Chapter One

Apathy…Greed…Corruption…Power…Hope…Courage…Honor...Justice

"Hey Terry." Max called out, her breath fogging before her in the cold night air of Gotham. Her pale hands were shoved into the pockets of her short black leather, double-breasted jacket, and her thick boots padded sloppily in the receding puddles from the previous night's storm.

Terry waved to her as she approached the high school that he stood outside of in his white uniform, chatting nonchalantly with a young man he'd met in his sparring that day. "Hey Max." he huffed in the cold air as well as she stopped before them. He didn't seem cold as sweat glistened his skin and his brown jacket was slung over his shoulder, and he ran his hand through his short black hair to keep it from his eyes.

"Hey," she nodded and smiled at him, "It's gonna rain, you should put that on before we go." She grinned, sliding her eyes over to the young man beside them, admiring his stance.

"Yeah alright." Terry sighed, knowing she was right as he pulled on his similar jacket, "Come on, let's go before it starts then."

"Well wait," she pouted slightly, not moving her feet as he had started to walk, "You're not going to introduce me to your friend?"

"Well I-" he stopped, but was cut off.

"Kevin." The young man said, his hand already taking Max's into his own and kissing it gently. He bowed as he did so and his long, blonde hair fell over his crisp green eyes. Max drew a shuddering breath and nodded to him, a blush rising on her dark colored cheeks. "A pleasure to meet any friend of Terry's, and such a lovely one at that. You're so live."

"What?" she asked, slightly confused at his compliment.

"Live, you simply, exude energy…"

"O-oh? Well, I, ah, hang out in the computer lab a lot, maybe it's static electricity. My hair's not standing up is it?" she laughed softly.

"No, it must just be your aura, very beautiful."

Terry rolled his eyes as he felt the first drops of rain, and watched a scene that made him nauseous, "Come on Max…we're going to get soaked getting back."

"You're already soaked…" she said distractedly over her shoulder at him, still grinning obnoxiously at Kevin, who still had her hand.

"No, now Milady," Kevin said, releasing her hand and standing up straight once more, perfect posture it seemed, and clasped his hands behind his back, "We don't want you getting sick, by staying out in the rain. You should go. I hope to have this great pleasure again some time."

"Yeah…" she said dreamily as she watched him step into the now sprinkling rain and disappear within an old red Mustang before driving away as she turned to watch it and gave a deep sigh.

"Max!" Terry said loudly, standing by her purple motorbike.

Her own green eyes snapped to him, "Right…sorry, right." Walking over to him, she pulled on and buckled her helmet beneath her chin before snapping down the visor before mounting the bike and waiting for him to do the same behind her. Once he was on securely and had his hands on her shoulders to steady himself…as she had made it strictly clear that he was not to put them about her waist; they were off.

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About ten minutes later, they had left the city and entered the soft rolling hills of the short suburbs of Gotham, the Wayne manor looming in the dark and rolling fog that clung over the roads that were now sprinkled with harder rain. The light of the motorbike finally came upon the tall front gates of the manor and Max slowed to a stop to let Terry off, "Why are you taking wrestling?" she asked finally as he pulled of her extra helmet and strapped it onto the backseat as he stood beside her.

"Well, Mr. Wayne wants me to beef up and be more agile."

"That's weird Terry, you do see that right? It's like, he's training you to be his bodyguard or something."

"Or something." he grinned at her.

"Gonna take marksmanship next? And why couldn't you drive yourself home?"

"Ah, bike's in the shop…and well, you were close-"

"Yeah, yeah McGinnis, just get in the house before you get sick." She said, revving the gas pedal.

"You gonna be alright?"

"Always am." She winked at him before snapping her visor back down and backing up, then disappearing down the road.

Terry shook his head and grinned at her and pushed in the code to open the gates before walking up the long drive to the house as they closed behind him.

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"Hey Terry." Max called out, her breath fogging before her in the cold night air. Her pale hands were shoved into the pockets of her short brown leather, double-breasted jacket, and her thick boots clomping loudly on the pavement.

Terry waved to her as she approached the school that he stood outside of in his uniform, chatting nonchalantly. "Hey Max." he huffed in the cold air as well as she stopped before them.

"Hey," she nodded and smiled at him, but grinned at Kevin who stood out with Terry again that night. "Ready to go?" she asked.

He nodded and began to walk once more to the motorbike as Max walked behind him, smiling and giving a small wave to Kevin.

"Oh, Max?" Kevin called, trotting after her slightly and taking her hand once more, causing her to turn and face him, a broad grin full of pearly white teeth plastered on his face.

"Y-yes?" she said, startled slightly as she stared up though his hair and into his piercing eyes.

"Would you do me the great honor of helping me with a project tomorrow night?" he asked in a suddenly smooth and deep voice.

Her mouth fell open in a very un-ladylike manner, still staring up into his loveliness, "S-sure, what kind of project?" She managed after his face turned into once of embarrassed concern.

But at her answer, he grinned once again and lifted her hand to kiss it again, "Milady honors me. It's a science project, you said you liked computers and I would be grateful for your help. Shall I pick you up, around nine? I have wrestling practice first and every night this week."

"She'll meet you here." Terry said, reminding the two he was there.

Max looked over her shoulder with a chastising brow, but Terry's face was quite serious, his arms were folded. Her brow rose but was covered over with a sweet smile as she looked back to Kevin, "It would be my pleasure," she grinned to herself at her fake propriety, as she was an obvious tom-boy, "to meet you here Kevin." She nodded.

He nodded as well, bowed slightly before releasing her hand and departing in his Mustang once again. When he finally pulled away and was out of sight, she spun in a small circle and gave a girlish squeal. Terry gave her a flat look and sighed, "Max, be careful."

"What?" she stopped and stared at him, "Careful?" she pointed after the Mustang, "Careful about going out with a hunk!"

"He's not a hunk, he's a nerd and-"

"A nerd!" she squealed again, "Well, he may be a nerd, but that just makes him smart on top of handsome! Terry I-"

"Max." he said, his voice still flat, his arms still folded, "Just promise me, you will be careful."

She furrowed her brow and walked closer to him, "Why? What's wrong with him Terry? Why did you want me to meet him here instead of elsewhere? Why are you being so protective?"

"Because, he hides things…I don't like him, I don't want him knowing where you live…and well…because."

"Terry," she laughed out his name, walking up closer still to her friend, "He's a nerd…how bad can he be? I mean…"

"Max…I've sparred with him, he's…"

"So?"

"So he fights dirty…he has…a zeal in him, he fights for reasons I don't understand. He's passive and polite and reclusive in everything else, but here…he fights to kill, the coach has broken us and others away from him many times, to save their lives. Just…"

"Terry…" she whispered, shocked at all he was saying, her eyes fell to her boots and she bit her lower lip, "if you don't want me to go out with him, I-"

"No Max." she looked up as he put his hand on her shoulder, there was something, stirring behind his eyes, something fighting to get out, or stay hidden, "I want you to be happy. Just…be careful."

She smiled at him, and his concern and nodded, "Of course Terry, always am." Moving away from him and to her bike as she pulled on her helmet and mounted it. He did the same with a heavy sigh, "Hey Terry?"

"Yeah?" he asked, putting his hands on her shoulders again.

"What should I wear?"

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"Hey Terry." Max said quietly, her breath fogging before her in the cold night air, delicate sandals clipped the pavement as she approached.

"Hey Max." he huffed as well as she stopped before them, looking to her briefly before making a double take, and second look stopped him in a stare upon which his own mouth fell open.

"Hey Kevin," she grinned at him who stood out with Terry again that night, waiting for her this time. He had tied back his blonde hair and changed from his uniform into a dark pair of slacks, with a dark gray shirt open at the collar and he looked very classy. "Ready to go?" she asked.

Kevin' attention had fallen to Max the moment she arrived, his eyes attentive to every feature and detail. She wore a skirt of pale purple, silken fabric that fell just below her knees and fluttered about on the breeze, as well as a elegant tan colored, sweater halter that looped about her neck and cinched just above her waist, clinging to her suddenly slender figure. She had a very long but feminine black coat and smiled at them, "Well?"

Kevin stepped toward her while Terry's mouth still gaped, and touched her shoulders before leaning in and giving a bold kiss to her cheek. She blushed and grinned happily at him as he directed her to the Mustang.

Clearing his throat and finding his voice finally, Terry called after her, "How did you get here Max?"

"The taxi." She smiled as Kevin opened the door for her and she pointed to where she had come from, "I told him to wait for you."

He looked to where she pointed and by the time he looked back, Max had already ducked into the car and Kevin winked at Terry before ducking in as well, "You look-" The car door shut and the Mustang pulled away, leaving Terry on the curb, "nice…" he said after they were out of sight, but then corrected himself in a whisper, "beautiful…"

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The Mustang took the pair to an old and seemingly abandoned warehouse and at first, Max was unnerved. Even more so perhaps when he took her inside, and she saw the place was filled with giant computers and heaps of technology in forms of things she had never seen and couldn't even begin to put purposes to.

"Some project." She whistled as she looked about, "What exactly are you doing and what exactly do you need my help with?" she asked.

"Well, I heard you got a perfect score on your GAT's and well, I need a techno whiz for…a bit." He cleared his throat and directed her to a seat at one of the larger computers. "It's just basic programming stuff, but I'm doing this stuff for my dad and well, it's starting to get a little beyond me. I hoped you could bail me out." He said as he leaned over her shoulders and whispered in her ear. But he had something in his hand, that he held in front of her, a small but long, blue box. She looked up at him in confusion before taking it and prying open the lid. Inside was a slender necklace of what looked like interlocked horseshoes of hematite.

"How beautiful." She gasped at the gift as he removed it from the box and draped it about her neck. Her fingers brushed over the cold metal and she turned and grinned up at him, cracking her knuckles, "Don't worry Kevin, just tell me what you need."

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The evening passed rather quickly, even though by the end of it, Max was a little tired, more so than she remembered ever being doing that kind of math or computer work, but she shrugged it off as she yawned and stood to pull on her jacket. "I hope that helped." She said as she walked toward the door.

"Oh," he jumped up from a chair nearby, "You're," he looked back to the computer, "You're finished?"

"Well yes, I did all I think I can do, and it's very late."

"Tomorrow's a Saturday."

"It's two in the morning, it doesn't matter what tomorrow is," she laughed softly, touching his shoulder, "I'm too tired to think anymore."

"Oh come on, we've just got started."

"We? You were hardly doing anything, not even the easy math."

"Well I just thought you were handling it so well."

"I'm sorry Kevin but I have to go home now."

"Stay." He said, grabbing her upper arm as she turned to leave.

Turning back to him slowly, her eyes moving from his hand on her arm to his face, "Kevin," she spoke slowly, "Let go. I have to go home now."

"Come back tomorrow then?" he said, still not letting go and speaking in a tone more demanding than asking.

"I…I'll have to see, alright?"

"That means no."

"Kevin," she yanked her arm away, "Goodnight." Pushing open the door to the warehouse, she walked out to the nearest street and waved her hand for a taxi, remembering Terry's warning about not letting him know where she lived; he'd been right, Kevin was a creep.

Kevin stood in the open door of the warehouse, one hand leaning on each frame as he watched her get into the cab and drive away. His face grew dark, but not just his mood, a static was sparking out behind him that became so suddenly bright, that he was silhouetted where he stood.

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"Hey Terry." Kevin said as they stepped outside of the training school that evening, his breath fogging before him in the cold night air. Terry nodded to him as they stood beside one another outside in their white uniforms, "Good job again tonight." He said, extending his hand for Terry to shake, "You're a worthy opponent."

Terry nodded but avoided his hand and instead wiped the glistening sweat from his brow and he ran his hand through his short black hair to keep it from his eyes, "You too, I guess."

"Hey," Terry stalled him from walking to his car for a moment, "Finish that project you and Max were working on last night?"

Kevin paused as he walked to his Mustang, "Almost. She's a fine woman, very, electric personality."

"Yeah…" Terry said, not quite understanding, "maybe, but she's never late." He said, checking his watch and looking down the street again.

"I'm sure you'll see her tonight. It's gonna rain you know, you should put that on before you go." Kevin grinned before waving and slipping into his car.

"Yeah alright." Terry sighed and pulled on his jacket while waving goodbye to the disappearing Mustang. He huffed as he shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and thought aloud in a whisper, "Where are you Max?"

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"You're late."

"Sorry Mr. Wayne." Terry said, hanging his jacket on a hook on the stone wall before walking up behind Mr. Wayne who was sitting at the large supercomputer in the Batcave below his mansion.

"And you're soaked."

Terry looked down at his feet as he stood beside Mr. Wayne and the small puddle he was making on the floor and groaned, "Yeah well it's raining, and Max ditched me tonight, I had to take a cab."

"That's unlike Max."

"Yeah, it is. But…" he stretched his arms above his head and yawned, "How was your trip yesterday…where'd you go again?"

"Out of town." He said distractedly, staring at flickering facial recognition images on the screen and random data streams.

"Oh?" He asked, leaning over Wayne's shoulder to look over what he was doing.

"Anything happen while I was away?"

"A few, erratic electrical outages, but nothing serious."

Wayne looked over his shoulder at Terry with a straight face, silently demanding an answer.

"What? Rolling blackouts have happened in Gotham before." He said, walking away a bit and folding his hands behind his head as he looked over the shadowed Batmobile and other niches full of random things throughout the cave.

"Yes. But not without there being a severe storm or some criminal mind behind it."

"Yeah well it's been raining really badly for three days now and-"

"That's not a severe storm McGinnis."

"Get off my back! You except me to go out and investigate every single little thing that goes wrong in this city?"

"No, I expect Batman to do that."

He spun around and shouted at him, "Yeah well, I have a life!" A few moments of silence passed and Terry sighed, dropping his arms and sighing. Running his hand through his hair, he walked back up behind Wayne and looked at the screen that was still flashing faces. "Who are you looking for?"

"The man in charge of utilities in Gotham."

"What! You knew! Why do you always ask questions about things you already know!"

"What's the name of the young man on your wrestling team?"

"What? Kevin, why?" he snapped distastefully at the name as he said it, but his interest peaked.

"Kevin, Greonn?" Wayne caught the tone, "Matthew Greonn, Gotham's commissioner of utilities. Father and son no doubt? And there were rolling blackouts last night? Do you know what Kevin was doing or where he was?"

"Why are you asking about Kevin and not his father?"

"Because Matthew Greonn has been out of town for a week."

Terry paused, "He asked Max out last night." Terry said, standing up straight. "He said he needed her for a project."

"And where is Max now?"

"Well…I haven't seen her all day; and she didn't pick me up…" Terry's train of thought deteriorated and his voice trailed off as his eyes widened before snapping to Wayne and then darting bodily toward the door to grab his coat.

"And where do you think you're going?" Wayne turned in his chair, folding his hands in his lap.

"To…go check on her. See what's going on."

"Take your bag." Wayne's right brow rose, and Terry snatched up the bag with the Batsuit hanging out of it before disappearing up the stairs.

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Hands in his pockets once again as he walked briskly down the long hall of the third story of Max's apartment building, Terry took quick steps toward her door. But when he got there, the door was open. His eyes widened and he darted inside, nearly tripping over a sofa cushion that lay ripped open and smoking on the floor. His mouth gaped open at the sight that lay before him. Lamps were shattered on the carpeting, all of the sofas and chairs stuffing lay strewn about and nothing was where it should be. There were scorch marks on the walls and furniture, and things were smoking and blackened as if seared by extreme heat. "MAX!" Terry shouted, running into the bath room, then the kitchen, "MAX!" the bedroom last of all, was disheveled as well, but there was no sign of her anywhere, "Max…"

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"Bruce." Terry's voice snapped into the communicator as Batman flew high over the sky scrapers of the city, searching, "Bruce!"

"Not there was she Terry?" his voice crackled back.

"How do you always know these things!" he shouted angrily into the mouthpiece in his suit. "Just help me find her!"

"Calm down Terry and get your head on straight."

"I have to find her Bruce. She never would have gotten mixed up with him if it weren't for me an-"

"Terry shut up."

The wind whistled past Batman as he soared high over the city in the silence that passed between them once again. "Bruce…please."

"…There's a strong power surge about two miles north of your current position, old warehouse district."

"What?" Terry said into the mouthpiece of the communicator, "Bruce, you, you're breaking up, repeat what you said…"

"I said there's…" a wave of static washed out his voice, "…surge about two…" and again, "…old warehouse…"

"Bruce…never mind, I got it." He said, veering through a pocket of rain toward a surging, golden-white light emanating from a warehouse to his left.

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Landing on the roof of the building, Terry snuck along until he found a broken window and peered into the nearly blinding light within the warehouse. There was a loud laughter resounding in the large, main room below, and it was coming from Kevin, who had a rather deranged look on his face as he leaned over that chair in front of the same supercomputer Max had sat in the night before; which she sat in tonight as well.

Her fingers were madly typing away at the keys but her eyes were wide open, staring blankly into the screen as a myriad of images flickered over it, their purpose meaningless, only the flow of data was important.

There was a lightning-like static emanating from Kevin's hands and he grinned, kissing Max's cheek before turning away from her and flexing his hands. He launched several balls of light which scorched the walls of the warehouse, leaving marks just like the ones in Max's apartment.

Horrified, Terry leapt down into the catwalks that crisscrossed the air near the roof of the building and stalked along like a cat until he found a silent way down and watched for an ideal moment where Kevin was most distracted, to sneak out to Max. She was strapped about the waist and the knees into the chair, and several tubes filled with a bright green liquid were running from an IV into her arms. Her fingers were typing incredibly fast and her pupils were extremely dilated.

Before Terry could overcome his shock at the seen, Kevin turned back around and fired a bolt of lightning at him, sending him flying backward into empty cargo canisters. "Hello Batman." He grinned broadly, his hands continuing to cackle as he walked to Max's side, but moved no closer to Terry as he tried to get to his feet. "I knew you'd come if I made a big enough scene. Isn't she pretty when she's all lit up like this?" he said, motioning to Max, who continued to type away obliviously.

"What are you doing to her?" Terry grunted as he finally got to his feet and tried to circle around Kevin.

"Oh well, I have to keep her awake…and she was complaining she was tired, so this way, she stays awake as long as the juice lasts…and I've got lots."

"But why do you need her to stay awake? And what's she doing?" he said in a disgusted tone, trying to distract Kevin.

"Oh well, you see this?" Kevin shot two more bolts at Terry with both hands, both of which he managed to dodge and rolled away to his knees, "I have to have a power source to draw from. And as you saw, she has such an electric personality. Something about her gives her more energy, she's more, live than most people…and I like that, I need that. I couldn't possibly get this powerful without her and she'll get a small mention in my memoirs."

"Why did you want to get my attention then?"

"Well, all the 'bad guys' know, that you have to get rid of the Batman, in order to really run this city. So here we are…" he said, sending a strong, double-handed blast of energy at Terry. But he shot upward, extending his wings and leaping up into the catwalks again.

Kevin glared up at him, peering into the dark up the catwalks, "You can't hide forever Batman." He shouted, sending streams of static up into the dark at random places, one of which, struck the support hold to the walk that Terry was on and he came sailing down from it, his feet together at the perfect angle to catch Kevin off guard and knock him through the warehouse door and out into the rain.

Seeing Kevin fall still, Terry ran back to Max and pulled the tubes from her arms, watching the green glow fade and her eyes drift closed. Cutting away the straps that held her before standing to help her up, even as her fingers continued to type frantically, a bolt of lightning traveling along the wet spots on the floor and found Terry's wet suit, sending a powerful shock through him and dropping him to the ground, smoking slightly.

"You thought…you could defeat me…that easily Bat?" Kevin coughed as he stood, hunched slightly in the doorway, lighting crackling from his fingertips once more. "You can't take her away from me…I need her, and I'll use her until I drain her dry…and then I'll find another."

Terry groaned painfully as he crouched on all fours, trying to blink the sparks from his eyes to see clearly. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up, vaguely seeing, "Max…" she was standing beside him.

"Kevin…why are you doing this?" Her voice sounded so weak! Terry thought, growling in his head, but his muscles were racked with spasms beyond painful and he could barely move, though he didn't know how she was on her feet and he was not.

"I'm doing this…because I can…"

"You just want attention…don't you Kevin?" Max said, compassion winning over the weary undertone in her voice, "Your father pays you no mind, and neither does anyone at school…but I befriended you…and look what you are doing? This is not the way Kevin…"

Police sirens sounded through the rain in the background and Kevin's expression grew frantic, "You called them on me! You're no friend! You've betrayed me!"

"I had no choice Kevin…you're a danger to yourself…and to the city. Your tantrum last night when I left you sent rolling blackouts through the city. Do you realize that shuts off power to hospitals, to subways and other vital systems that the city needs to function? Do you know how many accidents there were last night? How many people died…because you wanted a little attention?"

Her words continued for minutes, Kevin enthralled in the sound of her voice as the crackling dulled form his fingertips. Moments after it faded completely, several police cars skidded to a stop outside the warehouse and a dozens of policemen filed out of them, hiding behind them and aiming guns over the roofs.

"Kevin Greonn?" a car speaker said, "Put your hands behind your head and get down on your knees. We repeat, put your hands behind your head and get down on your knees!"

His face was one of utter betrayal though as he stared blankly at Max, who seemed a pillar of strength. "I…I…" his right hand rose slowly and static licked out of it as Max felt a sudden tug at the hematite necklace about her neck, her feet dragging on the ground as she was slowly pulled toward him.

Recovered enough, and in the adrenaline of the moment, Terry shot his own hand up and fired a cable about Kevin, binding his arms to his sides as his hold on Max broke and she fell to her knees.

The policemen rushed forward and pushed him to the ground, holding their guns over their heads as they called in a special transport vehicle for dangerous persons.

"And an ambulance!" Batman shouted at them as he darted forward to catch Max's suddenly limp body and cradled it in his arms, "Max? Max!"

Her dilated pupils found his face before rolling back as her body fell still in his arms.

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"Welcome back."

"Hmm?" Max moaned softly, blinking her eyes open to a very bright hospital room. She rolled her head over to the left, following the voice and smiled as she saw Terry sitting beside her, "Hey."

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Mmm tired…" she said, lifting her hand to rub her temple, "Where's Kevin?"

"Arkham." Terry said simply.

Her eyes fell, "Oh…"

"Max?"

"Yeah…" she said distractedly, looking out the window to the dark rain falling outside.

"You'll be fine…"

"Oh yes, I know…He's a very sad young man you know…I'm sorry I didn't listen to you."

"Hey…I'm sorry okay? Sorry I couldn't protect you better."

She smiled and nodded to him, "Thanks for coming to visit me."

"Well actually, I have an ulterior motive."

"Oh?" she perked up, watching him carefully.

"Well, first of all, I have some bad news. As you may or may not know, Kevin kind of destroyed your apartment when he abducted you." She groaned slightly but made to attempt to stop him from saying the good news. "The good news…is that I'm trying to convince Mr. Wayne…" he cleared his throat, "To let you come live with us, at his manor."

"Trying to convince…is bad news mixed in with the good you know Terry." She grinned at him.

"Yeah well…I've almost got him at a yes…he's just stubborn, you know?"

She laughed softly but shook her head, "No, I don't."

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"Well…here goes." Terry said, picking up two of Max's bags and entered the large, double doors of the Wayne mansion. She swallowed heavily as she adjusted the backpack on her shoulder and picked up the other two bags, following him into the grand foyer. "Mr. Wayne?" Terry called, his voice echoing around the large entry hall and up the broad staircase there.

"Brought her then?" Wayne's gruff voice echoed back as he appeared over one of the banisters to the left of the foyer.

The pair walked into the middle of the square-patterned floor and looked up at him as Terry answered with a grin, "Yes…"

There was an audible sigh and a huff, "Over there then." He pointed to the opposite railing of the second story, "And give her the list of rules." He said before disappearing back into his own room.

"List?" Max asked in a surprised tone as she and Terry carried her bags up the stairs to her new room, in her new home.