Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2001 18:13:48 -0700 (PDT) From: Author James Subject: Adventures of a Real Dark Knight 27 Disclaimer: This story, though maybe not in this chapter but in subsequent chapters, will have celebrities in it. I have no knowledge of their sexuality and this is not intended to imply their sexuality. This is all from my own mind. Scary!! People actually get a glimpse into my mind!!! Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, Angel and all related characters created by Joss Whedon. Copyright 20th Century Fox. Batman, and all related characters created by Bob Kane. Copyright DC Comics and Warner Bros. X-MEN, and all related characters created by Stan Lee. Copyright Marvel Comics and 20th Century Fox. Talamasca and all related items created by Anne Rice. Copyright Anne Rice. Star Trek and all related characters created by Gene Roddenberry. Copyright Paramount Studios. I don't know for sure if I will use all the above elements, but just in case, I have myself covered. In this story, which has been floating around in my head most of my life, you will find many universes merging, as the above copyrights reveal. I hope you all enjoy this. I appreciate any feedback that you may want to give. This story doesn't deal so much with sex, sex, sex, but more of my feelings that I struggled with and am starting to come to terms with. Part of his background is mine. I do hope that you enjoy it!!! I have received many emails from people who have enjoyed it and some from those who do not. I would enjoy hearing from you. Any emails you send, please tell me what chapter and story you are commenting on. Thanks. jmsotc@yahoo.com Chapter 27 Duel with a Birdman I ran to where the ladder went to the catwalk where the Penguin had been. When I reached it, the Penguin had already descended and ran through the door. I wish I had worn my Bat-suit underneath the tuxedo, but it would have been too hot. And tonight was going to be a celebration night with Lance. The Penguin, however, decided it would be a good time to kill me and risk killing Lance to do it. I followed the Penguin down the hall and out the door. He was running through the parking lot and I got sight of him in the parking lot lights. I stopped and relaxed my body, reaching out for molecules to manipulate. I felt the tingle of my whole body, stretching out and the weirdest thing happened. I was in the air. I felt no weight of my body. I tried to look at my hands, my feet, but they were gone. It was as if I turned my whole body into free floating molecules. I had become the air, or at least, became as thin as the air. I drifted around for a minute then concentrated hard, turning back into my normal me. I ended up solidifying above a car and fell on top of it. Thankfully I wasn't up far enough to do any damage to the automobile or me. When I slid off the car, I was met with a fist in the mouth. "So you dared to follow me. And without your costume. How cheeky of you." I stumbled with the impact, but righted myself and turned to the Penguin. "Why are you doing this?" "It's simple, my dear boy. I'm a hired gun." "Who hired you?" "None of your concern." "Do you know why you were hired to kill me?" "Not really. The particulars of it don't concern me as much. I'm in it for the money." "The money? You own a very successful business and you are trying to kill me for money? That's just twisted!" "Perhaps to you, but not to me. I thrive on action and adventure. Being a hit man gives me that outlet. And it pays really well." "You are sick, Percy." "Maybe. But I'm the one holding the gun." I lifted up my hand and manipulated the molecules of the gun. It flew right to me. "I know you're a mutant," the Penguin replied as he pulled out a knife and swiped at me. I dropped the gun and jumped back, the knife blade just barely missing me. He took another swing and I flipped backwards onto my hands, pushed off, and landed on my feet. "You are flexible, too. I admire that." I did a spin kick and knocked the knife out of his hand. "You are not going to win, Penguin." "Really? Why is that?" he asked with a grin. "Because you threatened someone I care about very much. I don't take that lightly." "Yeah, yeah. Whatever." I did a snap kick and kicked him in the face. I tried another kick, but he blocked it and punched me. Then he punched me a second time, a third, then an uppercut, knocking me to the ground. "You are not that tough. You actually bring shame to the mask you wear." "I'm not wearing my mask, ass," I replied. The Penguin kicked me in the stomach. I rolled over in pain but I was not about to surrender to him, or whoever hired him. He brought his foot up to smash down on me. I caught it and pushed him away, and then I flipped up onto my feet. I turned to find him gone. It was no matter. I knew where he lived and worked. I would have Lance go with one of the guys. Then I would go home, suit up and go after the birdman trying to kill me. I found Lance and the guys inside worried about me and what was going on. "Are you okay?" I asked Lance, taking him into my arms. "Yeah," he whispered. "Now that I see you are okay, I am. What's going on?" "That was the Penguin. He attacked me before, near the house. He's trying to kill me." "What?! Why?!" "I don't know. But I'm going to find out. I want you to go home with one of the others. I'm going to suit up and stop him." "But if he's trying to kill you..." Lance began to tear up. "Ssh, don't worry. I'll be fine. It's not like people haven't tried to kill me before. Besides, the sooner I find out who wants me dead and I stop them, the sooner you and I can be safe. Your safety means the world to me, Lance. I love you and don't want any harm to come to you." "If you are certain..." "I don't know about that. It's the best way to keep you safe and for me to find out what in the world is going on." I kissed Lance goodbye and headed back to the house. After I suited up, I headed over to the Iceberg Lounge where I was sure to find the man hunting me down. On the roof, I observed inside. As I watched I saw Percy moving about taking off his overcoat and revealing the arsenal he had on underneath. He seemed to be ranting and raving but I couldn't tell what about. I could not wait any longer, either. I took a deep breath and jumped feet first into the glass skylight. The glass shattered under me as I descended to the floor. I pulled out two of my Bats. "It's over, Percy. Whoever hired you to kill me, I want names...now!" "Why worry about names, detective, when you can see the face." I turned slightly...enough to see the face that the voice emanated from. It was the woman in black. "Pay no mind to Percy. He was merely hired to do a job for me...for my father." "And you would be?" I asked. "The name is Talia. My father is Ra's Al Ghul." "And your reason for wanting me dead?" "It's simple. We want to recruit the children to follow us. Since I have no husband, I cannot produce children to join our army. The only other way to do so is to recruit able-bodied teens to train and join our ranks." "What's this army for?" "Simple. My father plans on wiping out the entire human race and starting over with a select few, those who would not be afraid to place the planet's well-being above their own." 'It's a father and daughter version of Poison Ivy,' I thought. Out loud, I said, "With you and your father as absolute rulers, no less." "It's a price we are willing to pay for the sake of the earth." I snapped a Bat in the opposite direction. It struck the hand of Percy...the Penguin...as he was pulling out a revolver while Talia and I were talking. He dropped the gun and cried out in pain. "Not a good move, Penguin. That was very rude of you." "I'll show you rude," he replied. The Penguin lunged at me. I dropped and caught his stomach with my foot and flipped him passed me and into a table. It crumbled with a crash. I jumped up and threw a Bat with a rope attached at Talia. It wrapped around her fleeing legs and tripped her. "Oh no...you're not going anywhere. I'm not done listening to your plans of world domination." "You bastard!" Percy said standing up. "Look what you did to my table!" "You are worried about a frickin' table? You have strange priorities, Penguin." The Penguin ran over to the counter. I pulled out a Bat and threw it as I rolled behind a table preparing for a barrage of bullets. They did not come. I looked up and saw him holding a sword with an umbrella handle. I stood up and came out. "Thought you might have been going for a gun." "No. I may be a hit man, but when I find someone worthy, I want to be civilized. Here's your sword." The Penguin tossed a sword at me and I grabbed the handle. I wasn't sure how well I'd do as the last time I had any kind of training with a sword it was with Garrett, Jessica's Watcher, a few months ago. The Penguin approached me. "Are you prepared?" "I guess," I replied. He swung his sword. I blocked and he changed his attack. I blocked and jumped back as the sword sliced at me. The Penguin stepped up and swung again. I flipped backwards and then countered. "You fight well," he complimented. "I must know who trained you." "A Watcher." "A what?" he asked. "A Watcher?" Talia exclaimed. I looked over at her and she was quickly untying the rope I had tied her up with. The Penguin took advantage of Talia's distraction of me and punched me hard in the face. My head jerked hard, pulling my neck. "Never take your eyes off an enemy," he said. "It's kind of difficult when I have two in the same room with me." The Penguin thrust his sword at me. I jumped to the side and brought my sword down hard on his. The ends snapped off. "Look what you did to my swords!" he exclaimed. "First my table, now my swords! What are you going to destroy next?" "Your chances of getting away." I swung my hand backwards and backhanded him. I felt his nose break with the impact of my hand. He dropped the end of his sword and clutched his nose. Blood began to pour from it. "You brog my dose!" he exclaimed, sounding like he had a sinus problem. "You basdard!" I pulled back and punched him hard, knocking him back. Over and over I punched him until he collapsed unconscious. I tied him up quickly. I turned back to see Talia running up the stairs and I followed. I came out on the roof to find her standing at the edge of the building. "Where are you going?" I asked her. "I must return to my father. There is much for him to know." "What do you mean?" "You were trained by a Watcher, no doubt a Watcher from the Watchers Council in England." "Your point?" "My point, detective, is that my father will want to know this. This makes you a much more formidable enemy than we had expected. Preparations must be made." "For what?" "You amaze me," she said ignoring my last question. "Had you not been gay, we could have had a wonderful future." "Not likely," I said. "Why should you care if I was trained by a Watcher?" "The Watchers Council is a sworn enemy of my father. As is the Talamasca." "What's the Talamasca?" "An organization like the Watchers Council observing and documenting supernatural and paranormal events. They do not believe in interfering, however." "Much like the Prime Directive of Star Trek," I replied. Talia just looked at me and continued. "Both organizations do not like my father very much. His name, Ra's Al Ghul, means, loosely, demon. They question his origins and his purpose in this world. I could almost believe my father an eternal being. He has been alive for some time, almost as long as the Talamasca and Watchers Council. "I bid you adieu, detective. Perhaps one day we will meet again." I heard a helicopter in the distance and in moments a rope ladder had swung in front of Talia. She grabbed it and waved "goodbye" as the helicopter took her away. I did not feel any fear that she or her father would try something again. Tonight proved something. I saw it in her eyes. She had a new kind of respect for me. She wouldn't reduce herself to panty-anty games such as hiring a hit man. If the time comes that I would need to be dead, she or her father would do it myself, and no one else would be threatened. I returned to Percy, who was now conscious again. He was struggling against the ropes. "Untie me!" he yelled out. "Umm...let me think about it...no. You've played these games one too many times. It's time to pay the piper." "You've ruined me, Batman. It's personal. Just watch when I get out. I'm going to beat you at your own game. And I don't mean tell everyone who you are. That would be too easy to destroy you. No, when I get out, I'm going to come after you when you least expect it. Be warned, Batman." The sirens pulled up in front of the Iceberg Lounge. When the doors flew open, I had already ascended to the rooftop. I watched as they carried the Penguin off and I smiled. When I returned to the house, I showered and cleaned up. Then, I gave Lance a call to assure him I was okay. "Are you sure?" "Yes, Lance. I'm fine." "I'm coming home." "Lance, Love, it's late. You stay there and sleep. I'll see you in the morning. I love you." "I love you, too." We hung up and I lay down in bed with the lights off...but I could not sleep. I looked out at the moonlight shining through the window and my min went back to what Talia said. What was the organization she referred to? The Talamasca? I wonder if I would ever meet up with any of their kind. That bothered me. I was never one to get involved in paranormal activity, even though it fascinated me. I found the most supernatural thing in my life was my relationship with God, battling the devil and now, of course, fighting off demons and vampires. And I knew two vampire slayers. I guess I was getting involved in paranormal activity. I guess it's much easier to do when you have that belief in God, have slayer friends and have been trained by a Watcher. Of course, being a mutant has its moments. I closed my eyes and soon I was drifting off to sleep, dreaming of the teen center and what it would do for the city. To Be Continued... The Talamasca? Does anyone know what that is linked to? I should hope so! It was in the opening disclaimer! What does this bode for our hero? Let's see, he's beaten Poison Ivy and the Penguin. And he's stopped Ra's Al Ghul and his daughter Talia. What else is there for him to do? More coming up! He meets a mutant and Lance's family...and even deals with a tragedy. Look for the next set of stories to be set up even more as this section closes out in the next 23 chapters!