The Incredibles copyright Disney/Pixar
Batman copyright DC Comics/Bob Kane
The Incredibles: Dark Knights
Chapter 14: Metroville Aftermath
It Was Noontime At The City Of Metroville.
All The Supers (The Incredibles Included) Were Recovering At The Main NSA Facility...
All The Agents At The NSA Were Pretty Happy To See Othe "Once dead" Supers Alive And Well.
When They EXplained That It Was All because Of Batman...He Was Offered a SAFE HAVEN Within Their Base.
Mirage Might Of Gotten In Trouble For Disobeyong NSA Protocalls...
But, Seeing As How Her Actions Lead To the Revival Of teh Supers And Saving The World...All Was Forgiven.
Syndrome On the Other Hand Was Sent To The Supervillain Prison In Metroville.
But, He Eventually Started To Stirr Up Trouble There...And Was Relocated To ARKHAM ASYLUM, Instead.
As For Batman...He Was Currently Recovering In The Medical Wing Of The NSA Facility.
Though The NSA Had Their Own Resident doctor: Doc Sunbright (Edna`s MAD SCIENTIST Cousin)
He Was Still Only a Doctor To SUPERS...And, had NO IDEA How To treat Normal People.
Luckily...Batwoman Phoned For Hers And Batman`s Doctor: Dr. Leslie Thomkins.
The Supers Waited Outside The Medical Room For Results On Batman`s Condision.
Violet Was The Most Quiet...Her Mind Was Constantly On Tim`s Well being.
Gamma Jack Sat Against a Wall With His Arms Crossed...Pretty Stressed Out.
"If You Ask me, the Guy Is CRAZY. Said Gamma Jack, Breaking teh Silence
Startogale Darted Her Eyes.
"nobody asked you, jack...
"Come On!
I`m Just Saying What We`re All Thinking!
We Supers Are The "Superior Race"...Not Like Other Humans.
And, An Insect Like Batman Should Of Known Better Than To Get Involved With SUPERHEROES.
Violet Silently Growled.
"Shut Up, Jack! Said Blazestone
"Yeah!
If It Wasn`t For Batman And Batwoman...You Would Still Be SIX FEET UNDER! Shouted Apogee
"We All Would. Said Gazerbeam.
Stratogale Snickered.
"Besides...Syndrome Was a "Powerless Insect".
And Yet, He Managed To Kill You "Mr. Superior".
The Other Supers Laughed.
"HE JUST GOT LUCKY, THAT`S ALL!
And, That Isn`t The Point!, The Point Is-
"ALRIGHT, THAT`S IT!
Stormicide Shot a Stream Of Gas From Her Hand.
The Cloud Hit Gamma Jack`s Face And He Coughed a Little.
Gamma Jack Soon Got Woozy, Then Fainted.
Stormicide Crossed Her Arms And SIghed.
"I Can`t TAKE THAT GUY, ANYMORE!
Violet Sighed.
"You Doing Okay, Vi? Asked Cassandra, Whose Cowl Was Removed.
"Cass...
When You Told Me About Tim`s Old Girlfriends...You Didn`t tell Me EVERYTHING, Did You?
Cassandra Looked Down And Sighed.
"Tim Already Tole Me Abouth Rachel`s Death...And About Harvey Dent.
I KNOW There`s More Than That...Tell The The Truth, I DESERVE To Know.
Cassandra Looked At Violet, Then Breathed Heavily.
"Well, For Starters...
Selina Kyle Was More Than Just a Thief...She Was a Criminal Called CATWOMAN.
"Catwoman?
"Yeah...
And, Talia`s Father Was RA`S AL GHUL...a ECO-TERRORIST, WHo Used Lazarus Pits To Like For 600 Years.
"The Same Thing That Brought Back Syndrome And The Other Supers?
"Yep.
There Are DOZENS Of Pits Hidden All Over The World.
Anyway, Vicki ALMOST Fell For Tim...But, Then KURT LANGSTROM Happened
"Who Is Kurt Langstrom?
"a Doctor That Was Experimenting With GENE SPLICING...
He Turned Himself Into a MAN-BAT...And, Vicki Was The Junior Journalist Investingating His Lab.
Man-Bat Nearly Killed Her...Though Batman Saved Her, She Was Tramatized Witha FEAR OF BATS.
Cassandra Sighed.
"So, Naturally...The Realationship DIDN`T Work Out.
"And, Andrea?
Cassandra Sighed.
"Like I Said Before...I had HIGH HOPES For Them.
But, Andrea`s "Daddy" Had ties With a Local Mob...And Thing Just Serious When He Owed Them Money.
The Reason Andrea Left My Brother Was To Escape Those Ruthless Mobsters.
"Oh...I See.
"But, It Didn`t End There...
Some Time Later, a Vilgilante WHo Resembled Batman Came To town.
He Called Himself THE PHANTASM ANd Started Killing Members Of The Mob LEFT And RIGHT...
Batman Was Of Course Blamed, And At First We Believed The Phantasm Was Andrea`s Father.
"It Wasn`t?
"No...It Was Andrea HERSELF.
The Mobsters Had Found Her father And Killed Him...She Returned To get Revenge.
Though She Escaped Before She Could Murder The Last Mobster...She Was Caught EVentually.
Violet was Silent As She Processed This Information.
"I`m Sorry I Didn`t Tell You, Vi...I Had No Choice.
Tim Thought He Was Protecting You By Keeping His Secret.
"I Understand, Cass...i actually did the same thing.
It`s Just That...(Sharp Sigh), Stuff Like This SHOULDN`T Happen To a Guy Like Him.
"i know...
But, After You Came Along...I Have Hope That things Will Work Out.
Helen Sat Next to Bob And Sighed Sharply As SHe Held a Sleeping Jack-Jack.
"Something WRong, Honey? Asked Bob
"a little...
I Can`t Help Feeling This Is MY FAULT.
"Hellen, None Of This Was YOUR FAULT...It Was Xeric.
"I KNOW!
But...Xeric Was My EX-Boyfriend, So I Feel responsible In Some Way.
Bob Thought ABout This.
"Just Out Of Curiosity...What Did You EVer See In Him?
"I Was Young...And Foolish.
He Had Money And Good Looks...I Was Hooked By His Charms.
"So, What happened?
"I Realised Just What Kind Of Man He Was...So, I Left.
Xeric Wasn`t the FIRST "Bad Realationship" I Always Found Myself In...But, He Was The WORST.
I`ve Regreted Ever Knowing That Man Ever Since...Now, My Past Has Caught Up With My Family.
Helen Sheds a Tear.
"And...It Nearly Costed The Life Of a Good Man.
"Tim... Said Bob, Knowing What Helen Meant
"Bob, If Tim Ever Died Because Of Xeric...I`ll NEVER Forgive Myself.
At that Moment, Leslie Thomkins Walked Out Of The Room Everyone Stood To hear What She Had To Say (Mostly Violet)
"It Was a Pretty CLOSE CALL...But, Then Again: It ALWAYS Is.
He Suffered Various Fractures And Will Need Plenty Of Bed Rest To Heal Up...
Leslie Put On her Coat.
"Make SURE He Gets His Rest...
That Means: NO BATMAN For Awhile.
Helen Walked Up To The Elderly Woman.
"Thank You, Ms. Thomkins.
"It`s What I Do...
And, I`m Serious About Making Sure He Does As He`s Told.
Tim Has This Knack For IGNORING My Orders And Putting His Health At Risk...Much Like His Mother Did.
Violet Walked Up To Leslie.
"Can I...See Him?
"I Don`t See Why Not.
He Just needs To Stay In Bed...I Don`t Think Visitors Will Harm Him Any.
Leslie Leaves.
Helen Places Her Hand On her daughter`s Shoulder.
"Go On, Sweetie...Go See Tim.
Violet Nodded.
She Walked Towards The Door And Opened It.
Tim Was Laying On a Bed, Covered With Blankets.
His Tattered Costumed Lay On a Nearby Table.
Violet Walked Over And Sat On a Chair Beside Him.
"Hi... Said Violet
Tim Looked At Violet And Smiled.
"Hey...
"You Doing Alright?
Tim Sighed Deeply.
"My Body Aches Like Heck...
But, This Isn`t Much Compared To Some OTHER Injuries I`ve Endured.
Violet Bore a Saddened Expression On her face.
"Is Something Wrong? Asked Tim
"Yeah...Yeah, There Is.
Tears Welled Up In Violet`s Eyes.
"Blast You, Tim...I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!
Do You Have Any Idea How That Made Me Feel...Thinking That I LET YOu DIE!
Tim`s Eyed Lowered As He Remembered Some Things.
"yes...i DO know that feeling.
Violet Cried, Then Hugged Tim.
Tim Hugged Violet Back, EMbracing Her As Tightly As She Did.
"i love you, tim...and, i don`t wanna lose you.
Tim Sighed Sharply.
"i know...i feel the same way.
but, unlike you: It Isn`t Easy Keeping a Promise Like That.
Violet Parted From Tim And Looked At Him.
"I...I Wish I Was More Like You And Your Family: a Superhero.
But, I Can't...I Can`t Fly, Move At Super Sonic Speed Or Bend Steel With My bare Hands.
Tim Rubbed His Face.
"Look...
When All Is Said And Done...I`m Just a NORMAL GUY.
Everytime I Put On My mask, I Put Myself At Risk FAR MORE Than Most Heroes Do...
Mainly, Because I Don`t Have Any SPECIAL POWERS Like You: I`m More Vunerable.
But, I`ve Learned Not To Let That Stop Me From Doing What Is Right In My heart...
Violet Found Herself Touched By Tim`s Words.
"My father Always Said: "It`s Not The Powers That Make a Superhero...But, Their Morality".
And, I`ve TRIED To Follow That Truth EVer Since I First Decided On Donning The Mantel Of Batman...
Tim Sighed.
"Still...There Are Times I Wished I Was a REAL Superhero.
Violet Looked At Tim With Her Lavender Eyes Shining From Her tears.
"But, You ARE a Real Superhero, Tim...The Most Real I Have EVER Seen.
Xeric had All My family`s Powers...And Yet, You Beat Him And His Superpowered Henchmen WITHOUT POWERS!
Nobody Else Could Of done That...What You Did Back There Was Show Me That What Your father Said Was TRUE!
And, It Makes Me Feel PROUDER To Be a Super And Feel Special ABout My Powers...After Having Them Taken Away.
Tim Looked At Violet.
"You Really Think So?
"Tim...You May Be Powerless And Vunerable.
But, That Doesn`t Mean Your WEAK...Your Stronger Than Any Of Us.
Tim Sighed, Then Smiled.
"I Guess Your Right.
Violet Grabbed a Remote.
"Now, Let`s Take Our Minds Off Of What Happened And Watch Some TV...
Violet Turned On The Flatscreen TV Hanging From The Cealing.
The news Channel Was On...Unfortunetly, The Report Was On XERIC.
"The NSA Are Currently Investigating XERIC INDUSTRIES For It`s Involvement In The "Nomanisan Incident"...
WHen Questioned About The Accusations Of "Illegal Activities", Xeric Of Xeric Industries Had THIS TO SAY.
The Screen Is Switched To Xeric.
WHo is Fully Human...But, Is Bearing Bruses And Burns On His face.
"The Authorities Are Welcome To Inspect My facilities...But, They Will Find NOTHING To Link Me To These Events.
I Had Nothing To Do With It...I Was Vacationing In The Caribbean Islands At The Time Of The Nomanisan Incident.
"So, You Deny Using a Device To Steal The Powers From The Incredibles.
Xeric Chuckled.
"My dear...I Am a "Legitiment Businessman".
I Don`t dabble In Such MAD SCIENCE, Nor Do I have Anything Against The Supers In ANY WAY.
"How Do You Explain Your Injuries, then?
"a Slight Sunburn AND a Pirate Attack.
"Pirates?
"Yes, It Does Seem FAR-FETCHED.
But, I Have Sworn Comments From My Guards And Personal Guests...They`ll Tell You.
"Right...
So, ABout The Return Of Syndrome And The LOST SUPERS...Any Comments?
"I Was Just As Surprised As Everyone Else When I heard.
Thank Goodness Syndrome Was Arrested...And, I Am Sure We Shall be SAFER Now That the Supers Are Back.
The Screen Switched Back To The News Reporters.
"Due To the LACK OF EVIDENCE...Local Authorities Were Forced To DROP ALL CHARGES Against Xeric Who Is Recovering At His Company`s Local Medical Division...His Current Condision Is Unkno-
Violet Muted The TV.
"there`s justice for ya`... Said Violet, Angrily
"Xeric Is Doing Well To Manipulate The System To Hide Is Involvement...Just Like ALWAYS.
Violet Narrowed Her Eyes, Purple Energy Sparked From Her Hands.
Tim Placed His Hand On Her...Violet Looked At Him.
"Relax, Vi...
He Can`t Keep Hiding From The Law, Forever.
TRUST ME...I know.
Violet Sighed Deeply.
"He Sure Seems To Do a Pretty Good Job At It.
"So Did OSBORN...But, He Was Caught.
Xeric Will Be No Different...Especially Since I Will Be Watching Him CLOSELY.
Violet Sighed As She Turned The Volume Back On.
"In Other News, Lieutenant James Gordon Was Just Elected POLICE COMMISSIONER Earlier Today...
In a LANDSLIDE VOTE: "80% Against 20%", He Will be Giving a Speech Tommorrow...But, He Had This To Say.
The Screen Switched To AN Interview With Gordon.
"Mr. Gordon...Once You Are Official Indited As Police Commissioner, What Is The FIRST THING You WIll Do.
"Well, First...I Will Call Off The "Manhunt" For The Batman.
He`s Helped Clean Up The Streets Of Metroville Plenty Of Times...
And, I feel It Would be BAD REPUTATION For The Police Department To Try And Arrest a HERO.
"Does This Mean The Police Will be WORKING WITH The Dark Knight?
"I`m Willing To...
But, The PUBLIC OPINION Of Batman Is Still Sketchy.
We`ll Just Have To Wait And See What The Future Brings.
The Screen Switches Back To The Reporters.
"Well, There You Have It Folks.
Metroville Has a New Police Commissioner...One WIth a reputation For HONESTY.
While, The Public`s Opinion On The Batmans Social Status As Hero Or Vilginlante Is Still "50/50"
Violet Turned off The TV.
"Wow...First Good News In a LONG TIME.
Still, Things COULD Be Better...
Tim Smiled.
"Like Jim Said: "You never Know WHat the Future Might Bring."
Violet Smiled.
"Yeah...the future.
Violet Looked AT tim With Soft Eyes.
"Well...Anyway.
I`ll Just Let You rest.
Violet Leaned Down And Kissed Tim.
"See You, later.
Tim Smiled AT violet.
"I`ll Be Counting The Seconds...
Violet Left, Leaving Tim Alone.
Outside The Room, Cassandra Saw Mirage Standing Far Away From the Hall She Decided To get Up And Walk Over To Her.
"You Doing Okay? Asked Cassandra
Mirage Was Silent As She Layed Against the Wall.
"I Don`t Know...
"Don`t You Wanna Be Here With us?
"I Don`t Think That`s a Good Idea...
I Helped Syndrome Murder Most Of Those People, Remember?
Cassandra Looked At Mirage.
"Was Your Father REALLY a War Hero?
Mirage Nodded.
"As a Little Girl...I grew Up On His Stories.
He Told Me All ABout How He Fought Against Dictators As a Solider...And a Spy.
I Wanted To be JUST LIKE HIM When I Grew Up: a Hero.
"So, What Happened?
"I Went To Many Schools And Learned What I could...
Then, I Was Offered a job...By BUDDY PINE.
He CLAIMED We Were Going To SAVE THE WORLD.
"bY Killing Heroes?
"Be Said They Were CORRUPT...
That They Would Become MAD WITH POWER And Turn On The Public.
Mirage Sighed SHarply.
"I Don`t Know Why I Believed Him...
EVer Since Then, I`ve Had To Live WIth My Guilt For a LONG TIME.
Mirage Turned And FAced Cassandra.
"Then, You came Along...With a Solution To My Problem.
That You Could Bring The Supers Back From The dead...And ERASE My Greatest Failure.
"It Was All Part Of My Brother`s Plan...I had No Problem With It.
Mirage Sighed.
"I Wanted To Kill Him...
For EVerything He Has Done, To ME And Others...I Wanted To Kill Him.
Cassandra Knew Mirage Was Talking About Syndrome
"How Do You And Your Brother Do It, Cassandra?
How Can You face Your Most Hated Enemies...And Keep From CROSSING THAT LINE?
When I Was There With My Gun Pointed At Him...I Couldn`t Even SEE THE LINE.
Cassandra Breathed Deeply.
"There Is No Easy Answer To That Question, Mirage...
I Guess: Self-Restraint And Dicipline...
"It Seems Hard.
"It Is Hard...But, It`s RIGHT.
That`s All That really MAtters, I Guess.
Mirage Sighed.
"Mirage...You can`t Let The Past Rule Your Life.
You Were Decieved By a Lie...I`m Sure The Others Forgive You.
"How?...I Don`t Even Forgive Myself.
"You Will...With Time.
Mirage Looked At Cassandra.
"Maybe...
Mirage Begins To Walk Away.
"But, That time...ISN`T Now." Said Mirage As She Left
[Meanwhile, In Xeric`s Office]
Xeric Sat His Desk.
His Eyes Were Narrowed And His Nails Were Scratching On The Table.
Several Of His Guards Stood Before Him And As Both His Sides.
"I HAD THEM... Began Xeric
"i was So CLOOOOOOOOOOSE!
Xeric Pounded On his Desk, causing Items To Fall And Rattle.
"So Close, To Selling The Powers Of The World`s Greatest heroes On The Black Market...
I had Bidders Made Up Of Super Crimonals and Wannbe Dictators As LONG AS MY ARM!
Millions Shot Right To Hellfire...AND, WHOSE MONEY WAS THAT!
"Uhhhh...Yours? Said a Guard
"MY MONEY!
It Was To be The GREATEST MASTERPLAN EVER!
And, It WOULD Of Gone Smoothly...Had a Certain BATMAN Not Gotten In The Way!
Xeric Gritted His Teeth.
"This Was Gonna Buy Me The Ultimate Criminal Empire...
But, Now...Thanks To THE BAT, I`m Forced To Keep Working "SMALL TIME"
"You Shouldn`t Be So Hard On Yourself, Sir...
There Was No Wy You Could Of Imagined That BATMAN Would Get Involved.
Xeric EYed The Guards.
"Yes...That Was The FIRST MISTAKE.
But, I Won`t Make That Mistake AGAIN.
Xeric Pressed a Secret Button On His Desk.
a Giant Monitor Appeared From Hidden Doors In The Cealings.
Digital Images Of Batman And Batwoman Appeared On The Screens
"New Plan: Batman And Batwoman Are My NUMBER ONE Priorities...
I Want Them Destroyed...One Way Or Another, Their Gonna PAY For Messing Up My Plans!
"You Want Us To Call Up Some Of The Local Villains On Our Payroll?...Like, Mr. Pixel And His Crew?
"ARE YOU AN IDIOT!
If Syndrome And The Underminer Couldn`t Beat Them, Then NO ONE IN MY ORGANAZATION STANDS A CHANCE!
I Need "Specialists"...People Who KNOW Batman And Batwoman Better Than Anyone Else!
People Who "KNOW HOW THEY THINK", Who Have Fought Him Before And Aren`t SURPRISED By His "Theaterics"
"You Mean...Like a ROGUES GALLERY?
"YES!, EXACTLY!
Does Batman HAVE Any "Personal Enemies"?
One Guard Walked Up And Typed Something In.
In An Instant, the Screen Came Alive With Imagesd Of various Villains And Criminals.
The Joker, Harley Quinn, The Riddler, The Penguin, Twoface, Mr. Freeze, Scarcrow, Poison Ivy Bane, Clayface, Man-Bat, Firefly, Catwoman, Ra`s Al Ghul, The Ventriloquist And Scarface, Black Mask.
The List Went ON And ON.
"My...Quite a Selection Of COLORFUL CHARACTERS.
"Word Is: Their ALL In Metrovile...
Here For Their Own SPECIAL REASONS.
"Really?...
Well, Then...That Makes It EASIER To Get In Touch With Them.
"Should We Try To Make Contact Them?
"are You INSANE!
These Are a Gang Of PSYCOTICS!
Putting That Many "Loonies" In The Same Room Together Will Be a DISASTER!...Trust me, I Know.
Xeric Paced.
"No...We Need At Least ONE PERSON In This Group that Knows Batman better Than ANYONE ELSE.
"You Mean, Like An ARCH-NEMESIS?
"Yeah, Like That...
One Of the Guards Presses a Button.
Random Images Appears On teh Screens.
"They Call Him THE JOKER...
His real name And History Is Unknown, But He Has Fought Against Batman More Than Anyone.
Even BATMAN Has a Hard Time Catching Him, And Even When he DOES...Joker Never Stays Locked Up For Long.
Xeric Stared AT the Images Of The Clownish Criminal.
He Smiled.
"find him...
pay him whatever amount he wants and supply whatever weapon he needs.
I Want Batman Destroyed By Whatever Means Nessesary...Even If It Means Working With JOKER.
"Yes, Sir.
As The Guards Leave, Xeric Laughs Evily a Bit.
[Later, At Town Hall]
The Mayor Of Metroville Stood At a Pedistal In Front Of People.
Agents Of The NSA And The Supers (The Incredibles Included) Stood Beside Him.
"Citizens Of Metroville...
It Is With Great Pride That I Welcome Back The Supers Into Our City!
Let This Be The Beginning Of Grand Things To Come For Us...ANd, Many Others.
Helen Sighed As She Sat Down.
(("oh, god...do i have to listen to this windbag ALL DAY!)) Thought Helen
"And, Now...A Word From Agent RICK DICKER Of The NSA.
EVeryone Clapped As Rick Walked Up To the Pedistal.
"I Speak For Everyone As The NSA WHen I Express Our Joy That The Supers Are Back...
And, With The SUPERS BAN Lifted...These Kids Are Free To Help People Once Again.
As The Speech Continued, Two Shadows Watched From The darkness Of a Rooftop: Batman And Batwoman.
"Looks Like Things Are Really Looking Up... Said Batwoman
"For The Supers, Maybe...But, NOT FOR US.
The Public Is Still Unsure If They Can Fully Trust Us.
"Commissioner Gordon Trusts Us.
"It`ll Take ALOT MORE Than a Police Officer To convince EVERYONE...Even The Mayor Is Hesitant.
Batwoman Sighs.
"Oh, Well...I Guess SAVING THE WORLD Just Isn`t Enough To Prove We`re The Good Guys, Huh?
"We May Get Our Chance...Joker Is Still Out There.
And, I Just Got a Tip From Gordon That More Of My Enemies Have Been Spotted In The City.
Batwoman Smiled.
"Well, After dealing With Xeric...I Could Use Some Relaxions With One Of OUR CRAZIES
Just Then, Batman`s Communicator Beeped.
He Took It Out And Looked AT The Screen.
"Batwave Has Detected An Emergancy.
"What Is It?
"a Bank Robbery...It`s TWOFACE.
"Been Wondering What Happened To Him.
Batman Shot His Grappel.
"Don`t You Think I Should Handle his One?
You Know, You really SHOULD Be resting...
"Not a Chance...
Batman Swung From a Rooftop And Hopped In The Batmobile.
"Fine...
Batwoman Leaped Down And Performed Some Gymnastic Moves.
She Hopped On Her Batcycle And Put On Her Helmet.
"BUT, IF I HAVE TO TAKE YOU BACK TO THE HOSPITAL...DON`T BLAME ME! Shouted Batwoman In Her Bikes Radio
"Duely Noted. Replied Batman From The Radio
The Two Drove Off Down The Street At High Speed, Where Random People Turned And Watched Them.
[Meanwhile, Deep Within Arkham Asylum]
a Man Sat Inside His Padded Cell...Wrapped In a Straight Jacket.
His Hair Was Bright Orange And Resembled a Flame And He Had a Deranged Stare In his Eyes.
"these idiots can`t hold me forever...
Syndrome Grinned.
"But, When I DO Get Out...I`m Not Just Going After The Incredibles.
No...I Am Getting My REMATCH With Batman!, And THEN We`ll See Whose The BIGGER GENIUS.
Syndrome Began To Laugh Insanely.
"heh, heh, heh, heh, heh...
Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, HA!, HA!, HA!, HA!, HA!, !
The End...For Now.
[To Be Continued In "The Incredibles: War In Metrovile]