9934/Knightfall: The First Step

Knightfall: The First Step
Date of Scene:	06 November 2019
Location:	Training Hall - Batcave
Synopsis:	Diana joins Bruce for training and they discuss life, the future, and South Indian soup.
Cast of Characters:	Batman, Wonder Woman
Tinyplot:	Knightfall

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Batman has posed:
Bruce's recovery has been something of a miracle, and while Doctor Thompkins did not know the specifics she knew better than to not chalk it up to the less mundane company the man kept. Alfred had told her of some convocation of the Bat Family in Bruce's quarters two days past, and ever since then he had been recovering at an exponential pace. The swelling in his spine was lessening, his ribs had almost completely healed, and the fractures in his legs were coming along nicely.

He was recovering. Swiftly and surely.

Today marked the beginning of his trek back towards regaining his lost edge. He had run the list of exercises past Leslie, she'd clucked her tongue and told him he should be resting, and then he'd set out to do them anyway. At present he occupies the training area set aside in the Batcave, still seated in his chair but with the arms of the seat folded back into their housing. In one hand he holds a black, featureless kettle bell that he draws upwards and lowers to the ground in fluid motions.

Wonder Woman has posed:
Diana had decided to spend more time with Bruce and in one way of doing that she could transplant some of her own daily training to here with him. So Wonder Woman is present, with sword in hand and... otherwise wearing a modern black sport suit with fit lycra pants and a light white jacket over a black sport top matching the style of her pants. They contrast with the Themysciran sword she holds, but it still allows her to run through her routines. Having been doing her routines for a little while now, the Princess comes to a stop with the gleaming blade of the sword extended out before her.

She closes her eyes for a moment of prayer to the Goddesses of Themyscira and then she just draws a breath and lowers her weapon to her side. She turns then and starts toward where Bruce is, her hair tied back into a tight ponytail, she smiles at him watching him doing his own recovery.

Batman has posed:
"That," Bruce says breathily, jerking his head towards the sword in Diana's hand, "Look a hell of a lot more interesting than this."

He nods his head towards the kettle bell, performing one more rep with it before he deposits it on the nearby rack with a grunt. There's a sheen of sweat on his brow, his slightly-too-long black hair hanging in a few loose strands that he reaches up a hand to brush backwards. He rolls his shoulders, loosening up muscles that have tightened through the workout and wipes the palms of his hands on the slate grey towel laid out on his lap.

"Thank you for coming," he tells her quietly, clasping his hands together and turning his head to look up at her, "I know it's not quite the sunny courtyard of the Themysciran Embassy but it helps to have you here. Truly."

Wonder Woman has posed:
As she approaches him she gives a glance down to her sword with its gilded hilt and handle wrapped in dark blue leather. It makes her smile as she raises her eyes back up to him again. "We will be sword sparring to bring you back into full recovery in no time, I am sure. Until then... heavy balls will have to do." It could be a quip, or a tease, or something... its hard to tell with her sometimes, but she does seem somewhat amused by her own statement, so yeah.

Her brown eyes then cast around the interior of the cavern hideout and it just makes her lips part as she exhales a soft short and warm laugh. "It... has it's own appeal, I suppose." She tells him then before she looks back to him and moves to sit down near him, reaching for her water bottle she'd set there before her routines had started. "It reminds me of the cavern that my first 'invisible' jet is kept back on Themyscira. The one that Tony Stark's father created."

Her water bottle is raised up to her lips for a sip then as she lays the sword across her lap.

Batman has posed:
"You have a giant penny, too?" Bruce asks, glancing past the railing that divides the training area from the rest of the cave to where that particular trophy stands, "You really are the most interesting woman in the world."

There's a faint, teasing smile of his own as he reaches an arm around behind the wheelchair to the little pouch set into the back of it. He produces a stainless steel flask, popping the top with one hand and drinking down the contents - chilled water. He may have been forced to begrudgingly take up a 'cap of whiskey a day' habit by a certain voodoo spirit, but that was all the alcohol he planned to countenance.

"I was going to ask," he begins, clearing his throat after he finishes his mouthful and asking a question seemingly out of nowhere, "Do you know Gilbert and Sullivan? Their operas? They're a little before even your time - at least your time off Themyscira - but I wondered if you'd heard of them."

Wonder Woman has posed:
Once Diana has had a good sip of her water she recaps it with her thumb and sets it aside again before she looks to the trophy that Bruce speaks of and it makes her grin. "No, nothing so grand exists on all of my people's island." She says with a playful sidelong glance to him before she then reaches over to her things she'd brought and grabs the leather and gold sheath for her sword.

She listens to him as she slides the weapon with a whisper of polished steal on leather back into its home and then her eyes look back over to him as she sets it and leans it against the table beside her. "I know of them, yes." She says. "I was intended to be at a production of theirs in London many years ago, but I was waylaid by... well." She sighs somewhat dramatically. "Monsters." As one does. Her eyes glance away to a far side of the cavern and then back to Bruce. "Why do you ask?" She then inquires.

Batman has posed:
"I'm on - " Bruce begins, before he pauses and corrects himself, " - I was on the board of trustees for the Gotham Operatic Company. I suppose Damian's handling that one, too, if he hasn't delegated it to someone."

There's a faint frown from the man, lifting a hand up to run his fingers through the beard that has begun to grow on his usually clean-shaven face. It's no secret that his weeks in seclusion have started to wear on him. As much as he had tried to keep on top of everything, the task proved impossible while confined to a bed.

"We got a letter in the mail," he continues, trying to sound more upbeat despite the momentary lapse into grim vexation. He reaches behind himself in the chair once more, redepositing the bottle and producing an opened envelope with a fancy gold coat of arms embossed on the top left corner. The addressee is Bruce Wayne, and it is written by hand in flowing script and black ink.

"They're doing a production of the Pirates of Penzance. They rushed it along into full production to try and offset the mood the City's been in since ... since Metropolis. Anyway, it opens this weekend. I'm due to make a public appearance - the board's insisting on it to help us recover from this stock dip. I thought maybe you'd like to go with me?"

Wonder Woman has posed:
As Bruce speaks, Diana's legs cross at the knee, her white and black running shoe-clad foot now dangling just in front of her other shin and she gives it a little steady shaking rhythm while her hands go to rest atop her topmost knee. She keeps her eyes upon him as he speaks and leads up to that last question and then a little smile shows upon her lips.

She tilts her head to the side as she stares at him with a quizzically fueled gaze. "And what would your doctor say about your ability to go on such an evening out and away from this lovely dark dungeon of yours?" She asks him, of course going straight to whether he is medically cleared for such an outing or not.

Batman has posed:
"Well," Bruce muses, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "She'd probably say any waking hours I'm not spending hefting heavy objects about in an effort to regain muscle mass was time well spent. If she didn't, I imagine Alfred would drug her tea and make her. They've been at my bedside night and day, I feel like they might appreciate a night off."

He laughs lightly to himself, a sound they both are likely unaccustomed to. But these last few days have shown a marked improvement in the man, lifting from reclusive and defeated to someone ready to face a new challenge he had never expected to come his way.

"But, if it will make you feel better, I'll talk to Leslie and get her okay. Failing that, my grandfather probably had it on vinyl - one of the basement storage rooms is full of his record collection."

Wonder Woman has posed:
As he says these things, Diana looks away at the end of them and she shakes her head gently. "Leslie can tell me if it is okay directly." She then flashes a grin back to him. "I would love to go to such a thing with you though, either this one or the next. I would like you to get some time out of the house too. I just want to make sure it is the right moment, one that will not cause any setbacks, you know?"

Diana rises to her feet then and raises her sport duffle bag she'd brought with her to set it on the bench and take her phone out of its pocket on the bag, the same phone he'd given her. She glances at her messages then and swipes the screen to send a quick response to one of them.

Her eyes then sweep back over to his. "It is likely good for you to make public appearances soon too, anyway. What with Nightwing, now taking up the mantle of Batman, the city will need its Bruce Wayne back to gossip about as well." And she says that with a good natured tone of course.

Batman has posed:
Bruce can't help but smile at Diana's words. His head tilts to one side, watching her as she examines her phone and responds to messages. He seems content to do just that, holding off on saying anything that might spoil the moment. A perfect moment.

"I'll give her your number so she can tell you herself," he offers at last, still smiling, "But if she thinks I'm actually listening to you when it comes to medical advice? She's going to press-gang you into being a nurse, royalty or not. She's a crafty one. Hippocrates would be proud."

"But you're right," he agrees, "For once, I don't have Gotham suffering because I'm not out there. Dick's doing a good job. The rest of them - even Jason - they're all pulling their weight and then some."

He looks confused for a moment, as though some realisation has just grown hands and slapped him in the face. All at once it hits him - he has time now. Time for himself. It's a novel feeling.

"I do need to get out there. If for nothing else than to keep people from connecting the dots with Batman's injuries and Bruce Way - and my own."

Wonder Woman has posed:
"If I am going to be spending more time here to help you recover, I might as well be deputized as a nurse to Leslie." Diana responds them after setting her phone back down again and then placing one hand upon her hip while her eyes go to Bruce's own. She watches him, studies his facial expression and then lets the corners of her mouth upturn into a small smile.

When he speaks of the others pulling their own weight she steps over to the kettle bells and picks up two of them off of their rack. She holds them effortlessly in her hands and does little curling motions with them, like they weigh as much as a glass of water to her. "We must all pull our weight." She says then with a slight grin toward him before she sets the bells back down again.

"What is the public facing story for your injuries?" She asks then, her hand back upon her hip. "So that I have the details all correct?" Not that she's one to lie, but she knows how complicated things are here in Gotham. "Perhaps I just refer anyone who asks me to ask you instead?"

Batman has posed:
Once more, Bruce lapses into silence. He pulls one of the arms of the chair down, leaning his elbow on it and resting his chin in the palm of that hand. As Diana picks up the kettle bells, the corner of his mouth twitches up into the half-smile that is characteristic of him. Once upon a time it was the most amusement he ever showed.

"Show off."

When she asks her follow up question, he exhales noisily: "The official story is I was on my way to a meeting at one of the company's offices in Metropolis. I got caught by falling debris and they transferred me to Metropolis General before I was identified and transferred off-site for 'private and advanced medical care.' So, if they ask - you can tell them I was caught up in the fighting there, which is true in a way. But I don't expect you to lie for me."

He reaches out a hand for hers now, one arm of the chair still lifted and his elbow resting on the other.

Wonder Woman has posed:
Diana's fingers wrap around Bruce's hand then and she moves around to the side of his chair to sit down beside him again with her hand out to hold onto his yet still. She looks over and at his eyes to smile softly at him. "As you said, it isn't a lie. I can tell them that much and if they need more they can speak to your people. It is true after all, and a wise way to associate it with the others that may have sustained injuries during that fight." She strokes the back of his knuckles with her thumb then.

"Do you know how many were hurt?" She then asks in a soft tone of her husky voice. "I have never heard any confirmed numbers on that. I wish that I could have been there to at least try to minimize that aspect of it." She doesn't want to guilt him on not including her in the confrontation, knowing that he doesn't need that... but it still weighs heavily upon the Amazon Princess' heart that she wasn't there.

Batman has posed:
"Twelve, including Bruce Wayne," Bruce answers, voice once more grim and brooding, "More than there should have been. I'd hoped to keep him off the street, but he fell. No fatalities, and my injuries were the worst sustained. The Thomas Wayne Foundation made a sizable donation to Metropolis General to cover the costs of treatment and rehabilitation for all of them."

There's a soft sigh from him, his hand clasping hers tightly. His thumb plays across the heel of her own, his grip not overly firm but then it is unlikely he ever would have the strength to so much as make her uncomfortable.

"It wasn't what I wanted," he tells her, voice uncharacteristically quiet, "I ran it through my mind a thousand - ten thousand - different ways. But this was the only solution that kept everyone safe. I saw what was lurking there behind his eyes. I - "

There's another sigh and his eyes close. He draws her hand up towards his mouth, lightly pressing the side of his face against her knuckles and tilting his head slightly to one side.

Wonder Woman has posed:
Diana would expect nothing less from Bruce, than to pay for those injured in the fight. She shows a quick and light smile to it before she tips her chin a little downward to watch him as he says the rest. Her hand does rise up as he so desires from it and she smiles softly at that also.

"To do battle with a Kryptonian, and to come out on the other side with no fatalities? That alone is a wonder. Many may not see it that way, but they do not have the inside perspective that you and I do. We know what Superman is capable of. For you to have faced him at all, in the state that he was in, and to not become a... much less recognizable person, is a lot to ask for."

She levels her gaze then toward him. "What I mean is that you did everything you could, and it worked out as best as it could likely ever have, in a million tries or more." A short pause. "I am proud of you. Everyone in the Justice League is proud of you... Everyone in your family is as well."

Batman has posed:
Just by the nature of Bruce Wayne, it is unlikely that the Battle of Metropolis will ever stop haunting him. Nobody died, true, but all of those who were injured were injured because of him. He picked the battlefield, he picked the time. Every other factor that led to it is discarded, and instead he focuses only upon his own agency.

But Diana's words visibly comfort him, his eyes close and his head turns to press her hand now against his forehead. He lifts his head, pressing his lips against knuckles and then her fingertips, only then deigning to let her hand go and even then he reluctance is palpable. It is as though her very touch makes the unbearable infinitely lighter.

He can only dwell on it so long, however, and after a moment he clears his throat and speaks up.

"Alfred's making Mulligatawny soup," he offers, "And I know since he saw you coming down here he's made enough for the both of us. Do you want to stay for lunch?"

Wonder Woman has posed:
For Diana she can see what it means to him to have the support and someone he can confide in who isn't one of his family members, who she knows he needs them to see only specific sides of him and not one of this nature. She finds this side to be endearing, perhaps his most endearing so she smiles at him and when he releases her hand she places her fingertips and palm against the side of his face to cup it there and let their skin share their mutual body warmth.

At the talk of food and Alfred though, Diana lets her hand slip down to her lap again and a grin starts to form across her lips. "Mmmm." She replies, showcasing her anticipation for the meal to be quite positive! "Sounds splendid." Diana starts to rise then and collect her things. "I have to be back in Manhattan by two, and I will probably be busy until eight or eight thirty, but I will check in after that and see how things are?" She asks as she looks back over to him, raising her bag with her gear in one arm and her water bottle in the other.

Batman has posed:
Bruce's eyes close once again when her hand cups his face. This is indeed the side of him he never shares - the side that speaks to his own concern with making the wrong decision. He can never let that sense of infallibility he wears fail around those in his family, but Diana is someone altogether different - a peer in every sense.

"Sound good," he replies when she tells him of her plans, "I've got to review this footage from Arkham with the Coventry Bleeder. Something doesn't sit right about all of it."

Despite everything that's happened, despite his ability to lose himself completely in the hours spent with her, that detective instinct remains. Even if he can't get out and follow the leads himself, it's clear he will do everything he can from the Batcave. But all that falls by the wayside for now, and he smiles at the idea of lunch.

"I was in India when I was nineteen," he tells her as he rolls out of the training area alongside her, "There was this little bhojnalay that made it. I think I drove Alfred half-crazy trying to get him to reproduce it, but ... "

There voices fade. A moment later, the cave falls into darkness.