I do not own Batman/Bruce Wayne, Superman/Clark Kent/Kal El, J'ohn Jones/Martian Manhunter, Lucius Fox, or Amanda Waller. DC does. Please read this chapter for free.

Basement of Wayne Tower Eleven Years After Waynes' Deaths

Superman put himself physically between his fellow extraterrestrial and the Batman. "Bruce?"

The Batman asked without turning around, "Did you mean to?"

The Martian swallowed before replying, shaking his head even though the human couldn't see it. "No."

"How did it happen?"

"It was the first time I ever saw a human being. He wasn't trying to guard his mind from me at all, but he was going to shoot me. I reacted. I'm sorry."

The Batman's scowl got a little deeper. The Martian felt his rising aggression from where he lay on the cot. "Bruce I am so sorry, I never meant to put this burden on you."

Batman breathed in deeply through his nose and only partly turned around. "You are her Joe Chill."

The Martian sighed. "I know."

Superman winced at that. "Bruce …"

"Clark, I know what I'm talking about. He isn't safe anywhere on earth. Do you know how far her jurisdiction stretches and how many she has leverage on let alone connections with?"

Superman frowned in frustration and turned to wave an arm at the Martian while still facing Bruce. "That's why we're trying to get him to Mars!"

Batman turned slightly so they could both see his profile. The eye they then saw narrowed. "That's what he wants?"

Superman nodded. Batman turned around fully and even took off his mask to stare at John's Martian face with the human one of Bruce Wayne before whispering, "You told me once you lost everything John. Yet, returning home is what you want?"

"I did lose everything I once had there, except for my brother, before coming here. But I also made a promise."

The Batman straightened and eyes widened as they stared into the red glowing ones of the Martian. John took a deep breath before continuing. "One of my fellow Martian warriors, I'd also come to call 'brother' asked me to find his daughter and raise her."

"How old would she be now?"

"He left her encased in ice, which should keep her in deep hibernation and near maturation standstill, but alive ..."

"For how long?"

The Martian sighed. His face fell. "I'm not sure, but I have to go look for her either way."

Batman sighed. "I'll help you. You had better be telling me the truth, John."

"I am."

Batman narrowed his eyes. "I mean it. I find out you're using me to harm earth, I will turn my resources and contacts against you that I had used for you till then and more."

"I understand."

Superman, however, had his brow furrowed in confusion. "Bruce what are you talking about? We have to get him to Mars!"

"I know."

"You know? Bruce, 'I' came here from another planet. Hamilton and I have studied the ship that brought me here for about a year now, together, and we 'still' don't know how to make that reverse trip. I know Mars is a lot closer, but we don't have the technology and understanding to make the trip yet that I know of."

"'We' don't."

Superman cocked his head. Both he and the Martian raised an eyebrow, or browridge in John's case. Batman's face barely changed as he elaborated. "I have a connection."

Both Superman's brows flew up. A little fear and more confusion entered his eyes before Batman turned a glare on him and spoke in Kryptonian. "Not, 'those' connections. Ones from 'this' time."

Superman blushed and pointed to a now very wide-eyed John. "He knows some Kryptonian."

Batman's glare darkened. "And you're telling me this 'now?'"

"Sorry. He learned a little Kryptonian. I learned a little Martian. Like you said, I don't meet many other extraterrestrials."

The Martian interrupted. "You think you can get me back to Mars?"

"Not like this. It will be a rough trip, even for you. We'll have to make contact with my connection, get instructions, carry them out, and toughen you up."

Superman's eyes went a little wide and concerned. "Um, exactly what are we talking about?"

"There's a type of technology made by ... members of a long-lived, resilient, strong species of aliens. It bends space to create miniature wormholes for them to walk through. It can take them anywhere they can put in the coordinates for that the technology will understand 'and' can survive the wormhole's existence."

Superman's mouth nearly fell open. John's face was crinkled up like he might weep. "You can get me back to Mars ..."

"Maybe ... likely ..." Batman paused and then shrugged. "We'll try."

John's chest heaved as his eyes crinkled up. "Bruce ..."

"You have to get a lot healthier than you are now. Like I said, this tech wasn't made for humans, or Martians. On a good day, I imagine Superman wouldn't find it difficult. If we get things prepared sufficiently otherwise, but you aren't ready and he's willing, perhaps he can find your honorary niece and thaw her out."

"I think it would be best if it were me, so as not to frighten her too badly, but ..." The Martian looked to the Kryptonian and nodded. "If she is near starvation and he can find and free her, then yes."

The Batman tilted his head down and lowered his voice, "So, there is a chance she's dead?"

The Martian sighed. "I don't know. It's been decades here, and I don't know exactly how Earth time correlates ... but I have to try."

"I understand."

"Thank you ..."

Batman raised his head and gaze to the Martian's face. "Does that mean you'll stay, hide, and behave yourself down here while we work on this together?"

Superman frowned and cut in gesturing to the alien on the cot again, "Does this mean you'll unstrap him?"

John nodded. "Yes, I will stay and hide and follow your orders if there is a chance for me to finally reach my niece."

Superman cast a worried glance over his shoulder. Batman, though, nodded and strode over undoing the straps. "Could you have gotten out of these yourself?"

"Maybe. But as you say, I'm not at my best."

"I'll send Lucius out for some groceries while I get back to guarding my city."

Superman watched in silence. After Batman finished, and the Martian was flexing and rubbing his limbs while smiling, Batman turned to the nearby tunnel and started walking. "I'll see you out, Superman."

The Kryptonian followed looking over his shoulder once to meet the eyes of a smiling Martian. Superman looked back to Batman. "He knows I'm Clark Kent."

Batman sighed. "I see." After they got much farther away, Batman lowered his voice and spoke in Krpyotnian again. "I want you to stay nearby and watch him."

"Be his prison guard you mean."

"You can also watch and aid me if it seems necessary, but I do want to see what he'll do with this new freedom and hope."

"He'll be fine. Better than he's been in a long time, probably. But, I'll stick around as long as there isn't an emergency elsewhere for me to help with until I need to get back to Metropolis for work that is. If you recall, I already took some time off yesterday. My boss wasn't happy with that." Superman then stopped walking and stared at the Batman who also paused and turned to face him. Superman crossed his arms and met Batman's gaze with a hard one of this own. "Did you mean 'everything' you said to him?"

"Yes."

"And you didn't tell 'me' you had a way to travel the galaxy?"

"I 'don't' have one. My contact does."

"Still ..."

"Did 'you' have a need as great as his to leave Earth?"

"No ..."

"Did you tell me about 'Moe the Martian,' the friend of yours who 'is' desperate to get to another planet?"

"No."

"Then you have your answer."

As Superman rolled his eyes, Batman's belt seemed to speak with Lucius' voice. "Batman, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm getting tired of driving the Batmobile."

"Good, you'll need something more ordinary in appearance to pick up the supplies we'll need namely food."

"What?"

Undisclosed location Eleven Year's After Waynes' Deaths

Waller stared at the map of Gotham City and the surrounding areas on the wall. Her assistant came in. "We have several agents calling in saying they've successfully infiltrated the criminal networks across the city. Others have more officially talked to civil authorities and its been made known there is a large award available for pertinent information regarding our target."

"Add 50% to the reward."

"I … haven't even told you what the amount is, yet."

Waller turned slowly and stared her slightly short, very capable, but now quaking assistant down. The woman managed to nod her head without swallowing. "Right away ma'am. 50%." She hurried out of the room.

Waller kept staring at the map. "Were you really stupid enough to come back? Or are you just playing with me? Either way Martian Manhunter. I will make you suffer far more than my father did. And I will prepare for the invasion 'you're' preparing us for so that when you're armies arrive every one of you will die screaming in flames."

Dance Club with Bar in Gotham City's South Side Eleven Years After Waynes' Deaths

Samson rubbed his throat before downing a cheap drink and slamming the small glass onto the counter. He cursed before following his foul language up with "Bat, choking me! I'll choke him one of these days I get lucky ... some day."

"Excuse me?"

Samson turned blurry eyes on a fairly well-dressed man he'd never seen before staring at him with an interested smile. "Did you say the Batman 'choked' you?"

"Yeah, never done it before, but tonight for some reason ... and right after I passed out with this headache and woke up on the side of the road today ... Superman was there too, believe it or not ... banging on the car-window." Samson chuckled weakly. "Couldn't believe it ... Of all the places and times to meet that alien 'Boy Scout in Blue' from the 'shining city of our nation.' What was he even doing here?"

The stranger's grin had widened as Samson kept talking. When the older man stopped, the stranger reached out, grabbed Samson's glass, filled it from a bottle of more expensive alcohol he'd bought and slid the glass back to a bleary, yet now also wide-eyed Samson. Then the stranger leaned closer to the down-on-his-luck landlord. "Tell me more about your day ..."

Whumptober Prompt "Revenge."

What do you think now?

God bless

ScribeofHeroes