etrayalogs | ( closed ) bred, born, and raised to kick your ass

( regardless of how accustomed he's come to pushing himself more than anyone needs to be pushed, even ~~bruce wayne~~ the batman needs rest every now and then.

he's been out for maybe a couple hours at best, nightmares just barely there on the surface of the nothingness he has for dreams, until he's stirred by a touch outside of the nothingness, and he blinks awake. one. two. three seconds of recollection to where he is before he's swiftly grabbing tight to damian's wrist, about to toss him, when he realizes.

confused, he lets go, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. eyes shut. taking a couple seconds to come off edge. )

What is it? What's wrong?

( fingers catch hold of his wrist, and damian lets his arm go slack. waits for bruce to wake up, because he knows better than to pull back when bruce is still on edge. even once bruce has released his wrist, damian doesn't move. he stays significantly too still, even, enough one might assume he was a statue himself. )

Among the newest set of arrivals is someone we need to check in on.

( it's the easiest, simplest way of putting it. he doesn't want to stress bruce out too much with the finer details, not now. he wants him up and ready first. )

( he gives it a second or two for those words to sink in and, hand falling away from his face, he sits himself up in bed. slowly. blinking his eyes a few times before he's reaching for his black shirt there on the bed he'd removed; he'd been too hot. )

Who? Why?

( pulling the shirt on over his head, he twists enough to look over to damian... now wondering why he's perched on the headboard like he is. )

On the network. Kent.

( bruce is sitting up, so damian leans back to give him more space. stays crouched down on the headboard. )

He may prove to be an invaluable ally, or a very powerful enemy. Possibly neither, but I would rather know sooner than later.

( it's the powerful enemy that he zeroes in on, as expected, and it shows in the way he looks to damian after he says that. another pinch to the bridge of his nose, sheets are thrown off him and he's getting himself out of bed when he spots the dog there in the doorway of the bedroom.

a beat, he looks over to damian, brow raised. )

Did you get a dog?

His name is Titus.

( titus, who raises his head and perks his ears up when he hears his name, but doesn't move towards them. even as his tongue rolls out and he starts wagging his tail. he's a good boy. just not the boy damian's currently concerned with. )

Father gifted him to me. But he is not what we need to focus on currently.

( he eyes titus there, looks back to damian, then slowly gets himself up. given the fact that damian is suited up, he figures it's one of those things, so he makes his way over to his own suit there. starts to pull it on. )

Who's Kent?

I need to confirm first.

( there are numerous possibilities. there is also the chance someone is intentionally hiding behind kent's identity to draw others out. thus, damian fetching bruce before investiating on his own. he stays put while bruce reaches for his uniform, waiting. )

I want to track him down and approach him. It's possible it's nothing, but I would rather not rely on a possibility.

( he's in the process of at least getting the suit portion of it on before he's slipping away into the bathroom. takes a moment for himself in there. then comes back out, fresh grease paint smeared across his eyes, and goes to finish putting everything else on. )

I'd rather have an idea of that possibility than be left in the dark.

Kent is the name of a reporter from Metropolis. A reporter who originally came from another planet. It's possible, especially given his responses to others, that this one is a version of the Kent I am familiar with. It's also possible I am entirely off base, but it's unlikely.

( damian is always right. )

Timeline dependent, he should recognize you. I want to know if he does.

Why would he recognize me?

( or batman, he figures. which, with boots on as well as his cape, the cowl follows next, then gloves after he's wrapped his hands up a bit. )

Because he is my father's best friend.

( since bruce is ready, damian - jumps down from the headboard and starts towards the door. runs a gloved hand over titus' head on his way out. )

As his son is mine.

( no longer bruce, but now the batman, he watches as damian takes his leave from the headboard — as he makes his way for the door and titus there. silent, he follows after, steps heavy, cape following behind him. )

And where exactly do you intend to find him here?

We'll go outside, and you'll call for him. If he is who I believe he is, he'll hear you.

( likely could hear them now, but he doubts damian and bruce's conversation is anything that kent would be focused on. he can hear everything, but he chooses where to put his focus.

damian moves over to the closest window, and flings it open. jumps up onto the ledge, then hooks his grapple on the edge so he can leap on out of it and down onto the grass below.

stairs are for losers. )

( call for him, he says and so nonchalantly at that. the confusion is there on bruce's face, damian choosing to exit the manor the way that he does and he stares after him for a long moment. just when he thinks he's getting ahead with trying to process everything here, something else gets thrown into it all.

he follows suit, his own grapple gun aiding him in leaving the manor and coming down near damian— near robin, really. locking it back into his glove, he eyes damian. )

What do you mean by call for him? Who exactly am I calling here?

( from another planet doesn't really give him much to go on, kid. )

( he could give significantly more information here. would, generally speaking. but he doesn't want to give too much if for some reason, this clark is an entirely different kind of clark. damian has been careful with the information he has given thus far, because too much is going to overwhelm bruce, especially with everything else going on. )

Call for Superman. If he knows you, he'll recognize your voice.

Not until you tell me what I'm potentially up against here.

( come on, damian. you know he won't just blindly call for some alien to come see him without having an idea of what to expect. )

He may be a Kryptonian.

( may be, because he's not establishing he is until he knows for certain. all signs point to yes, but while damian likes to prepare for every scenario, he doesn't want to establish something is something specific without confirmation. )

Super hearing, flight, super strength. Generally considered harmless regardless of his strength. His moral code keeps him in check.

( moral code. he knows about that. to an extent. still. it's the hearing, flight, and strength that has him eyeing damian. mostly because it seems a little fantastical more than anything else, but. also because that puts him in a position he doesn't like to be in: not having the upper hand. )

Doesn't have a signal?

( dry humor, not a drop of amusement in it. all sarcasm, but. he sighs, still eyeing damian, before he looks around them — looks around the "grounds" of the manor. jaw clenched, he looks towards the darkened sky. this feels... ridiculous. )

Superman... it's Batman.

( there? )

Edited 2024-04-27 04:20 (UTC)

[ it feels like a breeze. a flicker in the air. because the moment you blink, there was nothing. and when you open your eyes, he is there. hovering, gazing down at bruce with an imperceptible look on his face.

because his heartbeat is different. his height, his look . . . it doesn't resemble the battered, bitter man he knew. and clark isn't sure how he feels about that. ]

You are here.

( just as he'd suspected.

damian doesn't flinch any. he stays two steps behind bruce and pulls his cloak up around his shoulders so it covers the entirety of his robin uniform. his chin tips back, looking up to where clark hovers. narrows his eyes as he looks him over for recognizable features, for similarities and differences. )

Are you intending to come down, or are you planning on staying high enough to be visible to others?

( just asking. )

[ clark purses his lips for a moment before he descends, his cape weaving through the air. once his feet touch the ground, he takes a good long look at them both. listens to their heartbeats. ]

Bruce Wayne, I presume.

( he doesn't really know what he expected, but. as damian had said, superman answered his call.

it's jarring how quickly he had. how one second, the sky had been clear and the literal next, a man — kryptonian? — is hovering there within it. unsettling is also a word for it. especially given the fact that he has no real defense against something like that currently. no way to anticipate or counter such an... ability.

this also puts bruce a little on edge because he clearly doesn't know [of] a superman and, while damian claims that the version of himself he has knows and works with the superman of his gotham — his world — he's very much not the bruce wayne damian knows as his father. therefore, how his... existence here will be perceived by this superman is... unpredictable and bruce doesn't like unpredictable.

also. damn, he really hates when people know who the hell he is behind the cowl. )

And you're Kent.

[ clark allows himself a dry smile, a tilt of his head. the corners of his eyes are crinkled. ]

Clark Kent. Or Kal-El.

[ he glances at damian for a moment. ]

How much does he know?

( superman smiles, and damian's gaze goes from clark to bruce. watches their expressions carefully, although he's more focused on clark than anything else. bruce, he knows well enough already. )

He knows enough.

( a glance to bruce, before he's tipping his chin up to focus on clark. )

You don't recognize me.

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