Chapter Eight – Job Assignment
She was so beautiful. Too beautiful. She was too beautiful to want to be with someone like him.
Yet, his body yearned for her and that meant that his mind was split. Francine had already voiced what she wanted. She wanted to live in a world that would see her as a wife and a mother and he didn't want to see her make that achievement with anyone else. She had seen him at his worst and she had loved him but there was that desire again to be more, more than human.
Kirk hung his head again and clung to the award. This award was meant to show what he could achieve as a human scientist, a human scientist and still, that time he had spent in the cave had opened up his eyes in the way that only the dark could do about finding a new and better world. He sighed and looked over at where he had left Francine.
He closed his eyes imagining her marrying someone else and it physically hurt his body. He had often found himself an unlikely suitor for her and there were those less cultured individuals who had told him the same thing. He felt happy when she touched him and when she held his hand and definitely when she kissed him and those more intimate moments.
He shivered and his hand went over to the safe where he had more of the manbat elixir. Just a taste would be enough, just flying in the sky would be enough and then he could give it up. He could give up the power of not being a superbeing. He found himself to shiver more before seeing Francine approaching him.
She had the telephone in her hand and she knelt down next to him, he flinched which only increased the worry and concern that she had for him. "Darling," she said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's Bruce Wayne on the phone," she said before Kirk grabbed it and brought it to his cheek with a shaking hand.
"Mr. Wayne," he said in a steady voice but it was a small voice which showed all of his uncertainties. He hated this type of fear. He didn't want to be known for it but it made more sense for him to be bullied than for him to have a wife who loved his work and was so so beautiful but only really cared about his work. "Speaking to you personally, how can I help you?"
"I've been wondering if you wanted to take a trip for me and to get some scientific results," he said and Kirk stared at the phone not knowing what to say. Wayne Industries and Bruce Wayne in particular had helped him become human again, just out of respect he should volunteer for this task but something gave him a sinking feeling in his stomach.
"I only work with certain fields in science, I don't know if what I am able to do would match up with your standards," he said and Francince laughed, she reached forwards and cupped the side of Kirk's face.
"It would be just checking out the ecosystem in Louisiana, I would be setting you up with a colleague of mine but there is someone I'd like you to connect with for me," Bruce said and Kirk froze. What did this mean? Was this some type of Batman thing where he was going to be part of a squad going on kamikaze missions. He held to Francine's hand.
"Have you ever heard of Dr. Alec Holland," Bruce said and Kirk blinked. The name sounded somewhat familiar but he wasn't really aware of much outside of his work with bats. He wasn't one of those who took a lot of interest in a whole catalogue of different things and he paid attention only to a few things that were more important to him.
"No. I -"
"I'll have someone connect with him and then meet you. I'll make sure to send you the ticket there or tickets?" he asked and Kirk looked to Francine. He put the phone to his chest and looked at her.
"He wants to send us to Louisiana to meet a doctor or something," he said and Francine looked at him confused. "Do you want to come with me?" She nodded uneasily and Kirk got back on the phone.
"Two return tickets?" he asked, now feeling a bit fearful that he was being sent away on some wild goose chase or that he would find himself imprisoned for trying to be a bat. He wasn't a criminal and Batman should know that. He wasn't insane like those people in Arkham Asylum, they didn't need to trap him in there, he was smart and capable of taking care of himself and he really didn't want to harm anyone. He only wanted to fly like the bat and to have greater hearing.
"Yes, I'll have them sent through a friend," Bruce said. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," Kirk said uneasily. "Thank you."
"Good to hear," Bruce chuckled but Kirk did not find himself at ease at all as he heard that laughter. He looked to Francine nervously and then was relieved to hear Bruce continue on, "Well,. I have some business to take care of. All the best."
"You too," Kirk said, "Goodbye." He hung up the phone and looked at his wife. He wasn't understanding how going on a trip right now was going to help him. What reason did he have to going to check out some agriculture when they could have employed someone with more background, more experience. It didn't really make sense to him. Who was this Alec Holland.
Hopefully they weren't going to start experimenting on him. He hadn't done anything wrong but to develop this. He wasn't like that man he had heard rumors of who could turn himself into clay and become other people and therefore felt it best to challenge the batman and try to steal guns or something. Then there was that man who looked like a crocodile, he had found information from the police themselves on that one.
"Did he say when we're going to go?" Francine finally asked him and Kirk blinked back at her.
"No. No he didn't," he said feeling even more uncomfortable. There were so many unknown variables here. What kind of thing were they supposed to learn? What did this have to do with his being the manbat?
"Then let's take the opportunity to relax together today," Francine said as she wrapped her arms around him. "I'll try to keep you entertained," she told him and Kirk nodded. His hand shook as he thought about breaking into the safe. No. He was on the road to recovery. He was on the road to recovery and had to have hope that things would turn out for the best.
End of Chapter Eight
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