Melanie thought it was a gift from God that today was Saturday. She hardly
slept the night before, Instead, she kept staring at that window several
blocks away, trying to memorize everything about it. When she woke the
following morning, she searched for it again.
"What are you looking at?" Jack yawned from his bed.
"You're going to think I'm crazy," she replied after a long silence, "but I think I know where Batman lives." She could heel Jack rolling his eyes.
"Oh God, this again. Mel, I think you're obsessed. Don't you have enough going on, that you don't need to go sleuthing around for a man that doesn't want to be found anyway?" Melanie enjoyed Jack's humor, but she was undeterred - and he knew it. He sighed. "So where do you think he lives? The bell tower at St. Pius Cathedral?" Melanie laughed.
"The Brookside Atriums, actually," she answered, still smiling.
"Ooh, trendy," Jack responded.
The antibiotics had taken effect - the color had returned to his face, and he could now sleep all night without coughing. "About ten blocks from here," he said, "Will you be taking a little walk this morning?"
"I guess I am," Melanie answered simply, "although I have no idea what I'm going to do once I see him - if I see anything at all." Jack shrugged. He had no answer for her, and only sighed.
"Well have fun. And while you're out, pick me up some donuts, OK?"
++++++++++++++++++++
Melanie walked along the sidewalks toward the Atriums. It was early - not yet ten o'clock - but she could already feel the heat rising from the pavement. As she neared the apartments, Melanie noticed the change in her surroundings: freshly painted buildings, newly painted trees, and shiny new cars. People relaxed at the sidewalk cafes, drinking iced cappuccinos and talking on cel phones. This is so much nicer than the liquor stores in my neighborhood, she thought, the poor kids that grow up around all that.
Finally Melanie came to stand in front of the Brookside Atriums. She stared up at the stone building, noting the potted geraniums several tenants had set on their window ledges. Walking to one side of the building, she counted five floors from the top, and then four windows from the left. Her heart started racing. She was so close to him now. After counting the floors from the bottom, she returned to the directory near the front door: F. Smith, A. Baker, E. Chang, R. Borland, D. Tan. She studies the list, one hand covering her mouth. What was that girl's name - Debra, Dina - Dana Tan? She ducked into a corner as she heard footsteps from within the building's lobby.
"They serve a great eggs benedict there," as woman's voice said, as the footsteps came nearer. The couple didn't seem to notice her when they passed. She glanced up when it was safe. She knew these people. Dana's hair was up in a loose bun, and she wore shorts and a camisole. Terry was in jeans and a maroon T-shirt. She could feel her pulse in her throat as she stared at him, remembering how he smelled, how his skin tasted. Melanie forced herself to break off her stare, or face getting discovered.
Batman caught her trying to turn tricks, and Terry gets her a job. Batman tried to stop her family in a burglary, and Terry shows up right afterwards at their meeting place. Batman flew to Dana's apartment, and here was Terry. A girl doesn't need to be a brain surgeon to figure this one out, Melanie thought. But even still, she couldn't believe how intertwined their lives - as Batman and Ten, and as Melanie and Terry - had become.
When Terry and Dana disappeared from view, she quickly went back to the directory. D. Tan, apartment 16B - Melanie burned this into her memory.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Terry crouched on the rooftop overlooking Pier 42. With the visual cloaking device activate, the heat-dispersal gel, and six synaptic disrupting Batarangs, he should have felt more prepared for this confrontation. He had been there for nearly an hour, just watching, and his muscles were getting stiff.
Two men approached the pier, one holding a briefcase. Terry looked up the dock, and saw three sentries at the posts. They were still close enough to get to the two men within several seconds, he thought. Another man appeared from within the warehouse just below him. He'd really love to get rig of the sentries first, but then he would risk the vaccines escaping him. Terry let out a deep breath, and settled his gaze on the man carrying the briefcase. Then, he freefell off the rooftop and engaged his boot-jets just before impact. The Batman was still accelerating when his shoulder made contact with the man's chest. Grabbing the briefcase, he arced backwards gracefully and set the briefcase on the rooftop before returning. The sentries had started firing in his direction, their blasts casting strange shadows along the pier. He flew low and fast, only a few feet off the ground, and directly toward the sentries. Terry released two Batarangs from each hand. One sentry seized up, and then stood frozen. Behind him, the three men started shooting as well. Batman reached for his bolas and threw two of them. The bolas found their targets - however, the third man fired a bullet that pierced Batman's shoulder. Work through the pain, Terry kept repeating in his mind. However, the stiffness in this arm was overtaking his willpower. He looked around, and saw the sentries approaching fast. Unable to fly steadily, he grasped his shoulder with his good arm, and started running. He needed to put some distance between himself and the guns. The sentries were almost upon him, and the man had him in his sights. Terry took a deep breath, tucked down, and rolled himself behind from oil drums. Then he heard a yelp.
When he looked up, he saw a dark figure emptying the gun while standing over its owner. The man was cradling his arm and moaning. The old man needs to give Max a raise, Terry thought incredulously. He had only thought of Max as a street fighter, not as anyone with technique. He reached for his Batarangs and nailed the second sentry, disabling it completely. The third was almost upon Max, and he didn't want to risk hitting her with a stray batarang. He whipped out a bola, and ignored his throbbing shoulder, spinning the bola while he ran toward them. As he ran, he saw her land a roundhouse kick to the sentry's abdomen, and follow with a powerful reverse punch. She kept attacking, not letting the sentry get an opening. Although this flurry kept the sentry on the defense, her blows weren't doing enough damage. Batman dropped the bola, and released his last batarang at close range. "Nice moves," Terry said," I think someone's been working out." The sound of police sirens cut his short. "We'd better go," Batman said as he flew unsteadily up to retrieve the briefcase. She scrambled up the fire escape, a few seconds behind Terry. "So was this your idea again, or was Bruce that worried about me?" Silence. "Max?" he asked.
"Terry it's me," Melanie said softly, as she pushed back her balaclava. "I, um, found out about your secret." Terry smacked himself on the forehead.
"Oh my God! Ugh, this can't be happening." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is getting ridiculous - I mean, why are YOU here? Are there Batgirl auditions posted on the Web and no one told me, or - "
"Stop!" she silenced him. They both listened, and heard an electronic hum from within the briefcase. Melanie inspected the case, and spotted a tiny fuse protruding from one hinge. She motioned for Terry to get behind her. Carefully she lifted a concealed flap at the bottom of the briefcase, revealing several wires and a small square of C-4 explosive. Melanie produced a wire cutter and needle-nose pliers from a small back pocket, and studied the wires. After the longest forty seconds of Terry's life, Melanie slipped her tools between the wires, and cut them steadily, disabling the bomb. They both exhaled deeply.
"I'm glad I could put my skills to good use," she sighed. She smiled sheepishly. "I didn't imagine this would happen - I just wanted to follow you."
Terry peered over the rooftop ledge, and saw several police officers combing the scene below. They had apprehended the six men, and impounded the three suits. God, he really wanted to "talk" to them before the cops came - or even bring one of the suits back to Max - but not getting blown up will have to do.
"Let's get out of here," he whispered to Melanie. "I'll meet you at your new place in a few hours. I need to get this looked at," he pointed at his shoulder. She nodded and silently crossed the rooftop. Without another sound, she dropped off the ledge, and was gone.
"Terry, what did I tell you about flying to Dana's? What did I tell you about thinking with the bigger brain," Max's irritated voice snapped him back to reality. He actually forgot about the comlink, and was only thankful that it was Max, and not Bruce, backing him up that night.
"What are you looking at?" Jack yawned from his bed.
"You're going to think I'm crazy," she replied after a long silence, "but I think I know where Batman lives." She could heel Jack rolling his eyes.
"Oh God, this again. Mel, I think you're obsessed. Don't you have enough going on, that you don't need to go sleuthing around for a man that doesn't want to be found anyway?" Melanie enjoyed Jack's humor, but she was undeterred - and he knew it. He sighed. "So where do you think he lives? The bell tower at St. Pius Cathedral?" Melanie laughed.
"The Brookside Atriums, actually," she answered, still smiling.
"Ooh, trendy," Jack responded.
The antibiotics had taken effect - the color had returned to his face, and he could now sleep all night without coughing. "About ten blocks from here," he said, "Will you be taking a little walk this morning?"
"I guess I am," Melanie answered simply, "although I have no idea what I'm going to do once I see him - if I see anything at all." Jack shrugged. He had no answer for her, and only sighed.
"Well have fun. And while you're out, pick me up some donuts, OK?"
++++++++++++++++++++
Melanie walked along the sidewalks toward the Atriums. It was early - not yet ten o'clock - but she could already feel the heat rising from the pavement. As she neared the apartments, Melanie noticed the change in her surroundings: freshly painted buildings, newly painted trees, and shiny new cars. People relaxed at the sidewalk cafes, drinking iced cappuccinos and talking on cel phones. This is so much nicer than the liquor stores in my neighborhood, she thought, the poor kids that grow up around all that.
Finally Melanie came to stand in front of the Brookside Atriums. She stared up at the stone building, noting the potted geraniums several tenants had set on their window ledges. Walking to one side of the building, she counted five floors from the top, and then four windows from the left. Her heart started racing. She was so close to him now. After counting the floors from the bottom, she returned to the directory near the front door: F. Smith, A. Baker, E. Chang, R. Borland, D. Tan. She studies the list, one hand covering her mouth. What was that girl's name - Debra, Dina - Dana Tan? She ducked into a corner as she heard footsteps from within the building's lobby.
"They serve a great eggs benedict there," as woman's voice said, as the footsteps came nearer. The couple didn't seem to notice her when they passed. She glanced up when it was safe. She knew these people. Dana's hair was up in a loose bun, and she wore shorts and a camisole. Terry was in jeans and a maroon T-shirt. She could feel her pulse in her throat as she stared at him, remembering how he smelled, how his skin tasted. Melanie forced herself to break off her stare, or face getting discovered.
Batman caught her trying to turn tricks, and Terry gets her a job. Batman tried to stop her family in a burglary, and Terry shows up right afterwards at their meeting place. Batman flew to Dana's apartment, and here was Terry. A girl doesn't need to be a brain surgeon to figure this one out, Melanie thought. But even still, she couldn't believe how intertwined their lives - as Batman and Ten, and as Melanie and Terry - had become.
When Terry and Dana disappeared from view, she quickly went back to the directory. D. Tan, apartment 16B - Melanie burned this into her memory.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Terry crouched on the rooftop overlooking Pier 42. With the visual cloaking device activate, the heat-dispersal gel, and six synaptic disrupting Batarangs, he should have felt more prepared for this confrontation. He had been there for nearly an hour, just watching, and his muscles were getting stiff.
Two men approached the pier, one holding a briefcase. Terry looked up the dock, and saw three sentries at the posts. They were still close enough to get to the two men within several seconds, he thought. Another man appeared from within the warehouse just below him. He'd really love to get rig of the sentries first, but then he would risk the vaccines escaping him. Terry let out a deep breath, and settled his gaze on the man carrying the briefcase. Then, he freefell off the rooftop and engaged his boot-jets just before impact. The Batman was still accelerating when his shoulder made contact with the man's chest. Grabbing the briefcase, he arced backwards gracefully and set the briefcase on the rooftop before returning. The sentries had started firing in his direction, their blasts casting strange shadows along the pier. He flew low and fast, only a few feet off the ground, and directly toward the sentries. Terry released two Batarangs from each hand. One sentry seized up, and then stood frozen. Behind him, the three men started shooting as well. Batman reached for his bolas and threw two of them. The bolas found their targets - however, the third man fired a bullet that pierced Batman's shoulder. Work through the pain, Terry kept repeating in his mind. However, the stiffness in this arm was overtaking his willpower. He looked around, and saw the sentries approaching fast. Unable to fly steadily, he grasped his shoulder with his good arm, and started running. He needed to put some distance between himself and the guns. The sentries were almost upon him, and the man had him in his sights. Terry took a deep breath, tucked down, and rolled himself behind from oil drums. Then he heard a yelp.
When he looked up, he saw a dark figure emptying the gun while standing over its owner. The man was cradling his arm and moaning. The old man needs to give Max a raise, Terry thought incredulously. He had only thought of Max as a street fighter, not as anyone with technique. He reached for his Batarangs and nailed the second sentry, disabling it completely. The third was almost upon Max, and he didn't want to risk hitting her with a stray batarang. He whipped out a bola, and ignored his throbbing shoulder, spinning the bola while he ran toward them. As he ran, he saw her land a roundhouse kick to the sentry's abdomen, and follow with a powerful reverse punch. She kept attacking, not letting the sentry get an opening. Although this flurry kept the sentry on the defense, her blows weren't doing enough damage. Batman dropped the bola, and released his last batarang at close range. "Nice moves," Terry said," I think someone's been working out." The sound of police sirens cut his short. "We'd better go," Batman said as he flew unsteadily up to retrieve the briefcase. She scrambled up the fire escape, a few seconds behind Terry. "So was this your idea again, or was Bruce that worried about me?" Silence. "Max?" he asked.
"Terry it's me," Melanie said softly, as she pushed back her balaclava. "I, um, found out about your secret." Terry smacked himself on the forehead.
"Oh my God! Ugh, this can't be happening." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is getting ridiculous - I mean, why are YOU here? Are there Batgirl auditions posted on the Web and no one told me, or - "
"Stop!" she silenced him. They both listened, and heard an electronic hum from within the briefcase. Melanie inspected the case, and spotted a tiny fuse protruding from one hinge. She motioned for Terry to get behind her. Carefully she lifted a concealed flap at the bottom of the briefcase, revealing several wires and a small square of C-4 explosive. Melanie produced a wire cutter and needle-nose pliers from a small back pocket, and studied the wires. After the longest forty seconds of Terry's life, Melanie slipped her tools between the wires, and cut them steadily, disabling the bomb. They both exhaled deeply.
"I'm glad I could put my skills to good use," she sighed. She smiled sheepishly. "I didn't imagine this would happen - I just wanted to follow you."
Terry peered over the rooftop ledge, and saw several police officers combing the scene below. They had apprehended the six men, and impounded the three suits. God, he really wanted to "talk" to them before the cops came - or even bring one of the suits back to Max - but not getting blown up will have to do.
"Let's get out of here," he whispered to Melanie. "I'll meet you at your new place in a few hours. I need to get this looked at," he pointed at his shoulder. She nodded and silently crossed the rooftop. Without another sound, she dropped off the ledge, and was gone.
"Terry, what did I tell you about flying to Dana's? What did I tell you about thinking with the bigger brain," Max's irritated voice snapped him back to reality. He actually forgot about the comlink, and was only thankful that it was Max, and not Bruce, backing him up that night.