Characters appear in this story that are property of DC comics. I have used them in honor of the comic series and admiration for the characters. All other characters are original creations of the author. This story is original, though makes mention of events that happened in the DC Universe. This story contains adult material of a sexual nature. If it is illegal for you to view such material, turn back now. This work is property of the author. Do not post this on any other site or use it for personal gain. It is for entertainment purposes only. Thank you.
*****
"Leave," Batman angrily commanded.
Roxy looked over to her lover, panic on the punk's face. Their bodies still entwined, Roxy could feel Sapphie quivering at the imposing sight of Batman. Tall, broad shouldered, dressed in all black including a cape. There was something so haunting about not seeing his face, either. Just his jaw, which barely moved when he barely spoke. Feeling her friend's fear, Roxy was compelled to defend her, to show her she'd be safe with her, even against the Bat.
"Hey!" she shouted back, standing up on still wobbly legs. It would be hard for Roxy to intimidate the Batman, ever, but especially difficult while naked and with the standing integrity of a newborn deer. "You don't tell my friends what to do! Especially not in my place of business...slash home."
"Now," he specified to Sapphie, his voice taking on an almost inhuman quality. To punctuate the point, he squeezed his fists tighter, causing the fabric to creak and draw attention to them. Batman of course wasn't going to hurt the woman, either of them, but he was a man of intimidation. When he wanted something done, he found that fear was the best method.
Sapphie was confident that Roxy could defend her until her last breath and for several punches after, but she wasn't about to have her do that. She also assumed Batman wouldn't really hurt either of them, he was a super hero after all. He wasn't, however, a super hero in the way that Superman was. He was barely more confirmed than an urban legend, and stories of his brutality were likely exaggerated, but she wasn't willing to see by how much.
"Yea, yea okay, I'm going," Sapphie complied, trying to keep herself covered while she redressed. Half way through getting her blouse on, Batman turned to her and said "And return that car from where you stole it." She was half surprised he knew it was stolen, but only half. He was Batman, after all. She had fully intended on returning it, it was just a prop in her gag. Any chance of her taking it for a joy ride or being lazy and just leaving it in a nearby ditch was obliterated by his orders.
Roxy remained defiant to Batman, fists planted on her broad hips, unashamed of her nudity, and just daring Batman to show any kind of embarrassment toward seeing her in a state of undress.
I would not want to play poker with him,
she thought, realizing she couldn't read any emotion on his face other than sternness. Breaking, she let out a sigh and dropped her arms to her side, surrendering to Batman's staring contest.
"Fine, I'm sorry I told someone about our little arrangement," she admitted, assuming his negative attitude was due to her spilling the beans. "I tell Sapphie everything, though!"
"I know."
"You...do?"
"I knew you would tell Ms. Song about me. She's been your friend since your first stunt job on a movie, and has been deeply involved in your life ever since," he revealed. He stepped toward the table where Roxy was standing. From within his cape he pulled out a folded set of clothes for her to put on.
"So what was all that doom and gloom you casted over us?" Roxy had to know.
"To remind you that I was serious about you not telling anybody
else
about us. And so Sapphie doesn't get the idea to tell anyone about what she knows."
"Why let me tell anyone at all then?" Roxy pushed, certain, after she said it, that she ran the risk of Batman enforcing some kind of punishment for her constant questions, or revoking her right to even speak to Sapphie further until their training was done. Roxy loved fear, but she didn't like
that
feeling of dread that burrowed into the pit of her stomach.
"Because no one should have to do this alone," he softly put. Roxy could hear the experiences in his voice, his position fueled by tragedy and regret. She began to reach out to cup her hand to his shoulder, in some vain attempt to console him of pain she knew, deep down, she couldn't mend. "Get dressed." His shoulder was moved away from her hand as he turned after the given command, and walked out the door to wait for her to get ready.
Roxy emerged minutes later, now comfortably clad in the work-out clothes he had just given her. A simple black tank top and sweat pants. She wore her own sneakers and gloves to complete the outfit. Enough time had passed for Roxy to find her humor again, even after Batman barked her friend out of her home and showed some brief vulnerability.
"Hey, so while I appreciate the offer to train me, I
do
already know how to fight," she boasted, flexing her arms and giving a few swift and precise punches to the air. While she had been trained on how to stunt fight, she knew it was a simple matter of just ditching the mindset of not hurting your partner.
"Not well enough," Batman criticized.
She gave a huff, rolling her eyes at his counter to her brag. "I beg to differ, Bats. Maybe you should ask Batwoman about how I beat up those creeps in the alley way six months ago. I can handle myself in a fight." Then she thought about Batwoman and grew a wicked smirk. "How is Batwoman by the way? Did she ask about me?"
Batman ignored her inquiry into the redheaded Batwoman, and instead addressed her presumption that she was ready to handle herself in a real brawl. "If you do this, you won't just be going up against perverts in narrow alleys," he explained, referring back to her earlier bout that she claimed was evidence to her prowess. "You'll be facing down killers, some with abilities you and I can never have. So you have to train to be better than they could ever be."
"Pfft, I'm not scared," she courageously stated, puffing out her full chest in defiance to the world. "Guy pulls a gun on me, I'll just quick draw and shoot him first," she promised. Roxy then mimicked her plan, using her fingers as guns and making
pew pew
sounds as she pretended to shoot the imaginary murderer.
"No!" he snapped, with more anger than Roxy had ever seen in him, or anyone. "You will not kill. Not anyone. Do I make myself clear? If you can't agree to that, then we stop, here and now. If you plan to go out there and take lives, even in the name of justice, I will put you back in that prison and I will not tell the warden to go easy on your sentence this time. Do you understand me?"
The brunette bomber had never see Batman that stern and angry before. It put into perspective all the other times she thought he was genuinely angry. They now clearly were painted as acts, meant only to intimidate so he could get his way, to maintain an order he felt was best. This, however, Roxy knew was real. She had no witty remark to give him in response, no snappy comeback or quip to maintain a level of control of the situation.
"Yea, yea I understand," she stuttered out, feeling, for the first time, real fear of the Batman.
"Good. Follow me," he said as he began to walk away. It was like a switch. Roxy had seen him with a rage so fiery in his eyes that she figured it could never be contained. And yet, he had just boxed it away. He was still stern and humorless, but she didn't fear this side of him. Though she thought perhaps she should. If he could produce that kind of anger, and have the power to control it, she knew it wouldn't be wise to mess with him.
Before the distance between them got too great, Roxy sprinted back toward him to walk alongside him. "Heeey," she started, finding her smile again. "Did you really ask the warden to reduce my sentence? I think you're sweet on me, ya big lug," she sweetly said, punching him in the arm, and finding no give in his rocky exterior.