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The sun had started to rise over Gotham when Batman made it back to the manor's observation deck. His entire body ached, as if he'd been trampled by a stampede. No doubt he'd be covered in ugly bruises when he stripped off the batsuit. Batman was no stranger to getting banged up while on the job, but there was a reason why the wingsuit was only for emergencies. The adrenaline rush that came from gliding around Gotham like his namesake animal wasn't worth it if he couldn't make a decent landing.
Batman leaned against a pillar and gazed out over the sunrise. As ugly and brutal as Gotham could be, moments like these were worth cherishing, the early morning sunlight tinging the city with gold and orange. The city looked almost hopeful, in a way.
The sound of fabric rustling interrupted Batman's moment of reprieve. The vigilante turned his head to see a figure landing on the deck. A tall, broad shouldered man with tousled black hair had touched down just a few feet from him. Dressed in royal blue and gold, with a distinct scarlet cape flowing behind him, his colorful costume stuck out amid Gotham's shadows. Batman tensed slightly - he wasn't used to having someone just flying up to him like that - but the hero's friendly expression soothed his nerves.
"Are you alright?" Superman asked. Batman turned his head slightly, hoping to avoid meeting the Kryptonian's gaze.
"I'm fine," he murmured. Superman didn't seem to buy it. It had seemed that ever since he'd learned about the up and coming guardian of Gotham, he'd taken it upon himself to watch over him. Batman didn't understand it, he could take care of himself just fine, but he wasn't ungrateful.
"I saw what happened with your... escape," Superman said. "I'm impressed, I didn't realize your suit could do that."
Batman smirked slightly, recalling his escape from from the GCPD. To him, it always paid to have a backup escape plan.
"Still," Superman said, "I saw that you had a bit of a rough landing. I'm glad you got out of there, but you're lucky you didn't break-"
"I said I'm fine," Batman insisted, raising his voice a little. He cringed as he saw Superman flinch, and he whispered, "I'm sorry."
Superman didn't seem too fazed. He stepped towards the vigilante and said, "If you want, when all of this is over, I could help teach you how to land so... this doesn't happen again." Batman glanced up at Superman and raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I've been flying for a good chunk of my life," Superman said. "I had to teach myself how to land. Maybe I could give you some pointers."
Batman shrugged and looked back out at the sunrise. The idea was tempting; it would be nice to avoid more serious injuries if he ever attempted gliding again. Not to mention, he found the thought of being around Superman oddly comforting, even if he couldn't explain it.
"I have to handle the Riddler first," Batman said. "After that... I may have some time."
A delighted smile lit up Superman's face. "I'm always here to help. Just let me know when you're ready."
With the sound of a cape whipping in the wind, Superman vanished, most likely to return to Metropolis. This was Batman's fight, and Superman knew it.
Still, Batman felt somewhat relieved at Superman's mentoring offer. He'd take any opportunity to improve at his craft... even if it meant learning from the alien several cities over.
Taking in one last look at the sunrise, Batman got up and limped back down to the batcave to nurse his bruises.
🦇🦇🦇
Batman had counted on ending the Riddler's reign of terror. He hadn't counted on Gotham ending up halfway underwater.
The weeks after the destruction of the seawall had been hell. Rescuing innocents, stepping in to help rebuild, clearing debris, it all took a toll on Batman after a while. It felt good to become more of a symbol of hope for Gotham's citizens rather than just as a terror in the shadows, but even he needed to clear his mind.
Remembering the offer from a few weeks ago, and upon the insistence of a slowly recovering Alfred, he'd reached out to Superman to accept his offer. Superman, of course, had arrived in Gotham the next day under the cover of dusk. Batman waited for him on the observation deck, searching for the blue and red streak across the sky.
Superman arrived at the tower as the last of the sun's rays were disappearing on the horizon. As he landed, the Kryptonian looked at Batman with an expression of awe and respect.
"You've done some amazing work here," he said. "People are really starting to rally behind the Batman."
"Word travels fast, huh?" Batman asked, feeling a small swell of pride in his chest.
"Gotham needs someone to look up to now more than ever," Superman said. "You're really making a difference here."
Batman tried to quash the urge to smile at Superman's words. He failed.
"So," Superman said, "You're ready for some flying lessons?"
"Alfred said I needed a break," Batman huffed. "Thought this would help."
"You just need to learn how to stick the landing," Superman said. "It's a bit different since you use a parachute to slow yourself down, but the general principle is the same. When you're getting ready to land, you open your parachute early enough for it to slow you down. When you land, don't let your legs go stiff. If you're going slow, you can try to walk when your feet hit the ground, but if you're going too fast, you need to roll to one side so you don't break your legs."
"No pressure then," Batman said with a smirk. Superman grinned.
"You know this city better than I do," he said, "so I'll follow you in case anything happens. Remember, if you're going too fast, let your feet hit the ground and roll to one side."
Batman nodded and readied his wingsuit. Superman walked to the edge of the deck and waited for Batman to jump. Steeling his nerves, Batman took a running leap and hurled himself off the edge of the deck.
There was something exhilarating about shooting around Gotham like a bat out of hell. The wind and city noise screaming around him, lights streaming past him, the sheer freedom of it all sent a thrill through his veins. His heart pounded in his ears as he banked around skyscrapers and flew past cars. With enough training, he might learn how to pull off some aerial acrobatics, but for now, he had to stick to the basics.
Batman glided through the streets, searching for a place to land. His eyes settled on a desolate back road. Remembering Superman's instructions, he pulled the rip cord and waited to feel himself slow down. For some reason, though, he couldn't feel himself slowing. His confusion turned to dread as he glanced backwards and saw his parachute dragging uselessly through the air behind him, a tangled mess of fabric and rope. Batman clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, preparing to take another tumble.
And then, suddenly, he was weightless. He felt a strong yet not suffocating pressure around him, and a comforting voice said, "That was close."
Batman opened his eyes and looked up to see Superman watching him with a look of concern. It took him a moment to realize that Superman had caught him just in time, and relief washed through him. That relief quickly turned to embarrassment as it hit him that he'd managed to mess up his landing on the first try.
"Your parachute malfunctioned back there," Superman said. Batman felt his face flush with humiliation.
"Stupid," Batman muttered under his breath.
"Hey, it's alright," Superman said. "It's your first try, it's not supposed to be perfect."
Batman turned his head away from Superman and watched as the Kryptonian carried him back towards the tower. Superman smirked and said, "You should've seen my first time landing. That bruise didn't go away for a week."
Superman laughed, and Batman felt his heart flip flop in his chest. Why was this hero being so kind to him? What was going on?
The two touched down on the observation deck a minute later. Superman set Batman down, and the vigilante got to work trying to repack his parachute, making sure to pay close attention this time. He couldn't afford another mistake.
"Do you wanna try again?" Superman said. "We can keep trying if you want."
Batman's first instinct was to say no. He remembered how he'd hurt himself during his escape attempt, and the last thing he wanted was to recreate that incident.
But then he remembered that he was safe now. Superman would make sure that he wouldn't hurt himself. Feeling oddly hopeful, Batman looked up and said, "Sure."
Superman's face lit up in a smile that could outshine the sun. His joy was contagious, and Batman felt himself start to smile too.
"I'm ready whenever you are," Superman said. Batman returned to packing his parachute, ready to give his flying lessons another shot.