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.
This story has taken on a life of its own. From its inception a year ago, I had only thought it would last ten chapters maximum. As you can see, it has grown tremendously. Mostly due to readers emailing me and telling me they've enjoyed it or have received help due to certain issues addressed. I've enjoyed writing this story but it would not have been written without men and women reading it and telling me they've enjoyed it. I do hope that you continue to enjoy each new chapter as our hero lives and grows.
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. Please note, my email address has changed. At the end of July, my previous email address will no longer be active. Thanks.
authorjames2002@yahoo.com
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Chapter 6 Gunfight at the Roadside Motel
Punisher dropped to the floor as bullets riddled the door. I used my powers to strengthen the door. It would not do to have the Friends of Humanity busting it down at the moment.
"This is Commander Speck of the Friends of Humanity. We have reason to believe a mutant fugitive is inside. We don't want to harm anyone. All we want is the mutant."
"They must have tracked your signal, Bats," Punisher said. "They have equipment which picks up mutant signatures."
"How do they get such high-tech technology?" I asked.
"They have government funding as well as funding from private industry."
"We repeat, all we want is the mutant," Commander Speck said again through his bullhorn.
"Any bright ideas?" I asked my military friend.
"We can always bring the Suburban around back."
"If there was a back. There is another room on the other side of this one."
"And no way to access it?"
"I suppose I could make one."
"Do it. I'll keep our friends outside distracted."
Punisher grabbed his gun and went to the window. He started shooting at the F.O.H. commandoes.
I went into the bathroom and concentrated hard on the molecular structure of the wall. Since I used my powers to weaken Macai, the intensity of it brought me back to normal, so-to-speak. It took great concentration and emotional work-up to get them to kick in. And my powers weren't as strong as they were in England. They were back to the strength they were in Orlando before I went to Europe.
I felt the molecules give way to my manipulation and a hole formed. Slowly it grew and grew until it was large enough for a person to fit through. I went back to the front room and told Punisher of my accomplishment.
"Go get the van," he told me. "And hurry. I don't have much ammunition." He reached into his pocket and tossed the keys to me.
I ran through the hole to the other motel room and exited the doorway. Knowing I didn't have time to run around the building I used my powers and jumped to the roof of the one floor motel. I ran along the roof down a ways from the room Punisher and James were in and then jumped down to ground level. The Friends of Humanity commandoes were too busy with the shootout to notice me.
Casually I walked up to the Suburban and climbed in. They never bothered to see if it belonged to any of us and I was able to drive out of the parking lot to the other side of the motel. I ran into the room directly behind the Punisher and came to the hole.
"I've got the van. I'll carry James," I said and went over and picked him up. Thank heaven for my mutation. I wrapped James in the blanket of the other room and carried him to the Suburban, putting him in the back seat. I went back as the Punisher was coming through the hole.
"Seal it up," he said to me.
I looked at him momentarily as he ran past me to the back of his van. Using my powers, I sealed the hole back up and then returned to the Punisher. He was pulling the back down on the Suburban. Over his shoulder he carried an M-16 assault rifle. He loaded his pistol with another clip and cocked a shotgun. He looked ready for a war.
"Drive," he said to me. "I will have to keep the F.O.H. at bay if they come after us."
"You don't have to kill them."
"Unlike you, I am not a mutant. I have to rely on weapons and my skill. In fact, my skill is one the government gave me. They taught me to be a killer. I am not afraid to kill if I have to. I let the system deal with them. If the system protects them, then I come in. Now drive."
Reluctantly I climbed into the driver's side. I didn't like the idea of killing another human being. But I had to admit I needed the Punisher to help me get James out of town as well as to keep the Friends of Humanity from closing in on me.
Punisher climbed in the passenger side. I stepped on the accelerator and pulled out of the parking lot slowly, as if nothing were wrong. I headed straight for the nearest highway on-ramp, hoping to get as much distance between us and the F.O. H. as I could before they discovered us missing.
I drove us to Turkeyfoot Lake and found a wooded area where we could rest and wait for nightfall. I had a meeting with Marius that night and I needed Marius to take James with him so he could teach James. James could be a powerful vampire for good if he had the right encouragement and role model. That is what I hoped Marius could be for him.
"How did you get involved with this?" the Punisher asked me.
"Involved with what?"
"Wearing the crazy Bat suit. How did you get involved with that?"
"It started last summer, actually. I had moved to Los Angeles and worked on becoming Batman. I have always wanted to help others and so I did. Eventually, I befriended a Vampire Slayer and we hunted vampires in L.A. I discovered I was a mutant and developed my powers.
"I moved to Florida to be with the man I fell in love with. There we lived together and began a life that was to last for a long, long time. Then, I was called by the Watcher's Council to England where I helped battle an immortal demon.
"I returned to Lance a few days ago only to find him with someone else. He had believed I died. When I returned to my family, I found them not very agreeable to the idea of a mutant in the family. Hence, here I am."
"Vampire Slayer, huh? I knew a Vampire Slayer in Columbus. She didn't have a Watcher, though. She did, however, work with two mutants and a guy who was human but had all the abilities of a vampire. He called himself Blade."
I nodded at this new information I would have to file for later reference. "How did you get involved as being the Punisher?"
"I was in the military. Several of the guys in my battalion were putting down a guy they suspected as being gay. I got into a fight with them and was dishonorably discharged. I moved to Columbus to start a new life. I met my neighbor and we became friends. Then, while he took me to a store to buy furniture, he was being picked on by some heterosexual bigots. I broke their noses and we left.
"It was then that I realized this society has people in power that should not be in power. The men in charge are prejudiced toward many minorities. The sad part is they lie to the general public to get into office. Once in there, they make a few concessions to look like they are on the side of the people, but continue making policy against gays and now mutants. They don't care about minorities. They did this against women and African Americans in the past. After making those changes, they feel they don't have to do anything more. Some needs to force change, to punisher their wrongs."
"And you have designated yourself as their punisher," I stated rather than asked.
"It is what I was born to do, just like you were born to be Batman."
I understood his point of view. I had often in times past looked at the injustices in the world and tried to correct them. That is what Batman is, a being who is out for justice. The Punisher is the other side of the same coin. He punishes those who commit the injustices.
As the sun began to set, I started up the Suburban and pulled out of the parking lot of the wooded area.
"Where are we going?" Punisher asked.
"We have to go back toward the motel. There is a vampire who is meeting us there. He is going to take James under his wing to teach him..."
"To be a vampire?"
"To be a vampire with a soul."
The Punisher looked upon me narrowly. I knew what he was thinking. I didn't press the issue, though. It wouldn't due to challenge him on the issue of vampires. He's probably already seen too much to deal with changing his beliefs any time soon.
I drove the Suburban back toward the motel. Instead of going into the motel, however, I pulled up across the street and climbed out. I relaxed my mind hoping Marius would sense it. Within moments, I felt his presence and I looked up to see him descend and land beside me.
"Eric. Good to see you!" He held out his arms and pulled me into a tight embrace.
"It is good to see you, Marius, although it hasn't been that long since I left."
"True, but I wasn't sure you survived the explosion. I'm glad to see you did and looking as wonderful as ever."
"Thanks."
"Jayce contacted me right away. He said you needed my help with something?"
"Yes. I have met a vampire like you. But he believes he has no soul. Years of being told how bad he is have resulted in him believing he is bad. I thought you could teach him that not all vampires are soulless demons."
"I could give it a try. Where is he?"
I walked over to the Suburban and opened the back door where James had sat after waking up. Punisher looked back at Marius and turned away. Marius could tell the Punisher's feelings on the matter of vampires.
"James," I said. "This is Marius. Come out and say hello."
Reluctantly James climbed out of the Suburban and shook hands with Marius.
"Pleased to meet you," Marius said.
"Likewise," James answered with little feeling.
"I can understand your position. I know another vampire struggling with the idea of being a vampire and being good. It is natural when one is believed to be evil simply because of what one is when society at large teaches that it is wrong. But with a little patience and understanding, you will be okay."
James nodded. I could tell he was hoping to feel okay about what he was. He wanted to feel good about being a vampire. Just like most people want to feel good about who and what they are. Too bad organized religions, like what this Reverend Exeter Punisher told me about, and society as a whole, tell others being different is wrong.
"This is the Friends of Humanity," we heard a voice over a loud speaker say. We turned to see a commando van pull into the parking lot, spotlights blaring on us. "Stay where you are."
"Let's get out of here," Marius said to James. He looked to me and asked, "Will you be okay?"
"Yes. Punisher and I can deal with these guys."
"Very well, then. Take care of yourself, Eric."
"You, too, Marius."
Marius wrapped his arms around James and floated away leaving Punisher and me to deal with the F.O.H. commandoes.
"Get in!" Punisher yelled.
I jumped into the driver seat and started up the Suburban. Punisher reached back and grabbed a fully automatic weapon and rolled down his window. He pulled the trigger and the bullets flew at the F.O.H. van shattering the glass and their spotlight.
"GO!" he ordered.
I slammed my foot on the gas and the vehicle tore out past the F.O.H. and onto the street. I turned and gunned it up the road. Looking in the mirror, I saw another F.O.H. van coming up the road, slow at the motel, and then accelerate to catch up to us.
"I guess neither one of us are on their friendly list," I remarked.
"Hardly. I killed one of their commanders in Columbus. They don't like me at all. With you, they don't need an excuse. You are a mutant."
Punisher leaned out the window and fired on the Friends of Humanity for the third time today. I was hoping he wouldn't kill anyone. But he had free choice in his actions. I, on the other hand, had an idea as to how I could stop them without killing anyone. I reached my hand out the window and began to soften the road. Soon, I was able to break down the molecular structure and make it goop. The F.O.H. van drove right through it and got stuck.
"Turn around," Punisher ordered.
"Why?"
"I intend to use their equipment for something. Turn around."
I turned us around and we drove back to the stuck van. The commandoes inside quickly pulled their weapons and took aim. Before they could fire, however, the Punisher open fire on them. After the smoke cleared from the bullets flying, I saw the dead commandoes.
'God forgive him,' I prayed.
We pulled up to the van and the Punisher jumped out. I climbed out and followed at a distance. He went to the back and opened the door. Climbing inside and looking around, he found their computer equipment. The Punisher sat down and keyed in a few commands.
"What are you attempting to do?" I asked.
"Using their database, I'm going to locate Reverend Exeter."
We were at the van for only a few moments when he found the file.
"He's heading to the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel. Several of their Ohio leaders meet there regularly to discuss events in their cities. I'm going there, too."
After downloading all the command codes and F. O. H. records to a floppy disk, the Punisher climbed out of the van. "See you around, Bats," he replied. He climbed into his Suburban and headed off toward his destiny with the Friends of Humanity.
I was alone again. I turned back to the site of the F.O.H. van and I wondered if being dead would be the best thing for me.
A light shining in the bushes caught my attention. I watched as the messenger stepped clear and approached me.
"You feel alone and deserted," the messenger began.
"I do. Those who I thought would teach me something about myself abandoned me to their own needs and purposes."
"You think they should have remained with you."
"How else will I learn from them if they are gone?" I asked.
"Often times, one person will have one moment in another's life. That moment will change the other person for the good or the bad. You have had two people in your life in the past two days.
"You learned your first lesson with James, the vampire. He taught you that no matter how horrible one's past can be, forgiveness can be found. You taught him that. But that brought to the surface something you have believed for a long time, though it almost burned out.
"The Punisher taught you the second lesson. Each person must use whatever gifts they have been given, the skills taught to them, and each person must decide for him or herself how to use those gifts. He has a talent with combat. His choice is to use it to 'punish' those whom he sees as criminals. You must use your talents to battle people and situations in your life to the best of your ability and for your own purpose, using your own morals and values to guide you."
"But they are gone. Where do I go from here?"
"What is one thing you have battled, Eric?"
"I don't know," I replied feeling frustrated. I threw my hands up in the air and said the first thing that came to my mind. "The Huntress thinks I'm a murderer."
"Then that will be your next trial."
"What? Fighting the Huntress? She's stronger than me. And she hates me because she believes I killed someone."
"Fighting her isn't your trial. Earning her trust is. What can you do to earn her trust?"
"Prove to her that I'm not the killer," I said.
"Precisely. You must head to Los Angeles, California and clear your name of the charge of murder. You have your next trial. It has begun."
The messenger turned and walked back into the bushes, fading with every step. Once the messenger disappeared, I turned and headed down the road away from the grisly scene. The first trial was losing my family, something that ended up not of the good. The second trial seems to be something good, something more promising. I hoped that I would come out victorious.
To Be Continued...
Next up, the beginning of what everyone has been waiting for. Eric begins the investigation to clear his name and earn back Jessica's trust.