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Gravity held him down, his face to the floor. His arms limp at his sides. Something pulled his left arm behind his back. He didn't move. 'Please, please Mr. Wayne, let me up' he wanted to plead. But his mouth was in the carpet. Struggling against the force of the intense AG field, he turned his head slightly so he could speak. “Mr. Wayne, Mr Wayne please, let me up.” He made no further effort. The extreme gravity was crushing his ribs as though there were 3,000 lbs on his back. He waited. His eyesight was beginning to swim. Suddenly he felt the weight lift. Normal gravity had been restored. Superman barely raised his chest from the carpet. “Thank you Mr. Wayne. Thank you.” He stayed close to the floor, slowly getting to his knees, but did not try to stand. His wrists bent inward, his fingers pointed backward. He felt like he could sleep passed out where he was. Hearing no objection from his keeper, he curled up on his side and fell asleep.
Superman counted a 23rd day under the foundations of Wayne Manor. He knew where he was because Mr. Wayne had not concealed his face when he came down for a visit. Kryptonite charges on each of the four walls, as well as the spiral staircase kept him from even attempting escape, far more effectively than the clear plexi-glass cell he stood in. He waited quietly for Mr. Wayne's return. Something told him today would be different. Though he had absolutely no way of knowing how or why. When Bruce came out of the shadows, he wasn't alone. There was a woman with him. Shoulder length auburn hair, late 20's, dressed in a sleek silver gown. Superman recognized her instantly.
“What is this?” Superman asked darkly.
“If you will not give me what I want, perhaps she will.” Bruce replied, his tone bawdy and lustful. He kissed the woman on the mouth. “No no you can't, you won't!”
'A curious change in attitude' Bruce noted as he put his hands seductively on the woman's waist, one hand on her shoulder. The reluctant woman simply closed her eyes as he leaned in for another kiss.
Superman's composure crumbled. “Stop. Stop PLEASE!” He cried out, his fist pounding once against the wall of his cell. Suddenly exhausted he slumped to the floor. “You win, alright? So take me. But spare my friend please. I beg of you.”
“You're friend? What do you know of her?”
'Do I need to know anything?' Superman thought instantly. “Her name is Aisha. She is a better human being than almost anyone I have met on this planet. I also know she's going along with this, but if she had a choice she'd have no part. As cliché as this is, this really IS between you and I. Leave her out of it.”
“What makes you so convinced she didn't choose to be here?”
“Mr. Wayne...Bruce...I'll let you do anything you want to me. Only please, let her go.”
Smiling with satisfaction and more than a little confusion, Bruce cut the cloth binding from the woman's wrist. He touched his hand to her cheek in an almost reassuring gesture. The woman nodded and walked up the steps and left the furnished basement.
Bruce looked at Superman with renewed interest. “I require an explanation.”
“Mr Wayne, you're no monster. I wouldn't call you a hero but you're not the monster you've almost willed yourself to see. I know you hate me. I can see it in your eyes. If I'm the one you want, take me. I make myself your prisoner__willingly. Only please, don't hurt her anymore.”
Bruce Wayne stared at the man he was no longer sure he understood. For as long as he had known of Superman's existence he'd seen him as an Americanized alien from a doomed planet. Suddenly he felt something uniquely human about the man.
"You're trying to appeal to my humanity?"
"To your reason, your conscience and your ego. Is that what humanity is?"
"By and large, yes." Batman acquiesced.
“I swear on the blood of my heart and on my father's name, I will not run and I will not fight you, whatever you do to me. But if you consider yourself a man of honor -” his voice rose, desperately. “Enforce your will upon me alone! I'm not the cold-hearted evil alien you apparently see when you look at me. Just because humans look up to the clouds to see me doesn't mean I put myself above them. To be honest, if you would send Aisha completely out of my life, it would probably destroy me. It would break my heart, I think. But I want her safe, above all else. As sure as I know anything, I know you do not mean to kill me. What will it take for you to let her go?”
“You knew each-other from before?”
“I assumed that is why you chose her for this demonstration.”
“No, take me. But spare my friend please. I beg of you.” Bruce remembered suddenly.
“This whole conversation is making a million times more sense.”
“If all cards must truly be on the table...I wanted to be more than friends with her. If she'd once hinted she felt the same, I'd have asked her to bond with me...to marry me.”
“Who exactly could compete with Superman.”
Superman looked thoughtful as he considered the question. “I had thought Clark Kent. The only human I could not be jealous of for finding happiness with her. Perhaps I had simply hoped it. Turns out she's simply not interested in that kind of relationship with anyone.”
“Getting back to the matter at hand.” Bruce said reluctantly. “I must ask if you are fully cognizant of what you are proposing.”
“That I will live my life as your prisoner. Whether kept in this house or locked away under the world. Restraints...kryptonite will not be needed.. My surrender stands. My living life is yours.”
“What kept you fighting me before now?”
“The thought of unconditional surrender to a man I don't understand is distasteful to me.”
“Well I can't argue with you there. What do you believe I want from you?”
“Either to ensure this extremely dangerous individual no longer threatens good citizens you consider under your protection, or someone to keep you company. I haven't figured it out yet.” Superman answered honestly. “I'm NOT a threat. If you truly believe I am. If that's why you're doing this, so be it. Just don't be a jerk to anyone by me okay?”
“That is...extremely refreshing. And I'm glad to see some strength is returning to you.”
“You and I understand each-other. I just don't happen to be human.”
“Meaning?!”
“Meaning humans have an innate suspicion and distrust of anything that is not like them. Not hate, not even necessarily fear. More like...assumptions. A given framework. Ingrained truths that are not universal even to this planet, simply hemispherical.”
“Like 'you don't make sense to us so you must be less than us'.”
“Something along those lines yes. I don't remember Krypton. But I've met a few people in my life that do. And according to them Krypton was...glorious. Well according to Zod it was glorious. According to Sarrin it was 'impressive'. Zod said they achieved greatness. Sarrin said they aspired to greatness. The point I'm trying to make is you wouldn't make sense to them. And they wouldn't make sense to you. And one of the main reasons I can see individuals independent of thier cultural or national framework. I am aware of the bias that comes from ANY cultural or regional framework, because I am an individual without one.”
“Okay my head is starting to spin.”
“You didn't expect a verbal sparring match?”
“I didn't expect a freaking telepath!” Bruce shot back angrily.
“I'm not a mind-reader. Like I said, You and I understand each-other. I meant what I said before. You've got me. You have Superman at your beck and call starting tonight...”
“Stand up.” Bruce said to Superman.
The man barely raised his head. “What?”
“Rise.” Bruce repeated. Bruce took a device out of his pocket and hit a control. The entire wall behind them swung open.
“Batman I don't understand.”
“You're not JUST an alien are you__Clark.”
“Is that why you're letting me go? Or are you?”
“You have no idea how much I meant it when I said restraints and kryptonite will not be needed. Master Wayne. If your battle truly lives and dies with me, I will do all I can to help you fight it.”
'I find it hard to believe you would do that for someone like me.' Bruce thinks to himself. "Why would you do anything for me after...after what I've done to you?"
“Hopefully you'll figure that out quickly. I know who you are...even if you don't anymore. To be clear, I'm not offering to make myself your slave. Nor do I believe you seek that. But if this is what it takes to remind you of your own humanity, if it means giving you a chance to drag yourself back into the light. I'll gladly stay. Do we have an accord?”
“I...I honestly don't know what to say.”
“A 'yes' would be nice.” Superman replied, a grin spreading across his face.
“You astonish me.”
Don't know if this is an edit or a continuation.
“Would you go so far as to beg for it?”
“Master Wayne, my people are driven by duty, but I at least am not incapable of love. Yes, I will BEG for it. I swear on the blood of my heart and my father's name, whatever you do to me, I will not resist. I won't fight you.
All I ask in return is that you prove to me you are the man of honor you see in yourself and enforce your will upon me alone!”
“Is there a reason you're suddenly sounding like Hamlet?”
“I'm...high born on Krypton. But I think almost everyone would have spoken in such terms in such a time and place as this.”
“Fair enough. Do you mean it?”
“Aisha... is the closest thing I will have on this Earth to kin.” Bruce looks up, surprise seared into his features. “Wasn't that why you caught her? Because she is dear to me?”
“Ahh, no. She's been a companion of mine for some time now.”
“'companion'.” Superman echoes not managing to hide his disgust.
“Not like that. Well not if you think I'm forcing her. She's more like my ward than anything else. She just happens to be in her 20's.”
“Stop lying. She's with you because she thinks it's better than the alternative.”
“Are you going to tell me she's wrong?”
“Enough. None of this is necessary. Let me out of this cell. If Aisha lives here at the manor, I won't have a reason to leave anyway. I just want to make sure she's alright. And that she stays alright. There is nothing more important than that. I will do any thing to ensure her well-being. And her happiness in so far as I can ensure that. Mr. Wayne, I'm not the cold-hearted, evil alien you see when you look at me, the less than human monster you hate so completely. My people are driven by duty. But I at least am not incapable of love."
“There has to be another reason.”
“Master Bruce, if your battle lives and dies with me, you may consider it settled. But I think we both know that's not the real battle you are fighting. I will do all I can to help you.”
Bruce gaped at him and then, unable keep the shock out of his voice.
“Why would you do anything for me after__after what I've done to you?”
“I hope that will become clear to you relatively quickly."
“Is there a reason you are suddenly sounding like Hamlet?”
“I am echoing how I imagine my people would have carried themselves in moments like this. I am preparing to surrender.”
“A conditional surrender, I assume?”
“Only one condition: Keep her safe. Keep her close, and keep her safe.”
“I can accept that readily enough. But why? You can't have gotten to know her very well. Unless you knew her already.” Bruce smiled. “That's it, isn't it?”
“Aisha is the closest thing I have on Earth to kin.” At Bruce's frown. “Was that not why you brought her here? Because of what I would do to protect her?”
“No Superman, you misread the situation. Aisha and I have been together for some time now. She's closer to my girlfriend than my prisoner. Although I wouldn't expect you to know that.”
“She's only with you because she knows the alternative is worse. You are going to tell me your protection has NO hidden costs?”\
“Guilty to the implied charge Superman. And now that I'm through answering your questions, answer mine: Were you serious before? Are you surrendering to me, for her safety and security?”
Superman dropped to one knee, pulled his left forearm tight across his back. “Bruce Wayne. I swear on the blood that flows through my veins and on my father's name, no matter what you do to me, I will not resist. At sundown tonight –assuming it is not already night- I am your prisoner. Willingly. Permanently. I'll be your slave if you'll have me. On the sole condition that no harm comes to Aisha Collins, from you or anyone yet born.”
Bruce is respectful of his Kryptonian prisoner as long as the prisoner remains obedient. There are four rules:
1. Hesitation is permitted. Refusal is punished.
2. Kneel when I say. Hands and knees when I say. Rise only at a touch of my hand.
3. Do not seek favors. Ask questions sparingly.
4. Do not speak of prior punishments. Unless currently enduring another.