dc drabble - who's afraid of the big black bat?
author: newtypeshadow
05-14-04
Because he'd been feeing miraculously good since his interview with Lois Lane a scant two days ago, Lex Luthor was well enough to be coherently pissed off when Batman showed up once more rather than Superman. And because he'd been feeling so amazing, Lex even had a backup plan prepared for the bat: chaos in Gotham, a warning for Superman not to involve outsiders in their matches again.
So when Batman dropped like a rippling stone to the floor of another obscure control room, Lex sneered at him and looked every inch as menacing as he was. He considered Batman beneath him--they had the same muscular frame, the same level of high-tech gadgetry at their disposal. But while Batman needed a mask and cowl, Lex's face needed nothing to conceal his thoughts and inspire fear; though the bat was clever, Lex was a genius.
The edge on Lex's smug face should have been warning enough, but superheros were known for bravery (foolishness) and extreme luck. Luck was no match for an angry Luthor. Batman managed three steps forward before Lex pushed an innocuous silver button to his right, and the battle was over. He waited for the set of the hero's jaw, the hint of barely-suppressed savagery humming through him like a taught string. Then Lex walked away.
At the door he hesitated, calculated afterthought in the curve of his fingers, his unaffected voice. "Pity about that break in Arkham, isn't it? And Gotham without a hero."
please review, especially those of you familiar with the dc-verse--i don't have a beta, nor someone who knows overmuch about the comic superman/lex luthor dynamic. all i know is past smallville seasons and what Te says on her lj.