The Tipping Point - August 27th
Twisted Shorts August Fic-a-Day Challenge - Day 27
Title: The Tipping Point
Author: hermione2be
Rating: PG/FR13/K+
Crossover: BtVS/Batman/DC
Disclaimer: I do not own any of BtVS/Angel or Batman/DC people, places, or ideas. This fiction is done simply for pleasure and I receive no profit.
Summary: Athena’s birthday has some unexpected guests.
Notes: Part 5 of Athena Follows Bruce
Word Count: 1240
Athena woke late in the morning on her birthday. She dragged herself from bed and shuffled to the kitchen. On the counter was a card attached to a single balloon. Surprised, she pulled the card out of its envelope and read.
A -
Happy Birthday. I’m taking you out today. Be ready by 2.
-B
She blinked at it in surprise. He remembered.
Excited, but having hours before he would be done with class, she made herself a lite breakfast and worked on the Mandarin book she had gotten. She lost herself in the language her brother had started to teach her. By the time she called it quits, her eyes were starting to cross.
She showered, dressed and was ready with ten minutes to spare. She was just checking her purse when the front door opened and Bruce entered.
“I know I locked that,” he said gesturing to the door.
“I unlocked it when I got up,” she replied as she stood.
Bruce set down his bag. “Why?”
“Kansas habit,” she offered with a shrug. In a way it was, Clark used to breeze into her house and office all the time, leaving the door unlocked had become normal. Better an unlocked door than a broken one. Her heart twisted in a bitter pinch, wondering what she would be doing if she was still in Smallville, still with Lex and Clark.
He frowned at her, something dark passing over his face before he grinned. “Are you ready?”
She nodded, trying to clear her throat around the knot that had formed there. “Yeah.”
88888888
“What are we doing?” Athena asked.
“I saw your list,” Bruce admitted. “So I know you didn’t visit this part of London when you were here earlier this week.”
“Sneak,” she accused with a grin.
“This is supposed to go in the other direction but I thought you’d want to see this during the day.” He gestured to their right. “St. Paul’s Cathedral.”
She smiled. “Okay.”
It was beautiful. The stones, the art… They silently toured the entire cathedral. It was so big, not just the distance that a bride would walk to the altar, but the height. The sheer number they could fit in here.
Bruce led her from the cathedral without a word. They started down the road walking side-by-side.
“This is the Queen’s Walk,” he told her, “just in reverse.”
Athena nodded. “What inspired this?”
He shrugged.
They crossed at an intersection and followed the road south across the Thames. They turned again and followed the south side of the Thames. Nothing was said between them. They navigated the river path moving through the King’s College campus. Dusk had fallen.
Athena reached over and pulled Bruce to a stop.
“We can’t keep doing this,” she said.
“Doing what?”
“We’ve been together for hours - for weeks. And we haven’t said more than a handful of words to each other.” She shook her head. “This used to be so easy.”
“When we were children.”
“So, all those dances, all the conversations, the Planetarium, those were just childhood things.”
Bruce sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, his demeanor changing. This’ll be easier for us both if I do it now, he told himself. And for the first time since Athena had appeared as his door, the real Bruce Wayne emerged. Anger bubbled in him, a darkness. “I’m not who you think I am, Athena.”
“Yeah, you don’t know anything about me either,” she shot back, feeling anger rise in her.
He stared at her. “You could never understand.” He turned his back on her.
She grabbed his arm and swung him around to face her. “Understand what?” She didn't let him respond. "I know you didn't want me here, but there is a difference between being friends and being strangers. We've known each other our whole lives, Bruce. We've always been able to find an equalibrium and talk to each other!"
“That person, that kid you knew,” he said angrily, taking a step until he was right in her face, “he died the night his parents died. I’m not him.”
“And you think I wouldn’t understand that?” she said coolly. “I never knew my mother - the most outstanding memory she gave my family was killing my twin and dying. My father is a manipulative ass who used me to blackmail Lex, so Lex stopped talking to me - for my protection.” She stomped her foot, keeping from decking him. “I died three months ago, my heart stopped. I shouldn’t be standing in front of you now, it was my time, but here I am because someone saved me.”
“I don’t want to be saved.” He shifted back a bit.
She glared at him. “Who said I have any interest in saving you?”
“Isn’t that why you came? Afraid of what I would do if I was left on my own?”
“God, did you ever think I was running away from something, not towards you?” she snapped. "Did you ever think that it was simply an invitation that spurred on a decision I was already contemplating? Something I would have done without you."
“And what would perfect Athena Luthor have to run from?”
Her hand was out before the intent had even registered. She managed to regain control and she stilled centimeters from his face.
“Damn,” a voice said, “I thought she’d do it.”
They both turned, finding two college-aged guys standing a few feet behind them.
“I wonder why she stopped,” the second said.
“We don’t want any trouble,” Bruce said, taking a step in front of Athena.
She shifted, changing her balance.
The first guy laughed. “The kids don’t want trouble.”
“They’ve found trouble,” the second replied with a malicious smile.
“You don’t want to do this,” Athena said as she stepped to stand next to Bruce. “I’m really in the mood to hit someone.”
“You can try,” the second one told her as his face changed. The first one did the same and soon two sets of yellow eyes were staring at them.
Bruce took a small step back in surprise.
“Really,” she deadpanned, “you think vampires scare me?”
The first one growled and launched at her. Athena wasted no time, she turned and kicked him, sending him into a nearby dividing wall. He picked himself up and glared at her. “You’re going to regret that.”
“Bring it,” she dared.
He went after her again, but this time he was fighting full-out, not just attacking a kid. When he only managed one hit to her jaw before she had punched him a dozen times, he dazedly stepped back and studied her.
“Slayer,” he hissed. “Leave him, she’s the prize.”
The second one nodded and turned away from Bruce, centering his attention on Athena too.
Athena reached into her purse and pulled out a fist-sized stake approximately eight inches long. It was nice and sharp. She twirled it with a look at the two vampires. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Can’t have a Slayer in London,” the second told her. “Kill you and the next one will pop up on the other side of the world.”
“We will leave your body for the Watchers. Least we can do.”
It was a coordinated attack, both of them attacking at the same time, but Athena did not hesitate. As soon as they were within range, she struck. She took out the first guy at the knee. Then she twisted and stabbed the second guy in the chest. He disappeared in a cloud of dust. The first guy tackled her, but it was clumsy and he took her to the ground but her stake impaled him from his own body weight.
Athena held her breath, rolling to the side to avoid breathing in the dust. She grinned to herself. It was definitely different.
A hand appeared and she looked up to find Bruce. She took it and was pulled to her feet.
“What was that?” he demanded softly.
“Vampires. They exist all around the world.”
“And you defeat them?”
“Not really, it’s complicated.”