Chapter 12

Landscapes blurred by him at a supersonic speed. They were going so fast he saw nothing more than a streak of color before another took its place. A slight hum came from Flash as he moved his eyes narrowed against the wind. Then all of a sudden they came to a stop outside a door. Flash gently let Batman down and took a key from his belt. He unlocked the door and pushed it open, reaching back to take his lover's shaking hand and drawing him inside.

It was not unlike the past apartments Flash had lived in. Sparsely any furniture save for a bed, a table, and a small kitchen area. A closet was closed and on the table was a laptop. Beside it a few small gadgets Batman recognized as modifications of his own. He stared at them surprised as he walked over to inspect them. One of them had a green screen that was blinking. It didn't take Bruce long before he realized it was a GPS device. .

"Sorry, I've been um, on the run a lot lately. I don't really stay in one place for more than a week or two before I move on. This is actually one of the better places I've stayed at." Flash said his babbling as he watched Bruce stare at the gadgets.

He expected his partner to say or do something. Perhaps fall into his natural state of making a plan and next going out to execute it. None of this happened. Batman only stared at the gadgets as if he had never seen them a day in his life. Worried Flash went over to him his hands fluttering as he rapidly checked the other wounds. Bruce shifted uncomfortably drawing away from him. His body tensed wherever he was touched as he walked away from his lover to look out the window.

Wally felt his panic beginning to grow. He was ecstatic to have found his lover yet at the same time he had never expected Bruce to be so quiet. The other man seemed terrified of the environment around him. He followed after Bruce worried as the billionaire made a circuit of the room inspecting everything. Picking up a small objects and turning them over in his hand before he set them back down on the shelf.

"Are you hungry, Bruce? Thirsty? I can cook something for you. We should probably call Alfred, tell Tim you're back…" Wally began but trailed off. How long had it been since he had talked to either of them? The only person he ever truly talked since he had left had been Dick, better known as Nightwing.

"They can't know I'm back. As a matter of fact, no one else can know. Did you call the others?" Batman asked him. His heart had begun to pound as his thoughts returned to what Kal-El would do once he got home. What would he think? Bruce had taken the batarang with him and now he took it out, staring down at the button he had pressed.

"Oh, heh, it was more of a joke really. But I just…you know, I got worried about you going out on your own all the time. I thought it could never hurt for there to be an extra precaution. Just in case you ever….ever…" Wally said but began to choke. He reached up and drew back his mask his green eyes shimmering with tears. His red hair was mussed and damp from being covered by the mask so long.

Batman raised his head to gaze at the other man but he seemed completely lost. He just stared at Wally with tired eyes as if he had never seen him before. The younger man came over and threw his arms around the older man. Drawing him down into a hug as he clenched his teeth. Trying not to cry as he clung to him. Batman stood there limp as if he were not aware he was being embraced.

It seemed mechanical as he raised his arms and wrapped them around Wally's shoulders. Drawing him closer to his chest as the other man began to sob. His black cape covered them both. A thin shield against the world, but giving the illusion of safety. They stood like that for five minutes simply holding onto each other as if they were drowning.

Batman could not say when but he drew Wally over to the bed. Sitting back onto the bed and pulling the other man onto his lap. Wally didn't hesitate as he wrapped his arms around the billionaire's shoulders kissing him desperately. His tears leaving a salty tang on Bruce's tongue as they made out. There was a need there between them as, shaking, Bruce rested his back against the headboard. Continuing to make out with the other man his tongue delving into a searing heat he had not experienced in ages.

"Oh Bruce, it's been so long since I…you have to tell me what happened to you." Wally said breaking the kiss. Batman only gazed mutely him his mouth set in a grim line. Wally sighed and reached up and gently lifted his lover's cowl so he could gaze at the wide blue eyes beneath.

"Bruce, you need to talk to me. I can't help you if you don't talk to me. I know I…I'm sorry it took so long to come save you. But who did this to you?! I promise you, I'll kill the damn bastard."

"You can't kill him. No one can." Bruce answered his panic returning. Perhaps he should convince Wally to take him back. This was all a mistake on both their parts. There was no way he could escape Kal-El. The man was Superman, after all. He was the strongest man in the world. How could he expect to ever beat him?

"Who is it?! Superman still asks after you. I'll just tell him who too-"

"Wally. You can't tell Clark anything. Especially him!"

"Why? Bruce, he's your friend! If anyone can help it's him and he-"

"Superman is the one who did this to me!" Batman yelled at him. He felt angry. Hurt the only person whose memory had been holding him up through the hard times did not realize this. Wally stared at him in shocked silence unnerved by the outburst.

Bruce began to hyperventilate as he clutched the sheets. Bowing his head and as his body began to shake. He expected a hand to fall onto his hair, grip the locks with an iron grip, and drag him out of the bed. To be forced to stand and cry out in pain as a punishing fist fell on him over and over again. Too fast for the naked eye to see, but the agony all too real as bruises began to bloom all over his body. One of the few times he had ever yelled back at Kal-El he had regretted it soon after.

Kal-El's punishments were far and few between, but they were harsh. The alien always stated calmly after each beating he meant for the billionaire to remember his touch. That the reason he would leave Bruce bruised and bleeding on the floor was because he did not find it his duty to have to remind the man more than once for the transaction. Should Bruce decide to make the same mistake again the alien promised him he would resort to killing people. Bringing someone close to the other man and treating him the way he did the crime fighter.

A hand did come, but instead of grabbing his hair it pushed back Bruce's long bangs which had grown out from his months in isolation. When he raised his head he did not seen the piercing emerald gaze of Kal-El, but only the soft green of Wally's gaze. His face a mask of worry as he did his best to comfort the man. Bruce felt his breath hitch as he realized Kal-El could not know where he was. They had least six hours before the alien came home to find his prisoner was gone.

"Call them." Bruce insisted. Then another thought occurred to him. Kal-El had green eyes. Why did he have green eyes? Whenever he had talked to Clark the kryptonian had always clearly had blue eyes, a few shades darker than Bruce's own.

When Wally moved to pick up the phone Batman's hand snapped out. Wally stared at the man like he was insane but the billionaire had had a different idea. One he feared would backfire should it go wrong. But still if he could make it work. There was some small chance…

"Wait."

"But Bruce, you told me too call them. You can't expect me too want to call them and then you don't let me! You need to tell me what's going on. And we need to stop Superman!"

"That's just the thing, Clark has no idea. He never did. It's not Clark we have to worry about, it's Kal-El."

"Bruce, you're hurt. You've been missing for several months and it's pretty clear to me you need professional help. Let me call them so we can get you to a hospital to a doctor. Alfred has been blaming himself ever since you left."

"Wally, please. Trust me." Bruce begged him. He was beginning to lose his nerve again. On his back his scar ached as if Kal-El were burning it into his skin all over again. Wally stared at him his mouth set in a thin line as he held the phone. It would be easy for him to flicker away and make the phone call. Yet he had always trusted his partner's decisions.

He stared at his lover for a long moment. Then, slowly, he put down the phone. Reaching down he held his partner's hand. Bruce's fingers were limp in Wally's hand, but he squeezed it reassuringly. Bruce gazed up at him and then a shaky smile crossed his face.

"I still feel as if I'm dreaming somehow. Even though you're right here in front of me."

"I remember one time I had to come save you. You had been rescuing hostages from the Joker and you got caught in the blast. When I dug through the rubble you were so out of it you asked me if I was an angel."

"Which you're clearly not." Bruce said. Nervous laughter erupted from both of them as Bruce shook his head trying to regain his composure. He knew what he had to do. At first he thought if he only met a few key members of the Justice League he could make it work. Now he saw he was wrong though. This would require a different approach.

"I do need a few things, however." Bruce said as his mind began to work. He reached up and drew down his cowl. He took a deep breath and forced down his fear. Focused on the task before him as he had done countless times while out protecting Gotham.

"Gadget belt?"

"And a car."

"I guess I can get the Batmobile."