War of the Dragon
Hack's note: For anyone wondering what happened with my first installment of Azrael – Knight Errant, well, I sort of reached the end of my planned "back story" for the character. Sorry for the lame finish with him going off to explore Paris, but don't worry, that really was the end.
Really.
What? Don't believe me? Too bad. =Þ
Seriously though, this story takes place several years after my initial story, soon after the incident I mentioned at the very beginning of Knight Errant - Jean Paul is returning to Paris to sightsee after finding himself declared dead by Gotham City's papers.
And that's all the setup you'll get. Read on, if you dare!
Oh yeah, and before I forget – I don't own any of the characters in this story. They're all property of DC Comics, and I'm just borrowing them 'cause I'm too much of a hack to create my own characters to fill out the stories in my head.
No, really!
Any way, let's get this show on the road…
It had been almost three years since Jean Paul last visited the original City of Lights. He barely remembered his first time there, as he had just escaped the clutches of the Order of St. Dumas, just started to deal with the horror that was his genesis in the African Desert, just realized that he had a second voice inside his head.
On cue, Azrael piped in. Mortal, you do realize that most of your early ancestors were buried here?
If I'm going looking for graves, Jean Paul thought back at him smartly, I'll look for Jim Morrison's first.
Who? Azrael wondered back at him. I am not familiar with that name.
Sheesh! You'd think with as much time as you spend wandering around inside my skull, you'd at least explore the different kinds of music I've listened to! Jim Morrison, lead vocalist and soul of the Doors?
Oh, a rock and roll singer, Azrael retorted, How droll.
Somehow Jean Paul made it through customs while still carrying on an argument in his head with Azrael. Unlike most times, though, this time he was winning. He didn't really have any desire to search out long dead assassins of the Order of St. Dumas – he was here in Paris as a tourist, not a "super hero," , not a member of the Order, and most certainly not as a historian!
The past few weeks had been a roller coaster ride for Jean Paul. First, he had a very bad run-in with Nightwing on the rooftops of Gotham. Then he had a rather uncomfortable "talk" with a few other members of Gotham's spandex set, in one of Bruce's auxiliary Batcaves. But, as fate would have it, he also met two members of the Justice League there – J'onn J'onz, the Martian Manhunter, and his new "sensai of all things female" – Oliver Queen, the original Green Arrow.
For some unknown reason (or at least unknown to Jean Paul), Green Arrow had chosen to take Jean Paul/Azrael under his wing and teach him a few things about composing himself while in the presence of attractive members of the opposite sex. For all his knowledge, Azrael had come to Earth when men mostly dominated the women of the world, and he had yet to adjust to this new equality of sexes. Jean Paul, on the other hand, was truly a stereotypical computer geek. Women were to be feared.
This didn't stop Oliver from trying to teach him, though. In fact, it probably amused the archer to find a man less apt with women than his own son Conner. At least Conner could speak while in the presence of a woman he found attractive, neither Jean Paul nor his alter ego seemed capable of it.
Ollie being Ollie, he spent the rest of that night showing the whole group his collection of "Sex in the City" DVDs on the big screen in the cave, all the while sitting or standing right behind Jean Paul and pointing out various ways to handle certain "situations." In fact, as the impromptu gathering broke up, he took Jean Paul aside and invited him to spend the next day with him. The two did a bit of "male bonding," including being force-fed (or at least that's what Jean Paul is claiming) some of Ollie's "secret recipe" chili, all the while discussing various ways NOT to screw up around women.
Jean Paul walked away from the archer's tutelage with a newfound confidence, and promptly surprised everyone, including himself, by arresting a new female villain in Gotham, a French woman by the "name" of Nocturna. After turning her over to the police, he decided to celebrate by visiting the city of his ancestors, Paris. And here he was, walking out of Charles De Gaulle airport and hailing a cab.
{Where to, friend?} The cabbie asked him in French, which up to this point Jean Paul had not realized he even spoke.
Ah, the wonders of the System, Azrael chimed in humorously.
{The Amarante Elysees Star Hotel, please,} He managed to choke out, also in French, while trying not to laugh at Azrael's horrible joke.
You don't make it easy to appear normal, you know! He thought as he watched the cabbie load his bags into the trunk of the taxi.
If having an angel in your head was easy, mortal, everyone would have one.
Funny, he thought back, as he grabbed the special duffel bag containing his Azrael costume and hefted it into the back seat beside him.
{Sir, do you not wish me to put that bag in the trunk?} The cabbie asked.
As if he could lift it..
Hush! Jean Paul thought before answering. "No, I will keep this one with me."
"As you wish, sir." The cabbie replied in broken English, before climbing into the car and pulling out onto the crowded streets of Paris.
Ahh, tourism. Gotta love it.
If you say so, mortal. Azrael retorted, trying hard to get in the last word. But I would still prefer to show you what I know of this glorious city, rather than trust a "tour group" to do so.
It's not like we have to return to Gotham any time soon, Jean Paul thought back. There'll be plenty of time to gallivant around in costume, I wager.
Another Hack's note: (doesn't this guy ever shut up?) – Just setting ya'll up. This chapter borrows heavily from Chris Dee's Cattails 21 "What's New Pussycat," especially the "Fresh Meat" chapter.
This chapter best read while listening to The Doors "Stoned Immaculate", especially the John Lee Hooker/Jim Morrison version of "Roadhouse Blues."