Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic FDK: Atonement 2/?

This would surely have come as a bit of a shock, if you hadn't warned us before. Clark is really prepared to kill Tempus. It has to make you wonder what Clark has lost.

And you are letting Bruce use Kryptonite against Clark. It was interesting that it was a small piece, probably not large enough to kill him! In the comics, I think that Bruce only has one piece, which is probably larger than the one here. As for whether Batman ever made an appearance in the LnC show I don't know, but if he didn't, he can't very well have had Kryptonite in the ABC TV series LnC reality... but that hardly matters, since you have already told us that this is an alternate reality. Maybe Bruce has an entire assortment of Kryptonite chunks to use against Clark in the cartoon?

To me, there is a huge difference between seeing Clark in a murderous mood and seeing him actually committing murder. I have no problem accepting Clark's rage and pretty much out of control behaviour, but I knew that if indeed he had killed Tempus, that would have ruined the story for me. Of course, I suspect that would pretty much have ruined things for you, too, as I suspect that Tempus needs to be present in future (suggestive choice of words) chapters of your story, if the story is to unfold as you want it to. So, like I said, let Clark be murderous if you want to, but please don't let him actually kill.

Of course, Bruce is there to make sure that Clark doesn't cross that fatal line. (Fatal - again interesting choice of words....)

The interaction between Clark and Bruce works very well. I like it how Bruce is sort of a father to Clark here, someone who, strange as it may sound, almost reminds me of Jonathan, the way Jonathan might have dealt with Clark when Clark was beside himself with fury or grief. Hmmm... Jonathan. And Martha. We haven't seen them in your story at all, and you said that Clark had lost a lot more than just Lois. It sure makes me wonder....

I'm glad Bruce was only using a sedative or something on Tempus. When I first read that scene, I thought he might have been using the Vulcan neck pinch. I wouldn't have liked that!

It was interesting that Bruce seemed so gleeful when he told Tempus that Clark isn't Superman now. Bruce's emotion can be interpreted two ways: He could be telling Tempus, gleefully, that all bets are off regarding Clark, or he could be, somehow, taking a sort of evil pleasure in the fact that Superman is gone but Batman is still on the scene. I don't think the latter is the case, but the thought did appear in my head.

You have really whetted my appetite now, and I want to see a lot more of this story!

Ann

Or . . . Bruce could just be playing his usual twisted mind games with the bad guys. In a lot of incarnations, Batman tends to almost have a more twisted sense of humor than the criminals he deals with and that's saying something.

Okay, I couldn't resist replying to that one even though I'm so wiped out at the moment I can barely think straight and should already be in bed. Promise to catch up on the rest of the comments for Ch 1 & 2 tomorrow.

Nite.

Hi,

Great part. Get back!

More ASAP, please.

MAF

Finally had time to sit down and catch up, so here goes.

Working backwards, more or less:
Since I have a feeling the soonest I will get anything new written is towards the end of the week, I hope you'll last that long.

Um, me too. Really. I mean I have an idea of what this is leading up to but I keep waffling on just how, uh, much to dump on the poor guy. Is it possible to not ever let anything bad happen to Lois or Clark in any story one has written to the point where it all wants to comes out in one all of a sudden, even if in retrospect?

Well, since both Trask and Lex and seemingly anyone else who looked was able to find some, I'm not sure why Bruce couldn't. As for the cartoons, since I've seen some of all of them but can't always remember which is which, my son tells me that as far as he can remember, in the recent versions Batman started carrying a piece small enough to fit in his utility belt after Superman was brainwashed by Darkseid into believing he was Darkseid's son. Somebody else is going to have to explain Darkseid because I always get confused on that character. Anyway, that was in the Adventures of Superman cartoon series several years ago. Since then, Batman has made no secret of the fact that he carries a piece in any of the cartoons. I think it came up on one of the Justice League episodes just recently again.

To me, it makes perfect sense for Batman's personality that it would be his idea. What one has to remember is that Batman/Bruce Wayne is essentially a "good" Lex Luthor with many of the same quirks in terms of throwing his financial weight around. He just does it with noble intentions instead of not-so-noble ones. One can only hope, which is one of the reasons it's so fascinating to pair him up with Superman/Clark Kent on occasion. They don't always see eye-to-eye on how to do things.

I'm not even sure they could be called close friends in the cartoons, either. More like that they have a high degree of respect and trust for each other. Most of the time, anyway.

Are you still there, Beverly? I hope you haven't abandoned your story!

Ann

I'm here. I've just been so busy this last week I never had time to even think about sitting down to write on it. In fact, this morning is the first time in several days that I've had a chance to catch-up on the forum here. I was actually sitting here debating whether to post a response in the deathfic thread or go get a cup of coffee when I saw your question, Ann.

I think I'm still half asleep and I'm definitely not sure how coherent any comments I might make would be.

Okay, so I'm intrigued about "what happened that day," but that might be the only reason I keep going with this, because I just don't like Batman that much. Well, not when he's in a Super-verse anyway. He's too cocky for my tastes; I guess he reminds me too much of Lex the way he seems to almost mock Superman's optimism and do whatever the hell he feels like without concern for anyone else's feelings. And I guess I'm just a sucker for the underdog. BTW, where are Perry and Jimmy? And did that Hicksville comment mean Clark and Laney live in Smallville?

As for characterization, I'm hard pressed as a LnC fan to say much about them. Bruce seems lighter than normal, what with the joking and all, and Clark without Lois...well, that's a toughy seeing as how I've never really seen a post-Lois Clark before. Anyway, he loves his daughter, he hasn't become totally bitter and crazy, and he's given up Superman, all of which seem plausible to me. Murderous? Um, yeah! After Lois? Towards the person it seems he thinks killed Lois? Why not?! Somehow, even if he snapped Tempus' neck on sight, I wouldn't have thought that was too far gone. The only question mark in my mind about Clark actually murdering someone is the Laney factor. I feel like that would probably be the only thing holding him back b/c he'd feel all unworthy of being her father and question his humanity and yadda yadda.

Sidenote: I think I probably didn't watch the cartoons much b/c it felt like there was too much Superman, not enough Clark. And in one of them, the distinct Lois/Bruce dating thing that just didn't jive with me after LnC. And I thought Bruce and Catwoman had a connection. Okay, a pretty forbidden one, but one that, in all the versions I've seen (cartoon, cartoon movie and real person movie) seemed to sizzle. I only thought the Superman/WW thing made sense b/c I heard they hooked up way after Lois had died or something. Kinda of that other "wonderful" life Lois describes in Brutal Youth.

Anyway, you've started a good mystery and a very different kind of story, which is to be applauded. It's good writing and interesting, so it'll be interesting to see how it turns out.

I just caught up with this story and, while it isn't my usual preference, I am intrigued by the good writing and interesting premise.

One word puzzled me in the second part though:

Why would Tempus' seem disgusted that Clark is no longer Superman? I would imagine that he would feel triumphant, even if another aspect of his latest plan failed trapping him in the present.

Maybe this is one puzzle that might become clear in future parts. I hope there will be more to this story!

Edited for spelling. Oops!

Hi Beverly,

Where are you?

MAF