This is it...the chapter that makes or breaks the story. No pressure
though, right? OK, here goes nothing. Hope it lives up to expectations.
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Xavier was standing in what could be considered a palatial office surrounded by the finer things in life.
Reasons why this was unusual: 1) Xavier was crippled and lost the use of his legs at an early age. Condemned to a wheel chair, Xavier was physically unable to stand. 2) Physically, Xavier was still in Ra's Al Ghul's dungeon. Ra's Al Ghul's dungeon could not be compared to a palatial office. Looked nothing of the sort.
But Xavier was no longer mentally there. Xavier had undertaken what could be construed as the most dangerous assignment of his career. He had immersed himself in the mind of Bruce Wayne, otherwise known as the Batman. Here Xavier could walk, run, jump, maybe even fly. His only constraints were those placed on him by his own intellect and the rules established by the host, Batman.
However, the Professor was more than a little surprised to find himself in an office. His earlier excursion into Batman's brain, however brief, did not lead him to believe that he would find his subject's subconscious in such surroundings.
It was then that Xavier noticed the body behind the desk. Running to the body, he found Bruce Wayne, laid out, eyes wide and vacant. Waving his hand in front of the face, the Professor received no response. "Bruce Wayne, CEO," the Professor mumbled to himself. "I think I understand." Xavier scanned the room for a door or another opening. Seeing a closed door Xavier walked up to it. Locked. Closing his eyes, Xavier raised his leg up and kicked out, connecting with wood.
Opening his eyes, Xavier found himself amidst a large party in what appeared to be Wayne Manor. Twirling around, Xavier discovered he was surrounding by persons dressed in a variety of expensive tuxes and dresses. They did not see him or notice him. Xavier called out to them to try to get their attention but was unable to do so. Reaching out to touch one, his hand passed through, proving that they were merely specters. Walking through the hall, passing the empty well-dressed vessels, Xavier found what he was looking for.
Sitting at a blackjack table, was a well-dressed Bruce Wayne. On his left and right were beautiful women, fawning over his every move. Which was especially difficult, as he was not moving. Like Bruce Wayne the CEO, Bruce Wayne the Socialite was staring blankly into the sky. Xavier nodded. His theory was becoming more and more fleshed out, supported by these specters, these masks made whole. Seeing a set of double doors in front of him, Xavier walked to them, finding them locked. Again Xavier closed his eyes, and kicked out, again connecting with the wood, or whatever it was that the wood was supposed to represent.
When Xavier reopened his eyes, he found himself in the kitchen of Wayne Manor, and was surprised by what he found. All of the members of the Batclan were there in their civilian identities. However, like their mentor at the head of the table, they were also passed out, although they were shown with a variety of wounds, while the Bruce Wayne figure was without marking. Quickly striding towards the door, Xavier again closed his eyes and kicked out.
Opening his eyes again, Xavier found himself again in the Batcave. Walking quickly to the Batcomputer, he found a Dark Knight Detective unconscious. Looking up at the computer he saw a variety of pictures of Nightwing, Robins, and Batgirls flashing over the screen, over and over. Grunting in recognition, nodding with acceptance, Xavier looked for the next door. Remembering the grandfather clock trap door, Xavier bounded up the stairs to the door. Taking a deep breath Xavier opened up the door.
Suddenly he was in an alley. Three persons lay sprawled on the ground. The elder two were bleeding profusely, and the third, a child lay passed out. "This must be Batman's memory of his parent's death." Xavier looked around, for some door and was unable to find any. The Professor refused to believe that it was possible that this was it. There had to be something else. Al Ghul could not have successfully killed off the essence of Bruce Wayne. There had to be more, more than the sum of these parts.
It was then that Xavier noticed it. There was another door, with bright light shining around the edges. Xavier neared it and walking to the door tentively put his hand toward the door. Pushing against the door, it swung open and suddenly Xavier was back in Wayne Manor, in the study. Sitting in a chair was a fully conscious Bruce Wayne, sitting in a plush chair. He was garbed in simple clothing, or at least simple for a billionaire. He was staring above the mantle place where hung two pictures. One of his parents and a child Bruce Wayne. Another was a family portrait, with the Gordons, Dr. Tompkins, Alfred, and the whole of the Batclan. Bruce Wayne appeared to be deep in thought and did not appear to notice Xavier.
The Professor walked towards a plush chair and sat down. He cleared his throat and said, "Hello Bruce. My name is Professor Charles Xavier. We met when you liberated my planet with the help of the Justice League." Wayne did not respond. Xavier nodded and continued. "I expected this. You are a silent type, so I will have to do the talking, won't I. That's fine. I know that you can hear me, but listen to what I have to say. Cause your life depends on it, understand?" Receiving no response Xavier continued.
"OK Bruce, we can do it that way. I must admit, when you liberated us from Ryker's Island I peeked inside your mind. What I found there was more than a little disturbing, and I was intrigued. I spent days thinking about it, the confusing mix of emotions and tendencies that inhabit your mind. It was so disturbed, and I wonder how you could survive with all of those emotions.
"Then I came here, and I talked to those who were close to you. I heard about your victories and your defeats. Your trials and successes. I read about the death of your parents and of your childhood. I talked with Damage, who professed admiration for your courage and achievement. Catwoman confessed her love for you, admitted she knew you loved her, and why it would never work. Dr. Tompkins explained her fears about how she believed that you would collapse under the strain of the mantle of the Bat. Yet despite all of this knowledge, my experience, and my training, I couldn't figure out what could possibly be your affliction. You had so many symptoms, I couldn't find a disease. I couldn't put it together.
"Until now. Until I took this little jaunt through your mind. Then the pieces began to fall together. You listening Bruce, cause this is where it starts getting important for you. As everyone suspects the first turning point in your life occurred with the death of your parents. That was when you decided that what you were was not good enough. You were unable to stop your parents' murder. So you began to adopt different masks that had different characteristics that were necessary to your continued survival.
"The first mask was the orphan Bruce. This was forced upon you but it had its uses. The pain, the denial of allowing you to get truly close to any one person, they are all classic causes of abandonment, especially with orphans. It allowed you to rely on two people at the outset in Alfred and Dr. Tompkins, but on no one else. But even then, you only relied on them just enough to get you through the day. Cause as a child you couldn't take care of yourself. So you relied on Alfred and Dr. Tompkins just enough.
"Here it comes Bruce, here is where it, or you, become interesting. People do several things when they are abandoned. They could work to make the world better, or they could just drift through life. They can shut themselves off from others, embrace each other til they suffocate the other, or they can love them and leave them. They can bury themselves in work or they can distance themselves from things of importance. They can be close to their family or distant. They can embrace dark or the light.
"You have do it all, thanks to the variety of masks. The Fop, the CEO, the Family man, the Bat, they all helped you to deal with any situation that came up. That's why you have withstood all those attacks. When one aspect is attacked the other masks step to the forefront and protect you.
"Yet it wasn't enough. When Ra's commenced his attacks, no single mask or combination thereof was enough to make it stop, to ease the pain. That's why when I walked through your mind all those representations of you were unconscious. Now I have come here, to this. The true you, the you that has been in hiding for all those years since your parents' murder.
"Now what I have spent all this time describing to you does not tell me who you are Bruce. I can see the hows, but not the whys. I could not begin to determine what makes you tick. But I can do one thing for you, something that you, despite all your will power, have been unable to do. I demand that you choose. Choose your identity and stick to it. Al Ghul has proven that you cannot survive without knowing your true self. You will be unable to move forward unless you determine who you are, what you will and not do, and what is important to you. You have to choose. If you do not your family, and everyone that you hold dear, is dead."
Xavier paused as if searching for something, then seemingly found it. "If Kyle Rayner can survive 'brightest day and blackest night,' surely you can."
Bruce Wayne essence coldly looked at Xavier, and the Professor made the mistake of locking eye contact. Locked in the blue eyes, Xavier knew that therein lied Wayne's power in this place. With that, Xavier was cast out.
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Xavier was standing in what could be considered a palatial office surrounded by the finer things in life.
Reasons why this was unusual: 1) Xavier was crippled and lost the use of his legs at an early age. Condemned to a wheel chair, Xavier was physically unable to stand. 2) Physically, Xavier was still in Ra's Al Ghul's dungeon. Ra's Al Ghul's dungeon could not be compared to a palatial office. Looked nothing of the sort.
But Xavier was no longer mentally there. Xavier had undertaken what could be construed as the most dangerous assignment of his career. He had immersed himself in the mind of Bruce Wayne, otherwise known as the Batman. Here Xavier could walk, run, jump, maybe even fly. His only constraints were those placed on him by his own intellect and the rules established by the host, Batman.
However, the Professor was more than a little surprised to find himself in an office. His earlier excursion into Batman's brain, however brief, did not lead him to believe that he would find his subject's subconscious in such surroundings.
It was then that Xavier noticed the body behind the desk. Running to the body, he found Bruce Wayne, laid out, eyes wide and vacant. Waving his hand in front of the face, the Professor received no response. "Bruce Wayne, CEO," the Professor mumbled to himself. "I think I understand." Xavier scanned the room for a door or another opening. Seeing a closed door Xavier walked up to it. Locked. Closing his eyes, Xavier raised his leg up and kicked out, connecting with wood.
Opening his eyes, Xavier found himself amidst a large party in what appeared to be Wayne Manor. Twirling around, Xavier discovered he was surrounding by persons dressed in a variety of expensive tuxes and dresses. They did not see him or notice him. Xavier called out to them to try to get their attention but was unable to do so. Reaching out to touch one, his hand passed through, proving that they were merely specters. Walking through the hall, passing the empty well-dressed vessels, Xavier found what he was looking for.
Sitting at a blackjack table, was a well-dressed Bruce Wayne. On his left and right were beautiful women, fawning over his every move. Which was especially difficult, as he was not moving. Like Bruce Wayne the CEO, Bruce Wayne the Socialite was staring blankly into the sky. Xavier nodded. His theory was becoming more and more fleshed out, supported by these specters, these masks made whole. Seeing a set of double doors in front of him, Xavier walked to them, finding them locked. Again Xavier closed his eyes, and kicked out, again connecting with the wood, or whatever it was that the wood was supposed to represent.
When Xavier reopened his eyes, he found himself in the kitchen of Wayne Manor, and was surprised by what he found. All of the members of the Batclan were there in their civilian identities. However, like their mentor at the head of the table, they were also passed out, although they were shown with a variety of wounds, while the Bruce Wayne figure was without marking. Quickly striding towards the door, Xavier again closed his eyes and kicked out.
Opening his eyes again, Xavier found himself again in the Batcave. Walking quickly to the Batcomputer, he found a Dark Knight Detective unconscious. Looking up at the computer he saw a variety of pictures of Nightwing, Robins, and Batgirls flashing over the screen, over and over. Grunting in recognition, nodding with acceptance, Xavier looked for the next door. Remembering the grandfather clock trap door, Xavier bounded up the stairs to the door. Taking a deep breath Xavier opened up the door.
Suddenly he was in an alley. Three persons lay sprawled on the ground. The elder two were bleeding profusely, and the third, a child lay passed out. "This must be Batman's memory of his parent's death." Xavier looked around, for some door and was unable to find any. The Professor refused to believe that it was possible that this was it. There had to be something else. Al Ghul could not have successfully killed off the essence of Bruce Wayne. There had to be more, more than the sum of these parts.
It was then that Xavier noticed it. There was another door, with bright light shining around the edges. Xavier neared it and walking to the door tentively put his hand toward the door. Pushing against the door, it swung open and suddenly Xavier was back in Wayne Manor, in the study. Sitting in a chair was a fully conscious Bruce Wayne, sitting in a plush chair. He was garbed in simple clothing, or at least simple for a billionaire. He was staring above the mantle place where hung two pictures. One of his parents and a child Bruce Wayne. Another was a family portrait, with the Gordons, Dr. Tompkins, Alfred, and the whole of the Batclan. Bruce Wayne appeared to be deep in thought and did not appear to notice Xavier.
The Professor walked towards a plush chair and sat down. He cleared his throat and said, "Hello Bruce. My name is Professor Charles Xavier. We met when you liberated my planet with the help of the Justice League." Wayne did not respond. Xavier nodded and continued. "I expected this. You are a silent type, so I will have to do the talking, won't I. That's fine. I know that you can hear me, but listen to what I have to say. Cause your life depends on it, understand?" Receiving no response Xavier continued.
"OK Bruce, we can do it that way. I must admit, when you liberated us from Ryker's Island I peeked inside your mind. What I found there was more than a little disturbing, and I was intrigued. I spent days thinking about it, the confusing mix of emotions and tendencies that inhabit your mind. It was so disturbed, and I wonder how you could survive with all of those emotions.
"Then I came here, and I talked to those who were close to you. I heard about your victories and your defeats. Your trials and successes. I read about the death of your parents and of your childhood. I talked with Damage, who professed admiration for your courage and achievement. Catwoman confessed her love for you, admitted she knew you loved her, and why it would never work. Dr. Tompkins explained her fears about how she believed that you would collapse under the strain of the mantle of the Bat. Yet despite all of this knowledge, my experience, and my training, I couldn't figure out what could possibly be your affliction. You had so many symptoms, I couldn't find a disease. I couldn't put it together.
"Until now. Until I took this little jaunt through your mind. Then the pieces began to fall together. You listening Bruce, cause this is where it starts getting important for you. As everyone suspects the first turning point in your life occurred with the death of your parents. That was when you decided that what you were was not good enough. You were unable to stop your parents' murder. So you began to adopt different masks that had different characteristics that were necessary to your continued survival.
"The first mask was the orphan Bruce. This was forced upon you but it had its uses. The pain, the denial of allowing you to get truly close to any one person, they are all classic causes of abandonment, especially with orphans. It allowed you to rely on two people at the outset in Alfred and Dr. Tompkins, but on no one else. But even then, you only relied on them just enough to get you through the day. Cause as a child you couldn't take care of yourself. So you relied on Alfred and Dr. Tompkins just enough.
"Here it comes Bruce, here is where it, or you, become interesting. People do several things when they are abandoned. They could work to make the world better, or they could just drift through life. They can shut themselves off from others, embrace each other til they suffocate the other, or they can love them and leave them. They can bury themselves in work or they can distance themselves from things of importance. They can be close to their family or distant. They can embrace dark or the light.
"You have do it all, thanks to the variety of masks. The Fop, the CEO, the Family man, the Bat, they all helped you to deal with any situation that came up. That's why you have withstood all those attacks. When one aspect is attacked the other masks step to the forefront and protect you.
"Yet it wasn't enough. When Ra's commenced his attacks, no single mask or combination thereof was enough to make it stop, to ease the pain. That's why when I walked through your mind all those representations of you were unconscious. Now I have come here, to this. The true you, the you that has been in hiding for all those years since your parents' murder.
"Now what I have spent all this time describing to you does not tell me who you are Bruce. I can see the hows, but not the whys. I could not begin to determine what makes you tick. But I can do one thing for you, something that you, despite all your will power, have been unable to do. I demand that you choose. Choose your identity and stick to it. Al Ghul has proven that you cannot survive without knowing your true self. You will be unable to move forward unless you determine who you are, what you will and not do, and what is important to you. You have to choose. If you do not your family, and everyone that you hold dear, is dead."
Xavier paused as if searching for something, then seemingly found it. "If Kyle Rayner can survive 'brightest day and blackest night,' surely you can."
Bruce Wayne essence coldly looked at Xavier, and the Professor made the mistake of locking eye contact. Locked in the blue eyes, Xavier knew that therein lied Wayne's power in this place. With that, Xavier was cast out.