The Apprentice

Justify

Superman hugs himself, matching the crushing weight in his throat. He turns to Batman, who has closed his eyes and let his shoulders slack. The first time Superman opens his mouth, he just bites his lip and turns back to the blank screen.

"Was—" he starts, "Was that really necessary?"

His friend doesn't move, but his expression stiffens. Finally, Batman's eyes open and shift haphazardly in the Man of Steel's direction. Superman reads that as 'continue', or maybe 'justify', so he takes a breath.

"This has got to be really hard for them." Superman goes on, looking back at the screen as though the Titans were still there, staring up at him. "Why didn't you tell them about the message? You know, the bots?"

Batman's eyebrows twitch upwards with surprise, his face still pressed against his fists. He shuts his eyes in time for a deep, long sigh.

"Their coms, Superman," he breathes, not looking up, "are compromised. They have been for weeks, most likely."

The chair groans as Batman pushes himself up, his cape draping against its back.

Superman almost chokes on his response. "O-Oh. How do you know?"

Batman frowns, resting his hands on his hips. "I just know."

Superman's self-hug shifts into regularly crossed arms. He chuckles. "That sounds a little paranoid."

"Maybe it is!" The Dark Knight hisses a little louder than he'd intended. He stops himself, his eyes fixed briefly on Superman's. He turns away and waves his hand dismissively, starting to pace in front of the supercomputer.

"I can't underestimate this 'Slade' again. It's become clear he isn't some clever villain who convinced my s— Robin to join him. He's been making plans for who knows how long, and Robin might just be a piece in his— his puzzle."

He pulls off his cowl and runs a hand through his hair, stopping to think more clearly. His mind is shrouded in fog, too many thoughts coming in at once, crashing into each other and only leaving the debris for him to grab at. 

"If I could only just—" Bruce starts, staring at his hands. "I need more time to think!"

He feels a hand on his shoulder and whirls around, almost forgetting where he is. Superman gives him a relaxed, empathetic look.

"It's a lot, I know." He sighs, taking his hand off Bruce's shoulder and pointing at the medical platform where Alfred rests. "Why not give your head some time to sharpen up? The Titans won't be here for at least an hour."

Bruce eyes the bed next to Alfred wearily, almost angrily. "No time."

A smile twitches on the Man of Steel's face. "Come on, you and I both know how much you need this. Think of it as... an investment!"

The billionaire furrows his eyebrows, but relents when he stifles a yawn. He'd not slept for days, working on various cases in addition to the one concerning his ward. He unclenches his fists.

"Fine."

"Great!" His friend beams, hovering.

"But don't touch anything."

Superman laughs.

"Understood!"