In this issue our favorite superhero is sitting at home rather bored. Nobody online to talk to, and nothing in the newsgroups to read.

To cure the bordem, he gets out his newest issue of 2600 and preapares a hot bat. What seems like a short time, the water has turned cold. He decides to get out, and wander off somewhere into the night.

His truck not working at the moment, he makes a bad decision. Walking over to the neibors house he steals thier car. A rather nice ford tarus, if only it had the police package, he thinks to himself.

Unshure of where his destination, he just drives. Takeing a right here, and a left there. Just keeps driving without concern for where he ends up. Over his police radio he hears an apb on the car he's driving.

Suddenly he gets a chill. Logic hits him with the force of a 20 ton weight. After all, he's supposto be a superhero, not a thief. Out in the middle of nowhere he has little fear of getting caught. Just enough to make him paranoid. Not to mention jumpy. Suddenly he louses track of his bearings. Unshure what direction he's heading or what to do next.

Without warning, a deer pops out into the road. Unable to avoid colision, he prepares for impact.

Comeing to a sudden stop he relaxes. Unhurt, but shaken by the crash. The engine has stoped. Not wanting to turn back on. He steps out to look at the damage. Not a pretty sight, the deer had been almost totaly sucked into the engine compartment. It's no wonder it won't work.

Turning caution to the wind our superhero grabs his gear. Walking down the lonely gravel road alone on a cold winter night. After several hours he reaches a small truckstop.

It's not a very busy place. Small, and quant. With a little sign hanging from above the pumps noteing that they only sell deisel fuel. Only two rigs currently here. One with georga plates, and the other texas.

Slowly he walks into the resturant to find a nice secluded place to sit. Not long after a rather attractive waitress comes up to him with a cup of coffee, and a menu.

"Do you need a few minuits, or do you want to order now?" She says as if she realy didn't care.

"Just the coffee for now my dear, but I may order something later."

"You want me to leave the menu with you?"

He nods in her genral direction, hopeing she understands. Quitely he sits drinking his coffee, and smokeing. Pondering how to get himself out of this prediciment. He doesn't even know where he is. The sun begins rise off to the east. This confuses him a bit. It's about thirty minuits too soon.

Glad to be stuck in a dark corner he wonder how far he traveled the night before. Unable to come up with a solution he awaits the waitress to return.

As if on cue she walks up to refill his coffee.

He asks without hesatation. "Where am I?"

Sounding a little confused she replys. "Bowlers food and fuel."

"Well, aside from that, I can read the sign. What town or state, or whatever am I in."

She sets down the pot of hot coffee, takeing a seat across from our superhero. Looking at him with confusion in her eyes.

Our superhero mumbles. "I'm a little lost madam, and your assistance would be very nice."

"Where are you going?"

"That I don't know the answer to my dear."

"That would put a damper on things. Well, if it's any help, your in the middle of nowhere IL. Where are you from?"

"Umm, Would you be offend if I didn't reveal that? I prefer it that way."

"Shure, probably better that way. So what brings you here?"

"That's a rather long story."

"Ok, I won't ask. But I've got a few more questions for you. Why all the stuff on your belt, and the mask?"

"Would you belive I'm batman?"

"Shure, superman was in here just last week. Are you serious?"

He pulls out a photo ID, and shows it to her. Proving himself to be true.

"Do you belive me now?"

"Not realy, but I'm not going to worry about it. It's been realy slow tonnite, and I like talking to people. It's slow every night. Not much ever happens here."

"My dear, it's not that bad. I'm here now. And will be for quite some time. Anything you would like to talk about? I have been known to give good advice."

"Ok, I like you. Kina a rare thing form somebody dressed up like you to come in here. Why not."

Why not indeed. Thier is not another customer in sight. So she stays with our superhero to pass the time.

"Madam, could you tell me a little about yourself?"

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that was a pickup line." She says with a slight gigle. "Where to start. I'm 23, single, and work in a realy boring place."

"Are you happy with how your life's going?"

"Well, i can't complain that much. But it's not the life of luxury either. I still havent found a good man either."

"You say that as if you've found some not so good ones."

"We've all had our flings. I just get more than most people do. Some of the guys that pass through here flirt with me. More often than I'd like they offer me money for sex. Not that I don't enjoy the sex, but I just don't like the idea of it. It's hard to turn it down though. I make more doing that than this job pays."

"How dit it start?"

"Not long after I started working here I was getting offers. I turned them all down, being a good christian girl. But I was not making much, and it was tempting. One day I was realy low on cash, and rent was due the next day. I had enough to pay it, but that was it. Had to do something. So, I took the next offer. He was a large man, as large as you can get without actualy being fat. An older man, probably in his mid 40's. It was good, I'd never been in the sleeper of a semi before that night. He was so nice about it, nothing like the horor stories I'd heard. After it was all over he handed me an envolope. I thanked him, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. After I got back into the resturant, I opend it up. Twice what was expected! I was so happy, now I had a little extra cash. Something I haven't had for many months."

"Did you continue doing that sort of thing out of need, or was thier another reason?"

"From that point on, I took up any offer that payed enough. Ususaly around the time my rent was due. Being carefull of the people. Ignoring as much as possible the realy wierd ones."

"Do you still consider yourself a christian?"

"Sorta, I still belive in god and all that if that's what you mean. But since that first time I haven't set foot inside a church. Almost afraid to."

"Afraid that somebody would find out?"

"Yes, it made me feel dirty. I felt like a whore. Kina funny too. Because I am one, but I don't like to think of myself that way. Makes me feel like less of a person, ya know?"

"I sympithise with you my dear."

"You don't say much, but I like that. You actualy listen to what I'm saying. Not may people do that. Most of them spend thier time looking at my chest. But you actualy look right into my eyes. It makes me feel specal, you don't just want me for sex."

"Well, I am batman."

"Of course you are! Did you come here to rescue me?"

"I wish that was the case, but no. I'm just lost."

"Hehe, that's ok. I realy don't want to be rescued anyway, life isn't bad. Just a little wierd at times."

"For me more often than not, but being who I am it's bound to get a bit strange."

"I bet you like it that way too."

"It's a mixed bag, and even doing realy heroic things gets old. I mean, how many times do I have to stop some guy from takeing over the world? How many old ladies do I have to save from burning buildings? It's a job that doesn't give breaks. I can be on vacation in tampa, when suddenly I'm needed in russa to disarm some nuclar weapons. It just doesn't stop."

"And your lost? Doesn't one of those gadgets on your belt tell you where you are?"

"Yes, but the batterys in my GPS unit are dead."

"Aww shucks. What size do they take?"

"Lithium Ion, at a rateing of 3.7 volts each."

"I don't think we have any of those here, but I can check if you would like."

"Don't bother, They are custom."

"Ok, quick question. What kinda car do you drive?"

"A pickup, but it's not working right now. I walked here."

"Wow, you must be in good shape!"

"Of course." Smirk

"If your interested, one of the drivers outside is heading to california. Probably wouldn't mind a rider either."

"Ohh, that would solve my current problem. Thank you."

"No problem, well I'm got to get back to work. Things ususaly pick up around this time."

Now in a much better mood our superhero slumps over in the corer of the booth and falls asleap.

He's woken up very suddenly by a voice. "You need a ride?"

"Yes, thank you kind sir."

"Don't be calling me sir, I work for a living."

"No problem..." He has to work hard to resist saying sir.

"So, where ya headed?"

"If you could drop me off by omaha, or lincon I'd be happy."

"Ehh, well that's not too far from where I drop my load. Some little hick town just south of lincon."

"Exelent!"

"Well, we better get movin."

Our superhero collects himself and follows the driver out the door, and to his truck. It's an older rig, a cab over style.

The journy home doesn't take long. Only a few hours. No conversation takes place unfortunatly. Jake, the driver likes to listen to the radio. And was a bit unfriendly when our superhero interupted his listening pleasure.

EOF