Alive: Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Gotham
Queen Industries Jet, July 2011
The pilot announced that they were to land in Gotham at 4:35 PM and that they were precisely on schedule. Chloe looked over at her husband who was busy talking rapidly in Mandarin. Apparently some large company was being pursued by someone else and was having a ‘change of heart’. After a few rounds of yelling, he ended the call and slammed his phone down onto the table. His brow furrowed in frustration and he sighed loudly, the tension rolling off him in waves. She made her way over to his seat and began to massage the knots out of his shoulders.
Oliver groaned and she felt him immediately relax. “Mmm… that feels good” he murmured, leaning into her touch.
It hardly seemed fair, Chloe thought. It had been over a month since they had helped save the world from another looming apocalypse yet they had hardly had a moment’s rest since. After saving the world, they had immediately announced their marriage to the media. Oliver had complained that he couldn’t wait to let the world know she was his and when she had suggested they wait, Oliver proceeded to pout and of course she couldn’t resist. Then there was round two of the Lois and Clark wedding. If it was possible, Lois seemed more stressed out and more demanding of her than the first time around. While Chloe was happy for the two of them, the whole situation made her that much more grateful for her and Oliver’s whirlwind low-key wedding. The end result was all that mattered to her. Between the media following their every move, Queen Industries, the wedding, and their superhero extracurriculars, there was hardly any alone time for them. Hopefully tonight he could let loose and just have fun. He deserved that much. Plus, she was hoping to have another talk with a certain pointy-eared superhero. Maybe Oliver would have better luck than she did the first time around.
Wayne Plaza, July 2011
Oliver checked over his reflection once more in the hallway mirror while he waited impatiently for his wife to finish getting ready. He heard the bathroom door of their hotel room open up as he was straightening his tie. “Jeez, Sidekick took you long enough, we’re going to be la-….” he trailed off, his eyes locking with hers. Oliver’s eyes roamed over her body, his throat dry. She looked absolutely beautiful. Her hair was loosely pinned up, curls framing her face, and the gown he’d bought her hugged her curves in all the right places. He made a mental note to give his assistant a huge raise for picking it out. He pulled her into his arms, running his hands down her sides as her lips curled up in that smile he loved so much.
“Sorry, Hero, but this is my first formal party as Mrs. Queen so I wanted to make sure I looked good… plus, imagine how much fun you’ll have ripping this dress off me later,” she said suggestively. Oliver groaned at the idea as Chloe smirked and slid her hands up his arms and down his back to squeeze his ass. He crushed his lips against hers and pulled her even closer, seriously considering saying to hell with the party and having his way with her all over their hotel room. His hand slid up her back, threading into her hair as he kissed her collarbone. She moaned and tilted her head to the side, giving him better access to her neck. She felt his tongue dart out to taste her skin and she felt a wave of arousal hit her. At this rate, we’re never going to make it to the party, Chloe thought. She was about to remind him of their evening plans when she felt his hand slide up her thigh and her back hit the wall. She cried out in surprise. Oh well, I suppose we can be a little late Chloe thought to herself.
They had arrived at the party an hour later than planned, looking slightly disheveled. Chloe body was still humming. Their sex life had always been amazing, but it seemed to have intensified tenfold since she came back. They checked in with the man at the gate and proceeded to enter the mansion. As it turned out, the man of the hour hadn’t even arrived yet. Probably off saving some damsel-in-distress Chloe mused as her mind drifted back to her first visit to Gotham.
Gotham City, November 2010
Could it get any colder? Chloe thought as she hurried down the sidewalk, ducking her head to protect her face from the gusty wind. She wished she would have remembered to grab her scarf before she left. Her destination was only a few blocks away. She began to think how much warmer she would be if Ollie was here. His giant body was like a furnace. She felt the moisture pooling up in her eyes and shook her head, clearing it of thoughts of Oliver. She had to pull herself together. Only a few more weeks and she would be able to return to him, that is, if he’d take her back after what she put him through. But it was for the good of the world, surely he would understand that. She was here for a reason. She had heard there was a man who dressed as a bat and there was a lot of controversy between the citizens of Gotham. Some thought he was a hero only looking to better Gotham while some thought he was a vigilante who thought he was above the law. I’ve heard all this before she thought, instantly thinking of the superheroes she left behind. I know a superhero when I see one and while his methods may seem a little… extreme… from what I can tell, he has Gotham’s best interest at heart Chloe thought to herself.
She was so busy lost in her thoughts that she didn’t notice that someone had been following her. She turned the last corner of her trek, the Gotham Gazette in plain sight. She had hoped that one of the reporters would have some sort of lead on The Batman. That’s when she heard the crunch of gravel behind her. When she looked around, she noticed that the sun had begun to set. She could just hear Clark’s voice in her head, lecturing her on traveling alone at night. “Shit” she muttered to herself. Had Gotham really gotten so desperate as to attack someone while it was still light out? She started rummaging through her purse, searching for the can of mace that Lois had given her for Christmas two years ago. She heard the footsteps behind her quicken and she contemplated making a run for it. Just as her hand closed around the tube, she was shoved roughly into an alley.
”Don’t you know it’s not safe to walk around this city alone? Especially for a pretty little thing like you.” he goaded. Chloe whipped around, hoping to distract her attacker long enough for her to formulate a plan. She ignored his first statement.
"An alley? Seriously? You get absolutely no points for originality. Did you learn that in ‘Mugging for Dummies’ or something?” she asked sarcastically. This only seemed to anger the man more. He snarled and ran at her, slamming her up against the rough brick wall, his hands tight around both of her arms. Her purse fell to the ground, its contents spilling all over the dirty ground. So much for the mace, she thought as she felt the bruises already forming on her arms and back. His face was so close to hers, she could smell the alcohol mixed with decay on his breath.
”Cocky little bitch, aint’ ya? Well, let me show you what I do to women who mouth off…” he growled. At that moment, Chloe brought her knee up into his crotch and he howled, loosening his grip just enough. She ducked under his arms and dove for the mace. Just as she turned around to spray the bastard, she came face to face with the barrel of a gun. She froze, fear clenching her stomach. “Drop the spray,” he said angrily. When she hesitated, he cocked the gun. “DROP THE GOD DAMNED SPRAY! NOW!” he screamed, spit flying from his mouth. She complied with his demands and he grabbed her and shoved her back up against the wall. This time her back was to him, her face pushed into the rough surface. She felt his body press up against hers; the gun pressed tightly to her side and felt his hot breath on her neck. He threatened “You’re goin’ to fucking pay for that…. it’s time to put that dirty mouth of yours to good use” Chloe tensed, trying to figure out how she always got herself into these kind of situations when she felt his body pull away from hers.
“That’s no way to treat a lady,” a gravelly voice said from behind as she scrambled for the gun. Chloe heard the man scream behind her and she whipped around, looking for the source of his torment. She immediately saw her attacker unconscious on the ground and looking worse for the wear. “It’s not smart for a young woman to walk around this city alone” a deep voice said from behind her.
This must be the man I’m looking for, Chloe decided, how convenient. “I don’t know if I should thank you for the save or be upset that you assume I’m your stereotypical ‘damsel in distress” she stated, slightly offended at his gruff tone.
“You looked distressed to me” he growled.
Was that supposed to be a joke? God he’s infuriating. “I could have handled that guy myself, you know” she replied as he turned to leave. “Wait! I know others like you and we could use your help, I mean, if you wanted to…” she blurted out. Real smooth, Sullivan.
He paused, looking at her over his shoulder. “I don’t work well with others. You should get back to wherever you came from. Get out of Gotham.” And then he was gone.
What was it with this guy? Men she thought disgustedly to herself.
It hadn’t taken Chloe long enough to figure out the identity of Batman. After a little bit of research and a little bit of illegal hacking, she had devised that Batman and Bruce Wayne were one in the same. What is it with billionaires being superheroes? she thought, her mind drifting back to Oliver once more when she scolded herself. She really had to get her act together. She left for a reason and she just had to hold on a little bit longer, although that thought did little to ease the ache in her chest.
She heard Oliver’s voice break through her reverie, bringing her back to the present. “Sorry Ollie, what did you say?” Chloe looked at her husband apologetically.
“I was talking about how Wayne went all out on his birthday party. Maybe he’s compensating for something?” Oliver replied, looking slightly pleased with himself at his conclusion.
Men Chloe thought as she snorted and rolled her eyes.
Oliver looked offended at her reaction. “What?” he pouted. Her gaze softened. He was so cute when he did that. She leaned in and tenderly kissed his cheek. His face broke out in a large grin, her previous offense forgotten.
At that moment, it was announced that Mr. Wayne had arrived. They looked over toward the doors, where a huge crowd of reporters had already amassed. Bruce Wayne entered with a woman on each arm, flashing his billion-dollar smile to the crowd and playing the playboy part that Gotham expected of him.
”Thank you all for coming to my party, I’m glad to see you all started without me,” he announced “ and I’m sorry I was late, I was…detained,” he said suggestively while simultaneously tugging the two women closer to his side.
Chloe shook her head at the charade. If only they knew.
The crowd chuckled in response, hardly surprised at his antics. But Chloe could see what the rest of Gotham didn’t. He was slightly favoring his left leg and had what looked to Chloe like the beginnings of a bruise on his right eye, but he hid it all very well. Hope you gave them hell, Batman Chloe smiled to herself and she heard the band begin to play.
”Would you like to dance with me, Mrs. Queen?” Oliver asked, bringing her out of her thoughts as he extended his hand to her.
Her smile grew even larger. “Why off course, Mr. Queen.”
He grinned and took her hand in his, leading her out to the dance floor. He pulled her body flush to his, their bodies swaying perfectly in time with the music. His body was warm and he smelled like a mix of cologne and sweat.
She laid her head on his chest and he rested his chin on top of her head, their bodies fitting together perfectly. This was the down time they deserved after everything they had been through. For a moment they forgot about billion dollar industries, demanding family members, bad guys, and superheroes. Tonight, they were just a normal couple enjoying themselves. They were stronger than ever and it felt like nothing could tear them apart.
A/N: I know this chapter was a little slow, but I promise the next chapter will be a little more exciting :) Hope you all enjoyed it. Comments & criticism are definitely appreciated. I had no beta, so the mistakes are all mine.
Chapter 2