The Crush by Xianpububbles
Kal smiled when looking at her. She had come from Krypton just as he had.
She was sent to protect him, but she arrived late and he was raised by the Kents on Earth.
She was the reason he wasn't the last. He vowed to always protect her, his family, regardless of the consequences.
Bruce wanted to ensure those consequences didn't go too far.
She had been quarantined to the fortress.
Kal told her it was to protect her from the world.
Bruce knew it was more likely to protect the world from her.
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He strolled into the fortress with his usual grim expression.
"So what are the results, doctor? Is it a boy?" Kara smirks.
Batman was silent. He did not look amused.
"Batman, you're back." Kal enters.
"Her organic structure, aside from being female, matches yours almost perfectly. And I would gather her powers and abilities rival yours as well." He handed the lab results it to Kal.
"You don't say. Maybe it's because, Kal-El is my cousin!" Kara snapped with an annoyed look.
"You're picking up on Earth's sarcasm pretty fast for an alien." Batman replied in an accusing voice.
She glared back at him clenching her fists.
"So then it's settled." Kal smiled awkwardly and stepped in-between Kara and Batman to ensure she wouldn't try to strangle him.
"Still a bit too convenient," mumbled Batman knowing full well that they both had super hearing.
Kal sighed. He knew that Batman would never be satisfied no matter how many tests they ran.
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The door to the fortress's lab was smashed open as Kara poked through.
"It hates me. I didn't do anything to it." Kara runs behind Kal followed by Krypto. He barks loudly at her displaying his fierce teeth.
"It's alright, Kara. He's just not used to you yet." Kal tries to calm Krypto down.
She felt Batman watching with an intrigued look. Kara cringed.
"I'm more of a cat person," she said glancing at him.
"So am I, but Krypto didn't come after me."
"Fine, then arrest me!" She felt like tearing his ugly mask off.
"I would, but there isn't a prison strong enough. So the fortress will do, for now."
"Cold-blooded jerk!" She flies off, away from him, away from his suspicious glares, his distrusting words, and expressionless face.
Kal gave him a disapproving look.
"Don't you find it strange that your Kryptonian dog doesn't like her?"
"He doesn't like anyone." Kal spoke in Kara's defense.
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Batman was the first and only Earthling she had met since she awoke. He made her feel like she was guilty for just being there and treated her like a criminal.
He was questioning her again comparing her answers with Kal's cloudy memories of Krypton. She knew he was looking for traces of inconstancy.
He wanted evidence, proof that she was a fraud and couldn't be trusted.
Were all Earthlings so heartless and cold? Kal had assured her that not everyone on Earth was like him.
She didn't need Kal to tell her this man was different. She couldn't understand why she cared what he thought.
She hated him, and at the same time she longed for him to simply trust her.
As he continued to question her about her dead mother and father, Kara stared hard at his lead-lined cowl.
Batman paused. Had her powers evolved past Clark's? Could she see through lead when Superman couldn't?
When he looked into her eyes, he saw something much more horrifying than her x-ray vision. He saw desire.
How had he missed this? It was then he realized she was much closer to him than necessary.
She had closed her eyes and she was leaning towards him.
He placed a finger on her lips halting her advance. "This won't make me trust you, Kara."
Her eyes flew open and he saw the hurt his words had caused. Her eyes were swelling with tears.
She pulled away putting as much distance between them as possible. She wanted to disappear.
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Kal was still offended about what had happened. His allies, the people he believed to be his friends, had taken Kara away from him.
Kara was dressed in armor as she spared with an Amazon warrior. She was concentrated trying to recall the several fighting stances she had learned from Diana over the past few weeks.
Kal was a few yards away trying to keep an "open mind" about Kara's stay on Paradise Island.
For a moment, Kara had let her attention deviate from her opponent towards Batman. She missed him. His interrogating sessions with her ended after that night.
Her inexperienced movements allowed her challenger the advantage. Before Kara knew it she was on the ground with a sword raised against her.
Kal had the woman by the neck before she could strike. Diana retaliated and commanded that Kal release her sister.
Diana and Kal began to argue, yelling at each other even though their faces were only inches apart. Kara could feel the friction between them as she watched.
It reminded her of Kal's parents fighting one moment and then kissing each other the next. She wondered if Kal had ever kissed Diana.
If it weren't for the fact that Kal was promised to that Earth woman, Lois, he had mentioned earlier, Kara would have thought them the perfect couple.
Kara looked towards Batman. He was watching them argue as well.
Kara could sense the tightness of his muscles from where she stood. She guessed he didn't believe them to be a very well-matched couple.
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Diana was at Kal's side as he kneeled to the ground exhausted. He had defeated an army of Doomsday soldiers with a concentrated ray of his heat vision.
Bruce recognized the battle for what it was a distraction. There must have been a reason for the attack. He searched frantically for her remembering Kara's eyes the night he rejected her.
He went through the events prior to the battle. Kara had mentioned she wanted to go swimming.
In a nearby lake, golden blonde hair covered the face of a lifeless body floating in the water.
He couldn't be too late. He waded out to her cursing his cape for slowing him down.
His heart was racing. He pulled the body against him and out of the water.
It wasn't her. A flood of relief washed over him.
And then he felt guilt stabbing at him. The lifeless woman in his arms was young, too young.
Kal and Diana reached them. They mourned the loss of a friend. Her sacrifice had left a clue to Kara's location, Apokolips.
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Kal was furious. He blamed Kara's kidnapping on everyone. He believed he was truly the only one suffering from her loss. He was wrong.
There was no doubt in Bruce's mind as they approached Bertha's house. Kal and Diana would not be entering Apokolips without him. He had to ensure Kara returned safely.
Kal believed Bruce was doing it for the sake of their friendship. Bruce wanted to believe that too. But in the short time that he had known her, Bruce had grown attached to the hot-headed girl from Krypton.
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They returned victorious. Kara was safe and back at Paradise Island.
She had been under Darkseid's influence, but she remembered. Hellfire surrounded them. She had tried to kill Kal. She had hurt the one person she was sent to protect. She felt ashamed. Kal was by her bedside letting her know it was all going to be okay. He was like a warm ray of sunlight comforting her anyway he could.
Although she admired Kal and Diana's strength and power, Kara admired Batman's courage above all else.
Kara could hear him approaching. She had memorized the beating of his heart. She tried to steady her breathing, so that Kal wouldn't be able to detect how this Earth man took her breath away.
Diana sensed Kara wanted to talk to Batman alone. She called Kal out of the room. Oblivious to the reason, Kal went to Diana.
Batman kneeled beside her bed.
She looked at him with sadness in her eyes. "Are you going to interrogate me now? I know what I did."
"No." He said softly. He removed his glove holding her hand in his. She felt a shiver go through her body and was shocked that his skin was so warm. She had expected him to be colder.
He was staring at her. She reached up and he allowed her to remove his cowl. "I knew it." She gave him a sweet smile.
He looked confused as she leaned closer to him. His mind was arguing with his body, Turn away, Bruce. Turn away before...
"Blue eyes," she replied kissing him softly.
Her lips were pure and innocent. His heart was pounding against his chest.
He returned her kiss slowly allowing her to set the pace.
She wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him towards her.
Kara wanted him to suffocate her with his kisses.
"Bruce!" it was Diana screaming from outside. It was a warning.
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Kal had tried to kill him. Batman had risked his life for her, again.
She paused. His name is Bruce. Kara thought with a smile remembering his lips.
Diana had been on Kara's side. Diana had a way of talking to Kal.
She could reason with him when no one else could. Kara wondered if Kal's Lois could do the same.
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"Bruce Wayne, the billionaire bachelor of the year, was spotted with a new blonde beauty at the annual Wayne Charity Banquet last night. Obviously, another one of his many female conquests..." Clark growled and before he could finish the article began to burn it into ash with his eyes.
"Something disturbing in the gossip column this morning, Clark?" smiled Lois pouring herself a cup of coffee.
FIN
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AN: Reviews and critiques always welcomed!
