Jake sat in his rented hotel room and listened to the various reports coming in.

 

 

He had deployed small, camouflaged drones throughout the city to keep a watchful eye. For now, he was just fishing, hoping that whoever was trying to summon a demon was stupid enough to let the magic leak and be detectable at a distance. Meanwhile, he delved into his library, poring over books to refresh his memory on the intricacies of magic. As he focused on his research, the repaired clothing he gave Catwoman started picking up a conversation. He had made sure the material could relay sound if he focused on it. Instead of sending radio waves, it sent out micro pulses of encrypted hatred. Jake had designed it to be detectable and decipherable only by his ring, ensuring the utmost secrecy.

 

The conversation between Catwoman and Batman was enlightening.

 

Since Jake had used the fake ID that he bought from the Penguin to rent this room, he figured it was only a matter of time before he got a visit. He stood up, making his way to the patio doors and unlocking them, intentionally leaving one slightly open as an invitation. He thought for a moment, then ventured to the snack fridge, retrieving a package of chocolate chip cookies with a smirk.

 

---

 

Batman executed a silent landing on Jake's balcony, taking a moment to survey the peculiar scene before him. His eyes narrowed as he noticed the plate of cookies and cup of coffee, accompanied by a note addressed to 'Bat-Santa.' He raised an eyebrow, slightly annoyed by the unexpected gesture. Stepping inside, Batman pushed the patio doors open, allowing a gust of wind to rush into the room. The sudden breeze caused just about everything in the room to move, even if slightly. It was all quite dramatic.

 

Jake was sitting in the corner, reading a copy of Malleus Maleficarum when the wind ruffled his pages. He was wearing a softly glowing gold and maroon smoking jacket and crushed velvet black slacks while puffing away on a pipe that was carved to resemble a dragon's claw. A rather ironic shape since it had been carved from an actual dragon claw. He put his book in his lap and took the pipe out of his mouth, "Do you mind? You're letting in a draft."

 

Batman left the doors open as he appeared to float across the floor, "I think it's time we had a chat, Mister London."

 

Jake pointed at Batman's cape as it draped about him concealing his feet, "Damn. That is amazing. Do you practice that, or is it just something that happens naturally?" He scratched his chin, "Or is it some sort of gadget, like Gliding Bat-Shoes?"

 

Batman said nothing. He just stood there, staring down at Jake.

 

Jake stared up as the silence dragged on. Abruptly he snapped his book shut, "Fine, Fine, Fine. No more one-liners. No more jokes. I would like to ask you if you happen to have Oracle's phone number." He put his book to the side, "I have been trying to reach her, but she keeps blocking my AI. I mean, I have two of the best AI in this universe and somehow she manages to block me."

 

Batman impassively asked, "Why?"

 

Jake smiled sweetly, "I'd like to ask her out on a date, of course. Yes, I know, she's most likely got some of that swivel chair spread going on from sitting down all the time. But hey, more cushion, for the pushin', I always say."

 

Batman abruptly punched the wall causing a loud thud to fill the room and brought the conversation to a halt.

 

They stared at each other for several seconds before Batman spoke, "You deliberately provoke people at the start of a conversation in hopes of absorbing their hatred and fears. I suspect you do this because you have the ability to glean some information from this act. I theorize that the different flavors of emotion act as a form of back-door telepathy for the purposes of mind reading."

 

Batman leaned in close to growl in Jake's face, "The counter is not to care."

 

Jake recoiled at Batman being right in his face, Jake's eyes flickering up and down before he held up both hands, "You win." Batman pulled away to return to looming over Jake. Jake looked away and adjusted his collar, "Damn. You know you are insane, right? I mean, there is something broken inside there for you to be that unemotional." His lips formed a straight line as he folded his hands in his lap, "Ask your questions... Bruce Wayne."

 

Batman narrowed his eyes slightly, "Who are you... really?"

 

Jake looked up at Batman and spoke softly, "You want to know my story, then... Are you sure? It is not a happy one." He tapped the side of his head, "It's coming back to me. In fits and starts, but it's coming back. I remember the important parts now. That little fight in the warehouse triggered a bit more than I would have liked."

 

Batman just stared.

 

Jake stood up and walked over to the mini-fridge. He took out a soda, "I missed soda most of all. The soda you have here doesn't taste quite right. It's not like home, but beggars... choosers... you know the drill." He carried it out to the balcony and stood by the railing looking out. Batman followed but remained close to the wall.

 

Jake took a swallow, cleared his throat, then began to tell his tale.

 

 

 

...

 

 

I was born in London, Washington, about fifty miles outside of Seattle.

 

 

It was a small town. I lived an okay life, but I was smarter than the other kids. I liked to show off. It didn't make me any friends. I got bullied a lot, so when I got the chance to enter a student exchange program with another country, I jumped on it. I went to Japan and I didn't do so well, but it was better than home. I fell in with a small group. We studied together. I was their funny American friend. They didn't respect me much, but it was okay.

 

Then we got hit with a hero-summoning spell.

 

The five of us wound up in this storybook land where we were the chosen heroes to defeat the demon lord. Tango was the leader, he got the holy sword. Sato was the tank, he got holy armor. Kiwa was the smartest of us, so of course she got a set of magic books and was the wizard. Uno was the most beautiful. She was the party healer. She got a magic shield.

 

I was extra.

 

They tried to make a big show of it, but I got magical bags that could hold any amount. I became the party porter. The guy who handled all the paperwork, the drudgery, the cooking, the day-to-day mundane crap. I was the logistical support. I learned how to manipulate my aura, how to erase my presence. I got good at being sneaky. I learned what I could. Picked up a few spells here and there, but I simply wasn't as good as the rest of the party.

 

We trained together, we fought together, and eventually, we defeated the demon lord. Only took about three years. At the victory party, they sang a great epic poem about us. Rather, they sang a song about the FOUR heroes. I had been forgotten about.

 

Kiwa was the only one who noticed. She came to talk to me after the banquet. I told her it was fine. It wouldn't matter when we all got home.

 

That was when she told me they weren't going home.

 

Uno and Tango had fallen in love. Kiwa and Sato as well. They were heroes and beloved by the world we were in, so why would they leave? They made a half-hearted attempt to get me to stay, but they really didn't care. So I handed in the magic pouches and they unsummoned me to the very moment we had left.

 

I had to play dumb about how they vanished. Nobody really trusted me after that, so the rest of the semester was pure torture. When I got back home to America, I couldn't quite fit back in. I was bitter and angry about all of it. I also had PTSD. I kept having panic attacks. I couldn't make friends before I left, and I sure couldn't when I got back. None of my magic transferred over when I returned, but the knowledge did. So I applied my training to my original body. I got absolutely ripped and turned into a complete asshole. Fumbled my way through college. Flunked out the first year. Took on a few odd jobs here and there, couldn't really get my act together.

 

Then I got hit with another hero summoning.

 

I assumed something bad had happened if they were summoning ME. Maybe they had changed their mind and wanted to come home. I knew once they sent me back, the others couldn't follow, but maybe if they summoned me, they could piggyback or something. I had no idea. Either way, I was curious.

 

The summoning chamber was in shambles.

 

Only one of royal blood could perform the ritual of hero summoning, and apparently, all the royals were dead. The only survivor was a bastard child they dug up from some whore the king slept with. A violet-eyed girl with black hair. Her name was Anya. I fell in love with her the moment I saw her, although I couldn't admit it at the time.

 

The knight Zan who had found her knew about the summoning ritual. Decades had gone by since I left, but the heroes didn't age like everyone else. They stayed young and looked about as old as I was now. For me, it had been about five years. For that world, about fifty.

 

A new demon lord had arisen. The heroes got together, went out, and were promptly defeated. That had been nine months ago. They were held prisoner in the Demon Lord's castle. The demon lord's army swept through all the kingdoms, killing any noble that resisted them, and murdering every Royal they could find. Only two survived. Anya and later the knight would reveal he too was of Royal blood, but he kept that a secret at the time. He had committed a great sin and had been banished from the kingdom. They had summoned me to save my fellow heroes.

 

I laughed at him.

 

I told him how I had been treated. I told him how I had been forgotten and cast aside. I had been very bitter about the whole thing. He gave me a book. It was a story about what had happened. Kiwa had written it. As I flipped through it, it read almost like an apology to me. She told the whole story as she saw it.  They never realized how grateful they should have been. How if I had not done all the mundane and boring tasks, they wouldn't have had the time to train.

 

 I was the wind beneath their wings.

 

After I left, the two couples started fighting, and they stopped talking to each other. As the years turned into decades, even the couples got divorced. They wound up moving away from each other. I had been the glue that held everyone together. She wrote about how I would listen to them talk about their problems late into the night. Not a day went by she didn't regret not returning with me.

 

When the new Demon Lord arrived, Kiwa urged to have me summoned. The other three balked, stating they didn't need someone who couldn't fight. Against her better judgment, she joined them against the new Demon Lord, but left behind special instructions, in case everything fell apart.

 

 

If all else fails...

 

 

 

 

Summon Jake.