DON'T OWN JL.

Batman was roused from his slumber by the stiffness the collar had caused. The lights in the cell were dimmed to help the prisoners sleep or to be a scare tactic. Batman didn't know which. He gave the collar another pull in a fruitless attempt to ease the tight grip on his neck. He noted earlier that Flash was wearing a similar collar; hopefully it wouldn't affect the younger man's breathing too much. Batman got up slowly and began to do a sweep of the cell, looking for any possible design flaws or openings he could use. Nothing jumped out at him; Darksied's designs were almost Bat proof.

He walked the length of the cell once more, normally he wouldn't stir at all but with no way of knowing what was going on, he felt a little more than restless. He went back to the window and sat down so he could see through it. The bed Flash had been sleeping in was empty and Batman felt his anxiety rise a few notches. To any passer by it would look like Batman was completely calm and relaxed when, in reality, he was growing more concerned each second. He knew that Flash was sick, possibly from the planet itself, he also had open wounds that had been exposed to who knows what down in the dungeons. And now, stuck aboard a mad tyrants ship, he had no idea what was happening to his friend or what would happen to him. If there was one thing Batman hated, it was not being in total control of a situation and this definitely counted as not being in control.

The lights slowly became brighter and Bruce rose to his feet. A guard was outside of the cell door, tapping a few keys and muttering something to the other guard behind him. He pushed the final key and Batman felt himself being pulled to the ground. He hit the floor with a thud and found himself unable to get up again. One guard walked in and bound his hands, while the other one held his gun at him,

" Start walking." The first guard gave him a sharp shove in the back and the three began walking down the hall.

Darksied did not get up from his chair when Batman was pushed in the room. He remained seated as the Dark Knight was shoved down on his knees in front of him.

" Kal-El is searching for you." He began in an almost friendly tone.

" I figured that." He expected a blow even before he answered. Surprisingly it did not come.

" Your friend was very ill."

" Why do you—" Batman stopped,

' Was? What does he mean by that?' He narrowed his eyes and Darksied gave a small chuckle.

" Very ill indeed." Darksied was messing with him. It was the same sort of tactic he used on Clark, who had no patience for that sort of psychological warfare.

" I noticed." Was the only answer he would give. He needed to by more time to figure out what Darksied wanted.

" It was a shame."

" What was?"

" They fact that he died before I had the chance to talk with him." Whatever Batman had been expecting, that was not it.

His jaw dropped an inch before he caught it and his back stiffened.

" What?"

" Whatever was affecting him, killed him." Darksied answered. Batman unconsciously shook his head.

" Don't believe me? You would have heard him if the cells weren't sound proof. He vomited blood until there was nothing left, then he shuddered and fell to the ground. I have the security footage, if you want to make sure." This time he stood up and smiled widely.

" He was delirious near the end. He called for anyone to help him…Kal-El, Shay, John, Diana, J'onn…you. But when nobody came, he believed he was abandoned. Humans are very odd, the seek companionship when they know they are going to die and they desperately want to hold onto life. He died alone and in pain, calling for those who would never come."

Darksied laughed, a long chilling laugh. This man, no, this thing was pure darkness. He was someone that could talk about death with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. Caring for nothing beyond his selfish goals.

Batman said nothing, his face was blank and his eyes were expressionless.

" Don't you feel sorrow for your friend's death?" Batman looked away, wishing that anything would happen to get Darksied's attention away from him.

Flash was dead. Batman wasn't sure if he could take the tyrant's word on it, but Wally had been sick, he just didn't know the extent of it. And what if he was? How would he tell the others? They had each dealt with loss in their own respective ways and some took things harder then others. This was just too much to handle at the moment, Shayera was back but now they had lost Wally. Was that a fair trade off? Bruce was sure that this wouldn't split the team, not even Superman's death could do that. But Superman had never acted as the conscience of the team. He was the founder and leader, but Flash was the reminder. He still held the same values they had started with and he reminded them that they were still human, more or less, and they all were allowed to make mistakes. Flash was never idealistic, but he could see the different points of view to a fight that the older superheroes often missed. He couldn't be gone. Darksied was lying.

" What did you do with the body?" Batman asked hoping he could catch Darksied in the lie,

" It's out in the forest."

" Why?"

" There is no morgue in my ship." Batman paused his questions. He still couldn't tell if Darksied was lying or not.

" You have the tapes?"

" I was planning on giving them to Kal-El. Do you wish to see them?" Batman had hoped that Darksied would've made up an excuse not to show him the tape, that was the easiest way to spot a lie. Denial.

Darksied had not contradicted himself on anything, he didn't refuse Batman's request and he described Flash's death with a descent amount of detail.

Was he telling the truth? Was Flash really dead?

" Take him back to his cell."

2222222222222222222222222

MY GOODNESS! WHAT IS GOING ON? FLASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHH

IS DARKSIED TELLING THE TRUTH…THEN AGAIN WHY WOULD HE LIE ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT?