A/N: Sooo, who wants to know the name of the villain of this piece? Everyone? Good! Read on, my friends!

Only Human

Chapter 13

Superman greeted the Batman as he exited the hanger bay. They refrained from exchanging pleasantries as they made their silent way to the control room, Clark didn't even mention the suit, which his searching vision saw and deduced the purpose of. He guessed, correctly, that Bruce would not wish to discuses it.

The Leaguers' reactions to the reemergence of the wayward Bat were mixed, though relief was high on everyone's list. The Batman himself was all business, as if to deny that anything else had ever been. The others just followed Superman's lead, he knew the Batman the best and no one really wanted to find out what an abnormally prickly bat was like. In any case the Batman quickly dove into his report, one that he was confident would distract the group from any overt displays of emotion they might be tempted to express. His confidence was not misplaced.

"Luthor?!?! Luthor is behind all these attacks?" exclaimed the normally placid Man of Steel.

"And why?" added Diana "What would he have to gain by this random destruction?"

"Insurance? Sabotage? Revenge?" offered the Green Lantern.

"Undoubtedly all those things, but mainly to study us," responded the Dark Knight flatly.

"Us? What about us?" asked Flash around a mouth full of burger, "He has to know what we all can do by now, it's not like we keep it a secret. Or, well, most of us," he added eyeing Bats.

"Not us individually," explained Batman, ignoring Flash's comment, "but as a group. How the League works together. Our strategies when faced with a problem."

"Hmp, well I think it's about time someone taught that guy a lesson!" said Hawkgirl pointedly thumping her mace into her hand.

"No, Hawkgirl," interrupted Superman. "As much as I mighnt wish it otherwise, Luthor is not like other criminals. He's … respectable. At least, to most people. He's also as rich and slippery as they come, unless we have something rock solid to pin on him we can't touch him." All eyes unconsciously turned to the dark figure at the head of the table. Unfortunately his face gave away nothing.

"We don't have enough evidence." The disappointment in the room was palatable but he continued undaunted, "All of the evidence is circumstantial, the charges could be thrown out with a decent lawyer and Luthor has an army of the best. He expected us to figure it out eventually so he made sure that we could not pin it on him. It's all part of his game."

"Well I'm tired of playing it!" snapped Green Lantern, tired of all the politics.

"I am afraid," J'onn spoke up unexpectedly, "that we have no choice. If we chose not to participate, then more will die. That is not an acceptable alternative."

"So what exactly can we do?" questioned the Flash in frustration.

"Wait for him to make a mistake."

"Batman, this is Luthor- he doesn't make mistakes," Superman stated with a glum finality.

"He will." contradicted the Batman firmly, "If we give him something he wants. Something he wants more than anything." There was a moment of contemplative silence, then all eyes slid toward the Man of Steel.

"What?" asked Superman defensively.

A/N: So, what is Batman's plan? Does he have one? (yea, like that's a hard question to answer.) Will Luthor get away with all he's done? Find out in the next (and last) chapter. But before you do, send a review! Please?

Many thanks to the reviewers of last chapter RedSoxGirl5, Lynn, Valandil, Saibachick, and Awen1923! You guys are great!- Till next time, Delia Ra'Nar