#32: The Life Yet Lived

“It is entirely seemly for a young man killed in battle to lie mangled by the bronze spear. In his death all things appear fair. But when dogs shame the gray head and gray chin and nakedness of an old man killed, it is the most piteous thing that happens among wretched mortals.” - Homer

Lois checked the clock on her cell phone. It was six pm, it would be dark soon. Not that it bothered her. The park was generally a safe place, and she could take care of herself. She was nervous that her informant wasn’t going to show. He was probably waiting, making sure she hadn’t been followed.

A couple approached her on the walking path. They were locked arm in arm. She could hear them whispering sweet nothings back and forth. She couldn’t tell if she was more embarrassed for listening or jealous that she didn’t have that.

A hand touched her shoulder.

“Don’t turn around Ms. Lane, keep facing forward.”

“What is all this about? You said you have information on Fero Corp.”

“Get up walk to the next bench.”

“What’s with the cloak and dagger, is Fero really this dangerous.”

“You have no idea Ms. Lane, go to the next bench.”

Lois stood, turning slightly to try and catch a glimpse of her informant but he was already gone. She walked to the next bench and sat down.

A few seconds later a voice from behind. “Get your cell out, drop it on your left, beside the bench, when you reach to pick it up, there’ll be a black smart drive taped to the bottom of the bench, pick it up as you pick your cell phone. That’ll be all you need.”

“How do I get in touch with you again?”

“You won’t. I’ve already lost a loved one because of this. I’m done; the rest is up to you.”

Lois faked dropping her cell phone and found the smart drive right where he said it would be, she dropped it in her pocket and headed back to the Daily Planet to open it.

Gotham city came alive at night, and not in a good way. The absence of Batman and the news of his apparent death had sent the underground spewing forth like a criminal geyser.

Superman flew into the city, the air was somehow thicker here.

POP POP POP gunfire rang out from below. He had promised Perry he wouldn’t get involved and let Gotham handle its own, but he couldn’t just ignore it when it was under his nose.

“Scream all ya want you old bag! Ain’t no Batman to come save ya now.” The punk sneered at the woman making a swipe at her with the knife he held in his hand.

A second thug grabbed the purse she clutched to her. “Let go, bitch, or the next round goes in yer gut.” He leveled the gun at her.

Her eyeliner had mixed with her tears and ran in long streams down her cheeks.
“Puh-please”, she begged.

“Oh yeah, lissen at her Gee, she wants it, she’s begging for it.”

“I don’t think she wants what you fella’s are giving.” Superman said, floating behind them. It was corny, he thought, trying to be a tough guy like Batman.

Gee leveled the gun at the frightened woman’s head. “If it ain’t the boy scout from ‘tropolis. They coulda least got somebody with a decent street cred to take Bat’s place.”

“What you gonna do, soupman”, the knife guy said, “Take us to jail? They coulda least got Green Arrow, I hear he’s a mean mother . . .”

Before knife guy could finish his sentence Superman had snatched the gun from Gee and was holding him up by his collar. The frightened woman peered out from behind his cape. Superman held out the gun and squeezed it into a ball of metal.

Knife guy held his ground, “That s’pose to scare me? Boy scout? Go ahead take me to jail we’ll be out in an hour.”

“Well then let’s make sure you have a nice trip before you go.” Superman said flinging the gunman into the air up past the buildings into the night sky.

Gee’s scream trailing off into the night.

Superman focused his heat vision directly on the air in front of him, igniting the oxygen and stray carbon molecules, causing his eyes to glow red and smolder.

“Look punk, you’re nothing but dog crap, and two things can happen to dog crap, it can get stepped on and squashed or it can dry up and blow away, like your friend. So what’s it going to be”, Superman paused for effect. “Punk.”

The boy released the knife and it clattered to the ground.

“That’s what I thought”, Superman said. Thank goodness for GBS’ late night, Dirty Harry marathon, he thought. Maybe now I’ll get some street cred, let’s see Green Arrow shoot lasers out of his eyes.

Superman grabbed the boy by the collar and looked back over his shoulder at the lady still cowering behind him.

“Are you all-right miss?”

“Huh, me, yeah, I’m fine. Thank you.” She smiled

Superman caught Gee, passed out, about 200 feet over Gotham Harbor and turned them both over to the desk sergeant at police headquarters.

Commissioner Gordon was startled by the knock at his door.

“Come in.” he said without looking up from his work. He heard the soft sound of the latch catching as the door closed. “Well, what is it? What do you . . .” He looked up to see Superman patiently standing in front of his desk, his hands folded in front of him.

“Excuse me, sir; I don’t mean to interrupt your work.”

“Well, I wondered how long it would be for the Justice League would come around.” Gordon pushed his chair back from the desk. “You used the front door, that’s a new one on me.”

“I’m not here in a Justice League capacity, I’m here as a friend of Batman’s.”

“I wasn’t aware Batman had friends.”

Superman didn’t understand, Bruce had always spoken highly of Gordon; it seemed at times he was like a father figure to him. Where was this hostility coming from?

“Commissioner, I know what the papers say, is there something more?”

“Look, Superman, Batman chose to work outside the law. He was a vigilante who put himself above the law and even at the last aligned himself with the criminal elements of this city. Don’t expect me to shed tears for another criminal being off the street. Now if you don’t mind we have all the help here that we need.”

Superman’s posture changed. His hands unfolded and hung open at his side, Gordon noticed.

“I wanted to take a look at where it happened, the reservoir.”

Gordon walked around the desk toward the door, forcing Superman to following him. It was a detective’s interrogation trick, establish yourself as the leader make the suspect follow you.

“Make sure we didn’t miss anything?”

“No sir. Make sure I’ve done all I can to find out what happened to my friend.”

“If you’re asking for my permission, I can’t stop you.” Gordon opened the door. “But don’t interfere with our investigation.”

Superman walked through the door as Gordon closed it behind him. He stood there for a moment wondering what had just happened.

Superman stared into the dark water. There was nothing, nothing that the police had left behind anyway. Superman even searched for human proteins in the water. It was full of them, runoff from rivers, sewers, even the rain as it knocked against your skin carried minute traces of all of us into the water. There was no way to tell if it was Bruce’s or not. Even if he could, it only proved he was in the water. Bruce was gone. Surely if it were some trick, some plan of Bruce’s he would have let the League in on it, so as not to waste resources and time in loss and, he hesitated to think about it, but it was time, mourning.

Superman drifted up into the air still staring into the water and turned to fly towards Wayne Manor.

The house was empty, as it had only been empty once before, when Bruce’s parents had died. Alfred had been sitting for hours, in the large chair in the study, directly under the Wayne’s portrait. It was where Bruce was sitting the night that thing had flown in. Over the next few days, more seemingly chance encounters with bats would lead Bruce down an ever darkening path.

The Bats, thought Alfred. The damn bats had taken the man he very nearly called his son.

The light from the lamp flickered three times in quick succession. He was here, in the cave. Alfred rose from the chair and crossed to the old grandfather clock. His fingers found the spring latch like they had done millions of times before.

Superman hovered in the middle of the cave. Alfred could here the water, pat, pat, pat, on the cave floor as it trickled off Superman’s boot. The water entrance, Alfred thought, that would have to be drained and filled.

“Alfred.” Superman’s voice filled the enormous cave. Alfred noticed how large the cave seemed now.

“I’m sorry.” Superman descended to the butler’s side. “He was a good man, Alfred, one of the best.”

“At what, sir?” Alfred paced over to the still running computer system. “At striking fear into the hearts of criminals? At keeping his friends and family at arms distance. At alienating everyone who cared for him. Yes sir, you’re right he was the best.”

Alfred touched a button and the computer screen went dark, the electronic whine of the disk drives whirred to a stop.

Alfred started back up the stairs. “Turn off the lights and lock up when you’re done.”

Superman watched as Alfred walked back up the stairs into the darkness.

He flew back into the underground lake and out of Gotham harbor, straight up into the upper atmosphere.

Bruce how did you let things get so bad, he wondered. Why did you let things get so bad?

What would his family, his friends say about him when Lex, or Kryptonite, finally did him in. Would he leave a trail of broken hearts and betrayal? Bruce’s life was so wrapped up in avenging his parent’s death he failed to see the harm he was doing to those closest to him.

He wondered who else knew. He glanced down at New York, the Themysciran Embassy. Did she know? They were so much alike in a lot of ways, Bruce and her. Superman outstretched his arms and flew down, down to tell her that their friend was dead.