Gotham Nights, Part 7 (of 9)
By: C. Leuch
At first Matt could not move. Even though he knew who Laura was, even though he had told her to be a hero, he hadn’t been prepared for what he had seen. One second she was jogging to the darkened area between two buildings, the next she was standing next to the gunman, dressed all in black and wearing a mask, her hair pulled up neatly on her head. Then the gun, solid steel, was crushed with minimal effort. Her presence had stopped all other activity in the area, and people stilled and stared, gasping, uttering words of shock. He could understand, he thought, taking note of how her presence and demonstration of power was affecting him. It was all he could do to stay standing, and he was aware that he was holding his breath. Then she looked back at him, something unreadable in her gaze, and was gone, along with the gunman, before anyone could even pull out their phones and take a picture.
The calm persisted for a moment, then the chatter began, the muttered comments about what had just been witnessed and who had saved them. Some people had questions – who was that? Where did they come from? Others had exclamations of relief and gratitude, while still more speculated about what it meant to have another person who could fly. It was the speculation that finally spurred Matt into motion, because he knew the answers. He had spent all night researching, watching videos and reading articles, finding out everything there was to know about the resident superheroes of Metropolis and Gotham, and by extension their alter egos. There were still some questions, holes in the narrative that he couldn’t quite put together – was Laura the Shadow Woman from 4 or so years ago in Metropolis? Who was the shadowy hero that worked alongside Batman in Gotham? If Laura was the current Robin, which was still a bit of an unanswered question in its own right, than who were the other Robins from throughout the years? These were all things that he could ask about later, of course, but for now it was enough to know the basics: Laura’s father was Superman, her oldest brother was the Crimson Superman, and CJ, the dead brother, had to be the latest incarnation of Batman. And although he knew this, he couldn’t let on that he did. It made the prospect of reporting about the incident he had just witnessed rather daunting, the danger of letting something slip very real. It occurred to him that Laura’s folks had faced this for the better part of three decades and still managed to keep up the ruse, but that didn’t make it any easier.
The narrative of the story, the words explaining what had happened, would be much safer coming from the mouths of others, so Matt began to work the crowd, making his way from person to person, gathering quotes, gaining perspective, filling out the story. Laura’s reception was overwhelmingly positive, which made him proud, though the speculation bordered on the silly at times. But he took it all down nevertheless, eventually getting in contact with the campus police once they arrived on scene. After a while he made his way back to the campus newspaper office to write the story. Even though it was a Friday, and the story likely wouldn’t see print until Monday, he could still publish it on the paper’s website, and maybe it could garner enough attention to help his future job prospects. After all, he hadn’t noticed any other press on the scene, at least not while he was there, and this was a fairly large story, especially considering the way campus security had become a political issue across the country.
The words flowed rather quickly once he settled down to write. The resulting story was concise and thorough, though he wished he knew more about the man who Laura captured. A few calls to local police precincts revealed a name, and an internet search filled out his background. There were still plenty of unanswered questions – why was this man on campus with a gun anyway? – but it could take days for those questions to be answered. Filling in the gaps and polishing it up, he sent the story to his editor, then took off, deciding that his next task was to find Laura. The university had cancelled classes for the remainder of the day, so he figured his best bet was her apartment. He quickly found that she wasn’t there, though, so he decided to wait, settling onto a bench across the street and in full view of her window.
Minutes turned into hours as he waited, and still there was no sign of her. It gave him time to think, which he supposed was both good and bad. He thought about Robin, the sidekick to Batman, and how she had been portrayed in the press. Given that Batman on his own was a somewhat shadowy figure, his sidekick was even more so. She had been seen with him, and there plenty of stories from witnesses of her cleaning up after Batman, of her doing a little bit of crime fighting herself, but never on her own. There were some very sketchy reports of her doing super things, but most people didn’t believe it, since there was no proof. But today she had done things that only Superman could do, in full daylight and in sight of others. The more he thought about it, the more Matt realized what he had asked of her today, and what it meant for her other identity. It was no small thing for her feats to be witnessed, for her relationship to Superman and family to be revealed. Maybe she would’ve been her own hero at some point, but now her hand was forced, and she was out there, even if people weren’t quite sure what to make of her. And that was partially his fault.
Matt wondered if it would’ve been different if he had just told her the moment he saw her what he had figured out the night before. Then maybe she could’ve been more cautious, maybe somehow they could’ve figured out what to do together. As it was, there had been no time, so she had no choice but to act as she did. But…who could’ve known that there would be a shooter on campus today? And when exactly would he have had time to confront her with his knowledge? They had only been talking for a minute or two when the action started. Matt shook his head and berated himself for taking the blame for something out of his control. Anyway, he couldn’t feel guilty for keeping a secret, not when Laura was equally at fault. His secret paled next to hers, and he supposed that, in the absence of the emergency today, he would’ve held on to it for as long as she felt necessary to hang onto hers. Maybe she would’ve told him eventually, maybe after they actually started dating, maybe when it came time for him to get a job and move away. But maybe not. Not that it mattered now.
Laura was a Super…girl? Person? Able to bench press asteroids, to walk away from bomb blasts unscathed, and to fly…she was one of the most powerful people in the world. Yet her touch was so soft and she seemed so outwardly normal in all other ways. It was an interesting dichotomy. It occurred to Matt that, if he had previously thought that he wasn’t good enough for her, it seemed doubly true now. But at the same time, who would be good enough for someone like her? Even the most decorated sports hero or male model would still only be human, and in that respect he was on the same level as all the rest of them. No, he would never fly, but neither would any other man on this planet who wasn’t related to her. Maybe that meant that there was still hope for them, but…maybe he needed to give her a reason to respect him, to prove his worth and try to get them on somewhat equal footing.
As afternoon transitioned into evening with no sight of Laura, Matt decided that it was time for him to take the initiative and seek her out…after some supper. He quickly made his way back to his apartment and had a bite to eat, then contemplated his next step. Where did the resident superhero and sidekick usually hand out? Probably the place with the best vantage point in town: the top of Wayne Tower. Batman had been seen up there many times, so that seemed like the best place to start. And if Matt didn’t end up finding Laura there, then at least he could have a real conversation with her brother. Getting up there wouldn’t be easy, but at least he wasn’t intimidated by heights. He had plenty of experience with rock climbing, ascending some pretty tall cliffs in his high school days. The equipment had followed him to Gotham, and was currently residing in a box in his closet. Determined, Matt changed into a black shirt and jeans, put some of his climbing equipment onto his belt and shoved the rest into a backpack. Getting downtown might take some time, especially if he took public transportation, but he didn’t have anywhere else to be. A half hour later, he exited the subway station in front of Wayne tower, craning his neck up to see the top. He swallowed stiffly as he contemplated the way up there, then decided that if he could get most of the way there via elevator, the rest would be a cinch.
Matt entered the tower through the front doors, noting that the lobby was mostly deserted, with a security crew at the front desk. Since the restaurant at the upper reaches of the tower was open for business, it was enough for him to say that he was meeting someone there for drinks, and they waived him through. An express elevator took him to the lounge, then once he exited the elevator he was able to locate a maintenance stairwell that would presumably take him the rest of the way up. He had to elude some guards to get there, but was disappointed to see that even the upper reaches of the stairwell didn’t quite get him up to the spire on top of the building. It was time to use his climbing equipment. Looking around to make sure he was unobserved, Matt swung up a hook, made sure it was securely anchored, then climbed up the remainder of the way.
Once Matt reached the top of the building, he coiled his rope, put his climbing equipment away and made himself comfortable on the ledge adjacent to the spire. Gotham wasn’t so bad from up here, he supposed, though he barely had time to enjoy the view when he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. Startled, but not surprised, he turned to its source and saw Batman standing there in full regalia, cape flapping gently behind him in the cool evening breeze, his arms crossed across his chest. He looked quite imposing especially when viewed from a sitting position, though Matt was aware that he would probably be an inch or two taller than the Caped Crusader if they stood side by side.
“Who are you and what are you doing up here?” Batman asked in his most raspy, Batman-like voice. Again, it added to the dark and mysterious aura, but knowing what Matt knew, the whole package seemed a little…comical.
“You can drop the act,” Matt replied, looking away and trying not to smile. “Between finally meeting you yesterday and witnessing Laura’s one-sided conversation through my wall, I had most of this figured out last night. Then today she actually SHOWED me I was right, so that sealed it.” Matt looked back him with a crooked eyebrow. “CJ, right? Her brother-in-law squared who is actually her dead brother?”
Batman’s stern demeanor dropped, and his arms unfolded, his posture much more relaxed. “Not dead, obviously. But also not undead,” he said in a normal voice, holding up a finger, the edges of his mouth curling up ever so slightly.
Matt sighed, letting the quip slide. “I spent half the day sitting in front of her apartment building, waiting for her to show up, but she never did. So I came out here, figuring I would run into her and we would talk, or maybe I would run into you and we would talk, or I would go and do something stupid to try and prove that I’m worthy of belonging to the club or something.”
“She dropped someone off at the police station this afternoon,” Batman, Sam, said, walking over and sitting down next to Matt. “This was a guy that we had been looking for to close out another case, so that was fortunate. She didn’t stick around long enough to give too much detail, though, and I just got done trying to get the whole thing straightened up with the commissioner.” He gestured toward the street. “The cops will probably be stopping by any time now to execute a search warrant.
“As for Laura, I haven’t seen her either. If it was an emotional thing that happened, and I’m guessing that it was if it involved her revealing her, ah, talents to you, then I would imagine that she’s currently somewhere gaining perspective,” Batman said, using air quotes for the last two words. He turned and looked at Matt, a hint of something in his eyes. “You didn’t seek me out for dating advice, did you?”
Matt was caught off guard momentarily by the abrupt shift in topic, and he couldn’t help but smile despite the heaviness that he had been feeling all evening. “No. Maybe. I don’t think advice is the right word.”
“Because I would have to recues myself if you were, since I’ve been offering my services to the other side. You’re welcome, by the way.”
Matt chuckled, though he found himself keeping his gaze turned away from the man who played Batman, because it was just odd trying to reconcile his words and levity with the image of Batman that he had held until just moments ago. “For what?”
“For getting her straightened out. When she and I talked, I assumed that there was someone waiting for her to decide what she wanted, now here you are, atop my building. I’m assuming you’re wanting a little insight or some tips, maybe words of encouragement….”
“I think I just want to know what I’ve gotten myself into,” Matt said, then finally looked toward Laura’s brother. He had a mischievous smile on his face, one that wasn’t muted at all by the costume, and suddenly Matt knew that he was in way deeper than he had originally thought.
“Then let’s really make this a party. Hold on a sec.” With that, Sam rooted around in his utility belt and took out a cell phone, quickly dialing a number, then holding the phone out in front of him as it rang. “Blue tooth,” he mouthed, pointing toward the ear on his cowl. After a moment, he started a conversation with whoever was on the other end. “Hey, it’s me. You busy? Ah, great. So, guess who I ran into on top of Wayne Tower? Laura’s boyfriend!”
“I wouldn’t say I’m her boyfriend,” Matt interjected. “I mean, we haven’t done anything official yet…”
“Okay, Laura’s… good friend who just happens to be male. And who is officially in the know, if you catch my drift. I thought it would be fun if we all hung out and chatted…. Well, it doesn’t have to take all night. Yes, I am quite aware of that look she’s giving you – I think I’ve been at the receiving end of it once or twice. I think she taught it to Jen, too, because…what? Oh, great! Yeah, and bring snacks, I’m starving. See you.” Batman hung up the phone and put it back in his belt, then held out a hand with 5 fingers sticking out. With each passing second he pulled one finger in. “My brother and his wife have four month old twins,” he said as he did this. “And she doesn’t let him out of the house unless it is for work or an emergency.” Once all his fingers were pulled in, he pointed at the sky, and at that moment Crimson Superman appeared on the ledge next to them, brandishing a pack of Oreos.
“If I’m not back in a half hour, I will be in the deepest, darkest part of Diane’s doghouse,” he said, his gaze locked onto Batman, as he settled onto the ledge on the other side of his brother. “And why am I always the one bringing food? You’re the rich guy.” He passed the cookies to Batman, who shrugged and smirked in response to the question. The scene was doubly odd, Matt thought as he watched the two of them interacting. Crimson Superman then leaned forward and thrust out his right hand toward Matt. “Jon Kent,” he said. “Good to meet you.”
“Matt Owens,” Matt said, shaking the offered hand.
Batman took of a glove and opened the package of Oreos, wiggling his fingers happily, then taking a couple out before offering them to Jon and Matt. “Okay kid, I assume you know the basic facts about us, now we need to know about you,” Sam said. “Where are you from?”
“Ohio.”
“Family?”
“Just me and my folks – I’m an only child.”
“I’m guessing you go to Gotham State. What’s your major?” Crimson Superman asked.
“Yeah, it’s journalism. I graduate in June.”
Crimson Superman shook his head. “Rough time to be starting in that. The Planet has been cutting the fat lately, and I can’t tell you how many friends or former colleagues I know out there looking for jobs.”
“I know Laura said that’s why she’s not going into it, which is a shame because I think she’s an amazing writer,” Matt said thoughtfully, taking a bite of his cookie, watching as the other two nodded appreciatively. “But I guess I was thinking of going non-traditional. Work for an online only company or something.”
“You could travel,” Batman said. “If you’re dating my sister…”
“That’s a big if right now,” Matt said.
“Then it’s not like you have to stick around here to see each other.”
Matt nodded and pondered the possibilities, but his thoughts were interrupted by another question. “What’s your favorite football team? I ask because this is an important consideration around our house,” Jon said.
“What, besides Gotham State?”
“I don’t think we can be friends,” Batman muttered, and Jon laughed.
“Pro team, let’s say,” Jon said.
“I’d say one of the Ohio teams, but they are all too terrible to follow seriously.”
“Ooh, good answer,” said Sam.
“I don’t know. Chicago? I don’t have any strong feelings on this.” Matt said. The other two nodded.
“Okay, here’s another one,” Sam said. “You need to settle an argument between us. Which would be a cooler fictional superpower to have: psychic ability like Professor X, or shape-shifting ability, like Mystique? I mean, one the one hand, Professor X can read peoples’ minds and ferret out their deepest secrets. He can make people do whatever he wants, AND he can stop time. You would be the most powerful person in the world with abilities like that.”
“Yeah, but you need this really dorky hat to do all the most powerful things, and that is decidedly un-cool,” Jon said, looking directly at Matt to make his case. “Mystique can be anyone she wants, walk into other peoples’ lives, and she doesn’t have to worry about where to keep her other set of clothing.”
“You don’t need to be a shape shifter to be good at disguises,” Batman said. “And honestly, I think anyone in this family can write volumes about slipping into secret lives.
The fact that two of the four beings on the planet who actually possessed the kind of superpowers that normal people only dreamt about were arguing over this topic was quite humorous to Matt, though he supposed that even superheroes pondered what it might be like to be someone else even more fantastic than themselves. “What about being invisible?” he added. “You could be a fly on the wall of any conversation, see things that nobody is supposed to see, go places nobody is supposed to go.”
“I would think that at some point it would get old. If nobody can see you or interact with you, and nobody really knows you exist, wouldn’t it almost seem like you cease to be a person?” Jon said, then shook his head once and raised his eyebrows, as if shaking himself out of a heavy mood. “And, by the way, you’re not answering the question.” Batman nodded.
“I would settle for just one of things you guys can do,” Matt said, but he was greeted with two sets of eyes that seemed to be awaiting another answer. He smiled self consciously. “Okay, I’m going with psychic ability, I guess. Definitely cooler, plus you don’t have to start out by being blue.”
“Ha,” Sam said with a grin, pointing a finger at his brother, who just groaned and leaned his head back. “I guess we CAN be friends,” he said to Matt. Some gloating followed, and Matt took the opportunity to grab another oreo, lean back, and watch. In the few minutes that he had been perched at the top of the tallest building in town, something truly interesting had happened. The heroes that he has spent so much time covering, people who he had respected and admired and held up above himself, because they were superheroes after all, had almost ceased to be. In front of him were two people who looked for all the world like those heroes, who could do all the things that those heroes could do, but they were just people. Interesting people, somewhat quirky people, but certainly not the Gods on Earth that he had always assumed Superman and sons to be. It was truly eye opening, but if he thought about it, it shouldn’t be. Because he knew their sister, and she had never been anything more than who she appeared to be – a college student, a friend, a good writer, someone with hang-ups and a temper, normal in every way except for one thing. But that one thing didn’t change who she was; it could only do that if he let it. Tonight, the conversation with her brothers, was a gift to him from them, the gift of perspective, delivered ironically enough from the top of a skyscraper.
He found himself relaxing and enjoying the conversation, interjecting where he might not have before, even drawing a laugh at one point. Jon kept looking at his watch, the half hour window passing much more quickly than any of them wanted. At a lull in the conversation, Matt finally decided to posit the one question that had been nagging at the edge of his conscience ever since he found out Laura’s secret.
“There’s something I need to ask you guys,” he said. “Your dad, he’s not the…overprotective type is he?”
“Why? You’re not planning on doing something you shouldn’t, are you?” Jon asked, his face becoming very Superman-like for a moment.
Matt’s eyes went wide and his hands flew up. “No, of course not. It’s just that, if I’m going to date Laura, it could be viewed as me taking her away from him, I guess, and I can understand how a dad might get upset about that. But I REALLY don’t want to get on his bad side if I can avoid it.”
Jon and Sam looked at each other, then began to laugh. “There’s a mental image,” Sam said. “Dad threatening to launch Matt here into space if he and Laura had a bad date.”
Matt gave a nervous laugh, not wanting to admit to them that the quip had pretty accurately described one of his nightmares for the night before. They didn’t seem to notice, though. “As if Laura would even let him do that,” Jon said, shaking his head.
“Look, kid,” Sam said, turning to Matt. “I know what the comic books and news media might have you believe about Superman being all stoic and serious, but my dad is really the nicest, least threatening person you’re even going to meet, especially to friends of ours.”
“You should ask Laura to bring you back home so can meet him, and my mom, who incidentally is WAY more intimidating,” Jon said, and Sam nodded.
“We actually did meet once,” Matt said. “But that was before Laura and I were a thing.”
“So, see, no problem,” Sam said. Matt smiled and nodded, his fears eased, though he didn’t have much time to enjoy the moment. Something seemed to draw the attention of his companions, and the next moment both of them were looking off at some distant location. “So, you wanted some excitement?” Sam asked, regarding Matt again. Matt was aware that his eyes were a little wide, and he couldn’t speak for a long moment. Sam gave a little smile and gestured with his head toward where had had recently been looking. “There’s a bank robbery about a mile away, and my sidekick is out of town at the moment.”
Matt’s mouth was dry. “I, uh, am not sure I have the necessary…equipment?”
“I think I have one of Bruce’s old armored vests in the storage room downstairs. And maybe we can get you a helmet or something to cover your face.” Matt felt himself getting excited at the idea, and his expression must’ve given that away, since Sam was now positively beaming. He then looked toward his brother. “You mind giving us a lift down there before you go? I kinda promised I wouldn’t jump off this building again. They still haven’t fixed the street.”
“I thought that was an urban legend?” Matt said, and he should know. In his job on the Superhero beat, it was one of the rumors that he had been trying to confirm for a long time, though he had eventually decided that there was nothing to it.
“It was the fastest way down,” Sam said defensively. Matt looked toward Jon and could see a smug look on his face.
“Come on,” Jon said, standing up. Matt and Sam stood, too, and the next thing Matt knew, he was in a darkened room somewhere, a light switch being flipped on as he tried to catch his bearings. It must be the storage room Sam had mentioned, he realized as he got a chance to look around. All manner of objects were stored on shelves and in open boxes around the room: weapons, gadgets, clothing, costumes, communications equipment. The room, more of a garage, really, also held two nondescript motorcycles. Jon stood immediately next to Matt, while Sam went to rummage around in what looked like a changing area.
“I think I’m going to take off. My parole will be revoked in a minute or two,” Jon said.
“Why do you make having kids sound like jail?” Sam’s muffled voice came from the depths of the closet.
“Isn’t it? Both are the result of a spontaneous night of passion, and end in a loss of freedom for many years,” Jon answered, eliciting a chuckle from his brother.
“It gets better,” Sam answered.
“God, I hope so. I really miss sleep.” Jon clapped Matt on the shoulder and gave him a smile. “It was good to meet you. Be good to my sister.” And with that, he was gone. Matt stared at the spot that he had just occupied, blinking a few times, wondering if he could ever get used to that. He didn’t have long to ponder, though, because the next moment, Sam made an exclamation and stepped back to the center of the room. In his hands were a piece of sculpted body armor and a black helmet with stylized bat ears on the side. Over each piece was a fine layer of dust, which Sam was blowing on lightly to try and dislodge.
“Some of the boss’s old things,” Sam said. “You don’t quite have the build that he did, but it will do the job either way.” He thrust them toward Matt, who shrugged off his backpack then reached to put them on. The body armor was quite large in the chest, but the helmet fit fine. Sam regarded him with a smirk, then nodded and turned toward the motorcycle. “You know how to tie a knot, right?” He propped up the motorcycle and raised the kickstand.
“After six years of boy scouts I would hope so,” Matt replied, leaning over stiffly to collect his back pack. If this was the type of armor that Batman Classic wore, Matt had to wonder how he was able to fight at all. It had almost no give and practically forced his back to stay straight.
Sam pushed a button on the bike and a door at the side of the room opened up, larger than a typical door but not as large as a single garage. He walked the bike toward the opening and climbed on once he got it out of the room. “Good. Hop on,” he said, then started the bike. Matt hesitated for a moment, then did as instructed. Things had taken a turn for a surreal, he thought as he sat down behind Sam Wayne, Robin to his Batman for the night. He had never been in a fight, never even thought of throwing a punch, and here he was, off to go fight some crime. This was that kind of stupid act that supposed he had been looking to do, but now that the wheels were in motion, now that it was real, a small part of him was terrified. A larger part of him was absolutely giddy.
On the drive over, Sam explained to him that Batman would confront the robbers and incapacitate them. Matt’s job would be to restrain them with some rope. It only took a couple of minutes to get to the bank, though they parked about a block away to preserve the element of surprise. Matt hung back in the shadows while Sam went to work, and it was a thing of beauty to behold. His Batman stood tall and moved confidently, first approaching the getaway vehicle and pulling out the driver, taking care of him in one fluid motion. He then entered the bank, allowing Matt to slink toward the car and perform his task. From his vantage point, he could see in the bank doors, and under the gentle flickering of fluorescent lights he watched as Batman confronted each criminal in turn. He was able to get in front of the ones who tried to run, using speed that was fast enough to be impressive, and was able to stop those with guns or explosives in only a way that Superman should be able to do. It was fascinating, Matt thought as he continued to watch. Laura’s brother was, from the hour or so Matt had spent with him, obviously a warm, generous, funny person, someone who would be fun to know, and who probably made life interesting for those close to him. In that way he was the complete opposite of the dark, brooding he hero he portrayed, or probably inherited. At the same time, though, the efficiency and skill in his movements, the sheer force of power available to him and used in small doses with the implication that more was available to be tapped into if necessary, made him a terrifying sight for anyone who crossed him. Put a neutral expression n his face and he really was absolutely convincing as the Caped Crusader. It was like two people inhabiting the same body, but it also seemed so natural and right. Matt wanted to see more, to know Sam Wayne better, and he was very grateful to be given the chance to experience this, even if it was only for a night.
After a few long moments, Batman moved back toward the doors and motioned for Matt to come inside. Once there, Matt could see the deformed guns and scattered flattened bullets, along with what looked like an exploded pipe bomb, though the pile of nails and shrapnel seemed to be set all around the device, and the bank itself appeared completely undamaged.
Matt restrained the robbers while CJ made sure nothing was missing, and soon the two were on the motorcycle again, making their way along the streets of Gotham. It only took a few moments for Matt to realize that they were heading in the general direction Wayne Manor. The ride went by in silence, and soon they were ascending a hill, though instead of using the main drive, they cut over to a darkened path that wound through the trees, one that could only be found it you were looking for it. The path led toward a cliff, and just when Matt was sure that they were going to crash, a hidden door opened, and they were inside a large cave, one that seemed to open wider the further they moved inside. Eventually they came to a stop in the middle portion of the vast space, next to a black car and several other motorcycles. Matt took off his helmet and whistled as he took in the machinery, computer equipment, and mementos.
“Not what you were expecting?” Sam said with a smile as he finally took off his cowl and walked toward what looked like a vault off to the side of the cave.
“I don’t know what I was expecting,” Matt said, soaking in the details. Along one wall were mannequins wearing different bat suits from throughout the years. Along another were apparent souvenirs from conquests past, things Matt could identify from comic books that he had never even considered could be based on reality – some odd looking umbrellas, some bizarre-looking toys, a scarecrow mask. And in one corner was a giant penny. “I guess I figured that Batman worked out of someone’s garage or something. This is…way more impressive than that.”
“Yeah I know I had the same reaction the first time I saw it, too,” Sam said from inside the vault. Matt walked toward it, trying to get an angle to see inside. “I mean, my dad keeps a couple suits in a compartment in the back of his closet at home. I lived under the same roof for 14 years before I even knew it was there, that’s how low rent his operation is. I knew Bruce was rich and could probably afford some interesting equipment, but I thought maybe he kept it in one of dozens of unused rooms in the mansion. All this, in a giant cave, no less, just blew my mind.” Sam walked out of the vault, which Matt realized was a large walk-in closet, wearing a t-shirt and jeans, working a comb through his hair, which had a healthy dose of helmet head going right after he had taken the cowl off.
“And now it’s yours,” Matt said. Sam walked toward a large wall of computer screens behind a long desk, and motioned for Matt to follow him.
“Don’t kid yourself, these are all Bruce’s toys, I’m just the guy he allows to use them,” Sam said. As he reached the table, he hit a button, and the monitors flicked on. “I have a little corner that’s mine, and the rest I don’t dare touch. Well, I guess I got rid of the bats, because they liked leaving piles of guano all over the place, but besides that….” He shrugged and looked around for a moment, lost in a thought. He then sighed and looked at Matt, seeming to remember what he was going to do. “So, I brought you here for two reasons. One, I thought it would probably be better if I dropped you off at your apartment under a little more normal circumstances.” He gestured at himself as if to indicate his wardrobe.
“I could’ve taken the subway back. That’s how I got downtown to begin with,” Matt answered, but Sam dismissed the thought with a wave.
“I’ll take one of the sports cars. You’ll want to accept the ride, trust me,” he said, causing Matt to arch his eyebrows. “And anyway, you’re basically family now, and that’s what family does.” That sentiment caused a twinge in Matt’s heart. He wasn’t usually an emotional person, but the casualness of the statement, as if it wasn’t really a question that he was a part of the family now, caused of wave of warmth to wash over him. In his mind, he wasn’t worthy of that honor, but maybe Sam and Jon felt that if Laura accepted him, if she felt he was worthy of knowing the family secrets, then that was good enough for them. She had opened the door to a whole new world of experiences, a whole new perspective on life, and it made him love her more.
He was aware after a moment that he was staring at the floor and perhaps smiling a little too widely, and with a start, he looked back toward Sam, who had an amused expression on his face, one that was so much more dynamic when not muted by the mask. “Uh, the second reason I brought you here was to give you an opportunity to earn your official membership in the sidekick club. It comes with a pin and a certificate, even – they’re pretty snazzy” he said, turning toward the computer. A picture of a familiar looking girl appeared on the screen, along with a name and address. “The afternoon we met, when Laura acted drunk? Well, she was under the influence of a rock called red kryptonite. It’s the same thing that caused me to go a little haywire a few days before that.”
“Oh, you mean the night Suicide Slum went up in flames?” Sam’s smile faded and he nodded. This was probably a bit of a sore subject, Matt decided. “I thought that seemed a little odd…out of character, but not, if you look at your - BATMAN’S history.”
“Well, let’s say I wasn’t myself. I still don’t remember most of that night. Anyway, the rock is actually a remnant of my father’s home planet that followed him to earth, and it affects us in a different way each time we encounter it. Usually it’s not very pleasant. Laura was exposed when she was talking to this girl at my request as part of a case I was working on,” he said, pointing to the screen. “She had the kryptonite built into a jewelry set, in this case a pair of earrings, though we didn’t know that at the time. Now I don’t have any reason to believe that she would use the kryptonite for, shall we say, nefarious purposes, but at the same time she DID almost get killed by someone who was trying to get it for himself.”
Matt nodded slowly. “Lucky we were there,” he said softly, his mind replaying the scene from earlier that day for the umpteenth time.
“Very. The other issue is the collateral damage this stuff causes. I’m afraid of what my sister or I might do if we were to be exposed to it again, so it needs to go away. This is where you come in.”
“You want me to grab it for you,” Matt said, fully seeing for the first time where this was going. Sam walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a small metal box, then handed it to Matt.
“Laura can help you locate it and make sure the coast is clear, but you’re going to have to be the one to grab it. This little box is made of lead, so once it’s in there, it won’t be able to hurt us again.”
Matt turned the box over in his hands. The chance to team up with Laura and do a little good for the world sounded exciting, although the fact that it probably involved breaking and entering left him a little leery. “What about the whole stealing thing?”
Sam pointed toward the box. “Open it up – I put a replacement set in there. Swap out what she has now with this, and hopefully she won’t even notice the difference.” Matt did as instructed, and inside was a set of earrings with red stones. He closed the box, tapped it against the palm of his hand, then slipped it into his backpack. He was contemplating telling Sam that he kind of needed to find Laura again and get things straightened out with her before he could make any promises, but he didn’t get the chance. “Don’t hold that night against Laura, when she was under the influence of that stuff,” Sam said, the levity gone from his voice. “She couldn’t control her actions. It’s my fault she was anywhere near it in the first place, and I feel bad about that. It’s probably lucky that her reaction was what it was and not something more…negative.”
“I can’t say that I viewed the whole experience as a bad thing, per se.” Matt blushed somewhat, remembering how her actions affected him, too. “It was a little weird, I admit, but a guy can do worse than to have his almost-girlfriend become REALLY affectionate toward him.”
“You are a stronger man than I would be in the same situation,” Sam said, his humor returning. With that, they chatted for a few more minutes, then Sam led him up a rather long staircase to a higher subbasement, which led out to a garage. Inside was an impressive collection of cars. Near the garage door were the ones that looked more appropriate for everyday use: a non-descript sedan, the Jaguar he had seen the other day, and, completely out of place among the vintage sports cars and other expensive toys, a newer minivan. Sam followed his gaze and cringed a little. “The wife had to have that once we found out that number two was on the way. Driving that home was not my proudest moment.” He waved his arm in a grand gesture. “What say we take something a little more fun tonight? What’s your pleasure?”
“Am I driving?” Matt asked, a twinkle in his eye.
Sam glanced askance at him. “You can drive stick, right?”
“The SLR McLaren,” Matt said as he pointed to the car, fairly bouncing on his toes as he did. He felt like a kid with a new toy, and Sam grinned at his excitement. Who wouldn’t want to drive that car if given the opportunity? Although, really, the batmobile probably would attract less attention. Sam went and grabbed the keys, ushering the car out of the garage before ceding the wheel to Matt. On the drive back to his apartment, Matt quizzed Sam about how he became Sam Wayne, and Sam quizzed Matt how he met Laura. He also offered a few handy tips about being in a relationship with a supergirl, like how he should remove his screens if he expected her to stop by after a night out. As they approached Matt’s apartment, he felt the desire to circle the block a few times to prolong the fun, but the ride had to come to an end eventually.
Matt parked the car in the lot next to the apartment, then looked toward Sam with a genuine smile. “I want to thank you for everything,” Matt said. “It was all so unexpected, but it was definitely fun.”
“Well, you just got let in on the big secret, and that’s something that can change your perspective on a lot of things. In my experience, it’s better to work through that with the help of people who have been there before. It’s certainly more enjoyable that way. Holding on to a secret can be a burden sometimes, and can feel like it’s about as fun as a root canal, but it doesn’t have to. You’re a member of an exclusive club now, but you’re far from alone – you might be surprised how not alone you are.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, and we each have our own story. And trust me, they are all way more interesting than that cheesy movie.”
“How was that?” Matt asked. “I’ve been wanting to see it, but now I think I have extra incentive.”
Sam brightened at the question. “It’s a scream, you should go. I’d offer to go with and give an MST3K-type narration, but I really think that’s more of a date movie.”
Matt’s smile started to fade, and it occurred to him that even after all the fun he’d had that night, after his new forced perspective and interesting conversations and experiences, he still hadn’t gotten the opportunity to talk with Laura. He had experienced a night in the life of her family, but he hadn’t done it with her. They had so much to discuss, so much to get out in the open, and they hadn’t even gone on an official date yet. “I don’t know if I’ll even get the chance to go on that date,” he said with a sigh, then looked out the side window, toward the last place he saw her.
“You love my sister, right?” Sam asked, and Matt’s eyes diverted downward. Love was a word that he had never allowed himself to seriously attach to his relationship with Laura, just because it had a whole host of heavy expectations attached to it. But it was very hard to deny its presence, especially after finally putting together all the missing pieces of her personality.
“Yeah, I do,” Matt said, looking back toward Sam. “And that probably means I’m completely doomed.”
Sam chuckled. “Just be patient. She’ll come back, she always does. Then just be honest with her, maybe make her feel special, and hopefully all will be right with the world.”
“You understand we’re talking about Laura, right?” Matt asked, and Sam rolled his eyes.
“You’ll be fine. You got this far together, and now that everything is out in the open there shouldn’t be any more cause for anxiety.” He narrowed his eyes. “Unless you’re harboring a deep, dark secret.”
Matt gave a sly smile and popped open the gull-wing door of the car. “I didn’t before tonight,” he said, then climbed out. Sam climbed out of the passenger side, sticking out his right hand as he approached Matt.
“You’re all right kid,” Sam said, shaking Matt’s hand. “I look forward to hanging out with you again sometime, though hopefully it will be under more normal circumstances.”
“I’d like that. Goodnight.” Matt gave a wave, then started toward the building. Sam Wayne climbed into the car, revved the engine once, and took off with a screech of tires. Matt laughed lightly and shook his head, and tried to plan his next move. Almost immediately he yawned, and realized that it was probably later than he thought. Any plan to try and reconnect with Laura would have to wait until tomorrow, he supposed, but an idea was forming. And with any luck it would result in that first date that had been so long in coming.
