Batman Beyond:
The Hunted
The darkness of the streets of Gotham is illuminated by the bright lights of the police vehicles. The officers and medical personnel stand in a shady alleyway, observing a body lying lifeless on the concrete; the once flowing pools of blood now dried. They whisper amongst one another, contemplating how they would break the news to the family…if the victim had a family. Commissioner Barbara Gordon sighs and waves her fingers in the air indicating for the body to loaded up and taken in for further analysis. She walks onto the street and takes a deep breath. She had seen a lot of things in her years as Batgirl and finally commissioner…but this one took the cake. The elderly woman shakes her head wearily. Where these sickos got their bright ideas from, she just couldn't figure out. Immediately her eyes become drawn to a black shadow flying across the sky and disappearing into the second floor window of the building next to the crime scene. Barbara shifts her gaze about, making sure no one else noticed and orders, "Alright boys and girls. Let's start packing it up. The sooner I get those DNA results, the better." She then turns to walk into the building.
"Commissioner, sir," an officer asks, "where are you going?"
The woman smiles as the other officers smirk. They had become accustomed to their boss vanishing into the darkness for further "business". They didn't ask; there was no use in doing so since she would only give a riddling answer. "I got a private call to make. Is that a problem for you, kid?"
"No sir!" The officer salutes and departs to help with the body, curious as to why his comrades laughed at him.
Barbara Gordon shakes her head and chuckles, entering the building and going up the stairs. Rookies. She turns into an open door and walks to the center of the room, the dark being pushed back by the light of the moon and a few specks of police light. With her hand in her pockets and her eyes closed she asks, "How you doing McGinnis?"
"Pretty good Barbara. How 'bout yourself?" A young muscular figure wearing an all black suit with a red insignia of a bat on its chest rises from the shadows as he disarms his cloaking device and stands on a desk.
"I've had better days," Barbara replies. "Bruce listening in?" She turns to face her part-time ally. The fact that Bruce had found new blood to wear the suit and carry on the vigilante legacy was still a task for her to accept. For one thing, she couldn't understand why he would pick someone so young and reckless: A KID! Surely he could've done better. Hell, Barbara was still shaken up that Bruce had even handed the job down in the first place! He was generally a stubborn old kook and full of pride. And the second thing was because of her job. She was Commissioner and was supposed to be extremely objective to vigilantism. It was funny: she had once been a vigilante, and now she had a problem with it! Gordon couldn't complain too much to the newfound assistance however. With Batman patrolling the streets crime was going down and dangerous villains were kept off of the street. But it seemed like where there was a Batman, there were complete wackos! The number may be small, but the damage they could inflict was enormous. It was a win-lose situation.
"Yep. He sends his greetings…so what you got for me?"
Barbara coughs in her hand. If she didn't think she would need his help, she wouldn't be telling him a damn thing! But this was serious, and something told her that this was one of those cases that she couldn't solve. And if the someone couldn't stop this, more people would get hurt…worse, dead. "Murder. And this one's a doozey. It's our tenth case this week, and it's only Wednesday. The victims we've uncovered so far have all apparently been spliced."
"Spliced?" Batman asks, raising his eyes in confusion.
"That's what I said."
"Any suspects?"
"If you mean in the sense of evidence and witnesses, no. But I do have my suspicions," Barbara states as she sits down in a raggedy looking wooden chair. It had better not break! "The disposal of the bodies is sloppy. Just tossed on the ground in the alley; they don't even have the sense to drop it in a dumpster or something. Not buried or attempted to be burned…just sloppy! The only guys I can think of to do something like this are -"
"—the Jokerz," Batman interrupts. It made perfect sense. The Jokerz were ruthless and crazy enough to do something completely obvious. They were the type of gang that wanted everyone to know what they did. Completely attention starved idiots was a perfect description of the Jokerz.
Barbara nods her head and grows frustrated at the thought of the notorious gangs. They knew absolutely nothing of the real Joker. They'd shit their pants just at the sound of his maniacally insane laugh. She shutters. That was one sound she could never get out of her head. "Problem is," she continues, "the whole murder within itself makes no sense if you label the Jokerz as our guy. They aren't this crafty…at least not alone."
"So all the victims you've found so far: how'd they-?"
"Die?" Commissioner Gordon interprets. "All our victims died pretty much the same way: gun wounds. A majority of the cause of death was by a bullet to either one of two places." Barbara makes a gun sign with her fingers and places it to her chest: "The heart," she lifts it to her head, "or the head. Most of the kills are pretty clean, but others are a bit messier."
Batman raises his fingers to the side of his head and speaks into his comlink, "You getting all of this Wayne?"
A deep, elderly voice replies calmly, "Getting it. Ask about age Terry."
Batman looks at Barbara and asks, "Age."
Barbara looks appalled at first. Did he want to know how old she was? "Hmm?"
"Has there been a certain age group within the victims?" Batman elaborates, feeling entertained by her confusion.
"Nope. Our oldest victim was 57, and the youngest was 12." Batman leaps from the desk in complete awe. He can hear Bruce take a deep gasp. Barbara states, "Sick, I know. Apparently the kid was the child of a 34 year old woman. They were both found together and DNA, along with missing persons reports, matched. My guess is that when the mom got snatched, the kid was there and the murderer decided to do away with him as well. It's terrible, and it makes my job all the more difficult. I just don't understand why the victims are being spliced," Barbara ponders aloud.
"One last question: Do you have a charted area of where the bodies were found? I want to start looking around."
"Here," Barbara says, tossing a spherical object at him. "It's a map. The red dots are where we found the victims." Barbara then turns and walks to the door. "Good luck kid." She already knew he was gone…some things never changed. But she smiles. The kid was rusty. The whole point of vanishing was so that the person couldn't know when you disappeared. Maybe her expectations were a bit high or maybe she was so acute to the ways of batman, but of one thing she was sure: the kid still had a lot to learn.
Terry McGinnis, a now senior at Hamilton Hill High, walks down the hallway tired and frustrated. He hated the first week of a new school year with a passion. And the fact that he had been up until four in the morning looking for a lead on the murder case made him all the more cranky. The drawn expression on his face made the fellow kids aware that he was not in a good mood. Terry was severely sleep deprived. It took every bit of energy he had not to drop off right on the floor. He sighs out, rubbing his hand around his sore neck in exasperation and finally fanning himself. Of all the times to have a heat wave, why did it have to be now? Terry left his brown jacket back at his best friend's place and simply wore his obvious black short-sleeve shirt and grey pants. McGinnis leans against his locker, starting to worry about his test in a few hours. He never did summer reading but knew that he had to at least pull a "C" on the test. He couldn't afford a call to his already worrying mother. Call equaled grounded, and restrictions was the last thing the young Batman needed; especially with a spliced-crazy serial killer on the loose.
"Hey McGinnis!" a voice calls from down the hall. Terry rolls his eyes wearily and turns to find Chelsea, his girlfriend's best friend and one of his dearest friends walking towards him angrily. Her short blond hair was bouncing smoothly as she came before him, her blue crop top and short black skirt which clung tightly to her thighs accentuating her figure. She was hot he had to admit, and had a really sweet personality but she was also a bit overprotective when it came to her friends; and at this moment, Terry wasn't one of them. Chelsea folds her arms and glares at him. "Heard you blew off Dana again last night. You really pissed her off, you know that?"
Terry disputes defensively, "I didn't blow her off."
"Then what would you call it?" she asks moving her hands to her hips.
Terry pounds his hands into his pocket. Dana was the last thing he wanted to talk about. He states simply, "Mr. Wayne called for me…I had to go."
"Last I checked, McGinnis, Wayne wasn't your girlfriend."
"But he is like a father."
Chelsea lowers her eyes and balls up her fist. How could she be so stupid? She had forgotten how Bruce Wayne had practically taken Terry and his family in after his father was brutally murdered. It suddenly occurs to her that maybe Terry felt indebted to the old man for that…that maybe he was still hurting. "Look Ter, I'm - I didn't…" He places a reassuring hand on her arm and smiles. Terry then turns and walks off. Chelsea wipes a forming tear from her eyes and heads in the opposite direction. Terry sighs again. He didn't mean to blow off Dana but he was Batman…what could he do? Definitely not tell her who he was, she would flip, and he wasn't how sure she could handle it. That was one of things about their relationship that he had grown to hate. There were so many things that he wished he could tell her, but couldn't. And now it was getting to be because he didn't want to. He was tired of how things were going between them: not seeing eye to eye on anything, constantly arguing. It was as if they weren't the same happy couple anymore; like they had fell out of love but were still together because they were use to it and for the convenience. Their relationship was like drinking flat soda…no fizzle. And fizzle is what makes the soda good. Then, Terry falls back into a wall as someone bumps him. Nelson Nash faces him carelessly. "Watch where you're going McGinnis!"
Terry snaps back, "Why don't you take your own advice Nash?''
Nelson slams Terry hard against the way and demands, "What you say freak?" Terry growls out and grits his teeth in a heated anger. He was not in the mood to deal with Nash's shit right now…then again, maybe if he got suspended he could get some rest. The prospect of getting some "time off" from school was all too tempting. Plus he could use a punching bag to relieve some stress and Nelson's face matched that description perfectly! He thinks, screw not trying to get in trouble. But just as he is preparing to make a swing for Nelson's jaw, a chocolate brown arm extends forth and a hand rests on each of the boys' chest. Terry's eyes open in disbelief as he gazes upon the figure of a beautiful African American girl with pink nape of the neck hair. The girl somehow manages to squeeze her way between them and was now pushing the boys apart. Her smooth voice says, "Chill boys. Nash, leave him alone." Her face is calm but her dark brown eyes are serious and intense.
Nelson backs off slightly and the girl turns to face him. She can sense Terry's frustration and she presses the back of her body against him, pinning him to the wall. A shiver runs down his spine at the feeling of her back and butt against him. Nash replies, "You're lucky your best friend is my ChemiBio tutor, McGinnis." The jock then turns his attention to the girl and presses his finger delicately under her chin and adds coolly, "And that's she's hot."
The girl grins softly as the team walks off. "Asshole," she mutters. She lifts her hands above her hand and stretches nonchalantly.
McGinnis runs his finger through his hair as she steps off of him and turns to face him, giving him a scolding expression. He could still feel the temperature of her body against him and could smell her fragrance: a kind of spicy sweet. "You didn't have to step in."
"You don't need to be fighting. It's the first week of school Terry! Aren't you at least worn out from last night?"
"I'm just saying – "
She places her fingers to his lips, cutting him off as she looks Terry in the eye and says with finality, "A simple, 'Thank you Max' is sufficient." She pauses and smiles deviously, "Besides, if you had some help out there, it wouldn't be kicking your ass so hard."
Terry grins in spite of himself. "Thank you Max. And we've already been through this." His best friend always had a knack for making sure she got credit where it was due. Plus, it didn't appall him anymore how she would toss in trying to help him out more in his line of work: as in being a little more involved. Terry had always refused, and this always caused an argument to break out between them. McGinnis thought she suggested it because she thought the idea of dressing up and fighting crime to be fun. But that wasn't the case: Max had her own dark secrets and pain that he knew nothing about. She wanted to be in the suit for the same reasons he did. But this time, her little hints don't cause a heated debate between. They begin to walk down the hall together and Terry notes the boys staring at her, practically drooling. It's then that he notices her new outfit. Max was wearing a short-sleeve burgundy "v" neck shirt. Because the "v" was so low, she had a red camisole under it. Max had on a tan pair of shorts with a lightning bolt insignia on the left side. Her gym shoes had a classic style to them: 21st century styled high top converses, burgundy and white in color. The new outfit was cute and sexy but in a complete tomboy way (which was just Max's style). No other girl would wear that apparel because it lacked current style and was so tomboyish. But on Maxine it looked perfect. "Nice," he compliments.
"Thanks, it was just so hot out. There's no way I could wear pants and all black." And then she feels a strange nervous sensation, like danger was lurking around the corner and they should leave immediately.
Terry examines her expression, recognizing that something was bothering his best friend. It was a miracle he could even depict her expression. Usually Max kept her emotions pretty locked up and secretive and there were times that he just couldn't figure out what was going on in her head. But there were other times that she let her guard down and it was obvious. Or maybe it was just because of his relationship and attachment and bond to her. As he looks at her he can't help but notice how beautiful she was; not just physically (though that wasn't easy to overlook) but her entire personality. She was so smart and nice, real, and protective. Terry loved how she was willing to endanger her own life to help someone else. And he felt real bad for putting so much on her already heavy shoulders: his homework, his cases, his family, Dana…if it weren't for Max, Terry had no idea how he could live his double life. He could remember how Spellbinder had made her addicted to the "VR", the alternate world that made her feel love that Max didn't know in the real world. The pain that was on her face made Terry's stomach lurch in agony. She thought that no one loved her so she did whatever it took to get back, even crossing against her own best friend. But even though she was completely released from Spellbinder's hold, sometimes Terry wondered if she really did feel as if anyone loved her. He relied on Max for everything! Even whenever he was hurt or injured from a battle, she was the first person he went to. In fact, he went to her first for anything. He felt so selfish. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know, I just…got this feeling like something bad's gonna happen." She shakes her head and wraps her arms around her body protectively.
Terry narrows his eyes in concern. Max was usually right about things like this, but he didn't want her to be worried. "You're like an animal," he laughs, "always sensing danger."
"I guess that explains why animals like me," she jokes, relieved at her best friend's attempt to calm her. This time, it worked. "Especially cats."
"Funny, you seem more like a dog person. Ace can't keep his paws off of you," Terry smiles, remembering how Ace, the black Great Dane, practically jumped on Max whenever she was around.
Max rolls her eyes playfully. "Shut the hell up Terry." She blows him a kiss, waves, and walks off for first period.
The school day seems to pass by rather quietly until sudden screams of terror and the thundering of gun fire fill the hallways. Max and Terry, who were in their Artistic Construction class look at one another in shock. What was going on out there? But once a wild, hysterical chorus of laughter resounds within the building they immediately realize what was happening. Terry leaps up from his desk and rushes to the door, hoping to either make it out in time to change or to bolt the lock, but the door bursts open and he crashes onto the ground. Damnit! He was too late. In steps a large buff teen with paint covered over his face…a Joker. "Knock, knock."
Max runs from her place and rushes to her best friend's side. She encompasses him within her protective and warm arms. "Terry! Are you okay?" The worry that she was feeling was hardly necessary, but at the same time she was instinctively compelled to do so.
"Peachy," Terry responds, slightly confused at the comfort he experienced in Max's warm arms. He rests his head against her soft chest momentarily before sitting up slowly and pulling Max into his own hold protectively and shifting his body weight slightly so as to be out of the way of the Jokerz as they remained on the floor.
The Joker states wickedly, "The name's Haha, and I'll be taking over the class for now kiddies."
Chelsea clings to Dana for dear life and asks fearfully, "What do you want?"
"Money. And lots of it. You see, when the cops find out we've got a school hostage with blocks of C4 spread out around the premises they'll be loading us up with dough by the tank."
Dana and Chelsea slide over to Terry and Max then, moving swiftly and cautiously as the Jokerz demanded all students to get away from the windows. Dana lays her head on Terry's chest, weeping quietly. Max slides out of Terry's grasp so he can comfort and offer her some kind of reassurance. She watches them and is surprised at the pain she can feel soaring through her chest. She knew that they were supposed to be friends but there was a part of her that wanted the relationship with Terry to be more. She sighs weakly at herself. How stupid could she be to hope for Terry to be with her? He didn't even completely trust her when it came to the Batman stuff; he was so overprotective that the boy couldn't see that Max could take care of her own self. She knew the relationship with Dana was on the rocks, and yet she did everything in her power to make sure the two stayed together. Most girls would try to pull sabotage but not Max. Why? She valued Dana as a friend but also: she wanted Terry to be with the person who he could be happy with. He and Dana had been an item for so long, and Dana was completely open with him. Max had a rough life, that much he knew. But he didn't know the complete details of her past; there were things she thought couldn't be told to anyone especially him. And at the same time she was afraid of what would happen if she and Terry…Max shakes her head, jolting her back to reality. There was no way Gibson could become that emotionally attached to anyone…ever. "Should we take 'em?" she whispers.
Terry stares at her in disbelief and shoots a dirty look. "Have you lost your mind? They have guns Max!"
"Yeah. But everybody knows Jokerz are all bark and no bite."
"You try to play hero and I'll make sure you don't ever think of something so stupid again," Terry threatens. What was wrong with her? He knew that Max loved a good brawl when the time came, but she couldn't be this crazy could she?
Max raises an eyebrow at his threat. There was an underlining meaning within his statement, and she wasn't so sure she liked what it was. Max fights back the urge to let her emotions be hurt and leans forward and starts, "Terry."
"C'mon Max! You don't actually think you stand a chance against those guys do you? Who do you think you are, Batman? Your life isn't that messed up that you've gotten completely suicidal! You're not strong and can't handle danger, so please give it a rest," Terry hisses. He turns to face Dana and Chelsea and is taken back at their expressions. Their eyes were frustrated at him, but they then shift to behind his figure and reveal compassion and worry. McGinnis looks back at Maxine and he is instantly washed over with a great sense of regret. Her eyes were up in completely sadness. It was obvious that she was shocked at his words and even more hurt by them. She bites her bottom lip and holds her head down so as to avert any contact with him. "Max," Terry begins, "I didn't mean-."
And then, Max turns her eyes upon McGinnis with such ferocity that Terry leans back in fear. Her eyebrows were arched down so low in her anger; Terry isn't sure who he is looking at right then, but it couldn't be his best friend! And if it was, he had never seen this side of her. That gaze was one of an enemy. Max clenches her fist against the floor, her nails scratching against the hard surface. How dare he say such a thing to her? Just who the hell did he think he was? She lied for him, nearly died for him! She risked everything for that selfish bastard and all he's ever done was yell at her and hesitate in telling anything to his "sidekick". What kind of relationship was that? He was using her! "Fuck you Terry!" Max whispers with hate. The others stare at her in absolute shock. She and Terry argued but they'd never heard Max direct that much anger at him. "You've no idea what I can and can't handle." She clutches at herself protectively. Her words come out a bit more softly, but still filled with frustration and sadness. "God, Terry…you make me wanna die! I'll never be good enough."
Terry reaches out for her and coaxes, "Please Max, don't say that. Now's not the time-"
Max smacks his hand away and slides her body away from her best friend and brings her knees up to her chest in the fetal position. Max's hands rise up to her knees and she presses her head on them. Her voice strains out weakly, "Every time I look into your eyes, you make me wanna die." Why was she having a mental breakdown now, of all times? His words had hit a sour note within her mind and Max was merely responding back to the memories that flooded her entire being. And although she did mean every word of what she had said to him that was not the intention to come out like that! From her position, Terry realizes that Max was battling something inside of her own body and that he was not allowed to not only speak to her, but to try to help battle her problems alongside his dearest friend.
The hour really does seem to pass excruciatingly slow after such a fight between the young Batman and his "Robin". Terry tries many times to speak to Max, but she always shut him down with her silence and pained expression. He couldn't find the words to say that would make things any better. "Hey Haha!" two Jokerz call as they drag the body of a wounded officer in the room, bloody and beaten. "Guess what we found in a game of hide and seek?" They cackle.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Haha sounds, kicking the officer in the gut with great force causing him to groan out in pain. Terry feels completely helpless in watching the act taking place. The ringleader Joker picks up a megaphone bullhorn and calls through an open window to the gathered crowd of bystanders and law enforcement below, "You made a big mistake Commish sending your cops up here. I don't think you understand how serious I am." He pauses, finally adding with a coy smile, "Well you're about to find out."
Commissioner Gordon can feel her heart accelerate in a sudden fear. It was obvious this guy wasn't like all the other Jokerz. He was more deceptive and dangerous, more brilliant (or maybe insane) in his planning. Haha wasn't anything compared to the real deal of the past, yet it was enough to surface a bad gut feeling in the retired female vigilante. She responds back on her own bullhorn and says desperately while trying to keep her voice level, "Now just hold one. Don't do anything stupid!"
"Not stupid, my dear Commissioner…funny." Haha faces the students in the classroom. He puts his hand to his chin and ponders aloud, a ruthless smirk wearing across his white paint encrusted face, "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all? The one who will take a fall?" Terry's body tenses; he couldn't be serious. Haha's eyes focus on Max and he points at her. "This one!" He grabs her by the arm and drags her to the window as Max struggles and screams. "Why so sad, beautiful? Let's see if we can put a smile on that face!"
Terry pushes his body off of the floor with excessive force as the screams of Chelsea and Dana and the other students resound frighteningly. "MAX!" But there was no way he could get to her easily. The other Jokerz jump in his way, defending Haha. Yet Terry isn't concerned about trying to hold back. His fist slams automatically into the jaw of an opponent, breaking it without hesitation. The clown falls to the ground cowering and flinching in pain. Angry, the others rush for Terry, their clubs and fist swinging heavy. McGinnis fights with such ferocity that the students wonder where he could have acquired such skill and strength. A metal crow bar pounds ruthlessly against the teen's back. "Hold him back boys!" Haha declares. "You should never interrupt a good joke." Nelson Nash and his jock friends raise up and begin to fight the Jokerz as well. Enough was enough! Nash helps Terry up and gives him a reassuring look. Their private disagreements didn't mean shit right now. Someone they cared about was in trouble, point blank. An immediate revolt lights up the room as desks and fists fly and clash together. Chelsea grabs a chair and slams it hard against a Jokerz back, making the boy fall down. His Joker girlfriend however, isn't so appreciative of the move, and leaps upon the blonde girl's back, pulling at her hair. Chelsea jumps backwards and crashes her back into the wall. As the Joker girl falls Chelsea turns and grabs a writing tablet and strikes her.
Haha sits Max's butt on the windowsill and attempts to slowly bend her over backwards out of the window in a torturous move. Max's hands clutch to his shirt and she kicks her leg out, striking the boy in the balls and punches him in the face. In one swift leap she gets off the sill and tries to run when Haha trips and falls on top of her. They wrestle about on the floor tossing and turning. Max struggles under his strength. Haha stands and Max, still lying on her back, kicks him in the gut. The Joker gives a laugh of surprise at her enthusiasm in trying to fight back. He reaches down and yanks the black beauty on her feet by her hair. His rough hand makes its way to Max's throat and clenches like a vice. "You're one tough cookie aren't you girl? An original Harley Quinn…or maybe a Poison Ivy…but you're slippery and so determined to have your way: maybe you're a Catwoman? Either way, I like your spunk. Killing you should be amusing." Haha then dangles Max by the throat out the window. Her nails dig deep into the flesh of his skin on the forearm, drawing blood in her fear.
The crowd beneath gasps in absolute terror. Terry notices Max hanging outside and burns with an instant anger. Every time it appeared that he'd get close enough to save her, some Joker would pop up. Commissioner Gordon demands for the Joker to let her back inside, to let Max go. Haha grins and releases his hold. A heart-splitting scream begins to emit from Max's lungs when Terry dangles over the side and catches his best friend, just barely in the nick of time. Max stares at him, a pleading look of fear and helplessness drowning her features. Terry can't tell if the look is because Max was so close to dying or because he saved her from dying. No, he thinks. There was no way Max could want to die…could it? He can hear the sounds of the police officers charging into the room and taking control over the situation. Terry makes a brief eye contact with Barbara Gordon down below. She knew Max and the relationship she had with him. McGinnis pulls Maxine up and back into the classroom. They collapse on the floor and Max buries her face into Terry's shirt, her hands clamped around his neck as he envelops his arms in a surrounding embrace around her. She does not cry, but her body's trembling; which concerns him. Max wasn't much of a whiner, but when something terrified her she wouldn't hesitate in letting her emotions be released. "Is she okay?" Dana asks, whimpering.
"I think she's in shock," Terry answers, trying to convince his self more than anyone else. He looks around at the students, many of them needing medical attention from the huge brawl with the Jokerz. If Batman were there, none of this would have happened. The ambulance crews make their way through the students as Terry notices something: Haha was missing.
The next few weeks come and go without a delay. The school was recovering from the incident quite well. It seemed that it brought them together closer; made them stronger as individuals and a corporate body. Batman had been out all night for hours trying to find Haha, but there was nothing. And the serial killer was still on the loose, more and more bodies showing up. Things were not looking up at all. And even more, Max had been pretty distant as well. She wouldn't respond to Terry's calls or let him visit. And when he saw her at school, it was like she was a ghost. Her friends said that she was probably traumatized and needed time but Terry felt it was something more. Max was a tough girl and got over things with an unusual speed. Since she became his "sidekick" the pink haired beauty had been exposed to all kinds of deadly situations. This wasn't the first time she had fallen from a building. Could it be possible that she was still hurt by what he had said? Max was the type of girl to hold a grudge when need be.
That evening, just a little bit before 11:30, Max becomes aware of a tapping sound coming from the living room of her home. She was just about to get undressed when the erratic noise began to sound. Max pokes her head around the corner slowly. Nothing but darkness. She treads silently on bare feet into her kitchen and draws a large butcher knife out of its case. She can see strange shadows dancing across her wall. "Damnit," she mutters to herself. Max presses her back against the corner wall. Her heart beats rapidly and she leaps out from behind the kitchen wall before the large, door length window. There was no one…but it was open. Max's eyes shift from one end of the room to the other. She straightens her posture and then turns and slings the knife at an unseen entity. "Shit MAX! It's ME!"
"Terry?" Max asks. She flips on the light switch and finds McGinnis pressed against the wall, the knife just inches from his face; planted deep within the plaster. "What the hell are you doing?" Her eyes then fall upon a sight of blood pouring out his side.
Terry, his batsuit halfway one explains, "Got into it with Ghoul and Woof." He winces and notices the room is spinning.
Max bites her bottom lip, unsure of what to do. She then sighs out after realizing that she couldn't simply let him bleed to death. How would she explain a dead Batman to her sister? She pauses at that thought. Her sister wasn't around enough to care. Max could be dead on the floor and nobody would notice. "Well, lie down on the couch and give me a second." Terry obliges her as she closes the windows and blinds and disappears into the bathroom. When she returns, she has a first aid kid and needle and thread handy. Max kneels beside him as he lies flat out on the sofa and starts her work, sterilizing the wound with Alcohol. "Looks like Woof got you good."
"Yeah. I probably deserved it," Terry laughs before wincing again at the sensation of a needle going through his skin. She could've numbed him up first with some ice! Was she that pissed?
"Probably," Max agrees. She had forgotten to numb him, but at the same time she really didn't care. She wanted him out her places as soon as possible. An awkward silence fills the room.
"Max?" Terry asks finally in a low voice with his eyes closed so as not to see her expression. "Why are you mad at me?"
"I'm not mad," Max lies, her fingers tensing as she finishes up closing the wound. She was beyond mad; "pissed as hell" probably would've summed it up a little better.
"Right," McGinnis sasses. "You just hate me."
Max yells angrily as she slams the bandage on his skin, "Damnit Terry! Can you, for once, stop talking like you know something, 'cause you don't know shit about me!" She yanks him upward, ignoring his painful protest, and wraps the bandage around his stomach.
Here they go again. "But I do know you. I'm worried about your safety!" He tries to place his hand on her face as she continues to sit there on her knees in between his legs but she smacks it away. Now was not the time for him to try to get all cuddly with her. They generally had a pretty intimate friendship, always holding hands and hugging on one another in comforting embraces; but Max didn't want to be comforted right now. She wanted to be left alone and not have to worry about Terry and his "inconsistencies" when it came to really worrying about her. He was ridiculously overprotective and because of it he could really cruel and cold towards his best friend. And quite frankly, Max had had enough of it!
"Don't give me that! You don't understand anything. I'm tired of lying and being the weak link. I'm not the frail little girl everyone makes me out to be."
Terry shakes his head. "You're lucky Max! You haven't been through what I have. I know you think I'm a jerk but you have no clue the things I have on my chest right now."
"SHUT UP!" Max screams. "You're not the only crazy kid you know! You're the one who's lucky. You have the luxury of a family."
"What type of shit is that? So do you."
"Yeah," Max says sarcastically. "But they're never there. I don't know them and they don't know me. Do you know what my childhood was like? I was the child that they didn't want. My parents were happy with just my sister, but were pissed when they found out I was coming along. My sister was just so perfect, so wonderful! I was the fuck up." Max holds her head down and explains sadly, "My father used to beat me." Terry gasps. "He would get drunk and come home and just get to swinging. He never touched mom or sis…just always me. Mom would stop him 'cause she believed no kid should get abused, but I could tell she didn't really care. And when it came time for my parents' divorce, they argued about who would take me…both of them tried to place me on the other. But because I'm smart they think that I can become a big time doctor or something and make the bastards a bunch of money. Why would I give money to someone I don't ever see? My sister agreed to take me in, but she's always gone for weeks because of her job, so she doesn't even see me, which I'm sure she's happy about. Everything I ever did was to try to get their love. And when I told my dad that I wanted to work in law enforcement, he said the day I did that would be the day he would disown me as he always should…bastard." Max looks at Terry's compassionate and dumbfounded expression and her eyes start to water. "I've lived alone practically all of my life. I've had to fight all my life! You don't know the first thing about what hell I've been through, so don't you dare sit there and try to fucking preach to me about how tough things have been. I have always respected you when it comes to your suffering, why can't you do the same for me?" Max buries her face in her hands, too pissed to look him in the eye as she asks, "Why didn't you let me die?"
Terry grabs her shoulders and viciously shakes her. "Because you're my best friend…because I love you." He pauses at first, but then goes on with his confession. "I'm so stupid for never realizing the hurt I was causing you from: the things you've done for me, for Batman, and with…Dana. I have no idea why I'm still with her, even now. Maybe because I was too afraid to pursue my love for you. I wanted things to stay the way they've always been; I didn't want things to change and turn sour, but I'm ready to stop that! I need you more than just in friendship."
Max's heart speeds up. What was he saying? Where was all this coming from? All this time he cared about her so much as well and it made Max seem to be in a slight bout of disbelief. "Y-you don't mean that."
"Yes I do," Terry pleads. "You're always there. We connect on so many levels. I feel happy when I'm with you, like I'm not pretending to be somebody that I'm not. It feels real when we're together and that's what I need…you know I'm saying the truth." Terry pauses, a sudden urge rising within him. He stares at Max's lips temptingly, wanting to touch them with his own. He leans in forward, watching her face intently. "Max, I want you…I need you," his voice says smoothly. Max freezes as her body seems to melt at the sound of his voice and the fact that he was moving in so close. What was happening here? One minute she hated him, and the next she wanted him. She catches her breath and his lips touch hers softly. Max tries to pull her face away from his, but Terry grabs the back of her neck, forcing her soft lips to connect with his once again. And that had done it. The kiss now burned with passion as they realize that they cannot resist one another. Max throws her arms around Terry, her heart pounding like a drum and blood boiling over. Terry lifts Max up onto his lap and runs his hands up and down her back in an enticing hold. And all the while Max is screaming in her head to stop. Her mind was saying one thing, her heart another. They then roll over so that Terry plants his self atop of her soft body. The heat between them catches and begins to smolder. He ignores the pain shooting from the side of his body and kisses her neck, murmuring her name softly. Max gasps for air and he crushes his lips once more against hers.
And at that moment his phone rings. Terry gives a sigh of contempt but answers it in case it was important, however he does not lift his body off of his best friend's. "Hello?" There is a brief pause and he opens his eyes wide in shock. "Dana, hi." Max's heart drops. "I'm out working right now." Max scowls at him. "Okay…yeah…I love you too." WHAT? Terry gasps in surprise as he hangs up at what he had just said. It was out of habit! Max pushes Terry off of her and grabs her shoes. "Max—"
"Good to know I'm just work for you, Ter."
"I didn't -," he stops, not knowing how to explain it.
Max fixes her clothing and bangs her hand against her forehead. She was so close to doing something with her BEST FRIEND that she couldn't believe. "God, I'm such an idiot!"
Terry defends weakly, "She's my girlfriend." SHIT! Still the wrong thing to say.
"NO SHIT!" Max yells. She storms to the door. "I'm so tired of covering up for you. I'm so tired of wishing it was me!" She turns the doorknob, but Terry rushes to her side.
"But I love you Max! As more than a friend."
"But you don't love me enough to do anything about it…I'm sorry Ter," she says sadly. "But I don't think I can be with you anymore."
McGinnis grabs hold of Max's waist and falls to his knees. "No Please! Don't break up with me Max. Maybe our relationship isn't as crazy as it seems. I need you, love you too much to walk away…to let you walk away."
Max looks down at Terry's beseeching countenance and bites her bottom lip. Every time she looked into his eyes it really did made her want to die. "And maybe," she whispers, "that's the problem: you need me too much. I can't be the type of woman you need."
"I don't need a type of woman, I need YOU!"
"Lock up when you leave, ok? Goodbye McGinnis." Max gently pushes away from Terry and walks out the door, leaving him behind. As she walks down the street she wipes the tears from her eyes and holds herself tight. She didn't want to end her relationship with Terry, but they had gone too far. Not even she could have expected that. And perhaps what hurt and scared her the most was the fact that it wasn't just raging hormones, it felt right. Max feared being happy because in her mind it would only lead to a downfall and broken heart; there was no happiness for someone like her. But for Terry's love she had been willing to risk that; her sanity. And she hated that she took that kind of risk because now she was reaping the consequences. So much for taking caution.
"Well, well, well. Lookey here boys. It's my dear friend Harley." Max turn quickly to find herself surrounded by Jokerz; all being lead by Haha.
Max gulps and backs up against a light pole. "Back off," she threatens. Gibson suddenly resents leaving out so late at night all alone. She knew about there being a psycho serial killer on the loose and crazy mess like that but she didn't think it through. Her desire to get away from what she wanted the most and the thing that was causing her the most pain was about to get her in trouble.
"I don't think so. I got plans for you!" Max feels a sudden pinch in her arm. She sees that a Joker had injected her with some kind of serum. The street becomes blurry and fades in and out as Max falls limply to the warm concrete. Her body quivers as she gets a strange sensation burning through her. She looks at her hand and finds her nails growing out into distinct claws. Her voice lets out a low whine. She tries to regain her footing and stand, but is confronted by the enclosing Jokerz. Haha taunts, "Here kitty, kitty, kitty…"
Max lets out a short scream and finally her world grows black, the sound of maniacal cackling ringing in her ears.
TO BE CONTINUED…
