preyforheaven (preyforheaven) wrote,
@ 2013-07-10 18:43:00

New AU: Salvation
It was the first personal contact he'd had in so very long. He didn’t know it was 800 years, but it had been so long in the dark.

The Crusader felt his savior's mind directly, just a little. Careful, considered, firm thoughts. Someone who wasn't a mental collection of shattered porcelein himself might have felt the scars more, but to the young -- still young, in so many ways -- soldier, it was stability. It was a bright shining glimmer in the darkness. It was the nearest thing to Heaven.

As soon as he was fully unearthed, he sank to his knees.

He clasped his hands in front of him and held them out. That was how these things were Done, after all.

He'd never had a liegelord before. He remembered, vaguely, his critical view of Eobar's slaughter of civilians on the order of an unworthy 'superior'. The False God had, it turned out, been more of the same.

This, this was the real thing. And if it became necessary, Paris Bennet would do absolutely anything he had to to make sure he was never alone again.

"If you will have me, I am your man."

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gotham_knight
2013-07-11 12:38 am UTC (link)

Yes, he'd been travelling the world, preparing himself for his own crusade, but that also meant researching and taking inspiration from the past. He'd swept through Europe and the far east, picking up every sort of skill he could, and along the way looking into the myths of the past. Not just any of course, he was a man with a mission after all, but any pertaining to his eventual work he looked into.

Which is how he ended up here in the middle east, digging up what was really considered only a legend. An immortal crusader with powers beyond human? It sounded an awful lot like the mystery men that had been becoming more frequent as of late. No longer limited to just the JSA, more were popping up. And if he could figure out more about some of those from the past, perhaps it'd be easier to deal with any who ran into him here in the present.

What he hadn't expected was to actually find...potentially the man of legend himself. Immortality in the stories he'd put down to just that, stories. But now he had a stranger kneeling in front of him offering his service.

Bruce took a step back, wary but in a defensive posture. "And who are you?" He had to hear it for himself, from the man's own lips.

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preyforheaven
2013-07-11 12:46 am UTC (link)

Paris would have laughed madly to know the legends called it immortality: buried alive, cursed to half-sleep in the darkness.

"Bennet, Lord," he said hoarsely, trying to adjust the English he was familiar with to the way the man appeared to be saying it. "My friends called me Paris."

He didn't get up. His hands were still offered. Green-gold energy flickered across the surface of those blue eyes.

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gotham_knight
2013-07-11 12:57 am UTC (link)

The tales had mentioned a similar name. And the fact he was facing the living breathing specimen was still something to come to terms to.

The energy flickering from the man's eyes hadn't escaped Bruce's notice, and his jaw clenched slightly as he kept his heartbeat steady. "I see. And how long have you been in there, Paris Bennet?" His defensive stance hadn't changed just yet, if the legends were true this man could crush him with barely a thought, certainly nobody to let your guard down with too quickly.

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	preyforheaven 2013-07-11 01:02 am UTC (link)
	"It was...April, I believe, Lord. It is difficult to remember. Anno Domini 1192." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

gotham_knight
2013-07-11 01:13 am UTC (link)

This was the danger with looking too deeply into old tales. Sometimes you unearthed something...that couldn't be put back.

Which made this his responsibility. He'd awakened a centuries old man, powerful enough if tales were true, that he shouldn't be left on his own. What's more, in this new world he'd be lost, easy prey t whoever would choose to use him for their purposes. He couldn't leave the man here in good conscience.

"Stand." He lowered the sword that had been in his hand. "I'm not your lord, you're your own man here."

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	preyforheaven 2013-07-11 01:18 am UTC (link)
	He does stand. The green-gold light still crackles. Somewhere between that light and the bright and brittle look, deep in the eyes, of mind that's been through too much, there's a far more 'normal' emotion. The slightest flash of hurt that his oath of fealty would be rejected. "As you wish, Sir." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

gotham_knight
2013-07-11 01:24 am UTC (link)

He did see the look in the man's eyes, and while he may not understand the reasoning behind it completely, he can understand and sympathize with the emotion. Even if his face doesn't show it. "It's been eight centuries since you've been put in there. We no longer have lords. But I won't throw you out in the world to be lost. You can accompany me as...a travelling companion. If you'd like."

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	preyforheaven 2013-07-11 01:39 am UTC (link)
	Paris listens, with some relief, and nods. "Understood, Sir." A pause. "Eight hundred years..." His throat feels even drier as that sinks in. But then he straightens. "Forgive me, but do you have any water that you can spare, Sir?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	gotham_knight 2013-07-11 01:45 am UTC (link)
	"Of course," he nods, using his free hand to take out his waterskin and offer it to the man. "I was on my way to a village a day or two from here. We can find you more food and water there. And..." He looks at the man's attire. "More appropriate clothes." Then decide what to do with the man. But there were things before that, food and clothe him first. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	preyforheaven 2013-07-11 01:48 am UTC (link)
	"As you wish, Sir." And he drinks, and discovers conclusively that, after everything, clean drinking water is the second-greatest thing. The greatest, being... "...May I ask who you are, Sir?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

gotham_knight
2013-07-11 02:00 am UTC (link)

As Paris drinks, Bruce sheathes his sword and crouches to look into the tomb of sorts. "Is there anything in here you want to bring with you? I doubt you'll be back here anytime soon." There wasn't much there, but it interested him nonetheless.

He stands up again, looking over at Paris and trying to decide how much to tell the stranger and what, before looking away again and back into the ground. "...A crusader of sorts, like yourself I suppose you could say. My name isn't important, not here. If you stick around to where it will become important again, then you'll hear it. But until then, I'm just a student." His expression was more melancholic than usual if it was possible. "We all must prepare before we start our wars."

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	preyforheaven 2013-07-11 02:03 am UTC (link)
	Paris raised a hand, and with a green-gold crackle, a 12th-century French arming-sword flew from the that tiny sliver of Hell to Paris's hand. He actually blinks a little. He had still been getting used to his abilities when he was sealed away. "Just this, thank you. And... as you wish, Sir." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

gotham_knight
2013-07-11 02:08 am UTC (link)

The show of power has Bruce look on with an odd sort of intensity. At least for most people, for him it wasn't out of the ordinary. Before closing the tomb, he pockets a piece of shrapnel from it, perhaps there'd be something interesting when looking into it later. "What are your powers exactly, Sir Bennett?" With the small shovel he'd initially used, Bruce gets to work covering the tomb again.

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preyforheaven
2013-07-12 02:15 am UTC (link)

Paris Bennet looked pretty good in Armani. This was his second pair of sunglasses of the month -- they covered the crackle of psionic energy over his eyes well in public, but he was still likely to break them if he got too agitated. And he did sometimes still get agitated, even though he worked so hard for perfect control. His master needed him to keep a low profile, after all.

The day had mostly consisted of sparring matches before Alfred, Mister Wayne's extremely competent seneschal, had insisted they get cleaned up for the evening's occasions. Alfred seemed still not entirely comfortable with Mister Wayne's having a knight in service, but bodyguards were still considered somewhat socially acceptable.

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gotham_knight
2013-07-12 02:37 am UTC (link)

Bruce still had the usual too-serious expression that was the norm for him as Alfred drove them to the event. He adjusted his tie again, smoothed out his too expensive suit, and went through some key foppish lines in his head once more.

"We've gone over the regulations for bodyguards in this time period, and the signals should I need an out for any reason. Any questions or concerns before we arrive, Paris?"

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	preyforheaven 2013-07-12 02:45 am UTC (link)
	"None that you're unfamiliar with, Sir." Whole roomful of people they apparently can't necessarily trust, and all. But Paris is very, very willing to adapt. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

gotham_knight
2013-07-12 03:04 am UTC (link)

Of course he'd made it clear not to trust anyone. Gotham was at its worst upon his return, worse than it'd been when the crime that had taken over had seeped from the side neighbourhoods and hit the front pages so spectacularly with his parents' death. That crime had been there before, but it took the deaths of two of Gotham's most prominent to make it clear to all just how bad it had gotten.

"Well, the prodigal son returns as they say," he nodded to him, before turning on the glib but charming smile as Alfred opened the limo door and he stepped out, to the flash of the cameras and the excitement of Gotham's elite. It seemed the Wayne heir was making his grand return.

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	preyforheaven 2013-07-12 03:06 am UTC (link)
	Paris doesn't have time to point out that Mister Wayne is hardly prodigal, a term which required irresponsibility, not simple absence. He follows at an exactly appropriate professional distance, watching everything. He didn't like that smile. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

gotham_knight
2013-07-12 03:37 am UTC (link)

There is irresponsibility in absence he might say, but it's something he'd accept, because he needed the time away both to collect and prepare himself.

Bruce Wayne makes his way down the red carpet, smiling for photographers, shaking hands and taking in introductions as if he didn't know who they all were already. While inwardly he loathes it, and knows that every hand he's shaken has touched dirty money, he continues anyway, this was part of the appearances after all.

It doesn't start out too foppish, he's polite and charming with that glib smile, making small talk, asking after the current events. But here and there there's slight remarks or actions of his that start the opinions forming. The way he admires the curves of some woman who walks by as a Chesterfield (the 4th actually) tries to chat to him about his company's recent expansion and how they perhaps may have talks with WE about a contract... Or the slight misunderstanding as the young Wayne seems to mix up the Paris of myth (the centre of the art piece Mr. Hayes had just acquired) with the city, and goes into an amusing tale about a waiter he'd encountered there. Or even just the way he admits to one young lady that oh of course he doesn't know how where his address book is, he can't be bothered to organize it all and they really should find his butler, and where was Alfred anyway?

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preyforheaven
2013-07-12 03:43 am UTC (link)

And behind his sunglasses, Paris cringes. The performance, even though the need for a performance ahd been explained, was an affront to the dignity of a Great Man....almost an affront to the general dignity of mankind, really.
And since of course Alfred is discreetly withdrawn for now, Paris may well find himself sliding business cards and napkins with young ladies' telephone numbers on them into the inside pocket of his suit, in consternation.

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gotham_knight
2013-07-12 03:54 am UTC (link)

There's quite a lot of numbers that end up in his companion's suit, not surprising, it seems the Wayne heir has been managing to score with everyone else's dates more than they have. And throughout the evening there's a girl by his side or on his arm at all times, and certainly everyone can't help but notice this. But he doesn't invite any back to the Manor, or the penthouse. Cleaning up, renovations, years of accumulated dust to get rid of he tells them. And it's all quite true, but really he wants to get the face-to-face public act of the Bruce Wayne persona down before he moves on to the next steps. Namely, slowly cementing a playboy reputation, some absentmindedness, and a penchant for thrilling and dangerous sports. Let's not forget expensive and outrageous purchases and vacations. But the last of that list will be fake, he has no intention of going on vacation, likely not ever if he can help it. There's too much work to do.

"I think they like me," says the playboy billionaire to his bodyguard, with that same smile he's been sporting all night. In a way it's him asking Paris's opinion of how things are going.

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	preyforheaven 2013-07-12 03:58 am UTC (link)
	"Yes, Sir," Paris says quietly. "For a certain value of the term." Both the term 'like' and the term 'me' in this case. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	gotham_knight 2013-07-12 04:02 am UTC (link)
	"Well it's only my first night officially back, give me some time," he chuckles lightly, a foppish chuckle of course. The real Bruce did not laugh. Another party goer approaches to take up his time again and this time Bruce speaks more for the benefit of anyone overhearing. "Don't look so glum, it's a party after all," he smiles and raises his drink in toast. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	preyforheaven 2013-07-12 04:07 am UTC (link)
	"I am, how do you Americans say, on the clock, Sir. No one expects me to 'party'." Thank Heaven. Bruce understands Paris is no actor. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

gotham_knight
2013-07-12 04:11 am UTC (link)

"It's your loss, my man," he grins and puts his arm around the beauty that comes over before easily stepping into conversation with yet another party goer interested in getting a word in with him. He's certainly the popular figure tonight.

Perfect. The plan so far was going well, and he had to make sure to play the part well and not take it to far. Once this was done he'd tell Paris the details of the next steps related to developing the public persona needed for their crusade to go on discretely to begin with, but undeterred overall.

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