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Post by Jakazul on Aug 20, 2003 15:49:06 GMT -5
Continued from Dominion Central~ Batman was already changed into his street clothes by the time he arrived in Paris. The trip had been short since he had taken the Bat-gyro at speeds even it was almost uncapable of. His suit was, to say the least, wrinkled, since he had put it on at super speed and it had been in poor shape before. He was shaken after what had happened. He had pulled a gun. He knew, even then, that he wouldn't've used it, but what if it had gone off? What if... He couldn't think about it, he knew everything would work out, but he was sick of it all. He wasn't hanging up the mantel or anything like that, just taking a vacation. He seriously, seriously needed a vacation. It took him about eighteen minutes to find his way through the old, narrow streets to the apartment he was looking for. He had found an old theatre program that had told him everything he needed to know. He made his way up the stairs, pushing back his messy hair and buttoning his suit as he went. His voice was scratchy and his joints ached from almost three days of sleepless...really restless in general... fatigue. He made it up to the second story, then finally the third and rang the doorbell. "Qui est-il?" (Who is it?) the voice on the other side asked. "Conjecture." (Guess) he replied, a hint of a smile coming across his face. "Wha...?" The door was flung open. "Bruce?" She asked surprised. "It's been a long time Julie." Julie Madison looked at him for a long minute, than slapped him.
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Post by Jakazul on Aug 20, 2003 16:04:22 GMT -5
Bruce rubbed his face. "What was that for?" He asked, whincing from the pain although he knew it shouldn't've hurt. Batman was ALWAYS prepared...But then again he wasn't feeling too Batman-like at the moment. "What'd I do?" Julie starred at him, disbelieving. "You broak of our engagement, you never even said goodbye when I left Gotham! I was kidnapped and attaked half a dozen times while I was in Gotham and you never even called the police!" "But Batman..." "Oh who gives a @$(*^ about Batman Bruce? It's YOU I carred about not Batman. It's YOU who let me down too." "Wha... Let you down? But Julie listen..." "And now, you come to Paris after...What has it been? Fifteen years maybe? Without even telling me you're coming..." "How could I have told you?" "Well you found me easily enough didn't you?" He starred at her for a moment. "I'm here now." "Oh. You were always here afterwards! It's just that you were never here in time! That's what counts. You never were anywhere when i needed you!" "So what are you saying? You won't talk to me at all? I came for nothing?" "How's tomorrow at six?" She said, her mood changing entirely. "Tonight at eight." "Tomorrow at five." "Right now." She smiled. "Here at the right minute now?" "I'm trying." "Alright." She disapeared into her apartment, then re-appeared, jacket on, purse in hand. "Let's go."
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Post by Jakazul on Aug 20, 2003 16:29:48 GMT -5
Bruce and Julie sat across from each other before a small, round table with an umbrella on top, the sun beating down around then. Julie took a sip of wine and then spoke. "So Bruce, what did you come for anyway?" "What do you mean?" "Well...You know I mean you just show up out of the blue after years and ask me to go out with you. It's not that normal... Flattering, but not normal." Bruce smiled. "Yeah... Has it really been that long?" "No. Only a decade. Come on Bruce, what do you want. I'm not going to waste my life on you any more than necesarry." "I'm hurt." He said in mock-sadness. "But really, I don't want anything but you." "Yeah. I haven't heard that in a while... I think the last time I heard that was when you proposed and look how that turned out." This time Bruce's reaction was opposite. Mock happiness though inside he was hurt now. "I know Julie. I'm really sorry I was never there for you... It just...Didn't work out I guess." "No. It didn't." "I just... I didn't want to see you get hurt and..." "What? Even if I tripped I would've just fallen on a wad of cash... Or maybe... What was his name Alfred... Would've caught me." "You don't understand." Bruce said, annoyed at the sarcasm. "Things weren't that simple." "Oh?" "Assasination attempts, theft..." "And Batman watching my back the whole way. How horrible." "It didn't work out Julie, I'm not here to try and start a relationship again..." "No?" She asked, sarcastic, but never the less surprised. "Then what are you here for?" "You remember how you said I was never there for you?" "Yeah." "I was." "What do you mean? Were you praying for me? Have you converted to catholocism and decided to be a priest or a monk or whatever now?" She asked, the word "Monk" drawing a tiny thread of terror from deep in her throat, remembering the vampire/ werewolf that had kidnapped her so long ago. Her life was so much easier now that she was in Paris, with an acting career that had taken off and a cheap apartment... She wasn't doing great, but not bad either. "No." he replied, breaking her train of thought. "I was the one who saved you." "How do you figure?" He pulled out the black, bat eared mask. "This is how I figure." She looked at the mask and then, to his surprise, laughed. "Yeah, you expect me to believe you're Batman!" She said, loud enough for the almost empty restaurant to hear although the other couple spoke no english whatsoever. "Listen Julie, this is the truth. I didn't want to tell you, but it's true. I'm Batman." "Alright," She said, still grinning. "Let's say I believe you, which I don't, why are you telling me now?" "Because I need your help." "What? You want me to be Bat-lady or something?" "Uh-uh. I want you to get me help." "From who? If you're Batman why can't you get it?" "Because Basil Karlo's in love with you."
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Post by Jakazul on Aug 20, 2003 16:47:14 GMT -5
"What? Karlo? Like the 'Dread Castle' Karlo that wore make up and tried to kill me? Sorry Bruce, but no way. Even if you were Batman I wouldn't... What do you want me to do? Act like I'm in love with him and get him to become your sidekick?" "No, he has a son, Cassidy, that wouldn't like that too much." "A son? What freak of nature would marry Karlo?" "Nobody married him and a freak of nature is just that." "What d'ou mean?" "Karlo found a serum...Injected himself with it and got made into... Living mud. He calls himself the Ultimate Clayface now and the mother of his son is another clayface, goes by Lady Clay." "Ok... Now I'm really scared." "Why?" "Because I'm starting to believe you... Alright Bruce... What do you want? Not that I'm going todo it, but..." "You've heard about Dominion?" "Yeah...Why?" "Dominion's become a big threat...Bigger than just owning the world, he can, and might, destroy it.' "I've been thinking of ways to stop him and I thought of one, but I need Karlo." "Is he like in prison?" "No." "You want me to talk to a crazy psychopath to try to convice him to help his worst enemy get rid of another psycopath and all this without protection of any kind?" "I'll be nearby." "Nearby. Oh, great Bruce, you'll be nearby. I'm the safest girl in the world. Why aren't you off beating the crap out of Dominion anyway if you're Batman?" "I almost killed him." "Is that regret I hear? The famous Bruce Wayne, millionare chauvenist playboy and superhero wanna be showing regret?" "This isn't a joke Julie." "Fine, but you getting me to help is!" "Listen Julie, you've got to help. This could be the only way to save the world!" Julie looked at him for a long, long minute, then sighed. "If you're lying to me I will rip your throat out and stuff it up your millionare butt." "Deal."
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Post by Jakazul on Aug 20, 2003 16:56:46 GMT -5
TO BE CONTIUED...
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