Skin games
***I don't own Batman Beyond***
Most people don't get second chances at life. Especially not if they plotted to destroy humanity. (Maxine G. X Zander) Rated M for possible language, violence, and future lemons.
A/N: I've never been able to find a story for this pairing, so here it goes. This is a slightly AU where of course Zander doesn't splice himself and die. This is basically a story of what it may have been like if he had been given/taken the chance to live normal. Sorry only light lemonade for this one. Read and Review please :p
Mini Epilogue of sorts: Zander moved on with the plan, but right when he was about to drop the thermal bomb into the volcano, Batman intercepted him. He tried to reason with Zander explaining that friendship, family, and love weren't his weaknesses. He reasoned with him to give living normal a chance and walk his own path. Terry reminds him about his feelings for Max and how it was unfair to force her into this. Terry and Kairi would help him in his journey. Zander accepts and has a hard time adjusting to society. But with the help of Kairi and the gang a leopard can change its spots.
"I am either going out for ice cream or I'm going to commit a heinous crime. I'll decide in the car." Slipping her shades on she opened the door to her car.
"Don't kid with me! I love you!" Her sister Cassandra called back to her as she got into the car. Rolling her eyes as she went back into the house.
"I love you to Sis!" Cassandra Watched her pull away from the curb and speed way to fast through a residential area she couldn't help but shake her head.
"Crap it's always scolding at this point in the summer." Her leather seats might have been fashionable, but she was glad she was wearing jeans else her skin might have burned off. It was only about 85 degrees today, but her car felt like 120. She let the windows down first then turned the air on. The hot air would be out by the time the air conditioner actually got cool. A plastic bag and some loose papers floated into her field of vision. She was practically slamming on the breaks before running into a car in front of her at the stop sign.
"What the?" She picked up one of the papers that had almost skyrocketed her insurance. "Terry! I'm going to so kill you!" It was his half of the lab report that he was supposed to finish and it was due tomorrow. He had only written his name on the papers. The report would take three hours to do. Pulling over to the gas station she pulled out her smart phone and dialed Terry up.
"What's up?" Terry answered the phone after a few rings.
"Aren't you missing something?" Max shuffled the papers loudly so that he could hear it.
"Uhhhhh." Caught Terry couldn't do anything by pinch the skin between he's eyes. "Sorry about that I was so tired last night that I totally forgot them.
"There's no way I'm doing your share again!" Max stacked them neatly under her laptop. "I think you're trying to get one over on me." She laughed as she rolled the windows up.
"I swear it wasn't on purpose! " Terry whined on the other line. "You know how hectic life has been lately."
"Umm hmm. Well let me know exactly where I should drop your papers." Max could tell he was trying to get her sympathy so that she'd do the work.
"Ugh whelp I gave it my best try. I'm at the Bushido Dojo. You remember dropping me off a few weeks ago?"
"Yeah Kairis Dojo, Cool. See you in a few." Dropping her phone in to the passenger seat Max was off again.
Max sighed as she pulled up to the dojo. It had been a while since the incident had occurred with Zander, but she knew eventually she would have to face him again. "Ugh. He better be lucky we're friends" She would make sure to make Terry pay for this later.
"Of course you could have just waited till I left. So a part of me would assume that subconsciously you were trying to see him." Terry grinned slyly. "You didn't have to come in and drop it off by hand. You're smart you could have left it somewhere safe for me."
"Wipe that smirk off your face." Max was unamused. Taking a quick seat on the steps.
"Come on. Forgive and forget. He needs us."
"Correction I never made anybody a promise. He's lucky I didn't throw down on him afterwards. And that's why he has YOU." Emphasizing her point by pointing directly at him.
"Anyway I was thinking of making a study group for next week's final exam. I was hoping that the two of you could be cordial enough to help me actually learn something."
"What?" Cocking an eyebrow Max looked at him as if he'd lost his mind.
"You're both super smart and I'm guaranteed to learn it with the both of you. Come on! I'll owe you for this." Terry pleaded with puppy dog eyes.
"Ugh sure I guess. Why do I always fall for the eyes?" Max punched him in the shoulder as she got up to leave.
"Oh yeah Zander got a minute?" Terry runs up to Zander as he passing to leave from Chemistry class. "I forgot to see what you were doing later."
"I'll be studying just like everybody else. Why?" Zander leans against the wall moving out the way of another student.
"I was hoping you could help me study tonight. I thought it would be a great idea to have a study group. You get to help me understand better and reinforce what you already know." Terry puts a hand on his shoulder.
"Okay, but I feel like your omitting some great detail. Your wearing your 'I'm sorry about this 'but'' smile. Spit it out." Zander raises an eyebrow.
"Max is going to be there to."
"I seriously think I'm going to have to decline." Zander starts walking away.
"Whoa, man come on. I need you! It's going to be okay just be chill."
"Do you think she's over it yet?" Zander slightly pouted. He was still into her though he was sure she'd kick his ass if he ever tried to come onto her.
"You kidnapped her and tried to turn her into a giant reptile. Yep I'd say you still have a chance."
"Thanks for the input." He said sarcastically.
"Anytime. But seriously she likes those little powdered jelly filled donut holes. Bring them to the study session".
"Peace offering? Good idea. I'll make a note to stop for them before I arrive."
"Oh. I'll shoot you a copy of the stuff that Max came up with to help." Terry picked up his bag. "And don't forget to just chill." Zander cocked another brow.
"Dial it down bro." Terry was mouthing behind Maxs back. Making the cutthroat sign.
"If you combine those elements you don't get the correct amount of molecules to form that." Max was holding her temples. They'd been going back and forth on every practice question. This was really giving her a headache. And she couldn't understand why any of the material that she'd put into this wasn't showing up.
"You're both right. So can we move on to the next question?" They gave each other battle glares.
Terry whistled "Boys and girls. Ladies and gentlemen. It's not a competition. Remember me? Terry. Final exam tomorrow." He waved his hands between the two trying to break the tension. Unfortunately they continued on like he wasn't even there. Wasn't this supposed to be for his benefit?
"According to the equation if you had to heat it to this specific temperature it would lose two of those and then you would be under the goal amount doing it your way. So I erased that from the slides Terry gave me earlier and redid it. It's bett..."
"Wait a second." Snapping her fingers. She stopped him in midsentence. "You can't handle the fact that I'm just as smart as you, so you redid everything." Scrolling through the slides she looked even more pissed. It had taken her three hours to compose all this information in a way that Terry could understand it.
"Well it's much better this way. I know what I'm doing" He simply stated.
Terry planted his face into his palm. "Dude"
"So what are you saying? That the work I did wasn't good enough?"
Foot firmly planted in mouth Zander finally caught on to what Terry had been warning him about. "No it's…" Damage done.
"Since I'm not good enough I'll leave this to you Sir. Terry I'll see you later at the party." Max hastily shoved her things into her bag. Not noticing that she had grabbed some of Zanders loose papers and an envelope in-between.
"But..." sighing in defeat Zander threw his pencil across the desk. And watched Max walk out of the technology building.
"Sometimes it's okay to let someone else lead the show. I know your smart man and Max is to. She spent a lot of time on that for me. Dial it down bro." Terry shoved him playfully in the side.
"Perhaps I was inconsiderate." Zander retrieved his pencil from under the desk.
"And next time not forgetting the doughnuts could make things go a whole lot smoother." Terry kidded.
There was a mascaraed costume party being held at a mansion while some rich kids' family wasn't home. Terry didn't know them personally but he figured it'll be a good chance to unwind a little. Terry had been at the party for about thirty minutes before Max showed up. Terry was dressed as Adonis with a golden mask that covered half his face.
"Max! Over here!" Terry waved from the kitchen. He smiled as he saw Max was dressed as Artemis with a half silver mask that was trimmed with emerald vine patterns. She had just rounded the corner closest to the stairs. Max carefully maneuvered through the party. The lights dim being replaced by moving multicolored lights.
"The music's not as bad as I thought it would be." Max gave Terry a hug for greeting. "You look good."
"Thanks. You look kind of hot yourself. "Terry smiled.
"Okay that's enough. It's getting weird." Max glanced around at the food. "Where's the booze and me some sweets?"
"Specially made for the huntress." Terry was already two steps ahead of her. He had prepared her a drink before she made her way over. "A strong one."
"You invited him to the party didn't you?" She gave him a flat look. And Terry rubbed the back of his neck giving his best shit eating smile." Terry, that's not friendship." Max looked incredulous.
"Actually it is friendship. That's the whole point. I'm his friend as much as I am yours."
"Whatever Terry. I may need to reexamine our relationship soon." Frowning she started making her a plate of fruit since there wasn't anything else sweet. "So Where's he at?"
"I don't think he's gotten here yet. He text me about ten minutes ago that he was almost here." Terry checked his phone again and sent another text to Zander.
"Well let me depart, because I don't have time for that." Max made off into the crowd to go mingle.
Terry hoped Zander would get her before his phone died. He was only on two percent. He forgot to put it on the charger when he got home.
Zander pulled up to the mansion and parked on the side of the street like everyone else. He had never been to a party yet and didn't know what to expect. People were dressed in costumes similar to his were walking into the party still. Some already stumbling out. He didn't want to go in alone so decided to call Terry. The phone went straight to the voicemail. His phone had to be dead or something. Checking a text he just got a few minutes ago. He was right. Sighing he got out of the car and headed towards the entrance.
It was loud and it was something he had never seen before. People were gyrating so closely they may have well have been procreating on the floor.
"Hi" some random drunk female dressed as a nymph with a yellow mask bumped into his chest and was carried away by two of her other nymph girlfriends.
"Sorry about that. That's my best friend she's a little clumsy right now. You just got here?" A purple nymph laughed. Zander noticed her mask was a little too tight. She kept readjusting it.
"Yes I just arrived. This is my first time being to something like this." Zander was trying to figure out where the lights were coming from. Amazed at how full this place was.
"Well enjoy yourself. Mi casa es su casa. There's refreshments over through there if you go through that hall. "Pointing towards the south side of the building.
"Thanks." Zander made his way toward the direction she was pointing. Her directions led him to the kitchen where there were just as many people standing. They were all filling cups with what he assumed was punch. They were several different ones in all different colors in dispensers in the middle of a kitchen island. He grabbed a cup and filled it up with some of the yellow. Something was off about the punch but it was still enjoyable. He downed two more cups before refilling again and glancing around to see if he could find Terry.
Logic said that if he just stayed put that he'd eventually find Terry. And he did about thirty minutes later and a cup of every punch on the counter. He felt relaxed when Terry finally walked up to him.
"Zander! About time good to see you could join us! Sorry about the phone man" Terry was holding his own cup of punch.
"Don't worry 'bout it. This punch is pretty good. What's in it?" Zander was starting to loosen up.
"Alcohol." Terry slightly frowned. "Wait have you drunk before?"
With a look of confusion Zander looked into his cup as if mystified. "Alcohol?"
"Oh my…. Zander I have to show you the wonders of drinking." Putting his arm around Zanders shoulder he walked him over to the bar. Poured him and Zander a shot of brown rum. "Cheers. To breaking your sobriety virginity." They tapped their shot glasses together.
Zander took the shot and it felt as if his whole throat was on fire. "Ugh. How do people find this pleasant?"
"Trust. Overtime you will understand." Pouring another shot for the both of them before he led Zander out to mingle.
I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Please read and review. And forgive the fact that this hasn't been beta'd . So please forgive any mistakes you find.