Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2004 14:07:43 -0800 (PST)
From: Author James <authorjames2002@yahoo.com>
Subject: Return of a Real Dark Knight 39

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 above 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. 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.

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 39 Unwell

	The group spent all day following Joseph.  Of course, it turned out
that he knew who was following him and when, so he took appropriate
measures to let everyone know he was aware.  The shadowing turned out to be
a flop so everyone returned disheartened.  I reassured them they shouldn't
be worried and that they did a good job with what they did do.  They left
the cave leaving me alone with Oracle.

	"Preston," Ryan asked him as Preston walked through the foyer.
When he got Preston's attention, he asked if Preston would go with him to
his room.
	"Sure.  Is something wrong?"
	"Not really.  I just want someone to talk to.  So far, you've been
the only one acting like he cares."
	"Of course I care," Preston said as he put his hand on Ryan's
shoulder.
	The two went off to Ryan's room.

	"I figured you would be down here," Lance said as he descended the
ladder.
	"Yep," I said as I looked through the recorded attacks that
resembled Catman's on Christine.  It was my hope that I would find a
potential hideout where he was keeping Joseph.
	"Can we talk?" he asked as he sat down at the desk.
	"About what?"
	"About us."
	I took a deep breath.  This was a talk I knew was coming but was
too afraid to have.
	"Sure," I said as I turned around and sat down at the computer
chair.  "Where would you like to start?"
	"Let's start with how you feel about me, about us, about the
situation."
	"Those are three very separate things.  Which would you like me to
start with?"
	"Eric, are you playing some kind of game with me?  Is this some
psychological strategy you are pulling?  One moment, you seem like we can
move past what happened.  The next, you are distant.  I don't know if I
have a shot at salvaging anything.  I'm confused."
	"You're confused?  You're not the only one."
	"Then talk to me, please.  We need to actually work on this instead
of saying we are going to.  What do you feel about me?"
	"I'm confused, okay.  I'm torn about what I feel about you.  I know
that I love you with every fiber of my being.  I know that..." and I choked
up.  After a breath or two, trying to keep some control, I continued.  "I
know that we had wonderful times, more good than bad, at least.  And I've
seen us growing old together.
	"But it is so hard to trust you right now.  I've been burned,
Lance.  I've been burned by people that I've opened my heart to, including
you.  And I don't know how much more I can take.  I don't know if I can
handle allowing you or anyone else close to me again.  Do you know how hard
it is...to trust again?  Do you know how hard it is for me not to wonder
about...about other times you might have done this?  Or if...you've ever done
it?"
	"I haven't."
	"But how can I trust that?  The trust is gone.  There is nothing
you can say that won't keep me from doubting how you feel."
	"I know," he said as he slouched in the chair.  "There is nothing I
can do to make you feel better, to wash away the pain and hurt you are
feeling.  No matter how hard I may try, nothing will do it.  I've damaged
your heart.  And that is one place that can never heal completely.
	"But I also know that I love you with every fiber of my being.  I
never planned to do what I did."
	"You must have.  Why else would you keep it from me?  Why else
would you take your friends...OUR friends with you and tell everyone else
BUT me?  That sounds like a plan, in my mind."
	"That's not what I meant, Eric.  When I met this person online, I
never meant to cheat on you.  I would talk about all the wonderful things
we did, the wonderful times.  And this guy listened.  But the more I
chatted with him, the more I realized how much seemed to have disappeared.
Something was lacking in our relationship.  From my perspective, it was the
romance.  We didn't have time for our relationship.  It was always the kids
and work.  I'm not saying those things aren't important, because they are.
But time needed to be made for.
	"The guy picked up on it in our conversations.  He was a listener
to what I went through.  He empathized with me.  Then he asked if I wanted
to have my own life outside the family, sort of like what you have with
this."
	"You told him I'm Batman?!?!"  I said infuriated.
	"No!  Never!  I told him that you had a job that was dangerous and
kept separate from the rest of our lives because of the danger.  He asked
if I wanted to try something that was dangerous.  He said we would keep it
separate from everyone else.  The thought tempted me.  I mean, come on, I
had the opportunity to do something outside the same old stuff day in and
day out.  So I went.  I didn't know what it was going to be.  I didn't know
an orgy was involved."
	"When you got there and all those cocks were hanging out, you must
have known."
	"I did.  He told me what was going on."
	"At first I refused, but he was really persuasive."
	"How could someone be so persuasive that he caused you to cheat on
your husband of over ten years?" I said.  Anger was easily evident in my
voice.
	Lance didn't say anything.  Instead he bowed his head.
	I wasn't going to let what I saw get to me.  Something was
bothering him and I didn't want to become soft toward it.  But I asked.  I
had to know.
	"How did he persuade you?"
	"He threatened to come to you with all our messaging conversations.
I was ashamed that you would find out and be hurt.  I didn't want him to
tear us apart."
	"That's how he persuaded you?  That's how?!  My God, Lance!  Do you
honestly think that I would be more upset than I am now if I would have
found out about some conversations?  Do you honestly think that finding
you...with them was less painful?  Think, for God's sake!
	"There had to be something more to it.  You know better than that!"
	"He also...he also threatened the lives of the kids.  He said we
would never see them alive."
	"And you think that you and I couldn't protect them?"
	"He said he would kill you, too.  He has...abilities, Eric.  Similar
to yours."
	"Who is this guy?  What's his name?"
	"I don't know."
	"You don't know his name?  You fucked a guy and his friends and you
didn't know his name?!  You're going to get tested for HIV."
	"I'm sorry," Lance said as he came over to me.  He reached up and
put his hand on my shoulder.  I jerked away in response.
	"You don't get to do this.  You don't get to comfort me when you
were the cause of my pain."  After a moment, I asked, "Why didn't you tell
me all this to begin with?"
	"Because the reason for what happened is more than simple
blackmail.  There is something wrong in our marriage that needs fixing,
Eric.  What happened and the reasons for it doesn't change the problem.
Hitting someone won't make you feel any better."
	"Believe me, beating the shit out of things helps an awful lot."
	I took a medical kit from underneath the computer and opened the
contents on the desk.  There, I took a lancet and punctured Lance's finger.
Collecting a few drops of blood on a slide, I placed it on the analyzer.
	"Oracle, run scans on blood sample.  Determine if there are any
viruses or diseases within the sample."
	The machine whirred to life.
	"What's the guy's screen name?" I asked.
	"Mirage," he answered.
	"Did he tell you where he lived?"
	"No."
	I shook my head as I packed up the kit.  After putting it
underneath the computer, Oracle displayed the results on the screen.  His
blood came back negative for any sign of disease or virus.  'Thank God,' I
thought.  I may be angry with him, but I would never wish anything horrible
to happen to him.

	"So why did you ask me to your room?" Preston asked.
	"Things don't feel right," Ryan asked.
	"What do you mean?"
	"Something is happening to me.  And I'm scared.  All day staring at
the ceiling making friends with shadows on my wall.  All night hearing
voices telling me that I should get some sleep because tomorrow might be
good for something.  Hold on.  Feeling like I'm headed for a breakdown, and
I don't know why.
	"But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell.  I know right now you
can't tell, but stay awhile and maybe then you'll see a different side of
me.  I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired.  I know right now you don't
care.  But soon enough you're going to think of me and how I used to
be...me.
	"I'm talking to myself in public and dodging glances on the train.
And I know, I know they've all been talking about me.  I can hear them
whisper and it makes me think there must be something wrong with me.  Out
of all the hours thinking somehow I've lost my mind.
	"But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell.  I know right now you
can't tell, but stay awhile and maybe then you'll see a different side of
me.  I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired.  I know right now you don't
care.  But soon enough you're going to think of me and how I used to be.
	"I've been talking in my sleep.  Pretty soon they'll come to get
me.  Yeah, they're taking me away.  But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little
unwell; I know right now you can't tell.  But stay awhile and maybe then
you'll see a different side of me.  I'm not crazy, I'm just a little
impaired.  I know right now you don't care.  But soon enough you're going
to think of me and how I used to be.  I'm just a little unwell."
	"Do you want me to get my dad or something?" Preston asked, a
little freaked out by what he just experienced.
	"I don't know what he could do for me."
	"He understands a lot of things, believe me."
	"But it feels...it seems too fantastical to explain."
	"I don't think he would be shocked by anything you say."
	"I suppose not," Ryan replied.
	The two stood in silence, neither knowing what more to say or do.

	"Oracle," I said.  "Scan the Internet for the username 'Mirage'."
Turning to Lance, I asked, "What messaging service?"  He told me and I
directed Oracle to search that network for the username.  "Once it is
located, determine the origin of the name.  I want to know where it was
registered, what the profile is.  Hell, I want to know the IP address."
	Oracle began working again in search of the name I gave her.

To Be Continued...

Author's Note: Please be sure to join the Yahoo Group "RDK_MK".  I have a
poll up that I would like as many readers as possible to answer.