A Flash by Any Other Name
Jun. 5th, 2006 10:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shankieWally goes undercover and finds peril while Bruce has a couple conversations about his new relationship.
Part Thirty-Three: Spies Like Us
Superman and Batman transported up to the Watchtower with their package in hand: Professor Zoom and Inertia, still unconscious. The containment unit was set up for two, complete with some of J'onn's telepathic shielding technology... and a box full of candy bars.
Bruce didn't ask where they came from, but he had his suspicions.
They engaged the security systems and stood watching over the sleeping forms a moment in silence, the low hum of the Watchtower the only noise.
Bruce glanced to his left briefly, and noticed Clark was looking at him sideways, with an expression of uncertainty. Uncertainty that came strangely easily to someone wielding the power Superman did. Bruce sighed and walked out into the hallway; Clark followed him. 'At least he's not hovering.' He thought as he turned a corner and stepped into one of the elevators.
"Level Six." He said tersely, and they began moving up with a loud humming. "What is it, Clark?"
There was no response as the door slid open, and he strode forward towards the cafeteria. He grabbed a glass of water and sat in the furthest corner of the room, back to the wall. Normally, he wouldn't bother, but something told him not appeasing Clark's obvious desire to talk would only lead to trouble and irritation down the line.
Clark sat down not across from him, but at an angle obviously designed to avoid any sort of eye contact, and surveyed the room; quiet, only a few costumed heroes having muted conversations and keeping to themselves.
"Why him, Bruce? With all this supposed contempt you hold for metahumans... why him?"
Bruce considered what sort of reply he should give, if any. He was tempted to leave it at 'none of your goddamn business', but Clark was never one to leave his questions unanswered. Usually, a favourable trait. But not always.
"What's this about, Clark?"
"I thought the question was pretty clear."
"Don't act like you don't understand what I'm asking you." Bruce replied tersely.
"Alright, fine. You rant on about 'damned aliens', 'dangerously powerful children' and 'reckless, undisciplined amateurs' and then you do this? Start bedding the most reckless and undisciplined member of the League?"
"He's been in the League as long as you have, and I might point out, has repeatedly proved his value as a member in the face of being seriously underestimated on countless occasions."
"I'm not asking you about your opinion on his skill as a fighter." Clark was looking at him now, looking wholly exasperated.
Bruce didn't respond right away. He didn't expect Clark to understand; there was some about being human that, despite his upbringing, Bruce suspected he never would. Startled at his own train of thought, he took a sip of water and attempted to maintain his composure and find some explanation that would appease the Kryptonian enough to get him out of his hair.
"Why haven't you told Lois about your dual identity?" He finally asked.
Clark looked visibly unsettled, and shifted in his chair.
"That's really not..."
"You don't have a reason, do you?" Bruce said cooly. "I'll give you one. Whichever face you would like to tell yourself is 'real', they are both a lie. That's the real secret you keep."
"As if you have any right..!"
"I'm the first to admit it. You're not listening."
"So that's what this is about? The master of deception wants some honesty in his life for once?" Clark looked almost baffled, ironically so; in his experience, brutal honesty was one of Lois Lane's few, but dominant, appealing character traits. It made her an excellent reporter and an infuriating girlfriend.
Bruce didn't mention Wally's legs being a work of art putting any great master to shame. But he wanted to, knowing exactly how it would ruffle Clark's feathers. He'd looked away again, hiding the expression on his face.
"I... I'm sorry. It's really none of my business."
"Hn."
Clark shot him a look somewhere between irritation and resignation, then got up and walked out. 'Well, that went well.' Bruce finished his drink and went up to find J'onn on the bridge.
He had another conversation along similar lines to get out of the way, but it would have to wait.
* * *
'Did we make it..?' Wally thought hazily, before opening his eyes and looking up at the face of The Shade, leaning over him curiously.
"It is unusual indeed, for a foe to leave his adversary behind once subduing him." He tapped his cane against his shoulder and straightened. "What happened?"
Wally looked around what appeared to be some sort of aircraft; Bart was still asleep on a bed nearby, and the compartment was nearly barren, save for metal cabinets, chairs, and a few bolted-down cot beds.
"Not sure." Wally sat up, despite protest from his aching head, keeping the presence of mind to use the vocal inflection he'd been practicing. "We went down and Flash looked... distracted by something. Took off."
"Lucky we got to you before the Justice League." Said a new, but familiar voice. Maxwell Brannock himself stepped out of a shadow and forward, cocking his head to one side. "Are you quite alright?"
"Oh yeah. Quite." He rubbed his head. "Little fuzzy upstairs, but I'll be fine."
He walked over to Bart, crossing his arms and looking down at him.
"He should awaken soon. We'll need to get you both full medical scans."
"No." Wally said, turning to Brannock. "We're fine."
"Stubborn to the end. I'm holding a briefing once we touch down. Rest up." With that, Brannock left the compartment, The Shade following.
Wally suppressed a sigh of relief and took stock of the situation. From the window, he could see desert and scrubland passing quickly underneath. That he hadn't gotten any kind of lecture or anything more out of Brannock was... interesting.
'J'onn, you still with me?'
'Yes, Wally.'
He sent all the information he could to the Martian, then sat in a plush chair bolted to the steel floor, waiting for Bart to wake up.
* * *
Wally never knew it was possible for someone to talk so much, yet not say a single thing.
Eobard wasn't like him in one very fundamental way; he didn't fidget or zip around, he walked and talked and acted as if he didn't have speed at all. At least, not until he needed it. So, sitting in the meeting room, surrounded by villains and listening to their fearless leader prattle on, Wally was going slowly insane.
Bart didn't have the same problem; Thaddeus was almost as antsy and high-strung as he was. Just quieter. So Bart was vibrating with unspent energy next to him, and had barely said a word since they got off the plane and found themselves in an underground complex in Arizona. He'd let the kid run recon while Wally'd walked to a big meeting hall with The Shade and Brannock, catching snippets of innocuous conversation.
The good news? They hadn't been made. The bad news? J'onn's telepathic link went out the second they landed.
Not entirely unanticipated... but still, not good. Wally was too busy playing badguy to really think much about it.
"And now, let me get to our task at hand." Brannock said dramatically, prompting Wally to look over and begin listening again. "As you all know, our purpose here is a greater one, thusly, I trust you all to fulfill your duties... at least as long as I'm dishing out a paycheck for some of you." He said with a measure of disdain. "Within the next day, our biggest roadblock will be... demolished. As long as I'm not beleaguered by incompetence once again, we will be ready for our final move tomorrow night."
Wally's mouth went dry and he desperately longed for the telepathic link, but kept his composure.
"The Oracle has already prepared enough of our technology to take out the entire League in one blow. Without the Batman's knack for disruption, there should be little in our way. Humanite, you'll be leading an offensive on the League Watchtower, along with Star Sapphire, Sinestro, Shade, and Zoom. Normally, I'd go for a more stealthy approach, but my intelligence tells me that they've recently upgraded their security, so we must be direct." Brannock shifted his attention to Wally, who had to stop himself from shifting uncomfortably. "You'll be taking the boy with you."
Brannock looked around the room again, idly playing with a pen in his fingers.
"Key will remain with Oracle, I will be personally leading the rest of you in a ground assault on the Metro Tower. If we can direct their attention away from the Watchtower proper, it should be an easy matter to enter and leave our little present before we are discovered. Are there any questions?"
'Yeah,' Wally thought, 'who the heck is this Oracle?'
* * *
Bruce finished up his work in the control room, and with no further excuses to stay aboard the Watchtower, turned to J'onn.
"I'm returning to Gotham. Keep me updated of any changes."
"I..." J'onn suddenly frowned and grasped his forehead.
"What? What is it?" Bruce said, stepping forward and looked earnestly at the Martian.
"I've just lost contact with Wally. Could be merely a telepathic shield, we'd anticipated the possibility." J'onn relaxed and put a hand on Bruce's shoulder. "Go back to Gotham. There's nothing more we can do right now."
Bruce nodded, calculating the time it would take to fly from New Jersey to Arizona quickly, but resigning himself to his duties. 'He's a professional. Wally knows what he's doing.'
He walked to the gym, where the computer had informed him Diana was sparring with Hawkgirl.
Bruce stood on the sidelines and watched them exchange blows, both a bit out of breath as they clashed with the reverberating sounds of escrima. He took mental notes on their form and the improvements he saw in Diana's technique since they'd last sparred.
It was several minutes before they began to cool down, and finally decided to call it a day. There was still tension between the two, that much was obvious during their combat, but they both nodded to each other and civilly went their way.
Diana walked over to him after putting the escrima away, wiping sweat off her brow.
"Batman? Do you need something?"
"Are you free this evening? There's a matter I'd like to discuss with you at the manor."
"No plans. What should I wear?" She said with a broad smile.
"Something less conspicuous." He said with a smirk, gesturing at her uniform with his head.
She laughed and put a hand on her hip.
"I think I can come up with something."
"Good. One hour."
* * *
'Well this is fun.' Wally followed Bart to where he'd found their quarters, complete with tags on the door. He sat down at the spartan steel desk and pulled out a pad of paper, scribbling "Zee yu kun fidt e wai auf dee kampaaund. Geev masaag to ozers." Wally couldn't get the characters of Interlac, but it was close enough to English that he could fake the phonetics, and trusted Bart could read enough of it to get the gist. Just in case someone was listening or keeping an eye on them.
Bart shredded the paper into confetti in the trash and nodded fervently, dashing out into the hall and out of sight.
Wally looked around the room, then considered his options. According to Bart's earlier scribbled message during the meeting, there was a secure level below this one that he hadn't been able to get into without raising suspicion. Whatever or whoever this Oracle was, it was likely to be down there.
He stepped out of the room and made for the entrance at a run, then stopped and peeked around a corner, staying just out of sight of a security camera. Sure enough, there was a reinforced door being guarded by two armoured guys with some serious firepower. It had a hand-scanner on the wall, apparently the only way to open it.
'Ok Wally, what would Bruce do in this situation?' He looked around, and thought. 'Air has to get in, right? Like a ventilation system? Or maybe I've watched too many movies... but it's worth a try, right?'
There was an air duct just above him, high up on the wall. Minding the security camera, he backed down the hall a few yards, then ran back down it and up the wall, unlatching the screen before he had a chance to slip back down, and crawled inside, latching it back behind him. 'Bats would be so proud.'
As quietly as he could, he crawled toward the door, taking a right and continuing until he took another right and came to a junction lit dimly by some red control buttons on the wall that, sure enough, went straight down. There was a rather nasty looking fan in his way, but the space between the blades looked about right. Longing for his other uniform's grapple line, he timed his jump and slipped between the blades, landing with a 'Thud!' about two yards down.
He squeezed his eyes shut and stayed perfectly still, hoping beyond hope nobody heard that.
An agonizing ten minutes later, he decided the coast was clear, and continued his exploration forward in the pitch black, until he took a left and saw light coming in through slots in another screen visible up ahead. 'I bet this costume's filthy...' He thought, suppressing a sneeze from the dust he was stirring up.
He peered through the duct and marveled at what he saw. It was a control center that would rival Batman's, with consoles and computers all over the place. In the center was a huge alien-looking computer thing that had a big screen on the front with a green face that had closed eyes. But not a technician or bad guy in sight.
Wally pushed open the vent and looked around again, but everything was still quiet, so he wriggled out and dropped to the floor in a crouch, landing silently this time. 'Ok, this is good so far.'
He looked around at everything, taking mental notes, but not daring to actually try and use any of the consoles; he was a scientist, a mechanic, and a superhero, but not a hacker, and knowing his luck the first thing he touched would set off an alarm.
"This is a restricted area, you should not be here." A metallic female voice said behind him, and he whirled around.
The green face on the big computer was looking at him expectantly.
"Uh, yeah, I'm just checking on something. I'm on my way out..."
"Through the ventilation system. Your logic fails."
"So I've been told." Wally frowned curiously at the console, who didn't appear to be ratting him out just yet. "What are you?"
"I am called Oracle."
"So that's you. Nice, great. I'm just going to go now..."
"I am afraid I cannot let you do that. My current commands include reporting of all unauthorized incursions into this facility."
"Couldn't just let this one slide?"
"Security has already been alerted."
Wally ran to the wall next to the door and flattened against it, waiting for said security.
"You know, we could really have a nice rapport goin' if you wouldn't have done that."
"I apologize."
"Yeah, I bet you're all torn up inside."
The door slid open, and Wally quickly disarmed the guards and knocked them out with sound cracks to their skulls.
"It is very unlikely that you will escape from the compound."
"Thanks for the support, Miss Computer-Face, but most of my life's been pretty unlikely."
"Your reckless actions will only lead to harm against your person."
"Now you're starting to sound like my boyfriend."
Wally took off through the open door, nabbing one of the guard's ID passes as he dragged them into a corner, but found the outside exit to the main compound locked tight.
"Damn."
He braced himself against the floor and began vibrating his hands as fast as he could, until the door began warping and finally exploded away with incredible force, leaving destruction for several yards in each direction.
"I hate doing that." He said, rubbing his sore hands and making a dash for the main exit, where he hoped to bump into Bart; luckily, he'd heard the noise and came running... followed by half the metas on the compound. "Get to Batman, now!"
Bart hesitated, but nodded and took off the way he'd come, Wally right behind him.
The hesitation cost them. The main entrance was sealed shut with several layers of reinforced doors that they only just missed being able to slip through. Now, surrounded by guards, he wouldn't be able to pull his wave of destruction trick again without killing someone.
"Impulse, go!" Bart stopped, looking at him with big worried eyes. "I said get out of here! Vibrate through the walls, go, now!"
"But..."
They were talking in relative time, everyone around them moving slowly, and projectiles coming in like they were suspended in mid-air. Wally took the moment to kneel down and grab Bart by the shoulders.
"I'll be ok, I promise. But you have to get out of here."
Bart grabbed him in a quick hug, then flew out through the doors in a blur as he vibrated free and was gone.
Wally turned around, faced with the brunt of Brannock's forces, brushed off his uniform, and readied himself for a good fight.
* * *
Bruce got back to the manor, changed into black slacks and a gray button-down shirt... after much deliberation... then asked Alfred to prepare a light dinner for two in the main dining room.
He was nervous again. Bruce despised the tight feeling in his stomach that accompanied the emotion, that no amount of relaxation methods would entirely relieve. 'It's a simple matter, a clarification of something I've already made clear, there's no need for being nervous. Batman, get ahold of yourself.'
She'd be flying in from New York, so he made sure to be upstairs waiting in his study, despite the distraction that work in the cave would provide. Being in the study always reminded him of Wally's welcome home, and even now, he could almost smile as he went through his mail.
It wasn't long before Alfred appeared in the doorway.
"Sir, your guest has arrived. And dinner will be ready shortly."
"Thank you, Alfred."
He stood and followed him down the stairs, where his butler went to go check on the chicken he could smell coming wafting in from the kitchen. Diana was wearing blue slacks and a red blouse that accentuated her... assets... perfectly. He swallowed, still succumbing to inevitable attraction he'd always felt for her... A human response, he reminded himself. Nothing more.
"So, what did you want to see me about?" She said with a dazzling smile.
"Let's sit on the patio until Alfred is ready." He extended his arm gallantly, which she took lightly in her hand as they walked through the manor and outside, where the late evening sun was shining as it went lower in the sky.
He tried not to think about how Wally had been incommunicado for almost a full day.
They sat down in comfortable deck chairs overlooking Alfred's pet project, a flower garden edged with a small black iron fence not a foot off the ground.
"I need things between us to be perfectly clear, Diana. You're a beautiful woman, and a trusted ally... even a friend. But there's something you need to know."
She looked at him both expectantly and with barely hidden disappointment, the conversation obviously going in a direction she would have preferred it wasn't.
"I've stated before the way things stand. It wouldn't work between us."
"So you've said. I'm not quite sure I really believe that, Bruce." She sounded a bit hurt, which made him wince internally.
"That's not all I need to tell you."
"What?"
He sighed and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"I'm... seeing someone else."
"Oh." She looked away, out over the purple and red flowers with an almost unreadable expression, a bit crestfallen. "Who?"
"Um." Bruce shifted again, crossing his legs and rubbing one hand on his knee. "Another member of the League."
"What?" She looked at him in surprise, frowning a little. "After all that, after everything..." Diana sighed. "Who?"
"Wally." He finally replied quietly.
"Flash? You're seeing the Flash? Wally?" She said unbelievably. "But... Bruce. If we're nothing alike, than surely... He's nothing like you."
"I know." He grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. "Diana..."
She looked away again, her face tense and a little angry now.
"It's not like you think it is."
"Oh? And how do you know what I'm thinking?"
"Diana..." He sighed. "We never would have worked. You know that."
"We could have tried."
"No, we couldn't have." He said resolutely. "We would have killed each other. Perhaps literally."
"And somehow you are having a... fling... with a man who irritates you constantly."
Bruce rubbed his forehead, developing a tension headache.
"Please, Diana..."
"That is what it is, isn't it?"
"No, it's not." He uncrossed his legs and leaned on his knees. "He and his nephew... live in the east wing."
"What?" She blinked unbelievably. "So... this isn't new, is it?"
"No."
"Who else knows?"
"To my knowledge, the council, with the exception of Hawkgirl. Clark and J'onn figured it out on their own, and Wally told John himself." He added, to make it seem a bit less like she'd been intentionally left in the dark. She never responded well to that. "Diana, I hope you understand."
"Pretend I don't. Explain it to me."
Bruce leaned back in his chair and looked up at the clouds.
"He... is nothing like me. You're right about that. Wally... filled a place in my life I never even realized needed it."
She nodded slowly, with resolution in her expression.
"I think I understand." She found his hand again. "I just... want you to be happy, Bruce."
He gave her a small smile.
"I am."
"Master Bruce, dinner is served." Alfred's voice said from the door; he'd been discreetly waiting for a good moment to break in, but Bruce didn't let on that he knew.
"Shall we?"
She nodded, and they went inside, sitting at the long oak table where fresh caesar salad and a hearty vegetable stew were waiting, along with a bottle of Hungarian cabernet franc.
But before they had a chance to take even a bite, Alfred rushed back in with a deep frown of concern.
"Sir, the property alarm has just gone off. I believe we have some uninvited guests of the more aggressive nature."
Bruce stood up and quickly made for the cave.
"Alfred, go into the cave and alert the League while I put on a more appropriate suit to greet them." He gave Diana a wry look, despite the worry growing in his chest. "Perhaps you should have worn the uniform, after all."
Part Thirty-Three: Spies Like Us
Superman and Batman transported up to the Watchtower with their package in hand: Professor Zoom and Inertia, still unconscious. The containment unit was set up for two, complete with some of J'onn's telepathic shielding technology... and a box full of candy bars.
Bruce didn't ask where they came from, but he had his suspicions.
They engaged the security systems and stood watching over the sleeping forms a moment in silence, the low hum of the Watchtower the only noise.
Bruce glanced to his left briefly, and noticed Clark was looking at him sideways, with an expression of uncertainty. Uncertainty that came strangely easily to someone wielding the power Superman did. Bruce sighed and walked out into the hallway; Clark followed him. 'At least he's not hovering.' He thought as he turned a corner and stepped into one of the elevators.
"Level Six." He said tersely, and they began moving up with a loud humming. "What is it, Clark?"
There was no response as the door slid open, and he strode forward towards the cafeteria. He grabbed a glass of water and sat in the furthest corner of the room, back to the wall. Normally, he wouldn't bother, but something told him not appeasing Clark's obvious desire to talk would only lead to trouble and irritation down the line.
Clark sat down not across from him, but at an angle obviously designed to avoid any sort of eye contact, and surveyed the room; quiet, only a few costumed heroes having muted conversations and keeping to themselves.
"Why him, Bruce? With all this supposed contempt you hold for metahumans... why him?"
Bruce considered what sort of reply he should give, if any. He was tempted to leave it at 'none of your goddamn business', but Clark was never one to leave his questions unanswered. Usually, a favourable trait. But not always.
"What's this about, Clark?"
"I thought the question was pretty clear."
"Don't act like you don't understand what I'm asking you." Bruce replied tersely.
"Alright, fine. You rant on about 'damned aliens', 'dangerously powerful children' and 'reckless, undisciplined amateurs' and then you do this? Start bedding the most reckless and undisciplined member of the League?"
"He's been in the League as long as you have, and I might point out, has repeatedly proved his value as a member in the face of being seriously underestimated on countless occasions."
"I'm not asking you about your opinion on his skill as a fighter." Clark was looking at him now, looking wholly exasperated.
Bruce didn't respond right away. He didn't expect Clark to understand; there was some about being human that, despite his upbringing, Bruce suspected he never would. Startled at his own train of thought, he took a sip of water and attempted to maintain his composure and find some explanation that would appease the Kryptonian enough to get him out of his hair.
"Why haven't you told Lois about your dual identity?" He finally asked.
Clark looked visibly unsettled, and shifted in his chair.
"That's really not..."
"You don't have a reason, do you?" Bruce said cooly. "I'll give you one. Whichever face you would like to tell yourself is 'real', they are both a lie. That's the real secret you keep."
"As if you have any right..!"
"I'm the first to admit it. You're not listening."
"So that's what this is about? The master of deception wants some honesty in his life for once?" Clark looked almost baffled, ironically so; in his experience, brutal honesty was one of Lois Lane's few, but dominant, appealing character traits. It made her an excellent reporter and an infuriating girlfriend.
Bruce didn't mention Wally's legs being a work of art putting any great master to shame. But he wanted to, knowing exactly how it would ruffle Clark's feathers. He'd looked away again, hiding the expression on his face.
"I... I'm sorry. It's really none of my business."
"Hn."
Clark shot him a look somewhere between irritation and resignation, then got up and walked out. 'Well, that went well.' Bruce finished his drink and went up to find J'onn on the bridge.
He had another conversation along similar lines to get out of the way, but it would have to wait.
* * *
'Did we make it..?' Wally thought hazily, before opening his eyes and looking up at the face of The Shade, leaning over him curiously.
"It is unusual indeed, for a foe to leave his adversary behind once subduing him." He tapped his cane against his shoulder and straightened. "What happened?"
Wally looked around what appeared to be some sort of aircraft; Bart was still asleep on a bed nearby, and the compartment was nearly barren, save for metal cabinets, chairs, and a few bolted-down cot beds.
"Not sure." Wally sat up, despite protest from his aching head, keeping the presence of mind to use the vocal inflection he'd been practicing. "We went down and Flash looked... distracted by something. Took off."
"Lucky we got to you before the Justice League." Said a new, but familiar voice. Maxwell Brannock himself stepped out of a shadow and forward, cocking his head to one side. "Are you quite alright?"
"Oh yeah. Quite." He rubbed his head. "Little fuzzy upstairs, but I'll be fine."
He walked over to Bart, crossing his arms and looking down at him.
"He should awaken soon. We'll need to get you both full medical scans."
"No." Wally said, turning to Brannock. "We're fine."
"Stubborn to the end. I'm holding a briefing once we touch down. Rest up." With that, Brannock left the compartment, The Shade following.
Wally suppressed a sigh of relief and took stock of the situation. From the window, he could see desert and scrubland passing quickly underneath. That he hadn't gotten any kind of lecture or anything more out of Brannock was... interesting.
'J'onn, you still with me?'
'Yes, Wally.'
He sent all the information he could to the Martian, then sat in a plush chair bolted to the steel floor, waiting for Bart to wake up.
* * *
Wally never knew it was possible for someone to talk so much, yet not say a single thing.
Eobard wasn't like him in one very fundamental way; he didn't fidget or zip around, he walked and talked and acted as if he didn't have speed at all. At least, not until he needed it. So, sitting in the meeting room, surrounded by villains and listening to their fearless leader prattle on, Wally was going slowly insane.
Bart didn't have the same problem; Thaddeus was almost as antsy and high-strung as he was. Just quieter. So Bart was vibrating with unspent energy next to him, and had barely said a word since they got off the plane and found themselves in an underground complex in Arizona. He'd let the kid run recon while Wally'd walked to a big meeting hall with The Shade and Brannock, catching snippets of innocuous conversation.
The good news? They hadn't been made. The bad news? J'onn's telepathic link went out the second they landed.
Not entirely unanticipated... but still, not good. Wally was too busy playing badguy to really think much about it.
"And now, let me get to our task at hand." Brannock said dramatically, prompting Wally to look over and begin listening again. "As you all know, our purpose here is a greater one, thusly, I trust you all to fulfill your duties... at least as long as I'm dishing out a paycheck for some of you." He said with a measure of disdain. "Within the next day, our biggest roadblock will be... demolished. As long as I'm not beleaguered by incompetence once again, we will be ready for our final move tomorrow night."
Wally's mouth went dry and he desperately longed for the telepathic link, but kept his composure.
"The Oracle has already prepared enough of our technology to take out the entire League in one blow. Without the Batman's knack for disruption, there should be little in our way. Humanite, you'll be leading an offensive on the League Watchtower, along with Star Sapphire, Sinestro, Shade, and Zoom. Normally, I'd go for a more stealthy approach, but my intelligence tells me that they've recently upgraded their security, so we must be direct." Brannock shifted his attention to Wally, who had to stop himself from shifting uncomfortably. "You'll be taking the boy with you."
Brannock looked around the room again, idly playing with a pen in his fingers.
"Key will remain with Oracle, I will be personally leading the rest of you in a ground assault on the Metro Tower. If we can direct their attention away from the Watchtower proper, it should be an easy matter to enter and leave our little present before we are discovered. Are there any questions?"
'Yeah,' Wally thought, 'who the heck is this Oracle?'
* * *
Bruce finished up his work in the control room, and with no further excuses to stay aboard the Watchtower, turned to J'onn.
"I'm returning to Gotham. Keep me updated of any changes."
"I..." J'onn suddenly frowned and grasped his forehead.
"What? What is it?" Bruce said, stepping forward and looked earnestly at the Martian.
"I've just lost contact with Wally. Could be merely a telepathic shield, we'd anticipated the possibility." J'onn relaxed and put a hand on Bruce's shoulder. "Go back to Gotham. There's nothing more we can do right now."
Bruce nodded, calculating the time it would take to fly from New Jersey to Arizona quickly, but resigning himself to his duties. 'He's a professional. Wally knows what he's doing.'
He walked to the gym, where the computer had informed him Diana was sparring with Hawkgirl.
Bruce stood on the sidelines and watched them exchange blows, both a bit out of breath as they clashed with the reverberating sounds of escrima. He took mental notes on their form and the improvements he saw in Diana's technique since they'd last sparred.
It was several minutes before they began to cool down, and finally decided to call it a day. There was still tension between the two, that much was obvious during their combat, but they both nodded to each other and civilly went their way.
Diana walked over to him after putting the escrima away, wiping sweat off her brow.
"Batman? Do you need something?"
"Are you free this evening? There's a matter I'd like to discuss with you at the manor."
"No plans. What should I wear?" She said with a broad smile.
"Something less conspicuous." He said with a smirk, gesturing at her uniform with his head.
She laughed and put a hand on her hip.
"I think I can come up with something."
"Good. One hour."
* * *
'Well this is fun.' Wally followed Bart to where he'd found their quarters, complete with tags on the door. He sat down at the spartan steel desk and pulled out a pad of paper, scribbling "Zee yu kun fidt e wai auf dee kampaaund. Geev masaag to ozers." Wally couldn't get the characters of Interlac, but it was close enough to English that he could fake the phonetics, and trusted Bart could read enough of it to get the gist. Just in case someone was listening or keeping an eye on them.
Bart shredded the paper into confetti in the trash and nodded fervently, dashing out into the hall and out of sight.
Wally looked around the room, then considered his options. According to Bart's earlier scribbled message during the meeting, there was a secure level below this one that he hadn't been able to get into without raising suspicion. Whatever or whoever this Oracle was, it was likely to be down there.
He stepped out of the room and made for the entrance at a run, then stopped and peeked around a corner, staying just out of sight of a security camera. Sure enough, there was a reinforced door being guarded by two armoured guys with some serious firepower. It had a hand-scanner on the wall, apparently the only way to open it.
'Ok Wally, what would Bruce do in this situation?' He looked around, and thought. 'Air has to get in, right? Like a ventilation system? Or maybe I've watched too many movies... but it's worth a try, right?'
There was an air duct just above him, high up on the wall. Minding the security camera, he backed down the hall a few yards, then ran back down it and up the wall, unlatching the screen before he had a chance to slip back down, and crawled inside, latching it back behind him. 'Bats would be so proud.'
As quietly as he could, he crawled toward the door, taking a right and continuing until he took another right and came to a junction lit dimly by some red control buttons on the wall that, sure enough, went straight down. There was a rather nasty looking fan in his way, but the space between the blades looked about right. Longing for his other uniform's grapple line, he timed his jump and slipped between the blades, landing with a 'Thud!' about two yards down.
He squeezed his eyes shut and stayed perfectly still, hoping beyond hope nobody heard that.
An agonizing ten minutes later, he decided the coast was clear, and continued his exploration forward in the pitch black, until he took a left and saw light coming in through slots in another screen visible up ahead. 'I bet this costume's filthy...' He thought, suppressing a sneeze from the dust he was stirring up.
He peered through the duct and marveled at what he saw. It was a control center that would rival Batman's, with consoles and computers all over the place. In the center was a huge alien-looking computer thing that had a big screen on the front with a green face that had closed eyes. But not a technician or bad guy in sight.
Wally pushed open the vent and looked around again, but everything was still quiet, so he wriggled out and dropped to the floor in a crouch, landing silently this time. 'Ok, this is good so far.'
He looked around at everything, taking mental notes, but not daring to actually try and use any of the consoles; he was a scientist, a mechanic, and a superhero, but not a hacker, and knowing his luck the first thing he touched would set off an alarm.
"This is a restricted area, you should not be here." A metallic female voice said behind him, and he whirled around.
The green face on the big computer was looking at him expectantly.
"Uh, yeah, I'm just checking on something. I'm on my way out..."
"Through the ventilation system. Your logic fails."
"So I've been told." Wally frowned curiously at the console, who didn't appear to be ratting him out just yet. "What are you?"
"I am called Oracle."
"So that's you. Nice, great. I'm just going to go now..."
"I am afraid I cannot let you do that. My current commands include reporting of all unauthorized incursions into this facility."
"Couldn't just let this one slide?"
"Security has already been alerted."
Wally ran to the wall next to the door and flattened against it, waiting for said security.
"You know, we could really have a nice rapport goin' if you wouldn't have done that."
"I apologize."
"Yeah, I bet you're all torn up inside."
The door slid open, and Wally quickly disarmed the guards and knocked them out with sound cracks to their skulls.
"It is very unlikely that you will escape from the compound."
"Thanks for the support, Miss Computer-Face, but most of my life's been pretty unlikely."
"Your reckless actions will only lead to harm against your person."
"Now you're starting to sound like my boyfriend."
Wally took off through the open door, nabbing one of the guard's ID passes as he dragged them into a corner, but found the outside exit to the main compound locked tight.
"Damn."
He braced himself against the floor and began vibrating his hands as fast as he could, until the door began warping and finally exploded away with incredible force, leaving destruction for several yards in each direction.
"I hate doing that." He said, rubbing his sore hands and making a dash for the main exit, where he hoped to bump into Bart; luckily, he'd heard the noise and came running... followed by half the metas on the compound. "Get to Batman, now!"
Bart hesitated, but nodded and took off the way he'd come, Wally right behind him.
The hesitation cost them. The main entrance was sealed shut with several layers of reinforced doors that they only just missed being able to slip through. Now, surrounded by guards, he wouldn't be able to pull his wave of destruction trick again without killing someone.
"Impulse, go!" Bart stopped, looking at him with big worried eyes. "I said get out of here! Vibrate through the walls, go, now!"
"But..."
They were talking in relative time, everyone around them moving slowly, and projectiles coming in like they were suspended in mid-air. Wally took the moment to kneel down and grab Bart by the shoulders.
"I'll be ok, I promise. But you have to get out of here."
Bart grabbed him in a quick hug, then flew out through the doors in a blur as he vibrated free and was gone.
Wally turned around, faced with the brunt of Brannock's forces, brushed off his uniform, and readied himself for a good fight.
* * *
Bruce got back to the manor, changed into black slacks and a gray button-down shirt... after much deliberation... then asked Alfred to prepare a light dinner for two in the main dining room.
He was nervous again. Bruce despised the tight feeling in his stomach that accompanied the emotion, that no amount of relaxation methods would entirely relieve. 'It's a simple matter, a clarification of something I've already made clear, there's no need for being nervous. Batman, get ahold of yourself.'
She'd be flying in from New York, so he made sure to be upstairs waiting in his study, despite the distraction that work in the cave would provide. Being in the study always reminded him of Wally's welcome home, and even now, he could almost smile as he went through his mail.
It wasn't long before Alfred appeared in the doorway.
"Sir, your guest has arrived. And dinner will be ready shortly."
"Thank you, Alfred."
He stood and followed him down the stairs, where his butler went to go check on the chicken he could smell coming wafting in from the kitchen. Diana was wearing blue slacks and a red blouse that accentuated her... assets... perfectly. He swallowed, still succumbing to inevitable attraction he'd always felt for her... A human response, he reminded himself. Nothing more.
"So, what did you want to see me about?" She said with a dazzling smile.
"Let's sit on the patio until Alfred is ready." He extended his arm gallantly, which she took lightly in her hand as they walked through the manor and outside, where the late evening sun was shining as it went lower in the sky.
He tried not to think about how Wally had been incommunicado for almost a full day.
They sat down in comfortable deck chairs overlooking Alfred's pet project, a flower garden edged with a small black iron fence not a foot off the ground.
"I need things between us to be perfectly clear, Diana. You're a beautiful woman, and a trusted ally... even a friend. But there's something you need to know."
She looked at him both expectantly and with barely hidden disappointment, the conversation obviously going in a direction she would have preferred it wasn't.
"I've stated before the way things stand. It wouldn't work between us."
"So you've said. I'm not quite sure I really believe that, Bruce." She sounded a bit hurt, which made him wince internally.
"That's not all I need to tell you."
"What?"
He sighed and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"I'm... seeing someone else."
"Oh." She looked away, out over the purple and red flowers with an almost unreadable expression, a bit crestfallen. "Who?"
"Um." Bruce shifted again, crossing his legs and rubbing one hand on his knee. "Another member of the League."
"What?" She looked at him in surprise, frowning a little. "After all that, after everything..." Diana sighed. "Who?"
"Wally." He finally replied quietly.
"Flash? You're seeing the Flash? Wally?" She said unbelievably. "But... Bruce. If we're nothing alike, than surely... He's nothing like you."
"I know." He grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. "Diana..."
She looked away again, her face tense and a little angry now.
"It's not like you think it is."
"Oh? And how do you know what I'm thinking?"
"Diana..." He sighed. "We never would have worked. You know that."
"We could have tried."
"No, we couldn't have." He said resolutely. "We would have killed each other. Perhaps literally."
"And somehow you are having a... fling... with a man who irritates you constantly."
Bruce rubbed his forehead, developing a tension headache.
"Please, Diana..."
"That is what it is, isn't it?"
"No, it's not." He uncrossed his legs and leaned on his knees. "He and his nephew... live in the east wing."
"What?" She blinked unbelievably. "So... this isn't new, is it?"
"No."
"Who else knows?"
"To my knowledge, the council, with the exception of Hawkgirl. Clark and J'onn figured it out on their own, and Wally told John himself." He added, to make it seem a bit less like she'd been intentionally left in the dark. She never responded well to that. "Diana, I hope you understand."
"Pretend I don't. Explain it to me."
Bruce leaned back in his chair and looked up at the clouds.
"He... is nothing like me. You're right about that. Wally... filled a place in my life I never even realized needed it."
She nodded slowly, with resolution in her expression.
"I think I understand." She found his hand again. "I just... want you to be happy, Bruce."
He gave her a small smile.
"I am."
"Master Bruce, dinner is served." Alfred's voice said from the door; he'd been discreetly waiting for a good moment to break in, but Bruce didn't let on that he knew.
"Shall we?"
She nodded, and they went inside, sitting at the long oak table where fresh caesar salad and a hearty vegetable stew were waiting, along with a bottle of Hungarian cabernet franc.
But before they had a chance to take even a bite, Alfred rushed back in with a deep frown of concern.
"Sir, the property alarm has just gone off. I believe we have some uninvited guests of the more aggressive nature."
Bruce stood up and quickly made for the cave.
"Alfred, go into the cave and alert the League while I put on a more appropriate suit to greet them." He gave Diana a wry look, despite the worry growing in his chest. "Perhaps you should have worn the uniform, after all."
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on 2006-06-06 02:25 am (UTC)Poor Diana.
Buttwipe Supes got slapped with what he needed. (I'm no huge fan of the 'toon Supes)
OMG! Oracle! YAY!
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on 2006-06-06 02:32 am (UTC)Yeah. Oracle. ::grin:: I so wanted to write her in... but I also wanted to keep to canon... so I decided to go for the third option, hehe.
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on 2006-06-06 02:29 am (UTC)no subject
on 2006-06-06 02:33 am (UTC)No, that doesn't make you a bad person, hehe
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on 2006-06-06 05:05 am (UTC)WAAAAALLLLLYYYY!!!! :(
I kinda feel sad for Diana. In the Toonverse, I can totally see them getting together. Bruce is the only one of them that is her equal.
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on 2006-06-06 05:20 am (UTC)::pets Wally:: I'm so sorry I'm doing all this to you, honey...
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on 2006-06-06 05:59 am (UTC)I need a t-shirt like that.
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on 2006-06-06 06:05 am (UTC)no subject
on 2006-06-07 10:40 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-06-10 07:29 pm (UTC)I'm all curious about Oracle - Babs under mind control? Or just a program referencing the character...
And thank god Bruce finally told that poor girl. She took it rather well, I think.
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on 2006-06-10 07:40 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-06-10 07:47 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-06-12 06:51 pm (UTC)Another clip that just made me smile, chuckle, and lick my lips at the same time. Oh you're good...
TROUBLE FOR WALLY! YES! I'm mean...NO! Bad things SHOULDN'T happen to Wally... *shifts eyes*
...I'll just go read the next chapter now...
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on 2006-06-16 03:04 pm (UTC)This is such a fantastic fanfic. <3
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on 2006-06-26 08:42 am (UTC)"You know, we could really have a nice rapport goin' if you wouldn't have done that."
"I apologize."
"Yeah, I bet you're all torn up inside."
The door slid open, and Wally quickly disarmed the guards and knocked them out with sound cracks to their skulls.
"It is very unlikely that you will escape from the compound."
"Thanks for the support, Miss Computer-Face, but most of my life's been pretty unlikely."
"Your reckless actions will only lead to harm against your person."
"Now you're starting to sound like my boyfriend."
Hysterical conversation! And you know, I never thought this was Babs, because the dialogue is nicely written to sound like an AI, not like Barbara. But it's funny that "Oracle" would sound like Batman. :)
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on 2006-06-26 04:37 pm (UTC)She'll be even more fun once she gets her personality back.
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on 2006-06-27 02:39 am (UTC)I was just surprised how many people in the comments thought she was, because I thought her voice was well-written to be clearly not-Barbara.
I'm looking forward to seeing more of her too, now that I know she'll be around! It's a nice homage to the comics. And done without shooting a great character in the back.
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on 2006-06-27 02:43 am (UTC)oYKGgRgmXWytJCp
on 2007-06-11 08:55 am (UTC)sBNLtxfr
on 2007-06-21 09:31 am (UTC)no subject
on 2008-09-25 10:17 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2008-09-26 11:58 am (UTC)I sometimes go overboard on the angst, but I just couldn't see Diana being too broken up over a man; even one she was really into.