Chapter Text
"On your mark.."
Crouched, Flash sent a glance over at the man in blue.
"Get set...!"
Superman met his eyes and winked.
"Go!"
In the speed of light, the two darted down the track made for them. The crowd roared and screamed the name of their beloved heroes. From the rooftops, Batman watched it all unfold.
Robin peered over the edge, eyes wide with wonder. "Woah.."
Bruce quickly grabbed his son's cape. "Don't get so close to the edge, Robin." He gently scolded. Jason shuffled back, still drawn to the spectacle below.
Jason looked back at him. "This is so epic! Who do you think will win?"
Bruce hums. Flash has all the reasons to win a race. It's only logical. But Bruce is biased toward the handsome boy scout. "I don't know." He decided. "Who do you think will win?"
Jason perked. "Umm..." He made an adorable display of putting his hand on his chin, visibly thinking. "I think Flash will win! People call him the fastest man alive for a reason!"
"Multiple reasons.." Bruce purred under his breath, before raising his volume. "Very clever, my little detective. But we'll just have to see."
"Did he win last time?" Jason asked, referencing the first time Flash and Superman competed against each other.
"No, Robin. They were interrupted by an emergency, remember?" Bruce ruffled the boy's hair. "Nobody won."
"That sucks!"
"That may be, but we must put our duties first. Tell me what's more important; a little race or the safety of the entire world?"
Jason was silent, and Bruce smiled. "That's right, Robin. The world. It's our home; that's why we should put it above anything else."
"Hey folks." Hal Jordan descended from the sky, his hands full of food. "Anybody want corndogs?"
"Me! Me!" Jason put his hand in the air while bouncing. He looked to Batman. "Can I?"
When Bruce nodded, Jason ran up to the Green Lantern, who handed him two corndogs. He took big bites, letting out a little moan. Bruce crossed his arms over his chest as Hal approached him.
"Hey, Bats." He smirked, offering him a corndog. "Got this one just for you."
Bruce rolled his eyes under the cowl and took the paper container. The corn dog was drowning in chocolate and sprinkled with sugar. Bruce gave the man a look. Hal chuckled. "I know you got a sweet tooth."
Bruce grunted. "I'm not sure about sausages in chocolate."
"Oh, there's no sausage in this dog. It's just mozzarella."
Bruce squinted. He took the stick and had a bite. The crispiness of the breading provided a satisfying crunch. The cheese paired so well with the chocolate—and the chocolate...
His eyes widened. This might be the best chocolate Bruce has ever tasted. He can't deny how good this corndog is. "..Where did you buy this?"
"It's a stand near the pet store." Hal leaned in. "What, is it good? I never tried."
He knew the pilot probably wanted a bite, but a selfish part of him wanted to keep this for himself. Regardless, he lets him eat from his hand.
Hal's eyebrows raised. "Damn, that is good." Hal licked the remaining chocolate from his lips. "I'm surprised at how crispy it is. I thought it'd be soggy from all that chocolate."
"It's delicious." Bruce admitted, smiling at his teammate. "Thank you."
Hal shrugged, grinning with his his brown-tinted teeth. "No problem, babe."
Jason immediately whipped around. "What did you just call him?"
Hal raised his hands defensively. "Calm down, kid. It's just a pet name."
"My dad is not a pet!" Jason declared, marching at him. He was trying to be intimidating, but with a mouth full of sauce and crumbs, it wasn't working one bit. Bruce's heart was melting at the sight of his baby—uh, son.
"That's not—" Hal groaned. He turned to the other adult. "A little help?"
Bruce sighs. "A pet name is a different version of a nickname, Robin. He doesn't mean that literally."
"But he called you 'babe'! Only couples who smooch each other do that!" Argued the boy.
"And you're right." Bruce patted Jason's head, shooting a glare at the Green Lantern. "You have to stop calling me that, Jordan. You're going to give people the wrong idea."
"I have no clue what you're talking about."
The cheering from below noticeable loudens, catching the interest of the three. They moved closer to the edge to see what was happening. There were big screens that showed the progress of the race thanks to GPS tracking devices. The blue and red dot, representing Superman and The Flash, had been in sync since the start of the race. However, the red dot was inches in front of the blue now.
"Flash is winning! I knew it!" Jason exclaimed.
"Now, now. They're still far away from the finish line." Bruce said, biting into his corndog.
"He has to win, or else I owe fifteen bucks!" Stressed Hal.
"You,"—Bruce swallowed down the piece—"Are betting on this?"
Hal raised a brow. "Isn't that what you're supposed to do in races?"
"No, unless you want to go broke."
Jason giggles. Hal only shook his head.