"Batman."

Bruce Wayne did not turn around. He stared at the Batcomputer, his hands folded in front of him.

"Clark." He said. "Why are you here?"

Superman stepped forward.

"It's over, Bruce." Superman said. "The United States Government is seizing control of Gotham. I have spoken at length with the President and we have come to a mutual understanding. The Batman is no longer needed in our modern need."

"Needed… or wanted?"

"Both."

"You are so simple minded, Clark." Bruce said, in a bored voice. "You still think of yourself as an ordinary American citizen in spite of having godlike power. If I had a fraction of your ability, I would have changed the world a long time ago."

"This is what it's been about from the beginning, isn't it?" Superman asked, his voice testy. "This is always what you wanted to accomplish?"

"No." Batman denied. "I am not even close to achieving what I set out to do."

Superman stared at him.

"Even in this city." Batman continued. "There is still crime. There is still violence. There is still evil. It will always exist. And Batman must always exist along with it."

He raised his hand and clenched it into a fist.

"Everything I have done, from finding and training Dick Grayson to helping find the Justice League… was to ensure that my vengeance would never stop." He said. "I will not stop until the entire world has been brought to heel."

His eyes flittered upward, to where a large satellite produced map of the Island of Paradise stood on his Bat Computer screen. "And now that the Eldians have stepped foot into our world… they too must understand. They are a warlike people, Clark. You have no idea of the atrocities they have committed…"

"I do, actually." Superman said, his voice cold.

"You do not." Batman said, as he stood up. "How could you know?"

"I have gotten to know these people, Bruce." Superman said. "While you were antagonizing Eren Jaeger I was living among the Eldians. I am well aware of their history… it is, perhaps, no different than the history of anyone else on this planet."

"So you agree with me." Batman said. "They cannot be allowed to continue as they are. It is only a matter of time until they destroy as all."

"You're insane, Bruce." Superman said, clearly disgusted. "You cannot subjugate an entire people. It isn't what we set out to do."

"It isn't what you set out to do." Batman said quietly. "Kal-El."

Almost immediately after he finished speaking, hidden panels in the walls of the batcave shifted, revealing rows and rows of solid Kryptonite. Superman flinched, staggering a little bit, as Batman got to his feet.

"You are weak, Clark." Batman said coldly, as he advanced on him. He adjusted his gloved hand, and spikes of Kryptonite protruded from his fist. "If you actually cared about this planet and it's people, you would have conquered it a long time ago."

Superman weakly raised his hand to defend himself as Batman brought down his fist.

"PEW!"

The Starbolt hit Batman in the back of the head. He staggered somewhat, and Clark managed to wrap his arms around him and, despite his weakness, managed to push him over.

Starfire flew over to them, eyes wide.

"Superman!" She breathed. "What… what's going on?"

"Batman…" He murmured. "He's a traitor…"

Batman stood up, turning to face Starfire with an intense glare.

"You are." He said, his voice cold. "Starfire. Stand down. Superman killed your parents."

Starfire gave him a cold look. "I doubt that very much, sir." She said coldly, as she raised her hand and blasted him again.

Batman flew back and slammed into the walls of the cave. Starfire almost flew after him, before Superman called out to her.

"We must inform the League." He said. "May I… ask for help?"

"Of course." Starfire said, as she wrapped her arms around him. She carried him up, up through the staircase in which she came, and out into the Manor itself.

Batman slowly got to his feet, staring after them hatefully.

"I see how Dick lost sight of his values." He said to himself dryly, before spinning back around and facing the Bat-Computer. "I should never have let him join the Titans…"

"If he hadn't gone to join them then, he would have grown to loathe you eventually."

Bruce did not turn around as Alfred approached him.

"The end of the line is here, sir." Alfred said. "I daresay you cannot take on the entire league on your own."

"It was Eren Jaeger's fault." Bruce said, angrily. "Ever since the Island appeared I've been losing more and more control. It was now or never."

"What will you do now, Sir?"

Bruce closed his eyes.

"I will not leave this cave." He decided. "Superman would dare not attack me here, when he knows very well I have prepared for this moment since before I ever met him. For now…"

He reached for the Bat Computer and clicked a few keys.

"Hello?" It was President Luthor on the other line.

"In other news." The newscaster said, ruffling her papers. "President Luthor has announced that the United States is going to war with Eldia! The tyrant, Eren Jaeger, has been wanted by the government for murdering American citizens, on our own soil…"

"That's one way of putting it." Lois Lane said dryly, as she raised a cigarette to her lips. She rarely smoked (Or that's what she liked to tell herself anyway) but over the past few days she had hadn't been able to find it in her to stop. "God I hate reporters."

"We should have been on the ball about this story, Lois." Her editor told her. "Or should I say… you should have been on it. You were on speaking terms with the Queen Historia and didn't once think to ask what was up with her husband?"

Lois said nothing.

"Whatever." The man said gruffly. "When you go on tonight, make sure you let everyone know how evil the Eldians are. I don't want to deal with the Feds over this."

Lois said nothing as the man walked away from her. Considering her close personal relationship with Superman, she was often looked to as the primary source of information in regards to any situation that involved the Justice League. Considering how the Battle of Arkham had been national news, people had been eagerly awaiting to see how the government would respond. The public had been very supportive of Gotham's super criminals being quicky and immediately executed, but the State relied on them to justify increased spending on national defense and an overly aggressive national police force. The mere existence of Super criminals had been used to greatly expand the Government and its powers… so much so that nearly all news stations were mere propaganda for it and its actions.

Lois got ready for her show in silence. Her team got her ready, and soon enough she was sitting at her desk, completely alone, staring straight into the camera.

"Greetings, America." Lois Lane said, with a wide smile. "I'm Lois Lane, with the Daily Planet... Today President Luthor announced further details on the relationship with the island nation of Paradise. As of today, he has declared war. The Island Nation of Eldia is making plans to destroy us all."

The staff behind the camera were smiling and nodding. Lois took in a deep breath.

"It is a lie." She said. "The President-"

"Cut!" The Director called, stepping in front of the camera, waving his arms. "Lane, what are-"

Lois reached into her jacket and whipped out a gun and pointed it at him.

"Keep it rolling, Jimmy." She told Jimmy Olsen, her cameraman. He gulped, audibly, but his fear of her outweighed his fear of losing his job.

"President Luthor is nothing but a puppet, controlled by Billionaire Bruce Wayne." Lois continued. "Or as many in Gotham know him… The Batman."

There was a loud, audible gasp from the crowd behind the camera, but Lois ignored them.

"It was due to Wayne's influence that the situation in Gotham became so out of control." She continued. "And due to his corporation financing the existence of the Justice League… that influence has spread globally. America has not declared war on Paradise for her own interests. We do so for his."

She pounded her fist on the table.

"I ask you, America!" She called. "I ask you to-"

The director lunged at her. She struggled with him briefly, trying to fire off a shot, but he jerked the gun out of her hand and threw it aside. The security team rushed in, surrounding her. Jimmy let out a cry as he was tackled, and the camera destroyed.

"Your life is over, Lane." The man snapped at her. She spit at him.

"I'd rather be dead than dishonest."

She was dragged off of the seat, her head bent and her arm bruised.

Superman… I did all I could. Was it… enough?

Her eyes welled up with tears.

No… it wasn't. Historia… I'm… so sorry…

"Curse that woman." Luthor growled, as he sat with his hands folded in the Oval office. Just outside a great crowd was forming… a crowd that was already far bigger than the one that had come in and murdered the last President. "There are some things that public is simply not meant to know."

"What should we do now, Mr. President?"

"We have no choice." Luthor said, his voice grim. "We have to destroy Eldia… or Batman will ruin the economy and seize all of our wealth."

He bent his head. "I am going to authorize a nuclear attack. The existence of the Eldian people has done nothing but cause me problems, and I will be glad to be rid of them."

"Oh, brilliant sir!" The aide said, relieved, as Luthor raised his hand.

"Destroy Eldia!"

"We have to flee the island, immediately!" Raven said, as she swished her cloak wildly around her. "Or we will all be destroyed!"

Eren Jaeger said and did nothing as he stared straight ahead, seemingly lost in thought. Historia patted him on the arm, and he gave a slight nod.

"It will not come to that." He said. "The Walls will protect us."

"You do not grasp the severity of the situation." Raven said coldly, as she walked straight up to him. Mikasa Ackemann was quick to get in between them, glowering down at her, but Raven ignored her. She turned herself to shadow and walked right through her. Mikasa winced in surprise as Raven stepped right through her to confront Jaeger directly.

"I will not allow you to destroy your people out of ignorance of the outside world." Raven said. "Heed my words… this Island will not exist if you do not."

Jaeger looked up at her. He met her eyes for a brief moment.

"Calm yourself." He said. "There is nothing to fear from the outside world."

"Are you naïve?" Raven demanded, as she raised her hand and pointed out the window. "The world is wider and more vast than you could possibly imagine. You must not think yourself invincible, or that your Empire on this island will survive."

Eren closed his eyes.

"You are very kind." He said. "To care so much about a people that are not your own. I admire that about you."

Raven stared at him coldly.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Jaeger." She said. "You must act now, before…"

She stopped. Her face, if possible, became even paler.

"No…" She whispered. "It's starting…"

She turned around and made her way down the stairs.

"Do what you will." She snapped at him, coldly. "But I will save all those I possibly can."

And then she was gone.

"She's an interesting girl." Historia said, amused. "I'm becoming quite fond of her."

Jaeger said nothing. His brow was furrowed in pure concentration.

A/N

Thank you all for being patient. After a long period of burnout, I have decided to return to finish this story, hopefully before the day of its one year anniversary. (For the record I started and finished A Spy On Privet Drive during this hiatus, haha)

It was probably for the best that I decided to take a break, because now I feel as if I can really follow through on a lot of the ideas I've been building up to since the beginning. I hope all of you will stick around to the bitter end!