Bruce Wayne, the Batman. (gothamcrusader) wrote in gothamknights, @ 2008-09-10 00:56:00 |
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Entry tags: | bruce wayne, lex luthor, talia al ghul |
log: bruce wayne & talia al ghul
summary. [January 2008] The grand re-opening of the Lexor Gotham. Gotham's prominent and well-to-do are all present including a certain billionaire playboy and the daughter of the demon.
Talia. The Lexor Gotham, which had two days previously become her new home, was undoubtedly a beautiful hotel and residential apartment building. It's re-opening had been the talk of the social community for the last few weeks, or so Talia had heard, and anyone who was anyone was expected to be there for the grand re-opening gala help in the main ballroom. Despite numerous attendances to such events, large social gatherings were so alien to her that she had avoided as many as she could -- an act her new position no longer afforded her. She'd spent the last week memorising the names and specific information about the more prominent members of society who would be in attendance; she would play her roll perfectly.
She arrived on the arm of Lex Luthor, who was taking into consideration photo opportunities, and the time to show-off his newest Regional Director. Talia had been a risky move on Luthor's part, mostly unknown but with a good track record. She'd been criticised for her age and her gender in a roll typically held by old white guys, usually with shady pasts. Still, none of them had her past, and it made working for Luthor all that easier to swallow -- he was a man to be feared, but she had Ra's al Ghul for a father. There wasn't even a competition for who was scarier; it was ludicrous to suggest there even was a competition.
By the time Luthor disappeared into the crowd, the bulk of the guests had arrived, and she'd spoken to at least half of them, and still held on to her first glass of champagne, untouched since she'd first been handed it at the start of the evening. There was one face she'd yet to see, despite being told he would be in attendance. She was caught between the desire to see Bruce again after so long, and the hope that she didn't after their last meeting. Despite exchanging emails from time-to-time, she was unsure of where they stood. She made her way to the edge of the crowd, adjusting the way her red dress sat as inconspicuously as she could. She hated it, standing out in the crowd; it made it so much more difficult to blend into the group and eventually disappear. She placed her champagne on the tray of a passing waiter and watched from the outside.
Bruce. Everyone at any function like this knew when Bruce Wayne showed up. His arrival sparked a higher buzz than usual, given that this was one of Lex Luthor's hotels -- a major competitor. Even stepping out of the Lamborghini, he looked like a million bucks -- as expected. Greeted by the flashes of cameras and by reporters outside the Lexor Gotham, Bruce Wayne schmoozed them, offering nothing but a carefree grin despite the questions about the competition between Wayne Enterprises and LexCorp and the arrival of a new regional director. Please, people. He was only here to extend his congratulations and appreciate the re-opening of one of Gotham's prominent hotels. He laughed. No, no -- he won't buy this one.
Gotham's chosen son and perpetual bachelor finally entered the main venue with his current flavor of the week, some strawberry blonde woman who might have been a doctor in town for some medical conference. Bruce couldn't remember. She was gorgeous to boot and not terribly boring to listen to. This was technically their second date, as they had their first last night. Bruce only wanted to make sure she was enjoying her time in Gotham, honest. He grabbed two champagne flutes from a waiter offering new arrivals a drink. It wasn't long before he was absorbed in conversation with the local social elite, laughing, drinking, showing off his date who could hold her own in a conversation.
After some flirtatious comment to Katherine Kane, matriarch of the other high-profile Gotham family, Bruce Wayne spotted her. Talia Ducard at the edge of the crowd. He excused himself, heading over to Talia with his half-full glass of champagne. He had a huge, boyish grin on his face. "Talia Ducard!" He said boisterously. He held out his hand to greet her. "The woman of the hour."
Talia. Despite trying to find some space, Talia had been spotted by Lucas Greenfield, a member on the LexCorp board who'd insisted on introducing her to his lady friend for the evening (his wife was out of town and he simply couldn't attend the event on his own), and then the rest of his circle of associates in Gotham. They spoke of LexCorp's latest achievements and the ,future development of programs that Greenfield had a stake in, and she politely fended off questions regarding her personal life, and her life before her appointment as director. Aside from her academic achievements, Talia had buried her past beneath a wall of stone and steel that not even Luthor knew much beyond her capabilities as a business manager. That was the way she liked it.
After extricating herself from the crowd once more, she was confronted with one of the strangest images she could imagine. Bruce Wayne, grinning from ear to ear. If she hadn't kept tabs on Bruce and his playboy behaviour she might have been shocked enough to let it show on her face. She replicated his grin, accepting his hand, and ignoring the fact that his statement had drawn the attention of on-lookers. Two could play along with this particular game. "You're too kind," she replied as she released his hand. "Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Wayne. I do hope you're enjoying the party?"
Bruce. Bruce Wayne's actions and statements tend to draw attention, it was true. He barely paid mind to it now, having been in the spotlight so long -- especially in Gotham. It was clearly something Ms. Ducard would have to get used to. He gave a flash of fake humility at Talia's comment about his reputation, lightly chuckling under his breath. "There's hardly a party where I can't find at least some way to amuse myself." Ain't that the truth. "How is my city treating you?" Referring to Gotham as his city lacked the usual possessiveness, marking it as his territory. However, here he referred to Gotham as his city fondly, as a city who has embraced him and he embraced her. He was damn proud of his city and the grin on his face proved it.
Talia. It felt like she had stepped into the twilight zone. "Gotham's a wonderful city, Mr. Wayne," she replied cautiously, catching the eye of a passing waiter and accepting the offered champagne; she had a feeling she was going to need it now. "Of course, I've only been here a few days, I'm sure that its appeal will only increase as time goes by."
Bruce. Bruce sipped on his own champagne before nodding. "She'll grow on you." He smirked. "And please, call me Bruce. Mr. Wayne makes me sound like I am some major competitor or something," he joked facetiously. A few members of his Board were in attendance tonight -- and all on their best behavior. It didn't mean they weren't keeping an eye on the Lexor Gotham as well as other LexCorp subsidiaries. It all boiled down to business -- even to Bruce Wayne, no matter how it appeared different.
Talia. Talia raised an eyebrow. In fact, she was quite charmed by Gotham despite it's darker aspects, although the limited time she'd spent in the city had been mostly occupied traveling between the various LexCorp subsidiaries and less of the city proper. She certainly hadn't been out to the Palisades. Mostly because she was trying not to completely disregard her previous promise to Bruce, in that she would stay away. "Of course, Bruce," she acquiesced. She sipped at the champagne and smiled mischievously. "Though, it's always about business, isn't it?"
Bruce. The smile on Bruce's face did not match the look in his eyes. His smile suggested something mischievous, typical of the Bruce Wayne demeanor -- especially after he's had a few drinks. But his eyes flashed something darker, something closer to what Bruce was really feeling. Bruce Wayne dealt with all sorts of matters of business in this city and abroad -- public or otherwise. He smirked at her from behind his champagne flute, before spotting someone passing behind her. "It is -- and if you'll excuse me, there is someone I have to speak with before they grab another drink. I'm sure you understand," Bruce barely touched her arm, a passing gesture as he excused himself. "I am sure we'll be seeing more of each other soon enough."
Talia. Then the whirlwind that was billion-dollar playboy Bruce Wayne disappeared into the crowd leaving Talia standing there, nodding her head to no-one in particular. That had been... an experience. Unexpectedly, she laughed and shook her head. She was being ridiculous, of course. And she had to admire the image that Bruce projected - no wonder very few people had made the connection between himself and Batman. It was impressive. Out the corner of her eye she saw Luthor motioning for her to come over, the mayor of Gotham by his side. She smiled indulgently and nodded her head. Time to play the good host.
When the final guests had left, Talia made her way to the private elevator that took her to her apartment on the top floor of the building. It was grand and ostentatious and completely unlike herself (and had she had any choice in the matter she might have picked a much smaller apartment). The dark, empty silence greeted her as she stepped into the apartment, slipping off her sling-backs and leaving them by the entrance. She was exhausted, and she knew the feeling would get much worse before it got better with all the work she knew was piled up waiting for her the next day. She grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen and moved into her room, and it's adjoining balcony, sliding the door open and letting the cold breeze into the apartment.
Finding Batman standing on the balcony, waiting, was a surprise, although not a wholly unexpected one. Sooner or later their paths would have crossed, she had just presumed it would be later, rather than sooner. After the experiences downstairs, and the mixture of feelings that she carried for Bruce, she wasn't sure what she was supposed to feel, or say, and she wasn't afraid to let that show on her face. "It's not quite as nice as the view you had," she murmured, stepping out onto the balcony, ignoring the cold floor against her bare feet.
Batman. As Bruce Wayne, he had lingered at the party earlier until guests started leaving. That was when he departed himself, with his strawberry blonde. His night did not end with her, however. He had another in mind -- someone he wanted to drop in on. As Batman, he could have gone unnoticed on Talia's balcony but instead waited for her, his silhouette lurking through the western balcony's windows into the master suite. It had been over a decade since he found her in his former penthouse in Wayne Tower. It seemed fitting that he greeted her this way.
He had been patrolling Crime Alley after he left Lexor Gotham but kept up-to-date on the party's proceedings. Having learned of the final guests, Batman made his arrival and waited for her. He stood straight and still, very calculated. "Gotham isn't Luthor's city," he remarks, as if that explains why her view from a Lexor hotel would never match that from a Wayne (or even Kane) owned property.
Talia. The west balcony was the smaller of the two that her penthouse apartment boasted, and she crossed the small expanse to the railing in a few short steps. "I never said that it wasn't still a nice view," she smirked into the darkness. He was possessive of his city, she had expected nothing less. In his armour, he looked impressive. Dangerous. Both traits that she had been taught to admire and respect. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Batman. Batman turned his head slightly to keep an eye on her. "Your arrival isn't enough?" He kidded. Maybe. Though, Talia Ducard's arrival in Gotham was very much noted in the public sphere of things -- there were a small number of people who were concerned about Talia al Ghul's arrival. Some of the members in his little clan couldn't understand this and Batman only explained it as brief history, never really going into details. Batman didn't lie to his people, however, as it was important intelligence to have given her family. Batman viewed Talia's time in Gotham as protection from her father -- even though he'd never admit that to her. He would rather her be here than at the mercy of her father's orders.
Talia. "Funny," she said, still not looking at him, "to remember there was a time when my arrival would have been most unwelcome. Hm?" She was referring to breaking into his apartment, because, true to her word, she had avoided Gotham for the last decade. And she had informed Bruce when she'd received the job opportunity. If he'd objected, she wouldn't have taken the position. "Tell me, Batman, will I have to watch my back?" she asked. She was amused, at his expense, of course. Though it wasn't Bruce who she was worried about, but rather his vigilante helpers. She had intelligence on all of them, most of which she had obtained from the League, but that had been augmented by her own research. She certainly wasn't without sources. She turned, her back to the railing, and watched him. There was no pretense that she wasn't simply staring at him.
Batman. He did not waver at her eye contact. He met it dead on. He did not reply to her comment on her last visitation. Batman would prefer she didn't, but saying so would open it up to conversation. He was not here to converse. "Depends. You keep your activity quiet and off the radar, we won't have to be at odds. As a Gotham resident, you'll receive our protection -- unless you bring your business into Gotham." Then he couldn't guarantee her safety as all bets would be off. His first objective was always to protect Gotham. As long as she was a member of that community, she'd be under his protection. If she caused trouble or aided in trouble being caused, she'd become the antagonist and Batman would be the first and last one she would have to answer to.
Talia. While he spoke, Talia drank the water in her glass silently, listening. Nothing she hadn't already expected to hear. A simple, "Behave," would have sufficed, and she was perfectly capable of understanding the hidden meanings. Still, the idea that she needed protecting made her laugh. "Well, you can tell your little friends that despite popular belief I'm only here for business," she reminded him, innocently enough, "during daylight hours, across a boardroom table." Batman would have no issue with her, but Bruce Wayne might -- it wasn't like she'd gotten her position because she was pretty. But if anyone carried out surveillance on her, well, they wouldn't be doing it for very long.
Batman. Batman wanted to spell it out for her a little more than that. "They've been alerted to the situation. Unless alerted otherwise --" meaning, if he told them a new story "-- they won't come after you." Batman had made it very clear that Talia and her residence in Gotham was his business.
Talia. While she appreciated his concern for his city, she certainly did not appreciate him sticking his nose in her business, particularly when he'd made it clear that whatever ties they'd had were more or less irreparable. "I'll try not to let you down," she replied, her voice thick with sarcasm. At least when she'd broken into his apartment she'd had information to share. "So, your only reason for this visit was to treat me like a child?"
Batman. Batman will stick his batnose in everyone's business. It's what he was known to do. Batman grew quiet for a moment, watching her. It felt like ages ago -- he has come so far, but at the same time not. He was still running around in a batsuit, a lot longer than he had expected nor did he see himself stopping any time in the near future. Batman had grown to become part of the city but in the process, expanded his network of vigilantes -- and dare he even say family. So while he was still stuck in the cowl and cape, he had gained something in return. If, years ago, someone had asked him what he was expecting to do with his training from the League of Shadows or what he planned to do after he gave up the mantle of Batman, the answer was long lost on him. He no longer asked himself those kinds of questions.
That was, until someone who represented that past and the path he had intended to take was standing here on her balcony with him.
His past with Talia was complicated, at best. Finding out the true identity of her father had left him feeling betrayed. Bruce Wayne wasn't the forgiving sort of fellow but in his age he tried hard to understand the circumstances of those against him. That extended to the League of Shadows and, of course, Talia. The bitterness he held against her from years ago had waned, replaced with some kind of understanding. While he no longer grew angry at the thought of her, he couldn't trust her completely and he had accepted that. With that in mind, he said nothing against her taking the position in Gotham with LexCorp. He could tell her yes, he came her to make sure she'd play nice. He could tell her no, he wanted to see how she was doing. Both answers were involved with why he was here. Instead, he said, "I never treated you like a child."
Talia. She raised an eyebrow. It was exactly what he was doing that moment, assuming that she wasn't capable of understanding the situation and behaving accordingly. By now he should have understood the line she walked between him and her father, the delicate balance she was trying to keep without falling. "My mistake," she replied curtly, not feeling particularly repentant. She turned around, pressing her stomach to the railing, leaving her back, covered by the dress to conceal her more visible scars, to him. It wasn't wise to turn her back on a potential opponent, but she had decided long ago that if it came to a physical fight between the two of them, she wouldn't fight back, despite being more capable than most at opposing him.
Her sigh was lost in the breeze. "You still don't understand it, do you?" she asked, turning her head slightly so that her words could be heard. She didn't look at him, rather past him, past the wall behind him. "That maybe I do actually care about you. All you can seem to see is the daughter of your rival. Someone you wish you could forget." All pretense fled, and she let the weight of the situation settle around her.
Batman. What was he supposed to say to that? After all this time? A small knot tightened in his chest underneath Kevlar. For a brief second he felt twenty-five again -- despite turning thirty-nine this month. However, he was not about to be pulled into their past when they had to settle on their current situation. His face remained expressionless and he made no movement toward her. "I can't afford to forget."
Talia. He might have been holding his ground, and keeping his distance, but she was tired now, and Bruce's position was clear. She couldn't even fault him for that, either, which only made her feel worse. She crossed the small space between them effortlessly, until she stood before him. Non-threatening. Curious, perhaps, and cautious. She raised her free hand, brushing her fingertips across the lower part of his face, where skin met mask. Her understanding of Batman was complicated by her knowledge of Bruce -- the Bruce she had known in Bhutan, who had been Batman before he'd discovered it. She couldn't disassociate between the two of them, because to her they were the same. She pulled her hand back, and stepped back. "Then you should go," she murmured. She wouldn't hold him here, not if it wasn't what he wanted.
Batman. Batman didn't say anything, only giving a slight nod. She said what he was thinking of doing already. Smoothly, he left the way he came -- he lept over the balcony's edge and his cape caught the wind.