Beyond Batman and Superman
Disclaimer: DC owns everything, except my story and adaption of these characters.
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Gotham
“Based on what you told me, Superman was the greatest hero ever.” Terry shrank backwards at the previous Batman, Bruce Wayne’s glare. “I mean one of the greatest.”
Inside the batcave, the former caped crusader, reclined in his enormous, black chair, scowled at his successor. Terry Mcginnis, the seventeen-year-old replacement, had just returned from patrolling. Minus the cowl, the new batsuit remained.
“I suggest you stop wasting time.” Mister Wayne said, continuing to glower. His fierce stare met Terry’s somewhat calm response. Over the years, the new Batman had gotten used to the Batglare. However, he like many others could not withstand it for long.
“Would you mind telling me what happened between you two?” Terry asked, scratching behind his head.
“No.” Mister Wayne replied, turning his chair away. “There is no time for chit chat, even if Gotham is quiet right now.” Terry’s predecessor turned the chair around. “Even If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t have time to give you a lecture in history either ways.”
Terry sighed; he knew Mister Wayne was right; Gotham was never this quiet. On the other hand, his curiosity remained, though. “Hey, I don’t want to take a refresher course of history.” He paused trying to get the right words. “I just want to know what caused the rift between you two.”
Death on his ears, Bruce did not respond. Terry sighed, listening to the silence. Turning around, he began to walk away. Nearing the cases for the suits, the present Caped Crusader did not hear the voice of Bruce Wayne, but Batman.
“We just saw the world differently.”
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He was light. I was darkness. Funny thing, no one believed we could be friends. Somehow, we were. Together, we represented the two sides of the world: Hope… Despair. I saw the realistic, ugly side of the world. He saw the hopeful future, the cities of tomorrow.
We were nothing but opposites in such a strange world. Except people said our differences made us the greatest team ever, even better than the Dynamic Duo. Funny thing, we disagreed about that precise thing, the Dynamic Duo.
“Get them out of here, Bruce.” Clark said. “They are children.”
I, dressed as Batman, stood beside Robin and Batgirl. Today, Superman decided to pay an unexpected visit to Gotham. It was like those other times, when he decided to cram his ideals into my head. Even if he meant well, like always, I wasn’t listening.
“Robin, Batgirl,” I said, glancing at them from the corner of my eyes. “Go back to the cave.”
After the sound of grappling hooks, shot through the air, I know they were gone. Then I stared down the man dressed in blue and red.
“Nightwing left, Bruce.” He said, taking stabs at painful history. “Why continue to destroy these children’s life, even further? Why continue breaking up your family?
“They need to be here, Clark.” I said.” Let’s face it, “Superman”, they are better off now.”
“You mean better off until they die or get injured!” Superman exclaimed. Coming closer, he got in my face. “You know how dangerous this line of work is.”
“Unlike you, Clark, my morals do not dictate my choices of pupils. You should take your words to heart, and be there for Superboy. Instead of helping him, you stay away. Unintentionally, breaking a part your family, your blood…”
Superman grasped my shirt, then he let go. “I hope no one gets injured or worse.” He said, turning around, and then flying off. “Not for your sake, but theirs...”
__________________________________________________________________________
I was light. He was darkness. Funny thing, no one believed we could be friends. Somehow, we were. Together, we represented the two sides of the world: Hope… Despair. I saw the hopeful future, the cities of tomorrow. He saw the realistic, ugly side of the world.
We were nothing but opposites in such a strange world. Except people said our differences made us the greatest team ever, even better than the Dynamic Duo. Funny thing, we disagreed about that precise thing, the Dynamic Duo.
I flew through the Batcave. Gently landing onto the cave floor, I maneuvered to the man sitting in his chair, Bruce Wayne.
“Clark,” he said as I moved closer. Just like usual, he never had to turn around.
“What brings you here today?”
“Paying an old friend a visit,” I paused, staring at the back-sideward part of the chair. “How have you been holding up?”
“Fine,” I hear him say. His voice was even as usual. “How about yourself, how are you?”
“Fine,” I replied, blinking through the awkwardness diffusing in the room.
However, from my spot, “I see… his shoulders are shaking.” That thought mirrored my vision.
“I just came here to tell you, ‘you don’t have to suffer alone’.” I reached my hand out to his chair, but stopped. Bruce always had a stubborn way of coping, but I liked to think I know him better than anyone else did. “The league is here for you. So am I.”
I met silence, except the occasional swift, soft noise of Bruce’s hand moving. Maybe, I should have used my x-ray vision. However, I stopped because I already knew what he was doing. In his hands, he was holding the mask of Robin, belonging to the dead Tim Drake.
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Metropolis
“You know how stubborn Bruce is.” Terry said, sitting in a chair inside the Kent household. “He wouldn’t tell me.”
Opposite of him, Clark Kent sat in an opposing chair, wearing his favorite formal suite, the Superman costume.
Clark took a brief moment to think. What is a good answer for this question?
“We just saw the world differently.”
“That’s it?” Terry asked, sinking into the chair.
“Yes.” Clark responded. “You see, Batman and I just saw the world from a different standpoint.”
The new Batman stood up. “You old guys are more similar than I thought.” Then he walked towards the door as Clark watched him leave.
”No, you just will never know beyond that.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Gotham
“Based on what you told me, Superman was the greatest hero ever.” Terry shrank backwards at the previous Batman, Bruce Wayne’s glare. “I mean one of the greatest.”
Inside the batcave, the former caped crusader, reclined in his enormous, black chair, scowled at his successor. Terry Mcginnis, the seventeen-year-old replacement, had just returned from patrolling. Minus the cowl, the new batsuit remained.
“I suggest you stop wasting time.” Mister Wayne said, continuing to glower. His fierce stare met Terry’s somewhat calm response. Over the years, the new Batman had gotten used to the Batglare. However, he like many others could not withstand it for long.
“Would you mind telling me what happened between you two?” Terry asked, scratching behind his head.
“No.” Mister Wayne replied, turning his chair away. “There is no time for chit chat, even if Gotham is quiet right now.” Terry’s predecessor turned the chair around. “Even If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t have time to give you a lecture in history either ways.”
Terry sighed; he knew Mister Wayne was right; Gotham was never this quiet. On the other hand, his curiosity remained, though. “Hey, I don’t want to take a refresher course of history.” He paused trying to get the right words. “I just want to know what caused the rift between you two.”
Death on his ears, Bruce did not respond. Terry sighed, listening to the silence. Turning around, he began to walk away. Nearing the cases for the suits, the present Caped Crusader did not hear the voice of Bruce Wayne, but Batman.
“We just saw the world differently.”
__________________________________________________________________
He was light. I was darkness. Funny thing, no one believed we could be friends. Somehow, we were. Together, we represented the two sides of the world: Hope… Despair. I saw the realistic, ugly side of the world. He saw the hopeful future, the cities of tomorrow.
We were nothing but opposites in such a strange world. Except people said our differences made us the greatest team ever, even better than the Dynamic Duo. Funny thing, we disagreed about that precise thing, the Dynamic Duo.
“Get them out of here, Bruce.” Clark said. “They are children.”
I, dressed as Batman, stood beside Robin and Batgirl. Today, Superman decided to pay an unexpected visit to Gotham. It was like those other times, when he decided to cram his ideals into my head. Even if he meant well, like always, I wasn’t listening.
“Robin, Batgirl,” I said, glancing at them from the corner of my eyes. “Go back to the cave.”
After the sound of grappling hooks, shot through the air, I know they were gone. Then I stared down the man dressed in blue and red.
“Nightwing left, Bruce.” He said, taking stabs at painful history. “Why continue to destroy these children’s life, even further? Why continue breaking up your family?
“They need to be here, Clark.” I said.” Let’s face it, “Superman”, they are better off now.”
“You mean better off until they die or get injured!” Superman exclaimed. Coming closer, he got in my face. “You know how dangerous this line of work is.”
“Unlike you, Clark, my morals do not dictate my choices of pupils. You should take your words to heart, and be there for Superboy. Instead of helping him, you stay away. Unintentionally, breaking a part your family, your blood…”
Superman grasped my shirt, then he let go. “I hope no one gets injured or worse.” He said, turning around, and then flying off. “Not for your sake, but theirs...”
__________________________________________________________________________
I was light. He was darkness. Funny thing, no one believed we could be friends. Somehow, we were. Together, we represented the two sides of the world: Hope… Despair. I saw the hopeful future, the cities of tomorrow. He saw the realistic, ugly side of the world.
We were nothing but opposites in such a strange world. Except people said our differences made us the greatest team ever, even better than the Dynamic Duo. Funny thing, we disagreed about that precise thing, the Dynamic Duo.
I flew through the Batcave. Gently landing onto the cave floor, I maneuvered to the man sitting in his chair, Bruce Wayne.
“Clark,” he said as I moved closer. Just like usual, he never had to turn around.
“What brings you here today?”
“Paying an old friend a visit,” I paused, staring at the back-sideward part of the chair. “How have you been holding up?”
“Fine,” I hear him say. His voice was even as usual. “How about yourself, how are you?”
“Fine,” I replied, blinking through the awkwardness diffusing in the room.
However, from my spot, “I see… his shoulders are shaking.” That thought mirrored my vision.
“I just came here to tell you, ‘you don’t have to suffer alone’.” I reached my hand out to his chair, but stopped. Bruce always had a stubborn way of coping, but I liked to think I know him better than anyone else did. “The league is here for you. So am I.”
I met silence, except the occasional swift, soft noise of Bruce’s hand moving. Maybe, I should have used my x-ray vision. However, I stopped because I already knew what he was doing. In his hands, he was holding the mask of Robin, belonging to the dead Tim Drake.
__________________________________________________________________________
Metropolis
“You know how stubborn Bruce is.” Terry said, sitting in a chair inside the Kent household. “He wouldn’t tell me.”
Opposite of him, Clark Kent sat in an opposing chair, wearing his favorite formal suite, the Superman costume.
Clark took a brief moment to think. What is a good answer for this question?
“We just saw the world differently.”
“That’s it?” Terry asked, sinking into the chair.
“Yes.” Clark responded. “You see, Batman and I just saw the world from a different standpoint.”
The new Batman stood up. “You old guys are more similar than I thought.” Then he walked towards the door as Clark watched him leave.
”No, you just will never know beyond that.
__________________________________________________________________________