Heroes of the Squared Circle 9: The End of the Feud

[mithen]

Title: The End of the Feud
Relationship: Clark/Bruce
Characters: Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, Maxwell Lord
Continuity: Heroes of the Squared Circle, a DC/pro wrestling fusion ( click for notes and all chapters).
Warnings/Spoilers: None
Rating: PG
Word Count 3700
Summary: Forced to end their feud prematurely, Clark and Bruce do their best to stage an

Comments

[jestana]

*flails* Bruce! Clark! Poor bbs! *wants to hug and squeeze them both*

That ending bit with Bruce looking back at Clark, makes my heart hurt. How can you do this to me! *wails*

*calms down* Wonderful story, please continue it soon. *chinhands*

[mithen]

That ending bit with Bruce looking back at Clark, makes my heart hurt. How can you do this to me! *wails*

IT'S NOT ME, IT'S BRUCE. Seriously, when I was writing this chapter I kept breaking off and muttering "Bruce, damn you! Why are you such a woobie in all possible worlds?" He just kept surprising me with all those lines about Gotham and closure and ugh.

The next chapter is written but my beta has been swamped with work! I'm hoping to have it done soon, though... *crosses fingers*

[jestana]

Bruce has always been a big ball of angst. That seems to come through, no matter what filters you run him through.

Tell your beta's work to take a hike. :-P (I know, not feasible, but I can dream.)

[queen0fcups]

You know, it's sad, because while I sympathize utterly with Clark and Bruce, from a booking standpoint it makes perfect sense (unless you -are- going for someone having lobbied the office against them). Bruce 'should have' been in an angle with the Warrior since he was involved in that character's inception, and only the biggest stars get this kind of say over their feuds and lengths thereof, and while Bruce might be that Clark definitely isn't yet. Clark and Bruce have been at it for awhile now, and even the best angles need to be cut short before they get stale, otherwise you have situations like a company relying on a single feud (Austin vs. McMahon springs to mind) for yearsBut on the other hand, BRUCE NEEDS CLOSURE IN GOTHAM OMG I just wanted to sweep him up and hug him forever, oh gosh you found a way to have him still believably burdened by his trauma in this world and oh it's just tearing my heart out! And an I Quit match was a perfect blow-off for the feud and you scripted it perfectly, and I loved that the 'righteously angry

[mithen]

But on the other hand, BRUCE NEEDS CLOSURE IN GOTHAM OMG I just wanted to sweep him up and hug him forever, oh gosh you found a way to have him still believably burdened by his trauma in this world and oh it's just tearing my heart out!

AUGH THIS CHAPTER. I spent a lot of time going "Bruce, bby, WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS" because he honestly kept surprising me with those angsty lines that no one but he really understands and I just want to wrap him up in blankets, dannnng.

I loved that the 'righteously angry' Country Clark scared Clark

Eeee, yay, I'm glad that came across! This idea that being something bigger than yourself might be a little scary at times is such a part of who Clark Kent is, it made me happy to get that in here.

And that line you picked out is maybe my favorite line in this series so far, I could so see him dropping from fervent to cool-but-still-totally-earnest like that

[ilovetobefree]

"--No one would ever work with me long-term before!" Bruce yelled. "Not like you! I've never had an angle last more than a few matches, not a real one, not like ours.
WOW

"Hey." Without thinking, Clark grabbed his hands, pulled them down. "We'll come up with some closure. We'll make something work."
I love Clark acting ‘without thinking’ in cases like that. :)

"You're a prickly, perfectionistic bastard that no one but me can bear to work with. You're the most brilliant wrestler of our generation, whether people realize it or not. And you're the only person I trust with all my heart in the ring." He shrugged, looking down. "Or out of it, I guess."
Nicely said. :)

"You must be a sword of truth, Country Clark, to punish the wicked who would make the lives of the meek unbearable!"
‘A sword of truth’ - yes!

"Ecstatic," Bruce deadpanned. His mouth thinned for a moment. "I just wish it were in Gotham. I always want my stories to end in Gotham."
Oh Bruce. *pets him*

"Bruce booked it out of here. Didn't even stay to shower

[mithen]

I love Clark acting ‘without thinking’ in cases like that. :)

SOMEONE'S got to act without thinking now and then in this pairing, and it's certainly never going to be Bruce. :)

‘A sword of truth’ - yes!

I love how they're starting to grope toward the idea of Superman in this universe... it's been so fun to write!

Poor Bruce... and Clark! Now I’m anxiously waiting what happens next!

I know, it was so sad it surprised me! But they will bounce back, I promise! Luckily, like comics, storytelling in pro wrestling is very cyclical too. :)

[starsandsea]

"We have to end the feud in Gotham, at least. That's only three weeks away. Please, Max," he said, and Clark looked at him in surprise. "Please let me finish this angle in Gotham. The crowd there needs closure. It's my home."

*pets Bruce*

But it's not going to conclude, it's just going to end. I--" He scrubbed at his face viciously, and Clark realized his hands were shaking. "--I hate when things just end. When there's no closure."

*wibbles* *pets Bruce again*

"Look, Clark," Bruce said staring down at his pizza. "This is kind of--but if you're worried about the mortgage, I can spot you for some cash." He looked up at Clark's snort. "I mean it. I live pretty frugally, I've got a fair amount in savings." He cleared his throat. "I know you're good for it. It would mean a lot to me if you were at least willing to consider it."

Awww. (He's got a "fair amount" in savings indeed!)

And you're the only person I trust with all my heart in the ring." He shrugged, looking down. "Or out of it, I guess."

*squees*

Bruce fluffed his latest

[mithen]

*wibbles* *pets Bruce again*

Bruce killed me in this chapter! Bruuuuuce. But yes, I also really love how he tells the truth but makes it look like a lie!

AN ANGRY EMU!!! *falls over*

LOL! Bruce loves his feathers so much, they're wonderful for drama!

*wibbles again* Oh, I'm not sure who I want to hug more, Bruce or Clark!

I know, they're both so very woobie in this chapter, oh boys... :( They'll get through it somehow, though! But it won't be easy for them...

AHHHH

[qwertylover7]

Three lines really stood out to me in this chapter.

"This is not the time to start feeling sorry for a fictional character, Clark!"
-Oh, but I do that all the time Bruce. And I certainly feel sorry for you and Clark.

"I just wish it were in Gotham. I always want my stories to end in Gotham."
-Sigh, it's always Gotham with Bruce. Whether he's Batman or a professional wrestler.

The replay ended and Bea sighed. "He's a really good actor," she said.

"Yeah," Clark said, thinking of Bruce limping back to his hotel, alone in the dark. "A really good actor."
-Yeah, that was acting. Sure.

This story simultaneously makes me happy and very sad. Those are the best kinds of stories.

Re: AHHHH

[mithen]

-Oh, but I do that all the time Bruce. And I certainly feel sorry for you and Clark.

You know, I totally did not "see" the meta-level meaning of that line when I wrote it, but I love it now. :)

Sigh, it's always Gotham with Bruce. Whether he's Batman or a professional wrestler.

It made me really happy to realize Gotham would still mean so much to him! Even if he's just providing them with entertainment, it's his heart and his soul...

And aw, thank you so much for the "happy and sad" comment! I'm really moved that my story could do that for you.