Royce's Random Thoughts

Writing discipline remains shite. Currently transcribing more words down on The Quisling's Tale after completing Batman: Arkham Knight. [1] Definitely got the "I'm not a REAL writer" bug niggling at the back of my brain.

[1] Short Review: Excellent game overall with extraordinary writing, but derailed badly by a Batmobile with shite controls and too many car related puzzles

Some things never change...

* * *

Wayne had spent the past three years dealing with drug addicts, rapists, petty con artists, angry young men and drunken young women,and all of their victims. Flying androids with orange skin and laser eyes were bit out of his league.

Then again, so were flying aliens with in blue tights and a spit curl that stayed glued on their forehead even after turning half of Dockside into a disaster zone.

He watched as Superman finished crushing the last of the android into a tight steel ball, dropping it to the ground. “That's evidence,” he said.

“I know,” the alien said. “But I'd appreciate it if you permitted me to take it to Star Labs for analysis. We need to find out who built it. If someone is mass producing Amazo units, we have a serious problem.”

“You can take that up with Captain Gordon,” he said.

“I will.” Superman held out his hand, saying, “I'd also like to thank you. Saving Miss Lane freed me up to concentrate on taking out Amazo. It would have been a lot harder to do both.”

He glanced around the rubble of Dockside. There was a crumpled crane lying on its side that Superman had used for a battering ram, and a freighter now sitting low in the water as it sank slowly into the harbor, a massive hole in its side where the android had been thrown. “I was doing my job,” Wayne replied. He kept his black gloved hand down, ignoring Superman's offer to shake. “And there were a lot of people that needed saving tonight.”

The alien's easy smile turned down into a frown. “Is there a problem, officer?”

“Yes. You.”

“I'm sorry?”

“That thing was hunting you,” Wayne said. “It had no other reason to be here. There are at least three cranes wrecked and a ship in the harbor that has be repaired and re-floated. That's going to take months to fix. You came down here like an avenging angel, and tomorrow you'll be gone. But everyone here will have to live with the consequences, while you go off to do whatever.”

“I didn't ask for Amazo to kidnap Lois and make me come after him.”

“If you hadn't been around it wouldn't have had a reason to do that.”

Superman nodded. “I can't deny that. And I can't deny that tomorrow I'll be gone. But you should know I can't stay. The threats I have to deal with are often on a planetary scale. It... divides my attention.”

“I can't afford that luxury. And I suppose arresting you for property damage would be pointless.”

“I'd rather you didn't try.”

“I figured.” Wayne pointed skyward. “Get out of my town. And take your troubles with you.”

Finally finished with this! Now I just need beta readers again...

* * *

“Well, it's not like she had a very high opinion of me before.”

“And you have, as my last count, cost me a ship's plunder, caused me to captured and treated none too gently by Compton and his crew, and made Ali very stressed.”

“Ah.” All right, you try being articulate with a headache and no feeling left in your paws. “So, I assume you're going to up my ransom payment?”

Her voice went a trifle cooler. “I think you've become too much of a liability for me to bother with ransoms.”

( Well, that can't be good. )