She approves of luxury, but despises these soft creatures who think
they've earned it by their wit, incapable of seeing that everything
they have has been given to them. At the top of the tower, a servant
waits, with a book, proud of his subordination to the wealth of this
city.
"If madame will tell me her name so that I may find her reservation?"
He lacks the intelligence of a sheep, which knows when it is faced by
its natural enemy, and returns her level gaze with a sneer.
"If your life has become a burden to you, look to someone else to
relieve you of it. My art is not fit for such as you."
"I beg your pardon?"
Shiva is about to tell him that it would have been wise to do so
earlier, when she hears a familiar voice, and a half forgotten name.
"Sandra! Unforgivable of me to have kept you waiting, I know."
The expression of Maitre d' goes from condescension to obsequiousness.
"Mr. Wayne! Welcome to the En Haut." Then he turns his fawning face
back to her. "Sorry for the confusion, Madame, if I had understood
you were with Mr. Wayne, of course-"
The Batman interrupts him. "Listen, I've been dodging your city's
press all day. If someone from The Planet shows up, I'm not here, all
right?"
"Mr. Wayne, the En Haut is scrupulous with the privacy of–"
The Batman interrupts him again. "Good man," and presses a bill into
his hand. Shiva derives some amusement from watching the man's
outraged honour struggle with his natural tendency to show his belly.
Of course, cowardice wins, and he pockets the money.
"Shall we?" says the Batman, sweeping his arm to indicate the field of
linen draped tables. Very well, she will. The presence of the Batman
will not keep her from her quarry, and perhaps something interesting
will happen.
Another peon comes and offers them their choice of tables. The
restaurant is fairly empty, in the lull after lunch, and she chooses a
table with a view of the city and the door. The Batman lets her
choose her seat first, and she chooses the view of the door, so that
his back is to it. "What a charming view," he says, when he sits
across from her. The peon holding her chair sets down menus, and
departs.
He lays down his mask then. "What brings you to Metropolis, Shiva?"
She picks up the dull silver knife on the table, and tests its weight.
How should she answer this? It is tempting to lie: tell him that she
plans to kill the President. But she has tried many times to awaken
him, and that will not be sufficient. He would use his crippled art
to curb her, and she would let him live, in the hope that one day he
will be worthy of her. Once an amusing way to pass time, but it has
grown tedious.
But perhaps... "I have heard that your little bird was killed in your
own city. I had a certain fondness for that bird. If you allow it, I
will make a present to you of the death of the one who killed him."
She smiles. "You must be tired of losing them. I understand this is
the second one you have lost."
Oh she has him now, she is certain. She can see a terrible joy
blooming inside him like some poisonous flower. His eyes are lit, and
this is the man she would like to kill or be killed by. But no. Even
as she watches she can see him viciously uproot that flower and salt
the ground it was sown in. It is like watching life pour out of him.
Why does he choose this? To live only half alive would be unbearable for her.
He is clenching one hand on the edge of the table, and he makes no
effort to hide it. "A ...kind offer, Shiva, but you are mistaken."
"I had not thought it possible that a man could lie to me while in
such pain. Yet you say I am mistaken?"
With his back to the door, the Batman cannot see the prostitute
approaching, but her idiot heels are all the warning anyone with ears
would need. The Batman has his mask back on before she is half-way
across the room.
"Brucie! How wonderful to see you in Metropolis!"
"Sharon!" the Batman mocks her, standing and taking her hand to kiss it.
"Sher," the whore corrects him. "But why didn't I know you were here?
We would have invited you to our soiree tonight!"
"I'm here on business. It's duller than you could imagine, but my
board of directors insist I be present for the signing."
The whore tries to look as if she cares. "But who is your lovely
companion? Have I met her?"
"Ah... Sharon, this is Sandra."
Shiva shows her teeth in the woman's direction.
"A pleasure to meet you, Sandra. I do hope we'll be seeing you quite
often. Sadly, I never seem to get to know Bruce's friends."
"Unfortunate. Closer knowledge of 'Bruce's' friends would be
beneficial," she idly opines. The slut is stupid, but not too dim to
be aware she is being warned.
"Why, Bruce, what a charming girl. You simply must bring her to our
soiree tonight. Everyone will be eager to meet her before she
disappears, as your girls seem to do."
The woman is moving into Shiva's space, so close that she could kill
her with the folded linen napkin without standing up. She has to
remind herself that it would not suit her purpose at all, although
perhaps– But no. The Batman moves to block her even as the thought
forms, standing between them.
"Oh, I whisk them away to my harem. There's no mystery. Are you here
with Max?"
"I'm supposed to be meeting him here, but the silly creature is always late."
"I can't complain," lies the Batman, "but isn't that him now?"
The whore doesn't look very pleased. "Why, so it is. Let me bring
him over here to meet you... Sandy, was it?"
The Batman quickly turns her around with a hand on her elbow. "Now,
Sher, are you quite determined to have Max charm Sandra away from me?
You know I'm smitten with her. Do me a favour, and keep him too
distracted to give me competition."
The woman gives a pout that she doubtless believes is attractive.
"Oh, I see how it is, no time for your old friends now."
"Well, I'll be seeing you at your soiree tonight, won't I?"
The cow looks pleased. "I hope we'll see Sandy there, too."
"Doubtless," responds the Batman, with his mask slipping a little.
The whore seems a little uncertain, "Well, I'll leave you two
lovebirds alone then. See you
tonight!"
The Batman watches her totter off, and when she's out of earshot, sits
down. "Now, you were about to tell me what you're doing in this
city."
"I think you were about to tell me how it was possible that I had been
lied to." Shiva watches the whore tittering and gesturing with her
companion. Really, does the Batman honestly see a need to prevent the
death of even such as those?
"If we're exchanging information, certainly."
"Very well."
"Your informant was misinformed. The boy you knew is well. He had
heard of the death of another who was using the same name." That is
certainly an interesting reaction. The Batman's face is under
control, but the rest of his body is pain. It's fascinating.
"With your blessing?"
Very tightly. "Yes."
She shivers, and prods for more. "To lose someone who you were...
teaching... is unfortunate."
"Yes." But he's controlling himself now.
"Perhaps you were mistaken in giving your blessing."
"Yes."
No, there's nothing left there. A shame. "I am in this city
searching for information."
"Not a death?"
"I cannot say where the information will lead me."
"In that case, I'm curious to know what could hold your attention"
When the waiter comes to take their order, she contemplates this. The
Batman orders Canard sauvage au dix épices, and she orders Suprême de
Géline du pays de Racan cuit sur l'os. The Batman allows the waiter to
recommend the wine, but asks for tonic and two tylenol for himself,
and then the waiter leaves.
By then she has decided. "You are perhaps aware that I once fought at
Richard Dragon's side."
"Yes."
"A brilliant fighter. I came to know him through the death of my sister."
"Carolyn. I understand she was killed by a someone calling himself
"the Swiss," actually a Belgian working for the weapons dealer Guano
Cravat."
"Yes. I see that you are informed." She pauses. She doesn't believe
in wasting time on regret, or grief, but the past is sometimes...
difficult. "I had done some... work for Cravat in the past, so I
believed he knew me too well to betray me. I was wrong." She gives
the Batman a smile like a knife. "I was young."
"He informed you that your sister's death was at the hand of Dragon,
and offered to help you with your revenge. When you met Dragon, you
discovered you were being used."
"I did not enjoy that. I had an opportunity to kill Cravat, but
circumstances intervened."
"Dragon?"
"Circumstances." She idly looks at her reflection in the glass of
water. "I later looked to remedy my lapse, but discovered that Cravat
had died. I was disappointed. However, I have recently learned that
Cravat may yet be alive. I had hoped to meet a certain person who had
information about business dealings with a weapons contractor, who I
suspect to be Cravat."
The Batman leans back in his chair, teasing her with his exposed
throat. He is trying to decide if he should tell her something he
believes she does not know. She waits patiently.
"If... you are willing to settle the matter using my methods, I have
some information that would be useful to you."
"And if not?"
The Batman shrugs infinitesimally. "This isn't my city."
A waiter returns, and Shiva only realizes that something is amiss when
Batman replaces his mask and simpers at her.
"Lois, what a charming outfit! I didn't realize you were a sommelier."
The waiter is snarling in a most unprofessional manner, and she is
gripping the towel that ought to be slung over her arm as if she plans
to use it to garrote the Batman. He looks unconcerned.
"You prep school son-of-a-bitch. I spent months waiting for this
interview, and you decide at the last minute to cancel, because you
have a date?"
The Batman looks blank. "Cancel? Lois, I haven't cancelled. I've
been waiting here for twenty minutes. But don't worry about me, I've
been talking with Sandra. Sandra, this is-"
"Lois-Lane-Daily-Planet-Bruce don't try that on me. The Maitre D'
wouldn't let me in. I had to ransack an employee locker to get in
here, and I'm going to have your reactions on the change of leadership
at Wayne Enterprises if I have to conduct this interview at knife
point."
Lois Lane's voice climbs rather sharply on her last words, but the
Batman seems completely unconcerned by her threat. Which is only the
reaction of a sane man. Her posture is wrong, and it is impossible
that she could land more than one blow, or that that blow would be
lethal.
"Leadership change?" says the Batman, in a way that makes even her,
who knows it's the mask talking, want to smack him. His eyes go wide
at something behind her, and though Shiva knows that anything that
could provoke a reaction from him is urgent, she has only begun to
slew herself around in her chair to look behind her back when the
Batman is already launching himself horizontally across the room,
catching Lois Lane around the waist and pulling her with him, almost
to the far wall.
The Batman's reaction having already told her all she needs to know
about what's coming, Shiva has abandoned the attempt to look behind
her, and launches herself after him.
At that moment, the panorama window crunches into shards. Shiva
rolls, catches herself on her knee, and looks to see what has caused
the interruption of her lunch. As she turns, a bright tumbling mass
flies through the window and across the room to slam against the
granite pillar ornamenting the entrance to the bistro.
She comes to her feet, noticing the Batman doing the same in the
corner of her vision. The thing that came through the window
separates itself into Superman, and an outsized insect, which reminds
her a little bit of the Preying Mantis.
"Everyone evacuate please!" says Superman.
"Wow, Superman!" says the Batman.
Shiva looks for a vantage point from which to watch.
"After you take care of the bug, Superman, can you autograph the
flatware for me?" asks the Batman.
"Miss Lane, will you escort your guest to safety?" Superman doesn't
break his concentration on the insect to ask. Which is wise, Shiva
notes, as the insect strikes out with its second right leg. The
articulation of the creature is strange, so that before it strikes, it
looks as if it's withdrawing. Interesting.
"Superman, (Can I call you S-man?) When you're done here, do you want
to come to a party I'm going to tonight? You'd be a really big hit."
The Batman dodges a chunk of flying masonry sliced out of the wall by
the insect.
"You're fucking kidding me," says Lois Lane.
Diners are scattering, and pushing to the edges of the room. Some of
the are fleeing through the kitchen, but others have been trapped on
the far side, and are cowering in the corner.
The trollop is only just beginning to realize what has happened and is
clinging to her dinner
companion to who looks rather annoyed, and is trying to tug her
towards the relative safety of the
margins of the room.
"Ms. Lane," says Superman tersely, and then gets knocked across the
room by the insect's tail, bowling through tables and chairs which go
flying. The whore and her companion are knocked to one side, sliding
across the polished floor before fetching up against the wall. She
doesn't look very refined with her tail-bone higher than her head,
halfway up the wall.
"Come on!" says Lois Lane, grabbing the Batman's wrist and tugging him
after her. "The door's clear now."
"But-"
Another chunk of masonry flies across the room, smashing into the wall
a few yards away. Shards fly every which way, and one smacks an
evacuating elderly man in the knee. The man cries out and falls.
Lois gives the Batman a shove. "Help him up! Or are those just for show?"
The Batman helps the man to his feet, and pulls one of his arms across
his shoulders to support him.
"C'mon! Everybody's going!" And everyone is. With the door clear,
individuals and couples are nervously sliding out the door, and
running towards the exit. The Batman pretends to struggle under the
weight of the man, and follows her out the door.
Shiva walks up to the whore, keeping an eye on Superman and the
insect, and bracing herself, hauls the woman's companion who is trying
to untangle himself, up by his waistband.
"Sher! Sher, we've got to get out of here.." Superman has managed to
get his arms around the creature's tail, and swings him around himself
like a slingshot, letting go so that it flies out the window. "Well.
I guess there's no rush then." He turns around, straightening his
suit and offers her his hand. "Maxwell Rausch." Superman flies out
the window after the creature, and Shiva gently reaches out and breaks
Maxwell's neck.
The prostitute is too stupid to realize what Shiva's done until
Maxwell crumples, his neck at an impossible angle. Shiva steps away
from the body, in case this takes too long and he voids himself.
"Max? Max? Oh god." She looks stupidly from Maxwell to Shiva, "Max?
Did you– You– That was you!! You killed Max! Oh, my god, you stupid
bitch, you killed Max! What did he do to you!? What– " The whore
suddenly realizes that it is unwise to antagonise Shiva, and stops
bleating.
"He did absolutely nothing to me. I killed him to get your attention.
You, on the other hand, have been consorting with the man who killed
my sister. I think you should tell me about your company's dealings
with Arceh Technologies."
The whore is shaking like a terrified sheep, and stinks of fear, but
Shiva waits until she has told her everything she knows before she
kills her, and leaves.
It's a good day. She has discovered that the Batman's little bird is
well, which pleases her. She has come closer to finding the man
behind her sister's murder. She watched Superman fight, which was an
education. And she has done a favour for the Batman, who she rather
likes. She's certain he didn't want to go to the soiree. On the
other hand, she didn't get to try her grouse, but perhaps she'll
return to this restaurant next time she's in Metropolis.