"Wilson," Coach said to me when I got there. "You're late."

"Sorry, coach. My um... Dad got back from work early, and is coming to the came, so he and I were talking." That lie was as close to the truth as it could possibly get. I didn't even consider it a lie.

"Alright. Get changed and get warmed up. You're starting this game." Said Coach. I pumped my fist in the air, then ran over to the locker room.

Once I was changed, I started to get warmed up with the rest of the team. Alex and Mark, who were sitting on the sidelines in their uniforms, the latter in a cast and sling, glared at me but I tried not to give them any notice. This was my time to shine.

A local musician named Siobhan Smythe sang the national anthem. I could hear my blood rushing fast. My vision started to shake as we won the coin toss. My hands started to shake as the ball was about to be kicked off.

I saw it go up, but I was too nervous to see the ball come down. It bounced on the ground suddenly and landed in my hands. Suddenly, as though he were standing in the distance, I heard Coach yelling. It got progressively louder until it sounded like he was right next to me.

"Run, goddammit!" He yelled at me. This was the first time I had ever heard coach yell. I started to book it down the field. The enemy team was running at me, all trying to take me out. I had guardian's though. Justin slammed into a guy who was almost on me, sending them both sprawling. I was on the 20 yard line. I ran, probably fast than I'd ever ran before. An opposing player, a large kid who looked like a truck, was almost upon me. I put my head down, tucked the ball in my gut, then slammed into his legs, flipping him over me. I spun out of the way of another opposing player. I was in the 30 yard line. I jumped two attackers, stiff armed a third, then juked out a fourth. The 40 yard line. A guy grabbed me around my arms, but I held the ball firmly. I started to drag the kid. A second kid grabbed me, followed by a third, then finally a fourth guy tackled me, bringing me to the ground, right on the 50 yard line.

"And to start the game, we have an incredible 50 yard return by number 36, Senior, Daniel Wilson!" I heard the announcer say over the loudspeaker as the attacking players got off of me. The crowd cheered. I looked over as I got up. All of the Titans were there, even Vic and Gar. Vic was wearing a disguise, and I could barely make out Gar on his shoulder in the form of a lizard. Bruce gave an approving nod, and the rest of the Titans clapped and cheered loudly. All the cheerleaders began to do a cheer. I pumped a fist in the air, making the crowd cheer louder, then I got to the huddle behind the line of scrimmage.

There were a couple more plays, nothing noteworthy, until we scored. I was purely an offensive player, so I didn't go in after we scored. Coach told me I did a "damn good job." As i returned to the bench. I was pumped. I wasn't the one who had scored, but I sure helped a ton.

The game went well. Very well. The final score was 76-58, with the Bay High Lions in the lead. We had won. I had scored 42 of our 76 points. It was absolutely legendary, at least to me. Justin took a mic at the end.

"Hello Bay High School!" He said happily on the mic. Everyone cheered loudly. "Let's give it up for the legend, Coach Willis!"

Everyone clapped loudly. Coach blushed, and waved shyly. He may have been shouting louder than anyone there during the game, but now he was back to normal shy Coach Willis.

"And the rest of our team!" Justin said, "Along with the MVP of the whole damn game, the man who kicks the most ass, Daniel 'the Best in the West' Willllsoooon!"

It was my turn to wave shyly now. Justin needed to work on his nicknames, but everyone cheered loudly. Almost as loud as they had for Coach. This is what Kam had felt like when he won a game, I guess. I felt like a hero.

The principal took over now, mumbling something about how Justin cursed too much. Justin took me by the arm and pulled me over to another group of cheerleaders and football players. Meg and Donna were there, as well as Quinlan.

"Alright you guys," Justin said loudly, "After-game party at my place. Only us footballers and cheerleaders. See all of you there?"

There were a couple of 'uh-huh's, a couple of 'sure's, and a couple of 'hell yeah's. Justin put his hand in the center of the circle and we all did the same.

"Alright, 'future state/regional/nation champs, on three?" He asked. Someone complained that-that was too long. "Fine. One step at a time. 'Future state champs.' One, two three..."

"Future state champs!" Everyone in the circle yelled. We all laughed and broke our gathering. Everyone headed towards the locker rooms.

"Yo Danny, you comin' tonight?" Justin asked me.

"Yeah, man, yeah." I assured him, "I just gotta talk to my dad."

"Alright, see you there then."

I walked up over to Bruce, who was now standing on the sideline.

"You did well." He said in a low tone.

"Thanks Bruce." I replied, "I was hella nervous, if you couldn't tell."

"I could, but I don't think anyone else did." He said back, his face expressionless. Great, I wasn't talking to Bruce, I realized, I was talking to Batman.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" I asked calmly.

"Sorry. I guess I'm just anxious to hit the streets." Replied Bruce, shaking my hand.

"It's alright. Go kick some ass. I'll join you later tonight."

"You aren't after you hit the showers?"

"Nah, I gotta head to my pal's after-game celebration. I should be out by 12."

"Good. I've missed having someone as capable as you in the field. Batgirl is often too busy with college to come, and Jason is capable for his age, but no where near as so as you or Dick is."

"Is Dick coming?"

"No. He told me that he was done being my sidekick when he was in Gotham. See you at around 12, Dayhound."

"See you Batman." I whispered before I ran to the locker room. I showered, joked around with the other players, and got into a pair of jeans and my clean football jersey. I left my pads and uniform in my locker. I took my backpack and looked inside to see if my costume was there. It was.

I waited by the bus station until a cherry red porche pulled up. Quinlan rolled down the window.

"Need a lift to Justin's?" She asked, sincerely. I graciously accepted her offer and hopped in the passenger seat of her expensive car.

"Don't you have a car?" She asked after we started driving.

"Yeah, but I didn't bring it."

"Why not?"

"I don't drive it to school. I crashed it a few months back and it just recently got fixed, so I don't want to get it dinged up."

"How did you crash it?"

"Street racing."

"Get real, Wilson." She laughed, pushing me, "Or should I say, 'The best in the west?' Did you come up with that?"

"Hell no! I'm a lot better at nicknames than that."

We both laughed, then it was silent. There was an air of awkwardness in the car. Just a week ago, I had almost drunkenly slept with this girl. She was well aware of it. Hell, she instigated it!

"So Danny..." She said, her voice trailing, "Last week, at my party..."

"Look, Quinlan, I was drunk. I'm sorry, but that's all it was." I told her seriously.

"I know. You thought I was her, Helena. Or you wanted me to be her."

"Sorry, but yeah. You're a nice girl, I think. I didn't like you at first, but now I consider you one of my friends. I just don't think we'll be anything more than that."

She looked at me like I was crazy.

"Danny, I'm sorry, but did you think I wanted something serious from you?" She asked, sounding as though she were totally shocked, "You have way too many secrets for me to want to be your girlfriend. No, I just wanted to make out and screw a little. Despite all your secrets, you are pretty hot."

This shocked me. Here I was, thinking that Quinlan had wanted to be my girlfriend, but she was really just after sex. Koriand'r was right about the human urge to screw, that it was entirely animalistic.

"So, I have too many secrets?" I asked her eventually.

"Yeah. Like, that guy you claim was your dad today? I know he isn't your dad. Maybe like, a step dad or something, but not your dad. You treated him as though he were your boss. Hell, I would be surprised if you told me that you'd killed someone before!"

I wanted to laugh, because I actually had killed someone before. Two people in fact. A drug dealer who had killed one of my best friends, and Helena's mob boss father: Franco Bertinelli. I held back my laughter.

"Ok, sorry about the confusion then." I laughed, "I have never had a girl just want to have sex. Usually they want to date."

"It's fine." She said, biting her lower lip the same way she had before, the night we made out, "I don't want to anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"You have been a pretty good friend. I hope that we can be better friends, so I don't want to have sex with you anymore. I mean, I still would, probably, but I want to a lot less than before."

The rest of the ride to Justin's was nearly silent. The party was boring and uneventful. Bruce was right about parties: they were only useful for establishing Alibis and making people think you were normal.