Chapter 4 - Alone
Inside the manor, Clark went out to meet the boys as they hurried up the stairs with the food.
"Hey, guys, what's the rush?"
"We thought we saw Penguin's van," Dick said in a rush. "Where's Bruce?"
"He's in the family room," Clark motioned. "I thought Penguin was in Arkham."
Dick ran into the other room and came back, reporting, "He's not there."
Clark took off his glasses and X-rayed a full 360, turning all the way around. "He's not in the house."
"Oh, well," Tim shrugged as he opened the top pizza box. "More for us then."
"We're not eating without Bruce," Dick told him. "Close the box."
"Why?" Tim protested as he closed the top. "He's probably down in the Cave, got a new idea for some weapon that he wants to build. And then I have to clean up the Batcave."
"This isn't good," Dick said, casting a concerned look at Clark.
"I know," Tim kept complaining. "Last time he was making bullets to pulverize brick and guess who had to sweep up all the dust and brick chunks off the ground?"
"Will you shut up?" Dick said sharply.
A hurt look came over Tim's face. He was used to Bruce yelling, but Dick was a different story.
"Everyone calm down," Clark said in a voice that brooked no argument. "Bruce wouldn't just disappear without telling us, at least not anymore."
The boys didn't understand the last bit since they were not around when Clark gave Bruce a firm reminder that he was not to just disappear in the middle of the weekend without telling his boyfriend where he was going. By the end of the reminder, Bruce was wailing that he wouldn't step outside the Manor without Clark's permission, he wouldn't leave the room, he wouldn't leave Clark's side, if his boyfriend would just stop spanking him.
Clark had never meant Bruce to take things that far and he certainly did not want Bruce to ask permission from him, but the reminder had done some good as the next weekend the Joker had set up an elaborate ruse for Batman. Bruce had told Clark rather than going off by himself which was a good thing, because the Joker was especially nasty that night and had Batman been alone he would have found himself opening a door to face a round of armor-piercing bullets. Since Clark was there, he stepped in front of Bruce to deflect the bullets. They had captured the Joker, but Clark had shuddered to think what might have happened to Bruce if he had gone alone.
After that, he was sure Bruce wouldn't just leave without telling someone.
"I'm going to survey the grounds," Clark said. "You guys go check the Cave."
Dick hurried towards the secret entrance, and Tim groaned once at the pizza before following.
"It's probably nothing," Tim said as they rode the lift down. "I bet Bruce's mad because we got pizza so he's hiding until it's all cold and that way we can't enjoy it."
"He wouldn't do that," Dick said.
"It's Bruce," Tim argued. "I was late for dinner once because I was playing video games, and he made me stand by my chair for thirty minutes, staring at my food. Then I had to eat it stone-cold while he fired off homework questions so fast I could barely swallow."
"He let you play video games?" Dick demanded as they reached the top level of the Cave. "He never let me."
"Well," Tim grinned guiltily, "I kind of snuck a PSP into my bedroom and hide under my bed to play it. That time I lied and told him I was reading and didn't hear him, but he still got mad."
"And he didn't catch you lying?" Dick shook his head. "Man, Bruce is getting soft. Of course, if he was down here now, he would hear all this and then . . ."
"Bruce," Tim called out frantically into the Cave, "I was lying about lying. And I don't have a PSP. And that stands for Personal Safety Property, not PlayStation Portable. And I don't have either of those things. Bruce? Bruce?"
"He's not down here," Dick said though he started for the stairs to look down in the lower level. "And what the hell is Personal Safety Property?"
"A bullet-proof vest, maybe?" Tim suggested. "Bruce might buy it. He bought it when I told him that an MP3 player stood for Motion Perception in Three Directions."
Dick rolled his eyes, but said nothing.
Ten minutes later they met Clark up in the hall.
"Any luck?" Dick asked.
"No," Clark shook his head. "He's off the property. I can scan for up to a mile, but after that my vision gets too weak for accuracy. And I can't hear him either. He's not yelling or he's inside something that blocks the sound waves."
"Nothing was out of place downstairs," Dick reported. "Both suits were there and all the vehicles."
"Time to get into costume?" Tim asked, looking ready to go.
Clark hesitated. He didn't want to get the boys involved, but they were ready for action. And it was reassuring to see that no matter how many times they all fought and bickered and yelled, they were still a family who watched out for each other.
"I guess costumes would be a good idea," Clark nodded. "You two could drive the Batmobile – wait! I hear a car coming."
A moment later, a blue car pulled up right behind Dick's car and stopped. As the guys stepped out the front door, Dick broke into a broad smile.
"Babs," he jogged down the stairs and went to driver's side as the door swung open.
"Hey, Dick," Barbara Gordon smiled up at him.
"Let me help you," Dick reached into the car and pulled out her collapsible wheelchair.
"Grayson, I got it," she protested, but he had already unsnapped it on the drive. "You don't have to – Grayson, don't you dare!"
But Dick had already reached into the car and scooped her up in his arms, one arm under her knees and the other behind her back.
"You jerk, put me in my chair," Barbara protested. "I can do this by myself."
"I know you can," Dick grinned down at her as he carried her towards the house. "I just like any excuse to put my arms around you."
She made a prissy face, but then put both arms around his strong neck and pulled up to kiss his mouth. Then she turned to face the others.
"Hey, Tim, Clark. Why the long faces?"
"Bruce is missing," Tim said as he went to bring in Barbara's chair.
"Good," Barbara smiled. "I'll get to play com man down in the Cave while you go find him."
"You knew Bruce was going to go missing?" Clark raised an eyebrow.
"No, Dick called me earlier to stop by for food and a family evening," Barbara explained as Dick finally set her down in her chair inside the hall. "Though we all know what Grayson really wants."
Dick blushed suddenly and looked away. Tim watched, fascinated by the idea of a girl actually coming by with the intent of doing stuff like that with Dick. It made Tim feel all warm and embarrassed, but a part of him hoped he might get to watch them make out so he could figure out how it was done.
"Barbara," Clark said, half-disapproving as they all moved towards the secret entrance to the Cave again, "as much as I don't want to get involved between the two of you, you should know that Dick has been courting Starfire as well."
Barbara laughed at the old-fashioned word. "If by 'courting' you mean he's been humping everything in a skirt in Bludhaven, that would be fairly accurate."
"I have not," Dick protested as he helped push her wheelchair over the slight bump into the lift. "And for the record, Starfire came on to me. I was the victim there, what with all the floating around and glowing eyes."
"Is that true, Clark? Do you aliens seduce and victimize humans?" Barbara teased.
"When we find Bruce, I'll ask," Clark said shortly. He did not approve of such promiscuous talk, especially in front of Tim who was listening with huge eyes, but Clark thought it couldn't be worse than anything the boy heard at school.
"All right," Barbara pulled herself up to the main computer and began flipping on switches. A few of the eighteen monitor screens began to brighten, and the low hum of the gigantic machine filled the Cave. "We're in business now. Boys, in costume. Clark, take an ear piece so I can talk to you while you're flying," Barbara handed him a small black piece. "Dick, you take the Batmobile. Tim, you're on the bike."
"Yay," Tim cheered as he went to put on his Robin gear. Technically, he was grounded from the bike for trying a few stunts in the Cave when he thought Bruce wasn't home; Bruce had checked the cameras later and then had come the lecture and the grounding. But since Bruce wasn't here, Tim didn't think that grounding held much weight. Besides, he could always say that Barbara told him to do it, and everyone knew you never argued with the com man.
"Keep in touch with base," Barbara said as she began switching on the microphones. "This is a hunt and find mission only. Any disturbance outside the mission, including criminal activity or civilian unrest, must be reported to base. After this mission is completed successfully, those disturbances may be addressed. You may interfere in such disturbances only if human life is in danger."
"That's a lot of rules," Superman stepped around a crag of rock where he had changed into costume at superspeed.
"It's now protocol," Dick called out from behind one screen where he was pulling on the Nightwing costume. "A few years ago we got into the Great Debate of Priorities when we couldn't decide whether the first mission was more important than the second or the third. Batman started arguing with the com man," Dick grinned at the memory, "and she threatened to blow up his computer unless he reported all activities back to her."
"Don't ask me to be your com man if you aren't going to listen to me," Barbara shrugged.
"I liked it when she told Bruce where he could stick his Batarang," Tim smirked as he stepped out from his screen, now fully in the black and red Robin costume.
"That was great," Dick agreed with Tim. "That was the first time I've ever heard Bruce be completely silent for so long on radio."
"He doesn't have the nerve to yell at the crippled girl," Barbara smiled with satisfaction. "He's afraid he's going to hurt me. Fortunately, Dick here doesn't seem too bothered about my delicate state."
"Got to go," Dick sprinted towards the Batmobile, not sticking around to muddle his way through an explanation. He didn't think Barbara was being very fair, but it would be too awkward to explain it to Clark.
"Everyone's having sex," Tim shook his head. "Everyone but me."
"Hey, Drake!" Barbara barked out, cutting through his thoughts. "Stop whining and get on the bike. You'll get a girlfriend when you start growing facial hair. Or a boyfriend."
She smirked in Clark's direction, but he was already gone, flying up in the air.
As the two boys geared up the Batmobile and the bike, Barbara leaned back in her wheelchair and pulled the mic close. "Nightwing?"
"Yeah?" he asked as he slipped the car into gear, ready to tear out of the Cave.
"Is it important that I know why Bruce is missing?"
"Not really," Dick replied into his earpiece. "He just up and left so we're going to find him."
"This reminds me of the old days when he used to come find us," she said, nostalgia. "Remember when we went after Killer Moth in that abandoned farm outside of Gotham? It took forever to subdue him and we got all sweaty and hot, and we ended up in the haystack, just the two of us."
"Yeah, and Killer Moth just sat tied up on the milking stool and watched us," Dick laughed. "And when Batman showed up, I thought he was going to kill us both, especially when he realized we had used your bra to bind Killer Moth's hands."
"Excuse me," Superman's voice broke through, speaking into his own ear piece. "There are other people on this line."
"Don't stop," Robin said quickly. "Talk more about the bra part."
"Get going," Barbara smiled. "Oracle out."
Bruce gradually became aware of something humming beneath him in a world of darkness. It took him a few moments, but he finally decided that he was in a car, probably the back of a van, that was moving.
When he tried to sit up, he found his hands were tied behind his back and his ankles were bound as well. His head hurt, but he breathed deeply, concentrating on drawing air into his lungs and then pushing it out hard, until the pain began to subside.
He tested his muscles and bones – nothing seemed too bruised or broken. After the dart knocked him out, they must have loaded his body into the van and driven off without roughing him up. That made Bruce furious, the thought that he could be overtaken so easily.
Of course, he wasn't expecting to be attacked as Bruce Wayne. As Mr. Wayne, he was usually safe from criminals and it was easy to let his guard down and relax. Well, never again!
Bruce twisted in the ropes. He could free himself fairly easily, but then he was faced with a problem. If he got loose and jumped on his attackers when they stopped the car to get him out, he could overpower him, but then they would get suspicious (once they woke up). Batman was a fighter, but Bruce Wayne was a playboy who shouldn't be able to fight criminals and win.
He would sit tight for now and see what they wanted. Chances were, they wanted money. Criminals fought against Batman for revenge or for fun or because they honestly thought they could beat him, but Bruce Wayne would only be good to hold for ransom and get tons of money.
Bruce twisted so he could feel his pockets. No, they had taken his cell phone. Damn. He could have called Clark to bring him a Batsuit and then Clark could have hidden and pretended to be Bruce Wayne while Batman fought off the criminals. Or knowing Clark, he would have Superman save the day which did not sit well at all with Bruce, but he was getting desperate.
Ugh, he hated having to rely on Clark. Bruce frowned as he leaned back against the wall of the van.
He remembered the good old days when it was just him. Him and his tools and his car, Batman against the world. But then he got Dick and it was Batman and Robin. And now Tim – Batman, Robin, and Nightwing. And then Barbara and sometimes Diana and always Clark now – Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Oracle, Wonder Woman, and Superman.
No! Too many people! Batman needed to go back to working alone. Clark was a great boyfriend and they were great together and all that, but Batman was going be alone from now on. Tim was grounded from the bike, and Batman would have the next month to work by himself without everyone else getting in the way.
Clark would protest, but Bruce planned to be calm, but firm.
"No, Clark," he would say, looking his boyfriend straight in the eye, "Batman needs to show Gotham that he can work alone and win. I appreciate all you've done, but I need to work alone for a while."
That was what he would say, and Clark couldn't argue with him because this wasn't Clark's town and he didn't own Bruce. Bruce needed to be more authoritative with his boy friend and let him know that they were equals and Clark could not keep trying to win over him or threaten to punish him.
"That's the problem," Bruce grumbled under his breath. "That Boy Scout thinks he's in charge now. Well, no one tells Batman what to do."
The van slowed down and stopped. The front door opened and then slammed shut.
Bruce smiled. He was ready to handle this all alone, just the way it should be.
"Hey, guys, what's the rush?"
"We thought we saw Penguin's van," Dick said in a rush. "Where's Bruce?"
"He's in the family room," Clark motioned. "I thought Penguin was in Arkham."
Dick ran into the other room and came back, reporting, "He's not there."
Clark took off his glasses and X-rayed a full 360, turning all the way around. "He's not in the house."
"Oh, well," Tim shrugged as he opened the top pizza box. "More for us then."
"We're not eating without Bruce," Dick told him. "Close the box."
"Why?" Tim protested as he closed the top. "He's probably down in the Cave, got a new idea for some weapon that he wants to build. And then I have to clean up the Batcave."
"This isn't good," Dick said, casting a concerned look at Clark.
"I know," Tim kept complaining. "Last time he was making bullets to pulverize brick and guess who had to sweep up all the dust and brick chunks off the ground?"
"Will you shut up?" Dick said sharply.
A hurt look came over Tim's face. He was used to Bruce yelling, but Dick was a different story.
"Everyone calm down," Clark said in a voice that brooked no argument. "Bruce wouldn't just disappear without telling us, at least not anymore."
The boys didn't understand the last bit since they were not around when Clark gave Bruce a firm reminder that he was not to just disappear in the middle of the weekend without telling his boyfriend where he was going. By the end of the reminder, Bruce was wailing that he wouldn't step outside the Manor without Clark's permission, he wouldn't leave the room, he wouldn't leave Clark's side, if his boyfriend would just stop spanking him.
Clark had never meant Bruce to take things that far and he certainly did not want Bruce to ask permission from him, but the reminder had done some good as the next weekend the Joker had set up an elaborate ruse for Batman. Bruce had told Clark rather than going off by himself which was a good thing, because the Joker was especially nasty that night and had Batman been alone he would have found himself opening a door to face a round of armor-piercing bullets. Since Clark was there, he stepped in front of Bruce to deflect the bullets. They had captured the Joker, but Clark had shuddered to think what might have happened to Bruce if he had gone alone.
After that, he was sure Bruce wouldn't just leave without telling someone.
"I'm going to survey the grounds," Clark said. "You guys go check the Cave."
Dick hurried towards the secret entrance, and Tim groaned once at the pizza before following.
"It's probably nothing," Tim said as they rode the lift down. "I bet Bruce's mad because we got pizza so he's hiding until it's all cold and that way we can't enjoy it."
"He wouldn't do that," Dick said.
"It's Bruce," Tim argued. "I was late for dinner once because I was playing video games, and he made me stand by my chair for thirty minutes, staring at my food. Then I had to eat it stone-cold while he fired off homework questions so fast I could barely swallow."
"He let you play video games?" Dick demanded as they reached the top level of the Cave. "He never let me."
"Well," Tim grinned guiltily, "I kind of snuck a PSP into my bedroom and hide under my bed to play it. That time I lied and told him I was reading and didn't hear him, but he still got mad."
"And he didn't catch you lying?" Dick shook his head. "Man, Bruce is getting soft. Of course, if he was down here now, he would hear all this and then . . ."
"Bruce," Tim called out frantically into the Cave, "I was lying about lying. And I don't have a PSP. And that stands for Personal Safety Property, not PlayStation Portable. And I don't have either of those things. Bruce? Bruce?"
"He's not down here," Dick said though he started for the stairs to look down in the lower level. "And what the hell is Personal Safety Property?"
"A bullet-proof vest, maybe?" Tim suggested. "Bruce might buy it. He bought it when I told him that an MP3 player stood for Motion Perception in Three Directions."
Dick rolled his eyes, but said nothing.
Ten minutes later they met Clark up in the hall.
"Any luck?" Dick asked.
"No," Clark shook his head. "He's off the property. I can scan for up to a mile, but after that my vision gets too weak for accuracy. And I can't hear him either. He's not yelling or he's inside something that blocks the sound waves."
"Nothing was out of place downstairs," Dick reported. "Both suits were there and all the vehicles."
"Time to get into costume?" Tim asked, looking ready to go.
Clark hesitated. He didn't want to get the boys involved, but they were ready for action. And it was reassuring to see that no matter how many times they all fought and bickered and yelled, they were still a family who watched out for each other.
"I guess costumes would be a good idea," Clark nodded. "You two could drive the Batmobile – wait! I hear a car coming."
A moment later, a blue car pulled up right behind Dick's car and stopped. As the guys stepped out the front door, Dick broke into a broad smile.
"Babs," he jogged down the stairs and went to driver's side as the door swung open.
"Hey, Dick," Barbara Gordon smiled up at him.
"Let me help you," Dick reached into the car and pulled out her collapsible wheelchair.
"Grayson, I got it," she protested, but he had already unsnapped it on the drive. "You don't have to – Grayson, don't you dare!"
But Dick had already reached into the car and scooped her up in his arms, one arm under her knees and the other behind her back.
"You jerk, put me in my chair," Barbara protested. "I can do this by myself."
"I know you can," Dick grinned down at her as he carried her towards the house. "I just like any excuse to put my arms around you."
She made a prissy face, but then put both arms around his strong neck and pulled up to kiss his mouth. Then she turned to face the others.
"Hey, Tim, Clark. Why the long faces?"
"Bruce is missing," Tim said as he went to bring in Barbara's chair.
"Good," Barbara smiled. "I'll get to play com man down in the Cave while you go find him."
"You knew Bruce was going to go missing?" Clark raised an eyebrow.
"No, Dick called me earlier to stop by for food and a family evening," Barbara explained as Dick finally set her down in her chair inside the hall. "Though we all know what Grayson really wants."
Dick blushed suddenly and looked away. Tim watched, fascinated by the idea of a girl actually coming by with the intent of doing stuff like that with Dick. It made Tim feel all warm and embarrassed, but a part of him hoped he might get to watch them make out so he could figure out how it was done.
"Barbara," Clark said, half-disapproving as they all moved towards the secret entrance to the Cave again, "as much as I don't want to get involved between the two of you, you should know that Dick has been courting Starfire as well."
Barbara laughed at the old-fashioned word. "If by 'courting' you mean he's been humping everything in a skirt in Bludhaven, that would be fairly accurate."
"I have not," Dick protested as he helped push her wheelchair over the slight bump into the lift. "And for the record, Starfire came on to me. I was the victim there, what with all the floating around and glowing eyes."
"Is that true, Clark? Do you aliens seduce and victimize humans?" Barbara teased.
"When we find Bruce, I'll ask," Clark said shortly. He did not approve of such promiscuous talk, especially in front of Tim who was listening with huge eyes, but Clark thought it couldn't be worse than anything the boy heard at school.
"All right," Barbara pulled herself up to the main computer and began flipping on switches. A few of the eighteen monitor screens began to brighten, and the low hum of the gigantic machine filled the Cave. "We're in business now. Boys, in costume. Clark, take an ear piece so I can talk to you while you're flying," Barbara handed him a small black piece. "Dick, you take the Batmobile. Tim, you're on the bike."
"Yay," Tim cheered as he went to put on his Robin gear. Technically, he was grounded from the bike for trying a few stunts in the Cave when he thought Bruce wasn't home; Bruce had checked the cameras later and then had come the lecture and the grounding. But since Bruce wasn't here, Tim didn't think that grounding held much weight. Besides, he could always say that Barbara told him to do it, and everyone knew you never argued with the com man.
"Keep in touch with base," Barbara said as she began switching on the microphones. "This is a hunt and find mission only. Any disturbance outside the mission, including criminal activity or civilian unrest, must be reported to base. After this mission is completed successfully, those disturbances may be addressed. You may interfere in such disturbances only if human life is in danger."
"That's a lot of rules," Superman stepped around a crag of rock where he had changed into costume at superspeed.
"It's now protocol," Dick called out from behind one screen where he was pulling on the Nightwing costume. "A few years ago we got into the Great Debate of Priorities when we couldn't decide whether the first mission was more important than the second or the third. Batman started arguing with the com man," Dick grinned at the memory, "and she threatened to blow up his computer unless he reported all activities back to her."
"Don't ask me to be your com man if you aren't going to listen to me," Barbara shrugged.
"I liked it when she told Bruce where he could stick his Batarang," Tim smirked as he stepped out from his screen, now fully in the black and red Robin costume.
"That was great," Dick agreed with Tim. "That was the first time I've ever heard Bruce be completely silent for so long on radio."
"He doesn't have the nerve to yell at the crippled girl," Barbara smiled with satisfaction. "He's afraid he's going to hurt me. Fortunately, Dick here doesn't seem too bothered about my delicate state."
"Got to go," Dick sprinted towards the Batmobile, not sticking around to muddle his way through an explanation. He didn't think Barbara was being very fair, but it would be too awkward to explain it to Clark.
"Everyone's having sex," Tim shook his head. "Everyone but me."
"Hey, Drake!" Barbara barked out, cutting through his thoughts. "Stop whining and get on the bike. You'll get a girlfriend when you start growing facial hair. Or a boyfriend."
She smirked in Clark's direction, but he was already gone, flying up in the air.
As the two boys geared up the Batmobile and the bike, Barbara leaned back in her wheelchair and pulled the mic close. "Nightwing?"
"Yeah?" he asked as he slipped the car into gear, ready to tear out of the Cave.
"Is it important that I know why Bruce is missing?"
"Not really," Dick replied into his earpiece. "He just up and left so we're going to find him."
"This reminds me of the old days when he used to come find us," she said, nostalgia. "Remember when we went after Killer Moth in that abandoned farm outside of Gotham? It took forever to subdue him and we got all sweaty and hot, and we ended up in the haystack, just the two of us."
"Yeah, and Killer Moth just sat tied up on the milking stool and watched us," Dick laughed. "And when Batman showed up, I thought he was going to kill us both, especially when he realized we had used your bra to bind Killer Moth's hands."
"Excuse me," Superman's voice broke through, speaking into his own ear piece. "There are other people on this line."
"Don't stop," Robin said quickly. "Talk more about the bra part."
"Get going," Barbara smiled. "Oracle out."
Bruce gradually became aware of something humming beneath him in a world of darkness. It took him a few moments, but he finally decided that he was in a car, probably the back of a van, that was moving.
When he tried to sit up, he found his hands were tied behind his back and his ankles were bound as well. His head hurt, but he breathed deeply, concentrating on drawing air into his lungs and then pushing it out hard, until the pain began to subside.
He tested his muscles and bones – nothing seemed too bruised or broken. After the dart knocked him out, they must have loaded his body into the van and driven off without roughing him up. That made Bruce furious, the thought that he could be overtaken so easily.
Of course, he wasn't expecting to be attacked as Bruce Wayne. As Mr. Wayne, he was usually safe from criminals and it was easy to let his guard down and relax. Well, never again!
Bruce twisted in the ropes. He could free himself fairly easily, but then he was faced with a problem. If he got loose and jumped on his attackers when they stopped the car to get him out, he could overpower him, but then they would get suspicious (once they woke up). Batman was a fighter, but Bruce Wayne was a playboy who shouldn't be able to fight criminals and win.
He would sit tight for now and see what they wanted. Chances were, they wanted money. Criminals fought against Batman for revenge or for fun or because they honestly thought they could beat him, but Bruce Wayne would only be good to hold for ransom and get tons of money.
Bruce twisted so he could feel his pockets. No, they had taken his cell phone. Damn. He could have called Clark to bring him a Batsuit and then Clark could have hidden and pretended to be Bruce Wayne while Batman fought off the criminals. Or knowing Clark, he would have Superman save the day which did not sit well at all with Bruce, but he was getting desperate.
Ugh, he hated having to rely on Clark. Bruce frowned as he leaned back against the wall of the van.
He remembered the good old days when it was just him. Him and his tools and his car, Batman against the world. But then he got Dick and it was Batman and Robin. And now Tim – Batman, Robin, and Nightwing. And then Barbara and sometimes Diana and always Clark now – Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Oracle, Wonder Woman, and Superman.
No! Too many people! Batman needed to go back to working alone. Clark was a great boyfriend and they were great together and all that, but Batman was going be alone from now on. Tim was grounded from the bike, and Batman would have the next month to work by himself without everyone else getting in the way.
Clark would protest, but Bruce planned to be calm, but firm.
"No, Clark," he would say, looking his boyfriend straight in the eye, "Batman needs to show Gotham that he can work alone and win. I appreciate all you've done, but I need to work alone for a while."
That was what he would say, and Clark couldn't argue with him because this wasn't Clark's town and he didn't own Bruce. Bruce needed to be more authoritative with his boy friend and let him know that they were equals and Clark could not keep trying to win over him or threaten to punish him.
"That's the problem," Bruce grumbled under his breath. "That Boy Scout thinks he's in charge now. Well, no one tells Batman what to do."
The van slowed down and stopped. The front door opened and then slammed shut.
Bruce smiled. He was ready to handle this all alone, just the way it should be.