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bradygirl_12Title: Rainbow’s Freedom (Paradise Arc) (4/37)
Author: BradyGirl
Pairings/Characters: (this chapter): Dick, Melody, Ollie/Dinah, Clark/Bruce, Hal/Steve, Lex/Jamie, Madame Zee
Series Notes: In the 23rd century, Earth is a technologically-advanced society that practices the ancient institution of slavery. As Bruce and Clark continue to juggle being lovers as well as Master and slave, Bruce continues his Abolitionist work, and a shocking Family Secret is revealed. Meanwhile, the Queen Family welcomes a new member, and Steve and Hal meet their Destinies, although neither one realizes it yet. The entire series can be found here.
Genres: Drama, AU
Rating: (this chapter): PG-13
Warnings: None
Spoilers: None
Summary: Madame Zee makes some interesting predictions as Bruce and his Family and guests attend Gotham’s Halloween Week Street Festival.
Date Of Completion (First Draft): April 16, 2008
Date Of Posting: January 26, 2009
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, DC does, more’s the pity.
Word Count: 1360
Feedback welcome and appreciated.
"The Stars and the Moon shall know you, and here comes the Sun."
IV
THE TRINITY CELESTIAL
The crowds were raucous as they always were during Halloween Week in Gotham. Vendors hawked their wares while street performers played music, juggled, and performed acrobatic tricks.
Dick loved watching the acts, pointing out the different maneuvers to Melody, whose hand he was holding tightly.
The little girl’s eyes were huge, taking everything in. She and Dick had bonded immediately when Ollie and Dinah had arrived for the house party at the Manor.
Bruce had been so pleased with the success of the house party last year that he had invited the same guests with a few additions. Steve and Hal had requested one bedroom, and Lex had brought Jamie.
Bruce held on tightly to Clark’s hand, determined to keep him close in this crowd. Dick had been ordered to stay close, and Melody would not leave his side.
Dick looked at Clark with even more respect after Melody had whispered to him about Clark saving her a year ago on the Caldwell estate. Bruce had told him about Melody’s suffering in the Caldwell Household, and Dick had made it his business to keep Melody entertained.
Bruce’s mouth watered as he smelled sausage. “Dick, Melody!” As the children turned, Bruce indicated the sausage stand and they ran forward, the adults smiling as they followed.
The pungent smells of mustard and relish mingled with the sausages.
“Order what you like, my friends,” Bruce said. “Everyone.”
Dick eagerly ordered a sausage with mustard, relish, pickles and Rigellian redsprinkle, a spicy condiment famed for its fiery flavor.
“Will you have a stomach lining left?” Bruce asked with a smirk as he took out his debit card, the platinum shimmering under the strung lights.
Dick grinned. “You should have tasted some of the dishes we cooked up at the circus!” He turned to his companion. “What would you like, Melody?”
Melody spoke too softly for the vendor to hear and Dick encouraged her to speak louder. She did, ordering what he had but leaving off the redsprinkle.
“Smart girl,” Bruce said and Melody blushed but smiled proudly.
Bruce enjoyed the juicy sausage, the condiments’ tangy flavors sharp on his tongue. He watched as Lex handed a sausage to Jamie, who smiled back. His exquisite leaf-green eyes were hidden by dark glasses, a good choice by Lex. His old friend looked happy, which pleased Bruce greatly.
Clark said softly, “You did a good thing, keeping Jamie away from the Caldwells and giving him to Lex.”
Bruce touched Clark’s arm. “Even with Lionel sniffing around, it’s far better than a life with the Caldwells.”
Clark nodded, glancing at Melody.
“Hey, Bruce, you have to get your fortune told!” Ollie said with a grin.
“Oh, Madame Zee’s here?”
“Her tent’s that way.” Ollie pointed behind him.
Bruce remembered last year’s prediction: ‘The dam breaks. A blossoming. Happiness shall be yours, m’lord’. And she had clarified it as love, and not too far in the future.
She’d been right.
“Let’s go.”
The tent was the same one from last year: black-and-yellow glittery stripes, and the sign read: ‘Madame Zee—Tarot Readings, Crystal Ball Divinations, and Palm Readings’.
“Me first!” Dinah said as she slipped inside.
“So, Lex,” Bruce began as Clark and Jamie talked. Hal was describing a test flight to Dick and Melody while Steve and Ollie talked. “Has Jamie been able to stay clear of Lionel?”
“So far.” Lex sipped his Coke. “I’m actually surprised. I figured by now he’d have bent my Prize over his desk and taken him. So far, so good.”
“You seem very happy,” Bruce observed as he watched Clark and Jamie laugh.
“I am. I’m very satisfied with Jamie. You have excellent taste, Bruce.”
“Edmund wasn’t too happy when I bought him.”
“Edmund is a sadistic old man who delights in tortures. I won’t let him get near my Prize.”
“Good.”
Dinah emerged from the tent.
“So, what’s the prediction?” Ollie asked.
“Oh, my business will do well.”
“What about your love life?”
“Oh, that.” Dinah waved her hand negligently.
Everyone laughed and Dinah smirked.
Steve stepped up. “I’ll go next.”
Hal watched him go, then returned his attention to Dick and Melody.
Lex watched the Ferris wheel turning bright against the night sky. “Be very careful, Bruce. Edmund hates you.”
A chill went through Bruce. “I don’t think…”
“Trust me, he does, and that makes your slaves vulnerable.”
& & & & & &
After fifteen minutes Steve emerged, joking about meeting a dark-haired woman with the heart of a lioness.
“The psychics say that every year,” he smiled.
“Oh, but they’re very smart,” Dick said, bouncing up to Steve. “We had psychics off-and-on with the circus. When they ‘saw’ things, they were usually right.”
“Let me go next,” Hal said.
Bruce watched Dick talk about psychics, enthralling his audience.
“He’s a born showman, isn’t he?” Lex murmured in amusement.
Bruce smiled. “Very much so.” A bright red-and-green costume with a fluttering yellow cape flitted across his mind. “He was born for the spotlight.”
“Mmm.” Lex sipped his Coke. “How old is he?”
“Nine.”
“In a few years, you’ll have to Veil him.”
Bruce felt that skitter of familiar fear. “I will.” He thought of what Dick’s fate would have been if he had remained with the circus. “I will,” he repeated, fierce protectiveness in his tone.
Hal emerged from the tent and Steve took his hand. “So?”
Hal looked a little dazed. “Something cosmic is coming, and I’m going to be a part of it.”
Steve looked a little frightened. “Like, a war coming?” He squeezed Hal’s hand. “Maybe you’ll be a war hero again.”
Hal smiled crookedly. “One war’s enough for me, my friend.”
Bruce quietly touched Lex’s arm. “Protect,” he whispered, looking at Dick and Clark, then entered the tent.
It was as he remembered it: wine-red wall hangings, woven with Celtic symbols, and scented candles flickering on tables, incense from a hanging brazier mixing with patchouli. A hand-carved oaken staff was propped up in one corner, and the crystal ball shone in the candlelight, ruby eyes winking from the pewter dragon base.
Bruce sat in the black-lacquered chair, stretching out his legs and getting comfortable. He breathed in the incense, the scent reminding him of his days of training.
Bruce relaxed so much that he nearly fell asleep, rousing when he heard the jangle of jewelry.
”Glad to see you back, Lord Wayne.”
Bruce smiled at Madame Zee. She smiled back, skirts swirling as she sat down, gold and silver bracelets jangling. Blond tresses trailed out from under her dark-blue kerchief, yellow stars patterned on the silk.
“So, did you find your true love yet?”
Bruce smiled. “A gentleman never tells.”
She picked up her deck of Tarot cards. “Very elusive, Lord Wayne, like a wraith in the night.”
Bruce’s stomach tightened. Did she know?
Oh, please. Don’t get all paranoid.
“Hmm, your journey continues.” She laid out a card. “Your Legend is growing. The Stars and the Moon shall know you, and here comes the Sun.”
Her cadence was mesmerizing, Bruce blinking as the incense filled his senses.
She’s good.
The mists began to swirl in the crystal ball. Singsonging, Zee said, “The Light…so bright…child of your heart…Sunchild…” Her bracelets jangled as her hand passed over the ball. “Ocean’s sparkle by the night of the silvery moon…” Bruce smiled. “…the Crown’s Jewels sparkle as the Prince walks among his people…prized Jewels by his side…Starchild…splash of sunlight…” She frowned slightly, “…robinsong…clear and sweet…protector of the Castle…”
Bruce’s mouth went dry. A robinsong? He looked at her closely but her eyes were distant as she spoke her visions.
“…Paradise…despoiled, but waiting to be cleansed…Goddess law…the cries of the suffering faithful…Rao’s gold…emerald death…protect…protect…the Savior…Kal-El…ribbons of light…ribbons of sorrow…Bracelets of Submission…there are many rainbows, but only one Freedom’s Rainbow…”
Bruce listened intently, filing away the imagery. It was beautiful, poetic language, and he wanted to immerse himself in it.
Zee’s eyes snapped open as loud voices could be heard outside the tent.
“Your Sunchild is in danger.”
Author: BradyGirl
Pairings/Characters: (this chapter): Dick, Melody, Ollie/Dinah, Clark/Bruce, Hal/Steve, Lex/Jamie, Madame Zee
Series Notes: In the 23rd century, Earth is a technologically-advanced society that practices the ancient institution of slavery. As Bruce and Clark continue to juggle being lovers as well as Master and slave, Bruce continues his Abolitionist work, and a shocking Family Secret is revealed. Meanwhile, the Queen Family welcomes a new member, and Steve and Hal meet their Destinies, although neither one realizes it yet. The entire series can be found here.
Genres: Drama, AU
Rating: (this chapter): PG-13
Warnings: None
Spoilers: None
Summary: Madame Zee makes some interesting predictions as Bruce and his Family and guests attend Gotham’s Halloween Week Street Festival.
Date Of Completion (First Draft): April 16, 2008
Date Of Posting: January 26, 2009
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, DC does, more’s the pity.
Word Count: 1360
Feedback welcome and appreciated.
Madame Zee
Prediction
22—C.E.
THE TRINITY CELESTIAL
The crowds were raucous as they always were during Halloween Week in Gotham. Vendors hawked their wares while street performers played music, juggled, and performed acrobatic tricks.
Dick loved watching the acts, pointing out the different maneuvers to Melody, whose hand he was holding tightly.
The little girl’s eyes were huge, taking everything in. She and Dick had bonded immediately when Ollie and Dinah had arrived for the house party at the Manor.
Bruce had been so pleased with the success of the house party last year that he had invited the same guests with a few additions. Steve and Hal had requested one bedroom, and Lex had brought Jamie.
Bruce held on tightly to Clark’s hand, determined to keep him close in this crowd. Dick had been ordered to stay close, and Melody would not leave his side.
Dick looked at Clark with even more respect after Melody had whispered to him about Clark saving her a year ago on the Caldwell estate. Bruce had told him about Melody’s suffering in the Caldwell Household, and Dick had made it his business to keep Melody entertained.
Bruce’s mouth watered as he smelled sausage. “Dick, Melody!” As the children turned, Bruce indicated the sausage stand and they ran forward, the adults smiling as they followed.
The pungent smells of mustard and relish mingled with the sausages.
“Order what you like, my friends,” Bruce said. “Everyone.”
Dick eagerly ordered a sausage with mustard, relish, pickles and Rigellian redsprinkle, a spicy condiment famed for its fiery flavor.
“Will you have a stomach lining left?” Bruce asked with a smirk as he took out his debit card, the platinum shimmering under the strung lights.
Dick grinned. “You should have tasted some of the dishes we cooked up at the circus!” He turned to his companion. “What would you like, Melody?”
Melody spoke too softly for the vendor to hear and Dick encouraged her to speak louder. She did, ordering what he had but leaving off the redsprinkle.
“Smart girl,” Bruce said and Melody blushed but smiled proudly.
Bruce enjoyed the juicy sausage, the condiments’ tangy flavors sharp on his tongue. He watched as Lex handed a sausage to Jamie, who smiled back. His exquisite leaf-green eyes were hidden by dark glasses, a good choice by Lex. His old friend looked happy, which pleased Bruce greatly.
Clark said softly, “You did a good thing, keeping Jamie away from the Caldwells and giving him to Lex.”
Bruce touched Clark’s arm. “Even with Lionel sniffing around, it’s far better than a life with the Caldwells.”
Clark nodded, glancing at Melody.
“Hey, Bruce, you have to get your fortune told!” Ollie said with a grin.
“Oh, Madame Zee’s here?”
“Her tent’s that way.” Ollie pointed behind him.
Bruce remembered last year’s prediction: ‘The dam breaks. A blossoming. Happiness shall be yours, m’lord’. And she had clarified it as love, and not too far in the future.
She’d been right.
“Let’s go.”
The tent was the same one from last year: black-and-yellow glittery stripes, and the sign read: ‘Madame Zee—Tarot Readings, Crystal Ball Divinations, and Palm Readings’.
“Me first!” Dinah said as she slipped inside.
“So, Lex,” Bruce began as Clark and Jamie talked. Hal was describing a test flight to Dick and Melody while Steve and Ollie talked. “Has Jamie been able to stay clear of Lionel?”
“So far.” Lex sipped his Coke. “I’m actually surprised. I figured by now he’d have bent my Prize over his desk and taken him. So far, so good.”
“You seem very happy,” Bruce observed as he watched Clark and Jamie laugh.
“I am. I’m very satisfied with Jamie. You have excellent taste, Bruce.”
“Edmund wasn’t too happy when I bought him.”
“Edmund is a sadistic old man who delights in tortures. I won’t let him get near my Prize.”
“Good.”
Dinah emerged from the tent.
“So, what’s the prediction?” Ollie asked.
“Oh, my business will do well.”
“What about your love life?”
“Oh, that.” Dinah waved her hand negligently.
Everyone laughed and Dinah smirked.
Steve stepped up. “I’ll go next.”
Hal watched him go, then returned his attention to Dick and Melody.
Lex watched the Ferris wheel turning bright against the night sky. “Be very careful, Bruce. Edmund hates you.”
A chill went through Bruce. “I don’t think…”
“Trust me, he does, and that makes your slaves vulnerable.”
After fifteen minutes Steve emerged, joking about meeting a dark-haired woman with the heart of a lioness.
“The psychics say that every year,” he smiled.
“Oh, but they’re very smart,” Dick said, bouncing up to Steve. “We had psychics off-and-on with the circus. When they ‘saw’ things, they were usually right.”
“Let me go next,” Hal said.
Bruce watched Dick talk about psychics, enthralling his audience.
“He’s a born showman, isn’t he?” Lex murmured in amusement.
Bruce smiled. “Very much so.” A bright red-and-green costume with a fluttering yellow cape flitted across his mind. “He was born for the spotlight.”
“Mmm.” Lex sipped his Coke. “How old is he?”
“Nine.”
“In a few years, you’ll have to Veil him.”
Bruce felt that skitter of familiar fear. “I will.” He thought of what Dick’s fate would have been if he had remained with the circus. “I will,” he repeated, fierce protectiveness in his tone.
Hal emerged from the tent and Steve took his hand. “So?”
Hal looked a little dazed. “Something cosmic is coming, and I’m going to be a part of it.”
Steve looked a little frightened. “Like, a war coming?” He squeezed Hal’s hand. “Maybe you’ll be a war hero again.”
Hal smiled crookedly. “One war’s enough for me, my friend.”
Bruce quietly touched Lex’s arm. “Protect,” he whispered, looking at Dick and Clark, then entered the tent.
It was as he remembered it: wine-red wall hangings, woven with Celtic symbols, and scented candles flickering on tables, incense from a hanging brazier mixing with patchouli. A hand-carved oaken staff was propped up in one corner, and the crystal ball shone in the candlelight, ruby eyes winking from the pewter dragon base.
Bruce sat in the black-lacquered chair, stretching out his legs and getting comfortable. He breathed in the incense, the scent reminding him of his days of training.
Bruce relaxed so much that he nearly fell asleep, rousing when he heard the jangle of jewelry.
”Glad to see you back, Lord Wayne.”
Bruce smiled at Madame Zee. She smiled back, skirts swirling as she sat down, gold and silver bracelets jangling. Blond tresses trailed out from under her dark-blue kerchief, yellow stars patterned on the silk.
“So, did you find your true love yet?”
Bruce smiled. “A gentleman never tells.”
She picked up her deck of Tarot cards. “Very elusive, Lord Wayne, like a wraith in the night.”
Bruce’s stomach tightened. Did she know?
Oh, please. Don’t get all paranoid.
“Hmm, your journey continues.” She laid out a card. “Your Legend is growing. The Stars and the Moon shall know you, and here comes the Sun.”
Her cadence was mesmerizing, Bruce blinking as the incense filled his senses.
She’s good.
The mists began to swirl in the crystal ball. Singsonging, Zee said, “The Light…so bright…child of your heart…Sunchild…” Her bracelets jangled as her hand passed over the ball. “Ocean’s sparkle by the night of the silvery moon…” Bruce smiled. “…the Crown’s Jewels sparkle as the Prince walks among his people…prized Jewels by his side…Starchild…splash of sunlight…” She frowned slightly, “…robinsong…clear and sweet…protector of the Castle…”
Bruce’s mouth went dry. A robinsong? He looked at her closely but her eyes were distant as she spoke her visions.
“…Paradise…despoiled, but waiting to be cleansed…Goddess law…the cries of the suffering faithful…Rao’s gold…emerald death…protect…protect…the Savior…Kal-El…ribbons of light…ribbons of sorrow…Bracelets of Submission…there are many rainbows, but only one Freedom’s Rainbow…”
Bruce listened intently, filing away the imagery. It was beautiful, poetic language, and he wanted to immerse himself in it.
Zee’s eyes snapped open as loud voices could be heard outside the tent.
“Your Sunchild is in danger.”
Re: Cliff hanger
Date: 2009-01-27 04:49 am (UTC)Right now they're too handy in the villain department. ;)