Chapter 8

Superman heard a click and looked down to see Batman's bat-symbol starting to glow red. "Bruce…" he said hesitantly, "I don't want to fight you." "Will you help me, Superman?" Batman asked him roughly. Superman looked at the president behind him. While he had committed criminal acts, he was still the president, and American laws were clear that there were certain protocols to be followed before he could be convicted of his crimes. Superman couldn't allow the world to see Batman harming one of their leaders. He sighed heavily and responded, "I won't." Batman nodded in acceptance. "Then if you won't stand with me… will you stand against me?" Superman knew that Bruce already had a plan to stop him, and he had a feeling about what sort of energy was building up in Bruce's bat-symbol on his chest. He had only one chance to win a fight here, so he took it. Stepping forward, Superman punched Batman in the face hard, and Bruce went flying through the office wall as well as the wall on the other side. Superman hated to hit his friend, but he knew that it was the only way to stop what Bruce was becoming. "I'm sorry, Bruce," he said, "but I guess I am standing against you." Superman turned to the president to grab onto him, but then something glowing red hit him in the back and sent him flying with a yell. Superman crashed into the Resolute desk and looked behind him. He was shocked to see Batman back on his feet, his bat-symbol returned to normal after discharging its blast at Superman. "Red solar light," Batman said. "Not much, but enough to weaken you for a more fair fight. I planned for every contingency before starting my newest crusade, Superman." Superman groaned as he lifted himself back to his feet. "How… How are you still standing? That punch should've been enough to knock anyone out," Superman said. Batman just smiled and answered, "I'm not anyone. I'm Batman."

Superman charged at Bruce, but he was unaccustomed to the new weakness of his powers, so he was much slower than he'd hoped to be, and Batman clotheslined him to the ground. It didn't take Superman long to realize that Batman wanted him to stay and fight. Like most of Batman's missions, he preferred to work at night. As that was the case here, the sun wouldn't be restoring Clark's powers any time soon. Batman had the advantage here, but Superman couldn't leave the president to his mercy, so he got back on his feet to continue fighting. "You know you'll lose here, Superman," Batman said as he circled calmly with Clark. "And you know that none of your weapons can hurt me," Clark challenged. Batman scoffed, "Come now, Superman, when have you ever known me to need weapons? Also, what makes you think that I want to HURT YOU?" As he yelled the last two words, Batman spun around and threw four batarangs from beneath his cape. Superman was unfazed. He was slower now, but he was still plenty fast enough for this. He effortlessly dodged two batarangs and caught the other two in his hands, saying, "Oh, I dunno. Just a hunch. Perhaps you're sending the wrong message when you're throwing your sharp blades of death at me." Batman scowled and said, "I send exactly what message I mean to." Superman was confused for a moment, but then he looked down in horror at the batarangs in his hands just as they emitted a blinding flash of light. He dropped them and stumbled back, temporarily blind, as Batman calmly approached him from in front. "You see, Superman," Batman's voice said, "why should I take your incredible senses from you? They are my weapons. I can overwhelm them and leave you crippled in agony, and you get to keep your treasured powers. Don't worry, Superman. I'll make sure that my prison has a system for conjugal visits." At the reference to his wife, Superman's eyes went wide and he fired off into the sky. Batman smiled on the ground and pulled up the HUD in his cowl. "Computer, revoke Superman's access to Justice League communications. Then, contact the Justice League." The computer did as he said and established a line to the JL for Batman. "Justice League, I need you to listen very carefully…"

Superman flew immediately from the fight up to the Watchtower. Bruce didn't know it, but what he was doing was insane. Perhaps even more terrifying than the fact that Bruce was doing this was that he still thought himself the hero, and that simple fact made him infinitely more dangerous. Clark would need reinforcements to take Batman down quickly. He flew into the Watchtower and found the Justice League gathered. "Guys, thank Rao you're all here! We need to do something about Bruce." The Justice League looked shocked. Cyborg leaned forward and asked him,"What do you mean?" "Okay, so Bruce found out that the President of the United States is the one that kidnapped Alfred, and now he's trying to arrest him!" Superman explained, then winced as he realized the weakness of his argument. Wonder Woman stood up and placed her hands on the table. "If that's true, then the president hired a supervillain to kidnap Batman's father figure. He is not exempt from the laws he swore to uphold. Why would we try to stop him?" Superman looked at her in confusion. "Really, Diana? I thought that you of all people would realize that what's happening here, what Bruce is doing, is wrong! There are laws, and Batman can't just go outside the law-" "But we do it all the time," Hal argued. "The Justice League goes where we're needed, and now Batman has shown us that with our power, we don't have to accept the limits that others put on us. I am the protector of the sector, and Bruce is right. As its protector, I can go where I wish and do what I must, and the same goes for all of us. We shouldn't have to ask for permission to save lives." Clark shook his head, "Those are Bruce's words, not yours, Hal." "He's not wrong," Barry joined in. "How many people have died without our even knowing or caring, innocent people suffering just because the Justice League was told to stay out of it?"

Superman took a deep breath. "Look, I understand that all of you have concerns. And I can't deny that the world seems safer, but look at the big picture. What will happen to innocent people if we force peace on them instead of letting them choose it?" "They'll be alive." "They'll be afraid." Just then, Clark ran out of time as Bruce teleported into the Watchtower. Superman looked at him sadly and tried to get through to his friend one last time. "Bruce, please. Whatever Joker did, you can't release your pain onto the-" The President is locked up in the Hall of Justice," Batman interrupted. "He'll be tried and punished for his crimes, just like everyone else, Clark." Superman sighed again and said, "Then I'm sorry, Bruce. Justice League, get him!"

What happened next was so pitiful, one would assume that Clark couldn't possibly be the real Superman. Superman expected the entire Justice League to back him up, but as he moved to punch Bruce in the jaw, no one moved with him. Still, he should've been able to defeat Bruce on his own, yet Bruce simply caught his punch in one hand and twisted it painfully sideways, causing Clark to groan in pain before Bruce kicked him in the side and sent him flying onto the ground. Clark looked back at Bruce, wondering how he could've caught his punch despite Clark having recovered his strength, and was shocked to see that Bruce… was flying, his eyes glowing red under his mask. "How… The platinum kryptonite," Superman realized. Bruce nodded. "Your powers always were some of the strongest in the universe, Clark. You gave me the opportunity to gain those same powers with a single touch, but I held back before because I was afraid of what I would do if I were as strong as you. I'm not afraid anymore, and this world will still need a Superman after you're gone. Now stand down. I have more kryptonite variants, one of which will depower you permanently." Clark glared at the other Justice League members and asked, "You all are going along with this madness? Even with him gaining my powers to use to subjugate the world?" The rest of the Justice League just stared at him or looked down at the table. Truth be told, some of them had questions or concerns about these new developments, but not one of them was willing to challenge Batman after learning of his new powers. Besides, he was only going to use them to save the world, right?

"I don't need these powers to control the human race, Clark. I only need them to quickly subdue dangerous threats like you before anyone else gets hurt. The rest of the world doesn't need to know about my new abilities. For the most part, I am still going to be effectively human." Clark looked at Bruce with horror, realizing that he was way out of his depth, and so was the world. If Bruce didn't even let people know how strong he truly was, the world would fight him without even knowing that they could never win. They could fire a missile at him and not know that they'd be getting a bulletproof Kryptonian warhead in return. And Bruce was right, he didn't need powers to control the humans. Clark would be surprised if Bruce didn't have some secret plan to take control of all technology on Earth. Where was Lex Luthor when Clark needed him? Oh right, Lex was probably sleeping soundly in Metropolis right now, completely unaware that his best friend was being taken down by Batman right now. Clark tried to get up, but a second later, Flash was behind him and his arms were restrained by kryptonite cuffs. Clark looked around the room and sighed in defeat as he was taken away to be locked up by his friends.