Chapter 25: Lessons and Shining Armor
The last few days have been difficult for Bruce. He's sat and listened to the news or reading the papers while the GCPD are struggling to capture Fish Mooney after she took a run at the Penguin. The chaos in the mob world hasn't yet spilled out onto the streets for normal people to see. Even though it's been a relatively low key mob war the reporters have been hounding Bullock like mad to get results. Jim Gordon came by this morning for more information on where we were taken by Fish and I have to admit I was quite smug when he told Bruce and I that her powers to control people are real. Apparently she turned some beat cop against Gordon and he had to fight it out with the cop while she got away. I have to say Jim was quite surprised to find me in the study with Bruce. The older cop seemed more amused than annoyed when Bruce admitted he lied about not knowing where I was. I just laughed and kept playing with the new switchblade that Bruce bought me to replace the one he left behind at Fish's warehouse.
After Gordon left, Bruce and I went down into the secret room and played around some more with the gear Lucius brought over yesterday. Well, I was playing around with it; Bruce was 'familiarizing' himself with the equipment. I ran my fingers over the little back box that I have to get attached to the outside window of a penthouse office at Wayne Tower. It's supposed to be able to pick up people talking from the vibrations in the glass, even if it's the double insulated soundproofed stuff fitted on the Executives windows. We still haven't figured out how I'm going to drop fifteen feet and plant this near the window. I think just some rope and rappelling should do the trick. But Bruce the worrier thinks if we make up some sort of rig we could just lower the device down without having to go down ourselves. Either way I've been learning a bit of rope work and despite every instinct telling me not to; I actually read a book on how to do some rope climbing.
When I tied off a rope on the roof of Wayne Manor and was about to put what I've read into practice Alfred came running out and shouted at me. He told me I was going to get myself killed rappelling like that. At first I just made a joke until Alfred came up and showed me that the knot I tied would pull free. He then showed me how to do it properly. Turns out he used to have to do this in the Royal Marines, usually with a huge pack of gear and a gun in one hand. As much as I hate people trying to teach me stuff, I actually got a hang of rappelling a bit as I had a few goes up and down the far side of Wayne Manor. Bruce still says it's too windy up on a skyscraper to simply climb down on a rope. I think he's just being an overprotective boyfriend.
The idea of Bruce trying to keep me safe forces a warm smile across my face as I sit on the veranda railing and watch Alfred run Bruce though their boxing training. They've been at it for nearly two hours and the pair of them are sweating like mad. Oddly it was Alfred's idea to do an extra long practice session today for Bruce to make up for slacking off in bed the last week or so. I just giggled as Bruce pouted in mock defiance at being called lazy. I let my eyes watch the quick jabs and follow up cross that Bruce throws into Alfred's boxing mitts. Alfred swings his arm out for Bruce's head but he weaves and ducks under the older man's fast attack before replying with a lighting fast punch. The pair keep circling and repeating different variances of this pattern. I smile as I realize that Alfred isn't pulling his punches anymore. The quick jabs and strikes that Bruce is ducking and weaving around are genuine. My mind thinks back to when I once mocked Bruce for learning to fight like this. Sure, he may not have much sense of the dirty tricks people use on the streets, but he is definitely far from defenseless now.
"Keep that guard up!" orders Alfred as he swings his fist out at the opening in Bruce's guard. I watch in confusion as Bruce drops his guard and move in towards Alfred. Realization washes over me as I see Bruce has stepped up close to Alfred and under his strike and made an opening to attack back. Bruce drops two fast and heavy body shots into Alfred's padded abdomen causing the older man to let out a groan. "That ain't exactly boxing there Master B" says Alfred massaging his sore ribs.
"No. But, it was effective" replies Bruce bluntly as he steps back. I let out a chuckle at their exchange and receive a scowl from Alfred as payment.
"That it was. It seems you've dropped your sense of playing fair" says Alfred as he removes his boxing mitts.
"That's probably my fault" I say jokingly as Bruce goes about awkwardly tugging off his own boxing gloves.
"I suspect so... still, it is an unfair world and there are very few people who will fight you Queensberry rules Master Bruce" says Alfred to Bruce.
"I know Alfred..." says Bruce solemnly.
"Yeah well... sometimes you need to be vicious Master B... like then when you got in under my guard... that's the time when you shouldn't play nice... go for the groin... go for the throat... don't mess about playing nice" says Alfred gesturing to the weak points as he spoke.
"I wouldn't do that to you Alfred" says Bruce honestly.
"That's all well and good, but the next time you and your missus..." says Alfred glancing at me. "...decide to go out and look for trouble, don't go pulling your punches... or I'll be stitching you up again eh?" he finishes.
"I won't Alfred" says Bruce quietly.
"And you" says Alfred turning on me. "Young lady you need to learn to fight better than just clawing at people's eyes".
"I prefer to run away" I say flippantly as Bruce lets out a hearty laugh.
"Well as you can see... that doesn't always work" says Alfred pointing at the horizontal shiny pink scar on Bruce's upper left arm. My mind goes blank for a moment as I realize he is right. I've been considering letting Bruce arrange those lessons with a Judo instructor and even Alfred has been encouraging me to try it. Maybe I should stop seeing it as Bruce paying for a instructor for me and start seeing it as learning a way to better protect my man. I shake away those thoughts in my head and notice both Bruce and Alfred looking at me with curiosity.
"Something on my face?" I ask rhetorically.
"Er... you just froze up for a moment" explains Bruce.
"Oh... I guess I was thinking maybe we should try that Judo thing we talked about" I say quietly as if the volume of my voice can change the embarrassment I feel at the suggestion.
"OK... I'd like to learn with you" says Bruce as he gives me a warm smile.
"Master B... aren't you already learning boxing?" asks Alfred.
"I can do both" he says smugly as he walks over to me and wraps me up in a comforting embrace. I hear Alfred make his excuses to leave as I bury my face in Bruce's chest. I feel his hand press softly on the small of my back while the other snakes softly though my curly hair. "It's OK Selina... you don't have to do the Judo thing because of what happened with Fish" he whispers.
"It's not just Fish... it's... it's everything... I can take care of myself... but now I also want to take care of you" I mumble softly. "And I want to be able to".
"I want to take care of you too" he says confidently. "So we'll learn together... and take care of each other".
"OK" I say simple as I lean my weight into Bruce's arms as he holds me. "Love you" I say quietly.
"Love you too" he whispers into my ear.
"Are we idiots... because we want to protect each other" I ask as I wonder if it would be better for me to just return to looking out for number one.
"No... think of it... think of it like we're knights" he says causing me to pull back and give him a confused look. "We're knights in armor... and we fight better when we fight with our backs pressed together... to hold us up and protect us" he explains.
"Like knights?" I say derisively.
"Yeah... I mean... not literally but more like..." he begins.
"Relax, I get it..." I say letting a teasing grin work its way across my face. "We're stronger together... see I understand metaphors".
"I never said you didn't" says Bruce honestly as he plants a soft kiss on my lips leaving a light tingle behind.
"I think you've been reading too many history books lately" I whisper softly as I lean in for another kiss. I feel his lips insistently against my own as Bruce kisses his reassurances into me.
"I like history books" he mutters indignantly.
"I know you do baby" I say teasingly as he leans in to seal my lips with his own once more. As his tongue demands entrance into my mouth I think on his words. Like knights who protect each other and watch each other's backs. It's a weirdly cool description of us. Neither of us is the knight in shining armor come to save the damsel, but we are equals and we fight and guard each other's back. And when we get tired or weak we hold each other up so they don't fall. Given me and Bruce history it's a good description of how we work together. I guess we'll learn Judo and I'll learn to be a bit better at protecting my boyfriends back, while he protects mine. Like knights would.
AN: OK in all honestly that image and metaphor of medieval knights fighting back to back has always been on of my favorite imagery ideas. And in this case it just seemed to fit too well for me not to use it... so yeah... a tad heavy handed on the imagery...
Judo is definitely a martial art for smaller people, it uses the weight and strength of your opponent against them. Technically Bruce did nothing wrong by stepping that close to Alfred and punching... but in some boxing circles stepping up low and close without going for a clinch is considered dirty... the more you know.