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1.
Just a few hours ago, the League had asked the Titans for help to stop an invasion, which they successfully managed to do.
Right now, they were in the Watchtower, with each member of the League congratulating each of their protégés.
-Today you proved that no matter how difficult a situation may be, we can always overcome it if we work together. I’m proud of all of you. I know you gave it your best, and that’s what matters. Keep it up, and remember that you don’t have to face anything alone. The meeting is adjourned. Good job, guys.
Little by little, the room emptied until only the Titans were left. Batman was about to get up from his seat and leave quickly, but a boy stopped him.
-Don’t even think you’re getting away, B! Where’s my hug? And my congratulations?
-Hm.
-Gasp. I’m going to tell Agent A you said that.
The Titans now watched their leader in astonishment as they saw how he treated the well-known ‘Dark Knight’.
But even more surprising was seeing Batman hug Nightwing.
-I’m proud of you, Chum.
He whispered it in such a way that only the two of them could hear.
Soon, Batman let go of the hero and returned to his mission of leaving through the Zeta Beams.
-Did you see that, Wally!? He finally softened his stone-cold heart.
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2.
The Young Justice had returned from a successful mission not long ago. Right now, they were waiting for Batman, their ‘babysitter’, so to speak.
After a few minutes, the Zeta Beams announced his arrival, and the Man in Black positioned himself in front of them.
-Good job. The League will take care of the cleanup.
As always, he congratulated them with few words, simply nodding toward the team before turning around, coming face-to-face with Red Robin, who was looking at him with a frown.
At this, Batman simply pulled his hand out of his cape and ruffled his hair.
-Hey! You’re messing up my hair.
The young man complained, although he made no attempt to push him away.
-I’ll ask Agent A to prepare your favorite meal. You did a good job out there.
He left his son’s hair alone and left Mount Justice.
Red Robin let out a small laugh and turned to look at his team, who were now staring at him in fear.
-Did Batman just show you affection!?
The bewildered shout echoed throughout the headquarters.
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3.
Just a few months ago, the Outlaws became unusually popular, which led the League to have to talk to them in order to reach some kind of agreement or alliance.
Which turned out surprisingly well. Well, that’s what Batman assumed, since Superman was the one who talked to them.
Right now, Batman was on his way to a meeting point to collect information that the Outlaws had obtained about a dangerous cartel that trafficked military-grade and biochemical weapons, and had also spread throughout Gotham and Metropolis.
He knew that normally the Outlaws would have jumped straight into stopping the cartel themselves, but now that they were working alongside the League, they had to report this kind of situation.
On the other hand, he was annoyed, since the Boy Scout had announced at the last minute that a problem had come up in Metropolis involving Luthor, and Diana was stuck in Themyscira after being urgently summoned by her mother to resolve a crisis in the Amazon council.
And no other member of the League could come because there still wasn't enough trust between the teams for that.
In a blink, he arrived at the place where he was supposed to meet with the Outlaws to talk, which was an abandoned warehouse.
He entered with firm steps, ignoring the presences hiding among the ceiling beams and behind pillars. To some extent, he understood the team's distrust.
His gaze immediately settled on the figure leaning against a pillar. It was Red Hood.
-Old man, what brings you around here?
Hood replied with his usual sarcasm and arrogance.
-I’m here for the information.
He spoke curtly, sharpening his gaze.
-Yeah, always so expressive. We found one of their main distribution centers is in Gotham. We also have locations, names of some members, and records of their shipments. Everything points to them preparing something big. Before you arrived, I sent you the full report.
Batman nodded.
-I’ll inform the League... Thank you, Hood.
He approached slowly and placed a hand on his shoulder. The boy stiffened at the touch, but didn’t pull away.
-Do you want to come over for dinner?
-Tch, only if Alfred makes his cookies.
Bruce let out a quiet laugh.
-I’ll see what I can do. Take care, son.
He murmured the last word only for the two of them, released his grip on the Vigilante, and left the way he had come.
-Can you repeat what your relationship with Batman is?
Roy climbed down from a ceiling beam and looked at his friend questioningly.
///
4.
He is, indeed, surrounded by idiots. But well, to understand this, we have to get some context.
Just a few hours ago, they were investigating an abandoned building where they had discovered that someone was developing technology capable of temporarily neutralizing metahuman abilities.
Which was why Batman was there with Green Arrow and Green Lantern, the two representatives of green.
The reason they were here was because Lantern’s ring itself wasn’t meta, and the Archer didn’t have any meta abilities that could be controlled or neutralized.
-Don’t split up and don’t make any noise. Remember, this is just reconnaissance. Don’t fight unless necessary.
He entered silently through a broken window of the building, which led into a room. The moment his feet touched the floor with a dry sound, he melted into the shadows.
The other two entered through the same window, trying to imitate Batman’s subtlety.
-As you say, Spooky. But if you want us to stay together, I don’t think you should just disappear like that.
-I didn’t disappear. I’m still here.
He spoke from behind the two men in green, making them jump.
-...Stay alert.
He walked between them and went straight ahead, leaving the room.
-God, one day he’s going to give us a heart attack.
The Archer said in a low voice, following the Bat.
Remember that after that they encountered some guards they had to avoid. After their long exploration through the building, they reached what appeared to be the main base.
-Don’t touch anything.
He looked at them with his typical Batman™ look and approached the large screen in the middle of the room. He began hacking it to obtain some information.
When suddenly, a loud alarm rang throughout the building.
|INTRUDER ALERT INTRUDER ALERT INTRUDER ALERT|
The screen filled with those words, causing Bruce to quickly turn his head, finding Hal face-down on the floor and Oliver trying to lift him up.
He was about to ask what happened, but soon his vision was engulfed in darkness. Before losing consciousness, he pressed a button on his wrist.
And this brings us here. Trapped and hanging upside down next to Green Arrow, while Green Lantern, still unconscious, was lying on some kind of table with all his limbs chained down.
-I told you not to touch anything.
The man dressed in black growled.
-You can’t blame me, Bats! It was Lantern’s fault. What matters now is who’s coming for us?
-I already called someone.
This seemed to calm Arrow down a little.
-Who?
-Hm.
He stared directly at the archer, making him look away.
-Please, whoever it is, just get here quickly.
He said to himself, hoping they would come for them soon. Which seemed to work, because blunt impacts could be heard around them. Suddenly, a guard fell unconscious from the ceiling.
A black figure descended from above next to the unconscious body of Green Lantern, making Oliver look up.
-Uh, Bats?
The figure didn’t answer. She simply straightened herself with a quick movement and walked toward Lantern. Bruce narrowed his eyes.
-Black Bat.
Hal finally woke up and looked around. His gaze passed over everyone in the room.
-What happened?
-Your clumsiness activated an alarm.
Arrow rolled his eyes behind his mask as he explained to Lantern.
-Ah.
-...
Silence spread throughout the room as the girl freed them. In no time, she managed to free all three of them.
-I knew you could do it.
He nodded toward Cass, knowing that behind her mask she was smiling. He extended his hand and wiped a smudge of dirt from Black Bat’s cape.
-I know, B.
In the background, the space cop and the Archer were practically left standing there with their mouths hanging open.
///
+1
Today was a special day. The League had agreed to have some kind of ‘get-together’ to get to know each other better.
He usually wouldn’t have a problem with it, but the big blue had thought it was a good idea to invite him without taking into account that his social skills were those of a rock at a party.
But you had to look at the bright side of this. He would simply stay in the corner and glare at anyone who came near him...
Suddenly, Jason appeared from the crowd, holding Damian up by his cape. Who was squirming in the air.
-B! Control the demon brat. He tried to stab me with his sword just because I called him shorty, and when he couldn’t, he tried to bite me.
While Jay explained, Dick quickly approached.
-What happe-
Before he could finish speaking, Robin interrupted him.
-Father! I demand that Hood put me down!
This attracted everyone’s attention upon hearing that. The music stopped, and more than one person spat out their drink.
-Wait... You guys are Batman’s sons!?
Conner put the pieces together.
-Uh, yeah? You didn’t know?
Artemis interrupted him.
-No! We thought you were simply close as mentor and protégés. Besides, you don’t even look alike.
-It’s true. Wing is a ray of sunshine, Hood is very aggressive, you’re very ‘I simply exist,’ and that kid-
-Robin.
Red corrected him.
-and Robin, we barely even know.
-Well, it’s because we’re all adopted.
He said it as if it were obvious.
-Don’t lump me in with you, Drake!
Damian shouted from the other side of the room. Now on the floor after Batman had made Hood put him down.
-Names.
Damian was corrected by Cassandra, who appeared beside Bruce in the blink of an eye, startling a few people.
-Well, the only biological one is the brat, but B only found out about his existence a few months ago.
-Oh.
-Yeah, oh.
-Your family is weird.
Tim smiled at this.
-A little.
As soon as he finished speaking, a batarang embedded itself in the wall next to him.