Title: Just Might Make Me Believe (Fantasies & Fables)
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the DC characters used in this story.
No beta this time. Her computer's on the fritz again! So it's all me…
Chapter Title: Stone Cold Crazy
"Stone cold crazy you know…" - Queen
The first thought that entered his mind was to immediately make his way to Bludhaven and confirm for himself that the League, with the additions of Nightwing and Donna Troy, were indeed gone, somehow vanished and the city of Bludhaven itself transformed into something out of a medieval or gothic novel. He'd taken a step forward before he even realized and instantly pulled himself back, trying to fade back into that vast land of coldness and impassivity that was his usual state – the murky darkness that shrouded his heart through which no emotion or feelings could penetrate. Images ran through his head of the city, of what it would look like now, snared in the blackness of the night sky, filled with horror and a transformation that simply couldn't be explained by any means other than magic.
He hated magic.
There was no logic to magic, no easy way to understand or adapt to it other than to learn more about its originator and decipher their weaknesses. Unfortunately, he knew absolutely nothing about this villainess, this Queen of Fables, and would have to learn more before he could even attempt a rescue or anything similar. His mind raced to try and determine what course of action to take next – to head to Bludhaven and find out what he could there or retreat to the Batcave and access the computer in order to see what he could locate through his vast array of informants and informational channels.
Within seconds, he'd decided that the best plan of action was to let Oracle do what she did best – to find out what she could through her computer and any other technology means available to her.
"Oracle," he barked out, his voice cold and controlled through logic and sheer willpower, "Find out what you can about this Queen of Fables and patch it through to the Batmobile as soon as possible." Even though his hands and his voice wanted nothing more than to shake uncontrollably, letting the nerves that had immediately appeared when he'd realized that he was the only one left, that both Diana and his son had both somehow disappeared thanks to this monster, letting those nerves free to rain over him. But this wasn't a time for emotion or worry, it was a time for the nerveless side of him that soared through sky hundreds of feet in the air hanging by little more than a strong piece of string. It was that side that had to come forth now and assuage him, to go into battle clear-minded and strong, no matter how many emotions assailed him.
He'd been trained for moments like this. And, he reminded himself, the others weren't helpless – they would somehow find a way to leave him a message to elude and evade capture in the fullness of time.
Unfortunately, he wasn't sure just how much time they had or if the League were even alive. But he refused to dwell on that thought, instead, letting the adrenaline course through his body as he planted himself securely in the driver's seat of the Batmobile, gunning the engine and setting a fast pace and course for Bludhaven, particularly the vicinity of Fourth and Elm Streets.
Arriving in the outskirts of Bludhaven, he could immediately see that the city had indeed been changed and his eyes almost couldn't believe the sight before him as he continued into the city. He'd seen many things before because of sorcery and magic and yet, this one seemed different – darker and grimmer than anything he'd been a part of before.
The city now bore a resemblance to something out of the nightmares of Morgaine La Fey, some sort of concoction that an evil spirit such as she would create and he again vehemently wished that magic had no place on Earth that sorcery could somehow be stricken from the bounds of the world.
But since that wasn't the case, he would fight it with what he knew best: logic.
Batman pulled up slowly to the building at the corner of Fourth and Elm and could immediately see that the Queen of Fables had left her mark here as well. What he assumed had formerly been a brick façade was now a dark almost obsidian colored stone that lent an eerie presence to the building, an unworldly feeling, and he couldn't help the shiver that lanced up his spine before he stiffened his muscles, refusing to even feel an iota of fear because of the magic of this witch.
Slowly, he entered the building, pushing aside the heavy wooden doors that now served as the entrance and taking a glance around, surveying the scene and the evidence as best he could in the circumstances. Removing a small flashlight from his utility belt, he flicked on the light and proceeded to scan the floors, trying to let his mind process and document everything that it could, to analyze his surroundings as he slowly made his way through the foyer of the building. Eyeing the mailboxes set into the wall, he noticed that few tenants lived here and that the majority of them lived on the two floors above him.
Swiftly, he made his way up the stairs, wondering if he would be able to find anything that would help him to eventually defeat this villainess and reclaim both his friends and the city that his son now called home.
Noticing an open door, he cautiously made his way towards it, slowly allowing his eyes to peer into the entrance and survey what lay before him. And what lay before him was an ordinary apartment: a mirror hung on the wall nearest the door and he could hear the sounds of the television emanating from one of the closest room, although no other sounds punctured his consciousness.
He took a few guarded steps into the room and glanced over at the television where news reporters were continuing their coverage of the Justice League, of some of their recent missions, in particular, the one he and Diana had embarked on in Kasnia. She had made quite the impression on the media during her time in the City of Lights and Kasnia – partying with Audrey, helping to stop Vandal Savage's power-hungry mission, and even dancing with the notorious Bruce Wayne.
A part of him wanted to let a hint of a smile appear on his face thanks to that memory, but in the present circumstances, he couldn't help but let a sliver of worry ease its way into his heart. Remembering her smile as she had been held closely in his arms, the way that she had seemed so happy and carefree, he couldn't help but wish that none of this filth had touched the purity that was Diana, that wherever she was, she was alive and well.
Venturing further back as he blended with the shadows, he came to an open door and one glance into the room proved that if the Queen had not originated from this room, somehow, she was responsible for what had occurred in here.
A woman's slumped body lay on the floor, blood pooled around her in a dark puddle and a small child clutched in her arms. Moving quickly towards them, he checked quickly for a pulse and found one on each of them, although thready in the woman, who had obviously been protecting her child from the wrath of the Queen or one of her minions.
His gloved hand warm on the child's throat, his eyes landed on a tome across the room, the leathery spine creased with use and the page somehow still fluttering as if an invisible wind were wisping through the room. Although the cover was a little dusty, it still held the clear imprints of fingertips that had grasped the edges of the book and he immediately realized the implications of that, that this woman had been reading to her son when something had interrupted a bedtime story.
Stepping closer, Batman noticed that on the pages were large, bolded letter that signified the beginning of a paragraph or page and that the script within was old fashioned and somewhat well-worn, certainly an older tome. Fingering the spine, he saw that it was entitled: Fantasies and Fables and his suspicions were immediately aroused.
"Oracle," he said, linking up with the computer genius who he had tasked with finding out more about the Queen of Fables, "We need an ambulance in the building here, Apartment 2B. Mother and son, both unconscious, but the bleeding from the mother has stalled. They're in the back bedroom."
He heard her signal for the emergency transportation and then began to speak again. "Oracle, what have you found out for me?"
"I'm sorry to say almost nothing. There's pitifully little information to be found. But I did find something detailing that she's taken over one building in Bludhaven as her castle of sorts – the city hall, I believe. That's where the League was last seen as well, heading in that direction."
"And anything of Diana and Donna?"
"Sorry, Batman, but no one seems to know anything. It's as if they've disappeared."
He swallowed, pushing down the fear that threatened and replacing it with the brashness and confident arrogance that was a part of the Batman armor. Again, running a finger down the spine of the book, he asked, "What can you tell me about a book called Fantasies and Fables? It's an older book, at least a century old, if not more."
He heard the clacking of the keyboard from over the line of communication and then heard Oracle state, "You're right. It's about two hundred years old and the book was written in Germany. It was owned by the Weinstadt family there until a few weeks ago when the book was sold at auction and ended up in a little antiques and book shop in…Bludhaven."
Finally, some of the pieces were starting to come together and Batman reached over, picking the book up from where it lay, watching as the page continued to dance and swirl from the invisible wind. Looking closely, he could see pulsing colored light emanating from the inside of the pages and tiny sparks leapt over the pages, making him thankful for the gloves that protected his hands.
"Batman, I just found a rumor that the book is where an evil sorceress has been housed since the books creation centuries ago. It looks like the sorceress was trying to kill her stepdaughter and the girl managed to trap her in the book, but in the process, she made the sorceress not only immortal but able to use all the creatures of literature in her arsenal. You know, dragons, griffins, and the like. All mythological and fanciful creatures are supposedly at her discretion."
He clenched his teeth together, once more remembering why it was that he hated magic, bitterly eschewing it for cold hard facts. "Do we have the stepdaughter's name?"
He hated rumors, hated anything that wasn't concrete evidence, but this witch simply hadn't left much information to go on. Thus far, the book was their only clue and he would take any and all information about it and process that information later, analyze it to find the best solution to this problem, just like he did everything else. If all he had to go on were rumors and innuendo from centuries ago, then that's what he would use in order to solve the mystery of the League's disappearance and hopefully end the reign of the Queen of Fables.
"Batman, you're not going to believe this…but her name was Snow White."
Glancing around at his audience, at their wide eyes and rapt attention, the narrator couldn't help but smile, couldn't help but wonder at the enchantment on their youthful faces. Some had eyes with the light of a detective in them, anxious to solve the mystery of the disappearance and the Queen of Fables; others seemed battle ready, their little bodies vibrating with anticipation, eager to take on the Queen and defeat her utterly for hurting these heroes and the lives of so many; while still others were clutching their teddy bears and blankets, sucking their thumbs and hoping the story wouldn't bring them nightmares.
But he knew better. One could never tell a story unless it had a happy ending and he certainly intended to give them one in the end, to charm them with the telling of the tale and enjoy the look at their faces as the story progressed, as they reached the conclusion and the villainess was defeated, as she had to be.
Of course, as dear as this story was to his heart and much as he enjoyed telling it, there were things that the children might not understand, might not be able to truly comprehend as he continued with the telling. For as much joy that came out of this story, eventually, there was sadness as well.
But, as he glanced around the room once again, hearing the small stirrings of protest that signified that he had waited too long to continue the tale, he remembered that the joy far outweighed the sadness…
Next chapter: Body Language – Learn about what happens to Nightwing…(And Alfred makes an appearance!)
Ouch. My least reviewed chapter for this story. Well, hopefully you all liked this one better. I keep staring at the stats longingly – I can't help it, I'm obsessed! I crave feedback. So if you're out there, take a minute and let me know what you're thinking! Positive, negative, but please but constructive! Thanks!
To reviewer Lauren – I'm so glad that you like it and you're still enjoying the story! I really appreciate that when you manage to read, you find time to review as well! Thank you!
