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!!!
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Chapter 8 Identity
I smiled at Dinah's enthusiasm.
"There are some things that you need to be versed in, first, before you go out and fight vampires," I said. "You need to know what harms them."
"Wooden stake, sunlight, decapitation, holy water," Preston listed.
"True, but not all vampires are the same."
"Oh, I know," he said. "I could go through the list of all the species of vampire that have appeared on screen or in book. I wonder how many of them are actually real, though."
"Several of them," I answered. "If you want to get on Oracle and go through my database concerning vampires, you are more than welcome."
Preston grinned and went over to the computer, sitting down at the keyboard and began to type. I smiled at his enthusiasm and Lance went over to help him along leaving me with Sarah and Dinah.
"The list Preston gave works on vampires that are demonic in nature. Those are easy to recognize only when they are about to feed. Their foreheads get bumpy and their eyes are yellow."
"Like the vampire from the other night," Sarah stated.
"Exactly."
"Why was he there?"
"I'm not sure yet. I'm still waiting for Oracle, although she should be finished soon with leads. Until then, we wait, and patrol."
"I'm game for that," Dinah said. "Give me a wooden stake and let me go."
"You have to hide your identity, though. Well, you don't have to, but it protects your loved ones."
I looked over at the bat suit. The mask has kept Lance from a lot of danger over the past fifteen years. When I first started, however, it was different. It wasn't Batman's fault. It was mine. Lots of things happened to me to put him in harms way: Turic and Two-Face just to name two.
"Do you have any spare masks?" Dinah asked.
"I can look and see," I answered. "But you will have to change."
"Yeah, right," Dinah replied. "This outfit will just draw the bloodsuckers to me. It did at the bar."
I couldn't help but laugh at that statement. "It's rather late. Everyone needs their rest. Don't worry, though, tomorrow night we can go out and do some patrolling."
"Where do I stay? I don't have anywhere, really."
"You can stay at the Center. One of its purposes is to give adolescents a place to go when they have nowhere to go."
Dinah nodded.
"Let's go get you settled in," I said. "Come on, everyone. Let's head up."
"Aw, dad," Preston said.
"Don't worry. You can get more time with Oracle tomorrow."
We went upstairs and I took Dinah to April.
"Set up a file for her," I asked April. "And get her a room. She doesn't have anywhere to go."
"Will do," April said. She led Dinah down a hallway to a room where she could set everything up for Dinah.
Lance, Sarah and Preston came out of my room and closed the door behind them. As we headed toward the doors, a youth showed up at the door. At first I was concerned for her as she looked like she was in need of help. However, when she pulled the gun from her jacket, I knew we were the ones in trouble.
"Get back!" I called and pushed the others back through the door.
Everyone ran and the girl took aim. I tackled Preston, who was right behind me. Lance knocked Sarah down as the girl fired. The bullet hit the fountain and a piece of concrete flew off.
The receptionist hit the button that alerted the police. It also locked down all dormitory rooms to keep the teens already here safe. April and Dinah were probably locked in a room together at the moment. Good for April. She had someone who could protect her.
The four of us scurried down the corridor as another bullet hit the wall.
"Don't anyone move!" the girl called out as she took aim at the receptionist. "Get away from there!"
The receptionist slid through the door into a back room that was kept locked. It would keep her safe for a while. The girl was left in the foyer alone.
We got in our room and I went down the trapdoor telling the others to stay in the room and away from the door.
Within a few minutes, I was in my costume and out the street entrance to the cave making my way across the field toward the Center. When I got there, help had already arrived in the form of Anarky.
I showed up as he was shocking the girl causing her to drop her gun.
'He works fast,' I thought.
Then he swung his staff and hit her in the face, causing her to spin around and into the fountain. She brought her head up to get out but he pushed it back into the water.
"You could have killed the residents in this place," he said to her.
I highly doubted she could hear him, what with her head being under water and all.
"Those here are victims of a capitalist society. They have been tossed to the side like trash and you come here searching for violence."
I threw a bat at him and hit him in the leg. His knee gave way causing him to release the pressure on the girl's neck. She pulled her head out of the water and gasped for breath.
"Where am I?" she asked.
Anarky looked over at me as I entered the door. He swung his staff back and knocked her into the water. Then I saw the electrical discharge of his staff and he moved it toward the water. It would have killed her had I not intervened.
I jumped at him tackling him. His staff skidded away from the fountain. He swung his leg up and kicked me in the face knocking me clear of him. He stood up and ran to the girl who was pulling her head out of the water for the second time. He pushed it under the water.
"Let her go!" I ordered.
"Didn't you see what she did?" he asked. "She brought a gun here with the intent to kill."
"She's lost just like the others," I stated. "She's a victim of this society. She has no control over what she's doing. Didn't you notice her reaction when she first came out of the water? She has no idea where she is."
"She's faking, like all the others. Temporary insanity pleas just to get off the criminal charges. I don't know how many low-life scums used that plea just so they wouldn't be held responsible for their crimes."
I pulled out a bat from a pouch behind my back and let the wings extend. In a quick motion, I hurled the bat. It wrapped around Anarky's arms and I pulled on the cable. Anarky fell forward releasing his grip on the girl. I ran up to him to tie him. He swung his legs around and got up on his haunches. Then he kicked me in the stomach. The relaxing of my grip loosened the hold of the cable and he slipped free.
I got up as he ran toward the door. Using the electric pulse from his staff, the doors unlocked. "You have made a grave mistake, Batman. I thought you would have accepted me. I believed us to be on the same side, but I see I was wrong. Today, you have made an enemy." With that, Anarky fled the Center.
I checked the girl's pulse to see she was breathing. She was breathing okay but still seemed a bit out of it.
"Can you remember anything?" I asked her.
The young girl focused her eyes on me and they widened. "Where am I? What am I doing here?"
"I was hoping you could tell me that. You came in here with a gun."
"But I don't own a gun."
I looked over at it and she followed my gaze. "That's the weapon you came in with. Does it look familiar? Maybe a family member's or a friend's?"
"I don't have any family," she muttered. "And I know a lot of people that have guns. Most of them are illegally owned, though."
I got up and went over to the gun, examining it for the serial number. I communicated with Oracle through my two-way radio to do a search for the weapons owner. Then I checked back on the girl, who by now was sitting up.
"Stay here. You're safe. Let the police help."
She nodded and I exited the Center.
When I got into the cave, Oracle relayed to me the search results. It was reported stolen a few months ago. It was obviously an illegal weapon. And without having any spent bullet casings, I couldn't have Oracle search for other crimes it could have been used in.
I changed and went back upstairs just as the police knocked on the door. I opened it and he explained to me all that happened. I told the officer I wanted the girl to get help. She was too young to be involved in the Criminal Justice System. He said he would do what he could and took her away.
After being sure all was safe and secure, we headed back to the vehicles and Preston rode with me while Sarah rode with Lance on the trip home.
"When we get there, no one says anything to Randy. We don't want him in on this. He will just get hurt. Aunt Jessica and Uncle Justin have gone to great lengths to keep him away from this life. It is too dangerous for him."
Lance and I both gave them this speech. Preston and Sarah found it funny that it turned out the person Randy had a crush on most of his teenage life was me, his uncle.
When we got in, Justin met us at the door. "Ssh," he said holding his finger to his lips. "Randy's asleep on the couch. He wanted to stay up to find out what was going on, but he couldn't keep his eyes open. Too much excitement, you know."
We filtered into the living room and made our way to the den when Justin asked how everything went.
"Well," I answered. "Both Sarah and Dinah are Vampire Slayers. The Council gave us permission to train them here."
"I don't want Randy in on it," Justin stated. "Remember Turic? Apocalypse? The Chaos demon? I don't want him exposed to any of that."
"Neither do I," Jessica added. "But how do we keep such a secret from him?"
"We just don't tell him. When you come to visit, Sarah won't go out and patrol. It's as simple as that. I think there are enough of us here to keep the secret from him."
"What about the other Slayer?"
"It went well, sort of. Once she recognized her powers, and I do mean powers. It turns out she's a mutant as well."
"Really?" Jessica replied sounding intrigued.
"I'd love to stay down here and talk Slayers with you two, but I'm exhausted," Lance said.
I went over and kissed him goodnight. "I'll be up in a little while."
"What should we do about Randy?" Justin asked.
"Why don't you three just stay here tonight?" Lance offered. "It's late and we have the spare bedroom available."
Both agreed and Justin left with Lance to get a blanket and pillow for Randy. Once the door shut, I continued telling Jessica about Dinah.
"Yeah, she's a mutant. Her power is powerful, but strange. She opened her mouth and this loud, piercing noise came from her. And it cracked concrete, shattered a shotgun and erupted motorcycle gas tanks. It's like a sonic cry. Funny thing about it is she's a singer, and she has a good voice."
"I remember reading about a Slayer in Columbus, Ohio fifteen years ago who was also a mutant. It's rare that you find both in one girl."
"Well this girl has both. I'm wondering how her mutation can help her slaying."
Jessica and I decided to call it a night and we headed off to bed.
I found Lance coming out of the bathroom as I closed the door behind me. He walked over to me and I hugged him. It was nice feeling his warm skin.
I noticed he was distracted and asked him about it.
"Sarah being a Vampire Slayer. That bothers me. I don't want her to be a Vampire Slayer."
"I don't, either, Lance, but we can't change it for her. The more she knows..."
"The more danger she is put in."
"Maybe, but maybe not. Being a Slayer automatically makes one a target for supernatural forces. The underworld hears things. She won't be safe, no matter if we try to hide it or ignore it or focus her in another direction. But by training her, she has a fighting chance against demons and vampires."
"I know," Lance replied.
I held him a bit longer and kissed him. He climbed into the bed and I undressed. After putting my clothes away, washing my face and brushing my teeth, I climbed in with him and cuddled up close.
"I won't let anything happen to her," I promised.
To Be Continued...