untitled cryptid!Bruce Wayne scene
A few more moments, he tells himself, burrowing further into his wings as a sharp blast of wind tears at the protective cape clipped to his wingclaws. A few more moments, then he’ll make his way back to the manor.
But then there’s a shift of gravel on the roof beside him.
Bruce snaps around, the rotating ears of his cowl letting him know exactly which direction the sound had come from. He catches a flash of red and realizes it hadn’t been a blast of wind at all; it’d been the downdraft of a speedster.
The Flash bounces on his toes, searching the skies north of Gotham, unaware of the predator above.
Something swells up in Bruce’s chest, like a balloon expanding in the cavity behind his ribs, something sharp and angry that gnaws at his human sense. Unconsciously, he peels his lips back, baring serum-sharped incisors at the threat. Not a threat, he tells himself even as he shifts into a predatory crouch. He wrestles control over himself before a territorial scream can escape.
What the hell is the Flash doing in Gotham?
He flexes his fingers, his claws scraping into the brick beneath him. He grits his teeth against the urge to dig them into something softer, something that’ll give way and spill the sweet tang of his most shameful craving.
Steady, he tells himself. Watch. The Flash is waiting for something.
That something turns out to be Superman and Wonder Woman.
Bruce’s shoulders tense, and with it the deltoids and trapezeus of his wings, the muscle aching with the need to stretch out, to bring him swooping down on the unsuspecting trio.
There are powerful beings in his territory. They are going to fight him for it, the bat within hisses.
“Anysignofhim?”
He can just barely make out Flash’s quick words over the thundering of blood in his ears. Any sign of him?
He digs his claws into the brick a fraction of an inch deeper as Wonder Woman responds, “I saw no sign of this so-called Batman.”
They came here for him.
“The city is quiet given its usual reputation,” Superman shares, frowning. “I heard no fight that could be attributed to him.”
“Perhaps he is not hunting tonight?” suggests Wonder Woman, looking as if she still doubts his existence.
“Hmm. There was a breakout at Blackgate Penitentiary not long ago. It’s possible he could be recuperating. I heard Firefly set an apartment building on fire.”
As Wonder Woman and Superman continue discussing, the Flash zips around the rooftop. Bruce watches with narrow eyes as he scans his surroundings, peering into the fog-obscured city. The Flash squints at the gargoyle on the other end of the building he’s perched on, then he turns towards Bruce.
He stills.
Bruce stares back, the gleaming white of his lenses shielded by the angle of his wings. However, he cannot control the wind. It whirls past and drags at his cape.
The Flash goes white.
“Uh, guys?” he calls out, not taking his eyes off Bruce.
Neither Wonder Woman nor Superman take notice. Slowly, Bruce extends his wings, preparing himself for flight. The continued eye contact is sparking something in him, and he isn’t quite sure if it wants him to attack the Flash or flee from the three predators in his city.
The Flash takes several rapid steps back, kicking up dust and gravel as he speeds back to his companions’ sides.
“Superman? Wonder Woman?” he tries again, voice pitching up in fear as he points at Bruce.
Wonder Woman spares a glance Bruce’s way, but her eyes don’t lock onto him like the Flash’s have. “It’s just a gargoyle, Flash,” she says, before she turns back to Superman and says once more, “Are you sure the Batman is a real entity? Our sources have yet to catch sight of him. Not even a photo.”
The Flash makes a strangled sound. Bruce would be amused if he wasn’t as concerned with the Justice League stalking him. Perhaps he should back away before anyone else notices, drop off into an alleyway and force the transformation back to his more human self so he can summon the Batmobile to take him back to the Cave. It would be more sensible than flying, not when one—perhaps two, he has yet to confirm if Wonder Woman can sustain true flight—of the Justice League’s aerial members are searching for him.
Unfortunately, it seems the Flash has reached the end of his tether. He rapidly slaps Superman’s arm hissing, “Guys, I don’t think that’s a gargoyle!”
