Leather Wings
Only human
It was late, too late for anyone to be up. Still, two men came out from a building. They had bags in there hands, bags with a lot of money. The building they had come out from was Gotham Central Bank. They looked at each other and grinned.
"That was easy!" one of the men laughed.
"Yeah! But c'mon, we got the cash! Let's move, before bat-freak shows up!" the other man said.
"I'm afraid "bat-freak" can't come tonight…" a voice said.
The men froze.
"What was that?" the first man asked.
"How the hell am I supposed to know?!" The other man replied.
Then they saw her, a…girl? In a suit with cat-ears and a tail? Her eyes were glowing in the dark.
"Who the hell are you?!" the first man asked.
"Yeah, who are you? Some sort of Catwoman-wannabe?" The other man asked.
The girl just stared at them and grinned.
"Hmmm, Catwoman-wannabe you say?" she said with a cold voice. The men backed a few steps.
"I prefer to be called Shadowcat!" She said and grabbed a huge sword from her back.
"Hey! Little kid!?" they yelled and grabbed their guns. "Playtime's over!"
She grinned and tittered.
"How odd" She said.
"What?"
"I was just about to say the same thing for you!" She said and jumped at them.
A scream went trough the quiet city.
All was over in less than a minute…
…………………….
It was very quiet in the Batcave. All the bats were pleased and satisfied. Kathy was out on her first mission. Bruce entered the cave.
"Aaron!" he said. "Good news, I think I know what the last ingredient is!"
Aaron looked surprised.
"You do?"
Bruce didn't say anything. Instead he took a needle and tried to put it into Aarons arm. Aaron stared at him and backed a few steps.
"No, no!" he yelled. "I do not want a needle in my arm!!!"
"Take it easy, Aaron!" Bruce said. "I need your blood for the formula!"
"Okaay? Sure, you can have my blood, but not with a needle! Please!" he yelled.
"Okay, well how do you suggest we do it then?"
Aaron grinned and then he bit his arm. A lot of blood landed on the cave-floor. He smiled.
"Mmm, I actually taste quite good!" he said and held out his arm at Bruce. "Here, take as much as you want!"
He stared at him.
"You can bite yourself, but not take a small needle?" he asked sarcastic and took some of the blood. "I'll go get a bandage."
"Eh, that's not necessary." Aaron said. "I can lick it up. It tastes quite good!"
He gave him a look.
"Eh, okay, you can get a bandage…"
Just then Kathy returned. She had the Catwoman-suit on. But she had made some changes on it. The arms and legs were grey, not black. The eyes on the mask were yellow, and she had a tail too. She had gloves with claws and two "Katanas" on her back. She took off her mask, and looked at him.
"Oh my God! What has happened to your arm?!" she yelled.
"Blood-test…" Bruce said.
"But that's a big wound. If you just took a blood-test, it would have been much smaller."
"We didn't use a needle." Bruce said.
"Huh? If you didn't use a needle…hey, wait a minute! You didn't bite yourself, did you?"
Aaron didn't say anything.
"Humph! Are you afraid of a small needle?!" she asked.
"It's nothing wrong with that!" he answered. "Lots of people are afraid of needles!"
"Yeah, but you're a big though vampire-bat! Who's afraid of needles? Oh god…"
He snorted
"So how was your first mission?" Bruce asked.
Kathy sighed.
"It was b-o-r-i-n-g!! God, even you could have handled them!"
"Never underestimate your enemies, Kathy." Bruce said while he examined the blood.
"But they're easy!"
"Never!" He said cold.
Kathy looked away.
"Okay…"
Aaron looked at her.
"Bruce's only worried." He said.
"Hm, maybe…but hey! It looks like Bruce can make the serum after all! That's good for you!"
Aaron smiled.
"Yes, it sure is!"
Kathy smiled back.
"Okay, let's say that the serum would work."
"Yes?"
"What is the first thing you are gonna do as a human?"
Aaron didn't answer.
"Aaron?"
He came back to the reality.
"What?" he asked.
She sighed.
"What is the first thing you are gonna do as a human!?"
"Oh! I don't really know. Test how it's gonna feel without fur, wings, claws and a tail, I guess!" he laughed. "Oh, I sure gonna miss 'em…"
"You don't have to worry about that, Aaron." Bruce said. "Your father tried to make a formula which would give you the possibility to change from bat to human, and vice versa."
Aaron smiled.
"Oh, thank god for that…"
Kathy had changed to her normal clothes.
"Well, I better go home now. I must make some errands in the city." She said.
"Oh, okay." Aaron said. "But you will come back tonight right?"
She smiled.
"Of course!"
Then she went to the stairs and disappeared. Soon after that, Terry arrived.
"Oh, are you up Aaron?" he asked. "I thought bats were night-creatures!"
"Kathy woke me up." He said. "She had her first mission today."
"Oh, that's right. How did it go?"
Bruce snorted.
"She is too hasty and too reckless. She is like her grandmother was AND her grandfather!"
"Grandfather?" Terry asked. "I know that her grandma was Batgirl, but what has her grandpa to do with this?"
Both Aaron and Bruce looked at him.
"What?"
"Didn't you know?" Aaron asked.
"Know what?"
Aaron sighed.
"Kathys grandpa is Dick Grayson, Nightwing!"
"What! Why hasn't she told me that?"
"Realize it, Terry!" Aaron said. "Kathy don't like you."
He sighed.
"No, I guess not."
Then he turned to Bruce who examined some strange liquid.
"What are you doing Wayne?" he asked.
"I'm making a serum for Aaron." was all he said.
"A serum?" He asked confused. "For what?"
"It's a serum which allows me to switch form, from bat to human." Aaron said and smiled.
"Oh, I see." Terry said. "Does Kathy know?"
"Yeah, she knows." Aaron answered. "But she doesn't know when it'll be ready."
"Okay, so where is she?"
"She needed to do some errands in the city." Bruce said.
"Oh, so when is the serum ready?" Terry asked.
"It should be ready in a few minutes." Bruce answered.
Aaron looked up at him.
"So soon?" he asked.
"Yeah."
Aaron looked chocked.
"How come you finished it so fast? With dad, it almost took his whole lifetime."
Bruce looked at him.
"Your father was almost finished with the serum." He answered. "I just continued his work."
"Oh…"
Soon…soon would he be like everyone else. But was that a good thing? Would he still be able to communicate with the bats in the cave? They were like his family. And his wings? He loved to fly. In all the history-books he had read, their were humans who dreamed of flying. Would he just throw it away? But, the serum would gave him the ability to change from one another. But would it be the same thing? He didn't knew…
"Hey, what are you thinking about Langstrom?" Terry asked. "You had a I-am-not-here face."
"Eh? What did you say?"
Terry sighed.
"Did you listened to me?"
"No, I guess not."
He sighed again.
"I was saying-"
"The serum is ready!" Bruce suddenly said.
Aaron looked up.
"It is?"
"Yes." Bruce said. "Do you wanna test it now, or wait to Kathy comes back?"
"Man! Drink it now!" Terry said and smiled. "Surprise her!"
Aaron thought about it a few seconds.
"I think I take it now!" He said.
Bruce gave him a look.
"Are you sure?" He asked. "I'm not sure it's safe? Maybe I shall do some more tests?"
Aaron didn't have the chance to say something before Terry had taken the bottle and given it to him.
"What the hell man! You only live once!" He said and grinned.
Aaron looked nervous.
"Bottle up!" he said and swallowed the serum in one gulp.
Seconds went…
Terry and Bruce looked at him.
"Nothing happens…" Terry said.
"Hmm, maybe I missed something?" Bruce mumbled.
Aaron just sat there on the floor. Suddenly a strange feeling went trough his body. It became stronger and stronger until it started to hurt. He began to scream.
Both Terry and Bruce stared at him.
"Looks like it's working." Bruce said calmly.
"Eh? Are you just gonna stand there Wayne!?" Terry almost shouted. "He's in pain!"
Bruce just stood there.
Aaron didn't listen at all. It was like his senses were all gone. His fur was itching and it felt like every bone in his body was broken. It was hurting so much! Why did they just stand there? "It hurts! It hurts!"
Terry was just about to run over to Aaron, when Bruce stopped him.
"There's nothing you can do." He said. "The serum is working perfect"
Terry swallowed.
"If you say so"
Suddenly it felt like everything melted on Aarons body; the fur, the wings, the tail, everything!
Terry and Bruce just stared at him.
And then, finally the pain was over. Aaron opened his eyes. He almost wanted to scream. What was this? The cave was dark! But he saw that the light was on. Did humans see this bad? And all the sounds he was used to hear. Did humans hear this bad too? He looked at his arms. No wings, just ordinary human-arms.
"This is very weird." He said quiet.
Terry just stared.
"Aaron…" he said.
"Yes?"
"You're naked…"
Aaron looked at him.
"Oh…" he said and blushed. "Well, maybe you can fix some clothes for me then!"
Terry nodded, and ran to the stairs. Bruce was left. He just stood there.
"Looks like it worked." He said. "How do you feel?"
"Dizzy…" Aaron answered. "And my eyes and my hearing is so bad."
"You'll get used to it kid." Bruce said. "And you should be able to turn back into your bat-form."
"Will it hurt then too?" Aaron asked worried.
"No, I don't think so."
Soon after that Terry returned. He had a lot of clothes with him.
"Here, pick whatever you want." He said.
"Oh, okay." Aaron said.
He thought about what Kathy had said before. "If you could wear clothes, grey would have been great to your yellow eyes."
He turned to Terry.
"Hey, Terry" he asked.
"What?"
"Do I still have yellow eyes?"
Terry looked closer.
"Yes, you have!" he said. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Just a thing Kathy spoke about before." Aaron said and smiled.
Terry stared.
"Oh my…" he said.
"What?"
"You still have fangs…"
"Oh…" he said. "Well, then I still can drink blood!"
Bruce gave him a look.
"What?"
"Be careful with the blood-thing…" he said. "Don't do that in front of people."
"Of course not, Bruce." Aaron said.
"But, c'mon Aaron! Put on some clothes now!" Terry said irritated.
Aaron nodded, then he started to rummaged in the heap of clothes.
………………..
Later, Terry and Bruce sat in the living-room. Aaron was in the bathroom and put on the clothes he had chosen.
"So, who do you think he looks like?" Terry asked Bruce.
"How do you mean?" he replied.
"Well, does he look like his father or mother for example?"
"He looks like his father" Bruce said.
"Oh, okay…"
…………………………
Aaron was just about to go out to the living-room when he saw his reflection in the mirror. He observed himself. Tall. Dark brown hair. Kind of pale, but who could blame him? He had never been out in the sunlight before. He didn't have his father's brown eyes or his mother's green eyes… but except for that, he looked quite good!
He went out to the living-room.
"Wow, Kathy's gonna be really surprised" Terry said and grinned. "Nice choice Langstrom!"
"You think so?" Aaron asked.
He wore a grey shirt, black jeans, grey converse and a black shawl.
"Yeah! But why grey and black?"
"Um, Kathy told me grey would suit my…yellow eyes." He said quiet and smiled.
"Okay! But man, are you just gonna sit here and wait for Kathy to come back?"
"Eh, I don't now? What would you suggest?"
"That we go down to the city and find her! What do you say, bro?"
Aaron stared at him.
"What? Out in the city? But…but the sun! What about the sun!?"
Terry started to laugh.
"Eh, hello! Are you a vampire or something?! You can take the sun!"
"O…okay." Aaron said quiet.
They went down do the city. Aaron just stared. The sun, the people, everything! This was so great! They walked past a group of girls who looked at him and started to whisper and titter.
"Terry, they're looking at me…" Aaron whispered.
"Maybe they think you're attractive!" Terry said and grinned.
"Shut up!"
"Haha, but hey! Look over there! Kitty-cat 10 pm!" Terry said. "Hey! Kath, over here!"
Kathy turned around and saw Terry and a unfamiliar boy.
"Whoa, he's cute…" She said quiet.
Terry waved at her and shouted.
"Hey, Kath! There is someone I want you to meet!"
"What are you doing?!" Aaron whispered to him.
"Eh, what do you think? You want her to know, do you?"
"Yes, but…"
He didn't have the chance to finish, before Kathy came running to them.
"Hi Terry!" She said. "Who's your friend?"
"Oh, you know him Kath!"
"Eh no, I don't think I do."
"Oh c'mon! Kathy it's A-"
Aaron grabbed his arm.
"Stop it Terry!" he whispered with an angry voice. "I can tell her myself!"
"Then, go for it bro!" he whispered and grinned. "Kath! I just need to do an errand. I'll be right back!"
Then he run off.
"What! Are you just going to leave me here with a guy I don't know!?" She shouted after him.
Aaron blushed.
"Oh, man! How shall I tell this to her?" He thought. "Come on Aaron! What's with you? Did you become weak when you became human!?"
Kathy looked at him.
"Well, looks like we're stuck here Mr…? What is your name anyway?"
Aaron took a deep breath.
"Kathy, it's me! Aaron!"
Kathy just looked at him.
"What? Is that Aaron? No way! Was the serum ready? Oh, he's so…so handsome!!" "Aaron? Whoa…It's…it's great!! Oh god!! I can't believe it! You are…handsome!"
Aaron blushed.
"Ohh, so you mean I wouldn't be?"
"No, that's not the point!" Kathy yelled. "Ohh, I'm so happy for you!"
She gave him a big hug. A really big one. Then she realized what she were doing and realised him.
"Eh, that was unexpected…" Aaron said and became red all over his face.
"I'm sorry…I didn't mean too."
"That's okay!"
Kathy smiled.
"So, how does it feel to be a human?"
"Well, my eyesight sucks! So does my hearing and my smell and I can't fly! But except for that, it's quite good!"
"But, isn't that serum suppose to turn you back at will?"
"Yeah, but I haven't tried it yet."
"Okay…" Kathy said. "But hey! You haven't seen the city yet! Let me show you around!"
Aaron smiled.
"Yes, that would be nice!"
Kathy blushed.
"Oh, he's so cute!" she thought. "Well, we can go to a café if you want?"
Aaron smiled and Kathy took his hand.
"Now it's no fur and claws in the way." She said and smiled.
……………………
Bruce was in the cave. He examined the serum, he had made for Aaron. Something wasn't right! How would it come that Aaron still had the yellow eyes and the fangs left? Had he missed something? He laid an example of the serum in a microscope. He looked at it and thought.
"Hmm, the molecules looks normal…" he said for himself. "But the DNA-cells are acting strange? That would only happen if they…Oh my god!"
Bruce grabbed the phone and called Terry.
"Hallo?" a voice said on the other end of the phone-line.
"McGinnis! You must take Aaron back here! Now!!"
"What? Why?"
"I'll explain when you guys get back! Now hurry!"
Terry did a grimace.
"Ehh, I don't really have Aaron here…with me…" Terry said nervous.
"You lost him!?"
"No! Not really. I left him with Kath! Call her instead!"
"*Sigh* Okay… But come back you too!"
Terry didn't finish before Bruce had cut the phone-line.
Bruce called Kathy and explained exactly the same as he had did to Terry.
"What do you mean, we have to go back!?" Kathy yelled in the phone. "I wanna know exactly what's going on before we go back! You hear!?"
"I said that I'll explain when you come back! Right know everyone in the city is in danger, because Aaron is there!"
"What?"
"Just, take him home! I'll explain!"
"O…okay!"
Kathy shutted off the phone in silence.
"What did he say?" Aaron asked worried.
"Looks like we can't go on a café today…" she said quiet and dragged him to the closest bus.
…………………..
Later, everyone sat in the batcave. Bruce stood with the serum in his hand. Kathy looked angry.
"Okay! Now I wanna know what's going on!" she yelled at Bruce.
"Take it easy Kathy! I shall explain, but first I need Aaron to turn into his old self again!"
Aaron looked surprised.
"Why?" he asked confused.
"Just do it!" Bruce said cold.
Aaron nodded and run off deeper in the cave. When no one saw him, he took off his clothes and begun to concentrate. He imagined how the fur went back on his body, the claws grow out of his fingers. The wings grow out of his long fuzzy arms and the tail grow out and how his ears became longer. And suddenly he could hear all the sounds he was used to hear. All the smells and all the thing he suddenly could see much better. But something was different. He…he couldn't stand up on his two legs! If he tried, he only fell back on all four! And…was it just him, or was his senses even better now?
"Eh, Bruce!" he yelled. "There is something strange here!"
Bruce sighed.
"As I feared…" He said. "Terry! Kathy! You two wait here!"
"But!"
"Wait here…" he said again with a clear and cold voice.
He went to were Aaron was.
"Doc, I think we have a problem!" Aaron said worried. "I…I can't stand on two legs!"
"It's as I feared, Aaron!" Bruce said. "Come with me! We go back to the others."
"O…okay."
Aaron started to walk a little unsteady. But soon he had learned.
Kathy was the first to see that something wasn't right.
"Aaron? Why are you walking on four legs?" she asked worried.
Aaron didn't answer.
"His DNA-cells are mutating." Bruce said. "I'm terribly sorry! I'm afraid it's my fault."
"Whoa, whoa! Wait a sec! What do you mean his DNA-cells are mutating?" Kathy asked.
"It means that I'm becoming more and more bat…" Aaron said and looked at her.
"What? But the serum?"
"It's the serums fault." Bruce said. "I made something very, very wrong…"
Aaron looked down at the floor.
What was gonna happen now? If he became more and more bat, he would lose his ability to talk! To understand human-words! And he was a vampire-bat! Would he know which one who was his friends or not? Would he kill anyone for his blood-desire?
Kathy looked at him and laid her hand on his shoulder.
"It'll be okay…" she said and smiled. "It'll be okay…"
Hey everyone! Well, isn't this a problem? Aaron will become more and more bat! Personally, I think he would become even more cuter than he already is! But, we can't have a giant blood-thirsty bat hanging in the city, can we? Well, if you review maybe old Bruce will manage to create an antidote! And I have a small problem! There are only TWO peoples who have reviewed!!! That isn't good, is it?! Please, REVIEW!!!!