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[anewhope]

[ clark pauses as he collects his thoughts. this needed to be precise. ]

When I revealed myself to the world — When the last kryptons invaded — it changed everything. More importantly, it bothered people to know a Superman exists.

And a man named Lex Luthor manipulated events to shift public opinion against me. He — [ clark pauses to digest the old anger. ] — kidnapped my mother. To force me to fight against the Batman.

[ another, more longer, pregnant pause. ]

Batman was angry too. I don't know — [ well. maybe he did? it's hard to say. clark doesn't want to put words in another bruce's mouth. ] — I don't know what pushed him so far. But he fashioned a Kryptonite spear to kill me.

I asked him to stop. I told him I was wrong. I pleaded. But we had to fight.

[ again. a pause. ]

And he tried to kill me.

[batsymbol]

( quiet, he listens to what it is clark has to say — what he claims he's been putting off telling him. for him to reach out to him and come all this way after their last... encounter... with one another, he'll give him his attention. even if it's laced with suspicion. )

I'm familiar with the name.

( luthor, he means.

but he continues to listen — pieces together everything that clark is telling him and lining it up with their last interaction. hm. )

But you came to an understanding I take it?

( tried being the keyword there, as well as the fact that clark hadn't entirely rebuffed or attacked him on sight when finding him here. )

[anewhope]

[ clark lets the silence settle for a moment. then he speaks, strangely light-hearted but not in an amused, belittling manner. ]

I asked him to save my mother.

. . . Do you know what her name was?

[batsymbol]

Considering you currently don't exist where I'm from... no.

( it's said a little deadpanned. )

[anewhope]

I grew up on Earth, Bruce.

And her name is Martha.

[batsymbol]

( sure, clark. but superman isn't a thing currently.

the name, however, has him just stare silently to the other man for a long moment. clearly for reasons clark might already know if he's bringing her name up, just... given certain events that happened a couple weeks ago concerning his mother, hearing her name is a little... it still hurts a bit.

but. you know. bruce doesn't let himself show that. )

A sort of olive branch.

[anewhope]

I don't know. I just know it . . . broke through.

[ bruce had screamed. stop saying her name. and then it was like . . . clarity descended. a heartbreak that brought him back. bruce realized he saw a human. a man.

he purses his lips for a moment. ]

Things got hectic for a bit, but he saved my mother. And I died. There was a lot we couldn't resolve.

But it was my fear holding me back. Making the mistakes I made before. I'm sorry about the way I acted.

And . . . if your offer is still open, I'd like to try again.

[batsymbol]

( he takes a moment to digest that — to try and see past the insult he had felt when clark had brushed him off at the offer he'd made; an offer he typically doesn't make to just anyone. looking past it, he briefly has to wonder though... )

Damian didn't threaten you, did he?

[anewhope]

[ clark's brow furrows. ]

No? Why would he?

[batsymbol]

He can get a little excited sometimes.

( to put it mildly. but, moving on. )

For what it's worth, I'm sorry that was your experience with... him.

( the other bruce, he means. )

[anewhope]

[ clark accepts that with a tilt of his head. ]

It was very unpleasant. But I was making the mistake we both made back then. We both let fear dictate our choices.

I don't want to do that anymore. And . . . I believe he won't either.

[batsymbol]

So how do you want this to go then?

( leave it to bruce to just cut right to the chase. )

[anewhope]

I'll leave that up to you. You're the expert.

[batsymbol]

So we're flirting now, are we?

( dryly said, he turns then, hands still in his pockets. )

If you lose your strength or your speed or even your ability to fly, that makes you an easy target for those more skilled in hand to hand combat, among other things. I won't teach you how to kill... but to be able to at least handle yourself enough to maybe make it out alive.

[anewhope]

Are we?

[ he seems bemused by that. ]

And that's fine. I have no interest in learning how to kill anyone.

[batsymbol]

Good. Because I don't kill.

( regardless of what that other version of him was willing to do with clark. )

[anewhope]

. . . I don't either.

[batsymbol]

Something else we have in common then.

( aside from their mothers having the same name, he means. )

When do you want to do this?

[anewhope]

The sooner, the better, probably.

You can choose the time.

[batsymbol]

Tomorrow then.

( at least this will give him something to do. aside from brood. )

[anewhope]

All right. Tomorrow.

[batsymbol]

( this is a good enough spot to leave it for now, but something clark had said earlier is still ratting around there in his head and he can't not ask, so. gently. he turns to look over to him. quiet. )

How did you... die?

( it wasn't a result of him, was it? )

[anewhope]

[ ah. it's a fair question so clark gives it proper attention. ]

Luthor had a backup plan. A creature named Doomsday. It was created with Kryptonian DNA.

I was the only one who could get close . . . and use the spear Batman fashioned. I speared it and he stabbed me through the chest. The kryptonite killed us both.

[batsymbol]

( prior to clark telling him of kryptonite, he'd heard about it from damian — hasn't personally seen it himself, even back within his own gotham, but. he'd been told it was extremely toxic to the point of deadly to a kryptonian... and it seems it cost clark — this clark — his life.

quiet for a moment, mulling over what he'd said, he looks to clark then. gaze apologetic almost. )

I'm sorry.

[anewhope]

[ clark smiles, oddly touched by the sentiment. then he slowly shakes his head. ]

I would do it again. It was my world. Whether I belonged there or not.