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"C'mon!" Nick tried not to let Jenny's sharp tone grate against his already frayed and frenzied nerves, atleast not more than the multiple stimuli all around him already did. Loud chanting that was synchronised enough for words and phrases to carry through, but still too disharmonious for his mind to navigate without giving him a headache.
Jenny was rushing ahead of him with ease—completely disregarding the fact that he was carrying a camera that was by no means lightweight—and occasionally shooting him the nastiest side eyes everytime she glanced back at him. As though he were jeopardising their only chance at talking to Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman on purpose.
The Daily Planet had already gotten to Superman—which was just short of baffling. A newbie at that, cause Nick didn't recognise her and when he asked Jenny, she didn't either. But Superman seemed like the guy humble enough to entertain the funeral procession for a news outlet's overly eager rookie hire.
Wonder Woman had already engaged with the press and had long abandoned them for her fans. And the only reason they didn't squeeze past one another was because of every stern look she'd levy them with whenever they tried.
By the time Jenny had gotten to Batman—she was the only person he could think of who'd have the guts to approach...that—Wonder Woman had already hoisted an eager little girl over the fencing keeping everyone else at bay. Probably ten years in age, a big enough fan to make her own Wonder Woman merch, tiara and all. Crouching just to look her in the eyes as she all but rambled Wonder Woman's ear off.
Nick was tempted to turn his camera to the sight, especially when Wonder Woman reached for a strand of the girl's red hair as if to study it. Giving it far more scrutiny than it deserved before tucking it behind the girl's ear. But then Jenny snapped her fingers in his face and he remembered himself. Remembered why they were here.
Not for some heartwarming fluff piece, that would—at best—secure a section in the corner of the seventh page. They were here for a hit, where engagement wasn't just guaranteed, but inevitable. Because, as Jen liked to put it, outrage is the only opinion that's ever significant enough to hold power because ethicality without power is just an opinion.
It was morbid and self serving. But true. And it was exactly why Nick's camera had been rolling long before it had someone to focus on. The kind of hit they were trying to get was the kind most agencies got through camouflaged listening devices and hidden cameras. The kind of things people didn't say with an audience.
"Batman," Jenny called out in greeting all to get completely ignored. Like she wasn't even there, but that hadn't stopped her before so it certainly wouldn't start now. "I'm with the Metropolis Star and if you have time, we'd like a few words from Gotham's very own."
Batman had been reeling in the rope of his grappling gun before they'd approached. Now securing it against his utility belt, he barely graced Jenny with a glance. But that was all she needed.
"Ever since you've chosen to publicise your existence—" Jenny began with little fanfare, all to be cut off almost immediately.
"It wasn't a choice." The camera shook in Nick's hands as an involuntary shudder racked his spine. Batman's voice was somehow scarier than he'd already prepared himself for it to be. A low growl that was almost unintelligible. And it didn't really help that he was a near seven feet of armoured muscle, currently towering over them both.
Of course, Jenny was barely knocked out of stride. "Would you like to elaborate on that?"
Twelve seconds into the most uncomfortable silence Nick's ever experienced, Batman all but staring into Jenny's soul—unmoving to a degree that was just simply inhuman [especially for someone his size], Jenny realised she wasn't getting an answer. But atleast he hadn't just walked away, as most reporters and opportunistic bystanders claimed was a habit of his.
"I'll take that as a no. With your existence publicised—" Jenny continued. "—you've gained yourself a loyal fanbase. Mostly in Gotham but..." Jenny glanced at the crowds held back by fencing. Some chanting out Wonder Woman's name, others chanting out Superman's, which was to be expected. The rest screaming Batman's. As if to ensnare his attention, telling on the fact that he rarely ever even glanced their way before disappearing. "—clearly your influence has extended farther. Influence on people who celebrate your destructive behaviour which creates this disconcerting paradox of acknowledging your violent methodology while playing it off for laughs or as endearing to the masses."
Wonder Woman was looking at them now. Superhearing. Nick had heard about it, even engaged in some fun speculation. But seeing it in action was a completely different experience. And so was Superman, though Wonder Woman's gaze was noticeably less venomous. Nick hadn't even known Superman could look that purely and blatantly disdained. But Jenny paid them no mind, tunnel visioned on her current prey with an intensity Nick would envy when he wasn't too preoccupied with avoiding being sighted by either Wonder Woman or Superman.
"The second most infamous of your victims being the Black Mask and his gang. A group which you brutalised just enough to keep alive, perhaps so as to not count yourself a murderer alongside your long—" Jenny drawled the word out, "—list of crimes."
"Victims," Batman echoed, halting Jenny in an almost imperceptible stutter for the first time since she'd approached him. Their line of work was a thin one. Treading carefully was non-negotiable unless you wanted to plummet to your demise.
"I'm merely calling them what your city's police department classified them under after accounting their injuries during detainment," a blatant lie told with a straight face. Very few people would check to verify if it were true. Even less would have the influence or power to do something about it. Though power and truth rarely ever went hand in hand.
"Do you remember this, Mr...Batman?" Jenny mercilessly pressed on. "The injuries you caused? That your fanbase knows you caused well enough to consider torture methods." Jenny titled her head to side, challenging in her accusatory questioning.
"Twitter user, Christopher @stop217, one of your many loyal fans went viral no more than three weeks ago for a tweet they made on a post that literally had nothing to do with you—Batman, outside of it's violent imagery." Batman didn't respond, in fact, he didn't even seem fazed. If Nick indulged his delusions, he'd say Batman seemed bemused. "Stating, and I quote, “Even Batman couldn't torture that information out of me,” end quote." Jenny punctuated the last of her words with the severity of an eager executioner.
"Really?" Batman replied, gruff tone oozing with mirth his cowl wouldn't show from his face. So Nick hadn't been imagining it. And Jenny seemed to pick up on it too. As did Superman whose glower had faltered against his confusion, now directed towards Batman.
"Really Christopher?" Batman reiterated, now looking directly at the camera instead of Jenny. Despite that, Nick still felt the need to turn his own gaze elsewhere, landing on Wonder Woman currently holding the red haired girl close to herself. As if simply letting her go wasn't an option.
"What are you gonna do when I put your testicles in a two-strand twistor?"
"What." Jenny's incredulous shock mirrored that of Superman and Wonder Woman's, who were both gaping. Though Wonder Woman with the exception of firmly pressing her hands against the red haired girl's ears, as if she could hear anything from their distance.
Then Batman punctuated his threat with a, "vrrr vrrr vrrr vrrr", while making twisting motions with his clawed hand. That was apparently Wonder Woman's breaking point, whose shock gave way to laughter. Laughter she tried to hide from Superman's inquiring and mostly judgemental stare by simply turning away. Leaving him with only her occasionally shaking shoulders even as her hands remained pressed at the girl's ears—a girl who looked on to the sight with blatant curiosity now.
Batman's reply to Jenny's inquiry had only baffled her more. "Are you gonna stand on business, Stop217?" And broke even more of Wonder Woman's already non existent composure.
"BaTmAn CoUlDn'T gEt ThAt InFoRmAtIoN oUt Of Me—" Batman echoed, tone blatantly mocking. "What are you gonna do when I slam your ankle with a razor scooter."
Nick would get the chance to appreciate Jenny and Superman's mirrored expressions of pure confusion and slight horror when his own composure wasn't at risk of fraying at it's edges. But of course, Batman was relentless on seeing it unravelled.
"Are you gonna hold it down, twin?" Batman crossed his fingers for emphasis, and that was when Nick lost it. His doubling down in laughter subsequently costing him any more footage he could record and possibly his job.
Batman Threatens To TORTURE fan on camera? #batman #gothamcity #metropolisstar #wonderwoman #superman #roguevigilante
>Clover
@clover🍀 NO! NO HE DID NOT!😭 [a picture of Batman— possibly an edited screenshot from the footage from Metropolis Star's official account—in all his bulk and armoured glory, holding up his crossed fingers with the caption «Are you gonna hold it down twin?»]
34.7k likes 12 replies
>>Anna
@getannabortion Replying to @clover🍀 new meme unlocked😭💔
10.9k likes 5 replies
>>Lily
@lily(◕ᴗ◕✿) Replying to @clover🍀 this is one heck of way to find out Batman's Gen Z 🥀
9k likes 16 replies
>Elmo
@rockocansuckit yo @beth we get it bro💔💔
22k likes 6 replies
>Christopher
@stop217 only reason I didn't shit bricks when I saw this was because of Wonder Woman lowkey laughing her ass off in the back😭🙏
63k likes 341 replies
>>Yomamaahoe
@yomama Replying to @stop217 [a meme of Batman looking directly into the camera with no obvious menace to his cowled expressions, but an obvious glint of mischievous glee, captioned «Really Christopher?» right beside a meme of Kendrick Lamar looking into a camera with a devious borderline devilish grin, captioned «Say Drake!»]
32k likes 27 replies
>>Benedict
@benaddict10 Replying to @stop217 “even Batman couldn't get that information out of me”
Batman: what are you gonna do when—[meme of a soldier amidst war staring wide eyed and unseeing]
27.3k likes 35 replies
>Silent_Pooper
@silentpooper67 somebody get @beth neutered 😨💔
14k likes 8 replies
>>Elizabeth
@beth Replying to @silentpooper67 [meme of freaky Sonic the Hedgehog putting out his tongue while maniacally rubbing his hands together]
10k likes 17 replies
>Hannah
@nothannah Superman just standing there, absolutely flabbergasted as he realises just how deranged his friend group is🥀
19k likes 27 replies
>Rocko
@elmocansuckit this is the exact moment when Wonder Woman lost the battle [a gif of Batman making a twisting gesture with his right hand, captioned «vrrr vrrr»]
31.6k likes 9 replies
>Elizabeth
@beth why Batman lowkey... 🤤
9k likes 54 replies
>Elizabeth
@beth chat hear me out [a picture of Batman who's focus is solely driven to the task of reeling in his grappling gun's rope, completely ignoring the frenzied crowd borderline screaming for his attention behind him. The image's quality betrays the fact that it was taken by a bystander]
17k likes 27 replies
>Elizabeth
@beth good lord he'd crush me [a picture of Batman standing beside Superman, almost dwarfing him in height and bulk alone. His spiked armour gleaming against exposure, clearly never intended for daytime with how eye catching it is compared to the stealth it's intended to allow]
12.8k likes 39 replies
>>Elizabeth
@beth Replying to @beth I'd let him
7.9k likes 42 replies
>Elizabeth
@beth she's stronger than me😭🙏 [a picture of Batman staring down the reporter interviewing him with an intense and unyielding gaze, while she stares back up, matching his intensity]
25k likes 31 replies
>Big_Word
@thatsabigwordforelmo give me the damn phone Elizabeth ✋
18k likes 9 replies
Kal did his best to ignore the chanting, tune it out. Especially from Batman's crowd of fans, as Diana had called them. Where his and Diana's fans beckoned for their attention almost joyfully, as if in celebration, celebrating them. Batman's fans chanted out his name as if their very lives depended on it, threw fists into the air as if this meant more than celebration. It meant blatant resistance.
Batman barely looked at them, pointedly avoided them. As if he wasn't ready to confront what he'd become to them. What he meant to them. As if it would be a blasphemy to acknowledge, one he yet had the bandwidth to face.
Diana was still wiping away at her tears with a knuckle and the reporting crew of two that had tried and failed to corner Batman had scrambled off to go argue amongst eachother. Though it was mostly a one-sided argument. This was as good a chance as he'd get.
"Hey, Batman." Kal tried to offer a smile, most likely awkward but a smile nonetheless. He wasn't good with people. Batman turned to look at him, basically stared into his soul.
"That was a joke back there, right?"
"..."
"..."
Silence punctuated by Batman's white visors boring through his suit and staring into his soul. Ten seconds in, Diana finally found it in her to approach with a hand at Batman's shoulder, turning a warm smile at Kal.
"Yes. He was joking." Diana answered on Batman's behalf, apparently seeing something in him, in his demeanour that Kal couldn't. Staring at Batman pointedly before flicking his “ear” as he turned away. Murmuring, “what is wrong with you”, fondly.
The sight would've ached him. Left him feeling more left out than he already did on this entire planet. A feeling he couldn't even allow to fester because Batman and Wonder Woman had met sooner than all three of them had. Hell! They both belonged to this planet.
But then Batman turned a small smile to them both before averting his gaze once again and the feeling withered away almost instantly.