Critical and Commercial Reception & Secret Identities and Silver Screens
It was after arriving from Themyscira, dealing with Hades, Faust and trying to cheer up Diana about her exile. On their way back Bruce saw that she watched a movie for hours on the Javelin which lead to today's latest event/
In the halls of the Justice League Watchtower, a casual gathering of heroes was underway. There were no world-ending crises, no alien invasions or dimensional rifts to deal with—just a rare moment of downtime where the League could relax and talk like regular people. And tonight, the topic of conversation was... movies.
More specifically, Bruce Wayne's latest James Bond Movie.
*Bruce Wayne* as *James Bond* was since the release of the Octopussy remake which was an unexpected hit, had the world's spy fiction fanbase enthralled. But what made the situation more ironic was that none of the other heroes, except for Superman knew Bruce Wayne was actually Batman.
And damn it if Clark didn't milk it for all it was worth!
Superman, sitting at the edge of the group, listened to the conversation with a wry smile. He glanced over at Bruce, who, as Batman, was his usual stoic self, leaning against a dark corner, arms crossed, watching the discussion unfold with thinly veiled annoyance.
The Flash, was practically vibrating with excitement.
"I mean, come on! Did you guys *see* the last Bond movie? 'Princess Audrei was just fire in both roles and Bruce Wayne absolutely crushed it. The guy makes driving an Aston Martin look easy!"
Green Lantern, chuckled and leaned back in his chair. "Yeah, but how much of that is actually Bruce, and how much is CGI or stunt doubles? I mean, sure, the guy looks good in a tux, but I bet he's not the one doing the heavy lifting."
Across the table Wonder Woman raised an eyebrow, a soft smile tugging at her lips as she seemed to recover a bit. "Give him more credit than that. He's surprisingly good at the action scenes. I can tell."
Superman couldn't help but give him a knowing look, as if to say, *They have no idea, do they?*
Bruce sighed internally. This whole acting thing had been a cover, a way to from the start the divide between his public identity as Bruce Wayne and his role as Batman. But the irony wasn't lost on him—the Justice League was now fans of his portrayal of James Bond, without realizing the real-life connections.
"Oh, come on, Diana," John continued, smirking. "You can't seriously be a fan of Bruce Wayne's Bond. I mean, sure, the guy's charming, but those movies are full of plot holes. And don't even get me started on the gadgets."
Diana's eyes sparkled with amusement. "I'm aware of the flaws, but sometimes it's not about the details. There's something... captivating about the character. Even with its imperfections, the series has a certain allure."
Flash laughed, "You sound like a Bond fangirl, Diana. Never thought I'd see the day."
"That makes two of us, that and the fact that the poor guy keeps getting dumped just as about to finally be in a committed relationship that appeals to the estrogen brigade." Hawkgirl said as she and Diana clincked their Bond themed mugs together.
" That...is part of the appeal, but I appreciate any man or woman who can operate under pressure, face down overwhelming odds, and still remain calm." She glanced briefly at Batman, though it was subtle enough to go unnoticed by the others. Bruce, however, caught it, and his expression tightened.
Was she talking about Bond—or him?
Flash leaned in, grinning mischievously. "You know, I bet Batman's rolling his eyes at all of this behind those white lenses of his. No way he's a fan of Bond. Too flashy, too... charming. I bet he'd hate working with a guy like Bond in real life."
Superman had to bite his lip to keep from laughing aloud. If only they knew. And, to add to the layers of irony, Clark Kent had been secretly involved in the Bond movies too.
When Bruce was preparing to shoot World's Finest , Clark had been asked to play a small role as a joke since his mother was a super fan. He had agreed, on the condition that he got to play Q Bond's gadget genius under the guise of Clark Kent. The execs at Wayne Ent that financed the movies had loved the idea of bringing a real-life reporter who wrote several less than flattening articles about Bruce over the years and seeing their interactions in person during the meeting said they had a natural brother like bond.
Clark cleared his throat, Batman knew that move mean that it was time to subtly poke the bear or rather the bat bow.
"You know, I think Bruce Wayne's got a certain... relatability as Bond. There's something about him that feels grounded, even with all the glitz and glamour."
Bruce shot him a dark look, clearly unamused. Clark could almost hear Bruce's internal voice growling: Don't encourage them, Kent.
Flash nodded eagerly. "Exactly! He makes Bond feel like a real person, not just some over-the-top action hero. Plus, those gadgets? Unreal. That watch that shoots lasers? Man, I'd love to have that in a fight."
Clark's grin widened. "Well, fun fact, I heard that the person designing those gadgets for the film was actually inspired by some real tech. Apparently, Wayne Enterprises lent some of their more... experimental designs to the project."
Bruce's expression darkened even further, but he stayed silent. Diana, however, caught the subtle shift in Batman's demeanor. Her eyes flickered with curiosity but said nothing.
"You know what's weird?" Flash continued, oblivious. "I wonder what Batman would think if he met Bruce Wayne. Two guys like that? Total opposites. Wayne's all smooth, charming, and Batman... well, he's Batman."
Green Lantern snorted. "Batman would hate him. Too cocky. Probably wouldn't even tolerate Wayne for more than five minutes."
Clark exchanged a glance with Bruce, his eyes twinkling with mischief. He knew Bruce was gritting his teeth beneath that mask, holding back a snarky comment.
"Actually," Clark said casually
"I think Batman might find Wayne a bit... useful. After all, Bond operates in a world of shadows, much like Batman does."
Flash raised an eyebrow. "You think Bats could warm up to a guy like Wayne? Really?"
Clark shrugged. "Stranger things have happened."
Diana, who had been quietly observing the exchange, finally spoke up again, her voice thoughtful.
"I think Batman respects those who can remain calm under pressure, no matter the situation. Whether it's in battle or... a high-stakes poker game."
She smiled at Bruce, and for a moment, he wondered just how much she knew—or suspected. Diana always had an uncanny ability to see through layers of deception, though she never let on. The smile lingered just a little too long for his comfort.
"Speaking of Bond gadgets, you know who'd make a good Q in real life?" Flash said.
Superman tilted his head. "Who?"
He smiled in a way that made Superman's eyes widen a bit. "I'd say Superman. He's got the tech skills and a bit of the awkward boyscout charm."
The group laughed, with Diana shaking her head smiling for the first time since her exile. "
As the conversation drifted on to other topics, Bruce finally decided to join it "
"We have more important matters to focus on than Bond movies."
Flash grinned. "C'mon, Bats. Don't tell me you've never thought about getting one of those Aston Martins."
Bruce allowed a faint smirk to flicker across his face. "I have better cars."
"I agree." Diana said all of a sudden as Batman gave her a surprised look as did the rest of the League in amusement.
"I'd love to take the Batmobile for a spin."
"Do you have a driver's license?"
Diana's smile immediately faltered a bit at that as she cursed a bit in amazonian which made Batman smile.
That had been last night, come morning and Bruce was in his car.
In the passenger seat and with Diana driving one of his luxury cars.
She had come to his company that morning asking to be introduced to one of his crew's stunt drivers in order to learn advance driving for a license.
Why was this happening?
Why did she out of all towns decide on Gotham?
And why did he have to say that he'd teach her himself!
"Thank you for taking time to aide me Mr Wayne." She said to him with a smile from the driver's seat.
"Oh yeah, that's why...damned smile."
"You know the Porche and the Mustang drive better than this old hunk of junk."
"Yes, but it has a certain charm that other 'stronger cars' don't." She shot him a brief meaningful glance.
Bruce made a mental note to keep an eye on her.
"Did you have to pick the Aston Martin?".
"Yes." She answered with an adorably evil grin.
"Damn smile! Dam it!"