****NOTE****

I don't want to pretend like I've been doing this for a while, because the truth is I've never written anything really but Gundam Wing fanfiction. So forgive me if my style seems unorthodox. I tried to get as much history of everything as I could before I started. Most of my references are from Batmanbeyond.com and cartoonnetwork.com. Hopefully the story line isn't too cliché for everyone's taste, but I'm hoping to surprise everyone by going unusual directions, so if you think it's becoming a tedious repeat of what you've read, try to go just a bit further and hopefully I'll satisfy your desire of something original. Thanks for reading!

Love,

Moony

Basic stuff: Don't own 'em, don't claim to

Selene

By Moony

Chapter 1: Standing Secrets

. Terry McGinnis had long suspected that Bruce Wayne was hiding a lot from him. As a matter of fact he knew it. It was something that really didn't worry him though. If Wayne wanted to talk, Wayne would talk. Besides if it was important enough, Terry would find out about it eventually.

Terry's nightly route had just ended and he was sitting with Wayne in the 'cave'. They were both abnormally quiet as Terry took of the Batman uniform.

"Something up?" Terry asked finally, unsettled by the silence.

"We'll be having guests soon," was all Wayne said. Terry left it at that, though he was very curious what Wayne meant by the whole thing. Were these guests a good thing or a bad thing?

Though he shrugged off the thought for the moment it plagued him on his way home and while he tried to sleep (which was something he hated happening due to his normal lack of sleep).

Just as soon as sleep decided to visit upon Terry, Matt pounced on his stomach.

"Come on lazy! Mom's waiting for you!" he cried. "You're really late!" Terry leaned up quickly and pushed Matt off of him.

"Get away, midget," he scoffed and headed to the bathroom. "What time is it?"

"Why should I tell you?" Matt sneered as he ran beside Terry. Terry gave him an annoyed look and continued on. "It's seven" Matt said then stuck out his tongue. He ran out of the room to inform their mother that Terry was indeed up and getting ready all because of him.

Terry went into the bathroom and grabbed the sink for support as he tried to wake himself up. He looked down at the sink, stained with his spit from the last time he brushed his teeth. He then looked up at his refection.

"I look a Joker," he mumbled. The bags under his eyes looked very obvious today. "Why do I have to go to school? Isn't keeping this God forsaken city safe enough?" Terry splashed cold water on his face, then washed it. He came out of the bathroom and sifted through his dirty clothes hamper to find yesterday's shirt. Ever since his mom proclaimed that he should take care of his own laundry, Terry never had any clean clothes. He found the shirt and threw it on then grabbed his deodorant off of his nightstand and rubbed it under his arms. He looked around for his pants, then after finding them, he searched for his shoes, then his coat. When had he become so disorganized?

"Come on, Terry, You're going to be really late!" Mrs. McGinnis called from the living room. Terry grabbed his backpack, which was a lot heavier than it would have been a year ago, when his life was normal… Now he had to keep everything in his bag if he didn't want to forget anything. Homework was done before each class and at lunch. Terry had become the master of quick answers. He had no idea how he made it through Junior year.

Terry walked out of his room and grabbed the Pop-Tart from his mom's offering hand as he scrambled out the door.

'Wayne is going to have to get me a temp, or a partner, or something soon or I'm going to die,' Terry thought as he road his motorcycle to school.

He reached the school just in time to be late.

"Late again," Max said with a sly and knowing smile as Terry entered first hour. He flopped his bag beside his desk and sat down beside Max.

"Yes, Mr. McGinnis," the teacher said sternly. "The tenth time this nine weeks. Not a very good start, I'd say."

"Yes sir," Terry mumbled.

* * * *

"Something's up with the old man," Terry said to Max at lunch as they sat at the lunch table. Max looked up from her laptop.

"What?" she asked and shut the window.

"He said last night that we'd be having guests. What do you think that means?"

"You're asking the wrong person. I don't understand a lot of what he does, for that matter, I don't understand a lot of what you do. Like your break up with Dana."

"She and I have both told you, it was her choice, not mine," Terry said, not wanting to stir up bad memories.

"Still…" Max sighed. "You guys were so cute together… but guests… that interesting. Does he usually announce enemies like that?"

"If he did I wouldn't be questioning you," said Terry in agitation.

"Touchy," Max cried. "You really didn't get enough sleep last night." Terry shrugged.

"The question kept me up all night. He doesn't tell me stuff for no reason. If someone was going to come visit he would just tell me who and if it didn't concern me he wouldn't have told me at all," Terry explained.

"Well, you'll find out soon, so what's the point in worrying?" Max said sensibly.

Terry shook his head, "I guess you're right."

"As always," Max said triumphantly. "Oh by the way, Terry. You might want to wash your clothes before you wear them."

"Is it that noticeable?" Terry asked, distressed.

"No," Max smiled. "I'm just messin' with ya, so lighten up."

* * * *

Terry wasn't too sure if he would be able to make the route tonight with the fatigue that he was feeling as he walked out of the school building. The jocks were swarming around him with their girl friends pulled tightly under their arms. The nerds far behind, still stuffing their bags and sucking up to the teachers, and the 'normal' people somewhere in the middle.

"Terry?" a voice called out. Terry turned and saw Dana running up to him.

"Dana!" Terry said a bit startled to see her.

"Hey," she said and started walking with him. "Where are you going."

"Where do you think?" Terry sighed.

"Why does Mr. Wayne keep you so cooped up. Is he going to leave you his business or something because with all the work you do for him, that's what he's going to owe you," Dana snorted.

'Oh if you only knew,' Terry thought to himself, but he just shrugged.

"He's an old guy. He needs a lot of help." How long had Terry been making up lies like these? He knew all too well Wayne could take care of himself, but it always seemed like the most obvious excuse.

"I guess…" Dana mumbled. "OH! Here comes Jesse. I'll see you later, Terry." Dana ran off to her new boyfriend and left Terry by himself.

'That hurts,' Terry thought to himself as he saw that Jesse guy pull Dana into his arms. It wouldn't have worked and Terry knew it the whole time. He had given up nearly everything in his life for vengeance. He was starting to question his decision.

Loosing Dana was a tough blow. Dana was the one thing in his life, other than his brother, who wasn't tainted by the evils of life. She was what was left of Terry's innocents, and he had lost that now too.

* * * *

"Wayne… Wayne?" Terry called as he entered the mansion. There was some unusual air about it.

"In the library, McGinnis," Wayne's voice said from some intercom from somewhere. Terry had become used to Wayne's voice coming from strange places and didn't start at all by the voice.

"The library?" Terry questioned instead. Terry was so used to just going to the grandfather clock and going down to the 'Cave'. Something was definitely wrong here. What was up?

'There's only one way to find out,' Terry thought and without hesitation started his way through the mansion.

The room was found easily. Terry was expecting to see Wayne alone with his hands solemnly crossed over one another on his cane as he sat in some chair. But to his shock and surprise he saw a woman standing in the room with Wayne.

She was tall, maybe an inch shorter than Wayne, who was 6' 1" himself. Her hair was blond, curled and toppled on top of her head with a large gold terra in front. She was wearing a toga that was more like a dress than the traditional toga. Terry stopped in his tracks and stared at the woman in awe, not only because she seemed to have come from the past, but she was also breathtakingly beautiful.

"Ah, Terry," Wayne said and stood. "I would like you to meet Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons."

"Amazons? Like as in Wonder Woman?" Terry asked and the queen seemed to wince at the mention of the name.

"Yes," Wayne said in a grave tone that caught Terry's attention. Wayne wouldn't look Terry in the eyes for a moment. Terry thought for a moment he heard Wayne whisper "Diane," but then Wayne said in a strong voice, "Wonder Woman, but it seems she has died."

"Oh…" Terry said thoughtfully as he tried to remember who Wonder Woman was (Wayne had made Terry study super hero/villain history during the summer, Terry assumed it was because Wayne was sick of explaining history to Terry all the time). Terry looked at Hippolyta for a moment, then realized she was Wonder Woman's mother. "I'm sorry," he mumbled quickly. Hippolyta merely shook her head soberly.

"I have come here, not only to share the news of my daughter's death but to fulfill her last wish," the queen explained.

"And this is where it concerns you, Terry," Wayne said.

'Finally,' Terry thought. He despised suspense.

"Selene, you may come in now," Queen Hippolyta said in a loud, commanding voice.

A door opened behind Terry. He turned and saw a woman about his age and height walk in. She had striking dark black hair that was pulled in to a pony tail with a small silver terra across her forehead, and lively blue eyes that seemed to spark with intensity. She was in what reminded Terry of a Roman man's war uniform. Her shoulders were back and her chin tilted with a since of superiority. She looked Terry directly in the eyes.

"Terry," Wayne said. "I'd like you to meet Selene, my daughter."