This is Why Secrets are Secret

Summary: What a man does in his spare time should be his own business. What would they say if they caught the Man of Steel building boats by hand in a basement?

Disclaimer: None of the topics mentioned belong to me. DC probably owns Superman and Batman respectively, and NCIS is licensed by someone who's got a lot more money than I do. This chapter also includes some eluding to another Batman which is probably also owned by DC. All series mentioned are not owned by this author.

May also contain random Out of Character moments.

Two- Without Coffee for a Week?

His team ended up catching their murderer within a couple hours of his physical, in that time he had sworn off that disgusting chemical that he had been adding to his coffee for years. He gave up coffee in general, it wouldn't do to let his team in on his secret as well. He sat in his office working after hours when Ducky next appeared in his vision. The good doctor was frowning at him.

"Jethro, how is that even possible?" he finally asked. Gibbs looked at him, he shrugged his shoulders, "well I guess that's irrelevant. You said a week without coffee would confirm or deny any theory, does that mean you are…"

"Starting tonight I will not be drinking coffee, it's not good for me anyways. I might not be such a 'growling bear' if I did," he smiled up at the ME. Ducky shook his head at him with a smile of his own now.

"So you overheard that…" the doctor's smile was comforting in an old school way.

"Of course, I overhear a lot of things, but it would be better if people simply thought I didn't. I judge the range and frequency, depending on both I pretend I don't hear them. I also understand a lot more languages than I speak," he looked back to the report. He raised an eyebrow as something caught his attention. "Apparently I also learned to tune out other noises… DINOZZO!" There was a loud thunk against the bottom of Special Agent DiNozzo's desk, he could also see the objects on his desk jump up at the same time.

"Yes boss?" DiNozzo called rubbing his head. "Ow…" The senior field agent under him looked surprised…

"Go home and get some sleep, you look like hell," Gibbs shifted his eyes over towards Kate's desk, "same goes for you Kate." She looked at him, her face held a light scowl while searching his features, she had woken up when he shouted at DiNozzo.

"When are you going home?" she asked, stifling a yawn. Gibbs chuckled, then looked at Ducky, "that's what I thought. Wake us up at 0700." He smiled looking down at his desk, standing up.

"Actually, I'm on my way out," he caught the surprised look on her features easily, "I was going to suggest you do the same. Has Abby left yet Duck?" The ME nodded, he smiled following after the special agent into the elevator.

"Not a word to the others Duck," Gibbs leaned against the back of the elevator, "some things are better left unknown. Time to get back to the boat…" The soft ding announced their arrival at the first floor. The ME just smiled at him, he had no idea what he was getting into did he? Gibbs drove home, his vision had already cleared up a little. It was more than a little distracting to pick up more audio, he turned up the radio, but it only made his ears ring.

He stepped over the threshold, waiting at his door was a bright blue eyed youth, not unlike the past visitors he had gotten from Bruce. He wondered just what his little protégé was here to ask…

"The old man wanted me to check on you, he's getting paranoid in his old age ya know?" the youth cocked him an eyebrow as he just opened the door, not even bothering to pretend to unlock it. "You on the other hand seem to be inviting trouble, you ever thought about locking that?"

"What's the point?" Gibbs asked giving him a questioning look, "Bruce, you, and everyone else knows how to pick locks now-a-days. Doesn't matter if I invite them or not, they show up anyways. There's the Pistol and the Kate locked up, but that's about it. Want a drink kid?" The youth shook his head.

"Well when you put it that way I see your point," the youth laughed, "so I suppose you know who sent me, and what he wants me to check." Gibbs nodded, he had expected it in fact. "Any questions, objections, or changes?"

"I'm off them for a week starting this morning. Just a harmless bet with the ME," Gibbs announced, "he's a good friend. I'll check in with Bruce directly if you'd like at the end of the week to confirm I'm back to taking them." The youth frowned, he crossed his arms leaning against a door frame in the kitchen as Gibbs made himself some tea, "you sure you don't want anything?"

"Old man's not going to be happy about this, his blood pressure is going to hit the roof," the youth spoke softly, "but you said it's just for a week right?" Gibbs nodded, trying to figure out which tea to try first, "I guess it wouldn't hurt. I'll check in again with you in a week then, I expect you'll be hearing from him tomorrow then. You know how he is…"

"Yeah, I know how he is. You'd think he'd have passed away from a coronary by now though," Gibbs smiled, "I heard someone inherited it for good finally, you the lucky one?" The kid smiled softly, "I guess I won't know until you come knocking at my desk with top secret info for him. Tell Bruce he could just call if he wanted to, I'd drive up and see him some time." The youth laughed, and Gibbs realized that perhaps that would have been pushing it a bit.

"He'd be jealous, you haven't really aged at all in comparison as Leroy Jethro Gibbs. In fact, at the end of the week you may have color back in your hair," the youth mentioned with a smile, "the old man's just beginning to get liver spots. He's not enjoying it in the least, still as fit as a seventy something year old man can be." Gibbs laughed, that did sound like Bruce alright. He gave the kid a smile, watching him walk away, he reminded Gibbs of a mix between DiNozzo and McGee.

"What's your name anyways?" he called out. The youth poked his head around the corner, "I can't just call you the kid, he's had more than one protégé you know."

"I know that, I'm just the only one he doesn't get to take the cowl back from," the kid smiled his eyes were almost the same shade as Bruce's, "I'm Terry. Be seeing you around, Kal 'El." Gibbs shook his head, picking up his tea and heading for the basement. He figured he had a couple of hours before any serious symptoms of the drugs started or wore off. Best to get something done while he was suffering.

Crimson Choucho- Bruce is a paranoid old bugger, ain't he? And yes, that was Terry McGinnis from Batman Beyond. I liked Terry and thought he was highly amusing. However he's going to live by the gravitational rules of NCIS. No jet powered boots in this fic. It's just a cameo. If you are questioning the age and timeline bit, think about when the Batman and Superman comics were first introduced. Now think about how old they would have to be now. Does it really sound like Bruce would be younger than Seventy? I should hope not. Well enjoy the madness, there may be more yet...