THE CALLING

Seeking forgiveness

"Should we check in? It seems like they're fighting" Green Lantern panicked and looked at the others when they heard a loud thump on the door of one of the chambers in the watch tower.

All three of them rushed to that chamber and halted when they heard the door click open and Batman stepped out. He didn't even spare them a glance, he stomped out of there to the zetas as the League watched him with puzzled faces.

After a moment of standing around, all three of them walked inside the room to see Superman in a miserable state.

"Superman!" Wonder Woman called out and rushed towards him, holding him up.

His face was pale and his eyes were held wide open as if he just saw a ghost. "What happened?!" Everyone's concern was met with a desperate gasp that escaped Superman's lips.

He couldn't breathe and no amount of soothing could calm him down.

"I swear to God, if that shit-faced pointy ears is the reason you're being like this--" Green Lantern's grimace soon turned into a cry for help when he desperately gasped for air as Superman held him by his throat.

"Don't you dare say anything insulting about him" Superman gritted his teeth and Wonder Woman made an angry command to let go off Green Lantern.

It took him a moment to actually realise what he was doing and when he did, he quickly let go off the other man and stumbled back as he watched him fall into a fit of coughs under him. His eyes went wide at his own thoughtless action and he scrambled out of the room hurriedly, feeling nauseous all of a sudden.

"I wonder what's gotten into him…" The Flash said with a tad of concern in his voice as he helped Green Lantern up on his feet.

"Let's just let him be for a while" Wonder Woman sighed. "He's a grown man. He can sort it out himself"

•••

Batman had his head in a cloud. He met up with Talia, and carefully listened to what she had to say. It wasn't much. Just her trying to get a good profit out of it by trying to out her father's secret mission to him. He knew she wouldn't do something unless she gets something out of it, so he just said he had to think about some things and parted ways with her.

As he recorded the report of the day's events while driving back to the cave in his batmobile, everything that happened with Superman, with Clark, filled the front of his mind and he heaved an exhausted sigh.

Maybe a good night's sleep would help him ease up his mind. It was all just too much.

Batman pulled up in the Batcave and as soon as he got out of the Batmobile, pulled down his cowl and pulled the cape off of him to the floor. He pulled his gloves off and tossed them away, one of them fell on the computer's keyboard and the other slid to the ground beneath. He ran a hand through his messy hair and climbed up the staircase, skipping alternate steps.

His heart nearly gave out when he turned up at his study and saw Clark leaned against his table, still in his Superman suit.

"Bruce" Clark approached cautiously, his face showing an expression of mixed emotions.

Bruce let out a gasp as he stood his ground. "What are you doing here?"

"Look, I wanted to--"

"Leave, Clark. Now"

Clark watched Bruce with hurt eyes and Bruce clenched his fists on his sides.

"I'm sorry, Bruce. Please" he took another cautious step forward and Bruce's frown deepened.

"You can hate me all you want, but please don't let us fall apart like this" just the thought of losing Bruce made a chill run down his spine. "Please"

Clark's brows knotted up when Bruce let out a dry chuckle. "That's the problem, Clark" he shook his head and walked past Clark who just stood there watching him.

Bruce walked over to his chair and plopped down on it, resting his head as he laid it back on the head board. "I can never hate you nor the things you do"