Batgirl Beyond: Origins

I never asked to become who I had, I did it for him. He was everything I had always imagined my first High School boyfriend to be. He was five foot ten and he had black hair with blue eyes. His name was Terrance McGinnis, though he preferred to be called Terry. My name at the time was going by the name of Alesana Nygma, and this is only part one of my story, at least for now.

Terry and I had gone to school together; we both attended Hamilton Hills High School. I still cannot figure out why he chose me out of all the other girls in school, and I personally didn't care. He was the only guy in school who didn't judge me on who I was. I often believed we were destined to be together, and there was a secret I knew about Terry that no one else knew, until now.

Terry was Batman Beyond; and as much as I shouldn't release this information, for my own healing process I feel I need to. As soon as he told me, my whole life changed greatly. I went home from the library that afternoon, climbed through my tenth floor apartment bedroom window and sat on the fire escape to draw Gotham city's night time skyline, when I saw Batman perched on a roof top across the street but at least three buildings away. I started drawing him on the rooftop as he looked up at me, as the Joker made his way onto the scene. By the time I was nearly done with drawing Batman, I had heard a loud pop sound, and the fire escape started shaking underneath me "What the—" I began thinking to myself as I heard it break and slide down it grabbing on to the stairs of it.

Batman looked over and before I knew what was happening I fell, only to be saved by him. I assumed that he muttered 'Ali' under his breath as he flew over to save me. "Terry?" I asked him in a light whisper out of shock as I realized I was in his arms, he wrapped his arms around me tighter "Hold on" as we landed on the ground and Joker began approaching him, I watched him hurt Batman and my rage got the best of me, as I motioned my hand and throw a snow ball at him "Back off Clown Freak" now distracting him from Batman, it gave him time to get up from the ground.

Unaware at this moment that Joker was my Grandfather or how dangerous he truly was, I let him come after me; both the Joker and I unaware of my hidden abilities. He falls for my plan on the chase and I stop dead short in the street "A little fight in you, I like that" He exclaims, as Terry stands up and looks at me in shock, as if asking: 'what the hell is she doing'. "You do? Why don't you come see what else I can do" I taunt back, Terry's eyes now growing with fear and shock as he opens his scarlet bat wings and flies towards me.

Joker approaches me more, and with one flick of the wrist I have a cage of ice around him "Just in-case that doesn't hold you, this should" I say as I grip my hand into a fist slowly and the ice cage is now internally surrounded by an endless electrical current. Batman landed beside me not long after "Nice job" he said to me as the cops arrived and toke Joker back off to Arkham Asylum, upon the police leaving Batman had offered to fly me back to my apartment to ensure my safety getting home.

"Thank you Batman, I do appreciate it. I must decline for my boyfriend is to be stopping by, and I don't want him getting the wrong idea" I said politely as he nodded and toke off into the night. A few months went quickly by and Terry asked me to go on vacation with him, so I proudly accepted. As we drove to the location he looked at me and smiled, and at that time I looked over at him "What?" I asked gently as he continued driving. "That was a very dangerous thing you did Ali" he tells me "I know, but I wasn't going to allow him to hurt you" I added with pride.

Once we had arrived at the beach house and he had turned off the car, he had turned to me "I just want you to be safe Ali. Thank you for helping save the day" He added as he leaned in and kissed me, causing me to blush "No problem" I added as we both got out of the car. I grabbed my book bag and walked inside the beach house with him. I cannot say that everything from that moment on ended up like a fairytale come true, because that fairy tale only lasted a night.

Terry and I had come back from swimming earlier that day and upon doing so we had decided on cooking dinner early. There was so much about him that people never knew, but I was fortunate to be able to learn. I knew he had a troubled past, I looked past it. To me; he made me conquer all I had feared, he made me stronger and tougher as a person. After we ate dinner, I saw the glistening of the stars on the water and walked out to the balcony to look at them and he had followed me, placing his hands on my waist as I sighed "Ali" He says lightly "I have something for you. It's not as exciting as an engagement ring, but I hope you still like it" He finished as he handed me a little velvet black box.

I looked at him gently as I opened it to find a ring that had two small onyx bats with a heart engraved on their chests. "Terry…"I say now looking at it and back at him "It's beautiful" I say sweetly as he looks at me and places it on my finger "I'm glad you like it. This ring holds my promise I'll always remain by your side and love you no matter what" he adds to our conversation.

To this day; those words still haunt me. After our vacation came to a close and we arrived back in Gotham, I was pulled away on another vacation. My mother had taken me away from Gotham to secretly prepare for Gotham's Fourth of July Masquerade Ball. July Fourth came and we both attended the ball, but that's when it all changed. The lights had suddenly gone out; and he had my hands in his now kissing my cheek whispering in my ear "Time to go to work" that moment made me the most terrified ever. I headed out into the hallway in hopes maybe I could get away, outside the door was a railing that lead to stairs and I leaned on it, now hearing fighting going on as my eyes had adjusted to the dark and before I knew it I was hit off the head.

A few hours passed by and I woke up blood dried up on my face, I looked around to see where I was and saw Joker before me "You're awake, good. Let me introduce you to tonight's entertainment" he informed me as he kicked a television on and I saw Terry before me strapped in a strait jacket and tied in a chair, his head dangling towards the ground "TER!" I cried out as he moved his head to look at me "Ali?" he asked weak his chain stained with blood, my eyes widened while looking at him and I hear a familiar laugh now seeing Scarecrow appear behind Terry "What's the matter Bats? Not feeling yourself, why don't you clear your mind?" Scarecrow taunts "Say your final farewells kiddo" Joker says forcing me to watch "I love yo—"He begins to say as Scarecrow launches the Fear Toxin in Terry's face and he starts screaming

"NO! TERRY! FIGHT IT TERRY, FIGHT IT!" I cry out as Joker mocks me "Poor Bats, never saw it coming" He adds. I look at him and spit in his face, now thrashing about in the seat trying to break free. "You got a little fight in you, I love that" He says sinisterly as he approaches the chair more as if to try and kiss me and I kick him in the face throwing him against the room. I don't remember much after that for I was hit off the head with something blunt, and when I came to I found myself laying on Terry's bed in his room at Wayne Manor.

I opened my eyes to see Selina and Bruce standing before me. I looked around frantically as if looking for Terry "Is Terry okay?" I ask and before I got an answer Bruce left the room hanging his head, as if he was hiding crying. Selina watched the door shut and when it closed she looked at me "Is he okay?" I asked her again as she looked at me, sadness had appeared in her face "He was nowhere to be found" She said as if fighting back tears, a look of fear came over my face as my eyes quickly turned glass and swelled with tears. "I'm sorry Ali" she said in a comforting voice as I cried. Selina never truly liked my mother Harley and the feeling was mutual towards Selina from my mother. My whole world just came crashing down on me as I closed my hands over my face, now sobbing more. Selina placed her arms around me in a motherly way to comfort me. "This is my entire fault Selina, I should have just bit my tongue" I say gently through my tears.

"This is no one's fault but Joker and Scarecrow's, Ali" She replied back to me as she saw me looking down at the promise ring on my hand, taking in the meaning to it. "Can I see you ring for a moment sweetie?" Selina asked as I slid it off my finger and handed it to her, as she toke it with care and looked at it. "Terry gave it to me, back in June" I say without hesitation or even thinking. She hands me back the ring and I slide it back on my finger. "I'm organizing a search for Terry, then I will make Scarecrow and Joker pay for this" She said in a sudden confident tone. "You're going to search for him? Count me in!" I chime. "I was hoping you would" She said as I had got up off his bed, and left the Wayne Manor.

When I had arrived at home that night, me sleeping…was not even an option. I picked up the picture of me and Terry near the steel yard and examined it as I contemplated what to do. "I love you Terry, and those psychopaths WILL PAY for what they did. I swear even if I am killed trying to find you, I will put my all into reuniting with you. My actions may be improper, so I disappoint you forgive me. I won't lose you, NOT like THIS" I said out loud as if he could hear me. I put the photo on my bed side stand, and I walked over to my desk and let out a scream of anger, as I ran my hand across the desk and wiped everything off of it, picked up my book bag and threw it across the room. Days passed by and every night that fell; I wandered out to start my search for Terry, pushing myself far past the point of exhaustion. I didn't mind really for he was worth it, at least I know if I went missing; he'd do the same for me while searching for me, or at least I'd like to think so.

It had become Three weeks since Terry had been taken captive by Scarecrow and had the Fear Toxin used on him, three weeks since I saw him last. I was perched on the top of the clock tower here in Gotham as I saw the sun starting to debut its daily rays upon the horizon. "Another night, another disappointment, sorry I let you down Batman" I said to myself gently as I gently dove off the clock tower and soared to an alley so I could quickly change and walk to school. I was sure not surprised in the least at the welcoming I got.

I saw a group of people awaiting me, there was Maxwell Price who slept almost every girl in school at least twice, keyword…almost. Terry couldn't stand him, for he always bullied him about…everything. The best way to explain Maxwell was he was a wannabe; he dressed in army green pants, combat boots that he folded over and left untied, spiked his hair and always wore a hoodie. Then there was Alex; his wannabe gangster lackie. "Looks like that McGinnis freaks know-it-all bitch ..actually showed up" Maxwell said to Alex "Where's Terry?" Alex said to me as he walked beside me repeating the same question. "Go away" I replied.

"Did your Father kill him, like he did your mother?" Maxwell added as I forced my hand into a fist, now growing angrier than normal. "Terry didn't like you Nygma, nor did he love you" Alex had quickly added until he saw my hand in form of a fist, now knowing that he was beginning to cross the line, started to retreat his taunts. "I FELT PITY ON YOU NYGMA…..I BET HE KILLED HIMSELF TO GET AWAY FROM YOU" Maxwell added. I admit fully, I allowed my rage to get the better of me. "YOU'RE DEAD" I screamed as I lunged at him, knocking him to the floor and punching him in the face over and over. I could feel his nose break as soon as I punch him, it didn't help that my fist was covered in his blood. He attempted to punch me; and when he did I quickly grabbed his wrist and twisted it, snapping it. He let out a scream of pain "Alex…" He called out as Alex quickly pulled my hair hard, throwing my head back. I leaned back, scratched his face with my nails breaking the skin, and then spitting in his face to add to his already instant pain.

I pulled my dagger out of my pocket and pin it to his throat pushing hard "ALI!" A familiar voice calls out as I feel someone wrap their arms around me and pull me off Maxwell, and I quickly realized it was my childhood friend Richard Grayson. "Let me go, Richard" I cried out as I started trying to break out of his grasp, as he pulled me into his arms tighter, as I quickly calm down. As soon as he puts me down, I turn to him and start crying, as he hugs me to comfort me. "Max" Alex called out as he went to help his best friend up. "You did this to yourself, bro" He says and kicks him in the chest hard. "Ali...I'm sorry about Terry, but you can't let these jerks get to you" He says gently with a reminder.

-Three Years Later-

I toke Richard's advice to heart, for he always knew I would; losing Terry does still hurt and I won't lie about that, but within time I curbed my rage into my determination just as a true bat would. Even now as I kneel down on the top of the clock tower here in Gotham, I put my entire life on the line to keep this City safe as he would have wanted me to.

I am the reason this City even at rest will remain safe. I am her heroine, her protector, her vigilante. I am the dark knightess guardian this city craves; my name is Alesana Nygma, and I loved the Batman of the Future. So in honor of his passing; I espoused a new title..

…..Batgirl Beyond