Clark Kent made his way out of the train station, looking out upon the darkened cityscape of Gotham city. Gotham was not his kind of place, that was certain. However, he had reasons to be here. The Bat vigilante that protected Gotham had broken in to where his new enemy, General Zod, had been imprisoned, and fought against him, resulting in his escape, no real evidence found of him overnight. Which meant the entire world was in danger again... this was the mission of Superman, and Superman alone. He couldn’t let this happen again. No, he was here to find the Bat of Gotham, and get some answers. Because for this, he was going to need one hell of a good explanation.
One hour later
Superman sat down, knees crossed, on the roof of the GCPD building, staring at the device before him. Clark had always wanted to see the Bat-signal, but probably not in a situation where he was using it to call the Batman himself out. The light shone out into the night sky, projecting the symbol of Gotham’s protector for all to see.
Apparently the Bat-signal hadn’t been used in a while... hopefully he wouldn’t be too mad about it being a false alarm.
Later again
“... A false alarm? Really? Are you trying to make me mad?”
The darkened form of the Gotham Bat dropped in from the sky, gliding down using his cape. He was just as intimidating in person, but it seemed as if all the movies had overdone it on the Bat-growl.
He landed perfectly, turning to stare Clark down. “The Bat-signal is supposed to be used only for very dire situations.”
Clark met his eyes, steeling his resolve and his gaze. He didn’t want to be here any longer than he had to, and truth be told he had to fight the urge to just run, like Clark Kent would want to do. Of course, Superman had to be serious, because this was a serious matter.
“I believe the freedom of General Zod qualifies as a ‘dire situation’”.
The Gotham Bat stood silently, just staring at him.
“... Clark Kent. Reporter for the Daily Planet.”
Despite his attempts to keep his composure, this shook Clark, who grit his teeth, trying to hide his surprise.
“H-how did you...”
“Worlds greatest detective. That, and you basically just took off some glasses.”
Clark resisted the urge to facepalm. He knew he should have gone with a mask.
“Shocked? Good, that’ll make it easier. You should head back home to Metropolis. Gotham’s my city.”
The Bat leaped up onto a stone chimney block, crouching as he turned away from Clark, preparing to glide off. Before he did, he glanced back to him over his shoulder and spoke some last words.
“No hard feelings.”
With that, he turned back around, preparing to jump up from his crouched position, only to jolt back at the sound of brick smashing. He stood fully to his feet, meeting the stare of the brightly coloured superhero flying before him.
Clark withdrew his fist from the chimney, having busted a brick in with a blow faster than the blink of an eye, floating in front of Batman in mid-air.
“No. I want answers. Why’d you go after a dangerous terrorist like Zod, even though he’s already imprisoned?”
The protector of Gotham looked up to him with a glare that seemed more like annoyance than anything else.
“I don’t have to explain myself to you.”
Clark just narrowed his eyes, not averting his gaze.
“Once you mess with my business, yes you do. And Zod? My business.”
Batman let out a sighing breath.
“Go home, Clark. Metropolis probably needs you. It’s a big city. And more importantly, I don’t want a risk like you in mine.”
Clark clenched his fist as he floated.
“What... do you mean?”
The Gotham Bat just stood silently in the rain, as lightning arced across the sky.
“I care about the safety of my city. More than... anything. This city needs the Batman. Superman... Superman, it doesn’t need.”
Clark’s eyes flashed, clearly taking major offence to this.
“You-“
Batman interrupted him quickly.
“You’re not Gotham’s style and you know it. You have power, but clearly not the experience or tact. This city has its nature, and so does Metropolis.”
Clark clenched his fist even harder, but he knew deep down that the Bat was right, even if he didn’t want that to be true.
“... I don’t get that. Explain it to me, if you’ve got yourself so sorted out.”
Clark dropped onto the stone chimney, facing the Batman, his feet crashing at the stone.
The Bat was clearly sizing him up, but surprisingly he seemed more interested in de-escalating the tension here.
“Very well. You see, sometimes, I ask myself... Why here? Why... Gotham? It’s no secret, it has a reputation. Definitely not a good one.”
Clark nodded in understanding, holding his tongue to let the Dark Knight explain.
The Bat turned his head to the side, looking out over the darkened city, illuminated by lights.
“Gotham’s a city that beats you down, and beats you down, and never lets up. But... that’s how you get stronger. Everyone here, is getting stronger, every single day. Trial by fire. That, and... it’s my city. Always has been. No matter how bad it seems or how low it manages to stoop, that won’t change.”
Clark blinked, trying his best to hide his surprise at the Dark Knights emotional handling. That was certainly an unexpected development.
“But that’s different for you, isn’t it? Metropolis is a city of bright lights, endless hope. A shining beacon of progress. Take one look at me and you’ll see it’s not my kind of field. Same way for you in Gotham. That and... I know how it feels to trust the safety of a place you love, a place you dedicated your life to protecting, in only your hands. That’s why... I’m asking you to leave protecting this city to me. And I’ll do the same for you with Metropolis. Don’t make this aggressive. I know you’re better than that.”
He finally turned back, meeting Clark’s gaze and staring him down with those last cutting words, stifling any last form of resistance in him.
Clark gave a smile, as he extended a hand out.
“I can accept that.”
The Bat shook his hand.
“... firm grip.”
Clark grinned sheepishly
“Solar powered super strength. Alien biology, don’t ask because I can’t explain it myself.”
Batman withdrew his hand.
“Also, I’ll admit, attempting to challenge Zod was rash, and I’ll take full responsibility for it-“
Clark interjected.
“No, no, I don’t need to know why now. Our deal means he’s my issue now, and mine alone.”
The Bat’s expression and voice tone made his opinion on that unreadable.
“... I see.”
With that, he crouched, leaping up and spreading his arms and thus his cape out, gliding away into the city.
Lexcorp Prototype Facility, the Lab of Professor Vale
The Professor finished welding the last part, sparks flying against the metal as he fused man into machine, placing the blow-torch aside on a table after switching it off. He looked down upon his creation, smiling, speaking to the man whose face was visible from inside the open visor of the metallic grey mecha suit. John Corben.
“So, Mr Corben... what do you want to do first?”
One hour later
Superman sat down, knees crossed, on the roof of the GCPD building, staring at the device before him. Clark had always wanted to see the Bat-signal, but probably not in a situation where he was using it to call the Batman himself out. The light shone out into the night sky, projecting the symbol of Gotham’s protector for all to see.
Apparently the Bat-signal hadn’t been used in a while... hopefully he wouldn’t be too mad about it being a false alarm.
Later again
“... A false alarm? Really? Are you trying to make me mad?”
The darkened form of the Gotham Bat dropped in from the sky, gliding down using his cape. He was just as intimidating in person, but it seemed as if all the movies had overdone it on the Bat-growl.
He landed perfectly, turning to stare Clark down. “The Bat-signal is supposed to be used only for very dire situations.”
Clark met his eyes, steeling his resolve and his gaze. He didn’t want to be here any longer than he had to, and truth be told he had to fight the urge to just run, like Clark Kent would want to do. Of course, Superman had to be serious, because this was a serious matter.
“I believe the freedom of General Zod qualifies as a ‘dire situation’”.
The Gotham Bat stood silently, just staring at him.
“... Clark Kent. Reporter for the Daily Planet.”
Despite his attempts to keep his composure, this shook Clark, who grit his teeth, trying to hide his surprise.
“H-how did you...”
“Worlds greatest detective. That, and you basically just took off some glasses.”
Clark resisted the urge to facepalm. He knew he should have gone with a mask.
“Shocked? Good, that’ll make it easier. You should head back home to Metropolis. Gotham’s my city.”
The Bat leaped up onto a stone chimney block, crouching as he turned away from Clark, preparing to glide off. Before he did, he glanced back to him over his shoulder and spoke some last words.
“No hard feelings.”
With that, he turned back around, preparing to jump up from his crouched position, only to jolt back at the sound of brick smashing. He stood fully to his feet, meeting the stare of the brightly coloured superhero flying before him.
Clark withdrew his fist from the chimney, having busted a brick in with a blow faster than the blink of an eye, floating in front of Batman in mid-air.
“No. I want answers. Why’d you go after a dangerous terrorist like Zod, even though he’s already imprisoned?”
The protector of Gotham looked up to him with a glare that seemed more like annoyance than anything else.
“I don’t have to explain myself to you.”
Clark just narrowed his eyes, not averting his gaze.
“Once you mess with my business, yes you do. And Zod? My business.”
Batman let out a sighing breath.
“Go home, Clark. Metropolis probably needs you. It’s a big city. And more importantly, I don’t want a risk like you in mine.”
Clark clenched his fist as he floated.
“What... do you mean?”
The Gotham Bat just stood silently in the rain, as lightning arced across the sky.
“I care about the safety of my city. More than... anything. This city needs the Batman. Superman... Superman, it doesn’t need.”
Clark’s eyes flashed, clearly taking major offence to this.
“You-“
Batman interrupted him quickly.
“You’re not Gotham’s style and you know it. You have power, but clearly not the experience or tact. This city has its nature, and so does Metropolis.”
Clark clenched his fist even harder, but he knew deep down that the Bat was right, even if he didn’t want that to be true.
“... I don’t get that. Explain it to me, if you’ve got yourself so sorted out.”
Clark dropped onto the stone chimney, facing the Batman, his feet crashing at the stone.
The Bat was clearly sizing him up, but surprisingly he seemed more interested in de-escalating the tension here.
“Very well. You see, sometimes, I ask myself... Why here? Why... Gotham? It’s no secret, it has a reputation. Definitely not a good one.”
Clark nodded in understanding, holding his tongue to let the Dark Knight explain.
The Bat turned his head to the side, looking out over the darkened city, illuminated by lights.
“Gotham’s a city that beats you down, and beats you down, and never lets up. But... that’s how you get stronger. Everyone here, is getting stronger, every single day. Trial by fire. That, and... it’s my city. Always has been. No matter how bad it seems or how low it manages to stoop, that won’t change.”
Clark blinked, trying his best to hide his surprise at the Dark Knights emotional handling. That was certainly an unexpected development.
“But that’s different for you, isn’t it? Metropolis is a city of bright lights, endless hope. A shining beacon of progress. Take one look at me and you’ll see it’s not my kind of field. Same way for you in Gotham. That and... I know how it feels to trust the safety of a place you love, a place you dedicated your life to protecting, in only your hands. That’s why... I’m asking you to leave protecting this city to me. And I’ll do the same for you with Metropolis. Don’t make this aggressive. I know you’re better than that.”
He finally turned back, meeting Clark’s gaze and staring him down with those last cutting words, stifling any last form of resistance in him.
Clark gave a smile, as he extended a hand out.
“I can accept that.”
The Bat shook his hand.
“... firm grip.”
Clark grinned sheepishly
“Solar powered super strength. Alien biology, don’t ask because I can’t explain it myself.”
Batman withdrew his hand.
“Also, I’ll admit, attempting to challenge Zod was rash, and I’ll take full responsibility for it-“
Clark interjected.
“No, no, I don’t need to know why now. Our deal means he’s my issue now, and mine alone.”
The Bat’s expression and voice tone made his opinion on that unreadable.
“... I see.”
With that, he crouched, leaping up and spreading his arms and thus his cape out, gliding away into the city.
Lexcorp Prototype Facility, the Lab of Professor Vale
The Professor finished welding the last part, sparks flying against the metal as he fused man into machine, placing the blow-torch aside on a table after switching it off. He looked down upon his creation, smiling, speaking to the man whose face was visible from inside the open visor of the metallic grey mecha suit. John Corben.
“So, Mr Corben... what do you want to do first?”
