ii. For the Love Of
The scenes replayed over and over in the wide screen. Bruce Wayne studied the face clearly. It had been so long, but for the way his heart clenched at the sight of her tears it was as if she happened in his life only yesterday.
"Zoom," he commanded quietly.
The camera focuses on Chloe's face, cropping her figure and blacking out everything in the background. Bruce slowly pulls himself out of his seat and walks over to the large screen, stopping in front of it and reaching out to the flat glass to trace the tear tracks. He only wished the warmth of his hand could brush away the wetness. In his ideal world, even this motion could erase the pain she so obviously felt. Mrs Luthor hid her feelings from world. This day, at Lex's funeral, all her walls had crashed around her.
There was one thing he could not grapple with enough to understand. He had been with Chloe, close enough to kiss her and enough to have fallen irrevocably for her. For Bruce, when he walks out at night alone, the memory of being with her was enough to light up his entire world. How could Lex Luthor still have descended into the hell he did? How was it possible for a man to give in to darkness when he had someone like Chloe by his side? For the millionth time he cursed the man for hiding so much from his wife.
Bruce wondered how he could face himself in the mirror next time, after having seen her grief, and knowing that he himself had caused it.
There was one more thing to do, and it was his only way of holding on to her now, so far away she had been since being reunited with Lex. Bruce picked up the phone to check with the only man he trusted to keep her safe when he could not.
He waited for him to answer the phone. His young friend was always so busy that it took a long time for his calls to be answered. When he heard the click that indicated that it was picked up, Bruce's senses adjusted easily to the noise. The recipient of the call was outside, and the conversation around him indicated a busy place.
"I've seen the news coverage," Bruce said quietly. "She looks-Well, we both know how she looks."
"Imagine what you've seen on your screen multiplied by a thousand, Bruce, because she hides her pain well."
"Clark, where is she now?"
Clark sighed, and Bruce heard the disappointment and acceptance mixed along with it. "We don't know."
"I thought you were keeping an eye on her," Bruce replied, already thinking of where Chloe could have gone. He could not even hazard a guess. It had been so long since they were together. Bruce had left her to live her life when she decided to be with Lex.
"She left on her plane last night without informing anyone. Even her father is anxious. She's not in the state, Bruce."
"Who was with her?"
"Brianna." A pause at Bruce's end of the line prompted Clark to explain further. He had forgotten that Bruce never did ask what Chloe's daughter was called. Even if it had been mentioned once or twice in the news, Bruce had always been careful not to delve into that part of the Luthors' life. Clark had always suspected that it had to do with hurt, although Bruce never would have admitted to it. "Their daughter," Clark supplied.
If Bruce acknowledged the new information, he did not betray it to Clark. Instead, the billionaire shifted the conversation into another topic. "I want you to look into it, Clark," he said easily, assuming the role of leader so easily that Clark was reminded of their other jobs together. As an equable man, Clark had always allowed Bruce to take on the responsibility of head. It was a rule that complemented Bruce Wayne so well. "Just call me with any news."
"Where will you be at?"
Bruce was already heading out of the entertainment room. "I'll be in my office."
Clark could imagine his friend and ally looking out of the glass windows of the top floor of his building, looking down over the city he stood vanguard of. While Bruce secured the city, who would look after Bruce Wayne now? He pushed the niggling idea in his head and forced himself to remember that despite the last couple of years, Lex Luthor was still and would always remain one of his best friends.
~~
His shoes had that distinct sound that screamed to everyone in the lobby that an expensively attired man was passing by. Bruce had never been bothered by it. In fact, he had been walking through the lobby everyday of his life that he pretty much ignored that fact. Still, the events that happened so quickly over the last week had brought home some memories that made him aware of everything around him.
When he stepped into the elevator and reached for the top floor button, his memories, pushed to the back of his mind out of necessity, came rushing back to him. He remembered that one night when he saw the shivering young woman in inappropriate clothes just at the corner of the elevator. It had changed his life forever. Now he could not help but entertain thoughts of rekindling what was cut off so abruptly. And knowing his part in what had happened to her, he felt dirty and manipulative for even letting those thoughts pass through his head.
Knowing that she had lost her husband, the man she had admitted to him will always come first in her heart, even when she had thought him dead, merely fueled a fire in his heart that he had been forced to cover up.
Bruce walked briskly towards his office. It was after lunch now. He never arrived so late. This time was an exception though. He could not wait until tonight to view the clips of Lex Luthor's funeral released earlier in the day. He found his secretary's desk empty. His assistant must have concluded that he would not be coming in today.
He pushed the door open and breathed the sterile scent of his office. His senses honed to such heights over the years, he stiffened at the stray whiff of sunshine in the air. Gotham never smelled like sunshine. His eyes sought out the golden head that shone in contrast to the blacks and grays of the room.
At the same time that he found her, the woman turned around on the swiveling chair and smiled sadly at him from under the black gauze that hung from her small hat. Bruce stopped in his tracks and stared at her. She rose from her seat and took off the veil, tossing it on the desk. His eyes ran over her form. She wore black from head to foot, and it was a crime to him. She should never be in mourning again. The only relief were the pearls on her throat and on her ears. Lex Luthor's diamond glared at him from a hand she revealed after pulling off her glove.
And when he found himself again, Bruce strode towards her and caught her in his arms, embracing her tightly and securely so that he would never let her go. Chloe's arms rose to wrap around his shoulders. Into his ear, she murmured, "I saw it with my own eyes. He's gone, Bruce. This time it's for real. His last breath was against my lips."
His eyes darkened at her choked words. These were things he knew. He had seen her kiss the mangled face of her husband as he lay dying on the floor. He pulled away slowly and picked up her hand. "Chloe, what can I do to make the pain go away? Tell me. I'll do anything."
She shook her head slowly, tearful eyes meeting his. "You can't. Nothing can ever do that. But you can help me."
"What do you need?"
"I want you to help me find his killer." Slowly, his grip on her hand slackened. "I'm willing to spend everything that Lex left me to kill his murderer."
"Chloe, are you sure-"
"Bruce, help me find and kill the Batman."
The scenes replayed over and over in the wide screen. Bruce Wayne studied the face clearly. It had been so long, but for the way his heart clenched at the sight of her tears it was as if she happened in his life only yesterday.
"Zoom," he commanded quietly.
The camera focuses on Chloe's face, cropping her figure and blacking out everything in the background. Bruce slowly pulls himself out of his seat and walks over to the large screen, stopping in front of it and reaching out to the flat glass to trace the tear tracks. He only wished the warmth of his hand could brush away the wetness. In his ideal world, even this motion could erase the pain she so obviously felt. Mrs Luthor hid her feelings from world. This day, at Lex's funeral, all her walls had crashed around her.
There was one thing he could not grapple with enough to understand. He had been with Chloe, close enough to kiss her and enough to have fallen irrevocably for her. For Bruce, when he walks out at night alone, the memory of being with her was enough to light up his entire world. How could Lex Luthor still have descended into the hell he did? How was it possible for a man to give in to darkness when he had someone like Chloe by his side? For the millionth time he cursed the man for hiding so much from his wife.
Bruce wondered how he could face himself in the mirror next time, after having seen her grief, and knowing that he himself had caused it.
There was one more thing to do, and it was his only way of holding on to her now, so far away she had been since being reunited with Lex. Bruce picked up the phone to check with the only man he trusted to keep her safe when he could not.
He waited for him to answer the phone. His young friend was always so busy that it took a long time for his calls to be answered. When he heard the click that indicated that it was picked up, Bruce's senses adjusted easily to the noise. The recipient of the call was outside, and the conversation around him indicated a busy place.
"I've seen the news coverage," Bruce said quietly. "She looks-Well, we both know how she looks."
"Imagine what you've seen on your screen multiplied by a thousand, Bruce, because she hides her pain well."
"Clark, where is she now?"
Clark sighed, and Bruce heard the disappointment and acceptance mixed along with it. "We don't know."
"I thought you were keeping an eye on her," Bruce replied, already thinking of where Chloe could have gone. He could not even hazard a guess. It had been so long since they were together. Bruce had left her to live her life when she decided to be with Lex.
"She left on her plane last night without informing anyone. Even her father is anxious. She's not in the state, Bruce."
"Who was with her?"
"Brianna." A pause at Bruce's end of the line prompted Clark to explain further. He had forgotten that Bruce never did ask what Chloe's daughter was called. Even if it had been mentioned once or twice in the news, Bruce had always been careful not to delve into that part of the Luthors' life. Clark had always suspected that it had to do with hurt, although Bruce never would have admitted to it. "Their daughter," Clark supplied.
If Bruce acknowledged the new information, he did not betray it to Clark. Instead, the billionaire shifted the conversation into another topic. "I want you to look into it, Clark," he said easily, assuming the role of leader so easily that Clark was reminded of their other jobs together. As an equable man, Clark had always allowed Bruce to take on the responsibility of head. It was a rule that complemented Bruce Wayne so well. "Just call me with any news."
"Where will you be at?"
Bruce was already heading out of the entertainment room. "I'll be in my office."
Clark could imagine his friend and ally looking out of the glass windows of the top floor of his building, looking down over the city he stood vanguard of. While Bruce secured the city, who would look after Bruce Wayne now? He pushed the niggling idea in his head and forced himself to remember that despite the last couple of years, Lex Luthor was still and would always remain one of his best friends.
~~
His shoes had that distinct sound that screamed to everyone in the lobby that an expensively attired man was passing by. Bruce had never been bothered by it. In fact, he had been walking through the lobby everyday of his life that he pretty much ignored that fact. Still, the events that happened so quickly over the last week had brought home some memories that made him aware of everything around him.
When he stepped into the elevator and reached for the top floor button, his memories, pushed to the back of his mind out of necessity, came rushing back to him. He remembered that one night when he saw the shivering young woman in inappropriate clothes just at the corner of the elevator. It had changed his life forever. Now he could not help but entertain thoughts of rekindling what was cut off so abruptly. And knowing his part in what had happened to her, he felt dirty and manipulative for even letting those thoughts pass through his head.
Knowing that she had lost her husband, the man she had admitted to him will always come first in her heart, even when she had thought him dead, merely fueled a fire in his heart that he had been forced to cover up.
Bruce walked briskly towards his office. It was after lunch now. He never arrived so late. This time was an exception though. He could not wait until tonight to view the clips of Lex Luthor's funeral released earlier in the day. He found his secretary's desk empty. His assistant must have concluded that he would not be coming in today.
He pushed the door open and breathed the sterile scent of his office. His senses honed to such heights over the years, he stiffened at the stray whiff of sunshine in the air. Gotham never smelled like sunshine. His eyes sought out the golden head that shone in contrast to the blacks and grays of the room.
At the same time that he found her, the woman turned around on the swiveling chair and smiled sadly at him from under the black gauze that hung from her small hat. Bruce stopped in his tracks and stared at her. She rose from her seat and took off the veil, tossing it on the desk. His eyes ran over her form. She wore black from head to foot, and it was a crime to him. She should never be in mourning again. The only relief were the pearls on her throat and on her ears. Lex Luthor's diamond glared at him from a hand she revealed after pulling off her glove.
And when he found himself again, Bruce strode towards her and caught her in his arms, embracing her tightly and securely so that he would never let her go. Chloe's arms rose to wrap around his shoulders. Into his ear, she murmured, "I saw it with my own eyes. He's gone, Bruce. This time it's for real. His last breath was against my lips."
His eyes darkened at her choked words. These were things he knew. He had seen her kiss the mangled face of her husband as he lay dying on the floor. He pulled away slowly and picked up her hand. "Chloe, what can I do to make the pain go away? Tell me. I'll do anything."
She shook her head slowly, tearful eyes meeting his. "You can't. Nothing can ever do that. But you can help me."
"What do you need?"
"I want you to help me find his killer." Slowly, his grip on her hand slackened. "I'm willing to spend everything that Lex left me to kill his murderer."
"Chloe, are you sure-"
"Bruce, help me find and kill the Batman."