A/N: I apologize for the lateness, but I had been (again) busy recently. So, to compensate, I have posted three one-shot with a common theme. Please enjoy and review!
As usual, I'd like to thank my wonderful beta Lady Isis (looking forward for new updates on all your stories!), and to all my reviewers. Thank you all, you give me a reason to continue!
Disclamer: the usual works.
XX. The Bat and the Wing
Part 1 - Dinner at Wayne Manor
"How many this month?"
"None."
"Wow, must be a new record!" said the voice, relief hardly concealing the teasing undertone.
"Watch it, Kent!" growled the menacing voice of the Bat, too finely tuned in with the Boy Scout's mood and tone of voice not to hear the hidden layers.
Grinning like a kid who got away with a prank, and not at all worried by the Bat's growl, Superman flew to a hidden alcove and put the new prototype batmobile down.
Bruce was going through the routine maintenance of his veritable collection of bat-vehicles, and since time was of the essence, he had decided to ask Clark to give him a hand.
From the moment Superman arrived, Batman began to regret his decision.
Super strength and maneuverability doesn't compensate for all the brain cells I must expend trying not to be annoyed by his comments! groaned Bruce inwardly.
Also, although their long acquaintance has afforded Clark an understanding of Bruce's moods and behavior, there were still times when a precise, sharp comment from the Bat would cut into the sometimes naive heart of the Kryptonian. And, Bruce hated to admit, seeing the kicked puppy-like look of hurt on Clark's face still made his conscience twinge - just a little, mind you - but for the Big Bad Bat, the scourge of Gotham's Underworld, even that twinge was something worth noticing. So, Bruce was trying very hard to rein the Bat from sprouting too harsh comments. He had to remind the Bat that even the most patient and even-tempered person has his limits; and although Clark's character has been moulded by his farm-boy upbringing, he still was the mightiest meta on Earth. And the Bat, for all his badassness, wasn't invulnerable. So, if he could avoid it, he'd rather not have any of his bat-vehicles dropped 'accidentaly' on top of him.
"How many more?"
"We're almost finished. I need to upload the schematics of my new Batwing..."
"Didn't you say that you haven't crashed any this month?" asked a puzzled Superman.
"This one is a new model with some new electronics and prototype weaponry I have to test."
"And the old one?"
"Recycled..." mumble Batman uncharacterestically.
"What?" asked Superman again, pretending not to have heard the mumbled answer.
"You heard the first time, Kent!" growled a very annoyed Bat.
"Just wanted to make sure!" Another teeth-grinding grin from the Man of Steel.
Deciding that the sooner they finished the sooner he could rid himself of his progressively annoying helper, Bruce concentrated on the task at hand, totally ignoring Clark except for the occasional barked direction.
Finally, all the tasks were completed, and the Bat was gleefully ready to boot the Boy Scout out of the cave when a dry voice issued from the shadows of the stairs, with perfect British propriety, "I hope you have asked Master Kent to join you for dinner this evening, Master Bruce."
Perfectly understanding the 'advice', Bruce sighed, resigned, and looking at the expectant Clark, said, "I hope you will stay for dinner, Clark."
"I wouldn't miss Alfred's fabulous cooking for anything in the world!" replied Clark with a boyish smile, then added sheepishily, "But please don't tell Ma I have said that."
"Don't worry, Master Kent. I'm glad to have guests who appreciate my culinary efforts, when someone," pointed look to the master of the cave, "has done everthing to convince me that my cooking is...forgettable. Therefore you can rest sure that my lips are sealed, and I can vouch that not a word will come from Master Bruce."
"Thanks a lot, Alfred. And don't worry, anytime you need to feel appreciated for you cooking, give me call, and I'll be here in no time!"
"I appreciate your offer, Master Kent. For today's dinner I have made you your favorite: Beef Bourguinon with ketchup on the side."
"Alfred, you are an angel. Does Bruce know how lucky he is to have you?" stated Superman, enveloping the aging Wayne butler in a bear hug which the Englishman stood stiffly through. British decorum and all that.
"I haven't heard it recently, so I would be much obliged if you could remind him, from time to time, Master Kent," came the reply, with Alfred's only outward reaction expressed through eyes twinkling with amusement.
Having been sidelined and completely ignored, the Bat was eyeing coldly the exchange between his trusted butler and one of the few metas he trusted. Finally, growing impatient with them, he begun to climb the stairs. The other two, after exchanging an amused glance, followed him upstairs, Clark ready to enjoy his meal, and Alfred looking forward to an evening filled with laughter and good humor. Not your typical evening at Wayne Manor, mind you.
Part 2 - Expert on the Subject
"Batman to all points. I could use some air support. Since I can't fly. At all. Now would be good." -- JLU S1, Ep.10: Dark Heart
Bruce awoke with a start. He tried to sit up, but his body felt like it had been used as a sandbag, and his head felt like somebody had stomped on it a couple of times. Waiting for the shaft of pain to subside, he took stock of his surroundings. He was at home, in his bed. He could feel his ribs taped and bandaged, and had probably been sedated, because he was still feeling a little bit groggy. Fortunately he was sure he had no broken limbs, but his left ankle felt swollen, so it was probably sprained. His head hurt a lot, and when he reached for his forehead, he touched bandages lightly soaked with blood, so it was probable that he also had a concussion. All in all, not the worst he'd ever had.
He looked at the clock on his nightstand: 1:25 in the morning. He knew that patrol was out of the question in his present condition, but was confident that Alfred would have contacted Dick and asked Nightwing to help Robin and Batgirl with patrol. He tried to relax, knowing that all he could do now was rest, and try to recover as soon as possible...
The second time he woke up he was still feeling cranky and in pain. The clock showed 4:00 in the morning. He reflected on the irony of the situation: the only times he got to spend the whole night in his own bed was when he was injured and recuperating. Hell of a lifestyle, that's for sure, he thought grimly.
Noticing a faint glimmer of light from the corner of his eye, he tried to get on his side to see if anyone was there.
"Ouch!" Unfortunately his body was in a worse shape than he thought, and he felt all his muscles stiff and aching, making it impossible for him to move much.
"Don't try to move, you have bruises and contusions all over your body," interjected the soft, feminine voice of an angel.
"Diana?"
"Ssshhh, try to relax and go back to sleep. You need to rest." Diana sat on the edge of the bed, pushing him back.
"Please, would you...stay with me?"
"Of course I will," she replied, caressing his hair softly.
"No, come lie here...in bed with me."
"Why, Mr. Wayne, are you hitting on me?" said Diana with forced lightness, batting her eyelashes flirtingly.
"Ha-ha. Very funny, Mrs. Wayne. As if I could do anything in this condition."
"Then you should shut up and go back to sleep, something that would not happen if I got into that bed too..." continued Diana with the same tone.
"Please, I just want to hold you..."
Hearing his pleading tone, so uncharacteristic for Bruce or the Bat, Diana relented. She climbed on the bed, and settled gingerly beside Bruce, trying not to jost him. "I'm not responsible if I accidentaly roll on anything bruised or battered," she warned him.
"Don't worry, I'll remember that I asked for it. Now come here," he replied, opening his arm and making space for her.
"But...your ribs!" protested Diana.
"Your weight is not going to crack them worse than they are now...unless you lean purposely on me... So come here."
"They are broken, not cracked, and how do you know I'm not going to accidentaly lean on them?" asked Diana, cocking one eyebrow.
"You can't lie worth a damn, Princess, and I can't find a mean bone on your body; trust me, I'm an expert on the subject," replied Bruce with a leer.
Diana finally laught without strain, and Bruce was glad to have changed her mood; it would save him the dreaded lecture he always got when he got hurt.
Boy was he wrong.
After she settled herself cozily against Bruce's side, with her head pillowed on his chest, Bruce felt so peaceful and relaxed, and he was drifting into sleep when Diana ambushed him.
"It was my intention to wait until morning, but since you're awake... How could you? What in Hades were you thinking?" asked the Amazon Princess, her voice deceptively soft, but with a hint of repressed anger.
"Princess?" asked Bruce, already half asleep.
"Don't Princess me. How could you do it again and again?"
"I...don't understand what you mean..."
"Don't play dumb with me, it's not worthy of the World's Greatest Detective."
"I'm not playing, I really don't know what you are angry about."
"Now you know that I'm angry with you."
"Well... you always get angry when I'm wounded..."
"This time I'm extra angry at you because you could have avoided it!"
"Avoided... what...?"
"You could have avoided crashing the Batwing... again!"
"But... it was an emergency..."
"You know what, Bruce? Since I came to Man's World and joined the League, how many Batwings have you crashed? Not counting those you crashed before?"
"... I don't know, I don't keep count of them..."
"Because they are too many! It seems you have a pechant for crashing Batwings. Or other flying objects for the matter," huffed Diana, refering not only to the the first Watchtower, but also to Javelins.
"Princess... try to understand... it was a mission..."
"I understand the demands of dangerous missions, but it seems that when you are on the Batwing, you become reckless. Why, the first time we met Wally was handing you a torn wing!"
Not giving Bruce the time to reply, Diana carried on her tirade. "And there was that time in Kasnia when you wrecked the 'wing while taking out my attackers."
She paused. "You know, at the time I found it very romantic of you. My Dark Knight in Nomex-Kevlar armour, wrecking his steed to save the princess in distress." She let out a cheerless laugh. "But as the years passed, I begun to see that you seemed to have a deathwish. Against the alien nanorobot invaders, if Clark hadn't made it, you would have been dead."
She sighed. "But the worst time was when you stopped that kryptonite tipped cruise missile. That was the first time I saw you so battered." Her voice broke with tears, and she lifted her head to look at Bruce. "That was the first time I feared for your life. Up to then, I had almost forgot that you were a human. But that incident showed me that you're only human, with an incredible mind and body, but still a human."
She lowered her head again, not wanting to see Bruce's expression when she delivered her ultimatum.
"Now we are married, and we have children on the way. I feel that I'm not that important to you...."
Bruce wanted to contradict her, but she had already retreated to the edge of the bed.
"But please... for the sake of the children... please don't let them lose their father before even knowing him... Don't condemn them to the same fate you had..."
Bruce caught her wrist before she left the bed, and willed his body to move and bring her at his side. He cupped her chin with his hand, and tilted her to face him. His heart contracted painfully when he saw her face, wet with tears. "Diana... don't ever say that you are not important to me." He wiped her tears with his fingertips. "Before you came into my life, I'll admit it... The mission was the only thing I cared about. To protect myself from further loss and hurt, I closed my heart to all emotions."
Bruce tucked Diana's raven tresses behind her ear. "I hurt a lot of people who care for me... in a misguided attempt to save myself."
Gazing into her light blue eyes, Bruce saw her love shining brightly, a love mirrored in his own heart. "Diana... knowing your feelings for me have nurtured my soul all these years. I know that I've been selfish, using your feelings to sustain myself, without giving you anything in return."
He enveloped Diana closer into his embrace, overcoming her initial resistance, and tucked her face into the crook of his neck. He buried his face into her fragrant hair, and Diana felt a light kiss lovingly given.
"Diana... never think that I don't love you enough. You and the twins, Alfred and Leslie, Jim, Dick and Barbara, Tim and Cassandra... you're all my family. A family from which I have spent years trying to close my heart to." He sighed, and hugged Diana even closer. "But you have made me understand that I couldn't continue to live my life in that way. You don't remember it, but I have seen the future... my future. And it made me rethink the choices I have been making at the time. And I came to the conclusion that I didn't want that future..."
He paused, for so long that Diana lifted her eyes to Bruce's, and thought she saw a shadow of regret on his face, quickly masked. She was beginning to ask Bruce about the future when he continued. "There is only one thing that I regret about changing that future... but compared to not having you in my life... it was no choice at all," he began to caress Diana's hair. "So you see, I have worked hard for us to be where we are now, and you can be sure that I'm not going to jepardize our future together, and the future of our family, by dying and leaving you alone."
Diana sensed that Bruce was at the limit of his strength; it was a testament to his willpower that he had been able to sit up and talk to her for so long with a concussion and broken ribs. So she coaxed him to lie down. "I'm sorry to have forced this discussion in your state, Bruce, but I'm glad we had this conversation. Now rest."
"Only if you stay with me," said Bruce, already slipping into a therapeutic sleep.
"Forever, my love. Forever," she whispered, watching him sleep.
Part 3 - Flight lessons
"Good morning, Master Bruce. I have brought you coffee and your morning paper."
Alfred's voice, coupled with the sunlight pouring into his room from the French doors, dispelled the last traces of sleepiness from Bruce's mind.
"Thanks, Alfred. Although I would have liked to be able to sleep in, since I don't have a meeting until one this afternoon..." mumbled Bruce under his breath.
"Pardon me, Master Bruce, but Master Lucius called early this morning... about a new aerial transporter for your night job...?" replied Alfred, cocking an eyebrow.
"Damn, I'd forgotten. Lucius was going to send me the new 'wing for testing today... Alright, Alfred, we have a busy day ahead. Cancel my meeting this afternoon. I don't think I'll have time to go to the office before patrol."
"Very well, Master Bruce. I'll call the office immediately, and arrange with Master Lucius for the delivery of your new vehicle."
"Thank you Alfred. I'll be in the cave."
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"Pardon my curiosity, Master Bruce, but usually it doesn't take you a whole day to test a new prototype."
"Er...that's because testing the prototype will not be the only thing on my agenda today..." replied Bruce.
Alfred noticed his ward's reticence in the providing the explanation, and with his knowledge of Bruce's character, matured during the long years taking care of him made Alfred aware that the master was somehow... embarrassed. Curiouser and curiouser, he smirked inwardly. Deciding the let the matter drop for the moment, he left the Cave to prepare a light snack and a pot of fresh coffee.
Relieved that Alfred had decided not to pursue the issue, Bruce returned to the schematics on the computer. But today something was providing distraction to his usually focused mind... and that distraction was dressed in blue and red, could fly, had super strength... but was decidedly not the Big Blue Boy Scout, with her long, long legs and long raven hair... Bruce Wayne let out a somewhat dreamy sigh, but then the Bat jumped to the forefront and nipped in the bud any fanciful daydreams Bruce Wayne could have been entertaining of the princess. Bruce tried to put up a feeble protest at the Bat's high-handedness, but a mental batglare quieted any protests before they could be voiced.
The Bat, being the Bat, had been suspicious of the Amazon princess from the first moment they met, during the invasion by the parasites from Mars. Her origins were a bit too fantastic to be credible for a man of science like him, although to be fair he didn't discount the existence of magic in the world. So he had decided to keep an eye on the newcomer, and to update his protocol against metas with hers and the Martian's - J'onn's - data. So far they both had been trying to understand this world they found themselves defending, and neither of them seemed to be likely to become a threat to Earth. But the Bat was reserving judgement on them, even when Bruce was beginning to consider them in the same class as the Boy Scout: metas who could be trusted... up to a point.
So he had been very suprised when the princess had approached him with a highly unsual request: teach her how to fly the Javelin.
Some of his astonishment must had surfaced through his usual stoic mask, because the princess had immediately sold out her co-conspirator: it had been in fact Kal's idea for her to ask Batman to teach her such a skill, since the Boy Scout himself seldom flew aerial vehicles, prefering his own means. The Flash was out of question, and she didn't even know if he could fly the Javelin. She wasn't too confortable asking J'onn or the Green Lantern, and she didn't know Hawkgirl that well to ask her.
The Bat had been highly suspicious of her reasoning: if Green Lantern, the Flash, the Martian and Hawkgirl had all been struck out as possible instructors, what had made her choose him, the most improbable one to be asked to mentor anybody? When he had succumbed to his own curiosity and asked her the question, the princess had surprised him again with her answer: having become fast friends with Superman, she had been also surprised to hear him recommend the Dark Knight as her flight instructor. When she had asked him the reason for his recommendation, Superman had simply replied, "He's the best, and if you want to learn quickly and efficiently, you need the best teacher you can find."
The Bat experienced different emotions hearing the princess's retelling: on one side, he was slightly flattered by Clark's high opinion of him; on the other side, he was annoyed to have been saddled with an unwanted pupil for the time being. There was also a tiny kernel of suspicion in his mind, one he chose to ignore at the time. He was about to tell the princess that he couldn't waste time helping her, but one look at those big, baby blue eyes of hers, full of expectation and hope, and even the Bat had been a goner. He didn't even remember to having made an appointment with the princess for this evening, for their first lesson. Since today's monitor duty roster was Diana, Clark and J'onn, this was the perfect day for it, since she didn't want to attract the attention of the other members yet.
After he finished reviewing the schematics, Alfred had returned with the coffee and sandwiches, so after a light meal he went to shower and change into his costume, in preparation for going to the Watchtower.
When he stepped out of the changing room, he saw Alfred standing before the Cray, looking at him with a strange expression on his face. Curious but not alarmed, he approached Alfred, still adjusting the fit of his gauntlets.
"Is something the matter, Alfred?"
"While you were changing, Master Bruce, you were paged through your League communicator. I... took the liberty of answering, since I expected to find Master Kent calling you..." When Alfred paused again, and with an amused expression barely concealed on his face, Bruce began to dread his next sentence. "Instead, it was this nice young lady - Miss Diana, she said her name was - calling for you, and she asked me to remind you that she's expecting you at the Watchtower this evening," finished Alfred, a light smirk taking place of his usual impassive expression.
Bruce groaned inwardly, and tried to make a fast escape, before Alfred could grill him about the 'nice young lady'. No such luck.
"I must say Master Bruce, Miss Diana is so polite, and beautiful too. I hadn't realize that you were going to find any female friends of such high calibre when Master Kent formed the League. To think, if this is all that it takes for you to meet someone nice, why, we could have formed a league of superheroes long ago..."
"Alfred, you're babbling. And you're mistaken, Wonder Woman and I are not having a date this evening."
"Wonder Woman! What an appropriate and delightful name! You have to invite the young lady to the manor for tea sometime in the near future... let's say... next week!"
"Alfred..."
"If you can wait half an hour longer, sir, I will prepare something for you to take to the Watchtower, for you and Miss Diana to eat together...."
"Alfred!" growled the Bat.
"Yes, sir?"
"Alfred, I'm trying to explain that there is nothing between Diana and I!"
"Not like what I'm thinking, sir?"
"Yes! She asked me to teach her to fly the Javelin, and today is our first lesson."
"Hmm. So nothing remotely romantic about it," Alfred said dryly.
"No," Bruce emphasised.
"Oh, disappoint an old man, will you, Master Bruce," rebuffed Alfred with his usual unflappable tone.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but you wouldn't let me explain the situation. I'm off to the Watchtower now, but I will be back in time for patrol. If I'm late..."
"I will contact Master Dick and ask him to fill in for you," nodded Alfred, without missing a beat.
"You know the drill, Alfred. Contact me if there is any emergency or if the bat-signal goes off."
"Very well, sir. Now off you go. It wouldn't do to make a lady wait for you... even if it is not a date."
With a nod to Alfred, Batman climbed into the 'wing and took off.
When he arrived to the Watchtower, Batman found Wonder Woman and Superman waiting for him in the hangar. Without further ado, Bruce motioned to Wonder Woman to get into the 'wing, and their the first lesson began...
Three hours later...
Superman and Batman were in the control room, tracking Wonder Woman's first solo flight on the Batwing.
"So, this is what you intended when you told me you recycled your old Batwing," said the Boy Scout with a grin.
Batman sent him a sideways glare. "It's none of your business, Kent, but in this case - yes."
After a moment of silence, Batman resumed the conversation. "I've heard from the princess what you told her to convince her to ask me to give her flight lessons."
"So, were you flattered?" asked Superman with another grin.
"You managed to surprise me with the recommendation," Batman admitted. "But then I realized that there was another, more important reason you chose me as teacher, instead of all the others. A reason that you couldn't explain to the princess without revealing my identity."
"And that reason is...?"
"Since I financed all of the League's equipment, I would have only myself to blame if the princess wrecked or destroyed anything under my tutelage, instead of taking it on any of you if damage had occurred otherwise," replied Bruce knowingly.
"Nothing really escapes the World's Greatest Detective. And yes, that's the reason main reason I recommended you, and yes, I couldn't tell Diana the truth. But all's well that ends well, and your pupil has already mastered flight with the 'wing, which is more complicated than the Javelin. I say she's ready to move... uh, down a gear."
"Right. Since it's already time for patrol, I'll leave the Javelin tutoring to you, Kent."
"But..."
"No buts, Kent. I have to go."
"Alright Bruce, see you..." But he was already speaking to an empty room. Shrugging, he turned back to the monitor, an amused grin on his face.
A/N2: Beef Bourguinon with ketchup is the Silver Age Superman's favorite dish, as I found surfing around, so I used it. If you find any updates on Clark's favorite dish, please let me know!