Date: Wed, 13 Mar 2002 19:18:26 -0800 (PST)
From: Author James <authorjames2002@yahoo.com>
Subject: Chronicles of a Real Dark Knight 23

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, Lestat, Louis, 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.

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!!!

Any emails you send, please tell me what chapter and story you are
commenting on.  Thanks.

jmsotc@yahoo.com

Chapter 23 Bonds

	Christian walked into the mansion with a bag of groceries.  He went
straight to the kitchen and put them away.  A shadow formed and Macai came
forth.
	"How is our patient?"
	"He still doesn't remember who he is."
	"Keep it that way.  He must not remember who he is.  He must not
remember his secret."
	"Is there some reason why not?"
	"Long ago he thwarted me, along with a very strong vampire, from
taking over as ruler.  I seek my revenge along with my rightful place as
ruler of this realm.  I will not allow him to remember who he is. You see
to it that he doesn't remember."
	Macai disappeared.  Christian watched in sadness.  He felt
something happening to him and Eric, something he had only hoped for in his
dreams, something he never expected to happen for real.  He was falling in
love with Eric.

	Batgirl, Nightwing and Robin headed toward the vampire queen's
building.  They stopped at the building across the street to gain their
bearings.  Batgirl pulled out small binoculars and peered at the building.
"The vampires are getting ready to head out for their evening meal.  If we
time it right, we should be able to get inside and get a good layout of the
building.  We may even find the vampire queen."
	"That should be fun," Robin said with a hint of sarcasm.
	"Let's go."
	The three masked heroes shot lines across the street.  They climbed
across the lines to the vampire building and entered via the nearest
window.  The room they entered was dark and damp.  A refrigerator and
microwave were the only appliances in the building.  Large blankets covered
the windows to prevent sunlight from streaming in during the daytime.
	"Cozy," Robin remarked.
	"Keep it quiet," Batgirl ordered.  "There may be some still in
here.  Weapons ready."
	Robin pulled out a cross and a wooden stake.  Nightwing pulled out
a wooden stake and some holy water.  Batgirl pulled out two wooden stakes
and went to the door to listen for activity.  When no sound came, she
slowly opened the door and peeked her head out.  All was quiet.
	"Come on," she said entering the hallway.
	Nightwing and Robin followed her out to the corridor.  They
followed her to the stairwell and began a descent to the basement.
	"Why are we going down?" Robin asked.
	"The safest place in the building for a vampire at any time of day
is the basement.  Easy access to sewers if there is trouble, too,"
Nightwing answered.
	"The lead vampire considers herself a queen.  She may want to go to
the roof to see the city that she believes she rules."
	The three continued their trek down the stairwell.

	Lance drifted off to sleep but no pleasant dreams came to him.
Eric, his lover, kept calling to him for help.  "Where are you, Eric?"
Lance would call out.  But he could not find his lover anywhere.  "Where
are you?  Eric, come back to me!  I need you!  I can't live without you!
Where are you?"
	Lance sat up with a start, his face covered in a cold sweat.  He
looked over at the clock.  2:00 am, it read.  "This feels like a nightmare.
One I want to wake from."  Lance looked around the room and saw so many
things that reminded him of Eric.  But Eric wasn't anywhere to be found.
	His stomach churned.  He jumped up and ran to the bathroom where he
heaved and heaved.  The thought of Eric no longer being in his life made
him sick.  The fact of Eric dead made him nauseous.
	His heaving slowed but the tears then started.  He sat on the
bathroom floor clutching his stomach and sobbing, tears flowing down his
face.  "He's gone.  Eric is never coming back."

	Jessica stood outside the house looking up at the bedroom window, a
window she remembered all too well.  Her heart grieved for Lance.  She
still loved him, but there was nothing she could do for him.  As much as
she wanted to, she could not take his pain away.  A tear fell from her eye,
not for the friend she lost twice, once in Los Angeles and again in
England, but for her previous lover.  His pain was her own.

	Slowly, the three crimefighters descended the stairs, checking room
by room for vampires.  None were found.  It looked as if the abandoned
building was, well, abandoned.  They finished checking out the ground floor
and looked to the basement steps.
	"Once we go down, we will have to be even more alert than we are
now," Batgirl said.  "There will be no way out except the stairwell.  On
the above ground floors we could easily use the windows as exits.  But in
the basement, we won't have that luxury.  Are you sure you guys want to go
down?"
	"I'm ready," Robin said.
	"Me, too," Nightwing said.  "Let's put this vampire bitch in the
ground."
	The three moved down the stairwell heading underground.  When they
reached the basement, systematically they checked each room.  To their
surprise, the rooms were all empty.
	"Great.  Where do we go from here?" Robin asked.
	"Wait a minute," Batgirl said.  She walked up to the boiler room
door and felt the door.  "It's cold."
	"They wouldn't need the boiler running," Nightwing replied.  "They
are undead.  They have no need for heat."
	"It's not that.  The door is extra cold.  Colder than a basement
should be, especially for Florida."
	"What are you saying?" Robin asked.
	"Boiler rooms are normally small anyway.  There is normally some
amount of heat coming from the room, regardless if the machinery is running
or not."
	"What do you suggest we do?"
	Batgirl tried the door.  "It's locked."  She stepped back, brought
her leg up and thrust forward kicking the door off its hinges.
	"Ah, the direct approach," Robin said.
	Batgirl looked in then entered.  Robin followed.  Nightwing checked
out behind them before following.  Batgirl walked over to the boiler and
looked around it.  "There's a hole in the wall behind the boiler.  That may
be where the vampire queen is hiding."  Batgirl pushed on the boiler and
moved it to the side.  "Let's go."

	I awoke to the sound of Christian coming in the room.  "Hey," he
greeted.  There was a look in his eyes like something was going on.
	"Hi.  How are you?"
	"Tired.  I've been pretty busy."
	"Making new songs, right?"
	"I wish.  No, other things have been going on."
	"Anything I can help with?" I offered.
	"No.  Nothing."  Christian walked over to the window.  "I had an
idea.  I'm going to rent some videos for us to watch tonight.  Have a night
in.  Maybe the movie will help relax you and bring back some memories."
	"Sounds fun."
	"Great.  I will go rent a movie.  I'll pick something historical."
	I smiled at Christian and he disappeared out the room.

	A few feet into the tunnel and the three masked heroes were met
with a foul smell.
	"What in the hell is that smell?" Robin said.
	"Death," Batgirl replied.  "They have been feeding down here and
leaving the corpses."
	"That's disgusting."
	"That's vampires," Nightwing replied.
	They continued on until the tunnel widened and a light shown forth
from a chamber beyond.
	"Stay here," Batgirl said.  "Let me check it out."
	Slowly, she inched forward toward the opening.  She crouched down
to stay in the shadows.  In the chamber below sat a throne and a woman with
red hair the color of fire sat upon it.
	"I'm still hungry," the woman declared.  "I need my strength.
Bring me more."
	"We're working on it," a vampire answered her.  "Please be patient
majesty."
	Batgirl pulled a small crossbow from a pouch on her belt.  She
strapped it to her wrist, took aim, and fired.  It hit the servant in the
chest and he turned to dust.
	"What the hell!" exclaimed the vampire queen.
	Batgirl stepped out of the shadows.  "Hello, highness."
	"Who the hell are you?" the queen asked.
	"Batgirl.  I'm a vampire slayer."
	Batgirl watched as the queen's eyes enlarged in shock.
	"But I thought the Batgirl was killed by Macai," the queen said.
	"She was.  I'm her replacement."
	The queen stood from her throne and ran.  Batgirl jumped from her
ledge.  Opening her cape she glided down in the form of her costume, a
large bat descending on a queen of darkness.  In a fluid movement, Batgirl
pulled out a wooden stake and readied herself.
	"I've made sure your minions are gone for the evening.  It's just
you and I."

	Nightwing and Robin heard a noise behind them.  They moved back to
the opening of the tunnel and watched for any signs of vampiric activity.
	"I wonder what's taking her so long," Nightwing said out loud.

	"There's no where for you to run, vampire bitch."
	"How dare you speak to me in such a tone?!  I am a queen of
vampires."
	"I was born to speak to you that way.  I am a Slayer.  Prepare to
be slain."
	The vampire queen attacked Batgirl.  Batgirl grabbed the queen and
rolled back, placing her foot in the queen's gut.  As she fell to the
ground, Batgirl kicked out, flipping the queen over her.  She flipped up to
her feet and turned back to the queen.
	The queen climbed to her feet and turned to Batgirl snarling.  "You
are going to pay for that Slayer."
	"Sounds like fun."
	The queen swung a fist at Batgirl.  Batgirl dodged to the side.
The queen brought her other fist around and hit Batgirl, knocking her into
the air and against a wall.
	"I don't hold back," the queen said, "like other vampires do."
	"That's reassuring," Batgirl said.
	Batgirl stood and cart wheeled forward.  As her foot came down it
contacted with the queen's face.  Batgirl, landing on her feet, wasted no
time.  She spun around and kicked the vampire queen in the face.  The queen
spun around and fell into her throne.
	Batgirl approached the queen to grab her.  Instead, the queen
grabbed Batgirl and flipped her over the throne.  She flew so high in the
air she almost was able to grab the ledge.
	Batgirl fell to the ground.  The queen approached her.  "Stupid,
ignorant mortal.  None of you realize the power that comes through
immortality.  As each day, each night pass, vampires become stronger.  I've
been around for a few hundred years now and I've seen vampire hunters come
and go.  Some have been fortunate enough to join my ranks.  Others not so
fortunate and were drained of blood.  My question to you, dear Slayer, is
which do you want to be?"
	"Neither," Batgirl replied.
	Placing her hands on either side of her head, she brought her legs
over her head and kicked out, kicking the queen and flipping up to her
feet.  She spun around and kicked the queen again.  Snapping her leg up,
Batgirl kicked the queen in the face.  The queen's head jerked back hard.
The Slayer looked around and saw several pointed wooden beams protruding
from the wall.  Most likely there were for punishment of those who
disobeyed the queen.
	Batgirl spun around, grabbed the queen by the front of her tunic,
and, placing her foot squarely in the vampire's stomach, fell backwards.
As Batgirl went back, she pushed out with her foot flipping the queen over
her head.  The queen soared into the air and landed directly on one of the
wooden stakes.  It went completely through her, piercing her heart.
	The queen let out a wail of pain and defeat and dissolved to dust.

	Nightwing and Robin, hearing the unfamiliar female scream, turned
and ran to the chamber.  Looking over the edge they saw Batgirl stand to
her feet.  She walked over to the table beside the throne.
	"Hey!" Nightwing called out.
	Batgirl looked up.
	"Are you okay?" he asked.
	"Just peachy," she replied.  She scrawled a quick note.
	"Where's the queen?" Robin asked looking all around the chamber.
	"She's dust."
	Batgirl placed the note on the throne and walked over to the ledge.
Squatted down and pushed up.  Opening her cape she appeared to fly up to
the ledge.  Looking from Nightwing to Robin she said, "Let's get out of
this crypt."

	Jessica stood and watched Lance's house.  Her mind goes back to
when she and Lance were together.  She loved him so much.  And they enjoyed
each other so much when they were together.
	She noticed a car drive down the street.  It had passed a few times
before.  She memorized the license plate.  "If it comes down the street
again, I'm going after it."
	A few minutes later the car came down the street, slowing, as it
did before, in front of Lance's house.  Jessica wasted no time.  She ran
out of her hiding place and grabbed the door, ripping it open.  Placing her
hands on the driver, she pulled hard.
	"Aaaah!" a familiar voice exclaimed.
	"Oh my goodness!  Justin!  I'm so sorry!" Jessica apologized.  "Are
you okay?"
	"Besides wetting my pants, I'm fine."
	"What are you doing here, anyway?"
	"I'm worried about Lance.  I can imagine his heartache.  He and
Eric loved each other."
	"Yes, they did."
	"You want to get in my car and watch from here?"
	"I guess."
	Jessica climbed in the passenger side as Justin climbed back in the
driver's side.  Justin pulled the car over to the side and parked it.
	"So how do you know how Lance feels?" Jessica asked.
	"I remember how I felt toward Eric and how he felt toward me.  Over
time the things that happened when I was under the spell came back to me.
I remember many of the things that happened."
	Justin wiped a tear as it fell down his cheek.
	Jessica looked upon Justin in a different light.  She always
thought of him as a fun-loving guy never capable to be involved in a
serious relationship.
	"I loved Eric.  I realize that, even though there was a spell put
on me, I truly loved Eric.  And now he's gone and I can't tell him that."
Justin's expression changed from sadness to anxiety.  "You won't tell
anyone this, will you?"
	"Why don't you want them to know?"
	"I'm involved with someone right now.  He's a great guy and I don't
want him to get hurt."
	"Do you love him?" Jessica asked.
	"I think so," Justin said with a smile and a nod.  "I think I do."
	Jessica nodded and smiled at Justin.  In her heart, though, she
felt a little sad.  She knew love once with Lance.  Now she's alone.  She's
always thought of it as the life of a Slayer and that it was something she
would just have to accept.

To Be Continued...

In case anyone was wondering, I have pictures available of Macai and his
friends along with the new Batgirl.

Questions and comments are welcome!  More to come!