Guardian Angel - NC17 - Chapter Four
Title: Guardian Angel
Category: Smallville/Batman (Crossover)
Rating: NC17
Genre: Romance/Humor/Drama
Pairing: Chloe/Bruce Wayne
Word Count: 1,746
Summary: Her guardian angel was a dark man with a fetish for rodents. Figures.
Previous: Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three,
dhfreak
IV.
She was beginning to think that leaving late from work was her unconscious effort to see Batman more often, but then told herself she really shouldn't want to. Because when that happened it meant one or both of them were in danger. Usually, it was her, and he was there to get her out of it. Not that she couldn't handle a fight one on one, but it seemed that more and more, they were coming out in droves.
She'd only been in Gotham five days and she'd met Batman six times; he never looked happy to see her.
Leaving a group of beat up hoodlums on the street, waiting for the cops to pick them up for robbery and assault, she continued on her way home. "I know you're there," she called out to him as he followed building to building, watching from above.
He swooped down silently, landing next to her in a graceful manner that she still found awe worthy. "You're not afraid of me."
She lifted a brow, glancing at him to her left. "Should I be?"
"It'd be easier that way." He nodded.
She grinned. "Trust me... You're not the weirdest thing I've seen in my life. Pretty high up there, but you don't take the cake." She lifted a shoulder. "Besides, I know you're not out to kill, maim, or kidnap me, so what's there to be afraid of?"
He stared at her a moment, as if making some sort of decision about her and then nodded.
"So... How goes the crime fighting?" she asked.
There was nearly a smile curving his lips and she felt a small personal victory at that.
"Fine."
"Just fine?"
He glanced at her. "I'm still doing it meaning it can't be great."
"True," she admitted. She glanced at him sidelong. "Does it feel weird running around in a Bat suit half the night? I mean... You can't feel too comfortable."
"It's a lot more comfortable than the original prototype... And after awhile you stop noticing it."
She nodded. "It's got a nifty utility belt," she told him, chuckling.
He glanced down at the belt and then looked over at her. "Are you teasing me?"
"A little." She shrugged.
He cracked a half smile before forcing it away. "Think you can get home without getting into trouble?"
"No promises."
He stared at her a moment and she smiled. She turned around, knowing that he'd be gone if she turned back. He was quick and silent, the perfect enemy. But while everyone else was wondering where he might be, she already knew. He'd watch her from the rooftops until she was home; he always did. Whether or not she said she'd be safe, he kept an eye out for her. She found herself thinking he and Superman had something in common and Clark would probably be happy to know that yet another hero was watching her back.
OoO
"No! Lois! I'm not sleeping with him! God, I just moved here barely a week ago and you're already trying to hook me up with mysterious heroes!" She laughed, leaning back into her arm chair and curling her legs beneath her.
"I'm just saying," she drawled. "He sounds hot!"
"How would you know? He wears a full-body Kevlar suit." She threw a hand up, head falling back against the chair. "For all I know, he's the hunchback of Notre Dame!"
Lois laughed. "So make him keep the suit on while you're doing him."
"Lo-is!" she shrieked, chuckling.
"Yeah, yeah. You know you want him." She sighed. "Anything else going on there or have you finally realized you're better off here?"
"I've got the gala to go to tomorrow, but other than that? Nothing." She picked at her microwaved dinner; the noodles were still half cooked. "What about you? What's going on over there? Any interesting men in your life?"
She mumbled something.
"What was that?"
"I said, the closest thing to interesting is Clark and his vanishing act. I swear, one of these days, I'm gonna figure out how it is he does that." She had the Lois Lane "I'll figure this out, just you wait," voice that made Chloe wonder if she should warn Clark.
"Good luck with that Lo," she told her, grinning.
"Mm, hold on one sec." She covered the receiver with her hand and Chloe stood up, dumping her dinner in the garbage before she plopped back down. Seems all she was doing since she got here was escaping danger, researching, and talking to everybody she missed. That reminded her; she had to give Oliver and the team a call. They were away on business the last month, but they should be back by now. Since she hadn't yet received a speedy visit from Bart raiding her fridge, she knew they were due to arrive within the week, otherwise she'd have heard from them already.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll have it done. Geez," Lois muttered. "Hey, I gotta get back to work. They're nagging me about something or other. Gimme a call later, all right?"
"Sure. And Lo, try to be nice to Clark."
"What? Now he's calling to whine about me?" She sighed. "I'll try if you give in and flirt with the Bat!"
"Lois," she groaned.
"I'm just looking out for you, cuz. You need a hot man to liven you up."
Laughing, she shook her head. "I'm hanging up now."
"Fine. Be that way. You'll know I'm right soon enough."
"Goodbye Lois," she said, pushing the End button before she tossed the phone away.
Sighing, she sat back on the couch and weighed her options. Stay in and watch crappy, static-driven TV while hoping her next microwavable dinner was edible or go out and explore the city to get to know it and its underworld a little better... She barely thought it over before she had her coat on and a sensible pair of running shoes tied. What harm was a little investigative curiosity?
Apparently, a lot.
She should have known. She'd been there all of five days and rarely had she managed to escape being attacked. Thankfully, her attackers were not the mobsters she'd just had a front row seat to watching. She was still deliberating over who she should give the information of the next drug deal to; the cops or Batman, when she was roughly being yanked into an alley and forced against the wall. She felt the blade at her neck and would've rolled her eyes if the situation were less dire. What was it with these guys and knives? What happened to good old guns?
"Still don't learn, do ya?"
She knew that voice. It was the leader of the gang that attacked her the first night.
She glared at him. "Said the man who got his ass handed to him by a rodent."
"Shut your mouth!" he yelled, the knife digging deeper against her neck. "I'm gonna have to put it to better use, I think."
She felt him moving around, his other hand fiddling with his belt and she didn't hold back the scoff.
"I'd rather choke on my own blood," she told him bluntly.
"You'll be doin' both!"
She felt his grimy hands run up her body, brushing against her breast through her shirt and she held back the whimper of fear welling in her throat. She started struggling, forgetting about the knife and starting to kick out and slap him with her hands. All sensibility about proper defense was lost on her; the fear overriding. He kneed her in the gut to get her to stop moving and she lurched, feeling the blade cut her cheek as his arms moved to keep her from getting away. Gasping for air, she felt the sting of her face and the blood dribbling down.
"Whassamatter baby, you don't wanna play?"
"She doesn't like games."
Her eyes raised, catching the dark figure stepping closer and she yanked away from her attacker in his moment of shock, hurrying over to stand by Batman before he could grab her again. Breathing heavy, she stared at the man across from her, his knife still held up, stained red with her blood, his expression wide with fear and hatred. She almost startled at the touch against her cheek, but realized it was Batman, his finger sliding up, taking with it her blood. He tipped his head, staring at the gang leader darkly. "You wanna play with someone?" he asked lowly. "Let's play."
Chloe stood completely still as they fought, her eyes wide and her common sense completely ignored. She should leave; get home and lock the door. But she didn't. She just watched. He was a beautiful fighter; the moves he made, so quick and fluid. He reminded her of Oliver in some ways; at the ways his body bended and how agile he could be. Silent and predatory; get in, get out, not a sound or a sign he was there. He had that same drive and arrogance, walking into a fight and knowing he'll win. But Batman was darker; there was something grim about him, whereas when she looked at Oliver, all she saw was a good and hope. Batman seemed hopeless; as if he was fighting for himself more than others. He became a puzzle then, one she wanted nothing more than to put together.
She didn't realize the fight was over until he had her by the arm and was dragging her out of the alley.
"What were you thinking?" he yelled, voice loud and deep.
She nearly flinched. "It's hard to tell. Do you mean before or after I was spying on the mobsters down at the harbor...?"
He looked ready to shake some sense into her and she couldn't blame him; she'd seen that look many times.
"This is no place for curiosity."
She lifted a shoulder. "I'm afraid it's engrained in me."
"Then leave. Go somewhere safer. But stop roaming the streets at night."
She sighed, crossing her arms. "I can't promise I'm going to stay home and play scared. I'll try to be more careful, that's all I can do."
He stared at her a moment, teeth clenched, and then he was gone, without saying anything more. She took a deep breath before turning toward her apartment. On the one hand, she had the information to encourage a drug bust, on the other, she nearly died, again. You win some, you lose some.
[ Next: Chapter Five.]