Lost Hope
Chapter 16
The room was darker than normal when President Luthor returned to his quarters. He spent the day feeling like he was being watched, and not just by the secret service and or his bodyguards. The sensation was so strong he threw the 'bodyguards', young ladies, specially picked to keep him company at night, out of his room. But even he was not stupid enough to do that before he had them and his agents do a complete sweep the room with dogs to make sure no one was in there. He even heard one now ex- Agents make some snide remark about checking under the bed for the boogieman. He was not used to people making fun of him to his face, he was after all Lex Luthor the most powerful man in the world, He had tried to read a book but could not concentrate so he thought he would turn out all the lights and just wait for sleep to come.
For hours it seemed like he was jumping up to even the smallest of noises. He jumped at everything from the wind outside to the groans and moans of the old mansion. At some pint it got so bad he began to calling for help every time a shutter rattled or a board creaked. He would have them search his room thoroughly then he kicked everyone out yet again, making sure they all knew he was displeased. Slamming the doors behind the agents he locked the doors and return to bed. Sleep still eluded him he gave up and reached to turn on his bedside lamp finding it no longer worked. He jumped back in fear. But before he could make a noise a gauntlet wrapped tightly around his neck with a knuckle pushed tightly into his juggler notch. As long as the president struggled beneath the grip it just got tighter, finally he conceded he wasn't able to break the Batman's grip.
"Luthor, I just dropped by to let you know I am watching you. You were never one of my favorite people but this time you have gone to far. It was just by the grace of God that my son survived this ordeal." Batman announced, "Now Stop struggling or you will not get to hear what I have to say."
The little moon light that worked its way in to the room seem to accent the hate in the mask of the vigilante, who waited a moment for the man to relax under his grip.
"Understand, You have abused you power for the last time. Understand also that you can stop pressing the emergency button under your covers, I disabled it. If I wanted to I could have snapped you neck hours ago. Not that it matters, you have cried wolf so many times even the dogs don't want to respond to your boogie man. It is not smart to piss off the people who are supposed to be protecting you."
"What do you think your doing, Batman?"
"The Native American called it counting coup, a test of skill and show of strength."
The man pulled a gun from beneath the pillow pointed it between the eye slits in the Dark knight's cowl.
"I guess you didn't count on this." Luthor smiled, "Now, You understand! I am the president of the United States of America," Lex growled as the masked vigilante slowly removed his hand from the man's throat and stood up crossing his arms. "I will do as I damn well please. If I want to kill every one of you masked freaks or wipe out three quarters of the planet. It is mine to do. "
"I don't think so, Mr. President." The batman sneered, "By the way the gun is not loaded."
Click, click
The president stared blankly at the weapon in his hand, but before he to could pull the trigger a third time Batman knocked the gun from his hand and again held the man to his bed by the throat, this time tighter.
"That is twice you have attacked me and mine, for someone who has an uncanny financial prowess your common sense is really lacking. I will say this once so listen well. You best plan for an early retirement. You keep all the wrong friends and have made all the wrong enemies. Until now your political ambitions where no more than a minor inconvenient, but now you have over stepped your authority and it nearly cost a lot of people their lives. I had better not hear of your involvement in anything that is not above board, if you plan to finish out this term, or I will return. Rest assured, if I ever have to come back because of you, your life would not be worth living."
"Ha, I know your kind; your pitiful morals will not allow you to carry out that threat. If you could kill anyone criminals like the Joker wouldn't exist." The president hissed from under the gauntlet that remained tight around his neck.
"I didn't say kill, Mr. Luthor. You're quite right about the annoying sense of morals, though lately I have found it MUCH easier to by pass them, I probably would not kill you, but then you would be surprised what you can live though."
"Now I am going to leave so I suggest you remain in bed and quiet we wouldn't want to wake your secret agents."
As the figure dissolved back into the shadows, Luthor jumped from his bed screaming for his guards who were locked out during his last tirade. When he finally got the door open the guard quickly flipped on the lights only finding the same empty room he checked a thousand times before.
The President ranted for an hour screaming about Batman's attack on him but no one saw or heard anything.
"Sir, if you where in trouble why did you not press the emergency button."
"I did you Dolt, he disabled it!"
The agent walked over to the button on the bed and pressed it sending all the lights and alarms on. The officers just stared at each other.
"I tell you, I pressed it." The president objected to the unasked comments.
"Well, sir if that didn't work why didn't you use your gun? Even if you fired it in the air it would have alerted your people."
"I did use it, you fool. I fired it at him point blank, nothing happened, he said he took the bullets from it."
One of the guards handed the agent the gun that lay on the floor next to the bed. After looking in to the chamber he turned the gun at the bed and fired, causing everyone to jump when it went off leaving a large hole in the bedding. Soon after ward another officer came into the room whispered something in the lead agent's ear then left.
"Sir, I don't know what you think happened but we have cameras all over this building and they show nothing. Is it possible to have dreamed all this?"
This line of questioning set off a whole new line of ranting by the president keeping the President men busy for hours.
The next day the news was full of Batman sightings all over Gotham. Including one where he single handedly stopped a major terrorist act to at the Mayors mansion during a political party for Luthor's political party at the same time he had supposed to be at the white house.
Rumors started bubbling up about the president's unwillingness to run for another term soon after that. Luthor refused to speak to the press core about anything.
Nightwing had return to his patrols in Bludhaven. For a few months he was saddled with a partner, but for the most part, but all things considered it could have been worse. Dick Grayson on the other hand did not have much of an option he had to move from his small apartment in the lower part Bludhaven because of all the publicity from so called skiing incident. He moved to the upper part of town, in the towers that Clancy worked at. Clancy and most of the people from the old neighborhood seem to understand that he left not because he felt he was better than them but because his being there would only bring problems to the neighborhood including people expecting the heir to the Wayne fortune to keep loads of money somewhere in the tiny apartment.
Strangely enough, they also seem to understand why he chose to live there instead of knob hill. He found they seem to understand his need for the reality of the small neighbor hood and the blue-collar world he chose over the world of the social elite. He explained that the small apartment felt more real to him than the plastic world of the socialite. "It ain't as dangerous either." John Law pointed out. "The first time you take to the Swiss Alps like a playboy you rap your self around a tree. Seems being a Bludhaven cop is safer. That is saying a lot."
For the most part Dick showed no signs of the injuries that had scrambled his head and his life. He knew nothing about what happened except for what others told him and what he read in the papers and newsreels. The only real memory at all was the words Bat Angel, Boy and Survive. For weeks it gave him great joy to see the conundrum it caused in Roy's mind. It also gave him a bit more insight in the cover story.
Roy, on the other hand, had a completely different outtake of the situation. Seems Dick falling on his head affected Bruce's mind. He became human. To the point of actually allowing Roy to stay at the manor with out having the silverware counted ever other day. Roy even made up some story about them talking in the garden like they were family. Dick remembered thinking that would have been something he would have liked to have seen, and deep down in his soul he hoped he would one day experience.
When he was able Bruce took Dick and Barbara to the island where he was found. They wandered around looking to see if anything jogged his memory. He and Bruce actually had to move the fallen tree he had used to set his arm, out of the way of Barbara's 4-wheel drive chair. But it went unrecognized. Bruce led them up to the cave where he was found. Words were scribbled all over the walls a primitive map and a makeshift bed was visible by the light of the portable lamps they carried. Every one stopped when Dick began to giggle.
"Son, is there something you recognize?
"Nope," he laughed, "I was just thinking how this doesn't look much different than my old apartment in the Haven."
Barbara laughed too and the equivalent of a smile even crossed Bruce's face "Yea which is another reason it was best that we didn't bring Alfred with us."
Babs stopped at the wall directly in front of the makeshift bed "Dick, this is what you kept writing in dirt at the manor. What does it mean." He swung his light over to the wall That read, Bat, Angel, Boy, Survive He shrugged his shoulder. "Sorry, I have no idea"
Bruce smiled, "I know!"
"Leave it to the Worlds Greatest Detective to know what I was thinking even before me"
"When I found you, I was dressed as batman, you didn't seem to recognize me as whom I was, yet you trusted me and you told me that you did everything I told you to, even before I had gotten there. So "Bat" was your training." "Then you showed me who your angel was" He pulled a picture out of his pocket and handed it to Dick who lowered it so that Barbara could see it.
"Batgirl? I used to keep that in my glove. Dick explained "I couldn't keep a picture of you there without you placing you in danger in event of my ever being captured or killed.
Barbara blushed and laid her head on his thigh he just brushed her hair aside and stood quietly next to her.
"And the Boy you said was your brother or you. You where not sure. I think it was both. Tim was devastated when you went down. But he never gave up hope that he would find you. Robin is very much a strong willed person no matter who wears the costume. Robin has the strength, faith and innocents of youth. Despite the hell I put him through."
Gently tapping on the wall he announced "What you have there was your reason to do the last. Survive."
Bruce then just smiled and walked away leaving Dick and Barbara staring at the wall
Dick noticed a tear rolling down her face as she stared at the picture in her hand. He bent down to brush away the tears.
"Hey what's that for?
"I nearly lost you." she sobbed, "I nearly lost you and all you had to remember me was something I can never be again."
Dick cringed as she began to let her tears flow a little harder. There was a reason he had never told anyone he kept her picture there.
"Babs I told you it was the only way I could keep you with me at all times with out endangering you."
"But don't you see this is what got you through that time this is all you knew of me. When it should have been me that got you through your ordeal, it was BATGIRL."
"There is where I think you are wrong."
They turned around to find Bruce standing behind them. "First of all it wasn't batgirl that he recognized, he referred to her as his Angel. Second, every time he wrote those words he wrote them just as you see them Bat over Angel over Boy over the word Survive, like an equation". Bruce stepped in front of them blocking there view for a moment then turned around and stepped away from the wall he had smeared everything but the first letters of the words BABS.
"Its my guess you were in fact the one thing that got him through this ordeal."
The End.
Chapter 16
The room was darker than normal when President Luthor returned to his quarters. He spent the day feeling like he was being watched, and not just by the secret service and or his bodyguards. The sensation was so strong he threw the 'bodyguards', young ladies, specially picked to keep him company at night, out of his room. But even he was not stupid enough to do that before he had them and his agents do a complete sweep the room with dogs to make sure no one was in there. He even heard one now ex- Agents make some snide remark about checking under the bed for the boogieman. He was not used to people making fun of him to his face, he was after all Lex Luthor the most powerful man in the world, He had tried to read a book but could not concentrate so he thought he would turn out all the lights and just wait for sleep to come.
For hours it seemed like he was jumping up to even the smallest of noises. He jumped at everything from the wind outside to the groans and moans of the old mansion. At some pint it got so bad he began to calling for help every time a shutter rattled or a board creaked. He would have them search his room thoroughly then he kicked everyone out yet again, making sure they all knew he was displeased. Slamming the doors behind the agents he locked the doors and return to bed. Sleep still eluded him he gave up and reached to turn on his bedside lamp finding it no longer worked. He jumped back in fear. But before he could make a noise a gauntlet wrapped tightly around his neck with a knuckle pushed tightly into his juggler notch. As long as the president struggled beneath the grip it just got tighter, finally he conceded he wasn't able to break the Batman's grip.
"Luthor, I just dropped by to let you know I am watching you. You were never one of my favorite people but this time you have gone to far. It was just by the grace of God that my son survived this ordeal." Batman announced, "Now Stop struggling or you will not get to hear what I have to say."
The little moon light that worked its way in to the room seem to accent the hate in the mask of the vigilante, who waited a moment for the man to relax under his grip.
"Understand, You have abused you power for the last time. Understand also that you can stop pressing the emergency button under your covers, I disabled it. If I wanted to I could have snapped you neck hours ago. Not that it matters, you have cried wolf so many times even the dogs don't want to respond to your boogie man. It is not smart to piss off the people who are supposed to be protecting you."
"What do you think your doing, Batman?"
"The Native American called it counting coup, a test of skill and show of strength."
The man pulled a gun from beneath the pillow pointed it between the eye slits in the Dark knight's cowl.
"I guess you didn't count on this." Luthor smiled, "Now, You understand! I am the president of the United States of America," Lex growled as the masked vigilante slowly removed his hand from the man's throat and stood up crossing his arms. "I will do as I damn well please. If I want to kill every one of you masked freaks or wipe out three quarters of the planet. It is mine to do. "
"I don't think so, Mr. President." The batman sneered, "By the way the gun is not loaded."
Click, click
The president stared blankly at the weapon in his hand, but before he to could pull the trigger a third time Batman knocked the gun from his hand and again held the man to his bed by the throat, this time tighter.
"That is twice you have attacked me and mine, for someone who has an uncanny financial prowess your common sense is really lacking. I will say this once so listen well. You best plan for an early retirement. You keep all the wrong friends and have made all the wrong enemies. Until now your political ambitions where no more than a minor inconvenient, but now you have over stepped your authority and it nearly cost a lot of people their lives. I had better not hear of your involvement in anything that is not above board, if you plan to finish out this term, or I will return. Rest assured, if I ever have to come back because of you, your life would not be worth living."
"Ha, I know your kind; your pitiful morals will not allow you to carry out that threat. If you could kill anyone criminals like the Joker wouldn't exist." The president hissed from under the gauntlet that remained tight around his neck.
"I didn't say kill, Mr. Luthor. You're quite right about the annoying sense of morals, though lately I have found it MUCH easier to by pass them, I probably would not kill you, but then you would be surprised what you can live though."
"Now I am going to leave so I suggest you remain in bed and quiet we wouldn't want to wake your secret agents."
As the figure dissolved back into the shadows, Luthor jumped from his bed screaming for his guards who were locked out during his last tirade. When he finally got the door open the guard quickly flipped on the lights only finding the same empty room he checked a thousand times before.
The President ranted for an hour screaming about Batman's attack on him but no one saw or heard anything.
"Sir, if you where in trouble why did you not press the emergency button."
"I did you Dolt, he disabled it!"
The agent walked over to the button on the bed and pressed it sending all the lights and alarms on. The officers just stared at each other.
"I tell you, I pressed it." The president objected to the unasked comments.
"Well, sir if that didn't work why didn't you use your gun? Even if you fired it in the air it would have alerted your people."
"I did use it, you fool. I fired it at him point blank, nothing happened, he said he took the bullets from it."
One of the guards handed the agent the gun that lay on the floor next to the bed. After looking in to the chamber he turned the gun at the bed and fired, causing everyone to jump when it went off leaving a large hole in the bedding. Soon after ward another officer came into the room whispered something in the lead agent's ear then left.
"Sir, I don't know what you think happened but we have cameras all over this building and they show nothing. Is it possible to have dreamed all this?"
This line of questioning set off a whole new line of ranting by the president keeping the President men busy for hours.
The next day the news was full of Batman sightings all over Gotham. Including one where he single handedly stopped a major terrorist act to at the Mayors mansion during a political party for Luthor's political party at the same time he had supposed to be at the white house.
Rumors started bubbling up about the president's unwillingness to run for another term soon after that. Luthor refused to speak to the press core about anything.
Nightwing had return to his patrols in Bludhaven. For a few months he was saddled with a partner, but for the most part, but all things considered it could have been worse. Dick Grayson on the other hand did not have much of an option he had to move from his small apartment in the lower part Bludhaven because of all the publicity from so called skiing incident. He moved to the upper part of town, in the towers that Clancy worked at. Clancy and most of the people from the old neighborhood seem to understand that he left not because he felt he was better than them but because his being there would only bring problems to the neighborhood including people expecting the heir to the Wayne fortune to keep loads of money somewhere in the tiny apartment.
Strangely enough, they also seem to understand why he chose to live there instead of knob hill. He found they seem to understand his need for the reality of the small neighbor hood and the blue-collar world he chose over the world of the social elite. He explained that the small apartment felt more real to him than the plastic world of the socialite. "It ain't as dangerous either." John Law pointed out. "The first time you take to the Swiss Alps like a playboy you rap your self around a tree. Seems being a Bludhaven cop is safer. That is saying a lot."
For the most part Dick showed no signs of the injuries that had scrambled his head and his life. He knew nothing about what happened except for what others told him and what he read in the papers and newsreels. The only real memory at all was the words Bat Angel, Boy and Survive. For weeks it gave him great joy to see the conundrum it caused in Roy's mind. It also gave him a bit more insight in the cover story.
Roy, on the other hand, had a completely different outtake of the situation. Seems Dick falling on his head affected Bruce's mind. He became human. To the point of actually allowing Roy to stay at the manor with out having the silverware counted ever other day. Roy even made up some story about them talking in the garden like they were family. Dick remembered thinking that would have been something he would have liked to have seen, and deep down in his soul he hoped he would one day experience.
When he was able Bruce took Dick and Barbara to the island where he was found. They wandered around looking to see if anything jogged his memory. He and Bruce actually had to move the fallen tree he had used to set his arm, out of the way of Barbara's 4-wheel drive chair. But it went unrecognized. Bruce led them up to the cave where he was found. Words were scribbled all over the walls a primitive map and a makeshift bed was visible by the light of the portable lamps they carried. Every one stopped when Dick began to giggle.
"Son, is there something you recognize?
"Nope," he laughed, "I was just thinking how this doesn't look much different than my old apartment in the Haven."
Barbara laughed too and the equivalent of a smile even crossed Bruce's face "Yea which is another reason it was best that we didn't bring Alfred with us."
Babs stopped at the wall directly in front of the makeshift bed "Dick, this is what you kept writing in dirt at the manor. What does it mean." He swung his light over to the wall That read, Bat, Angel, Boy, Survive He shrugged his shoulder. "Sorry, I have no idea"
Bruce smiled, "I know!"
"Leave it to the Worlds Greatest Detective to know what I was thinking even before me"
"When I found you, I was dressed as batman, you didn't seem to recognize me as whom I was, yet you trusted me and you told me that you did everything I told you to, even before I had gotten there. So "Bat" was your training." "Then you showed me who your angel was" He pulled a picture out of his pocket and handed it to Dick who lowered it so that Barbara could see it.
"Batgirl? I used to keep that in my glove. Dick explained "I couldn't keep a picture of you there without you placing you in danger in event of my ever being captured or killed.
Barbara blushed and laid her head on his thigh he just brushed her hair aside and stood quietly next to her.
"And the Boy you said was your brother or you. You where not sure. I think it was both. Tim was devastated when you went down. But he never gave up hope that he would find you. Robin is very much a strong willed person no matter who wears the costume. Robin has the strength, faith and innocents of youth. Despite the hell I put him through."
Gently tapping on the wall he announced "What you have there was your reason to do the last. Survive."
Bruce then just smiled and walked away leaving Dick and Barbara staring at the wall
Dick noticed a tear rolling down her face as she stared at the picture in her hand. He bent down to brush away the tears.
"Hey what's that for?
"I nearly lost you." she sobbed, "I nearly lost you and all you had to remember me was something I can never be again."
Dick cringed as she began to let her tears flow a little harder. There was a reason he had never told anyone he kept her picture there.
"Babs I told you it was the only way I could keep you with me at all times with out endangering you."
"But don't you see this is what got you through that time this is all you knew of me. When it should have been me that got you through your ordeal, it was BATGIRL."
"There is where I think you are wrong."
They turned around to find Bruce standing behind them. "First of all it wasn't batgirl that he recognized, he referred to her as his Angel. Second, every time he wrote those words he wrote them just as you see them Bat over Angel over Boy over the word Survive, like an equation". Bruce stepped in front of them blocking there view for a moment then turned around and stepped away from the wall he had smeared everything but the first letters of the words BABS.
"Its my guess you were in fact the one thing that got him through this ordeal."
The End.