Epilogue

Several months had passed since the League War. The world was once again turning as usual. The brand-new Hall of Justice once again welcomed inquisitive visitors, and kept its place as both museum and official haunt. On the other side, the Watchtower had also undergone a minor renovation and refurbishment of several floors. The work took time, but was well worth it.

The vigilantes still had their work cut out for them: between crime bosses still on the loose and those who had freed themselves, between monsters and metahumans, there was plenty to do. The anarchist that was the Joker was still wreaking havoc, Luthor was still brilliantly evading criminal justice, Deathstroke reappeared from time to time for contracts, Black Manta was still on the run with Killer Frost and Poison Ivy, Cheetah had taken possession of another woman and Reverse-Flash had never been arrested.

It was unfair, but that was life, and their daily lot. It wasn't the first time their worst enemies had eluded them, and it wouldn't be the last. Their fight against crime would never end. They had chosen this path and none of them regretted it.

Especially not Clark. He could live the life he'd always wanted: to be a vigilante and live his life as a man. He and Bruce had found their feet after a rather difficult adjustment period, and for the time being, everything was going well between them. Well, even if Clark was disappointed to remain in the shadows, and Bruce was jealous of the scope of his work as a journalist, they were doing well.

The two of them had found a system that so far seemed to be working just fine. When Bruce was away on business, Clark would come and join him, unless the billionaire was next door to Metropolis, in which case he would come to the journalist's apartment. By helicopter or private jet, many cities seemed to be next door to Metropolis, according to Bruce. And then, when the Bat couldn't make the trip or had to stay in Gotham, Clark would come too. They rarely spent a night alone anymore.

It was quite a dynamic rhythm, but that was the way their lives were. And then, sometimes they'd find themselves on joint interventions, like the storm that had hit Louisiana or the attack by the Atlantean rebels. This was the kind of thing that could happen, and it didn't stop them from working well together in the field: after all, they'd been a perfect match for years, and they both knew how to act like professionals. Most of the time.

Clark smiled as he thought back to a time when, at the scene of a mine cave-in, Batman had started yelling at him for doing a dangerous intervention despite the presence of kryptonite. And he'd done it in front of Red Tornado, John Stewart, Hawkgirl and the new Firestorm. Well, the new Firestorm duo. Jason's new partner was his girlfriend Gehenna. They made a good duo together, even if they sometimes found it hard to get along. But that day, Clark had thought Bruce was going to gut him on the spot.

"Kent! Shake it off instead of grinning like a fool! "

Lois's imperious voice brought him back down to earth. Clark replaced his glasses.

"I was looking for my words, sorry. "

The brunette leaned more to the side to get a better view of him.

"I didn't know that writing an article about the injustice of Luthor's last trial and acquittal would make you smile! "

Clark grimaced. Clearly, talking about Luthor never made him smile in general. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Lois sighed.

"Well, you've got to finish that article tonight so it goes to press and comes out tomorrow morning! Hurry up! "

Clark nodded and returned to his keyboard. Sometimes he had the feeling that things would never change, just as he had the feeling that time was passing too quickly. It was a rather contradictory sensation, but one that made his life far from routine.

He tried to control his words as he typed on the keyboard. Luthor, once again, was coming out of this as white as snow. The man had so much clout that even if they had a video of him murdering someone, in broad daylight and head-on on a high-definition video, he'd find a way to come out innocent.

Clark had no proof yet of how he did it, but it had to be something between bribing or pressuring jurors, or maybe even death threats. But so far, he had no proof of any of this. Superman could find some, but since the evidence hadn't been obtained through legal means, Clark would have been stuck.

He would continue to fight this man as a journalist as well as a vigilante. It would be a long battle, but one he would win one day. There was no way he was going to lose to Luthor.

Clark's phone vibrated. Once, twice, three times. It vibrated insistently, but they weren't calls, just text messages. He stopped to read.

Yo, you still at work? JT.

All the messages were from Jay. He frowned even more as he scrolled through them.

Yeah, you're still at work, perfect, we need to talk. JT.

I'm in the neighborhood, so I'd love to catch up. JT.

Well, I'm downstairs, so it'd be great if you could come down and we could talk. JT.

Like now. JT.

Go Supes! Superspeed! JT.

It's Urgeeeeent. JT.

Clark swore as he rose from his chair. He looked up. People were starting to go home, but there were still plenty of people on their floor, as there probably were in the rest of the building. No superspeed.

"What are you doing?" asked Lois, surprised.

Clark answered hurriedly:

"Uh, coffee! I'll get you one! "

He headed straight for the elevator as his phone vibrated in his hand.

You're not fast, Sup! JT.

I'm gonna spam you until you get here. JT.

SPAM.

SPAM.

SPAM.

Clark grunted as he typed a reply, but the abundance of messages made his phone slow down and it was even more unbearable.

I'm gonna gut you! CK.

It was clear that Jason had better get away from him soon. If he came across him in private, he was going to kill him. Or skin him alive and offer his skin to Dick.

See, you can answer ! JT.

He stormed out of the elevator and raced outside, using his X-ray vision to spot Jason in the crowd. From watching all the Robins, he could easily recognize their skeletons from their wounds.

Jason was there. Waving at him with a mischievous grin that made you want to slap him, he waited by the coffee kiosk. Perfect. Clark pointed to the place with a nod and Jason sighed, dragging himself nonchalantly toward it. Clark passed behind him in line.

"What the hell are you doing here, Jay?! We could be seen together! "

Jay raised his hands in the air.

"Calm down, Clark. People don't care. Just act normal. "

Jay was wearing his brown leather jacket, a black T-shirt and blue jeans instead of black pants. Maybe that could pass, he was probably too used to his Red Hood « costume ».

"What do you want? How did you know I was still here? "

The interested party shrugged.

"I've come to collect a service charge. I was in the neighborhood and checked your position on the Cave's network. I'm not crazy, I wasn't coming for nothing. "

Clark raised an eyebrow. His position on the Cave network? Was he traced? And this service charge thing...

"What exactly do you want? "

Jay grabbed him by the shoulders in one swift movement:

"I want you and Bruce out of the Manor tonight! I can't take it anymore! "

Clark opened his eyes wide.

"Did you come to ask me to leave you alone with Dick tonight? Couldn't you have just texted me? "

Jay sighed and moved forward in line. He crossed his arms before replying:

"I wanted to make sure you'd say yes. I can't take it anymore, he's driving me crazy! "

Clark narrowed his eyes.

"I don't understand, Bruce was in Dallas for three days and he came back yesterday. Didn't you enjoy it? "

Jay grabbed his hair, making a face so horrible it frightened a lady walking by.

"Buuuut MISTER was watching over Gotham, dammit! This City can look after itself THREE FUCKING DAY-"

Clark clamped his hand over Jason's mouth as he began to scream, drawing attention to himself.

"Okay, I get it. I'll take care of Bruce. "

He sighed as Jay flashed a big smile.

"Thanks, Clark," he said, patting him on the shoulder. "You're a real... wow, I don't know what to call you. Like buddy, it's dead, uncle it's super weird, father-in-l-... "

Clark snapped and put his hand over Jason's mouth again to shut him up.

"Don't call me. I think it's best for both of us. "

Jay shrugged, returning to a serious expression.

"As you wish. "

He ordered a short coffee from Marco. Clark followed his order with Lois's, offering his coffee to Jay. They walked away from the street vendor.

"If Bruce ever gives me a run for my money on this, you'd better be on your way," he said as he looked around them.

"Huh, he's going to lecture me again and all... "

Clark glared at him and turned his attention back to their surroundings. Then he saw a big problem looming in the distance.

"Shit, there's Lois! Get out of the way! "

Jay sighed and stepped away from Clark.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow or the day after. "

Clark glowered at him and the next thing he knew, as Batman had taught Jay, he disappeared into the crowd. The reporter set off back towards the building, heading for Lois.

When he reached her, he knew by the predatory look in her eyes that she'd seen who he was with. Shit. He was really going to gut Jay one day, for real!

"You were craving coffee!" she said, testing him.

He handed her his drink and they entered the Daily Planet again.

"I needed it. "

Lois gave him a mischievous smile as they both entered the elevator.

"Since when do you make friends with Wayne's son? "

Clark was surprised. It wasn't the question he'd expected to get first.

"Who? The kid I was talking to? "

Lois scrutinized him. Clark's surprise had been genuine, but she doubted it. He had to take advantage of it.

"It was more like a young adult. And you expect me to believe you don't know he's one of Wayne's adopted sons?! Well, his protégé. "

Clark shrugged as they exited the elevator.

"I offered him his coffee, but he didn't have enough change. I didn't pay attention. It's not like he's a famous face! Do you know the other kids? "

He put on his sorry face, which made Lois sigh in exasperation. They settled back into their desks.

"Of course I know their faces! I mean, from when they were at school. But it's all the same! I wanted to interview him! I did a lot of research on Wayne and his family. "

Clark burst out laughing at her serious expression.

"Now you're a fan of a billionaire? "

"Shut up, Smallville! You'll never get far in journalism if you don't know celebrities and their families! "

Clark took a sip of his coffee and nodded, an amused look on his face.

"Okay, I'll work on that then! But after my article. "

"Yeah, you do that," Lois dropped, offended.

Clark smiled and typed a quick message to Bruce before going back to work: he had to do it, that favor.

"Why do I get the feeling that when you pull out the Titanic's card, it's to get us out of the Manor? " dropped Bruce as he passed through Kandor's big door.

Clark crossed his arms as he landed beside him.

"If you don't like it, let's go to a luxury hotel! "

This was only the second time the Kryptonian had taken him back to Kandor. If it was to get any thoughts, he'd have done without!

"I'm sorry," Bruce replied, his eyes still shining every time he came here.

Clark passed the sponge when he saw the wonder in his eyes; he was too proud of this state of affairs to continue to be offended.

"I wanted to show you the changes I'd made since your last reviews with Zat'. And yes, Jay wanted the Manor for Dick and I owed it to him. "

Bruce stretched out a slight sneer.

"Poor Alfred. "

Clark pouted beside him. The butler had to endure the crises between the two boys at every turn. They were walking towards the suspended boat when Bruce asked:

"So if I understand correctly, there's some kind of arrangement between you and Jay to vacate the Manor whenever it suits you? "

Clark could feel his scrutinizing gaze on him.

"We'll say this," he answered evasively.

He could still feel his gaze on him. Clark grabbed him by the hip and with a leap they found themselves on the main deck of the famous Titanic. He pulled away from Bruce and frowned.

"By the way, are you tracking my location? "

Bruce remained impassive.

"Jay track you? "

Clark crossed his arms, leaning back against the rail.

"Yes, he geotagged me with the Cave. "

Bruce sighed in annoyance as Clark glared at him.

"You don't have to track me, Bruce! I always tell you where I am! If you're afraid of losing track of me again, know that I'm not leaving now! I thought you knew that! "

Clark was clearly offended by Bruce's maneuver. Bruce's gaze locked with his own.

"No, it's not that. It's more... a reflex. I know you're not leaving. "

And he also knew that when this conversation had started, Clark had been listening carefully to the intonation of his voice and his heartbeat. Bruce was telling the truth. The Kryptonian shook his head and moved closer to kiss Bruce on the cheek.

"You're incorrigible, Bruce. And I've got nothing to hide from you. "

Bruce let Clark embrace him and they kissed. Then they headed inside the boat.

Aqualad and Aquaman had given the Kryptonian a great deal of help in redoing the outside of the boat, and Clark was proud that it was as good as new. Inside, however, it had been a different story and he still hadn't finished.

The lower and middle decks and the machinery still had to be redone, as did the luxury quarters, but it was all a huge job. Alone, Clark had years of renovation ahead of him, using his powers. So he guided Bruce to where he'd refurbished the boat.

"Wait, if Jay tracked you, he must have come to see you? " realized the Bat as they entered the grand ballroom.

Clark grimaced.

"Yeah. Lois almost caught us outside. Jay doesn't miss a beat! "

The Bat grunted.

"She should get off your back. "

Clark grinned as Bruce reacted more to Lois than to Jay's actions.

"I love it when you're jealous. "

He grabbed Bruce and kissed him enviously. The Bat rejected him, and this only excited Clark, who came back for more. Once again, Bruce held him at bay.

"I'm serious, Clark. If she snoops around too much, she's going to suspect things. "

Clark turned serious again.

"I know, Bruce. But if I try to shut her out, she'll just nose around some more. She'll get tired of it. "

"Maybe, but right now she's clearly taking up your time, acting like you don't have a life, adding overtime and making you late. "

Clark couldn't help smiling at Bruce's reaction: he loved seeing him react this way.

"She'll get tired of it, I'm sure. When she finds someone. "

Bruce grunted again, and this time he couldn't fend off the Kryptonian's emotional assault, as he grabbed him by the hips and kissed him.

"Well, shall we make the most of this evening? "

Today was an important day for the Mount Justice apprentice vigilante team. Without knowing it, during their training and the various small missions they had carried out under the supervision of an assigned vigilante, they had been evaluated. Robin, Beast Boy, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, Miss Martian and Superboy formed the "Teen Titans", the new generation of Titans after Nightwing, Aqualad, Raven, Starfire and Arsenal.

The vigilantes saw in them the future they could bring to the world, especially their personal trainers. That's why their leaders had decided to organize a joint activity with them.

On the training ground at Mount Justice, Batman had activated the simulator to prepare the appropriate terrain. He, Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Vixen and Flash were waiting for the apprentices. The latter had no doubt that something was up, as earlier in the morning, the Titans had come to talk to them.

It would be up to the Titans to assess their group cohesion and abilities. After that, they would all decide whether to send the Teen Titans out into the field, unsupervised. A decisive decision, to say the least, and one that would mark a milestone in their lives as heroes.

"Is everything ready?" asked Barry, as he circled the field ten times.

Batman nodded.

"Yes. Nightwing told me they were coming. "

Flash nodded, grinning broadly.

"We're going to have so much fun! "

Diana crossed her arms.

"Don't get too excited, Barry. We're taking it easy and we're not taking our apprentices 1v1. "

Barry put on a sad face as Vixen and Superman laughed. Bruce turned his attention back to the door, which opened two seconds later.

"What the hell are you doing here?" asked Robin in an almost insolent tone.

Batman sighed inwardly, telling himself that obviously, if there had to be a grouch on the team, it would be his.

"We've prepared something that should please you. "

Wonder Girl stepped forward in her beautiful black sequined costume.

"More training? "

Batman shook his head negatively.

"Not really. We did something else.

He activated the simulation and a huge basketball court materialized around them. The bleachers were there for the Titans, and they would be the players. Superman tossed the young Amazon a reinforced basketball.

"Basketball. Your team against ours. No holds barred, including powers! "

Tim crossed his arms, defeatist.

"Great. We're at a huge disadvantage against you, and besides, basketball's played by 5, not 6."

Batman had seen his reaction coming a mile away.

"That's why the court is bigger. And the goal isn't to win against us, it's to find out if you'll be able to score even one point! "

His tone was defiant. He hit the nail on the head when he noticed Tim's change of posture.

"Because you doubt it? "

"Come and prove me wrong! "

He stepped onto the pitch as the Titans settled in.

"Do better than us!" shouted Arsenal to encourage them.

The Teen Titans moved into position. It was the start of a tough afternoon.

Clark was still working. He had to do some research for Lois when he should have finished an hour ago. He figured he'd take the time to do a few patrols before joining Bruce at the seafood restaurant on the edge of Metropolis. He'd reserved the table for 8 p.m. and it was already 7:54. He was going to be late. He sent a quick message.

I'll be late, try to be there in 10 minutes. CK.

Bruce was going to kill him. He knew he and Lois were on some big crooked politician thing, again, but that made twice in one week he'd been late, and the week before too he'd had to arrive half an hour late. And Bruce hated it when people were late.

Clark was biting his fingers in advance. Bruce had barely tolerated it the first time, and since then his second tardiness had become even more tense between them. He hoped he hadn't stretched his patience to the point where Bruce decided to sleep at the hotel instead of his apartment. He'd be able to do that, only to make Clark feel his wrath. His phone vibrated.

Ten minutes. Noted. BW.

It was a bad sign. His instincts told his that this message was a bad sign. Bruce was going to get him every time.

"Don't daydream, Kent! We absolutely must find proof in these photos that she was a prostitute!"

And Lois was beginning to wear down his patience. What an idea he'd had to go back to work so soon! He should have waited until things were stronger with Bruce before putting their relationship directly at risk! Because he knew that was what was happening, and he couldn't live without Bruce.

"I was supposed to leave an hour ago, Lois! I had a dinner date! "

The brunette swiveled her head to the side to look him straight in the eye.

"This case is much more important than your damn dinner! This guy could be our future mayor, Clark! We can't let that happen! "

Clark gritted his teeth. He knew the cause was just, but this...

There were thousands of photos to sort through. From a charity gala. Clark and Lois had divided up the photo shoots. He could have used his powers to look through them all in a hurry, but with nearly 1,000 photos, it was a foregone conclusion. And he'd only gotten through 300 of them!

He felt the sweat beading on his back. Wow. It was stressing him out to keep Bruce waiting for the umpteenth time. Let's hope he doesn't ditch him. Let's hope Bruce doesn't decide to sleep in separate bedrooms and leave him alone in his apartment, which served more as a bachelor pad than anything else. Hell, the last time he'd been alone there, Bruce had kicked him out of the Manor over a disagreement they'd had. About Lois.

He looked at his phone. It was already 8:15 p.m., and Bruce hadn't sent a single message. That was a really bad sign.

I'm still at work, I'll be right there, I'll be quick I promise. CK.

And he really did hurry. He scrolled through the photos, grumbling because the whole thing was getting on his nerves. This investigation was getting on his nerves. It was in this kind of frame of mind that he thought of using his powers to get the information he needed. But to do so would go against his principles, and he'd be no better than anyone else who used their abilities for themselves.

He checked his phone. No answer from Bruce. He was in trouble. And there was no way he was going to lose Bruce for his job. Maybe he was reacting too late, but better late than never!

"I'll stop here! I'm not going to ruin my evening when it can wait until tomorrow!

Lois struck his desk with the flat of her hand.

"Don't you dare move, Kent! I thought the truth came first! "

Clark glared at her.

"Not before my love life! And anyway, you're not my boss, Lois, you don't pay me overtime and you're just my colleague! "

He began to close the open documents on his computer in an effort to leave.

"Are you serious, Clark?! What happened to the investigator I once knew? You've gone soft! In the old days, you'd have gone out of your way to put a guy like that in jail! Remember Luthor! "

Clark was stung to the quick.

"I'll do whatever it takes to put guys like that in jail, but I refuse to spend my life doing nothing else! There's more to my life than my job, Lois! "

The brunette crossed her arms as they both stood up to face each other.

"Oh yeah? And what do you have? A love life, is that it? "

"And a dinner half an hour late. "

Clark had opened his mouth to answer. But the sound hadn't come from him. Both journalists turned their heads towards a tall, dark-haired man, whose metallic gaze glared at them both. The latter turned off Clark's screen and threw his raincoat into his arms.

"Bruce?! "

Clark couldn't believe it. Maybe he was as shocked as Lois to see him in the offices. To see him here. In public. Talking to him. Acknowledging their relationship in public. The latter, impassive, had a look as sharp as steel.

"I hate being late. So now we go. "

Clark's eyes widened as Bruce led him to the elevator. He couldn't realize this was really happening. Absolutely not.

"Bruce... "

The latter was clenching his jaw and visibly trying to keep his composure. Clark reflexively slipped on his coat, staring at the billionaire beside him, while Lois, behind them, stood speechless. They both entered the elevator. Clark recovered his neurons as if by magic.

"Do you realize what you've just done?! "

Clark touched him with his fingertip, as if to make sure Bruce wasn't an illusion. But he wasn't. In his charcoal three-piece suit and big black trench coat, Bruce was there in the elevator, coming to pick him up at his office. At the Daily Planet. At the paper.

"I was tired of her taking up your time. Now that's settled. "

Bruce frankly looked pissed off. But not at the Kryptonian. Against his colleague. Bruce had preferred to be in public with him to free up more time with him. Clark felt his heart swell in his chest. He grabbed Bruce by the hip and pulled him in for a kiss. Damn. Having Bruce in an elevator really made him want it that much more.

Bruce clung to the flaps of his coat to kiss him as much as he did. But when the doors tinkled and opened, they separated as if nothing had happened. They walked out of the building together, side by side.

"Bruce, by doing this you're making our relationship public. Are you aware of the repercussions this will have on you? "

Clark didn't care about his image. But Bruce was a public figure. His image mattered a lot and it was likely to impact his businesses. Bruce turned his head toward him as they headed for a cab.

"Because you think I acted without thinking it through? "

The Kryptonian probed him for a moment. No, of course not. Bruce never acted without thinking things through and considering every possible turn of events. His smile widened as he understood the billionaire's maneuver. Their cab arrived but Clark held Bruce by the arm:

"So... you want to make our relationship public? "

"Don't you? "

Clark kissed him. He couldn't help it, he kissed Bruce in public, in front of a crowd of people. And nobody paid any attention to them. Because two people kissing on the street, at first glance, was nothing extraordinary. They separated to get into the cab.

"I love you, Bruce. "

Bruce turned to the Kryptonian.

"Me too, Clark. "

And it was the first time the Bat had answered him. Clark felt his heart swell. Someday, Bruce would tell him he loved him. And on that day, it would probably be the most precious memory of his life. More precious than what he was experiencing right now.

The cab dropped them off at Clark's, and they spent a crazy evening making love, over and over again, until Bruce was exhausted. The Kryptonian was far too happy to be reasonable, and he knew that the next day, as soon as they stepped through the door, his life would change completely. He knew that when he and Bruce opened the door, a myriad of questions and flashes would pop up asking about their relationship.

Clark smiled, as he held Bruce asleep against him. Today was the last page of a great adventure in his life. Tomorrow he would surely begin a new one, with Bruce Wayne at his side. He was ready now. Ready to live a new life, a new adventure. He would savor every moment of it, in the company of the man he loved more than anything. And that was priceless.