Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2001 05:16:02 -0700 (PDT) From: Author James Subject: Adventures of a Real Dark Knight 36 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. 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 I also have several online messenger services. If you want to chat with me in real time, email me and tell me the services you use and I will tell you my screen name. Chapter 36 Making Connections Talia rode through the early morning light toward her first destination. A local bar reported a redheaded woman wearing green seduced many of its customers. Later the customers were found in the Iceberg Lounge unconscious. According to the hired Penguin, Poison Ivy had made an appearance the same night the men were found there. Talia hoped that she might find some clues to the location of Poison Ivy from the bartender or some other patrons. Talia parks her cycle in the back alley and tries the back door. It opens and she walks in. Two guys are in the kitchen cleaning it well, or as well as can be expected considering the state it already is in. The two guys look up at Talia. "Hey, baby. What are you doing here?" the cook asks. "I'm looking for someone." "It's me, isn't it?" the cook replies. "Hardly. I'm looking for a woman." "Damn. A lesbian. A hot one, too." "I'm looking for a redheaded woman. She was in here a few nights ago soliciting work from your patrons." "We don't cater to prostitutes!" the other man replied. He must have been the owner. "She wasn't a prostitute. She was, however, using her feminine wiles to get what she wanted." "I think I know who you're talking about." "Where can I find her?" "She didn't say where she was from. She did say that she was going to check out another bar two blocks from here." "Thank you." Talia exited the building and mounted her motorcycle again. Within moments she arrived at the next bar and entered it. "What are you doing here, lady?" the bartender asked. "I'm looking for a redheaded woman. Goes by the name Ivy." The bartender's face turned into a look of apprehension. He obviously knew something. Talia recognized his facial expression and decided to press the issue. "Where is she?" "I'm...I'm not at liberty to say." Talia walked up to the bartender. She reaches inside her robe and pulls out a knife. Grabbing the bartender's head, she slams it down on the counter. "I asked you a question. Now oblige the lady and tell me what I want to here." Moments later, Talia exits the bar. She pulls out a white cloth and wipes the blood off the blade. She mounts her cycle and heads off toward the outskirts of the city. Up in one of the penthouse apartments, Kara is on a radio with an Englishman. "I need to know the frequency to Batman's radio transmitter. He may be in danger." "It's 927.53 megahertz. What kind of danger? Jessica would like to know." "He's been helping us track down someone who has been kidnapping teenagers. We found them but we need to find out if Batman is among them." "I hope all goes well." "Thank you, Garrett," Kara replies. She turns off the machine. In the living room, Christine is laying on the couch. Robby is sitting in the chair and Ryan is on the floor. All three are sleeping. A food cart rests beside the couch with dirty empty dishes. Kara comes out of a secret panel underneath the stairs. "Christine," she whispers nudging the redheaded slayer. "Hmm?" Christine replies. "I have the frequency to Batman's radio transmitter." "Let's go check it." The two females go back through the secret panel and Kara punches in the frequency. "Batman. Come in. This is Batgirl." Static replies back. "Batman, come in. Please, respond." I hung in the dungeon barely awake. I was exhausted from being up all night. Suddenly a burst of static woke me up. Then a voice followed. "Batman, come in. Please, respond." "Batgirl?" I said groggily. "Oh, you're alive. Thank God. Where are you? We have been worried sick about you." "Oh...not to worry. I've just been hanging in a dungeon for the past eight hours." "You sound tired." "I am. I've been trying to stay awake, hoping to hear what I can from these people, hoping to hear what Ra's Al Ghul is planning." "Where exactly are you?" "Robin brought me here last night. He will know how to get here." "Alright. We'll be there shortly." "No," I responded. "Don't come yet. Wait until after nightfall. The darkness will conceal you." "Okay. Hold tight. We'll be there tonight." Batgirl closed the connection and I relaxed a bit. Then my mind went to Lance. He must've been going out of his mind not knowing what is going on with me. I wish there were someone to contact him. I leaned my head over so my hand could touch a spot behind my ear that activated the transmitter. "Batgirl. Can you hear me?" "Yes. I was just getting ready to turn off the machine. What is it?" "Is there a way that I can use the transmitter as a telephone?" "Yes." "How?" "Press the activation button twice quickly. You should hear a dial tone. Say the number and 'dial' and it will call that number. To hang up, just press the button once and hold it down." "Thanks." I ended the connection with her and called Lance. He answered the phone rather groggily. "Hello, Love," I said. "Eric? Eric! Where are you?" "I'm alright. I didn't want you to worry. I'm working over. I probably won't be home until late tonight or tomorrow morning." "Thank God you are okay. I was worried." "I know. That's why I called." "Where exactly are you?" "I'm actually undercover right now, so I can't talk long. I just wanted you to know I was fine and that I love you." "I love you, too." "See you soon," I said. Then I disconnected the line. I was able to finally relax. Lance was not worried, or as worried. Batgirl, Robin and Nightwing would be here to rescue me in a few hours time. I had nothing more to be concerned with. Slowly, I drifted off to sleep. Christine came running out of the panel. "Guys!" she called out. Robby and Ryan stirred. "What is it?" Ryan asked. "I just talked to Batman. He's fine. He's at the place you and him went to last, Ryan. He's fine. He wants us to go rescue him tonight. He will gather information until then." "We can rest a little better knowing he's fine," Robby replied. "Yes, we can." Talia pulled up to a burned down greenhouse. "She's here?" Talia said climbing off her motorcycle. "Fantastic." Talia made her way through the smoked glass ruins. The plants were burnt to a crisp. She noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. She kept walking slowly, careful not to let the movement disappear completely from sight. The rustling kept getting closer and closer until... Talia spun around, drawing her knife. Through the plants appeared Poison Ivy with a mini-crossbow aimed at her. "You could've been dead," Poison Ivy said to her. "You as well." "What do you want?" "You, actually," Talia answers. "For what?" "Let's just say my father has the same ideas as you." "Says who?" "A little bat told us." Poison Ivy's eyes widen. "I'm intrigued. Tell me...how is the old bat?" "Alive. And my father's prisoner." "Take me to him." Talia smiled at Poison Ivy. "Follow me." Moments later, Talia escorted Poison Ivy through the corridors of the old underground building. Poison Ivy cannot believe the state the building is in. "What happened to your plants?" Talia asked. "Burned up." "I noticed that. How?" "I did it. I was hoping to kill Batman and Nightwing. Unfortunately they escaped and my babies were killed." "Your...babies?" "The plants." "Oh." Talia led Ivy to a wooden door and opened it. They stepped in. A man in green and gold robes stood at a desk. "Father," Talia said. The man turned around. "May I present to you, Poison Ivy." Talia turned to Poison Ivy. "This is my father, Ra's Al Ghul." "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Ivy," Ra's said approaching her, hand stretched out. "Nice to meet you as well." Poison Ivy grasped his hand. "Nice place you have here." "Thank you." "Your daughter tells me that you and I have much in common." "Common goals, to be sure. We both love this earth. We both abhor how mankind has treated it. We both wish to correct the injustice done to her." "That is true." "I think we can do it." "Really? How so?" "I have a plan that I would like you to see." Ra's spent the next hour going over his plan to wipe out the people in Orlando, Florida. Poison Ivy listens intently to his scheme. When he's finished, Ra's said, "What do you think?" "I would like to see this poison." "Over here." Ra's takes her to a table and pours a glass of water. He pulls out a jar of powder and puts in a small amount. "See, the poisonous powder dissolves instantly in water." "But my concern is whether it is environmentally safe." "Of course. We have used many ingredients that come directly from the far-reaching corners of the earth. Nothing manmade is in the poison." "Allow me to be the judge." Without warning, Poison Ivy grabbed the glass of poisoned water and drank it all to the protests of Ra's and Talia. She swallowed and looked off into space as if considering the tasting of a fine wine. "No, no," she finally said. "This won't due. I need to see your formula." "What do you mean?" "I think you have too much scorpion poison in it. Let's retire to the chemical lab and see what you've got." Ra's and Talia looked at each other in surprise. "Of course," Ra's said. "Follow me." The three exited the main hall and headed to the lab. Hours pass and they exit laughing and talking. "Now your poison is environmentally safe and twice as effective," Poison Ivy said. "How do you have such knowledge?" Ra's asked. "I've a degree in botany and chemistry. I'm a teacher...or at least was, until..." "Until what?" Talia pressed. "Until I fell in love with a student and we had sex. He got me pregnant and the authorities found out. I lost my teaching license and, once my baby was born, I lost him to the government. He's now in an adopted family." "My condolences," Ra's replied. "I would hate to think what it would be like to lose my daughter." "Let's hope you never find out," Poison Ivy said. "When is this going down?" "Pardon me?" "The poisoning of the city. When is this going to happen?" "Tonight." "Tonight!" "Is there a problem with that?" Talia asked. "I want to get my son. I won't have him die in this." "Very well," Ra's answered. "You and Talia will collect Percy from imprisonment and your son from his home. Then return here. We have much to do." "Yes, father," Talia responded. Lance walked around the house a bit nervous and anxious. "He sounded very tired. I hope he's not pushing himself too hard. He shouldn't push himself hard. He's dealing with vampires...what am I saying? Vampires? I still can't believe there are such things as vampires. It seems too amazing. But, I witnessed a vampire before. I remember Turic. He was a vampire. He seemed very strong and had all those mystical powers. Are all vampires like that? If so...God, Eric is really pushing himself! I hope he doesn't end up dead. I don't know how I would react if he were to die." To Be Continued... I know this chapter is a bit shorter than normal, but I thought there was plenty of plot development here. And I wanted to end it here for the next chapter. Good stuff coming up in the next chapter. Poison Ivy and Talia break Percy out of jail. They also kidnap Jack. And Batman finally gets free. Keep reading!