THE LION, THE FRAIL AND THE WINTER STORM: CHAPTER 3
The vehicle was an innocuous black hovercraft and looked very humdrum. Two men inside were anything but humdrum. One wore a black outfit that resembled a bat and the other was in blue, red and yellow which were quickly changed into a nerdy looking grey suit and he had slipped on some glasses that were thick black rimmed. The one dressed in the black outfit sounded amused as looked at his companion.
"You're girl goes for the ordinary, think bank kind of guy…doesn't she?" It sounded as if he was stifling a snicker. Word was, Batman never smiled, laughed or snickered.
"She does like me for who I am, Bruce. She seems kind of bored with Superman or Kal-El as I'm sometimes called." Bruce only nodded as he pushed some buttons to transform the hovercraft into a boring looking sedan as they landed outside of the city. There weren't a lot of people around and they were ignored as they drove by some people who were walking on their way to where ever they were going to.
"Will Trica be home now, Clark? Or will we have to wait for her to get off of work?" Bruce asked.
"She'll probably be home, not at work…it's her day off today. I did promise to drop by and see her for a bit; so she will not be surprised to see me."
In Metropolis in a rather nice apartment building in a fairly large apartment two women were talking. One of them was sitting on a sofa in front of the TV set and the other was in the kitchen putting away groceries.
"Wow! Are they like the greatest super heroes on the planet or what!" The blonde woman who was watching the TV squealed.
"Honestly, Stacey can't you speak without that annoying high pitched grating note? I mean it's enough to start the dogs barking." The other said with some aspiration and a little affection. "And why are you watching that documentary again, you've must have seen it a hundred times by now."
"I never get tire of watching Sabretooth and Superman….they are like the best superhero team on the planet!" Stacey said, worship was simply dripping out of her mouth like drool.
"Well not too surprising about that since they spend so much time together." The other woman said quietly.
"Huh? What did you say Trik?" Stacey asked her friend.
"I said they must train together a lot." Trik said. She sighed and put the box of pancake mix in the cabinet. She herself didn't eat the stuff, but her boyfriend was mad for the junk. She tolerated her girlfriend's obsession with Sabertooth and Superman simply because she was her neighbor and best friend. Stacey seemed like a scatterbrain and indeed acted like it most of the time….but she was a good, friendly soul who didn't seem to have a problem with her friend's affliction.
The two superheroes stood in front the apartment. Batman turned to the now undisguised version of Superman…Clark as….himself. "Is she home?" Clark narrowed his eyes and used his x-ray vision to scan the apartment.
"Yeah, and she seems to have company." He said in an aspirated tone. "Stacey's there too." He sighed.
"Another boyfriend?" Batman said deadpan. Clark was almost certain that Batman was teasing him.
"No….a very, very annoying girlfriend…..She has a voice that can shatter eardrums and crack glass…and that's not her power just her being herself." Clark almost smiled.
"Wonderful." Batman said sarcastically.
"Yes I know you're going to fall in love with her and marry her and have an entire flight of batty little kids." Clark said. Batman gave him a deadly look.
"Just ring the bell." Batman said. He was debating wither or not it was worth braking his hand on Clark's jaw. Clark took that decision right out of his hands when he rang the bell on the apartment.
"I'll get it Trik!" Stacey called and jumped up from the sofa. Clark was unsurprised as Batman made himself scarce. Stacey flung open the door.
"Who is it Stacey?" Trik called.
"It's just your geeky boyfriend Clark!" Stacey called back, hugely disappointed. It was only Clark. Dull, computer designing, hacking and sometime reporter too, Clark. He was deadly dull. He was not by any means whatsoever interesting….as far as Stacey was concerned.
"Stop calling Clark geeky! He is not geeky!" Trik called back and came out to the living room. Her face lit up when she saw him. "You know Stacey…it's getting late. You better go home and finish watching that documentary at home." Trik said firmly.
"It's not that late." Stacey said clueless. Trik gave her a stern look.
"Oh yes it is." Trik said without a room for argument.
"Okay I get the hint. What you see in that guy, I don't know? It's not like he's Superman or nothing." Stacey said with a pout.
"He is to me." Trik said grinning. "I'll see you tomorrow. Buh Bye!" Trik said waving off her friend.
"See you tomorrow." Stacey said leaving. "Sheesh! Like I want to stick around and get bored to death anyway." She left still grumbling a bit.
"Nut." Trik said. She threw herself in Clark's arms. "Golly have I missed you! Where have you been? Are you alright and what's the problem?" Trik attacked him with words.
"I can't really say, I'm fine and we really need to talk." Clark said answering all her questions in the order they came.
"That's not a good thing to say. You've found another girlfriend?" She asked fearfully. The look on Clark's face answered that right away. He was shocked.
"Huh!" Clark practically squeaked.
"Oh good. You're finally going to ask me to marry you, right?" She said smiling. Clark didn't know if she was kidding or not.
"Uhhhhhhhh?" Clark said somewhat taken aback. Trik laughed at him good naturally.
"Relax Clark, I was teasing you. When you're ready…..you'll ask without prompting." Trik said giggling. "I'm patient I'll wait." She hugged him tightly. "So did you arrive hungry? I've been grocery shopping, got lots of your favorites." She grinned. Trica was a chef of outstanding talent. She worked in one of the swankiest restaurants in Metropolis. In fact, that's where he had met her from doing an article for the magazine he was working for at the time. He worked mostly as a freelance reporter as well as a computer programmer and trouble shooter. And Trica offering him food was a sure fire way to forget why he was there in the first place. There was a subtle knock at the door. Clark looked instantly guilty.
"I'll answer the door." He quickly walked over to the door.
"Alright Clark, who's at the door?" She gave him a look that caused him to flush slightly.
"Well, ummm you see….that is to say……."
"Clark, just open the door. Whoever's there can explain it themselves." Clark opened the door and Batman walked in.