Date: Tue, 22 Nov 1994 20:45:19 CST Reply-To: Highlander TV show stories Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: "Jason R. Tippitt" Subject: "In the End..." (HL/Batman) Part I, Chapter II ************************************************************************ "I N T H E E N D . . . " ************************************************************************ A Highlander/Batman Crossover Jason R. Tippitt, 1994 Comments to: WA81%UTMARTN.BITNET@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU Note: This occurs in a future somewhat similar to that portrayed in the graphic novel _The Dark Knight Returns_, by Frank Miller. There are some differences--Catwoman's being an Immortal having been the most notable one so far. Caveat: Not the kindest, gentlest story ever written. Cursing, too. Book One: "The Gathering" Part 2 ******* ******* The butterfly landed perfectly on the limb, its majestic orange and black wings spread regally behind it. Gregor inhaled, released the button. The camera whizzed as the image was captured. The leaves in the trees rustled gently as a cool autumn breeze wisped its way through. "It's so beautiful here," Gregor said, letting the camera drop down to his chest. "Why would I want to leave?" "You're a warrior, Gregor. At least you used to be." Rasputin put his hands in his pockets. "Not all of us are meant to spend our lives on holy ground." "I'm supposed to believe the Mad Monk?" Gregor laughed, slapped the black-clad priest on his back. "Hey, if it was good enough for Darius, and it's good enough for you..." "Not even holy ground will be safe soon." He shrugged. "Look at what happened to Darius--it's not been safe for *years.*" "But that was mortals, not any of us." "Do you really think that would make a difference to the next to the last one of us? You have to get back out there, be less of a target." "I'll be a target anyway; I haven't even *looked* at my sword since MacLeod brought me here. I've forgotten how to fight." "You'd better start remembering, then. I want you gone by tomorrow, and there'll be no arguing." His face bore no sign of jest; his grey eyes were filled with an unspeakable sadness. "Another few days and I won't be able to make you want to stay, son; the Gathering is upon us." "It's been upon us for longer than any of us remember...I've always thought it was like the Armageddon in the Bible, something that might happen but might not...Come with me." "No, I must remain here. Death will find us all soon enough, one place or another...at least here I die at home." He lay one hand on Gregor's cheek. "Go, now. Pack your things and be gone, or I'll have you arrested for trespassing." "Father..." "May God protect you. I can't." Gregor looked out across the Russian plains as rain began to fall. Then he felt it, for the first time in years. An irresistable pull to the West. He ran back to his room, throwing clothing into a bag. On his pillow rested a one-way ticket to Vancouver. "Duncan, are you still alive?" Gregor murmured under his breath. "I hope you live long enough to teach me how to be a man again..." ******* In the Gotham alley, two men snuck up behind a young, blond-haired child. They didn't know they were being watched--but that's only fair play against those who cheat. "Kenny," one of the men called. The boy turned. "What do you want? You're not one of us...oh my God...you're one of--" "You'll be with your God soon enough." The first man reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a tazer. It launched, but the Immortal was faster than he'd expected, and the current went into a garbage can. The other Hunter pulled out a .357 and put Kenny down with a shot in his left kneecap. "You should've let it go easy, kid." The two Hunters approached Kenny, pulling hatchets from underneath their long coats. "Leave the kid alone," a voice ordered from the shadows. The Hunters assumed a defensive position, back-to-back in the middle of the alley, looking around for the source of the voice. The first Hunter, a stout man with blonde hair worn military style, looked over his shoulder at his partner. "Shit, man, we done pissed off Batman..." His partner, a taller man with receding black hair, shook his head. "He's dead, dumbass. Don't you read the news?" "Or maybe he's just sleeping," the voice called. "Get away from the kid and don't come back; I don't really care what you want with him." Hunter #1 whispered to his partner, "I can get the kid...we might buy it from the Quickening, but that beats what the Boss'll do if we let him slip through our fingers..." His partner nodded his head. "We surrender." He took one step away from the shorter Hunter then fired his gun into the shadows above him, toward where he imagined the voice originated. His partner dove for Kenny, who rolled out of the way. An arrow shot down from the alley and struck the second Hunter in his left eye. Machine-gun fire from a car sitting at the edge of the alley, hitherto-unnoticed, tore the second Hunter in half. Kenny curled into a ball, safely under the level of the gunfire, and lay still. "What the--?" "Chill, Ollie, I'll get the kid," a girl's voice said calmly. From the fire escape she leapt, a tomboyish redhead of about 13 dressed in a red tunic, yellow cape, and green boots. "Get away from the kid," came a booming voice. It crackled; Robin assumed it was a PA system. "The kid's going with me." "I think that's up to him, spud. Why are you hiding in the car? Not man enough to face down one little girl by yourself?" "I don't have to get out of the car to get the boy." His voice was hesitant, as though he were distracted. "You do if he doesn't want to go willingly." Robin looked down at Kenny, who was holding his wounded knee. "Hey, kid, you know this guy?" Kenny shook his head. "He doesn't know you, spooky. Whatcha gonna do, shoot him?" "If I have to." "The bullets went about six inches too high. Unless you can change the level of fire, looks like you're shit outta luck." "I don't have time for games, girl." "Afraid of the cops? Doncha know, this is Gotcha City. The cops're the least of your worries." Connor climbed out of his car. "You're annoying me." He raised one hand, pointing something at her. The whistle of an arrow, then the sick thud of it embedding in his heart, and down the Highlander fell. There was a crack as the gun went off, hitting Robin in her right shoulder. She fell down as well. Kenny slowly stood up. "Who are you?" "You got shot in the knee and now you're standing up like you just got out of bed, and *you're* the one who's confused?" Ollie hopped down from the fire escape and looked at the boy. In his one hand, Ollie held a longbow; a quiver of arrows was strapped across his back. "What the hell *are* you, kid? And why do all these people want you?" "Is it true Batman's dead?" "I'm the one should be asking the questions. Help Robin for right now; then we'll go somewhere safe and talk." The old archer and the two "children" were gone in seconds. A few minutes later, Connor sat up suddenly, painfully. He reached for the shaft of the arrow and pulled what he could out of his body. He didn't feel any Immortals nearby. Cursing, he walked back to his car and drove off. He turned his tape recorder on. "I'm puzzled. I ran into Batman in New York City...I wasn't too shocked at his change in locale, considering the manhunt he put the cops and the government through here in Gotham, but now I don't know what to think. I've just lost Kenny to Green Arrow and Robin. That means that if Bruce Wayne's still alive, either he's still in Gotham or none of his past associates know about it." He stopped at a red light, held back from running it by a screaming battalion of fire engines. "I have the Joker and Richie...I needed the boy. Duncan and Amanda are going to be hard to sell. Odysseus is dead, and I..." He stopped the tape recorder. "Of course, how could I have been so stupid? Jason Todd's playing Halloween." Connor slapped himself on the forehead. "Even *Duncan* wouldn't have missed *that.*" ******* To be continued... =========================================================================