Date: Mon, 6 Sep 2004 21:20:38 -0700 (PDT) From: Author James <authorjames2002@yahoo.com> Subject: Return of a Real Dark Knight 24 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 24 Waterworld While sitting with Preston in my office at the Center, the door opened up and I saw the look in Ryan's eyes. He seemed like he was in a trance-like state. "Ryan, what's wrong?" I asked. "I feel...weird. I can sense something." "What do you mean?" "My skin tingles." "Are you in pain?" "It isn't pain. It's like when you are in a room and it feels eerie. Something doesn't feel right. But I can't put my finger..." Suddenly Ryan's eyes widened and turned white. Preston became freaked out by what he saw and he moved behind me. Ryan's eyes then glowed and he spoke. "They are coming." His eyes closed and he fell forward. I ran over and caught him before he could injure himself. Sitting him down in the chair, I checked his pulse. His pulse rate was rapid, but slowed. "Is he okay?" Preston asked. "I think so." "What happened?" "I don't know. He seemed to be in a trance, though what actually transpired, I'm not certain." "We've got to stop this freaky shit." I was surprised to hear Preston cuss. He never used those kinds of words around Lance and me, and we never, ever cussed in front of the children. There was no need for them to hear those words. Given the situation, Preston's sentiment was appropriate, so I overlooked his word choice and attended to Ryan. Slowly, the youth opened his eyes and he looked up at me. "What happened?" "I was hoping you would be able to tell me," I answered. "I meant to say that I know what happened. I'm aware of what I said and what transpired. But I have no idea why." "Have you ever dabbled in magic?" Preston asked. "A little. Magic has always seemed fascinating to me. Not just magic, though, spirituality. I've studied a lot of different religions and supernatural origins, if that makes sense." "Could it be that you have somehow tapped into a mystical force?" I asked. "It sure felt like it. But I don't know where it came from. Some sources of supernatural power refer to trances, but I haven't performed any rituals to obtain that state." "Something is definitely going on." Suddenly Oracle tapped into the computer in my office. "Urgent message," she replied. I moved over to my desk and clicked on the machine. After typing in the pass code, Jessica's voice came over the speakers. "There's something going on, Eric. All teams are reporting kids being thrown out of their homes." "See," Preston said to Ryan. "Maybe what happened with you isn't your parents' fault. Maybe something is happening to them and caused them to do this. It might be the reason for your mystical trance, thing." "What's the status of the kids?" I asked. "They appear to be walking. None of us can figure out where. We're going to stay on them, though." "Do you need me out there?" "There's not much you could do at the moment. We'll keep you posted." "Where are the kids going?" "Hold on a second..." Jessica was quiet for several moments and we waited to find out what was happening. Then she came back on. "They appear to be moving toward the lakes and ponds in the area. It's like they are all flocking to water." I remembered that Ryan, too, moved toward water. Preston and I found him on the bridge. "Follow them and keep them safe. I'll be there as quickly as I can." "Huntress, out," she said and ended the communiqué. "Will you be okay?" I asked Preston. He nodded. "I'll be back." "What should I do?" Ryan asked. "Lets' go down to the cave. You two can work on your mystical trance with Oracle." The three of us exited the office and went to the back bedroom where we snuck down the entrance into the cave. Ryan was amazed at what he saw. I knew I was taking a huge risk in telling him, but time didn't permit me to do otherwise. I changed into the bat suit and mounted the cycle. "Good luck, Dad," Preston said. "You, too." The motorcycle engine roared between my knees and I departed the cave. In a short amount of time, I located Huntress and the rest of the team, and joined them. "What's the status?" I asked. "The kids moved toward the water, but GL put a barrier up and contained them. They keep trying to be free, but we can't be sure what's going on." "There's something of possible mystical origin happening. Preston and I picked up a kid who was going to jump in the water. Back at the Center, he entered a trance and said 'they are coming' before passing out. I think there is something mystical going on. "Everyone, stay back." I walked toward the edge of the water and peered in hoping to see something. I couldn't find anything at first, so I dared to use my powers. I figured if I just felt around the molecular structure of the water, I might find elements that are part of something else. I might be able to determine what was going on. Reaching my hand out, I caressed the surface of the water. Aside from a little pollution, there was nothing out of the ordinary. I moved a little deeper and started to feel a tingle sensation. 'Something is definitely down there.' The tingling intensified and I could tell it was mystical in origin. "There's something magical down there," I said turning to the team. I noticed something behind them, but before I could react, something grabbed me and pulled me into the water. I had just enough time to pull on my breathing mask. "Batman!" Huntress yelled out. Superman flew into the water only to be knocked back out of the water. Wonder Woman flew down to help and she, too, was knocked back. No one noticed the blonde youth that stood behind them until he ran past them and dove head first into the water. "What the hell?" Jessica stated. Another youth ran past them, only this one had black hair. "GL, get that barrier over the water!" Jessica yelled. A green bubble formed over the water and sealed it off. The dark-haired youth jumped at the barrier hoping to break through but found it to be impossible to break. "Surface dwellers! Let me in! I must get through!" "No can do," Flash said as he ran up to the youth. "You must have been ready for this." "I've been waiting many weeks for this to happen." "Is this some kind of cult killing?" Black Canary asked. "No. This is a ritual sacrifice." "How do you know?" Jessica asked as she approached. "Because I and my cousin have been investigating this on behest of the king." "What is your name?" The youth looked upon everyone narrowly. "It is not the custom of my people to trust surface dwellers. You've proven only that you spoil the waters for your own greed. You do not take into consideration the harm you've done." "Whoa, hold on a second, swimmer boy," Flash said referring to the youths green bikini Speedos. "Where do you get off talking to us like that?" "My name is Namor, and I am a prince of Atlantis." Everyone looked around at one another trying to figure out if the youth was joking or serious. If he was serious, his sanity was questionable. "And who was it who jumped in the water?" Jessica asked. "My cousin, Orin, son of Atlan, King of Atlantis." "We might be on the same side. Why are you here?" "Thanatos and Slizzath are two very strong enemies of Atlantis. They deal with the black arts and wish to take over Atlantis." "What brings them here?" Sarah asked as she moved beside Jessica. "They seek ritual sacrifices for Charybdis and Scylla, monsters of the deep. If Thanatos and Slizzath can control the two creatures, they may be able to take over the throne." "How are they controlling the kids? What can they do?" "Thanatos is known for his mind control abilities. It is possible he is forcing them to enter into the water so Scylla and Charybdis can feast. Slizzath is a necromancer, he controls dead people." "Does that go for the undead?" GL asked. Everyone turned to her and saw she was looking toward the streets. A mob of vampires were heading their way. "Get ready, everyone," Jessica said as she pulled out two wooden stakes. The Slayers pulled out stakes and the rest prepared for the battle that was about to ensue. Jessica handed Namor one of her stakes. "Aim for the heart." He nodded and the vampires attacked. I slowly opened my eyes to see myself in a vast cavern. The sounds of a sea creature echoed throughout but were fading. This was a good sign. It was leaving me alone. I tried to get up but became dizzy. "Rest," a voice said to me. "Who's there?" I asked although I could not see very well. "My name is Orin. I'm a friend." My eyes slowly focused and I saw a young man with blonde hair and green Speedos which covered his entire legs and feet. I had noticed that he had a golden staff strapped to his back. On one end appeared a trident, on the other a harpoon. He smiled at me and lifted my head. "I've been on the same journey with Charybdis. It is very disorienting. The easiest way to deal with it is to focus on the creature." "I closed my eyes." "That doesn't work." "Yeah, I kind of figured that out." "Are you well enough to stand?" "I can try." Orin helped me sit up and I knew that was all the further I was going at the moment. I noticed his hands were blue and appeared to be water, yet when he assisted me, they were as strong as any other hand. "They are mystical," he replied after following my gaze. I wanted to learn more about them, but the situation at the moment was much more pressing. "What are you doing here?" I asked him. "I'm not sure you would believe my tale. It would appear outlandish to you." "Look at me. I'm wearing a costume that makes me look like a bat for God's sakes. I'm sure I would believe you." "Very well," Orin began. "My cousin, Namor, and I have been sent to stop Thanatos and Slizzath, two very powerful beings who plan to take over Atlantis." "Atlantis? Isn't that rumored to be underwater?" "It is underwater." "How do you get down there?" "Swim, of course." "You mean you can breathe under water?" "I can. All Atlanteans can." "So, you're sort of like an aquaman." "Of sorts," he replied with a smile. "Thanatos and Slizzath, what's their story?" "They do not agree with my father's rule of Atlantis. They have tried again and again to take control, but have failed. Slizzath became a necromancer so that he could control the dead and raise an army. With his mystical capabilities, he stumbled across ancient magical texts which describe ways to secure the service of Charybdis and Scylla, two very powerful sea creatures. But one must first locate the Demon's Gate in order to get to Scylla and Charybdis. The waters of the earth hold many gates to the other realm, this realm. It was only a matter of time before they found the ideal gate." "Ideal gate? Ideal for what?" "In order to obtain the services of the sea creatures, they must be given an offering of flesh and blood. That is where Thanatos comes in. "Thanatos has the ability to create illusions. Studying your culture revealed a high rate of parental rejection of teenage children. They decided to capitalize on it by creating the illusions needed for parents to reject their children, creating a supply of food for the creatures." "They weren't very subtle about it," I answered. "It brought my team out." "At first they were calculating, but Thanatos and Slizzath are running out of time. Atlantean spies caught onto their plans and alerted my father, King Atlan, and he dispatched Namor and I to stop them." "You two must be quite capable. Is he your older cousin?" "Yes, but not too much older. I am what you would call sixteen. He would be eighteen years of age." "What is it with you heroes getting younger and younger?" "Heroes? What do you mean?" "I remember when I was sixteen years old. I was busy trying not to be gay, let alone out saving the world." "Gay? What does that mean?" "I'm emotionally, physically, and sexually attracted to other men." "That is not so strange a thing. There are many like that in Atlantis. Why did you not want to be...gay?" "Society up here..." "Surface-dweller society." "Yes, surface-dweller society, they didn't take kindly to men who were attracted to men and women who were attracted to women. They tried many things to change homosexuals. They even tried to discriminate against gay persons legally. But reason triumphed." "I'm glad to hear that your society is quite as barbaric as Atlanteans believe." "You guys think we are barbaric?" "We have much evidence proving your barbarism. You pollute the oceans without abandon. Your fishermen drive species to near extinction. And all this is done in the name of money." "Okay, I can see that. To be honest, many in our society are barbarians. But don't judge all surface dwellers by the actions of a few bad ones." "I try to maintain an open mind. But it is difficult." "Let's hope I can help that along." Taking a deep breath, I stood up. "My strength is back. Now what do we do?" "We must search for Thanatos and Slizzath." "Where did you say we are?" "We are in the water realm, a mystical place accessed only through the demon's gate." "Do you know how to find Charybdis and Scylla?" "I do." "Then lead on, Aquaman." To Be Continued... What do you think of Aquaman and Namor being cousins? I didn't want to neglect Sub-Mariner. I wanted to find a way for him to fit into the story. And since they are both from Atlantis, I figured I should do something about it. Do you like the introduction of Aquaman into the story? I'd love to hear what you think after reading this chapter.