Darkness swept like a cloak across the city, moonless night deepening shadows, sending people inside earlier than usual.
Angie looked across the crowded loft and sighed.
“Where the hell is HE?” she wondered of her partner “business partner only of course” she added silently, but it was enough. Not having Rollie at all was about the worst thing she could imagine now that her parents were both gone.
He was her friend right from the start, always her friend, and her best friend. Right now though, he was late and she was starting to get ticked.
The back door, hidden within the telephone booth, opened with a hiss. From the shadows, a dark haired man shuffled inside, more than obviously worse for wear.
“Rollie? What happened? You just went for milk for god’s sake” Angie asked, hurrying to the form, as he visibly needed her help.
“ These two guys followed me out of the shop, caught up to me down the alley” he explain as she helped him to the couch “ they knocked me around a bit then this guy appeared, he looked . . . pretty capable, though I couldn’t see him well. Told me to get out of there”
“ What did he look like?” Angie asked.
“ Well, you’re going to laugh” Rollie answered, remembering the scene.
“ Okay” Angie answered, now prepared.
“ He looked like . . .“ Rollie began.
A crash sounded from above and the fiberglass skylight shattered as a figure dropped down to land, somehow, on his feet.
Angie however was already in motion, her foot describing a perfect arc as she performed a spinning side-kick. A satisfying “Ooof” sounded from whoever it was and he dropped to the floor as Angie’s foot whacked into his abdomen.
“ Who the hell are you?” Angie exclaimed, standing between the intruder and Rollie.
Meanwhile, Rollie was chuckling. Damn she was feisty. Still, his hands closed on the frequency generator just in case they needed a distraction.
The figure slowly climbed to his feet and began doing some whacky dance routine.
Rollie smiled at the weirdness of the situation.
Angie thought the dance was even goofier than the poses Saiyaman from Dragonball Z made, and that was saying something.
As the figure finished the dance, he announced “ I’m Batman”
The two FX artists shared a look, then burst into laughter, no matter that Rollie had just had the stuffing beaten out of him.
“ No offense, but Batman has way cooler gadgets than you do” Rollie offered “ heck, WE have way better gadgets than you. Check this out” Rollie commented, taking the opportunity to have some fun.
The noise was shocking, low frequency sound. Both he and Angie had become a little accustomed to it by now, their guest however, had not.
He stooped over, and threw up before sinking to the floor, head in his hands.
Angie kept an eye on the intruder while gesturing for Rollie to turn the sound off.
“ I bet you aren't as smart as me though!” Batman argued.
Angie turned and pointed at Rollie “ Certified Genius”
Rollie in turn points at Angie " Certified Genius"
“ Well, I bet you can’t fight like I can. I’m a master of at least 3 different forms of martial arts” Batman argued as he gingerly stood up.
“ You got your ass handed to you once already tonight, want to make it twice?” Angie retorted, earning another feisty thought from Rollie.
“ Well . . . oh, wait, the car! Chicks love the car!” he announced “ you have got to see this!”
Rollie followed as the caped dork, uh crusader, headed for the door, yanking it open to reveal the car, with special rocket booster, and fins.
Meanwhile back inside, Angie wore a terrifying smirk as she flipped open the ambler.
It was five minutes later, as Rollie looked over the car’s gadgets that a deep throated roar sounded from the end of the alley. It took a single moment for him to decipher the sound of the roar, and he immediately fled towards the loft yelling Angie’s name.
The Vindicator II appeared, prowling down the alley towards Batman, and his much loved car.
Inside, Angie brought the Vindicator to a gentle park, on top of Batman’s car, and switched off the engine.
“ This chick likes the Monster Truck better” Angie grinned.
“ Angie, I bet he’s not even insured!” Rollie griped “ can you even see a pocket for a wallet on his tights!”
At that moment Batman, defeated by the deadly duo, returned inside “ Uh, how much does scrap metal go for these days?”