A/N – It's been a while but my other story needed to be updated too. Life is also time consuming so I hope you all had something to do while waiting for me. Enjoy my pretties!

Also I have to warn you: This chapter is graphic. So if you can't stand the mentions of blood or killing people, you really shouldn't be reading this chapter. Or several of the later chappies to be honest. Sorry but I'm just that type of writer, though it's not too too bad. I think.

Superman soared through the sky so high up that cars were ants, buildings were small rocks or pebbles, and people were microscopic cells. The clouds were like the dust in the sky, scattering as he shot through them. The atmosphere was a blue blur around him as he flew at full speed.

This was the closest to peace for Superman. The silence aside from the gusting air and his own thoughts was the only heaven he would get now. He'd done too much to deserve anything better.

This was why, in the deepest recesses of his Kryptonian heart, Superman secretly believed that they would fail. They didn't deserve to save the world anymore after they'd already failed it before. The Light won and the heroes failed. They couldn't win when it really mattered in the future and they couldn't win now, when it really mattered in the past. They had everything going for them but Superman had a gut feeling they wouldn't succeed. Their mentors, the first Superman, would hate him even more than before for failing their world again…

Superman almost winced at the thought of their mentors. Did they deserve to see their mentors again? After everything they'd done? Would their mentors ever accept them, twisted and haunted and irreversibly broken as they were? Would they accept Dark Justice's knowledge and ways?

Superman wasn't a mindless animal despite how he acted. Sure he was an animal, but not a mindless one. He'd just lost all his faith he watched his idol and would-be father die from a fleet of Kryptonite infused missiles that struck the Hall of Justice during that stupid political ceremony. He'd lost his faith in being human and being a rule follower. Villains didn't let anything tame them and as a result, they had won.

So Superman had put it on his shoulders to be the untamed one, the inhuman one. Fight fire with fire. Lady Martian did a good enough job being bat-shit crazy and completely unpredictable, but even she had laws she would never break. She had codes and, though some of them no longer believed it, morals. She would never betray the team even if it would save her life, if it would save the world. The team first, the members second. She would never kill – he said kill, not hurt – an innocent civilian unless the job required it. She would never leave a Light member living if she could help it. She would never sacrifice one of her teammates for anything. She doesn't speak badly of the mentors or let anyone speak badly of the mentors.

In fact, all their members went by those codes. None of them had broken those unwritten laws or would ever break them. They were as sacred as the mentors and their younger selves.

But Superman was going to be the untamed one, the one who didn't listen to rules or codes or laws. He hadn't wanted listen to them, even if he believed in them.

His team had found out and convinced him that he could still be the untamed one, the inhuman one, and still have some sort of code. It hadn't made sense to Superman then, but now he understood it.

Even untamed, wild animals had rules. Not-rule rules, but still rules. So he listened to the codes of Dark Justice and acted as close to a wild animal he could. He didn't talk if he could help it – because what use were words when they didn't change anything? – and instead spoke with his fists and heat vision. He wasn't nice enough to lobotomize anyone, though he had before. He preferred to just melt their brains inside their heads, because those who could not function were killed by the Light anyway. Save everyone the trouble.

But if push ever came to shove Superman knew he was probably the most likely to break the codes of Dark Justice. He was the animal in their group and the others were simply more human than him. Even Lightning Trident and Lady Martian, who were as biologically not human, were more human in their hearts than Superman was.

Superman didn't deserve to be human and maybe the first Superman had known all along. Everyone denied it, told him was being stupid, but maybe his idol had felt what he would become and that was why he refused to be near him. Superman knew he hadn't deserved any attention no matter how much future Superman's heart ached for it.

Superman shook his head, trying to remove the thoughts in his brain like they were water in his ears. He scanned the ground below him and spotted his target. Slowing, he dived down.

He landed on the ground right outside the building. It looked like a simple marine laboratory off the coast of Massachusetts but Superman knew better. The beach forest scenery and hidden location were purposeful to keep the lab away from civilization. The way it looked way too kept up for a building in the beach side forest didn't help.

This was the place. Superman didn't bother calling Trident to tell him he was going in. Superman wasn't one for such things anymore. He would do what he wanted and no one could stop him – the world's supply of Kryptonite, besides the pieces owned by Batman and Green Arrow respectively, had been destroyed in the missiles that killed Superman. No one could stop him except his allies. And magic of course, but after what happened to Zatanna none of them spoke of magic anymore.

Superman landed on the ground, black cape fluttering around him. He saw the two security cameras on either side of the doors looking at him and let his eyes glow red with a familiar warmth.

Twin beams destroyed the metal cameras one at a time. Superman walked up to the front door, taking a moment to breath in the familiar scent of the forest beach base, memories floating through his head.

"Are you one hundred percent sure this is the place?" Artemis asked for the one hundredth time. They were all hidden in the trees as they gazed at the building.

Robin sent her an agitated look. "Stop doubting Zatanna Artemis, she knows what she's doing. We know this is the place where they sent the underwater missiles from. Or more correctly, one of the places."

"Then why didn't she come along?" Artemis shot back. Her paranoia had increased to therapeutic levels like the rest of them but the female archer seemed to show it the most.

"For the same reasons Red Arrow stayed behind – we need some reserve members if something goes wrong and we all die. Plus Red Arrow is still injured from getting to base and needs to recover, as does Zatanna." Robin retorted fiercely. Superboy sighed.

"Guys, be quiet. I'm trying to listen in." He said and the two shut up. Superboy sent a worried gaze to Aqualad, who was staring frozen at the unsuspecting building before them. Superboy still wasn't good with dealing with others' emotions and this time was no different.

Artemis gave him a predatory smile, something the teenage girl was beginning to perfect. "Don't worry Kaldur; today we'll make these people pay for what they've done."

Kid Flash grinned and though it was still a warm expression, there were hints of darkness creeping in on the sides. "Yeah dude, just wait for a few more minutes. We'll give them hell for daring to blow up Atlantis."

Robin snorted playfully. "You're one to talk about waiting." Kid Flash just laughed quietly.

"Everyone ready?" Miss Martian whispered. Her ember eyes seemed to glow brighter recently.

Artemis aimed her bow just as Robin pulled out a batarang. They flew through the air at the same time and the two security cameras blew up. The team moved out and Superboy would later remember the strange smell of salty sea air and blood mixed together, forever imprinted on his mind.

Superman stood before the doors and glared at them before pulling back a fist and destroying the door.

There were several people, several humans, in the front room. They stared at him in shock and Superman pulled back his teeth in a snarl.

"Who-what – Superman?" One scientist let out incredulously.

Superman growled, eyes glowing red with fury. He remembered the day the team had broken in here, how they slaughtered every man and woman in here, including Black Manta. How they burnt it to the ground so the Light couldn't reuse their bodies or revive them. How good salty sea air smelt when mixed with blood.

He wanted to smell it again.

"I'm not your Superman." The Superman of the future growled. The scientists cowered and Superman felt a surge of strength flow through him.

They were right to be afraid. Wild animals were dangerous when angered.

Superman, with his red and black costume, shot forward in a blur that could compare to the Flash. He began crushing skulls, uncaring of how much blood got onto him. He was careful not to destroy the building as he destroyed its tenants – the League would come here later and see the files that would prove invaluable later. Plus it would show the League that killing really was the only way to permanently getting rid of huge problems. If future Superman didn't kill all these evil people Atlantis would pay the price.

Superman went level by level, smashing skulls with his bare hands, slashing heat vision beams through people's stomachs, crushing most of the bones in followers' bodies and before stepping on their throats. He left a wave of destruction behind him, uncaring of the blood as long as the computers and filing cabinets stayed unharmed. The sharp copper tang of blood no longer bothered him.

He worked his way to the top and then went back down, not even sparing himself a look at the dead bodies. There were two underground floors where he knew Black Manta was.

Superman tore open the thick steel door and huffed when the freezing air blasted into his face. He remembered the coldness of this place and didn't care anymore now then he had the first time.

"There are minds behind this door." Miss Martian muttered to the rest of the team, hands resting on her temples. They hadn't been able to find Black Manta anywhere and Aqualad was getting noticeably frustrated. Artemis was getting jumpy as well, even with all the kills she'd made.

They knew the Light follower was here. Zatanna had pin-pointed his location to be right here. The magician wasn't wrong so they had to look harder and after searching every room they'd found this ominous steel door.

Superboy wiped his bloody hands on his blood smeared jeans and walked up the large metal door. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the door with his x-ray vision. After a moment he blinked and looked at the team.

"There are definitely people right there but I can't see through it. The door is made with lead. I hear voices close by the door so it might not be best to just ram straight through without a care." Superboy said. Aqualad looked ready to tell them 'hell with it, tear that door apart Superboy' but before he could Kid Flash walked up to the door.

"Don't' worry guys, I've got this. Wait about twenty seconds before ripping down the door, 'kay Supes?" Kid Flash said confidently. Then he pressed his palms flat against the door and began to vibrate. His body was soon a blur of red and yellow, not all the red from his costume, and then he sort of fell through the steel lead door.

Superboy counted to twenty in his head before pulling his fist back and punching a hole through the thick metal. It went straight through all three feet – his strength must be growing closer to Superman's now that he's getting older. It's comforting, knowing he'll eventually have the strength to do what's needed to be done.

He used his other hand to peel back the metal door like it's a banana peel and Robin lets out a cackle that now sounds much more creepy and frightening than before when he spots the bodies lying on the ground, necks bent unnaturally. Wally would always be the pacifist of them, even when he killed. Breaking someone's neck, especially at superspeed, was the most painless way to do it.

The guns the men had are piled up against the wall. Kid Flash is grinning at them from a familiar heroic pose. "Take that Robin – my score's higher than yours!"

Robin seems to realize this and scowls playfully at his best friend. "Not by much, and I'll still beat you when we find the rest of the goons down here. You won't kill more than me this time KF!"

Both laugh happily and Superboy wonders if it's healthy for them to turn killing their opponents into a game to see who can kill more, like it's some video game you play on an X-box. But if it keeps them sane then Superboy won't say anything because they all have their coping mechanisms. Robin and Kid Flash are serious about their jobs so letting them have some fun while doing them can't hurt even if their new version of 'fun' would have had them gagging just a few months ago.

How things change.

Superman stares at the door in front of him. It's still infused with lead but Superman doesn't care – the only ones here who can be hurt by bullets are the bad guys. They bounce off of him like bubbles and honestly, they tickle more than they hurt. If he even feels them at all.

He wastes no time, smashing the door to bits with knuckles covered in others' blood. As he tears the door away bullets rain out of the openings, harmless to his alien skin. Superman grabs a particularly sharp piece of shrapnel and hurls it at one of the men, piercing him through the stomach. He drops his gun and collapses.

The other four men and staring at him with wide eyes, shaking in fear as they shoot at him uselessly. Superman lets out a snarl and uses his heat vision to cut them all in half. The guns fall to the ground. Then he walks up to the heavily bleeding man and stomps on his skull. He had to make sure he stayed dead.

There is no more time. Black Manta must know he's here by now and escaping. Superman lifts his feet just off the ground and flies through the rooms, killing the random scientists and workers here and there. None are Manta, future betrayer and destroyer of Atlantis.

Black Manta was the one who knew the layout of Atlantis. He knew their weapons and their weaknesses and used his knowledge to plan the perfect strategic location to strike the cities. Atlantians were killed by the thousands and Kaldur could do nothing to stop it. The underwater city was lost without its true king and Orm just didn't match King Orin. Atlantis was burnt to the ocean floor, its remains left to rot.

Superman knows Trident wishes he could be here to kill his father but Superman is the best choice to get to the Light facility, shut it down, and kill Black Manta within a quick span of time while coming out uninjured.

Speed and efficiency are big things when you're trying to stop an evil organization from destroying your world in the span of a few days. A large group of heroes can only disappear for so long without the League noticing. He was glad the others were making sure they had as much time as possible before the League realized something was going on because when the League found out that Dark Justice was there they would stop them even though Dark Justice was only trying to save the League and the world.

Superman hears the familiar Vader-like breathing noise of Black Manta in his suit and shoots through several walls to the cave connected to this place. Superman busts through the metal door to see the familiar room.

Robin has the electronically locked door hacked in seconds and Aqualad flings it open, looking on the verge of running straight through it. They are in a cave, metal stairs leading from the door to a metal platform. The other half of the cave is filled with water and there is a small pier with a motor boat connected to it sticking out from the platform. Large metal garage doors are opened up to the sea. Black Manta is just about to board the boat when he turns to see Young Justice standing there. His henchmen stand already in the boat, guns raised at them.

Manta chuckles of all things. It grates Artemis' ears. "So the wannabe heroes are here. I must say I'm surprised though – is that blood on you children's hands? How proud of you your mentors would be." The Light member mocks in his breathy voice.

Robin holds a batarang in a death grip, Kid Flash narrow his eyes dangerously, and Miss Martian's eyes glow brighter, fury emanating from her features. No one mentions their mentors, not when they helped kill them.

"You're going to die for that." Artemis hisses, raising her bow as she points a trick arrow at him.

Black Manta watches them. "You are children and heroes at that. Unless you've come to your senses and given in to the Light you will be killed now. If your mentors didn't stand a chance you stand less of a chance." He looked at Aqualad. "You were the most disappointing of all the heroes. To waste your life protecting civilians…you are a waste."

Black Manta lifts a gun and shoots a red laser at them. Superboy uses his body to block it and the rest of the team deploy themselves, Artemis shooting her trick arrow. It hits the motor of the boat and in a small explosion, destroys it.

There is no escape now. The team fights like the villain and his henchmen have never seen before and soon Manta's followers are dead. Black Manta is backed into a corner by the team, away from the water where he could escape. Artemis shoots an arrow that makes most of the surface water ice over, ensuring the criminal cannot get away.

Black Manta gives an airy laugh. "So you are killers now. Seems the Light has done their job more so than we thought. You all are good as villains now."

Kid Flash looks at him in disgust. "We are nothing like you. We are nothing like the Light – we're the darkness that's going to put you out like a fucking candle."

Aqualad looks Black Manta in the eye as the criminal leans against the wall from the floor, heavily injured to the point where he can no longer stand. Aqualad is standing over him, splattered with blood but standing tall and proud as Poseidon. The son looks down at his father.

"You have taken too much from me. I am not the waste. You are, for you only bring horror to the world and put it out for everyone to see. But I will bring destruction upon your allies with my own and the Light will learn that the heroes will not stand for this takeover of the world. We are rebelling and your allies will crumble before us. We are destruction for the good of all life and our justice will crush the Light like I am about to crush you." Kaldur told him, his expression displaying how serious he was.

Black Manta narrowed his eyes at the teenager. "You aren't heroes anymore though. Not like Aquaman was – you are even more of a waste to him than you are to me. But then again, Aquaman was a waste in general."

Aqualad's eyes burned with fury. "No one insults my mentor in my presence!" He screamed, swinging a water hammer down on the villain. Electricity surged through the hammer as Aqualad pounded again and again. The team watched silently, letting Kaldur have his moment.

Kaldur stopped after several minutes, panting. The water fell to the ground and he stared at the crushed, crumpled, and cooked body before him. Silence reined over the underwater cave. Superboy couldn't hear Black Manta's heartbeat.

Then Aqualad's shoulders slumped and he collapsed to his knees kneeling before the dead body. His water bearers slipped form his grasp and he body began to shake.

"Aquaman…my King…" Kaldur let out weakly before tears began to roll down his cheeks. A sob choked out of his throat. His head lowered and he sobbed relentlessly.

Megan got to her knees beside Kaldur and wrapped a comforting arm around his waist. Wally was at his other side in a second, his arm around Kaldur's shoulder as he gave a small squeeze. Artemis hugged him from behind, burying her face into his back despite the blood it got on her. Dick and Conner got in front of him and just sat there trying to comfort their friend with their presences. Their little family of haunted loners with no one left to run to.

It was one of the longest moments of all their lives and Superboy feels helpless. They couldn't keep doing this, breaking down. Superboy couldn't comfort people, never been taught how, and it didn't come naturally to him. The only time his strength didn't matter.

Superman sees Black Manta about to board that same boat and the second Superman is visible Manta's minions begin shooting lasers at him. They hurt a bit but he grabs the metal door to block them before throwing it at the criminals.

Some dive off the boat while others get hit by the door. Manta stands from the pier and glares at him. "Who are you? You can't be Superman yet you look like him."

Superman glares down at the Light member and thinks of Trident, of how killing his mentor's greatest enemy killed his friend's emotions. Superman turns off the rational part of his brain, as easy as flicking a switch, and snarls at him. He's an animal now, an untamed wild creature that lives only for killing, and all his instincts tell him to gut Black Manta like a fish.

Black Manta shoots his gun at him but this future Superman in black and red, blood splattering his costume, is beyond feeling the pain. He charges forward and punches Black Manta to where he flies into a cave wall with a crack before falling into the water.

It takes only a few moments to kill the goons before Superman dives into the water. Holding his breath Superman sees Black Manta struggling to get to the surface, trying to hold off the waves of water that are pouring into his helmet. Superman had broken it when he'd punched Manta and now the villain is drowning.

Superman gives a snarl and launches himself at Black Manta. He wrenches the offending helmet off Manta's head and them grabs his shoulders, holding the Light member underwater.

Black Manta struggles but it's no use. Superman is stronger than him and can hold his breath for a longer time. Manta doesn't have gills. Black Manta is drowning and he knows it.

Superman gives a growl when the man doesn't die fast enough. But then he decides he'll let this drag out because Trident would want it to last as long as possible and Black Manta drowning to death is poetic justice. Lightning Trident always liked poetic justice.

Black Manta's struggles weaken and stop altogether. His head lolls and Superman can't hear a heartbeat. The anti-hero lets go and the body floats to the surface, unmoving.

Superman crushes his throat before leaving just to make sure. He knows all the Light's tricks and won't let them win this one.

Then he stalks his way out of the sublevels of this place to the front room where this all started. Superman grabs the phone connected to the reception desk and calls an old ally, someone who survived the Day Darkness and helped the team beyond what they can ever repay. They may not know it but this person saved all their lives several times and helped them all from completely breaking apart.

"Hello, Wayne residence." A polite British voice says.

Superman switches on his rational side again. Time to pretend to be human. Alfred Pennyworth had survived in their future and helped supply Nightwing, Tigress, and Red Arrow without them having to worry for the longest time. Then he found out that they were killers and refused to help them any longer, telling them Batman would never condone them doing these things. The butler left while Nightwing was on a mission and they'd never heard of him since. Now Nightwing has to deal with supplying the weapons through Wayne Enterprises, not that he minds. Less of a middleman now, even though he clearly misses his grandfather figure. Superman bets Nightwing erased the memory of the elderly butler entirely just to save himself the pain.

"I'm sorry, but your heavy breathing is quite disturbing so I shall be hanging up now unless you have something important to say."

"No!" Superman shouts, barely stopping himself from growling. "Please, I...I need you to call the League." He pants out.

"And you cannot do so yourself?" Alfred says, an insult hidden in his polite tone.

"Can't. You have a direct line in the cave. Tell them that a Light member is dead. Two actually, but one's here."

Silence for the longest time before Alfred asks, "The cave?"

"Yeah," Superman pants. He hates long conversations now and Alfred somehow makes every conversation long. He doesn't know how long he can keep talking without a growl or snarl coming in. He hates useless words. They never fix anything. "The cave. Call them, now."

It's basically a demand and before Alfred can get anything else out of him Superman hangs up, a sigh of relief coming out of him. Conversation is almost physically painful now, his vocal cords and brain so used to the simpler functions of an animal.

Superman grunts and flies away from the Light building. He reaches to his ear for his long distance communicator. They only use it if they are sure no one is nearby and they aren't close enough for connecting minds.

"Manta's dead. Called Alfred to have him inform the League. Hinted about Sportsmaster too."

"Good. We've already had Lady call the League and tell them the mentors are taking a training weekend with their partners on short notice, so we have two days before the League calls unless someone else like Iris or Alfred calls the League. We're trying to decide whether to have Lady call them too or just leave them alone but keep an eye on their communications." Lightning Trident replies. Unlike Tigress the news that his father is dead doesn't get him excited or make him fulfilled. It's merely made everything a bit more normal and Superman hadn't expected any sort of reaction anyway. Trident never has the time or the capacity for emotional reactions.

"Are Red Arrow and Tigress getting the past Red Arrow?" Superman asks because he can be curious. He's already had to talk a lot today, a little more can't hurt. This mission will require talking more so he needs to get used to it. But conversations with Alfred always hurt the most. He doesn't know why – Alfred had never meant anything special to Superman before the mentors died.

Maybe it's because Alfred was the only non-superhero any of them talked to after the Day of Darkness. The only one who knew how regular life was going.

"Yes they are. Lady Martian and I will deal with the League and after words we'll take our bioship to the West coast threats to Atlantis. Finish up the East coast threats to Atlantis and then come back to base. Do nothing else – we will all need our sleep. Understood Superman?"

Lightning Trident sounded emotionally dead as always and Superman thought of the two men whose deaths made him that way – Aquaman and Black Manta. Superman could understand how Black Manta affected him. Even though Trident hated Manta he was still his biological father and no matter how much you hate it, you can't change the fact that biology matters to some degree.

"Understood."

~I didn't expect this one but I felt I needed to explore a bit more on their plans on how to take down the Light. This was all Superman/boy centered here, but somehow Lightning Trident/Aqualad crept in and got a lot of backstory in (it surprised me too!). Superman is simply trying to be lawless like the villains to take them down. A 'fight fire with fire' way of thinking which works well for him. And he's the only one who believes they'll fail, interesting.

For those who have been asking I just confirmed it in those flashbacks that yes, every member of Dark Justice has killed before, even before they named themselves Dark Justice. How that change in philosophy actually happened will be explained much later. But info here: Flash is a pacifist killer who ends his enemy's pain quickly and Nightwing does not use guns as he refuses to break that one rule of Batman. The rest don't care as much about how their enemies die, as long as they get dead.

Next we'll have past Red Arrow meets future Red Arrow and Tigress. Fun!

I wonder what tricks Superman was talking about…

~For I Will Run You Over