Chapter Text
Batman entered the watchtower dragging Hal Jordan behind him by the ear. Hal felt like had to take quick, unequal steps to avoid having his ear torn off. The pinching and dragging creating a painful pressure against the delicate cartilage.
“Owww… spooky, take it easy!” he whined
Batman ignored him. “What did superman tell you to do, Harold?” he asked
The name alone made a flush crawl up Hal’s neck. He tried to yank his ear out of Batman’s iron grip, but the man was like a granite statue. “Stop calling me that,” he gritted out, the immediate, petulant response overriding any sense of self-preservation. It didn't matter that the Bat was the last person he should be antagonizing right now, especially with the grip he had on his ear.
Batman's grip tightened, causing hal to wince somewhat. “Answer the question, Lantern.” His voice was a low growl, devoid of patience.
"Ow… He told me to stay put," Hal mumbled, his eyes fixed on the floor, on the perfect shine of the metal tiles.
"And you...?"
"I didn't. Obviously." hal said rolling his eyes “and You don't have to drag me spooky, i will follow! let go!”
“Batman stopped abruptly, making Hal stumble slightly. The sudden halt didn't, however, loosen the Bat’s grip. If anything, the pressure on Hal's ear increased.
“Ow, shit! Watch it, Bats! You’re gonna tear my ear off!” Hal grunted, trying to twist his head away from the unrelenting vice grip. The pain was sharp now, a throbbing heat in his ear. He could feel his ring finger twitching, desperate to summon his construct, but he knew that would only make everything ten times worse. “I get it! You are mad! Let go, Bats. Please.”
Batman didn't ease the pressure immediately, instead he pinched it slightly harder and said “you will follow.” before finally releasing the grip.
Hal’s hand shot up instinctively, cupping his smarting ear and rubbing the reddened area. His chest heaved with a mixture of pain, indignation, and a growing knot of dread. He glared at Batman. “Yeah sure whatever means you're not gonna keep trying to pull my ear off.”
“Follow,” Batman repeated, his voice the same low, gravelly command. He didn't turn to see if Hal was complying; he simply started walking again, his heavy boots sounding a measured, unforgiving cadence against the metal floor.
Hal hesitated for a moment, his glare burning into the back of the vigilante’s cowl.He hated being manhandled, hated being called Harold, and most of all, he hated that he had been careless enough to get caught. Stay put. That was all Superman had asked. A simple, easy order. Stay put and watch the entrance for trouble. It was boring. So, he’d wandered off, just a little, to check out that weird energy signature on the lower levels. What did the Boy Scout expect? He was Green Lantern, not some glorified security guard. But apparently somebody had snuck in the entrance he was supposed to be watching and ok sure maybe that “somebody” snuck up behind firestorm and knocked him out. And ok that somebody was Solomon Grundy. The worst part was that– no, the worst part was definitely that firestorm got hurt, the poor kid was only 16 – but the second worst part was this was going to cost him. Not just a lecture from Superman, those he could handle, but a spanking. Just the word made his stomach lurch. Batman stopped when they got to superman’s office and pointed at the bench outside the door.
“Sit. Wait. and this time, actually stay put.” the bat ordered his voice dangerously low
Hal didn't move. He stood, shoulders slumped, his fingers still massaging the painful spot on his ear, and watched the back of Batman’s massive form as it disappeared through the office door. He was alone, now, standing in the corridor outside Superman’s office. The bench was a simple, utilitarian thing. A solid wooden bench with only minor ornamentation.It was a ‘wait-for-your-punishment’ bench. Anyone who might pass would know what you were there for. He dragged his feet over to it and dropped onto the cold seat with a sigh that was half-whine, half-frustration.
"Stupid," he muttered to himself. "Stupid, stupid, stupid."
He wasn't talking about wandering off. He was talking about getting caught. And about Firestorm. That's what really hurt: the knowledge that his carelessness had caused someone else, a 16 year old, to get hurt. That was what made the inevitable humiliation of the spanking a truly bitter pill to swallow. It wasn't about the pain; it was about the reason for it. It was earned, and he hated it. A low murmur of voices drifted from behind the closed door. He couldn't make out the words, but he knew the cadence of the conversation. Batman was giving the rundown, terse and efficient. Superman was probably listening, his deep, resonant voice occasionally interrupting with a question. Hal could almost hear the disappointment in it already, and worse He heard two sets of footsteps walking down the corridor and the approaching sounds of booster gold and blue beetle joking with each other . Hal tensed, pulling his shoulders even further inward. This was exactly what he didn't need. Booster rounded the corner first, his bright blue and gold armor a jarring sight against the sterile metal corridor. He was beaming, throwing an arm around the shoulder of Blue Beetle, who was chuckling at something Booster had just said. They spotted Hal almost instantly. Booster quickly stopped laughing and averted his eyes in attempt to pretend he hadn’t seen Hal, an awkward blush crossing his face. Ted however burst out into louder laughs.
“Oh, hey Hal, Sitting on the naughty bench are we?” ted asked snickering.
“Oh Piss off, Ted!” Hal muttered, his voice low and tight. He didn't lift his head, instead focusing on picking at a non-existent thread on his thigh.
Booster nudged Ted sharply in the ribs, the action concealed by his arm still draped over Ted’s shoulder. Ted rubbed his side, still grinning, but he lowered his voice.
“Just sayin’. You didn’t get away with it this time, huh?” He glanced at the office door, then back at Hal. “None of us ever do, do we? What was it, anyway? Did you break the coffee machine again?”
“It was not the coffee machine, you idiot, and i didn’t get in trouble for that it was an accident” Hal hissed. "It was... a thing. None of your business. Just go. Before Bats hears you running your mouth." He didn't want to elaborate, didn't want to say Solomon Grundy or that Firestorm is hurt or I'm about to get spanked. The last one was the worst secret of all. Not that it was much of a secret at this point.
Booster pulled Ted away, his tone overly casual. “We gotta go, Ted! Didn’t we have, uh, a thing? Down in the archives? Yeah, a super important thing.”
Ted dug his heels in slightly, letting Booster pull him a couple of steps before stopping, forcing Booster to halt as well. He twisted his head back, a wide, knowing grin still plastered on his face.
“Right, right, the archives. Almost forgot,” Ted said, his voice loud enough for Hal to hear clearly, but a mock-whisper of conspiracy for Booster. He leaned in as if sharing a secret, but kept his eyes fixed on Hal. “But hey, Harold was it?? If you need a cushion for that wooden bench, you know, for the long wait, or you know how you might be feeling after let me know.”
Hal’s head snapped up, his face blazing a furious red that was almost brighter than his ring finger was twitching. “I swear, Kord, I’m gonna—”
“No, you are not,” Batman’s voice cut in, the door to the office snapping open.
Batman’s gaze, even partially obscured by the cowl, was enough to make both Booster Gold and Blue Beetle freeze.Ted’s knowing grin evaporated instantly. He tried to straighten up, pulling away from Booster’s arm, his entire demeanor shifting from smug jester to scolded child.
"Bats! Uh, we were just—"
"Go," Batman cut him off, the single syllable a final, non-negotiable decree. He didn't raise his voice, yet the sound resonated with more authority than a shout. His dark eyes flicked from Ted to Booster, then settled, cold and heavy, on Hal.
Booster, yanked Ted’s arm. “Yep! Time to go! The archives, Ted, remember? Super important… archive thing!” He practically dragged his friend down the corridor, Ted mouthing a silent, apologetic 'sorry' to Hal before the corner swallowed them.
“Superman wants to speak with you.” Bruce said before exiting in the same direction as booster and beetle.