Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2004 07:27:37 -0800 (PST)
From: Author James <authorjames2002@yahoo.com>
Subject: Return of a Real Dark Knight 38

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 38 Grind Stone

	'It was nice to be back at the Center,' I thought as I pulled into
the parking lot.  'I always find solace doing work.  It helps me focus.
And at the moment, I have too much on my plate to be effective for anyone.
Lance, the children, Randy, the list goes on and on.'
	I climbed out of the car and closed the door to be met by Clark and
John.
	"How have you been, Dr. McCoy?  John was filling the group in on
what was going on at home.  Is this guy Sarah and Preston's brother?"
	"We'll talk about that shortly.  I want to get everyone together.
Have Dinah call Barry."
	Clark ran off to find the others and inform them what was going on.
	"You are concerned," John stated.
	"Of course.  My family is coming unraveled as we speak.  There's
nothing I can do about it."
	"Then why did you come here if your family needs you?"
	"Because you guys are part of my family, too, and I won't abandon
you."
	The two of us entered the Center and I greeted the receptionist and
my secretary.  Sitting down at my desk, I picked up a folder on top and
looked through the information.  There was a kid picked up the other night
from the Department of Health and Human Services who needed a place to stay
until foster care could be arranged.  Poor girl had a sexually abusive
father.
	The rest of the folders were interesting and tragic.  I was
grateful for the people who worked here.  They could handle these
situations without needing guidance.  We've worked together so much that we
know what to do.
	I noticed the newspaper on the desk, as well.  The headline read:
"Sams Challenges Current Legislation."

		Senator Walker Sams challenges the current legislation on
same-sex laws.
	Passed three years ago, Senator Sams, who is making a bid for the
White House,
	states the nation has moved away from traditional views held years
ago.
		"We've see the deterioration of our great nation with the
passing of laws
	allowing those different from us legal protections," says Sams.
		Gays, lesbians and those of supernatural origin are the
groups whom Sams
	refers to.  Many legislators back Sams's views and support his bid
for the
	presidency.
		"We back Senator Sams one hundred percent," Congresswoman
Alexis
	Willow states.  "Sams knows what he is talking about and we believe
he has the
	ability to take our once great nation back to what it once was: a
power to be
	reckoned with in the world."
		These comments refer to over ten years ago when the nation
declined in
	popularity after the 2004 elections.  It is unclear what direction
Sams wants to go,
	but current legal protections given to some minority groups are the
focus of
	Sams's reforms.

	I closed the newspaper having read enough.  I remembered well the
reactions many in the country had over the 2004 elections.  Many of us felt
betrayed by the candidate we supported for conceding so quickly.  Others
were angered at the rest of the country for voting for someone who misled
America into a war.  The reasons for the war had been disproved shortly
before elections, yet many still voted for the liar.  It cut deeply into
many Americans and the pain was not forgotten easily.
	A knock came at the door.
	"Come in," I called.
	The door opened and Clark stepped in.  Closing the door behind him,
he said, "Everyone is waiting."
	"I'll be down in a minute."
	"Okay," he said.
	When he didn't move, I looked up.  "Can I help you with something
else?"
	"Actually, I was thinking the same thing.  I know you are going
through a lot.  John told us."
	I immediately became defensive.  It wasn't any of their business
what was going on in my home life.  It didn't concern them.
	"We all want you to know that we are willing to help in any way.
If you need to take a hiatus from training us, we understand."
	"I appreciate everyone's concern, but it really isn't necessary."
	Clark nodded and turned not convinced at my words.
	Once the door was closed, I took a deep breath.  Then I stood, left
the office, and went back to the room where I descended the ladder into the
cave.  Everyone stood around the cave waiting for me.
	"Hello, everyone," I said as I looked around.
	Barry ran in to join us.  "Is there something goin' on?" he asked.
	"Lots," I replied.  "As you all know now, Catman has been unmasked.
He is the older brother of Lance's and my son and daughter.  His name is
Preston and he has been raised by a vampire to hate me.  He believes I
murdered his mother, which is untrue.  What we, meaning Sarah, Lance,
Preston, and I, are going to do is try to convince him of the truth.  We
believe he knows it deep down.  But how can anyone so easily dismiss what
they've always known to be true?  It isn't easy."
	'God knows I've experienced this,' I thought to myself.
	"What we would like for you guys to do is be careful.  We don't
want you coming in contact with him, if possible.  Do whatever you can not
to hurt him.  I want him to see that we mean him no harm."
	I received nods all around.
	"Will he be trying to kill us?"
	"I don't think so.  At the moment, it's me he hates.  But that
could be changing."
	I relayed to them what we experienced with the mind merging.
	"So this guy definitely is Sarah and Preston's brother?" Dinah
asked.
	"Yes," I answered.
	"God, this makes life more difficult for them, doesn't it?"
	"It sure does," Sarah answered as she and Preston climbed down the
ladder into the cave.  "The question is, what can we do to help him?
Nothing.  If he doesn't want help, we can't force him to get it."
	"The only thing we can do is be there for him," Preston said.  "I
remember how much he cares about Sarah and me.  Deep down, he is the same
person he was years ago, the same protective older brother.  He just needs
to know that we accept him and love him in return."
	"But make no mistake, he is dangerous.  If he feels threatened in
any way or that his siblings are threatened, he will attack.  He's been
trained by a vampire, so, no doubt, he would not hesitate to kill.  We
don't know that for sure, but I don't want anyone to take that risk."
	"What, exactly, do you want us to do?" Barry asked.
	I took a deep breath.  "I want him to be followed."
	Several people gasped, including Preston and Sarah.  "That's not
going to build his trust," Preston added.
	"I know.  But he doesn't know any of you.  You will be able to
follow him without his recognizing you.  He won't see any of you as a
threat if he doesn't know who you are."
	"Why are we following him?"
	"I want to know where the real Catman is.  I want to find out where
he's been hiding.  Joseph may take us to him."
	Everyone looked around.
	"We can do this," Clark finally stated.  "We can use our abilities,
and I don't mean just our powers.  We can use our minds.  We can come up
with shifts in following him so he never sees the same person twice in one
day."
	Clark went on to explain his ideas, which were quite good for
someone so young.  After the meeting, everyone broke to their respective
rooms in preparation for tonight.  The girls enjoyed discovering new ways
to style their hair along with what make-up made them look different.
Clark was the only guy who experimented with this.  His solution, shall I
say, was different.  He changed his hair style, slouched, wore baggy
clothes, and put on a pair of glasses which greatly diffused the blue in
his eyes.  If nobody paid close attention, they would easily see someone
different.

	Across town, Joseph sat in the public library investigating the
death of his mother by looking at newspapers from ten years ago.  He read
the police reports and the newspaper articles reminiscing about what he
witnessed.  He also looked up information on the city's mysterious
protector, the one known as Batman, though many believed he didn't really
exist.  He read about several sittings which happened at different places.
Several even said they thought it was a Batwoman instead of a Batman.  Of
course, those descriptions changed as well.  At one time, it was believed
she was Caucasian with red hair and the next she was believed to be of
African descent.  Who knew how accurate the reports were?
	The one commonality they had was that the "protector" saved people
from what they called "terrible monsters who bit them".  Back then, if
someone said "vampire", they would be laughed all the way to a mental
institution.  Now, however, it is commonly know that vampires exist, though
they are still quite the mystery as far as the human world is concerned.
All Joseph knows is that laws have been enacted, rather rapidly in fact,
granting full protections to some vampires.  Many still keep their
vampirism to themselves, preferring to remain anonymous.  Others are open
about it, especially Alan Blood, a nationally, if not internationally,
known figure head who has fought for vampire rights ever since the vampire
war ended.  He's gained some notoriety, claiming he's been around since the
time of King Arthur.  No one can really prove or disprove the years
vampires place on their ages, so nobody knows for sure.
	'There have been bodies found all over the city a few months prior
to her death.  However, they don't go as far back as Batman's appearance in
Orlando.  He's also been active in Los Angeles even before moving to
Orlando.  Could it be that he didn't kill my mother and what I saw was
merely what my mind placed together along with the pieces that were given
to me?  If so, I've been the puppet of the killer of my mom.  Son of a
bitch!'
	Joseph slammed the archive book down and stood up.  He left the
building and walked downtown.  'It can't be real.  It just can't be.  If
this is true, everything I've ever been told, everything I've ever believed
in has been a lie.  I've been duped.  My God, what have I done?'
	As he walked, he noticed someone moving through the crowd who had
followed him since he left the library.  It was a young African-American
boy about his age, give or take a year or two.  He couldn't figure out why
the guy was following him.  So, he turned into an alley and headed deep
inside to see if the young man would follow in there, too.  He watched as
the African-American walked to the mouth of the alley, glanced down it,
then continued on.
	'Maybe I'm just seeing things,' Joseph thought.  'Maybe I'm just
being paranoid.  If Catman finds out that I know what really happened,
would he keep me alive?  Probably not.'
	Joseph continued down the alley to the other side of the building.
When he emerged he looked left and right and then turned right, heading
back in the direction of the library, only this time on the other side of
the block.  As he walked, he kept an eye out behind him for any sign of
being followed.  He might be paranoid, but he'd rather be safe than sorry.
	'What the hell?' he thought.  'That's the same guy who was just
following me.  He might have changed clothes, but that's still him.  How
did he change clothes so fast?'
	Then his mind answered him as he remembered when he fought Batman
at the club a while ago.  The guy wearing all red that could move super
fast showed up to help Batman.  'So, you're helping Eric, huh?  Let's see
how good you really are.'
	Joseph turned down the corner and stood.

	Barry came up to the end of the block and kept walking.  He looked
around to see if he could find Joseph and, sure enough, he found him
leaning against the wall waving to him.  Barry looked in the direction he
was heading and kept walking.  'Time for a change of followers,' he
thought.
	After going down the rest of the block and being sure that he
himself wasn't being followed, he radioed Clark to get Clark to take up
where he left off.  Clark radioed that he would be right there.  Seconds
later, Clark arrived.  Barry told him what Joseph was wearing and wished
him luck.
	"Luck?  Why?"
	"Cause if that crazy bitch can figure out I'm following him, no
matter how drastically I change clothes, he's got a good eye and can pick
almost anyone out."
	"Then we'll just have to make it confusing for him," Diana said as
she, Dinah, Arthur, and Ella showed up, too.  "We must make sure he doesn't
see us together, though."

To Be Continued...