#concerned dick

For just over two days his attention was focused on Gotham, rumours of an underground drug ring had spread and while looking into it Bruce found out that some of Gotham’s socialite’s were involved with the ring. So not only was Bruce working on the case at Batman but he also ended up getting involved in the case as ‘Brucie Wayne’ too. His time had been completely occupied and he didn’t stop until he solved the case with Commissioner Gordon and moved on.

Naively he thought he may get a day’s break after that. Of course he was wrong. He didn’t even get to go bed before he got a call alerting him how the Justice League is needed for an emergency happening in Buenos Aires. The last two days have been constant running around, figuring out and talking battle strategies and always being on guard.

Bruce ended up chasing one of their prime targets into an underground labyrinth. Being at the disadvantage and not knowing where he was going, paired with the fact he’s completely exhausted, Bruce ended up losing sight and track of the target. Frustrated with himself and at the situation Bruce didn’t have any other choice but to start trying to make his way out of the maze he was lost in. Regrettably he wasn’t Theseus and he didn’t use a string to guide his way through the endless corridors meaning he walking blind until he reaches topside. How long he’s now been underground for he has no idea, but it’s certainly not helping his drained body and mind.

After a moment he prepares himself to get moving again. Taking a deep breath he pushes himself away from the wall and starts the treacherous journey back through the maze. Unsurprisingly his strength doesn’t last long, within moments he’s tripping over his own feet and crashing into the wall yet again.

Maybe he shouldn’t stray away from the wall. Isn’t there a rule or something saying if a person keeps their hand on a wall and follows it they’ll eventually make it out of the maze, even if it takes you on a horribly long route it’ll help you to escape? Using that as his excuse Bruce leans on the wall for support and continues on with his journey, hoping to get out of the maze as soon as possible.

Bruce loses track of time as he wonders. Everything becomes a blur and it takes all of his willpower to keep going instead of stopping and sliding down the wall to rest.

“Batman!”

Bruce grumbles to himself. Great, he’s got to that point in his exhaustion where he’s begun hallucinating. Thinking about it, he’s surprised that it hasn’t happened before now.

“Batman! Can you hear us?”

Huh. He doesn’t know if it says a lot about him as a person, or a father, that the voice he's imagining is his eldest son’s voice. He has no idea on what that could mean.

“He’s here!”

Suddenly it’s not just voices he’s imagining anymore, it’s developed into him hallucinating actual people now.

He blinks rapidly as he tries to work out what he’s seeing. In front of him was his son, Dick dressed up in his Nightwing gear. Movement happening behind him grabs Bruce’s attention and when he looks over his son’s shoulder he blinks again and finds… is that Clark? Not only is he imagining Dick but he’s now imagining Clark too. He’s not telling anyone about this once he’s out of the maze.

“Batman are you injured?”

Dick’s voice pulls his attention back onto his son. He frowns, regarding the question. He’s not injured, just severely tired. “Are you actually here?” He ends up blurting out, apparently the exhaustion means he’s got no filter.

“Yeah Batman we are.” Dick answers with a frown of his own. “After you didn’t come back we followed you down here and have only just found you, we’re not far from the exit.”

Bruce grunts, slowly accepting the fact that maybe he wasn’t hallucinating after all.

“The target?”

Clark comes into his vision again as he steps up beside Dick in front of him. “We got him. When you came down here we knew there had to be another exit somewhere above and searched around, coincidently we were right next to the passage when he appeared. We apprehended him with no trouble. That’s when we came down after you when you didn’t return as soon as we expected.”

Bruce hums thoughtfully before letting out a long sigh. At least the target is captured and Bruce’s journey through the maze hadn’t been for nothing.

“Are you hurt Bats?” Clark asks him, his eyes roaming over his body, which of course was covered by his suit anyway.

“I’m fine,” he grunts and starts to make a move to push up off the wall. He’s got company now, he can’t afford to be looking as bad as he feels. “Let’s go.”

Bruce doesn’t make it more than three steps before he’s having to lean against the wall again. He’s quick to put a hand up to stop his companions from closing in on him when he senses them move after he reached for the wall.

“Batman…”

“B…”

Bruce waves off their concern and takes a deep breath to steady himself. After a few seconds he pushes away from the wall again and this time makes it six steps before he’s falling to the side. Instinctively he puts a handout to reach for the wall but he never touches it because another body is pressing up against his side instead. An arm wraps around his waist while the other takes his own arm and throws it over their shoulders. Even in Bruce’s addled mind he can make out that Clark’s come to support his weight.

Not having the energy to care or to protest against it, Bruce allows the man of steel to help him walk. He most definitely draws the line at being carried, but walking he can do. He also becomes aware of Dick hovering nearby as they make their way out of the maze.