Disclaimer: This story, though maybe not in this chapter but in subsequent chapters, will have celebrities in it. I have no knowledge of their sexuality and this is not intended to imply their sexuality. This is all from my own mind. Scary!! People actually get a glimpse into my mind!!!
Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, Angel and all related characters created by Joss Whedon. Copyright 20th Century Fox.
Batman, and all related characters created by Bob Kane. Copyright DC Comics and Warner Bros.
X-MEN, and all related characters created by Stan Lee. Copyright Marvel Comics and 20th Century Fox.
Star Trek and all related characters created by Gene Roddenberry. Copyright Paramount Studios.
I don't know for sure if I will use all the above elements, but just in case, I have myself covered.
In this story, which has been floating around in my head most of my life, you will find many universes merging, as the above copyrights reveal. I hope you all enjoy this. I appreciate any feedback that you may want to give. This story doesn't deal so much with sex, sex, sex, but more of my feelings that I struggled with and am starting to come to terms with. Part of his background is mine. I do hope that you enjoy it!!!
I have received many emails from people who have enjoyed it and some from those who do not. I would enjoy hearing from you. Any emails you send, please tell me what chapter and story you are commenting on. Thanks.
jmsotc@yahoo.com
Chapter 17 The Teen Center
Lance and I left for the day. He drove, of course, as I would have gotten us lost in no time. Lance showed me the sites of Orlando and then we pulled up to this rather large slightly run-down building.
"What's this?" I asked.
"The teen center. You were talking about one so I thought I would let you see it."
I was captivated. I got out of the car and Lance followed, although I was almost completely oblivious to him at that moment. Part of my dream was a reality already down here. A teen center existed.
"Come on."
I followed Lance inside. The building was very dark and dirty. You could tell it had not been used, at least for the purpose the name outside said. Who knew what kind of people used this and what they used it for? It looked as if homeless people stayed here and possibly prostitutes used it as a place for them to work.
Lance took me around and showed me the different rooms.
"Any ideas forming in your head?"
"Yes," I answered. "Lots."
Lance looked at me and smiled.
I started to plan in my mind where would place things. What each room would be for. I had such a burden for teens and I was thinking of things I could do to the building to make it friendly for teens.
We headed to the main lobby and I sat down.
"Do you have any paper in your car?"
"Yeah. Hold on. I'll go get some."
Lance left and I began thinking of what I needed to do. As I sat there, the door opened and a young dark-haired teen peaked his head in.
"Hello," he called out.
"Yes?" I asked.
"Hi. Are you in charge here?"
"I would like to be. Perhaps soon I will." I stood up and walked over to him, hand extended. "I'm Eric McCoy. What can I do for you?"
"My name is Robert...Robert Lakewind."
"Nice to meet you, Robert."
"Please call me Robbie."
"Okay. What can I do for you?"
"I saw someone come in so I thought the place was open. I really need to talk to someone."
"Well, we can sit down and talk if you like."
"Okay."
I showed him over to an old couch and we sat down.
"I need to talk to someone about a problem I've been having."
Robbie was very hesitant. It must have been something serious.
"What is it?"
"I...I don't know for sure if I can tell you."
"I've been exposed to many things. I hardly think you could tell me anything that would take me by surprise."
"I'm...attracted to other guys."
Robbie buried his head in his hands and began crying. I put my hand on his back.
"It's okay."
"No it's not! I like girls, too! I want to be good. I even had a little boy with a woman to try and be straight. But I can't help that I am attracted to guys, too!"
I felt so bad for him. I could almost feel his sadness and guilt. Of course, I had been in his place. I never fathered a child with a woman, but I did date several girls, not at the same time, but I did date, hoping that it would make me heterosexual. Obviously it didn't work.
"Yes. It is okay. I'm gay. I like guys, too."
"But...but just because you like guys doesn't mean it's okay."
"Who makes you think it's wrong?"
"Everybody. School kids, friends, the church."
"Do your parents feel the same?"
"I don't have any parents. They died a long time ago. The city has custody of me. I pretty much live on my own since I'm seventeen and they teach me to be responsible."
"You don't have anyone you can talk with this about without feeling condemned?"
"No."
It was settled for me then that I would have to do something about the teen center. I had to get it going. It had to be functioning again.
"You have someone now," I said. "You have me to talk to. I can help you find the answers you need."
Robbie looked up at me with hopeful tear-filled eyes.
"Really?"
"Yes," I smiled and nodded.
He grabbed me and hugged me. I hugged him back, probably the first compassionate hug he's had in a long, long time.
The door opened and Lance walked in. He looked over at me with a questioning look. I smiled at him.
"Excuse me, Robbie. My boyfriend is here."
Robbie and I released each other and I stood up.
"What's going on?" Lance asked me as I approached. I noticed he was a little concerned.
"This is Robbie Lakewind. He's upset because he's bisexual and has no one to help him. I'm going to find a way to open this teen center, Lance."
"I thought you might. Would you like me to leave you two alone?"
"No. I need you, Lance, to help me. I need you beside me. Please, help me."
I hugged Lance close. He was my strength. He was the helpmate God provided me. I needed him.
"Okay," he replied with a smile. "I was hoping you would need me."
"Always," I replied.
I took his hand and we walked over to Robbie.
"Robbie, this is Lance, my boyfriend. Lance, this is Robbie."
"Nice to meet you," Lance said to Robbie.
"Likewise," Robbie said.
He was too preoccupied with his problems to realize it was Lance Bass from NSYNC. We sat down on the couch.
"What do we do first?" Lance asked.
"Find out who owns this building. Then go from there," I said as I wrote it down. "If it's privately owned, I need to talk to the owner or owners to get them to open this up. If the government owns it, I need to talk to someone downtown to get it going again."
"What are you going to do to get it going?"
"I would like to put some things in here to help attract teens. Get a library, computers, have specific group meetings to attract teens that need help with certain areas such as being gay or lesbian, drinking and drugs, teen pregnancy and parenting. I also want to be able to reach out to others as an educational facility for parents."
"You've thought about this for a long time," Lance said to me.
"It's always been a dream of mine."
The three of us worked on a large list of things to do, supplies we would need and what not. We left after sunset.
"Do you need a ride home?" Lance asked Robbie.
"No. I'll be fine."
Lance had given him our phone number if he needed someone to talk to and he went on his way.
Lance and I climbed into the car and drove off.
"I feel so bad for that kid," Lance said. "It breaks my heart."
"Mine, too."
"That's why I want to support you in this. I know it's close to your heart. And what bothers you bothers me."
I leaned my head over and rested it on his shoulder.
When we arrived back home, Lance went up to the bedroom to get ready for bed. I went into the kitchen and noticed the paper Lance was looking at earlier. I picked it up and flipped through it. My eyes fell upon the police reports filed. As I read, I came across a rather frightening familiar case. A body was found with puncture wounds to the neck.
"Damn," I whispered, "vampires."
"Are you coming up to bed?" Lance called down.
"I'll be right there, Love."
I folded up the paper and put it in a drawer for me to read later. Then I went up to the bedroom and found Lance lying in bed looking as delicious as ever.
"I'm glad you came up to bed," he said.
"After seeing you, I'm glad, too."
"Come here."
I walked over to the bed and Lance moved to the edge. He was sitting there in all his glory. I straddled him and put my knees on the bed. I leaned into him and kissed him. As we kissed, he unbuttoned my shirt then pulled it off. I moved to my pants and unbuttoned and unzipped them. Then, holding on to me, he rolled me over to the bed and laid me down. He pulled my pants down and then my socks. He kissed up my legs and pulled down my boxers. Then he moved up and kissed my head. He moved up and lay on top of me kissing me.
Lance began grinding his body into mine stimulating both of us more than we had been. I could feel him lubricating as well as myself lubricating. We kissed passionately and I spread my legs wanting to feel him in me. He knew what I wanted and moved into position. I felt him penetrate me and fill my insides with his manliness. He began thrusting himself into me, making love to me. I rubbed his sides and his back enjoying the feeling of having the man I love so close to me. We continued to kiss until our lovemaking brought us to climax. We both called out as we arrived at climax. Lance collapsed on me getting my fluid on his stomach and chest.
"I love you," I whispered in his ear. Then I kissed his ear.
"I love you," he replied.
Lance pulled out of me and went into the bathroom. He came back with a warm, wet cloth and wiped us both off. He threw the rag in the hamper and crawled into bed beside me. We snuggled close together and he fell asleep.
When I was sure Lance was fast asleep, I got up and went to the closet. Flipping on the light, I looked for and found the black suitcase containing the Bat-suit. I pulled it out and laid it on it's back and opened it. I looked at the eyes and I thought about what I was in L.A.
"Is this what Orlando needs?" I wondered. "Look at what the kids were going through with that woman. And now there are vampires here. Do they have anyone equipped to handle vampires? L.A. had the Huntress and myself. What if Orlando doesn't have anyone to fight against this darkness?"
Turning to look through the closet door, I saw the moonlight shine on Lance's face.
"What about Lance? What could I tell him? If he finds out about me, he would be in danger. But I feel this burden to be Batman still. What could I do?"
I closed the suitcase and pushed it back.
"Lance is too important to me to risk on the silly notion of me being a superhero. I'm involved with someone in a serious relationship. I can't let anything come between that, between Lance and me. I love him too much. I'm sorry, Batman. You are gone...for good."
I turned out the closet light and went to bed.
The following morning I got up and went downstairs. Lance had already gone to work for the day. I poured myself a glass of juice and sat down at the island. The morning newspaper sat opened. Lance had obviously been looking at it. I looked at the front page and read the headline. Two more were found dead by the same manner, puncture wounds to the neck.
"Vampires."
I continued reading and saw where the authorities were asking for help in discovering who was behind the murders. Since I knew how to help, does that mean I should get involved? What about Lance? What could I do?
Then I remembered what I used to do when I had a major decision to make. Pray.
I went upstairs and closed the bedroom door. I knelt down beside my bed and for the first time in a long, long time I prayed.
"God, I need Your help. I started something in Los Angeles a few months ago. I became Batman. I was accused of a crime I did not commit and now I've moved away. I'm beginning my new life in another town with someone who cares about me.
"A threat has arisen in this city that I know how to deal with. But I don't know what to do? Should I go out as Batman again risking the chance I would never return to Lance? Do I risk someone discovering who I am and put Lance in danger?
"Things have become clouded. My life has become clouded, especially my spiritual life. What do I do?"
I stayed knelt down. A pastor once said that God is ready to speak to us when we have quieted ourselves to listen. And God speaks to us in different ways. Sometimes it's with a gut feeling, sometimes it's reasoning. Other times it's a still small voice in our hearts or the back of our minds giving us direction and wisdom. No matter how God speaks to us, we should listen to the voice. God will never guide us in the wrong direction.
Suddenly, a presence filled the room. It was a strange sensation, one that I was familiar with at one time but had lost once I came to terms with my sexuality. It wasn't that God disapproved of me being gay. I had many issues to deal with and God understood that. He had never left me. He just stepped back so I could deal and adjust and understand what it means to be gay.
I listened to see if I could hear his voice. What surprised me was the light that was forming. It appeared in the corner and slowly took shape, a human shape.
"Hello, Eric," the voice said.
I looked into his eyes and saw love, felt love flowing out to me. I recognized the love as the love of God, but I knew this wasn't God. At least, I didn't think it was God. Part of me just knew it wasn't.
"Who are you?"
"I am an angel."
"What are you doing here?"
"God has heard your voice and feels your concerns. He sent me to guide you."
"To guide me?"
"Well, at least get you on the right path. His Spirit will guide you the rest of your journey."
I nodded my head in understanding. I know the guiding of the Holy Spirit of God. He works in many wonderful subtle ways.
"God has given you a talent, a gift to fight the forces of darkness. He has set you with the Slayer and her Watcher to train. Your own experiences have shown you the power you can have when you are yielded to God."
"But what about my prayer when I was attacked by Lord Bortos? Why did not God answer then?"
"You were not ready to receive. You must be in unison with God and His Spirit for Him to use you. You have gone away from the path He has chosen for you and your relationship with Him. You must get back on course, especially for what is to come."
"What is to come?" I wondered.
How could God be planning something for me?
"I mustn't tell you. It's not for you to know until it is time to know. Be patient. Trust in the God who made you. Lean on His everlasting arms. And don't ever neglect your job that He has called you to do. He will be with you."
The light faded and I was as shocked as shocked can be. An angel of God came and visited me. He told me of what I needed to do. I needed to spend more time in God's presence. It's what I've neglected for so long, since coming out to my family and myself. God was with me for that time, making His presence known, guiding me...but I got away from His work that He called me to do. The time I needed to prepare for it. I did some of his work. That's how I was able to fight the demons and use my mutation. God's gift to me to do His work. But my prayer to protect me when Bortos attacked me was not effective. I had drifted away from God and His presence, His power.
I looked back at the closet and knew that my work as Batman was not done. I had to continue. He had to continue. For the first time Batman was called upon by God. Could he do the job he was needed to do? Could I? Only time would tell.
To Be Continued...
What do you think? The teen center is a real dream of mine. That is why I'm going to go to school to be a psychologist so I can open up this teen center. It will be more gay and lesbian specific. I had always felt so alone in high school in trying to figure out who and what I am. Had there been a gay and lesbian teen center in my area, I might have been able to get through some of the things I went through. That's why I want to do this so bad.
And what about the religion issue? It's now surfacing again, only this time it's going to play an important role in what is to come in Batman's work. Like I said before in Chapters past, I have my own beliefs, but I do not believe in throwing off on other people's religions nor do I believe in forcing my own down another's throat. If you want to ask me things, I would be happy to answer you.
More good stuff to come.