TEMPERS, TRANTRUMS, AND PMS
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The silence in the tower lasted for about three seconds.
“YOU!” Helena spat, eyes glowing golden.
Before any of her friends could stop her, she launched a devastating array of kicks and punches. All of which, if good and dead on target, would have completely put the figure standing there flatter than Mike Tyson's opponent in a championship bout.
Of course, it would have worked had any of the blows actually connected with the target in question.
It took a while for them to realize that Helena's blitzkrieg maneuver was simply passing through him.
“Batman” just stood there, his arms crossed, ignoring Helena's actions as if all was right with the world. Knowing that this surprise could only last for so long, he reached out and blocked one of her swings - then sent her back to her friends in a modified judo throw.
Terry's cybernetically enhanced hearing picked up a barely recognizable grunt coming from the downed woman which suspiciously sounded a lot like someone had just said “OWIE.”
“Have you got it out of your system now?” he asked. “Because we really have to talk.”
Barbara took a long, hard look at the figure before them. He was dressed completely in black from head to foot. Not an even an inch of skin was exposed on the muscular form in front of her - it was as if the entire costume WAS the skin itself. The only thing that bore any resemblance to the original Batman were the long pointy ears and the modified blood-red bat symbol stretched over his chest area. Even the utility belt found around his midsection seemed tattooed to his body. How did Bruce do that?
“Bruce?” she whispered.
“Sorry, but I'm not him. But its funny how you seem to know the original Batman under the mask.” The girls' eyes widened as they heard this.
“Who are you?” Barbara Gordon asked, wary for any surprises as she thumbed a secret button on her chair. “You sure as hell don't sound like Nightwing either.”
“I'm Batman.” the figure replied.
“Not our Batman.” She retorted back.
“Right,” he said. “I'm not your Batman, but a BATMAN nonetheless. A Batman that wants to return to where he came from.”
“Let me guess,” Helena snapped. “Hell?”
Terry stared at the Huntress for few seconds before he turned his attention to the person holding her, which happened to be Dinah at the moment.
“What's wrong with her?” he asked. “Its not THAT time of the month is it?”
“Uh,” Dinah just stood there with her mouth hanging open. Wrong thing to say, she thought.
Helena grew red in the face and tried to lunge at him, spitting out a few curses his way, but was restrained by her friends as Barbara joined Dinah and grabbed the other arm as Helena tried to strangle the man before them.
“That's it.” The man calling himself Batman sighed in exasperation. “I'm outta here, we can't talk straight like this if she keeps wanting to wipe the floor with me. Until she learns to calm down, nothing's going to be resolved. I'm sorry I ever bothered, goodnight. See you next time.”
With that, the Tomorrow Knight literally faded from sight right in front of them, further shocking them with his exit.
However, after a few moments later, they could see Barbara smile. He had been solid long enough for her to slip in a tracer.
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“Geez,” Terry snapped, banking between the buildings as he flew away from the clock tower in disgust. “Just what IS her problem!” Must be an extreme case of meta-human PMS. Either that, or she has some deep rooted “BAT” issues. He'd try again in a day or two, probably better to try it best without little miss spitfire around. He couldn't believe he had let his old habit of baiting people with his mouth come back to the fore!
He had to admire the pretty redhead in the wheelchair, though. He wouldn't have known she placed a tracer on him had not his A.I. warned him before he took off. He'd bet a billion creds to see what her reaction was once she found out where it had actually gone.
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Back in the tower, a scream was heard. And this time, it wasn't Helena.
“GOD DAMN IT!!!”
If the Huntress didn't kill him first, Barbara would.
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Okay, he thought, meeting them tonight was a disaster. Sure there were more than enough chances that they'd meet, what with him being the visitor here and she, as the local heroine. But it was through sheer luck that the two had met in busting this particular case. In spite of the inconvenience of the impromptu meet and greet, his thoughts doubled back to what he had done after he first got here.
Granted that tonight was a prime example of what happened every time he put on the suit, it was no excuse for the woman to overreact like that. Still, whatever grudges the lady had against the Batman of this world would have to stop if they were going to be working side by side from time to time. Besides, he had a good feeling that they would greatly help him improve his odds of getting back home - if she didn't kill him first. Make that two now, the redhead would certainly be upset after what he had done. He chuckled; it was a simple matter of using ghost mode while in stealth and planting it right back at her. But it had been pure evil to plant it right on the seat of the electronic wheelchair where she sat.
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It took nearly forever, but Dinah was able to calm both of her friends down. It didn't help any that she giggled a bit when they found out exactly where “Batman” had left the tracer Barb tagged him with.
Helena was still a bit steamed, so she had headed back out on her own again. After making sure Barbara was okay, Dinah left to relax her way in No Man's Land. This new Batman definitely didn't match the info she was told about the original Batman M.O. This one was acting a bit more human, Dinah mused, the prank was proof enough of that - especially the abilities this new Batman possessed. But the aura of mystery and darkness remained with this new Bat - it was like a mix of something old and new. Plus the way he looked in the costumed left little to the female hormonal imagination. He was downright hot!
Barbara Gordon's thoughts were in turmoil. That was the most underhanded, most juvenile thing anybody could ever do - let alone get away with it. Even if he was a different sort of Batman, she believed somehow that anyone following in Bruce's direct footsteps would also cut off every trace of humor they possessed. Unfortunately for her, this “Batman” had one in spades. Dick or Tim would have managed a few gags, but nothing this galling. If Helena wanted to smack him all over Gotham, she'd have to step in line. Frustrated with herself, she fought the urge to scream once more - forcing her anger off in a different direction. She went to one of the consoles and pulled up a recording of what had transpired tonight in the tower. Playing the disk again and again, she tried to find anything that would tell her who their new Dark Knight was. The powers at his command alone were formidable enough as it is. The costume itself was a far cry from the classic look as one could get, and yet it still retained enough resemblance that made it just as recognizable as the original.
And what the heck did he mean by “wanting to return to where he came from”?
Then she thought of her father, the famous Commissioner James Gordon. Her father must be having a coronary right now from the shock of hearing the news that an old friend might have come back. She only hoped that the next time they met with this “Batman”, it would be more or less cordial.
Besides, she grinned, she wanted to get back at him for that little stunt he had pulled.
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