Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2003 06:50:54 -0700 (PDT) From: Author James Subject: Judgments of a Real Dark Knight 18 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. 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. The Vampire Chronicles and all related characters created by Anne Rice. Copyright Anne O'Brien Rice. Star Wars and all related concepts created by or based on the universe created by George Lucas. Copyright 20th Century Fox, LucasFilms Ltd. and Lucas Books/Ballantine Books. I don't know for sure if I will use all the above elements, but just in case, I have myself covered. Other stories set in this universe: "Marvel Knights" "Tales of a Young Mutant" (no new postings in a while) "Tales of a Superhero Band" "Tales of the New Phoenix" 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. authorjames2002@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. If anyone has artistic talent and/or design capabilities, check out the "Real Dark Knight" Contest. Chapter 18 Vulnerable Blade watched as the psychologist slash superhero walked away. Then he took a deep breath and entered Punisher's room. Lying on the bed was the man he developed feelings for. He couldn't believe he was actually doing this, actually going to speak of his feelings. It didn't seem right to him, especially under these circumstances. But the psychologist had to be right, didn't he? "Hey," Blade began, not sure if the Punisher could actually hear him. He walked closer to Michael then he turned and went to the window. "I just got done talking with your psychologist friend. I use that term loosely since you don't seem to like having friends. Anyway, he suggested I come in and talk to you about something. It is something that has been on my mind for a while, but I never wanted to pursue it. I didn't think it was right, especially with what we are doing here in Tokyo. You know, searching for your boyfriend hoping to free him of whatever is controlling him. "Plus I have a problem with the fact that you kill people so easily. Demons and vampires I can see. They are evil through and through, most of them don't even have souls. But you kill people. Sure people do bad things some times. I don't deny that. Slavery, hate crimes, charging outrageously for healthcare, but people can be redeemed. Humans have souls and can be forgiven, changed, made better. People have a shot at growing and evolving. If anything, that gives me hope about you. "I'm sure you are wondering why in the hell am I talking like this. I'm asking myself the same thing. Why would I want to show weakness and vulnerability? That isn't in my nature to do. I'm angry and violent and hold people at bay. I don't talk about my emotions. But Eric thinks it would be in both our best interests if I said something to you. So, here I am. "I've noticed after a while that my feelings for you have changed. I used to hate you for what you did. Like I said before, I'm still not crazy about it. But something inside me has changed. My feelings have changed. I'm not sure what it is exactly or where it will lead. But I care about you. I don't want anything to happen to you. And I want you to find happiness. I know the road you are on and it will not lead you to happiness. Dishing out revenge is never the answer. "I said my peace, I guess. I told you I care about you. And I will do anything and everything within my power to save Johnny from this spirit. You have my support." Because the spell would invoke a mass amount of power, we moved to the garage. Northstar and Cyclops moved the vehicles to the edges so Dr. Strange would have plenty of space. He drew an image on the floor, one I wasn't familiar with, and poured a circle of blue sand around him. He stood in the middle and looked up at the ceiling. "Darkest powers Immortal spirit I call to thee For one I supplicate One is bound One is free The natural order of things Have been disrupted A soul no longer controls A spirit incarnate I call upon the powers To free the soul Release!" The lights flickered. I looked to Lance and Jessica. Something didn't feel right, but I couldn't put my finger on it. The only thing I could do is be ready. Dr. Strange continued. "Immortal soul Immortal spirit Hear my command and obey Let the one become two once again Let the soul command once again Spirit return to your place of reserve Release!" Thumping surrounded us. Suddenly the doors burst open and in poured an army of vampires. I looked over to Lance. "Don't get bit." "I won't," he said. I pulled out a wooden stake and a silver stake and readied for the battle. Several vampires charged at Dr. Strange, but when they hit the symbol, the demons were thrown backwards. A barrier of sorts surrounded the wizard. "That makes our job easier," Jessica replied. The Slayer swung her leg out and connected with a vampire. She rolled over its back and kicked another. She staked the first one kicked and swung her foot up connecting with the second one's face. Its head jerked back giving her the opening she needed to stake it. Lance ducked as a vampire swung at him. He jabbed the stake into the vampire's back but it didn't go in far enough to pierce the creature's heart. It swung its arms around attempting to hit Lance, but Lance was ready. He jumped backwards just out of arms reach. The vampire lunged at him, but he dove and rolled away. The vampire ran into the wall. Rolling to his feet, Lance turned and jumped, feet first, at the vampire. His foot hit the stake and forced it the rest of the way in. In a second, he was picking his stake up from the dust on the floor. Needless to say I was proud of him. Shiro tossed several plasma balls at nearby vampires and they burst into flame. Some turned to dust, others burned like paper. 'I could easily destroy them all,' Shiro stated, 'but it would kill all in this room. The others are not protected as I am from the heat.' Two vampires came at me from each side. One came running at me from directly ahead. They would all converge on my position at roughly the same time. I decided to use that to my advantage. As the vampires on either side of me came within distance, I shoved the stakes into their chests. I only had seconds to act before they would turn to dust. Using them as leverage, I swung my legs up and connected with the face of the vampire in front of me. I spun completely around as the vampires turned to dust. Then I staked the third vampire before he could recover from my kick. I turned to check on Justin and watched as a vampire turned to dust in front of him. It was good to know he and Lance had taken to the training Jessica and I were giving them. Suddenly, the entrance to the lair lit up. All the remaining vampires stopped and turned, as did the rest of us. The walls seemed to dance with the light of fire and the source moved down the ramp and into view: Ghost Rider, or Death as he referred to himself. We became uneasy. His strength was well-known already after the pummeling he had given me. Death turned to Dr. Strange and leapt at the wizard. He impacted with the barrier and bounced off landing in a nearby wall. He recovered quickly and continued his assault on the energy barrier. Fists pounded into the dome but to no avail. Dr. Strange continued his spell appearing completely oblivious to what was going on around him. Two vampires punched me and threw me against the wall. As they stood before me baring their teeth, preparing to feed, a silver blade tore through their necks and stopped short of cutting into mine. The demons turned to dust and I looked to my left to see Blade standing in the doorway. "Thanks," I muttered. "Don't mention it," he replied. He stepped past me and joined the fray. The doorway did not remain empty, though. Punisher stood in the doorway in full garb, though he looked weak. He readied his guns and took aim at several vampires. Then he fired at their necks. The bullets fired in such rapid succession that they blew off the neck and, effectively, decapitated the demons. Out of the corner of his eye, Punisher noticed Ghost Rider and I observed him as he moved toward the possessed being. 'Johnny,' Punisher thought as he walked toward his lover. At first Death didn't pay any attention. Then he noticed Punisher and, for a moment, a look of recognition moved across the skull's face. Death then turned back and started hammering on the shield. "Johnny," Punisher said as he neared. "Stop!" Death turned. "Johnny doesn't live here anymore. There is only Death." "Bullshit! I saw the look in your eye! Johnny is in there and he's fighting like hell to get out! That's his body and you have no right to be in there!" "On the contrary, he invited me in. He wanted me to take control so that he could rescue you, remember?" "But you weren't supposed to take control like this. What happened?" "I was liberated by a very powerful warlock. He enabled me to manifest completely. Hence, here I am." "But you aren't supposed to have control. You aren't meant to be in this world at all. And he's going to send your ass back to where you came from." Death backhanded Punisher and he flew across the garage landing with a thump. Death then looked at his hand and at what happened. "Michael," Johnny's voice came from with the skull mouth. Death's head jerked to the side and the flames flared up. "You won't take control, human. You have no power to stop me." "But I do," Dr. Strange said looking at Death. He held his hands toward Death, palms facing the being, and said, "Release!" Orange energy blasted forth from Dr. Strange's hands and hit Death. "No!" Death cried out as the energy cascaded over him like a tidal wave. We all watched as the energy flowed over him, the skull head changing from Johnny's head back. The flames turned into his red hair back to the flames. Everything about him would revert to the human state, to normal, human size, then grow again and be Ghost Rider, a.k.a. Death. "You cannot take back this body!" Death exclaimed. "Bullshit!" Johnny said. All watched as the two beings struggled within one body to take control. The Punisher, Michael, stood up and walked over to the cascading energy and his lover. He knelt down and grabbed his hand watching as the faces changed back and forth rapidly. "I won't lose you," Punisher whispered, though it seemed to resound throughout the room. "I won't let him take you." Blade heard those words and were thankful for the sunglasses he always wore, along with the shadows surrounding him. For him, he knew this was what was right. Michael and Johnny deserved to be together. "Michael?" Johnny said to Punisher. "Is that really you?" "Yes," Michael said. "You...never gave up on me?" "Never." Johnny smiled and reached up his other hand to caress Michael's cheek. Michael looked down at his lover's face which smiled back at him. Suddenly, his face changed to Ghost Rider's and he punched the Punisher. Michael flew up toward the ceiling and arced, falling back down to the floor. Death stood up and looked around. He turned back to Dr. Strange who continued to flow the energy cascade toward him. "I will not stop fighting back." "Then I have no choice but to unleash my full power upon you, spirit." Dr. Strange's eyes turned black. The white shocks of his hair turned black as well and an unfelt wind rustled it. His hands glowed with the mystical energy that would put down the spirit possessing Johnny Blaze. He aimed his hands at the man/monster and the energy shot out. Death jumped to the side at the last possible second. The energy hit the wall and seemed to roll off like a spray of water. Death ran up the ramp heading out into the city. "We've got to stop him!" Shiro said. I ran over to check on Punisher. He just laid there unmoving. "Are you okay?" I asked him. "Punisher? Michael?" "Leave him alone," Blade said to me as he came up behind me. I turned and looked at him. "Did you talk to him?" "It isn't your business. You shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place. You have a habit of sticking your nose where it doesn't belong and isn't wanted. Get your suit on. We have a possessed man to hunt." I stood up and walked away from Blade. Maybe he was right. Maybe my advice was wrong. I'm not perfect nor do I claim to be. But still, maybe there was something better I could have said to Blade concerning Punisher. Maybe the desire I have to see everyone happy gets in the way of reality. The truth of the matter is, Punisher is with Ghost Rider. That doesn't leave room for Blade, unless they wanted to get involved in a three-way relationship. As weird as that sounds, it isn't an impossibility. I entered my room and found my suit. As I suited up, Lance came in. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Just fine," I replied pulling on my pants. "What did he say to you?" "He said I shouldn't have gotten involved in their problems. Maybe he was right." "What do you mean?" "Blade has feelings for Punisher, although he's torn over the fact Punisher doesn't hesitate to kill. Plus, with Punisher's boyfriend currently evil, it makes it a mess. It's too complicated to get into right now." "Are we coming with you?" "You mean you and Justin? No. I think it would be best if you were to stay here with Northstar and Cyclops. You four can look after Punisher while the rest of us go after Death." "Granted they are mutants, they don't have much in the way of experience in fighting vampires and demons." "True, but Dr. Strange can do a protection spell or something over the lair. We're going to need him with us as well. There is still a chance to save Johnny. We have to do all we can." Lance nodded. I pulled my mask on over my head and adjusted it so I could see okay. Lance came up and hugged me. "Be careful." "Always," I said. I pulled up my mask so I could kiss him. Then we headed to the others. Shiro was already in his Sunfire costume, as was Northstar and Cyclops. "What's the plan?" Huntress said adjusting her mask. Justin followed behind her. "We have to get to Death," Blade said. "We..." "We're going after him," I interrupted. "But we need some of you here to keep an eye on Punisher." Blade turned and looked at me. He was noticeably pissed off at me for interrupting him. But I didn't care. He didn't want me sticking my nose where it didn't belong. That's fine. But this is what I was here for. I was here to help save Johnny and stop Apocalypse. And that was jus what I was going to do. "Cyclops, Northstar, I want you two to stay here with Lance, Justin and Punisher. They have the skill at fighting but you two have the power. Plus, I want Strange to put a protective barrier around the building. The rest of us are going after Ghost Rider. I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say our mission is still to save Johnny. Any questions?" No one replied. "Good, let's mount up." As we headed toward the vehicles, Blade walked up to me and whispered. "I don't give a fuck who you are or what you can do. You interrupt me again and I'm kicking your ass." "And I don't give a rats ass who you are," I retorted. "This is why I'm here. You don't like it, you can kiss my ass." To Be Continued... Whoa! Lots of static between Blade and Batman right now. Who do you think was in the wrong, Blade or Eric? Do you think they will be able to save Johnny? More to come!