![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mithenTitle: Chapter Seven: In The Heart of Cheyenne Mountain
Pairing/Characters: Kal/Bruce
Notes: "The House of the Earth" is an AU in which a few thousand Kryptonians escaped the destruction of Krypton to flee to Earth and conquer its people.
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2600
Summary: Kal and Bruce make their way to the final destination in their trip.
They drove west, the rising sun at their backs. The landscape flattened out, the gently rolling hills giving way to prairie that stretched out in all directions, impossibly vast. Long lines of clouds marched across the land, blown before the winds that swept the plains, and then scoured them down to scrub and wasteland as they went further west. There were no plantations here, nothing but ghost towns scrubbed clean by wind and time, and Bruce pushed the truck until its crystal-fuelled engine hummed.
The long, straight road sloped upward, almost too gradually to sense, but Kal could feel the air growing cooler and thinner. They sped through barren country, gray and endless, and Kal was heartily sick of the unending vista when on the horizon, far in front of them, he saw the first wrinkled ridge of mountains appear.
"There's our destination," Bruce said.
"That's where we're going? Over the mountains?"
Bruce grinned briefly. "Not exactly."
The mountains grew larger, but with infinite slowness; the distance between them was deceiving. But eventually the monotonous landscape started to give way to foothills as the mountains loomed ever closer. This was an aspect of Earth Kal had never encountered--majestic mountains rising slowly from evergreen-covered slopes to massive white-capped towers of stone. It made him feel small and awed and strangely grateful.
There was a dusting of snow on the ground and the air was thin when Bruce pulled the truck over into a dense copse of trees. "We walk from here on," he said.
As they hiked, Kal was silent in the face of the giants reaching into the sky, beautiful and aloof. Bruce seemed to be finding signs and markers in the landscape that Kal couldn't spot; he led them further into the mountains, across scree-covered slopes and rocky outcroppings. It was growing dark when they came to a door set into the mountainside: it was a thick steel door, wrenched from its hinges and bent by some inhuman strength.
Bruce picked up a broken branch from a pine tree and handed it to Kal, then slipped through the door into gloom beyond. As Kal followed, a soft glow came from Bruce's hands; one of his silver spheres emitting an eerie blue-green light. "Use the branch to get rid of our footsteps," Bruce said, and Kal looked down to realize there was a thick layer of ash and dust under their feet. As they moved along, Kal obliterated their trail with the branch and with some judicious puffs of breath.
It was a tunnel they were in, wide enough for a vehicle, but filled with debris and rubble now. Bruce picked his way along the tunnel, winding downward, downward, as the dust became thicker on every surface. It was cold; their breath hung in the still air, clouds of mist in the silence.
After a long descent into the heart of the mountain, the tunnel passed through another set of massive, broken steel doors and into a vast room. The light in Bruce's hand flickered off massive screens lining the walls--dead and broken, nothing on them but darkness. As Kal's gaze fell to the desks and tables filling the room, he realized with a shock that the place was full of bodies. Mummified skin clung to skeletons slumped within military outfits; bodies left to lie, sprawled in defeat, skulls and backbones shattered.
His horrified intake of breath made Bruce turn to look at him; Bruce's reassuring smile was made ghastly by the dim aqua light and the grisly surroundings. "Shouldn't we...shouldn't we do something for them?" Kal's question hung in the frigid silence. "They shouldn't just be left here."
Bruce shook his head, picking his way through the debris. "We have to leave them. They died to make our defeat convincing, we've never been free to give them the burial they deserve." He paused, looking around the room. "This is all the memorial they can receive. That and our respects. For now."
They both stood a moment in silence, gazing at the remains of a vast slaughter. Then Bruce moved silently on.
More rooms, more tunnels, more debris, more corpses. Eventually Bruce turned down a small passageway, then stopped to pry open a metal trapdoor in the floor. "Lead," he noted.
The trapdoor lifted to reveal a ladder, going down, disappearing into darkness. Bruce grasped the rungs and they descended deeper, deeper into the heart of Cheyenne Mountain.
The ladder went on for what seemed like an eternity, until it felt like they were descending into the underworld itself. It had to be tiring for Bruce; Kal listened anxiously for the sound of his grip giving way, wondering if he could catch him...but Bruce's hands stayed sure and steady. Down. And further down.
After a long time Kal started to hear faint noises, muffled, and the tunnel started to grow almost imperceptably lighter. And then the ladder came to a sudden stop and Kal found himself back on solid rock, his hands cramped from holding on the rungs. Bruce was breathing on his own hands, rubbing them. He walked forward and tapped an inobtrusive panel on the wall; a blue beam shot out and played over his eye. Down the corridor a door creaked open and light leaked out.
"Welcome to the heart of the resistance, Kal," Bruce said.
They were met at the door by a man wearing a leather jacket with large block letters on the arms spelling out "Fair Play." Behind him, in a vast room, hundreds of humans moved about, working on paper, arguing in groups. "Bruce," the man at the door said said, and clapped him on the back. "I see you've brought my t-spheres back to me safe and sound." He lifted the glowing orb from Bruce's hand. "Did they work?"
"Like a charm," said Bruce. He gestured to Kal. "Michael, this is Kal-El."
The man held out a hand for Kal to shake, seeming unfazed by the Kryptonian name. "I've heard about you," he said simply. "It's nice to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine," Kal said.
"Kal, this is Michael Holt, one of our finest scientists."
Michael smiled broadly as he released Kal's hand. "I see he's learned how to flatter while he's been away." He eyed Bruce's face narowly--the injured lip and jaw turning greenish-purple with bruises. "You look like hell, Bruce."
"I see you haven't learned how to flatter at all," Bruce shot back, and Michael laughed.
"I call them like I see them. You should let Pieter take a look at that when you have time."
"Sure, when I have the time," Bruce said easily, and Michael grimaced.
"I know you. You never have the time."
"Guilty as charged," Bruce said, walking past him into the room. When people saw him they nodded politely, a few sketching a quick gesture that looked like a salute. Some cast Kal cautious looks, others ignored him entirely.
An older man with fierce eyes walked up to Bruce. "Good timing, Wayne. We've got a meeting this evening. You'll be pleased to hear about the progress we've made."
Bruce nodded. "Carter Hall, this is Kal-El."
Hall nodded curtly, then pivoted and walked over to another group.
"Do they all know who--what--I am?" Kal asked a little uncomfortably as they made their way through the crowd.
"Most. The ones who don't will by this evening." Bruce gave him a keen look. "Don't let it bother you."
Kal felt the pressure of dozens of pairs of eyes on him, felt his back stiffening as Bruce led him toward another corridor. He glanced over at Bruce's bruised face. So far the most "heroic" thing he'd done for the Earth was to strike down his friend.
He was going to have to do better than that.
"Bruce!" A diminutive blonde woman was running across the room; she threw herself into Bruce's arms and he lifted her and spun her around.
"I met that new man of yours on the road," said Bruce. "He said to tell you he'd be on his way back here in a month or so."
She beamed. "I'm sure you got along great with him."
Bruce rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, we're kindred souls." The woman--she must be the "Dinah" whose papers Oliver had--shot him a wry glance. "Who's your handsome friend?" she asked.
"This is Kal-El," said Bruce, and Dinah froze.
"It's a pleasure," said Kal, holding out a hand. Dinah looked at it. After a long moment, she took it, her eyes cold.
"If you vouch for him, Bruce," she said. "But I don't have to like it." She nodded politely, then left.
"I'm sorry," said Bruce as they continued down a wide corridor. "She's lost a lot."
"No need to apologize," said Kal. "I can't expect everyone to like me."
"No, I suppose you can't," said Bruce. "But I know it still bothers you." He moved down the corridor and Kal followed, biting his lip.
Bruce finally opened a door and ushered him into a tiny, cell-like room, bare of anything but a cot. "This will be your room while you're here. I'll be across the way. We'll probably only be here one night."
"Bruce," said Kal. "Why have you brought me here? Why didn't you just tell me about it? Why the long trip?"
Bruce paused in the doorway. "I wanted you to see it."
"Here?"
"Here, this facility, yes. But Smallville too. And all the places in between. I wanted to see how you acted when you were away from Kryptonians, when you could interact with humans as people."
"This was a test. You might not have brought me here."
Bruce grimaced. "If you had seemed...squeamish around humans, if I had felt you were holding back part of yourself, feeling secretly superior to us..." He paused, looking down. "I didn't think you would, but I needed to see it for myself. How much I could trust you." He looked back at Kal. "I'm sorry."
Kal put his backpack down on the cot. "I'm glad to be here."
Bruce looked at him for a long moment. "I'm glad you're here."
: : :
Kal took his place in the assembly, sitting between two strangers. Bruce was on the stage in front of the crowd, talking about the meeting in Metropolis with Luthor. "Signs indicate that he's achieved a critical mass of Kryptonite and is prepared to deploy it through the atmosphere."
"Any reason we should stop him?" called a voice in the crowd; a few people shot nervous glances at Kal as a murmur of reaction swept through the room.
Bruce was unruffled; he paced a couple of steps on the stage. "The effects on Earth's ecosystem could be disastrous. We have no way to clean the material from the atmosphere, and it could well trigger what pre-Arrival scientists called a 'nuclear winter,' a new Ice Age across the globe. In addition, we have no idea what long-term effects on the biosphere would be of that much radioactive material falling back to earth." He stopped and looked out at the crowd in the direction the voice had come. "In short, we believe the risks to be too high." He looked to the side. "Mr. Holt?"
Michael stood up and joined him on the stage. "Besides which," he said, "Our alternate plan is ready to go. It still has risks, but we judge it to be safer." He sketched a quick drawing on a chalkboard, something that looked slightly like one of his t-spheres. "The nanobot light filters are finally ready. When spread through the atmosphere, they'll filter the yellow sunlight of Earth into a frequency in the red spectrum. This plan has the advantage of being temporary--we can program the nanobots to shut off after just a few hours, saving Earth's biosphere from long-term effects. There's just one remaining problem. Fortunately, it's the same one Luthor is facing." He nodded to Carter Hall, who stood.
"Both Luthor's plan and ours lack a deployment system," said Hall. "We both need a way of getting our respective materials into the atmosphere, and spread evenly enough to affect roughly the whole Earth at once. This has been a serious challenge. However, it has recently come to our attention that the Kryptonians are holding in Metropolis the schematics and notes for the 'weather wand' used by Mark Mardon, also known as the Weather Wizard." He looked out over the crowd. "With those notes, we could put together machines that could control wind currents and air pressure and make it possible to deploy the nanobots in a relatively short time frame."
Bruce stood up again. "Our source most likely sold this information to Luthor as well, and he will be planning a way to get to those notes. If he does, you can bet that he will waste no time in poisoning the Earth's atmosphere." His lips thinned, looking over the crowd. "We must find a way to get to those plans before he does."
A brown-haired man leapt to his feet. "I can get into the vault, my ring can scan the papers--"
Bruce shook his head. "I'm sorry, Hal. We cannot risk the Green Lanterns getting actively involved yet. If the Corps intercedes and takes you out of the game, we'll lose some of our most valuable firepower." Hal looked like he was about to argue, but Bruce shook his head again. "We can't risk losing you, John and Guy all at once," he said.
A buzz of conversation broke out in the room as people debated how to get in, how to get the schematics. If we had a camera small enough... But if they even suspect what we're doing...
Kal found himself on his feet. "Send me," he said. His voice didn't seem to cut through the babble, but Bruce turned sharply to look at him, frowning. "Send me," he repeated, more loudly, and people started to fall silent around him. "I have x-ray vision, so I can see the papers without disturbing them or leaving any sign I was there. I have eidetic memory, so the recordings will be safe and undetectable in my mind. And as a free Kryptonian, I can bluff my way out if I'm caught."
Carter Hall looked at Bruce. "What do you think?"
Bruce was chewing his lower lip. "It's risky," he said.
"I'm willing," said Kal. "I want to do something to help."
After a while, Bruce nodded.
: : :
"You could have just assigned me to the job to begin with," Kal said, sitting down on the little cot in his tiny room. "I'm the obvious choice."
Bruce was leaning in the doorway. "This isn't an army. I don't assign people dangerous jobs."
"I won't let you down, Bruce."
"I'm going with you," said Bruce, and Kal felt a sudden flare of anger.
"Don't trust me to do the job right?"
For a long time Bruce simply looked at him. "It's not that at all," he said after a while.
"What is it?"
Bruce suddenly made a sharp, almost helpless gesture with his hands, clenching in front of him. "I couldn't bear it," he said. As Kal stared at him, he shrugged. "It's going to be dangerous."
"It couldn't be as dangerous as that stew you fed me on the road," Kal said, trying to lighten the mood, almost alarmed at the intensity of the emotion that had flickered across Bruce's face for a moment.
To his relief, a small smile broke the solemnity of Bruce's expression. "That's why you need me along. You have no sense of taste whatsoever."
"Obviously, if I'm continuing to hang out with you," Kal retorted, feeling rather pleased with himself.
Bruce clapped him briefly on the back. "You're improving," he said.
Pairing/Characters: Kal/Bruce
Notes: "The House of the Earth" is an AU in which a few thousand Kryptonians escaped the destruction of Krypton to flee to Earth and conquer its people.
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2600
Summary: Kal and Bruce make their way to the final destination in their trip.
They drove west, the rising sun at their backs. The landscape flattened out, the gently rolling hills giving way to prairie that stretched out in all directions, impossibly vast. Long lines of clouds marched across the land, blown before the winds that swept the plains, and then scoured them down to scrub and wasteland as they went further west. There were no plantations here, nothing but ghost towns scrubbed clean by wind and time, and Bruce pushed the truck until its crystal-fuelled engine hummed.
The long, straight road sloped upward, almost too gradually to sense, but Kal could feel the air growing cooler and thinner. They sped through barren country, gray and endless, and Kal was heartily sick of the unending vista when on the horizon, far in front of them, he saw the first wrinkled ridge of mountains appear.
"There's our destination," Bruce said.
"That's where we're going? Over the mountains?"
Bruce grinned briefly. "Not exactly."
The mountains grew larger, but with infinite slowness; the distance between them was deceiving. But eventually the monotonous landscape started to give way to foothills as the mountains loomed ever closer. This was an aspect of Earth Kal had never encountered--majestic mountains rising slowly from evergreen-covered slopes to massive white-capped towers of stone. It made him feel small and awed and strangely grateful.
There was a dusting of snow on the ground and the air was thin when Bruce pulled the truck over into a dense copse of trees. "We walk from here on," he said.
As they hiked, Kal was silent in the face of the giants reaching into the sky, beautiful and aloof. Bruce seemed to be finding signs and markers in the landscape that Kal couldn't spot; he led them further into the mountains, across scree-covered slopes and rocky outcroppings. It was growing dark when they came to a door set into the mountainside: it was a thick steel door, wrenched from its hinges and bent by some inhuman strength.
Bruce picked up a broken branch from a pine tree and handed it to Kal, then slipped through the door into gloom beyond. As Kal followed, a soft glow came from Bruce's hands; one of his silver spheres emitting an eerie blue-green light. "Use the branch to get rid of our footsteps," Bruce said, and Kal looked down to realize there was a thick layer of ash and dust under their feet. As they moved along, Kal obliterated their trail with the branch and with some judicious puffs of breath.
It was a tunnel they were in, wide enough for a vehicle, but filled with debris and rubble now. Bruce picked his way along the tunnel, winding downward, downward, as the dust became thicker on every surface. It was cold; their breath hung in the still air, clouds of mist in the silence.
After a long descent into the heart of the mountain, the tunnel passed through another set of massive, broken steel doors and into a vast room. The light in Bruce's hand flickered off massive screens lining the walls--dead and broken, nothing on them but darkness. As Kal's gaze fell to the desks and tables filling the room, he realized with a shock that the place was full of bodies. Mummified skin clung to skeletons slumped within military outfits; bodies left to lie, sprawled in defeat, skulls and backbones shattered.
His horrified intake of breath made Bruce turn to look at him; Bruce's reassuring smile was made ghastly by the dim aqua light and the grisly surroundings. "Shouldn't we...shouldn't we do something for them?" Kal's question hung in the frigid silence. "They shouldn't just be left here."
Bruce shook his head, picking his way through the debris. "We have to leave them. They died to make our defeat convincing, we've never been free to give them the burial they deserve." He paused, looking around the room. "This is all the memorial they can receive. That and our respects. For now."
They both stood a moment in silence, gazing at the remains of a vast slaughter. Then Bruce moved silently on.
More rooms, more tunnels, more debris, more corpses. Eventually Bruce turned down a small passageway, then stopped to pry open a metal trapdoor in the floor. "Lead," he noted.
The trapdoor lifted to reveal a ladder, going down, disappearing into darkness. Bruce grasped the rungs and they descended deeper, deeper into the heart of Cheyenne Mountain.
The ladder went on for what seemed like an eternity, until it felt like they were descending into the underworld itself. It had to be tiring for Bruce; Kal listened anxiously for the sound of his grip giving way, wondering if he could catch him...but Bruce's hands stayed sure and steady. Down. And further down.
After a long time Kal started to hear faint noises, muffled, and the tunnel started to grow almost imperceptably lighter. And then the ladder came to a sudden stop and Kal found himself back on solid rock, his hands cramped from holding on the rungs. Bruce was breathing on his own hands, rubbing them. He walked forward and tapped an inobtrusive panel on the wall; a blue beam shot out and played over his eye. Down the corridor a door creaked open and light leaked out.
"Welcome to the heart of the resistance, Kal," Bruce said.
They were met at the door by a man wearing a leather jacket with large block letters on the arms spelling out "Fair Play." Behind him, in a vast room, hundreds of humans moved about, working on paper, arguing in groups. "Bruce," the man at the door said said, and clapped him on the back. "I see you've brought my t-spheres back to me safe and sound." He lifted the glowing orb from Bruce's hand. "Did they work?"
"Like a charm," said Bruce. He gestured to Kal. "Michael, this is Kal-El."
The man held out a hand for Kal to shake, seeming unfazed by the Kryptonian name. "I've heard about you," he said simply. "It's nice to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine," Kal said.
"Kal, this is Michael Holt, one of our finest scientists."
Michael smiled broadly as he released Kal's hand. "I see he's learned how to flatter while he's been away." He eyed Bruce's face narowly--the injured lip and jaw turning greenish-purple with bruises. "You look like hell, Bruce."
"I see you haven't learned how to flatter at all," Bruce shot back, and Michael laughed.
"I call them like I see them. You should let Pieter take a look at that when you have time."
"Sure, when I have the time," Bruce said easily, and Michael grimaced.
"I know you. You never have the time."
"Guilty as charged," Bruce said, walking past him into the room. When people saw him they nodded politely, a few sketching a quick gesture that looked like a salute. Some cast Kal cautious looks, others ignored him entirely.
An older man with fierce eyes walked up to Bruce. "Good timing, Wayne. We've got a meeting this evening. You'll be pleased to hear about the progress we've made."
Bruce nodded. "Carter Hall, this is Kal-El."
Hall nodded curtly, then pivoted and walked over to another group.
"Do they all know who--what--I am?" Kal asked a little uncomfortably as they made their way through the crowd.
"Most. The ones who don't will by this evening." Bruce gave him a keen look. "Don't let it bother you."
Kal felt the pressure of dozens of pairs of eyes on him, felt his back stiffening as Bruce led him toward another corridor. He glanced over at Bruce's bruised face. So far the most "heroic" thing he'd done for the Earth was to strike down his friend.
He was going to have to do better than that.
"Bruce!" A diminutive blonde woman was running across the room; she threw herself into Bruce's arms and he lifted her and spun her around.
"I met that new man of yours on the road," said Bruce. "He said to tell you he'd be on his way back here in a month or so."
She beamed. "I'm sure you got along great with him."
Bruce rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, we're kindred souls." The woman--she must be the "Dinah" whose papers Oliver had--shot him a wry glance. "Who's your handsome friend?" she asked.
"This is Kal-El," said Bruce, and Dinah froze.
"It's a pleasure," said Kal, holding out a hand. Dinah looked at it. After a long moment, she took it, her eyes cold.
"If you vouch for him, Bruce," she said. "But I don't have to like it." She nodded politely, then left.
"I'm sorry," said Bruce as they continued down a wide corridor. "She's lost a lot."
"No need to apologize," said Kal. "I can't expect everyone to like me."
"No, I suppose you can't," said Bruce. "But I know it still bothers you." He moved down the corridor and Kal followed, biting his lip.
Bruce finally opened a door and ushered him into a tiny, cell-like room, bare of anything but a cot. "This will be your room while you're here. I'll be across the way. We'll probably only be here one night."
"Bruce," said Kal. "Why have you brought me here? Why didn't you just tell me about it? Why the long trip?"
Bruce paused in the doorway. "I wanted you to see it."
"Here?"
"Here, this facility, yes. But Smallville too. And all the places in between. I wanted to see how you acted when you were away from Kryptonians, when you could interact with humans as people."
"This was a test. You might not have brought me here."
Bruce grimaced. "If you had seemed...squeamish around humans, if I had felt you were holding back part of yourself, feeling secretly superior to us..." He paused, looking down. "I didn't think you would, but I needed to see it for myself. How much I could trust you." He looked back at Kal. "I'm sorry."
Kal put his backpack down on the cot. "I'm glad to be here."
Bruce looked at him for a long moment. "I'm glad you're here."
: : :
Kal took his place in the assembly, sitting between two strangers. Bruce was on the stage in front of the crowd, talking about the meeting in Metropolis with Luthor. "Signs indicate that he's achieved a critical mass of Kryptonite and is prepared to deploy it through the atmosphere."
"Any reason we should stop him?" called a voice in the crowd; a few people shot nervous glances at Kal as a murmur of reaction swept through the room.
Bruce was unruffled; he paced a couple of steps on the stage. "The effects on Earth's ecosystem could be disastrous. We have no way to clean the material from the atmosphere, and it could well trigger what pre-Arrival scientists called a 'nuclear winter,' a new Ice Age across the globe. In addition, we have no idea what long-term effects on the biosphere would be of that much radioactive material falling back to earth." He stopped and looked out at the crowd in the direction the voice had come. "In short, we believe the risks to be too high." He looked to the side. "Mr. Holt?"
Michael stood up and joined him on the stage. "Besides which," he said, "Our alternate plan is ready to go. It still has risks, but we judge it to be safer." He sketched a quick drawing on a chalkboard, something that looked slightly like one of his t-spheres. "The nanobot light filters are finally ready. When spread through the atmosphere, they'll filter the yellow sunlight of Earth into a frequency in the red spectrum. This plan has the advantage of being temporary--we can program the nanobots to shut off after just a few hours, saving Earth's biosphere from long-term effects. There's just one remaining problem. Fortunately, it's the same one Luthor is facing." He nodded to Carter Hall, who stood.
"Both Luthor's plan and ours lack a deployment system," said Hall. "We both need a way of getting our respective materials into the atmosphere, and spread evenly enough to affect roughly the whole Earth at once. This has been a serious challenge. However, it has recently come to our attention that the Kryptonians are holding in Metropolis the schematics and notes for the 'weather wand' used by Mark Mardon, also known as the Weather Wizard." He looked out over the crowd. "With those notes, we could put together machines that could control wind currents and air pressure and make it possible to deploy the nanobots in a relatively short time frame."
Bruce stood up again. "Our source most likely sold this information to Luthor as well, and he will be planning a way to get to those notes. If he does, you can bet that he will waste no time in poisoning the Earth's atmosphere." His lips thinned, looking over the crowd. "We must find a way to get to those plans before he does."
A brown-haired man leapt to his feet. "I can get into the vault, my ring can scan the papers--"
Bruce shook his head. "I'm sorry, Hal. We cannot risk the Green Lanterns getting actively involved yet. If the Corps intercedes and takes you out of the game, we'll lose some of our most valuable firepower." Hal looked like he was about to argue, but Bruce shook his head again. "We can't risk losing you, John and Guy all at once," he said.
A buzz of conversation broke out in the room as people debated how to get in, how to get the schematics. If we had a camera small enough... But if they even suspect what we're doing...
Kal found himself on his feet. "Send me," he said. His voice didn't seem to cut through the babble, but Bruce turned sharply to look at him, frowning. "Send me," he repeated, more loudly, and people started to fall silent around him. "I have x-ray vision, so I can see the papers without disturbing them or leaving any sign I was there. I have eidetic memory, so the recordings will be safe and undetectable in my mind. And as a free Kryptonian, I can bluff my way out if I'm caught."
Carter Hall looked at Bruce. "What do you think?"
Bruce was chewing his lower lip. "It's risky," he said.
"I'm willing," said Kal. "I want to do something to help."
After a while, Bruce nodded.
: : :
"You could have just assigned me to the job to begin with," Kal said, sitting down on the little cot in his tiny room. "I'm the obvious choice."
Bruce was leaning in the doorway. "This isn't an army. I don't assign people dangerous jobs."
"I won't let you down, Bruce."
"I'm going with you," said Bruce, and Kal felt a sudden flare of anger.
"Don't trust me to do the job right?"
For a long time Bruce simply looked at him. "It's not that at all," he said after a while.
"What is it?"
Bruce suddenly made a sharp, almost helpless gesture with his hands, clenching in front of him. "I couldn't bear it," he said. As Kal stared at him, he shrugged. "It's going to be dangerous."
"It couldn't be as dangerous as that stew you fed me on the road," Kal said, trying to lighten the mood, almost alarmed at the intensity of the emotion that had flickered across Bruce's face for a moment.
To his relief, a small smile broke the solemnity of Bruce's expression. "That's why you need me along. You have no sense of taste whatsoever."
"Obviously, if I'm continuing to hang out with you," Kal retorted, feeling rather pleased with himself.
Bruce clapped him briefly on the back. "You're improving," he said.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 06:39 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 06:49 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 06:58 am (UTC)There are a lot of obstacles between them, but a lot of love, too.
It's definitely the romantic in me to imagine that even given such huge gaps in their ability to connect, they manage it more often than not. It certainly can't be easy...
Glad you're enjoying!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 09:29 am (UTC)I'm glad that Mr. Terrific is there. And I'm glad that Dinah refused to reconcile with Kal. I hope he has to deal with a lot more of that.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 12:21 pm (UTC)He was actually one of the first characters I figured out the location of, since the t-spheres were so important early on. :)
And I'm glad that Dinah refused to reconcile with Kal. I hope he has to deal with a lot more of that.
Kal has received something of a free pass in this arc. He saved Barbara's life, and I think Ollie figured it out already, but Pete was just a gift, frankly. And the folks at NORAD are generally pragmatists above all, I believe, but most of them probably wouldn't want much to do with him.
Despite all that, he hasn't had to deal with anyone freaking out and screaming imprecations at him, which just means he's been lucky so far. One doesn't win over people's hearts with sterling intentions and pretty smile, nor should one.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-27 05:16 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 11:51 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 12:22 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 01:11 pm (UTC)This paragraph reminds me of a novel, Frankenstein. I studied it when I was in the university. One of the main theme of the story is that how vast nature has good effect on human. :)
And I can smell more adventure in the future part! ;)
By the way, my friend really love this series of yours! She screams/squees everytime you update a new chapter. ^_^
Thank you for sharing this. Looking forward to the next part!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 03:01 pm (UTC)I've never read it (I should!) but I know I love the theme! Kal learning to love the actual physical Earth as well as its people is important, I think...
By the way, my friend really love this series of yours! She screams/squees everytime you update a new chapter. ^_^
Hee, awwww. Tell her thank you from me! <3
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 04:36 pm (UTC)Umm, wow. I thought EVERYONE had to read Frankenstein in school. It's actually a pleasure read for me too.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-26 12:54 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-26 12:56 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-26 03:18 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 01:46 pm (UTC)Awww, Bruce!!! *hugs him*
I like that Kal got a chance to see the "heart of the resistance" (and everything in between) - even if it was mostly a test... I think it's a good thing that he sees these people, and that they see him as well.
That scene when he walks in and sees all the people there gave me odd flashbacks from V (the sci-fi series from the 80s) -- and now that I think of it, there's quite a few movies/series I can think of where there's an alien invader and a resistance movement. *lol* Those are kind of fun, really...you get a good sense of the strength (moral and physical) that the oppressed need in order to fight back and re-take what was once theirs.
...I think I was trying to make a point, but I've lost it completely. lol! sorry!
I'm still totally loving this AU, and how you've adapted the characters to evolve within this reality. Looking forward to the next part (and pretending I didn't notice the numbering on the post, so I can fool myself into thinking this never ends)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 03:05 pm (UTC)That's funny, Dan said the same thing, and although I watched V I barely remember a thing about it...but I bet the images stayed with me. I do love the image of humanity banding together (as much as possible...there are always schisms) to fight for their world.
I've had a lot of fun with this arc, I kind of hate to return them to Gotham! I'm glad you're enjoying it... *hugs*
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 02:25 pm (UTC)The Stargate?!? OK not really but I loved the geeky reference even if no Stargate. It also made me think you should of had that be where the Kryptonians show up in the other series ("From This Day Forward" or the honeymoon series). Although it would freak out the American government and that wouldn't of boded well. Maybe another time. Sorry to be off topic.
"There were no plantations here, nothing but ghost towns scrubbed clean by wind and time, and Bruce pushed the truck until its crystal-fuelled engine hummed."
I take it is an environmentally friendly crystal energy so as to not harm the Earth. To grow things at optimal levels. Man ... so if they overcome the slavery the Kryptonians can help make the Earth a better place or one with less pollution (i.e. permanently if people choose it). Hmmmm.
""That's where we're going? Over the mountains?""
Bruce once things are over should introduce him to "Stargate SG-1" if it exists in this universe and the DVDs are around. 'Cos he needs to learn these cultural things. Also "MacGyver". As well as "Star Trek" (TOS & TNG?). Although I guess some of the later ones wouldn't exist 'cos of the invasion. When was it? The eighties? So the original ST would exist however no DVDs either. Did they adapt the crystal technology? Man that sucks.
""Shouldn't we...shouldn't we do something for them?" Kal's question hung in the frigid silence. "They shouldn't just be left here.""
Hugs Kal.
""Lead," he noted."
Hee.
"He was going to have to do better than that."
Hugs Kal and Bruce for what he said.
""I'm sorry," said Bruce as they continued down a wide corridor. "She's lost a lot.""
Hugs Bruce again. I'm scared to ask what and who she lost.
""This will be your room while you're here. I'll be across the way. We'll probably only be here one night.""
I must admit the human accomadation has been too spacious. They need undercover sharing of a room and preferably a bed. For super secret reasons of course. ;-)
"Bruce grimaced. "If you had seemed...squeamish around humans, if I had felt you were holding back part of yourself, feeling secretly superior to us..." He paused, looking down. "I didn't think you would, but I needed to see it for myself. How much I could trust you." He looked back at Kal. "I'm sorry.""
Hee (very happy). I don't suppose he made Kal sleep in a double sleeping bag? Are there double sleeping bags? OK being silly with my wishful thinking.
""In short, we believe the risks to be too high." "
Ya think? It's not called MAD for no reason...
""Both Luthor's plan and ours lack a deployment system," said Hall. "We both need a way of getting our respective materials into the atmosphere, and spread evenly enough to affect roughly the whole Earth at once. "
If this were your husband I'd be worrying that you'd do something to Bruce and have Kal super speed around the Earth like he did in "Superman: The Movie" (I know you aren't your husband).
Actually those things that need to be deployed kind of remind me of these schemes to avoid drastic climate change. One of them is a bunch of mirrors in space to reflect the light. Weird but true.
""We can't risk losing you, John and Guy all at once," he said."
Should I ask? Or hide?
""I'm willing," said Kal. "I want to do something to help."
After a while, Bruce nodded."
Hugs them both again.
"Bruce suddenly made a sharp, almost helpless gesture with his hands, clenching in front of him. "I couldn't bear it," he said. As Kal stared at him, he shrugged. "It's going to be dangerous.""
Even more hugging. Plus nice reaction. Although they could team up again if they get caught. I'm not sure Kal would like a repeat of that scene if that happens. Nope. So he probably will be very motivated not to get caught.
"Bruce clapped him briefly on the back. "You're improving," he said."
Hee. Love them bantering again.
Sorry I'm rather terrible with commenting today. Also I did catch the JSA guys but I'm not that knowledgeable about them. I've heard or read some of their names in the past. Mainly from fanfic (with very few TPBs 10 years ago).
Angeloz
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 03:17 pm (UTC)This is where I confess I've never watched Stargate in any form. :P And didn't even know there was a gate in Cheyenne Mountain! But it's a really cool, spooky place, I love the mystery of it. It would have been a good place for a gate to Krypton, although I agree the humans might have panicked just a little bit, lol.
Although I guess some of the later ones wouldn't exist 'cos of the invasion. When was it? The eighties? So the original ST would exist however no DVDs either. Did they adapt the crystal technology? Man that sucks.
That's a good question with two possible answers. Either it's 2009 and Bruce is 22, making the invasion in 1987...or Bruce was born around 1968 or so (more or less current canon) and the invasion happened then (and "now" is about 1990).
I'd kind of rather it be in 1987 because of all the tech and culture we'd have lost in the meantime!
I must admit the human accomadation has been too spacious. They need undercover sharing of a room and preferably a bed. For super secret reasons of course. ;-)
It's true, they've had way too much privacy on this trip, lol. I call foul!
Actually those things that need to be deployed kind of remind me of these schemes to avoid drastic climate change. One of them is a bunch of mirrors in space to reflect the light. Weird but true.
Yeah, I'm imagining something a little like that! Though more a haze of reflectors/filters...
Should I ask? Or hide?
I've been assuming that if the Blue Guys of Oa find out the Lanterns have been aiding the Resistance, they'd strip them all of their rings. So they've been as covert and indirect as possible, hoping to still be in play when the serious firepower is needed.
Although they could team up again if they get caught. I'm not sure Kal would like a repeat of that scene if that happens. Nope. So he probably will be very motivated not to get caught.
I'm still kind of stuck on planning the break in! I know more or less what happens, but blocking it out is proving something of a difficulty. :)
Boy, I hadn't quite realized this chapter is apparently JSA central: Pieter, Michael, Carter and even Dinah are all JSA folks. They just feel the sorts to be running a rebellion, I guess! :)
LOL, your comment is awesome and makes me very happy before I pack up and go to bed!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 04:00 pm (UTC)Hee (at the last comment). OK I'm developing the habbit of recommending DVDs to you. I'll warn you if you try it they were feeling their way the first season. So it's kind of like a weird "Star Trek" like series. But trust me it gets better and they find their feet. Plus they have a sense of humour; it's a terrific one. I'll also admit not a fan of the last 2 seasons based on the enemy. But they had the "Farscape" people show up (I'd understand if you haven't seen that as we got the run around for that series and while I've got the DVDs I've not seen most of them). Loved them. Another good button. I'm in two minds here because it is 10 seasons and I love your writing. BTW I do know about NORAD. But I'll always think Stargate first. Remember to see the film before you see the series. But also know the series is far far better than the film. It's awesome whereas the film isn't. Yep it's another button. I'll just add I loved "V" mini-series too (as a kid).
"That's a good question with two possible answers. Either it's 2009 and Bruce is 22, making the invasion in 1987...or Bruce was born around 1968 or so (more or less current canon) and the invasion happened then (and "now" is about 1990).
I'd kind of rather it be in 1987 because of all the tech and culture we'd have lost in the meantime!"
You know another possibility is they invaded now (2009) and this story could be set in the future. Like "Terminator" was (but in reverse kinda). That way all the current technology did exist but is wonky. 'Cos in 1987 I'd never knew about the internet. I don't think Netscape even existed. Not to mention those TV shows. But it's your story. I hadn't even thought of that until your comments.
"It's true, they've had way too much privacy on this trip, lol. I call foul!"
Hee. I guess they can secretly look forward to going back to Kryptonian "civilisation" for this reason. Not that they'd admit it of course (maybe at the end).
Angeloz
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 04:05 pm (UTC)Angeloz
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 05:50 pm (UTC)They have canon practice in fighting World War II. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 02:51 pm (UTC)He was going to have to do better than that.
I was expecting to find these lines reading Michael’s comment about Bruce’s injured face. Oh Kal – *Sigh*. But true be told, it’s one of the reasons I love his character so much. :)
I wasn’t too surprised by Dinah reaction. It would be weird if everyone reacted positively on Kal, IMO. Though Bruce was right – It still bother Kal.
"This was a test. You might not have brought me here."
Bruce grimaced. "If you had seemed...squeamish around humans, if I had felt you were holding back part of yourself, feeling secretly superior to us..." He paused, looking down. "I didn't think you would, but I needed to see it for myself. How much I could trust you." He looked back at Kal. "I'm sorry."
Oh, I’m sure, deep in his heart and soul Bruce knew what the result of this test would be. :)
The meeting – I can’t help, but feel nervous hearing about Luthor’s plan with green kryptonite and even the alternate plan doesn’t make me happy - red spectrum of sunlight (though if I’m not wrong, it sounds as a less danger for Kal). But I’m sure you have a plan to keep Kal safe. *Crosses fingers*
"I'm willing," said Kal. "I want to do something to help."
My boy. :) *Hugs him*
The Kal-Bruce talk in the last part of this chapter was perfectly written. I could see how much Bruce cares about Kal. I loved it. And the cute banter on the end – awesome. :)
Amazing update!
I look forward to the next update. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-26 03:12 am (UTC)Yeah, when I started the chapter I totally forgot Bruce would still look like hell, and that people would react to it. Kal didn't like that idea so much, poor guy...
The meeting – I can’t help, but feel nervous hearing about Luthor’s plan with green kryptonite and even the alternate plan doesn’t make me happy - red spectrum of sunlight (though if I’m not wrong, it sounds as a less danger for Kal). But I’m sure you have a plan to keep Kal safe. *Crosses fingers*
The big advantage to Bruce's plan is that it's reversible and not directly fatal (although Kryptonians all losing their powers is bound to not go well for them). But it is risky for Kal as well...
The Kal-Bruce talk in the last part of this chapter was perfectly written. I could see how much Bruce cares about Kal. I loved it. And the cute banter on the end – awesome. :)
Poor Bruce. His knowledge that Kal really needs to help, and his determination to use Kal as a tool if necessary are meeting up with his affection and desire to keep Kal safe as well... He's really struggling with it.
Last chapter in the arc soon! *chews nails*
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 04:35 pm (UTC)Fine writing.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-26 03:16 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 04:49 pm (UTC)wonderful, yet again, and i'm very excited to see how kal does. and bruce being all worried about him was completely woobie, and i like that mr. terrific, hawkman, the lanterns and dinah were all in this chapter. huzzah!
as always, can't wait for more! :)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-26 03:21 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 05:45 pm (UTC)I loved Kal connecting with the Earth, as we know he does growing up in Smallville in canon, helping him to love this planet and its people.
The dead bodies at NORAD were chilling. Imagine living and working there and knowing they were nearby! *shudders*
I do like Dinah's hostility. Considering what the Kryptonians did and continue to do, Kal is bound to encounter it.
Ollie as 'her man' is so right! ;)
I do like Bruce testing him (understandable) and being so afraid of losing Kal.
Bruce is looking at the bigger picture with Lex's plan, bur personally, Kal could never survive on Earth if Lex succeeded. So a little more motivation there. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-26 03:26 am (UTC)Kal's love for the planet, the actual physical thing, is such a beautiful thing in canon.
The dead bodies at NORAD were chilling. Imagine living and working there and knowing they were nearby! *shudders*
I know...It would be like a constant goad to finally be able to lay them to rest...
Bruce is looking at the bigger picture with Lex's plan, bur personally, Kal could never survive on Earth if Lex succeeded. So a little more motivation there. :)
There is that as well! Even before he met Kal he was fond of Kara, and...well, it's in his nature to try and minimize casualties.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 06:49 pm (UTC)Also, ACK! Poor Bruce, with his convulsive gestures and much greater awareness of the "could be" than Kal... I am so nervous for him. And so worried that his reserve and Kal's terror that any move he makes will presume on their inequality will deadlock them for too long. :(
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-26 03:35 am (UTC)Bruce (and to some extent J'onn) have really been smoothing the way for Kal, maybe more than he knows.
Also, ACK! Poor Bruce, with his convulsive gestures and much greater awareness of the "could be" than Kal... I am so nervous for him. And so worried that his reserve and Kal's terror that any move he makes will presume on their inequality will deadlock them for too long. :(
You know, I have to admit to having no idea how their relationship is going to progress past the deadlock. I've been trying to focus on the A-plot and see where it goes and trust the boys will come along with me, lol. I'm sure they will, I just don't know how yet...
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-26 04:18 am (UTC)Oh, p.s.: May I creepily befriend you, so as to be sure I don't miss anything on accident?
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-27 06:19 am (UTC)Oh my, there's nothing at all creepy about friending me! *friends you first* The more the merrier, I say. :) This way I'm more likely to catch part 2 of "Fear of Flying" as well...
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-25 07:35 pm (UTC)This was an aspect of Earth Kal had never encountered--majestic mountains rising slowly from evergreen-covered slopes to massive white-capped towers of stone. It made him feel small and awed and strangely grateful.
Mmm, pretty mountains!!
As Kal's gaze fell to the desks and tables filling the room, he realized with a shock that the place was full of bodies. Mummified skin clung to skeletons slumped within military outfits; bodies left to lie, sprawled in defeat, skulls and backbones shattered.
*is squeamish*
They were met at the door by a man wearing a leather jacket with large block letters on the arms spelling out "Fair Play."
Eeeeee!!! Michael!!!!! *glomps him*
"I see you've brought my t-spheres back to me safe and sound.
Oh, and they were his t-spheres!! That's so awesome. :D
Michael smiled broadly as he released Kal's hand. "I see he's learned how to flatter while he's been away."
Hee!
You should let Pieter take a look at that when you have time.
Pieter!!!!!!!!!!!! *flails*
Bruce nodded. "Carter Hall, this is Kal-El."
And Hawkman!!! *bounces*
He was going to have to do better than that.
*pets Kal*
Bruce rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, we're kindred souls." The woman--she must be the "Dinah" whose papers Oliver had--shot him a wry glance.
Hee! And Dinah, yay!! :D
"I didn't think you would, but I needed to see it for myself. How much I could trust you." He looked back at Kal. "I'm sorry."
*pets Bruce*
"The nanobot light filters are finally ready. When spread through the atmosphere, they'll filter the yellow sunlight of Earth into a frequency in the red spectrum.
Ooooh! That's a really good plan!
"Send me," he repeated, more loudly, and people started to fall silent around him. "I have x-ray vision, so I can see the papers without disturbing them or leaving any sign I was there. I have eidetic memory, so the recordings will be safe and undetectable in my mind. And as a free Kryptonian, I can bluff my way out if I'm caught."
... why do I think that's going to end badly?
"It couldn't be as dangerous as that stew you fed me on the road," Kal said,
*gigglesnorts*
Only one more chapter, oh noes!! :( Still, I hope to see it soon! *hugs*
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-26 04:16 am (UTC)I knoooowww. I stole some of that from an old book called "Not This August," in which America is invaded by the Soviet Union and the hero comes across an old bunker that looks something like this. That scene freaked me out...
Oh, and they were his t-spheres!! That's so awesome. :D
I, uh...don't know if t-spheres work that way, but I figure he could adapt them to do a lot of things! And Pieter...well, he should probably be in Norway, but I decided he was in America for some reason when the Kryptonians arrived...either that or he's such a good doctor they managed to get him all the way from Norway!
... why do I think that's going to end badly?
Uh... *looks shifty* I've known more or less how it goes since early in the first arc, actually...
The last chapter should be up sometime during the weekend, I think! *crosses fingers* Thanks so much for the awesome feedback!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-26 12:56 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-26 04:22 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-26 07:02 am (UTC)Although I am going to have to go and look up some of the characters, I loved meeting the resistance. I will also say that I'm very nervous and my palms are sweaty.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-27 06:34 am (UTC)*quick calculations* It was four in nine days, I think! Is that better? :D In my defense, it's Spring Break here and so I've had a lot of time for writing and posting and keeping caught up! Uh, and my house is a mess, but that's just as usual.
Most of the characters in this chapter are from the JSA. Michael Holt=Mister Terrific, Pieter=Dr. Mid-Nite, Carter Hall=Hawkman, Hal Jordon=Green Lantern, Dinah Lance=Black Canary (I'm sure you know the last two, but for completeness sake). It's really fun to throw in the little cameos, although I always feel a bit guilty they don't get more time! But Selina and Diana got annoyed when I stalled and demanded I get Kal and Bruce back to Gotham...
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-27 12:10 am (UTC)Kal's going on a mission! Can't wait for that. The discriptions of the montains was beautiful, i love how it made Kal feel a little human by seeing something greater than him, and appreciating it so much. Wonderful job!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-27 07:30 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-27 04:10 pm (UTC)I was so happy to see most of the League and the JSA all together. Can't believe I hadn't realized Bruce was using Michael's T-spheres. XD And Dinah. *sigh* Well, maybe Kal will win her over eventually.
And you even threw in Weather Wizard's wand! XD I just love how much of the DCU you've managed to fit into this universe.
Can't wait for the last chapter in the arc! Man, I hope this mission goes well...
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-28 01:33 pm (UTC)That was just...looking for something that might be a useful artefact to use in the big plan! Fortunately the DCU is full of stuff like that. :)
They won't get to the mission in this arc, I'm afraid! But he does get to meet Diana, lol...
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-28 06:57 am (UTC)"I'm going with you," said Bruce, and Kal felt a sudden flare of anger.
"Don't trust me to do the job right?"
For a long time Bruce simply looked at him. "It's not that at all," he said after a while.
Dense Kal is dense! XD It feels that Kal's ownership of Bruce has completely disolved during this road trip. I feel for both of them when they get back to the real world. I do enjoy watching their friendship grow though.
Looking forward to the next chapter!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-29 02:35 am (UTC)*snicker* Sorry...I know nothing of Stargate, alas! Just going with the old NORAD base...
Dense Kal is dense! XD It feels that Kal's ownership of Bruce has completely disolved during this road trip.
It was fun to write them chipping away at that reserve and getting to be more comfortable with each other. It's going to be tough going back though, I agree... *sighs*
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-29 04:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-30 07:58 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-10 03:01 am (UTC)She beamed. "I'm sure you got along great with him."
Bruce rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, we're kindred souls."
LOL, silly kids! I suddenly remembered how young they are all.. and how young Dinah must be. I'm guessing.. she lost most of her 'uncles' from the JSA during the invasion?
"I didn't think you would, but I needed to see it for myself. How much I could trust you."
Aww, man! I'm glad Bruce is still being his pragmatic self, though it kills me that it kills him, too. He does what he has to, but it's so clear he wishes for so much that he can't have or allow himself to have.
Bruce suddenly made a sharp, almost helpless gesture with his hands, clenching in front of him. "I couldn't bear it," he said.
I love that moment. It's so visceral. He can't explain it, he just.. rarrr! I like how Clark feels like he's not being trusted, when... it's not that at all? I like that he stands up to that and challenges Bruce there, because it shows a lot of their relationship that he's willing to challenge Bruce judgment, given how guilty he feels all the time, that's a very big step!
So much love for THOTE. Yess...
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-11 02:27 pm (UTC)I'm glad you can see that unraveling! He's being very opaque to me, but I can kind of see him shredding around the edges... :)
I suddenly remembered how young they are all.. and how young Dinah must be. I'm guessing.. she lost most of her 'uncles' from the JSA during the invasion?
I've always assumed she lost Ted, and I guess it would make sense that a lot of the JSA didn't make it through! :(
I love that moment. It's so visceral. He can't explain it, he just.. rarrr! I like how Clark feels like he's not being trusted, when... it's not that at all?
Clark seems to be constantly assuming Bruce thinks the worst of him, and he's just...so far off, lol. Poor Bruce, he is constantly misunderstood through this arc! I hope Clark gets his act together and starts understanding him!
*hugs* I hope your trip is going well! You just left and I'm thinking of youuuuu!