Can You Stand The Rain?
Inspired by the classic New Edition song "Can You Stand The Rain"
Metropolis Bridge
"Winds has picked up. The storm will be headed northwest and-"
Gwendolyn Hayes turned off the radio.
Her husband, Phillip Hayes glanced at her.
"I was listening to that."
"We've listened to the same report ten times already." She looked back. "You made the kids fall asleep."
"They're fine and things can change."
"Hmph...people too..."
He glanced at her again and frowned.
"Why did you say it like that?"
"I was just making a statement."
He sighed. "Whatever you have to say, just say it."
"You would rather listen to a damn radio than your wife."
"The radio isn't on my damn case every five minutes."
"You know instead of being an ass, how about taking the time to understand why."
"I already know why and I don't want to hear."
Gwendolyn shook her head and looked down at her cell phone. "I knew this trip was a mistake."
Phillip turned his head to look at her glaring.
"You know what? I'm really tired of this constant badgering and then you think you can just do what you want on that damn thing."
Phillip reached for her phone but Gwendolyn yanked away.
"Stop it! Keep your eyes on the road!"
"Give it here!"
"No! Stop it!"
Phillip reached for the phone again.
"Phillip, watch the road!"
He wasn't listening, let alone caring at a the moment.
"Phillip, stop it! And break..."
"Give me the damn phone!"
"Stop it! Turn around and look at the road!"
Phillip's foot stepped on the gas harder, hurdling straight toward the car in front of them that was abruptly breaking.
"PHILLIP!" Gwendolyn screamed.
WatchTower
"Hand it over!" Shazam laughed holding out his hand.
Flash, Green Lantern, and Cyborg rolled their eyes handing him $20 each.
"You guys are serious?" Superman asked.
"A bets a bet, Supes," Shazam said. "Horse races are the easiest to win."
Superman shook his head. Wonder Woman raised her brow not amused.
The WatchTower emergency alarm went off and the monitor switched on
BREAKING: Fatal pile up on Metropolis Bridge
The League arrived in no time.
"Holy-" Green Lantern paused.
It was about 40 cars in the pile up. Ambulance, Firemen, and Police rushing to aid.
"Focus, Lantern."
Superman, Wonder Woman and Shazam moved cars, as Lantern, Flash and Batman helped get people out.
Superman heard children sobbing and flew quickly to an SUV close to the edge of the bridge. He ripped the back passenger side door off.
The children were miraculously unharmed but scared.
"It's going to okay, alright?" Superman smiled.
"Please..." he heard a faint whisper. He looked at the driver who was covered in in blood from the shattered windshield. "Just take Gwen and the kids."
"I'll get you all out of here."
Superman carried the children and Gwendolyn to Wonder Woman.
"My husband?"
Superman nodded "I got-"
There was a sudden sound of car revving and then the car went of the bridge into the lake.
"PHILLIP!"
"Wonder Woman, watch over them. I'll go get him."
Superman quickly flew off and down into the lake. He couldn't hear a heartbeat.
He hurried to SUV and ripped off the driver's side door. He noticed there was a lot of blood coming from the right side of Phillip's neck. He then saw a small blade stuck there too.
Back above, Wonder Woman tried to reason with Gwendolyn.
"What's taking so long?!"
"Please stay calm for your children. Superman will-"
"Dad!"
Superman slowly flew back up to the bridge with his head down, carrying Philip's body.
"Phillip!"
Superman looked up directly at Wonder Woman giving her a look she knew well.
Wonder Woman held Gwendolyn back. "Please, wait."
"No! That is my husband!"
Gwendolyn ran toward them. She unconsciously tried to shove Superman but obviously he didn't budge.
"Why is he not moving?! Phillip, wake up!" She screams and cried harder seeing the deep slit on the side of his neck and the blade. "What happened?!"
"He...I'm very sorry...but..." Superman stuttered not able to explain.
"He took his own life," Batman said bluntly behind them.
Superman's shoulders dropped even more. He didn't want to say it out loud.
"No! You let him die! You were suppose to save him!" Gwen yelled at Superman.
"I'm..sorry..."
"Ma'am, we are going to have to ask you to calm down and let us handle this," an officer said walking up to them.
"No! I'm not leaving him!"
"You have two children that needs you," Batman said.
Gwendolyn stared down at Phillip for a moment. She leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead then stood up.
Another officer offered her an umbrella but she walked passed him without a word. With an angry look she walks up to Wonder Woman and takes her youngest child away from her and grabbed the oldest hand.
"Stay away from my kids!" She yelled.
"Ma'am..." the officer warned.
She said nothing else and walked away with the officer.
Superman stood up and watched and as the coroner came to take the body.
Flash patted his shoulder. "You did your best, Big Blue."
Shazam looked around confused at the awkward stares and silence. "What the hell happened? This is seriously the thanks we get?"
"Hey, Kid! Calm down. Don't say anything else that would make this worse," Lantern warned.
Wonder Woman flew over to Superman and took his hand.
He looked at her sadness, disappointment and pain filled his eyes.
"He told me to get them out first. If I..." he dropped his head again. "If I would've known..."
"But you didn't," she said softly squeezing his hand. "You didn't know."
"I should've gotten them all at once. I should've been faster. Then it could've been prevent."
The League made sure all the other civilians involved in the accident were safe and helped clear the bridge before heading back to the Tower.
WatchTower Briefing Room
"Why is he outside?" Shazam asked.
Superman was floating outside the large Tower window, looking down at Earth.
"Does he even know what we are talking about?"
"He is already listening," Batman answered.
"Oh..."
"Phillip Alvin Hayes. Married to Gwendolyn Renee Kolton-Hayes for 18 years and 2 kids...7 and 4 years old."
"It's cool but creepy you get all this information that fast," Lantern said.
"Not called the greatest detective for nothing..." Flash remarked.
"Phillip was fired from his job about a year ago and was caught up in an underground mob."
"So this guy was what? Leaving town to get away from it?"
"Potentially. I'll keep updated but I don't think his wife knew about this."
"So with the crash, he just took the opportunity to end it all right there."
Wonder Woman kept her eyes on Superman throughout the entire briefing. She knew he shouldn't be so down on himself, but that's the kind of compassionate man Kal was.
"It wasn't anyone's fault but his own," Batman stated. "This will be an ongoing investigation but the Wayne foundation will help his family."
When the briefing was over, Wonder Woman stood up and walked to the window where Kal was. Batman walked up to the window and they both were looking at him.
All of a sudden, Superman flew to Earth.
Wonder Woman sighed.
"Will you go after him?"
"I want to...but I know and respect that he wants to be alone and maybe needs to be for the moment."
"We both know...and even he knows better." Batman turned to walk away. "All he needs now is you."
Superman sat on top of the roof of the Daily Planet. Silently, looking down. Watching in the chilling, pouring rain as civilians rushed in every direction to get somewhere warm and dry.
The thunder was blaring in the back of his ears. The wind hits him, his cape blowing, but he sits in place, motionless. As little as a breath was taken as he sat there in the eye of the storm.
He was drenched, from head to toe, in the sky's tears. They never cease to spatter against the ground, the cars, the floating umbrellas that filled the streets. They were the sky's puddle on which it streamed it's tears in a violent downpour. Kal made no mind of it, however. He was too caught up in his own thoughts. Thoughts that loomed in his mind like a dark cloud.
Being Superman had its ups and downs. There are people for and against him. And oddly, for the passed couple of days it seemed more people have been against him.
That wasn't going to stop him doing his job as a hero of course, but he couldn't deny that it pained him a bit. This life was all so complicated with his dual identity of Clark Kent and Superman trying to keep everyone he knows protected. Keeping his life separated, not being about to open up and trust whole heartedly and completely, he still felt very much alone and isolated.
It seemed like no one could nor would ever understand him, let alone take the time to anyway.
Maybe that's just how his life should be or maybe-
"Kal?"
He looked up to see Wonder Woman floating above him.
Kal stood up and took her in. No matter how hard it was storming, she seemed to still beam with light like a beautiful summer's day, sunshine radiating from her features.
A slight smile managed to sweep onto the corners of his mouth as he gazed at her, looking grateful.
The air was tense. The two embraced like meteors crashing into each other. Their limbs tangled around each other as they held on desperately. Diana's hands tangled around his neck, Kal's woven around her waist. Kal gently breathed out and he rested his chin atop her head. He held her in his arms, pulling her snug against him. He nuzzled his nose in her wet raven hair. She felt so soft. He shut his eyes, relishing in her intoxicating feel. The two felt so much more secure and at peace.
Diana reached out a hand and traced his jaw line with the tip of her finger. Diana felt breath out slowly again as he lost himself in her gentle caress. Her tender touch felt like small butterfly kisses to him.
He pulled away slightly and cupped her delicate face in his water soaked hands. Through the pouring rain their eyes met and locked. Each full of so many emotions.
"I have a lot on my mind. Trying to figure out things. But you don't have to worry. You shouldn't be out here in this storm."
Diana gently cupped his face, too. "How can I not worry about my best friend feeling down? And must he forget, I am the daughter of Zeus? Storms like this don't bother me...but even if I wasn't, I still wouldn't be bothered."
Kal smiled sadly. "I didn't forget, Di. I just meant I'm not good company right now."
"You know we don't always have to talk. Just being anywhere with you is just fine for me. We can stand or sit here all night in the rain. But we do need to talk now. We can figure things out together. You let me open up to you. You know you can share your burdens with me. So tell me, Kal."
He sighed, slowly letting go of her completely. He turned back and looked down to see people still rushing to get out the rain.
"Even though we have helped a lot of people, they will never fully trust us. Even those I have helped, I still sense that underlying fear. When I was younger, I had to hold back. Seeing kids bullied or any one in trouble, I tried helping as best I could while trying to hide and not use my powers. As I got older and my powers developed more and more it became more difficult."
"It was the same for me. My mother hid the fact that I was a love child of Zeus. Some of the Amazons would not go a day without reminding me how different I was from them. It saddened me, but I didn't let it define me." Diana moved closer to him. "Kal, since I've been here, I've never met a man like you. A man of honor, who doesn't expect or ask for anything in return."
"I try to do the right thing, make the right decisions. Sometimes, not everything goes as planned."
"Yes. You've told me that many of times. And weren't you the one that told me that even with us being who we are, we are bound to make mistakes? We are not perfect and life for us...it might get even more complicated. We don't and shouldn't expect all days to have the sun shining. We keep going, regardless. Especially with days like this."
Kal looked at Diana with softened eyes. As he drew nearer, inching even closer, they could feel each other's steady breath upon their face.
He took both her hands in his and intertwined fingers. They touched foreheads, their noses barely a centimeter apart.
"Thank you, Diana. You've been there for me through a lot. Always by my side."
"Just as you have been by mine. We might not agree on everything and that's expected but through ups and downs, we are in this together. We are partners."
Diana's beautiful blue eyes on a par with his own, Kal wrapped his arms tight around her, the woman he knew he wanted and needed all at the same time. At that moment, he felt relief finally flood his body.
With Diana's arms wrapped around his neck again, through the pouring rain, she clung to the man who was there for her and was to be keeper of her own heart.
"I love you," Kal said in somewhat of a whisper. "I love you unconditionally."
Diana pulled back just a bit, to look into his eyes.
"I want...I need you to know how special you are to me," he confessed. "I've spent the last few years falling in love with you."
Diana opened her mouth as if to speak, and he waits. She cupped his face with both hands again.
"I give you all my trust as you are the one person I trust the most. I give you all of my heart as I know you will protect it. I love you and I am very much in love with you, too."
Kal stared at her soft red lips that he so longed to kiss. Making up his mind, he leaned forward and immediately captured her lips with his. Joy and passion filled their bodies as their lips moved together. Diana's hands tangled themselves in his slick hair as their lips danced with mounting urgency. Her chest was pressed against his and even through both of their wet uniforms, he could feel her heart fluttering fast.
After what felt like an eternity, Kal calmly lifted his head away from hers. Diana's eyes were still closed, and quickly, they come to life, blinking innocently. An adoring smile came onto her face as hints of red escape her cheeks.
"We should go..."
"My place?"
Diana slowly nodded.
Diana took Kal's hand about to fly up. But Kal pulled her back into his arms.
"On second thought...we can stand the rain just a bit longer."
Before she could answer, his lips connected with hers once more, softly at first, but their kiss grew more passionate by the minute.
The rain falling on them, cold, but every inch of their skin felt burning hot to the touch. As Kal held her against him, she sunk into his embrace. The way his lips pressed against hers so was magical and so soft against hers. He lifted her up and spun her around, then slowly flew up to the storming clouds.
Kal looked at her with a fervent expression as he rested his forehead against hers. Diana blushed furiously.
"I will always love you, Di."
"And I'll always love you, Kal."
Kal captured her lips again. Diana's eyes fluttered shut and her lips part, letting his tongue slip in. She moaned softly as their kiss deepened.
They knew for what they share is more powerful than any storm.