Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 21:50:42 -0700 (PDT) From: Author James Subject: Return of a Real Dark Knight 12 Disclaimer: This story is fiction. There are two celebrities who will appear from time-to-time. The other characters are fictitious. Any similarities to persons living or dead are completely coincidental. In this story, I have continued the adventures of Batman, my Batman, which his story first began in "Tales of a Real Dark Knight" in the Boy Band section of this archive. It spanned 250 chapters. You will find many universes merging, as the below copyrights reveal. I hope you all enjoy this. 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. Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston. Copyright DC Comics. 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. I don't know for sure if I will use all the above elements, but just in case, I have myself covered. I appreciate any feedback that you may want to give. I do hope that you enjoy it!!! 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. Chapter 12 To Orlando The following morning, bright and early as they always had done, the Kents awoke and began their routine. Clark and Jonathan went out to do the outside chores while I helped Martha prepare breakfast in the kitchen. "Its going to be strange not having him around." "I know. I'm glad you called me over the summer. You can tell anyone who asks that he was sent to summer camp." Martha nodded as she put bacon in the skillet. "The coffee's ready. Help yourself." I poured myself a cup and went to the mixing bowl where I was stirring up flour and eggs for pancakes. "You and Jonathan can visit any time you'd like." "Will he be accepted where he's going?" "Of course. Most of the people I know understand diversity and embrace it. He will be disoriented at first because he will be in a completely foreign area, but he will adjust okay. I promise." Martha turned to me and wiped a tear from her eye. "I appreciate you coming here. It's nice to know he has a safe place to be and someone to look out for him." I went over to her and gave her a hug. "He was raised by two wonderful people. Everything about him exudes welcome and acceptance. He will find friends and learn control over what he can do." Clark and Jonathan headed back to the house from the barn, both covered in sweat. Jonathan reached over and put his arm around his son. "Clark, I want you to know that we love you. Whatever happens in Orlando, I want you to know you have a home here with us. We love you and want you to be safe." "I know, dad," Clark replied. "Be careful with your powers and listen to what Dr. McCoy tells you. Even though he's different from what you expect to see, he's still a good person." "You're referring to the whole gay thing, aren't you?" Jonathan nodded. "It just gives me the willies, dad. I can't help it." "It's because you haven't been exposed to it. Get out there and be exposed to the world and all the wonder of diversity it provides. You are part of that diversity with these new powers you have." Clark again nodded. The two men reached the house and came in. Martha grabbed a cup and poured her husband coffee while I poured orange juice in a glass for Clark. Once we were all seated, Martha led us in the saying of grace and we ate. "What will I do in Orlando?" Clark asked. "You'll be staying at the Hunter Center for Teens." "Are all the kids there like me?" "Not really. There is a young girl who is different from everybody else, though. She's much stronger. I don't know if she's your level of strength, but she is stronger than most people. Plus, my daughter is, too." "You have a daughter?" I nodded and pulled out my wallet. Then I pulled out a family picture and passed it to Clark. "Whoa, she's cute!" My eyes widened and I looked at him just daring him to make a comment. "Who's this other guy? He looks around my age." "That's Preston, her brother. And the guy with his hand on my shoulder, that's Lance, my husband." Clark nodded and handed the picture to his mother's waiting hand. "You have a very nice looking family, Dr. McCoy." "Thank you," I replied and took the picture, showing it to Jonathan. He smiled as he looked at it and then handed it back. After breakfast, Clark packed his things. His parents took me aside and gave me a bag. "What's this?" "These are some items we found on his ship. If he's going to be discovering who he is, it might be a good idea to provide as much information as possible." "Thank you." Clark came down and Jonathan and Martha took us in to town. We sat in the back watching the rolling plains zoom past. It wasn't long before the bus arrived and we were boarding for the airport. "Be careful," Martha said hugging her son. "I will, ma." Jonathan took him in his arms and hugged him close. "Be good." "Sure thing, pa." "Thanks, for everything, Dr. McCoy," Jonathan said shaking my hand. "You're welcome," I replied. We climbed onboard the bus and it drove away, taking Clark from a world he had always known and to a world he had never knew existed. It wasn't the world of the big city I was speaking of, but the world that I had been part of for fifteen years. The world of heroes and villains, of magic and mystery. A world that I believed Clark would have his own niche in when he came of age. Clark looked out the window wide-eyed at the site of the city. The size of the city amazed him. I smiled remembering the same feeling I had when I arrived in Los Angeles over a decade ago. He turned and saw me smiling and regained composure. He still thought I was weird for being gay. But after the battle with the vampire, he also found he wasn't alone. He still had an inner struggle with the gay issue. It's hard to believe that, after all the rights the government finally gave us gay people, there were still those who were ignorant of homosexuals, even some who still hated us just for being gay. The pilot came over the intercom and told everyone to take their seats and fasten their belts. As we headed toward the runway, the plane jerked. "What was that?" Clark asked. "Just a little turbulence," I replied. "We should be okay." The plane jerked again, this time harder. It wasn't turbulence at all. Something was happening. Without warning, one of the engines exploded. Pieces of it flew at the plane and knocked it off course. "What do we do?" Clark asked. Since neither of us could fly, there was really nothing we could do. I could try to use my powers and steady the plane, but I haven't been the most confident in using them. Sometimes I wasn't able to control them. With me not being on the ground but being in the center of the danger, it made for an even more dangerous option. The only thing I dared do was try to slow the plane down. Keeping my eyes closed, I relaxed my body and concentrated on the air molecules around the plane as well as the structure of the plane, willing the air currents to push up from underneath as well as forward to slow us down. I could feel the plane slowing. I concentrated on the hull to make it softer, more pliable so that the wind resistance wouldn't knock it around as much. Then I felt it happen. The bottom part of the plane ruptured. The plane jerked up as the compartment underneath us lost air pressure. The contents of the cargo hold tumbled out at 15,000 feet. Immediately I stopped, knowing that my lack of control caused the plane to rupture. Everyone on board screamed in terror as the plane plunged. "We're going to die!" someone called out. 'God, please don't let us die,' I prayed. Faster the plane plunged. I gripped my seats and prayed that, if it were my time to die, that God would look out for Sarah and Preston and Lance, and provide Lance with someone to take my place in being a supportive and loving partner. The plane jerked again and I believed it to be the end. However, it wasn't the end. The plane's fall was slowing. "God saved us!" a woman called out. I tried looking out the window, as was Clark, but we couldn't see anything. Finally, the plane landed with a thud. Looking out the windows, several of us saw a young woman with hair as black as coal wearing a white robe that resembled ancient Greek style fly up into the sky where she disappeared. "It was an angel! God sent an angel to rescue us!" the same woman claimed. "Oh, thank you, Jesus!" After making sure we were safe, the pilot opened the hatch and everyone took turns sliding down the balloon ramp to the ground. Paramedics had arrived as the pilot had radioed the problem when it first happened, and everyone was checked. Nobody was seriously injured. Lance, who had come to pick us up at the airport, found me and embraced me tightly. "I thought you were going to die!" he said between sobs. "I couldn't bear to lose you again!" "I know. I thought I was going to die, too. But I'm here, now, and I'm fine." After calming down, I introduced Clark to Lance. They shook hands and Lance took us to the center. "This is where I'm staying?" Clark asked as we entered the building. "Yep, this is the Hunter Center for Teens." "Does everyone here have powers like I do?" "No, not really." Clark looked over at me annoyed. "There are some, though, who I will introduce you to who are different in the way of powers." I checked in with Claire, one of the receptionists, to find out which rooms were available. She gave me one and I took him up to the second floor. It happened to be right over the bedroom Lance and I have in case one of us has to stay the night. Clark's room was a single room. I figured with him having his powers, it would be a good idea for him to have his space. "Get settled in. I'll come up for you tonight. Then we'll get to the bottom of your powers." Clark nodded and I left the room. Lance came up the stairs and was heading down the hallway toward me. "So, what's his story?" "It turns out we have ourselves a little super teenager on our hands. He can run fast, bend metal, and apparently his eyes blast focused heat. He caught a vampire on fire in Smallville." "You're kidding, right?" "No." "Why is he here? Wouldn't it be better for him to go to Xavier's Institute?" "If he were a mutant, I would say yes. But he isn't. Turns out he isn't from this planet." "He's an alien? Like the ones we faced on our honeymoon?" "Not as far as I know. Clark was raised on earth. It wasn't until just yesterday that he found out he wasn't from this world." "Poor guy. His world seems like it's been turned upside down and sideways." "I know. I'm hoping I can help him address any issues that he has." Lance nodded. "The reason I came up is because there is a young girl downstairs asking specifically for you. She said you knew her mother and that her mother sent her here to speak with you." "Okay." The two of us went downstairs. "She's your office." We went into the main office and Lance headed to his office while I entered mine. "Hello," I said as the young girl turned from the window to look at me. "Are you Eric McCoy?" "I am." "It is nice to meet you," she replied as she walked around my desk and shook my hand. "Your customs are very strange. I am not used to them." "Your accent sounds familiar, though I can't quite place it." "I come from a small island near Europe. That is all I'm allowed to say to anyone who asks." "Okay, fair enough. Please, have a seat." The young girl looked at the chairs and slowly sat down. I was finally able to get a good look at her. She seemed tall from the age I estimated her appearance, and larger boned. Her eyes were a piercing blue and her hair was darker than any black I had seen on anyone before. Just looking at her captivated me, and I'm queer for God's sakes. I shook my head to get my focus back. "Sorry for that. I don't normally stare at girls. You see, I'm married to another man." "It is okay. My mother has talked about you extensively in the last few weeks. She is quite fond of you." "You mentioned her before. Your appearance is also familiar, but I can't place it. Who is your mother?" "Forgive me, I have not introduced myself. My mother was a warrior whom you fought along side over a decade ago. Her name is Hyppolyta, Queen of the Amazons. I'm her daughter, Diana, Princess of Thymiscira." To Be Continued... First Clark shows up and now Diana! Are there any thoughts on what I might be doing bringing these characters to the story?