Disclaimer: Don't own Young Justice or Batman Beyond. If I did they'd both still be on the air. This fic is a collaboration with FoREVer Nightwing and myself. It's my first time writing with a partner. This is a crossover fic with Young Justice and Batman Beyond. Spoiler warnings for both series, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, and the Batman Beyond "Hush" graphic novel. This fic is also slash with Terry/Dick as the main paring and one sided Conner/Dick. In other words: boys liking and or kissing other boys. Don't like? Don't read no one if forcing you.
As stated above, this is a collaboration between Shiroi Misa and myself (FoREVer Nightwing). Let it be known that this is our first collaboration together. We ask that you be patient with us when it comes to updating.
Chapter One: The Lonely Life of a Hero
"So that's it then? You're breaking up with me?" Terry McGinnis questioned into his phone to his girlfriend Dana on the other end.
"You can't say you didn't see this coming Terry. We've been trying for a long time now and I'm tired. Tired of waiting for you, tired of being stood up and tired of hearing promises you never keep." She did sound tired but also sad. Terry clung to the small sliver of hope she'd give him one more chance.
"Dana listen, I know my job takes up a lot of my time-" but she cut him off.
"You mean all your time."
"I know, I know. Look I know I haven't been fair to you but I'm securing a future for myself and for us. Can we just meet up somewhere so we can talk about this in person?"
"We were supposed to meet for lunch today. I was going to talk to you about this then but big surprise, you didn't show."
Terry winced at that. She had every right to be mad at him because she didn't know what his real job was. She didn't know that he was Batman and right now he wanted so badly to just tell her the truth. But he couldn't, it would put her in too much danger and he liked her too much to do that to her, even if it meant she would finally understand.
"Dana I-"but she cut him off again.
"Terry, just stop. I don't want to hear another empty promise that ends with me all dressed up with nowhere to go. Even if this is the path to a fantastic career I don't want to be one of those old fashion wives who wait quietly at home and never see their husbands because they're a big success. I'm not going to ask you to quit either because we both know you won't. And let's be honest, it wouldn't make either one of us happy."
Terry had to agree with her statement. Quitting and giving up Batman for her would only make him resent her. She was a smart girl and she deserved better but that didn't mean he wanted to let her go.
"Dana…I wish I could make you understand."
"Understand what? Is there something you think I need to know?"
She had giving the perfect opportunity to come clean, to be honest. But he couldn't, and he didn't want to lie anymore. His only answer was silence.
"I didn't think so."
"Dana please…" but he still couldn't think of any argument to convince her to stay.
"Take care of yourself Terry. Don't let the old man make you forget about the important things in your life, or the people who care about you. Bye, Ter."
And with that, she hung up, ending possibly the best relationship he had ever had. He would never find another one like her if he searched the whole world. Bitterly he jumped on his motorcycle and headed for the Batcave. He was already late for training practice and since he had already messed things up with Dana, this time for good, he really didn't have much of an excuse not to go. But he doubted the old man would be very sympathetic. Bruce Wayne had sacrificed everything for the sake of the mission, even his own family.
He thought back to his conversation with Mr. Grayson less than a month ago. Terry had teamed up with the former Nightwing to help stop Cadmus's clone of Richard Grayson from destroying Gotham. Cadmus had intended for the clone to become the new Batman before Terry had stolen the Batsuit and taken up the mantel himself. Somewhere in their gene tinkering and brainwashing some wires must have gotten crossed and the clone went off the deep end. He took on the name Hush and started killing off Batman's former adversaries along with some Terry's current ones. His twisted mind thought that he had been cheated out of the Batman title and tried to finish Batman's mission once and for all, by destroying his city.
Luckily the two of them and the new Catwoman had managed to stop him. The clone was presumed dead but since no body was found…well every knows what that means.
Grayson told him of his last mission as Nightwing and it was a cautionary tale for Terry. He warned him what happened to all of Batman's former prodigies but ultimately left the decision up to him. No one could force him to give up being Batman. But more and more Terry had been questioning his choices. Was it worth sacrificing everything he loved for a mission that would never end? One thing was for sure, he didn't want to end up like Wayne. Old, bitter, and utterly alone.
Alone, that was something he feared more than the danger. He was grateful he at least had Max to talk to but it wasn't the same. She understood what he went through to an extent and her covering for him was a big help. But she wasn't out there fighting with him and she couldn't fully understand what it was like to put your life on the line every night without so much as a thank you. He didn't really care much about the thanks. He didn't get into this for the praise. But it would be nice to talk to someone who knew what it really meant to be a super hero that wasn't yelling orders in his ear telling what he did wrong or what to do all the time. He thought about looking up Grayson again but the man left the mask behind a long time ago and for good reason. And he suspected he would just tell Terry to walk away for his own good.
"McGinnis where are you?" And there was the old man ready to yell at him for being late.
"Yeah, yeah, give me a break I'm coming."
"The criminals aren't going to wait for you to get your act together."
"Well how about a little break from you. Dana just broke up with me."
Bruce was silent for a moment but his words didn't exactly inspire Terry. "It's for the best. This way she won't be put in harm's way or be used against you."
Terry was so stunned by Bruce's words that he almost missed his turn. "Are you serious?! Is that all you have to say?"
"What is it you want me to say?" Bruce said in his usual flat emotionless tone. It really pissed Terry off.
"Oh, I don't know maybe something like, 'That's rough kid.' Or 'There are plenty more fish in the sea.' Or even a simple 'sorry'." Terry shouted back hoping to some kind of reaction out of the former Batman. But getting emotions out of Batman was like trying to get water from a stone.
"Pick whichever one is your favorite and suit up. I've got a lead on that tech thief we've been tracking."
"You're really not going to be satisfied until everyone is as miserable as you. You know what? I'm really not in the mood for this tonight. Call the cops and let them handle this one."
"Believe what you want about me but may I remind you this thief is using extreme and something lethal force to get what he wants." Terry sighed as he turned his motorcycle around. In the last robbery a guard was killed, leaving behind two young sons. It hit home for Terry. This was one of the reasons he feared he'd never be able to leave the life behind. If he ever did quit he wouldn't be able to turn on the news or read a report online about how someone was the victim of a crime and wonder if he could have prevented it.
"Fine, let's get this over with so I can go home, complain to Max, and fall asleep listening to depressing music."
Maybe he was just imaging it but he could have sworn he heard the old man muttering to himself on the other line. "Kids."
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Bruce's lead was dead on. Terry found the thief in an old warehouse. It looked like he was trying to piece together the parts he'd stolen into a larger device. It also looked like it was thrown together rather quickly and wasn't working right. Terry managed to get a visual on the thief. After getting a good look he noticed the man was dressed a little strange. Something that was common with his villains. He was in a grey and purple burly body suit with a black helmet. The design on the helmet looked like a purple target with a line down middle. It wasn't anyone Terry recognized but this "Purple Target" had his back turned and wasn't paying attention. Terry figured he could easily get the drop on him before he even knew what hit him. Bruce on the other hand had other ideas.
"Terry, come in."
"Not now old man, I'll have him down and out and left for the cops before you know it."
"Negative, stand down, I know who this is."
"I can handle it; I've got the element of surprise." Terry said really starting to get annoyed.
"It's not him I'm worried about, it's his machine. Back in my day he was known as Time Code and his plans involved-"but Terry cut him off.
"Don't care. You're not Batman anymore this is my gig and I don't need your permission for every move I make."
"Stand down NOW McGinnis! THAT'S AN ORDER!" But Terry was done fallowing orders tonight. He switched off the comm and visual feed, leaving the old man in the dark. Terry knew he was being petty and maybe a little reckless but right now he didn't care. He just hoped the old man wouldn't kill the suit again. Maybe he'd go visit Grayson after all. If anyone could figure a way to keep Bruce out it was him. He'd probably do it for free if he knew how pissed off Bruce would be. But he'd worry about that later. Right now he had a bad guy to put to bed.
Terry crept into the building trying to get as close to Time Code as he could without giving away his position. The villain was still fussing with his device letting out a few curse words every now and then. "Ah, stupid piece of junk. Going forward is so much easier."
Terry would have liked to use knockout gas but Time Code's suit look too well insulated. That meant knocking him out the hard way. Without warning Terry shot out ropes from his grappling gun and bound the surprised villain. "What the? Batman? No! No I'm not finished, it's not stable."
"Tough luck, you're off to jail where you'll have all the time you want to think about what you've done wrong." But Time Code's suit made him stronger than looked and quickly broke free from the ropes. But just before he did the device started sparking and a strange looking hole opened up right in the middle of the room.
"You FOOL! You've ruined it! It'll never take me back now. I'll have to start all over again." And with that Time Code rushed him this time catching Terry off guard. Terry was a little distracted by the glowing hole in the middle of the room which was now flicking and changing color.
"I can't have you trying to stop me again Bats. So you're going to take a little trip. One you're not coming back from." Time Code moved to punch him but Terry dodged. Before he could go on the offensive Time Code kicked him in the chest sending him careening into the glowing portal. The last thing Terry heard before blacking out was Bruce's voice calling his name after hacking into the comm.
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Terry awoke with a blistering headache and it took him a few moments to remember what happened. He looked around but Time Code was long gone along with him machine and that scary looking hole.
He checked his comm and sure enough it was back on. He figured Bruce must have found a way to force it back online. Terry sighed and prepared himself for a bat-lecture but for some reason all he was getting was static.
"Man, he's going to do the 'I told you so' bit and chew me out big time." But he knew it would be worse the longer he waited. He put his finger to his ear piece and took a deep breath. "Hello, old man you there?" Still nothing but static. "Must have busted it during the fight or something." Something else he was going to be lectured about. He figured he may as well head back towards the manor before Bruce started calling Max and his Mom making them worry.
But as he looked out of the window he was met with a shocking sight. "What the?" The building around the warehouse looked old fashioned but not old. All around him it was like he was staring at a hologram of Historical Gotham, only this wasn't a hologram, this was real. But the real shocker was the Wayne Powers building in the distance. Only…the Powers part seemed to be missing.
Fighting down the urge to panic he tried to piece together what happened. He remembered fighting Time Code and falling through…
"Oh no." he said quietly to himself as if he was afraid to say it any louder. He remembered the villain talking about getting back and that it was harder than going forward. The name Time Code should been obvious as well. It wasn't that long ago that a 14 year old Virgil Hawkins had jumped 40 years into the future after fighting a villain that was plotting to send wanted criminals to the future. The man must have sent himself forward to avoid going to jail but getting back was harder and he needed materials to rebuild his device.
Gazing out at the Gotham City of 40 years ago many things were racing around in his head but he only voiced one. "Maybe I should have listened to the old man."
To be continued…
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Test my reality, Check if there's a weak spot
Clingin' to insanity, in hopes the world will ease up
Try to make it look like it's all somehow getting better
'Cause I know how to play it pretty good against the measure
-Icon for Hire
Please read and review! –Shiroi Misa