Bruce felt his eye twitch.
Even long years spent dealing with some of the craziest people in the world had failed to prepare him for that reply.
Was this some sort of scheme?
Unlike what his reputation as Batman suggested, he wasn't omniscient.
It was a useful illusion, especially when dealing with criminals and villains. People stopped bothering to hide things when they thought he already knew the answer. The number of times he had pulled key information out of a criminal simply by pretending he already had it was too high to count.
Building that reputation had taken years of planning, analysis, and skill. As a result, his ability to read people had been sharpened to a fine edge.
The young man in front of him wore only a jaunty smile, without a hint of arrogance. He was calm, as if what he had said was completely normal.
To all of Bruce's senses, instincts, and deductions, it had been nothing more than a casual statement, which meant it had to be a lucky coincidence.
Bruce felt the realization settle in a moment later.
Luck.
Goddammit, of course.
He kept his face calm even as the answer clicked into place.
"Do you mind if I pull out my phone?" Jean shot a look at both of them. "I swear it's for non-nefarious means."
Clark frowned, already looking like he was about to decline.
Bruce simply grunted. "Fine."
Jean Valjean beamed as he rifled through his pockets.
Clark shot Bruce a confused look, but Bruce kept his expression placid. Beneath his cape, his fingers quickly tapped out a message in Morse code that only Clark could hear.
Follow my lead.
Clark gave him a slight nod before turning back to watch Jean fumble through his pockets with his hands bound.
Bruce was grateful for Clark's trust. If Jean Valjean's ability worked the way he suspected, then any attempt to thwart him could be twisted to bend in his favor. With its potential magical origins, even Clark might be susceptible to it.
The idea of contending against literal luck didn't sit well with him. Any plan or countermove could potentially be turned against him.
Unless he could figure out a way to neutralize its source, he would have to employ his Constantine plan. All sorts of careful strategies went to ruin around the cursed man, so staying adaptable and proactive against chance was often the best choice.
"Ah, here we are…!" Jean Valjean smiled as he finally got his phone out and started dialing.
Would his luck call some sort of ally? Initiate a signal, perhaps? Maybe even call one of Bruce's business numbers.
Obviously, with him standing here, Bruce Wayne couldn't answer, so his mind quickly spread through the possibilities, trying to determine what the most fortunate outcome for Jean would be.
The phone rang once.
Twice.
Then there was a soft click.
"Hello?"
A perfect copy of Bruce's own voice answered.
It took everything in his power not to smack the phone out of Jean's hand.
At night, Bruce rarely needed to take calls, but there were exceptions to everything, even for Bruce Wayne. Company emergencies, personal calls from people unaware of his identity, and other matters of that sort still happened.
Normally, he would have had Alfred or Lucius handle those calls, but he had wanted to lighten their burdens as the years passed.
So he had created a special emergency number, manned by an AI he had been developing based on his own responses. It wasn't even out of its beta phase.
How did he even—
"I really gotta thank the Hood for hooking me up," Jean Valjean muttered.
Jason.
You little shit.
—
Clark didn't know how he felt about this Jean Valjean guy.
He obviously disapproved of the young man's more criminal pursuits.
But, well, he had to admit the man was effective. He almost couldn't believe his own ears when he realized how much quieter Gotham had become since his last visit. Unlike so many villains who promised great "change" with little proof to show for it, Jean Valjean had actually followed through.
Albeit… criminally.
Still, Jean Valjean himself wasn't a monster like so many of Bruce's enemies, which was a point in his favor. Anything that helped his old friend was a plus in Clark's book, even if the methods were unconventional. Clark wasn't so inflexible that he couldn't understand that doing good was not always the same thing as being lawful.
Jean Valjean seemed to have a good heart. Clark hoped that, maybe after all this, he could speak with him and try to steer his efforts away from crime. He couldn't help but feel a little warmer toward people who genuinely tried to change things for the better.
Still, he couldn't lie.
Maybe his opinion was being skewed by this conversation.
"So, can you believe it?" Jean Valjean animatedly waved his bound hands. "They accused me of villainy when I was doing my duty to Gotham!"
"How dare they!" AI Bruce replied with exaggerated outrage. It reminded Clark of when they were younger. "For shame! The Caped Crusader, bullying the common people!"
Clark had to do his utmost not to laugh as Bruce was scolded by an AI version of himself.
Bruce's body was completely still, his face set in the casual grimace Clark had long since learned to recognize as the Batman default. But Clark had known Bruce for a long time, and he could see the slight tension in his shoulders, the subtle stiffness and quiet despair building as the conversation continued.
How the young man had convinced the AI version of Bruce to side with him, Clark had no idea.
But bless his heart, it was freaking hilarious.
"I assure you, Mr. Wayne," Bruce nearly growled.
"Ah, ah, ah!" AI Bruce interrupted. "You might be Gotham's defender, but I can't let you slander a buddy whose party I attended! You'll hear from me, Mr. Batman. Wayne Enterprises shall not let this stand."
"Hear, hear!" Jean Valjean pumped his fist in support. "Goonion's and Mr. Wayne totally go way back! Wayne Enterprises could kick your butt, Batman!"
"…Is that so?"
Bruce's shoulders were vibrating slightly. Even his legendary control was beginning to slip.
Clark couldn't help himself. He covered his mouth to hide his snort.
It didn't work.
"See!" Jean Valjean smiled. "Even Superman laughs at the thought of you facing Wayne Enterprises! But I'm a magnanimous soul, so just let me go, and I'll consider us square. You wouldn't want to face Mr. Wayne's wrath, would you?"
"Hmph, listen to my friend," AI Bruce replied smugly. "Why, I ought to take you down two pegs, Batman—"
It was too much.
Clark couldn't hold back as he watched Bruce's face fall in real time.
"Hahahaha!"
He bent over as laughter burst from him.
As he laughed, he heard a soft song brush against his ears for a split second.
Then there was a rush of air.
Clark's head snapped back around, but it was already too late.
Jean Valjean was falling, his head already passing through some sort of portal. Clark's eyes widened as he moved, but the portal vanished in an instant, leaving only the massive pane of glass where Jean had been standing.
"Funny, huh?"
Clark slowly turned back and found Bruce giving him thelook.
Uh oh.
***
Comments and Thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Likes are like a drug to me and boost my creative juices.
I have advanced chapters on Pa tre on/daisyberry if you wanna read ahead.