"Well, well, well…" The Joker started as he regained his footing. He then adjusted the bazooka on his shoulder and chuckled as he started firing ammunitions at Spiderman and Nova. He then yelled as he accelerated his shooting, "Nice one, Bats. I have to admit you managed to catch even me off guard for a while, but…" He blasted the area between Spiderman's hips, "I am not as stupid as the octopus."

Blue and red began to fade as black, grey and dark blue appeared. Batman cursed under his breath, but soon smirked. He immediately shot forward, aiming a hook at the Joker's jaw. Naturally he missed, but he managed to knock the villain off balance. The Dark Knight managed to surprise the Joker with his sudden attack and had enough time to disarm him. The bazooka was grasped from the villain's arms and carefully discarded away. Nova flew by and grabbed it. He then used it to destroy most of the octobots that were still causing mayhem around, leaving the Joker and Batman to their own devices.

The hero and his archenemy fought with maximum effort. It was apparent from the blows that were exchanged that both of them were giving it their all. Unfortunately, in terms of strength and hand-to-hand combat both were of equal prowess. Batman aimed a kick at the Joker's neck only to have a hand grab his leg by the ankle. The Joker then tugged on it and the Bat was sent forward.

Gotham's hero received a punch in the stomach. Batman quickly retaliated with an uppercut which hit the Joker's neck – the area just below his jaw. The force of the hit was too great and sent the villain flying. The Joker spun in the air and managed to land on his feet. He rubbed his bruised area and found that no bones had been broken. The villain smirked at the Bat's bent form only to scowl when a surprised smoke bomb gave the hero enough time to disappear.

Nova was still flying around and shooting the octobots with the bazooka. He was surprised when he discovered just how much ammunition the Joker had been armed with. If Batman had not reacted quickly, the two of them or at least Sam would have been turned into Swiss cheese. His energy blasts soon replaced the bullets and took care of the remainder of menacing metallic creatures. The boy then turned around and was astonished at what he saw –the Joker was throwing knives at random trees, singing, "Come out, come out wherever you are, Bat."

Sam scowled. He clenched his fists. With a deep sigh the boy fought the urge to charge forward. He knew he needed to have faith in the other hero, but sometimes believing in other people was one of the hardest actions to take especially for Sam. Instead of focusing on the sharp projectiles the Joker was holding, Nova decided to check on Doctor Octopus.

Once he landed next to the former genius Sam was taken aback at the empty suit. He was about to turn around when two electric gloves shot at hit back and electrocuted him. Sam cried out as he fell to the ground. He had not lost consciousness, but his body was too busy dealing with muscle spasms and fried nerve endings to deal with his new opponent. Doc Oc was currently residing in a two-meter-high robot which would probably cause as many headaches as the Beetle's weapons.

"Why are you doing this?" Nova choked out as he used his suit to heal whatever he could as fast as he could. The boy knew how much this constant use of ultimate control was draining him, but right now he had no other, better option.

The scientist chuckled before he discarded the gloves. Doc Oc seemed to be contemplating whether to disclose such vital information to the enemy, but soon he reached a decision. With another chuckle, the robot knelt down so that the sickening voice was just above Sam's ear and whispered, "Simple – I wish to create the ultimate army and rule the world, but for that to happen I need Spiderman who…is just coming our way."

Sam's eyes widened. "What?!" He screeched. At first the boy thought that the villain was joking, but soon enough four familiar voices emerged from the trees. Danny and Ava engaged the Doctor in a fight, kicking and punching him, while Luke went to fight the Joker. Sam's eyes widened when Peter landed in front of him and asked whether he was alright.

Sam resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He desperately wished for Batman to arrive and take on the Joker, while Sam finished off Doc Oc with his teammates. He had to protect Spiderman and White Tiger. Whatever happened Doctor Octopus could not lay a hand on them. After all, if he managed to figure out the connection between Ava's amulet and the beasts and the perfect way the spider's DNA had merged with Peter's, he would be able to complete his experiment.

Nova remembered what the flaw in the hybrids was – there were two types of DNA fighting for domination in one body. Sooner or later either of them prevailed and until now it was always the beast. That was why they had to be killed off because the beast was uncontrollable. This was also why the Joker and Doc Oc were currently relying not on the hybrids, but on themselves and the Doctor's machinery to fulfill their new aim.

Whatever it took him, Sam would stop those two no matter what. He could let something happen to his friends. He just could not. With a moan he managed to get up to his knees. Sam was panting and sweat was dripping from every pour in his body, but he could not lie down any longer. Judging from the screams behind him Danny and Ava had been thrown against a few trees. The snap of branches made Sam flinch. He could not imagine how much pain the scientist had inflicted upon them.

Luke was being tossed around currently from one end of the clearing to the other. The Joker was toying with him, trying to drain whatever energy the big guy had left and as much as Sam hated to admit it, the villain's plan was working. Luke was taking all of the hits and shots meant for the people around him. Despite his endurance, Luke was human and would tire out soon.

"We need to help them. You get our friends out of here." Sam said as he winced when he got up. He shook off the remainder of shocks running through his body. It might have been foreign energy, but it was still energy.

Sam's eyes widened. He smirked. Peter's protests had not been heard. Sam merely looked at his leader and said, "New plan. Engage the stupid octopus into battle and try to create an opening."

"What? Why? Nova, didn't you just hear a word I said?!" Peter exclaimed.

Sam rolled his eyes. He sighed before he turned around and stepped into Peter's personal space. The scene was comical. After all, short boys like Sam had a hard time intimidating anyone, but the glare on his face was enough to send chills through Peter's system.

"Listen to me and listen to me well. I have had enough of people telling me how crazy I am for thinking that I can take on some super class villain by myself and especially for putting words that I haven't said in my mouth. I am not trying to prove myself here. I am simply trying to save your sorry ass. Now, will you fucking cooperate?!" Sam screamed as he jabbed Peter. The latter winced, but soon sighed. He shook his head before he smirked and said, "Alright, I'll create you an opening. Just…"

"What?!" Sam yelled, exasperated by his friend's hesitation and lack of faith in him.

Peter leaned forward and kissed Sam's cheek before he whispered, "Don't die." He then left the astonished teen alone in order to engage Doctor Octopus in a battle.

The opening was soon granted. All Peter had to do was shoot webs into the robot's so-called face and have Ava and Danny knock the machine off its face. Peter then used his webs to keep the robot still. Before Doc Oc could escape Sam swooped in and put both of his hands on the reactor which was the powerhouse of the entire equipment. Nova smirked as he drained every last energy that was traveling through the cables. The scientist screamed as his new toy was shut down. He did not even have a chance to escape because Spiderman had trapped him inside. Not even the eject button could break through the newest and stickiest webs the web-slinger had used.

Nova felt the energy coursing through his veins. He smirked and soon let out the breath he knew he had been holding. He had been too scared to breathe, afraid that the trick would not work. He was happy it had. Now he could go along with his plan. Although Batman had come back and was currently doing well against the Joker, Sam knew that he would not be able to finish the villain on his own.

Sam looked around. His teammates were panting and were having a hard time keeping up with the speed of the fight between the two geniuses. Nova sighed as he clenched his fists. With closed eyes he took a deep breath in and yelled, "Now!"

Sam could have sworn that Batman sent him a glare and a batarang flying his way, but Nova did not have time to worry about that. The second he had yelled that the Bat had retreated far enough from the Joker and any octobots. Sam mentally apologized to his teammates before he used almost all of his energy to create an explosion. He focused most of it on the Joker so that he would temporarily blind him. Most of the octobots were destroyed, but his teammates were affected as well.

He ignored their screams as he descended to the ground. Sam knelt on the dirt and panted. He smiled, however, when Batman threw two batarangs in order to pin the Joker against a tree. He then dashed forward and aimed a punch at the villain's head. The impact was so strong that it knocked the tree down. The Joker collapsed on the broken branch, having lost consciousness. The Dark Knight panted as he smirked. He then walked to the unconscious villain and used his batcuffs to make sure that even if the Joker woke up, he would not be able to escape. The same was done to Doc Oc only this time Danny and Luke were the ones to punch him, while Ava and Peter took care of the rest of the octobots.

Sam watched the scene unfold before him with a serene smile on his face. He could not believe it. They had won. All they had to do now was return to S.H.I.E.L.D. Sam was about to damn it all to hell and pass out when a gloved hand appeared before his eyes and helped him up. Batman helped him stand, draping Sam's arm over his shoulders and encircling the boy's waist with his own hand. The two probably looked strange to onlookers and the display of slight concern on Batman's part was possibly even stranger, but right now Sam could care less.

"You did well, kid." The Dark Knight said as he used a remote with which he signaled for the Batmobile where to come.

Sam chuckled. He looked at Batman before he replied, "I thought you were going to yell at me or at least scold me for disobeying you."

"I was." Batman remarked, making Sam scowl. The Dark Knight chuckled, making Sam frown. Sam's confusion was deepened when the Bat looked ahead at the angry teens. What followed shocked Sam to his very core, "But I figured you would receive enough of that from them and Fury, especially after I hand my report to him."

Sam groaned. "Can't you skip the part about the Immelmann and the wingover?" He pleaded.

"No." Batman answered as he smirked at Sam, openly enjoying the prospect of passively inflicting pain upon Sam's ears in the form of Fury's….fury.

"Be careful. They do not call him Nick Fury for naught." Batman added.

Sam groaned again before he joked, "Can't you just take me with you to Gotham? I promise I'll be good."

No chuckle followed; just an unreadable expression and far too serious whisper, "I might as well."

"What?!" Sam exclaimed with widened eyes. He was just about to ask further questions when his teammates suddenly appeared.

"Here. I'll take him." Danny offered as he stepped forward.

Batman eyed the boy suspiciously before he sighed and said, "Very well, but I shall hand him over to you and someone else as well. You are not strong enough to carry such a burden."

The tone the last word was said with made Sam flinch. Somehow he knew that it was not the way Batman perceived him or rather the way…his teammates saw him. Sam shook his head. There was no way such suspicions were true. There was no way in hell his intuition was right.

In the end, Luke and Danny carried Sam to the tri-carrier which appeared seconds after Batman entered his vehicle with the Joker carefully strapped in the backseat. Sam had watched the car disappear with a somber expression. As much as he hated to admit it, he had had fun working with Batman. The experience had been exhilarating and even though he knew that Batman had not been serious and was probably trying to find a way to mess with Sam even when he would be gone… a part of Sam wished that the Dark Knight would and could whisk him away from this hellhole.

Sam did not know why, but he felt as though something had changed. He could read the tension in the situation. Danny had probably shared with Luke the pain Sam had caused him. Danny was still hurting from their breakup and he would probably suffer long after this hell was forgotten. Luke might have grown to despise Sam for hurting his best friend like that, but Luke was still Sam's friend so there was probably even more confusion plaguing the big guy. Peter had not gone over the rejection, despite his best efforts to convince Sam otherwise. Sam could see it, he even saw it before this craziness began. In spite of his best efforts, it would take Spiderman a long time before he could forget about Sam completely and the worst part was – Sam did not know whether he would be alright with being forgotten.

Ava was the only person Sam had yet to quarrel with, but that changed the minute they entered the tri-carrier and Doc Oc had been successfully locked. Sam felt pain in his stomach and was about to head for the emergency center when Ava pulled him away and led him to a secluded corner. She glared at him and she put her hands on her hips.

"What the fuck was that at the end?! Were you trying to blind us all?!" She screeched.

Sam rolled his eyes. He could not believe Batman had been right about the fact that his teammates would give him an earful about the trick he had pulled.

"I saved your asses." Sam exclaimed. His anger was seeping into his words. He panted as he clenched his fists. He was about to apologize once he realized he had lashed out at the only person he had yet to hurt.

"Hey, don't you dare yell at her!" Luke yelled as he, too, joined the fight. He stood close to Ava, one hand on pointing at Sam, the other around her shoulders. Ava leaned into him, as though she were trying to defend herself from a tyrant.

Sam narrowed his eyes. He could not believe the scene that was just unfolding before his eyes. He laughed humorlessly before he said, "I can't believe you two. Why don't you tell me whatever shit you've accumulated, while I was gone, and call it a day, hmm?"

Ava rolled her eyes, whereas Luke chuckled and then opened his mouth. Sam braced himself for the incoming verbal hit. It seemed he would need to hold on a little longer.

"Do you have any idea how worried we were about you? Why did you go through with such a scam? What possessed you to go and work with Batman and leave us behind? You could have died, Sam! Why didn't you call for backup? We would have arrived sooner! If Fury had not told us to come, you two would have been dead now!" Luke lashed out. Once he was finished, he started panting. Ava rubbed his back as she watched the sweat pour down with concern.

"Maybe we should go and get your vitals checked. We have been fighting for hours. Who knows what's happened to you." She whispered to Luke.

Sam's eyes widened. He could not believe what was happening. Why was she treating him as though he were the enemy? Did they not care about him anymore or…were they worried that Sam had reverted back to his old-self? Sam's eyes widened as he smiled darkly.

"Are you two thinking that I have become that so-called 'monster' again?" Sam whispered as he glared at them.

Ava visibly flinched from the murderous expression on his face. Luke stilled his movements and seemed to be contemplating what to say. He opened his mouth only to close it again. The only thing they could do was nod. Ava, however, soon recovered and glared at Sam as she stepped backward. She guided Luke away from Sam as well. The only thing Sam could do was laugh brokenly at what was happening. Were his teammates afraid of him?

"I think it is better, if you head to Fury." Ava uttered.

Sam stared at her in astonishment. He covered his face in his hands before he replied, "Ava, please. It's me Sam." He stepped forward only to have them step away from him. His eyes widened. Was this seriously happening to him? His heart pounded. Sam winced, but managed to bite the pain back down. He knew that his time would be out soon, but he needed to last just a little longer.

" You said that before and then suddenly you were trying to kill us all. How should I know what you're suffering from this time? You could have something else along with your Posttraumatic stress disorder!" She yelled as Luke embraced her shivering form.

Sam's eyes widened. He held up his hands in surrender only to lower them. His eyes were downcast as his shoulders were slumped. His vision was becoming blurry as all the objects around him were spinning. He looked up at his teammates who simply glared at him, yelled at him to stay away from them until he consulted a psychiatrist and ran away. Sam's vision became dim. He felt blood lock away his air pathways. His lungs were filling with blood.

Sam's eyes widened as he knelt down and started coughing up blood. He regurgitated. His head was pounding as he managed to calm down. Sam panicked. He could not see anything and his breathing was becoming harder and harder. He knew that he had passed his limit. If a doctor did not take care of him soon, he would be a goner.

Sam used his fists to punch the walls, but no answer came. His eyes widened. Just where had Ava brought him?! With wobbly feet he managed to get up and run toward the sound of voices. Once he reached a corridor where two agents were walking, he collapsed, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth, to his chin, and then to the floor.

During the time Sam was being treated in the hospital, New York and the rest of the places which had been hit were starting to return to their previous glory. The buildings were being reconstructed, while the roads were being cleaned of the remnants of hybrids. Most of them had been killed thanks to the data Batman and Nova had retrieved from Doc Oc's hideouts. The Joker was currently in Arkam Asylum. Batman had made sure that he would receive proper care. Doctor Octopus was locked in one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s heavily guarded cells. Most agents were preoccupied with finding a way to split the human and animal DNA in the hybrids. So far they had encountered no success. As a result, the hybrids were regarded as a threat to the human nation and had to be eradicated.

Most of the heroes were injured and were currently being treated at various hospitals around the globe. Spiderman was left with a few scars along with Danny. Ava suffered a mild concussion, whereas Luke needed three days to rest for he was dealing with a serious threat – massive fatigue. He had even passed out a few minutes after Ava had brought him in. The four were now busy with the recovery of the city. Neither, aside from Peter, was brave enough to visit Sam's room. In the end, Ava and Luke managed to convince Peter that it would be advisable not to enter Sam's room and stay there for too long alone. After that Peter and Danny stayed with Sam and then switched with Luke and Ava.

One evening, after six days of having been in a coma, Sam woke up. The doctors explained to him that the coma was due to a lack of oxygen to the Central Nervous System. He had also experienced massive blood loss and excessive physical and mental exhaustion. The doctors kept on talking, but Sam tuned them out. He knew that the shock his body had experienced was going to result in a coma. He just did not know it would last this long. He had not been aware that he would need three months of rehabilitation in order to function normally again. The doctors prescribed him therapy in order to cope with the stress of the mission and to prevent what had occurred after the last time he had pushed himself too far.

Sam nodded understandingly whenever necessary and was soon left alone. He gave himself one month to cooperate in order to fully recover. After all, if someone knew his body and how it functioned, it was him and not some brats who had just graduated. With a deep sigh Sam pinched the bridge of his nose. He requested to talk to Fury and soon his wish was granted.

"You should rest." Nick Fury mentioned when he entered the room only to find Sam trying to get up.

"I don't have much time. Plus, I need to get up as soon as I can." Sam replied.

Nick was openly skeptical about the boy's current condition. Sam merely rolled his eyes and complied with the unvoiced demand – stay in bed and rest. Fury was obviously delighted by Sam's cooperation. Even the corners of his mouth twitched. Sam's left eye did as well. He hated the condescending look he received whenever he tried to move his legs only to end up wincing.

"When and how did you learn to do the Immelmann and the wingover? I do not remember scheduling such training sessions for you or recommending them." Fury iterated as he sat on the chair beside Sam's bed. The boy sighed before he answered:

"Your memory is correct. I learnt them on my own." Sam clarified, "To be precise, I learnt the basics in space."

"In space?!" Fury exclaimed, "Do you have any idea in how much trouble you already are and how much trouble you could have brought upon yourself with such audacious actions?!"

Sam winced at the loudness of Nick's voice. Nova closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He needed to calm down. There would be no point in upsetting or angering the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. further. With a clear mind and slowly beating heart Sam replied, "I realize there will be repercussions for my actions and I want you to know that I take full responsibility for them. I am ready to face whatever consequences there will be. However, I would like to discuss this matter with you further."

It took Fury some time, but soon he appeared open to negotiation. Sam was grateful for the invitation to continue speaking. With a small smile and nod of gratitude, he elaborated, "I trained alone and behind your back because I thought that I would need to prove to you and myself that I could do it. I would hate to waste not only your time, but mine as well. Also, I do not mean to sound offensive, but you would have probably laughed and/or got angry at me for requesting such a thing in the first place and sent me on my way, is that correct?"

Nick simply nodded before he narrowed his eyes and replied, "That is still no excuse."

"I know." Sam responded, "But I…I felt compelled to progress."

"You felt compelled to progress?" Fury repeated with furrowed eyebrows. He then chuckled and said, "Sam, you are still a kid."

Sam did not like the way the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. said that word. It seemed as though he were offensively mocking him, laughing at him even, whereas when Batman said it…It was different. Although the Dark Knight mocked him from time to time, most of the time there was some sort of…affection there.

"Care to elaborate, sir?" Sam chanced.

Fury sighed before he leaned forward and, looking directly into Sam's eyes, explained, "Your body is still developing. These moves are dangerous for experienced pilots. I do not want you to kill yourself. I am only looking after you, Sam. Please respect and understand that."

"I do that, but I hate the fact that you're asking me to hold myself back." Sam countered, cheeks fuming.

Fury glared at him before he retorted, "No one is asking you to hold yourself back."

Sam looked away as he laughed dryly, "No." He whispered, "You merely value the others and are looking after their progress more."

"Do not put false words in my mouth!" Fury exclaimed as he punched the armrest.

Sam did not flinch. He wiped his head around and quipped, "Really now? Last time I checked you were hung up on turning Peter Parker into the Ultimate Spider-man. How generous of you. I know exactly where I belong in the equation."

"You came to me when you were fifteen. During these two years I have observed your training and let me tell you, I have seen you develop your individual skills and you have even managed to make yourself tolerate Peter, but right now….I do not see an ounce of the man I thought you had become. Where is your sense of teamwork, Sam?" Fury enquired as he looked sadly at the shaking boy before him.

Sam looked through the window. "It disappeared when my teammates left me to die." He whispered.

Fury glared at him before he said, "This is getting nowhere. I cannot reach an agreement when you are obviously experiencing paranoia once more."

Sam's eyes widened. With a clenched fist and glistening eyes he whimpered, "Not you, too." He then turned and looked Fury in the eyes and professed, "You were my last hope, Fury. Please, believe me. I am not losing my mind. I may be mentally exhausted from being forced to kill humans…"

"Those were hybrids, not humans." Fury clarified in a gelid tone.

Sam's eyes widened. A lone tear rolled down his cheek. "You do believe me. You're just trying to cover it up."

"I am afraid you are being delusional. Perhaps the nurses should change or at the very least increase your medication." Fury uttered in the same detached voice.

Sam flinched. He realized that the battle had been lost. It was better for him not to voice the truth and it was preferable for Fury not to continue spilling lies as well. Sam was probably one of the very few so-called heroes who realized the truth. The protectors of the cities had been used as substitutes for military power. Where humans refused to fight humans superheroes came. They killed their own kind, sometimes even kin and were now celebrating on the bones of the people they had sworn to protect. This was no victory. This was just another catastrophe that humanity would have to recover from.

"I suppose we are done here." Fury suddenly said.

Sam did not even nod. He did not even possess the strength to watch how Fury left him. Once he was alone Sam gave in. He dropped his mask and allowed himself that small moment to cry. He could not believe what he had to cope with. He could not believe that even Fury had turned his back on him. Who did Sam have now? He had broken up with Danny, pushed him so far away he would never be able to get him back. Luke was out of the question. Their friendship had never been strong enough anyway. Peter was his last hope, but judging from the conversations he had heard in front of his room, even his new close friend doubted Sam's sanity. Ava was not the right person to go to as well. Who could he turn to?

Soon Sam managed to stop hiccupping and gathered enough energy to walk to the balcony. He watched the stars as they flickered so far away. The moon was shining upon him as well. The wind had cleared the sky of any clouds so that Sam could at least have its cold comfort.

"That was brutal." A familiar, raspy voice uttered.

Sam yelped as he staggered backward. He covered his chest with one hand, trying to calm his erratic heart rate. He breathed in deeply before he exclaimed, "Do not sneak up on people like that!"

Batman merely chuckled before he jumped from the railing to the tiled floor. The Dark Knight walked forward and was soon in front of Sam. The boy had calmed down, but his dry tears were still visible. The glare Batman sent his way made him flinch.

"I never thought Nick Fury would abandon his own heroes." Batman said to no one in particular.

Sam took in a shaky breath before he asked, "H-How do you two know each other?"

"We trained together for a while when I was around your age. We were never close, but…let's just say he and I never seemed to see eye to eye." Batman answered.

"How so?" Sam prodded. Batman smirked. He flicked the boy's nose, making Sam yelp in protest. The Bat turned around and rested his hands on the railing. Nova mirrored his posture.

"Back then I wanted to do two things – become strong enough in order to protect Gotham and avenge my parents' death." Batman confessed.

"Did you manage to fulfill both?" Sam enquired.

"I did. At first, I wanted to avenge their deaths by taking the life of the man who killed them, but... once the moment came, I chose a different route." Batman answered.

"How did you do it?" Sam asked.

"I realized that if I killed him, I would not be much different. After all, if I want to be able to look myself in the mirror, I need to do what I feel I think is right."

"Oh…" Sam breathed out. He then looked at the stars and whispered, "I killed the man that murdered my father."

Batman immediately looked at him. His eyes were not judging or searching or smothering. There was no glare either, simply curiosity and willingness to listen. Exactly what Sam needed. With a shaky breath Sam continued, "It was a battle to the death. If…If I had not killed him, he would have killed me, but…I…"

"You what?" Batman prodded.

"I met him two times. The first time I was alone and I found no better option. The second time I had a team with me, but…I still engaged him in a fight and took care of him. I am certain that the second time I met him was our last yet I…I know what type of person he was. I know that he had killed many Novas and probably would have continued to kill the next Novas, but…I still cannot forget the sickening feeling of having blood on my hands." Sam professed. A few tears escaped his eyelids. He did not bother to brush them away.

Batman did not say anything. After all, what could one say in response to such a story without sounding…. inadequate? Instead, Batman moved so that he was facing Sam and allowed the boy to bury his face in his chest. Batman awkwardly wrapped his arms around the teen's shoulders and allowed him what Sam desperately needed – a moment of silence to cry his heart and eyes out.

Time passed and neither moved. Sam felt too comfortable and Batman could not bring himself to disrupt the boy's rare moment of blissful silence. However, soon, Sam did so himself.

"Were you serious?" Sam murmured. His words were muffled by Batman's large chest so the hero asked him to reiterate which he did. Nova was now looking directly at the Dark Knight's eyes, waiting for an answer.

"About what?" Batman asked as he let go of the now calm boy. Sam ignored the urge to follow the Bat's movements.

"About taking me to Gotham?" Sam clarified.

Batman smirked before he said, "Does it matter? Also, shouldn't you be worried about the fact that I know your true identity?"

"I probably should, but strangely I'm not. And it does. Right now… I would be happy to change the scenery." Sam replied.

"Just the scenery or the people as well?" Batman enquired.

Sam's eyes narrowed before he smirked and asked, "How long have you been here and how much have you heard?"

"Enough. I saw the way your teammates reacted. Even your so-called leader did not firmly take your side." Batman said through gritted teeth.

"They're just worried about me and scared. I would probably feel the same, if I were them." Sam tried to defend them, but Batman had already made up his mind.

"Despite how terrifying you were after you came back from the encounter with the man who killed your father, they have no right to assume you would snap and hurt them on a whim." Batman argued.

"That's true, but you said it yourself - we are just kids. What do we know about acting the right way and choosing the best possible solution?" Sam responded.

"Nothing except one important fact – you five are not kids anymore. The moment you chose this path on life you let go of the people you were before. Therefore, it would be correct to presume that you would have outgrown such awful examples of childish behaviour." Batman uttered.

Sam shook his head. He hated to admit it, but there was some truth in Batman's words. However, admitting defeat would mean accepting the fact that his teammates had treated him like trash when they could have done the opposite. It would mean facing his fear of being all alone because of people's stupid assumptions. Quite frankly, Sam did not think he was ready for such a thing yet.

"What are you even doing here? Shouldn't you go back to Gotham?" Sam decided that changing the subject would do them both good. Batman seemed to appreciate his choice.

"I did go back, but I hate to leave business unfinished." Batman replied vaguely.

Sam furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"Those moves you performed were remarkable. You possess raw talent…." Batman stopped, confusing Sam further, "How do you prefer to be addressed?"

Realization dawned on Sam and soon he chuckled. "Sam." He answered. "And how do you like to be addressed?"

Batman smirked, "Nice try, kid. As I was saying, you possess raw talent, Sam. It will take time and a lot of patience and practice, but I believe that with the appropriate trainers you will be able to become one of the best heroes this world has ever seen and believe me when I say this – this world needs it."

Sam's eyes widened. He was taken aback by the obvious compliment. He ran his fingers through his hair before he replied, "Wow….Just… wow…thank you, Batman. Really, I-I am flattered that you think so highly of me, but I am afraid my place is in a team. I cannot work alone."

"Quite the opposite." Batman iterated.

"What?!" Sam exclaimed, making the Dark Knight eye him skeptically before he enquired:

"Hasn't Fury ever told you why you cannot function normally in a team?"

Sam shook his head. Batman chuckled darkly. "You are not born to fight alongside other people unless absolutely necessary. You are meant to fight alone."

Sam's eyes widened. He staggered backward until his back hit the wall. He slid to the floor and covered his head with his hands. He shook his head multiple times as though he were trying to deny the truth. Apparently, Batman noticed that the information had become too much for the boy to take in. With a deep sigh he stepped forward and fished something out of his utility belt.

"Here." He dropped something right before Sam who was too frozen to do anything. "Call this number, if you ever need anything."

Batman then punched a few numbers into a device and soon a helicopter appeared. Sam was not surprised that a few agents appeared on the nearby balconies and roof. They were probably getting ready to attack.

"Stay safe, kid." Batman said before jumping into the helicopter and flying away.

Sam ignored the agents who were shooting the unreachable target. Instead, his whole attention was focused on the information written on the card. With beautiful cursor the following data was written:

Bruce Wayne, CEO of Wayne Industries.

Sam soon recovered from the notion of knowing who Batman was. He even found the energy to pocket the card and go back to bed. In the end, he never reached a decision that night. The same, however, could not be said for the following days.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: I apologize for the mistakes and typos. I hope you liked this chapter. I want to thank silverheartlugia2000 and Ern Estine 13624 for all the reviews. I appreciate the support.

What will Sam do? Will the others realize how wrong they were before it is too late? What exactly do Sam and Peter feel for each other? Find out next time.