Chapter 4: Raging Waters Part 1: Bad News and Good News
A week after saving Bruce and the others from Bane, Bruce was performing his acrobatics in his old circus uniform, a gray t-shirt with black sleeves and pants with a black bat on the chest.
"Awesome!" Clark called out. "What's the bat for?"
"My mom says I reminded her of a little bat when she made this for me." Bruce said.
"A bat?" Clark asked. "Like the flying mammal?"
"Shut up." Bruce said defensively.
"This is great, having you here, Bruce." Lois said with a smile.
"It's like having another brother." Conner said with a smile.
"I wonder what could be keeping Ollie." Martha asked as she looked out the window.
"That kid's always running late." Jonathan reassured Martha.
Martha was still worried. Oliver was like a son to her.
"I know, but with so many guards patrolling the streets these days-" Martha began before Jonathan stopped her.
"Martha, you worry too much." Jonathan said with a smile. "Ollie's just fine. I'm sure of it."
Oliver was in trouble.
He had been out when several guards from the raid last week recognized him, and he rushed off, knowing Jonathan wouldn't approve of him shooting the guards with arrows when there was some other way.
"Alright, you want me?!" Oliver called out. "Come and get me!"
The soldiers continued after him.
"I knew that wouldn't work." Oliver groaned as he rushed off. It wasn't long before he found a donkey and got on its back while he used his arrow to sever the rope holding it to a ring on the wall, and it rushed off with Oliver only barely able to hang on. The donkey eventually kicked Oliver off into a horse troth.
"I needed a bath anyway." Oliver said with a smile as he held his breath and sunk under the water as guards rushed passed. Once they were gone, Oliver rushed back to the farm as quickly as he could.
Oliver arrived at the farm and quickly locked the door.
"Jonathan!" Oliver called out. "Jonathan! The soldiers have captured the Story Teller for Metropolis!"
"I know." Jonathan said calmly. "I know. Try this roll Martha made."
"A roll?!" Oliver asked as Clark handed him a roll he was holding. "Jonathan, Christians from all over are coming to Metropolis tonight, and there's no one to tell the story! You have to go to Metropolis!" Oliver called out.
"I wish I could, Oliver, but there's a meeting here tonight." Jonathan explained.
"Jonathan's going to tell the story of John the Baptist." Martha said as the other kids tried rolls, and they were all good, prompting Oliver to try one. It tasted pretty good.
"John the who?" Bruce asked.
"John the Baptist." Oliver repeated. "He was the cousin of Jesus, and he lived in the dessert, near the Jordan River. He ate honey and locusts to stay alive."
"Honey flavored insects?" Lois asked as she put the roll down, losing her appetite.
"Yuck." Conner said as he stuck his tongue out.
"Shh!" Clark said.
"How can Jonathan tell a story at a time like this?" Oliver asked. The kids would hear the story later that night, right now they needed a story for Metropolis.
"Be patient, Ollie." Martha said calmly. "Jonathan knows what he's doing."
"You see, John was a great prophet," Jonathan continued. "And when he came out of the dessert, he did not like what he saw. He began to tell the people to change their ways. Not to steal and not to cheat.
"'If you have two coats, give one to someone who has none.' John would say, as well as, 'If you have food, share that too.'
"People everywhere were talking about this strange man. He would ask people to be baptized, shortly put their whole bodies under water and come back out, as a sign they wanted to change their ways, which was why he was called John the Baptist.
"'I baptize you with water.' John would say. 'But the man who follows me will be greater than I am. I am not worthy to untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.'
"And sure enough, not long after John appeared near Jordan, Jesus left his home in Nazareth and went to join the crowds at the river bank. John was nervous. He knew he wasn't worthy to baptize Jesus, but Jesus smiled at him, and John knew it was alright. He baptized Jesus, and just then something wonderful happened.
"A light shone down on Jesus as the voice of God said, 'You are my beloved son. With you, I am pleased.'
"After that, Jesus went to the dessert for forty days and nights, but I'll tell you about that some other time."
"Look Jonathan," Oliver said as he did enjoy the story, but they were running out of time. "That was great, but what about Metropolis? They aren't going to have a story tonight unless we do something."
"Exactly." Jonathan said with a smile. "Clark?"
Clark took out a scroll and handed it to Jonathan.
"What's that?" Oliver asked.
"It's a story for the Christians in Metropolis." Clark said with a smile.
"And you're going to give it to them." Jonathan said with a kind smile.
"That's a great idea!" Oliver called out. He knew Jonathan wouldn't let him down. "There's only one problem. Getting to Metropolis. The roads are practically paved with guards."
"There must be some way to get through." Martha insisted as Jonathan took a long piece of bread and stuffed the scroll inside of it.
"We know a way." Lois said with a mischievous look on all of the kids' faces that Oliver didn't like.
I'll give you five guesses what the kids' way is.