The Death of a Batman
By Churnok
Disclaimer
Batman Beyond is the copyright of DC comics and Warner Brothers and is used here for non-profit entertainment purposes only. Permission is given to anyone who wants to archive this story as long as they let me know first and give me a link to their site. I welcome any comments, questions, and/or constructive criticisms.
Terry looked around at the Bat-cave, at all the souvenirs of his predecessor's various cases and adversaries. He still couldn't believe it. Bruce Wayne, his mentor, taskmaster, and second father, was dead. He had died in his sleep leaving everything to Terry. A boy who everyone thought was just Wayne's gopher. There had been two funerals of course. One held at the Gotham cemetery for those who had known Bruce Wayne, the other at the Watchtower space-station for those who knew Batman.
Both funerals had taken place a month ago. Soon after that Terry moved himself and his family into Wayne Manor. Yet despite this, despite making Bruce's mausoleum into a real home, his home, for the first time since he and Mr. Wayne had met, Terry still expected Bruce to walk down those stairs. Instead it was his new partner in the Bat-cave.
"Hey Max"
"Hey Terry," Max replied as she took up what had become her customary spot at the bat-computer. "Thinking about him again huh."
"It's hard not to. This cave was his place. Batman's history is represented here."
"Yeah, but you're Batman now. Where are your trophies?"
"In a side cavern. It didn't seem right to display them alongside his."
"You've got to stop seeing yourself as less than he was. He taught you all he had and he was proud of you."
"How do you know?" Terry snapped.
"Because he died peacefully in his sleep. You better than anyone should know what Bruce was like. Sure he was a grouchy old man, but do you think death could take him so easily if he wasn't ready for it? If he didn't feel you were ready to be Batman without him?"
Terry sighed, "I guess you're right. If he didn't trust me to carry on without him he'd have found some way to teach and berate me from beyond the grave if he had to."
"That's the spirit Terry. Now change into your work clothes. Batman has a city to protect."
"You're right Oracle," Terry replied as he headed for the closet. Despite her advisory/research position in the cave Max still wanted a superhero name.
After donning his Bat-suit and settling into the Bat-mobile's cockpit Terry opened the channel to Oracle. "Anything interesting out there yet?"
"Sounds like Bigtime's making a major withdrawal from the local bank," Oracle replied over the com. "Think you can get there before the cops?"
"Just watch me," he answered as he revved the engines and flew out. Bruce Wayne was dead, but Batman lived on.