Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. It has no intentions of resembling any real persons dead or alive. This is entirely from my imagination, with a little help from already established sources. This story is based loosely on the comic book character "The Punisher" from Marvel Comics. Other characters may appear from Marvel comics as well as DC Comics.
Punisher and all related characters copyright Marvel Comics.
Blade and all related characters copyright Marvel Comics.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel copyright Joss Whedon, United Paramount Network and Warner Bros. Respectively.
The Vampire Chronicles and all related characters created by Anne Rice. Copyright Anne O'Brien Rice.
I have written another story on nifty entitled "Tales of a Real Dark Knight". It is in the Celebrity/Boy Bands section. Batman may appear in this story once or twice, as the Punisher may appear in "Tales of a Real Dark Knight". Any comments may be sent to authorjames2002@yahoo.com
Thank you and enjoy.
Author's Note: This storyline will be the final installment for "Marvel Knights". I hope you have enjoyed the run as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Many issues that have come up in the last storyline will be resolved in this story line. Again, I hope you have enjoyed its run. Thank you.
Chapter 10 Immortal
Everyone stood as the minister spoke of Davey's vibrant life and how it was cut short by a disease that was shrouded in mystery. "The mystery has kept people ignorant to the reality of the lives of all effected by it. In the end, they are just people who were different, but still wonderful and unique human beings. Davey was one of them. We will all remember his smile, his good humor, and his love of life. Though he has left us, we will keep him in our hearts. We commend his body to the ground, ashes to ashes, earth to earth, dust to dust."
The casket lowered into the ground and slowly the people drifted away, giving their love and respects to Davey's family and friends. There were sobs and tears, people holding and supporting each other, especially those who were the team Marvel Knights. Tandy and Ty comforted each other. Whistler, Strange, and Spector stood in silence as they were not ones to be touchy feely. Blade, Weatherby and Johnny, who had returned when he heard of Davey's ailment, stood supporting each other. Even though there was much hurt and hard feelings among them, they also felt very much the same for Davey. And their bond was much stronger than even the worst hurt they could feel.
Ty approached Harris, who isolated himself from everyone. He placed his hand on the young man's shoulder and asked, "Do you want to come with us?"
"I'd like to be alone with him one last time, if you don't mind."
"Of course," Ty replied. "We'll be at the mansion if you want or need to talk."
Harris gave a slight nod and Ty acknowledged it. The mutant turned and walked toward his waiting friends letting them know that Harris wanted to be alone.
When Harris was sure of being alone, the tears filled his eyes and fell as they had been since he heard of Davey's sickness. They had only increased through the passing of Davey and were culminating at this moment, when there was absolutely no hope of Davey ever coming back. He took a deep breath, and the words just poured forth.
"I don't know what to say to you, Davey. I love you, which you know that. When I left seven months ago, I was so angry with you. After...after what happened, I didn't care. I didn't care what happened to you. More like I tried not to care. It thought it would be easier if I didn't care. I thought the pain would go away, the pain of being betrayed by someone you...you love.
"I guess that's the clincher. Even after you slept with those two, despite the fact my heart was ripped in two at that moment, I still loved you. You caused me pain, but my love for you didn't die. It would have been easier for me if it had.
"And then coming back here...that was hard. But I knew I had to. I met a few friends where I went, and they talked me into coming back here and resolving the issue. Even if we didn't get back together, we could have settled what happened, tried to move on. Being back here, though, brought back the old memories, and I couldn't face you. I knew that if I did, one of two things would happen. We would talk and go our separate ways, and I would go on hurting because of how much I love you. Or I would run back into your arms and still hurt over what you did to me.
"Not to mention the fact that seeing Tandy made me want to help out again. But that isn't my place either. I'm not a hero, not like you or Blade or Nightwing. I don't have special powers and abilities like Ty or Tandy. I don't even have the wisdom of Whistler, Punisher or Arsenal. I couldn't hold my own in a fight if my life depended on it. But I'm bound to this life. The history we have, knowing what goes bump in the night, I'm bound to this life, the one you left behind. You have me, Davey. You have all of me."
Harris looked up at the sky. It seemed to mock his pain. The sky, the birds, the clouds, the sun, everything reminded Harris of Davey and the short time they had together. Granted it was a year, but it still wasn't long enough. Eternity never is long enough when you are with your soul mate.
Harris couldn't help but sing:
I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
Because your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I've held your hand through all of these years
But you still have all of me
You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I've held your hand through all of these years
But you still have all of me
Harris fell to his knees in front of the tombstone, tears streaming down his face.
I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along
You cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I've held your hand through all of these years
But you still have all of me
Harris kissed his fingers and placed them on the tombstone, his last kiss to Davey, their kiss goodbye. He stood up, turned from the grave, and walked away.
The Knights retired to the Study. Tandy and Ty sat on the couch with Marc. Whistler and Dr. Strange sat in the chairs. Blade and Michael stood near one of the bookcases. Johnny stood near the window. All were sipping drinks in their hands, and with tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces they were remembering the cherished memories of the one they lost.
"The first time I met Davey," Tandy said, "we were on patrol. Remember that?" she asked Ty and Blade. "I had followed a vampire down an alley and, because it was dark, it looked like he was beating up somebody. When I got closer, I saw it was Davey beating up the vampire. He was so funny wearing the black and green Speedos and beating the shit out of the vampire. When he saw me, he was slightly distracted. The vampire was able to punch Davey and Davey flew against the wall."
"I went over to see if he was okay," Ty continued. "He looked at me and was terrified at first. Seeing someone in a black cloak can be intimidating. I reached down and helped him up. He then asked me who I was and Tandy and I shared with him what we did. He was eager to meet Blade."
"He was," Blade answered. "At first he seemed intimidated by me, but he quickly summed me and opened up to me."
"And it wasn't just because he thought you were hot," Tandy added.
"No, it wasn't that at all, although Ty and I both got our share of looks from him. Remember the first time he saw you without a shirt, Ty?"
"How could I forget? He stood there with his mouth hanging open. This was before he actually said he was gay, but I knew from his mannerisms that he was. When I saw him with his mouth hung open, I asked if he was okay. He just nodded and stared. Then I got uncomfortable. I hadn't really been around gay people before. This was before Blade told us he was bisexual.
"Davey taught me about gay people. He showed me that he was no different from me except in who he was attracted to. Then, when he met Harris, I got to see it in action. Again I was uncomfortable because it was right there, in living color. But I got used to it and I'm more supportive of those different from me, especially gay people. When it comes down to it, they aren't so different from us at all, really."
"Here, here," Dr. Strange replied.
"He would meet us for a while when we would patrol," Tandy said. "Like trial and error, until we could see if we worked well as a team. It wasn't long before we decided that it would be best to work together."
"How long did you work together before I showed up?" Michael asked.
"About three years, I think," Tandy replied. "We became so close in those three years."
"And it took you that long to get used to being around a gay boy?" Michael asked Ty.
"I struggled with it. It took me a long time to get used to the idea of working with a gay man. Seeing Davey and Harris together helped me a lot. I saw that gay people truly love one another. The stereotypes were smashed after that. The only thing real I had was a flaming queer boy who checked out every man he saw.
"With Harris, I saw the relationship they had, I got to see the true emotions that go along with their relationship."
Michael nodded in understanding. "Davey was a good-looking boy. He hit on me right away."
Everyone nodded and chuckled.
"Was he always so horney?" Marc asked.
"No," Blade answered. "He may have acted like it, but he wasn't truly always in the mood for sex. He found beauty everywhere. And with sex, it wasn't about getting off, though it is fun to do that. Davey wanted to feel alive, and sex makes you feel that."
Everyone in the room nodded in agreement, as everyone has had sex before.
"I wish I would have had the chance to get to know him like you have," Marc stated. "You have such rich memories of him, memories that I haven't had time to gather for and with me. He seemed like a good boy, a good warrior."
"He was."
"And he was a friend," Blade replied. "I think we all learned something about ourselves from him. He had this energy, this way of looking at things that made us all look at our own thoughts and beliefs. He will always be part of us. We'll care on his legacy and that will make him immortal."
To Be Continued...