Chapter Twenty-One – Justice League Universe
A/N: I have no valid excuse as to why this chapter is so late besides college starting back up. I'm just so busy all of a sudden. *Sighs*
Completelybatty, I see you have found me on here. Hello! Thank you for your review on the previous chapter!
Bruce opens his eyes slowly, waking up from a restless night's sleep. It's been two weeks since Ko was taken from them. For half a week Bruce was made to heal and recuperate on both J'onn and Clark's order. Neither would budge no matter how much Bruce insisted that he was fine. Finally, on the fourth day of healing, they let him go back home and start working on building another portal. That took him a week and half to finish, putting the last piece on sometime late last night. Today, they'll travel to the Lord's universe and get their son back.
Bruce lies there with Clark's arms around him. There's no movement or sound coming from Clark, not even the movement or sound of breathing. The first time Bruce woke up before Clark did and realized he was not breathing, he had panicked. He had turned around frantically and shook Clark while calling his name until he woke up with a start. Bruce remembers pulling him into a tight hug and never wanting to let go. Clark had held him just as tight, rubbing his back to try and sooth Bruce and stop Bruce's shaking. Clark's chest was moving then, small breaths coming out of his mouth and ruffling Bruce's hair.
That was the first time Bruce realized that Clark mimics breathing. He knew Clark didn't need to breathe but he had never noticed Clark pretending to breathe, most likely a habit he has for when he needs to pretend to be a normal human being. It didn't even cross Bruce's mind that Clark could be pretending to breathe even when they were having sex and Clark was panting in his ear. Apparently, however, all that mimicry goes out the window when Clark falls asleep. Now Bruce is used to waking up to Clark not breathing and instead decides to focus on Clark's heartbeat against his back. He never did end up telling Clark what had freaked him out so much.
That's what he does now, feeling the thump thump thump against his back. It's soothing and he likes to feel it, the only sign of Clark actually being alive. He waits for Clark to wake and knows exactly when it happens when Clark's chest starts to move. Then the Kryptonian lets out a small groan, removing his hand from Bruce's waist to rub at his eyes. Clark sighs and it tousles Bruce's hair. He then puts his arm back around Bruce, his hand falling onto his chest. Clark pulls him tighter to him.
"Good morning," he whispers into Bruce's ear, giving it a small peck.
"Morning." Bruce grabs a hold of Clark's hand that is on his chest and squeezes it. He can hear Clark breathing now and it's a surreal feeling knowing that it is fake.
"Today's the day. How you feeling?"
"You want the truth?"
"I always want the truth."
"Nervous," Bruce answers.
Clark sits up and turns Bruce onto his back in order to peer at him. "It's going to be okay. Everything will work out." He leans down and kisses Bruce, lingering there briefly to savor it. When Clark backs away, he sighs again.
"Did you know you don't breathe when you're asleep?" Bruce asks out of the blue.
"What?"
"You don't breathe. I mean, I know you don't need to but you pretend too. When you're fast asleep, you don't. You're completely still with no sounds at all. It's… unnerving… scary even. At first at least."
Clark's eyebrows are furrowed. "No one ever told me that. Interesting."
"It scared me the first time." This time Clark's face morphs into a mix of sympathy and concern. "I woke up and thought you had died."
Something clicks in Clark's brain. "Hence why you tried to wake me up so frantically that day. I thought you had a nightmare." Bruce shakes his head. "I'm sorry."
Bruce chuckles and kisses Clark. "Not your fault. Besides, I'm used to it now." He then reaches underneath the covers and moves his hand down to where he knows he'll feel Clark hard in his pajama bottoms. He squeezes slightly. "Do you want to? I mean we haven't since Ko got taken so…"
"I haven't really been in the mood. Not with Ko being in another universe with his psycho dad."
Bruce nods in agreement. "Yeah, I know, me neither but I thought… I don't know, Clark. It's been two weeks since Lord Superman took Ko and… I haven't been able to stop thinking about him. I thought maybe a distraction, doing something normal, would help me feel a little better I guess."
"Do you want to then?" Bruce shrugs. "I will if you want to, Bruce. I just can't guarantee that I will be into it fully."
Bruce shrugs again. "I don't know," he says quietly. He covers his eyes with the crook of his elbow, biting his bottom lip.
"Hey," Clark pulls him close, kissing his forehead. "It's okay. We're going to get him back today. I know it." He kisses his cheek next. "Maybe you're right, maybe a distraction will do us both some good."
Bruce shakes his head. "I don't want to anymore."
"Okay, that's fine."
Bruce peeks out from his elbow. "Did you really want to?"
Clark looks at him sheepishly. "No, not really."
Bruce frowns. "Don't pretend to want to just because you think I do."
"Sorry."
Bruce turns onto his side and wraps his arms around Clark, pulling him closer and burying Bruce's head beneath Clark's chin. "Just hold me until Alfred comes to wake us."
"Okay." Clark wraps his own arms around Bruce, holding him tightly. Bruce finds comfort in being Clark's strong, warm arms and finds himself starting to fall asleep again. Clark falls back to sleep as well, Bruce being able to tell because his chest stops moving. When that happens, Bruce allows Clark's heartbeat to lull him back to sleep.
The next time he opens his eyes, Clark is still holding him except he's awake and Alfred is opening the curtains to let the sunlight in. "I do believe it's time to get up Sirs. You'll be needing to meet the League down in the cave within the hour."
Both Bruce and Clark unwrap themselves from each other and get up out of the bed, going to the bathroom. They both take a shower together, then brush their teeth together, and then finally go down to the kitchen to eat a late breakfast together. Sitting there, talking to Clark and eating his toast, makes Bruce realize how domestic they've become. They really are like real husbands which Bruce supposes is true since they are together and married. He just never thought domesticity would come so quickly. Looking at Clark now, Bruce is glad it's Clark he gets to be this way with.
After breakfast, the two go down to the cave in order to wait the League's arrival. They find Tim down there instead. "Tim, what are you doing?"
Tim turns in the chair, having sat in front of the computer. "I want to help."
"You can't," Bruce says.
"Why not?" Tim gets out of the seat and approaches them. "You can bring me with you."
"No."
"Why?"
"It's too dangerous and besides, it's League business."
"Dick got to do League business before."
"That's different."
"How?"
Bruce sighs and turns to Clark for support. Clark only gives him a shrug. Sighing again, he turns back to Tim. "Because I wasn't around to do it myself."
"Okay fine, be vague about it." Tim crosses his arms in frustration. "Even if I can't help because it's League business, Ko is still my baby brother."
"Tim-"
"He's right Bruce." Bruce looks over to where the voice came from and sees Dick and Jason coming. "Ko is family, our little brother, and we want to help," Dick continues.
"You can't. This is the Justice Lords we're talking about," Bruce tries to reason. "They're an evil version of the Justice League. They are too power for you."
"We've taken on some pretty powerful people before," Jason says, going to stand next to Tim.
Dick goes and stands on the other side of Tim. "Plus, we're like you Bruce. If they're too powerful for us, they're too powerful for you. How are you supposed to take them on if you have no confidence in us?"
"He has a point," Clark says which earns him a glare from Bruce.
"You aren't coming. That's final."
"How are you going to stop us?" Jason asks.
"Come on Bruce," Tim pleads. "This is our brother you're talking about. We love him just as much as you and Clark do."
"And besides," Dick adds, "The Justice League will be with us."
Bruce sighs in defeat. "Fine, but you are being paired up with two of the original members. No arguing about that or else I'll make you stay here." Dick smiles triumphantly, Jason scoffs, and Tim whoops in happiness.
Clark takes a hold of his elbow and guides him away. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"They wouldn't have stop trying to come and if I hadn't let them then they would have just snuck along anyways. Better to know they're coming so I can keep them safe than have them sneaking with us and not being able to keep them safe."
"Good idea," Clark says.
Bruce and Clark get dressed into their Batman and Superman suit and then they don't have to wait much longer for the rest of the League to show up, the only ones coming being the original members minus Hawkgirl, of course. Bruce pairs everyone up into teams and then starts to explain the plan. "Wally, John, and Dick will be Team Two; Diana, J'onn, and Jason are Team Three; and Tim, you're with me and Clark on Team One." Bruce wants to keep Tim with him since he is the youngest of the boys. "Jason, I want you to listen to Diana and J'onn. This is the first time you'll be working with the Justice League. Behave." Jason scoffs and crosses his arms. "And Jason," Jason huffs but gives Bruce his attention anyways. "No killing. I mean it."
"Fine, take the fun out of it," Jason says.
Bruce goes back to addressing the whole team. "Team Two and Three will handle the Watchtower where the rest of the Lords should be. Team one will take the Manor and the Fortress, one of which places Lord Superman could be keeping Ko. We're going to have a big fight on our hands so be prepared. Let's get Ko back." Everyone nods in agreement. "Let's go then."
Bruce turns to the portal, turns it on, and leads the League and his boys through it. They come out on the other side within the Bat Cave of the other Bruce's. Team Two and Three go to the computer to get the Watchtower to transport them up and Clark comes up beside him. "I'm nervous. I'm not the only one nervous am I?"
Bruce looks to his husband. "We'll get him back. Just like you said." Clark nods but he doesn't look too confident. "Stay here, I want to look for something."
"What?"
"Just stay here. You too Robin." Bruce walks away and walks over to where he knows the safe with the Kryptonite ring should be in. He doesn't know if the other Bruce had used it but if he's dead, the possibility that he didn't is high. However, when Bruce opens the safe — the password being Clark's birthday which Bruce finds to be amateurish — it's empty save for another lead lined box that is much too big to hold a Kryptonite ring. It looks like the other Bruce must have used it after all. Either that or Lord Superman stole the ring after killing his Bruce. It's a good thing Bruce brought his own Kryptonite ring from his universe.
Bruce picks up the lead lined box and opens it. His heart speeds up at what is inside. There, sitting against black velvet, is a gun. Bruce, with shaking hands, picks up the gun carefully and checks the magazine. Inside, there is a singular Kryptonite bullet. He puts the gun back in the box and closes it quickly, feeling sick to his stomach. Why would the other Bruce have such a thing? Why would he make it? Bruce looks at the box again, feeling dread pulling at his heart. Swallowing thickly, he puts the box into one of his pouches on his utility belt.
"Hey, you okay?" Bruce jumps, startled by Clark's voice so close to him.
"What? Yeah, I'm fine."
"You sure? Your heart is beating really fast."
"I'm fine." Bruce looks around. "Where's Tim?"
"Over with the others. There's something you need to hear."
They join the others by the computer. "What is it?" Bruce asks.
Dick is the one to answer him. "We can't get a signal from the Watchtower. Almost as if it's offline or something."
"Maybe it's locked out since with this world's Batman being gone, there's no need for it to authorized," Jason suggests.
"I can use my power ring to get us up there," John says.
Bruce nods. "Do that. Just be on alert. They'll see you coming before you even reach the Watchtower." They all nod and then John encases them in a green bubble. "Nightwing, Red Hood, be careful."
"We will, B," Dick answers.
"Don't worry Old Man, I'm not planning on dying again," Jason says after. "Just make sure you get my baby brother back." Bruce nods and then watches as John flies away. Bruce then has to push his worry aside in order to concentrate on his own team's mission.
Turning to Clark and Tim, he says, "We'll check the Manor first. Clark, you'll check downstairs, Tim you'll check the upstairs with me." They both nod and follow him up to the Manor. They then split up.
Bruce and Tim go through every room but it's quite obvious that no one has been living here for quite some time. The rooms are dark with curtains drawn close and dust on every furniture. "Thank God for Alfred," Tim says offhandedly and Bruce hums in agreement. The second to last room the two check is the room that his Clark and him made into a nursery. Bruce is surprised to see that it was this universe's Bruce and Clark's chosen room for a nursery as well. "Wow," Tim says. "It's in the same room you and Clark made into a nursery. How coincidental is that?" He then asks, "How long do you think they had this room set up for?"
Bruce approaches the crib and peers into it, inspecting the furniture. "A long time. I wouldn't be surprised if Bruce had set it up long before he gave birth." A heaviness weighs on Bruce's chest. He feels bad for this Bruce.
"It looks like they were excited to have Ko." Tim picks up a teddy bear that was placed on top of a wooden shelf. "I mean, this room is set up… brightly instead of your normal gloom and doom. They even have baby toys in here."
"Yeah, I'm sure they were." Bruce looks around the room one last time and then goes to the door. "Come on, we have one more room to check."
The last room that needs to be checked is the bedroom that he and Clark — and he suspects this universe's Bruce and Clark's — bedroom. They enter the room, Tim pushing inside ahead of Bruce, and see that it is just as dark and gloomy as the other rooms. Bruce goes and checks the closet and the bathroom. "Hey, look at this." Bruce exits the bathroom and goes over to Tim. Tim hands him a picture. "It's a picture of Bruce and Clark."
In the picture, Bruce and Clark are standing together, side by side. They're out in the garden and standing in front of the rose bush that is out there. It's sunny and by the looks of it, no clouds in sight. Bruce was pregnant when he had this picture taken, his stomach big but not as big as it was when the Justice League met him. Lord Superman has his hand on Bruce's stomach and the two of them are looking at the camera. They're both smiling, Lord Superman's bright and sunny as always and Bruce's big and wide, a smile that you wouldn't normally see on Bruce's face. They both look happy.
"They must have taken this about a month before they brought the League here," Bruce mentions.
Tim peer at the picture. "They both look really happy. It's strange that it all went bad." Bruce flips the picture frame over and opens it, taking the picture out. "What are you doing?"
"I think Ko would like this. He already has a picture of Bruce holding him but he doesn't have a picture of this Clark. This Bruce wasn't good either and so, as crazy as this Clark is, Ko still deserves to have a picture of him just like he does of this Bruce." Bruce puts the picture in his utility belt.
"Hey." Both Tim and Bruce turn to face the door and see Clark. "Doesn't seem like they're here."
Bruce nods. "Guess that means they are either on the Watchtower or at the Fortress."
"Are we going to the Fortress of Solitude now?" Tim asks.
Bruce looks at Tim and Clark. "Yeah, we are."
A/N: I know this might seem like a filler chapter, but trust me, there was one very important scene in here that is foreshadowing for the next chapter. ;)
Thanks for reading!
