PART II: A Beginning, and an End
Chapter 1: The True Test of Friendship
BB – 2, Juvie Hall, A Month and a Half Into Terry's Sentence
Three months. It was supposed to be a breeze, and for a month or so, it was. Now, ever since that day with Mom and the Mad Dog, every day, every hour, every minute seemed like an agonizing eternity. Seeing the smirks on the faces of Mad Dog and his buddies was bad enough. What really hurt was the faces of the fish, no – the kids, who he knew were only getting a temporary reprieve. There would be no one to defend them when he left.
Even if he wanted to ignore them, Terry had nothing else he could focus on that would make him feel any better. He sure as hell wasn't looking forward to getting out. Other kids waited for the end impatiently, some to try to make a new life; others, like Madigan, to continue creating chaos and ruining lives. For Terry, every day that passed meant that the reality of his being separated from his mother and brother on the outside was coming closer to its realization.
He had to talk to someone. If he kept to himself any longer he'd go insane. He didn't want to talk to either of his parents; the wounds were too fresh. Matt was far too young. That left only one other person.
BB – 2, Computer Room, Juvie Hall
Prisoners were allowed monitored e-mails to and from prison, and Terry figured it was the most discreet way to go about getting in touch. As he sat in front of the computer, he realized that he didn't really have a clear idea of what he wanted to say. He just needed to know there was someone out there, someone who'd listen. Someone who'd give him the second chance denied him just two weeks ago.
Much like that night when he let himself go, Terry poured his heart out, detailing all that had gone on in the past 6 weeks. His mother's rejection of him, Mad Dog, his desperation to somehow change and become a better, worthwhile person. How he wanted to be able to see his reflection and not be disgusted by it.
As he clicked "send", he felt a mix of relief and trepidation. If the person on the receiving end didn't answer his plea, he didn't know what he would do.
BB – 2, Tan House, Nighttime
Dana Tan went through her long list of e-mails with the usual mixture of boredom and mild amusement. There was the usual gossip about relationships in the high school, as well as an invite from Howard Groote to a party and one from Chelsea to join her for a night on the town. Then she came across an e-mail addressed from the Gotham Midtown Juvenile Hall, prisoner 278938. Terry McGinnis.
Dana was taken aback, not sure how to react. She hadn't seen Terry since he was arrested. She thought about going to the trial, but her father forbade it. Besides, Dana had long since felt that she had lost Terry to Charlie "Big Time" and the rest of those creeps.
A wellspring of memories came to her - some good, some bad. Dana had been a friend of Terry's for a number of years now, the two of them kids who didn't quite fit in with the self-appointed elites of the school. She had even begun to notice him in a different way, and the two of them started to become an item.
Then his parents started to get divorced and everything went downhill real fast. At first, Dana forgave his lashing out and ever-worsening temper. She even defended him to her parents on more than one occasion. All too soon, though, she saw that Terry was slipping away from her, shutting her and the rest of the world out.
Helplessly she watched as Terry got mixed up with Charlie Bigelow, a smooth-talking thug who somehow convinced Terry to go along with him. Terry may have thought they were both "angry kids", but Dana saw that there was something much more menacing about Charlie. By the time he was arrested, she was even partially relieved that he was caught for breaking and entering and not something worse.
Now Terry was writing to her. Why? He still had family, even if they broke up. She hadn't even been at the trial. Still, Dana decided to look at the letter, if only out of curiosity. What she read changed her view almost 180 degrees. As she finished reading, she felt a powerful combination of shock and concern. Terry had just gone through hell and back, and this letter was clearly a last, desperate cry for help.
Dana now realized that she was the only one left in the world Terry felt he could talk to. On the one hand, it was heartbreaking to see Terry feel so alone. On the other hand, she now realized just how much she meant to him, even after having gone through so much. Maybe, just maybe, the Terry McGinnis she knew and had begun to care for was coming back.
Having lost all hope before, Dana decided not to let this chance slip away. She wrote back, ending her reply with the following:
Please don't give up. I'm here for you, even if no-one else is. Write to me as much as you want.
As Dana clicked send, one thought was on her mind: Please, don't let it be too late.
BB – 2, Computer Room, Juvie Hall
Terry saw the reply.
He now felt an emotion he hadn't known in almost a year.
Hope.
Part II: A Beginning, and an End
Chapter 2: Adjusting
BB – 2, Juvie Hall
The daily correspondence with Dana helped keep Terry sane the last weeks of his sentence. It kept his mind off of Mad Dog and the fish. It also helped him forget about what was waiting for him when his time was up.
Dana sometimes tried to bring up the subject of his moving in with his father, but Terry made it clear he didn't want to write about it, so she let the subject drop. Maybe things will get better once he's out, she thought. One step at a time.
On his final day, Terry found a "farewell" card at his usual eating spot in the mess hall. It was signed by Mad Dog. Inside it said "see you again soon" with a big smiley face. Terry crumpled it up and threw it in the trash without a second thought. No, you won't, Terry thought angrily.
Terry still couldn't help but think about all the kids he was leaving behind, now helpless against the whims of monsters like the Mad Dog. He even wondered what had happened to the kid he had defended two months ago. "God, two months?", Terry thought as he shook his head. It felt like two lifetimes. So much had changed since he'd entered the hall three months ago.
Terry collected his belongings from the property clerk and exited the last gate. If he never saw the inside of this building again, it would be too soon. As he left the building, he saw his father, waiting for him next to an open taxi car door. He quickly shifted his focus to the ground and mumbled "Hello, Dad" as he got in the car. "Hello, Terry", Warren replied.
The entire ride back, roughly an hour and a half due to heavy traffic, Terry and Warren sat in silence. Terry looked outside the window the whole time, while Warren eyed Terry with concern. Neither of them really knew what to say to each other. Finally, the taxi parked at Warren's apartment. Warren paid the cabbie and tried to help Terry with his things but Terry refused his help angrily.
The apartment was a small two-bedroom affair on the ground floor, not counting the flight of stairs Terry insisted on climbing himself with his belongings. As they entered the apartment, Warren tried to break the silence,
"This is your room", he said warmly as he turned on the light, "I had the rest of your belongings moved while you were away, and organized them myself. I hope you like it".
Terry threw his bags on the floor and fell face-first on to the bed, refusing to reply.
"Terry, I know this is hard, but your mother and I believe this is for the best…"
"GO AWAY!", Terry yelled into the pillow.
"Terry, I…", Warren started then stopped himself. He turned out the light and closed the door. Give it time, he thought.
Behind the door, Terry felt the sting of rejection just as strongly as that day he had met Mom in the Visitor's room. It hurt so much.
BB – 2, Rhino's, The Next Day
"Terry, you've barely touched your chili"
No answer.
"Terry, the restaurant's about to blow up"
Still no response.
"Terry, aren't you going to tell me what's wrong? You communicated more when you were in Juvie"
Still getting no reply, Dana became exasperated,
"McGinnis, your Dad's a good guy. He just wants what's best for you"
"Yeah, keeping me away from my own brother because I'm a 'bad influence' is a great way of showing how much he cares. Did you know he moved all of my stuff to his apartment while I was on the inside? God forbid I should even get to say goodbye to Mom or to Matt. You'd think I was contagious"
"Terry, he was just trying to be helpful. Maybe you should give him the benefit of the doubt"
"Why? Neither he or Mom were willing to do that with me"
Dana was becoming frustrated,
"Terry, if they really gave up on you completely, they could have farmed you off to one of those state-run "reform schools"'
"What's the difference?", Terry snorted.
"The 'difference' is that your father is willing to try. I know a lot of kids whose parents gave up on them, and they didn't cause anywhere near as much trouble as you did. You owe it to him to give him a second chance"
"I don't owe him anything"
"Well, you owe me. I opened myself up to you and let you back in to my life even though you hurt me very badly. You're not the only one who's gone through hell."
Terry relented a little, softening his expression and demeanor. Dana continued,
"Back when you were in Juvie, you told me that you wanted to change. You said you wanted to become a better person, that all you needed was a second chance. I'm giving you that chance, Terry, and if you want to really prove you've changed, you'll do the same for your father."
As Dana got up to leave, Terry started,
"Dana…I…I'm sorry. You're right. I don't want to lose you. I already lost my Mom and Matt."
"If you keep it up, you'll lose me and your Dad as well"
"No", Terry interjected, "I don't want that. I'll…I'll try. I guess I do owe him that much"
Dana let a little smile creep through, and breathed a sigh of relief. One step at a time.
"Come on, Dana. Let's go to the top of Gotham Towers. It's been a while since we saw the whole city, just the two of us"
"I was wondering when you were going to take me back there", Dana said with a coy smile.
BB – 2, Warren McGinnis' Apartment, 12:00 AM
"Dad?"
"Hi, Terry. How was your date with Dana? You patch things up?"
"We're OK. Listen, Dad, I…I'm sorry about how I acted before. Can we start over again?"
Warren smiled. "Sure, Terry, sure", Warren said as he hugged his son as tightly as he could.
Terry hugged back just as tightly.
PART II: A Beginning, and an End
Chapter 3: Revelations
BB – 1, Warren McGinnis' Apartment, Four Months Since Terry's Release
Terry knew he had made Dana a promise to give his father a second chance, but it was getting more and more difficult. Warren was always occupied with his job in the research department at Wayne-Powers. Terry, on the other hand, was always going out to meet with his friends. Arguments about priorities such as schoolwork and chores over clubbing and dates were getting ever more frequent.
Worse, still, was the fact that Terry's temper was starting to get worse again. Terry thought he had become resigned to the fact that he was living with Warren and cut off from Matt and Mom, but he soon realized that wasn't the case. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he had always held out hope that the present situation was temporary, that eventually he'd be back with his mother and brother. As the weeks went by and turned into months, Terry finally came to realize that there was no hope for that, and he often took it out on his father.
It went deeper than that, though. The scars Terry had accrued in the Hall were not disappearing but becoming ever more powerful. For one thing, he was beginning to see that Mad Dog was right about one thing. Things weren't any better on the outside. Everywhere the strong preyed upon the weak, whether it was Jokerz or other gangs robbing and assaulting citizens on the streets and on public transport or bullies beating up smaller kids at school. He was also right that everyone tried not to get involved. It was like Terry was the only one who actually saw the victim.
Every time he saw a victim, he was reminded of the fish he'd left behind. The truth was he had never really forgotten about the kids he had taken under his protection at Juvie. He didn't have the courage to call the Hall administration to ask about how they were doing, and there was nothing in the news about it. Kids like them didn't matter, anyway, even if they mattered to Terry. The anxiety was really getting to him, along with everything else.
Every time Terry saw a Joker or a bully have their way, he wanted to intervene. Only his promise to Dana, and to himself, to stay out of trouble kept him from butting in. Still, every day he saw such incidents it became harder and harder to hold back. It wasn't just that the victims reminded him of the fish he'd defended back in the hall. He also saw in the victimizers a reflection of himself, a specter of what he had been; of what he could have become. Terry may have angrily brushed off Mad Dog's assertion that they were both the same, but deep down he feared he might be right.
The tension and pain of watching such incidents gnawed at him daily. He didn't know how much longer he'd be able to keep it up, promises notwithstanding.
BB – 1, Warren McGinnis' Apartment
"Terry, you have a phone call"
"Hello?"
"Terry McGinnis?"
"Yeah"
"This is Guard Trenton. Remember me?"
Sure he did. He was one of the guards who pulled Terry and Mad Dog apart that day. This can't be good.
"What is it?"
"It's about that kid you defended in the hall, Tom Brady?"
Terry was so caught up with events in Juvie, he hadn't even managed to get the kid's name. Not that that mattered, now. Terry felt a paralyzing fear creep over him, and his hand holding the phone shook uncontrollably. For four months, he had been in a state of denial, and now that was about to collapse. He wanted to hang up right then and there. Instead he just held the phone to his ear, but no words came from his mouth.
"Terry, are you there?"
A barely audible "yes" was all he could manage.
"Well, Terry, he died last night. Internal injuries. He held out for quite a while, but the damage was too severe"
In his mind, he could see the Mad Dog laughing at him, his major act of self-sacrifice proving ultimately futile. All that was left was his own sense of worthlessness and self-loathing. There was no avoiding the next question. His defenses had been breached, anyway.
"What about the others?"
"What others?"
"The other fi…the other kids, those who aren't gang members or whack jobs."
"Same as before, really. Some get beat up, others end up like Tom"
The nonchalant way in which Trenton said those words made Terry furious. That's how things are, he seemed to say, there's not much you can do about it. No, they shouldn't, Terry thought angrily.
"And you're OK with that?", Terry asked, his heart racing with rage, "how come you didn't protect them?"
"That's not fair, McGinnis", Trenton said with frustration, "You know what it's like over here. We're understaffed and under equipped. It's hard enough to prevent riots and escapes, let alone stop all the fights that go on"
"If I did something, you guys sure as hell could have"
Terry didn't care whether Trenton was right or not. He needed to lash out at someone, to help dull the pain he was feeling.
"I understand you're upset"
"No, you don't. You couldn't possibly know"
Terry felt like slugging the guard long-distance. So Mad Dog was right all along, Terry felt, no-one cares. Not enough to do anything, anyway.
Trenton ignored the last remark and continued,
"The funeral will be at the County Graveyard at 10:00 AM. Brady didn't have any family, Terry. I figured that at least you could go and pay him his last respects, seeing as you risked your life to try to save him"
Terry didn't answer, and Trenton tried to console him,
"Look, McGinnis, for what it's worth, I think you did a brave thing trying to help him. I've been a guard for close to ten years, and it's not often I see someone willing to stand up for someone he hardly knows in the Hall"
When Terry didn't reply, Trenton finished, "I'm sorry, Terry". Trenton then hung up, and Terry exploded. He tossed the phone halfway across the room and punched the wall repeatedly. Warren came into the room and asked,
"Terry, what's going on?"
Holding the wall for support and still shaking with emotion, Terry replied, "The kid…Tom Brady…that I defended back in Juvie"
"You mean the one you defended against a gang of Jokerz? Mary told me about that. What happened to him?"
"He's dead, Dad"
"Terry, I…I don't know what to say"
Terry's father's mood changed from anger to deep concern. Warren McGinnis had never seen his son in such pain, so tormented. He knew Terry had had a rough time inside, but he never really understood how bad it really was until now.
Mary had always accused Warren of being emotionally distant, wrapped up in his work and unable to open up or understand other's feelings sufficiently. Lord knows, he tried to do the right thing, whether it was taking his kids on trips when he was still married or helping his ex-wife with money problems. Terry as he saw him now, on the other hand, was an entirely different challenge, one he was totally unprepared for.
Terry continued,
"It's my fault, Dad. Maybe if I'd butted in earlier, maybe if I stopped them from hurting kids as soon as I got in the hall, maybe…"
Warren tried his best to console him,
"Terry, you tried to do the right thing. I'm proud of you. But sometimes there isn't anything we can do. You can't keep blaming yourself for this. It's not your fault. You're not the one who beat Tom to death. The Jokerz did."
"It doesn't feel like there's a difference"
"Listen to me, Terry", Warren said as he put his arm on Terry's shoulder, "You tried. You risked your life to save someone when no-one else would…"
Terry drowned out the rest of the speech. He knew his Dad meant well, but now the entire world seemed empty, and he didn't want to be consoled. He couldn't stop blaming himself for what happened.
Warren finished his talk and let Terry be alone for a while. Terry felt like he was back in his cell, the day Mom rejected him and Mad Dog nearly turned him into a killer.
Once again, it felt like there was no way out.
BB – 1, County Graveyard
The funeral was a short affair. The priest gave a brief sermon and then the body was quickly buried. The only remaining evidence that Tom Brady had ever existed was a small marker.
Terry was the only mourner in attendance. He stood still throughout the ceremony, unable to speak. For hours afterward, he stood over the grave, guilt and sorrow flowing through him as strongly as the storm that raged the day he confronted the Mad Dog. He thought about Tom, about the fish. Most of all, he thought about what Mad Dog had said, about how nobody cares. How even he hadn't cared about all the people he had hurt – his parents, Dana, people whose property he destroyed - before he tried to help Tom. Now, even that didn't matter.
BB – 1, Gotham D Train Station
Terry was lost in thought on the train platform when he saw a pair of Jokerz trying to rob a woman. The storm inside, so violent before, now turned into an intense focus. Terry finally realized what he needed to do. Rushing over, he wiped the floor with the two surprised Jokerz and helped the woman get away. After a few attempts at counter-attack, the Jokerz fled.
As he dusted off his funeral jacket and saw himself in the window of the train, Terry came to realize something:
He couldn't save Tom. There was nothing he could do to protect the kids he'd left behind. Maybe he couldn't stop this from happening everywhere.
But he was going to be damned if he let another innocent person get hurt while he stood by and didn't do everything possible to stop it.
He owed it to Tom and to all the other kids he'd tried to help. Most of all, he owed it to himself, if only to prove Mad Dog wrong once and for all.
His conscience, his soul, demanded no less.
PART II: A Beginning, and an End
Chapter 4: Father and Son
BB – 1, Warren McGinnis' Apartment
Warren McGinnis waited anxiously for Terry to come home. It had been hours since the funeral was scheduled to commence, and his son had not made any attempt to contact him. There was nothing he could do but wait, perhaps try to think about what had just transpired over the past few days.
Ever since Terry got the phone call the previous day, Warren had noticed a change in Terry. Perhaps it had started in Juvenile Hall, but it was far more perceptible now. There was an air of seriousness about him, a sense of maturity and focus he'd never seen before. He did not crack so much as one joke.
When Terry finally came back home, giving his father a terse "Hi, Dad" before going to his room, his son looked to him as though he'd just aged several years. Warren wasn't sure whether this was a good or bad development. On the one hand, this new found concern for others and feelings of remorse pointed to the former possibility. On the other hand, Terry had been getting more and more volatile even before the phone call, and his outburst after it was not encouraging. Tom's death might just drive him over the edge instead of bringing him back onto the straight and narrow.
BB – 1, Warren McGinnis' Apartment, Four days after the funeral
The last time Terry had spiraled downward, Warren had adopted a passive stance. He knew that his divorcing Mary was the main accelerant for Terry's fury, and he thought eventually Terry would run out of steam and eventually calm down. That clearly didn't work, so Warren decided to take a more direct approach.
Having made the necessary arrangements and connections, Warren arranged for his son to be taken out of regular school for an undetermined period of time. The official reason he gave was that Terry needed to catch up over a year's worth of schooling, and that only Warren could give him the time and attention needed to help him catch up. The real reason was that Warren wanted to try and actively guide Terry on to the right path from day one, instead of risking his making a repeat visit to Juvenile Hall. He'd clearly endured enough in there.
Terry wasn't sure how to react when Warren told him about his plan to teach Terry by himself. Before he learned about Tom, Terry might have thrown a fit, yelling at his father for controlling his life and constantly making decisions without so much as telling him beforehand.
Things were different now, though. Terry was still set in his determination to stop people from being hurt, but that didn't mean he had to burn his bridges with his father. Besides, he had suffered enough loss in the past half year. Between being cut off from Mom and Matt, and now the death of Tom, Terry felt the need to hold onto the people he had left more strongly than ever.
BB – 1, Warren McGinnis' Apartment, Three Weeks Later
The first few weeks of home-schooling didn't go too well. Terry found most of the material boring. Warren's attempt to get him interested in his own field – life sciences – was just as unsuccessful. Terry simply didn't care for things that were only in a book or on a text file, or outside of Gotham. As far as he was concerned, there was no need to learn things that had no real effect on his life.
Warren was getting frustrated. It wasn't as if Terry wasn't intellectually capable of learning anything. Back when he was still married to Mary, he got Terry to memorize the multiplication tables and Terry caught on remarkably quickly. He also memorized virtually everything that had to do with the superheroes of the time. He still remembered how he jumped at the chance to see The Grey Ghost Strikes back when he was 8. He also had quite a knack for anything mechanical, always taking things apart and putting them back together, often improving them in the process. Warren thought maybe he could try and steer him in that direction.
BB – 1, Metropolis, World Technology Expo, A Week Later
It was a godsend. Warren was invited to go with a group of Wayne-Powers research employees to the World Technology Expo set to take place in Metropolis and go on for a week and a half. Every company in the world would be there, showing the latest in every conceivable type of machine and technological advance. Here was the perfect opportunity to move Terry in a positive direction.
Terry came with his father not sure what to expect. He was still grieving over Tom, but the Expo sounded really cool, so he agreed to come as a son of a Wayne-Powers employee. When he came into the building housing the exhibits, he was blown away. He never saw anything comparable to this in school. It was like he'd just entered a different world, so different from the bleak reality back at Gotham. Terry made every effort to check out every booth, see every different type of gadget. He was like a kid in an enormous toy store.
The entire week and a half, Terry made sure he got up early so he could make the most of his time at the Expo. Every day he had new questions for the exhibitioners about their particular fields. He even attended the occasional lecture, quickly absorbing concepts and ideas that, but a week ago, had been completely foreign to him. He even managed to sneak a couple times into the 'restricted area' of the Expo, where companies, including Wayne-Powers, showed off the latest in military hardware and 'super-soldier' technology. It was simply an amazing experience.
Warren saw his son's fascination with the Expo with a combined mixture of pride and relief. Pride, because clearly Terry had it in him to follow in his footsteps, if in a field different than his own. Terry may not have shown much academic aptitude beforehand, but he was clearly a very quick study when he wanted to be. The relief was due to the fact that Terry was now on a path away from Juvie, away from thugs like that dreg Charlie Bigelow.
Let's hope this keeps up when we get home, Warren thought.
PART I: A Beginning, and an End
Chapter 5: Escalation
BB – 1, Warren McGinnis' Apartment, Two Months after the Expo
Warren McGinnis was very pleased. Even after they came home, Terry was still enthusiastically reading everything he could on technology. He quickly finished off all the relevant articles Warren had in his physical library and his digital collection of back issues of Science and Technology Today. Quite often Warren found himself peeling Terry away from the computer reading on-line articles so he could go to sleep before dawn.
Warren now felt the time had come to put Terry back into regular school. To be sure, Terry's progress was still uneven, being much more pronounced in areas he found interesting or relevant. Still, Warren felt it would be healthier for Terry to go back to being among kids his own age, especially in a context other than clubs.
Warren felt the only real option was to send Terry back to Hamilton High. He knew the education there wasn't the best, but felt he could pick up the slack with Terry after school. Besides, there were other considerations. Most of the people he knew were there, and Warren felt Terry would better adapt if he was in familiar company. A private school would be foreign territory to Terry. That was not to mention the fact that there was no chance a private school would accept a Juvenile Delinquent like Terry.
Having made the necessary arrangements, Warren sat back in his chair and hoped that this time, things would turn out OK.
BB – 1, Gotham 578 Bus, Destination: Hamilton High
Terry rode the bus to Hamilton High with mixed feelings. The past three months had been a real bonding experience with his father. It wasn't just the home-schooling, though Terry had surprised even himself with how quickly he absorbed material. He had gotten to really know his father, to learn just how much Warren was willing to invest of his time and effort to teach him. He felt like such a jerk for lashing out at him all those times. His father clearly cared for him, and Terry now very much reciprocated the feeling.
There was, however, one important matter that Terry had never revealed to Warren – the promise he had made the day of the funeral, three months ago. To be sure, Warren was aware that Terry felt guilt over the kids back at Juvie, and he tried to console him in between lessons. Aware of his son's still violent temper, he also tried to explain that he couldn't solve everything with his fists. It was no use, though. Warren's remarks went in one ear and out the other.
Unbeknownst to Warren, Terry had already been making good on his promise these last few months, especially when he traveled to and from his friends. Whenever he saw innocent people accosted and attacked, he immediately intervened, whether it was on the bus or the train, or in the streets. It was a simple matter to hide these things from his father. Terry was by now a very experienced street fighter and was almost always able to dodge blows and avoid injury. Even the few bruises he sustained were easy to hide. These things were never reported, either, so there was nothing to fear.
Now things were changing. Terry thought about what would happen if, no – when, he saw something similar at school. Intervening would quickly get him in trouble with the school administration and his father. But the other option, of not doing anything, had ceased to be such for months now. Stopping incidents like the one in Juvie over half a year ago were now second nature to him, something he did without even thinking. Besides, every time he even considered it, he found himself thrust back into Juvie, or at the funeral. All the painful memories and feelings of self-hatred would come flooding back, causing him a tremendous amount of anguish. It was if his promise had now become a part of him, an appendage no less natural and irremovable (at least not without excruciating pain) than an organ or a limb.
No, Terry thought to himself, there was no other option. Not any more.
BB – 1, Hamilton High, Hallway, Two and a half weeks since Terry's return
The first couple of days went by smoothly, almost remarkably so. Terry quickly found out which classes he had to go to and went. He even paid attention in the ones he found interesting. It felt good being back in "normal" company, even though much of the student body continued to eye him wearily because of his record. Before Terry thought it was annoying and even insulting. Now he thought it was something he could use – a tool of fear he could wield to deter bullies without even having to mix it up with them. Maybe his father wouldn't need to find out after all.
The next two weeks showed the merit of this approach. Whenever Terry approached or yelled out "leave them alone" in a menacing tone of voice, the bullies backed off as if by magic. No-one wanted to mess with a kid from Juvie, no matter how tough they thought they were. Then he showed up.
Nelson Nash was a top athlete transferred from another school, a self-absorbed jock that had a nasty habit of showing his own worth by tormenting smaller kids and pushing them around. He'd heard about Terry McGinnis and how he was protecting the little guy. Secretly, he was no less afraid of the guy than any of the other jocks and toughs in school. He did, however, have an image to protect, especially to his new-found buddies on the team, so he was determined not to let Terry get in the way of his fun.
Terry was walking to physics class when he saw Nash assault another kid for accidentally spilling coke on his jacket. Terry went into his usual menacing mode, walking slowly and yelling "leave him alone". This time, though, it didn't work, and Terry had no choice but to attack Nash. The two of them went at it for two minutes before they were seperated by a teacher who ordered them to go to their respective classes.
The whole way to class, Terry couldn't stop thinking about how much he was mad at this new guy Nash. It wasn't just that he fought him. It was that now that Nelson had fought him and held his own, if barely, other bullies would also cease to be afraid of him. Terry could see it in the eyes of all his spectators - the look of fear was completely absent. The deterrent effect of his days at Juvie was now irretrievably gone, and Terry was undoubtedly going to have to mix it up just as often as he did on the buses and trains to and from school.
There was no way to avoid Dad finding out now.
PART II: A Beginning, and an End
Chapter 6: Irreconcilable Differences
BB – 1, Warren McGinnis' Office, Wayne-Powers, A Week Later
Warren McGinnis was hard at work finishing a project when the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Mr. McGinnis? This is Ray Gardner, the counselor at Hamilton High."
Warren tensed up a little. What reason could he have for calling?
"What can I do for you, Mr. Gardner?"
"Well, sir, your son Terry has been getting into quite a few fights at school. We've tried to be lenient up until now, him getting readjusted and all, but it's gotten way out of hand"
Warren was stunned. He spent months of home-schooling and lectures to try and get Terry back on track. Things seemed to be going so well. Yet it took his son less than a month to revert back to his old habits. Warren was deeply hurt by what he felt to be a betrayal on Terry's part. More than anger, he felt deeply disappointed in him.
"How long has this been going on?"
"Only during the past week, really. It's strange. For two weeks, he didn't get into any trouble, then suddenly he's getting into at least two altercations a day."
He lasted two weeks. Warren was at a loss for words. He had spent the better part of the year trying to help his son, and all that effort just went out the window. He didn't know what he was going to do now.
"Mr. McGinnis, are you still there?"
"Yes, I'm still here"
"I've scheduled a meeting with you and your son tomorrow at 11:00 AM, so we can try and sort this out. Can you make it?"
"Yes, I'll be there."
"OK. See you then"
Warren hung up the phone, and tried to fully absorb what he had just heard. He didn't know what was worse, Terry getting into fights or keeping this fact from him for the past week. His son would have some explaining to do when he got home.
BB – 1, Warren McGinnis' Apartment, Night
Terry came back from a night on the town with Dana and Chelsea. He was tuckered out and ready to hit the sack. As he walked up the stairs to the apartment, he felt the full brunt of the few but still painful injuries he had accumulated over the past week. Terry knew it was worth it – better him than the kids he was protecting. Still hurt like hell, though.
As he opened the door, he saw his father in his den chair. Except now he was facing the doorway instead of hunched over the computer screen. On his face was a stern look the likes of which Terry had seen before. He knew.
Terry knew this moment would come eventually. Hell, he was surprised it didn't come earlier. Ever since that day with Nash, Terry found himself having to stop bullies on a more or less regular basis. Some of them seemed to start coming back to their senses and backed off whenever they saw him. Still, Nash and others kept up their act, and Terry was kept pretty busy.
Terry didn't think about what he was going to say to his father when he found out. He was used to doing things based on instinct or impulse, just like that day in Juvie or the countless days after the funeral. Well, here's hoping it works this time, too.
"Dad, before you say anything..."
"I trusted you, Terry", Warren interjected impatiently "You assured me that you were finished with your past behavior. You said you wanted to change and I believed you. Yet it took only half a month for you to go back to your old habits"
"Dad, it's not like that, not exactly. I can explain."
"I don't want to hear about it. You'll have plenty of time to explain when we meet with the school counselor tomorrow at 11:00 AM. In the meantime, you're grounded"
"Dad, this isn't fair"
"That's all, Terry"
Warren watched his son storm into his room and slam the door. Maybe he wasn't fair with Terry, but he didn't feel in a forgiving or fair mood. We'll see his "side of the story" tomorrow, Warren thought. Maybe then, he will have calmed down enough from the shock of today to listen.
BB – 1, Hamilton High, Counselor's Room, 11:00 AM
Ray Gardner came into the room with a cup of coffee and sat behind his desk. Warren and Terry McGinnis sat in the two chairs opposite him. From the way they barely looked at each other, you'd think they were complete strangers. He had his work cut out for him. First things first, though.
"Terry, why don't you go first?"
Terry felt relieved that he finally got a chance to defend himself. Maybe now Dad would listen. He looked directly at his father and began:
"Dad, I've been getting into fights defending the smaller kids at school. There are a lot of big guys and jocks who like to show just how big they are by pushing others around. I just stop them from having their way"
"It's not your place to do that, Terry. That's the responsibility of the teachers and the principal" Warren said slowly, trying to restrain his anger.
"He's right, Terry. I realize you want to help, but it's not your job", Gardner added.
Terry felt like a cornered animal. Here he thought his explanation would make his father finally understand (he didn't care one way or another for the counselor), and instead he saw things got worse. Like any cornered animal, he became aggressive,
"Well they're not doing their job right. The jocks like Nelson Nash get to do whatever they want in the school as long as they bring home trophies. I've never seen any of them get as much as a demerit. The other toughs don't care, and they often attack kids in areas out of view of the teachers"
"Terry, if you have complaints, you can go to the teachers or the principal. You can't just go beating other people up", Gardner replied.
"They won't do anything. Am I supposed to also just sit back and do nothing?", Terry replied. His anger now reached a boiling point and was clearly visible to the other two in the room.
"Terry…", his father began, but Terry cut him off.
"I'm not listening to any more of this", he said as he slammed the door behind him.
"I'm sorry you had to see that, Mr. Gardner", Warren said, sighing.
Warren felt as though the clock had now turned back two years, back to when Terry started to get into trouble. It felt like nothing had really changed. As Warren got up to leave, Gardner tried to give him some advice,
"Mr. McGinnis, I think you should try and talk things out with him one-on-one. Maybe he'll feel more comfortable without someone else in the room. I think your son has some unresolved issues you need to work out between you two"
Warren looked down and mumbled "Thank you, Mr. Gardner" and then left. He felt dejected, defeated. What was the use, Warren asked himself.
BB – 1, Warren McGinnis' Apartment, Three weeks later
It was a ritual. Terry attacked bullies and got sent to the principal's office. Warren got a phone call, and a meeting was set up. The meetings with Gardner now happened daily, to the point where Gardner simply kept his 11:00 slot open perpetually. Every time it was the same: a dialogue of the deaf, repeated arguments and slammed doors. Things were going nowhere.
Warren finally decided to try and have a serious heart-to-heart with Terry. It wasn't an easy decision to make. Warren had tried to talk to Terry before with no success. Yet the other options were worse. Terry was on a sure path to self-destruction and it would not go away by itself. Sending him to a therapist would do no good – Terry was distrustful enough of authority and strangers. Besides, he barely even noticed Gardner in the room when he came to the meetings. A therapist was not likely to do much better. He had no other choice.
Terry walked in the door and saw his father in the den chair, facing the door. This time, however, the look on his face showed concern rather than sternness. Terry wasn't sure what to make of it, and as he pondered the situation, Warren began to speak,
"Terry, I want to talk. I mean, really talk"
"There's nothing to talk about. We said everything there was to say in the counselor's office. I'm sure we'll repeat it tomorrow…"
"Terry, please". The look in Warren's eyes was almost pleading. He was desperate.
Terry relented when he saw the look in his father's eyes. Maybe now, after three weeks of fighting, he'd finally listen for real. "OK, Dad", he said as he pulled up a chair. "Let's talk"
"Terry, what happened to you? Things were going so well after the funeral. The first few weeks of school went fine. I don't understand what changed all that. Please, I really want to know", he said with the deepest of sincerity.
Terry wondered just how much he should tell his father. Whether he should tell him about the promise he'd made, the fights he'd got into on the street and the rest of it. He saw the deep concern in his father's eyes. They might disagree but he still loved him even if he didn't show it. If he told him about everything, though, the fact that he'd been getting into fights ever since the funeral while hiding it from his father might be the straw that broke the camel's back. Still, he was willing to give it a try. He had felt so bottled up, never able to tell people about what was going on. Maybe Dad would understand.
"Dad, the day of the funeral I made a promise. To myself, to Brady, to the kids I left behind at Juvie. I promised, no, I swore that I would never stand by and watch people get hurt or killed without trying to do everything possible to help them. At school I carry out that promise."
Warren listened but couldn't believe what he was hearing. He remembered how tormented Terry looked the day he got the call, but he thought he had gotten over it. Warren tried to regain his composure and continue,
"But the first few weeks went fine…"
"That's because the guys were afraid of a JD like me. After Nelson Nash showed up and we fought, people stopped being afraid, so I had to fight, not just threaten"
Warren found himself getting more and more upset. "Is there anything else you've hidden from me? Is school the only place you've carried out this 'promise'?"
Terry wanted to lie, but he couldn't. The door was already wide open.
"No. Whenever Jokerz or T's attack civilians on the bus or train or in the street, I help out"
Warren was generally even-tempered, but he was becoming visibly furious.
"Terry, this isn't a game. You could get hurt or killed. Even if you don't, you're still on a one-way track to expulsion and Juvenile Hall. Keep it up, and you'll be in and out of prison. Is that what you want? After all you put me through? What you put your mother through?"
"Dad, I can't go back on my promise. You don't understand"
"What's not to understand? That you're back to beating people up? That you lied to me for months?"
Terry once again felt cornered and reacted accordingly,
"Dad, you don't get it. You spend all your time in a cozy little lab detached from the world. It's easy for you to tell me about 'rules' and 'proper authorities'. I see innocent people hurt every day, and the police rarely get involved. I see guys run roughshod over others just because they can. Have you ever looked into the eyes of victims? Seen them get beat up? Do you know what it's like to look into the eyes of kids you know are going to be horribly murdered the minute you leave, and there's nothing you can do about it? Do you know what it's like to see thugs attack people and see your own face instead of theirs, knowing you were once the same and still could be? Do you?"
Warren's anger built up as he heard Terry's speech. When he finished, he replied angrily,
"As far as I'm concerned, there's no difference between you and them. You're still the same punk I picked up from Juvie. You haven't changed at all"
Terry stood, shocked. He couldn't believe Warren had just said that to him. It was the worst, lowest blow he could have dealt, and both of them knew it. Terry had no reply. He simply ran to his room and slammed the door.
It took Warren a while to realize what he had just done. Terry had succeeded in pushing his buttons so thoroughly that Warren resorted to an ugly tactic. Instead of helping Terry open up and change after all their fights, he had now ensured that Terry would remain closed up, afraid of being hurt like that again.
There seemed no way out of this, now.
PART II: A Beginning, and an End
Chapter 7: A Date to Remember
BB – 1, Hamilton High, End of the School Day, A Week Later
It was a good day. Maybe it was the unseasonable heat wave or the fact that spring break was just around the corner. Either way, no-one tried to attack anyone else in school, which meant at least one less visit to the counselor. Let's hope the heat wave keeps up, Terry thought to himself. Maybe I'll have time to actually get an education.
Terry walked toward the bus stop, sweating bullets, when he saw what he thought was a familiar face. He ran towards him, yelling "Matt, wait up!". When he got closer, he saw he had made a mistake, "Sorry, I thought you were someone else". As the kid went off to his mother, Terry began thinking about his own little brother, whom he hadn't seen in over a year. He really missed the little twip, though he'd never admit it to his face if he ever saw him again…
BB – 7, McGinnis Home (Flashback)
It had been two days since Mary McGinnis brought little Matthew home from the hospital. His crib was in Terry's room, a foreign object symbolizing a new balance of power. Terry regarded the newcomer to the family with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. He wasn't sure what to make of this uninvited guest. He had been an only child for quite a while and enjoyed the attention. Now, he had competition. Still, his brother seemed so small, so fragile.
"Mom, can I hold him?"
"OK, but be careful", she said, "be sure to hold his head up"
"OK, Mom", Terry said as he took him.
"Whoa, Terry, I said careful! You can't hold him like one of your action figures! Hold him like this", as she helped Terry put him in the proper position, "there, that's better"
Matt didn't seem so threatening, now. In fact Terry was afraid to hurt him.
"Why don't you show Matty around, Terr?"
"Sure, Mom", Terry said.
Terry carried Matt around, giving him a tour of his new abode. First he went through the bedroom, making a clear distinction between what was his property and what was Matt's ("touch my stuff, and you're dead", he said, after which Mary quickly rebuked him). Then he went to through the apartment room by room, describing it as best he could to his new roommate.
It was a nice apartment, with a relatively spacious living room, nice-sized bedrooms and a porch with a view. Terry described what must have been every piece of furniture in the house to Matt – chairs, shelves, tables and all - all the while being careful to hold on to him properly. Mary watched with amusement as Terry took Matt around the house. She had been concerned as to how he would react when she gave birth, and was relieved to see they were getting along. Well, better than expected.
After the ten-cent tour, Terry took him outside onto the porch and sat on one of the chairs. Together they watched the sun go down, the two of them marveling at the beautiful sight. Rays of different hues sprung out over the horizon, and for once Gotham City actually looked, well, beautiful. After several minutes of wonder, Terry looked down at his brother, who had fallen asleep in the meantime. Smiling as he saw that small serene face of his, he thought to himself that maybe having a baby brother wouldn't be so bad.
"OK, Matt, you can stay", Terry whispered in his ear, "but I'm still in charge. As long as you realize that, we'll get along". He then went back into the house and handed the infant back to Mary.
(end flashback)
BB – 1, Entrance to Beefy Burgers
"Hello. Earth to McGinnis! Anyone there?"
Dana Tan stood in front of Terry, trying to get his attention. Finally Terry woke up.
"Sorry", Terry replied sheepishly, "I guess I got lost in thought"
"Understandable in this heat wave. Come on inside before you melt"
Terry followed Dana into the restaurant, the cool air of the air conditioner providing much needed relief from the heat outside. In truth, Terry felt like he was being given a once-in-a-lifetime break from all his problems today. There were no bullies or thugs to fight. Terry hadn't spoken to his father at all since the last fight, and was looking forward to just having fun with Dana. She appreciated the attention, and agreed to his terms: no discussion of his Dad or the bullies at school.
Still, he couldn't keep his mind off Matt ever since almost meeting him. The air conditioner did more than cool him down physically; he now felt more at ease to reminisce, to wander off into memories of times he'd long since forgotten. It was as if Juvie, Mad Dog, Brady and all the rest had no place in this fast-food haven.
Dana ordered a health salad with tabasco sauce; Terry a triple burger. In the booth across from them sat Howard Groote, a likeable enough kid who was always trying unsuccessfully to get accepted by the elites of the school. There was no Nash, no jocks. It was perfect…
BB – 3, Cheezy Dan's (Flashback)
The McGinnis family went to the kids restaurant for what must have been the 33rd time. Or was it the 32nd? Terry had stopped counting after number ten. He liked pizza and cheese as much as anybody, but Matt was just addicted – both to the food and all the games in the store. What was worse, Terry often had to keep an eye on him when he went from game to game to game, while his parents sat and talked. It was like trying to keep up with the Road Runner, from the "Vintage Cartoons" aired on TV. Still, Terry complied reluctantly with his parents' wishes. He even had some fun on occasion, though at times this was from tormenting and tickling Matt.
Terry and Matt finally sat down to eat their pizza, but soon Matt was running back off, slice in hand, to go play some more games. Terry raced after him again, annoyed at having to leave his food. Still, he took his responsibilities as older brother very seriously.
Matt seemed to be having a good time, laughing and munching on pizza, until he started looking like he was coughing. At first Terry thought Matt was playing a trick on him – it wouldn't be the first time – but then he saw Matt was turning blue and unable to speak. Running as fast as he could to his parents, he yelled,
"Mom, Dad! Come quick! Something's wrong with Matt!"
"Terry, are you sure he's not just faking? You know how he likes to play tricks on you"
"No, this time it's for real. His face is changing color! Please, hurry!"
Warren rushed over to Matt and applied the Heimlich maneuver. After a couple of times, Matt coughed out a piece of pizza that got stuck in his throat. Terry was relieved to see Matt OK and hugged his father tightly for support. Warren wondered who needed to be calmed down more – Terry or Matt.
BB – 3, McGinnis Home
Matt was fast asleep in his bed, but Terry was still wide awake and started walking to his father's desk. Warren was working late on an important medical research project, but he saw Terry and turned his attention to him.
"Terry, what is it? Why aren't you asleep?"
"Dad, I had a bad dream. I dreamt that Matt was choking, only this time you weren't there, and I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to do that hug you gave him, and then he…he…"
"Terry, calm down. Matt's OK, and you did good by running to us for help"
"Dad, but what if he needed my help and I didn't know how to hug him right"
"Terry, it's not a 'hug', it's called the Heimlich maneuver. It's a special move that helps someone who chokes"
Terry didn't seem to be pacified, so Warren tried another tack,
"You know what, Terry? I'm free this weekend. If you go to bed right now, I promise I'll teach you the Heimlich"
"OK"
As he watched his son saunter off to bed, Warren smiled. He was pleased he'd be able to teach his son the Heimlich, and he hoped, CPR as well. It had been so long since he'd practiced it himself, way back when he was in the Scouts. It was there that he'd learned and developed a love of nature, as well as the basic skills needed to help people who were injured or unconscious. He could still remember how his friend Harry Tully wounded himself on one of the many hikes the Scouts took, and Warren was able to patch up his wounds quickly to prevent infection. Now he could pass some of that knowledge on to his son.
BB – 3, McGinnis Home
Terry woke up and went to the living room only to see a large life-like dummy on the floor with lights on its arm. Puzzled, he approached the strange object when Warren came into the room. Terry asked the obvious question,
"Dad, what's this?"
"It's a CPR dummy. I borrowed it from an old friend from college. It's like the old dummies, except it's sensitive to touch. When you do the maneuver right, the green light goes on, when you get it wrong, the red light goes on"
"Oh, this is what we'll practice the hug on?"
"Yes, Terry"
For the next couple of hours, Warren taught Terry exactly how to do the Heimlich maneuver. Terry caught on pretty quickly, and saw nothing but green. He was more ecstatic than if he'd been offered a free burger.
Over the next couple of weeks, Warren taught him the basics of CPR. This was somewhat harder, and Terry got frustrated every time the light turned red. Still, he wouldn't give up – he paid close attention to his father, and often snuck out of bed to work on the dummy for hours, practicing repeatedly until his father sent him back to bed. One night he finally got it down pat, and promptly collapsed on the dummy. Warren got up at three, expecting to see his son hard at work again. Instead he saw Terry fast asleep on the dummy's stomach, deep in slumber. Warren picked his son up and brought him back to bed. A feeling of satisfaction went through him. He was so proud.
(End Flashback)
BB – 1, Beefy Burgers
Terry was nodding and half-answering Dana while enjoying his burger, when suddenly he heard loud coughing noises. Howard was choking, and just like his Dad back then, he rushed over and got Howard to cough up the pickle lodged in his throat. After the commotion died down and Howard went back to munching on his burger, a surprised Dana asked,
"Terry, where did you learn that?"
Terry just smiled, "Oh, on a dummy"
As he escorted Dana out the restaurant, he thought to himself – Why can't all my days be like this?
PART II: A Beginning, and an End
Chapter 8: At A Crossroads
BB – 1, Wayne-Powers Building, A Week Later
Warren McGinnis took a break from his work to go outside on the landing and watch the sun set. He was cooped up in the office so often, he'd forgotten about nature's marvels. Even the excessive heat couldn't keep him away – he enjoyed that better than the cold, almost inhuman atmosphere inside.
Sipping a cup of ice coffee as he took in the view, Warren found himself lost in thought. So much had changed over the past two years. Between the divorce and Terry, much of his world had come apart at the seams. Not entirely, of course – he still kept in touch with Mary and Matt and helped her out financially. Still, things weren't quite the same.
Then there was Terry. Always Terry. Every time Warren thought about what he'd said to Terry but two weeks ago, he cringed. He quickly realized how hurtful and distorted his statement was, but it was too late to take it back. Everyone said Terry was impulsive, but the truth was Warren was so hurt by Terry's deception that he didn't take care to prepare himself for that heart-to-heart like he should have.
Warren knew Terry cared about others deeply. It was a trait he'd had ever since Matt was born. The fact that he was also willing to step up and risk his life for strangers was something Warren greatly admired; he was even a little jealous that he wasn't that brave. Truth be told, he could have used a friend like Terry during some of his school years.
Warren thought a little about what he was like when he was a little older than Terry. An idealistic young university student with years of community service and membership in the Scouts, he was ready to change the world for the better. His parents had always encouraged him to invest in school and make something of himself, and Warren managed to combine that with his idealism.
Warren graduated Gotham State University with highest honors for all three degrees in Biology. He could have gone to an Ivy League school, but he didn't like the snobby attitude of students there when he came to check it out. Terry got his contempt for snobbish elites honestly.
Getting degrees was one thing, a job another. Warren was by that time already married to Mary, a young astronomy student who was taken with Warren's maturity and idealism. He had a family to support, now, so if he was going to change the world, either through development of medicines or other research, it would have to be with a commercial firm. Universities just didn't have the same pay grades and advancement options.
The problem was that Warren may have finished highly, but there were many others competing for the same jobs. Eventually he joined his friend Harry and was hired by a medium-size R&D firm for biological and genetics research into vaccines and diseases. Warren was in the biology department, while Harry, a genetics and chemistry whiz, worked on the other side of the building. Still, the firm wasn't too large that Warren, Harry and other friends couldn't get together and solve the world's problems over a cup of joe in the cafeteria.
Then the firm was bought out by Wayne-Powers, an ever-expanding conglomerate that seemed to consume the city bit by bit. Warren thought about leaving even though he was one of those allowed to stay after the takeover. There were many allegations surrounding Powers, and although nothing was ever proven, Warren was uneasy. The guy just rubbed him the wrong way, whether it was his too smooth way of talking or the heavily armed guards that paraded around many parts of the building, all of them off limits even to most Wayne-Powers employees.
Still, the financial argument won out – staying in Wayne-Powers meant a still secure job and regular income. He didn't want to risk his family's future because of unproven allegations. That didn't make working at Wayne-Powers any easier. The company demanded much longer hours and Warren was home less and less of the time. Worse, the scientists at Wayne-Powers were all isolated into their own sections, so that actual human interaction – the face-to-face kind – became a rare and exciting event. Warren had to wonder why everything was so compartmentalized. He rarely saw Harry or any of the others any more.
The increasing isolation from human contact and the absences at home strained Warren's and Mary's marriage to the breaking point. Warren just wasn't the same warm, outgoing person Mary had known at Gotham State. The isolation made him draw more and more inward, and the fights increased. Warren also at times suspected Mary had cheated on him because of the distinctive physical features of his sons. He refused, however, to sink that low, and he allowed Mary the benefit of the doubt. Eventually, though, the marriage dissolved.
One of the results of this collapse was Terry's current situation. Terry may have been energetic and even sometimes volatile before, but the divorce drove him over the edge and into Juvie. It seemed everything Warren tried to get through to him, both before and after his incarceration, either backfired or did nothing. Terry was the only human being left in the world with whom he could be in contact with every day, and they weren't on speaking terms.
Warren was scared to death he'd lose him, too, even if he didn't show it on the outside. It wasn't that he didn't admire or support what Terry was doing, at least in terms of helping others. It was just he didn't see any way this could end in anything other than disaster for Terry. As a scientist, he was trained to think logically, and Warren saw no other logical result for Terry's actions than repeat visits to jail or the hospital. He wanted better for his son. He wanted him to find another way to direct that deep compassion of his. Most of all, he didn't want to see him suffer anymore. Terry deserved more.
***************
BB – 1, Tan House
Dana Tan was not often given to introspection. She was the impulsive type, always going to a party and have fun, or jumping at the chance to join the swim team simply because it seemed like a fun thing to do, without thinking too much about the extra hours she'd have to put in practicing. Most of what she did was spur-of-the-moment, "carpe diem" as they tried to teach in French class.
Indeed this was what drew her to Terry in the first place, first as a friend and then as a boyfriend. Terry was just filled with boundless, unlimited energy. He was always climbing, leaping and rappelling around the urban jungle that was Gotham, or pulling cycling stunts that outshone everyone. It was just so exciting to be around him.
Then there was Terry's compassion for others. Before Dana met him, she often felt that everyone was self-centered and unwilling to notice anyone else. The world she inhabited was comprised of people on top who pushed around people on the bottom. Chelsea was of course an exception, but even she never went as far as Terry in word and deed. Dana was as attracted to this as she was to Terry's other qualities. He was someone worth thinking about.
Dana shifted from the past to the present day, and her constant dates with Terry. She appreciated the amount of attention Terry had been giving her over the past two weeks. They saw each other almost daily, and Dana was enjoying every bit of it. Still, something wasn't right.
Terry seemed detached when they were together. Before, even after Juvie, he had confided in her. He even told her about Brady and his promise. Ever since that e-mail from Juvie they had developed a deep emotional bond that superseded mere physical attraction and excitement. Now, if he talked at all, it was the kind of frivolous small talk he used to despise. Other times, he just nodded in assent during discussions as though elsewhere. Terry absolutely refused to discuss the twin elephants in the room – his relationship with his father and his constant fighting.
As much as she supported his taking his helping others to a whole new level, she was afraid for him. Not that he couldn't handle himself, but that he would end up destroying what was left of his life with the constant fights. Terry seemed to be far too easy to provoke lately, and when he became angry it was like he was a different person. Dana wished that person had died at Juvie, and she was afraid that one day he might lose control irreversibly, like he almost did that day with Mad Dog.
Most of all, she felt Terry was shutting her out again, just like when his parents were getting divorced. Without that deep emotional connection, Terry was just another fun friend. Dana wanted more, she wanted Terry in his entirety. Dana wanted Terry to let her back in. She just didn't know how she was going to get him to do it.
*********************
BB – 1, Outskirts of Gotham City
Terry rode the motorcycle he'd borrowed from Jared to the unused roads outside Gotham. It had been ages since he'd felt the wind at his back. As far as he could remember, Terry loved physical activity. He learned how to ride the bicycle very quickly, and just as quickly became bored of it. He was always looking for a new challenge, something to raise his adrenaline level. He might have been a professional athlete, but he never really had the patience to train properly to be able to compete at that level. Terry loved to do, not practice.
When his parents started breaking up, his love also became something else – a way to numb the pain and emotional turmoil he was feeling. To do that as best as possible, he took to cycling. He always had to go faster, do more dangerous stunts. Even dodging the police was fun. Anything not to think about how his family was falling apart.
Once upon a time, he raced through packed streets. Things were different, now. He was mindful of what Mad Dog had told him about all the people he'd endangered when he did such things. No point in putting others in danger, Terry thought as he rode up to the disused roads in the country outside Gotham.
Terry felt he needed to feel numb again, if only for a little while. He was still furious at his father for what he said, but he didn't want to completely lose him. Warren was the only family he had left. Then there was Dana. He saw Dana's frustration when he avoided talking about anything more serious than shallow gossip. He was just too afraid to be hurt; he was badly burned by his father when he opened up to him, and he didn't want to risk it happening with the other significant person in his life.
Terry rode down the roads, faster and faster. 150 MPH. 160, 170, 180. He felt it again, that adrenaline rush, the keen sense of awareness of his surroundings. Things seemed so clear, so sharp. His coat brushed through the branches as he zipped past trees that started to grow over the roads. Nothing could stop him.
Except this time, the numbness did not come. No matter how hard he tried, how fast he went or how sharp he took turns, the pain would not go away. It stung harder than any branch that caught him. After a while Terry accepted as much and slowed down.
He stopped the motorcycle at the edge of a cliff, just in time to see the sun set. It was just as beautiful as the many times he saw it with Matt. Then, it was just a beautiful sight, a bonding moment with his brother. Now, it meant something more.
Terry had changed irreversibly, and the setting of the sun symbolized for him the end of a period in his life and the potential for a new one. Terry had choices to make, and the options pulled in many directions. He would not give up his promise, but he didn't want to have a complete break with his father. He wanted to open up to Dana, but he didn't want to be hurt again.
The choices were as divergent as the back roads of Gotham and the rays of the sun. Terry got back on the motorcycle, mindful of an old adage his father once taught him.
When you reach a fork in the road, take it.
END PART II: A Beginning, and an End
