seriousfic (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
seriousfic) wrote2008-01-23 07:33 am
seriousfic) wrote2008-01-23 07:33 am
Fic: Bereft (Superman Returns/Batman Begins)
Title: Bereft
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Lois Lane, Batman
Word Count: 1,333
Summary: Seven months after Superman goes missing, Batman arrives to pick up some of the pieces.
Bank robbery foiled, crooks say Gotham’s Batman to thank.
Metropolis’s Own Batman?
Batman Migrates from Gotham to Metropolis.
Lois deleted that headline too, took off her glasses and tried to get at the space behind her eyes where the familiar headache was tugging. She wished Richard were with her. The man had magic fingers. God only knew how the most sensitive man she knew could belong to the same family tree as the most abrasive.
Screw it. Let Perry handle the headline, she’d just handle the story. It looked good, neat. Still needed a proof-reader for those nitty little typos that her spell-check couldn’t find, but it was good. Prose purple enough to be fun to read, but still serious journalism. The facts were there, no bias, and she was extraordinarily self-aware in that respect… when she cared.
Why the world doesn’t need Superman. It’d gotten so many accolades that Richard had cut the article out and pinned it to the cork board, above the shopping lists and Post-Its. He couldn’t have known how it felt for her to look at it. But Superman was gone, and not coming back. If she’d betrayed him, he’d betrayed her first.
Batman sighted in Metropolis, stops bank robbery.
She knew why she didn’t trust Perry to get it right. Because he came up with I Spent The Night With Superman and now everyone tip-toed around her like she was a divorcee. Or a widow. Everyone but Richard, thank God for Richard, working late… like she should be doing. She gave her article another quick scan, switched out ‘a’ for ‘an’ in one sentence. E-mailed it to Perry with a note that it was only her first draft, knowing she would find something else to nitpick five minutes after she sent it.
The baby kicked. Lois put a hand to her stomach, as if the baby could feel it. Still, it always seemed to calm him down.
“You want some ice cream? Yeah, me too.”
She was in luck. The fridge was stocked for an all-night research session, not that she ever had anyone over since Clark left to find himself. She didn’t know why he’d bothered. Clark was the Clarkiest person she’d ever known. If he’d just try contacts, get a little self-confidence, he’d be the BMOC of the Daily Planet.
Lois supposed she should’ve eaten some of the lentils Richard had bought for her, but what Richard didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him and she’d already given up smoking. She grabbed a pint of Ben & Jerry’s and sat at her laptop, already chewing orgasmically. Should she be evil and challenge Jimmy to get a picture of the Batman? Nah, that’s be cruel. Besides, she didn’t have the money to make bail and the bank was closed.
There was a knock at the window.
Against all reason, Lois’s hopes soared. Superman. She didn’t want to run off with him… she didn’t know what she wanted with him… just to see him, she guessed. Just to know he was alright.
It wasn’t him. As soon as she opened the window, a black shape crept in, straightening to resolve into the form of a man.
“Batman,” she whispered.
He clung to the shadows near the window, the only sure sign of movement the fact that the stars were occasionally blotted out. “Ms. Lane. I didn’t want to startle you.” He jerked his head toward her. “The baby.”
“He’s fine.”
“How long?”
“Two months.” She sat back down again, giving her feet another urgently required rest. “Why do you care?”
“Hrmm…” Again, the night sky through the window was obscured. “The bank robbery wasn’t an isolated incident. It was the first of a crime wave. Lex Luthor’s organizing it from prison.”
Lois nodded. “We’ve been expecting something like that. All of us at the Planet, I mean. You know why it took him this long?”
“Probably to make sure Superman was really gone.” His voice was so cold, so low and indistinct, yet perfectly understandable. Supernatural, almost. “If he can’t get to Kal-El, he’ll go after his legacy. His city.”
“What can I do?”
“Luthor’s contact on the outside is Bruno Manheim. Do a little digging. My own investigations haven’t found anything; Manheim’s organization is airtight. Maybe you can do better.”
“I’m the best,” Lois said pridefully. “If I set my sights on someone, they’re sunk. Just so long as you’re sure you have the right guy.”
“The bank robbers told me things they wouldn’t tell the police.” Batman grunted. “They weren’t lying.”
“Okay, yeah…” She bobbed her head in another nod. As experienced as she was with Superman, this new cape scared her. And it took her a moment to realize she wasn’t afraid for herself, but the baby. “So why’d you come here? I thought Gotham was your beat.”
“Looking for an interview, Miss Lane?”
“Maybe. I’ve gotten exclusives with bigger recluses.” She crossed her arms. “Did you know him?”
“We crossed paths.”
“And?”
“And we parted ways.”
“That still doesn’t explain why you’re here.”
“Luthor’s dangerous. He nearly sunk part of the United States. Gotham’s part. Is that reason enough for you?”
Lois shook her head. “No. Not really.”
She could’ve sworn he was smiling. “Call it… a promise to an old friend.”
“So…” she ran a finger along her keyboard. “Can I trouble you for a quote?”
Batman stepped closer, coming slightly into the light. And again, Lois felt a pang of fear, but it quickly subsided. What had Superman said about Batman, on one of those rare occasions when they’d actually been able to talk and Lois could fool herself into thinking it was a date? Batman’s hung up on the darkness in the human heart, but I can’t believe that to be… anything, when you come right down to it. It’s so easy to conquer. Batman proves that, every night he does what he does.
“I’ll take that as a no.”
“Are you alright?” he asked, taking her by surprise.
“I could use a foot massage—“
“Hrmm.”
“—no, I’m good.”
“And the baby?”
“Doctor says he’s healthy as a horse. Or a colt, I guess…” Lois smiled, running her fingers along her bump idly. “He’s really changed me. I used to be all about getting the story… getting my name in the headlines, really. Now there are more important things.”
Batman looked away. “You don’t have a home security system. You should get one.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“Everyone knows you and Superman were close. Luthor could try to get to him through you. I’ll e-mail some recommendations to your account.”
“Wow. Somehow I just can’t picture you sitting in an office chair, firing off e-mails and blogging about your day… night… whatever.”
Batman narrowed his eyes at her. “Due date in two months makes you pregnant for seven.”
“Don’t I know it.”
“Who’s the father?”
Before Lois could reply, a key jangle in the lock. Lois turned – “Richard is…” – but when she turned back, Batman was gone and the curtains were stirring in the breeze.
“Hey, honey, are we heating Metropolis?” Richard ran a hand along her shoulder as he went to the window to close it. “God, it’s cold. You in the mood for a fire?” he asked, nodding his head to the fireplace.
“No, that’s alright.”
His fingers gently touched the side of her head and began to move in short, concentric circles. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just… felt the very keen difference between the life I used to have and the life I have now.”
Spry as a schoolboy, Richard dropped onto the couch beside her. “Regrets?”
She kissed him. “Not a one.”
He kicked his shoes off, put his feet up, and turned the television on. And as Lois leaned against him, her head eventually migrating from his shoulder down to his thigh as the night wore on, she realized that Batman had never said what his promise to Superman regarded… Metropolis, or her.
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Lois Lane, Batman
Word Count: 1,333
Summary: Seven months after Superman goes missing, Batman arrives to pick up some of the pieces.
Bank robbery foiled, crooks say Gotham’s Batman to thank.
Metropolis’s Own Batman?
Batman Migrates from Gotham to Metropolis.
Lois deleted that headline too, took off her glasses and tried to get at the space behind her eyes where the familiar headache was tugging. She wished Richard were with her. The man had magic fingers. God only knew how the most sensitive man she knew could belong to the same family tree as the most abrasive.
Screw it. Let Perry handle the headline, she’d just handle the story. It looked good, neat. Still needed a proof-reader for those nitty little typos that her spell-check couldn’t find, but it was good. Prose purple enough to be fun to read, but still serious journalism. The facts were there, no bias, and she was extraordinarily self-aware in that respect… when she cared.
Why the world doesn’t need Superman. It’d gotten so many accolades that Richard had cut the article out and pinned it to the cork board, above the shopping lists and Post-Its. He couldn’t have known how it felt for her to look at it. But Superman was gone, and not coming back. If she’d betrayed him, he’d betrayed her first.
Batman sighted in Metropolis, stops bank robbery.
She knew why she didn’t trust Perry to get it right. Because he came up with I Spent The Night With Superman and now everyone tip-toed around her like she was a divorcee. Or a widow. Everyone but Richard, thank God for Richard, working late… like she should be doing. She gave her article another quick scan, switched out ‘a’ for ‘an’ in one sentence. E-mailed it to Perry with a note that it was only her first draft, knowing she would find something else to nitpick five minutes after she sent it.
The baby kicked. Lois put a hand to her stomach, as if the baby could feel it. Still, it always seemed to calm him down.
“You want some ice cream? Yeah, me too.”
She was in luck. The fridge was stocked for an all-night research session, not that she ever had anyone over since Clark left to find himself. She didn’t know why he’d bothered. Clark was the Clarkiest person she’d ever known. If he’d just try contacts, get a little self-confidence, he’d be the BMOC of the Daily Planet.
Lois supposed she should’ve eaten some of the lentils Richard had bought for her, but what Richard didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him and she’d already given up smoking. She grabbed a pint of Ben & Jerry’s and sat at her laptop, already chewing orgasmically. Should she be evil and challenge Jimmy to get a picture of the Batman? Nah, that’s be cruel. Besides, she didn’t have the money to make bail and the bank was closed.
There was a knock at the window.
Against all reason, Lois’s hopes soared. Superman. She didn’t want to run off with him… she didn’t know what she wanted with him… just to see him, she guessed. Just to know he was alright.
It wasn’t him. As soon as she opened the window, a black shape crept in, straightening to resolve into the form of a man.
“Batman,” she whispered.
He clung to the shadows near the window, the only sure sign of movement the fact that the stars were occasionally blotted out. “Ms. Lane. I didn’t want to startle you.” He jerked his head toward her. “The baby.”
“He’s fine.”
“How long?”
“Two months.” She sat back down again, giving her feet another urgently required rest. “Why do you care?”
“Hrmm…” Again, the night sky through the window was obscured. “The bank robbery wasn’t an isolated incident. It was the first of a crime wave. Lex Luthor’s organizing it from prison.”
Lois nodded. “We’ve been expecting something like that. All of us at the Planet, I mean. You know why it took him this long?”
“Probably to make sure Superman was really gone.” His voice was so cold, so low and indistinct, yet perfectly understandable. Supernatural, almost. “If he can’t get to Kal-El, he’ll go after his legacy. His city.”
“What can I do?”
“Luthor’s contact on the outside is Bruno Manheim. Do a little digging. My own investigations haven’t found anything; Manheim’s organization is airtight. Maybe you can do better.”
“I’m the best,” Lois said pridefully. “If I set my sights on someone, they’re sunk. Just so long as you’re sure you have the right guy.”
“The bank robbers told me things they wouldn’t tell the police.” Batman grunted. “They weren’t lying.”
“Okay, yeah…” She bobbed her head in another nod. As experienced as she was with Superman, this new cape scared her. And it took her a moment to realize she wasn’t afraid for herself, but the baby. “So why’d you come here? I thought Gotham was your beat.”
“Looking for an interview, Miss Lane?”
“Maybe. I’ve gotten exclusives with bigger recluses.” She crossed her arms. “Did you know him?”
“We crossed paths.”
“And?”
“And we parted ways.”
“That still doesn’t explain why you’re here.”
“Luthor’s dangerous. He nearly sunk part of the United States. Gotham’s part. Is that reason enough for you?”
Lois shook her head. “No. Not really.”
She could’ve sworn he was smiling. “Call it… a promise to an old friend.”
“So…” she ran a finger along her keyboard. “Can I trouble you for a quote?”
Batman stepped closer, coming slightly into the light. And again, Lois felt a pang of fear, but it quickly subsided. What had Superman said about Batman, on one of those rare occasions when they’d actually been able to talk and Lois could fool herself into thinking it was a date? Batman’s hung up on the darkness in the human heart, but I can’t believe that to be… anything, when you come right down to it. It’s so easy to conquer. Batman proves that, every night he does what he does.
“I’ll take that as a no.”
“Are you alright?” he asked, taking her by surprise.
“I could use a foot massage—“
“Hrmm.”
“—no, I’m good.”
“And the baby?”
“Doctor says he’s healthy as a horse. Or a colt, I guess…” Lois smiled, running her fingers along her bump idly. “He’s really changed me. I used to be all about getting the story… getting my name in the headlines, really. Now there are more important things.”
Batman looked away. “You don’t have a home security system. You should get one.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“Everyone knows you and Superman were close. Luthor could try to get to him through you. I’ll e-mail some recommendations to your account.”
“Wow. Somehow I just can’t picture you sitting in an office chair, firing off e-mails and blogging about your day… night… whatever.”
Batman narrowed his eyes at her. “Due date in two months makes you pregnant for seven.”
“Don’t I know it.”
“Who’s the father?”
Before Lois could reply, a key jangle in the lock. Lois turned – “Richard is…” – but when she turned back, Batman was gone and the curtains were stirring in the breeze.
“Hey, honey, are we heating Metropolis?” Richard ran a hand along her shoulder as he went to the window to close it. “God, it’s cold. You in the mood for a fire?” he asked, nodding his head to the fireplace.
“No, that’s alright.”
His fingers gently touched the side of her head and began to move in short, concentric circles. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just… felt the very keen difference between the life I used to have and the life I have now.”
Spry as a schoolboy, Richard dropped onto the couch beside her. “Regrets?”
She kissed him. “Not a one.”
He kicked his shoes off, put his feet up, and turned the television on. And as Lois leaned against him, her head eventually migrating from his shoulder down to his thigh as the night wore on, she realized that Batman had never said what his promise to Superman regarded… Metropolis, or her.
no subject
no subject
(sniffles)
This wasn't supposed to be sad, was it? Cuz it was. And I cried. Man!
Very sweet.
no subject
A little. Bruce's POV would probably be sadder, for both him and Clark.
Damnit, I just said there wouldn't be a sequel!
no subject
no subject
no subject
Or not, depending.
no subject
no subject
I loved Bruce adding up the months, there. Yeah, no doubt at all who the father is. ^_~
Will there be more? This premise just seems too intriguing to not follow up on...
no subject
Now get back to work on Aftermath, ya lazy bum! *kicks, but affectionately*
no subject
And GAAAAHHH!! O_o *ducks* I know, I've let myself slip away from Aftermath. Hopefully, I'll be working on it again before the month is out. ^_^ Thanks for the prod. :p
no subject
no subject
Thanks!
no subject
Thank you for sharing!
no subject
no subject