Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 05:46:33 GMT
From: Blake Alexander <writemeastory@juno.com>
Subject: Birds of Prey 14

Enter the infamous legal disclaimer... NOW:

I do not own any of the following. I wish I did. OH how I wish I did. Do
you know how much money some of these bring in? But alas, I am but a meager
college student working towards a teaching degree. That's right; I am in
college, and going to be a teacher. Going from no money at all (college
student) to no money at all (teacher). Please don't sue. You'll get a
crappy pen set that I got from my brother many moons ago. Now, onto
everything I do not own. Repeat. Don't own. I don't know sexual
orientations or personalities either. DON'T OWN, DON'T KNOW!

Nsync, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Pink, Christina Aguilera, The
Wallflowers, and any other celebrities. I also know nothing of their sexual
orientations. Wish I did though.

Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and all related characters.

The Anita Blake Vampire Hunter book series by Laurell K. Hamilton.

The Dresden Files and all items therein by Jim Butcher.

The Vampire Chronicles, Tales Of The New Vampires, The Mayfair Witches, all
series and characters written by Anne Rice.

Harry Potter and all characters, abilities, and creatures there within. (I
have been forgetting to put this in. A fan pointed it out. So, a special
thank you to Frithjof for telling me.)

Buffy & Angel television series.

Birds Of Prey television series.

Star Wars

Star Trek, Star Trek TNG, Star Trek DS9, Star Trek Voyager, Star Trek The
New Frontier, Enterprise television series, movies, and novels.

Ok, now that that is taken care of, a little publicity for my co-authors.
Go read these four stories in the Boy Bands, and Celebrity sections:

Tales Of A Real Dark Night (The series that started it all.)
celebrity/boy-bands/tales-of-a-real-dark-knight/

Marvel Knights
celebrity/marvel-knights/

Tales Of A Super Hero Band
celebrity/boy-bands/tales-of-a-superhero-band/

Tales Of A Young Mutant
celebrity/tales-of-a-young-mutant/

Tales of a Human Spider
celebrity/boy-bands/tales-of-a-human-spider/

There may also be a new writer up and coming. Good luck! I love the
storyline I've seen so far dude! Keep writing!

The Story of the Birds Of Prey
Chapter 14: Remembrance

	Everyone was just standing around.
	Professor Xavier had sent the X-Jet down for Eric, Lance, and
myself. There were people who participated in the war against Apocalypse
and the Vampires all around. But they were just... talking, laughing,
living.
	But he was dead.
	I stood up from where I was sitting in the field. I walked away
from the group towards the tree line. No one followed. They were too caught
up really to notice. Caught up in life. And mine was crumbling around me.
	I had built up this dream. A life where Blake and I would be happy
until our end days. One where we could travel the world, where he could
open his line of clubs all over the country, and some across the
oceans. Where I could record my solo album and make a go of it alone.
	A life together.
	But that was all gone.
	Like him.
	And it hurt so bad.
	"Hey." I jumped and turned. It was Jean.
	"Hey." I said. I was thankful I wasn't crying again.
	"How are you holding up?" she asked. It was becoming a common
question.
	"As well as can be expected." It was becoming a common answer.
	"I think I know why you are here. And it doesn't take being a
mutant to see it." She put her hand on my shoulder. "They are all over
there acting as if nothing happened. They don't know your hurt, your
pain. They don't realize the sun isn't supposed to come up anymore. But it
does."
	"They don't see that everything in the entire world is going on and
there is nothing I can do to make them all realize that it's supposed to
stop." I said with a tear. "God I hate them all. And I hate myself for
hating them. And I hate myself because I'm still alive and he's not."
	I started to cry again. That was also becoming a common reaction to
the common question and answer. It was also becoming the common reaction to
waking up and to breathing.
	"I love Blake so much. And I hate him for dying." I said. I had
never said it before. It just came out. I put my hand to my mouth and
gasped. "I didn't mean that." I started to cry harder. "God Blake, I didn't
mean that!" I fell to my knees and felt the dampness soaking through the
material in my slacks.
	"It's ok. I know you didn't and he knows too." The knelt right
there with me and just held me.
	That's how Justin found us. He walked over and picked me up off the
ground and I just hugged him.
	"I hurt Jus." I said.
	"I know you do Jayce. I know."

	Justin took me over to the guys. Joey was there with Chris and
Lance. Eric was over talking to Professor Xavier and a young man named
Joshua. Small world I guess. That or not enough names. Chris was telling a
forced joke to which everyone laughed. Except me. Joey was mentioning the
possibility of going into acting. To which Lance said their movie had gone
to his head. They laughed. I didn't. I just... was.
	But it hurt a little less. I was with my Brothers.

	The Professor was giving a wonderful speech but all I could think
of was the song I was about to sing. The pain was unbearable, and his voice
still whispered in my head, and every time that I closed my eyes I could
see our beech as clear as if I were there.
	It was when he was finishing up that I realized it was time for me
to go sing. I just stood up, walked over, and nodded to the person who had
the tape. I had gone in after talking with Lance about the possibility of
singing at the memorial and borrowed a studio at Jive.
	The music started and I locked eyes with Andrea. She had brought
her parents and they were in the front row with Devin, none of them had a
dry eye.
	Just before I started singing I closed my eyes and pictured him.

I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all of my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
Because your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have all of me

	Suddenly I found my self standing on the beach, but knew I was
still with the people at the memorial. I could here Andrea and her mother
crying softly and the music was still surrounding me with its haunting
melody. I looked out over the water and kept singing.

You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
But now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have all of me

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me I've been alone all along

	Suddenly I could see him. Standing before me in his phoenix suit;
but not really there. He stood just above the waves, his eyes blazing like
trapped suns. I could see through him, and I could see the tears falling
from his eyes, but I couldn't sense him. I don't know how to explain it,
but there was a link between us. I could always sense him before I saw
him. I met those painfully bright eyes, and sang the last verse.

You cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have all of me
All of me
All of me

[*]


	The music faded and I opened my eyes. Everyone was silent except
for a couple sobs, mainly from those who knew Blake.
	I looked at the X-Men that had helped in San Francisco, they were
all utterly still. Boomer, Jubilee, and Dazzler were planning to go back to
San Francisco with Andrea and her Parents to search for their place.

	The reception had long since ended. My friends had gone inside at
my request. I walked to the edge of the estate, then walked farther. I just
lost myself in the woods, I let my mind wander over my life with Blake, and
what it would be now that he was gone.
	"You mustn't loose yourself in this pain."
	I spun and saw a woman, ghostly white with skin smooth as polished
ivory.
	"You dwell on things beyond your control. The Phoenix would not
wish you to do this." She said.
	"Who are you?" I asked.
	"I am Maharet. This is my sister Meker." I spun when I heard a twig
snap and saw a exact twin of Maharet, except for the eyes. They were a
different shade. Both were breathtakingly beautiful though.
	"What are you doing here... wait, you're the Maharet and Meker that
David Talbot spoke of, aren't you?" I had a sudden sense of fear. I was
standing with two women older than recorded time.
	"Yes we are. We felt it only fitting to come and meet you. You are
the beloved of the man who may well have saved all of our kinds." She
stepped closer to me. I hadn't been able to make her dress out that well
because she was in the shadows, but she stepped into a shaft of moonlight
and I could see it. It was a close cut skirt that ran to her ankles. Her
blouse was covered half way by a jacket. The blouse was obviously silk,
skirt and jacket velvet, and all her clothes were burgundy right down to
her high heels. How she managed heels in the forest was beyond me.
	"I am honored by your presence." I said. It was only fitting. They
were the queens of the most powerful of the vampires.
	"We are not queens. We simply are." She said. "It is true that
Meker is the Fount of our people, but we do not rule."
	"Doesn't Meker speak for herself?" I asked. She had stayed in the
shadows, and not said a word.
	"Her tongue was taken just before she was turned. She can not
speak." Maharet said. Maharet stepped closer to me. "We have come to offer
you a reward, a token for what you have lost so that the world may
survive. We know it will not ease your pain, but it is the least we can
do."
	I was slightly taken aback, but realized they were sincere. I
sighed and thought. These women have been alive longer than any country in
the world has truly existed. They did have one thing I could use.
	"During the war with Dasro the San Francisco Slayers base was
destroyed. Blake, Andrea, and Devin's base." I stepped towards her. "Blake
gave his life trying to protect the people of San Francisco from the things
that go bump in the night. More than anyone else on this Earth you know how
to face the Demons, the rogue Vampires, and the Lycanthropes." I took her
hand. "Please, help Devin and the Watchers in rebuilding the Hole."
	She looked at me and smiled. "I can offer you riches vaster than
you could imagine."
	"I have more money than I will be able to spend in this life. And
believe me, a lot of it is going to go to development at the Hole. As well
as to repairing Serenity and keeping it a success for Blake." I could feel
myself crying, but I was smiling. I was actually smiling. "His dreams, his
legacy must go on. The Birds of Prey will continue to fly, even without
their leader. And I know you would be able to help in that fight."
	She turned to her sister, and her sister simply nodded. "We would
have given you anything, and yet you ask for that which will aid your
people. And even mine. You are open minded Joshua Chasez, you said Rogue
Vampires, not simply Vampires. I sense that your time with David Talbot has
allowed you to see that we are not all inherently evil and for that I do
thank you." She closed her eyes, and I heard a whoosh to my far right. "It
shall be done."
	"Thank you." I said.
	"Also, I have put out a decree to the forces of the night. If any
attempt to harm you they will be met with a fate worse than death." She
stepped towards her sister, who finally stepped into the light and was
wearing a matching out fit but in forest green. "We will meet again Joshua
Scott Chasez, you have proven yourself to be a worthy man."
	"I look forward to seeing you again Maharet, Meker. I have many
questions about you and your people. And please, I did not get a chance to
speak with David before he left. Please, thank him for his help, and tell
him he is welcome to come to my home whenever he is in San Francisco."
	"I will give him your message." She said. "Now we must go. If we
are going to gather the things needed to make the Hole a place of great
power we must begin now. Tell Devin we will contact him in one week."
	And without warning they were gone. I looked up in time to see a
streak across the moon. I just looked at the moon for a moment and felt a
sense I hadn't felt in a while.
	I was happy.
	I was ensuring that Blake's legacy would live on.

One Month Later

	"Ok people, are we ready to kick this off?"
	"YEAH!"
	"Well, here is the person we have all been waiting for! JC Chasez!"
	I walked out onto the stage towards Andrea, and she looked
good. She worked so hard to get Blake's club up and running again. Her dad
was contracted to rebuild and expand. There was now a whole new level to
the place. A level that seemed to be suspended in the air, but that was
actually suspended by a intricate net of Adamantium bars. Professor Xavier
helped us acquire those. It was above the ring that made up the second
level and connected by stair cases at the four corners. It had reinforced
heavy duty clear plastic so people could se the level below.
	I stepped up to her and she handed me the microphone.
	"Come on people, let's hear it for our club manager, and half
owner, Andrea!"  She took a bow and stepped to the side and I looked out
among the crowd.
	Jubilee, Tabitha, and Alison, also known as Boomer and Dazzler,
were up front with Devin, Andy's Parents, and my sister and Parents. I
still hadn't heard from my brother. Lance and Eric were at a table to the
side with Justin and Jessica. Chris and Joey were back at the bar. There
was a whole bunch of celebrities also. Britney was back away from Justin
giving looks every once and a while, Christina Aguilera was over talking
with Pink. And the list just went on and on.
	I just looked at everyone and waited for the clapping to die down.
	"It's not been long since I lost the love of my life. The pain is
fresh, and the hurt won't go away anytime soon. But looking at his club,
Serenity is a tribute to him. My it last and flourish.
	"We are living in trying times. America was attacked and we won't
soon forget it. Hundreds of thousands have died all across our lands, and
in foreign countries as well. The Vampires have come out into the public
along with Lycanthropes and many Demonic creatures. But we must remember
that not all of them are evil, just like not all humans are good. But that
doesn't mean we should let down our guard.
	"I hope that we do not forget what happened in San Francisco. I'm
not speaking of the attack exactly, we will not forget that any time
soon. I'm talking about the fact that Humans, Mutants, and people with
powers found in Magic all banding together in a force of righteousness. And
this isn't known by many but there was at least one Vampire standing with
us.
	"Club Serenity was almost destroyed in that battle. One of the
buildings to be struck down first, it is one of the first to be
reopened. So let us remember what happened.
	"Now, I have a special treat for y'all. I'm sure you've heard of
this guy, he helped out on Nsync's Album Celebrity, and is a great
guy. Let's hear it for BT!" Everyone started clapping as the DJ spot was
lit by a blue spot light and BT Broke into "Never Gonna Come Back Down". I
walked off stage and towards the office. Andrea, Devin, Jubilee, Tabitha,
and Alison followed me.
	"Is it done?" I asked turning towards Devin.
	"Yes it is." He led me to a spot in the back of the Executive
Office, the one that Andrea and I shared alone. There was an arch built
into the brickwork that made up the wall. "The password is this."
	He handed me a paper, I read it and gave a small laugh. "Out of the
ashes." I spoke aloud and the arch shimmered, then I could see nothing but
a solid black surface.
	"Just step through." I looked at the others and stepped though. It
was a cool feeling to go through and when we got to the other side I let
out a whistle.
	"Hank McCoy, The Vampire Armand and Devin Charles, a heard of
people from The Watchers Council, myself, wizards from The Ministry of
Magic and from America's White Council came and assisted. We have the most
powerful base of operations against the dark forces on the West Coast of
the united states." I looked around and Devin clapped his hands. "Want the
grand tour?"
	I was dumbfounded. The entire place was a gigantic sphere of
steel. There was a computer screen with a horse shoe of computer consoles
to one side of the room. The screen had to be thirty feet in diameter. To
the left was a heard of training equipment. There were doorways built on
the far side of the room. "Where do those go?" I asked.
	"Well, since you decided to give the Condo to the girls for use I
had the condo outfitted with a portal to here. There is also one from my
place, and one from your loft." He said pointing to the arches next to the
portal we had come from. "Over there is weapons storage, emergency
quarters, and also the grand finale, if you will come with me." As we
walked I got a better sense of our surroundings. We walked up to the door
and Devin hit a few keys.
	It opened and my jaw dropped. "Oh my god!" Tabitha gasped.
	"She is called the Night Hawk. A perfect blending of Magic and
Technology." It was a jet. Built with smooth lines and seamless chrome
colored metal. "She can fly at a tenth the speed of light, and has alien
wormhole technology." Devin said.
	"Alien what?" I gasped spinning on him.
	"That's what I said. Maharet said that she has made many friends in
her lifetime when she brought the ship. Her niece Jessie spent a week
teaching me its basic features. She also gave me all its technical details
and uploaded it into Sage; Sage is the new Computer AI. There is a portal
that opens below the Golden Gate Bridge for the Night Hawk to fly
through. As you can see it has plenty of space here for a landing strip." I
looked down a shaft that seemed to go on forever.
	"My god." I said. It was more than I ever imagined.
	"It's a just in case type of thing, but we will all be getting
training on flying it in the Danger Room." Devin said.
	"We have a Danger Room?" Jubilee said.
	"Yup, a gift from Professor Xavier. That's what Hank was up
to. It's all controlled through Sage though. She is also in the Night
Hawk." Devin explained. "We have all been working on this for about 2 or
three months." Devin said.
	"What?" I asked.
	"Oh yeah, forgot to mention that. We put a stasis spell around the
Hole while we worked. It slowed down time outside while we built this. Very
advanced Magic's. It took five wizards and witches from the White Council
to put up." We left that room and headed back to Oracle. "Ok, Sage, you up
and running?"
	Suddenly a woman came walking out of the hall that was the Living
Quarters.
	"Of course I am." She said. "All systems are at peak
efficiency. Are these them?" She asked.
	"Is that? Is that Sage? I thought she was a computer program." I
said.
	"I am, this is my body. My main program is in the central
processing unit, but I am also in this body, the Night Hawk, and your
homes. Remember the refits Devin did?" she said. "Don't worry though, I
don't invade your privacy. I know when to turn the cameras on and off." She
walked over to an alcove next to the computer and placed her hand inside a
recess. Suddenly her face appeared on the screen, the background dancing
blue lines of code.
	"Sage, please scan these people, they all have level one access to
the Base." Devin said.
	"Please state your full names and code names for official records
and authorization." Sage said.
	"Go ahead everyone." Devin said.
	"Joshua Scott Chasez, code name C."
	"Tabitha Smith, code name Boomer."
	"Jubilation Lee, code name Jubilee."
	"Allison Blake, code name Dazzler."
	"Andrea Williams, code name Green Falcon."
	"Names have been recorded in memory, genetic make up has been
scanned and stored." Sages face turned to the right then back. "Team name
request."
	I stepped forward. "The Birds of Prey."
	"Team name recorded. Welcome to the Hole, Birds of Prey."
	And so Blake's legacy was ensured.

Dear Readers,

This is the end of the second story line I've written in the Tales
Universe, and the fourteenth chapter. And every bit of it has been fun. The
Story of the Birds of Prey has come to an end, but that does not mean that
their adventure has ended. As it is common with any of the stories in the
Tales Universe, I have a new storyline planned out. It is set in current
times, meaning September 2003. I will not be posting it until I am finished
with at least 5 chapters. When I am done with those first 5 chapters, you
can expect a posting every two weeks. I'm sorry, but school comes first.

I would like to thank all my fans, and beg forgiveness for taking away your
favorite character. It was hard to write Blake's death, and to write JC's
reaction. When I write a char., I am the char. I feel everything that they
do, and see everything they see. Let me say, I was depressed after writing
that.

Well I have gone on and on, but this isn't getting sent out any faster. So,
until we meet again, Adieu.

Sincerely,
Blake J. Alexander
September 23, 2003

[*] My Immortal by the band Evanescence. They rock.