IT was late, couldn't have been ten o'clock when he dropped in on her balcony.
She didn't care whether he checked up on her at this point. Her entire thought process was consumed on the news station the entire day. They had announced earlier in the day that they were going to move forward with the congressional brief with the Supertwins; the date and time were to follow after the meeting concluded. When those words were announced, Jessica's stomach dropped straight into a pool of negative ambiances.
"Hi." She greeted mindlessly, eyes never leaving her tv screen.
Bruce looked at the screen with a grunt. "I guess you heard about the hearing?"
"Of course, I've heard, Bats, I'm a journalist." She chuckled amusingly. "She told me she was afraid this was going to happen and now look." There was no escaping it anymore, the dread of facing the entire nation, the entire world, was smacking her in the face. "Oy vey." She sighed.
Bruce let his cape shroud over his tall form. "You really need new friends."
Jess rolled her eyes. "That would also mean getting rid of you and I don't think that's an option with you."
"You stand correct." When she sat quiet, fingers fiddling with something plastic, he spoke. "Jess? Are you alright?"
"Yeah..." She nodded while turning the volume down on her tv. She sat in the middle of her bed, tossing her remote beside her. "No... actually, I'm not."
"What is it?" Batman asked, walking closer to her. Before he could ask another question, she sprung out the black foil he left for her. He stopped in his tracks, acknowledging what she was implying.
"Can our next time be right now?" She questioned, looking at him with a smile.
Bruce stared at the black condom packet between her fingers before smirking. The minute his eyes landed on the packet; his common sense was switched off as he couldn't help but give in to what she was asking. Then, two hours later, they were back where they were a mere few nights ago.
"Better now?" He asked, his hand running down the soft skin of her back.
Jess kept her eyes closed, breathing in his scent. "Mhm." She smiled. "Surprisingly, you make my day better, besides our constant bickering."
Bruce felt himself snort. "I try and liberate you from your pride."
"You should work on that first." She smirked. "Your pride is worse than mine. The scars on your body are proof enough."
"Hmph, you should see my x-rays."
She kissed the biggest one he had, ever so gently. "This job you do... it takes a toll on you." She mumbled with a sigh. "I know I'm not your girlfriend or anything, but it makes me worry."
Bruce leaned his head against her headboard with a sigh through his nose. "Listen, I've been saving Gotham for twenty years. It hasn't killed me yet." He ran his hand through her hair. "You don't need to worry about me because I'm not going anywhere."
"Then what are we?" Jess mumbled before she could stop herself. "If you want to be... I don't know... information buddies with benefits...-"
"Don't say that." Bruce huffed. "That makes us sound awful."
"I'm just stating how it looks." She chuckled.
Bruce was silent for a second. "I heard you had a date."
"It was actually a work date that turned into a date, but I don't think it'll work." She mumbled, making Bruce squeeze his eyes shut. "Although, he did prove me wrong. He wasn't like everyone else, just like you." He can't give her what she wants if he hides behind his mask to visit her, nor can he keep sleeping with her as Batman. Instead, he left it up to her to decide.
The minute he told her Bruce Wayne was Batman, her reaction would be how he would imagine it, betrayal. "We're... whatever you want us to be."
Jess nodded her head. "I know what I want... but..." She stopped talking, her gaze turning towards the tv. "Wait a second." She reached over, grabbing the remote from her night table, and raised the volume.
"In three days, Superman and Superwoman are to bring themselves forward and face the people." Finch explained. "It is no to bash them nor threaten them but to hold them accountable for their actions. It is time for change, we can't revert the damage nor can we ignore it. If we all work together, as a democracy, we can become better."
Jess shut off the tv while rubbing her forehead in deep thought. This was the week where the whole world would witness history being made. "Christ..."
Bruce watched Jess stress herself out. At that moment, he wanted to say anything that might help her calm down. So, much to his disdain, he spoke. "As much as I hate to say this..." He leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You're... friends know what they're doing."
"That's the thing Bats..." She looked at her hands. "Do they really?"
_______________________________
THREE days flashed right past Jessica.
She had no other choice but to go with her brother to D.C. She gave herself an emotional pep talk while flying. Meanwhile, in Gotham, Bruce was watching the news program at Wayne Enterprise. His three monitors tuned into the broadcast in Washington, just on different news stations. He clenched his jaw, mind wandering over to Jessica.
He knew she must've been freaking out over what was happening. He hated the twins, but what he hated worse was when she stressed herself out. He pulled out his burner phone.
"Remember, everything is going to be just fine." He texted before stuffing his phone back into his pocket. Of course, he was attached. Now, needed to think of something. Either he comes clean that he's Batman and risks her leaving or continues until she asks to know who he is. "Look what you got yourself into Bruce." He murmured to himself in frustration.
He heard a knock at the office door. When he allowed them to enter, Alfred came in. The butler hands Bruce a bunch of paychecks with red markings on them. "You might want to take a look at this."
Before Bruce could look at the papers, a loud boom was heard from the tv. Bruce looked toward the tv to find Superman on the screen looking conflicted. He looked at the skies with his brows furrowed, he was waiting for his sister. Then, she suddenly landed beside him with a frustrated look. With a hard glare, he turned his gaze to the papers.
His whole being was rocked to his very core upon the markings. 'YOU LET YOUR FAMILY DIE' and 'BRUCE WAYNE = BLIND' was scribbled on the pages. Bruce looked at Alfred with wide eyes. "Who delivered these?"
Alfred looked at the papers in his hands with a sigh. "Mr. Schott sir."
"Call him into my office." Alfred did just that, talking to Grace, Bruce's personal assistant, to call up the boy.
No later than maybe five minutes, Winn Schott walked in with a nervous sweat. "Yes, Mr. Wayne?"
Bruce held up the papers in his hands. "When were these delivered?"
Winn looked at the papers in his hands. "I-I don't know sir, I'm just the mail boy."
Bruce slapped the papers down onto the desk. "Find out," Winn looked at Alfred then back to Bruce. "Now!" The man growled, sending Winn bolting down the hallway.
"Yes sir!"
Bruce looked back down to the disturbing mail on his desk with a clench of his jaw. He turned back to the screen to see Superwoman's face on the screen. He knew something big was gonna happen. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach.
Jessica looked at the crowd. She could tell it was diverse, she always did. Which made it even worse. She swallowed her pride and turned away from the horde. She walked inside the capitol with her brother as professionally as they could. Jessica's mouth was dry, and Clark's heart was racing.
With eyes following your every move, it was hard to stay composed. Once they got inside the courtroom, everything stood still. Clark held open the gate for his sister and then for him. They settled near the podium; heads held high.
Senator Finch began the trail. "Let me say at the outset that I am grateful to our witness for coming before us today." Senator Finch thanked with a soft smile at Wally, who was sitting across the room. She turned to the twins and everyone else. "This is how a democracy works. We talk to each other. We act by the consent of the govern, sir and ma'am. I have sat here before to say that shadow interventions will not be tolerated by this Committee, neither will lies because today is a day for truth. Because only by speaking..." She paused her wise words when she saw something from the corner of her eye. She looked frightened. "Only by working... together, can we..." She swallowed thickly. "can we..." She started to slowly turn the cup around to reveal GRANNY'S PEACH TEA in bright red letters.
Finch snatched her hand away from the lid of the cup. She snapped her gaze over to Lex's chair while she began to breathe shakily at the realization of what was happening. Jessica, on the other hand, noticed the sudden change in her demeanor. She tilted her head slightly, scrunching her eyebrows.
She looked over to Wallace, seeing him in that wheelchair made her heart heavy. She knew she and Clark were the reason he was in that chair. The dirty glare he sent her way only made the fact more known.
She suddenly felt it, the feeling. It was stronger, sharper than ever, stabbing her gut like a hundred swords. It clicked in her head. She snapped her head over to the senator, Wallace, Lex's empty chair, and back to the senator again with her eyes widened in shock. "No!" She ran, jumping to save the crippled man from his doomed fate.
The blast sent her flying into Clark, the older sibling catching her but not tumbling back towards the wall as a result. The Capitol burst into flames, shocking everyone around the world. Jessica rested against Clark in shock, not being able to comprehend what had happened. That was what that feeling was, the feeling of death. It was all gone, like it never existed in the first place.