Chapter One:

A/N: So, after a few months journey through the Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne pairing tag, I have yet to come across any de-aged fics (except for one where Bruce was turned into a baby but that story hasn't been updated in awhile.) Which is strange because if you just take a quick little hop, skip, and jaunt over to the Supernatural fandom, then de-aged fics are everywhere. So, because of the lack of a de-aged Bruce or Clark, I decided to write my own (with Bruce being the one de-aged.)

Now I know what you're thinking, "Ugh, not a de-aged fic!" But have no fear for this isn't your typical de-aging story where it is filled to the brim and overflowing with fluff abound (though there is some fluff and I promise there are some really cute parts too). No, no it's not. In fact, this story is written in my typical way of writing so it has plenty of hurt/comfort. Also, it has a very (hopefully) intensive and driven plot (not that other de-aged fics don't) and that plot is very engaging (at least I hope it seems that way.) Along with that here is a very big and important endgame to this story that is consistent throughout the whole thing, i.e., there is a major over all plot.

So really, all I ask is to give it a shot at least through chapter two. If after chapter two you still don't like it, then that is perfectly fine.

I do hope that you do enjoy this story, however, and stick around.

Now, without further ado, onto the story.

Enjoy! :)

Never again will Clark allow Flash to convince him that an "easy", as the speedster called it, mission didn't require the rest of the Justice League and that he, meaning Superman, and Batman could handle it themselves. Also, never again will he take Wally's input on how "easy" a mission is over Batman's. Whatever possessed him to listen to the over rambunctious kid in the first place is way beyond Clark, and now he just feels foolish as well as having to fight against unbelievably strong magic users on another planet while being glared at by an angry Bat.

He dodges, yet again, another ball of blue glowing magic, ducking behind a boulder. A few seconds later and a scowling, incredibly enraged, Batman is beside him. "Let's listen to Flash, you said. I'm sure it'll be fine, you said." Batman's teeth are starting to clench. "Flash knows what he's talking about, it'll be easy and done with before you know it, you said." He's glaring and clenching his jaw so hard that Clark is almost afraid he's going to break his teeth. "Does this seem easy to you Superman, because it certainly doesn't to me?"

Clark groans loudly in annoyance. "Okay, I get it! I learned my lesson. Always listen to you and not the kid that thinks too fast for his own good."

Another shot of powerful magic is projected their way but for now they are safe behind the rock. "The point is, Superman, Flash doesn't have as many years of crime fighting under his belt as you and I do so he can't judge a situation as well as we can. You should have known this and had never listened to him in the first place."

"Hey," Clark begins angrily. "It's not all my fault. You could have made some others, like Wonder Woman or Green Lantern, come with us too but you didn't."

Even more anger is shown on Batman's lips as he snarls. "I tried, but you have them so wrapped around your finger that they'll believe whatever the hell you say." Clark has to hold back a flinch at Batman's words. "So when you say we'll be fine, since your word is like freaking gospel, they listen to you instead of me and didn't come!" This time Clark doesn't try to hide his flinch.

Apologetically, Clark hangs his head. "I'm sorry."

Batman grumbles some more before peeking out from behind the boulder to assess the situation. "Apologize when we make it home alive and you can make it up to me." Before Clark has time to ponder on what exactly Bruce means when he says Clark can make it up to him, Batman darts out from behind the boulder and attacks one of the five magic users with a bunch of batarangs. It's not much use since they just deflect with more magic balls, but it does give Batman the chance to get to another hiding spot where he'll be safe for the moment.

Clark turns to look over the top of the boulder and has to duck immediately to avoid a ball of magic. When he comes up again, he sees the five mages standing in a circle, holding hands. Clark shoots a look to Batman and Batman signals with his hand. Nodding once, they commence their plans as the magicians begin their chant. Clark isn't really sure what they have planned; all he knows is that he and Batman have to stop them.

The Justice League was called from the planet's inhabitants asking them for assistance with a group of "low level" occultist that have been wreaking havoc on one of the lower cities that are on the planet. Most of these cities are run down and have high crime rates. Poverty is the norm and you would be lucky if you even got one meal a day. Going to bed hungry is not something new for the citizens that live there. According to who asked for their help, the mages have been hurting the citizens in one of these low level cities, even to the point of killing. There's also been an increase in reported kidnappings ever since the magicians showed up. There are a couple, but not a lot, eye witnesses that say that they've seen the magicians take powerless citizens off the street. What happens after they've been taken is of no one's knowledge. In the end, they didn't turn out to be low level anything and in fact highly skilled in what they do.

Batman signals for him to stop so he does. He's out in the open where, if the mages didn't have their eyes shut, he could be seen by them and attacked easily. He watches as Batman takes something out of his belt. It's not something he's ever seen before so he's eager to see what it does. Batman continues to sneak up, crouched and silent. As soon as he's close enough to one of the magic wielders, he swings his arm out and places the device right on his shoulder. The magician goes down immediately and withers in pain, though Clark can't figure out what is causing the pain. The device doesn't give off any noise or smell and there is no visual affect either. He'll have to ask Bruce about it later.

The four mages open their eyes and turn to Batman, all of them lifting their hands in order to strike the quickly retreating figure. Batman still has his eyes on them and gets ready to dodge their attack but Clark can tell he won't have enough time to get out of the way. Not knowing what else to do since Batman has yet to give him an order that he can move from his spot, he decides to fly to Batman just as the magic comes out of their hands. The beam heads straight to Batman who makes to move but Clark is faster. Clark gets in front of Batman seconds before the beam of blue magic would have hit Batman and it hits him instead. With a scream of pure pain, Clark is flung backwards and straight into Batman, who grunts with the impact and falls to the ground, Clark lying on top of him in anguish. If Clark wasn't in so much pain at the moment and they weren't fighting a group of magicians, he wouldn't actually mind lying on top of Bruce.

He tries to get up but every move he makes causes a pain to shoot throughout his whole entire body. He only manages to roll off Batman and curl in on himself on his side, groaning from how much torment he is currently in. Clark opens his eyes to slits in order to look at Batman. He's also groaning in pain because he just had an over two-hundred pound man hit him, but he's sitting up at least. Batman rolls over and places a hand on his shoulder. Another wave of pain rakes through his body. "Superman, you need to get up," Batman says in a rush, looking behind himself. Clark tries to lift his body to see what is happening. "Come on." Batman tries to lift him but since Clark is pretty much a bundle of quivering dead weight, he really can't do much more than lift his top half. Batman then stands and twist around quickly, putting his hand on his utility belt and standing guard over Clark's body. He throws a few batarangs but, once again, they do nothing, and the four remaining mages continue their advance. When they stop ten feet from the two of them, Clark knows their doomed. With loud voices, the four of them say some kind of spell, Batman braces himself, and Clark just wishes the stubborn man would leave him and get out of the way. Instead, whatever magic they hit Batman with causes him to yell in pain and he crumples to the ground next to Clark, unconscious.

Clark watches one of the magicians walk over to the one Batman took out earlier and take whatever was put on him off. The magic user gets up, brushes himself off casually which really takes Clark by surprise, and snarls at the heap of Bat that is still unconscious next to him. He sees the mage whisper something to the one who took the device off him and point in their direction. Clark is sure that he and Batman are dead but when all five magicians come up to them, there's only a boot, a pain in his head, and then blackness.

…

Clark wakes up in a cage, a small, magic infused cage. It's so small that he can't even stand up in it and has to stay sitting on his legs, slightly hunched. He looks around and notices another cage, tightly pushed up against his on the right, with Batman in it. A glaring, obviously annoyed Batman. "What happened?" He tries for nonchalance even though there's a pounding in his head. He hears a growl and he's positive it's aimed toward him. Okay, no talking to the Bat right now.

He continues to look around and as he does, he sees more cages within the large room. Some of the cages have adult civilians of not only this planet but others as well, and some of the cages have children in them. Clark looks at Batman in alarm. He thought it was only adults they were kidnapping. "One of the captives said that the mages like to take prisoners and turn them into children. Then they raise them as their own. Apparently, when they are turned to children, they have no memory of being kidnapped or anything prior to being de-aged."

Batman looks calmer now and less angry so Clark dares a few words. "That's horrible. We have to help them."

"We have to get out first," Batman reminds.

Clark nods. "Have you figured anything out yet?"

Batman is sitting on his bottom, legs drawn up because there's not enough room for him to lay them out all the way, arms resting on his knees and his hands dangling out in front him. He looks casual. "Not yet." They sit there in silence, Clark not really sure what to say and not knowing whether or not he even should talk since Batman is probably concentrating on trying to get them free. "Clark?" He jumps from the sudden sound that comes out of Batman's mouth and hits the top of his head on the top bars which zap him with magic. He makes an exclaimed sound and rubs the top of his head, already feeling his headache getting worse. When he looks over at Batman, there's a small, amused smirk formed on his lips.

Clark glares and Batman snorts. "What is it?"

All seriousness swoops back into Batman's features as if they were never gone. "Why were you stupid enough to jump in front of that magic beam?"

Clark rolls his eyes but he smiles, knowing Bruce really doesn't mean it the way it sounds. "I really appreciate the insult, thank you, and you're welcome."

Batman ignores his sarcasm. "It only made the situation worse."

This time it's Clark's turn to snort. "We were outnumbered and skilled anyways. We both are pretty weak against magic."

"You more than me," Bruce says playfully and Clark laughs. "I think I've figured something out, a way to get out of-" Batman cuts off as the door to the room opens.

The magician Batman took out before and a companion of his walks into the room together, chatting idly. They go straight to Batman's cage and kneel down with two identical sneers. "We have a lot planned for the two of you, especially you." One of them reaches into the cage and strokes Batman's face. Batman, not liking that one bit, suddenly grabs a hold of the magician's wrist and twists it until there is a cracking sound. Bones have been broken. The mage howls in pain and wrenches his hand free. "You little fucker!" He kicks the cage and Batman only smirks. Pointing down at Batman, the mage says to his companion, "Get him ready."

Clark sees Batman get ready to spring loose as soon as they open the cage door but to Clark's horror, the magician's hands start to glow. He can tell this takes Batman by surprise but Batman doesn't have enough time to do anything other than be bewildered. He's knocked back out before he knows it. "What are you doing?" Clark asks in alarm. They pay him no attention and open the cage door, dragging the limp body out and beginning to strip him. "Stop that!" Clark tries to take a hold of the bars and rip them apart but he's shocked instead. "I said stop!" He watches as they drag Bruce away by the arms, completely naked and leaving his clothes behind. Clark really didn't picture this would be the first time he ever saw Bruce nude and he's saddened along with enraged that his first time has been tainted.

Clark sits there on his legs, head bowed, wondering what to do. He can't touch the bars or else he gets zapped so that means he can't pull them apart. He sits and sits for about five minutes before something comes to him. Reaching out between the bars of his cage as carefully as he can, he touches the one Bruce was in. Nothing. No zap, no sting, no magic. Smiling to himself, he grabs onto one of the bars, one that is in the back so it won't be too noticeable, and breaks it off. He then hears footsteps that are coming closer.

Stashing the bar under his legs, he sits and waits for the mages to return. They do, opening the door to the room, and step in. Clark notices the child, who can't be more than four or five, in one of their arms. They come over, throw the kid into Batman's cage haphazardly, and shut the door with a clang. They then pick up Batman's suit and utility belt and place them in a far corner of the room where there are other clothes in a pile. After they are done, they both leave.

Clark looks over to the child who is currently unconscious and studies him. He's naked, just like the other children in the room, and has black fluffy hair. A horrified feeling dawns on Clark. Leaning as close to the bars in the direction of the kid's cage as he can, he whispers, "Bruce?"

A/N: Thanks for reading. Updates will be every Friday. Next update scheduled for: 11/6/15. To see a full list of dates, please go to my Tumblr, angelcamael, and go to the post under: /post/132217933841/loss-of-time