STEEL THY HEART, CHAPTER NINETEEN
A/N: Superman and Selina go on another date and get back to the business at hand.
As the huge island of Hawaii came into view, Selina told Superman, "I remember coming here, but it's been awhile."
They saw the lava rocks as they got closer to the western side of the Big Island. The town of Kahlua-Kona was one of Selina's favorite spots to be on whenever she visited. She loved the rock formations caused by the hardened lava and the craters there just as much as she had loved those on the moon.
The road the Man of Steel took them to was deserted except for a stray motorist or two driving by. Although Superman usually was noticed by people it seemed as though the drivers weren't stopping for his autograph or anything this time. For that, Selina was grateful. She had wanted to keep him for herself for awhile.
He brought her to a secluded spot where the road kept going higher and higher. Selina's brows drew together with confusion. Just how were they going to eat on the jagged stones? Superman looked at her, then smiled.
"Back in a minute…" he promised. The Catwoman stood on top of the rocks and waited. "A minute" proved to be more like thirty minutes.
When she thought about walking down the hilly area just to look for him, the Man of Steel set up a tent at super speed. Selina had to admit: she loved his ingenuity. Using his strength to secure the metal supports that would hold the canvas material in place, he motioned for her to wait again, then proceeded to fly in a fold up table and chairs.
By the time fifty minutes had passed, they were inside a small tent on the deserted Hawaiian road with a table, chairs, and a meal of Mahi Mahi, a fish known in that region of the country, and long grain wild rice with sparkling grape juice. Selina poured the juice into the collapsible cups and raised them in a toast.
"I'd like to propose a toast," she said. Superman was all ears.
"To the future, whatever it may bring," she said confidently.
He raised his cup and tapped it to hers, hiding the wave of insecurity. Superman wasn't sure if they could have a long term future together since superhero dating under intense or even normal circumstances was always short lived. Not wanting to ruin her happiness however, he repeated the toast.
Before they could get comfortable, he heard a call for help. Selina saw his jaw tense up.
"What is it?" she asked, concerned.
"Someone's in trouble," he said.
Not waiting for her response, Superman took off, streaking at breakneck speed toward the person needing aid. Selina didn't eat a morsel until he returned fifteen minutes later.
"That was quick," she said. Superman resumed his seat and placed a napkin on his lap.
"Small boat with engine trouble…" he said. "I got them to shore."
"Good," the Catwoman said honestly.
Though she would have given her right arm to have him all to herself, she realized that saving those who needed him was who he was inside, and if they were going to be an item, she had to get used to his disappearing. At least, having dated Bruce for so long, she was an expert in that department. Of course, with the Batman, she only had to compete with Gotham City; with Superman, she had to compete with the world. The Planet Earth was a harsh mistress, demanding his attention at all times, and lest she forget, there was another mistress, known as the Justice League.
Selina sighed, drinking some more juice. Superman was in the middle of eating a piece of fish when he stared at her.
"What is it?" he asked.
She looked at him and said, "It's nothing."
"It has to be something," Superman said. "Tell me." He drank some juice and wiped his oh-so-attractive mouth. She thought she could get used to seeing him wipe it across her lips again.
"It's just that I wish I could wrap you up and take you with me and never let go of you," she said. "But I'd be keeping you from saving the people of the world, and that would be incredibly wrong." She didn't cry, but he could see how sad she was.
Superman remembered Lois making the same argument, seemingly eons ago, when she had found out his secret identity and he'd had to change back from just being Clark Kent due to the red sun's energy to Superman once more.
I am jealous when it comes to you, she'd said with tears in her eyes, jealous of the whole world.
His solution had been to make her forget his identity, even though it had broken his heart to do so. But Superman wouldn't do that with Selina. He wouldn't risk heartache of that magnitude a second time.
"You knew what dating me would entail, I imagine," he said evenly.
"Yeah," Selina said, sighing again. "I know what it's like. It's like being attached to a fireman, only more intense. I can accept that, but I don't have to like it."
His hand reached out to capture hers. "I don't like it either sometimes," he admitted. "But I can't just sit idly by with my abilities and do nothing."
"I know," Selina said. After a moment's pause, she told him, "I'm sorry. I really am glad for the moments we have, and I wouldn't trade a single thing for this."
Superman smiled. She was a rare woman, indeed. They finished the meal in companionable silence. During the time they'd been eating, Selina's thoughts had turned to the name Bruce had given them of the person involved in the Phaze incident.
Igor Shardov was one man she knew well. The Albanian had been at the forefront of every drug smuggling outfit from California to Budapest. He had also worked with many terrorist organizations, including the one she and Batman had stopped when they'd cornered Red Claw.
Red Claw had been at the top of the terrorist food chain. She was a formidable enemy who had been torturing mountain lions and committing all sorts of unspeakable crimes against the cats she was honor bound to protect for a viral plague which, had it fallen into her scarlet painted nails, would have destroyed not only the felines but all of Gotham city.
Courtesy of the Batman's and her interference, Red Claw was doing a comfortable stretch with maximum restraints. That didn't mean, though, that she wasn't running things from behind bars.
"Penny for your thoughts," Superman said.
Selina's musings turned back to her attractive male date. "I was actually thinking of the person or persons who brought us together," she said.
"Shardov," Superman responded bitterly.
He knew about the shady dealings of the man since he'd done an article about him with Lois that had pretty much wrecked his career as a smuggler. Never one to miss an opportunity to outdo Clark, Lois had snuck into the hideout Shardov used…and she'd almost lost her life. It had taken Superman to save her—again.
The story had been published and it had earned Lois another Kerth award and Clark a subsequent Kerth award for doing the backup story, but the cost of publishing said story had taken its toll on the superhero/journalist. Shardov had allegedly died in an explosion, which had been the only thing that had kept Superman from losing it completely and destroying the evil man. Now, the proverbial Phoenix had arisen from the ashes, and the search had to begin all over again.
Selina touched his arm and felt him shaking. When she looked up at the superhero, she saw barely controlled rage.
"What is it?" She asked, both fearful and concerned. Superman shook off his fury and his eyes met hers.
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "Shardov almost destroyed a friend of mine. It's still very hard to deal with. Sometimes, I just want…". He trailed off, unable to finish his thought. Selina grabbed his hands and squeezed them.
"I want him, too," she said. "But we've got to not let personal feelings do us in."
"Why do you want him?" Superman wanted to know. Selina shook her head.
"I…I'm not quite ready to talk about that," she said.
"I understand," Superman said, "I'm a stranger, and I shouldn't have asked."
Selina shook her head again and stood up from the table, saying, "No, no, it's not your fault. It's just…he was the one that was instrumental in causing a good friend of mine personal pain that she will have to deal with for the rest of her life! I want him and any of his associates to burn!"
Now it was Superman's turn to comfort her. He withdrew his hand and placed it on top of hers.
"Then, let's get him together," he said.
When she acquiesced, he got up from the table and returned all of the items to their shops or threw them away. Superman flew back, and took Selina to her apartment.
Later that night, after digging up what little information on Shardov that she could, Selina got up from her couch to answer the doorbell. She was pleasantly surprised to see Clark standing in the doorway, his presence a welcome distraction. He had two grocery bags in his hand and he put them down by the door.
"Hello," he said. Selina felt her heart skip a beat. In response to Clark being in the doorway, Isis, her grey cat, started going toward the reporter. Clark scooped her up in his arms. Isis meowed in protest, looking up at him with her big, accusing, yellow eyes.
"Sorry…" he said to her, pausing to ask Selina the cat's name. When she answered him, Clark said, "Isis. It's not a good idea to go out the apartment. Selina and I would miss you."
Selina smiled at that, especially the inclusion of her like they were a couple. She took in his black suit and frowned a moment later.
"Did anyone ever tell you you dress like an undertaker sometimes?" She asked.
"No, but did anyone ever tell you that you've got a very smart mouth sometimes?" Clark returned with bravado as he entered with his bags. Selina considered for a moment.
"Oh…some men have, I think, but then they kissed my 'smart mouth' into total submission," she teased. After setting the bags on the floor, Clark's hand reached out to caress her cheek.
"Let's see if that works for me," he told her.
He pulled her closer and then let his lips touch hers. Selina tugged at his tie until he was totally inside her apartment. Together, they found their way to her couch, kissing passionately. Clark broke away, knowing that he could never have enough of her sensuous lips.
"Your mouth…" he said, kissing her once more, "is like the sweetest honey. I can't stop."
Selina shoved her tongue inside his eager mouth and together, both touched, fighting for dominance. After so short a time, the Catwoman wondered what it would be like to bring out the lion in him. But, because she was still not quite ready to take things that far, she broke off from Clark.
"What are you doing here?" Selina asked. Clark retrieved the groceries.
"I thought you might be hungry," he said. "I was going to cook you dinner." Selina rummaged through both bags and then withdrew some vegetables.
"Vegetarian," Clark told her. "I was going to make some vegetable lasagna."
"You can cook?" Selina queried.
"Ma taught me how years ago," Clark answered. "She said that it wasn't always fair for a woman to do all the cooking." He proceeded to remove the pasta and tomato sauce. Walking into Selina's kitchen, he asked where her baking pan was.
"In the dishwasher," she said.
"Got it," Clark said. He got the pan out and started spritzing some cooking spray in it. Next, he placed the lasagna strips into the pan and set some frozen spinach and carrot pieces to boil.
Watching him move about her kitchen, Selina's thoughts turned to a fantasy of him as her husband, sharing his domestic chores with her. She shook off her thoughts a moment later. Sure, she liked Clark, but she wasn't quite ready to be committed to any one person. Wasn't that why she dated two incredible men?
Selina set the table with all of the necessary silverware, plates and glasses. She placed cloth napkins on the table beside the plates and asked if Clark needed any help with dinner.
"No, thanks," he told her. "But thanks for the thought. I'm gonna end up owing you later."
Selina pursed her lips, asking, "Why do you say that?"
Clark turned from his preparations to look at her. "I have some information about Shardov and his accomplice that dates back to a famous terrorist we both know."
Selina didn't quite know what to say, but she settled for nodding as she processed Clark's words. She thought about Red Claw and how she would make her pay when they clashed swords yet again with Shardov thrown into the mix.