Tell me about it - Chap 8

She looked at Batman and said, "Bruce Wayne!"


Batman almost gulped, but managed to paste a frown on his face so that his astonishment and apprehensions about Diana knowing his true identity were covered. Diana had her gaze fixed on him for a while and he struggled not to deter. He wished someone spoke to divert her attention. He wanted to signal to Superman, but did not know how. He cursed his friend's irresponsiveness.


"I believe you know him better than any of us," Diana said, breaking her silence.


"Why would that be?" Batman questioned, making the best use of the breathing space given as he can.


"You are both from the same city!" she said, raising her eye brows and shoulders a bit, giving the hint that it was obvious for her to draw that conclusion.


He decided to play safe, "Well I do have a longer association with him than any of you. But I can be prejudiced. I'd rather the others speak first." He realised the best thing he could do was to keep quiet and go by the majority.


"Well, if you say so. What do you have to say, Superman?" she turned to the man of steel who was thoroughly enjoying seeing his friend in soup.


"I'd rather the others speak first too. I may be prejudiced as well!" he looked at Batman and smiled deviously, "I think I am more prejudiced than Batman!" Batman chose not to reciprocate.


"But someone has to speak," Diana shrugged.


"I think it is totally insane to have this discussion," Hawk Girl protested, "Bruce Wayne? What is that friend of yours thinking? He is a selfish play boy, a jerk, a pervert, a whore monger, a womanizer!" she slapped her palms against the table and stood up abruptly, almost knocking off John sitting next to her.


"Cliché!" Superman whispered to Batman and smiled. Batman was still counting. Playboy was fine, pervert was uncalled for, whore monger – not at all, womanizer – definitely cliché.


It was Green Lantern's turn, "Well I have heard that he is a philanthropist, but when it comes to his weakness for women, I think I have to agree with hawk girl." GL decided it wasn't right to jump the gun about a person he did not know much.


"You think –", Hawk Girl scowled, "If he had asked me out, I would've smashed his head the next instant. And I think that's exactly what you and your friend should do. Discussion over!"


Hawk Girl took her club. Everyone gave her a look. "What? Need anything else? He was a fugitive once for about one year, on the charge of killing his girl friend."


Batman, who was musing till then raised his head and spoke abruptly, "He never killed that lady!" The sudden outburst only drew him more attention and he had to substantiate his statement. He looked at Diana spoke in a gentler voice, "I can assure you, he is not a murderer." Their eyes fixed into a deadlock again.


Superman found the necessity to speak, "Well I second Batman in this. He is not a killer for sure. Of course he has a little instability when it comes to relationships -" he was cut by Flash.


"Good for you, ha, Superman! Otherwise Lois would be his wife and her children would be calling you 'Uncle Supz'." Superman scowled as his attempt to save his friend's nose had gotten his image into a rut.


"Lois would never have done that! It was just infatuation." Batman eyed him, but he chose to ignore. He was not going to keep his back anymore.


"So, can I assume that he can be compared to Superman?" Diana interrupted, "I mean, after all, he was able to impress his girl friend."


Hawk Girl protested again, "Oh, you silly, comparing Bruce Wayne with Superman! Bruce Wayne will have to be born a hundred times to come even close to deserving that!"


I'm sure he'd be dead and born thousand times before Superman musters enough courage to propose to Lois – Batman thought. It was his turn to smile.


The topic was suddenly all on Superman and Bruce Wayne. The others found it easier to participate.

"Comparing Bruce Wayne with Superman would be equivalent to comparing a rotten tomato with a fresh red apple." Flash mused, "We cannot say they are comparable just because they are red!" He was fairly satisfied with his analogy.




Diana looked confused, "Isn't tomato a vegetable?"


GL interrupted, "Well, technically, tomato is a fruit. People have established it as a vegetable as they use it that way."


There was a moment's silence. Flash appeared to be deep in thought, and others were waiting for the outcome of his thought, which finally came.


"Hey, you know what! I've been thinking, we can make salads out of both of them. It's just that we need to add salt in one and sugar in another," Flash remarked.



"Ok! Interesting!" Diana remarked, as if she was making a mental note of it.



"Ah, comm'on, Diana! He's mad!" Hawk Girl remarked. Flash was too lost in his own thoughts to protest.



"And Pizza-" Flash spoke abruptly, "Tomatoes are used in pizzas! I mean – imagine apple in the place of tomato in pizza! Yuk!" he stuck his tongue out.



Superman took it to heart.


"Hey, apples can be used to make delicious juice, desserts, milk shakes and ice creams." He protested, "Imagine a tomato flavoured ice cream. Yuk!" he mocked Flash.



"I still stick to my Pizza metaphor." Flash remarked, "Ice cream makes me hyper active. And by-the-way, only kids love ice creams."



Superman is hyper active. He behaves like a kid. And kids love Superman. What a coincidence – Batman thought and smiled again. He let out a sharp breath which caught Superman's attention. He wasn't happy.


"Hey, speaking of pizza, it's been long since I had one. How about we go out and get a Pizza? McD anyone?" GL offered.



"Nah! Not McD. I'd prefer Dominos pepperoni pizza. What about you Jonn?" Flash enquired.


"Well I don't have a thing for pizzas. I love burgers though." Jonn stated and looked at Superman, "And I have a special affinity towards ice creams."



"Well, there is a burger point in Metropolis, an awesome place! You should try that! And they have good ice creams too." An encouraged Superman suggested.


"I still think McDonalds is the best choice." GL remarked, "We can get your pepperoni pizza, Jonn's burger and ice cream, and may be the girls can have 'apple' milk shakes." He eyed at Superman.



"I think I'd prefer strawberry milk shake." Diana remarked.



"And why should we have just the milk shakes?" Hawk Girl retorted, "Our metabolism is as good as any of yours. I want French Fries!"



"The last time you had French fries, you threw up!" GL frowned.



"Well that was because I had lobsters at the Chinese restaurant we went before that," Hawk Girl protested, "and we had to go on a mission near the swamp."


"Well face it. I had the same lobsters and French fries, and I was fit. In fact I had a jumbo burger on my way back home." GL remarked.



"Wait! You guys actually had French fries, lobsters and burgers before that mission!" Flash exclaimed, "Why didn't you call me? I was famished!"



"I did call you, Flash! But you were already on the scene despite our planning that we would go together. Do you blame me for your own enthusiasm?" GL raised his eye brows.



"Hey, if you really wanted to count me in, you would've got a pizza packed for me. Why don't you admit you wanted some time alone with her?" Flash retorted.



"That was not a date," both GL and Hawk Girl growled.



"And who said date?" Flash said with equal intensity.



"Will you all just shut up!" Batman growled at his harshest voice. The room fell silent for a while.



"So what is the conclusion?" Diana asked, breaking the silence.



"I think most of us agree on McD." GL remarked.



"I mean, about my friend going out with Bruce Wayne," Diana pressed.



"Oh! Did we discuss that?" Flash shrugged.



"McDonalds can be a good place for their date, although getting some privacy can be an issue." GL said, and bit his tongue as Flash grinned. He said 'date'.



Diana sighed. "Well I think we've discussed it long enough. We have the following conclusions – Bruce Wayne is a selfish playboy, jerk, pervert, whore monger and a womanizer... Do you two have anything to add to this?" She looked at Batman and Superman.


"You forgot the rotten tomato – "Flash interjected.



"Ok, rotten tomato too," Diana noted.



Superman frowned at Flash. "I think you have enough points to make a decision, Diana! He is all of them." He became conscious of Batman squinting at him. "But I think if he really wants to, he can be a good lover too!" he concluded.


"Says the man who almost lost his only love to him. The voice of experience", Hawk Girl muttered. Superman frowned but chose to keep quiet, lest the conversation should go back to square one.


"Batman!"



Batman blinked. "Well, Bruce Wayne is – all of the above. But again, it is up to your friend to take a decision. And whatever it is, I am sure you will support her." He rose, indicating the meeting was over. Others sighed in relief, especially GL. But there was still some tension regarding McD, and Flash would get into its skin.



Batman quietly made his way to the hangar. Hawk Girl's remarks about him somehow depressed him. He had faced people marking him as a selfish billionaire joy-boy before, but never cared. All of a sudden, he was feeling a strong urge to disprove the allegations. He reached the bat jet when he realised that someone had followed him all the way. He thought it was Superman.



"What do you want now?" he said, weakly placing his hand against the wing of the plane. He did not get an answer. He turned around to see a confused Wonder Woman.



"I thought it was Superman." He said without expression.



"I am sorry!" Diana said apologetically.



"For what?" he turned away, irritated.



"I shouldn't have brought up this issue in front of everyone," she said, in the same tone. Batman did not turn around, but his breath caught in his throat.


Diana slowly moved towards him and placed her hand on his shoulder, "I know I hurt you! I am sorry!"


He turned abruptly. Diana was surprised to see his mouth drop. "Do you - Did he - " Batman was still trying to play safe.


"He didn't tell me anything," Diana shook her head and smiled at Batman's expression, "but I figured it out myself."



That was not what Batman wanted. But he didn't heed. He recollected Bruce's conversation with wonder woman in the hospital and searched for instances which could've given her the clue about his being the Batman.



He snapped back to senses when he felt Diana's chin almost touched his jaws. She covered one side of her mouth with her left hand and whispered into his ears





"I know that he is the man behind the bat!"