Author's Note: Chapter 95 is now up. If you haven't read "A Congregation of Hope" already, be sure to go back and read that first. Sorry about all the confusion. I wanted to save Trigon's big reveal for Chapter 100. And if you have read the last chapter, let's proceed to the psychedelic event that is…

XCVI
Penstock!

Anyone who knew Tim Drake realized that he was not easily impressed when it came to technological feats. The young man often designed circuit boards from a molecular level in his mind during his lunch break. Truthfully, he enjoyed what he did, but few knew how the young man longed for the wow-factor he had lost as a child… like when he was nine and hacked into NASA to submit plans for a lower Earth orbiter. Good times…

Sure, the Tachyon Cannon that shot backwards through time was pretty cool. The fact that his boss was married to a young, really hot, half-demon from another dimension… well, that had actually opened up a whole new life plan for him.

But when Bruce Wayne had engineered five gigantic 60-storey tall wi-screens over the walls of the Pentagon all of which happened to be in front of over one hundred thousand people, that was simply something he could not resist. That had wow-potential. That was a prank begging to happen…

Tim placed a call to his favorite Wayne News Net reporter. Like a fool, she answered.

"Hey wonder-kid, I'm a little busy right now…"

"Hey Vicki, you're covering the crowd at the Pentagon, right?"

"Yes. And?..."

"Did you see those giant screens that Bruce created?"

"So help me Tim, if you called me just to geek-out over giant wi-screens…"

"You're going to be on them in eight seconds."

"What?!... Wait, that's kind of cool, actually…"

"And Vicki, it will only be your cameraman. No one else…"

"What, wait!…" She stopped when a giant frantic image of herself suddenly appeared on five megalithic screens in the night-time sky. She resisted the instinctive urge to fix her 300-hundred foot tall hair now on-screen. Oh, he would pay…

"Good evening, America. This is Vicki Vale reporting live for Wayne Net News at the Pentagon… And for the handful of people in attendance without screens, my technical team has decided to broadcast my live feed to the very large wi-screens hovering once again above the Pentagon which had only recently displayed the President's address. The marvels of modern technology, will they ever cease?...

I'm here now with an incredibly diverse and compassionate crowd. Some are here to pray, some to offer support for the newly appointed President, and others just to be with other people in what could be our last night on Earth."

As she walked by the crowd, everyone mugged to the camera. They held their signs higher, cheered raucously, made peace signs or even continued silently in prayer. People seemed genuinely thrilled to be on the big screens. To have their moment of fame in a world that too often forgot them.

"I'd like to get a little crowd reaction if I could… Ma'am, I see you're holding up a picture of a fine-looking young man. What brought you here tonight?"

"…My son, Vicki. Captain Thomas Bradley of the First Armored Division. He's over there right now waiting for the President's arrival. I just wanted to say how much we love you, Tom. Bring him back alive, son…"

"There's a lot of military moms and dads here tonight, and we all wish our fighting forces the best. I'd like to thank all of them personally if I could… And you sir, why are you here tonight?"

"Hi Vicki… Y'know, until four hours ago, I wasn't even religious. Now, I'm trying to find God and ask His help. It's like the President said… with enough voices raised, maybe Someone out there will hear us…"

"God help us… I think a lot of people are thinking that tonight. Thank you, sir. I'm just going to walk over here to another section of people… Phew… That's an odor I haven't smelled since college… Cough…Excuse me sir, is that medicinal marijuana you're smoking?"

"Wha'?... Oh no, this is purely recreational. If I'm going down, I'm going down stoned!" There was a loud cheer from the surrounding crowd who also seemed to be of the same mindset. "But seriously, I can feel the love here. Y'know, it's a totally beautiful thing. I've got nothin' but love for the President. The baddest thing on the planet just called him out and he hopped on a plane. No nukes, just mano-a-mano. Badass! I think it's totally cool he married the devil's daughter…"

"Thank you, sir. This particular section reminds me of Woodstock without the musical acts…" A shirtless man ran in front of her, arms raised and yelled to the camera…

"It's Penstock, man!" Another large cheer from the crowd. Vicki moved on to a tall African American lady in a less chemically-intense area of the crowd.

"And you ma'am, what brings you here tonight?"

"Support for our troops. Support for our government. And remembering Lois Lane."

"That brings up an interesting parallel… Recent events have shown that Lois Lane was in a relationship with the extra-terrestrial known as Big Blue and now Bruce Wayne has admitted to being married to a half-demon. Two presidents who have tested other waters, so to speak. What's your opinion on human/non-human relations?"

"Well Vicki, I'm recently divorced, but I was married to a white man for five years. It didn't work out, but if anyone had told me that I couldn't love him because of his color, I would tell them they're wrong. We just can't help who we fall in love with."

"No, I suppose we can't. I suppose the important thing is that we do love. Thank you ma'am. And you Madam?... What brings you here?"

"It's Donner… Eve Donner. I'm just waiting for a friend, Miss Vale."

"Nothing else, Miss Donner?"

"No, just a friend. I've been waiting for a long time."

"I see, does your friend have a name?"

"Orion."

"Is he Irish?"

"Not exactly."

"Well, good luck, I hope he finds you in this crowd."

"He will."

"Wonderful… Moving along, I'd like to get some comments from some of the various religious groups here tonight. I must say that it is wonderful to see so many different denominations, side-by-side, united in a single cause, working together…"

Vicki Vale continued to talk to people throughout the night, letting them voice their thoughts, their hopes, their beliefs to the crowd. There was love here. They were scared, but they were reaching out to one another. Bruce may never have known it, but he had inspired them to take solace in one another.

They watched themselves on the large screens, and cheered when a young man went on bended knee to propose to his girlfriend. He was going to do it next weekend, but figured he may not get the chance. She said that tonight was just fine and yes, a hundred times yes. And was there a minister in the crowd?...

They called their kids and their parents to tell them they loved them and to show them this amazing, crazy crowd and told them they wished they were here with them on this night the world would never forget. They sang old Beatles songs and a chorus of 'God Bless America'. They waved flags, shared wine, held one another and watched the stars in the sky above...

And Tim Drake leaned back in his chair at Wayne Communications and smiled.

"Well done, Miss Vale… Well done."