Chapter #8 – Do not go gentle…
(Thanks to Princess and Djinn for the beta).
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The loss of the Javelin meant that all members of the team had to attend the after action report for the Kasnian mission. It was more out of necessity, as the destruction of their spaceplane meant that until a new one was delivered, the team would be forced to precisely coordinate future trips between the Earth and the Watchtower on the cargo shuttle. The alternative was to relegate Lantern to become the official space-taxi service for the League, and he'd already been privately grumbling about fulfilling that role before the Javelin exploded.
J'onn, Lantern, and Flash had flown from the Watchtower to the International Space Station that Vandal Savage's Kasnian forces had commandeered earlier that day at gunpoint. At the controls when the Kasnians blew the plane into tiny pieces, Flash contemplated whether he feared the cold emptiness of space more than Batman's impending wrath about the loss of the Javelin. As the plane came apart around them, Lantern had encapsulated his teammates in a protective plasma bubble then parked them next to a waiting airlock. After J'onn phased through the airlock and provided an entry point, the Leaguers methodically-took the Space Station from the Kasnian soldiers. Unfortunately, they were too late to stop the rail gun attached to the space station from launching a meteor strike directly at Kasnia. (Later they laughed when they learned Batman had re-targeted the meteor on top of Savage's lair), but Lantern blew the rail gun into pieces to ensure it would never again pose a threat to the Earth.
After they'd transferred the Kasnian astronauts into custody at the U.N., the trio flew back to the Watchtower in Lantern's protective bubble. With time to kill as they made the twenty-minute flight through the mesosphere, the men idly speculated about Batman's likely reaction to the Javelin's demise. Flash's teammates milked the situation for all it was worth, stoically suggesting various methods of resisting the impending torture that was undoubtedly to follow the after action report.
Upon their arrival at the Watchtower, Hawkgirl performed a quick doubletake, then asked, "Where's the Javelin?"
"Blown up," Flash replied, sheepishly avoiding her gaze.
"Batman is going to have kittens," she noted, eyebrows raised in bemusement.
"It was bound to happen eventually," Lantern replied, now weary of the joke. "The good news is we're all safe and sound. Where's everybody else?"
"Coming up on the shuttle," Hawkgirl informed him. "Why don't you three grab something to eat and we'll start the review in an hour?"
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Superman had just completed his pre-flight checkout of the shuttle when Hawkgirl had cryptically requested that he wait for two more passengers for their trip to the Watchtower. He'd been curious to know whom he was waiting for, but she'd terminated the conversation before he could ask their identity.
The shuttle terminal had a satellite television hook-up, so he spent the next hour watching news footage of Vandal Savage being carted away by the Kasnian Secret Police. Other video feeds reported the coup d'etat Savage had attempted in the Kasnian royal castle, while one station actually had footage of the castle being transformed into a smoking ruin by a meteor strike.
The news reports indicated some his teammates were responsible for Savage's arrest, but there wasn't any video to corroborate the eyewitness accounts. Superman knew Diana was supposed to be in Paris, so he assumed that she had volunteered for the mission with whoever was on Monitor Duty.
The duty roster indicated Lantern was next on the rotation and was therefore required to be in the Watchtower, so by default that meant the two additional passengers had to be Batman, J'onn, Flash or Diana.
With time to kill, Superman reflected for a moment about his relationship with Diana. While they'd parted on good terms, he knew himself well enough to admit he'd experienced a sense of relief that it was over. Diana's almost heartstopping beauty would be missed, but he took Lois's arrival in Metropolis as a sign that all was right in his world again. Part of him had missed playing the role of hero in Lois's absence but Diana never needed saving. As he thought about it, he realized that he was actually looking forward to saving Lois from her usual scrapes.
His thoughts were interrupted as the Batwing roared overhead. He expected Bruce to swing the plane around downwind and make an approach onto the runway, but the Dark Knight surprised him by arresting the plane's forward motion directly overhead. To avoid the jetwash, Superman retreated to the relative safety of the hangar to avoid the blast generated by the vector-thrust nozzles, but there was no escaping the whirlwind of dust that kicked up from the jet blast. The wheels touched the ground a moment later, then the plane taxied past him into the hangar.
The canopy popped open as soon as the jets spooled down. He opened his mouth to protest the unnecessary sandblasting he'd received, but to his surprise, Diana emerged from the jump-seat of the Batwing.
She gave him a little nod of greeting, then turned back to resume a conversation that was already in progress.
"So I can land the Javelin the same way? Since it's bigger, won't it stall more easily?"
Batman jumped down from the cockpit and gave an almost imperceptible nod to Superman as they started walking towards the shuttle.
"Provide enough power to the thrust nozzles to maintain flight, then fire the retro-thrusters at the right moment to arrest your forward momentum. Too much forward momentum and your nose will dip, providing a stall. Too much retro-thrust and you'll cartwheel the plane. The way you just did it was perfect."
She stopped in her tracks and looked at Batman intently. "Perfect?"
"Well, almost perfect. You gave the boy-scout here a little dust bath, but other than that, it was perfect."
Diana glanced over at Superman, then did a doubletake. . There was a fine coat of dust visible in his hair while his chin was smudged. Her expression lost its normal intensity, immediately replaced with sheer embarrassment.
"Clark, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to, really."
"No harm done," he assured her, then glanced at Batman as they boarded the shuttle. "You let Diana fly the Batwing all the way from Kasnia?"
Diana slipped into the pilot seat next to Superman and shook her head before Batman could answer. "No. That's a new one that we just picked up in Gotham. He plowed the old one into a battalion of Kasnian paratroopers when we were going after Savage."
She turned around in her chair, hoping to catch Batman's attention. Clark could hear that he'd already pulled a laptop from a sideboard to start returning Bruce Wayne's e-mails. "I haven't had a chance to properly thank you."
"Thank him for what?" Superman asked, piloting the shuttle out of the hangar.
"If he hadn't crashed his plane when he did, I'd be a goner for sure," Diana replied. "Too many incoming laser blasts to deflect at once. Not to mention that he broke me out of the dungeon."
"The dungeon?" Superman asked, eyebrows raised in bemused surprise. "Do tell."
"Savage knocked me out with a stun gun," Diana replied, clearly reliving the moment in her memory. "When I came to, I was restrained by an electrified wrist shackle. I couldn't budge it."
"The Kasnians borrowed that kinetic amplification system that Lex has used on you before," Batman muttered at the back of Superman's chair. "It reflects whatever force you apply against it, doubling your output."
Diana nodded in silent testimony to the effectiveness of the restraints. Superman snuck a glance her way and could tell by the set of her jaw how helpless she might have felt under the restraints. Having been in similar situations, he could empathize the frustration she'd obviously felt
"Anyway, Batman broke me out a few minutes later then we took down Savage," she concluded lamely.
Staring at the flush of her cheeks, Superman picked up on the fact that she was leaving out some important details.
"Sounds like a successful mission," he muttered, feigning disinterest. He couldn't place it exactly, but there was a smug satisfaction on her face that he didn't like. He decided to change topics.
"So how was Paris? See any sights?"
Diana pulled her eyes away from the navigational computer, then swiveled in her chair to face him. She was still wearing the same smug expression on her face that he hadn't seen before.
"Paris was fantastic," she allowed slowly. By the expression on her face, it was clear to Superman that she was savoring the memory.
"Fantastic? Really? How so?"
She nodded, her eyes clearly fixated on a pleasant memory from her trip. "Handsome men, great nightlife, beautiful hotels, I could go on forever. It really is the most romantic city in the world."
Superman thought he detected a grunt of affirmation from Batman, but he decided not to press the issue. Diana's expression was making him uncomfortable, so he decided to change the topic again. "I saw the news footage from Kasnia. How did you wind up there?"
Diana pointed at their still silent companion in the pilot's chair. "Mostly his doing, really. He uncovered a connection between an arms dealer and Vandal Savage's attempt to overthrow the Kasnian government. We followed Audrey to Kasnia then stopped Savage."
"I'm glad to hear you're all right." Superman replied, forcing a pleasant expression of indifference onto his face.
"And what about you? Any major developments in Metropolis?" Diana asked, leaning forward in her chair with interest. There was a glint in her eye that hinted she had an agenda, but he couldn't tell what she was thinking.
Not that he ever could.
"Not really," he replied evasively.
"Lois moving back to Metropolis doesn't qualify as a major development?" Diana asked.
Superman's chin felt his chin drop to his chest. "Well, as a matter of fact, Lois did move back to Metropolis a few days ago. Did Batman tell you about that particular piece of news?"
"In his own, unique way, he did." Diana shot back, then swiveled back to study the navigational chart. She stole a long glance at Batman, then winked at Superman to rub it in. "He just doesn't talk about it much. It's part of his charm."
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTSuperman arrived back at his apartment in Metropolis on Sunday afternoon. He changed out of his uniform, then plopped down on the couch. Turning his already sullen mood even worse, he turned on the television to watch his favorite team, the Kansas City Chiefs, getting creamed by the Denver Broncos. The memory of the look on Diana's face had driven him crazy during their staff meeting. Topping that, everyone was surprised that Batman wasn't angry about the loss of the Javelin.
As he watched the Broncos intercept another poorly thrown pass, Clark suspected that Bruce's normal brooding had been interrupted by the sights in Paris. Clark wondered exactly how many sights Bruce had seen in Paris. He would have bet even money that Diana had been one of them.
The phone rang. Munching on a chip, he picked it up quickly when he saw the caller id.
"Hello."
"Smallville!" Lois's cheery voice rang out. "Where you been? Chasing after interns?"
"Uhh…doing some research on a story. Something wrong?"
"Your answering machine broken? You don't seem to check your messages much these days," she replied, a hint of accusation in her voice. "I left you two messages to see if you wanted to have dinner tonight, but since you haven't called me back, I'll assume you're not available."
Clark stared at the phone as if it had just bit him on the ass. He quickly swung the receiver back to his ear. "I'm sorry Lois. Did you just invite me to dinner? Are you going to cook?"
"A: Yes. B: No," she replied. "I don't think Perry would forgive me if I poisoned two of his best reporters. Besides, there's a new Thai restaurant that just opened up a few blocks away from my place. The reviews are fabulous. Wanna go?"
"I know the place," Clark replied, still stunned. "Meet you there at eight?"
"Make it seven-thirty at my place," she replied, then as an afterthought added, "I prefer my dates to pick me up in person."
The phone line went dead. He looked at the receiver, trying to determine what had just transpired. No obvious answers occurred to him, but he could feel a sudden rush of adrenaline flush into his bloodstream. As Superman, that was usually a sign of impending battle.
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The warehouse that was selected as the meeting place was chosen for its remote location. Well away from prying ears or eyes that might leak the word that a cadre of supervillains had decided to hold a secret meeting, it also provided many routes of escape should a problem arise.
Prior to being sent away to prison by Superman a few years before, Toyman had used the warehouse to fabricate some of his most lethal weapons – some of which were still housed on the premises. He'd stewed in prison plotting his revenge for three long years before his conviction had been reversed on a legal technicality.. Some villains might have used that time to reform themselves into being productive members of society, but Toyman had used the time to devise a new strategy - teamwork.
It had taken him another three months since being freed to make the arrangements, but his perseverance had finally paid off. Around the table they sat – Kalibak, Weather Wizard, LiveWire and Metallo – all of them sworn enemies of Superman. Toyman had even gone to the trouble of drawing a red "S" – Superman's logo - onto the table in case they needed an excuse to focus their anger. Other villains had been considered to join this group, but Toyman had ultimately decided the five of them had the best chance of defeating Metropolis's favorite son.
"So it's settled then?" he asked after he outlined his plan. The amber glow of the blast furnace provided enough ambient light to see their faces. They all nodded in agreement, each of them focusing on their rage against the hero who had defeated all of them. Toyman picked up a dagger laid on the table in front of him and the others followed suit, raising it over the table.
"To the death of Superman," Toyman muttered.
"To the death of Superman," the rest answered back.
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTClark Kent was in trouble. As Superman, he'd stood toe to toe with Darkseid and won. He'd taken Mongul's best shots and laughed, knowing he still had untapped reservoirs of energy just waiting to be unleashed.
Unfortunately, the enemy that he faced today was even more daunting than either archenemy. There was no gloating face to smash with all of his might.
He was stuck in the 'friend zone' with Lois, and there seemed no escape from it.
The dinner had started well enough. Lois had greeted him at her apartment door wearing a silky, black dress that seemed to suggest the possibility for romantic night out on the town. Despite her dressing the part, during the dinner she had remained aloof – more reserved than she'd ever been at work. Careful not to press the issue as the dress had inspired some of his base instincts, Clark had managed the burden of carrying the conversation for most of the night. Unfortunately, even when Lois had joined in the ripostes, her stories usually ended up involving something that had occurred during her time in Gotham with Bruce. The ensuing silences were awkward, but determined to make the best of it, Clark busied himself making small-talk to ensure the evening didn't go completely down the toilet.
After they'd picked their way through the pad-thai and paid the check, he finally decided to confront the issue head on as they walked back to her apartment.
"You miss him, don't you?"
"Who?"
"Don't play daft. Bruce. You miss him."
Lois sighed. "I wish it was just that simple, Smallville, but its pretty complicated. I've been back here long enough to realize that I should have never left Metropolis, and I know myself well enough to know that he and I just were just never meant to be."
"I know what you mean," Clark blurted. "I felt the same way about Lana."
Lois interest was suddenly piqued. "How come you never talk about her?"
"You never asked."
"I'm asking now." Lois leaned into him. Her touch felt electric to him as she lightly caressed his arm with her fingertips. "What's the story with you two?"
"Probably like a lot of first loves," Clark answered, searching for the best way to articulate it. "A lot of puppy love and a lot of immaturity. Ultimately it was more about each leading an independent life more than anything else. She wanted to be a fashion designer, and now she's world-renowned. Problem was there just wasn't any place in her life for a long-term commitment. She's too skittish, and I wasn't willing to play second fiddle to her career."
"Do you still love her?" Lois asked, then covered her mouth with embarrassment. "I know I'm a reporter, but I can't believe I asked you that!"
Clark smiled reassuringly that no harm had been done. "I guess in a way, you always love your first love, you know? She knows almost everything about me. More than anybody in the world, really. These days, it's more like a platonic, brother-sister thing. I know that she'll always be there for me if I need her, and she knows the reverse is true. We're in a good place. How about you? How did you leave it with Bruce?"
"I wish I could say we're in a good place, but we're not. We haven't spoken since I left Gotham. It's kind of sad when you think about it. Turns out that Bruce was my first love. I didn't know that's what it was until I lost it."
"Really? What about Lex? Weren't there other boyfriends along the way besides him?"
"Lex? Lex was a distraction and a walking credit card in the early days when I barely had enough money to pay my rent. Boyfriends? Yes. But I never really loved any of them. Had some dates and some laughs, but nothing that really counted. I didn't fall in love for real until I met Bruce."
She took a deep breath and stopped under the awning of her apartment. "That being said, I never realized until you were out of my life how much I counted on you. Can I ask you another personal question?"
"Sure."
"Was I right that night at the Planet when I accused you of being jealous?"
He searched his memory, then remembered with a pang of regret the night that he'd accused Lois of abandoning him as a friend. She couldn't know that when she'd given up the secret rendezvous with Superman that it had caused him considerable grief. Clark had taken it out on her, unfairly since she still didn't know the connection.
He took in a deep breath then let it out. Roll the dice, Clark! "I think that is a fair assessment."
"That is very sweet," Lois said, savoring the reply. "You've been there all along for me, but I've always been too obsessed with billionaires and men wearing capes to see it."
"See what?" he asked.
"This," she whispered, then softly found his mouth with hers. Clark felt his eyes almost bulge out far enough to touch the lenses of his glasses when she kissed him, then he returned her embrace with the same, soft tenderness. They stayed that way for a few minutes until they finally parted, panting with desire and eyes wide with shock at how right it felt. She fumbled with her keys to open the door, then dragged him to the elevator. Clark winked at the building concierge, then swept her up in his arms when the elevator doors closed behind them.
It wasn't until they'd entered her apartment and started pawing at each other that Clark realized the extent of his predicament. He was wearing his uniform under his suit, and he didn't think that Lois was up for the shock that she'd been duped a second time by another superhero leading a dual life. She pulled him onto the couch on top of her, greedily sucking his tongue between her teeth, but finally slowed down when he brushed her hand away from his shirt buttons for the third time.
"What's wrong?" She sighed. "Get cold feet when you hook up with a co-worker?"
He sank back into the cushions, shaking his head.
"What is it then?" she demanded. "Are we going too fast? I can slow down if you need me to. You're probably worried that I'm setting you up to be a rebound bonk but trust me, it wouldn't be like that."
"It's not that," he replied lamely, then jumped off the couch and started pacing nervously across the living room floor.
She watched him pace for another minute, frustrated at his inability to express himself. "Are you going to say something?"
"I've got something to tell you, but I don't know how."
"Are you gay?"
"No!"
"Impotent?"
"No!"
"Then what is it then? A physical deformity? I'm willing to try if you are."
"Lois, just stop. It's not any of those things."
The relief on her face was evident, but there was also a healthy display of fear as she waited for him to reveal his secret. Clark studied her face for a moment, then decided it would be easier to show her rather than tell her.
"Its something that I would prefer to show you, so if you don't mind, can I use your bathroom?"
"By all means," Lois replied, still perplexed. "Down the hall on your left."
Clark had closed the door behind him when the communicator hidden in his ear crackled with J'onn's voice. "Superman, we are monitoring a situation in Metropolis."
"Go ahead, J'onn." He replied, triggering the voice activator with his index finger.
"Some of your enemies have apparently joined forces. They're tearing the financial district apart," J'onn noted in his familiar monotone. "Metallo is with them and the last intel we have indicates he has a new kryptonite power-core. The rest of us should engage in moments. Do not engage until we have dealt with Metallo, understood?"
"Understood," Clark replied, then changed into his Superman uniform in a matter of seconds. He hung his clothes up on the bathroom door as he changed. "I'll hover a few miles up until I know he's out of the picture."
He looked at his reflection in the mirror, took a deep breath, trying to determine a plan of action. A second door from the bathroom entered onto the extra bedroom in Lois's apartment. He pushed open the door as silently as he could so that her curiosity wouldn't be aroused, then he scribbled a few lines onto a post it note and secured it to the bathroom mirror. He was about to depart when he spied a Superman picture on the front page of the Daily Planet next to one of Lois's by-lines. He couldn't resist making a few artistic alterations to the picture, then taped it to the note next to the post-it. He heard Lois calling his name when he took flight off her balcony, but there was no time for a proper goodbye.
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTAs Superman looked down on the streets below, he saw first-hand the battle between the League and his would-be assassins was a case study in the effectiveness of teamwork.
Well aware that Metallo was the only one of their foes who could kill him with a single stroke, Flash and Diana immediately employed her lasso like the bowstring on a crossbow. While she anchored one end, Flash circled around Metallo then drew the line taut. They allowed themselves a moment to enjoy the spectacle of Metallo being flung twenty miles across town and most importantly, out of the fight.
Across the street, Livewire knocked down J'onn with a lightning blast then attempted to flank Flash and Diana by zipping through the power lines strung between the buildings. Flash anticipated the move, grounding the ends of the lines into a nearby puddle. Livewire shocked herself into a coma when she emerged, unable to control her electric discharge.
On the perimeter, Lantern and Hawkgirl did their best to keep the onlookers safe as the Weather Wizard summoned a lightning storm. One of the bolts incapacitated J'onn and a secondary explosion dropped a pile of rubble onto Flash, pinning him under its weight. Weather Wizard grinned at his helpless archenemy, then directed a lightning strike at the Scarlet Speedster. Diana returned to help, deflecting the lightning away with her bracelets. As the Weather Wizard screamed with frustration, Batman knocked him out from behind, securing the weather wand before it went critical.
Down to two from their original group of five, an enraged Kalibak surprised Wonder Woman with a vicious roundhouse that sent her reeling into a nearby building. He attempted to retrieve the weather wand to cover their retreat, but Batman refused to back down from the Apokiliptan giant.
"Do you think you can defeat me, little man?" Kalibak shouted as he threw two haymakers at the Dark Knight, who easily sidestepped the punches. "I just took out the Amazon with one punch."
"I don't have to defeat you," Batman replied smugly as he grabbed Kalibak's arm and threw him over his shoulder in a classic judo throw. "I just have to stall you."
"Stall me?" Kalibak asked, brushing off the dust before stalking his quarry once again. "For what?"
"Him," Batman replied, jerking his thumb over his shoulder as Superman touched down.
Before he knew what hit him, Kalibak flew backwards through the air, unconscious from Superman's punch before the building fell on top of him.
"For what it's worth, Kalibak. I don't think that you could have taken Batman either," Superman taunted, then went airborne after him to make sure that Kalibak was out of the fight. Before Superman had a chance to pick through the rubble to finish him off, a huge red robot emerged at the next intersection, distracting him from his task. Sizing up the robot, he easily dodged two green orbs of energy that emerged from the weapon on the robot's chest, then realized that Toyman was perched in a cockpit on top, directing the energy blasts.
"Give it up Toyman," he yelled, easily weaving in and out of the green orbs of energy. "You'll never hit me with that thing."
"Maybe not," Toyman replied, then centered the weapon's crosshairs on Wonder Woman and Batman. "But what about your friends?"
Superman blanched with horror when he realized Toyman's intent. Still groggy from Kalibak's punch, Diana had not yet regained her senses. Batman was trying to pull her out of harm's way, but one of her boots was stuck in the rubble that had come down around her. There was no way they could escape the energy blast Toyman launched their way.
"No!" Superman shouted, then dove to intercept the blast before it reached his teammates. He glowed green for a split-second as he merged with the energy field, then his body flashed as if he was being x-rayed, then he disappeared from sight.
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Diana gasped in horror and pulled her boot free. Enraged, she almost knocked Batman onto the rubble when she took flight, quickly matching the robot's height. In one punchToyman's monstrosity was laid out on its back. She quickly pulled Toyman out of the cockpit, raising the diminutive figure to eye height with her left hand while her right hand pulled back, cocked and waiting to unload.
"What are you going to do to me?" Toyman shrieked.
"I'm going to punch a hole through your head," Diana replied, tears of rage brimming from her eyes. She hesitated long enough for Flash to grab her hand.
"Don't do it Diana," he pleaded.
The rest of the League gathered around Toyman, still in shock that Superman had vanished in front of their eyes. Only Batman stood off to the side, poking through the area below where Superman had disappeared. He found a strip of Superman's cape still intact, and quietly melted away from the scene.
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Lois sat speechless in front of the television. On the coffee table in front of her, the post-it note said "Turn on Snapper, I'm going to work!" Next to it sat a picture of Superman with a hastily drawn scribble of Clark Kent's glasses imposed on Superman's face.
Not knowing that he'd flown off the balcony a few minutes before, Lois had finally grown weary of calling after him in the bathroom. When there was no answer, she'd opened the door. Lois witnessed her shock firsthand in the reflection of the mirror as she'd realized the gravity of what he'd been trying to tell her in the living room prior to his sudden departure.
Stunned with the revelation that she'd fallen for another member of the anonymous superheroes club, Lois had retreated into the living room and flipped on the television to see if Clark – or was it Superman? – was on.
The footage of the League's battle against Toyman and the rest of the villains was difficult to make out as the television station had tapped into the police security cameras mounted across the street. Despite the poor quality of the video, there was no mistaking the fact that Superman had been engulfed in one of Toyman's energy blasts before disappearing from view.
Lois screamed in horror when Superman disappeared, then regained her senses, reassuring herself that she'd seen him emerge unscathed from far worse than that. As the League rounded up the rest of the villains, Snapper had repeatedly replayed the video of Superman's disappearance. Lois turned off the television after she saw the expression on Green Lantern's face.
She knew then that Superman was dead.
The tears welled non-stop for an hour before she detected a hint of movement on her balcony. Convinced he'd returned to her, she flung open the doors in joy, only to be crushed to find it was Batman.
"What are you doing here?" she whispered bitterly, retreating back to the couch.
"I came to check on you," Batman replied, shutting the door behind him. "I got here as soon as I could."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Like I said, I came here as soon as I could."
"No, idiot," she whispered, then motioned towards the doctored newspaper photo that Clark had doctored. "Why didn't you tell me who he was?"
Batman nodded. He didn't tell Lois, but he'd spent the last hourmaking his way across Metropolis, wondering if Superman had finally had the balls to spill that particular secret before his demise. To him, the timing was tragic.
"It wasn't my place to say," Batman replied. "You never told him my identity, although he was aware of it from the day I first came to Metropolis. Professional courtesy, I guess."
"Professional courtesy?" she spat. "I looked like an idiot for four years mooning over Superman and complaining to Clark that I could never find the right guy, when all along he was the same man?"
"You're not the first one to be fooled, Lois," Batman replied gently. "Trust me; people see what they want to see most of the time. Your first impression of Clark was that he was a fish out of water from Kansas who wore coke bottle glasses, therefore he couldn't be Superman. People see me hit on executives wives at the country club and assume that I'm too busy philandering to be Batman."
"But I'm a reporter, Bruce!" she retorted. "I'm trained to look beyond those things and look for the truth."
"Ever hear the old adage that the safest bank to rob is the one closest to a police station," he replied. "Same principle applied. You were always looking for Superman up in the sky when he was working at the desk next to you. It was brilliant on his part, really."
"I think that's the first nice thing that you ever said about him," Lois lamented, then her face contorted with her anguish. "It's just not fair! The day comes where my life finally makes sense and now I've lost him. The worst part is that I woke up this morning having the epiphany that I left Gotham not because I wanted to get away from you, but because I wanted to be here with him."
"I know. That's why I let you go without putting up a fight."
Lois laughed at the irony. "The Dark Knight takes one for the team. Is that why you are here? To ease your sense of guilt? After all, he died today saving you and Wonder Woman."
To her surprise, she could almost feel him cringe under the cowl. He spun on his heels and headed for the door. "You of all people should know me better than that. By the way, don't give up hope. I don't think he's dead."
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTThe preparations for the memorial service were staggering. The morning after Superman had disappeared without a trace, Diana and John were elected by their teammates to serve as the representatives for the League. For the next three days, the two met with various federal, state, and city agencies to ensure that security and other preparations would be adequate for what was quickly amounting to a head of state funeral.
In the meantime, Flash, Hawkgirl, and J'onn stepped up their security patrols around the world, intent on sending out the message that despite the loss of their strongest teammate, the League was still a formidable presence.
Batman's failure to help with monitor duty or aid in their diplomatic efforts put a strain on all of them. From an executive apartment the League used in Metropolis, during her downtime Diana caught mounting snippets of complaints among her teammates about Batman's disappearance. Wanting to nip the problem in the bud before it became an issue, she decided to confront the problem directly. After she and Lantern concluded the last of their meetings the morning of the memorial service, Diana flew to Gotham.
Using the entrance he'd shown her after their return from Kasnia, Diana touched down gently next to the new Batwing she'd flown a few days before. She turned and strode toward the only source of light in the Cave, a large computer screen. Batman was sitting at the controls, poring over an endless video loop of Superman's last moments on Earth. Diana could tell that Batman knew she was in the Cave, but he pointedly ignored her until she was a few feet away.
"Shouldn't you be getting ready to attend the funeral instead of beating yourself up over the loss of a teammate?" she asked. "It wasn't your fault."
"Why should I go to his funeral if he's not really dead?" he replied, slowly spinning in his chair to face her.
"What do you mean?" she asked, puzzled. "We both saw him disappear in that energy blast. It obliterated him in an instant like the rest of those buildings and cars."
"Unless the fundamental laws of physics have changed in the last few days, then he's alive and well somewhere."
"Based on what?" she challenged.
"I've gone over every shred of physical evidence from the scene of the battle," Batman noted, pointing at a huge pile of rubble and debris strewn about in a corner of the Cave. "And there's no sign of his DNA signature anywhere in that pile."
"Your point?"
"The point is, unless the reaction was a nuclear explosion – which it wasn't - then matter cannot be made or destroyed. It can only be altered from one form into another. If Superman had been obliterated in that explosion, I should have found pieces of bone, hair, dura or tissue."
"What did you find?"
"Nothing," he replied with smug satisfaction. "He wasn't destroyed, ergo he isn't dead."
Diana put her hands on her hips, struggling to determine whether or not her teammate was in complete denial while at the same time trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Then what happened to him?"
"I'm working on a few theories, but I don't have anything conclusive – yet."
"Well, whatever happened to him, in the meantime don't you think it would be appropriate to honor his memory at the memorial service?"
"Don't patronize me, Diana," he snapped. "My attendance at that service would be an admission that he's gone. That's not going to happen."
Visibly shaken by the anger in his voice, Diana turned to leave but stopped after a few steps. "That's not fair, Bruce, and you know it. This has been hard on all of us, but it doesn't give you the right to turn your back on your teammates when we need you. I know it's not fair for me to ask, but I need you to be there for me today. So does Lois."
He returned her gaze for a moment, then went back to his computer. "No promises, Princess."
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTAfter her troubling encounter with Batman at the cave, Diana had returned to the apartment in Metropolis to find Hippolyta waiting for her, a bag filled with Diana's ceremonial armor in tow. To her credit, Hippolyta had decided to put their long-simmering feud to rest for at least a day and lend her emotional support at the funeral. Diana was grateful for the selfless act, and hoped that it represented a shift in the direction of their current frosty relationship.
They elected to fly to the memorial service. As she looked at the denizens of Metropolis, she could feel their hopes rise in anticipation when they spied the human silhouettes speeding above them. Diana also saw the disappointment on their faces when they realized that it wasn't Superman. After a few such encounters, Diana motioned her mother to follow her down to the sidewalk. They walked the last ten blocks.
The attendees list was staggering. At least five other members of the Corps made an appearance, while Fate, Orin, and their spouses also showed up. Politicians, dignitaries, and celebrities were in abundance. After she'd guided her mother to a pew two rows from the front, Diana sat next to Flash, J'onn, Hawkgirl and Lantern in the first row. She recognized the Kent and Kara a few rows back sitting between Lois and Lana. Although the public wasn't aware of their role as Superman's adopted parents, the family had decided to attend the service anyway, mourning with the rest of the public. Staring at them, Diana experienced a pang of regret that her relationship with Clark had never progressed to the point where family introductions were necessary. She felt that she knew all of them intimately from the stories he'd told her, but none of them – save Lois perhaps – were aware of the role she'd recently played in his life.
The crowd collectively gasped in surprise when Luthor appeared. As he'd walked down the aisle to take a seat in one of the pews, Diana had been tempted to personally remove him from the premises. That Lois had beat her to the punch was somewhat of a surprise – even more so was the fact that Lois and Lex ended up providing solace to each other. It was odd how the death of a man like Clark could even make the worst enemies temporarily call a truce.
She hoped it would last.
Batman's absence at the cathedral was notable to all of the attendees. J'onn delayed his eulogy by five minutes, hoping that the Dark Knight would show, but each time the doors opened, an unfamiliar face scurried to find a last minute seat.
Flash nudged her in the ribs. "I can't believe Bats didn't show."
"He doesn't handle loss very well," Diana replied with a shrug, then focused on J'onn. As the Martian started his speech, Diana thought about Batman for a moment, then remembered the incident in Gorilla City when she'd woken up under the warhead to him shouting her name. That period in their history was arguably the most contentious, yet he'd been willing to scrape his hands to the bone if necessary to dig her out. No, he doesn't handle loss very well at all.
J'onn finished his eulogy, then it took the funeral procession a half an hour to walk from the cathedral down Fifth Avenue to the obelisk shrine that had been created to honor Superman's memory. Bereft of a body inside, Diana and her League teammates – less Batman - easily hefted the weight of the casket.
As they neared the Granite S-shaped obelisk in Central Park, Diana detected a shift in a shadow on a rooftop to her right. She felt no need to go on the defensive as there was something reassuring about the shadow. His cowl peeked around the corner of a chimney for a moment, staring right at her. She was holding the casket with her left hand and carried the polished battle shield her mother had brought from Themyscira in her right, so she couldn't wave, but she managed to nod at him.
Diana knew it was the best he could offer, and honored him for it.
As the League lowered the coffin onto its final resting place, Diana recited the lines to "Do not go gentle into That Good Night." It was a poem by Dylan Thomas that Clark had introduced to her as one of the finest examples of recent works in Man's World.
She'd liked it immediately then, and thought it more than appropriate now.
As she finished the last verse, Diana dropped a red rose on the coffin, then walked back down Fifth Avenue with her teammates. As they bade farewell to the other mourners, Diana spied Lois walking toward her. As they came together, Lois simply pressed a note into her hand, then walked past her on the way to the coffin.
She opened the note and read the contents. Please stop by Clark's apartment at eight tonight. His parent's have asked that some of his friends visit for the wake.
Diana turned and realized that Lois was looking her way, and she nodded, affirming her intention to make an appearance. Lois nodded back, then escorted the Kents away from the park.
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