Disclaimer: Batman Beyond and all of the characters that appear in it are owned by Warner Brothers, not me.
Timeline: This story begins at the end of the episode Out of the Past disregarding the last scene of it. In BB continuity, it is before "The Call" and "Return of the Joker"
Revival
May 25th 2040
It had been 3 days since Bruce Wayne had been submerged in the mystical Lazarus Pits and endured the final battle with Ra's Al Ghul. The pits had transformed him from a 75 year old man back into a 25 year old stud at the peak of his physical condition. Bruce was fully expecting to regress back into his decrepit old body within a week because he couldn't receive the prolonged treatment that Ra's had received for the last 400 years, but he was soon to discover that he was wrong.
Bruce was standing in front of the display that showed the old costume that he wore 50 years ago when he fought crime as the Dark Knight. He was tempted to put it on and join Terry McGinnis on the nightly patrol, but he knew that his heart problems could resurface in battle, and he didn't want to put Terry's life at risk. Bruce paused for a moment and remembered how frequently Ra's had to use the pits to rejuvenate himself. He realized that Ra's gained 5 years in age every day, and had to make almost weekly trips to the Pits. By that calculation, Wayne should have been 40, but yet he still felt 25. He realized something wasn't right and hurried over to the bat computer to do some research.
It would take a few blood samples, but it was worth it for Bruce. He took some blood and hair samples and inserted it into the computer for analysis. The computer confirmed his suspicions with the diagnosis it printed out on the screen.
Subject - Bruce Wayne
Sex - Male
Age - 25 years old 275 days, 16 hours 47 minutes.
Health problems – None
Rate of aging – Normal
Bruce looked at the screen in amazement. He clicked onto the Internet to do some more research on the Lazarus Pits to see if it was possible for him to go the next 50 years until he returned to his old self. He clicked onto a mythology website, which told him that multiple exposures to the pits cause rapid aging, but they were good for a one time use. A rare smile appeared on his face. The real Batman was coming back for good.
At that moment, the current Batman drove the batmobile into the cave under Wayne Manor. Ace, the Great Dane of Mr. Wayne barked loudly and got up from his spot next to his master's side to greet McGinnis. Terry looked at the pleasant state of his boss and decided to comment on it. "You look happy today. Did you take some Prozac or something, or did someone assassinate all of our enemies when I wasn't looking."
Wayne decided to fill his young apprentice in on the details of what he had just learned. Terry was in shock. He was not ready to give up the batsuit after the events of the last year in exchange for a wimpy Robin costume. The urge to fight crime was still strong in him, and Bruce could sense the apprehension in him. He had listened to Terry complain about becoming Robin during the entire episode with the Lazarus Pits.
"Relax, I'm not going to make you the new Robin, in fact there will never be another Robin after that night 40 years ago which I don't want to talk about. I've got a lot of money in a private account devoted strictly for Batman related expenses. 20 years of no use caused it to gain a lot of interest which allowed me to make a lot of new purchases." Wayne walked over to a rocky wall of the cave and pressed a spot on the wall to open up a hidden chamber, which unveiled a new motorcycle, a new boat and a new costume, along with an endless supply of accessories.
Terry recognized the costume. It was almost like his batsuit only it was modeled after Nightwing. It was completely black with a green falcon across the chest and shorter pointy ears. The suit had wings too that were green instead of red. Where the original costume simply had an eyemask on the face, this new suit featured a full mask to cover the face, similar to Batman's. Terry thought back to the time where he used the old Nightwing mask to disguise himself when he went up against Robert Vance who had taken over the batsuit. He remembered the stories that Wayne used to tell him about Dick Grayson and how he was treated as an equal when he was Nightwing and not a sidekick after their falling out. He also wondered what happened to Robin 40 years ago. If he did his math right, it would have been Tim Drake's tour of duty during that period. "At least it ain't bird boy. Is everything the same in that suit?"
"Everything from the cloaking device to the rocket boosters to the batarangs."
Terry was relieved, although he was upset that he was losing his Batman identity, but he understood what it meant to the old man. Old? What was he talking about; the guy is only 7 years older than him now. Then another thought crossed his mind. "What are you going to do about your appearance? People will become suspicious that you suddenly found the fountain of youth."
Bruce paused to think for a moment. "I hate to do it, but I have to come out and say I have a son, write him into the will and eventually fake my death. I have the technology to do it, including the hologram projector that can show my old body. Plus I'm going to have to start dyeing my hair. Curse Ra's for leaving this gray streak at the bottom."
Terry laughed at that last comment, but then realized the bigger picture. "Ouch, that sucks to have to kill yourself but still live as an imposter."
"Superman has it just as bad. He's an 80 year old in a 40 year old body." The two men looked at each other and reflected on their fellow defender.
"So when do you start work again?" Terry asked.
"Batman returns tomorrow night, Bruce Wayne Jr. takes over control of Wayne-Powers the morning after."
"Maybe I can get some time off to spend with Dana."
"Don't count on it. Ask Dick and Barbara how much free time I gave them."
Terry groaned at Bruce's response as he walked out of the cave and got ready to go home for the night.
May 26th 2040
"OK Bruce, I want answers!" An angry Barbara Gordon came storming into the batcave. She had seen the press conference earlier in the day where an old Bruce Wayne disguised as Terry who used the hologram projector and a voice altering device to deceive the press introduced his new "son" who would be taking control of the company. Barbara had known Bruce her entire life and knew that there was no son. She gasped when she saw Bruce and Terry suiting up to go out on patrol. "The Lazarus Pits!" she realized. She had been on the phone with Wayne the other night discussing the events. She had wanted to see the man she was attracted to 40 years ago when she was a college student who was fighting crime as Batgirl.
"The effects are different for me Barbara. I'm back for good, I just hope we can have the same relationship that I had with your father."
"I'm not my father!" She snapped back. "You are lucky that I haven't thrown you and the kid in jail yet." Ace started to growl at the commissioner, who gave him a mean glare that caused him to back down.
Terry moved to defend his boss and mentor. "You heard the man commish, he's back for good, and you know him better than I do. There's no stopping the guy. Besides, I've saved your life a bunch of times already."
"Very well," she sighed, "but if you keep crossing into Police business, I won't hesitate to throw the book at both of you. The difference between my father and I is that I know who you really are. Don't you forget it."
"Come on Nightwing, we have a city to patrol." I'll have to get used to that name Terry thought to himself as he hopped on the new batcycle. Barbara stood dumbfounded as the new Dynamic Duo exited the cave. "Close the door behind you." Batman yelled as he closed the hatch to the batmobile. Ace wagged his tale and watched his master leave.
The first few hours of patrol had been uneventful. It seemed like crime had taken a night off in Gotham. Batman was becoming impatient, because he wanted to see some real fighting action for the first time in 20 years. He was standing on the roof of one of the new buildings that belonged to Wayne-Powers. Nightwing was off in some other sector of the city getting similar results. Batman was just about ready to call it a night when he heard the cracking of glass and the sound of laughter. He used the binoculars in his visor to see some Jokerz breaking into a Jewelry store. This was the action he was waiting for. He fired the grappling hook and jumped down toward the scene of the crime. He preferred the old fashioned methods of jumping around the city, as opposed to the wings and rocket boosters that Terry had liked.
One of the Jokerz could sense something wrong when he felt a cold draft come through the broken glass window. His friends were filling bags with diamonds, gold, rings, and anything of value they could get their hands on. The lone Joker turned his head and saw eyes coming from the shadows. "Uh, guys, I think we have company." The Jokerz turned their head to see Batman emerge from the shadows, but this wasn't the Batman they were used too.
"Hey Bats, have you been working out?" One of the Jokerz decided to comment on Bruce's obvious muscle mass. He was far more built and had broader shoulders compared to Terry and the stretched the suit out well, but fortunately the suit was made from a very flexible fabric, so there was no damage to it. Batman remained silent as the Jokerz looked at him and prepared to attack.
The Jokerz pulled out their laser guns and opened fire on Batman. He rolled out of the way and got up and struck the nearest Joker who was one of the smaller members of the group. One of the tall muscular clowns decided to charge him head on. Batman landed a right uppercut to the jaw of his charging assailant. Two more attackers tried to knock him down from behind with metal bats, but Batman turned and released a strong kick that sent one joker flying into the other. "You kids are stupid for mimicking a person like the Joker."
Nightwing suddenly burst onto the scene and knocked out the tall Joker who had regained consciousness and was about to attack Batman from behind. All four clowns lay unconscious on the floor of the jewelry store. "A little rusty. Looks like you missed one" Nightwing commented.
"I knew he was there, you just got him before I could. Now tie them up for the police. I think we are done for the night." Batman could tell that he still wasn't quite yet at his top level, but a few weeks in the gym could cure that problem. One of the Jokerz who landed in the shadows regained consciousness and snuck out through the back without being seen.
A few hours later, the young criminal returned to his hideout to report the news of the botched jewelry heist. A lone figure in the darkness listened to this report. "I knew it was only a matter of time before the batsquad multiplied after watching today's news. No matter, the plan will still go on as scheduled, we'll just have to be extra careful now with more crimefighters out there. No one will stop me from retaking this city."
May 27th 2040
"Hey McGinnis, I heard you got demoted" Max Gibson commented to her friend who was standing next to his open locker inside of the hallway at Hamilton Hill High School. She was the only one of Terry's classmates who knew what he really did after school. "It's all over the net, Nightwing returns and Batman bulks up. I can't believe the old man actually decided to put on the suit again."
"Tell me about it Max." Terry let Max know about what happened the last few days. He hadn't talked to her since he told her about going to the Lazarus Pits for the initial treatment. "The only reason I'm staying on is because I've become addicted to the power like he did. I'm turning into him."
Terry realized what he was saying, and knew that it was true. The suit was an addiction for him. It was his way of making up for what he was like a few years back when he was a common petty thug who ended up in juvie for being a thief. It was also his way to avenge his father's death. He knew whom the man responsible for it was, but the last he saw of Blight was in the sinking nuclear sub. His thoughts were disrupted as his girlfriend Dana Tan walked up to him and placed a kiss on his cheek.
"Penny for your thoughts? You look like you have a lot on your mind." Dana had always been very patient and understanding with Terry. She knew what he had once been and was very happy to see him get his life in order, but there was still this shroud of mystery around him. He was always busy at work, even late at night when Mr. Wayne shouldn't need his services. What was he doing there? She had vowed to herself that she would find out one day.
"Oh you know Terry, he's a business man working for 2 bosses now." Max was always trying to cover for Terry around Dana, so she was always ready with a quick reply before Terry could even move his mouth. A smile came to Terry's face. Max had saved his butt many times, but he felt that he had to make a move. "Dinner and a movie tonight Dana?"
Now she was the one smiling. "I'd be delighted." The three friends walked toward the lunchroom to grab a lunch during their break.
Over at Wayne-Powers, the new Bruce Wayne was meeting with his Board of Executives for the first time. He had a lot of proposals on the table to renovate the face of the company and turn it back toward the ideals that he believed in when he was in full control of the company. His first motion was to change the name back to Wayne Enterprises. He wanted to disassociate the company from the Powers family, who made Lex Luthor look like a saint.
Most of the old-timers on the Board agreed that he was the same type of man as his "father." Little did they know that they were the same person. Bruce had been thinking about taking back his company before his rejuvenation. He had seen Derek Powers been exposed as the radioactive villain named Blight and he saw Paxton Powers collection of stolen artifacts. He knew that those two were not meant to run his business, and that only one man could do the job right, and he had the full support of the Board who smiled, nodded and applauded to his every proposal.
Later that night, in an abandoned Air Force base, outside of Gotham City, a glowing form could be seen watching the Evening news on the television in an empty airplane hangar. The newscaster was announcing the changes that Bruce Wayne was making to his company and the city. The form was Derek Powers, also known as Blight; he was a walking nuclear bomb. The intensity of the radiation that he gave off doubled as his temper flared. "How dare that little bastard take over my company!! I should have killed his father years ago when I had the chance. I vow to kill Bruce Wayne, his lousy son and Batman!" Blight put on a long trench coat and a big hat to conceal his form and walked out of the hangar on his mission for revenge.
Terry was taking advantage of his rare free time to spend it with his girlfriend. The couple decided on going to the local pizzeria on Main St. for a meal. They took a seat in a booth next to the window. "You know Terry, I can't remember the last time we had a night like this."
"Yeah, with the old man's son around, I can actually get some breaks now." Terry knew he was lying, but he really didn't have to do the butler work anymore since Bruce was more than capable of doing it himself.
"Hopefully they won't have to call you in the middle of the date like they did some other times."
"I hope they won't." Terry could sense something wrong as he took a sip of his soda. He was getting some bad vibes as he looked out the window, as if something bad was going to happen.
Meanwhile Blight was walking down Main St wearing his trench coat and trying to conceal his figure. Many people were too busy to notice the radioactive being walking by them, but the ones who did notice jumped back and just tried to avoid him.
Blight was approaching the pizzeria that Dana and Terry were in. As he walked by, he caught a glance of Wayne's errand boy. "Finally someone for me to take my wrath out on." Blight grabbed a trash can and violently threw it through the pizzeria window. The can shattered the glass and landed right on Dana and Terry's table.
It didn't take long for Terry to realize what caused the destruction. "DANA, DOWN" he commanded. She instinctively listened and dove for cover behind the counter of the pizzeria. "What do you want Blight?" Terry didn't have his suit, but was still ready to take on the man responsible for his father's death no matter what the situation. He looked for anything to block the radiation and grabbed the metal lid of the trash can that was now sitting at his feet.
"I want to watch you fry kid." Blight flared up and concentrated his radioactive energy into a ball. He took the ball and sent it hurtling toward Terry with a force. Terry used the lid as a shield, but the force sent him flying backward into a stack of pizza boxes. A thud was heard as Terry's body broke through the boxes and connected with the wall. Terry instinctively played possum in hopes that Blight would move on.
The plan worked. Blight was satisfied with his work and continued down the street toward Wayne Manor. Some police noticed the commotion and tried to stop him, but Blight's radiation blasts sent them running for cover.
Back at the pizzeria, Terry rose up and checked on Dana to make sure she was ok. "Stay here Dana, I have to get to Wayne Manor and let them know about Powers." She gave a look of protest, but he was already through the glass.
Terry ran out the window and around the corner into an alley. He opened up his cell phone and dialed a number. Seconds later, the Batcycle appeared. Terry pressed a button on the cycle and a compartment opened up with the new Nightwing suit. As he struggled into the suit, he dialed up the Batcave to call Bruce.
"Wayne here."
"Bruce, it's Terry. Powers is back and worse than ever. Watch out he's heading your way."
"Stay back, I'll take him with the Exosuit, Wayne out."
"I don't think so Bruce." Terry put on the Nightwing mask, hopped on the cycle and sped away to catch Blight. Meanwhile, Dana had stepped outside to see where Terry ran off and heard his voice in the alley. She turned the corner in the alley to see Terry as he put on the Nightwing mask and sped away.
'So that's his night job' she thought.
By now, Blight had rampaged his way to the gates at the bottom of the Wayne Compound. Batman was ready in his Exosuit armor as Blight tried to attack the lead fence with radiation blasts but was having no effect. Blight felt the presence of Batman and turned to see his enemy standing next to a tree. "So we meet again Batman, too bad this will be the last time we see each other."
Batman didn't respond. Blight became more enraged and focused a radiation blast at Batman. Batman stood there, as the radiation had no effect on his lead based exoskeleton suit. He started walking toward Blight who was focusing to increase the energy of his blasts. Batman kept walking and was soon close enough to punch Blight in the jaw. The radioactive being was sent flying into the bars of the fence.
Blight regained his ground and realized that he needed to get into a hand-to-hand combat with Batman. He analyzed the Exoarmor looking for a weak spot and realized that the face was the least protected part of the suit since Batman needed to breathe. 'That's where I'll attack' Blight thought to himself. He sized up Batman and lunged toward him in attack. Batman was caught by surprise and tried to toss Blight away as he wrapped a death grip around his neck. Blight put his hand on Batman's face and concentrated his energy through that palm. Batman screamed in pain as he took an intense amount of radiation, but suddenly it stopped as Blight felt himself being pulled away from his victim.
"Lights out Sparky." Nightwing commented as he pulled Blight off Batman and then sent him to the ground with a punch to the stomach.
"I thought I told you to stay back," Batman grimaced weakly.
"When do I ever listen to you, and besides you aren't 100% yet."
"Just what I needed to know" Blight cried as he attacked both Nightwing and Batman off guard with radiation blasts. Both heroes cried in pain as they hit the ground. "I'm going to enjoy finishing you off."
Nightwing reached for his utility belt and grabbed an object and tossed it in Blight's direction. The object released a cloud of smoke that made it difficult for Blight to see where his enemies were. Nightwing and Batman used the smoke to their advantage and landed twins blows on Blight, but there was still no way to slow him down. Batman looked for a lead based object to hold Blight captive and remembered that the gates to Wayne Manor were lead based. "Distract him Nightwing, I have a plan."
"With pleasure." Nightwing moved toward the dazed Derek Powers and gave him another strike to knock him down. Powers came to and got up with quickness and started flaring up once again to attack Nightwing. Nightwing dodged the radioactive blasts and started throwing miniature explosive devices in the area where Blight was standing. He would also get daring and move in for a sucker punch whenever he got the chance. Powers only became angrier as Nightwing enjoyed every minute of the attack.
While this was going on, Batman was using the strength of his Exoarmor and a mini blowtorch to rip off the gate from its hinges. The plan was to get it around Blight in order to block the radioactivity glowing from his body. The problem was that the exosuit wouldn't be able to bend the fence once it was off its hinges because it was too strong.
Nightwing was battling Blight toward a cliff and away from Wayne Manor. He was still on the offensive, but he was running out of explosives. He threw his last one directly at Blight and then dove for cover as the blast sent him to the edge of the cliff. Blight was on the very edge and realized that it was a 200 foot drop to the rocky waters below. He waved his arms as he tried to regain his balance. Nightwing threw a bolo around his legs which was sending him backwards over the edge. Nightwing then fired one of his grappling hooks around his arm to bring him back from falling off, but Blight's radiation melted both ropes, and he went falling off the cliff.
Batman came with the fence just in time to see Blight go over the edge. He ran to the edge to look over the cliff and saw Blight 50 feet down clinging to a branch for dear life. Batman pressed a button on his belt and the Batmobile came hovering over him. He used the rocket power boosters to propel himself into the bottom hatch. The hovervehicle flew down the side of the cliff. Inside the Batmobile, Batman pulled one of the levers and a metal arm came out from underneath the vehicle and attached itself to Blight. Batman's voice boomed through a loudspeaker "Don't struggle unless you want to fall to your death"
Blight struggled, but the metal arm tightened its grip around his body. He tried using his radiation to melt the arm, but it had no effect. He began to feel himself being lifted through the sky as the Batmobile flew away. The buildings went by in a blur as he flew through downtown Gotham. The next thing he noticed was the Gotham State Penitentiary. Barbara Gordon and an army of officers in lead suits were standing by as Batman dropped Blight into a lead containment unit.
He was furious that he was imprisoned inside the unit and tried to get free. Barbara Gordon just looked at him. "You're going away for a long time Powers. We went through your files that Mr. Wayne gave us, we know everything."
A little while later at the Batcave, Terry and Bruce were recovering from their battle. They both felt a little weak from the amount of radiation that they took, but otherwise they were fine. Terry was running through a gauntlet of emotions. He was happy that Derek Powers was now behind bars, but would have rather have seen him die. Terry came real close to sending him off the cliff, and knew that Blight's radiation would have caused the ropes to melt anyway. Bruce could sense trouble in his young partner, because he went through the same feelings himself 50 years ago.
"It doesn't get easier kid." Bruce told Terry.
"How do you know?"
"I've been there, remember. At least you get to live knowing that your father's killer is behind bars."
"It doesn't make the pain go away."
"Nothing will ever make that pain go away."
"I should have let the bastard plummet to his death when I had the chance"
Bruce quickly stood up. "DON'T EVER SAY THAT! If killing is the only way for vengeance, then you make yourself no better than Derek Powers."
"I know, that's why he's alive and rotting at Arkham."
May 27th 2040
It was a sweet Saturday, a day without school for Terry McGinnis. The clock read well past noon as Terry slept the morning away. He was awoken by his ringing cell phone that sat on his nightstand next to his alarm clock, which was bruised after Terry smashed it when it went off at 8 AM. He had forgotten that it wasn't a school day and didn't take the alarm off.
"Hello?" a groggy Terry moaned.
"Rise and shine McGinnis" a chipper Max answered.
"What do you need? Can't a guy get some sleep around here?"
"Quit complaining Terry, you promised you'd come with me to the computer expo at the convention center."
"Crap, forgot all about that. Ok, let me shower and grab a cup of coffee. I'll meet you in a half hour."
Terry waited on the corner with an iced cappuccino in his hand. The weather was too warm for a hot beverage. The shower and beverage had totally refreshed him and he felt like a new man. Max came hurrying down the street.
"You look a lot better than you sounded a half hour ago."
Terry laughed as they started walking to the convention center. "It's a wonder what a good night sleep, a shower and caffeine can do for a teenager."
"Congrats on your victory last night."
"Yeah, whatever...." Terry trailed off as he mumbled.
"What's wrong, I though you'd be happy that you finally have Blight locked up?"
"I guess the feeling of closure just isn't as great as I thought it would be. I was happier when I thought he died in the sub meltdown."
"Time heels all wounds, McGinnis."
The two friends arrived to the convention center, which was swarming with all kinds of people. There were full-fledged computer geeks who eagerly moved from booth to booth in order to find the best new system. There were rich businessmen who looked for the best deals for their corporation, and then there were the hackers like Max who looked to stay ahead of the game.
The center of the convention was a new macrochip that was being unveiled by Star Labs. The chip was the most powerful one ever created and could make any computer run a million times more efficient. It was capable of operating any satellite or computer.
Terry wasn't much of a computer geek, so he found it hard to be as excited as Max was as she looked at all of the new models. He seemed to stare off into space as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Bruce standing there. "What are you doing here?" Terry inquired
"Looking to see if anything will work in the cave? You? I figured you'd still be asleep."
"Very funny. I'm here with Gotham's greatest hacker."
"WHOA! Is that who I think it is?" Max took notice of Terry's 'friend' and saw the two men chatting. Terry nodded to confirm her thoughts. "You're looking damn good Mr. Wayne"
"Uh, thanks, I guess." Bruce blushed a little. It was hard taking complements from women again because of his physical appearance.
Their conversation was interrupted by the sounds of gunfire and broken glass. A group of heavily armed Jokerz showed up. "Ok nobody move. We're here for the macrochip."
"Find cover Max" Bruce whispered as he and Terry slipped toward the backdoor.
The Jokerz wasted no time breaking through the protective case and grabbing the macrochip. They had already gotten the chip in their clutches when Batman and Nightwing came charging in.
The clowns immediately opened an assault of gunfire and laser beams on Batman and Nightwing who ducked behind a table for cover. They removed their batarangs and threw them to disarm the thieves. The disarmed Jokerz realized their predicament and threw a bunch of smoke bombs before dodging out of the convention center. Another Joker fired up at the catwalk causing it to fall in-between the heroes and the entrance, damaging many of the displays in the process.
When the smoke cleared, the Jokerz were long gone. The damage was immense, and some people were injured either from smoke inhalation or the fallen catwalk. Batman and Nightwing ran to the exit to search for the crooks, but their attempts were futile.
A few hours later, the Jokerz returned to their hideout with the stolen bounty. The mysterious figure congratulated the kids on a job well done. "My plan is going nicely, not even the Batfinks will stop me now."
One of the Jokerz questioned the mystery man's motives. "Why are we goin high-tech when its credits that we could use. If you are who you say you are, then you'll tell us your plan."
A shot rang out from a gun in the mystery man's hand killing the inquisitve youth instantly. "No one questions the Joker!" The other Jokerz cowered in the corner. "Take out the trash kids, your good ol' Uncle Joker has great plans for the demise of Batman and the control of Gotham."
To Be Continued...