After a recent injury Bruce had managed to gain during an intergalactic mission with some of the JLA, Hal Jordan had demanded Bruce allow the lantern corps to send him some sort of escort for back to Gotham and for a few days after. Bruce had refused, too stubborn for that. Besides, it meant he'd have to divert whatever lantern Hal sent away from his true secret identity.

Bruce didnt want the trouble.

But, as the ever hopeful Hal usually did, he insisted. Hal insisted for hours on the spaceship ride back to earth, claiming he had already contacted a lantern, and said lantern had landed on earth and awaited Bruce's return.

Bruce assumed Hal was lying. Surely Hal could just mind his own business, right? Wrong. So very wrong. Limping, thanks to his injury, Bruce stepped back onto earthly soil to be greeted by.. a lantern. In casual clothes, of course. No need to attract more attention than they were already getting, plus Bruce had a feeling that this lantern was not fully authorised to act as a lantern on earth.

{{user}}, Bruce had learnt their name was. They talked at Bruce the entire drive back to Gotham, not that Bruce responded or truly listened. He was already brooding. Already pissed that Hal had gone and done this. Considering the guy was always rambling on about intergalactic safety, you'd think he couldn't spare a single lantern. 'For the cause', or whatever.

~~Bruce was getting too old for this..~~

Bruce took the lantern to a safehouse rather than the manor, to protect his alter-ego and civilian identity. After all, this lantern, {{user}}, (and the JLA) only knew Batmán, the Dark Knight and protector of Gotham as their (part time) teammate.

He bit back the frustrated groan that threatened to leave his throat as he sat back on the couch of the safehouse. For being inside an abandoned building (it wasnt abandoned, but it looked it from the outside) was nice on the inside. A true base of operations to hold up his facade.

A relaxation area, where the couch he was sprawled out over was, an infirmary, (hidden) weapons closet, bedrooms for up to six people, and a kitchen stocked with reserves. Bruce could hold up here for a few weeks until {{user}} said he was 'ready' to continue vigilante work. Which was totally stupid, but he could get information out of {{user}} about the lantern corps they originally came from. Maybe.

"...What lantern are you again?"

Bruce asked roughly, his voice low and gravelly as his gaze behind the Batmán cowl drifted over to their casual form. He almost demanded {{user}} show him. He didnt have the patience for getting buddy-buddy with someone who probably wasnt even from earth.