To Be Understood
The Dark Knight had been working non-stop for over eight days now. And while he normally could go much longer without any adverse effects to his lack of proper sleep or meal, that was before he joined a team of superheroes that he saw almost daily who tended to notice little things like that, as well as gained all the extra responsibilities that came with being a member of such team. Even so, it takes those eight days for them to realize that something is up with their caped and cowled crusader.
With three ongoing cases in Gotham, two missions and an investigation for the League, and drawing up plans for the new Javelin designs, Batman has been rather busy this week. And still is. So he is not particularly overjoyed when he is cornered after a League meeting by a concerned Clark and Diana.
"Bruce, is something wrong?" Clark asks.
"Not more so than usual." Batman narrows his eyes. "Why?"
"You've been working yourself rather hard these past few days, and you seem tired. When was the last time you had a proper rest?" Diana questions in her regal tone.
Batman considers telling the Amazonian to mind her own business, but figures that it won't help end this pointless conversation any quicker, so he stays silent.
After a moment, Superman sighs and places his hand on a dark clad shoulder. "Bruce, I think you should take a break."
"Not an option." He shrugs off the hand, as well as the concern. "Gotham needs the Batman."
"One night off won't hurt," Clark insists, ignoring Bruce's sarcastically muttered "You'd be surprised." This is Gotham they are talking about, after all. Superman continues. "I get that Batman is important, but so is Bruce Wayne. You've been working yourself to exhaustion; I think you've earned some time to just take off the mask and relax for a while."
Diana nods her agreement.
Batman studies Clark for a moment, the mask's white lenses narrowed still. The moment stretches on in silence for the length of a few heart beats before the detective simply states, "Batman isn't the mask; Bruce Wayne is. The sooner you understand that, the better." The corners of his lips turn down in a frown, and a flicker of—what is that? Not anger. Disappointment, maybe? Hurt?—crosses the visible portion of his face, but is gone before anyone could fully register it. He then slips away between the two powered heroes, brushing past the Flash on his way, off to get on with his business once more.
Clark watches the Dark Knight leave until he turns a corner and disappears from sight, swallowed into the bowels of the Watchtower.
"What does that mean?" Diana asks no one in particular, the subject of her query now far out of earshot.
Wally, who'd been walking past but stopped to see what was up since he was actually the first to have noticed Bruce's slightly more busily-antisocial-than-usual attitude, made a curious sound, as though he had just made some discovery, drawing the gazes of both pairs of blue eyes to the red-head.
"You know what he meant?" the princess asks the speedster in surprise.
"Well, it's like Bats said," Flash tries to explain with a shrug when the two each raise a questioning eyebrow at him. "'Batman isn't the mask; Bruce Wayne is.' It just makes sense to me. Wayne puts on a fake smile and a good act and pretends he is actually making a difference with the money he doesn't want. Then he takes off the mask and puts on the cowl and he goes out and helps a city that most people think is beyond help and he makes a difference."
"I'm not sure I understand," Diana says after a moment, her confusion mirrored on Superman's face, as well.
"It's like," Flash pauses to think, trying to find the words to explain the sudden epiphany he just had about their most mysterious member. "You know how Superman and Clark Kent are two sides of you? I mean, they have their differences and their similarities, but they are both you."
"Yeah," Superman nods, signaling Flash to continue.
"Well, with Batman it's different. Batman is who he is. And Bruce Wayne. . . Bruce Wayne is an act, someone Bats pretends to be for a few hours a day so he can go back to being who he really is. Calling Bruce and Batman the same person makes about as much sense as Clark here dressing up as the Flash to fight crime." Flash stops at the mental image that thought creates, an amused smirk crossing his face before growing serious once more. "D'ya get it now?"
"I'm afraid you lost me, Flash," Superman says with an apologetic grimace. Wonder Woman's forehead creases with a befuddled line, confirming her agreement with Clark's statement.
Flash searches their eyes for a moment with baited breath. When he doesn't find whatever it is he is looking for there, he lets out a gusty sigh. "Nah, guess you don't," he mumbles in answer to his own question. "Aw well. It's late and I'm beat. See you guys later." He turns to leave, waving a goodbye over his shoulder.
Clark and Diana both watch him leave for a moment, still rather confused about the entire conversation, before going off to their respective duties.
Flash heads to the teleporters, still contemplating his newly discovered piece of Batman's character. He wishes he had found a better way of explaining it. Since Bats didn't seem overly eager to explain it, either. It is the least Wally could do, considering everything Batman does for all of them. But if he can't get the others to understand, maybe he can at least let Bats know that he understands. . .
With an idea forming in his mind and a smile forming on his face, Flash set the teleporter coordinates to Gotham City before stepping onto the platform. He has a bit of business to take care of there before clocking off and clocking out.
~oOo~
Just after sunrise the next morning, Batman coasts the Batmobile into the cave, parking it on the turntable. When he hops out with a sigh, he is exhausted, but exhaustion is certainly nothing new to the Dark Knight. And certainly nothing a hot shower and a quick nap won't cure. After he has inputted the evidence he collected that night and began the data sequencer on the Bat-computer to look for any clues or connections the he might have missed in his newest investigation.
"Good morning, Master Bruce," Alfred greets from his position of dusting the stored evidence of past cases. "Shall I go put a pot of tea on?" he asks, knowing that his ward will be up working for another hour or so yet, before finally turning in.
He receives naught but a grunt as a reply, which he translates as a yes. The gentleman moves towards the staircase that leads up to the manor above. He is halfway ascended when he calls over his shoulder, "Oh, and Master Bruce, you had a visitor while you were out."
That got the detective's attention, as Alfred knew it would.
A slight smirk crosses his wizened face, but he does not turn to the Dark Knight below as he says, "I do believe he's left a message for you on your desk. I'll have breakfast for you shortly." And with that, the butler disappeared through the clock door to the manor.
Suddenly wary, remembering the confrontation from the previous day, Bruce approaches his desk to find the note.
He had assumed it would be from Superman, though couldn't fathom why Kent would leave him a note instead of just waiting for him like he usually does, an annoying habit that Bruce couldn't seem to break the boy scout from. But when he picks up and unfolds the single sheet of yellow, lined paper, he is surprised to see not Clark Kent's flowing scrawl, but the quick pen-scratched hand of Wally West. Even without the signature dashed at the bottom, he instantly recognized his speedy teammate's handwriting.
The message was short, merely two lines scribbled across the page, but the meaning within them struck the Dark Knight suddenly, his mouth quirking into an almost-smile as he refolds the note and places it into a drawer on the right. That done, Batman sits at his desk and sets to work on the Bat-computer.
Hey Bats, I get it. Batman
isn't the mask, Bruce Wayne is.
~ Wally
.
Disclaimer: Nothing owned, nothing gained. Except some writing experience in a new (for me) fandom
Author's Notes: Wow, of all the team, I made Wally understand Bats the best. Huh. Go figure.
So, first Justice League story. Sorry there isn't really much of anything going on here. I just had this thought that most of the League probably doesn't understand Batman, which is kind of how he likes it, but sometimes it is nice to know that someone understands, at least a little. I love Batman, and Flash is a great character, and sometimes a little bat fluff (or as fluffy as Batman gets, in my opinion) is much appreciated. After a while, this just wrote itself. I hope to write more for this fandom. I do so love the cartoon, as well as the movies. Anyway, tell me what you think, please. Love ya all! Take care! God bless!
-TheOneThatGotAway99