Spoiler warning: Contains spoilers for The New Batman Adventures and Static Shock seasons 3 and 4.
Batman stood on a rooftop, listening for trouble, his cape blowing gently in the warm summer breeze, when Alfred spoke through his earpiece.
"Master Bruce, I've just received notice that the first attempt at an antidote to the Big Bang compound has been completed."
Batman immediately jumped off the roof and flew toward Dakota. "I'm on my way."
"It hasn't been tested with Bang Babies yet, and it isn't a permanent solution. They continue to work on permanence, but currently all they can provide for you is a daily injection to block your powers."
"Good enough."
Batman flew toward Dakota as fast as he could, until he realized he had no way back. He turned around and flew to the Batcave for the Batwing so he could fly back home from Dakota. It had become so normal to fly, he had completely forgotten about the necessity of the Batwing for a moment. He was finally going to get his real life back. He realized with shock it was coming up on one year since the last time he'd been to Dakota, when his life had been turned upside-down.
He felt more excited than he had in a long time, probably since seeing Robin for the first time after his success with the Titans, when he came home to go to college. Batman couldn't help but smile, thinking of Dick. Batman's first Robin. Bruce's first son. The man he had become as the leader of the Teen Titans. He would never let anyone know, but witnessing Robin's success with the Titans, he had felt like he could fly.
Wind brushed across his face, filling his cape. He was flying. Not a metaphor. Seriously flying. Without any form of propulsion. No support whatsoever. It had become so normal the wonder had almost faded. Simply by the power of his mind, all of space had become his playground. Nothing to hold onto. Nothing to fear. High above it all. The wind in his face. Perfectly free.
Soon it would be all over. He'd be stuck on the ground, the only way to move through the air clutching to a string or strapped to a jetpack. The ability to defy gravity at every moment, gone. The feeling of the wind in his face. Escaping from the paparazzi and the snobs through a window on occasion. Swerving between buildings at death-defying speed. And sharing it all with Tim.
Slicing through ropes and chains and obliterating Gordon's desk with his bare hands was fun too. Seeing the glint of fear in a thug's eye to catch sight of the nightmarish talons or fangs. Walking up walls and hanging upside-down in the shadows was a quieter kind of fun, the world rotating around him as he walked onto a wall, blending in perfectly, becoming part of the architecture. Not to mention the chiropractic benefits of sleeping upside-down. Although he had used it in a real fight only once, knowing he could create a powerful sonic blast was fun too. A Superman kind of power. The raw power to destroy.
Occasionally, he heard the Joker's laugh or Nightwing shouting at him, knowing he could hear, but he had mostly learned to tune it out. He missed Nightwing. But Nightwing was his own man, and Batman was happy to let him spread his wings. The nights were far quieter. While there were still acts of violence with a knife, blunt object, or other silent weapon, and still some masterminded silent crimes, they were far fewer, and domestic violence had been all but eliminated, which was never part of the plan. He knew it wasn't his place, but he couldn't bear to hear people fearing for their safety in their own home. Almost no screams, very few gunshots, and less frequent alarms. That was fun too, knowing the city was safer. Knowing he had succeeded. Knowing how much criminals feared the Superbat. Anyone in trouble could simply whisper for Batman and he would come. Children could walk home with their parents without fear. Soon it would be all over.
At what cost? Was the detriment to the city worth one man's integrity? Was the Batman really effective? Every night, the same trouble. Superbat had cleaned up the city much better than Batman ever could. There were lots of wonderful superheroes with plenty of integrity. Lots of wonderful superheroes who had once been normal, non-super humans. Why couldn't Batman be one too?
Maybe he was acting rashly. Had he ever thought reasonably about it? Or was the original emotional reaction of horror clouding his judgment? Everyone he cared about: Alfred, Dick, Barbara, and Leslie, all told him he was wrong to use his superpowers. Tim was still just a kid, and no kid on the planet could resist a dad who could fly. Even Earl Cooper, his mechanic, disagreed, even though the Batmobile got smashed up far less than it used to. Had he ever made up his mind for himself or had he just taken on the opinion of everyone around him? Gordon was wrong to give him powers. But was he wrong to believe Batman was better with powers?
Batman realized he was losing altitude. The sky lightened. He had to focus to stay in the air. He flew down outside the secret entrance to the Batcave, struggling to slow his descent, and stumbled as he landed. He entered the Batcave, deep in thought. He had left behind his relatability, his inspiration, to join the ranks of impossible gods. But which was better, inspiring the world to protect itself, or one man strong enough to protect it alone? Was Batman really the kind of hero to inspire, or did he only inspire fear? Maybe Batman was the kind of hero to try protecting the world alone, and he couldn't do it. Maybe Batman was all wrong all along.
He managed to put his moral dilemma aside for a while to smile and wave like the good little spoiled, philanthropist, playboy brat he pretended to be every day. The Batman was made up, but Bruce Wayne wasn't real. Who was he, really? Was he always meant to be Superbat? He drifted through his daytime duties on auto-pilot, seriously considering the possibility of keeping the superpowers forever. His mind went in circles. Why not just get rid of them and get it over with? Why not just keep them? Why not…? Why not…?
He wanted to ask Alfred, but he knew what he would say. He couldn't ask anyone. He had to find someone else. He told Robin he had defense of Gotham and took the Batwing to Dakota. Everyone thought he was going to get to the antidote. Maybe he was.
Night had fallen before he parked the Batwing hovering in the air above Dakota on. The cockpit opened and the wind hit his face. He jumped out and fell, arms spread, allowing himself the feeling of freefalling. He tucked in his arms and legs and dove headfirst, picking up speed, the tiny lights of the city slowly growing below him. He spread his cape and caught the air and shot through the night sky.
He flew to Virgil Hawkins' room and crept in through the window and across the ceiling so he didn't have to walk across Virgil's bed which sat directly in front of the window. Virgil really needed an interior designer. Batman flipped to the floor. Hiding in the dark, with his night vision, he clearly saw the mess Virgil kept his room in, the desk covered in papers and books, clothes on the floor and the bed, and pieces of crumpled paper and plastic wrappers scattered around the waste basket. He didn't have to wait long until Static Shock appeared at the window with a yawn. He opened the window with a zap from his finger and floated inside on his metal saucer. He electrokinetically removed his coat and mask, the light revealing the black shape of Batman in front of him. He jumped with a shout, dropping his coat and mask. Another zap turned on the bedside lamp.
"Batman! What are you doing here?! In my room?!" Static hissed.
"I have a problem."
"So do I! You, in my room! Let's talk somewhere else, 'kay?"
He put his coat and mask back on, then opened the window and stepped out onto his metal disk.
"Man, why'd you have to pick a nocturnal animal?"
Batman followed him as he soared over the neighborhood. Static flew down to the roof of the community center, jumped off his saucer, and faced Batman as he landed.
"What's up? Is it serious? I got school tomorrow."
"I just … need … your advice."
"My advice? Batman needs my advice?"
"Don't call me that."
"Yeah, sorry, Superbat."
"You are in a unique position to help me. I … I'm a … I'm like you now."
Static studied him for a minute. "You're a Bang Baby. Why didn't you tell me when it happened?"
"That's not important. What matters is, I got my company involved in the production of the cure for Bang Babies."
"You don't wanna be a Meta-Human?"
"That's the problem. I thought I didn't. All year, I knew I was going to get rid of it as soon as possible. Now that it's here, I'm not so sure."
"Wait, the cure is ready? Right now?"
"I'll be the first test on a real Bang Baby. And it's not permanent, I'll have to dose myself regularly. My question is, and I now realize I'm asking a teenager, do you think I should keep the powers? Do you think it's better this way?"
Static studied him with a deep and thoughtful look. "Are you really asking me this? Because … you know I saw your future, man."
"There's no way to prove the future you saw is this particular timeline's future, or even this dimension's future, or even if it has any sort of fixture in reality or is simply one possible outcome out of infinite outcomes in a fluid timestream."
Static stared at him for a minute. "I'm going to pretend that made sense."
"It means, forget the future you saw. Tell me what you think right now."
"Well then … I don't know … superpowers are awesome. And you're awesome! But you're Batman. Batman is really special, because he doesn't have superpowers. I think you've proven you can still be special with superpowers. But sometimes they're really inconvenient. Most people can't choose whether they have superpowers or not. I think if you have the opportunity to choose, then you should feel free to make your own decision. Keep the powers if you want, 'cause … gotta admit, Superbat is pretty sick, but if you want to go back to the way it was before, don't let anyone stop you."
"But what do you think?"
"I dunno! These questions are making me wonder if I would go back to the way I was before if I had the chance. Well … I guess I will, pretty soon.…"
Batman considered silently for a minute. "What's the word on the street? Do you hear what people are saying about me?"
"Well, I'm sure it depends on which news station they follow. Some people are only talking about the scary side, the claws especially, and hanging upside-down, watching everything like a creep. Lots of people are scared of you. They think you're mad like all the others, and it won't be long before you start attacking innocent people and turning to crime for fun. And with your access to the Justice League's tech, there's a lot of really scared people. I try to defend you whenever I hear kids talking like that. Then there are others, who know the noble Batman, and are excited to see your superpowers. They know you'll put them to good use and become an even greater hero. The polls are shifting, Bats. You got Superman sweating that he won't be the most popular superhero anymore."
"But nobody laments any loss of humanity, relatability, or inspiration?"
Static looked confused. "I haven't heard any of those words in any discussions."
"Of course not. It's all about physical power, nothing deeper."
"I hope that helps, but I might have just confused you more."
"No. This was helpful." He turned to fly away.
"Superbat!"
He turned back.
Static rubbed the back of his head. "Could I … maybe … go for a fly with you?"
"I thought you had school tomorrow."
"Yeah, but I have you tonight! We didn't really have time to hang out last time, getting myself zapped to the future and all that. Can you show me your moves?"
"If you can keep up."
Batman spread his cape and flew away at high speed.
"Woah!"
Static quickly jumped on his saucer and flew after Batman. He crouched, his hands zapping brightly, his coat and dreadlocks blowing hard behind him as he slowly caught up. Batman sped up as fast as he could, and Static kept up. Batman had thought he was fast, but Static was keeping up even without the specific ability to fly. He came up beside Batman and cheered.
"You don't want me cheering, or I'll level the whole block."
"Yeah, no, don't do that."
"You're fast, I'll give you that. But the night sky belongs to me."
Batman changed directions sharply and rapidly, swerving around buildings and poles, manipulating his cape like wings for the highest maneuverability. Static struggled to keep up, and soon he fell behind, unable to mimic the sharp direction changes.
"Awesome! You fly like a real bat!"
Batman flew straight up, shooting toward the clouds. Static followed behind him. Batman cut through the cloud layer and floated toward the Batwing hanging gently in the air.
Static appeared through the clouds. "It was great to see you! Thanks for letting me fly with you. Please come again soon! And … I hope you make a decision that you're happy with."
Batman gave him a nod as he settled into the Batwing. He closed the cockpit and flew away. He called the Watchtower to send down the Javelin. The space-traveling jet was waiting by the time he arrived at the rendezvous point. J'onn the Martian waited outside to meet him. Somehow, with the exception of one day in the middle, Batman had managed to avoid the Justice League for a whole year. And J'onn and Wonder Woman hadn't even been there that day. Any trouble that came up, the League had dealt with on their own.
Batman jumped out of the Batwing and followed J'onn into the Javelin. Batman hoped J'onn would be silent as he piloted the Javelin into outer space. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. J'onn always knew how to say exactly what Batman least wanted to hear.
"Batman. Superbat. You do not know who you are anymore. Do you?" J'onn paused for a response and didn't get one. "You do not know what you are. You had to find a new perspective, new people to help you figure it all out."
"What's there to figure out? I have superpowers now."
"Yes. The question is, how does that change you?"
Batman didn't respond.
"The answer, it does not. Just because you have superpowers, you are not someone different. So stop trying."
"I'm not trying to be different."
"And stop lying to yourself. Why do you call yourself Superbat? You are not a different person than you used to be. You are still Batman. You will always be Batman. Stop thinking so hard, stop trying so hard. You do not have to create the persona of Superbat. Just be the Batman you have always been."
"How? Batman doesn't have superpowers, Batman can't have superpowers! How can I still be Batman?"
"You are afraid. You are afraid of superpowers. Afraid of losing yourself. There is nothing to be afraid of. You are strong. You can handle superpowers. You are Batman."
Batman studied J'onn before looking away. He studied the stars, enjoying the wonderful, peaceful quiet as the Earth and all its noise fell behind.
"You really believe I can still be Batman?"
"I do. Just be honest with yourself. Why are you so reluctant to accept these powers as part of yourself, as Batman? Why do you avoid the Justice League, even Superman?"
Batman resolved not to respond. J'onn could see any thoughts he wanted. He could figure it out on his own. He didn't, because he respected his friends. He wouldn't tell a secret either, because he respected his friends. Maybe he deserved to be respected back.
"I … I'm ashamed."
"Why?"
"I'm not supposed to be a superhero. Batman isn't supposed to be a superhero."
"Is there anything wrong with being a superhero?"
Batman tried to consider what was wrong with being a superhero without creating a circular argument.
"You feel a measure of disgust toward superheroes?"
"Yes. They can be so … pretentious. Especially Superman. Being the most powerful man on the planet, probably the galaxy, he does a good job, but sometimes-.… Presuming they have the power and the right to intervene just because of their supernatural abilities. I choose to intervene, not because I believe I have the power or it's my right or my duty. It's my decision."
"You do not think we may have made that decision too?"
"My decision as a man. Not as a god."
"You do not think we wish we could make decisions as men instead of gods?"
Batman looked away. "Yeah.… As much as I hate to admit … I'm not human anymore."
"Your evolution has simply been artificially accelerated."
"Oh, right. And that makes it all better."
"What I mean is, I do not think you should put so much emphasis on the idea of being non-human. I am not human. Neither are Kal-El, Hawkgirl, or even Diana. You have joined the classification Meta-Human. Like the Flash. I admit, I do not know humanity that well, but he seems fairly human to me."
They approached the Watchtower and the noise grew. Batman focused on tuning it out, his mood dropping once more as they entered. Batman considered the elevator for a moment. He jumped up and flew through the spaces around the central shaft, up to the main level, followed by J'onn. Superman met them on the observation deck.
"Good to see you again, Batman. Haven't seen you since Christmas."
"Shut up. It's Superbat."
"Right, sorry. What's your excuse for coming up this time?"
"I need a new perspective. Yours isn't normally one I'd seek out, but these are strange circumstances."
"Of course. What's on your mind?"
"Was there ever a time when you didn't have superpowers?"
"Is this about your powers? What's going on with your powers?"
"Just answer the question."
"Okay, well … strange things happened ever since I was a baby, I guess. But it didn't really start picking up until high school. I started to notice super strength, super speed, x-ray vision.… I was starting to freak out, until my parents showed me where I came from, and then I really freaked out. But as soon as I flew for the first time, I realized what I was, and what I could be. As a teen in high school, I started to get really arrogant, but the people I cared about didn't like it, and I didn't want that. So I learned from an early age how to handle superpowers in a non-super world. I had a fairly normal childhood, but as soon as I started looking to the future, I knew what I was going to be. I decided I was going to use my power to defend people and then I did."
"I'll cut right to the chase. Do you believe it's better that I have superpowers?"
Superman looked confused. "Well … yeah. You were formidable before, now you're unstoppable!"
"So you don't believe I lost something even more valuable? You don't believe my humanity had more value than my newfound physical power?"
"Well … it was awesome that you were a normal human, quite an inspiration if I do say so myself, but how does that compare to being a superhero? You can do so much more good!"
"You ... you really think I-... Batman is an inspiration?"
"Of course! Sorry to break it to you, I know everything about you is meant to instill fear, but your heart is so big and so strong that anyone who takes a good look can see the light that you shine through your own darkness."
"You could be inspired by a termite."
"He's right, Batman," Green Lantern said as he appeared along with the rest of the Justice League. "There's a light in you that shines brighter ... well, second only to Superman."
"So, you believe my ability to do more makes up for the loss of my ability to inspire others to do more."
"Bats, you're thinking about this the wrong way," Superman continued, "There's no give-and-take. You haven't lost anything. You're still Batman, you still have everything that made you Batman, you just have more now. You don't have to be Superbat. I mean, you can if you want. I'm honored that you named yourself after me."
"Don't be. I did that because your name is stupid."
Superman stared at him and crossed his arms, caught off-guard. "My name isn't stupid."
"Yes it is."
Superman pointed at him. "So, your name is stupid?"
"Yes."
Superman studied him and crossed his arms again. "Why?"
Batman sighed. "Whatever! Call me whatever."
Superman raised his hand. "Hi, Whatever, I'm Superman."
The Flash laughed. Batman took a deep breath.
Superman backed away, waving his hands. "No, don't! Don't!"
They just stared at each other until Superman realized Batman wasn't going to release the Batcall.
"Batman-. Sorry, Superbat … let me tell you something about superheroes, since you're officially one of us now. We superheroes are not better or more valuable than any other non-super individual. We simply have a natural gift for things like protection and defense. They have their jobs, salesman, artist, lawyer, et cetera, and we have our job. Defending the planet. Why would we defend the planet if those jobs and those people weren't important? Sure, sometimes we get put up on pedestals, just like actors do, but just like actors, we're people too. Of course, there are some Supers who don't go into the hero biz, and some non-supers like you who do. But, unlike many superheroes out there, you chose the hero business. For many heroes, the business chose them. Haven't superpowers made your chosen lifestyle easier? You're doing a good thing. As long as you don't change what you're doing, having superpowers can only make it better."
Batman thought about it.
"You'll get used to it."
To Batman's annoyance, Superman put a hand on his shoulder.
"Believe me, I know how scary it is to start doing incredible things you couldn't before, things no one else can do. To realize you're different now. You're not … not human anymore." He touched a finger to Batman's chest. "But you're still you. It doesn't matter if you're human, Meta-Human, alien, or Amazon. You're Batman, and you always will be." He took his hands away. "I'm sure you'll learn to love it, and one day, you'll wonder why you ever tried to resist it."
"Flash, I need to ask for your perspective, even though I'm almost certain it's a mistake. I have the opportunity to get rid of my powers. Do you think I'm better this way?"
"Are you joking? Definitely! Not that you were bad before," he added quickly, "But superpowers make good guys better."
"You copied the incident that gave the previous Flash his powers, and succeeded. Do you ever feel that it was a mistake?"
"At first it was terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. I thought, 'what have I done?' It was hard, adjusting was hard. But then it was awesome! And it's still awesome! And I got to meet the Flash and be his sidekick!" The Flash's excitement fell away. "And … well … there wouldn't be a Flash anymore if it wasn't for me."
"Was it awesome before you got superpowers?"
"Oh, no. No, not at all. I was the scrawny kid, the one everybody picked on, the last one chosen to be on the team … if I was chosen at all. I was always running, always running away.… Then I saw the Flash fighting the bullies, and I knew … I wanted to be just like him. So then I did! Now I run toward the bullies! I stop the bullies! No one will ever be bullied again! There's my backstory and my motive. You must have a backstory and a motive too. Judging by … that.…" He gestured abstractly toward Batman. "It must be pretty serious. You've been a hero, fueled by your backstory, driven by your motive, without superpowers, but now that you have superpowers you can accomplish your goals even better!"
Batman thought about the story. If he had just stood up for himself, he wouldn't consider his childhood so poorly and wouldn't see becoming a superhero as a saving grace. What was the Flash without his powers? Would he go back to being a pathetic loser? Or would he have learned from being a superhero how to stand up for himself without powers? What was Superman without his powers? He would probably continue to be the kindest man on the planet. Neither of them could truly relate to Batman's situation, but both of them had different stories and still came up with the same conclusion.
"Can I see your powers now?" Flash asked.
"No."
"Come on, show me! Fly around, show me. Walk on the ceiling."
"No."
"Pleeaase! I won't ask to see your fangs again. Do that … what was it that you did at Christmas? The Earthshock." He spread his hands dramatically. "Do it again."
"Please don't," Superman said quickly.
"It's called the Batcall."
The Flash chuckled. "Batcall? What, you yell so loud you shake everything?"
"Yes. It's beyond normal hearing range."
"It is?" Superman asked, "So, nobody except me and you know what you said to me at Christmas?"
Batman smiled. "And no one will ever believe you."
"But you named your superpower!" the Flash said, "That means you're attached. You can't get rid of them now."
"Shut up! Diana, what do you think? I can have my powers taken away. But I've had them for so long, now I'm not so sure."
"Keep the powers."
"That simple?"
"Yes. You've been given superpowers. Why would you give it up?"
"For humanity!" Green Lantern argued, "Sure, normal humans can never become superheroes, but so can superheroes never become normal humans. Neither one is better than the other, and you can trust me on that. I'm lucky, I get to go back and forth between superhero and normal human whenever I want. Batman is one of the greatest humans to ever live, and taking that away is losing one of the greatest people in history."
"Maybe Superbat is even greater," Wonder Woman countered, "Have you even given him a chance? Neither one is better than the other, right?"
"Stop it!" Batman shouted, "Hawkgirl, what do you think?"
Hawkgirl paused. "That's a very difficult question. Only you can decide what you want."
"Don't try to worm your way out of it! I know it's a difficult question. It requires as many viewpoints as possible, and I want your input."
Hawkgirl was silent for a long time. "I think whatever you choose to make of it will be the best thing that can happen. To both sides there are pros and cons. The pros of being a superhero are obvious. You're more powerful, and you can accomplish your goals more easily. Some cons are that people may begin to fear you more. Powerful villains may see you as more of a threat. People may begin to expect more from you, and you may even begin to expect more from yourself. But I think the biggest con is that you've lost your humanity. Batman is not a superhero, he's not out of reach. He's the same as the people he protects. People can look up to him as something attainable. 'Mother, I want to be Batman when I grow up.' She can't say no. 'Mother, I want to be Superman when I grow up.' She has to tell him he cannot. That human connection is something we aliens and superheroes will never have. Of course, the cons of not having superpowers are as simple as that. No matter how hard you train, you simply can't do the incredible things possible with superpowers. But some might argue that you're stronger than the superheroes, because you've worked so hard to achieve what has fallen in our laps. And it's that strength that inspires others to be stronger."
"Inspiring people to defend themselves, or one man strong enough to defend them alone. It comes down to that, doesn't it?"
"There is a danger of oversimplifying."
"But what do you think? Should I be a superhero or not?"
"I think both versions of you could be just as valuable. The reason you're able to keep up with us is because of your intelligence and strategic mind. That will always be the same, whether you have superpowers or not."
Batman thought about it and everything he'd heard.
"Flash is right," Batman said, "There will always be bullies, and people who refuse to stand up for themselves without supernatural intervention. Superman's right. Batman isn't enough. I need more Batman. I've been working in Gotham for years. All I've inspired is more villainy."
"That's not what I said, and that's not true," Superman said, "I never said Batman wasn't enough. I just said you're even more Batman now. Plus, you've inspired two Robins and a Batgirl. And the madmen of Gotham would be madmen with or without Batman. Gotham is lucky one of them turned out to have a good heart underneath."
"Three people. In my whole life, I've inspired three people."
"That's three more than zero," Hawkgirl said.
"This is stupid. I'm Superbat now. There's no reason to go back."
"You don't regret losing your humanity?" Green Lantern asked.
"What's the point of humanity? Batman's useless. Superbat can actually do something."
"What Superbat does is easy to see, and that makes it seem more valuable. What Batman does is much harder to see. I'm sure there are thousands of children who have made the right decision because they asked themselves what Batman would do. But it doesn't really matter whether you actually inspire people. The point is that you can. You believe that people have the power to defend themselves, and you show it to them every night. Batman is a symbol. You may not even realize it yourself, but Batman is a symbol of hope, that people can be better, that people can make a difference themselves. Once you become a superhero, you've killed that symbol. You've killed that hope. You've admitted that the possibility of people bettering themselves and the world they live in is hopeless. The world will celebrate a powerful and formidable superhero, but it will be a tragedy to lose that symbol."
"It's a difficult dilemma," Hawkgirl said, "I honestly don't know the right answer, or if there even is one. But I trust you, Batman. I trust that you will make the right decision, and I will support you in whatever you choose."
"Whatever you choose to do, do not doubt yourself," J'onn said.
"You don't have to change your name," Superman said, "You can have superpowers and still be Batman. I know how difficult it can be to have superpowers. Sometimes … being the most powerful man on the planet is the worst feeling in the world. There's so much I can do! So much more! But … that would require becoming a tyrant, a dictator … or a murderer. Sometimes you can't be a superhero. You just have to be a good man. And a good man is what you are."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Yes, Batman. I'm sure."
"You must stop doubting yourself," J'onn said, "It is doubt that holds you back. Doubt that you are worthy. Doubt that you are capable. Is it not?"
Batman thought about it. He doubted he was capable of being a superhero. Doubt made him fear his power. Fear made him angry at Gordon or whomever else he was angry at. His anger caused him to lash out. The lashing out caused him to doubt he was capable of being a superhero. Even if he resisted lashing out, he'd felt it many times, even with Alfred, the thought that he was more powerful and he didn't have to do anything he didn't want to. If he stopped doubting that he was capable of being a superhero, the vicious cycle would stop.
"You guys … you all … really think I can do it?"
"Of course you can," Superman said.
"Absolutely!" Flash said.
"You can do anything you put your mind to," Hawkgirl said.
"There's no one on this planet more equipped to deal with and more deserving of superpowers than you," Wonder Woman.
"But should I?"
A silence followed.
"I think Batman should be Batman," Green Lantern said, "I can see how Superbat would be incredible, but I still think Batman is even better."
"All the humans think I should be human … and all the Supers think I should be Super."
"Who are you fighting for? The humans or the Supers?" Green Lantern questioned.
"No one can tell you what you should do, except that you should make up your own mind," Hawkgirl said.
"Just be yourself," J'onn said.
Batman growled loudly. "You're all incorrigible!"
"Would a little calming flight make you feel better?" Flash teased, "Maybe run around on the ceiling?"
"Yeah, Bats, why don't you let go and show off a little?" Superman said.
"Show off to your ears?"
"Don't."
Batman took a step toward Superman, and Superman took a step back.
"Don't do it, Batman."
Batman darted toward Superman, claws spread. Superman flew away, his cape barely slipping away from Batman's claws. Batman chased him around the Watchtower, diving up and down to different levels, swiping at his cape and missing. Superman tried sharply switching direction, but Batman stayed on his tail. The Flash cheered, egging them on. Batman knew Superman could fly circles around him and was only amusing him, but it was still fun to be able to chase Superman without a plane or a jetpack. Batman crouched on the underside of an overhang and Superman floated back to the floor, both smiling.
"How does your cape stay around you when you're upside-down?" Flash asked.
Batman stood up. "It's superpowers."
He jumped off the ceiling and flew back down to the shuttle bay. He tried not to think about how much fun it was to skip the elevator like everyone else did, without feeling like he was using his grappling hook as a crutch. J'onn flew after him.
"It won't be easy getting used to that.…" Green Lantern muttered.
"Hey. He deserves it," Superman said, "What he needs right now is encouragement."
"Or discouragement," Green Lantern said.
"I can hear you!" Batman called.
"Sorry!" Superman called back, "You got this, Bats!"
"Shut! Up!"
Batman and J'onn flew back to Earth, but unfortunately the silence didn't last long again.
"Gravity manipulation," J'onn said.
"What?"
"Your ability to stand on walls. I theorize you manipulate your own personal gravity field. That explains how the cape stays around you."
"Can't I just have superpowers and leave it at that?! I won't be anyone's science experiment! I'm enough of one as it is."
Batman glared out the window and no one spoke for the rest of the trip. The deep and penetrating silence of space allowed his mind to flow with the ideas he'd received.
Batman flew back to Gotham City in the Batwing. He didn't need to talk to anyone else. If the world needed him as a superhero, then he was a superhero whether he wanted to be or not. He was already used to the powers and the new dynamic. All he needed to do was accept its permanence instead of insisting it was temporary. Soon he would wonder how he had ever gotten along without superpowers. Maybe he could even surpass Superman in popularity. That would be the most fun of all. The only problem would be dealing with judgment from his family and friends and convincing them that it was all right.
He put the Batwing and the costume away for the day.
Alfred offered him some tea. "How does it feel to be back to normal, Master Bruce?"
Bruce smiled. "Super."