Chapter Text
Bruce's cape rustled a bit when he tried to settle in the vents more comfortably. He froze when he saw Superman look around, but his lead-covered costume and sound muffling tech worked well enough to protect him from unnecessary attention. After all, it was not like he was exactly invited to the League meeting. He just showed up unannounced when he heard about the Leaguers taking interest in Gotham's mythical protector. Carefully planted bugs and Oracle's terrific hacking was everything that he needed, to know when the next meeting would hold place.
“How do you guys know if it is real?“ Whined Flash, holding an old newspaper in his hands. “All I can see in these clippings is this ‘top ten Bat-creature sightings in the last century’ and it doesn't even seem like a legit thing!”
Oh, Bruce was quite proud of that one. It was one of the falsified newspapers, he made a few, carefully aged to look real, dated 1924. Alfred did a fantastic job writing the articles. One of the newspapers ended up in Gotham History Museum, another in the City Library, and others in private collections. Even if someone could find a real copy of that particular Gotham Gazette issue, they would think that the page about Batman was lost. That would only add to the mystery, wouldn't it?
Yes, it looked like the Leaguers took a stack of papers from the Gotham Library, and now tried to find any mention of Batman in it. Good luck with that, Bruce thought. This was a good time for a dramatic entrance.
Wonder Woman and Superman, the only ones he was worried about noticing him emerging from the vents had turned their backs to the wall, Flash was reading the article, and Aquaman and Green Lantern didn’t look like the most attentive ones. And Martian Manhunter… Needless to say, Batman had technology to deceive his powers. Sometimes connections with the League of Assassins paid off.
The shadow in the corner looked nice enough for him, and Batman tapped his comm for Oracle to start.
He needed just a few seconds to slide down, careful and silent, while the lights flickered out and the alarm blared to life, successfully muffling any little noise he could make. As suddenly as everything began, so it stopped. Everything was nice and peaceful again… Only the shadow in the corner became darker, and the heating was turned down by Oracle. Bruce looked down, where the edge of his cape was beautifully lined within the shadow’s borders.
“You called me, so here I am,” Bruce tilted his head to the side like an overgrown goth bird, but his gruff quiet voice was muffled by the Flash’s scream. It cut abruptly when Bruce glared in his direction.
“Oh my God, my mum told me that the monster under the bed will take me if I ate too much candy, but I never thought she was right!” Barry’s words were too fast to make sense, so Bruce waited until Oracle played the recording slower in his comm.
“I… Don’t live under beds,” Said Bruce, and Superman’s alarmed eyes landed on him. It looked like he hadn’t thought that Batman could understand a speedster’s babbling. It was just a second, but Bruce was a master at reading faces, and when Superman's face became calm again, Bruce knew for certain that the alien was as surprised as the others.
He was actually really impressed that no one attacked him, the heroes were much more collected than he thought they would be. It was a point in their favour.
“Not that we could ask,” muttered Wonder Woman, her knuckles white where she held her lasso.
“You couldn’t.” Admitted Bruce. “Metas are not welcome in Gotham.”
“So, you came to make a truce of sorts?” Superman sounded kind, no surprise or resentment showed in his voice, and Batman nodded. His cape shifted a bit, vantablack armor and leather of his costume not really visible because of its color. A thin layer of lead sprayed on the inside, heat and sound muffling tech, a magical anti-telepathy amulet that was a gift from Talia, Bruce had even disinfected his skin and hair to remove any traces of his natural smell. He did everything to be able to protect his identity from even Superman.
“Yes” Batman ground out. “Gotham is mine. Metas are not allowed. I know your secret identities, but mine… you can look… but I don’t think you will find anything truthful...”
A rush of cold air made the papers slowly glide across the table and Bruce inwardly smiled — Oracle already controlled all the Watchtower’s system, even such small things like air conditioning and heaters.
“So we spent all morning on bullshit in the newspapers that wasn’t even true?” Aquaman looked rather furious. Bruce tried not to shrug. It was a bit amusing. Like an answer to his thoughts, a giggle could be heard from the depths of his cape and all heroes’ eyes were trained on it.
Bruce knew what they could see — a slight movement of heavy material made from lead fiber, strong enough to hold a bullet or Superman’s gaze; a flash of deep, blood red, fast enough to go unnoticed; then the white eyes of Red Robin’s mask.
“That’s my que to go. Call me if you will need any help… Not too often.” Batman shifted slightly and Red Robin hid in his cape, once more invisible. While Bruce was busy, capturing attention and talking, Tim was working with the nano-bugs that now were everywhere in the Watchtower’s meeting room. Soon enough they would multiply their numbers and stay hidden everywhere, finding even more information about the Leaguers. Not that Bruce needed it; after all, he found out all the Leaguers’ identities with a quick internet search, hacking some cameras and a bit of bribing. He didn’t want his identity to be known by people so careless. Silently, Batman made his way to the doors and they opened without a password. Bruce didn’t even have to slow down his pace. The doors closed just in time so Barry, who ran after him, had to punch his code to come out of the room, but to no result. Batman was already gone.
“So, that happened.” Green Lantern uncomfortably shifted in his seat. “Did any of you metas, I don’t know, see…”
His voice became more and more quiet with each word. Superman finally stopped looking at the closed door.
“Nothing. Just what a human could see. I didn’t even hear his heartbeat.” He admitted.
Martian Manhunter nodded. “I was afraid for a moment that I lost my telepathy, but no, it just did not work on him.”
“Do you think his cape is alive? Everyone saw those eyes, didn’t you?” Flash looked around.
“I guess, maybe it was someone else in there.” Diana sighed. “We need to look for more in the papers, ask people, maybe go undercover in Gotham. Such an ally could be a good addition to the League and he doesn’t seem hostile, just mistrustful.”
Barry mumbled something about scary bats, once too fast to hear and Bruce smiled, disabling his comm. The first impression was just as he wanted it to be.