Prologue; Attempted Murder

Fifteen-year-old Victor 'Batman' Adams pushed the glass door open and walked into the Game and Comic Book store. His black hair was tied into a ponytail as he pulled his pack off and handed it to old man Kraft.

"Hi, Mister Kraft. How are you today?" he asked.

"Hi, Victor, and you know it's Jerry. As to how I'm doing? I'm doing ok ... no not ok, I'm doing great! I have got something you would love to own. Come in," he said as he put the pack in the storage bins behind him and pulled the number off.

"Oh? What's that?" Victor asked as he took the plastic number tag for his bag and slid it into his back pocket.

"A 1940 #1 issue of..." Jerry said as he grinned as he reached under the cabinet and held up the framed comic.

"NO FUCKING WAY!" Victor said in surprise as he looked at the mother of all comics. A number one issue of Batman, signed by Bob Kane, the artist.

"Fucking Way, Dude!" Jerry said as he lowered the frame so Victor could look at it.

"How much?" Victor asked even though he knew he could never afford it.

"With his signature, its assessed value is five hundred thousand dollars," Jerry replied.

"How?" Victor said as he shook his head and tried to clear the image from his mind.

"I bought a storage locker, Saturday. This was in one of the boxes in it, along with hundreds of other comics. I almost shit myself when I found it. Also, this isn't the only one in the boxes that was signed by the artists, there are forty more signed comics, too," he replied as he turned and slid it into the safe bolted to the floor.

"You lucky dog. I bet it's the storage lot you wanted me to go to with you?" Victor said in disgust.

"Yes it was, and these are for you," Jerry replied as he pulled a bag out from under the counter and continued, "I know you like Batman so much, and cannot afford much, but there are fifty nineteen seventies Batman's in there. Some are repeats and I bet you can sell them on EBay. I marked which ones are the best for you to keep and the conditions of the others and market value. I will put these in your bag for you. The new issues are ready for you to put out. I need to run to the bank, and I will be right back."

"Jerry, thank you for the comics, and I will watch the shop while you're gone. I will get right on them boxes, too," he said and walked to the table with five boxes of comics on them.

"You're welcome," Jerry said as he picked up the bank money and walked out the door.

Victor opened the first box, and started pulling the comics out and walking down the aisle. He moved the comics up the shelf. Last week's issue went up one, until the last issue in the column was pulled and carried back to the table and set down to be put in sleeves. He continued to put away the comics between the kids coming in and buying the latest issues.

Jerry came back, and grabbed his keys, wallet and checkbook. He also picked up a package and said, "Victor, I will be back. I have to run this to the post office and get it in the mail."

Victor popped up from the back of one of the aisles and shouted back, "Ok, can you grab me a Whopper from Burger King, large fries, and coke?"

"I sure will, extra onion and cheese on it?" he asked.

"What other way is there to eat one?" Victor replied as he laughed.

"True, see you in thirty. When you're done, if you want, start bagging the extras and boxing them for me and I will give you an extra twenty," he said.

"Deal. Drive safe."

"I will," he said and went out the door.

Victor walked back to the table and opened the next box. He looked at the new comic called 'Vampire Revenge' and shook his head as the door opened and Amber Lee came in. She was wearing her typical Goth outfit and looked so hot in the fishnet stockings, black leather shirt and shorts. Her blood red cape was draped over her left arm, and matched her bright red lipstick. He looked at her and felt himself go hard.

"Hi, Victor, is the new Vampire Tales in?" she asked.

"Let me check," he replied and dug through the box and found the stack of comics and pulled one out and said, "Yes, it is, and there is a new one here called Vampire Revenge."

"Oh it's out?" she gasped and walked quickly over to him.

She picked up double copies of each and carried them to the counter. Coming back she asked, "Want some help?"

"Sure. Grab a stack and follow me," he said as he picked up several bundles and started walking back to the horror sections.

Amber grabbed some of the stacks and followed the cute boy. He was in her history class and was very cute. Kneeling beside him, she let him cut the plastic band off and then she separated the different comics.

They worked side-by-side, sorting the comics, when Amber turned and kissed Victor. They knelt there kissing, and then separated and went back to work.

"What was that for, Amber?" Victor asked.

"I've been wanting to do it for awhile, but haven't had the guts until today. I hope you don't mind," she replied.

"I liked it. I have wanted to kiss you too for a long time, but I didn't have the gut...

The chime of the bells going off interrupted him, and he said, "I will be right there!"

Victor set the stack in its place, and picked up the back issues and carried them to the table, leaving Amber to continue the sorting. Standing at the counter were two men wearing jeans and black t-shirts one had black hair and the other was bald. He walked over and behind the counter. "Yes, Sirs, can I help you?" he asked.

"Where is it?" the bald man said with a snarl in his voice.

"Where's what?" Victor asked in confusion.

"Give me my fucking property back," the dark haired man screamed as he slammed his hand down on the glass top and it cracked.

Amber jumped at the man's voice. She peeked out and saw the man come out with something in his hand. Before she could say anything they were talking again and she reached for her cell phone.

"I don't know what you want," Victor replied.

"Give me my collection back, or I am going to hurt you bad if you don't," the man screamed again.