Earth's Last Defence [DEFENDERS OF EARTH BOOK IV]

A Decision

Batman set the pre-programmed flight path, got out of the seat and then strode to the hull. Spider-Man strode angrily towards him, and slammed him against the wall.
"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Parker shouted, removing his mask and throwing it to the floor. "HOW MAN LIVES DID YOU JUST LEAVE BEHIND?!"
"Either we stay and burn with that city, taking the world with us," Batman responded, "Or we leave and take time to prepare."
"How long?!" Nightwing asked sternly, getting up from the chair. "How long until we face them again? How many more cities are you going to let burn for prep time?"
Batman looked ashamed for a moment. "It wasn't an easy decision." He finally said after a few moments. "It'll haunt me forever. And so it should." He looked up again. "But it was necessary."
"Bullshit!" Spider-Man exclaimed, letting go of his grip on Batman and stepping back a few steps. "We managed to defeat an entire army of aliens before, just the two of us, in less than a day!"
"This is different, and you know that."
"You've had a whole year to prepare for a second invasion. A whole year. And what have you put together? Me, your old student, a demon and a psychotic vigilante! You had nothing in place on the occasion for another invasion?"
Batman glared at him. "The past year hasn't been the easiest, Parker. What, you think I've been ignoring this? You think it was easy putting us together? The world isn't ripe with us, Parker."
"Save me your tears, Bruce!" Peter shouted back, and almost instantly realised what he had done. He looked over at Rorschach and Spawn with a hint of guilt, but hid it well. Batman sighed, and reached up to his cowl with his gloved hands. Nightwing straightened up. Batman pulled off the cowl and set it down on the seat next to him, revealing the black-haired, sharp-faced Bruce Wayne. Rorschach cocked his head to the right slightly, letting off a grunt. Spawn's emerald eyes widened slightly, and he crossed his arms.
"Wayne?" Rorschach said, a hint of surprise in his voice.
"Bruce Wayne?' Spawn finished off. Bruce looked from Nightwing, to Rorschach, to Spawn, and finally to Spider-Man.
"Peter." Bruce said. "I don't know what you might've lost back there. But you must understand... this is our only option."
Spidey looked at Bruce for the longest time. There was complete silence. He then let out a deep sigh. "Fine. What's the plan?"
Bruce picked up the cowl and put it back on. "All other cities in America, and the world, are being evacuated. They'll search each one." He explained. "Most of, if not all the citizens will be gone. This leads them to search and wreck dozens of abandoned different cities across America until they get to Gotham, which is where we'll be."
"Why Gotham?" Rorschach spoke up. "Get into countryside. Much easier. Less obvious."
"We can concentrate the inevitable fighting in a city. More chance of it spreading in the country." Batman explained. "We also want a city relatively close to New York, so we can stop them from destroying anymore cities once we're ready. But before that, we need more people to help. I have a couple of ideas. Anyone got any others?"
Rorschach looked down and thought for a moment, then looked back up. "Maybe." He said. "Know a guy. Worked with him couple of times."
"You know where he is?" Batman asked.
"Perhaps. Reportedly been in London for couple of months now. Semi-retired." He looked at Batman. "How desperate are we?"
"Very." Batman narrowed his eyes. "Is he good?"
"Very. Slightly unhinged. He'll do."
Spawn spoke up. "I can teleport him there, but it'll take some time before I can take us all back."
"How much time?" Batman asked. Spawn hesitated.
"A few hours."
"It'll have to do." He turned to Spider-Man and Nightwing. "I'll take us to the cave. Both of my ideas are in Gotham anyway. We can also properly plan the fight out there and prepare more equipment."
"Sounds good. Where will we meet you?" Spawn questioned.
"I'll notify you when and where. By then we should be up a few more people, as well as having better equipment." The Dark Knight responded. Spawn turned his head to Rorschach.
"Where in London, exactly?"
"Go to the Shard. Apartment block near there." He replied. Simmons and Rorschach stepped away from the group, and Batman walked towards Simmons.
"You did get Her and Her family out, I assume?" Batman asked him.
"As soon as the yellow mist appeared."
"How did you do it?"
Al paused. "It... wasn't easy. I got to their house and I ordered them to leave, along with the rest of the street." He looked away. "It was the first time she's seen me in years. And she didn't recognise me. For a moment, I... I thought she did. They got in the car and got out of the city, thank God. I just hope they haven't found them and..."
"I'll check in the Batcave, Al." Batman reassured him, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"No... this is all a lot more important. Can't let them take anyone else, Wayne."
Spawn's cloak suddenly expanded and enveloped him and Rorschach. After a couple of moments, they vanished into thin air. Batman turned around and strode over to the cockpit, and sat down again. Parker followed and sat down in the seat next to him. Nightwing stayed in the back, nursing his leg.
"I've been working on a prototype suit for you for some time." Bruce said, turning off the flight path and taking control of the aircraft. "More armour, some added in tech. I didn't have time to make you another extreme environments suit, but what I've got will do. And besides," Batman said, acknowledging Parker's torn up and worn costume, "You can't fight the Corps in that one."
"D'ythink we'll have enough firepower?" Spidey said, changing the subject entirely. Batman took a quick glance at him. "We'll have three more people and some more tech, but do we still stand a chance?"
"Not only all that," Batman replied, "But now we know how they fight, where their power comes from, and so on. We have a much better understanding of them."
"I guess..." Parker paused. "And who are your proposed Metahumans anyway? Are they powerful?" Batman turned his head to him slightly.
"You could say that."