World's Finest: Strength In Numbers

[JME2]

Disclaimers: Batman created by Bob Kane, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston. All three are owned by DC Comics, Justice League: The Animated Series. I own the story and any original characters; no copyright infringement is intended.

World’s Finest: Strength in Numbers

Synopsis: Post-‘Starcrossed’/JLU Tie-In; Batman and Superman discuss the future of the League and changes that need to be made.

Author’s Notes:

* This story contains spoilers for the second season finale; read at your own risk.

* The purpose of this one-shot is to answer how the League reached the decision to bring in new heroes during the third season premiere ‘Initiations’.

Enjoy.

***

Wayne Manor.

Throughout all of Gotham City, the antique and stately mansion had been known for years as the site of charities balls and fundraisers as well as the home of Wayne Enterprises CEO and billionaire Bruce Wayne. But beneath the manor lay something far greater, a living example of a man’s promise, strong will, and a lifelong quest. It was a place that truly emphasized that criminals were a superstitious, cowardly lot.

It’s really too bad Thanagarians aren’t a superstitious or cowardly lot.

The urban legend of Gotham City, the Batman stood atop the rubble that dotted the expanse of his base and headquarters for his ongoing war on crime. When the Thanagarians had followed Hawkgirl and traced the Justice League’s location, they hadn’t held anything back and the Batcave showed it.

The antique clock that had guarded the entrance to the cave had been ripped off its hinges, its inner metal shield melted like a hot knife through butter. Most of the display cases containing memorabilia and various sections of the floor had been destroyed by alien weaponry. Amazingly, none of the primary equipment or the main computer had been hit, or had any of the bats been hurt.

He truly appreciated the bats. It was bats that had scared him as a child, but had helped save him, had showed him the way to frighten the forces of evil and rebuild his life in a way that made The Plan work. He recalled what he had said to Alfred many years before about the bats when the old English butler had first begun complaining about them after they had dynamited an entrance to the cave from the Manor.

“They’re great survivors.”

He knew that Alfred, though he had gotten used to and even respect them, still hated them; since had made it clear on more than one occasion how much he hated cleaning up after them and how he had on occasion, in his own little bouts of humor, tricked Dick or Tim into cleaning up the mess.

His thoughts drifted towards his charges. Dick had taken up in nearby Bludhaven; this was merely his old costume in the case. Barbara had temporarily retired after graduating from college and was on assignment with Tim in Opal City.

He was thankful, though he would never admit it to them, that they were not here when the Cave had been attacked. Fighting off common thugs and psychopaths with ‘colorful’ motifs was one thing, yet fighting off a flying alien race was quite another.

Still, it could have been worse.

This hadn’t been the first time that exterior forces had stormed the Cave; the nearly immortal Ra’s al Ghul, the deadly Phantasm, and the Artifical Intelligence program HARDAC had already had that pleasure over the course of the last decade. He cared, though, more for the Cave than the Manor. The Manor was a relic of his parents. He lived in it during the day out of their memory and respect. His true home were these caverns underneath the manor, his inner home, his sanctuary.

He would rebuild it, from the trophy cases to the armory and more.

“It doesn’t hurt to come out once in a while, you know.”

Batman didn’t bother looking up to see the source of the voice, the voice of Earth’s reigning champion and hero, Superman, floating above the stairway that connected his subterranean cathedral with the land of the living. The Dark Knight had nearly died trying to destroy the hyerpsace bypass generator. It was Clark that had saved him from a death that, while he may not have wanted, he had been prepared to accept.

It was the latest time he owed his life to Clark since the two of them had clashed in Metropolis five years prior. Of course, they were both

“I have work to do down here.”

“Like what? The criminal population in both Gotham and Metropolis is practically inactive.”

“It’s never inactive and you of all people should know it.”

“Oh, really?”

“This coming from a man who calls it the ‘never-ending battle’.”

“I also meant that perhaps you were getting to work on getting us a new base of operations.”

The Batman sighed.

“It will take time to appropriate necessary funds and capital to construct new equipment and vehicles.”

He wasn’t exaggerating. The Javelin-7-A had been blown up by Thanagarian forces after their ruse had been exposed and whatever remained of the Watchtower was scattered across the crater that had been the Thanagarian Generator in the Gobi Desert. They would be rebuilt of course, but it would, as he said, take time.”

“And you have no problem with using the Cave as a temporary base?”

“I do, but I’m not exactly in a position to argue. It was that or your so-called Fortress.”

“That didn’t stop you from voting on it.”

“It would have gone through if Flash had been complaining about ‘freezing his scarlet behind off’ when we put it to the vote.”

There was a long silence between the Guardian of Gotham and the Metropolis Marvel. Clark chuckled and Bruce grimaced ever more. Then the latter turned sullen.

“You thinking about Shayera?”

“Aren’t we all?”

“I asked first.”

“I’m surprised you voted for her expulsion given what people thought of you five years ago.”

It didn’t take the world’s greatest detective to know the response such a remark would bring out of his counterpart. Even after Darkseid’s apparent death on board the asteroid facility, it was still difficult for him to discuss those dark days following the tyrant’s brainwashing of Earth’s champion when he had been, with help from Luthor and General Hardcastle, a fear pariah.

The Man of Steel’s finely chiseled face grimaced at the remark.

“Because I wasn’t acting of my own free accord. She was following Talak’s orders as if God was telling her to do it. I don‘t care that she was in a no-win scenario. Still, I’m more worried about GL; he’s taking it pretty hard.”

“He’ll learn to live it.”

Superman just stared at Batman almost incredulously.

“Sometimes Bruce, no matter how much time we fight together, I just can’t understand how cruel and colds you can be.”

“I say that out of personal experience, Clark.”

He did indeed mean that.

His eyes gazed over to walls lined alongside the off-ramp for the many models of Batmobile he had used over the years. Or rather, to crevice in the wall where years before he had had recovered a golden locket that symbolized happier days for the remaining heir in the Wayne family line.

He shut that thought out as quickly s it came to him.

His romance with Andrea Beaumont was a painful reminder of what the Green Lantern had learned, that love could never always be yours. That was why he continued to do what he did, to allow others to have a chance at the happiness he had lost and given up when he was eight years old on the streets of Gotham City.

Still, that kiss with Diana…

“Because even I’m not arrogant enough to know that the planet needs to be saved and can be saved only if we’re working as a team.”

“But we did; we were able to repulse the Occupation.”

Batman shook his head.

“Even without Hawkgirl’s betrayal, we were taken down as if we were no more than amateurs. It was like the Imperium invasion all over again.”

“What are you saying, Bruce?”

“We’re spread too thinly. We need to bolster our numbers and our collective strength.”

Clark instantly understood what the Dark Knight was implying.

“You’re talking about a membership drive.”

“Exactly. It‘s the only way to prevent something like this from ever happening again..”

Superman actually chuckled softly

“I suppose you find this amusing?”

“Not at all. I would think you of all people wouldn’t want more people into the League. You‘re not exactly a people person, after all Bruce.”

The Dark Knight grimaced.

“It’s a small price to pay for the safety of the planet.”

They continued talking through the next few hours, moving from the confines of the cave to the open streets of Gotham, from Crime Alley to the Financial District as they did. Names were mentioned and compromises were made as they discussed scenarios and possible memberships and sponsorships.

True, the idea would have to be ratified by the other four remaining Leaguers, but the Dark Knight knew them well enough to know that the chances of them not voting were slim to none. It would be a new Justice League, with a new name, but the same, old friendly service, as Clark put it. But no matter, what changes would be made, not matter who came into the pantheon of Earth’s heroes, there was one thing that was made clear as Bruce and Clark returned to the cave in the dawning hours of the morning.

The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel would still remain, both in their own, individual ways, the core of the League, helping to cement it and help usher in the continued existence of Gotham City, of Metropolis, and of the world.

Such was a job for the World’s Finest.

***

Author’s Additional Notes

* Bruce’s line on “They’re great survivors” comes from Tim Burton’s film; I’ve always love the line and wanted to stick it in.

[Shroom Man 777]

Beautiful! Man, this is awesome, fantastic, spactacular shit! And I mean that in a very good way. Please, write more (not necessarily a continuation)!

[JME2]

Thanks. This was a in-between-chapters- quickie that I had had going in the back of my mind since the second season finale aired and, needing a break from writing more of The Best of Both Worlds and Yesterdays and Tomorrows, decided to put it to paper (or HTML if you want to get specific ... )

I'll, at one point down the road, have another World's Finest story done, set right after Superman/Batman # 6.