chapter 2

Sometimes one mis-spoken word may bring forth chaos and destruction you would never imagine possible. Other times, it might just awake something you never knew was listening.

The bat cave was buzzing with hiding life as always those days. The bats mummered softly under the ceiling, preparing for nightfall, the buzz of the computer filled the air with a noise and the water down, down below in the caves finished that symphony with its soft hiss. Not mucg and yet for someone used to the silence of a thumb and only occasional the scratching of little paws on the surface of her casket, it was like a rock concert.
Human footsteps filled the air along with a raised voice of a young boy.
"I don't think you should be so calm about this Bruce… Clark…" Dick didn't have the time to end this sentance when the older Wayne interrupted him.
"Dick, I appreciate your concern, but…"
"But what? Bruce, he's toying with you, he needs someone to blow of steam with and that's all…. For the… If he loves you, why hasn't he told anyone? Martha knows, true, but only because you picked up the phone that one time," Dick knew his hurting his mentor with those accusations, but then again he knew this man well enough to expect certain forms of behavior from him.
For example, he was willing to bet his staff, that if ever Clark leaves Bruce for some broad, he would close himself in on others and fall a little bit deeper into the darkness he worked with. The recent way he was pushing the man to comfort this now, was so that if it happened later, he just might not be around to help him get over it.
Dick lost a lot in his short life, that's why all that he had gained was so precious to him. He knew how fragile it all was.
"We keep our privet lives and work separate…"-answered Bruce shortly. Normally, this would mean the discussion was over, but Dick had no intention of listening to this hidden command.
"And tell me, which part is the one with your relationship?"
The bat stood abruptly, and turned slowly to him.
"Of all the people, Robin, I don't have to explain this to you… Superman is an icon just like Batman, he cant be associated with something so controversial as homosexuality, and Clark Kent… well, that's a simple cry for normalcy, one that dating Bruce Wayne would not help."

"For the love of God, that man has at least 50 different types of vision, can crush coal in to a diamonds while sleeping, and hell a lot of other stuff, he will never be normal, if he loves you he should take refuge in that, not in false pretend." He saw the slight flicker in his mentor's eyes, he knew he hit a sore spot. Not that any one else besides him or Alfred would notice this reaction, but still.
Walking down again, Bruce shrugged his shoulders, "Sometimes love is not enough. Clark's… afraid of being more alienated than he already is. He comes from a small town where people tend to pray to god to cure their close ones from disease such as Homosexuality. If I remember correctly, one of Clark's friends announced his gay when they where teens, the whole city prayed for his curing."

"Barbaric… how did it go?" grimaced Dick. he was a born bisexualism. In this job, you have to be flexible in more ways than one to get all the information you want.

"Hmm, from what Clark told me, he's married to a nice girl, and has 5 kids."

Dick blinked, "Yeah because having one or two isn't enough. Someone could have doubts if he's healed if he didn't make more."
"My point is Richard, Clark cares what people think, that's all."

"And what if he decides to marry one day Bruce? What then? Superman is asexual, Clark is straight… which part of him is yours then?"

"Kal-El."

"Cool, but it's not what I asked for, now is it." he hissed pressing forward. Bruce hanged his had.

"I would never destroy someone's marriage for my own agenda."

That name was like a wake up cal. Something that was asleep for thousands of years, awoke. Carmila opened her deep blue, still, eyes and gazed around. Her armor was laying on a cold, metal slab, cleaned and restored nearly to its full glory. The bright light blinded her. Raising from the cold, metal she saw a sight that would frighten anyone else. Monitors eminating cold light, strange vehicals. But no, she was concentrated on knowing who spoke out loud in her presence that accursed name, who called upon the family of El. She saw two men, dark haired and muscular but bearing no resemblance to Ana-El. Stepping closer, her hand made contact with the shin of the older one. A pulse of energy went through both of them.
Bruce toke a step back abruptly.
"Bruce?"

"Muscle cramp… probably," the brunnette smiled, aoligazienly to the younger one, who she knew now was called Dick Grayson. This... this was her family. The man before her was her last descendant, and from what was showed to her there, would be no others for he had no interest in the female sex . A pity. Had the gods decided to torture her once more and show her how the family she had sacrificed everything for dies out? No... there had to be a deeper purpose here. Hiding back in the darkness, not to touch any of them, she observed.

"Alfred told you eating so irregularly for someone you're age is unhealthy."

"My age?" He asked with mocked anger.

"Whell face it, you'r not me, I have a young body, so I can eat all the junk food and not eat when ever I want... you on the other hand" the boy stopped with a specific silence, rolling his ayes.

"Well then, I guess it's a good thing today we're going to a banquet instead of a patrol.." he huffed.

"Doesn't count, no on eats at those things," he spread his arms wide, "Are you going to bring Carmila's armor there?"

"No, the dresses she left behind were more than enough for the museum."

The banquet was formal and wearily stiff, Dick complained, he started to get a cramp from all of this smiling, in places he didn't know could cramp.

As for Bruce, he was constantly surrounded by the students, not one left him alone, even for a moment, until suddenly all the lights just flickered off, the last thing before he felt a sharp pain in his neck, was a maniacal laughter .

The first thing Bruce brain registered upon awakening was pain. Not the alcohol induced dull throbbing somewhere in the back of the head. No, it was more like a ripping , flaming pain of a freshly sewn tissue somewhere on the upper part of his belly.

He tried to remember how the hell it got there but came up blank. He didn't remember doing the cape and cowl thing last night. He was force to play the role of Gothams favorite son in some party.

Hmm… he remembered the party, boring and dull and…and. He strained his drug hazed mind and found a memory of himself arguing with someone from Stark Industries, and after that leaving with a blond women with rather small breasts who had emerged from the darkness.

"Wakey wakey Brucy boy. Time to rise and shine! "A painfully familiar voice chirped in his ear. Bruce realy didn't need a sharp vision to recognize the owner of this voice and the white blob in front of him. Joker!

He wanted to say something, but a rather large gummy, metallic testing object in his mouth forbade him from doing that.

"Oh finally…I was starting to worry I accidentally sown something extra in you. " Chirped the clown. Bruce looked at him oddly and mummers something underbelly under his nose

"Mm, what are you murmuring there sweetie?" The clown brought his ear closer, "oh sweetie don't be so mysterious… communication is the foundation of a good family you now." Chuckled the Joker, taking the small ball out of the billionaire's mouth. Bruce spat on the ground.

"What the hell are you taking bout Joker?" Rasped the billionaire. If it were possible, the Joker's grin widened even more.

"Why, I'm talking about the happy, happy family we're going to have!" Said the clown making a dancers pirouette, "So I was thinking, it's fun to play with old Batsy, but he has this sidekick of his to take up the role of the Bat when he gets old, but me? Poor little me I have no one! So I decided it's time to get myself a son." He started laughing maniacally. Jumping on to the bed, the Joker lied himself on Bruce. The bat's body exploded with pain. Even though the Joker didn't place all of his body weight on him, but still, any pressure placed on the angry red wound was more than enough.

"Still, the whole birthing, feeding and diaper thing is a total kill joy. But then again I'm the father…I'm suppose to teach it the important stuff." He smiled. "So it's only reasonable that I had to look for the perfect mother. I tried and I tried but the ladies simply didn't cooperate, and after the fun moments they wanted to scrape the little miracle." The Joker shrugged his arms "Oh well it was fun… but then I stumbled upon you. You are the best of the best this crummy city has to offer! Wealthy, good looking, wealthy and you can't take an innocent life." The clown's voice change in to a devilish mummer. "It's going to drive Batsy bats." The Joker let out a few strange noises of triumph.

"You're nuts." Bruce spat at the clown. "A man cannot have babies."

"Ah typical reasoning," said the clown, frowning. "No one believes in me these days. Not you, not the doctors in Arkham… no one… ah such a hard life being an artist." The Joker repositioned himself so he could now sit at the head of the bed knees bend. "But nevertheless, you have female organs in you, and the moment they settle in, you're going to be a pregnant man. Wahou that while nook tows critics of there branches!...I wonder...maybe Batsy could be the godfather?" The Joker laughed, jumping in his typical manner towards the door.

"Now, now I'm positive you have a lot to think about so I'll leave you be. For now…hehehe." Joked the clown, as slammed the iron doors to his cell.

Bruce was shock to say the least. After meeting a Martian and surviving alien invasions twice at least, he really doubted anything could shock him anymore.

This situation was bad and even a fool would see it. He was strapped to a hospital bed in a wormed cell, and a mad man claimed to have operated on him – changing him into part female. Bruce tried to focus his vision and find something in the room that would help him a) escape or b) summon help.

This was going to be tuff.

***
A month later

Clark was sitting at his desk at the Daily Planet, trying to determine what was missing in his article. It was good, but somehow it seemed to lack something important. There was this emptiness in his stomach when he read it. Yet, nothing seemed to be missing. Leaning back, he started to doubt whether the feeling in his stomach wasn't cause by Lois's cooking. They were "dating" for about two weeks now, and last night, Lois invited him over for a homemade diner.

A stomach of steel was definitely not enough to actually digest the stuff. However, when he tried to talk himself out of it, Lois used her ultimate attack "the puppy dog eyes" and that spelled the end of the game for Superman. As nasty and stubborn Lois can be, there is no one in this world that can say no when she uses the puppy look. Okay maybe Batman could but we are talking about humans, not sex gods. Hmm… Batman. Swimming off into his own private dreamland, Clark lost himself in the few memories he had of Batman without his armor on and the other ones when they both where naked in bed . Why only a few when he had X-ray vision you wonder? Strangely enough, Bats' armor was lined with lead…so peaking wasn't an option, and then ther was the fact they weren't in an exactly opened relationship. Partly because of Clark, but then again Bruce valued his privet life so he felt no real remorse towards being carful whit announcing there love to…anyone.

Clark was torn out of his world when he felt something hit his nose. Upon investigating this phenomenon, he discovered that he was practically covered in pencils, and all sorts of typical desk accessories. Lois apparently was trying to get his attention for some time by throwing everything she had on her desk at him. Thankfully the computers were permanently attached to the wood…

"Hey Smallvile come here, you have to see this!" She waved her hand at him.

"Okay what's so important that you wanted to break my nose?" mouthed Clark, standing up and going over to his friend.

"I just got an anonymous tip about the one and only Bruce Wayne, you won't believe it!"

Clark's heart skipped a beat, okay correction – Superman's heart skipped a beat. As Clark Kent he was in love with Lois Lane, but as Superman he was lusting after the dark demon king of Gotham. But only as Kal-El he was not ashamed to admit it.

About a month ago, Bruce disappeared for two weeks. Nobody knew why and where and most of them didn't realy care. Batman loved to have his secrets and it wasn't really uncommon for him to disappear in the criminal underworld for months interrogating various criminal circles from the inside.

Still, this time it was different. not that Superman was spying, no, Superman NEVER spies on anybody, especially not on The Bat …he was just listening that's all – it wasn't his fault that somehow Bruce's heart beat always stood out from amongst all the sound that were around him .

There was something strange about Bruce's heart beat at that time.

It was changing all the time – sometimes beating so slow it was unmistakably on the verge of stopping, and other times it was beating so fast Clark was almost sure it was going to pop out. Then around the same time as Bruce's heart finally stabilized, Bruce himself came back to the world.

"Hellooo Smallvile are you with me? If you can hear me give me a sign!"

Lois' call was like a bucket of cold water ripping him out of his musing ones more.

"Wha…?oh! I'm sorry...I got lost in my f-"

"Yeh whatever farm boy, take a look at this." She tapped her pencil on the computer screen.

Clark leaned forward, scanning the files opened on Lois computer.

'This has to be a hoax."

It was all he was capable of saying. He didn't believe it, on the computer there was a medical report of some sort, all procedures and effects carefully described.

He read it twice, he read it five times and still his brain refused to accept it. Not that he didn't understand the medical terms or anything.

The problem was it was a procedure of successfully implanting a women's uterus in a man's body. In Bruce's Wayne's Body!

"It doesn't look that way, want to see the photos? I warn you, they are disturbing."

Before Clark had the time to respond, Lois opened a second window filled with jpg files. Clark felt sick.

"I always knew that Bruce was eccentric, but this is ..."

Lois shook her head with disbelief.

"You really think he wanted this?"

Clark was shaking with furry and disbelief. Every fibre of his body was screaming.
Get out, go to Gotham and demand an explanation!

Lois turned around in her seat and looked Clark straight in the eye.

"What, you think someone force it on him?"

"He did go missing for two weeks."

"True. But how do you know he just didn't go to some fancy clinic to get the operation?"

Lois folded her hands and looked at the miniaturized photo files. Clark instantly knew she was scanning them for the smallest detail that could prove or kill her theory. All do in his mind he had no doubt she was already writing an article bout "The eccentricity of Bruce Wayne" and that's only putting it gently.

"He's not wearing any gloves."

She spoke finally. A bit shocked blinking.

"Excuse me?'

"The man performing the operation… those aren't gloves, the doctor - he has chalk white hands."

She pointed her pencil on one of the photos. Clark froze.

"How many creeps from Gotham do we now that have chalk white hands?"

She asked, looking at Clark with a spark in her eyes.

"Joker."