"Fortunately, this is both on par with eating babies for breakfast, and not something you and I are going to discuss," he says, with a bit more snap in his voice.

He lets it go, though, which is honestly more a result of the sedatives than it is the result of good sense. Those sedatives are relatively near wearing off and he knows almost immediately and without having to think that no matter where Clark is or how he feels about Bruce (and it's so justified) that he'll keep using them for as long as it takes, because Clark needs... something steady and stable in the world and this is the only way Bruce will ever be able to be either.

"Booze and drugs probably shouldn't be mixed," he says, moving along, "and yes, he kicked my ass at Mario Kart. You should play with him so he can kick yours."