Opposite Eventually Attract

Something's Gotta Give (i)

“Congratulations, you two are free men!”

Batman and Superman stared in stunned silence, or at least that is how Ray translated it. Then again, if the heavy mood that was now overtaking the room was just a product of shock, why did Ray suddenly feel so down? After spending the last four days tirelessly working on a virus that could destroy one of the most complex and intricately engineered nanomite technologies he’d seen in years, Ray was expecting a much better reaction.

Not quite sure how to translate their response, Ray spoke up with even more enthusiasm. “Well, don’t look so thrilled.”

Clark smiled weakly at the confused doctor and finally replied. “I guess we are just in shock that this is finally over.”

Batman nodded in agreement.

Ray gave them a skeptical look, but before he could question them further, Clark put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and looked at him with honest sincerity. “Thank you, Dr. Palmer.”

After saying their goodbyes, both heroes made their way outside.

“Well, I guess this is it,” Clark replied as he turned to face Bruce.

“Yeah,” Bruce replied back.

Unable to make eye contact and still not sure what else to say, Clark just stared past Bruce. In actuality, he expected Bruce to be the first to leave, like he usually did, but instead, he was just staring at Clark without a word.

Clark shifted his weight and cleared his throat before finally deciding to end the silence. “Well, I better get back to Metropolis. I’m sure Perry has a mountain of work piled up for me.”

Clark waited for a reply. When there was none, he lifted off the ground and gave Bruce one last glance. He then opened his mouth to speak but different words than what he wanted to say came out. “See you at the next meeting.”

___ ___ ___

It started off subtle. So subtle, it could have been mistaken for nothing at all. He was never the type to jump to conclusions, though. He was, however, the observant type. It was one of the main reasons he was still alive. Ever watchful of his surroundings and the people around him, knowing all their tells like a well seasoned card hustler. This level of vigilance was necessary in order for him to always stay one step ahead, predict the hand death continuously dealt him. Needless to say, it didn’t take him long to figure out something was wrong.

The first sign was probably the change of attitude at their meetings. The sudden decline in attentiveness, the complete lack of eye contact, and low sighs of what he was certain could be translated as frustration. Even when he was addressed directly by him, the dialogue between them was kept to a bare minimum, which brought up a second point.

In the past, after mission briefings, Superman would usually make a point to linger behind to go over notes with Batman. At first, it annoyed Bruce, but once he realized Clark was not doing it to question the competency of his plans, he was aggravated for a different reason. Somehow, a certain super powered being always managed to turn any kind of mission planning into a “let’s get to know each other better” segue.

Batman wasn’t sure which irritated him the most. Maybe it was the constant need to pry into his personal affairs?

How is Alfred doing? Is Damian finally settling in? When’s the last time you spoke to Dick?

Then again, it was hard to compare the level of annoyance he got from playing 20 questions with the volume of irritation produced from hearing Superman’s reprimands.

You should get more sleep. It might be healthier if you ate on a more regular schedule. Try taking a break every once in a while. Lighten up a bit.

He was almost as bad as Alfred!