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The Revelation	By : HeyBats Category: DC Verse Cartoons > Justice League Views: 17695 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Justice League, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Author’s Note: Lois’s prior knowledge of Bruce’s identity comes from World’s Finest. Thanks to AP for the beta.

Chapter 4 – Hiding in Plain Sight

Batman found Nightwing in the commissary chatting with Zatanna. His ward and the mage had known each other peripherally for years, having exchanged occasional pleasantries while dealing with some of Batman’s deadliest enemies, but had never had the time to sit down and chat.

As usual, Dick was delivering the ending to a story with a dramatic flourish. Zatanna seemed mesmerized by the younger man, despite their difference in age. Pausing at the entrance, Batman’s eyes flashed with surprise when he recognized some of the nonverbal cues of a woman’s interest: the flush of color in their cheeks, the welcoming body language, an occasional touch lingering for an extra moment.

His immediate thought was to throw a bucket of cold water on the two of them, then realized that given the rough day both of them had been through, they’d earned the right to flirt. Sinking into the shadows of the corridor, he quickly swept the rest of the room to determine who else was there. Sitting two tables over, only Black Canary and Supergirl were near enough to pick up the conversation. Batman blinked in surprise when he caught Kara staring at Nightwing with a dreamy expression that could only be characterized as sheer lust.

Black Canary spied him at the entrance. Following his gaze back to Kara, Dinah Lance gently nudged the younger Argonian with her knee; a warning that she’d stared too long at the muscular young man from Bludhaven.

Oblivious to Kara’s stares, Nightwing was regaling Zatanna with a story about growing up in the Manor. It seemed to be the primary topic of all the superheroes present in the Watchtower. Every major news outlet was replaying the footage of the Manor’s implosion as their lead story. Knowing the television audience would eventually get bored with the replays, the channels had rushed a number of supposed superhero experts (basically talking heads filling dead air) in front of the cameras to discuss how Bruce Wayne could have managed such a brilliant deception for so many years.

Batman grabbed a cup of coffee then sat down at an empty table. He gazed at a monitor above him displaying the footage of the implosion interspersed with his dramatic departure. He hadn’t had time to witness the aftermath of the implosion and was gratified to learn the crowd had melted away as the evening wore on. The stations would occasionally cut to air live footage of the abyss from their helicopters, but given the late hour and the lack of a full moon, it was too dark to see anything meaningful in the wreckage.

Black Canary and Supergirl approached him hesitantly. They stood a few meters away, deliberating on their approach before Dinah Lance decided to say what was on her mind.

“Bruce, we just wanted to tell you how sorry we are about what happened.” She murmured, “It took a lot of courage to give all that up to protect a teammate.”

He nodded in appreciation and searched for something meaningful to say. Finding nothing, he blurted out, “Not Bruce. Batman here on the Watchtower,” in a tone much harsher than he intended.

The two women recoiled, stung by the severity of his rebuke. “Whatever you say, Batman,” Kara dripped sarcastically, then the two of them scurried back to their table. Black Canary shot the petite blonde a look of surprise that she’d back-talked the Dark Knight, but Kara just shrugged her shoulders indifferently. “Kara,” Dinah whispered once they sat back down, “Be careful. He carries a piece of kryptonite in his utility belt.”

The teenager paled. “Oh, I didn’t think about that.”

Studiously avoiding the two women, Batman focused his attention back on the monitors, then heard the rustle of chairs shifting as Zatanna and Nightwing wearily sat down at his table a moment later. “That could have been handled better,” Dick remarked gravely. Zatanna nodded her head in agreement.

“Thanks for your opinion,” Batman snapped in reply. “Shouldn’t you be unpacking?”

Nightwing weighed a number of responses, most of which involved creative ways for his adopted father to render himself anally with a batarang, then thought better of it. Instead, he snapped into the tightest military-style salute he could manage, barked, “Yes, Sir! Very good, Sir! Right away, Sir!” then spun on his heels, heading for the door with an exaggerated goose-step.

Zatanna watched Nightwing insolently retreat into the corridor, then shook her head at the Dark Knight. “You know something, Bruce? Sometimes I don’t know whether to hug you or slap you.”

He slowly raised himself to his full height from the chair. Looking down at her, her glowered at Zatanna for a moment before stalking off down the corridor. She watched him leave with a pang of regret, noting that he’d been through an event which most of the League dreaded more than their own deaths. She heaved a sympathetic sigh, wearily sinking back into her chair to finish her coffee when Supergirl and Black Canary surprised her by sliding into the chairs across the table.

Zatanna looked at Black Canary expectantly, however the older woman just rolled her eyes and nodded her head at the younger blonde seated next to her. “Go ahead, Kara.” Dinah prodded gently.

“Well, I saw you sitting there with Nightwing and uh… see, well, ummm, I was wondering if you two are dating or anything…” Kara’s voice trailed off lamely.

“He’s gorgeous,” Zatanna admitted with a sigh. “But he’s too young for me. I don’t want to get a reputation as the League’s cradle robber. Want me to set you two up?”

“Please.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

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Batman had just hung up his cape and cowl on the hook he’d installed on the back of the door in his room, then collapsed onto his bed with a tired groan. He rolled over onto his back then deftly released the mechanism that locked his belt in place. Laying on the bed, he debated about whether he should expend the energy to hang it next to the cowl or just leave it on the floor. The floor was looking increasingly like the more attractive option when Diana’s voice floated out from the chair shrouded in the darkened corner of the room. “Want me to hang that up?”

“How did you get in here?”

“If I told you all of my secrets, I’d be out of a job.” She parroted.

“Touche.”

She rose up from the chair, emerging into the ambient light reflected off the Western Pacific Ocean. “Do you ever turn on the lights?”

“Energy conservation.” He replied automatically. He pushed himself up until he was seated on the edge of the bed. Raising an eyebrow as she slipped the gauntlets off his hands, he turned to face her straight on. “Auditioning for Alfred’s job? Of course you realize he’s scheduled to arrive in the morning. He might get upset to find he’s been replaced.”

Deciding she was in the mood to flirt, Diana strode forward until she was standing between his legs. “How much does the job pay?” she teased, then pushed him backwards onto the bed. He was puzzled as to her intent, then gratified when she turned around and wormed his right boot off his foot.

“I can’t afford much.” He admitted,propping his head onto a pillow. “Alfred’s got the deep pockets now.”

“Alfred deserves every penny you’ve given him,” Diana observed as she pried off his left boot, “But the League knows you’ve contributed more than just the money you paid to have the Watchtowers built.”

“Now that I’m destitute, I’m afraid I’m going to prove more of a burden to the League than they realize.” He replied sharply, then pulled his shirt off over his head.

Diana’s eyes narrowed sharply. Exhaling sharply, she settled down on the bed, seated inches away from his prone form. “Today you gave up everything you’ve worked so hard to protect in order to win my freedom. I couldn’t care less what the rest of the League thinks. As far as I’m concerned, you’re the richest, most generous man I’ve ever, or will ever, meet.”

“I was just trying to protect a teammate,” he groused, yawning at the same time as his exhausted body had been awake for over two days without sleep.

“Don’t make it less than it was, Bruce,” she whispered, stroking the hair matted down from the cowl away from his eyes. “We’ve all rescued each other at different times over the years. What you did today was different. It required a personal sacrifice on my behalf and I honor you for it.”

“I’m just glad that you’re safe.” He replied, then closed his eyes with a groan as she started massaging his temples and scalp. “That feels good…” he mumbled, then drifted off to sleep.

Diana’s chin dropped in resignation when she heard the soft sounds of his snoring. “Timing is everything in life, isn’t it Bruce?” she asked his prone figure. “Our timing is terrible. I can’t even choose the right moment to seduce you.”

She pulled the covers gently over him. Rising off the bed, she debated about whether to snuggle up next to him, then decided he’d earned the right to get some uninterrupted sleep. Shaking her head with regret that the opportunity had passed, she slipped out the door, heading to her quarters.

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Lois Lane woke up in a fog, cursing her cell-phone as it chimed incessantly next to the bed. She’d stayed up late the previous evening, watching with both dread and rapt fascination as the story of Bruce Wayne’s alternate identity played out on international television.

Her phone stopped chirping as soon as she swung her legs off the bed. She gratefully collapsed back into her pillows then screamed when it started chirping again, insistently clamoring for her attention. Cursing again when she realized the clock said it was only quarter till six, she debated whether to fling the phone out the window, but provided it with a reprieve at the last second when she realized all of her informants’ numbers were stored in the phone.

“Lane,” she rasped. “You’d better have a good reason for calling at this hour.”

“Exclusive interview with the world’s hottest story bore you these days, does it?” Batman replied. “Maybe I’ll call that other guy from your paper. What’s his name? Kent?”

“Don’t you dare, Bruce.” She flared. “Of course I want to talk to you. I’ve been sitting on this story for five years.”

“Thought it only fair in return that you be the one to get the exclusive.” He replied with a hollow grunt. “Get cleaned up and decent. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

“Make it thirty.” Lois yelped, looking in the mirror at her disheveled reflection. “You don’t want to see what I look like right now.”

“I’ve seen you in the morning afterglow, Lois,” he reminded her gently. “I’ll be there in twenty.”

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Batman materialized on her balcony exactly twenty minutes later. Dressed in a bathrobe with only a see-through nightie underneath, she was running a comb through her wet hair when a shadow suddenly loomed into her reflection. Despite herself, she almost yelled in surprise. She motioned for him to open the door then mentally kicked herself when she realized it was locked. Lois fumbled through the locks for a few moments without success, then realized her anxiety was getting the better of her. She took a deep breath, tumbled the locks correctly this time, and ushered him into her place.

He strode in, cape billowing behind him as the cold morning winds of Metropolis swirled through the room.

She was surprised that he’d chosen to wear his full uniform, then realized now that the secret was out, showing up anywhere as Bruce Wayne was probably even a more difficult proposition then appearing as Batman. She motioned for him to sit on the couch. He didn’t reply, instead making a beeline for the kitchen.

“Coffee?” he asked.

“I haven’t made any,” she confessed. “I’m still waking up.”

He opened up her freezer and found a bag of Starbuck’s pre-ground coffee. Lois provided a filter and filled up the container with water while he loaded the coffee into her machine. She turned on the button, then gave him a warm smile when the red light came on, signifying it was starting to brew.

“What about breakfast?” he implored, “I’m starving.”

“Kinda pushy, dontcha think?” Lois asked with a smirk. “Do I look like the Betty Crocker type to you?”

“As if I’m Emeril,” he snorted back. “Do you have anything edible? I’m hungry.”

“Probably have a stale bagel or two in the fridge.” She shrugged.

“Beggars can’t be choosers.” Batman replied, opening the fridge. Locating his target, he settled down at her counter, perched on a bar stool.

“Doesn’t the League have any food on the Watchtower?” she asked, laughing as he wolfed down the bagel in a few bites.

“Everybody’s looking at me like a circus freak up there.” He grimaced. “That’s saying a lot, considering the things some of them are capable of. I needed a break.”

“You had a helluva day, yesterday,” she murmured sympathetically, then placed a hand over the gauntlet resting on her countertop. “How are you, Bruce?”

As hard an edge as he knew Lois maintained in her daily life, given the abrupt severance of their relationship a few years before, he was touched by the emotion she’d expressed in the question.

He stared hard at her, remembering her violet eyes tinged with passion the first time he’d bedded her in Metropolis a few years before. He even allowed himself a quick glance at the edge of her nightie revealed whenever she shifted in her seat. In retrospect, their relationship was one of the most passionate he’d ever had. She’d readily agreed to his proposal to move to Gotham after dating for two weeks, then retreated equally as quick when she found out that he was Batman. They’d crossed paths only one time since then, when Ra’s al-Ghul had kidnapped Superman. The Demon’s Head had intended to use an ancient amulet to take the Kryptonian’s powers as his own. Batman had followed the trail to Lois’s doorstep, pausing long enough to collect the evidence he needed to thwart the plot.

He’d never allowed himself the luxury of looking back and asking ‘What if?’ when it came to Lois. Of all his past loves, she was the only woman he’d ever met who found Bruce Wayne more interesting than Batman.

Talia and Selina were more interested in the cape and cowl.

Diana liked both.

Gazing at the drops of water dripping onto her bathrobe, he allowed himself a small smile, knowing all too well that his romance from Lois had been doomed at the start.

“Bruce has been having a hard time of it.” He admitted. “Luckily, Batman is fine, so we’ll be all right in the long run.”

“What are you, Harvey Dent?” she asked sarcastically. “Do you flip a coin in the morning to decide whether you wear the cape or the Armani suit?”

“I’m just making the point that the Bruce Wayne that you knew no longer exists.” He replied roughly. “Do you want to start that interview or not?”

“Sure,” she replied with a thoughtful look he didn’t recognize, “Let me get my tape recorder.”

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Alfred Pennyworth and Dr. Leslie Thompkins materialized on the Watchtower’s transport pad at nine in the morning, Gotham time. As Batman predicted, a number of reporters had tracked down Bruce Wayne’s long-standing relationship with Dr. Thompkins. Her phone had started ringing off the hook at six that morning, then a throng of reporters had stationed themselves outside a few minutes later. Not content with waiting for an appearance, the reporters were taking turns shouting questions through her mail slot. After allowing himself a quick shower and preparing a quick breakfast for the two of them, Alfred returned her worried glances with resignation. Finished rinsing the dishes, he dutifully helped her pack two suitcases. He assembled his own baggage at their feet then called a phone number Bruce had asked him to commit to memory.

He heard the Martian’s voice on the other end of the line, provided the code in sequence, then felt a rush of adrenaline pump through his system as they dematerialized from Dr. Thompkins’s living room directly onto the transport pad a second later.

Leslie looked to be in shock. He extended a hand to steady her but she gave him a reassuring look, noting “There’s really nothing in life that could prepare you for that, is there?”

Nightwing was waiting expectantly for them next to the transport technician. “Morning,” he called with a wave. “Wild ride, huh?” he asked, nodding at the transporter.

“Master Bruce is detained, I take it?” Alfred queried, ignoring the question.

“He said he had a few errands to run,” Nightwing replied. “I’ve been asked in the meantime to escort you to your quarters.”

“Put us in the temporary quarters.” Alfred replied. Looking at Leslie with an unasked question, he added, “I’m not sure how long we’re staying.”

“One room or two?” Nightwing replied with an understanding nod.

“One.” Leslie replied warmly. “Then you can take me to the infirmary. I’m looking forward to seeing what they have here.”

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Dressed in civilian clothes, Tim Drake and Barbara Gordon occupied themselves with breakfast. Seated in her kitchen, they’d called in sick at school and work, respectively, having been roused from their slumbers at five-thirty by Batman’s wake-up calls. They were both surprised the Dark Knight had chosen Barbara’s apartment, but realizing their situation had taken such a dramatic turn in the past day, there was a good chance her apartment would have to serve as a temporary headquarters.

They were busily speculating as to the requirements of their new work situation when Batman suddenly materialized in her living room. While his involvement in the League had called him away from Gotham on a frequent basis, neither of them was used to the technology. Startled, Tim almost choked on a piece of bacon. Recovering his composure, the teenager pointed at the extra plate they’d set, anticipating his arrival.

“No thanks.” Batman replied, pushing the plate away as he settled into the chair across from Barbara. “I already ate.”

“Suit yourself.” Tim replied, gratefully devouring the extra plate of food.

“How are you?” Barbara asked softly. Staring at Batman, the concern in her eyes was evident.

“Fine,” came the clipped reply.

Barbara and Tim rolled their eyes. Tim started ticking off his fingers as he talked. “Lucius sent out your press release this morning. You publicly admitted that you’ve been carrying on the greatest charade in Western Civilization, resigned your position as Chairman of WayneTech, basically gave the company to a charity, then watched the Manor collapse into a smoking pile of rubble AND YOU’RE FINE?”

Batman looked at him with bemused interest. “I knew it would all end someday. Yesterday was that day.”

“But the Cave…the equipment!” Tim protested. Seeing that he was making no headway at all, he finally relented. “Could you at least tell us what happened?”

Batman consented to that request, reasoning they had a right to know. While he left out as many details as he could manage, Tim and Barbara managed to fill in the missing pieces of the puzzle.

“So you did it for Diana,” she surmised dreamily. “How romantic!”

“I did it for a teammate,” he snarled back. “I would have done it for you or Tim, if necessary.”

“Whatever,” she dismissed his argument with a wave. “It’s still romantic.”

Tim looked at the redhead with a smirk, then decided to change the subject. “So where does that leave us?”

“It leaves the two of you on hiatus.” Batman replied. He raised a gauntlet to silence their immediate protests, then leaned in to let them know he was serious. “Your identity is the single most important thing the two of you posses. Now that Batman’s and Nightwing’s identities are known, our enemies will redouble their efforts to find out who you are. You two are still young enough to move on and make something with your lives. It was a mistake on my part to allow the two of you to come as far as you have, but its time to get off the ride. ”

“We can take care of ourselves.” Tim protested, wounded that he was being dismissed as an apprentice. “Besides, if you’re joining the League as a full-time member, who is going to stop us from taking on the bad guys in Gotham?”

“I will stop you,” Batman responded gravely. “If I’m not here to watch you kids full-time, something will go wrong.”

“If something goes wrong, we could always relocate to the Watchtower.” Barbara argued.

“It’s not a place for people your age. You’d get bored.”

“Kara’s been up there as an associate member for six months,” Barbara pouted, “And we’re the same age!”

“Kara can pick up an office building with one hand,” he replied, “It gives her a little edge on the rest of us. Any more questions? None? Good. I’ll contact you if I need you.”

He looked at the two of them, now silent and sullen (“furious” was a more appropriate description of Tim) that they weren’t included in the next phase of Batman’s adventures.

Pushing away from the table, he stepped back into the living room. He cleared his throat, suddenly constricted by the memories of working with the two of them over the years. “It’s been an honor,” he murmured, then triggered the signal to request transport.

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Sitting at her desk at the Daily Planet, Lois Lane had just completed the fifth page of her article about Bruce Wayne when her stomach suddenly rumbled. She glanced at her watch, amazed that it was already three in the afternoon. Deciding she was in too much of a writing zone to allow herself the luxury of a sandwich, she resumed pounding away on her keyboard.

She’d entitled the article ‘Hiding in Plain Sight.’ The headline was a quote taken directly from her interview earlier that day with Bruce Wayne. For her benefit, he’d cited a number of instances where people should have realized Bruce Wayne and Batman were the same person. Lois had pointed out that she had no clue as to his alternate identity when they’d dated a few years before, only finding out when his cowl had been pulled into the Daily Planet’s printing press during a confrontation with one of Lex’s battle droids.

Lois leaned back in her chair, then a troubled look flashed over her face when she recounted his reply. Batman had actually smiled, then cryptically replied, “Not everybody has your ability to miss the obvious, Lois. Some of us have been hiding in plain sight for years.”

She pulled the headphones from her tape recorder over her ears, then furiously rewound the tape to replay it. Staring directly at Clark Kent sitting at the desk across from hers, she stared at his face when Batman’s words reverberated through the speakers. Her heart started pounding when she pictured Smallville without the thick glasses. Shifting her gaze, she looked at a framed headline of the Daily Planet from five years before. The article had won her first Pulitzer, but she wasn’t staring at the headline. Under the headline, a full-color head-shot of Superman filled the page.

“Smallville!” she whispered furiously.

“Yes, Lois?” the mild-mannered reporter replied, eyebrows raised in question.

“Want to buy me lunch?” she asked sweetly.

“Sure,” he replied. Grabbing his jacket, he escorted her to the elevator. “Little late, isn’t it?”

“Better late than never,” she replied with a disarming smile, then stepped into the elevator.

Clark Kent did a double-take as he stepped in behind her. Ill-natured by temperament, Lois Lane had never acted this way as long as he’d known her… unless she wanted something or if she knew a secret. He contemplated the sudden change in her personality as they rode down the fifty-eight floors.

“Where do you want to eat?”

“I was thinking…Paris,” she replied smugly.

“Paris, huh? New restaurant I should know about?”

“No, Superman. I meant Paris. As in France.”

“France is a long way to go for lunch,” he joked, then his stomach lurched when he realized what she’d said. “I’m sorry, did you just call me Superman?”

“Yes, Superman, in fact I did call you Superman. Is it wrong that I call you Superman, Superman?” she quipped, then punched the ‘Stop’ button on the elevator, halting their descent at the sixth floor.

“Am I missing something?” he replied in his best, innocent-farmer-from-Kansas demeanor.

“I interviewed Batman this morning…” she started.

“That’s great, Lois!” Clark exclaimed. “I remembered you dated Bruce Wayne awhile back when he dropped in from Gotham. Wait… you didn’t know back then he was Batman, did you?”

“Stop changing the subject, Superman,” she replied angrily. “Of course I knew he was Batman. What I didn’t know until just now was that you’re Superman.”

He opened his mouth to protest the accusation, then realized that given her determination, any denials on his part would only further damage his relationship with Lois. He sighed, then pulled off the glasses. “What did he tell you?”

“Nothing,” Lois replied. “It just dawned on me while I was writing about him hiding in plain sight that all this time that I was working with somebody who always disappears at the same time Superman shows up to save the day. Nice sleight of hand by the way. I got so preoccupied remembering details about Superman that I always forgot to look after Clark Kent.”

“It’s worked for five years,” He nodded ruefully then asked, “What now?”

She pressed the button releasing the elevator from its hold, then surprised him by giving him a quick peck on the cheek. “First you’re going to help me proofread my story for Perry. Then, you’re going to fly me to Paris for dinner.”

“Deal.” He replied with a smile, then propped the glasses back onto his nose.

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The Revelation