22 YEARS EARLIER
"Marty! You got a package in the mail!" shouted his little sister. Martin was wrestling with his younger brother, Robert, when the mail arrived. He quickly let go of Robert, nearly dropping him, and ran inside.
His parents sent care packages on a regular basis, but because they had traveled to such a remote part of the Sudan, sending and receiving mail became very difficult. This was their first contact for over three weeks. At the kitchen table, Martin laid into the shipping box. After ripping the cardboard flaps apart, he pulled out several wads of tissue, now strewn around his feet. His eyes widened when the box revealed the exotic treasure inside. He held up the large, intricately beaded ring and admired it for several seconds before setting it down carefully. He picked up the small note card that accompanied the treasure:
Dear Marty -
We think of you every day, and can't wait to come home. Only six more weeks! This is a Masai warrior's necklace. Boys your age wear them after their manhood ceremony. You must be so tall now.
Love Always, Mom and Dad
"That's beautiful, Marty!" his grandmother exclaimed. His brother and sister had caught up, and were now crowding around the table. "Amazing what those people can do, out there in the jungle and all."
"They're called the Masai, Grandma," he replied neutrally, "and the Sudan is a big grassy plain." He was used to his grandmother's occasional ignorant remark, and it was fairly easy to forgive, as she never meant offense.
Martin's parents, Joanna and Steve Daniels, loved the Peace Corps. They made their first two-year commitment after graduating college, and had gone off to help the world every few years since: India, Nepal, Uruguay, and now Kenya. When they were home, the whole clan lived in Joanna's parents' house. This made for easier transitions when they would leave - the children didn't have to be uprooted. When they were away, Steve and Joanna would send email whenever possible. At other times, they sent postcards and parcels. As a result, the children's rooms were filled with small treasures and photos from distant continents.
Although he missed them desperately, Martin was also extremely proud of his parents. He admired their desire to help others less fortunate; in fact, he hoped to join the Peace Corps himself once he was old enough. Now, they were only four scant weeks from being reunited again.
". Reginald Abbott from CNN News. Again, this is the latest from out correspondent in Nairobi, Kenya. Tribal border conflicts between the Masai and Sabaot have escalated, and casualties are estimated to roughly twenty foreigners - mostly missionaries and relief workers. Those numbers are not yet confirmed, as we are still waiting for all agencies to contact their field offices. We warn that the following footage is not suitable for children, or those with sensi-" Martin's grandmother fumbled with the remote, finally turning the television off, but not before the report caught Robert's ear.
"Hey, Mom and Dad are with the Masai - turn it back on!"
"Yeah," Rosa chimed, "turn it back on, Grandm-"
"NO!" she cut in sharply. Then, forcing a smile," I'm sure Mom and Dad are fine, but it's time to go to the mall - you all need new shoes," she deflected weakly. Although the children complied, the young are never so easily fooled. They knew something dreadful had happened.
Three weeks later, the remains of Steven and Joanna Daniels were laid to rest.
+++++++++++++++++
Terry welcomed the damp chill of the Batcave. Outside, the rest of Gotham was suffering a heat wave. Max and Bruce were already at the console. He walked up behind them and gazed at the monitor for several seconds.
"Who's Martin Daniels?" he asked.
"We're not sure, but he's involved somehow," Max replied. "Hey, you're a little smelly," she joked, as Terry shoved her playfully in response. "We got some info from the wiretaps, but there's more questions now, too." She shifted to allow Terry some space at the console. "Remember New World Industries? Well while you were at your day job, CNN reported that NWI was going to donate 50,000 polio vaccines to Zimbabwe. And coincidentally," she faced Terry directly, "there was lots of talk about vaccines at Cuvier's lab." Max's eyes sparkled. She loved detective work.
She reached across the keyboard and brought up some blurred images. "If you look here, you'll see Cuvier walking with this guy. When we enhanced the image and compare it to the press photo of Martin Daniels, you can see they look like the same guy." She paused, "And guess who is the CEO of NWI? Our man, Mr. Daniels," she answered before Terry could even open his mouth.
"The other thing we found from the taps is that the vaccine will leave Gotham tomorrow night, at Pier 42," Bruce added. "Max and I are working up some Batarangs that should disrupt the sentries' synaptic enhancers, as I'm sure they'll be there. We should be finished by tomorrow afternoon." Terry nodded in response.
"So, what's Daniels' connection to Africa?" he asked, a little surprised they haven't told him already.
"His parents were killed there when he was twelve," Max replied uneasily, pretending Bruce wasn't sitting beside her. "They were in the Peace Corps when some fighting broke out. They weren't the targets, but the result is still the same." She let out a breath, "and that's all I have for a connection."
"As for Cuvier's involvement," Bruce continued, "we'll know more once you stop the shipment and bring the vaccines here." He looked up at his protégé. "Terry, I don't need to remind you to be careful, but there are a lot of unknowns." Terry nodded silently, and then cocked his head.
"Hey, there's a reason superheroes need day jobs," he smiled, "we couldn't get life insurance otherwise."
++++++++++++++++++++++
Melanie lay in bed, staring out the window. Her job had been going well, and she was starting to make new friends at Wayne Enterprises. Though she was very happy with all their recent good fortune, her mind still raced during these quiet times - how she wanted to complete her GED, how she'd really like to get a loft in the nicer part of Old Gotham, what was her mother doing right now, what was Terry doing these days. Mostly, she thought about how quickly things can turn sour. She knew all too well how a single random incident could suddenly turn the world upside-down. Sometimes it was how you played the hand, and other times, it was the luck of the draw. So was it safe to make these plans and dreams for the future, or should she just steel herself, and wait for the world to come crashing down again? It was enough to make a girl drink, she thought.
Her mind was drifting along these thoughts when something caught her eye. A pair of lights - boot-jets, really - crossed the Gotham skyline, preceded by a shadow with outstretched wings. She watched as the shadow pulled its feet slightly forward, and alighted on the ledge of a building. Then the strangest thing happened: the Batman slipped through an open window, and was met by a young woman, as if she were waiting for him. He wrapped her in a tight embrace before they disappeared from view. Melanie stared a while longer, not sure of what she just witnessed.
"Batman lives at the Brookside Atriums," she breathed, both mystified and intrigued.
"Marty! You got a package in the mail!" shouted his little sister. Martin was wrestling with his younger brother, Robert, when the mail arrived. He quickly let go of Robert, nearly dropping him, and ran inside.
His parents sent care packages on a regular basis, but because they had traveled to such a remote part of the Sudan, sending and receiving mail became very difficult. This was their first contact for over three weeks. At the kitchen table, Martin laid into the shipping box. After ripping the cardboard flaps apart, he pulled out several wads of tissue, now strewn around his feet. His eyes widened when the box revealed the exotic treasure inside. He held up the large, intricately beaded ring and admired it for several seconds before setting it down carefully. He picked up the small note card that accompanied the treasure:
Dear Marty -
We think of you every day, and can't wait to come home. Only six more weeks! This is a Masai warrior's necklace. Boys your age wear them after their manhood ceremony. You must be so tall now.
Love Always, Mom and Dad
"That's beautiful, Marty!" his grandmother exclaimed. His brother and sister had caught up, and were now crowding around the table. "Amazing what those people can do, out there in the jungle and all."
"They're called the Masai, Grandma," he replied neutrally, "and the Sudan is a big grassy plain." He was used to his grandmother's occasional ignorant remark, and it was fairly easy to forgive, as she never meant offense.
Martin's parents, Joanna and Steve Daniels, loved the Peace Corps. They made their first two-year commitment after graduating college, and had gone off to help the world every few years since: India, Nepal, Uruguay, and now Kenya. When they were home, the whole clan lived in Joanna's parents' house. This made for easier transitions when they would leave - the children didn't have to be uprooted. When they were away, Steve and Joanna would send email whenever possible. At other times, they sent postcards and parcels. As a result, the children's rooms were filled with small treasures and photos from distant continents.
Although he missed them desperately, Martin was also extremely proud of his parents. He admired their desire to help others less fortunate; in fact, he hoped to join the Peace Corps himself once he was old enough. Now, they were only four scant weeks from being reunited again.
". Reginald Abbott from CNN News. Again, this is the latest from out correspondent in Nairobi, Kenya. Tribal border conflicts between the Masai and Sabaot have escalated, and casualties are estimated to roughly twenty foreigners - mostly missionaries and relief workers. Those numbers are not yet confirmed, as we are still waiting for all agencies to contact their field offices. We warn that the following footage is not suitable for children, or those with sensi-" Martin's grandmother fumbled with the remote, finally turning the television off, but not before the report caught Robert's ear.
"Hey, Mom and Dad are with the Masai - turn it back on!"
"Yeah," Rosa chimed, "turn it back on, Grandm-"
"NO!" she cut in sharply. Then, forcing a smile," I'm sure Mom and Dad are fine, but it's time to go to the mall - you all need new shoes," she deflected weakly. Although the children complied, the young are never so easily fooled. They knew something dreadful had happened.
Three weeks later, the remains of Steven and Joanna Daniels were laid to rest.
+++++++++++++++++
Terry welcomed the damp chill of the Batcave. Outside, the rest of Gotham was suffering a heat wave. Max and Bruce were already at the console. He walked up behind them and gazed at the monitor for several seconds.
"Who's Martin Daniels?" he asked.
"We're not sure, but he's involved somehow," Max replied. "Hey, you're a little smelly," she joked, as Terry shoved her playfully in response. "We got some info from the wiretaps, but there's more questions now, too." She shifted to allow Terry some space at the console. "Remember New World Industries? Well while you were at your day job, CNN reported that NWI was going to donate 50,000 polio vaccines to Zimbabwe. And coincidentally," she faced Terry directly, "there was lots of talk about vaccines at Cuvier's lab." Max's eyes sparkled. She loved detective work.
She reached across the keyboard and brought up some blurred images. "If you look here, you'll see Cuvier walking with this guy. When we enhanced the image and compare it to the press photo of Martin Daniels, you can see they look like the same guy." She paused, "And guess who is the CEO of NWI? Our man, Mr. Daniels," she answered before Terry could even open his mouth.
"The other thing we found from the taps is that the vaccine will leave Gotham tomorrow night, at Pier 42," Bruce added. "Max and I are working up some Batarangs that should disrupt the sentries' synaptic enhancers, as I'm sure they'll be there. We should be finished by tomorrow afternoon." Terry nodded in response.
"So, what's Daniels' connection to Africa?" he asked, a little surprised they haven't told him already.
"His parents were killed there when he was twelve," Max replied uneasily, pretending Bruce wasn't sitting beside her. "They were in the Peace Corps when some fighting broke out. They weren't the targets, but the result is still the same." She let out a breath, "and that's all I have for a connection."
"As for Cuvier's involvement," Bruce continued, "we'll know more once you stop the shipment and bring the vaccines here." He looked up at his protégé. "Terry, I don't need to remind you to be careful, but there are a lot of unknowns." Terry nodded silently, and then cocked his head.
"Hey, there's a reason superheroes need day jobs," he smiled, "we couldn't get life insurance otherwise."
++++++++++++++++++++++
Melanie lay in bed, staring out the window. Her job had been going well, and she was starting to make new friends at Wayne Enterprises. Though she was very happy with all their recent good fortune, her mind still raced during these quiet times - how she wanted to complete her GED, how she'd really like to get a loft in the nicer part of Old Gotham, what was her mother doing right now, what was Terry doing these days. Mostly, she thought about how quickly things can turn sour. She knew all too well how a single random incident could suddenly turn the world upside-down. Sometimes it was how you played the hand, and other times, it was the luck of the draw. So was it safe to make these plans and dreams for the future, or should she just steel herself, and wait for the world to come crashing down again? It was enough to make a girl drink, she thought.
Her mind was drifting along these thoughts when something caught her eye. A pair of lights - boot-jets, really - crossed the Gotham skyline, preceded by a shadow with outstretched wings. She watched as the shadow pulled its feet slightly forward, and alighted on the ledge of a building. Then the strangest thing happened: the Batman slipped through an open window, and was met by a young woman, as if she were waiting for him. He wrapped her in a tight embrace before they disappeared from view. Melanie stared a while longer, not sure of what she just witnessed.
"Batman lives at the Brookside Atriums," she breathed, both mystified and intrigued.