Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2003 06:14:07 -0700 (PDT) From: Author James <authorjames2002@yahoo.com> Subject: Judgments of a Real Dark Knight 35 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. 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. Other stories in this universe written by other authors: "Tales of a Superhero Band" "Tales of the New Phoenix" "Tales of a Young Mutant" Chapter 35 Crashes The day of the boy band finals came around and Lance wanted me to spend the day with him. I could never turn down an opportunity to spend a whole day with the love of my life so I went. We arrived at the hotel around 9:00 in the morning and headed back to the rooms. "Hey, guys!" Justin said as we entered one of the rooms. "Hi, Justin. Good to see you. How are things?" "Great," Justin replied. "I can't wait for the baby!" Justin had shared with us Jessica's pregnancy and progress. "Do you want to know if it's a boy or girl?" Lance asked. "Not yet. Jessica wants to be surprised. That shocks me as has so much surprise in her life, if you know what I mean." Lance and I both nodded. A dark-haired man came up behind Justin. "Oh, Eric, this is Benjamin Adams." "Call me Ben," he said as he took my hand and shook it. "He's from the group A1. Ben, this is my husband, Eric." "Nice to meet you." "Nice to meet you, too. What brings you over here to America?" "The chance to help form the next boy band. Plus, I'm looking for some guys who might want to be part of my new group. A1 is splitting up. We all think it is time to move on, so, here I am." "That's cool." A woman approached. "Gentlemen, it's time for the practicing to start. Please take your seats." Lance nodded and we sat down to listen to the singers. "In the first group, we have Caleb, Ryan, Dustin, Bobby and Timmy." The five guys came up and started singing their song. I recognized it as one from the Backstreet Boys, "As Long As You Love Me". They did a very good job, I thought. The guy who did the main part sounded very good. Justin, Lance, and Ben wrote down their thoughts and then gave their opinions to the singers. The young men nodded and left. The rest of the morning went by with different combinations of the last fifteen boys singing group songs. When we broke for lunch, Lance told me they would tally up his, Justin's and Ben's scores and a final decision would be made by the record company's executives, who were also listening during the tryouts. We went to get lunch and then headed home to relax before having to head back. We swam in the pool a bit, then got out, showered, and dressed up for the evening. Lance and I arrived at the hotel again and entered the Expo Center, which was filled with round tables that sat six a piece. We found our spots near the front with Justin and Ben and sat down. Many executives were already there mixing and mingling, while other celebrities were making their way through the crowds talking with friends and acquaintances. "Kind of a big deal, isn't it?" I asked. "I mean, look at all the big-wigs of the industry." "This is a very big deal for music history," Lance said. "The record company is forming a band comprised of homosexuals. This will not only draw in a specific group of listeners as well as taking a stand on prejudice and discrimination. This would be one more way of validating homosexuality." About an hour later, I had to use the bathroom. I headed toward the restrooms when I saw an elevator door open and out came a young man with tears in his eyes. "Are you okay?" I called as he went past. He ignored my words and kept going. My bladder forced me to focus so I went into the bathroom. After doing my business, I came back out to find a familiar face coming out of the elevator. It was a young man whom I had met while in New York at the Xavier Institute. He looked rather upset as well. I decided to follow him out into the rainy weather. He gave me the slip as the weather caused a fog to settle in the city. I was able to catch up to Davey on a bridge, where he was with the other young man who had left earlier. "Can I help you?" I asked the two young men sitting on the ground. "Can you turn back time?" Davey asked me. I knelt down by him and looked closer at the other boy's face. The fog had made it difficult but I was able to make out more from this distance. Both were experiencing a great amount of pain, all of which was emotional. "What's happened?" I asked. "I broke his heart," Davey answered in a cold, small voice. "I'm sorry," I replied compassionately. I wished at that moment that I could change the damage Davey had caused this young man. I wish I could change back time or erase what had happened, but there was nothing I could do. "Why don't you two come back with me? I have a dinner that I have to sit in on, but afterwards I would be happy to talk with both of you." "We're supposed to be there, too," the young man replied. I stood up and offered both my hands. Davey took it and stood up. He turned to the other young man and waited. The young man took my hand and stood up, but not once did he look at Davey. "What's your name?" I asked him. "Mine's Eric." "Harris," he replied quietly. I put my arms around them and walked with them back to the hotel. "We have seats over there," Davey said to me. I walked with them over to their table and joined Lance towards the front. "You're awful wet," he said, "and not in a good way. Did the sink explode or something?" "No. I saw a young man from New York running out of the hotel. Without going into too much detail right now, they need some help." Lance nodded and the speaker came to the podium. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us on this momentous occasion. What we are about to do here could help pave the way in the entertainment industry for open gays and lesbians. Granted we have some noteworthy out persons already gracing hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of music listeners with beautiful music. But never has a boy band been formed solely of young, homosexual adolescents." "Unless you count Dream Street," Lance whispered in my ear. I chuckled as three of the five were gay. "The judges toiled with us in narrowing down the singers and providing suggestions in forming this band. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce them. Justin Timberlake." Justin stood up and the crowd applauded. "Lance Bass." He stood and again more applause. "Benjamin Adams." The crowd applauded even more. Once the clapping died down, the three men sat and the speaker continued. "We do not want those who did not make to feel in any way inadequate for the music career. All of you have talent, and we found it difficult to choose. Our final selections were based on many things including talent, diversity in appearance as well as meshing of appearance, and marketability. When I call your name, please join us up here on stage." The speaker pulled a piece of paper out of an envelope and cleared his throat. "Ryan, from California!" Hands clapped as a young man stood and went up to the stage. He smiled at the crowd and waved, pointing his finger at Davey. "Caleb, from California!" A dark-haired youth rose and climbed the stairs. "Alexander, from New York!" A dark-skinned young man stood and walked up on stage smiling excitedly at this grand opportunity. "Toby, from Kansas!" An Asian young man stood and went up on stage to the applause. "And last, but not least, Davey, from Ohio!" I turned and Davey stand. He did not look happy at all for being picked. He put his hand on the shoulder of the young man whose heart he broke only to have it pushed away. The young man muttered something to Davey. Davey turned and went up to the stage. Ryan and Caleb clapped him on the shoulders and were very touchy, feely with him. My mind made a connection that they were somehow involved with what happened. Davey moved passed them and up to the podium, whispering something in the speaker's ear. The speaker nodded and Davey took the microphone. "Thank you for the applause. But I don't deserve it." The clapping subsided. "I stand up here not as an upright gay teenager, but as one who has..." Without warning, the lights went out. "Twinkle, twinkle little boy, would you like to play with my toy?" a voice rang out over the speakers. "Who is this?" Davey asked. "Call me Joker, little one. Wouldn't you like to have some fun?" Leaning over to Lance, I whispered, "I have to do something." Lance nodded. I noticed Justin across the table looking at me, knowing exactly what I was saying to Lance. I stood discreetly and made my way through the room to a nearby door and quickly made my exit. The back doors opened and in walked three people. The man, who was standing in the center, wore a purple outfit that looked like something from the military. Straps came over his shoulders with a gun over his left breast and a grenade over his right. He had a gun holstered on his left leg just above his knee. Black boots completed his outfit. The outfits worn by the girls were similar to each other, although the colors were different. One wore a purple and black harlequin outfit and the other wore a blue and red one. The one with the purple had green hair in a ponytail. The one in blue had her hair in pig tails. Both wore black masks over their completely white faces and red ruby lips. Most of the audience was unsure whether to laugh or be afraid, that is until the three white-faced persons pulled their weapons out. A man stood up and the man of the three shot him. "Don't get up," he replied. "The show has just started." Louder, he said, "I'm the Joker, in case you pin-heads couldn't figure that out. Allow me to introduce Harley." The girl wearing the purple and black outfit smiled and waved. The gun went off spraying several bullets into the ceiling and chandelier. "Oops," she said putting her hand over her mouth. "My little Harley," the Joker replied patting her on the head. "And this is Quinn." The woman wearing the blue and red smiled and struck a pose as a model would. "I'm sure some of you have heard about me on the news, haven't you?" When no one answered, the Joker shot a woman and asked again. "Haven't you?" "All we were told was that you were killed," Lance answered. "What did he say? I couldn't quite hear him." The Joker raised his gun and took aim at Lance. "Next time, speak louder." A sleek, black object flew through the air and hit his hand, causing him to drop his gun as he pulled the trigger. The bullet flew up into the air and hit a light causing it to skew against the wall. "Batman!" someone yelled out. I jumped from the nearby ventilation and opened my cape as I descended to the floor. The light the Joker's bullet hit glared toward me causing me to cast a shadow onto the wall. I landed on the floor and pulled out two more bats hurling them at the Joker's assistants, Harley and Quinn. One bat hit Harley causing her to lose her gun. Quinn, however, knew what was coming and cart-wheeled sideways out of the way. As she flipped, she opened fire on me without consideration for any in the audience. I tried to use my powers to stop the bullets, but for some reason, I could not. Several in the audience fell after being struck by her bullets. I dove to the floor rolling up to my feet and hurled another bat at her. This time, it hit and the gun fell to the floor. I didn't waste any time so I stood and jumped onto a nearby table running across it and dove at the Joker tackling him. Harley and Quinn both jumped on me trying to get me off their boss when suddenly they were pulled from me. "Hello, ladies, can I join in?" I looked up to see Marvel Boy holding the two up in the air, one in each hand. He looked down at me and nodded. The Joker took advantage of my distraction and kicked me in the chest, knocking me off him and into Marvel Boy. The youth wasn't expecting it and we both fell backwards with him dropping both women. "The rodent and the homo ruined our fun," Joker said as he got to his feet. "Let's motor, girlfriends." The three got up and ran out the door. I got up and helped Marvel Boy to his feet. "Let's go," I said. Marvel Boy nodded and we headed out into the night. Deep in the shadows of an alley way, a pointed-eared figure sucked at a homeless person's neck, feeding off the life blood of the individual. When it finished, it dropped the lifeless body and looked into the sky. A hand reached up and zipped the mouth of the mask closed. Then it leapt up onto the roof of the four-story building and darted off into the night. As it ran, something flew and wrapped around its legs causing it to fall to the rooftop. Several shadows appeared, one resembling the creature only in that it also had pointed ears. It turned and looked at its assailants and smiled underneath its mask. "That's weird," Robin said. "I don't remember vampires going for masks and costumes." "And I don't remember mixed boys being accepted by society," Catman retorted. Robin stepped forward angered by the vampire's discriminatory remark. Batgirl put her hand up and stopped him. "We can't let him get to us." Robin did not take his eyes off the vampire, but he did stop. His chest heaved with anger and his eyes conveyed his hatred toward the creature. Catman reached down and grabbed the cabling snapping it to free his legs. He then flipped up and looked at the three heroes standing before him. "Only one of you is a Slayer. What can you young men do?" "We've slain vampires," Nightwing answered. "You're no different." "Really?" Catman said. "I don't think you've met a vampire like me." "You mean you have your soul?" Robin asked. "I've killed one of you before." "Really?" Catman sounded surprised. "I never would have thought you had it in you. How did you do it?" "I entered his mind and beat the shit out of him, much like I'm going to do to you." "Ah, but this isn't the mind, boy. This is reality." With that Catman swung his leg up and kicked Robin, who flew to the next building over and landed with a thud. "Robin!" Nightwing exclaimed. "Check on him," Batgirl replied. "I'll handle the cat." Nightwing dashed off to check on Robin and insure he was okay. Batgirl turned to the vampire and smiled. "Now it's just you and me." "Excellent." Batgirl swung a fist at Catman. Catman blocked and spun around connecting with Batgirl's face. Batgirl spun and landed in a crouched position. As Catman's leg came at her head, she flipped backwards over his leg and landed in another crouching position. Catman spun to face her, and she cart-wheeled backwards kicking him in the face as she landed on her feet. Catman stumbled backwards. "You're good," Catman replied. "I'm just wondering how good." Batgirl spun around swinging her leg at Catman. Catman caught her leg and elbowed her knee causing her to fall. She swung her other leg up and kicked him in the chest, causing him to release his grip. She spun around on the ground, pulled a wooden stake out and jabbed it into his foot, pinning him to the root. "Ow!" he said looking down at the smiling Batgirl. "You're vicious, too." "Only to evil bastards such as yourself." Batgirl got to her feet. Catman jerked his foot up leaving the wooden stake in the roof. He kicked Batgirl in the chest and launched her over to another building as well. Then he jumped into the darkened alley leaving the heroes to lick their wounds. To Be Continued... What do you think about Catman? How about the Joker showing up with his two sidekicks Harley and Quinn? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Only fifteen chapters to go to conclude the story.