Before the First Light

因为我任性的翻译，beta的 @宛若琉璃 居然改了个通宵，让我感受到了乱写作文被画满红杠的羞愧……冲着这个我就必须把它放出来……大家有兴趣的话可以看一眼，帮忙指正一下=w=

Summary:

After the Doomsday, Bruce and Diana try to build the League. While they are working, they share their feelings about each other. And once or twice, the feeling about superman.

1.

“In the dream, I saw bats bringing me up.” Said Bruce.

Diana raised her eyebrow.

“And then?” She waited for a while, asked.

“That’s it.” Said Bruce.

“You know,” Diana criticized, “I just told you the whole origin story of my island.”

“I the story of Gotham, too.” Bruce said, “Frenchmen, with guns, if you failed to google it.”

Rising from a crouch, he looked down over the city under their feet. His cape fell smoothly on the sculpture, and then violently spread out by the high winds in one second.

He took one step, leaned forward, ready to swoop into the night from the pinnacle, but Diana showed up in his way. Considering where they stood, it should have been impossible.

“Be frank, my friend.” She said with a smile, putting her hands on Bruce’s shoulders. Their bodies formed a dangerous angle in hundred-inch-high night. Lights of the city sparkling gorgeously behind Diana’ profile, “You are the one who started it, you wouldn’t want to find me after you.”

Bruce forced his boots, stepped back. Diana followed him and floated behind.

“I said ‘You can tell me’,” he said drily, unwillingly looked up to her, “Didn’t promise the other way around.”

“Did anyone ever tell you not to play words with a girl?” Diana asked, “Because she might be unhappy?”

“You mean, because she might kick my ass.” Bruce said, “Sorry, truly inexperienced to meet such a kind.”

His rough cold voice suddenly became indolent and glamour, Diana nearly laughed out.

“Don’t fool me, boy.” she said, reached out a hand and touched Bruce’s under-mask cheek with grace, “If you don’t want to share, don’t ask for Others’s equivalent exchange.”

She turned around, overlooking the light of city, her hair floated in the strong winds, and she’s ready to fly up.

“It’s true.” Bruce said the sentence, which made her stop, “In my dream, I saw a cloud of bats bringing me up.”

“In a dream?” Diana said.

“Yes,” said Bruce, “In a dream.”

Silence occupied the night. Diana flew up, Bruce retreated back into the shadows.

2.

“I cannot catch him up,” Diana said, “He is too fast.”

“Say something I don’t know.” Her ally growled in the earphone.

Diana frowned, and Bruce apologized immediately, at least in his way.

“It’s not a good plan, let me think about other chances.” he said, sounding so tired amid the electrical noise, “It may not be the best idea to run after a flash-speed person.”

“Let me tell you what is the best idea.” Diana said, “Take off the armor, go back to sleep. B, you sound like a mess.”

“Penny would be happy.” Bruce said, “ Finally there will be someone interested in taking off my——”

“Bruce!” Diana raised her voice.

“Don’t reveal my name.” Bruce answered.

Then Diana burst THE sentence out, which had been buried deep in her heart for long enough.

“Take it easy, Bruce.” She said, “You don’t owe the world a Superman.”

3.“Did anyone say that? You are more annoying than a heart-broken high school girl.” Said Barry Allen, there is an apple in his hand spinning into a piece of clouding red. “ I-HAVE-NO-INTEREST. How can I make you understand this sentence? If I want to help people, I can do it on my own. I don' t want to show my face in spotlight, gain a huge sculpture, win a flag on my coffin, or flaunt my Bat-logo on TV Shows——And by the way, Bat, seriously? Your taste is horrible.”

“You misunderstood our purpose.” Bruce, hiding in his cape, said calmly. His tolerance, in Diana’s opinion, must have exceeded his very last limit. She can’t help thinking maybe one day this young man, who was named after Flash, would have to pay for it. “I want to build this league, don’t mean to get any personal benefit, neither do I want to own an independent army.This planet may be forced to meet more and more enemies whose power are beyond our knowledge, we cannot face them without any preparation. Your power is supernormal, you can deal with thieves and robbers on the streets. But to prevent the threat from universe? You need to be trained; you need to cooperate with other superpower-friends. We must learn to fight as a team, or we may pay a heavy price.”

Bally tilted his head and looked him up and down. “I have some questions.” The young man said in his sharp voice, “The first one——What’s your superpower?”

As long as the last word came out, his right hand reached out in an incredible speed, aimed directly at Bruce’s mask. With a clear sound, Diana struck her arm behind Bruce, caught the boy hand just in time.

Bally Clicked his tongue and drew his hand back.

“Impressive,” he nodded to batman, “Her highness.”

Bruce steadfastly stood on his ground, but Diana felt that he glared at her harshly. I can deal with this. She read the line behind the emotionless mask, and she cannot help smiling.

4.

“You mentioned ‘A Heavy Price’,” said Dr. Silas Stone, he wiped his glasses once and again, “I want to know what’s that meaning.”

“I know what’s that meaning, Dad.” His son said. Victor Stone raised his head, half of his face was covered by cold steel, but he still looked innocent and young, his only-left human eye shined like amber. “I watched the video of MoD, you mean Superman.”

“The death of Superman,” Diana said, “can hardly be blamed on bad co-operation.

“But if we do it better and earlier,” Bruce said, “Situation may change.”

He didn’t continue, passing Dr. Stone a card.

“I know it’s difficult to ask one to devote his love for this world.” He said in Batman’s rough voice, “But sometimes, you may need to save the world for protecting who you love. Think through it, and we will be waiting for your call.”

5.

“Before you work yourself to death,” Diana said, “I need to talk with you.”

“I don’t know you are a part-time therapist.” Bruce said, threw his towel onto the ground, and threw himself into his throne which sited before the huge size screen. “If it was Alf who asked you to do this, give him an A then we can get desserts.”

“I am not you, boy.” Diana said, “I don’t lie to those who love me.”

It’s biting and both of them got surprised. Bruce’s face tightened, Diana decided to fight a quick battle.

“I don’t know how your logic applied in this case,” She said, “but Superman’s death is not your fault. For Hera’s sake, Bruce, it’s unfair to him, to you, and to me! He sacrificed for the whole world. No one can take the responsibility for him.”

“You’ve got it wrong, Di.” Bruce said, “I am not arrogant enough to think I can take this.”

“Then tell me.” Diana asked, “Then I can help.”

Bruce opened his mouth, then closed it, like he just stopped himself from saying something really cruel. Diana understood that. Bruce treated her special, preferential. Because he’s such a gentleman, also because they value their precious relationship. He won’t allow himself to break it.

“……I have told you,” They looked at each other, then Bruce said, “I saw bats bringing me up.”

“They brought me into the light.” he said, “But it was a dream.”

6.

“Master Bruce,” That’s what Batman’s butler said to Diana, “is a walking Hemingway book. By understanding his lines, I may deserve a literature degree. Without knowing all those failures and mistakes in his life, you cannot measure his value. Although in this way, the determination and perseverance of him are still so often to make me frightened, and his endless, natural instinct of self-condemnation, are so often to make me regretted.”

“He is amazing, he is impressively splendid.” Diana said, “I want to make him know it. It’s been a hundred years since I ran from a fight. I gain the energy from him, again I feel my ancient glorious time.”

The butler looked at her deeply.

“From a man who is exhausted, who fought for twenty years and never won?”

“Exactly.” Diana said.

7.

“And how did you reply?” Asked Alfred.

Batman did not say a word.

“Obviously.” The butler said.

8.

“You cannot understand.” Said Arthur Curry, he stood on the reefs, glowered at Bruce and Diana. A huge cluster of aquatic animals gathered menacingly in the waves, lightening flashed through the stormy sky. “I took half of my life to be a human, the other half to be a fish. Finally I realized my stubborn dream cannot come true, I accepted it, and I chose the other——You cannot just show up and tell me to drop it.”

“Don’t decide it so fast,” Bruce said, the lighting illuminated his dark armor, and heavy raindrops hit his thin lips. “I know this kind of thing. Not so terrible as you think.”

9.

“The League wants to know where their mentor celebrates the anniversary.” Diana said.

“I don’t know I have this title.” Bruce said.

“You won it.” Diana said, “And, is he your mentor?”

They gazed at the simple tombstone, Bruce said: “He is too young.”

“I am five-thousand years old.” Diana said, “So many moments, I look at you and I am enlightened.”

Bruce didn’t smile, but Diana found the light in his eyes.

“Flattered.” He said, bowed to put flowers towards the tomb. They stood for a while, then Bruce said: “I have dreamed about him.”

“It’s, a little strange.” He continued, “I mean, I actually didn’t know him.”

“One doesn’t need talking so much to know each other.” Diana said, “The memory of fighting is engraved on Amazons’ soul. I have dreamed about him as well.”

“Well,” Bruce said, “Humans are more complicated.”

“I know you used to feel guilty.” Diana said.

“I do.” Bruce said frankly, to him it’s quite rare, “I felt powerless and sorrow in my life, and I vented my anger on someone who is not to blame. I feel shame for my blindness, and concern about the loss I made to the world. Up to now, it still urges on me every second.”

“I told you,” Diana said, “You don’t owe the world a Superman.”

“Maybe I owe Superman a world.” Bruce said, “A well-protected one.”

Diana shook her head, but she smiled.

“I will fight for it.” She said.

“I know you will.” Bruce said softly. He put one hand on one side of the cold marble, Diana put her hand on the other side.

10.

“Clark.” Bruce said, read the name on the tombstone.

“I dreamed, he lands, towards the first light of dawn.” He said.