, "Yes, legs, but why? It's because you're going too hard. You keep going for the killing blow, Damian, aiming for crippling points, and that exposes your next move. You're trying to hurt me, which I'm trying not to take personally, but your enemy has sticky-outy bits that are easier to reach. It's not all about the body and head. Not only that, but they may have bad circumstances that made them the way they are. Some of them deserve a second chance. Second chances are harder with severe brain injuries." Dick turned away as he said that last sentence, and Damian used the chance to throw one of his sticks at Dick's head. Dick sensed it coming just in time and brought his hand up to catch it before it could hit his head. He then smiled at Damian and asked, "Sore loser much?" Damian huffed in annoyance but then froze as he heard his father's voice above him. "Watch that temper, Damian," Buce said as he jumped down from the ceiling, "or you might end up causing more damage than you want to. If Dick hadn't caught that… how would you feel if you killed him?" Damian immediately sobered up and bowed to Bruce. "I will do better, Father." Bruce nodded and turned to his adopted son. "And Dick… Damian's not wrong to aim for critical points, take his enemy down as quickly as he can."

Dick glared at Bruce and said, "That's all well and good. Trust me, I'm all for taking out the bad guys quickly. What isn't okay is brutalizing someone. If you leave a bruise, if you even spill a little blood to take them down, that's okay. But it stops being okay when the guy is left as a bloody heap on the floor, when your enemies become your victims." Bruce nodded in agreement and walked past the two of them to his Batcomputer. Dick and Damian began to get back into battle stance, but they both looked over as they saw Alfred approach Bruce at the computer. "Actually, Master Bruce, if I might have a word with you," Alfred said, and both Damian and Dick turned to watch the unfolding event. "What is it, Alfred?" Bruce asked patiently. "Sir, if I may, I think that your recent course of action is… rather shortsighted." Everyone in the cave was silent for a moment. "Shortsighted?" Bruce laughed. "No, Alfred, it's just the opposite. It's a long-term development. For the first time, I'm taking my crusade worldwide." "That isn't what's happening here, sir," Alfred argued. "All you're going to do is oppress them, make people afraid." Damian decided to intercede. "What my father is doing is making criminals afraid! It's what he's done since the beginning! Now, it's just bigger!" Dick argued back with him, "No, Damian, Alfred's right. Batman never fought to impose an iron thumb. He was never supposed to be the heavy hand that falls on anyone that steps out of line. If we go down this path, where does it stop? Think about it. The first step on this path takes away people's free will, their choice." "Their choice to harm others, Dick. I thought I taught you better than this," Bruce said disapprovingly. Dick was hurt but argued, "You did. You taught me that lawbreakers should receive justice, not punishment." "Sometimes, they are one and the same." "How does that even-"

"Enough!" Alfred said. He looked at Bruce and said, "Clearly, my disapproval of your actions is a larger argument than I, nor, I imagine, any of you, want to deal with right now. Still…" Alfred looked at Bruce with disappointment, a look that nearly broke Bruce's heart, and said, "Know this, Master Bruce. The road you now travel is a slippery slope indeed. If anyone can hold on, it'd be you, but I fear that you may have finally met your match in yourself. I cannot stop whatever decision you may make, and I will never abandon you. Still, despite your age I still call you 'Master'. Keep in mind that no one else feels that obligation, and they certainly ought not to at any time in the future." Having said his piece, Alfred walked out of the cave, leaving all those inside in silence to ponder over his words.

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Wonder Woman watched as a long line of soldiers were forced to march out of Afghanistan. These soldiers, until recently, had refused to follow Batman's order to remove themselves from the area, trying to continue their war. Several members of the Justice League, including Batman himself, had gone to stop the violence. Still, the soldiers had put up a fight, and Diana had felt liberated to release some of her anger on the men that so desperately sought war. During the battle, she had mostly dealt with the heavy artillery, including slashing jets from the sky and- "Did you headbutt a tank in that battle?" came a voice from behind Diana. She turned quickly while drawing her sword, but stopped upon seeing that it was her half-brother Ares, the god of war. "Ares," Diana spat at him as she released her weapons. "Sometimes peace needs to be fought for. Now, I certainly hope you're not here for a rematch. While I would happily meet your challenge, the Batman has called for a cease to all hostilities in the world." "So I've heard," grumbled the dark god. Diana wondered what his intentions were, but when she figured it out, she laughed. "You're afraid, aren't you?" she asked. Ares' red eyes narrowed. "Afraid? I? I, Ares, have never been guilty of the crime of fear in all my immortal existence," he said. Diana shook her head in response. "No, you are afraid. If Batman succeeds, and all his plans succeed, then you will be nothing. You will be powerless." Ares clenched his teeth and asked, "You fight beside the Batman. You believe in his cause?" Wonder Woman rolled her eyes. "Of course I do."

Ares walked up beside her and watched the soldiers walking away, dragging their wounded on stretchers. Many had been wounded in this battle, not so many by their enemies as by the superhumans who arrived to stop both sides. "Selina Kyle, the Batman's lover, was in Gotham," Ares informed Diana. "Will you attempt to take her place? Will you lie in his bed?" Wonder Woman didn't meet his eyes, merely responding with, "Batman's heart is… fragile. More so than most. He's lost much, so he hides his heart away. He does not open up to people often. In fact, I've only ever once seen him cry despite all the agony he has gone through in the time we've known each other, and that was when his friend and city died by his hand. None of us can imagine what that was like… but he seems to trust me, at least somewhat. I know that I trust him, perhaps more than I trust anyone else. So… I will let him grieve. If he will not, I will help to ensure that he does anyway. He is the strongest and most incredible man I have ever known, but he's incredibly stubborn. After that, I will be whatever he needs me to be."

She turned to him and glared. "But you're not here to discuss Batman's broken heart. You fear this union. You are afraid that Batman will succeed in eliminating you and your power. What becomes of a god of war in a world without conflict? Maybe you could become the god of something else, something less destructive. Say it with me. 'I am the dreaded Ares, god of ponies!'" Ares got right in Diana's face and growled, "Be mindful how you speak to me, Amazon." He grabbed Diana by the throat and lifted her into the air. "You made a mistake to insult me here, in a recent warzone, daughter of Themyscira," Ares growled. "In this wasteland, I am as powerful as I have ever been! You cannot challenge… What is this?" As he ended his sentence, Ares looked down to see thin green wisps floating along his arms. Within the next second, he was forced to release Wonder Woman as a glowing green sarcophagus formed around his body, trapping his arms in place. Immediately, Ares began to struggle, but his godly strength was weakened by their awkward positioning across his chest, like being in a straitjacket. Wonder Woman smiled at him as Green Lantern floated down beside her, his ring glowing with power. "You're right to fear Batman, Ares," Wonder Woman told the war god. "He told us to wait here, that you would be along soon enough. He wanted us to warn you to stay out of his way." "Impossible!" Ares growled. "No mere mortal can predict me! I do as I please!" Green Lantern scoffed with his arms folded across his chest and said, "Trust me, the guy may be mortal, but there's nothing 'mere' about him."

Lantern's construct began to crack from Ares' strength, and Diana walked forward before impaling her sword through the construct and through Ares' back. "Diana!" Lantern exclaimed, immediately dissolving his construct around Ares. "Relax. Gods don't die so easily," Diana said, uncaring for Ares' pain. Green Lantern looked uncertainly at Ares and asked, "Do gods still feel pain?" "Not the same as mortals," Diana answered, "but still, I imagine that impaling one through their spinal column will sting quite a bit." Diana and Hal took off into the sky, leaving Ares to pull himself off the ground, wincing in pain. If indeed the Batman had been able to predict his presence here, then he was a considerable danger to Ares. Ares was a proud warrior, but he wasn't a foolish one. If he was going to battle an adversary like Batman, he would need time and patience, along with cunning. This was especially so with Princess Diana working alongside him. One thing that the Justice League had never truly understood was that Diana was a killer, born and raised. Ares doubted that she would've really cared if he had been mortal when she stabbed him, and if Wonder Woman could remove Batman's restraint… Ares shuddered at the thought of Batman as a merciless killer. He knew that it was foolish of him to fear a mortal, but Batman was unlike any mortal that he had ever seen. Still, Ares had to find a way to stop him, lest he succeed and Ares should indeed lose all his power, for what would he be then? "Ponies…" Ares groaned as he hauled himself to his feet.