"What are my choices?" Nichole finally asked after waiting for him to
continue. Batman stood up and faced her directly.
"You can either stay here until we leave to fight them or," Batman paused. "You could wander the galaxy with the superheroes of my council's choice until all this is over."
At first, Nichole just sat there; her mind slowly taking in the results of her day's actions. Getting out of her seat, she boldly faced Batman. Defiance shone in her eyes. "You can't do this to me!"
Batman glared back at her just as defiantly. "You did this to yourself."
"But-but there's gotta be another way. I can still be of help to you guys."
"If you want to stay so bad, then you can."
"But I can't stay trapped in this room for a month! Even if someone could come here with me, seeing the same walls for a month would drive me insane."
"The only people who know of this room are you and me."
Nichole looked at him in shock. "You mean the only face I'd see for a month would be.....yours?"
"If you decide to stay here, then yes."
"Don't you have to have the rest of the group's approval? Don't they have a say too?"
"I found you and brought you to the place that I had built. You are my responsibility, not theirs."
"So that means you can do whatever you want with me?" Nichole glared at him, her voice on the verge of yelling.
"No. That means I can do whatever I think will keep you safe." Batman replied. He was getting tired of arguing with this child. "Now sit down!" Nichole plopped back down on her chair. She had run out of arguments anyway. "I'll give you a day to decide."
"I don't need a day."
"Then you've decided?"
"No." Nichole mumbled, crossing her arms. Batman let out a soft sigh.
"Look, I don't care if you sit around feeling sorry for yourself all day but you will have a decision when I get back."
Nichole looked up at him. "You mean I have to stay here?"
"Yes. You can sit and think with no disturbances, and you'll be safe." Batman turned toward the door. "I have to go now. I'll see you tomorrow." Before Nichole could protest, Batman had already opened the door and left.
She rushed over to the door; pounding on it with all her strength. "Batman, come on! Let me out!" It was no use. "Must be sound proofed" she mumbled.
Nichole wandered back over to the couch and plopped down. There was no sense in trying to get out. She would just have to wait until Batman came back tomorrow. If only she knew even a little bit about computers, just enough to reprogram it to her own password and voice. It seemed like she would have to choose like Batman said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Superman slowly landed the Javelin-7 in the large school yard. He turned to look behind him as he unfastened his safety belt. "Please, Flash, this time let Wonder woman and I handle it." he pleaded. "You were almost clobbered when you told the Thing he could do his part in saving the world from suffering by wearing the rest of his outfit."
"Well, you can't say you don't agree with me." He flashed a smile. "Besides, with this speed," he whizzed from the back of the ship to the front in one quick motion. "He wouldn't be able to catch me, much less clobber me."
"But we need him on our side, fighting against these aliens not against us." Wonder woman added. "Now come on. A crowd is gathering."
The three superheroes stepped out of the plane into the crowd of kids. A tall one with short, brown hair and dark shades approached them. "Superman, Wonder woman, Flash. Long time no see." He offered out his hand.
"Cyclops. It has been a while." He took the offered hand and gave it a firm shake. "We're here to see Professor X. There are some very important matters we'd like to discuss with him."
Cyclops nodded his head. "We've been expecting you." Catching the weird looks exchanged between the three visitors Cyclops quickly added. "You know the Professor and his power. He's been sensing something was wrong for some time now, although he hasn't told us what it is." He gave them an expectant look, as if he had hoped that they might leak a little information. After receiving no form of an answer, he continued. "Well, come on. I show you to his room."
"What about our ship?" Wonder woman asked. "Can we just leave it here?"
"Oh. If you don't mind I'll just give the keys to Beast here and he'll put it with our own ships." All eyes went of to the big, blue creature who had inconceivably gone unnoticed before. "He's quite capable of flying it."
Superman handed the keys over to Beast, although quite reluctantly. "Just be careful," he said quietly to Beast. "If there's even one scratch Batman'll kill us."
Beast grinned. "Don't worry, Superman. I will give it the utmost care and attention."
As Beast made his way to the ship, the three members of the Justice League followed Cyclops into the Mansion. The crowd of teenage mutants followed close behind. With Cyclops at the front, the parade of super humans made their way through the hall toward the Professor's room. Upon arriving Cyclops opened the door, letting Superman, Wonder woman, Flash, and himself in.
In the room, which was richly furnished, sat a bald man in a wheel chair. He rolled over to them.
"Professor, Superman, Wonder woman and Flash are here to see you." Cyclops said.
The old man smiled. "I can see that Scott. You may leave now."
Reluctantly, Scott exited the room, sure to be bombarded with questions once out of hearing range.
"Why don't you take a seat?" He motioned to the three chairs in front of his desk. Not wanting to be rude, they each took a seat. "Would you like anything to drink?"
"Oh, no thank you." Wonder woman responded. "We really don't have the time. We've come here on matters that are very urgent."
"Oh, yes, of course. Please, tell me what I could help you with."
"Well, first of all, Cyclops implied that you already know a little of our plight." Superman began.
The Professor nodded. "Yes. I've been sensing the world is in great danger. A powerful creature is growing....and spreading."
"More likely creatures. We need your help. If the X-men would come up to the Watchtower all will be explained there." Superman replied.
The Professor looked at each of them for a long moment. Then, with a resolved yet somewhat amused look in his eyes, he nodded. "Alright. We'll come and yes, we can provide our own transportation."
The superheroes got up, each shaking Xavier's hand for a goodbye. "Thank you so much, Professor." Wonder woman thanked him.
"This is what superheroes must do from time to time." Xavier smiled. The three heroes went over to the door. "Oh, and Flash, I wasn't bald my whole life."
Superman whacked Flash as hard as he could with out knocking him out. "I told you not to say anything." Superman said through his teeth.
Flash, not expecting the blow, rubbed his sore head. "Yeesh. I didn't say anything." He said as they left the room.
Once they were back on their ship, which had been properly handled by Beast, they made their way to find another league of superheroes. So far, so good. This superhero meeting was going to be a grand one.
"You can either stay here until we leave to fight them or," Batman paused. "You could wander the galaxy with the superheroes of my council's choice until all this is over."
At first, Nichole just sat there; her mind slowly taking in the results of her day's actions. Getting out of her seat, she boldly faced Batman. Defiance shone in her eyes. "You can't do this to me!"
Batman glared back at her just as defiantly. "You did this to yourself."
"But-but there's gotta be another way. I can still be of help to you guys."
"If you want to stay so bad, then you can."
"But I can't stay trapped in this room for a month! Even if someone could come here with me, seeing the same walls for a month would drive me insane."
"The only people who know of this room are you and me."
Nichole looked at him in shock. "You mean the only face I'd see for a month would be.....yours?"
"If you decide to stay here, then yes."
"Don't you have to have the rest of the group's approval? Don't they have a say too?"
"I found you and brought you to the place that I had built. You are my responsibility, not theirs."
"So that means you can do whatever you want with me?" Nichole glared at him, her voice on the verge of yelling.
"No. That means I can do whatever I think will keep you safe." Batman replied. He was getting tired of arguing with this child. "Now sit down!" Nichole plopped back down on her chair. She had run out of arguments anyway. "I'll give you a day to decide."
"I don't need a day."
"Then you've decided?"
"No." Nichole mumbled, crossing her arms. Batman let out a soft sigh.
"Look, I don't care if you sit around feeling sorry for yourself all day but you will have a decision when I get back."
Nichole looked up at him. "You mean I have to stay here?"
"Yes. You can sit and think with no disturbances, and you'll be safe." Batman turned toward the door. "I have to go now. I'll see you tomorrow." Before Nichole could protest, Batman had already opened the door and left.
She rushed over to the door; pounding on it with all her strength. "Batman, come on! Let me out!" It was no use. "Must be sound proofed" she mumbled.
Nichole wandered back over to the couch and plopped down. There was no sense in trying to get out. She would just have to wait until Batman came back tomorrow. If only she knew even a little bit about computers, just enough to reprogram it to her own password and voice. It seemed like she would have to choose like Batman said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Superman slowly landed the Javelin-7 in the large school yard. He turned to look behind him as he unfastened his safety belt. "Please, Flash, this time let Wonder woman and I handle it." he pleaded. "You were almost clobbered when you told the Thing he could do his part in saving the world from suffering by wearing the rest of his outfit."
"Well, you can't say you don't agree with me." He flashed a smile. "Besides, with this speed," he whizzed from the back of the ship to the front in one quick motion. "He wouldn't be able to catch me, much less clobber me."
"But we need him on our side, fighting against these aliens not against us." Wonder woman added. "Now come on. A crowd is gathering."
The three superheroes stepped out of the plane into the crowd of kids. A tall one with short, brown hair and dark shades approached them. "Superman, Wonder woman, Flash. Long time no see." He offered out his hand.
"Cyclops. It has been a while." He took the offered hand and gave it a firm shake. "We're here to see Professor X. There are some very important matters we'd like to discuss with him."
Cyclops nodded his head. "We've been expecting you." Catching the weird looks exchanged between the three visitors Cyclops quickly added. "You know the Professor and his power. He's been sensing something was wrong for some time now, although he hasn't told us what it is." He gave them an expectant look, as if he had hoped that they might leak a little information. After receiving no form of an answer, he continued. "Well, come on. I show you to his room."
"What about our ship?" Wonder woman asked. "Can we just leave it here?"
"Oh. If you don't mind I'll just give the keys to Beast here and he'll put it with our own ships." All eyes went of to the big, blue creature who had inconceivably gone unnoticed before. "He's quite capable of flying it."
Superman handed the keys over to Beast, although quite reluctantly. "Just be careful," he said quietly to Beast. "If there's even one scratch Batman'll kill us."
Beast grinned. "Don't worry, Superman. I will give it the utmost care and attention."
As Beast made his way to the ship, the three members of the Justice League followed Cyclops into the Mansion. The crowd of teenage mutants followed close behind. With Cyclops at the front, the parade of super humans made their way through the hall toward the Professor's room. Upon arriving Cyclops opened the door, letting Superman, Wonder woman, Flash, and himself in.
In the room, which was richly furnished, sat a bald man in a wheel chair. He rolled over to them.
"Professor, Superman, Wonder woman and Flash are here to see you." Cyclops said.
The old man smiled. "I can see that Scott. You may leave now."
Reluctantly, Scott exited the room, sure to be bombarded with questions once out of hearing range.
"Why don't you take a seat?" He motioned to the three chairs in front of his desk. Not wanting to be rude, they each took a seat. "Would you like anything to drink?"
"Oh, no thank you." Wonder woman responded. "We really don't have the time. We've come here on matters that are very urgent."
"Oh, yes, of course. Please, tell me what I could help you with."
"Well, first of all, Cyclops implied that you already know a little of our plight." Superman began.
The Professor nodded. "Yes. I've been sensing the world is in great danger. A powerful creature is growing....and spreading."
"More likely creatures. We need your help. If the X-men would come up to the Watchtower all will be explained there." Superman replied.
The Professor looked at each of them for a long moment. Then, with a resolved yet somewhat amused look in his eyes, he nodded. "Alright. We'll come and yes, we can provide our own transportation."
The superheroes got up, each shaking Xavier's hand for a goodbye. "Thank you so much, Professor." Wonder woman thanked him.
"This is what superheroes must do from time to time." Xavier smiled. The three heroes went over to the door. "Oh, and Flash, I wasn't bald my whole life."
Superman whacked Flash as hard as he could with out knocking him out. "I told you not to say anything." Superman said through his teeth.
Flash, not expecting the blow, rubbed his sore head. "Yeesh. I didn't say anything." He said as they left the room.
Once they were back on their ship, which had been properly handled by Beast, they made their way to find another league of superheroes. So far, so good. This superhero meeting was going to be a grand one.