Post by HoM on Aug 10, 2009 18:32:33 GMT -5
Rogues Gallery
Issue Nineteen, Feat MAN-BAT
Written By Cam Crowder
Cover by Paul Johnson
Edited by House Of Mystery
Rain soaked the dark, soulless streets of Gotham as the clock struck midnight. In most cities, midnight would signal the end of the day; a time where everyone retreated to their homes, tucked themselves into bed and prepared for the next day that lay ahead. Gotham was no such city.
One minute after midnight and the city’s lowlifes were already at work, setting up illegal card tables on the street corners, huddling under the cover of an umbrella. Drug dealers lurked in the alleys; their contacts knew where to find them, so there was no need to wait in plain site, especially not in a city were The Batman haunted the night.
There had been restless whispers the last few nights between the denizens of Gotham’s underworld of a shadowy figure darting overhead, only to disappear seconds later. Most assumed it was Batman, letting everyone know he was watching. Others argued that the figure they had seen was too large and bulky to be the Batman. One man even swore he got a good enough look at it to tell it had fangs. The majority dismissed his story, usually after smelling the liquor on his breath.
Another three minutes and the streets were almost as busy as during rush hour. Already, the card-dealer on the far corner had taken a few druggies for all they had. Just a few feet away, a limo had pulled up to the curb; stepping out, a high-ranking judge. After speaking with a dark-skinned man in a blue suit, he handed over a thick wad of cash. The blue-suited man snapped his fingers and one of the girls lined up against the wall stepped forward. The Judge motioned for her to turn around, to which she complied. After looking her over with a dark grin over his lips, he nodded his approval to the man in the blue suit. He opened the door, allowing her to get in first; he followed close behind, closing the door as he got in. The limo pulled away, probably off to a cheap motel.
“Looks like you doin’ pretty good already, Mike!” The card-dealer said over his shoulder to the man in blue.
“Pshhh. That ain’t nothin’, man! Just the other night, I had an entire bus of S.W.A.T. pull up and take the whole lot off me for the night. One of the girls didn’t make it back, but for that much money, you think I care?” Mike chuckled.
“Damn! Must’a happened on Tuesday, when I was across town! Dammit, I picked a fine night to miss! Wish I could’a seen that!”
“You snooze you lose, my friend! Say, what was you doin’ on the other side of town, anyway?”
“Well, I went to try and get some more business. Y”know, try out a new place for a change, see what I could catch since business’s been a little slow the past month.” He let out a scoff. “Turns out all I caught was a damn cold….A….A….CHOO!... Scuze me.”
“F&*%, man! Cover your mouth!”
“Eh, sorry.”
“Yeah, you better be! Sneeze at me again and I’ll…” He trailed off as a large shadow passed over him. His eyes followed it to the rooftop across from him.
Standing on the edge of the roof was a tall, brooding figure with glowing red eyes, staring strait at him.
“L…Leon…” Mike stuttered.
“Yeah, man?”
“D…D’you see what I see?” He pointed a finger at the shadowy-figure.
Leon turned his head in the direction Mike was pointing. His eyes widened.
“Damn! It’s him! It’s the Batman!”
“Naw, man, that ain’t the bat… I’ve seen the bat before and he sure as hell didn’t have no glowin’ red eyes!”
“Then, what the hell is it?"
“I dunno man. But whatever it is, I think I need some new shorts…."
The figure never took its eyes off them, seeming to pierce their very souls with its dark, soulless stare.
A hush fell over the street as everyone began to take notice of the shadow. Seconds passed like hours as they wondered what would happen if they even dared to try and run. They decided it was better to stay as they were, after all, one man couldn’t take them all.
A bolt of lightening tore through the dark, revealing in a bright flash, the face of the figure. It appeared to be a giant bat; with large, leather wings, dark brown fur, glowing red eyes, pointy ears.
A sudden sense of fear swept over the crowd, beads of sweat formed on Mike’s brow.
The creature, it seemed, sensed their fear and let out an ear-piercing screech. All hands immediately moved to cover ears for what little good it did. Panic overtook them, each of them bolting in a different direction. This is what the creature had been waiting for. With a flap of its wings, it lifted itself off the roof and dived down toward the street below. Yes, this is exactly what it had been waiting for…
***
[/center]Half an hour after midnight and the Gotham City Police were on the scene. Reports of a massacre in the downtown district had gotten their attention pretty quick.
And, in rapid succession, Commissioner Gordon had been called in from home. Another night off down the drain.
As Gordon stepped out of his car, the smell told him all he needed to know. The stench of blood was thick in the air; he knew he’d need a shower after this.
“Somebody talk to me!” He ordered, moving closer to the scene. God, the smell was terrible.
“Nothing much to say, Commissioner,” A member of the forensics team responded. He was wearing a bright white hazmat suit with blood-stains on the sleeves. “After the anonymous phone-call, telling us about this…butchery… we got down here and started investigating. We’re almost done with the cleanup now though. There just wasn’t anything we could pull from this other than some hair samples… sorry for pulling you out on your night off.”
“This is Gotham PD, son. There’s no such thing as a night off.” A brief movement in the alleyway caught his attention. If he hadn’t happened to be looking that way, he would have missed it. “Excuse me,” He said quickly, moving to the alley.”
A deep voice stopped him as soon as he had stepped three feet in.
“Evening, Jim.” Batman said, stepping out of the shadows.
“I take it you’ve got something for me.” Gordon replied casually.
“I drilled a few of the locals. They tell me it was some kind of monster. They didn’t get a good look because they were too scared to step outside.”
“And let me guess, they were tripping on something…”
“Yes, but not anything that would cause hallucinations, at least not at the small doses they had taken.”
“How do you know how much they took?”
“I asked.”
“And you believe them?”
“They know better than to lie to me.”
An uneasy silence.
“Well,” Gordon said finally. “What do you propose?”
“I found some samples of hair; it doesn’t belong to any of the victims.”
“How can you tell? From what little I saw, there couldn’t have been much of anyone left to test.”
“There was enough for me.”
“You always have to be so damn cryptic?” Gordon asked in frustration.
“I’ll let you know as soon as I find something,” Batman replied, ignoring Gordon’s last statement.
“Commissioner?” A voice called from behind, causing Gordon to turn his head. “What are you doing back here, sir?”
“Just catching my thoughts,” Gordon replied, turning around and walking back towards his car. “I’m heading back home now. Take it easy.”
“Thanks, Commissioner, you too.”
Gordon didn’t bother turning back around. He knew Batman had left the instant his head had turned. That’s the way it always worked.
***
[/center]Awakened by the sunlight shining through the open window, Dr. Kirk Langstrom slowly forced himself up on his feet.
He had a splitting headache. He felt a cold chill and notice that he wore only tattered pair of slacks. No shirt, no shoes, only what little remained of what was once a nice pair of pants.
“No! Not again!” he said in frustration, running his fingers through his hair. For some reason, it felt sort of sticky, almost as if paint had dried in it. “I thought for certain I’d found a cure this time!”
For the first time, a smell caught his attention. It was sweet, almost like barbecue sauce, yet bitter at the same time. He looked down at his hands, stained with dried blood.
He rushed over to a cracked mirror on the wall. No sooner had he looked in the mirror than he fell to his knees.
His hair, face, chest, and, he was sure, his back, were all covered with dried blood. But what scared him the most was the taste in his mouth… he lurched over, now down on all fours, vomiting on the floor.
No matter how many times he went through this, it always went the same way. He never got used to the taste or the smell, and for that, he was thankful. The day those things stopped bothering him, he would kill himself, that much, he knew. Only a monster could possibly cope with something like that.
Less than a minute later, he had completely emptied himself out. Even the vomit on the floor carried a hint of the smell of blood.
He ran to the sink and turned on the faucet. Cold water poured over his hands as he held them over the sink. He was thankful the water was still running in the building. It had been condemned the week before, and he was surprised the city hadn’t shut off the water yet, never the less, he was thankful.
He chose a room on the top floor of the building as his home for now, until he could get things under control. But, after it was torn down, he wasn’t sure where he’d go. He decided he’d cross that bridge when he came to it.
“My God, why won’t this &*%$ come off!” He cursed in frustration. It wasn’t like him to use such language. He always considered that kind of talk as the language of someone with a very limited vocabulary. It appeared the stress was finally getting to him.
An hour later, he’d finally gotten the blood off of his skin. He grabbed a fresh shirt and some pants, then grabbed one of his last pairs of shoes and socks. After getting dressed, he sat down in the corner of the room to think.
How many people have I… has that thing killed?! How many pore people will have to die because of my mistake? I can only imagine how many innocent people I might have murdered in cold blood… Women… Children… Oh, God... Oh God…
As he started at the floor, a small drop of water splattered the hard wood. It was then he noticed that he was crying.
In another hour he would he would go downstairs and start to work in a makeshift lab he’d built in one of the lower rooms. But for now, he needed time to mourn…
ONE WEEK LATER...
[/center]“Master Bruce?” Alfred called as he made his way down the steps, into the heart of the Batcave.
“I’m here, Alfred,” Batman answered, from his seat in front of the computer. “What is it?”
“Begging your pardon, sir, but a Miss. Knightmoore called for you, asking about a date she claims the two of you had scheduled for this evening.
“Tell her I can’t make it Alfred.”
“What excuse shall I give, Sir?” Alfred sighed. This was the fourth date Bruce had broken this week alone.
“Just pick one from the list Alfred. Not the one about an unexpected business trip though. That one’s getting old.”
“Very good, Sir.” He turned to leave, but before he made it all the way, he stopped and turned back around. “Master Bruce, if I may, I must tell you that you’ve been neglecting your social life a great deal of late. I know you’re working very hard to bring this… whatever it is… to justice, but it is important to maintain a healthy social existence, Sir. To avoid suspicion.”
“I’m well aware of the risks, Alfred,” Batman replied, his eyes still fixed on the screen. “But you know as well as I do that this thing’s killing sprees are becoming more and more widespread. Every night the body count grows.”
“As you’ve said before, Sir. But, you also said that the only victims were Gotham’s… shall we say ‘undesirables’.”
“Murder is murder, Alfred. I won’t let that go unchecked in my city. Now, you’d better get back to the phone, or Miss. Knightmoore will wonder what’s going on.”
“As you wish, Sir,” Alfred replied with a sigh.
Alone again in the damp, dark cave, Batman poured over all the information he’d gathered so far. First of all, this thing wasn’t human, extensive tests on the hair samples had proven that. Second, the crime-scenes had shown that the only thing this creature was after was carnage.
He’d tried to find a pattern somewhere in the killings, but the placements seemed random. The only thing each of them had in common was the fact that every attack had been focused on the Gotham Underworld. No innocents had been harmed so far. But how long would it stay that way?
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS COMPLETE. The Bat-Computer said in a cerebral, unemotional voice.
“View Results,” Batman ordered.
The monitor blinked, switching to another screen. He poured over the analysis intently, looking for something… anything that might help him find a pattern.
The night before, he’d found another hair sample, this time, covered in some sort of chemical. He hoped this would be the breakthrough he was looking for.
Strange. This chemical is a self-made compound. The question is: what was it used for?
He looked at the time. It was still an hour before dark. He’d go over the analysis for the next hour, then, he’d go on patrol. Maybe he’d get lucky.
***
[/center]An hour till dark. And to Kirk Langstrom, that only meant one thing: and hour until “the change”.
Langstrom’s hands grew unsteady as he poured two chemicals into one larger beaker. Another hour and he’d become that….thing… again. God, how many innocent people had he butchered? How many children might never see their mommies and daddies again because of him?
This one has to work! I can’t take living like this anymore!
He was sure his friends and family thought him dead by now. He’d been gone for months now, without any contact.
I want to see them, but… what would they say if they knew what I’d become?
The water had finally been shut off this morning, meaning that after tonight, there’d be no way for him to wash up here. He nearly gagged every time he thought about all the blood he wouldn’t be able to wash off in the morning.
“That’s it,” he sighed, putting in one last drop of solution into the beaker. “Let’s give this one a try.”
He downed the whole thing at once. The flavor was terrible, and it burned going down. It reminded him of the time he and his friends had sneaked into his father’s liquor cabinet and tried his vodka. Kirk, being the youngest of the group at twelve, knew nothing of alcohol, so he’d just taken a large swig without thinking. His friends laughed as he choked it down, and laughed even harder a minute later as he threw it all back up.
Oh, what foolish children won’t do, He thought with a slight grin. I got in a lot of trouble when my parents found out. Dad whipped me so bad I couldn’t sit for two days… I never touched alcohol again after that…
He glanced out the window. The sun was setting. He guessed he had another thirty minutes before he’d know if the new formula had worked.
What troubled him the most was that every morning he woke up a little bit later, which meant that the change was lasting longer each time. Was he causing it with all the experimental formulas he’d taken, or was the creature simply trying to take over full-time? No matter what, he couldn’t let that happen… even if it meant taking his own life.
I’ll die before I let you overtake me!
He began removing his pants, shirt and shoes. They were his last, and he could have them ruined, in case the formula had failed. He set them in the corner of the room and climbed out the window, onto the fire-escape, and up to the roof, where he waited for nightfall.
…
The darkness finally overtook the sky as Langstrom watched anxiously.
…
Nothing at first, still, he decided to wait on the roof, to be sure.
…
“Have I finally done it?” He whispered to himself. “Have I…..AHHHH!”
He felt a throbbing pain in his stomach, and his arms instinctively moved cover it. He fell to his knees. It felt different this time, even more painful than usual… something he hadn’t thought possible.
“Wh…What have…I…d…done?”
The pain continued to intensify, causing him to scream. He could feel thick brown hair growing all over his body. That was normal, but why was the pain so intense?
He reached up to feel of his ears. They were growing into points.
God, the pain was terrible…He wanted so terribly to black out, but that luxury never came.
***
[/center]The sun had just set as Batman heard a blood-curdling scream tear through the darkness. It was close.
He pulled a grapnel from his belt and launched it at the building across from him.
After landing on the opposite rooftop, he stopped, listening intently.
Silence…
He scanned the rooftop and found a small piece of torn cloth. He picked it up, examining it, finding a few small strands of brown fur.
I’m close…
He heard a woman scream, not too far away.
Got you this time.
He bolted to the edge of the roof.
***
[/center]Langstrom approached the screaming woman. He had her cornered in an alley; there was nowhere to run. But this time, something was different… Langstrom was fully aware of what was happening.
My God, stop! Stop! You’re going to kill her!
No. We are.
Who said that?
Your other.
You mean… you actually have a mind of your own?
No, same mind, different hemisphere. Human beings only harness ten percent of their mind in a lifetime, so I suppose, in a sense, you could say I’m of a different mind. A mind you were never going to use.
I won’t let you do this!
You have no choice. You’re too weak. She is a whore who sells herself for money, why should you care?
Because she’s a human being! Oh my God! I understand now! That chemical I drank tonight… it did this!
It made it so you’re conscious while I’m in control.
And it also created you! You weren’t here before tonight, were you? The chemical had some sort of effect on my mind…
As I said before, I’ve always been here. Whether or not you believe that is up to you.
The entire conversation had began and finished in an instant.
Man-Bat raised a claw over its head, preparing to strike at the woman.
Don’t make me do this! Langstrom pleaded. I’m not a murderer.
No, but I am.
Why?
Their blood sustains me.
Wait, why am I still talking to you? You’re not real!
If not, then why aren’t you taking control?
I…
They felt something crash into their back, causing them to stumble forward slightly, but they recovered, jerking around.
Batman stood just a few feet away, Langstrom recognized him immediately.
Batman!
Batman?Ah, yes… I saw him a few nights ago, although he never saw me… It appears he wishes to keep me from my sustenance… I’ll just have to kill him as well.
No! You’ve gotten out of control!
Silence!
“Let her go,” Batman said in deep, gravelly voice.
The creature responded with a high-pitched roar.
Wait, why don’t you speak?
These vocal chords were not made for human speech.
Without warning, Man-Bat launched itself at Batman.
Batman vaulted over the creature, shooting it in the back with a tranquilizer gun as he landed. It was enough tranquilizer to bring down two horses, but Man-Bat was still standing.
Ouch! I could feel that!
Yes…you…you could…you… share my pain…
What’s wrong with you?
The…
The tranquilizer! Maybe our minds really are separate, because I’m fine. And maybe, if he hits you another time or two, I’ll go back to normal!
No… I…
Another tranquilizer pierced Man-Bat’s skin.
You’re getting quieter. You’re almost out!
No… will… not…
Wait! I’m doing it again! Why am I talking to this thing? It’s only a hallucination brought on by the chemical… isn’t it? ... But… if that is the case… why don’t the tranquilizers seem to be affecting me? Could it be that this thing really lives inside of me, fighting for supremacy? Or, maybe the tranquilizers really are affecting me, and I just don’t notice…
Batman eyed the creature suspiciously. For the moment, it wasn’t threatening to attack, but it was still on its feet, which shouldn’t be possible. He kept his guard up, just in case.
Alright, maybe this is just something in my mind, but, even so, I’ve got to do something… I’ve got to let Batman know I’m in here…
Won’t…w…work…
Silence! I’ve had enough out of you!... My God, I’m talking to you again!
He contemplated just letting the tranquilizers runs their course. Maybe after the body had worn out, he’d return to normal, revealing the truth to Batman. But, then again… He had no way of knowing for certain that his body would revert to normal. What if it only returned to normal after sunrise? Who knew what Batman might do with him in that time?
Finally, he settled on a plan.
He cleared his mind, focusing his thoughts on what he needed to do. It wasn’t going to be easy, but he had to at least try. He had to get help.
He strained to speak, fighting to form words, straining the vocal chords. All he managed to get out were a series of screeches, moans and grunts.
Batman continued to eye him cautiously. He had to hurry, there was no telling how long Batman would continue to wait.
Wait… Slow down, Kirk… Take it easy… If you panic, you’ll never make this work…
He tried again, this time; he managed to form a word or two.
“……help……Lan…..g…..str….om….”
Batman knew now that there was more going on than he originally thought.
“What was that?”
“…need…..help……..Langstrom…”
“You’re not just a mindless monster, are you?” Batman said. It was more a statement of fact than a question.
“No…” Finally, Langstrom was starting to get the hang of it, although, he’d never be able to speak too plainly in his current state. Still, all he had to do was get the job done. “I… need your…help….name…. Kirk…. Langstrom….. trapped in…. this body…”
“I understand. There’s nothing I can do for you here. You’ll have to let me give you another tranquilizer, so I can take you somewhere to get you help,” He said. “Do you understand?”
“Y….Yessss.”
“Good.”
Batman pulled a tranquilizer from his belt and loaded it into the gun. He shot it from a few feet away, just to be safe. Finally, Man-Bat fell on one knee. It looked like the third time was the charm. One more would probably finish the job. He loaded another tranquilizer and took aim, but before he could fire, the creature fell flat on its back, its chest rising and falling in smooth motion. He unloaded the gun and put it away as he walked forward. He pressed a button on his belt, calling to batmobile; it would be there in less than twelve seconds.
Something caught his attention. Man-Bat’s eyelids were twitching slightly. That wasn’t a good sign.
His hands instinctively reached for the tranquilizer in his belt. It was in his hand when the creature’s eyes sprang open.
With an ear-piercing screech, bounded to its feet, slamming Batman into the alley wall with the back of its wing.
No, I’m losing control again!
I…won’t…let you… kill me…
You’re not even real! I won’t lose to you!
You… already… have…
Langstrom watched helplessly as the ground grew further and further away. It was then that he felt the muscles of the wings fighting to take him higher into the air.
Noooo! I was about to be free of you!
I have…as much of a… right to… live… as you…do…
You’ve stolen my life from me!
Have I?
Langstrom had no response for that last question. Was this all in his head or was there really another presence in his mind? Either way, it seemed there was nothing he could do to fight it at the moment. Its will was too strong… If it really was an “it” and not just his own tortured mind betraying him. He wanted to cry…to let everything out…
They were miles away now, and sunrise was only an hour or so away. No way Batman would find them again before then. He felt his mind fading away as he watched rows of buildings pass by through the monster’s eyes.
The last thing he saw was a tear forming in its right eye as everything faded to black.