Batman Beyond: FACE OFF 3
Joy / Sorrow
"Terry it was a flesh w-oww! Wound" Chris said as Selina finished bandaging him up. "No need to get upset about it, I wasn't hurt that –oww – bad".
He was sitting on the medical bed of the Bat Cave. Bruce had his fingers tented as he read something off the screen. "Masque shot you" Terry said. "Because of me!"
"Oh yeah, Terry, seriously" Chris snorted.
"Sorry to burst the bubble darling" Selina said to Terry. "But you're not the centre of the world. He shot Chris a) to clear an escape route, b) to busy you and c) to hurt you not because of you".
"I can't keep anyone alive" Terry said.
"I can feel the self-blaming" Chris said. "Better then anyone naturally, but it's not your fault I got shot. It was just the timing." He pulled the rest of his suit back up. "So work through it Terry, don't blame yourself when things to wrong"
Terry looked at Chris. Then he left the cave.
"It's not fair!" wailed Masque, sobbing into his sleeve, he snapped up, grabbed a random object and threw it against the wall with a roar. Then returned to crying. "Why can't things go my way? I mean the 2nd National Bank, the 22nd Bank, the Bank on 22nd street, the theft on the QE 2? They went nice...WHY COULDN'T IT HAVE GONE RIGHT WHEN I WANTED TO GET A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD" he hurled a chair at the wall, Wright and Wrong ducked just in time. Naughty and Nice scampered to their boss' sides.
"Oh poor baby, does pudding want something to eat?" Nice purred.
"That's it angry, tear into things you horrid man" Naught growled.
"You're the most beautiful, handsome, gentle, caring and kind man" Nice said. "Ignore her. You're an Adonis god on earth of perfection that's pure and true."
"Screw the prissy missy" Naughty said. "You're a vile, destructive grotesque brute of death and destruction. You're a vicious, cruel, twisted sadist with no heart or soul!"
Nice sauntered ahead to a lace-trimmed table on her side of the Warehouse. There was a vase of white roses and blossoms in a pristine vase with a smile she gripped the silver dome covering the food.
Naughty sashayed to the sharp angled black covered table with the thorny briars in a blackened pot set on it. She picked the handle of the service up and the pair pulled them away.
"I've made your favourite" Naughty said. "Garlic covered Donkey Meat for appetizers, main course of bloody rare steak with vinegar and wine marinade and for desert sinfully dark chocolate cake with a double cognac hit and moonshine spiked chocolate sauce".
"She doesn't know you like I do" Nice said. "For appetizers I have light caser salad with white wine dressing, the main course is basted pheasant and tiny truffles with quail egg flowers. And for desert, angel cake with a light and a fluffy meringue arrangement and whipped cream and strawberries".
They each offered him a glass. Red Wine from Naughty and White Wine from Nice. Masque grinned both happily and ravenously at the two tables. Then sighed. "I can't eat the BAT is on my brains! I need to feel his BLOOD POURING OUT of an open wound on his THROAT," he snarled. "Yes I need it to be in a nice and witty manner."
"Honey, you can't always have it both ways," a voice said. He whirled around as Naughty and Nice darted off onto their respective sides, vanishing in between the pillars close to the walls. Wright and Wrong moved towards the figure. She was dressed in a sequined bow tie, top hat, mask and short coat with tails. Her blouse was white silk and she had fishnets on under her thigh high leather boots with large silver buckles. "Or can you? Might I just say I love the place! It's Modern meets Retro!"
Wright and Wrong pulled double bladed short swords from their suits. The visitor rolled her eyes and raised both opera-gloved hands. There were small diamons on silver strings wired around her fingers to stay on her palms. "Really darling! I'm here to help you" the electric blasts leapt from the gems and knocked Wright and Wrong off their feet into moaning piles on the floor.
"How'd you get here?"
"Easy honey" she replied. "I caught one of your Desperado's leaving the museum, he told me. He didn't have a choice" she added. "I'm Iola by the way, magician by trade and future ruler of the world!" She smiled. "So, how about a coupling? I could use man of your abilities and--- dimensions--- to crush the city..."
"What if I decide to say NO?" Masque snarled.
"Well you're not exactly at a huge advantage against me here? I'm the one who can throw lightening bolts" sniffed Iola.
There was a click from either side of her head and she looked around to find Naughty and Nice on either side of her. Nice held a silver pistol with a pearl studded handle, Naughty was in possession of a huge black metal one.
"Could you repeat that you DOZY BINT! ?" snarled Masque pulling his two pistols out and pointing them at Iola. The woman sighed in resignation.
"Okay fine! You can shoot me...but you'd be missing out on a chance to turn the Bat into a babbling heap of traumatized broken dreams" she said. Masque lowered his guns and cocked his head to one side.
"Speak on" he said. "BEFORE I GET IMPATIENT"
With a smile Iola held out a small circular mirror. "The Bat and the Boy are not as flawless as they seem. They have strength by being joined together, but if they begin to feel like they're no longer able to trust not only each other but themselves...they will do themselves in!"
"And how can you do that?" asked Masque.
"Well darling" she said. "I got past your goons downstairs, brainwashed one too and bypassed that charming security of yours...might I just say the décor is fab. So - " she stepped more onto the Dark Side. "Dark and gloomy" – she hopped closer so Nice. "Yet so bright and chipper". She skipped to Naughty-Land. "Twisted and cruel with a hint of dominative" she jumped to Nice-Land. "Yet so wholesome and gentle with a pinch of submissive". She hopped back and forth. "You and You through and through!" She held up the mirror. An image appeared in it and Masque snarled, recoiling and raising his arms.
"Bitch" he snarled.
"Not that much of one...my mirror is an illusion caster and I have a lot more tricks... all we need to do is get enough money to put a grand plan into action that will leave us both the only non-vegetative beings in the world, the only ones with free wills."
She removed her hat and held it out, a Soundbyte appeared, she handed Masque a blue visor and put a pair on herself. "Now, watch this" she pressed a panel in the brim and the Soundbyte began playing. Wright and Wrong watched hypnotically as did Naughty and Nice. Then all four collapsed into a deep sleep.
"Subliminal messaging, impossible to fight and thanks to me just as hard to detect, if we can broadcast this we can make the people of the world do anything!" she cackled.
"I'm interested...what do you need?" Masque asked.
"Money, lots if money – because I'm going to give a small trial run. Now we need to get some magician's equipment so we can rob the millionaires I'll be performing for on Saturday Evening...are you interested?"
"Definitely" Masque said.
"So...Rocky XXII" Veronica said. "Do you like Sylvester Stallone movies?"
"I guess" admitted Terry as he bough the tickets. "He doesn't act well but---y'know"
"Not really" admitted Veronica. She grabbed and paid for some popcorn.
They entered the screen and found their seats.
Chris shot down the streets in the Redbird. "Well, good news: Terry has a girlfriend and he starts college with a fresh outlook" he swerved and shot down an alley. "Bad news: This means I will be patrolling alone a lot because no girl would go out with a metahuman freak like me"
"Oh you're only half metahuman" sniffed Selina. "Stop complaining."
"Two-fourths, one from father, one from mother and that is that," Chris said. "And scarred all over of course, can't forget that."
"It's a matter of perspective," Bruce said gruffly.
"Well pretty much everyone expects you to be beautiful" Chris said. "Especially someone like me, how can I be a millionaires son with nothing going for him in the looks department?"
"You're over acting again dear," Selina said.
"Granddame I know what I'm talking about" Chris sighed. "I have blue skin in places on my body and post people get upset when I can induce feelings and emotions on them."
"Do you induce the upset?"
"No"
"Ah, I see" nodded Selina.
Chris slowed down, the bike was purring as he stopped at a corner. "But my mutation does have some good points" he admitted. The woman shrieked as the man moved closer...and then he stopped and gripped his nose as blood came gushing out of it. He collapsed to the ground and the woman ran. She spotted the bike and touched her chest. The red glass slid up over the bikes cockpit and Robin shot off.
"You're very good at that" Bruce commented.
"I was an Agent of Anarchy" Chris said. "You sound surprised."
Veronica squinted at the screen. "What's that?" she asked. There was a shadow behind the screen. Terry peered at the shadow...it was familiar...
"Oh no" he whispered. The doubled bladed long sword stabbed through the cinema screen and cut out a perfect human shape. Masque stepped through, dressed in a black suit and white pinstripes with vice-versa on the left side.
"Damn it!" he sighed. "I could have sworn this was the way to the SNACK STAND"
A woman stepped out behind him, she was dressed in a turquoise bodysuit with flared legs decorated with a cloud-like pattern of dark blue sequins across it. She wore sequins in her hair and was carrying a wand. Her mask was dark blue sequins and her heels clicked briskly.
"If I could have your attention," she said. Her want clicked nastily and slid a portion away to reveal a blue-and-black light that flared up. "Thanks". Everyone staggered in place, unable to move and completely dazed.
Iola looked at the Desperado's. "Go...Loot" she pressed. They spread out taking purses, wallets and handbags. One of them reached for Veronica's. A small redwing cracked into his hand and he recoiled in pain. Robin swung out of the darkness.
"I have to say, that is not your colour"
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Day asked as he raised his throwing sun.
"Fashion police, powder blue with a cloud pattern? I'm doing you a favour" Chris smirked. He flipped over a Desperado and spin kicked another into the aisles. Iola sighed and pointed her wand at him as he furiously punched Night into a pillar and back-kicked Day into three others.
"Boy Wonder" she called. He turned around and the light blasted him in the eyes, he blinked for a minute and then frowned.
"So did I pass the retinal exam?" Iola looked from him to her want.
"He's...he's immune to my brain daze!" she exclaimed.
"Leave him to me" Masque snorted. He hurled the two small buzz saw shapes with the yin-yang on them at Chris. The Future Wonder flipped sharply to avoid them... but one sliced across his hip and the other cut his shoulder. He crashed down in pain. Masque raised his sword and advanced.
Chris kicked him in the knee and hit his image projector. The blast of light dazzled him off his feet and let Chris get to his feet.
"Oh I sooooo NEED to KILL you, you annoying VERMIN SCUM!" snarled Masque. Just then the doors exploded open with GCPD officers brandishing their weapons. Iola cackled and pointed her wand. The blast of light burst from the tip, she drew them in a circle and a brick wall appeared, the Desperado's retreated onto the stage, firing at the GCPD, the people ducking into the aisles, screaming.
The brick wall spread out and the firing ceased.
"What the hell" the officer muttered. Chris looked to Terry who was helping Veronica up. Then Chris vanished into the scenery.
"Well I can safely say that, that was the most interesting date I've ever been on" Veronica said as Terry walked her up to the door to her house in the suburbs.
"My foster parents aren't in" she said. "Would you like coffee?"
Terry bit his lip. "Normally I would" he admitted. "But---I kinda have to get ready for college and work tomorrow and I have to look after my brother...rain check, for after a different date? Another date?"
Veronica smiled. "Definitely...what works for you?"
"Uhh – well the movies are jinxed, what with madmen and sequined psychos busting through them so...would you like to play it by ear?" Terry asked sheepishly.
"I'm usually free Thursday" she consented as she stepped inside her door. She paused, grabbed his collar, pulled him into a swift kiss and left him to stew as she shut the door. Terry blinked for a moment.
"Thursday it is then" he mumbled.
Masque grabbed the chair and began to bash it repetitively off a raised beam on the roof. Finally he let out a breath and began to hum a single note. He turned to look at Iola. She was seated on the roof of his warehouse.
"Masque. Darling" she said steadily. "Do you have to react so? We got away with petty cash and Right and Wrong grabbed the 22 copies of Rocky including the original first one. It'll go nicely towards my show tomorrow night."
"BUT-I-HATE-THE-BAT-AND-THE-BOY" snarled Masque. "They're sooo boring" he added in a strangely calmer voice. "Darting about being upstanding citizens..."
"Well...don't worry your masked little head about that" Iola said. "I have plans, big plans..." she smiled. "Tomorrow I'll be performing at that big dinner...we'll have a lot of fun when I get certain information from certain persons...and then we start Operation Demon Eye..."
"And WHAT, pray tell, is that?" smirked Masque as Naughty and Nice each offered him a drink (Sangria and Vodka Martini respectively).
Iola raised the holograph projector. "Look and see darling" she purred.
Chris dabbed at his injuries. "Oh yeah, I'm a blade magnet" he muttered. "Just a big sign on the back of my head...Slice Me Please" he grated. "Insert blades here"
Selina sighed and swivelled her chair to look at Terry descending the steps. "Good date?" she asked. "Oh—wait, stupid question, you were at that movie".
"Yeah but I'll be seeing her again" Terry grinned.
"Be careful" Bruce said. "Reporters can get too close..."
"I won't say Vicki Vale" Selina said. "Oh look at me Bruce I can hold a camera correctly but run screaming from a single, lame-o thug and I can't even pull myself up off a ledge on a church" her voice was squeaky and vapid.
"Let's not start this Selina" Bruce said. "Terry, just remember that certain women like to – oh – run you off the road into a river"
"It's what any repectable Catwoman would have done" Selina said smoothly. "When she caught her then, boyfriend canoodling –did I just say that – with his ex!"
Terry and Chris looked at each other and sidled out of the room.
"Well who was it that though a police officer was a good "addition" to her little black book?" Bruce grunted. Selina raised an eyebrow. "AND he was a psychotic machete wielding nutcase with a sack full of skulls"
"Two words" Selina said smoothly. "Talia and Head!"
"She was an Al Ghoul when I was seeing her!"
"She should have been Talia Silicon its what her head was made out of mostly anyway!" Selina snipped. "And which one of us made the boo-boo of dating his shrink and LETTING her find out his identity...oh-oh! I think It Was YOU"
"I just came by to see if the tux needed a clean before that dinner tomorrow at the Ritz" said Terry as they walked towards the rooms in the West Wing. "They have a magician performing and it might be fun."
"Hope it goes well" Chris said.
"Aren't you coming?" Terry said, stopping.
"I can't" Chris said. "Someone has to patrol"
"That's not the reason" Terry said flatly. "Spill dude".
Chris drew in a deep breath. "I don't want to go somewhere that I can make Mr Wayne any more ashamed of me as his Grandson, the last time he openly admitted relation to me was Christmas...seriously!"
"He's no good with emmotion" shrugged Terry. "Give him time."
Chris shrugged. "He doesn't want me as a child, he's ashamed of me and to be honest who would blame him? I'm a partially blue freak of nature."
"Ms Kyle has weird cat agility, so did her daughter, and your father was half two-face I don't get why you think that's a problem with him? He still likes Ms Kyle?"
Chris shook his head. "But I'm not the same" he said. "I'm all of them...I have so little normality about me...how can I be the Grandson he wants?"
Terry watched Chris walk away and felt really, really, really bad.
TBC:
Next chapter: Terry's faced with a major dilemma...what will he study in college! ?
Oh and Masque and Iola put plan Demon Eyes into Action with a series of embarrassingly easy-performed crimes against the city. Oh my.