'If I Had it all Again.'
By: The BatThing
'Head hurts. kinda twisted. like Rob Zombie screamin' in my ear. Billy, it hurts.' The boy lowered his gaze, and slowly shut his pulsing eyes with a low sigh. It hurt to even think, so he paused for a moment and tried to sleep, but even that was virtually impossible. His name was Sist Valencia, and his history was nonresistant.
A few voices wandered through his head, and Sist wished them to shut up with the acein' crap they were spilling out through their mouths. He felt the presence of drool wander off his bottom lip, but he did nothing besides lay there, covering his drilling ears with his hands.
"Man this yellow drag ain't alive 'er bitten, wish he was dead I bet."
"He looks wasted like after Smaz's party. you remember Smaz's party?"
"Wasted man, it was wicked."
Voices, they were right there, hovering all around him, each tone was causing his head to spin. 'There are two of them. Two lone bitters.'
There was a small shuffle. "Think he would work, maybe if he was older man?"
"The boss said ta' get a lil' punk, he's za punk."
"He's a wasted bitten punk, billy, this rides none."
"Rides fine, we take 'em an give 'em home.. He no wasted more."
Sist grumbled, trying to tell the men to shut the hell up so he could get some rest, he understood what they were saying, and he didn't care. He could handle them with a simple.
"You pick 'em up man, I think he wasted death fought."
"You always think wrong man, he's a billy punk, that's all."
There were hands, and arms, coming over him, and picking him up. Sist found strength to open his eyes, and somehow bring his hand up, and catch the man below the nose, breaking it with his hand. "Don't," was all he managed.
"He more than wasted man, I tol' you he death fighter, they all are."
"PUNK! My nose, BILLY!" The man who had been hit screamed in pain and kicked Sist with all his might. "Bitten man, he's a bitter, he's a dead drag!"
Sist managed a small grunt and rolled to his side, trying to roll off the pain and get away from these drakes before they got to him.
"You get 'em man!"
"I got him the last time."
"Yeah man, but you was bit, you think I'm stupid, kinda like Cherry, ya know Cherry, he a drag man, a drag!"
"Not like me man, the doc said."
"So do, you the boss."
"Knock 'em out man."
"Me?"
Sist groaned again, from pain and annoyance. These guys sounded like they were coming from the Harbor after a bad date and a little too much of their vodka hitting their heart.
"I need a drink man."
"You had one last minute man."
"You did too."
"So?"
"FINE! I'll do it!"
Sist breathed deep, taking in the fumes that surrounded him as another attempt was made at grabbing him. This time he let it out all the more, snapping his head up, knocking it as hard as he could manage against the others, then drilling a fist into the man's jaw, releasing all the energy he had left into letting a loud 'crack' please him.
"Arp-ARHHH!" The man screamed as his jaw fell out of alignment.
"Yo' loose man! He broke jaw, he bitter, death fighter!" The other cried out, seeing his friend running away. "But I think we can handle that much man-o. Jack none, bites some, but I bite harder." He pulled out a knife and grinned, seeing the boy looking at him with glaring eyes. "Chill boy-o, ya' drained, and draining some."
"Don-don't think so Drake, I got a full tank lef-left fer' ya'!" Sist let out spilling his words out with a strong tongue. "Ya' sh-should join ya' friend in run-runnin' from me."
"Ya' hurt, and I plan ta' do some bitting before dis' night is wasted boy- o!"
Sist plummeted into the air, cutting his leg out, and snapping it into the man's throat. The two fell to the ground, but Sist kept his foot in place. "Don' threaten me boy-o none! I 'ken kill you some more boy-o! Gots that filled?"
The man wheezed, trying to gain air as Sist's foot remained in his throat.
"Don't kill him."
Sist jerked around, blinking at the shadows. "Ya-ya next sh-shadows, s'at it?"
"No." Came the sudden answer as the dark figure stepped into the light, his eyes bright.
"I won't stand by to watch you kill that man."
Sist would have laughed, had he had the strength to do so, but he was weak from before and shook his head. "Ya' wanna 'ave justice? Go back to 1990 chick-o, this ain't no justice land, this be problem city! Who'da ya' think you are?"
It grinned. "Batman, the myth of course." The with that he knocked the boy down, allowing the man to breath deeply, filling his lungs. He then bent down and tied him up, watching with interest as Sist got to his feet.
"Ya' can't just bar in. I had dibs. there is no Bats, cause he died years ago!"
"You are tired and hurt. go home."
"Ya' first!"
Batman titled his head. "You aren't serious, what makes you think that you are up to challenge me?"
Sist didn't answer, but he stood his ground, awaiting a challenge.
"I don't have time for this, go home, and stay there. Or I will report you in to the YOC."
Sist smiled this time, flicking his dirty blonde hair out of his teal eyes. "You ain't nothing compared to me."
"You are what? 13?"
"14 boy-o, gimme that much."
Batman gave no answer, as if he was listening to something, or someone else.
"Ya' trashin' that guy?"
"I'm bringing him downtown. I like it how you know who I am."
"Say ya' the bats, I think not."
Batman shrugged once more. "You say you can fight me, I think not." Then with that he turned on his heels, leaving the boy behind and dragging the man across the road. "Stay out of what happened tonight, and stay home."
Sist limped forward, then spat on the ground. "So." He said out loud, his street tongue gone. "There is a Batman."
"You shouldn't have pushed him like that, he is the type who will gladly give you a few bruises."
"Excuse me?" Batman snapped back. "The kid was 13. He could have done nothing."
There was a long pause. "Take the man in and get back to work, we have things to do before the night is over."
Batman leapt off the roof, hauling on his back the large man to Police H.Q. trying to block out what he had just heard from Bruce. 'Is the old man going crazy?'
Sist gritted his teeth as he poured the iodine on this large gash that lined his arm. His eyes became wet with pain as he began to clean the cut out, scrubbing at it with hast. Sist looked up, then to his sides, wondering why he felt like he was being followed, wondering what he was going to do when he got up. There was little choice.
"I think Dr. Morno is crazy."
Sist looked up quickly, eyes wide as a couple walked by. They obviously hadn't seen him in the shadows.
"Quiet dear, event eh shadows have ears in this city."
"All those children though, they didn't even have a chance to say what-."
"QUIET! We need his help, without it there is nothing left. Think of Joe."
"I am, he's just a lad too, like all the others."
Sist got to his feet, watching the couple walk away. 'Luck Sist, real lucky.' The boy thought as he walked in the opposite direction as quick as his feet could carry him. 'This place is crawling with people who want people like me, I better get out of here before. before it's too late."
He ducked into an alley and sprinted down it. He could take care of himself, but who wanted to live in a place where you were hunted each and every day, where you had friends one day, and then next they were gone, dead.
Sist swallowed and leapt on top of the metal chain fence that blocked his path. He balanced on it for a few moments, looking into the sky. "Sorry guys." He then leapt to the ground, landing like a cat, and then dissolving into the shadows, slipping through them with silence as his only friend.
"I don't know what to do." Terry McGinnis let out as he scrambled down the stairs to the Batcave. His hair was wet and dripping as he skidded next to the old figure that sat before the huge computer. "That thug I brought in, he denied everything. He says he wasn't part of that gang who is taking all the kids up from the streets and doing who knows what with them!"
Bruce Wayne looked up. "That kid you got into a fight with, does he know anything."
"I didn't ask! And it wasn't a fight, I left before it became anything more than a few angry words!"
"Fine, he might know something, from what we know, almost every street child, and even a few kids who have families, are missing. Barbara called and she said that they found a little girl, but before she could tell them anything, she died."
Terry shrugged, pulling himself onto the ledge and sitting with a frown. "Well, I'll find them, I just need to look harder, give me a week and you'll have answers."
"McGinnis don't let pride factor into this. We don't have a week to spare." Bruce hissed as he looked back at the bright screen. "We need answers now. I am going to keep looking, I want you to do the same."
Terry nodded, slipping his feet to the ground and walking away. "Sure thing."
"If you say any kids in that area, question them, if you see anything unusual, question it." Bruce growled. Terry nodded.
By: The BatThing
'Head hurts. kinda twisted. like Rob Zombie screamin' in my ear. Billy, it hurts.' The boy lowered his gaze, and slowly shut his pulsing eyes with a low sigh. It hurt to even think, so he paused for a moment and tried to sleep, but even that was virtually impossible. His name was Sist Valencia, and his history was nonresistant.
A few voices wandered through his head, and Sist wished them to shut up with the acein' crap they were spilling out through their mouths. He felt the presence of drool wander off his bottom lip, but he did nothing besides lay there, covering his drilling ears with his hands.
"Man this yellow drag ain't alive 'er bitten, wish he was dead I bet."
"He looks wasted like after Smaz's party. you remember Smaz's party?"
"Wasted man, it was wicked."
Voices, they were right there, hovering all around him, each tone was causing his head to spin. 'There are two of them. Two lone bitters.'
There was a small shuffle. "Think he would work, maybe if he was older man?"
"The boss said ta' get a lil' punk, he's za punk."
"He's a wasted bitten punk, billy, this rides none."
"Rides fine, we take 'em an give 'em home.. He no wasted more."
Sist grumbled, trying to tell the men to shut the hell up so he could get some rest, he understood what they were saying, and he didn't care. He could handle them with a simple.
"You pick 'em up man, I think he wasted death fought."
"You always think wrong man, he's a billy punk, that's all."
There were hands, and arms, coming over him, and picking him up. Sist found strength to open his eyes, and somehow bring his hand up, and catch the man below the nose, breaking it with his hand. "Don't," was all he managed.
"He more than wasted man, I tol' you he death fighter, they all are."
"PUNK! My nose, BILLY!" The man who had been hit screamed in pain and kicked Sist with all his might. "Bitten man, he's a bitter, he's a dead drag!"
Sist managed a small grunt and rolled to his side, trying to roll off the pain and get away from these drakes before they got to him.
"You get 'em man!"
"I got him the last time."
"Yeah man, but you was bit, you think I'm stupid, kinda like Cherry, ya know Cherry, he a drag man, a drag!"
"Not like me man, the doc said."
"So do, you the boss."
"Knock 'em out man."
"Me?"
Sist groaned again, from pain and annoyance. These guys sounded like they were coming from the Harbor after a bad date and a little too much of their vodka hitting their heart.
"I need a drink man."
"You had one last minute man."
"You did too."
"So?"
"FINE! I'll do it!"
Sist breathed deep, taking in the fumes that surrounded him as another attempt was made at grabbing him. This time he let it out all the more, snapping his head up, knocking it as hard as he could manage against the others, then drilling a fist into the man's jaw, releasing all the energy he had left into letting a loud 'crack' please him.
"Arp-ARHHH!" The man screamed as his jaw fell out of alignment.
"Yo' loose man! He broke jaw, he bitter, death fighter!" The other cried out, seeing his friend running away. "But I think we can handle that much man-o. Jack none, bites some, but I bite harder." He pulled out a knife and grinned, seeing the boy looking at him with glaring eyes. "Chill boy-o, ya' drained, and draining some."
"Don-don't think so Drake, I got a full tank lef-left fer' ya'!" Sist let out spilling his words out with a strong tongue. "Ya' sh-should join ya' friend in run-runnin' from me."
"Ya' hurt, and I plan ta' do some bitting before dis' night is wasted boy- o!"
Sist plummeted into the air, cutting his leg out, and snapping it into the man's throat. The two fell to the ground, but Sist kept his foot in place. "Don' threaten me boy-o none! I 'ken kill you some more boy-o! Gots that filled?"
The man wheezed, trying to gain air as Sist's foot remained in his throat.
"Don't kill him."
Sist jerked around, blinking at the shadows. "Ya-ya next sh-shadows, s'at it?"
"No." Came the sudden answer as the dark figure stepped into the light, his eyes bright.
"I won't stand by to watch you kill that man."
Sist would have laughed, had he had the strength to do so, but he was weak from before and shook his head. "Ya' wanna 'ave justice? Go back to 1990 chick-o, this ain't no justice land, this be problem city! Who'da ya' think you are?"
It grinned. "Batman, the myth of course." The with that he knocked the boy down, allowing the man to breath deeply, filling his lungs. He then bent down and tied him up, watching with interest as Sist got to his feet.
"Ya' can't just bar in. I had dibs. there is no Bats, cause he died years ago!"
"You are tired and hurt. go home."
"Ya' first!"
Batman titled his head. "You aren't serious, what makes you think that you are up to challenge me?"
Sist didn't answer, but he stood his ground, awaiting a challenge.
"I don't have time for this, go home, and stay there. Or I will report you in to the YOC."
Sist smiled this time, flicking his dirty blonde hair out of his teal eyes. "You ain't nothing compared to me."
"You are what? 13?"
"14 boy-o, gimme that much."
Batman gave no answer, as if he was listening to something, or someone else.
"Ya' trashin' that guy?"
"I'm bringing him downtown. I like it how you know who I am."
"Say ya' the bats, I think not."
Batman shrugged once more. "You say you can fight me, I think not." Then with that he turned on his heels, leaving the boy behind and dragging the man across the road. "Stay out of what happened tonight, and stay home."
Sist limped forward, then spat on the ground. "So." He said out loud, his street tongue gone. "There is a Batman."
"You shouldn't have pushed him like that, he is the type who will gladly give you a few bruises."
"Excuse me?" Batman snapped back. "The kid was 13. He could have done nothing."
There was a long pause. "Take the man in and get back to work, we have things to do before the night is over."
Batman leapt off the roof, hauling on his back the large man to Police H.Q. trying to block out what he had just heard from Bruce. 'Is the old man going crazy?'
Sist gritted his teeth as he poured the iodine on this large gash that lined his arm. His eyes became wet with pain as he began to clean the cut out, scrubbing at it with hast. Sist looked up, then to his sides, wondering why he felt like he was being followed, wondering what he was going to do when he got up. There was little choice.
"I think Dr. Morno is crazy."
Sist looked up quickly, eyes wide as a couple walked by. They obviously hadn't seen him in the shadows.
"Quiet dear, event eh shadows have ears in this city."
"All those children though, they didn't even have a chance to say what-."
"QUIET! We need his help, without it there is nothing left. Think of Joe."
"I am, he's just a lad too, like all the others."
Sist got to his feet, watching the couple walk away. 'Luck Sist, real lucky.' The boy thought as he walked in the opposite direction as quick as his feet could carry him. 'This place is crawling with people who want people like me, I better get out of here before. before it's too late."
He ducked into an alley and sprinted down it. He could take care of himself, but who wanted to live in a place where you were hunted each and every day, where you had friends one day, and then next they were gone, dead.
Sist swallowed and leapt on top of the metal chain fence that blocked his path. He balanced on it for a few moments, looking into the sky. "Sorry guys." He then leapt to the ground, landing like a cat, and then dissolving into the shadows, slipping through them with silence as his only friend.
"I don't know what to do." Terry McGinnis let out as he scrambled down the stairs to the Batcave. His hair was wet and dripping as he skidded next to the old figure that sat before the huge computer. "That thug I brought in, he denied everything. He says he wasn't part of that gang who is taking all the kids up from the streets and doing who knows what with them!"
Bruce Wayne looked up. "That kid you got into a fight with, does he know anything."
"I didn't ask! And it wasn't a fight, I left before it became anything more than a few angry words!"
"Fine, he might know something, from what we know, almost every street child, and even a few kids who have families, are missing. Barbara called and she said that they found a little girl, but before she could tell them anything, she died."
Terry shrugged, pulling himself onto the ledge and sitting with a frown. "Well, I'll find them, I just need to look harder, give me a week and you'll have answers."
"McGinnis don't let pride factor into this. We don't have a week to spare." Bruce hissed as he looked back at the bright screen. "We need answers now. I am going to keep looking, I want you to do the same."
Terry nodded, slipping his feet to the ground and walking away. "Sure thing."
"If you say any kids in that area, question them, if you see anything unusual, question it." Bruce growled. Terry nodded.