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WHO: Bat & Cat
WHERE: Hall of Justice, De Chima
WHEN: Early November
WHAT: Bats bein' bats, Cats bein' cats
WARNINGS: IDK probably smoochin'

[ bruce has been working nonstop ever since word of the 'apocalypse' started to move into high gear, foregoing other responsibilities and handing them off to people he trusted, like his new clinic in de chima. he realized the other day that he'd even started showering in the hall, and found himself napping at the computer. well, that wasn't too out of character, if not for being outside of his cave.

the coffee at his side went cold at least an hour ago, but he drinks back the black sludge anyway and makes a face, though it gives him enough energy to continue going for a little bit longer. a skritch at his face also brings attention the five o'clock shadow that he needs to take care of. luckily, the white lenses of his cowl obscure the dark lines under his eyes.

he wasn't happy with this group, truth be told-- too many hands in the cookie jar, so to speak-- but at this point he didn't have much of a choice. he was strategizing by the seat of his pants with too much sudden information to disseminate and not enough time. too many people with alternate methods but the same goal. he was sure this wasn't going to go as smoothly as he had ultimately hoped it might. it never really did go that way. as the screen starts to get blurry, bruce blinks back sleep until it becomes a little more frequent, eyelids heavier and heavier until they're closed completely... ]

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[ She's been here before -- months or years ago, however that works, when she'd first arrived just because it was something to do. She'd just wanted to see if this Justice League's security was any better than the League back home, see if she could get in and out undetected, and Selina had satisfied that curiosity. It's all state-of-the-art and more advanced than any amount of money could buy, but there's very little challenge on the replay. She'd really have to remember to mention that some time...

Bruce has been working nonstop, so it isn't a surprise to find him asleep at the computer. He pushes himself past normal limits on neutral and he's in Doomsday mode; she'd be more surprised to find he's managed any amount of sleep away from the computer. Let him sleep, she figures. He's hardly a heavy sleeper and he'll hear her eventually. He'll haul himself back to consciousness and throw himself back into his work and maybe he'll take long enough break to brew a fresh pot of coffee and eat a protein bar.

The least she can do is make the coffee.

She replaces the cup sitting beside him with something fresh and hot, leaning over the back of his chair to press a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth and makes a face at the feeling of scruff against her cheek. ]

Well, at least you smell nice...

Mm..

[ the kiss and the fresh steam from the cup wakes him, easing higher into his chair than he was just a moment ago. he makes a few quick presses on the keyboard and the screen switches to something else entirely-- just in case there was anything up there that he didn't want her to see rather than tell her personally. ]

How did you-- [ he huffs a little a reaches for the cup. ] Right. Nevermind.

[ bruce takes her hand and gives her palm a small kiss, turning in his chair to face her. ]

Thanks for stopping by. And for the coffee.

[ Selina rolls her eyes at the little huff, pleased with the knowledge that he's probably already added taking care of their little security flaw to his to-do list. After this is all over. Well, If there's an after, and from the chatter going on it certainly seems like everyone's doing their part to ensure that there's an after.

He's doing everything he can, no doubt. She doesn't have to see him without the cowl to know that he looks like death under there. ]

Figured if I was going to see you at all before the end of the world, this was probably my best shot...

[ And it's easy to joke, but she's not really sure how to feel. This isn't a new thing for either of them, they've both seen the end of the world -- what could have been the end of the world -- at varying degrees, but the porter brought them all here and there's no guarantees that it's just going to send them all back before things really go tits up. There is no reason the lives on this world are any less valuable than the lives on any other world. ]

Figures I'd find you in front of a computer. You're real deep in it, huh?

Just trying to make some sense of this mess.

[ eighty people plus and counting. some of them he didn't know, a lot of them he didn't trust, and all of them so eager to share information to anyone with ears. he takes a sip of the hot cup of coffee, savoring the wake up of the burn on his lips. ]

We need them, but there are too many people with their hands in this. There's no way that any of it goes to plan.

[ She's made a point of staying out of all this. Selina can more than handle herself, she can keep up, but she also knows her limits. She can be heroic with the right motivation, she can defend her territory, but she's not like him. Not like that.

It already sounds like a great, big headache and here he it. Right in the middle of it, leading the charge per usual. ]

When do things ever go to plan? But that's why you and all your alternate universe, costumed associates plan for just about anything. Contingency plans for contingency plans. You more than anyone.

[ She bends to meet him at eye level, a wry and sympathetic smile on her face. ]

What can I do to help you, Bat?

I... don't know if you can.

[ he takes her hands, looking down. ]

Selina, you know why I do this... right?

Enlighten me.

[ She knows the answer, but for the sake of hearing him actually say it? ]

It's so that no child has to go through the same pain that I went through all those years ago. I don't know if I've been so successful at that, but... I think that I can be this time.

[ a pause, and he looks up. ]

There are two girls. Layla and Sally. They're twins. Only seven years old. I'm sure you know by now, but the ceremony calls for them to be used as offerings to these things. I'm... afraid that with everyone coming together, I don't know that some of them won't try to use them to ensure the ritual is successful.

[ Yeah, that's about what she expected and she even gets it, on some level. She respects it, even when she thinks he's crazy -- even when she thought he was going to get himself killedworked, but it's... different now, isn't it? ]

I wouldn't put it past a good number of them; not only is it optimistic to hope it isn't anyone's first choice, people pushed to extremes make extreme decisions, and if it comes down to it, what's a couple of kids? Regardless of how the numbers shake out, there will be more in-fighting than actual apocalypse-stopping, and if things get real bad...

[ He's forgetting that she knows him. ]

They're barely younger than we were when our lives changed...

[ he squeezes her hands, bat scallops and cat claws. ]

If you could go back and change things. Make things better for Maggie and you, for me. Even if it meant things would be... different. Would you do it?

[ Selina doesn't live in the past; she doesn't believe in do-overs, she doesn't long for what could have been. Life's a bitch and bad things happen -- bad things happened. Terrible, horrible things that should never happen to a child happened and she still wouldn't go back and change things for herself, but for Maggie? For him?

Her hands in his, her grasp slips ever so slightly, but he won't miss it. He never misses these things and it's annoying and she can only look away. ]

Bat...

I know.

[ his grip tightens to meet her slack, kissing her knuckles. ]

If I can get them through this, Cat. They don't deserve to remember any of what happened here. They deserve a chance at a normal life, at least. Something that we never had.

[ There aren't many people who could use that against her -- the guilt and sense of responsibility she feels for her sister, the way she feels about him, the lengths at which she'd go to protect either of them, but whatever anger or annoyance or spite she'd normally feel is outweighed. It's not that simple, is it? Nothing ever is.

Selina's quiet for a long moment, still avoiding looking him in the face. All of the sudden it all feels too heavy. Justice League business is Justice League business, it's separate from them, and whatever partnership they're still struggling to the balance of and she doesn't get to object. She's always known what she was getting into here.

(And, like, you kind of left him at the altar, Selina; you don't really get to play the "partner" card in the first place.) ]

Are you at least going to let me in on your plan?

[ The lives of two little girls. He didn't exactly need a strong sales pitch. ]

Joseph Kavinsky can manifest dreams-- pull items he dreams through to this side, to be more exact.

[ he removes his hands from hers and hits a few buttons on the keyboard. a bulky bracelet of sorts comes up on the screen. ]

Supposedly, it'll allow two of us to synchronize ourselves in place of the two girls for the summoning. At the very least, it'll keep them safe.

[ does he really have to say that he's going to be one of them? ]

[ She moves in closer, leaning against the back of the chair as she stares up at the monitor. If that continued, uneasy silence is anything to go off of, that latter bit isn't necessary on his part. She pushes off, away from the chair and paces the pathway behind him instead.

When she finds her voice again, it's shaky, feeding back the same information he's just given her as she processes it aloud. ]

Some person I've never heard of has some fancy dreaming ability, you have a shiny new gadget, and judging by the amount of tip toeing you're doing right now, there's a whole lot more going on in that head of yours than you either don't want to tell me or you don't know how to tell me.

And to top it off you start with... that.

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