Subject: [OTL]: [Gotham Kids] On The Job
Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2002 14:19:39 EDT
From: Trumpetlee@aol.com

Author's Note:This is a vignette that takes place in Gotham during Maximum
X's Winter vacation, and this is what happens when your families are on the
sorta-somewhat opposing sides.
Disclaimer: Ellery and Serena are mine. The rest is DC's. Xavier's School
belongs to Marvel. No money being made.

OnThe Job
:LeeTybird

We stood on a random rooftop, one of many in ye olde Gothame City. I, Serena
Wayne, was leaning against the ledge in my Midnight costume, watching my
breath come out. I'd been home from Xavier's School for three hours, and was
already dragged along on the job with my father, who was standing straight,
looking broody as usual in his cowl. He won't let me call him Dad on the job.
Too dangerous, he says. He's so paranoid.

"He's a hitman," Batman told me. "Or, rather, The Hitman. He knocks off
super villains for a profit."

"I don't see a problem with that," I replied.

Batman turned to me, glaring beneath the cowl, as usual. "And if one of those
targets turns out to be your mother?"

I stayed silent for a moment, but then sighed. My mom is... well, she's
Catwoman. Stop laughing! I know I live in a freak show! Shut up! "Fine.
Point. Sorry... He killed Joker yet?"

"He was stopped. He's supposed to try again."

"You're a nut, y'know that?" I asked. "A complete and utter fruit basket.
You wouldn't let him bump off the Joker, even after everything that's
happened? I've heard so many stories. He killed Sarah Essen-Gordon. He
shot Oracle. How can you just-"

"This is not open for discussion, Serena," Batman cut in. Calling me by
my name-name is not something he usually does on 'the job', but when he's
annoyed... "He's human."

"Barely."

"And you'd say that about Harvey Dent, I suppose? And, again, your mother?"

I looked down. Another point for the Bat. "Sorry. I just... I don't see why
you do it sometimes, y'know? I don't see how you can do it." I don't. Part
of me hates him for doing this.

Batman sighed, and turned to me. "You're young. I've been doing this for the
better part of thirty years."

I smirked. "I think this is the longest conversation we've ever had with you
behind the cowl." It's true. He usually just nods, unless I'm being a pain
in the ass. Like now.

That was when a bullet was shot between us.

I looked down to see the Hitman looking up at us, with a miniature Hitman
standing next to him.

I recognized the boy instantly. "Oh, shit."

"Language."

"Dad... that's... that's Tommy Monaghan, right?"

"Yes."

"And... that... that's his son, right?"

"Yes."

"No. No, no, no, no, no! That's my classmate!"

"Well, he's trying to kill us," Batman replied. "Let's go."

"But-"

"You heard me."

I scowled, but followed my father's- Batman's- lead, jumping the roof, onto
the next one over.

***

"Okay, we'll meet 'em on the other side of this group of buildings," My Dad
told me. "Come on."

"Why are we trying to bump off the Bat?" I asked, following him. Four hours
at home, and already brandishing heavy artillery to put food on the table.
This is the way my dad works, and has always worked, even when he and Mom
were still married. He kills super villains, gets money, and we pay rent and
eat, and maybe even rent a movie. Like my dad, I have superpowers. X-Ray
vision, mostly, and I got the upside of that. My dad basically has no eyes
because of his X-ray vision. I, however, have eyes... and I'm still waiting to
see if some telepathy surfaces. If that happens, I can freak the hell out of
my classmates back at Xavier's. Sweet.

"We're not, Ellery," Dad replied. "We're trying to get him to leave us
alone. Yet again, I've been commissioned to kill Joker, and yet again, he's
in my god-damned way. An' that stupid brat is back, too."

"Brat?" I asked.

"MidNight. One of his many sidekicks. Damn annoying if ya ask me."

I swallowed hard. "MidNight?"

"Yep. Come on, we'll meet 'em on the other side."

"Do I gotta?" I asked, my voice cracking a little.

My dad looked back at me, through his shades, eyebrows raised. "Do you want
Slurrpies after this, or not? Let's go!"

***

Twenty minutes later...

"You stay outta my way, Batman."

"I don't think so, Monaghan. What you're doing is wrong."

Serena stared at Ellery from behind her cowl as the men argued. "I told you 
I didn't have it as easy as you thought. You gotta do my laundry now."

Ellery rolled his eyes, and took his shades off. "Guess so. You probably
spend more time out here than I do."

"Damned right," Serena muttered. "So, how's your break so far?"

"For its first four hours? Interesting. You?"

"Same. Dammit. I hate spandex and Kevlar."

At that point, they realized that their fathers were staring at them. Ellery
shoved his hands in the pockets of his black jacket, and Serena crossed her
arms.

"So... what do we do now?" Ellery asked.

"Resort to name-calling?" Serena asked. "That's always fun."

"I can't call you names," Ellery whimpered. "It's mean."

"Yeah?" Serena challenged. "You call Sander and Dave names all the
time."

"They're guys," Ellery replied.

"So pretend I'm a guy."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Cause it's cold as hell and yer nipples're stickin' out."

"So're yours, and you're wearing a plain shirt," she giggled. "Yours are
probably the size of dinner plates."

Ellery snorted.

Batman glared at the teens. "We have to leave." He grabbed Serena by the arm
and began to drag her off.

"Fart-sniffer!" She cried.

"Toilet licker!" Ellery called back, as his father took him by the shirt
collar and dragged him in the opposite direction.

"Butt-lover!"

"Maggot-Burger!"

"Car-Hump-er!"

"Damn proud of it!"

The two laughed as they were hauled onto to different paths.

They knew they wouldn't see each other until the new semester began. Not out
of costume, at least, and it was sad.

But all they could do was laugh.

END