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Today's the day.
Clark thought as he looked himself over in the bathroom mirror of his small apartment. They all agreed they'd reveal their secret identities today.
The team had agreed on it last meeting, they've worked together for a year now, it felt natural, they were more than just co-workers at this point they were brothers in arm, friends, family.
Clark switch to his round glasses only to change his mind and wear his square ones.
He'd spent the last 57 minutes going through his entire wardrobe trying one button up after another only for it to be deemed unworthy as well
dress code today was no capes no spandex no tights, but business casual.
Clark changed his glasses again.
"Your glasses are fine Smallville" Lois rolled her eyes but had a grin on her face from the agitated giant.
Clark had faced timed her after the 5th shirt he'd tried on knowing she'd be of help, they both settled on the light salmon colored button up she had gotten him for his birthday last year.
"I'm not sure Lois, Ma said the round ones compliment my eyes but I feel like a fish."
"I mean I could come as your personal stylist to make sure you look good all night" she winked
Clark let out a nervous chuckle "Lois this isn't a scoop, it's a dinner with friends...who've never seen me in glasses" he changed the pair once again.
"Oh well can't blame a girl for trying" she said ,not really sounding disappointed from the phone's microphone.
Clark changed his glasses.
"Come on Kansas, you look great. Stop fiddling, those are your friends."
Clark lets out a breathe he didn't know he was holding, Lois had that effect on him.
"I know I'm just excited? Happy? These people are so incredible, and going from superman to Clark Kent is just-"
"Stop right there. Clark, I'd chose you over superman any day. you are what makes superman special not flight or heat vision, your heart is good Kal-el."
Clark felt a warmth in his heart over hearing his kryptonian name
"I mean the flight is a big bonus though" Lois joked
"I have to go Lois, Pie's almost ready"
"Let me know how it went Smallville. and...go with the square frame, you do kinda look like a fish"
"I knew it" Clark changed his glasses for the last time.
He took the pie out the oven, almost exactly like Ma makes it.
Clark looked at his watch, there are still 10 minutes until the scheduled time, but he figures being first might take off some of his jitters.
He takes off to the nearest Zeta tube.
The ride usually takes seconds yet it feels like hours, all he can do to pass the time is count his own heartbeat.
When he steps out he sees a blonde man standing in the hall, his breath stops.
He didn't know they had a blonde member in the league.
Could it be...
The man spots him as well and he seems to have a similar reaction. So Clark, with all the confidence Clark Kent can master, steps forward and a small "hello" falls from his lips.
The men's lips stretch into a bright smile "holy shit supes!"
Clark recognizes this voice. The flash. Clark smiles, a little shy now, and before he can stop himself he says
"You're blonde." Clark wants to slap himself.
Flash's smile turns into a small laugh.
"And you have glasses"
Clark subconsciously touches his glasses, he definitely made the right choices
With a little more confidence he steps forward and introduces himself.
"My name is Clark Kent I'm originally from Smallville Kansas but I live in metropolis and I work as a reporter for the daily planet"
Flash crosses the room with super speed, which is a little unnerving seeing him do in civilian clothes, he takes Clark's hand in his.
"Barry Allen, forensic chemist, central city. And I must say I'm a bit of a fan Clark I've read some of your work."
"Oh-" Before Clark can respond Barry super speeds them into a hug
"It's good to meet you Clark"
"You too Barry" Clark returned the hug
"Don't you two look nice"
A women's voice was heard from the Zeta tube, they both turned knowing exactly who it belonged to.
There a beautiful dark haired woman in a white pantsuit walked in, her stride full with as much confidence as she has wearing her armor and wielding her lasso.
"It's wonderful to see your true face Kal-el or Would you rather Clark?"
"Both are good" Clark said still amazed by the strong woman.
"It is great to meet you as well Barry Allen" Barry nodded still in shock, maybe even more than Clark.
She eyes them both as if judging something deep inside them, Clark feels naked under her gaze and when it seems they've both past her invisible test she talks.
"My name is Diana Prince of the Themyscira Amazons, my mother is Queen Hippolyta. At day I live in Gateway city and I work for the United stated ammbassey, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintances, Clark of Metropolis and Barry of Central City"
The three pour themselves drinks from the snack table they'd set up, so far it had Clark's pie, the few diffrent types of snacks Barry and bought, and a the large bowl of ceasr salad Diana had brought.
The next one to show up was Green lantern. The group knew it was green lantern because in opposed to their business casual agreement he was still wearing his green lantern suit.
Before Barry had the chance to express his disapproval Green lantern took off his ring.
The green lantern uniform melted away and underneath them a brown eyed man with chestnut hair and the signature green lantern smirk appeared.
But what really drew in the group's attention was his unifrom, Clark recognized it from the time he and Lois interviewed some general. while in the air force facility he saw a few men wearing those same uniform, a pilot's uniform.
"Hal Jordan, fighter jet pilot, please hold your applause" no one was clapping but they did greet their friend, everyone introducing themselves for the new commer.
"Well? Spooky's here yet?" Hal asked while placing the excessive amount of alcohol he'd brought to the casual get together.
It was the question everyone was thinking about. while they'd agreed of this identity reveal gathering Batman hadn't exactly been clear if he'd arrive or not, he only responded with "it seems like you've made up your minds" when they'd scheduled this event.
Clark could hear the small skip in his heartbeat when they suggested the idea to him, he's not sure what it meant.
"I'm sure he'll arrive soon."
The group turned to look at the newcomer, the attitude and voice were clearly of manhunter but in front of them stood a bald man with a brown trench coat
"Although my real name you know I thought I'd introduce you to my current earth identity, I am John Jones, I work as a policeman in Denver"
"Manhunter you're telling me you can literally shape-shift into any form and you're choosing to be bald?" Hal asked amused, but mostly in awe.
"It is great to see this part of your life my friend, your work as an officer contribute to justice and our cause"
Now that Clark knows wonder woman works for the embassy he can really see where her diplomatic voice and nature comes from
"I've brought kiesh"
Manhunter's voice is still the same
---
At this point the group has given up on Batman's arrival
They were enjoying themselves having drinks telling stories of their childhood and daily lives.
Hal and Barry had connected over their shared loss of a parent at a young age while Diana and J'onn were comparing the similarities and differences of Mars and Themyscira.
It was going great when the Zeta tube had announced the new arrival of one Batman
The room stilled when out walked Batman in full armor.
The disappointment was obvious though the room was quiet, no one wanted to be the one to point out to Batman that this was mask free kind of party
Batman looked over the room and sighed "I understand you were all expecting... something else, and I'll make do on my promise, I just need- ah perfect" he walks over to the snack table and grabs one of the bottles Hal had brought, without hesitation he downed half of it.
Clark could hear his heartbeat slow down a little
"This is better, let's see where this night goes."
Clark was stunned.
"Fuck. Yes." Hal practically ran to the table and poured 6 shots of a clear liquid, "you have no idea how long I've been waiting for this"
He passed the shots around the room, Clark was a little hesitant but J'onn, Diana and Barry already downed their drinks and were going for a second. So he decided to go along with the plan and see where the night goes.
---
3 shots in
"Oh but when Nubia wanted a new axe she got one but when I wanted to leave the island suddenly it's too much?! And mother still claims she has no favorite!" Clark was mostly following Diana's slurred speech, he'd deduced Nubia was her sister.
---
5 shots in
"3, 2, 1 GO!" Barry started shaking the shot glass making it phase while the liquor inside fell into Batman's mouth.
---
8 shots in
"Scarlett Johnson? No, Julia Robert? I got it! Britney spears!" Clark had guessed every blonde celebrity he knew at this point but J'onn wasn't exactly the best charades partner, so when he transformed his face to look like Jennifer Lawrence, Clark screamed the answer.
"THAT IS CHEATING KAL-EL"
The drunk Amazonian leaped at him
---
10 shots in
Hal, probably the drunkest after Batman at this point, was stuck on the chandelier. They didn't have a chandelier in the watchtower, he conjured it a second ago using his ring trying to show off his moves to the song "chandelier"
"I CANT GET DOWN IM SCARED OF HIGHTS"
"Hal you're a pilot, also you can fly"
"Oh, right"
---
They'd all sat around the table ripping open the bags of snacks Barry had brought when Batman finally stood.
"I think it's time"
Without further warning he slipped off his cowl revealing a beautiful pair of blue eyes and dark black hair.
"Oh my god spooky's Bruce wayne" Hal pointed at him like a little kid at a zoo
"Yes"
"The watchtower makes a lot more sense, I had no idea how we were paying for this." Barry says through a moth full of potato chips "if I'm being honest I was afraid we were in some sort of embezelment scheme" he whispers to Clark
"It's wonderful to make your acquaintances Bruce" Diana stood trying to give him a hug but the alcohol in her blood made her wobbles on her feet and fall back onto the couch
"Didn't I interview you once?"
"You did. And I have some notes"
Clark gulps
---
Bruce wayne is not at all what you'd expect.
"And this is Steph and Tim building a sand castle at our beach resort. And this is Dick at his gymnastics competition, and this is Jason getting his wisdom tooth removed and-"
Unlike strong and silent Batman, Bruce liked to talk, a lot, spesificlly about his children.
They were all huddled around him while he scrolled through his phone's photo gallery
"And this is Cassie at her Ballet recital, she was so good and graceful and perfect and-" Bruce was holding back tears when he scrolled to the next picture
"Oh! And this is from the time Damian burnt the manor's kitchen down, Alfred had to take a vacation to deal with the emotional damage."
"How old was he?" J'onn inquired
"About 4, my little arsonist." Bruce said with a fond smile
"Your kids sure are something" Clark laughed
"Yes they-" the smile fell from his lips as he scrolled to the next photo, this one was older. it depicted a family of three, a beautiful women covered in a fur coat, a man with a pipe, and a smiling boy in a suit.
They all waited for him to talk
"These are my parents, they were murdered in front of my eyes when I was 10"
Diana placed her hand on Bruce's shoulder "we're here for you Bruce, if you ever want to talk."
---
Batman was crying
It seems like he was holding a lot of things to his chest.
Clark thinks this should probably happen with his therapist but then remembers this is Batman and there's no way this emotionally constipated man has a therapist.
The team was clueless to how they should comfort him and just as Clark return from the kitchen with a cup of warm tea for the man, the Zeta tube activated.
They all turned their heads, frozen as they stared. none of them was in any shape to fight the invader.
An old gentleman wearing a tailored suit walked with confidence to the room, Clark couldn't remember if they invited Zatara to this get-together, but even though he's tipsy Clark's pretty sure this is not Zatara's face.
"My apologies for the intrusion, I'm here to collect master Bruce."
Bruce, recognizing the British gentleman's voice gets up from the couch and sluggishly strides towards him only to engulf the smaller man in a hug.
The group was too confused to respond.
"Goodnight gentlemens, lady." The old man nodded towards them and left with a weeping Batman on his shoulder.
"We are sure Bruce knows the guy and he didn't just get kidnapped right?" Clark asked his team
When he turned to hear their responses he saw most of them already passed out on the couch with the exception of J'onn who doesn't need sleep.
Clark checkes his watch. 4:34AM.
"Yeah you guys probably have the right idea"
Clark helps J'onn walk to the tube, covers his sleeping friends with a blanket and walks to his own quarters in the tower, too tired to fly home.
Tucked in bed Clark stares at the ceiling.
He really hopes they'll remember this tomorrow.