Chapter 6: Reunion that makes no sense
--
One clear day, the phone rang in Andrew McDougal's house. Matt the Bat picked it up and
recognized the voice on the other end as Tilda's older brother, Kyo.
"Hey, uhh... Is Felicia there?" K asked.
"Well no, not right now." Matt answered. "Do you want me to take a message?"
"Wait, is this Matt?" K appeared to lighten up.
"Yeah, it sure is. What's up?"
"You'll never believe what came in the other day." K started mischievously.
"No, I can't." Matt replied. "But I bet you'll tell me."
"Uh huh, as a matter of fact, look out the window!" He laughed and Matt hurried to the opposite wall.
Outside he could see the city road, full of traffic and bland cars. Suddenly a flash of red lightning
seemed to zoom by wherever there was room. The car tickled at Matt's memory.
He ran back to the phone. "What in the name of- ! Was that you!?"
K only laughed dastardly as a reply. Screeching tires were heard, both in the phone and outside the apartment.
"Come on down, Mr. Griffin!" K chuckled, but Matt was already on his way.
Matt jumped the last steps to get down faster and when he did, he laughed and cried at the same time.
"My... My car!" He smiled through a tear or two. "How did you- ?"
"Some guy said he found it at the car dump, ready to get squished. He took it and got it transferred to
yours truly..." K spun the keys around his finger. "... and I fixed 'er all up."
"How did you know it was mine?" Matt quizzed, looking into the crimson Ford. "It has no plates or registry paper."
"Easy. Look at the dashboard."
Matt looked closer and gasped. Carved into the hard leather were three names, with the first letter in each
forming the word "MAN" together.
"Matt... Andy... Nike..." He searched further and found another logo. "The Lawbreakers..."
He remembered the whole deal again.
K smiled and whistled, gaining Matt's attention. He tossed the keys to their new owner.
"If you excuse me..." Matt said while getting in. "I have some miles to catch up on."
VRR! VRRRRRROOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmm...
--
"All right, Matt. Let's get down to business." Trici said at their following meeting, arranged
in the same, or a replica of the limo Matt remembered from yesterday.
"Finally." Matt stated, crossing his arms.
"This man..." Trici began slowly, sliding a photo of an aged man towards Matt. "... Is meddling with my business."
"Let me guess. You want me to put him out?" Matt said, masking his concern about how he knew this by instinct.
"Yeah. You should know how to handle this kind of situation, right?" She smirked devilishly, teasing at Matt's partially restored memory.
"Hmph." Matt uttered, turning away from Trici.
After a while of engine-hum accompanied silence, She spoke up.
"I like your hair." Trici carefully grabbed a part of Matt's long mane and ran it through her fingers.
"So do I." Matt muttered, tossing his head about and making her drop it.
She ignored this remark and nuzzled into the back of his head, making light moaning noises as she did.
Matt, even though he didn't want to, had to agree that it felt quite arousing.
"Considering your attitude, you're really handsome." Trici whispered into his ear. It tickled, and he fluttered.
"And considering your looks, you're really disgusting." Matt dismissed her.
She pinched the sensitive skin on Matt's neck, making him grunt and writhe slightly in pain.
"Watch your mouth, batboy." She warned him, wagging his chin in her hand. "Remember who you're talking to."
"I wish I didn't." Matt retorted emptily and let her roam around his body until the car began slowing down.
"When you're done..." She said, sliding a note into his pocket. "Go to this building and ask for me."
"I might."
"If you still want to know who you are, you'd go. Otherwise, I'd just leak it to the press and you'd be
hunted for your hideous crimes..." She stretched the pronounciaton on the hideous part.
Matt opened the door and got out, sighing at the "woman" inside.
--
As he shot the first man down, Matt had somehow lost control of himself. Everything he did seemed to
be driven by instinct, every dodged bullet, every successful hit...
After he stole the rifle it all got a little foggy. He remembered shooting people several times... Some in
the head, some in the gut... A sting of pain as a sloppy move let a bullet graze his arm. Revenge. What a wonderful feeling.
Climbing stairs... Ducking for cover... Returning fire... Running and leaping... Several times laughing death
right in the face as the bullets zoomed by beside his body...
All this seemed familiar to him. Almost homey. His mind wandered as his body worked on autopilot.
It was like he was in some kind of armor, looking out from the inside.
Faces, never to move or display emotion again, frozen in fear as they fell to the ground, never to get up again.
In his loneliness, Matt shivered.
No he didn't. The conscious Matt wanted to, but whoever was controlling his body refused.
Matt heard himself draw a surprised gasp as he pulled the reins to his body in order to stop.
With a heavy shotgun in his hands, he sulked over his victim with emotionless, robotic eyes.
"Well, you got me..." The old man said.
The gunfight had riddled the old facility with bullet holes. Matt was returning in control and he didn't like it.
His mouth moved involuntarily.
"Got any last words, old man?" Matt asked as if this whole thing wasn't happening. What am I saying!?
"None... Except maybe I should've begun all this earlier, so I could've died younger." He pondered.
"I'm sure age has no meaning in heaven." What the hell is going on?
"But it's what happens here in life that matters, eh?"
"Good point." Matt said, getting impatient. Please, I can't handle this... Stop!
"Oh well. This is your part. Do it while you may." Good god...
Matt did as he was told and pulled the trigger. The shot echoed for an eternity betwixt the metal walls.
He blew the smoke away with a small puff and kicked the body into the container underneath him.
"Whoever I was and wherever I've been these years..." He mumbled to himself. "The world hasn't changed at all in my absence."
He disposed of his stolen rifle and went outside. There, he fell to his knees and cried out loud.
What kind of fucking monster am I!?
--
"Starshot, also known as the Fame Dome." Storm answered the question.
"That's where the address leads?" Turbo looked at the note once more, inspecting the lip-print.
"If my geography holds up." Storm insured.
The three sat at the same table as always, discussing their next move.
"I think..." Matt started. "I think I need some time off... If that's OK?"
Turbo stared at him. "Why would you-"
"Of course." Storm cut him off by stomping on Turbo's foot underneath the table, making him notice Matt's condition.
His new associate seemed to be heavily burdened by what he had been forced to do.
Matt had told them everything, about getting the mission, about losing control of his body and so forth...
"Thanks... I need some time to... reflect, over myself. Call it recuperate if you want to." Matt sighed solemnly.
He left quietly, leaving Storm and Turbo alone at the table.
"He's very troubled." Turbo stated. "I hope he'll be fine."
"I can't help but wonder what kind of person he was before all this?" Storm asked, staring into nowhere.
Drake came walking in, his headphones blaring out some kind of Ska music very loud.
He took a seat. "He wasss ssso cold when I walked by him, I literally ssshivered!"
"He's our our only lead on Trici." Storm stated.
"Whut?" Drake asked, realizing he couldn't hear a thing with the music so loud. He lowered the volume.
"Matt helps us out. He just needed some time to recover from what he's being made to do." Storm replied.
"But the lead he's got us is too good to delay." Turbo shot in. "We need to act now."
"The heck're you squeaks talkin' bout?" Someone added on their way in.
"Good evening, Trish." Turbo greeted the echidna who sat down with them.
She waved her hand lightly over them in salute.
"We were talking about Matt, our new lead on Trici." Storm informed the mighty woman.
"Who?"
"Matt. A tall bat wearing a black coat?"
"Oh yeah, that dude." Trish remembered. "He's hot."
Turbo rolled his eyes. Storm giggled and Drake poked his nose.
Nothing unusual going on at the Enforcer's HQ.
"Hey Turbo." Storm said, leaning closer to him. "I was wondering if maybe... you know..."
"What is it, Storm?" He asked, turning his ear at her.
"Maybe we could... Go and..." Storm either couldn't find the words, or she couldn't find the courage. So she gave up.
"Know what? Nevermind." She stood up and walked away.
"What got into her?" Turbo asked the remaining two when she'd left.
"You seriously can't see?" Trish asked awkwardly.
"Umm... No." Turbo answered.
"Sheesh!" Trish blurted and left as well.
"What in the world is going on?" Turbo stated into thin air. Drake looked up at him, but didn't try to answer.
He was probably just as stumped.
A while of silence passed before Turbo got bored and asked;
"How's that egg thing working out for you?"
"Roossstersss don't lay eggsss." Drake stated proudly.
"Wow, Drake." Turbo's eyebrows went clean off his head. "How'd you figure it out?"
"Trish told me." He put his headphones back on just in time to miss the sound of Turbo falling off his chair.
--
"Are you sure you wanna go look for her today of all days?" Felicia asked Matt, who was sitting on her bed.
He had just stated that he wanted to meet this Rouge person, whoever she was.
"Yeah, I feel... Ready." Matt shook his head while saying this to straighten his mind. "She's a link to my past and she might know something." Maybe I don't want to find out... He thought.
He wanted to straighten this whole deal up... But could he handle the truth? Perhaps leaving it as the past
would be the optimal solution? No. I have to do this.
"I looked up the bar, Bad Luck. It a usual nightclub as nightclubs go, but tonight it's theme night..."
"Meaning?" Matt asked impatiently.
"Well, since it's Rave night, skidding in with those tight jeans and motorcycle boots would make you stick out like a sore thumb."
"What's your point?" Matt demanded, but two minutes later, he realized what she meant.
"No. No, no and no." He protested. "I'm NOT putting those... those... THINGS on!"
"Come on, it's now or never." Felicia smiled, already having changed into a florescent pink t-shirt and long cargo shorts.
"Nope. Not gonna happen."
"You can wear your own clothes beneath, if you miss the tightness." She looked at him with starry eyes.
"Pretty please? It's for your own best interest! You never know when you'll feel ready again."
Matt sighed for ten seconds straight before grabbing the pile of clothes and stepping into the bathroom.
When he came out, Felicia jumped of joy. He was wearing a long-sleeved tie dye shirt, really baggy pants
with weird patterns on them and a military cap sporting several pins.
"Your hair's wrong, though..." Felicia said and began styling it. "There you go!"
"I can't see." Matt complained.
"It's supposed to be like that." Felicia snickered. "Now let's go!"
"Hey wait!" Matt yelled even as she dragged him out. "I changed my mind!"
--
"Felicia, I'm going to kill you when we get back." Matt stated emptily outside the bar. However,
music was leaking out and causing their bodies to pulse the backbeat before the even were inside.
"Yeah yeah, whatever." She replied without glancing his way. "Princess was gonna come too, I wonder where she's at?"
"Staying away, if she knows what's best for her."
"Look nice or shut up." Felicia demanded, and since this was home ground for her, Matt piped down.
The lined showed no signs of being in a hurry. It barely moved at all, it seemed. At least not for Matt,
whose patience was just as slowly running out.
After a few endless minutes of waiting in line, Princess arrived clad in the same kind of style both Matt and Felicia was in.
"Ooh, nice catch you got there Felicia!" She smiled at Matt.
"I'm NOT her boyfriend!" Matt bellowed desperately. Princess recognized the voice.
"Matt? Is that you?" She lifted his bangs and remembered his face. "Ha! Fancy meeting you here."
"You two know each other?" Felicia asked.
"I know her brother." Matt said. "That's all."
"Gee, don't be so cold. You might not be, but Felicia and I'm here to have some fun!"
The trio managed to pass the bouncer, but it took the combined efforts of both Felicia and Princess to keep Matt on the inside.
When he did, he wished more than ever that he'd stayed on the outside.
Whatever song that was playing, was hurting his poor hearing and the flashing lights threatened to blind him is h
kept his eyes open. But, he was here to look for someone and walking around eyes closed would make the task quite more difficult.
The bar itself, a mahogany structure, was currently not very populated. This was probably because of the "catchy" song that was booming.
There are people who actually LIKE this kind of... noise!? Matt cried slowly in his mind.
He shot the barkeeper a desperate look and received a glass of liquor. The barkeep smiled as Matt bent down
in order to get the killer sound frequencies out of ear-height.
However, the noise faded slightly and paved way for the DJ's dark voice.
"AWRIGHT LADEEZ N' GENTZ! WHAZZAP!?" He screamed, nearly loud enough to make the microphone he was holding unnecessary.
"HERE'S ONE FOR YOU VETERANS OUT THERE! LET'S DO IT OLD SCHOOL!"
Matt raised his ears in surprise. A familiar keyboard reached his mind, followed by a choir of "Danger! Oh yeah..."
He smirked devilishly to himself.
Europe. His favorite band. A wave of musical memories rolled over him and he felt refreshed.
"Dan- ger on the track! Something told me there were strang- ers on block!" Joey Tempest sang.
Matt happily chimed along, suddenly knowing the entire song by heart..
But soon, this climax of music ended and left Matt with the same ruckus he hadn't missed. He saw Felicia
shakin' on the dancefloor. Sweeping his drink in one last gulp, he strode over to her.
"This 'music' is hurting my ears!" Matt screamed, trying to make Felicia hear him.
"WHAT!?" She replied. "WHATEVER! JUST DO WHAT YOU CAME FOR, OR SOMETHING!"
"Hmph." Matt muttered.
"WHAT!?" Felicia asked again. "REMEMBER, A SHORT BAT WITH WHITE HAIR!"
Matt made his way through the crowd to get closer to the stage, where the DJ had set up his massive array of noisecrafting tools.
He looked around, thanking god for being taller than usual, and noticed a bat matching the "advanced"
description he'd been given. She walked through a door which automatically closed behind her.
Must be electronically locked... Matt thought, and scurried over to it.
There was a small slot to insert a key card. Matt realized he didn't have one, and that he didn't have enough
time to steal one because she might get away.
So he tried a more brutal approach, jamming his smuggled switchblade into the poor slot and raping it unforgivingly
until the door opened.
Piece of cake!
Matt walked inside and forced the door shut behind him.
In front of him was a flight of stairs leading up. The pounding beat could still be heard clearly as he slowly and
soundlessly strode the steps.
He was met by a set of doors, which he identified as individual dressing rooms for the dancers. At the far end,
a door labeled "Rouge" closed.
Matt, who was now sure he had hit the jackpot, leaned onto the door silently listening for any movement.
None. So she had left? What was she doing?
His logic failed him, so he decided to take a wild chance and slowly twisted the doorknob.
A bullet zoomed in and hit the wall beside his head, making him close the door on instinct.
"I don't do private shows." The voice sounded so familiar, Matt's heart skipped a beat and he swallowed hard.
"I'm not here for that." He stated coolly, trying to masked the shiver he was feeling..
A silence ensued. Not the usual kind, though. This silence was thin and deadly, like a razor.
Finally, she broke it.
"Who are you?" The voice asked uncertainly.
"I don't mean any harm." Matt replied. At least I think I don't...
"What do you want me?" She asked, trace of worry in her voice... Or could it be fear?
"May I come in?"
"How about no?" She said. "How do I know you're not armed?"
"If I put my hands in first, will you promise not to shoot them?" Matt asked, placing his trust in the familiar voice.
His heart was beating so rapidly it ached in his chest. He needed to see this person, right now.
"... All right."
Matt took a deep breath and stuck his hands through the door. He expanded the gap gradually with his foot until
he was met by a pair of scared eyes.
"Oh god..." Rouge dropped her gun and walked up to Matt with slow, careful steps.
"I- it's you..." Matt uttered. Reaching out for her. His vision was fading, his ears were ringing and he had no idea of
what was going on inside his head.
"How can you be..." She touched his cheek lightly, but pulled away when she felt the heat from his body.
She pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. No, not this time...
"Please, tell me..." Matt pleaded. "What happened... ?"
"I ki- I mean I thought I..." She stuttered.
"You did... what?" Matt sharpened his eyes into hers. She needed to think fast. Really fast.
What she said right then derailed Matt's head. How could it be true? How could he have forgotten?
"I thought I'd lost you..." She threw her arms around him. "Where've you been all these years?"
"Wh- wha?" Matt gulped, unable to make any coherent sounds.
"Don't you remember?" She said, looking into his deep gray eyes. "We were married..."
--
Notes:
So finally I decided to update this peice of fuck. Not that anyone will read it but anyway...
This is getting quite interesting. I had thought up the twist itself long before I wrote this, so I do say: I feels good to have it on paper...
Well, don't forget to tell me what you think, people! I can't make it better if you don't point out the flaws.
Criticism is welcome, as long as you keep it civilized. Which means no attacks against me as a person. Because I'm 99% sure that you have no idea who I am in real life.
Keep it up, HHC fans! (What a big word :) )
/Matti