Peace In Our Time

Batman was staring off into space, literally. The Justice League were meeting, as they regularly did, on the Watchtower, a satellite in outer space funded by the Wayne Corporation where the league met to supervise the earth, and everyone in it.

Batman had often regretted funding a space station – he had forgotten in the excitement of the moment that leaving the earth meant several uncomfortable hours in zero gravity training for him, as a human being. While the rest of the members were aliens or otherwise superpowered, Batman was bound by the limits of his mere mortal frame, a fact that he only resented when surrounded by superior beings.

Because as mortals went, there was nothing mere about Batman. He was in peak physical and intellectual condition, a force to be reckoned with both in a fight and analyzing a crime scene. A genuine Super Man, not like the so-called Superman who was speaking now, he thought, glaring at Clark Kent. The guy should be called Super Alien, if he was even exceptional for an alien. If Krypton hadn't been destroyed, there would probably be tons of aliens just like him wandering around…

"You listening, Bruce?" asked Superman, suddenly.

"Uh…sure, Clark," said Batman.

"Then what did I just say?" he asked.

"Erm…a never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way?" suggested Batman.

Superman glared at him. "No," he snapped. "We were actually discussing the situation in Gotham, and how that's progressing in terms of reducing crime."

"I'm handling Gotham," retorted Batman, firmly. "So there's no need to discuss it."

"We're a league, Bruce," said Wonder Woman, gently. "Which means we can help each other out if we need it…"

"I don't need it," snapped Batman.

"Then can you explain why Gotham City still remains a persistent problem in our efforts to tackle crime?" asked Superman.

"I have a huge roster of…varied and persistent enemies," retorted Batman.

"Which means you could use some help," suggested Superman.

"No!" snapped Batman, firmly. "Only I can handle it! Only I know their methods and the way their minds work! If any of you went up against the Joker, for example, you wouldn't last five seconds!"

"I'm sure he can't be that hard to handle," retorted Superman. "He's only a man, after all."

He said this pointedly, and Batman noticed. Yes, the Joker was only a man, just like he was. And Superman was this superior alien, so much better than both of them. Batman was about to open his mouth to respond caustically when a beeping suddenly came from the computer.

"That's an incoming communication," said Superman, puzzled. "From space."

He pressed a button, and an image popped onto the screen in front of them. It was the image of a giant head, transparent and shimmering. "Greetings, Justice League," it said, in a calm, patient voice. "I am Pacis One, leader of the Pacis Prime Collective. We are superior beings who have evolved into pure energy, and are now one with the flow of the galaxy. We have been watching your world for some time, and have decided that now is the time for peace on earth."

Batman snorted, but he was the only one. Superman and the others respectfully listened to what this alien had to say, and Batman had no choice but to do the same.

"Of course that's the ideal we all strive for, Pacis One," said Superman, nodding. "But it's an incredibly difficult thing to implement…"

"For you, maybe," said Pacis One, nodding. "But for superior beings of pure energy, nothing could be simpler. We will be as gods to these people, and what human would not bow to the power of a god?"

"I'm sure lots of humans see super-powered aliens as gods," spoke up Batman. "But I certainly don't bow to them."

Pacis One looked at Batman, and smiled. "You are a representative of the human race?" he asked, lightly.

"That's right," said Batman, coldly. "And I'm a man who's been fighting for peace for a long time. If you think you can just appear and mandate it and people are going to listen to you, you must be the most naïve race of superbeings in the universe."

"Batman, there's no need to be rude," snapped Superman.

"Sad," sighed Pacis One. "So cynical about your own race! You do not believe that humanity is capable of peace, Batman?"

"I believe that it is, after great struggle," said Batman, nodding. "But I don't believe you can just appear as superbeings, snap your fingers, and expect all of the world's problems and conflicts to just disappear."

Pacis One smiled. "Then perhaps you'd had better prepare to see and believe, Batman."

The screen flicked off. "All right, what's our plan of attack?" demanded Batman, turning to his fellow members.

"Attack?" repeated Superman. "Why would we attack them? They haven't done anything wrong."

"Oh, come on, Clark!" snapped Batman. "Why the hell would they care about peace on earth?! They're obviously using this whole peace nonsense as a ruse to trick us, probably so they can attack us when we're defenseless and vulnerable."

"Or they could actually be superior beings concerned with galactic peace," said Wonder Woman, gently. "I think if you look at our world objectively, it is pretty sad that we fight and squabble among ourselves, wasting human life and all its potential."

"You think I don't appreciate the tragedy of that, Diana?" demanded Batman. "But if humanity is ever going to progress, it has to be through our efforts alone, and not because some omnipotent being has told us to behave, like a parent to a bunch of misbehaving children!"

The computer beeped again, and this time it was a communication from earth. "Hang on – our dear president is calling," muttered Superman, as an image of Lex Luthor popped onto the screen.

"What have you alien freaks done now?!" he demanded, angrily. "And why aren't you here to clean up the mess you've made?!"

"We haven't done anything, Luthor – what's the problem?" asked Superman.

"See for yourself!" roared Luthor, gesturing onto the White House lawn, where a giant shimmering head floated. "It's on all the TV channels, and it's been sighted in Gotham and Metropolis and all over the country, plus Europe and Asia and everywhere else in the goddamn world, and it just keeps talking! What do I need to do to kill it?! Can I nuke it?!"

"When it's in every densely populated city on the planet?" repeated Superman. "No, Mr. President, I don't think that's a good plan. And anyway, it's a being of pure energy. Traditional weapons aren't going to have any effect on it. What's it saying?"

"A lotta crap about world peace," growled Luthor. "As if some alien nutjob can just come down to my planet and start preaching to me about peace! I'm the President of the United States of America, and no alien weirdo is gonna tell me not to start a war if I need to!"

"Pacis One has already spoken with us," said Superman. "Its intentions don't seem to be malicious, but obviously we'll keep an eye on the situation. Don't worry, Mr. President – we'll handle this if it starts getting out of hand."

"Out of hand?!" roared Luthor. "Once intergalactic beings start ordering humanity around, I'd say things are already out of hand! But then I forgot who I was talking to," he sneered. "Mr. Moral Authority Alien himself. They're probably friends of yours from Krypton. Well, you tell them that if they want a war, they've got one. Humanity doesn't surrender without a fight."

"But they don't want a war," said Superman, gently. "And they don't want surrender. They just want peace."

"Peace is surrender," growled Luthor. "It's surrendering your right to fight for the things you believe in. In my case, the right to wage war if necessary, especially against a buncha pushy aliens. You tell your little friends that."

"You can tell us that yourself, Mr. Luthor," said a voice. Luthor whirled around to see the head smiling at him. "We have no wish to subjugate humanity – we merely wish you seek enlightenment, as we have. And the first step toward enlightenment and unity with the universe is peace. All races, peoples, and nationalities living together in harmony. What could be more glorious?"

"It's Mr. President to you," growled Luthor.

"Mr. President," repeated Pacis One, nodding. "Elected by the people of the United States of America, and bound by them to serve their will. Shall we ask the people what they want?"

Shouts of "Peace! Peace! Peace!" began to fill the streets. Luthor's murderous glare turned slowly from Pacis One to Superman, and then he clicked off the screen.

Batman sighed. "I know some other people who aren't going to like this," he muttered.