The Proposal

05. Personal Matter

Author: Batman_Wolverine (a.k.a. Bruce Logan)

Summary: Batman continues to....uhmmm......pickle!!

“Or my name isn’t…”

Stepping through the transporter in the bat-cave, Batman trudged to his chair, his legs as if lead, the only question running through his mind…..’What do I do?’

“Master Bruce,” Alfred appeared as if from thin air. He always did that, the only person who managed to surprise the world’s greatest detective, no biggie, given that it was the kindly English butler who got him started on the path of silence and stealth. A path which he helped him to reach the position that he was in today. He was the only ‘non meta, non magical’ superhero who repeatedly managed to get past the super-human senses of various other super-villains, heroes and heroines….including HER.

“Master Bruce,” Alfred started again, placing the tray he was holding on the trolley lying in a corner, near the gigantic bat-computer. “I take something ‘big’ came up,” he commented knowingly.
“Yes Alfred,” he answered offhandedly, his mind still filled with thoughts of the Amazonian beauty and her parting comments, ‘2200 watchtower time’, ‘Other fish in the sea’. Which other fish was she thinking about? He was sure that Clark wouldn’t step out with, not until Lois was in the picture. Or would he? He had seen some of the gazes the Kryptonian sent her way, especially when he thought that no one was watching.

They were no different from the ones that he, himself had had and so did almost all the rest of the league’s heterosexual male members, and hundreds of non-league common people. He frowned as his thoughts got more disturbing. Even the villains had an eye for her beauty….and worst of all was the Joker. He had gone as far as making comments about her costume and her…uh, physical assets. He had wanted to break that maniacal freak’s nose at that time, along with quite a few of his other body parts.

How blind had he been? As blind as a bat…the bat he was. He had turned a blind eye to her innocent attempts at initiating a romantic relationship between them, the way she danced with him in Paris, the chaste kiss in Gorilla city, the blushing way she tucked her hair behind her ears on top of that building when they faced off with Circe, the way her eyes showed her pain at his injuries after he bumped that missile away from the island where she and Superman were facing off with Doomsday….he could go on and on, but to what avail?

That was in the past. She said that she loved him….’loved’. Not love or loves…but loved. Past tense. A past of missed opportunities and stubborn egos, that’s what he had left in his hands. Everything else had slipped out from between his gloved fingers…everything and everyone.

-----

“Master Bruce,” Alfred’s serene voice pulled him out of his pathetic sea of sorrow and self-hatred. “Can I help you in any way?”
“I don’t think so Alfred,” he shook his head, pushing the cowl away to reveal his haunted looking eyes. “Its….its personal.”

“Then I am sure I can be of assistance,” the surrogate father gave a mysterious smirk. “Personal matters and relations have never been a strong point of either the Batman or the playboy.”
Bruce didn’t answer, just let out a defeated sigh and rubbing his hand over his face, finally slicking his unruly sweaty hair.

“Perhaps the reason for your dilemma is known to me,” Alfred offered a starting comment. “From what I have seen over the past couple of years, I can safely guess that either it is your relationship with your son or with a certain princess, known to us all.”
“Alfred,” Bruce looked up at him, a sad smile starting on his face, but not developing into a full one.
“And its not Master Dick, I know that too, especially from your mood and demeanor,” the older man analyzed every single detail. “I can conclude that it involved Miss Diana.”
Bruce nodded his head just once; letting it hang after that, his chin resting over the bat insignia on his chest.

“Want to talk about it?” Alfred offered in a rare departure from his stoic behavior, his voice softening and his hand resting on the chair’s back.
“No,” Bruce shook his head, raising it to look at his erstwhile guardian in the eyes.

“This is something I have to do for myself.”