The Man Who Falls (5/10)

[mithen]

Title: The Man Who Falls (5/11)

Pairing/Characters: Clark/Bruce, Alfred Pennyworth, Jim Gordon
Rating: PG-13
Warnings:  None needed
Continuity: The Dark Knight/Superman Returns crossover; a continuation of Leap of Faith.
Word Count:  2500Summary:  Clark Kent arrives in Gotham after the events of The Dark Knight and adds up the facts surrounding

Comments

[undomielregina]

Oh, Bruce. So brilliant, and strong and good. And so, so not good at lying. His mask in this world is so thin; he doesn't even stop to think that the man he's pretending to be would never think of himself as corrupted.

I didn't love TDK as much as I did Batman Begins. I'm starting to fear that I'll like this better than Nolan!Bat 3, whenever that comes out.

Bruce's almost pathological fear of the Joker is really interesting to see. I mean, he and Clark are both right here, and it's unlikely that the Joker would have the tools to get under Clark's skin, because he's missing an absolutely vital piece of information. But...

"You don't get it," Bruce snapped. "It's not manipulation, it's...corruption. And the more high-minded, the more pure and noble you are, the worse it is when he drags your heart into the filth. He makes you choose, makes you sacrifice something you love, and then you realize the sacrifice means nothing. And then he laughs." Bruce's fists clenched. "He laughs."

And I like that I really thought Bruce was talking about Harvey right at the beginning there and then it was about Batman. I don't think I'd really realized in previous parts that Bruce actually sees himself as irredeemably tainted by getting his choice wrong the night Rachel died. I ache for him.

I'm really interested to see how Bruce is pulled out. I can see there needing to be some kind of combination of Alfred and Superman and Clark working on him. But I'm also worried that what he really needs is for Poison Ivy or The Penguin or someone to hit Gotham and then to be able to do things right.

[mithen]

His mask in this world is so thin; he doesn't even stop to think that the man he's pretending to be would never think of himself as corrupted.

I think Alfred is really understating how much Clark rattles him, to be honest! No one has pushed him as hard as Clark is, and you're right, it causes him to make errors and fail to be in-character in small but important ways.

I didn't love TDK as much as I did Batman Begins. I'm starting to fear that I'll like this better than Nolan!Bat 3, whenever that comes out.

I'm fonder of BB than of TDK, if only because BB is so much more positive and less bleak. Thrashing the plot out with my beta, though...he gave me some ideas that I'll be disappointed if I don't see some version of in the last movie, I confess it.

And I like that I really thought Bruce was talking about Harvey right at the beginning there and then it was about Batman.

I think he was talking about Harvey when he started, but Clark reminded him that "officially," Bruce insists Harvey was innocent (even though he knows Clark knows he wasn't, and Clark knows he knows Clark knows...ow, my head). Then he switched it to Batman, and I think it made sense to him there as well...

I don't think I'd really realized in previous parts that Bruce actually sees himself as irredeemably tainted by getting his choice wrong the night Rachel died. I ache for him.

*nods* Although I think his guilt isn't so much over getting the choice wrong as of making the choice at all--he followed his heart on instinct instead of thinking through what the Joker was probably doing, and by acting in his own personal interests, he lost both Rachel and Harvey at once. Though when I put it that way, that's exactly the same thing as getting the choice wrong, so...never mind, lol.

I can see there needing to be some kind of combination of Alfred and Superman and Clark working on him. But I'm also worried that what he really needs is for Poison Ivy or The Penguin or someone to hit Gotham and then to be able to do things right.

Hold that thought, I like it! :D