His fists pounded on the glass in front of him, the skin finally breaking under the onslaught. He screamed both in frustration and pain, cursing his onlookers as he retreated as far as he could in the see-through cylinder.

His wrists weren't that bad. A few scrapes and skin that would bruise up around the scratches in a few hours but nothing too serious. Which was more than he could say for himself. He was in a serious situation. One he should have prepared for, but really, there was no way his plan could have possibly gone wrong. No damn way. Yet it did.

The plan had been simple: On Monday he waited on top of Wayne Enterprises, watching as street after street lit up in some horror or another.

The North was aflame with green. Green smoke, green graffiti, quite frankly it was hard to see anything more than that. He could still hear though, and what he heard had him shuddering slightly. At first it had just been the Joker. That man had sent up his war cry as soon as the first smoke bomb went off. A ringing echo of laughter soon followed until the whole North was cackling and screaming like madmen. Worse actually since he had actually visited Arkham, and they weren't half as bad as this.

The smoke faded as it came to the East. Bruce observed as a new wave floated through the wind, the tendrils twining and fading until he could see through to the city below, and were finally sucked up by the plants breathing them in. Plants were a small description as to what grew in these streets, really it was more like a jungle than a few flowers here and there.

Great vines twined and twisted their way through windows and doorways, some holding people hostage while the others were happy to lie in wait for the few stragglers that had escaped their initial attack. Criss-crossing through them were flowers of every origin Bruce could think of. Now he was no botanist, but he was sure more than half of those plants weren't meant to be this size. Nor were they meant to be in Gotham at all. He had to pleasure of watching someone prick themselves on one oversized thorn. They lay under a mass of green now, their corpse being slowly digested by other plants, and he was sure that wasn't the only plant that was poisonous in this forest. He was pretty sure Gotham's laws said something about poisonous plants being prohibited on their shores. He was pretty sure that was the same for the whole of America. Yet here they were, right in front of his eyes, and their mother somewhere at the heart of it all.

The jungle lasted until it hit the Southern streets. There they died off or shrunk back like they had smelled something nasty. Those that didn't wither away seemed even more ill tempered than the others. More than one had ripped their victim's apart, limb from limb they were flung and tossed into piles. An disorganised mess. A curiosity that had the smart part of Bruce's brain itching with curiosity at the logic behind their thought process. Especially because the gas in which was causing them to act this way was meant to leave them an disorganised mess.

It was a deep brown, reminding Bruce of the time Alfred had attempted to teach him to bake. Kal had been there too, sitting on the counter and watching with patient eyes as Alfred told him what this or that was. The whole thing had Bruce bored out of his brain, and not watching where he was putting his hands. The result had been cocoa and sugar flying everywhere, rising up in a cloud of darkness that now littered the streets of Gotham.

It was a different kind of screaming coming from this part of town. Bruce had kept his berth as the smoke rose. The madness he thought he could handle. The fear on the other hand. He had been scared the moment he realised what a helpless world he lived in, and wasn't ready to relive any of his fears if he could help it right now.

The last part of Gotham was quiet. Unnervingly quiet. The streets were empty, the doors open like people had just walked out without any afterthought to their homes. A mass crowd had gathered outside the mall. Bruce knew because he could see the glint as sunlight bounced off people's watches and glasses. He could also see the sea of purple, as those that had gathered were wearing the same unscramble on their heads.

He had broke Hatter out in the first place for his gas. Like Scarecrow and the Joker he had managed to come up with a formula strong enough to affect a Kryptonian. But he had something else too. Something Bruce had initially forgotten about in regards to his plans. He watched in fascination now as people stood in organised rows as Hatter addressed them at the front. Ivy wasn't the only one with the ability to enthral someone.

Bruce turned away as the people dispersed, Hatter had sent them on an errand of sorts, bringing tables, chairs and other things from houses and shops. Instead, he turned his gaze to the sky where, there, Kal was flying towards them.

He knew Kal wouldn't recognise him here. For one, he was disguised. Another, he was hidden amongst four chaotic areas that needed Kal's attention more than Bruce did.

Sure enough Kal flew past him, edging towards Joker's territory before backtracking towards the middle. A scream had him glancing towards Scarecrow's part. The jungle drew his attention in all its glory. Music started towards the mall, a cheery jingle that had Kal swerving towards it. He was turning in circles by the end of his sweep, not knowing which direction to take.

Another scream had Kal snapping out of his look over and darting off again. All according to plan.

Bruce waited until he saw two more blurs before he scaled down the side of the building. His first stop was Ivy. Lara had headed that way, possibly on the thought that she could subdue the temptress better than her husband and son. A sound theory since she was a woman, however she probably hadn't planned for Bruce to be there too.

He found her trying to negotiate with Ivy. The red head was cocooned in her plants, and even from this far away Bruce could feel the pheromones coming off her. The distraction of Ivy managed to get Bruce close enough, far too close if you asked him, to her.

When she did see him, it was more out of reaction to swipe a hand out and try to bat Bruce away. He wouldn't have blamed her with the number of masked crazies that had assaulted Gotham since his leaving. However, he was prepared and dodged the brunt of the hit, managing to throw the led lined box over to Ivy before he rolled the rest of the momentum away.

She took it, and with a whispered word to Lara, opened the box. The Kryptonite did the rest.

Bruce picked himself up, checking to make sure he had no more serious wounds than a bruise before joining Ivy as she looked over the super powered being before her.

"Who is she?"

Bruce took in the changes she had made to conceal her identity to Gotham. The different clothes and mask she had on her face.

She was still as beautiful as Bruce remembered. Sleek hair and unblemished skin, with that something alien they all had that made them attractive. Bruce remembered reading Dracula when he was fourteen and wondering if the El's were the same thing. Not a vampire. He knew those weren't... well he wouldn't say not real, not in the world he lived in. But he wondered if they had the same principle going. Of adopting a look that was bound to make terrans think them attractive in order to put them in a false sense of security. After all, who wouldn't trust a pretty face.

Standing there, he debated ruining her disguise. Just telling Ivy her identity. He was planning on destroying their lives, why not start with their biggest secret.

"One of the bad guys," Bruce ended up saying, some of his kindness seeping through. He turned his attention back to Ivy. "You think you can subdue her without that?" He nodded towards the Kryptonite.

"Maybe." Ivy mused, "I think I have something strong enough to keep her out."

"Use it."

He took the box back off her when she gave him the all clear. Her plants were wrapped tightly enough around Lara that it would take some effort to clear when she woke up. Near impossible if Ivy managed to poison her enough into complacency.

Bruce had enough faith to trust she did, and moved on with one last look back.

He had to scale another rooftop to see how far along the other two El's were. Kal was a beacon even through the foggy streets of Gotham. Bruce located him almost right away trying to fight through Scarecrow's gas. Jor had went for Joker, it seemed neither of them perceived Hatter too much of an immediate threat.

Debating, Bruce took one last look over at Kal before heading towards the green smoke.

He'd managed to steal a gas mask, modifying it and making sure it was able to withstand the Joker gas. He was pretty sure he was safe as he started walking the streets towards the flying blur near the GCPD.

The people over here were a nuisance, Bruce found, more than anything. Only a few were really a threat, and preferred to take their anger out on each other than Bruce. The others however, in their manic daze would come up to him like dogs with a treat, showing him this or that they had done. He guessed that saying was right, genius really did need an audience, as again and again he was witness to their carnage. He supposed he was left alone, he concluded as he reached the GCPD, because there was an even bigger, familiar target to these people. The GCPD had been destroyed, literally. The cops themselves, well versed in the Joker's antics, were setting up base, gas masked, inside buildings. Building themselves a barricade as the masses of people in Joker's army ripped doors and shot guns through the GCPD's window's.

He followed the destruction, noting the more people there were the closer he was to Jor. The closer he was to the Joker too. Jor had taken his fight to the root of the problem. On top of the GCPD tower was the clown prince himself, laughing, his head thrown back and firing bullet after bullet at Jor.

He cringed at the first few bullets, the sound replaying itself in his head, bringing back old buried memories of a night he didn't want to remember right then. Eventually the monotony of the firing had him back in the present, and able to appreciate the sight in front of him. Sure, he wasn't that big a fan of guns, but there was something satisfying in watching Jor El be thrown back the smallest bit as a bazooka hit him full in the face.

"Enough!" Jor yelled, darting forward and snatching the weapon from Joker's hands. "I will ask you one more time clown, and then we are done talking. Reverse your gas."

One white gloved hand went up to a red stained mouth, pulled down in thought. "You know what, since you asked nicely I will." His arms outstretched he walked over to the edge of the GCPD roof and yelled out onto the streets. "Stand down minions. Our work here is done."

Bruce used the distraction of the Joker, again to sneak up behind Jor. Hiding behind a grate, he caught the look in the clown's eye before Jor was, once again, hit full in the face with something. A cannister.

"Then again it is still light out. Tell you what Superfreak, how about another three hours of playtime and then I'll stand down." He chuckled slightly, his eyes darting over to Bruce. "Not that you'll be here to stop me when three hours are up... hmm. Oh well."

The Joker went back to shouting orders over the rooftop, ignoring the coughing fit Jor had as he tried to fight off the gas. Bruce saw him failing. Saw the way he struggled to his knees as a short laugh escaped his mouth.

Stepping from the shadows he thought it about time he put Jor out of his misery. The man let him approach, his strength was still there, but with the gas obscuring his sight and twisting his mind his arms were flailing in the wrong direction.

"I looked forward to this," Bruce let himself say before he opened the Kryptonite box.

Jor was out in seconds, preferring unconsciousness to the Joker gas.

"Make sure he doesn't wake up too soon," Bruce ordered the still shouting man as he made his way to the GCPD stairs.

"Will do," He heard sang behind him as the door swung shut.

Kal had, somehow managed to get out of Scarecrow's hold. When Bruce got to another rooftop to find him he was disappointed to see Jonathan Crane hanging from a pole and the streets cleared of any gas. Already emergency teams were being sent in and tending to those they reached first.

Hatter it was then.

Compared to the jungle and the crazed streets before Hatters territory was unnerving. The people didn't speak, they moved mechanically as they all made tea or danced around as tinkling music played from stereo's and speakers around the streets.

Kal was at the head of it all, sitting primly in a seat next to the Hatter. His eyes were glazed and mouth slack, still handsome despite all that. Bruce saw no sign of a hat, although one was in arms reach of the Kryptonian, and turned to face Jarvis.

The man was sitting at the head sipping tea, watching Bruce as he made his assessment of Kal.

"He was always too easy to control," The Hatter noted.

"How long will it last?"

The Hatter shrugged, "As long as Alice did in Wonderland."

Wonderful. Without a time limit in sight Bruce got to work.

The truck had been there for days. He had stolen it the morning after Lex gave him the Kryptonite. He had left it below his first hiding spot, and ran it back to fetch Kal as quick as he could. The Kryptonian was heavier than he looked, but Bruce could haul men twice his size in the air and catch them, so he made do and lifted Kal into the trunk.

Jor was just as, if not slightly more, heavier than Kal, and with no offer of help from the Joker he was left to climb down the GCPD stairs carrying him. Compared to the others Lara was the easiest out of all three of them to heave.

He drove as fast as he could, bearing in mind the efforts the others had taken to keep the aliens knocked out. It was harder than he initially planned to get them all into his warehouse and chained up, but in the end he did it without waking them.

He had found the chains the first time he set foot in the warehouse. It seemed his initial thought about it belonging to a slightly less legal enterprise was right. Along with the chains were some of the many devices the other owner had left behind. Broken wrenches, blood splattered crowbars, everything to further the thought he was doing the right thing in getting Dick away from these people, this life and this city.

Even dangling from chains the El's looked polished. Their hair didn't look out of place, their skin was smooth, their clothes although ripped look like a designer had made it that way. The whole image had Bruce's blood boiling.

He took off his disguise while he was waiting. He had considered doing this anonymous. Not give them any reason to link this all back to him. But the sadistic streak in him hadn't allowed him that. He wanted them to know who had defeated them. It also had him keeping Kal's cape on, letting him rub in their defeat that much more.

It was a whole hour of fiddling with the box on his lap before the El's started stirring. Kal was first, whatever Hatter gave him wearing off as his eyes cleared and head tilted in awareness.

Bruce caught the sharpness returning as Kal narrowed his eyes on the Warehouse's ceiling. It wasn't long before Kal was scouring the rest of the place for his captor, eyes landing on Bruce.

Recognition came far later than Bruce would have expected. At first, Kal's eyes went red. The same red that haunted his dreams when he was younger. The same red that almost killed him and vaporised Alfred out of existence. It died when Kal blinked, and blinked again like he couldn't put the picture in front of him together.

"You," came the accusation, sluggishly from Kal's mouth as he somewhat remembered Bruce. But not the right identity as Kal said next, "I thought I dealt with you already. If you're after the boy, you're going to have a hard time of it."

He thought he was Dick's kidnapper. At least until he fully recognised him.

That came with a pained look, almost like Bruce had punched him.

"Bruce?" Kal breathed, his eyes wide and drinking Bruce in. "It's really-"

His hand clinked as the chains stopped his movements.

"Don't." Bruce warned as Kal made to break them.

Kal's eyes narrowed, flitting from the chains and back to Bruce.

"What is this?"

"Your comeuppance."

Kal was tugging the chains slightly, as if testing their weight. No doubt he was thinking he could snap them when Bruce turned away.

"I don't understand."

Bruce scoffed, the sound quiet, but echoing in the silent room around them. "Of course you don't. You never did understand."

"Is this about what happened with Dick? I swear Bruce, I didn't know it was you."

"No, you just took a child away from someone, despite the fact said child was telling you not to. How's that super hearing Kal? Because from where I was lying it sure sounded like Dick wasn't in trouble."

Kal flinched, looking more pained the longer Bruce spoke. "I swear-"

"Save it." Bruce snapped.

Kal quietened down, the pair of them just staring at each other for a while. Bruce could feel Kal's x-ray vision at work as he looked for bruises and cuts. Bruce hoped he found what he was looking for. Hoped he could see the fading yellow from where he slammed Bruce into that wall.

It was this that would prove his downfall. In watching Kal look him over Bruce missed the quick tip of alertness. He only knew when it was too late that Jor was awake, and by then he was knocked out and being stripped of any Kryptonite he had on his possession.

When he woke, he was in a glass cell. He figured it was down in the caves from the bats above and the newly glossed suit he could barely see to his right. He didn't know for certain however, until he caught sight of one of his captors as they came to feed him.

Jor was on the other end. A pitiful look on his face as he abandoned his speed to walk in normally towards Bruce. He slid Alfred's cooking, his favourites in fact, through a gap that formed just for Jor's hand. Making sure to yank it back out before Bruce could do so much as shift in place.

"I take it you're happy with yourself," Jor started.

The statement itself was enough to send Bruce into a rage, banging on the glass and shouting everything he had bottled up for weeks at him. Jor left after a few minutes yet Bruce still went on. Now he had started he couldn't seem to stop. Not until his hands were bloody and Lara came down with Alfred to try and tend to them.

It was an embarrassment having to hold his hands through the gap, and something he would have held off for as long as possible if anyone but Alfred had been the one tending him.

He didn't say anything while he wiped the blood and bandaged him up. Really Bruce didn't think he had anything to say. He had left Alfred alone with these people. He had ran away, and when he did come back he tried to destroy Gotham in revenge. Bruce didn't blame Alfred for keeping his silence.

The El's were wiser in bringing Bruce his meals now. They no longer waited until he was asleep to deliver them, and they no longer sent Jor down if they could help it. Instead, Alfred or Kal went down. The former keeping his silence up and the latter spending most of his time down there just looking at Bruce until he was called up.

It was during one of Kal's visits that he managed to pry out what had went wrong in his plan.

The Joker. The man was a wild card from the beginning, but Bruce had trusted him enough in their mutual hate to get the job done. However, it seemed his impression on the clown had sparked something else. The Joker hadn't wanted Bruce to succeed. He, apparently was asking about the look on Bruce's face as Jor knocked him out when Kal dragged him back to Arkham. His new best friend had double crossed him, and all so he could laugh at Bruce's defeat. Before Bruce had got there the clown had explained Bruce's little plan, and instead of knocking him with laughing gas had told Jor to pretend, and tell him all about Bruce's reactions when he came to visit later. He supposed he should have been more careful when he said the Joker should look for something new to laugh at.

Bruce spent many nights after that cursing the clown, enjoying the way it echoed around his prison. His guards, on the other hand, didn't share his enjoyment. The fourth day he spewed curses they sent down Kal again. Only this time he wasn't alone.

"Dick."

Bruce felt the breath leave him as he spotted the small boy at Kal's side. He was dressed in a fine suit, with a tie choking his neck and hair slicked back. He looked every inch the billionaires son as he tottered behind Kal. His eyes were downcast as he entered the cave, shoulders slumped, and Bruce wondered if he too had turned against him because of this tirade.

He was proven wrong when, as soon as Kal nudged him, he looked up and caught sight of Bruce. A small squeak echoed around the cave before the boy was throwing himself at the glass trying to claw through to Bruce.

"I thought he'd killed you," Dick sobbed. "You were lying there- and then- I told them to search and they wouldn't listen to me-"

Bruce tried to soothe him as best he could with a glass pane in the way. He thought that if they were trying to placate him with this it wasn't working. With each tear that fell that Bruce couldn't brush away he promised revenge.

"It's fine. I'm fine," Bruce tried, warding off his own tears.

Dick clawed again at the glass, as if willpower itself could break it. Finally he looked back at Kal, the alien having been watching the proceedings with a frown on his brow.

"Why is he behind this. Let him out."

Kal stepped forward, slotting Bruce's meal through the gap as usual.

"I'm afraid Bruce has to stay here for a while. I'm sorry Richard, it's for our protection. But," Here he crouched, as if he hadn't just ruined their reunion. "You can come down here as often as you like. Tell him all about your day, and what funny things Alfred's been teaching you."

Dick turned his big blue eyes back to Bruce, "But why?" Something snapped in his gaze as he rolled his head back to facing Kal. "Jor said, didn't he?"

Kal huffed, "My father knows what's best Richard. Especially in this case. I can't tell you why, but just know that this really is for our protection."

Dick huffed this time, turning away from Kal altogether. "Sure."

Kal clapped Dick lightly on the shoulder, Bruce noting the flinch Dick made upon impact. "Don't fight me on this Richard, please? Now come along, dinner will be served in a minute."

"But you said-"

"You can come down afterwards," Kal reassured, and with one last look at Bruce, herded the boy back up the stairs.

As soon as Dick was out of sight Bruce flung his food at the glass. How dare they use Dick against him. He should have guessed something like this when he woke. The boy would be a bargaining chip. One visit if Bruce was good. Two if he ate, three if he allowed them to treat him. He knew that was coming. Had suspected it ever since Jor showed his face. They weren't going to just let him go, or simply lock him away. He was too valuable. He knew their secret. He would be treated, either by Jor or a herd of doctors who believed their lie about him being unstable. None of them would believe him if he raved about his adoptive parents being aliens, even with Superman on the scene. It was just too unrealistic, especially for Bruce Wayne. The story of his aunt and uncle had been around for years, trying to tell the truth now as both a criminal and a runaway would make him look petty, more, it would make him look insane.

He wasn't going to win this.

Still, he had hoped the El's would have had some decency. Not use a child in this way. It appeared he was wrong. He was always wrong when it came to these people. They were just too...

He sighed, calming. It would do him no good to rile himself up again. It wasn't helping him to get out of this place and it certainly wasn't helping him get closer to Dick. He was going to have to start changing his tactics.

Dick didn't pop down after supper like Kal had promised. He didn't come the next morning either. Them using him as a weapon was just as Bruce suspected. Especially when Jor came instead of Kal that day to feed him.

His hands were laden with Bruce's favourites, again, which he slid through. Bruce curled up, not bothering to eat, and instead preferred watching Jor as he circled around Bruce's prison. He wondered when the man would get up the gal enough to start his little behaviour modification. He knew it was coming, there was no other reason for Jor to be down here after all.

Finally, after the fifth circle, Jor came to a stop in front of Bruce. Nodding down to the untouched food he said, "Eat. You need to nourishment."

Bruce nudged the plate closer to Jor, clinking it on the glass wall separating them. "A human can go three weeks without something to eat. Since it's only been a day since my last meal I think I can do without breakfast."

Jor sighed, his eyes closing like they would do when Bruce was being particularly difficult as a child. "You always were a challenge," Bruce heard him say, before his eyes opened and Jor spoke louder. "What happened in the Warehouse. I can't allow you to endanger my family like that again. It's unacceptable, and unfair Bruce. Do you understand?"

"You're speaking English, why wouldn't I understand you?"

A long breath was let loose as Jor struggled to keep his temper. "Bruce, I don't know what I did to upset you-"

"Upset? You didn't upset me," Bruce reassured. "I was upset long before you landed in my backyard."

Confusion spread over Jor's face. "Then wh-"

"Enraged on the other hand," He interrupted, enjoying the idea he had the power in this conversation. "Now that you're responsible for."

"Bruce-"

Not in the mood to hear anything more from him Bruce ordered him to "Go. I'm not up to this today."

"We need-!"

"I need to see Dick. Send him down when you go up will you?"

Bruce could see the control it took for Jor to not snap back. To take his steps away from the prison and up back to his family.

He didn't see Dick that day either.

His little spat with Jor cost him seeing anyone for a few days. He knew they came down, every so often his food would change and a new meal would be waiting in his cell for him. But as for seeing them he was left with nothing but wind.

The fifth day after his spat and the thirteenth day of his imprisonment was when he saw someone again. It was Kal. The man was dressed in running attire, stupid for an alien who probably didn't need to exercise. He was carrying a bag with nothing noticeable standing out against the fabric. The whole image had Bruce uneasy.

He backed into as much of a corner as he could in his cell, watching as Kal came closer. He stopped in front of Bruce, the same strange look on his face he always had when he came down to see him. It only lasted a few moments before Kal cleared his throat and held the bag up.

"I'm here to take you for a shower."

This was new.

Clearing his throat again Kal continued. "Father wants it clear to you that if you try to escape we'll bring you back. There's no Kryptonite anywhere in the manor, so you can't attack us again. He also wanted me to let you know that Dick will be with him at Wayne Enterprises today while you're showering."

It was a threat, clear as anything. Jor was letting him know that Dick was with him. One foot out of line and maybe Dick wouldn't be with anyone anymore.

Bruce bit down everything he wanted to shout at Kal. It would do him no good after all. So he agreed to what Kal was saying and let himself be led to the first floor of the manor.

Breathing in the fresh air he had to admit he really did smell. Thirteen days without a shower, and a toilet that was somehow inbuilt into his cell hadn't left him smelling like roses.

He was led to his old room, or Kal's now he supposed. The bag turned out to be soap, and a razor most surprisingly. He saw Kal eyeing it the moment Bruce took it out.

"Father said I'm supposed to supervise you," Kal mentioned his eyes still on the blade.

"Of course he did," Bruce said, fingering the smooth blade. It was his grandfathers if he remembered correctly. The blade was sharp, meaning one of the El's had found it and made sure it was still usable. He didn't like the thought of them going through his family's things. But he guessed they had been doing that since the moment they arrived here.

Taking another look around the room that used to belong to him, Bruce sighed and started stripping. Kal hadn't actually changed much in here. The towels had the El symbol on and all the products were of course Kal's. But other than that it was the same as it had been before Bruce left.

Throwing his clothes to Kal, he caught the man staring at the fading yellow on Bruce's chest. He nodded at the aghast gasp that left Kal's mouth. He felt some satisfaction in seeing some remorse from one of these people.

He tried to ignore the Kal the as he stepped in the warm spray. It had been years since he had a good shower, and Wayne manor had the best showers in the world according to him. He sighed as weeks worth of dirt and grime slipped off his skin. He rather enjoyed breathing again when he didn't smell like a sewer.

When he felt he couldn't smell any nicer he just enjoyed himself under the water. He was planning on drawing this out for as long as possible. Even if it had only been two weeks he was dreading being sent back to his cell. He tried thinking of anything that would allow him to stay in the shower longer. Shaving the new mountain man look he had adopted would have to wait until he was out, but he guessed he could live without his other body hair for a while.

It took some persuading for Kal to pass over the razor, and even more for Bruce to be allowed to use it on himself. It seemed the El's were worried self harm was on the table today, as he was forced to keep the shower door open so Kal could observe him.

He supposed some good came from Kal being there. It meant he finally got to the bottom of those weird looks he had been shooting Bruce since his imprisonment. He caught it again, looking through his lashes as he turned to do his other leg. Kal was watching him, his eyes fixated on Bruce's chest, and slowly edging down until, at the last minute, he would seem to snap out of his thoughts, or catch a bruise he made, and the look would be replaced with guilty indifference. It seemed Kal liked what he saw. Interesting.

It took seconds for his mind to go through hundreds of plans, ways he could take advantage of this. If he could get Kal on his side, he could get out of his cell sooner. But first he guessed he would have to make amends for what he did. Or at least breach the silence that had descended over them.

He tried thinking back to what Kal liked when they were kids. Reading. Following Bruce around. He was also fairly interested in terran behaviours. Some things, no matter how logical, would always fascinate him in how unusual they were. Bruce remembered spending frustrating hours one night explaining why children ate sweets. Kal had understood they were nice, he had been eating a full bar of chocolate all the way through Bruce's explanation, yet he still wanted Bruce to tell him why children would endanger their health and teeth just to eat sweets.

"I used to have to do this in the circus," Bruce eventually said, biting back a smirk as Kal physically jumped at the words.

Eyes wide and snapping up from somewhere they shouldn't have been looking, Kal focused back on Bruce's face. "What?"

Bruce motioned to where the razor was sliding over his hips. "It stopped things from pulling."

A frown appeared on Kal's face. "Pulling?"

Bruce nodded, "Don't you get that? Your suit's pretty tight." He made sure to let his eyes linger on Kal's chest, making sure the alien caught him before smirking back up at him.

He could have been wrong, but Bruce was pretty sure Kal's cheeks weren't that red before.

Kal swallowed, clearing his throat before answering, "No. I don't get that." He turned away from Bruce before he could try anything else. "Hurry up. Father said I couldn't have you out longer than necessary."

Bruce huffed at the clear dismissal, his hands sliding more smoothly now he wasn't trying to tease Kal. As soon as he was done, he was ushered out and forced to stand still as Kal did his face for him. Obviously the alien had cottoned on to the idea Bruce was stalling, proved right when he was near ran back to his cell.

No matter, he thought as the glass closed up around him again. His short trip had achieved something at least. Something which he made sure to put in motion with a small smile, the nicest one he could muster under the circumstances. It worked too as Kal lingered behind the glass to smile briefly back.

"Thank you Kal," he said, keeping his voice as gentle as possible.

It threw Kal, that much Bruce could tell from the blush returning to his cheeks. A quick "You're welcome." And Kal was running away and back up to the manor above.

He spent the rest of the day thinking up ways he could take advantage of this new development. It would be difficult trapped in his cell. Not to mention it wasn't certain when or who was going to be the one to brace Bruce's presence on his scheduled meal times.

He was just checking for camera's hidden in the caves. Wondering if Jor kept an eye on him, watching from his father's study. Or whether he just used his powers to make sure Bruce was still alive. Either way Bruce checked, standing on his tip toes to peer as best he could to the caves ceiling when he heard someone clicking down the stairs.

He slumped back down, not wanting to make his investigation too obvious, and immediately sprang up again when he saw who it was.

"Bruce," Dick yelled before he had even touched the bottom step. He ran over, less pristinely dressed than last time, and his hair the same birds nest Bruce remembered combing tirelessly through before a performance. His hands imprinted on the glass as he tried to get as close as he could to Bruce. "I'm sorry I didn't visit. I really meant to, I tried and everything but something always came up. Either Jor wanted me to look over something about school, or Lara wanted me to try her baking. And it's not like I can say no, you know. What if they chuck me out? Then I wouldn't be able to see you and-"

"Dick. It's fine," Bruce chuckled, biting down the hysterical laughter that wanted to climb out. "You're here now, that's what matters."

"I missed you."

"Me too," Bruce sighed, wishing he could hug him.

Dick stayed for three hours. He told Bruce most of what he had missed recovering, or what the media didn't know. After Dick was taken away he was dropped off with the El's. Not being a stupid boy he saw through Kal's disguise straight away, deducing he was Superman the second day he spent with them. Of course he didn't tell them he knew.

That threw Bruce, until he connected other things he had noticed since his last sweep of the manor together with this. He had wondered where Kal was keeping his suit. At first, Bruce had thought it had been moved in case he escaped and stole it again. Now, the suit being moved and Dick being allowed down here was making more sense.

"What did they tell you about me?" Bruce pressed.

Apparently this was a prototype for Arkham, Dick was told. They didn't want to send Bruce there, having explained to the boy their long history together. But apparently Bruce was too dangerous to be let loose around the manor yet. So they had decided Bruce would play guinea pig, and that the cave was the most inconspicuous place to put it.

"But I know the truth Bruce. I know you didn't do anything too bad," Dick reassured.

Bruce kept quiet. As much as he would have liked to agree with Dick he knew he would be lying. He was pretty sure more than one person had died in his mission to get back at the El's.

He moved the conversation on from there, not wanting to get pressed about what happened anymore. Other than the alien thing, Dick was being treated like a star. He was given toys, a big bedroom, and more clothes than he could possibly wear. This had him complaining for a while. At least until he told Bruce about the gymnastics gear they were getting him, and the bars they were having installed in one of the Wayne halls.

"They're gonna make it into a gym I think. Jor said something about exercise being good for children."

By the tone Dick took saying Jor's words back to him Bruce took it Dick wasn't a fan either.

Eventually their time had to come to an end. Lara came down, a tray in her hands she slotted through into Bruce's cell. As soon as they were free they helped Dick up and carted him out without so much as a goodbye.

Bruce didn't really matter. He had seen him, that was enough. It also proved his point. He was nice to Kal, and he was sure this was some reward for being, not only complacent, but decent in his trip upstairs. So long as he kept up the niceties Kal would be handing over his freedom in no time.