Max sat at her computer looking up information for Terry as he lay on her bed, waiting impatiently. "So, how's everything going?"
Terry used his elbows to prop himself up. "What do you mean? Life is same old same old."
Max turned to him slightly. "Yeah, but lying to your mom, being at the beck and call of Bruce Wayne, being Batman; all of that has to take a toll on you."
Terry sat up all the way. "Yeah, it does, but you know what? I almost don't have a problem lying to my mom about where I go at night. At times I wish she knew what I was doing, and wasn't worrying about me hanging with any gangs; but I've lied to both of my parents about where I was going for far worse reasons. I'm helping people, and I am doing good things out there. Sure, there are times I just want to scream, 'I am BATMAN,' at her, but you know, this works."
Max turned back to her computer screen. "Come on, aren't there times you just want to give it up?"
Terry laid back down. "Of course; but then I put that suit back on, go out, help someone, and then I remember why I do this. Max, I used to be one of the people I take down most nights. Plus, that whole flying around in the Bat suit helps."
Max looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I'm sure it does. So, why am I looking up the home address for this Richard John Grayson guy anyway?"
Terry almost visibly cringed. He was hoping she wouldn't ask, but he knew Max better than that. "I'm not sure I should tell you that."
Max turned her chair completely sideways to look at him. "What? Come on! I know you are Batman, and I help whenever I can, I cover for you with Dana, and hell, I even break laws for you sometimes. The least you can do is tell me."
Terry sighed. He knew he wasn't getting out of this that easily. "Remember when I had you look up Nightwing? It's that Richard John Grayson. Commissioner Barbara Gordon told me to look him up sometime, and I intend to. Well, I intend to have you look him up so that I can go have a talk with him."
Max stood up, and started putting things into a bag. "I'm going with you."
Terry got up off the bed. "No way, it's going to be hard enough just showing up at the guy's place, and being all like 'Hi, I'm the new Batman, and I want to basically interrogate you.' Think about what it would be like if I had you along."
Max crossed her arms over her chest. "He's Nightwing…he'll deal."
Terry glared at her. "Max, I mean it."
Max dug an index finger into his chest. "Don't you dare use that voice on me, Terry McGinnis. That's the voice you use on criminals…not your friends. Now, I am going with you, and there is no way that you can stop me."
Terry hung his head as he went over to Max's computer to read what she had found while she finished throwing things into her bag.
XYZXYZXYZ
Dick opened his door to see two teenagers standing in front of him. "Can I help you?"
Terry gulped before speaking. "Hello, Mr. Grayson, my name is Terry McGinnis. This is my friend Max." Max gave a small smile, and waved. "I was wondering if I could speak with you. If it isn't too much trouble, that is." Terry squeezed Max's hand for moral support.
Dick looked over the two of them, one at a time. It seemed a little odd that this Terry fellow knew his name; let alone how to find him. After all, he worked hard on remaining lost. But, he figured if they were anyone he should worry about, they would have pulled something already. He nodded, and moved aside for the two teenagers to come in. They sat down in his living room while Dick continued to scrutinize both of them. "So, Terry, was it? What can I do for you?"
Terry wasn't sure how he should play this. He could tell that this Grayson guy was still cautious of both him and Max. "Um, I know you were once close to Bruce Wayne, and I just wanted to know what you could tell me about him." Terry wasn't sure if that was really where he wanted to start, or if he even really wanted this conversation to be about Bruce, but he needed something to go on and that seemed like the least likely topic to get him thrown out of this man's home.
If Dick wasn't concerned before, he certainly was now. The moment anyone mentioned Bruce Wayne to him in any context that wasn't strictly part of the old bat-clan, red flags went up immediately. He raised an eyebrow as he stared at Terry for a moment. "That depends…what do you want to know, and why?"
Terry could tell he was treading on thin ice now. "We'll you see I just recently started working for him, and I was wondering what you knew, or could tell me about him." Recently was up for interpretation.
Dick leaned forward in his chair. "Oh? What kind of work do you do for Mr. Wayne?"
Terry found himself swallowing hard. He couldn't understand why this man made him so nervous. After all, he was Batman, not some random kid off the street. "I'm his personal assistant. Well, that's the title of the day job anyway."
Dick sat back again as he finally understood why these two teenagers were really here. "The day job? What's the title of the night job then?"
Terry suddenly relaxed. This Grayson guy didn't seem so bad after all. "That would be Batman, and you would be Nightwing."
Dick laughed. "Yes, that is true, and you aren't really here for information on Bruce Wayne, are you? You're here for information about the old days. You want to understand the legend you are currently living. You want to know more about his past, and what drove him. You want to know why he quit instead of just recruiting one of us for the suit, don't you?"
Terry shrugged. "Honestly? I had expected you to throw me out the moment I mentioned Bruce Wayne. I'm not entirely sure what I want from this talk. I just knew that I had to meet you. Anything and everything you are willing to tell me is great."
The three of them spent the entire day talking, and when Dick finally showed them out Terry felt that he understood a large part of what and who Bruce was…of what he, Terry, now was. Terry knew he didn't have all of the pieces of the puzzle--mainly because completely understanding Bruce was impossible…even he knew that.
The End