(Naturally, Batman is a product of DC Comics, Warner Bros and created by Bob Cane... you know, all the good disclaimer stuff. Catherine Wayne, Kir and Ben Obiken are rather original creations... or something like that. THANKS FOR READING!)
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CHAPTER NINE - Little Epiphanies...
Catherine had to wonder how fast he'd actually driven in order to get back to the Cave, disrobed from the suit, and be in the gym working up a healthy sweat since he'd managed to beat her back to Gotham's countryside. She stared at his tensed figure as he did the 50th pull-up since she'd been standing there.
She knew Bruce well enough to know he was furious and agitated about "something." Cath had a good idea "who" that "something" was too: Ben Obiken. She crossed the gym and sat down on the weight bench and continued to watch her husband.
The minutes ticked by. Bruce left the pull-up bar and moved on to push-ups without saying a word.
Catherine waited. She kept a mental count of his push-ups; when Bruce had reached 89, she said, "I could sit on your back to add some resistance if you want..."
He paused and craned his neck to look over his shoulder at her. A faint smile crossed Bruce's lips before he resumed his exercise.
Minutes continued to tick by as Bruce went on with his routine. Catherine waited him out with endless patience. A total of 90 minutes later, Bruce performed his final stretches, loosened kinks in his neck and walked to the shower.
She smiled to herself and resisted the temptation to follow him in there. If she did that, Catherine knew, Bruce would never talk about what happened in the evening. He needed to talk more than they needed anything else.
Catherine turned and lay down with her back on the bench; she stared up at the dark, craggy ceiling high above them. It was only viewable in shadow where the lights could pierce the gloom. She continued to wait.
"I talked to Obiken tonight."
She jumped up from her supine position. Bruce stood in the corner of the room, his back up against the walls. "I figured that."
"I saw you out in front of their... Temple," he said.
"I saw you fly out the window of their Temple," she countered with a grin.
He nodded. "He... Obiken... was in the warehouse where GCPD had found Clayface," Bruce said. "It was burning. I was making my way through into the warehouse itself to find him when Obiken... knocked me off my feet."
She blinked. "Knocked YOU off your feet? He attacked you?"
"Yes... and no. I don't really know what he did or how he managed." Bruce shook his head. "He warned me the building was going to collapse. When I refused to listen to him and his... intuitions... he... carted me out of the building."
"And?"
"It collapsed seconds later."
Catherine's eyes widened. "Was he involved in it? In league with Clayface?"
Bruce chuckled softly and willed himself out of the corner of the room. He sat down next to Cath on the bench. "That's what I'd accused him of too, actually. He chided me for my ignorance."
"Your ignorance?" For a moment, Catherine thought of her conversation with Kir Obiken.
"Yes. And my inability to rely on intuition and--"
She held up a hand. "Wait. Let me guess. A higher power?"
"Essentially," he said with a nod. "Kir was having the same conversation with you?"
"For the most part, minus a collapsing building and Clayface." Catherine sighed. "So what did Ben mean exactly?"
Bruce turned on the bench to straddle it and face her directly. "He meant that by choosing to 'play God' as I have as Batman because of my parents' murder," he said in a rush, "that I have foregone key areas of my life, my being. That I am not whole and that I... could be... if I'd learn to let things be."
She nodded minutely, thinking that Ben had said the same basic message that Kir had over ice cream.
When she stayed quiet, Bruce added, "When he asked why I had the issue with religion, I left. That was when you saw me."
Catherine leaned over to rest her head against his bare shoulder. "Thoughts?"
"We need to find Clayface."
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FIN
.
.
.
.
.
CHAPTER NINE - Little Epiphanies...
Catherine had to wonder how fast he'd actually driven in order to get back to the Cave, disrobed from the suit, and be in the gym working up a healthy sweat since he'd managed to beat her back to Gotham's countryside. She stared at his tensed figure as he did the 50th pull-up since she'd been standing there.
She knew Bruce well enough to know he was furious and agitated about "something." Cath had a good idea "who" that "something" was too: Ben Obiken. She crossed the gym and sat down on the weight bench and continued to watch her husband.
The minutes ticked by. Bruce left the pull-up bar and moved on to push-ups without saying a word.
Catherine waited. She kept a mental count of his push-ups; when Bruce had reached 89, she said, "I could sit on your back to add some resistance if you want..."
He paused and craned his neck to look over his shoulder at her. A faint smile crossed Bruce's lips before he resumed his exercise.
Minutes continued to tick by as Bruce went on with his routine. Catherine waited him out with endless patience. A total of 90 minutes later, Bruce performed his final stretches, loosened kinks in his neck and walked to the shower.
She smiled to herself and resisted the temptation to follow him in there. If she did that, Catherine knew, Bruce would never talk about what happened in the evening. He needed to talk more than they needed anything else.
Catherine turned and lay down with her back on the bench; she stared up at the dark, craggy ceiling high above them. It was only viewable in shadow where the lights could pierce the gloom. She continued to wait.
"I talked to Obiken tonight."
She jumped up from her supine position. Bruce stood in the corner of the room, his back up against the walls. "I figured that."
"I saw you out in front of their... Temple," he said.
"I saw you fly out the window of their Temple," she countered with a grin.
He nodded. "He... Obiken... was in the warehouse where GCPD had found Clayface," Bruce said. "It was burning. I was making my way through into the warehouse itself to find him when Obiken... knocked me off my feet."
She blinked. "Knocked YOU off your feet? He attacked you?"
"Yes... and no. I don't really know what he did or how he managed." Bruce shook his head. "He warned me the building was going to collapse. When I refused to listen to him and his... intuitions... he... carted me out of the building."
"And?"
"It collapsed seconds later."
Catherine's eyes widened. "Was he involved in it? In league with Clayface?"
Bruce chuckled softly and willed himself out of the corner of the room. He sat down next to Cath on the bench. "That's what I'd accused him of too, actually. He chided me for my ignorance."
"Your ignorance?" For a moment, Catherine thought of her conversation with Kir Obiken.
"Yes. And my inability to rely on intuition and--"
She held up a hand. "Wait. Let me guess. A higher power?"
"Essentially," he said with a nod. "Kir was having the same conversation with you?"
"For the most part, minus a collapsing building and Clayface." Catherine sighed. "So what did Ben mean exactly?"
Bruce turned on the bench to straddle it and face her directly. "He meant that by choosing to 'play God' as I have as Batman because of my parents' murder," he said in a rush, "that I have foregone key areas of my life, my being. That I am not whole and that I... could be... if I'd learn to let things be."
She nodded minutely, thinking that Ben had said the same basic message that Kir had over ice cream.
When she stayed quiet, Bruce added, "When he asked why I had the issue with religion, I left. That was when you saw me."
Catherine leaned over to rest her head against his bare shoulder. "Thoughts?"
"We need to find Clayface."
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FIN