He became loved around the world. When something went wrong, Superman was there to save the day. As the Man of Steel, he travelled the world, performing impossible feats. The people would cheer as he flew past. As the months went by, Superman became more than an icon. He appeared at events for charity, talked about real dangers in schools and even gave a speech at the United Nations.
As Clark Kent, he continued to work alongside Lois Lane, investigating the life of Lex Luthor who, thanks to Superman, was in the middle of a highly publicised trial. Lois and Clark became close friends and Clark couldn't help but fall in love with her. There was a problem though, while Lois had grown closer to Clark, she had fallen for someone else. Lois loved Superman and Clark knew that he could never tell her who he really was, or reveal his feelings to her, fearing the consequences and dangers if anyone found out.
Superman was the world's greatest hero. But he wasn't the only one dedicated serving and protecting humanity. In Central City, a man known as The Flash sped through the streets, fighting crime and rescuing anyone in need of his help. From the realm of Themyscira, Wonder Woman emerged as another protector, even being appointed to an ambassador to the United Nations. From deep in space, a group created protectors from many worlds, including Earth. Those who showed true qualities of courage and honour were chosen to become Green Lanterns.
Superman encountered many of these heroes as he flew around the world. But there was one, someone who didn't seem to share his values and methods. In Gotham City, Superman came across the man citizens called the Dark Knight. His name…Batman.
Issue #11 – WORLDS FINEST
Gotham City:
"Well here we are…I can't believe how big this place is. There must be over a hundred rooms…"
"Sometimes I don't get you Clark. We've got Superman flying around saving the world but you're more impressed by a silver spoon-fed rich guys stately home…"
Lois and Clark looked out through the window of a limo as it pulled up to the door of Wayne Manor. It's owner, Bruce Wayne, had agreed to an interview with them following Wayne Enterprises withdrawal from LexCorp's proposal to share the cost, and therefore the profits of the new energy grid.
As they got out of the car, they were greeted by a man who looked like he had been out all night, probably partying with his billionaire friends. He extended his hand, smiling confidently as he shook first Lois' then Clark's hand.
"Bruce Wayne…and you are…Lois Lane right?"
"Yes…and this is Clark."
"Ah yes…Clark Kent…I've been reading your articles on the Lex Luthor trial…I must say it makes interesting reading…although I'm not sure you can put Harvey Dent's downfall down to him."
"Well…what do you make of it? He's drafted in from Gotham to lead the case against Luthor, goes home during a two week recess and re-emerges as Two-Face, vowing revenge on the Batman."
"Harvey…we were friends. He helped me with a lot of legal issues for Wayne Enterprises…what happened to him was tragic…but I don't think Lex Luthor was involved."
"Really…" Lois interrupted, "There is a rumour that you dropped out of the LexCorp dead because of Dent's accident and you blamed Luthor."
"That's not the case at all…look come inside, both of you. Alfred here makes a great…everything really. He's like a master chef…except he does the dishes too."
Lois and Clark gave each other a quick glance. Bruce Wayne seemed like the typical spoiled rich kid to them. They were there for an interview and as they followed Bruce and his butler inside the huge house, they braced themselves for hours of skiing stories and anecdotes about his time at prep school.
Gotham Police Department Headquarters:
Commissioner Jim Gordon sat in his office alone, talking on the phone as one of his lieutenants came in, forcing him to signal to the cop to wait as he said goodbye to his daughter.
"Listen sweetie, I'm not sure I want you in a situation like that…yeah I know you say you'll be perfectly safe, but one misplaced kick could…well all martial arts can be dangerous Barbara and no it's not the same as flipping around on those bars in gym…we'll talk about it when I get home alright…I dunno when…no you…. alright, but you're not staying up all night eating pizzas and watching movies…I gotta go, duty calls…. I'll see ya soon…"
As he hung up the phone, Gordon signalled to the cop to come in and sit down.
"What's up? Any luck on locating the Joker?"
"No boss, he seems to have gone underground. We have another problem though. We're getting reports of a man terrorising women all over the city…we can't get a lead on him."
"Alright…go up on the roof and turn the signal on…I'll be up in a minute…we really need to stop depending on that guy, I think the more times we call for his help, the sloppier our work becomes…"
Wayne Manor:
"Look Miss Lane…Lex Luthor is a shrewd business man. But with this trial going on, I don't want my company involved with LexCorp…the courts may decide that he's innocent but for now I have to act in Wayne Enterprises best interests…"
"Alright then. Let's talk about something of real interest to our readers…the mysterious Batman…the guy hangs around on the rooftops of Gotham like he's stalking the city…he's no Superman is he…"
"Well I know that you two are the authority on Superman, and I must agree, while he's always open about who he is and where he's from, Batman is nothing more than a masked vigilante…though he has done a lot of good in the city."
"He does seem to like taking the law into his own hands though…"
"That's the impression a lot of people get Clark, but he does work closely with the police. You'd never see me jumping across rooftops like that though, I prefer relaxing on a beach in Fiji or skiing down the Alps."
Clark's attention was elsewhere as he looked out of the window, noticing the now darkened sky being lit up by a bright light, forming a familiar shape.
"Wow…the um…bat signal right?"
Bruce followed Clark's gaze and saw the signal in the sky, knowing instantly that he would have to get his guests out of the way so he could leave.
"Yeah that's it. I didn't realise it was so late…tell you what, why don't you two stay here tonight, Alfred will show you to your rooms…I have a few friends at the police department, so why don't I go give them a call and find out what's going on…who knows, you might leave Gotham with an interesting story after all…"
As Alfred ushered the reporters to their rooms, Bruce stared out of the window for a moment, looking at the bat signal, before rushing to his private study, activating a secret switch that opened a hidden panel in the wall.
Clark Kent said goodnight to Lois, he went into his room and headed straight for the window. He didn't know what to do. He had a mission to protect the planet from disasters as well as stopping criminals but there was already a protector in Gotham. As he contemplated what he should do, his ears picked up a faint rumbling sound, coming from somewhere in the house. As he listened, trying to pinpoint the origin, the sound began to fade as if moving away from the mansion.
He thought nothing of it and decided to fly into the city, even just to watch Batman in action. He changed quickly, taking just a moment to be revealed in his familiar blue suit as he opened the window and flew out towards Gotham.
A man ran through the back alleys of Gotham, being chased by a shadow. He had a gun in his hand, firing wildly into the night. Clearly out of breath, he refused to stop, afraid of the consequences if he did. He turned, seeing nothing, hoping that he had escaped. Slowing to a walking pace, the man began to laugh, confident that he had gotten away. His sense of security was shattered though as he walked straight into the oncoming fist of the Dark Knight, knocking him to the ground.
He tried to crawl away, reaching for his gun. He looked up and aimed, finding nothing there. The only sound in the alleyway came from his lungs as he struggled to take in air. From behind him, the man felt a hand touch his shoulder. He turned, again finding nothing.
"B…Batman…Batman…where are you?"
"…What's wrong? Afraid?" The voice seemed to come from all around as the thugs senses tried to interpret what was happening.
"If you're gonna take me to the cops then just get it over with…"
"Why would I want to do that…I want information…"
Out of the corner of his eye, the man saw a dark figure standing in the shadows. He raised his gun and fired, watching as the figure slumped to the ground. He turned to leave, but against his better judgement he went back to check that Batman was dead. He found nothing. No body, no trace of blood…no clue that anyone had even been standing in that spot.
The thug was afraid for his life now. He began to run again as fast as his shaking legs would carry him. He was out of luck though as the path he took led him to a dead end. His eyes were drawn upwards, spotting a figure on the roof above. He began to fire his gun again. The bullets sped through the air having no effect as they bounced off the figure, who descended slowly to the ground.
The gun suddenly became hot in the man's hand as the figures eyes seemed to glow like a flame. The thug had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things, shocked at who stood in front of him.
"S…Superman?"
He backed away slowly unsure what to make of what was happening as he felt something at his back. Turning, he saw the one who had been chasing him, Batman. The Dark Knight stared at Superman, wondering what he was doing in Gotham.
"Great…the boy scout…what do you want?"
"Just curious…need any help?"
"No. I know how to handle guys like this…just stay out of my way."
Kal-El grinned and stood back, his arms folded as he watched Batman in action. The Dark Knight, grabbed the thug, lifting him up and pinning him against the wall.
"You're all mine…now I know you've been terrorising women across the city, causing them to burst out in uncontrollable laughter. Two have already laughed themselves to death…so you're going away for a long time…but I want to know where you got the laughing gas…where is Joker?"
"I…I…can't tell you…he'll kill me…"
"I'll kill you…"
Superman watched, concerned at Batman's willingness to intimidate and use fear against criminals. Batman's specially made grappling hook shot up into the air and in a flash the thug and Batman were high up on the rooftop, the thug hanging upside down over the edge.
"Now I'm gonna ask you one more time…where is Joker? Don't think I won't drop you…this isn't good cop – bad cop…there is no good cop here…"
"I…I dunno where he is I swear…"
"The ground looks real hard…I think you head will probably crack if I let you fall."
Batman loosened his grip, letting the thug slip through just a little bit, just to make him believe that Batman would let him fall. He was sweating, his entire body shaking in fear.
"Alright…alright…I don't know where he is now…but I know where he will be…"
"WHERE!"
"At…at…a…a warehouse down at the dock…pier 19…"
"Are you lying to me?"
"What? No…no…it's where he's manufacturing the gas…he'll be there at sunrise…"
Batman saw the fear in his eyes. He was telling the truth. He heard sirens in the distance. After finding the thug, he had tipped off the police and now they were on their way to arrest him. As he prepared to let him down, he glance towards the ground where Superman was standing and watching, obviously not comfortable with his methods.
"Hey Superman…catch."
Grinning, he released the thug, who fell towards the ground rapidly. Kal-El leapt into action, flying to catch the thug. As they touched back down, Superman noticed bars unhinged from a window and bent one of them around the thug, tying him up as the police came. As he secured the thug, he flew up onto the roof to confront Batman.
"What were you thinking? It's not your job to be judge, jury and executioner…"
"So the high and mighty Superman doesn't approve of me. My job is to protect the good people of Gotham from the criminals and the corrupt."
"By giving them nightmares?"
"Relax Boy Scout…I knew you'd catch him…and I don't answer to you…now stay out of my way."
As Batman disappeared into the shadows, Superman was left standing on the rooftop, contemplating what had just happened. Batman seemed to be walking the thin line between hero and villain, even acting like the thugs he was supposed to be stopping.
As Clark flew back to Wayne Manor, he began to wonder if the Dark Knight really was the hero everyone was making him out to be. Changing his clothes, he decided to get a few hours sleep before going to the warehouse the thug had mentioned. He knew that Batman would be there and he wanted to make sure that things didn't get out of hand.
Bruce Wayne removed the cowl from his head, and sat down in front of a supercomputer, analysing satellite images of Gotham, zooming in on the warehouse. On another screen, he checked the surveillance camera footage of Wayne Manor. It had become a habit…every night he would watch, ensuring that nothing suspicious was going on that would jeopardise his secret identity. What he saw surprised him.
Bruce replayed it over and over. A blur streaking across camera…it wasn't even a second long. He slowed the image down and enhanced it but he still couldn't see it clearly. Slowing it even further, he noticed a man in mid air, his arms outstretched…Superman.
He was flying into the room that Clark Kent was staying in. It didn't make any sense to him at first, then as he checked the footage from earlier on, just after Bruce had left the mansion to find the thug, he saw Superman again, this time emerging through the window from Clark's room. Then it dawned on him.
"Alright Mr. Kent…let's see what you're hiding."
On a hunch, Bruce brought up an archive photo from one of the first editions of the Daily Planet to feature Superman, then, using earlier surveillance footage of Clark arriving at Wayne Manor with Lois, he compiled a picture and began to merge the two.
He ran a face scanning program, comparing things like nose with and position, the shape of the eyes, cheek bones…before finally using old fashioned cut & paste, taking Clark's glasses and hair and moving them to the image of Superman.
"I don't believe it…So Mr. Kent…you have a secret…"
Clark woke up an hour before dawn. Turning on the T.V. he waited for news reports to come on watching and breathing a sigh of relief that nothing had happened while he was asleep that only Superman could handle. It was a big fear for Clark, the thought of not being there when he was needed the most.
Underneath, Bruce Wayne was putting on the dark suit he used to become Batman. As he prepared to leave, he glanced back at the compiled image of Superman, unsure what to do with the information he had acquired. Climbing into the iconic Batmobile, he started the powerful engines and sped through and out of the cave, heading towards Gotham.
Clark had heard the engines…it was the same sound he had heard earlier in the night. His eyes focussed through wood and concrete, until his vision showed him a cave underneath the house. Curious, he flew out of the window and followed the cave until he reached an entrance, two miles away from Wayne Manor.
Kal-El decided to see what was inside the cave, flying in through the entrance and following a long tunnel. When it opened out into the cavern he'd seen under the house, Clark was shocked. The cave was littered with all kinds of computers, vehicles and weapons, as well as a storage chamber that contained an array of suits with the symbol of a bat on them.
On a screen, Kal-El saw a compiled image of Clark Kent and Superman. It was then that he realised…Bruce Wayne was Batman and he knew Clark's secret. What Clark didn't know was that Bruce was watching him from a monitor in the Batmobile. He had been alerted to an intruder alarm from inside the cave. Now it was obvious…they both knew the secret the other had been hiding. The only question was which one of them would call the other on it first.
Pier 19:
Batman waited, perched on a support beam just below the ceiling, watching as a gang of thugs loaded canisters of the Joker's gas into trucks. Removing a small camera from his belt, he began taking pictures, making sure to take one of the Joker holding one of the canisters. He had the proof he needed.
"Gotcha…"
He threw at bat-shaped blade at the fuse box, cutting the power and forcing the lights to go out. The Dark Night made his move. Using the confusion, he slipped down onto the floor and began taking down the thugs. When the lights were restored, half of the gang were on the floor, unconscious. The Joker knew instantly what was happening.
"Is that you Bats? Come to crash the party?"
He laughed as he searched the room, his eyes watching for any sign of movement. His gang were busy arming themselves, ready to shoot at anything that moved.
"Come on out and play…always picking on poor Joker…all I ever did was tried to make you laugh, was that so bad?"
He laughed again, his mind succumbing to the insanity of the situation. From the shadows, Batman emerged, punching through one of the thugs before turning swiftly with a heavy kick to another. The Joker just stood and laughed as he tried to fight his way towards him.
As Batman grew closer, Joker stepped back towards the trucks, smiling as another group of his thugs emerged holding assault rifles.
"When you gotta go, you gotta go…and I really gotta go…"
The thugs opened fire, unafraid to hit their own men as they tried to kill the Dark Knight. Bullets sped towards their target…and disappeared. Joker was confused, as was Batman but their questions were soon answered as they heard a voice coming from behind Joker.
"Looking for these?"
Superman was there, opening his hand out, letting bullets fall to the ground.
Joker looked shocked, then he frowned and smiled. His psychotic nature causing him to see the situation as a fun game even as Superman darted around the room at high speed, removing the guns from the thugs hands, bending and breaking them apart before stopping next to Batman.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I don't need anyone to fight my battles…"
"Your welcome…"
Joker just stared at them, totally bemused. His plans had been ruined but he decided to make the best of the situation.
"Superman and Batman…Batman and Superman…so which one of you is the sidekick?"
Clark and Bruce glanced at each other before turning back to Joker, giving him a stern look.
"Aww…come on…that was hilarious. You heroes have no sense of humour…"
Joker walked cautiously towards Superman, a big grin on his face as he looked around the warehouse, his gang deserting him and making a break for it. They ran to the door and fled outside, only to find the police waiting. Meanwhile Joker was trying to figure a way out of his predicament.
"Alright, alright…I surrender…"
Batman knew what Joker was going to do and went to warn Superman, but he stopped when he saw Joker spray acid on Kal-El's face from the flower on his jacket, only to find the Man of Steel wipe it off, unharmed.
"Was that supposed to hurt?"
"Funny…you know you guys are no fun at all."
Joker began to laugh again only to be silenced quickly as Batman swung out and punched him, knocking him out. Superman looked at the Dark Knight, still concerned at his use of violence.
"Was that really necessary?"
"Yes. Nobody should have to listen to his lame jokes…"
As the Joker and his thugs were led away by the police, Batman and Superman faced each other. If anyone had been watching, they might have thought that the two heroes were going to come to blows
"Well…thanks for the help……Clark…"
"No problem……Bruce…"
They broke out in laughter, their secrets were out in the open but it was a relief to them both.
"I suppose we need to have a little discussion. I'd tell you to follow me back to the cave…but you already know the way…"
Wayne Manor:
An hour later, the two heroes were sitting in the study, dressed in their normal clothes. Clark had his glasses in his hands, laying them down on the table as he conversed with Bruce.
"So…what's with the snobby rich kid act then?"
"You're one to talk…I mean Clark Kent doesn't exactly inspire greatness does he…I guess we both take on personalities to hide who we are underneath…though at least I wear a mask…what's with the glasses?"
"Hey, you'd be surprised how well they work…look Bruce, about this whole identity thing…"
"Look Clark, we're not best friends alright. But your secret is safe…well at least as long as you keep quiet about mine."
"You really don't like me do you…"
"I don't like…it's not you…it's your ideals…I've seen your speech to the United Nations, what you tell the world about peace and becoming a better race, but it's fantasy. The real world is a lot harsher. People see you flying by and you give them hope, but then that hope is taken away when they go back to living their lives…it's a cruel world Clark…"
"Is that why you use fear and intimidation?"
"Don't judge me Clark…Gotham is a dangerous place and the criminals here only understand violence, they only respond to fear. I know what you're thinking…but you're wrong. I won't cross that line and kill…I'm not one of them."
Clark thought for a moment, removing a lead box from his pocket. He stared at it for a moment before handing it to Bruce who opened it, seeing a piece of green rock. He looked up at Kal-El, wondering what it was only to find him moving away in obvious pain. Bruce knew instantly what was wrong and closed the box.
"That rock…it hurts you…"
"It's called kryptonite. I took it from a machine called Metallo. The radiation is lethal to me."
"Why just hand it over to me then? What's to stop me from using it against you?"
"Nothing…that's why I gave it to you…After Zod attacked Metropolis, I knew that if something ever happened to me, if I turned on the people I protect, it would be catastrophic. I'm giving you the kryptonite because I know you won't hesitate to use it if you need to…"
"What makes you think you can trust me?"
"Because if I couldn't you would have kept the box open and let it kill me."
As they talked, Clark picked up a sound coming from outside the room. Turning, he used his x-ray vision to see through the wall. He saw Lois, walking through the large house, searching for him.
"It's Lois…"
"Does she know?"
"About me? No…and she can never find out. She wouldn't tell anyone, if that's what you're thinking…it's a lot more complicated than that."
"You're in love with her…don't look at me like that Clark. I've seen the way you look at her, how you hang on her every word…it's obvious."
"Not to her…doesn't matter anyway. She doesn't love me, she loves Superman. I can't tell her who I am because…well I don't want to put her in danger and I'd never know if she loved me because I'm Superman, or because I'm Clark Kent."
They talked for another few minutes before deciding they had better go out to Lois before she got worried and came looking for them. Clark stood up, heading for the door only to be called back by Bruce.
"Clark…forgetting something?"
"Huh?"
"Glasses…"
Clark laughed, picking up his glasses and putting them on before walking out to find Lois. As Bruce followed he wasn't sure what to make of Kal-El. On the one hand, they disagreed on a lot of issues, challenging each others methods, but in the end they were on the same side. Bruce put the lead box into his safe, storing it in case he ever needed what was inside, then rushed to catch up to the reporters from Metropolis,
"Hey…are you ok?"
"Yeah I'm fine…Alfred's just been telling me about the finer points of table setting…where were you anyway?"
"Around, me and Bruce were um…chatting about the state of the economy…"
"Most guys talk about football Clark…"
"I'm not most guys Lois."
"You got that right…well come on Smallville, we got a flight to catch. Perry's gonna be tearing out what's left of his hair if we don't get back to Metropolis."
As they left Wayne Manor, Clark wasn't sure what to think of Bruce. He wondered whether or not he had a friend in the Dark Knight, but one thing he did know was that despite their differences, he had a new ally, someone who would fight beside him when things got bad, as well as take him down if he ever ended up like Zod.
Batman and Superman parted ways…Batman, a figure in the night who would prowl the rooftops of Gotham City, seeking out injustice and Superman, a being who held the world on his shoulders, vowing to protect the planet he called his home. They were different people with different methods and styles, but they were both heroes, the worlds finest.
