Sawyer was tapped on the shoulder and turned to see a fine dressed cat in a hat" Hey beautiful." He grinned." Danny! What are you doing here?" Studio sent me to support the advertising for the next movie. I'm also under contract to work with you and Berry over the next five films." Six films , Danny." Louie corrected ." Starting with 3 Banana Splits in a Sundae. Which starts filming next week." Any of them involve dancing and singing?" Danny asked" Yes, they are all musicals. I'm directing and I also wrote the script." Louie said." Half of my scenes with Louie were liplocks." Sawyer said" More like 60 percent girl Berry said." The apes love watching their king taste some sugared honey." What about drama and action?" Danny asked." Well there's more than a few chase scenes and things going boom." Louie said as he read from the newest script he had written."This scene has you Sawyer and Berry trying to make your train to Mumbai . Hijinks ensue." Louie grinned" I get punched by a tiger?!?" Danny gulped." You stepped on his tail" He throws me through a series of windows and a wall?" Bugs Bunny has been doing that for decades" Louie said" I end up kissing Berry's ... bum?" Did you read the script?" Louie asked as Berry giggled." The script I got was different." Danny said " There was lots more singing and dancing, less pratfalls." My subjects love hijinks. Romance too, well when I'm involved." My contract requires that Sawyer and I kiss , on the lips, at least 3 times per movie." Danny said." You kiss her 5 times. Berry kisses her on the lips 10 times. And you kiss Berry 8 times. My research shows the apes like it when apes do the kissing, particularly when I do it. But for this film I'm the director although I do cameo at the train station as a conductor." Louie said as the movie started and he handed Danny some popcorn " How was your flight?" Fine, had some turbulence on the landing. I'm used to it. The check doesn't hurt. 250000 per film?" Plus a percentage of profits." Louie agreed" Plus we film in Panthera , on the Nile China Indonesia and Jungle City, among others. " Louie said" First one in Panthera, Ptince Onca has generously allowed us to stay at the Chateau de Onca while filming. The scenery is gorgeous, as are the locals "
Louie said
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Gotham
Batman examined all the exhibits that had been trashed by the Royal Flush Gang." Not much here . They did a good job of trashing the place" Batman said through his communicator " I checked the security footage. 5 perps, all dresssed like cards. Cleaned the exhibits and guests out in under 20 minutes then busted through a skylight. " Stripetail donated many of the artifacts that were stolen. " Wayne said." Can't imagine that's going to be a pleasant chat when I run into him again." Touch base with him most likely he's already started his own investigation." He has the games to worry about." And now ancient powerful magical artifacts in the hands of criminals as well." How much harm could those wands and other old stuff do?" Batman asked as a door opened and closed." Plenty, Batman, plenty" Stripetail spoke up and Batman spun around" Uh he's here I'll be in touch."
Batman broke contact and turned to the wizard" Those Wands contain cores from an extremely powerful magical world. Any natural abilities the person has who possesses them, are enormously increased. Which is why getting them back is very important . Their monetary value is huge, but that is at best a secondary concern. The damage they can inflict is enormous. As in Gotham flattened out of existence." Why did you bring such powerful artifacts to Gotham in the first place." To raise interest in the games, show off some of my belongings and to raise money for charity." Stripetail said as he picked up a large shard of glass." Restoratum" he intoned" and glass began flying off the ground. Stripetail made several gestures and one by one the cases were repaired." Check them for anything fingerprints, pieces of clothing, and so on." All I can see is a small puddle of.. ooze." Batman reached down and touched it." Its fluid, from some sort of robot or automatron." What do you know about Paxton Powers?" Stripetail asked." He's a snake and the son of a even bigger snake Derek Powers. Don'treally know much about him, except he's filthy rich and got there by dumping toxic sludge into a previously pristine bay. Not that he or his dad care for environmental protection or laws. " Could he have hired the burgulars to steal the artifacts?" Wouldn't put it past him. Unfortunately, there's nothing solid to tie him to this. I don't even know who the Royal Flush Gang are, at least out of costume." Perhaps this is a job that requires you to go undercover." Stripetail mused" Any rich newcomers in town?" There's this girl, just moved in a few weeks ago with her family. I think her name is Melanie. Dads a collector, I think." Talk with her and her parents if possible. If her father is a collector of antiquities then he would be well connected to learn if any of the stolen artifacts were put up for auction or sold anywhere. These sort of objects won't stay together for long. Which means Batman you're on the clock so to speak. Help me get my property back and I will reward you handsomely. Within reason of course. Asking for a billion creds, for example, wiould not be reasonable." I would never be able to spend that kind of money anyway." What about- being able to connect with your father?" Stripetail said and Batmans mouth fell open." You-you're kidding right? My fathers.." dead. I know. I can summon his spirit to talk to you." You can do that?" Batman. I'm immortal. I can do things that mortals can't." I- I don't know. . What would I even say? " Dad . I'm a superhero now? " Would he approve of what I do?" I believe that he would be proud of you. " You didn't know my dad." No, not personally. But I have been around long enough and seen enough to know well the bonds between fathers and their sons. It is unbreakable, not even death can sever it. You yourself wil know that bond, one day. Sorry, scrying habits." Did you ever have children Stripetail? Batman asked" No, my great enemy Mertavius denied me that opportunity. I had a mate..and he took her from me. I have filled the ages since with work and letting my friend Tarrsx and his wives and children serve as an extended family." Did you get even with him for what he did? Avenged her in some way?"Immortals don't work that way. You can't kill them to avenge a death. Eventually he and I will come to blows again Batman. We have fought for ages, literally. Our contest, in some ways mirrors the contest between the original Batman and his arch foe. Good must always confront Evil. The battle takes many forms across time, the arenas change, the cirmcustsnces change, as do the names. Many past heroes and heroines now exist only in my memory, as do the villains they countered. I prefer to remember the good beings not the bad ones." Stripetail said.
