What was he doing? Really? Everything moved too fast for him when it came to her. He called her his 'love'. Her words of 'madness indeed' certainly fitted how he felt right now. He kneeled on top of a warehouse across from the dock where The Bloody Rodent docked. He watched the patrols, making notes of who came in and out and most importantly if any other of his rogue's gallery would arrive.

A brow lofted ever so slightly under his cowl. It seemed that Luthor wanted to make it difficult. He saw the familiar dark muscle shirt and beaten up cargo pants as well as the plastic tubes that connected from hands to head. Bane was a constant reminder of what an addiction can do. Venom was his poison of choice and the effects made him able to stand toe to toe with Superman, at least for awhile.

The second wore a mixture of silver and red. The cybernetic eye gave him away the most. Deadshot was a mercenary, the second most lethal assassin Batman could recollect. He pocketed his viewfinder and shot his grapple. He swung and rolled and took cover behind a bundle of crates. He peeked over the edge of one and noticed a group of men unloading a series of crates. They were focused on moving the crates, with Bane carrying several easily.

"Come on, move them over there Bane. Penguin going to send these over to the lower west side."

"You do not tell me what to go, little man."

"Easy, easy… Don't blow a tube."

Bane gave a snarl as he moved towards one of the trucks nearby. Batman sprung over the crate then, throwing several batarangs and smoke bombs into the group. Deadshot stumbled as one of the rangs slammed into his shoulder. The other two disarmed a pair of penguin faced guards. Batman emerged from the smoke, grabbing Deadshot and flipping him over his back. His foot came up and stamped down. Deadshot rolled on his shoulders, kicking Batman's leg out from under him. His hand went back, planting and he went onto his two feet again.

His forearm blocked a swing from one of the thugs. He pushed him back and spun. His heel met chin and sent him spinning. He threw several more smoke pellets. With the numbers he was facing he needed confusion. He rolled forward, punching into the knee into one before he swung a fist up. The man went onto his back. Bullets scattered along the ground and he ran wide. He caught the first shooter as he leapt towards him. His arm went around his neck and using his momentum spun him in the air. He kicked the back of the second's knee out and then planted his foot firmly into the other's temple. The third he took his arm and dislocated his shoulder before kicking him to the ground.

"Batman!"

Bane came crashing through, the Venom already pumping through his veins. The double fist blow sundered the cement where Batman was a moment before. He threw a pair of flash bang pellets. Bane scowled and gave a frustrated roar. Batman was on his back now, batarang in grip. He sliced along one of the tubes, not before Bane's meaty arm slammed into him. He skipped along the ground, something gave in his ribs and leg and he slammed into a cluster of empty metal barrels. Bane walked over, still a tall, muscular man even without the chemical enhancements.

"Too bad, I would have liked to break you permanently, but I suppose putting you in the hospital for a few months won't hurt."

The first blow got him in the stomach, the air rushed from his lungs. The second blow caught him across the face. The blows kept raining down on him and soon it was all a numbed blur until he heard a voice cut through the sound of flesh smacking against bloodied flesh.

"That's enough, Bane."

Batman opened his eye the best he could to look at Superman, the Boy Scout. His attitude while wearing the suit was a bit dominating then what Batman was used to. Even though they indeed butted heads over every little issue in truth Batman couldn't ask for a better friend.

"What will you do, Superman?"

"You have no Venom, and nothing you or your men can do can harm me."

Bane reached into a pouch and pulled out a small, green stone. The Kryptonite glowed brightly and Superman flinched back. Bane followed through, punching him hard in the stomach and then followed up with a knee. The stone however was small enough for Superman to strike back. Bane teetered back and the two started to grapple and try to fight for dominance.

Batman could barely sit up. He reached for a batarang and he waited for an open opportunity. He had his grapple in his other hand and he could barely hold the objects. Superman punched Bane again and Batman threw his batarang. The Kryptonite was knocked from his grip and with his grapple drew it to him. He placed it with the rest of his own personal store. Superman finished him up quickly and quite literally punched into the river.

"Bruce, are you okay?"

"No worse for wear." He managed.

"Come on, we need to get you back."

Batman barely had the energy to argue as he blacked out mid-flight.

He awoke in the Batcave. He could move his arms, but his ribs and jaw felt like they were on fire. He managed to sit up, an arm curling about his ribs. The first thing he saw was Superman staring at him with those narrowed eyes of his. The second was Cheetah in handcuffs from the Watchtower. His own eyes narrowed but Superman approached him and planted both hands on the table, crunching the steel as if it were cardboard.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Do you know whose side she's on, Bruce? She's seen everything! All of what you are. She can just walk out there and tell anyone now."

"She could have betrayed me anytime she wanted." Batman noted with a familiar grim line on his lip.

"How do you know she hasn't already?"

Batman's brow lofted slightly. "I don't."

"Then let J'onn probe and wipe her mind. She can't know who we are, Bruce."

Bruce noticed he still had his utility belt. He managed to stand up then and with a feigned motion took out his own piece of Kryptonite and held it between their faces. Superman cried aloud and stumbled back onto his rear. Batman knelt down and kept staring at him.

"I should say the same reasons between you and Lois," he began, "you understand she is a reporter. She knows full well who you are, who says that she hadn't sold your secrets already?"

"She… is-"

"Too faithful? Possibly, but she could be looking out for the rest of humanity as well. Let's face it, Superman. We have too much power. Cheetah when she was in the Injustice Gang wanted the money to be normal again." He looked over at her for a moment before looking back at the prone Superman. "To be fair, I don't care what shape she's in. She's a brilliant woman and I intend to help her however I can."

He stood up then, feeling his bones complain with every movement. "If you cannot respect that, then you're only calling the kettle black."

He pulled out a small remote that discharged the handcuffs about Cheetah's hands. "I choose who to spend my time with, and I have every confidence that if she did betray me I would know immediately. I may be human, Superman, but I am no fool."

He sat on the table then and stared him in the eye as he placed both objects away. "Now get the hell off my property."

Superman only stared at him for a moment and with a tiny nod he lifted off and glided away. Batman reached a hand up and ran it through his hair. He no doubt he grew a few grey hairs just from the conversation alone. A part of him felt horrible for having to use the Kryptonite, but the other more logical part knew that if he didn't he may have ended up in a worse condition. Now Clark wouldn't do such a thing, but his own paranoia told him he'd rather be safe then sorry.

"What now?" Cheetah asked quietly after a long moment of brooding.

"Now I hope the League does not come down here in force. I have contingencies in place, but I know when I'm beat. They however have no right to judge me upon who I spend my time with, villain or not."

She nodded and she approached cautiously. She leaned into him. "That was very brave."

"Very stupid you mean?"

"That too," she said with a soft laugh, pressing her lips to his softly, "I also have some news."

"Oh?"

"The gene-splicing is going better then I thought. Your remarkable equipment here has given me a…theory."

"And what theory is that, Barbara?"

She kissed him again softly, tracing her claws delicately along his sore jaw. "Rest up first."

His stubbornness said for him to probe her further, but he was still distraught on what he just did to Superman and he nodded. He found himself too numb to care.