21. The Message
Summary: Finally…what everyone has been waiting for.
"If you are reading this, (most probably) you are one of the people for whom this message is meant. There is a 0.17 percent probability that you will either recognize this face or a variation there of. This message has been sent cross-dimensions, the purpose of which is…"
-
That was the first, 'written' part of the message. A sort of preamble for what was to come, it include a photograph of the Batman. It allowed the person to decide whether he or she wanted to proceed with the 'audio-visual' content. Unknown to Batman (the animated one), seventeen of the seventy-three dimensions he relayed the message to, did not receive it. Out of the remaining fifty-six, twelve downright deleted it. The smash-n'-some more smash Bizarro and Earth 2's Owlman were among those twelve. Even though, the Owlman and his Crime Syndicate associates were always looking to extend their reach to new worlds, their recent run-in with…ugh, 'Good' Earth had staunched, if only temporarily, their incessant need for looting, profit and all-round exploitation of the general masses.
From the forty-four earths left, several did not have the appropriate codes to progress beyond the second stage, for example, the earth where there was no Batman, but a Batgirl. On another one, Batman was already married to Selina Kyle. On that Earth, the Joker mercilessly killed Batgirl and Robin in front of Batman's eyes, forcing him to watch it…after which the Caped Crusader lost all control and reason and killed his arch nemesis…after which he himself had a sort of nervous breakdown. At that time, Selina was the one who became his rock, standing by him…..even giving up her thieving ways, and the Catwoman that went along with it. In place of that, she not only became an equal partner, lover and wife to Bruce Wayne, but also the Batwoman to Batman.
In the end, there were only twenty-one earths, with a mixed variation of Bruce Wayne, Batman, Diana, Wonder Woman, and all other possible mixtures left, that were actually able to unlock the first section; and see and hear what the message was all about.
---
The second (first locked) part began in pretty much the same way as the first (the free) part. However, instead of just written data, this time, both, audio and video, accompanied the type. It required Batman's codes to open it…with an option for Wonder Woman's codes too.
On arriving on the Watchtower, and after reading the first part, Batman unlocked the second part and heard it. Instead of the generalized introduction, the second part was specifically 'engineered' for him….almost as if he were having a real-time one-on-one conversation with his (animated) counterpart. However, unlike the first, it was assumed now that either Batman or an appropriate dimensional partner of his was the one providing the codes.
"You probably know by now, the reason for this message," there was no introduction, no telling of names, greeting, etc. That was just not who the Batman was.
"In case you do not, I am searching…." For a second there, it seemed that Batman almost used 'We' instead of 'I'. No would notice…that is, no one who is not the Batman or closely familiar with him, which given his secretive nature, was a very small group of people.
-
"You probably know by now, the reason for this message. In case you do not, I am searching for an associate, a teammate….transported to an unknown dimension. You must have already run into that person, or know the whereabouts. The next part of this message will provide you with details for a trans-dimensional communicator, along with the frequencies on which to transmit. However, to unlock and get access to it, you will need to find that missing person. So, do it."
-
For Batman it was almost the same as hearing himself speak, after all, for all designs and purposes, the face on the screen and the voice through the speakers could be his. Even the voice recognition and matching algorithms yielded a hundred percent match….not to mention the facial (physical) comparison ones.
'He doesn't say her name.' Alone in the conference room, the others having been 'shown the way out', Batman silently mused over and analyzed each details of the message and of his doppelganger. A small voice within him suggested that he should contact the mansion and the others. 'Let Diana hear the message first. You can analyze it later.' However, any considerations that anomalous voice presented; met the cold logical indifference of the Bat and withered away. Still not completely ready to accept the possibilities that his other Diana entailed, the Bat had put up a wall of unfeeling, unseeing, unwavering denial.
It was only after he had run his tests that he contacted the others, especially Alfred….which led to the present. The next words out of the 'other' Batman were new to everyone, including his twin…and although, he knew most of the content of this part of the message, the words were not for him….not anymore. On Diana's arrival he had asked her to enter her activating the second option in the message, that is, addressing Diana directly.
-----
"Diana…"
One single word and four hearts jumped a beat.
The first….that of the trans-located Diana was understandably expected. After all, it had been almost three weeks, since she had last seen let alone heard from her friend, teammate and more importantly, fiancé. For her, the potent mixture of sadness, joy, surprise, love, longing and a killer set of Amazon Princess sized, pregnancy hormones, had finally broken through her strong exterior.
The second….the second Diana in the room. In her case, it was both an empathy she seemed to share with her dimensional twin and the hidden, but barely contained emotion in Batman's voice…..that did the trick for her. She knew that voice, because she had heard that voice...both consciously and subconsciously. She heard it when Bruce visited her after her mother's death, and maybe, just maybe, she wasn't sure, when he visited her in the hospital. At death's door herself, she had been too out of it to comprehend who or what it was…until now.
Then came the twin of the man in question himself. One word, just one single word was enough to answer any questions and or doubts that the Batman held towards the extent of his doppelganger's feelings towards that earth's Wonder Woman. Moreover, the storm of emotions that he could sense, just below the surface…just below the mask….they shook the Bat down to his toes. The love that his twin held towards Diana, it seemed as deep and as strong as…and this actually scared the Bat a little…as deep and strong as his vow…his mission.
The last one was the red, blue and yellow clad Superman. He did not need to use his superhuman senses, or 'borrowed' telepathy to notice the affect on his teammates….and him. Even though he would not say or even accept it if anyone else spoke it out aloud, a part of him wanted to know what was there between that world's Batman and Wonder Woman, that that earth's Diana did not even consider his own doppelganger. Was it because like here, there too he was already involved with Lois, or was there something else…..something that did not involve him at all, something just between Bruce and Diana. He still remembered the almost wistful look on their guest's face during her first interrogation by the league. He knew that the look wasn't as much for everyone else in the room then, that it was for Batman. Just one word, answered all those questions were...and left in its wake many emerging ones, chief among what happened on that earth, happen on this one too? Between this earth's Batman and Wonder Woman? Between Bruce and Diana?
-
"Diana…" The Batman on the screen carried on, his voice undergoing a subtle shift towards a gentler tone.
"If you are watching this, you probably are in the right place with the right people. This message is targeted towards a specific set of frequencies. The next part of this message contains the schematics and designs for a trans-dimensional communicator, along with the frequencies on which to transmit. However, to unlock and get access to it, both you and whoever unlocked the second part will need to provide authorization. You know what to do….which codes to use."
----
Silence hung in the room as Diana, her head slightly hung from her usual straight, high held posture, let some of her emotions drain out, before letting out a quick breath to compose herself.
She hoped, no, she trusted Bruce would find a way to contact her….and right now, her heart seemed to grow a couple of sizes larger at getting her trust confirmed and more importantly, her hope bolstered. Even though, in his voice she heard regret, his unspoken words telling her that he wasn't done with all the preparations…meaning, it was only to a communication stage, the small victory that they would actually get to see and talk to each other, was enough for her…..for now.
---
Her breathing evened out, her tears wiped clean, her heart fluttering on the wings of hope, the regal Amazonian turned around to his hosts. On her face, in her eyes, a renewed strength seemed to shimmer…the cause of which, everyone present in the room knew. HIM.
"Lets do this."
-
-
Note: Regret the shorter than usual chapter, but this was just for getting the message out there.
Next, the unlocking, the new revelations and then….well, you gotta wait until the next update!
