Brighter Than One- SV/Batman AU type fic thing.
Brighter Than One
by Tracy (lunarknightz)
Rating: PG-13
Category: Crossover. Smallville/Batman universe, Chloe AU.
Spoilers :General for Season 5, I guess.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. No-Thing. And what I do own is in storage.
Summary : Two people fighting against the dark can do more good than one.
The truth of it is that no hero can fight the good fight alone.
In a way that sadly seems par the course for her life; the spot that she’s filled for the last five years as being Clark’s best friend and confidante has been filled by someone else. Lois had been heroic and saved the day, won a position at the Daily Planet and caught Clark’s eye with one bold albeit stupid move.
Chloe couldn’t stay. She loved Clark; and she even loved Lois, even though her cousin had knowingly stabbed her in the back.
This was her life, and she would take control of it. She had to.
It was easy enough for someone with her resume and experience to get another job; and within a week Chloe accepted an offer to work at The Gotham Herald, one of the leading newspapers in Gotham City.
She wasn’t in Kansas anymore. Gotham City was so different from Metropolis; it might as well have been an entirely different world. Over the years, she’d faced criminals, hit men, aliens, and kryptonite powered wackos, but none of that prepared her for the overwhelming darkness and corruption of Gotham.
On her first night in town, Chloe is assaulted by someone who leapt at her from the shadows. His fists fly at her, hitting her arms, her cheeks, pounding over the majority of her body. When he pins her to the dirty asphalt of the alley, Chloe sees her life flash before her eyes, and an overwhelming frenzy of panic overtakes her. This is it. Game Over.
And then, like the avenging angel that some call him, the costumed vigilante, Batman, swooped down from the heavens. Batman fights Chloe’s assailant, and wins.
Batman’s soft yet gravelly voice is the last thing Chloe remembers before the world turns black.
___________
Chloe’s new life begins when she is released from the hospital.
She won’t be hurt again. She won’t allow herself to be put in such a position, ever again. It starts by buying a can of mace and taking self defense classes at the Y. Her defense teacher recommends teachers for learning straight martial arts, and soon she is taking two classes a day- one before work, one after, constantly honing her skills.
During the day, she constructs a database, collecting information from the Herald’s archives, the policemen on the beat that she’s managed to befriend, and from the web. It evolves into a pretty accurate portrait of the criminal underworld in Gotham, with the parallel journey of the Batman.
She respects Batman. He’s making a difference.
But she fears that difference is not enough.
Chloe considers talking to Clark, and seeing if Superman can help clean up Gotham City, but something stays her hand each time she picks up the phone. Super powers aren’t the right tool to take back Gotham. It would take a superior will and desire to clean up this city. The Batman has that. And Clark? She doubted if his will was strong enough to protect the entire world.
She takes a sabbatical from the Herald, presumably to write a book; and instead travels to Asia and trains with one of the world’s best marital artists, a woman called Lady Shiva.
Chloe is changed when she returns to Gotham City. She has a desire and a will, and sets the plan she developed during her eighteen months overseas into action.
Chloe dies her hair jet black; a wig would have been impractical for fighting. She gathers the tools that most of the chat rooms describe as being vigilante worthy- grappling hooks, a crossbow (she’s thankful she took that archery course in college), and drops most of her inheritance on a bulletproof material constructed by Wayne Enterprises. She spray paints it purple- a dark color, but still dark enough to stand out in the night. Her only ally in this venture is Martha Kent, who sews Chloe’s costume, trains her on disgusting her vocal diction, and gives Chloe a killer pair of boots as well.
Now she is ready to take to the sky.
The thrill that runs down her spine when she turns in her first crook to the Gotham PD is indescribable. This, she thinks, is the life she was born to live. Not that of a sidekick, but of a hero in her own right.
“I don’t need a partner.” Five days into her campaign, Batman catches up with her on a rooftop in the middle of the city.
“Who ever said I was trying to be your partner?” She glares at him through her mask. “I’m in this game all on my own.”
“Gotham is my city.” The Batman glares back. “No one operates in my city without my permission. I’m trying to protect Gotham City.”
“Yeah. Kudos on that.” She takes a deep breath. “You’re doing a great job and all that, but no offense, I don’t think you’re quite man enough for the job.”
“You think you could do better?” He growls.
“I’m not afraid to try.” She says with a brave grin. “You use fear as a weapon to fight against others. But I fight to keep from being afraid.”
“Who are you?” He says softly.
“I’m the Huntress.” Chloe responds as she reaches out and shakes his hand. The gauntlets on their gloves get hooked together as they each try to pull away. “I guess this means you’re stuck with me.” She says with a laugh.
“I don’t think so.” He swiftly maneuvers and breaks free.
Chloe shrugs and takes out a grappling hook and zip line and launches it over to the next building. Soon, she is flying through the sky.
Batman stands and watches her until the Huntress has disappeared, her purple costume overtaken by the dark of the night.
Two days later, the Huntress shows up and helps him fight Two-Face; and as they fight side by side, Batman realizes that two people trying to light up the night can burn brighter than one.
by Tracy (lunarknightz)
Rating: PG-13
Category: Crossover. Smallville/Batman universe, Chloe AU.
Spoilers :General for Season 5, I guess.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. No-Thing. And what I do own is in storage.
Summary : Two people fighting against the dark can do more good than one.
The truth of it is that no hero can fight the good fight alone.
In a way that sadly seems par the course for her life; the spot that she’s filled for the last five years as being Clark’s best friend and confidante has been filled by someone else. Lois had been heroic and saved the day, won a position at the Daily Planet and caught Clark’s eye with one bold albeit stupid move.
Chloe couldn’t stay. She loved Clark; and she even loved Lois, even though her cousin had knowingly stabbed her in the back.
This was her life, and she would take control of it. She had to.
It was easy enough for someone with her resume and experience to get another job; and within a week Chloe accepted an offer to work at The Gotham Herald, one of the leading newspapers in Gotham City.
She wasn’t in Kansas anymore. Gotham City was so different from Metropolis; it might as well have been an entirely different world. Over the years, she’d faced criminals, hit men, aliens, and kryptonite powered wackos, but none of that prepared her for the overwhelming darkness and corruption of Gotham.
On her first night in town, Chloe is assaulted by someone who leapt at her from the shadows. His fists fly at her, hitting her arms, her cheeks, pounding over the majority of her body. When he pins her to the dirty asphalt of the alley, Chloe sees her life flash before her eyes, and an overwhelming frenzy of panic overtakes her. This is it. Game Over.
And then, like the avenging angel that some call him, the costumed vigilante, Batman, swooped down from the heavens. Batman fights Chloe’s assailant, and wins.
Batman’s soft yet gravelly voice is the last thing Chloe remembers before the world turns black.
___________
Chloe’s new life begins when she is released from the hospital.
She won’t be hurt again. She won’t allow herself to be put in such a position, ever again. It starts by buying a can of mace and taking self defense classes at the Y. Her defense teacher recommends teachers for learning straight martial arts, and soon she is taking two classes a day- one before work, one after, constantly honing her skills.
During the day, she constructs a database, collecting information from the Herald’s archives, the policemen on the beat that she’s managed to befriend, and from the web. It evolves into a pretty accurate portrait of the criminal underworld in Gotham, with the parallel journey of the Batman.
She respects Batman. He’s making a difference.
But she fears that difference is not enough.
Chloe considers talking to Clark, and seeing if Superman can help clean up Gotham City, but something stays her hand each time she picks up the phone. Super powers aren’t the right tool to take back Gotham. It would take a superior will and desire to clean up this city. The Batman has that. And Clark? She doubted if his will was strong enough to protect the entire world.
She takes a sabbatical from the Herald, presumably to write a book; and instead travels to Asia and trains with one of the world’s best marital artists, a woman called Lady Shiva.
Chloe is changed when she returns to Gotham City. She has a desire and a will, and sets the plan she developed during her eighteen months overseas into action.
Chloe dies her hair jet black; a wig would have been impractical for fighting. She gathers the tools that most of the chat rooms describe as being vigilante worthy- grappling hooks, a crossbow (she’s thankful she took that archery course in college), and drops most of her inheritance on a bulletproof material constructed by Wayne Enterprises. She spray paints it purple- a dark color, but still dark enough to stand out in the night. Her only ally in this venture is Martha Kent, who sews Chloe’s costume, trains her on disgusting her vocal diction, and gives Chloe a killer pair of boots as well.
Now she is ready to take to the sky.
The thrill that runs down her spine when she turns in her first crook to the Gotham PD is indescribable. This, she thinks, is the life she was born to live. Not that of a sidekick, but of a hero in her own right.
“I don’t need a partner.” Five days into her campaign, Batman catches up with her on a rooftop in the middle of the city.
“Who ever said I was trying to be your partner?” She glares at him through her mask. “I’m in this game all on my own.”
“Gotham is my city.” The Batman glares back. “No one operates in my city without my permission. I’m trying to protect Gotham City.”
“Yeah. Kudos on that.” She takes a deep breath. “You’re doing a great job and all that, but no offense, I don’t think you’re quite man enough for the job.”
“You think you could do better?” He growls.
“I’m not afraid to try.” She says with a brave grin. “You use fear as a weapon to fight against others. But I fight to keep from being afraid.”
“Who are you?” He says softly.
“I’m the Huntress.” Chloe responds as she reaches out and shakes his hand. The gauntlets on their gloves get hooked together as they each try to pull away. “I guess this means you’re stuck with me.” She says with a laugh.
“I don’t think so.” He swiftly maneuvers and breaks free.
Chloe shrugs and takes out a grappling hook and zip line and launches it over to the next building. Soon, she is flying through the sky.
Batman stands and watches her until the Huntress has disappeared, her purple costume overtaken by the dark of the night.
Two days later, the Huntress shows up and helps him fight Two-Face; and as they fight side by side, Batman realizes that two people trying to light up the night can burn brighter than one.