Chapter 7

When Clark awoke he was confused. He had no idea where he was until he turned his head and saw the crystal walls arching above him. Blinking he recognized his fortress wondering dimly how he had ended up in bed. Beside him he felt a warmth as a body shifted beside huddling closer to him. Frowning he thought it was Lois as he turned his head.

Clark jerked away when he saw who was in his bed. Exhausted and bruised was Bruce Wayne his usually raven black hair a complete bird's nest. Wrapped in Superman's cape he had curled up beneath it sleeping on top of the covers. Clark stared his eyes taking in the white stains on the man's pants and shirt. When he stood up and looked down at himself he saw the same pattern. A feeling of dread began to creep up on him. From where he stood he could see the pillow damp beneath Bruce's head from…crying?

What had he done? He remembered Bruce cowering away from him when he had tried to get his friend to come with him. Then with a growing sense of horror Clark began to slowly realize what must have transpired. He stepped back from the bed nearly tripping as his back hit the wall. Now he could see more stains on the bed. All of them leading up to where the alien had slept and on Bruce's pants.

There was a raw wound, almost like a rope burn around the billionaire's neck. Clark forced himself to study the other man. To take it all in and remember all the details like Batman had taught him. He noticed bruises on the man's arms, fingerprints from a hard grip especially around the wrists. The way Bruce clung to the cape half curled up in the bed spoke of him having just faced a recent trauma.

"Bruce?" Clark said uneasily. Had he raped the other man? No, it couldn't be possible. Batman would never allow it to happen. The man would defeat him before he so much as touched him. For a second Clark considered calling the rest of the League, but what would they say? Their leader had kept the most intelligent person on their team captive for three days. Had raped him, beat him, and God knew what else.

On the bed Bruce stirred opening his eyes. They were dull and glazed over with his pain. When he raised his head he drew his feet beneath the cape. Cowering against the headboard as he stared at Clark with wide blue eyes. Clark hesitated raising a hand towards the other man then letting it fall. He wanted to cry. He had never seen Bruce look so beaten.

"I'm awake." Bruce whimpered. When Clark approached he sank down as if fearing of being hurt. Clark stopped a few feet away staring at the man completely lost. For once he had no idea what to do.

"Did I do this?" Clark asked his voice cracking as he said it. Bruce stared at him remaining silent. Clark closed his eyes burying his head in his hands.

"Bruce I…I'm so sorry. Please forgive me I don't know how…are you alright? How did this happen? What did I do to you?" Clark asked as he raised his head staring other man. He had always gone to Batman whenever he needed help. Within the Justice League it had always seemed Batman had all the answers. He was the calmest out of all the superheroes, he almost always had a plan or explanation for everything. Usually spotting dangers none of them took notice off before it was too late.

"You know what you did." Bruce answered quietly. Clark stared at him his mind reeling. He staggered away looking around frantically for his radio to the rest of the League. He had to turn himself in. Now.

"We need too….I need to be locked up. We have to keep you safe from me. I'll tell the others to make a room of kryptonite to keep me under control. Or a pair of cuffs made of the stuff if they can't get enough to build it in time. I just have too-"

"Kryptonite won't work, Clark."

"Of course it will! It's my one true weakness. I can never-"

"You only think it's your weakness, Clark. I should know. I saw you grab it and then toss it to the side without so much as a backwards glance." Bruce's voice was strangely calm as he spoke. Though Clark could hear the defeat in the other man's voice as he talked.

"In reality you only made yourself think it was your weakness to gain revenge on Lex Luthor. So anyone who came after you would die from cancer. It's just a rock. It can't hurt you." Bruce explained calmly. Clark was stumped as he stared at the man in complete shock.

"I held it?"

"Yes."

Clark rubbed his forehead with a low groan as he tried to think. He always felt so tired with a throbbing headache. Why? When he glanced back at Bruce he suddenly realized the reason.

"I need to get you out of here. There must still be some way to keep me under control. How do you know the kryptonite you saw wasn't just a fake?" Clark snapped. He tried to hide his growing panic with anger but kept his tone level. Bruce stared at him only shaking his head in reply.

"I can't leave anyway."

"Why not?!"

"You know why." Bruce said dully. Clark groaned and reached up to continue to massage his temples. He turned his back to his comrade in arms going over to the dresser. On top he saw the radio for the League and went to reach for it. His vision began to black out the room swaying around him.

"Don't worry, Bruce, I'll get you help. I'll just call J'onn. No one else has to know I…I…" Clark swayed on his feet his hand lingering right over the radio. All he had to do was grab it. He just had to press the button and say he had found Batman.

Bruce saw Clark make a small sound as he suddenly slumped his head smacking into the dresser as he collapsed. He stared at his former friend uneasy to get out of the bed. He sat up peering over at the prone figure on the ground. A few seconds passed and the alien began to stir. When he opened his eyes he frowned as he sat up shooting a glare at Bruce.

"You should have kept your fucking mouth shut. Do you know how hard it is for me to make him forget this shit?" Kal-El spat at his captive. Bruce shook his head mutely beginning to shake as Kal-El got off the floor dusting himself off. He glared at his captive storming over to him as he grabbed the billionaire's arm and yanked him up off the bed.

Bruce's eyes widened in horror as he reached up clawing at the hand on his wrist. Kal-El didn't pause as he raised his fist and punched the man over the head. Bruce didn't make a sound but he hunched his shoulders instead. Kal-El continued his assault going fasters and faster as he rained the blows down on his captive. Soon he could hear Bruce beginning to sob as the punches harder and swifter raining down over his shoulders, torso, and head.

Kal-El knew exactly how much the man could take. Unlike another person Bruce had a high threshold for pain. But there was a limit to how much any person could take before the pain got to them. Kal-El used just enough strength to bruise the man on contact, but not enough to break bones. He considered crushing his captive's hand for emphasis, but decided against it.

When he was done he knew Bruce would be stiff. He gave no warning as he shoved the billionaire back onto the bed and mounted him. Thrusting into him with the enough force to nearly break the man's hips as he took out his frustration the man. He kept pounding into the man with relentless force until he came crying out as he yanked at Bruce's hips harder wishing for more friction. He didn't stop there though.

Flipping Bruce onto his back he grabbed a fistful of the man's hair yanking his head back. Exposing the soft throat as he leaned down and bit hard enough to draw blood. Kal-El felt the man go rigid clinging to his shoulders as he was attacked. After a second thought Kal-El slid a hand down in between Bruce's legs. With super speed he rubbed the man's member through the pants line fast enough to make it feel like a continuous vibration. Immediately the billionaire's body responded as he began to harden.

Kal-El reached down and worked the pants the rest of the way down tossing them onto the floor. To Bruce's horror the alien began to fist him with swift strokes. Kal-El laughed as Bruce began to writhe kicking as his back arched crying out as he came. He didn't wait as he thrust himself into the billionaire again slamming his hips into Bruce hard enough to bruise.

Bruce covered his face trying to block out what was happening to him. Yet each time Kal-El came he would move to making the billionaire hard. No matter how much Bruce hated it, cursed at himself for climaxing, he still ended up growing hard. After his hot cum spurted in between them staining them both Kal-El would repeat the process over.

By the third time Kal-El seemed satisfied. Instead of stopping however he grabbed Bruce by the throat and threw him off the bed. Telling him to out his pants back but to take his shirt off. Bruce's fingers fumbled with the buttons as he shakily tried to remove his clothes. Kal-El had got up and stormed back out of the room still clearly pissed. Once Bruce had managed to get his shirt off he pulled his pants on. Cum stained his stomach and was sticky on his backside and in between his thighs. All the same he zipped up his pants still shaking.

A second later Kal-El came in a rope in his hands. Reach over he yanked Bruce's arms behind his back and bound his wrists. He forced the man to march into the room seemingly bound. Without warning Kal-El began to rise upward as he looped another piece of robe around the man's ankles. When he was several feet in the air he let Bruce drop without so much as a glance. Bruce cried cringing as he imagined his brains splattered on the ground below. The rope around his ankles stopped him from falling however as it jerked him to a halt at least ten feet beyond the ground.

Hanging upside down Bruce craned his neck to see Kal-El tying the rope to an arch going across the tower. Making sure it was secure the alien yanked on it once testing its strength. Satisfied his captive would not plummet to his death Kal-El floated back down to the ground. He gazed up at his captive inspecting his work. Bruce's eyes were wide and begging as he hung there swaying slightly. His breathing had increased his heart rate climbing as Kal-El nodded his head pleased with his work.

"You should have kept your mouth shut. Now look what I'm forced to do." Kal-El said clucking his tongue. Bruce's blue eyes widened as he struggled in his bonds. A glare from the alien and he stopped.

"Please, Kal-El, I just….I didn't want Clark taking me back to the Watchtower. If he told the League they would come rushing here. I was just trying to obey you." Bruce begged. Kal-El snorted shaking his head in disbelief as he gazed up at his captive.

"You still would have been silent on the matter. What did I tell you about tattling, Batman?" Kal-El asked as he smirked. His emerald eyes shimmered beginning to smolder with hellfire as he glared at his captive.

"What are you going to do?"

"Teach you a lesson. I'm going to burn it into your memory this time. So you never forget." Kal-El said quietly as he walked past Bruce so he stood behind the man.

Even though he expected it Bruce still screamed when he felt the first lancing pain on his back. He Kal-El's heat vision slowly creeping across his back as the alien burned him. The alien went slow dragging it out. Bruce's screams echoed in the fortress with no one but his tormentor to hear them. Kal-El paused as he worked on a curving line in the middle of his captive's back stopping to make sure it was neat.

"I never did tell you just how good my aim was, did I? I rather like my heat vision. I think it's my best feature. I can melt any metal in the world or lower the strength until it feels like nothing more than a slight warmth on your skin. Though, in your case it feels quite a bit more than warm, doesn't it?" Kal-El asked conversationally. Even though he just started Bruce had already began to sob gasping for breath as tears flowed dripping down to the floor beneath him.

Kal-El continued the punishment for up to two hours. Sometimes even walking away to leave Bruce hanging there as he went to take a break. The entire time Bruce was in constant agony. From his earlier beating to the rape, he wondered why he had not died yet. He thought grimly Kal-El was well versed in how much a human body could take. Pushing it to the limits before resorting to something else for his sick pleasure.

The burns were precise and smooth even as Bruce struggled in his bonds screaming as he felt his back being burned. Finally, Kal-El stopped. Bruce was dimly aware of the alien hovering past him and unwinding the rope as he lowered his captive facedown onto the table. The billionaire shuddered gasping for breath his cheek pressed against the side of the table. In front of him Kal-El came back down and tossed the rope to the side.

"Now, Bruce, I hope you've learned your lesson this time. This is the third time I've let you get away with being disobedient. Next time I am going to hurt someone other than you. Understand?" Kal-El said kindly. Patting his captive's cheek. Bruce flinched from the touch staring at his captor with tear filled eyes.

"Yes. I understand." Bruce said numbly. Kal-El smiled bending over to kiss the man on the forehead. Grabbing the edge of the table he jumped up and reached down for Bruce's pants.

Bruce didn't bother to hold back this time. He just sobbed as Kal-El took him from behind again not bothering to pretend it was anything other than rape. Once he was done he left the billionaire naked and bleeding on the table. Ignoring his pleas for him to stay as he left the room heading towards the hot spring.

Kal-El sank up to his neck in the hot water with a soft sigh. He could still here Bruce begging for him to come back and let him go. Frowning he blocked out the man's voice ducking his head underwater to further block out the sound. It felt good to be in the water after having to punish his pet bat.

He found it strange for Batman's lifestyle the man had no scars to speak off on his body. He was like a canvas waiting to be painted. Kal-El marveled as the bruises appeared on the man surprised by how delicate he was. Yet somehow Bruce still held some greater power for the alien. Perhaps it was the man's talent for mesmerizing anyone he came into contact with. Making him think he was invincible when he truly wasn't.

After half an hour Kal-El sighed. He felt bad for leaving his bat all alone. With a sigh he rose out of the water naked and went back into the other room. When he approached the table Bruce began to whimper but he ignored him. Reaching down he broke the bonds and lifted the man up in his arms. Turning around he took the billionaire back to the hot spring and entered the water with him.

Kal-El went back and retrieved a bar of soap as well as a washcloth. Making the man stand up he washed Bruce off thoroughly. Scrubbing the skin hard enough to leave it pink and shining. He made sure to wash especially hard between the man's legs and inside his entrance. Bruce began to pull away when Kal-El touched him there but a glare made his captive remain stalk still. Afterward Kal-El switched to shampoo and conditioner and rinsed the man's hair at least three times.

When he pulled Bruce out of the hot spring with him he toweled the billionaire off until his hair stood up in spikes. Bruce dressed silently in a pair of grey sweatpants and a loose white T-shirt Kal-El gave him. Satisfied with captive was clean once again he instructed Bruce to lay down on the bed flat on his stomach so he would not irritate the second degree burn on his back. The man obeyed without a murmur of protest. He did however cling to the crimson cape he seemed to have grown attached too as he closed his eyes.

Kal-El sat back at his desk frowning at the paperwork he had. Why did Clark have to write so many articles? Taking up a pen he began to go over the rough drafts. Marking a place where he needed to indent or slash out a sentence he didn't like to re-write it in the margins. He could hear Bruce's heart beating steadily in his ears. The billionaire certainly did not fall asleep easily despite the beatings he had just taken.

Near his hand his radio began to ring. Letting out an irritated sigh he answered the call. Clicking a button so he could talk as he worked.

"Superman here. What is it?"

"Clark, I think I know what happened with Bruce." Kal-El paused when he heard the Flash's voice over the radio. He heard Bruce's heart beat faster as well. The man still got excited when heard his lover's voice. Frowning the alien made a note to deal with that next with his captive as he responded in Clark's voice his tone laced with concern.

"Are you sure, Flash? What have you found?"

"Listen, you need to be careful. Okay? I think Bruce faked everything."

"Really?"

"Yeah, because I got suspicious. I remember him looking at some files on the computer. I didn't really look but I saw your name a few times. Then when I heard about Lex Luthor I went asked the guard if anyone had been to visit him. The guard said Batman had been there to question him a few days ago."

"I see. Any other leads?"

"Other than you? Not yet. Tell me, did Bruce seem to act strange to you before he disappeared? I thought something was odd but then you know. He always needs his brooding time."

"Are you sure he just isn't hanging upside down somewhere brooding right now?" Kal-El asked as he glanced at the figure on the bed. Bruce had his face turned away from the alien listening to the conversation.

"Ha ha ha ha. Hilarious. I'm serious though. You've gotta be careful because I mean if this thing is so bad he won't even tell you-"

"Then it must be pretty bad. Thanks Flash, I'll keep an I out."

"Oh hey, Clark? Can you, um, do me a favor?"

"Depends on what it is."

"I just need you pass on a message for me."

"Of course."

"Tell Bruce I…I love him. I don't where he is right now, but if you two are up to something and you can't tell me because it's important just…well, yeah. Tell him I love him. And to be careful. We all miss him back at the mansion."

"You especially I take it?"

"Yeah." Nervous laughter over the radio.

"Don't worry, Flash, I would let you know if I found him. Or give you some type of hint."

"So you really have no idea what's going on?"

"Not a clue."

"Ah well…sorry to bother you then. And hey man, thanks a lot. It means a lot to me. I don't know who else to talk too about this stuff. You've always been there for Bruce. He respects you a lot, I think. He just never mentions it."

"Thank you, Flash. If I find him I'll tie him up in his in a bow and bring him back to you in a box."

"I'd pay to see that. Thanks man."

"No problem." Kal-El clicked the radio off as he heard Flash hang up. He glanced at the bed where Bruce had sat up staring at his captor with begging eyes. Kal-El smiled at him and put a finger to his lips winking at him.

"Our little secret."