DATE: 06/10/Y2 - LOCATION: Beach City - Boardwalk
They were probably the two most unlikely members of Pride there, the scarred, wary eyed survivor and the man with the steel blue eyes. The dragon and the Bat.
"...the Gate's stabilizing now," she had been saying to him. Three nights ago, on a rooftop in Gotham. Above, the sky was a bruised purple. Below, cars moved like tiny beetles with light up eyes. Less than there used to be after the Corruption, but life had been slowly returning to Gotham City. The parts they had reclaimed, anyway.
An odd EMP had taken out the power on half of the city block, and the local Gate that went back and forth the the Omphalos with it. It had fried comms, and Krepta, having wings, had been playing messenger.
"They're still not sure what caused it." He hadn't looked at her yet, a stoic, sleek black gargoyle standing watchful over the city below. But Krepta was used to that. It wasn't personal, she had learned. He was still listening. There was very little Batman didn't hear. "They think it might have originated with the Gate itself," she told him.
"Tell them to assign an extra security detail until we know the cause." Batman's reply was characteristically gruff, but Krepta's instincts sensed a deeper anxiety in him than usual-- No-- not anxiety precisely... Batman didn't do anxious. Alert. Tense, maybe. She could tell that he was worried about his city. Krepta didn't blame him. Life here, even compared to places like Sanctuary, was still so tenuous.
"Heard," she said, shifting her weight back towards the edge of the roof again. She prepared to change shape and wing off back towards the Enclave, but something made her pause. She wasn't entirely sure what. She was even less sure what made her say what she did next.
"Uh... Beach City's having a... Pride Week, or Month, or whatever... I guess."
No answer.
"...Raz says I ought to go. I've never been to one. I dunno... I-- Seems like a lot of flash and noise, you know?"
Why was she telling him this? Batman of all people. It wasn't like he cared about that sort of thing. She bit her lip, her chest feeling oddly heavy all of a sudden.
Stupid. Get your head in the game.
Krepta stepped closer to the edge of the roof, leg muscles tensing to push off.
"You should go."
She paused, glancing back over her shoulder uncertainly.
"You don't want to go alone," he continued. He still hadn't looked at her. Those ghost white eyes still scanned the landscape.
"Well, I mean, it's not that. I'm a grown ass--" Krepta stopped herself. Mouthing off to Batman never ended well. Neither did lying. "I thought about asking Raz," she sighed. "But it feels kinda weird, doing that. Going with your therapist... you know?" She could feel her ears growing hot. Damn it.
"Eh--- forget I said anything," she added quickly. Krepta shifted her weight, eager to fly away from the social lions den she had just built for herself.
"The event starts at 10 on Saturday," Batman's low voice cut through her spiraling thoughts. "Be there at 9:30. I'll meet you on the west end of the boardwalk."
Krepta froze. For a moment, her brain made that little screechy dial-up noise she had heard old computers make sometimes. Surely she hadn't heard--
"Wait-- what? I mean--" She turned fully, meeting the cool gaze now leveled her way. "You don't gotta-- I know that's not exactly your scene, and hell, we'd look insane--"
"I don't have to do anything," Batman agreed. "I'm choosing to. Be there."
And then he was gone, dropping off the side of the building and gliding out over the city like a living shadow, leaving Krepta standing alone and bewildered in the dark.
Now, she was standing at far west end of the boardwalk. The water tower loomed like some massive, odd blue sculpture behind her. To the other side of her, the sea hushed against the shore. Batman--- Well, Bruce Wayne, she supposed, was already there waiting, arms crossed. He was wearing slacks and a black linen button down. There were subtle rainbow accents on the shirt's pocket, the cuffs, and its inner lining. Somehow, Bruce had managed to make it look elegant instead of tacky.
Krepta hadn't dressed up. She had thought about it, trying on this or that, but in the end she had felt too exposed. Going was enough. She was wearing a simple t-shirt, forest green, and jeans.
"I'm not late," she said defensively, trotting up to him.
"No," he agreed, "You're not."
They were probably the two most unlikely members of Pride there, the scarred, wary eyed survivor and the man with the steel blue eyes. The dragon and the Bat.
"...the Gate's stabilizing now," she had been saying to him. Three nights ago, on a rooftop in Gotham. Above, the sky was a bruised purple. Below, cars moved like tiny beetles with light up eyes. Less than there used to be after the Corruption, but life had been slowly returning to Gotham City. The parts they had reclaimed, anyway.
An odd EMP had taken out the power on half of the city block, and the local Gate that went back and forth the the Omphalos with it. It had fried comms, and Krepta, having wings, had been playing messenger.
"They're still not sure what caused it." He hadn't looked at her yet, a stoic, sleek black gargoyle standing watchful over the city below. But Krepta was used to that. It wasn't personal, she had learned. He was still listening. There was very little Batman didn't hear. "They think it might have originated with the Gate itself," she told him.
"Tell them to assign an extra security detail until we know the cause." Batman's reply was characteristically gruff, but Krepta's instincts sensed a deeper anxiety in him than usual-- No-- not anxiety precisely... Batman didn't do anxious. Alert. Tense, maybe. She could tell that he was worried about his city. Krepta didn't blame him. Life here, even compared to places like Sanctuary, was still so tenuous.
"Heard," she said, shifting her weight back towards the edge of the roof again. She prepared to change shape and wing off back towards the Enclave, but something made her pause. She wasn't entirely sure what. She was even less sure what made her say what she did next.
"Uh... Beach City's having a... Pride Week, or Month, or whatever... I guess."
No answer.
"...Raz says I ought to go. I've never been to one. I dunno... I-- Seems like a lot of flash and noise, you know?"
Why was she telling him this? Batman of all people. It wasn't like he cared about that sort of thing. She bit her lip, her chest feeling oddly heavy all of a sudden.
Stupid. Get your head in the game.
Krepta stepped closer to the edge of the roof, leg muscles tensing to push off.
"You should go."
She paused, glancing back over her shoulder uncertainly.
"You don't want to go alone," he continued. He still hadn't looked at her. Those ghost white eyes still scanned the landscape.
"Well, I mean, it's not that. I'm a grown ass--" Krepta stopped herself. Mouthing off to Batman never ended well. Neither did lying. "I thought about asking Raz," she sighed. "But it feels kinda weird, doing that. Going with your therapist... you know?" She could feel her ears growing hot. Damn it.
"Eh--- forget I said anything," she added quickly. Krepta shifted her weight, eager to fly away from the social lions den she had just built for herself.
"The event starts at 10 on Saturday," Batman's low voice cut through her spiraling thoughts. "Be there at 9:30. I'll meet you on the west end of the boardwalk."
Krepta froze. For a moment, her brain made that little screechy dial-up noise she had heard old computers make sometimes. Surely she hadn't heard--
"Wait-- what? I mean--" She turned fully, meeting the cool gaze now leveled her way. "You don't gotta-- I know that's not exactly your scene, and hell, we'd look insane--"
"I don't have to do anything," Batman agreed. "I'm choosing to. Be there."
And then he was gone, dropping off the side of the building and gliding out over the city like a living shadow, leaving Krepta standing alone and bewildered in the dark.
Now, she was standing at far west end of the boardwalk. The water tower loomed like some massive, odd blue sculpture behind her. To the other side of her, the sea hushed against the shore. Batman--- Well, Bruce Wayne, she supposed, was already there waiting, arms crossed. He was wearing slacks and a black linen button down. There were subtle rainbow accents on the shirt's pocket, the cuffs, and its inner lining. Somehow, Bruce had managed to make it look elegant instead of tacky.
Krepta hadn't dressed up. She had thought about it, trying on this or that, but in the end she had felt too exposed. Going was enough. She was wearing a simple t-shirt, forest green, and jeans.
"I'm not late," she said defensively, trotting up to him.
"No," he agreed, "You're not."
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