Author's note: Sorry to not have too many updates, since I am doing this at
school. Here's part three, with an excerpt from Raven's journal.
"The Worst Battle is the One for Your Own Mind"
"To live forever is every person's dream. Sadly, once you get your wish, it is never what you wanted. That old saying 'Be careful what you wish for' is all too true. I wished to live my full life when I was dying of the Black Plague, and I am quite sad I got it."
~~
Raven Plemmel and Bruce were having tea in the living room.
"Mr. Wayne, you have to understand, you have been swept into this situation against your will. If you do not wish to be part of this I can-"
"No. Terry needs someone. You need someone. After- six hundred years was it? - you must be very alone. No one should have to be alone. Terry is supposedly dead. He has no one else. He needs someone."
"You are a much better man than my father was, Mr. Wayne. He saw me after I supposedly died, and attempted to- how do you say- terminate me." Bruce had only now noticed the accent.
"The accent. You're German?"
"Russian, actually. One of Nosferatu's first victims, too. Sadly, he is still around, and it seems Terry has fallen prey to him. The restless sleep you see him in is a fight for his own mind. Nosferatu preys on the minds of those he takes the blood of. He had sent one of his many minions to attack Terry, and now, well, you have seen him. But I do not doubt the boy. He will reign triumphant over Nosferatu. What I am now worried about is his strength." She sighed, and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger.
"What does he need to survive, anyway?"
"Blood, really. I already have an inside person to help with that. But he really needs his coffin. He will slowly lose strength until he cannot stay in a physical form, and then he must return to the ground. I have seen many lost for lack of their coffin."
"You mean they die."
"No. They do not die. They live forever, trapped in a shadow. They can never take their physical form again. It is sad to see them." She stopped, as if in sudden thought. "Would you know anyone with the- what is the word- authority to remove the coffin that we might have on our side?" Bruce thought for a minute.
"Commissioner Gordon." He said resolutely. "She can help."
~~
Barbara Gordon was sitting at her desk. She had been going over paperwork for Terry's murder. She sighed as she thought of him. He had really worked hard at becoming the Batman that Bruce once was. It was sad that his mother would have to see her son buried. She went back to work, but soon stopped again at the breeze coming through the open window. "That's strange. I don't remember leaving it open." She said aloud. As she approached it, a figure in black dropped down in front of her.
"Commissioner Gordon?"
"Y- yes?" Barbara stammered.
"Will you please come with me? I am in dire need of your help"
~~
Minutes later, Commissioner Gordon was in a car with the teenage girl. As they approached Bruce Wayne's mansion, she began to speak.
"When you enter, you must not scream or act afraid, although I know you must be. You must speak in a soft voice. We cannot risk frightening him."
"Who?" The girl didn't respond. "Who is there that I need to meet?" As they stepped out of the car, Ace could be heard, whining their arrival. Bruce had obviously gotten the dog to be a little quieter, she thought to herself. As Bruce appeared at the door, a wave of relief washed over his face.
"Thank you for coming. We will explain as soon as possible." He led Barbara to the living room. A frail, thin figure sat on the sofa. As she turned to look at the weak person, she found herself suppressing the gasp that rose in her throat. Terry stared back at her with an expressionless face.
"Terry, is it really you?" He nodded. "I- we- everyone thinks you're dead." She said softly. Ace suddenly barked and growled at the door. Terry jumped, and gripped the sofa cushions as tightly as possible. He was shaking badly.
"I will return momentarily." The girl said.
"What is it, Raven?" Bruce asked.
"A spy." She replied, and headed for the door.
~~
As she approached the front gate, she quickly changed form into a large, Black Panther. No one could see her now with out very sharp eyes, which could be a problem if the visitor was another vampire. A small boy stood at the gate. She changed back into human form.
"May I help you, small one?" She asked, cloyingly. It could be a very young vampire. She couldn't tell. She unsheathed her fangs. The boy cleared his throat. He was somewhat frightened, she could tell.
"I wanted to speak with Mr. Wayne about my brother. Terry used to work for him before he-" His voice cracked. Raven's ears were open. The crack was genuine.
"Come with me." She said, and opened the gate. The boy backed away. Raven realized her fangs were still unsheathed. She sheathed them again. "What are you afraid of?"
"You- you just had fangs. I saw them. You're a vampire! You hurt my brother, didn't you!" He yelled. Young children like this were so wonderful. Still held the child-like belief in magic and the paranormal, but just cautious enough to trust.
"Come with me. I was not the vampire who hurt your brother." She said, and led him up the path. Another one on the inside. And Terry's brother no less. Her luck was getting better all the time.
"The Worst Battle is the One for Your Own Mind"
"To live forever is every person's dream. Sadly, once you get your wish, it is never what you wanted. That old saying 'Be careful what you wish for' is all too true. I wished to live my full life when I was dying of the Black Plague, and I am quite sad I got it."
~~
Raven Plemmel and Bruce were having tea in the living room.
"Mr. Wayne, you have to understand, you have been swept into this situation against your will. If you do not wish to be part of this I can-"
"No. Terry needs someone. You need someone. After- six hundred years was it? - you must be very alone. No one should have to be alone. Terry is supposedly dead. He has no one else. He needs someone."
"You are a much better man than my father was, Mr. Wayne. He saw me after I supposedly died, and attempted to- how do you say- terminate me." Bruce had only now noticed the accent.
"The accent. You're German?"
"Russian, actually. One of Nosferatu's first victims, too. Sadly, he is still around, and it seems Terry has fallen prey to him. The restless sleep you see him in is a fight for his own mind. Nosferatu preys on the minds of those he takes the blood of. He had sent one of his many minions to attack Terry, and now, well, you have seen him. But I do not doubt the boy. He will reign triumphant over Nosferatu. What I am now worried about is his strength." She sighed, and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger.
"What does he need to survive, anyway?"
"Blood, really. I already have an inside person to help with that. But he really needs his coffin. He will slowly lose strength until he cannot stay in a physical form, and then he must return to the ground. I have seen many lost for lack of their coffin."
"You mean they die."
"No. They do not die. They live forever, trapped in a shadow. They can never take their physical form again. It is sad to see them." She stopped, as if in sudden thought. "Would you know anyone with the- what is the word- authority to remove the coffin that we might have on our side?" Bruce thought for a minute.
"Commissioner Gordon." He said resolutely. "She can help."
~~
Barbara Gordon was sitting at her desk. She had been going over paperwork for Terry's murder. She sighed as she thought of him. He had really worked hard at becoming the Batman that Bruce once was. It was sad that his mother would have to see her son buried. She went back to work, but soon stopped again at the breeze coming through the open window. "That's strange. I don't remember leaving it open." She said aloud. As she approached it, a figure in black dropped down in front of her.
"Commissioner Gordon?"
"Y- yes?" Barbara stammered.
"Will you please come with me? I am in dire need of your help"
~~
Minutes later, Commissioner Gordon was in a car with the teenage girl. As they approached Bruce Wayne's mansion, she began to speak.
"When you enter, you must not scream or act afraid, although I know you must be. You must speak in a soft voice. We cannot risk frightening him."
"Who?" The girl didn't respond. "Who is there that I need to meet?" As they stepped out of the car, Ace could be heard, whining their arrival. Bruce had obviously gotten the dog to be a little quieter, she thought to herself. As Bruce appeared at the door, a wave of relief washed over his face.
"Thank you for coming. We will explain as soon as possible." He led Barbara to the living room. A frail, thin figure sat on the sofa. As she turned to look at the weak person, she found herself suppressing the gasp that rose in her throat. Terry stared back at her with an expressionless face.
"Terry, is it really you?" He nodded. "I- we- everyone thinks you're dead." She said softly. Ace suddenly barked and growled at the door. Terry jumped, and gripped the sofa cushions as tightly as possible. He was shaking badly.
"I will return momentarily." The girl said.
"What is it, Raven?" Bruce asked.
"A spy." She replied, and headed for the door.
~~
As she approached the front gate, she quickly changed form into a large, Black Panther. No one could see her now with out very sharp eyes, which could be a problem if the visitor was another vampire. A small boy stood at the gate. She changed back into human form.
"May I help you, small one?" She asked, cloyingly. It could be a very young vampire. She couldn't tell. She unsheathed her fangs. The boy cleared his throat. He was somewhat frightened, she could tell.
"I wanted to speak with Mr. Wayne about my brother. Terry used to work for him before he-" His voice cracked. Raven's ears were open. The crack was genuine.
"Come with me." She said, and opened the gate. The boy backed away. Raven realized her fangs were still unsheathed. She sheathed them again. "What are you afraid of?"
"You- you just had fangs. I saw them. You're a vampire! You hurt my brother, didn't you!" He yelled. Young children like this were so wonderful. Still held the child-like belief in magic and the paranormal, but just cautious enough to trust.
"Come with me. I was not the vampire who hurt your brother." She said, and led him up the path. Another one on the inside. And Terry's brother no less. Her luck was getting better all the time.