Before I begin writing this story, I want to say that I will continue with "Goddess of War". My other BM/WW fic. But, I got writers block on that one. So, I will write this one in the meantime. I would also like to point out that in this version, none of the original DC characters have superpowers. They are just normal teenagers in high school, with lots of drama and funny little snippets. And as usual I do not own the DC characters present in this story, that's DC's right.
The beginning...
Bruce Wayne: An eccentric billionaire, not yet playboy is: tall dark and brooding, did I also mention that he's handsome and young and happens to attend Metropolis Public High School. The question everyone's asking is why he's attending this public school, when he can attend any private school? Is he trying to rub in the fact that he's rich or is he trying to boost his ego by making others feel inadequate? Or could it be that he actually wants to maintain the life of a normal teenager?
Lois Lane laughs as she types down the juicy gossip she overheard, or rather she perked her ears to the tidbit while she was walking down the hall of her school. She sighs, it's not hard to come by all sorts of gossip and rumors in her school. People just have too much damn time in their hands. It's not like it's her choice to write about some guy she hasn't even met yet, but news was news. And she had to get her foot in the door or at least practice before going into the real world. Good news was difficult to find.
She shrugs as she leans farther back in her mesh chair. Wanting to become a news reporter was no funny business, she wanted to unravel all sorts of dark secrets that were locked away from the world, the kind of stuff that makes you whiplash from shock. She considered herself the modern age Nancy Drew, always on the lookout for a new adventure and a new mystery to solve. But, for now she'd settle for teenage drama and adolescent affairs.
She continues typing while side glancing on a list of names she wrote down, the top 'who' and 'not' listed with numbers. Next was Diana Prince, the school sweetheart.
Diana Prince: Not a week has passed since she'd arrived in this school and she's the main topic already! Left and right you hear 'Diana is so gorgeous' ' She looks like she could be a model' and boy does she get asked out quite a lot. Now that is what I call a carcass full of flies. She really is a beautiful girl with a golden heart. Just the other day I met her, she's pretty smart too. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was out of this world. You can't hate a girl like that even if you tried.
She really was sweet. But, she couldn't help but remember that Diana seemed a bit distracted when she spoke with her a couple days back. And not the normal distracted, she was more aware of her surroundings and the people around them, fidgety like. Like she was waiting for something to happen. But, she didn't know the girl well enough to know if that's just normal behavior for her and she didn't want to ask. Her eyes seemed to shift back in forth rapidly , you could miss it if you weren't being attentive. But, she was very good with body language, that's another trait that was essential to reporters. She shrugs again.
She looks to the bottom right hand corner of her laptop and reads the time, 3:30. Time sure flies by fast. She picks up her backpack and her laptop. She closes her laptop and carries it on the side of her hip like a book. But not before sending the finished piece of gossip with an intro and conclusion to the school editor. She closes the room to the 'Writers Club' and heads straight to where her best friend Clark Kent is at.
No doubt he's in the field running like a maniac with Wally, the schools Mascot. She laughs. Just as she is about to make a turn to head straight to the school fields, Clark is beside her. She jumps up from being startled by his sudden presence.
"Kent, you trying to cut some years out of my life?" she glares at him.
He gives his usual apology look while flailing his hands back and forth, "No, I wasn't trying to scare you, honestly." She gives him a once over, he puts a hand to his heart and says, " Scouts honor."
She chuckles, " You would. " while punching his arm.
His shoulders visibly relax as he falls into step with Lois as she heads straight the bus that drops him and her off to the outskirts of the city that leads them to their houses. A familiar routine between her and Clark since early middle school. He drops her off and he walks to his house afterwards. Which is not too far from hers. She supposed that was the reason she and him were really good friends, other than the fact that they lived similar lives. She turns to look at him and says, " Did you hear about Bruce Wayne?"
"No. Did something happen?" He glances at her.
"He's going to be going to the same school as us. I don't know when he's going to start, but people are already talking about it. I'm surprised you didn't hear about it yet."
He shrugs, " Guess I've just been busy helping ma and pa with the farm. Leaves me too tired to concentrate on what people are saying the next day."
"You're listening and responding to me like a normal person." She counters.
He blushes, " It wouldn't be nice to ignore your friends even if you're too tired. I was raised to always give a lending ear. Even if it's just for gossip, people vent differently than others."
She raises an eyebrow at this, " Oh, so now I'm a busybody."
His ears start to turn red from embarrassment, " No, I meant...I was only trying to be helpful." He says while dropping his hands in defeat.
"Relax Smallville. I was only teasing."
They walk a while without saying anything, only hearing their footsteps and the crunch of the dirt road as they walk. She suddenly smiles at him, " You know, you may live in a farm and think that you're missing out on the world, but you're really not."
He looks at her with a confused frown, " What do you mean?"
"I mean, up until a couple a years ago I didn't even know half the stuff normal teenagers grew up with. I grew up being a military brat while you were living the life of a farm boy."
He lifts a finger in the air, " Still am."
" What I'm trying to say is that we're not that different from the rest of the world. Sure, we got different backgrounds, but we're all human in the end, right?" She looks at him with a frown etched on her face.
He can't help but mimic her expression, "Well of course we're human. It just feels different because people like putting these barriers that makes it hard for others to understand them. I mean we grew up in similar homes, but that's not what keeps us close. It's not the glue that holds us together. I think it's the time we spent with each other. Memories are powerful too you know." He looks at her as they arrive at her rusty, what was once red, mailbox.
"Don't get all sappy on me. But, I do get what you're saying. I guess analyzing others made me forget that little fact. Being an imperfect human and all." She puts her hands inside the back of her jean pockets.
"Well I guess I'll see ya later smalls." She says while waving her hand as she heads towards her house.
He smiles back and says ," I'll call you later," she raises her hand slightly. He nods and smiles as he turns to leaves to his house.
[1 month before]
The night is pitch black as moon illuminates everything it touches outside the borders of Gotham. Crickets and creatures alike are heard abound in the forest. Two silhouettes can be seen amongst them, interrupting what should have been a calm night.
"I thought I told you I don't want to talk about it. It's not up for discussion." A male with a deep baritone can be heard as he leans back on a tree with his arms folded across his chest.
"You said it wasn't, I never agreed to that. Therefore I will speak my mind when I please. I want to talk about this. It's not fair that -" A female with a husky, sultry voice says.
"No." He cuts in sharply, almost violently.
She only sighs, " If you do not want to discuss this at least have the decency to tell me why?"
He nods even though she can't see him clearly, " Why do you have to make this so hard. I'm doing this to make it easier on both of us. I can't tell you why either, at least not now."
She smiles weakly as she unfolds her crossed arms, " Fine, do what you want." She turns to leave in a huff, but feels his hand on hers before she turns completely. She is immediately brought to his chest as he envelopes her into a hug.
She stays in his embrace as minutes pass by, smelling his scent and feeling the warmth that's being emitted by him. Only the night ambience can be heard when she feels her anger dissipate as she finally returns his hug.
"People could hurt you if they knew. It's not the right time. Maybe in the future, but not now. Give me, us time." He murmurs in her hair. She smells like vanilla and chamomile, he thinks.
He releases her, but does not fully let her go as he holds her by her hands and asks, "New shampoo?"
She doesn't answer immediately as she knows he is changing the subject. He's always doing that, something she's grown tired of. She decidedly turns to sit on a fallen log, " So you did notice. I changed it 2 weeks ago. " She says without a trace of emotion in her voice. Why are men so dense? She frowns to herself.
He inwardly tenses as he feels the conversation shifting into an argument. Which he would have to quell somehow, she's too much in her 'ticking bomb' mode. It's like a landmine, if a wrong word is said, it could turn for the worst. Lately it's been that way with her. He has no idea why she's been acting so tense.
"I can handle myself. I don't need you shadowing me. You expect me to live a sheltered life. I want to go out and have fun like normal people. I can't do that when all you want to do is wrap me in a bubble of protection that's monitored by you." She says in a low tone.
" I only want to-"
"Protect me, I know. You just don't know how difficult that is. You think I don't know what I signed myself up for when we got together?" She raises her voice slightly. Becoming more angry as she sees his calm demeanor.
He glares at her," If I have to keep you at arms length then I will. This world is full of criminals with dark thoughts. The last thing I need is someone holding you for ransom, or ending your life because they want to hurt me. You'll just be an obstacle to them, a stepping stone to get to me." He pounds his fist in his chest.
She gets up from the log, " Is that what I am, an obstacle to you?" She says with a little hurt laced in her voice.
"That's not what I said, don't twist my words." He counters while he puts his hands down in frustration.
"You might as well have. But, since that's how you feel, I'm leaving. Don't show your face or even think of calling me. I don't want to talk to you anymore." She leaves in an angry rush.
He follows her angry wake as she ignores his pleas and slaps his hand away when he tries to stop her.
[Present- 1 month later]
The beach waves can be heard as they crash against the rocks. The wind coming inside the windows of her beach house have a little warm affect in them as she sips her iced mocha. She sits in her sofa and seethes while she watches the latest news broadcast with a bored expression. News really wasn't that interesting.
"Lies." She gives a chuckle, " Why can't they stop distorting the truth?" She turns away disinterestedly and is about to pick up a magazine but stops when she hears Bruce's name mentioned on the TV.
'On our latest news of celebrities, people are raving about our own billionaire hottie Bruce Wayne. What's new about him? Well, only the fact that he is said to join the ranks of Metropolis high school, or at least one of them. We have yet to confirm which one-'
She turns off the TV. She grips the remote with an angry scowl on her face. She doesn't move, everything is suddenly quiet. A raging storm forms in her sapphire eyes. " How dare he." She drops the remote on the couch and heads for her cell phone in her bedroom nightstand.
She immediately presses on the name 'Bruce' and waits for the dial tone as she presses her digits on the furniture with fury. She gets his voicemail, she hangs up.
She rubs her temples as she calls again only to receive his voicemail again. She closes her phone with a snap and walks angrily to her living room.
"Fine, he wants to play me like a game." She grabs her purse with a violent tug.
" I'll show you how it's played. Game on."
She heads straight for her car and sits inside for a minute and turns the engine on.
"You'll regret this Bruce." She leaves the driveway.
[scene changes]
Meanwhile a young teen and his butler can be seen discussing the latest call in the mansion's study. Bruce sits in his chair lazily as he ignores her call. Bruce's butler, Alfred, shakes his head.
"Is it wise to ignore miss Prince's call, sir? I should think it will not play in your favor young master." He says while placing Bruce's coffee on his desk.
Bruce takes a sip, " Is this black?" He says while grimacing.
" I should think it is."
Bruce looks at him then at his coffee, " Tastes a little bitter. I don't remember it tasting like this, so different."
"Acquired a taste for sweets master Bruce?" He raises an eyebrow at Bruce.
Bruce narrows his eyes at Alfred, " That'll be all Alfred. Be sure to take the day off."
"I will try me best young master. After all, I live here. Do try to keep that in consideration." He bows but not before saying " Give my regards to Miss Prince when she arrives." He looks at the wall clock, " Should not be too long now."
Bruce scoffs and leans further in his master chair. It's been a month since he last saw her. He admits that it did not go in his favor the last time, but he was not going to give in. He would never be the own throwing in the towel first, even if he missed her.
He fidgets in his chair as he grows more anxious. She'd know he ignored her call, so it wouldn't seem so smart to make it look as though he was just sitting there, doing nothing.
He gets up and quickly lays out some company papers on his desk with a few scattered pens. Then turns on his laptop and leaves it on a document.
He really didn't have any work to do, as he finished it all during the weekend. Diana always did say that he worked too hard.
He chuckles, " Should've taken more work." He gets up and starts pacing around the room. There have been times when he caught himself doing the same thing. He had been keeping himself busy with the company on purpose. A way to distract his mind from going into the dark.
"She should have been here by now."
Just as she was half way to Wayne Manor, she got a call from Lois Lane. She had to park to the side to take the call. It was a good thirty minutes ago she called her, asking her if she could take her to the store. She remembered telling her, awhile back that she could call her anytime she needed anything. She wouldn't have minded, but she needed to straighten things out with Bruce.
But, she couldn't deny her, after all she needed her. So now she is driving to a local market with Lois Lane in tow.
She sighs and puts an elbow on the car door.
"Is something wrong?" Lois asks after hearing Diana sigh. That's the fifth time I hear her sigh.
Diana immediately replies with a no. But, Lois can't help but want to know what's bugging her.
"I don't mean to pry, it's just you seem troubled."
"No, I'm not troubled at all. I'm just upset at someone."
Lois's ears perk up at this. It's not that she was the gossipy type, it's just that Diana never seemed to talk to anyone about...well anything personal. It was always so formal, it never went any deeper than that. From what she noticed. It couldn't have been a boyfriend, right? She's never seen anyone with her, at school of course. At least not someone she thought was her boyfriend. She couldn't help but think this was juicy gossip.
"Is it a boyfriend?" she asks casually, not wanting to seem like she wanted to really know. Throw the bait and wait.
Diana doesn't answer immediately as she busies herself with the road. She looks at Lois from her peripherals and analyzes her. She doesn't seem like she has malicious intent. But, still...she didn't really know if it was wrong to talk about this to a complete stranger. Sure, she had a couple of discussions with her, nothing to deep. But, she really needed a friend, or at least someone to discuss this with. The only person she could talk to this about is ignoring her. So, why not?
"No, not my boyfriend." It's not the complete truth, only what I need her to know.
Lois seems a little disappointed at this, but doesn't show it. "A close friend?"
"Yes, a friend at times. I am upset at him for wanting to seclude me. He wants to protect me, but I don't want him to do that. As it prohibits me from experiencing a normal life." She says with a little precaution.
Lois could only scratch her head at that, a normal life?
"I know he just doesn't want me to get hurt, it just makes me angry when he doesn't consult me or says anything about it to me. He just does what he wants with me, without ever considering how I feel. I would understand him better if he just noticed my feelings a little more." she continues, but stops when she realizes she's rambling.
Even the beautiful have it bad, such a shame. She thinks, she could do better than the guy who's giving her grief. Obviously this girl has a problem with him, if she's opening up to a stranger. All she needed was someone to give her a lending ear.
She chuckles at this. So, smallville was right, a lending ear was useful.
" Well, from what I can tell, he seems more like a dad. You know how dad's are right, protective and crap. It's just seems like the guy's trying to hide you like a precious jewel. I don't know why he' doing it, but I'm sure he's got a good reason. It's just difficult for guys to open up, being macho and all." She says with a playful tone, all this girl needs is a little cheering up.
" I do not understand why men choose to lock away their emotions. I believe a man is much stronger when he chooses to share them with someone. Finding strength in their weaknesses is what makes you stronger." She says with a frown.
"Well then maybe he's still just a boy at heart. You know, people make mistakes along the way to adulthood, I guess. We're still in high school. You're a first year and I'm a first year. Is he a first year?" She turns to look at Diana who could only give her a blank look.
I can't tell her that.
" Well, he's attending a private school." Which was true, just not all of it.
So he's rich, Lois automatically thinks, which could mean why Diana was so reluctant to give a name. She wasn't going to ask her as it seems she doesn't want to reveal the oh so mysterious guy. She couldn't help but feel as though this guy sounded interesting by the minute. If he could affect this girl so deeply, it must be someone she really cares about. Probably a future boyfriend? Oh this was just so juicy.
"Maybe he grew up with a different mentality than most guys. He's obviously rich," she pauses to see if Diana denies that. She doesn't.
" So maybe he doesn't like sharing, some guys are just possessive like that. They don't want anyone else to look at you and you to look at them." She turns to look at Diana is looking at her like she grew two heads.
"What?" Lois asks.
"No, he is definitely not the type of man to be so possessive." She denies.
"But, if he's been secluding you, how can you know what he's like in public?"
Diana stays quiet as she realizes it's pointless to discuss this with Lois. After all, she didn't know the truth.
"hmm, Maybe you're right." she finally agrees.
Lois concludes that Diana agreed to end the discussion. She didn't know what Diana wanted to hear, much less what she wanted or expected from her. Just that Diana was hiding something. Now she's like a reporter on a hunt, only thing she needed was to get closer to Diana.
I'm really liking how this story is shaping up to be. Well, as always. Comment for the life of this story.