Chapter VII: Come With Me

"...Superman, killed him?"

Flash nodded. Itachi blinked a few times and looked down at the ground, 'Of all the people... Superman did it?' Before meeting Superman he wouldn't be surprised if he did this, but after knowing him for a year, and how the amulet made it seem like he was incorruptible, he slowly considered Superman killing as something that would never happen. He put a hand under his chin, 'The Joker Dying is good, but was it a good thing for Superman to have been the one that did it?'

Superman sat in the Fortress Of Solitude, still having Joker's blood on his hand along with messy hair and facial hair. He could hear everything, reports of Metropolis, the rising death toll, growing fear, the Joker's death, but one thing caught his ear.

"Meanwhile, Bialya's telecommunications have been severed, in an apparent attempt to prevent information from reaching beyond the country's borders. It is believed the shelling of Bialya, which has already claimed thousands of lives, continues unabated inside this internet blackout."

"No more," Superman flies out of the Fortress down to the City of Gared in Bialya where a boy is about to get hit directly by a tank shell, but Superman blocks it. The boy looks up and Superman offers his hand, "Up you hop, son."

"Shukran!"

"I'm sorry. I don't speak Arabic.... but I should. I'll learn," he hears more tank shells and quickly destroys them with heat vision. 

A mother comes out and hugs the boy. "Shukran! Thank you! Thank you!"

Many more people come out and gather around Superman. He puts his hands up, "It's okay. I should have been here all along. I'm sorry. I'll... I'll stop this."

Superman flies to the capitol building and opens the door with his eyes glowing red, "Mr president," he walks forward at a steady pace while he's shot at and as guards try to jump on him. But he keeps walking with no struggle and grabs the president through the bodies covering him, "I'd like a word."

He flies out of the capitol building, "I want to show you something," He flies down to one of the battlefields where there are craters in the ground and dead bodies everywhere, "These are the people you were supposed to protect."

The president looks around and notices civilians coming outside, "No. You... you can't do this."

"Yes. I can. I realize this now," he rips off his uniform.

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT! I AM PRESIDENT!"

"Not anymore."

Wonderwoman flies down, "Superman. There are cameras."

"Good, I have something to say."

"Are you planning on addressing the world?" 

He starts dragging the president over, "Yes."

"No," She puts a hand on his chest. 

He doesn't make eye contact and glares, "I will speak."

"The world will hear you, but not here, not in the middle of this, and not looking like that. Wash off the scorch marks the shrapnel and the blood. Shave."

He looks at her, "You're right."

"I will call a press conference at the United Nations, and you will say what I've been waiting to hear since I first met you."

Itachi sits on a couch with Nightwing, over the past year Itachi has had the closest relationship with Nightwing, he was a good sparring partner that has helped Itachi get better, and an even better friend.

"You know, before I heard what Superman did I planned on killing Joker myself."

Nightwing didn't look surprised and smirked, "Well.... I'm not a fan of killing, but I wouldn't be mad at you if you had done it."

Itachi looks down at the ground, "I should have been here instead of trying to reminisce in a place that resembled my planet, I could have stopped all this a year ago when I first saw him.... but, that doesn't matter now."

Nightwing stared at Itachi, "You know, Batman has done some things I never fully understood when it comes to his battles with Joker. One time both him and Joker were poisoned with no way out, there was only one pill in the room and they were told one had to swallow the entire pill to survive. Batman took the risk of splitting it in half, and forcing one half down Jokers throat while he ate the other."

Itachi's mouth hung slightly open after hearing the story, "He'd risk his own life to save him??"

'Is that what being a superhero is supposed to mean?'

Nightwing nodded and he scrunched his brow with a hand under his chin, "I've always understood the no killing rule, but I don't think it would have been murder to save himself over Joker.... honestly I wish he just took the whole pill..... Beast boy and Kid Flash are dead now because of that bomb," Itachi put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. Nightwing looks back up at Itachi, "You know, he hasn't talked to Superman once since he killed Joker."

Itachi tilted his head, "I thought they were best friends."

"Yeah, they are... he was even supposed to be the Godfather of their child."

Their conversation was interrupted by an emergency UN meeting on the TV. Superman showed up with the president of Bialya and Wonderwoman, peeking at both of their interests.

Superman grabbed both sides of the podium and looked down, "I'm so sorry. We failed you. My name--my earth name-- is Clark Kent," he looked up, "I am... I was a reporter for the Daily Planet. As a journalist, I spent too much time writing about the evil in the world. As a hero, I have spent too much time reacting to evils already perpetrated," he gripped the side of the podium crushing it while he grit his teeth, "No more. What happened yesterday can never be allowed to happen again. Monsters can no longer roam free among us," he pointed a hand at the president of Bialya who was trying to cover his still shirtless form, "This man turned his weapons against his own people. He is a criminal and he will be tried as one. To those who would do the same, those who would hurt others, know that I will come for you. I don't care about your lands or your beliefs. I don't care about your petty squabbles. I don't care if you're a madman or a terrorist, a king or a president. You do NOT have the right to take Innocent lives," he pointed at the camera, "I am calling for an immediate world-wide ceasefire. All hostilities will stop immediately--or I will stop them. It's over."

Itachi narrowed his eyes and put his hands together, for a second he was reminded of Madara, 'Superman, just what do you think you're doing? Dismissing everything people believe then trying to force your morals on the whole world?'

Soon after this Superman intercepted a drone strike by the airforce.

"Estimated casualties?"

The general answered, "Acceptable. Between five to ten civilians."

A lady spoke up, "It looks to me like he was trying to prevent the death of innocents."

"What he was doing was acting against the United States Military. What he was doing was committing Treason! He has already murdered on our soil without punishment. And we have no idea how his blundering actions in Bialya may destabilize our efforts in the region. Sir, Superman has decided to police the entire world. He has already toppled one government. If he is allowed to continue, unchecked, uncontrolled like this..." 

The president asked, "What do you propose?"

Later at night the Kent residence was set aflame and Superman broke into the house looking for his parents, "Mom! Dad!"

"They're not here."

"What?" Superman looked down at a mirror and there was a person inside of it that had men behind him. It was Mirror Master, "If you've hurt them, I'll"-"You'll what? Put your fist through my chest? Seriously, that was some pretty dark stuff. Know this. You're never going to see your parents again. They're somewhere even you can't find or touch. But they are alive. The old man put up a fight though so I had to use some good old fashion violence on him, but he'll live."

Superman smashed the mirror in anger but Mirror Master was still on the shards, "And they will stay alive if you heed this message. It's a simple message. Stop what you're doing. Stop interfering with governments and wars and go back to punching giant space robots and stuff. Do this and your parents keep breathing. Forget your place again, and we'll start sending you little pieces of one of them. Maybe we'll even let you choose which one."

The next day many heroes gathered in the Watchtower and got a briefing from Wonderwoman on what happened to Superman's parents, "Many of you have lost family and friends in Metropolis, there are heros who should be standing here now that we will never see again. Superman has not been mourning, he has taken a tragedy and began to act to make sure it could never happen again. Last night in response to Superman's recent actions his parents were taken from their home. They will be killed if Superman continues to get in the government's way. Whoever did this wants us to know our place. I am princess Diana of Themyscira and I know my place. I believe in what has been started. I believe we can make a real difference. I believe we can not just save the world, but change it for the better. I believe in Superman. I know some of you may be feeling uneasy about his recent actions, if any of you feel you can't help"-"No," Cyborg steps forward, "He's Superman. This world would have been destroyed ten times over without him. We owe him this and far more. Let's go fight for him."

Everyone started walking towards the teleporter and Itachi walked besides Nightwing, "Dick, what she said about changing the world for the better..."-"I know what you mean. I doubt the rest of the world will think that her definition of better is the same as hers, but this is Clark's parents we're talking about, this comes first."

Itachi silently agreed and they were teleported down to earth where they interrogated each Rogue's member which led them all the way to the World's End bar in Keystone City. Itschi stood outside of the bar with the rest of the heros while Raven, Wonderwoman, and Flash entered the shop. And soon exited. 

"I'm heading to Salar De Uyuni," Flash stated before running off.

Later in the Presidents office the President heard a voice, "That was incredibly stupid."

"What??"

Batman showed up behind the president and covered his mouth, "You don't touch a man's parents," he took his hand off of his mouth, "Don't call out."

"They said it couldn't be tracked back to me."

"It couldn't, I was playing a hunch. It's not a hunch anymore though."

The president sat down and put his hands together, "Will you tell them of my involvement?"

"No, but if they do work it out..."

"What? They wouldn't dare touch me. The public perception"-Batman slammed a hand on his desk, "Are you really that naive? Think about who you're dealing with! No one would know they've touched you. There would be no evidence. You'd just go missing," he gritted his teeth, "The police wouldn't think to look for your body on Saturn! Your plan failed, Mister President. And it failed in a way that will only strengthen Superman's resolve--it will unite all of them behind him."

"Them?"

"What?"

"Unite 'them' behind him. Not 'us'? You know, don't you?," he looks outside the window, "You know what one man with that much power could do to the world."

"He is trying to bring about peace."

"Yes, but then how will he keep the peace? Power corrupts. Trust me. I know."

Later in the Batcave Nightwing was training Damian while Itachi watched. The spar went on for a while until Nightwing sweeped Damian's legs with a staff, causing him to fall flat on his face. "What did you do wrong?"

"Legs."

"Yes, legs. You keep aiming for that killing blow, you're trying to hurt me--which I'm trying not to take personally, by the way, but it's not all about the body and head. Your opponent has sticky outy bits that are easier to reach. Not only does your opponent have those bits, they also may have had some bad circumstances that led them to a point where you're fighting them. So criminals deserve a second chance. Second chances are harder with a severe brain injury. Get ready, we'll go again."

While Nightwing was looking away Damian threw a baton straight at his head, but Superman caught it. "That's not very sporting of you Damien."

Damian clenched his fist, "How..?"

"It's okay, Superman. I knew it was coming. He tries it all the time."

Damian threw his hands up in the air, "You can't just... appear! Seriously. A bit of warning."

Superman handed his baton back to him, "Is he in?"

Nightwing responded, "Yeah, he's on the computer."

Damian accepted the baton, "He's even broodier than usual."

"Well, your father is the master of brooding, but he still needs to practice." 

Superman started walking further into the cave, "Hey, Superman. I wanted to say thanks. Now that the Joker's gone, everything just feels safer, you know?"

"Dick, could you take Damian and give us some privacy?"

Nightwings eyes narrowed, "Sure... are you okay?"

"I'll manage," he walked further into the cave with a clenched fist.

Itachi decides to listen in with Chakra enhanced hearing.

Batman noticed him and continued working, "Damien isn't used to people just appearing in front of him."

Superman crosses his arms, "Where were you? My parents were taken. Where were you?"

Batman looks at him, "I was doing what needed to be done."

Superman puts a hand on Batman's shoulder, "My parents. You of all people...."

Batman looks down, "You have to stop what you're doing."

Superman leans back and his face becomes scrunched with a dropped jaw, "I have to stop what? Stop saving lives? Stop bringing dictators to justice?"

Batman looks back up at him, "You're scaring them."

Superman rips off his mask and screams in his face, "GOOD!" He backs away and looks off to the side, "They should be scared. They should be too scared to press the button. They should be too scared to pull the trigger. They should be too scared to hurt each other," he points at Batman, "You taught me that."

Batman's expression lightens and his brows raise, "Clark, I"-"You'd do exactly what I'm doing if you were me--if you could do what I can."

"You killed a man, Clark."

"I DID!" He points at him again, "And every time you let that madman live, how many more did you condemn? Did you even feel responsible? Did you even feel guilty?"

Batman looks down, "Everytime," then looks back up, "But we don't get to choose who dies."

Clark puts up a finger, "One death. To save millions. One. Death."

Batman narrows his eyes, "It always starts with one. That's how justification works. But once you justify something once, you can do it again, and again. It becomes easier. Right and wrong blur."

"Itachi seems to be doing just fine as a killer," Batman walks back to his computer and Superman asks, "You loved him, didn't you?"

Batman looks back at him, "What?"

"You're not sitting here in the dark mourning Metropolis, are you? You're mourning him, You're angry at me for taking the Joker away from you," Batman put his mask back on. "That's it. Hide behind your mask. You loved having him around. Your constant nemesis. The two of you played your stupid game, and people died."

"You know that's not true." 

Superman turns away from Batman, "Then why didn't you stop him?" He turns back towards Batman and raises a fist with glowing red eyes, "WHY DID YOU LET HIM DO THIS TO ME, BRUCE?!? You can't possibly understand what he took. He stole the life Lois and I would have had together. Our child. And more. There was going to be someone else like me in the world. Another Kryptonian. Someone who would have made me feel less alone. And I would have loved that child more than anything. I already did. And look at you."

Itachi noticed that Nightwing and Damian were also listening in on the conversation and Batman walked to Superman. 

"You're sitting in the dark ignoring Dick and Damian. How many friends did they lose in Metropolis? Have you consoled them? Have you held them?" Superman tenses his jaw, "Your parents died and left you, Bruce. What's your excuse for not being a father?"

Batman becomes enraged and punches Superman across his face, which didn't even make him flinch. Superman crosses his arms, "Show me your hand."

He looks away, "No."

"Don't be you. Show me," he reveals his hand to him and Superman gets a good look at it, "A hairline fracture to your third finger. A small amount of ligament damage. You'll be okay in three to four weeks if you can stop yourself from punching things."

An alert shows up on the Batcomputer, "What's that?"

"You're not wearing your communicator?"

"No, I didn't want us to be interrupted."

"Trouble in the Pacific ocean in Atlantis. Several Justice League members are on the scene."

Superman turns away, "I should go."

"Wait," Batman takes off his mask, "You can't put yourself above us, Clark. You're right. I'm not saying I'd act differently if I had your abilities. I'm not saying I wouldn't try to impose peace. But you..."

"What?"

"You're a better man than I am."

Superman offers a hand, "Bruce, come with me."

Batman stares at his hand for a minute, contemplating his decision. Eventually he looks down at the ground, "I can't, Clark. I'm sorry."

Superman remains silent and starts walking up the steps. Alfred passes by him and asks, "Not staying for tea, Master Kent?" 

"I'm afraid not, Aldred. And you don't have to call me Master."

Alfred glares at him, "Good. Let's remember that."

Itachi rushes down the stairs and jumps into the Batwing. "I'm going to the battle."

Superman showed up and flew through one of the Kraken's tentacles and threatened Arthur to call off his attack, along with Batman's request to call it off over comms he complied. The heros flew the sailors out of the ocean.

Superman stood in front of Aquaman, "I called for a worldwide ceasefire."

"Even your voice does not reach down into the deep Superman. If you wish to rule the surface world"-"I do not seek to rule, only to protect."

"I understand, with the destruction of Metropolis, you lost your kingdom. But you can't have mine."

Batman stated over comms, "Don't provoke him!"

Superman crossed his arms, "I do not want"-"Superman, whether you can see it or not, your reign is beginning, but the sea is mine alone to command," he stated with crossed arms and a raised chin.

Batman said, "Arthur what are you doing?"

Wonderwoman flew over, "Superman! Turn your communicator on!"

"What's happening?"

"Atlantean armies are rising in countries across the world."

"Arthur, what is this?"

Arthur brushed his hair out of his face, "A reminder. I am not some pathetic self appointed leader of some insignificant country who can be bullied into submission. Every port, every ship, everything that flies over the oceans does so with my blessing. Your world would grind to a halt if I willed it. Every land mass borders the sea. Your entire world is inside mine. Consider this a show of strength. Now get the hell out of my ocean."

Batman slammed on his computer desk, "You idiot! He's not going to respond to an ultimatum!"

Superman flies off and Wonderwoman follows, "Where are you going? You can't back down!"

"I'm not backing down."

Itachi was listening in on the comms the whole time and was curious as to what was going on as he flew over North Africa on the way to the Pacific. Eventually to his shock he heard a breaking world news report. "As a city from the darkest depths of the ocean. A city that has never been touched by sunlight. Has been placed in the middle of the hottest desert in the world.

Batman contacted Superman, "Superman, you can't threaten an entire city and expect the world to just"-"No. You don't get to speak. You think I didn't hear you whispering your poison into Arthur's ear? Cyborg, remove Batman's communicator access. He's not with us. That's enough words from you, "Bruce."

"Clark, Don"- his comms were severed. 

Wonderwoman flew over, "Clark, Arthur is ready to talk to you."

"I don't want to see him, and I've achieved nothing by talking today, you're the diplomat, you speak to him."

Itachi looked outside of the Batwing down at the shore of Algeria and saw Wonderwoman and Aquaman. He put two fingers on his ear, "Batman, can you connect me to Wonder Woman's comms so I can hear what they're saying?"

"Done."

"I didn't think he was capable of Something like this. You have his ear, Diana. Steer him away from this course of action."

Wonderwoman has her hands on her hips, "I will not. I believe this course of action is what's best for the world."

Aquaman looks at the sun, "You will have scared a lot of people today. Ordinary people who do not want Gods and Aliens telling them what they can't and can't do."

"Perhaps."

"Can you pass a message onto Superman?"

"Of course."

"I have ruled peacefully for many years. If he has decided to command, when he is ready, I would ask that he seek my counsel. And please tell Clark..... tell him I'm sorry about Lois."

Wonderwoman flew back to Superman who was looking at Atlantis and he noticed her, "Well?"

"He said he will pull his armies back into the ocean."

"Good, I'll let Shazam and Hal know that we can put Atlantis back into the sea. This decision didn't sit well with either of them."

"Don't worry about what they think. You did the right thing, you did what needed to be done."

Superman looks down, "So you've said."

"I won't let you doubt yourself."

They both flew to the ground and he asked, "What else?"

"What?"

"Surely Arthur had something else to say."

She stared for a minute before responding, "No, nothing."

Itachi clenched his fist. 'I've heard enough of this, everything we've all established is about to be destroyed for good soon.' and he landed the Batwing on the ground in front of them. Wonderwoman got into a fighting stance.

"Batman?"

They both saw Itachi get out of the plane and their hostility turned to confusion. Itachi narrowed his eyes and walked forward, "Wonderwoman, why don't you tell him what else Arthur said?"

"Excuse me?"

Itachi stood in front of Superwoman, "Or maybe you need to have the lasso of Truth around you to tell the truth?"

Wonderwoman lifted her chin looking down on Itachi, "Don't threaten me, child."

"Superman, he said he was sorry about Lois, but tell me, just what are you doing?"

Superman crossed his arms, "Don't tell me that you of all people are going to start lecturing me about killing a man?"

Itachi shook his head, "No, in fact I planned on doing it myself. And I stand by my word when I say I should have done it one year ago. It would have saved you and everyone else the sorrows we're dealing with now...." Superman's expression lightened up, "But Superman, what you're trying to do to the world….. you need to stop."

"I'm going to make it safer."

"Safer, yes. But at what cost? You're going to castrate each nation one by one until they bend to your will and adopt your sense of morality? You just want to unnaturally absolve all conflicts and force everyone to get along?"

Superman walked towards him, "I'm saving lives! You know how many kids I've saved from being turned into child soldiers when I stopped the war in Bialya alone? You know all about being a Child soldier, would you wish that upon anyone else?" 

Itachi looked down at the ground, "No," he looked back up right into Superman's eyes, "But Superman. When you brought Atlantis here into the desert. What would you have done if Arthur continued to fight? Would you have let millions of Atlantians slowly die from the heat? And if any other nation resists long enough what will you do to them? Cut off all their trade? Maybe pick it up and put it in the Arctic?"

Superman looked down at the ground for a minute, as it hadn't crossed his mind that Arthur might refuse, and what he would have done if he did."

Wonder Woman but in and grabbed Itschi's shoulder tightly, "He would have done what he needed to to keep people safe."

Itachi glared daggers at her and his own eyes glinted red for a second. "Wonderwoman, stop filling Superman's mind with your silver tongued lies and"-"We're ready to put Atlantis back into the ocean.

Green Lantern and Shazam arrived. Green Lantern raised a brow when he saw Itachi, "Itachi? When did you get here?"

Superman started flying away, "Not long ago, and he was just leaving."

"Superman"-"Enough, Itachi. I've argued with enough friends today."

They all flew off to lift Atlantis and Itachi was left disheartened by himself as he got back into the Batwing, and went home.