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Alex had tried for an uneventful afternoon—seriously. He had even been content and willing to spend the entire subway ride staring at the blatant Luthor propaganda poster from across his seat. Entertaining himself by imagining the genuine idiot who'd like Luthor enough to waste money on a poster of him, and paste it inside the fucking train. It was either that or they were just genuinely evil—because no one in their right mind was voting for Luthor.
But Bruce fucking Wayne had other plans for Alex's afternoon.
“Excuse me,” Alex all but gritted out, pushing the lady next to him back in her own seat with his shoulder. She momentarily gave him his reprieve and his personal space back, just to scoff in his face.
“Get over yourself! This is a public space,” then she was back to leaning against him, right arm held above her head—hoping to get a good picture of Bruce Wayne from where he was obscured by a sea of human bodies. A lot of people thought Metropolis was a civilised paradise—but that was a pretty easy assumption to make when comparing it to Gotham City.
Alex just sighed in both resignation and exhaustion. The train ride would be over soon anyway—he was two stops away from home, and some people would get off on the first. And yet, he still couldn't help but send the most vicious glares he could from where he could see Bruce Wayne. The man kept a hand around one of the poles to keep from being bullied by the train's turbulence. Even though, at most, it's turbulence would only make you sway rather than toppling people over. When Alex looked close enough, he could see the white of Bruce Wayne's knuckles straining against his vice grip on the pole. Alex's brows furrowed.
Bruce Wayne was doing his best to pretend almost everyone in the train wasn't either taking pictures of him or staring at him like a zoo exhibit. And he was doing a pretty good job of it too, if only because his gaze switched between the doors, the floor and this one guy further off in the train. Every two minutes or so, their gazes would meet and they'd hold them before scanning each other's bodies and finally looking away—to the doors.
Living in the same city as Superman made you somewhat expert in noticing when things were amiss, and there was nothing normal about any of this. Why even use a train? He's rich—he could've called a private fucking jet if he needed impromptu transportation that badly.
But when he looked around, searching for that same suspicion in everyone else, he saw nothing but a sea of gaping fish—either staring or recording.
“Sorry,” Alex was involuntarily drawn back to Bruce Wayne, excusing himself as he politely brushed past the person impolitely and almost subtly trying to keep him in place, therefore in range to touch and gawk at. It was a low and smooth timbre, and Alex was extremely ashamed to admit—to himself and only himself—that he shuddered a little. He was straight, but he wasn't blind.
Bruce Wayne made his way a fraction closer to the doors on his left, eyeing them ravenously, for which he would not be blamed. But Alex did find unsettling that he then proceeded to look at the other guy he'd been having a staring match with since he got on the train—who had also gotten closer to the same door. And “looking at” was an insufficient description, it was more like glancing at him as discretely as he could. Side eyeing him essentially. Something was wrong and Alex's survival instincts were telling him to get out of this train as soon as possible. In direct contradiction with the fact that if Bruce Wayne clearly intended to get off the train, then he'd be safer in it rather than getting off.
That logic being the only reason he didn't get off as the train pulled to a stop and passengers reluctantly got out—snapping final pictures and briefly turning the train into a frenzy of flashes. By the time more than half of the train's passengers piled out into the subway and less than a dozen replaced them—people with eye bags beneath their eyes, and most in nurse uniforms—Bruce Wayne remained standing in the train. Hell, he'd even inched further away from the door!
Alex couldn't even help his snarl or his nose wrinkling in poorly subdued frustration because—why make it look like you're getting off if you're not actually getting off?! Once again, everyone else didn't seem to share his anxieties. If anything, it seemed like the novelty of Bruce Wayne using the subway coincidentally at the exact same time as them was starting to wear off. Some glancing less often, others turning their attention to their phones. Less than five people were still recording and taking pictures—including the lady beside him. But compared to the overstimulating frenzy of before, this was beyond tolerable.
But Bruce Wayne was relentless in raising Alex's hackles. Stuck in a routine Alex found disturbing—stare at the floor, turn his gaze to the window, glance at the man equally glancing at him before looking at the doors and then staring at the floor again. Each time the man drew closer, and Alex noted the man tried to do so discretely, Bruce Wayne would re-establish distance by inching back, just as discretely if not more so. In fact, if Alex wasn't actively looking for signs of suspicious behaviour, he wouldn't have noticed Bruce Wayne inching back.
Alex's hackles were raised, but he was content with ignoring everything like everyone else was. A futile venture, because upon looking closer than he already was, he started to noticed the unruly state of Bruce Wayne. Compared to the pristine, no-hair-out-of-line images he'd seen of the man in magazines or billboards—borderline ethereal even—he seemed more akin to a stray cat dragged through an alley. His hair had escaped it's gel cage, his shirt stuck out of his suit and...was that blood?
From between a cut on his lower lip and over his left cheek. How had Alex not noticed that? What else did he not notice? Shamelessly running his gaze over Bruce Wayne's body meant he couldn't possibly miss the moment the man effortlessly glided into Bruce's personal space. As if he wanted to greet the billionaire, talk to him. And Bruce Wayne, instead of inching back as he had this entire train ride, met the guy head on. Jaw tensing and clenching.
Alex would've had the time to note that that was very obviously abnormal. But he didn't, because in a sequence of events that happened in a short span of time, the man thrust a clenched fist at Bruce Wayne's abdomen without raising his arm—something he intended to be discreet. Something that Bruce Wayne effortlessly and just as swiftly blocked without looking down. Before the man tried again and the jabs went from something discreet and unnoticed, to violent and eager. Everyone else was starting to notice what Alex had ages ago and Bruce Wayne blocked every single jab.
Till, finally, the man grew thoroughly frustrated and impatient. Abandoning façades and discreetness in favour of literally attempting to slash what revealed itself to be a dagger across Bruce Wayne's face. He missed because Bruce Wayne leaned away as swiftly as the blade had swung for him. And now, everyone was damn well doing themselves a favour and scurrying further away. Some even screamed a little, an offense for which Alex would not blame them because the fight had so quickly escalated.
Bruce Wayne and this strange man were now literally throwing each other against the walls of the train, against the poles passengers used to steady themselves when standing in the train. Bruce, at some point, literally ensnared the man in a work of his own limbs before drawing him forward towards himself, and then throwing him over his head to the ground. The man landed with a powerful !thud! that made everyone else wince in empathy and startle in fear.
But that wasn't enough, because apparently, it didn't stop the man from leaping back up and back into the fray—just to sheath his dagger into Bruce's abdomen. The !shrrkk! of the dagger slicing through his flesh was disconcertingly loud enough for everyone to hear. And it was all the motivation Bruce Wayne seemed to have needed to end the fight sooner. Repeatedly ramming his knee into the man's face with a hand at the back of his head as leverage—a strong grip that did not relent as Bruce turned the man's face and slammed it to the doors of the train so hard it felt like they rattled. Then kicking him back with enough force to slam into the doors again before simply sliding down to the floor.
The man's face was now a thorough work of bruises, swelling and cuts. Though his eyes remained opened and enraged, he wisely elected to remain on the floor. Bruce Wayne on the other hand, remained standing—adrenaline clearly still coursing through his body as he stared down at his surrendered opponent. As if expecting the man to get back up and keep the fight going. But soon enough, he became aware of the staring—frightened, wide eyes and the persisting flashlight of phone cameras. He shuffled a step to his left, away from his aggressor on the floor, and became aware of the dagger buried in his abdomen with a wince.
The staring became a secondary concern to laying himself down. His body was a patchwork of aches and fractures and cuts—if he didn't play his cards right, this stab to the gut would be his undoing, the last straw on the camel's back.
He winced with every step back that inched him closer to the seats behind him. The movement of his legs drawing with them his hips, which in turn bullied his abdominal muscles into motion—stressing his flesh against the dagger's sharp edge. By the time he could feel the bench like seats against the back of his knees, plumes of smoke were curling into the edges of his vision. Bringing with them a shrill ringing that felt like it was dulling all his senses. He made a grab for the pole posted at the end of the seats, his hand going white with the force of his grip. Before, agonisingly slowly setting himself into the seat and refusing the instinct to arch back when the change in position curled his flesh snugly around the dagger.
His breathing was heavy and deep. Controlled in the sense that it now mattered how his diaphragm pushed against his chest, disturbing the wound lower down. He couldn't remove the dagger, that would just undo him faster. All he could was breath deeply and try to stymie the bleeding with his trembling left hand—the right still gripping the pole for dear life. A well made decision too because when the train came to a stop, it's turbulence could've lurched him off his seat. Even more so launch him to the opposite wall when it lurched again, this time so violently it felt like his entire section of the train shook and rattled with aftershocks.
The gasping was long lost on him, replaced by the relentless ringing in his ears. And when a strong hand closed around his right arm, he was ill prepared. He could only jolt upwards in a new rush of weak adrenaline, it doing nothing against the effortlessly subduing grip holding him still. The smoke slowly engulfing his vision from the edges gave way to red and blue, and Clark's face stared down at him at the epicenter of the red and blue swirls—pinched and frowned with concern. The last thing he saw before finally letting his body give way to exhaustion.
Alex could only watch in genuine confusion and abject terror, as Superman all but sped out of the train through the doors he tore open, with Bruce Wayne hugged against his chest.
Lex Luthor DENIES Any Involvement In Bruce Wayne ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT | #metropolisstar #metropolisstarofficial #brucewayne #superman #lexluthor
Billionaire-Industrialist Lex Luthor concluded his statement by sending his condolences to the currently hospitalised Gothamite Billionaire-Philanthropist, stating, “Our rivalry ends in the boardroom. Outside of it, I'd even consider us close allies, friends. I would never wish death upon someone, least of all orchestrate it—and certainly not towards my good friend, Brucey...” read more
>Anna
@getannabortion least obvious Luthor scheme 😭✌️
39k likes 781 replies
>Brucey's Fifth Glass Of Wine
@bruceysfifthglassofwine Lex Luthor when he has to spend a week being compared to an ACTUAL ethical billionaire 😭😭
47.9k likes 1029 replies
>>Christopher
@stop Replying to @bruceysfifthglassofwine and I bet he was FUMING watching the video of Superman carrying Bruce Wayne out bridal style 😭
12k likes 691 replies
>Neno
@rockocansuckit “my good friend, Brucey” pr statements used to be believable ✌️🥀
8.9k likes 289 replies
>Jonathan Smith
@jonathansmith Even after Lex Luthor denounced the honestly outrageous allegations—has no substantial evidence even incriminating him, you all still continue to falsely accuse him. A horde of hypocrites, nothing was ever going to be enough to change your minds.
3k likes 4009 replies
>>Emilia (｡☬０☬｡)
@emy Replying to @jonathansmith retirement home is calling John
9k likes 705 replies
What the actual fuck??? #brucewayne #metropolissubwaystationincident #gotham #superman
[The video is obscenely long for a tiktok. Starting from when the train was so frenzied, the cameraman had to struggle against the bodies blocking the camera's view. Still running when more than half the passengers reluctantly get off. And though the footage is briefly riddled with blurs when the fight starts, the cameraman regains their footing and impressive camera angle. Even though one could easily tell the cameraman is hiding behind someone while recording, from the shoulder occasionally sliding in from the left. The video doesn't stop even as Bruce Wayne all but struggles into an empty seat, clutching the pole beside him for dear life.—
—It violently jolts once again before swivelling to the doors of the train being pried open from the outside. There is a new trembling quality to the footage that wasn't there before and Superman steps through. Red eyes burning so deeply a thin, red plume of smoke wafts from the corners of his eyes. The crimson in them drains quickly when his gaze finds Bruce Wayne and without further fanfare, making a beeline for him. And the footage only cuts because the cameraman's phone is quite literally knocked out of their hands at the shock of Superman's departure—Bruce Wayne in tow and sonic boom left in his wake.]
>47_Missiles
@halfexception47 Metropolitans lowkey bitch made
71k likes 428 replies
>>Supergirl's Wench
@supergirl_swench Replying to @halfexception47 damn😭💔 what did we even do???
12k likes 131 replies
>>>47_Missiles
@halfexception47 Replying to @supergirl_swench Exactly. Y'all didn't step in to help, didn't call the police or paramedics, didn't even fucking run when all the doors opened! What did you even do? 🥀
37k likes 290 replies
>Cindy Cider
@cindycider since when could Bruce Wayne do all that??? 😭💔
17k likes 192 replies
>>Yolanda
@yoyo Replying to @cindycider since forever??? what kinda fuckass question is this
23k likes 201 replies
>>Christopher
@stop Replying to @cindycinder he literally has a criminal record of fighting in underground fighting pits at 17??? have you been living under a rock? 😭💔
21k likes 259 replies
>Layla_The_One
@laylathe01 the non-gothamites in this comment section lowkey pissing me off
56k likes 1907 replies
>>Anthony
@tony Replying to @laylathe01 always the first ones to give us their opinions about a city they don't live in 😭✌️💔
27k likes 993 replies
>>Jennifer
@niffer Replying to @laylathe01 just say metropolitans gang 😭✌️🥀
11k likes 1017 replies
>Lily(✿^‿^)
@lily(✿^‿^)let's address the elephant in the fucking room [editted gif of Superman prying open the train doors from the outside, eyes burning a deep crimson]
9k likes 57 replies
>>Lily(✿^‿^)
@lily(✿^‿^) Replying to @lily(✿^‿^) last time I saw somebody moving like this was when their baby mama was on the line
17k likes 291 replies
>>>Bobby
@bob310 Replying to @lily(✿^‿^) so what, Superman can't save people anymore without them being romantically involved with him??? Genuinely what are you guys on
2.8k likes 115 replies
>>>>Mel☬◍✧*。
@mel Replying to @bob310 are we serious rn???🥀 [a screenshot of Superman from the video, zoomed in on his face and his very obviously enraged expression made frightening by his heat vision]
5k likes 239 replies
>Bruliver Endgame
@bruliver_endgame why are Gothamites getting mad that people OUTSIDE of Gotham City didn't know Bruce Wayne could fight? Like bro 😭💔
12k likes 110 replies
>>BigWord
@bigwordforelmo Replying to @bruliver_endgame even if you didn't know, why would you assume he can't?? Who in their right mind would assume a GOTHAMITE can't fight—he's still a gothamite brotato chip 😭✌️💔
16k likes 251 replies
>>Sisyphus
@sisyphusyouwuss Replying to @bruliver_endgame it pisses us off because not knowing doesn't stop any of you from giving us your opinions🥀
10.9k likes 309 replies
>#1 Bruce Wayne Connoisseur
@brucewaynecanWHOOPurahh 😌😌😌
41k likes 192 replies
>>Elizabeth
@beth Replying to @brucewaynecanWHOOPurahh you tried to tell us 😭😭
21k likes 69 replies
>Horton_Hoeton
@🐘 as a gothamite, even I'M a little shocked 😭😭
36k likes 208 replies
>>Lizzzie
@lizzzie(✯ᴗ✯) Replying to @🐘RIGHT! like I knew he could throw hands but those are HAYMAKERS 😭🙏💔
11k likes 97 replies
>47_Missiles
@halfexception47 there's actually genuinely no way there isn't SOMETHING happening here [editted screenshot from the video, zoomed in on Superman's hand holding Bruce Wayne's head against his chest]
29k likes 319 replies
>>Mel☬◍✧*。
@mel Replying to @halfexception47 apparently he hasn't even left the hospital yet 😭😭😭
9k likes 197 replies
>>Rocko
@elmocansuckit Replying to @halfexception47 Luthor shitting bricks right now 😭💔 [another zoomed in image on Superman's face just after he tore the train doors open]
5.7k likes 230 replies