Chapter 7
Disclaimer: look at last six
Terry sat at the computer in the bat cave, Ace was sleeping next to him, and Bruce was upstairs in the mansion sleeping. Terry kept having a strong feeling that something was wrong, so he sat watching all the cameras, switching between the PD, the front of the mansion, and the streets every five minutes the silence echoed every tap he made on the computer as he groaned in frustration running his hands through his hair. Ace lifted his head, his ears pricked up straight, as he nosed Terry's hand, Terry scratched between his ears, "Sorry, Ace, it's been a long day." He said as the dog whimpered at him, "Never develop feelings for a girl, they're nothing but trouble." Ace barked in response when one ear drifted towards the entrance of the cave, he stood up, snarling, "Ace?" Terry said before the dog took off. Terry shrugged before he heard Ace start barking up a storm, which was when he heard voices, he quickly stood up and ran after Ace, "Quick, get him in the back!" he heard someone say as Ace snarled and grabbed the closest person's arm, causing them to scream, before a gun went off, causing Ace to yelp before falling to the floor, "ACE!" Terry yelled running to the dogs side while the clown clad female whipped around aiming the gun at him, "No!" Bruce said, "Leave him alone!" "BRUCE!" Terry yelled going to stand up, "No!" Bruce said again, "TERRY!" Jeanette yelled from the back of the truck making him freeze, "TERRY!" she yelled again struggling to get free before getting hit with the butt of the gun the female was holding, "SHUT UP!" "Close the doors, we're rolling out." A male said as two more closed the back of the truck. Terry craned his neck to get a good look at Jeanette's face, tears were streaming down it, her round brown eyes locked on to his, "Jeanette!" he yelled as the doors closed, he felt rage surge through him, he looked down at Ace, who was whimpering, he put his hand on him, "I'll take care of you first, boy." He said picking up the dog and ran to the cave.
Bruce was quickly zip tied, hands, and feet while the purple and black clad clown glared at him from across the way, "You don't have to do this." He said looking at her, "You don't have the right to tell me what to do and not do, Wayne." She responded before looking at Jeanette, "I used to." "Ha! Just because you signed my pay check doesn't MEAN you told me anything." She said looking back at him, "I'm surprised you even knew who I was." "I knew who you were, I just didn't say anything." "Big black bat buffoon." She muttered lighting a cigarette, "Really?" a male voice asked from a dark corner, "A cigarette in the middle of a hostage situation?" "Oh shut up." She said blowing smoke in the direction of the voice who gave a cough, "I run shit now." "Ooooooh just because you WEAR the outfit doesn't mean you're THE outfit." "Didn't I just say to shut up?!" "Enough." The female whipped her head around before sitting down crossing her legs, "So are you going to let me out of the shadows, now?"
"No."
"Oh c'mon!"
"You don't tell me what to do either, not no more."
"You're just like you're mother."
The female gave a soft 'hm' before the truck skidded to a stop, causing her to nearly fly half way across the back before getting caught, "The hell was that!?" she said kicking the doors open, "I swear to god if you id-well, well, well, look who showed up." Jeanette craned her neck as the female started firing, the truck emptied, the back doors closed again, and the truck took off. Jeanette and Bruce flew this way and that as the truck skidded around turns, hit corners, and avoided cars before coming to a screeching halt she heard the cabin doors open, more gun shots, then silence. In a corner Jeanette noticed a box cutter, she inched her way over, grabbed it, and went to open it when a boot came down on her hand, she screamed, letting it go, "Nuh-uh uh-uh, naughty girl," the voice said as she looked up she screamed again scooting backwards, "Joker!" Bruce said as he cackled, "SURPRISE!" Jeanette shook as the Joker advanced on both of them, "Didn't my darling daughter do a magnificent job? She planned this whole thing ya know, it makes me so proud to have raised such a master of destruction." He said giving a sniff while giving a twisted grin, "How…" "How what, Brucey boy? How did I come back? Well, you see, it's quite simple, actually, it's not, but any how I'm back!" he said giving another cackle, wheezed, then coughed grabbing his chest.
The back of the truck opened to reveal Cass standing with her gun over her shoulder, and a figure under her arm, slumped down, which she tossed into the back, "Got him." She said as two other lackeys jumped into the front starting the truck, she started taking off her makeup, "What do you think you're doing?" Joker asked making her look at him, "I'm taking off my disguise, I'm sick of running around like this." She said earning a back hand to the face, "You don't take off any part of your disguise unless I-" he stopped when he saw Adam jump into the back of the truck, "You don't lay a hand on my wife." He said getting in his face making the joker back away. Jeanette looked at her mother who looked at the ground, then at her, tears in her green eyes, which she quickly wiped away before regaining her tough look, Adam sat next to her wrapping an arm around her back, causing her to look at him before leaning into him, the same sad look on her face. Jeanette looked at the third occupant, who was unconscious, she went wide eyed when she realized it was Batman, "Bruce!" she whispered as he looked at her, she tilted her head making him look, "Seems you've won this round." He said out loud as Cass scoffed, "Wasn't much of a fight, it was too easy." "Too easy?" "It seemed like he wanted to get caught." "Who cares?!" Joker said, "We got him, now we can unmask the freak." "You mean, you did all this…just so you can unmask him?" Jeanette asked as Cass gave a laugh, "Child, you really aren't that educated are you?" "She was just a baby, well, not even." Adam said as Cass frowned, "That's right…I keep thinking you're Natalie." Jeanette cringed at the name while Adam shifted uncomfortably, "I'm sorry." She whispered. Nothing else was said.
The truck came to a stop at a warehouse where everyone, minus Bruce and the unconscious Batman, jumped out. Cass and Adam flanked their daughter into the warehouse as Adam pushed open the door, a group of teens turned their heads, "Did you get him?" a boy asked as Cass looked at him, "Yes," she said as the rest of the group walked in tossing the still unconscious Batman in along with Bruce, "What's the old man doing here?" a girl asked wrinkling her nose at him, "show some respect, De. This is the great and all powerful Bruce Wayne." The boy said again as the group laughed, "Alright you've had your fun, can we have ours now, Auntie?" "No, not until we say." Cass answered as the girls crossed their arms, "Where's Lucas?" Cass asked as the boy with the milky green eye stepped forward, Jeanette held her breath, "Lucas, this is your sister, Laurie." She said putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder. Lucas and Jeanette stood face to face for a few minutes, before she slinked out from under her mother's hand, her eyes never leaving his face, she didn't know why, but she did not like the feel of her twin's look. Cass noticed the uncomfortable shift as she rolled her shoulders she looked down at Bruce, "Now, what to do with you." She said squatting down in front of him, "Maybe I should let you starve, or even better, kill you where you lie." She tapped her chin as if in deep thought before a flicker of movement caught the corner of her eye she turned in time to get knocked in the face with a fist, "Not while I'm still alive." Cass moved her jaw as Jeanette heard all guns cock she blinked at the figure standing in front of Bruce, "You shouldn't have done that." Cass said rising to her feet, "Why not? You want a real fight don't you?" he asked as Jeanette heard a switchblade get released, Cass laughed, "Really? A real fight is what you want? I have a knife in my hand, everyone else has guns, who do you think is going to win this?" Cass asked, "I'm not wasting my time on you," she said turning her back on him, "get 'im boys." Was all she had to say before shots fired.
Adam yanked Jeanette back from the barrage of bullets being fired this way and that as Batman flipped around the warehouse, he went to grab Cass, who instinctively turned grabbing his arm, twisted it, and threw him to the ground. Jeanette watched in fear while her mother stepped on his back, his arm still twisted behind him, "I can yank your arm right out of your socket if you'd like," she said as Jeanette broke away from her dad, "Mom! Stop!" she said making her whip her head in her direction, "Please, don't hurt him!" "And why not!? I've waited fifteen years to do this, although not to the one I want to do it t-WHERE'S WAYNE!?" Cass yelled whipping her head towards where the old man was supposed to be lying. Every head whipped in the same direction, looked at Cass, then ran for their lives as the female tightened her jaw, the only sound that brought her out of it was the sound of the scream from below her, she looked down to see she had pulled the shoulder out, she let the dead arm go, "EVERYONE IS TO FIND HIM, NOW!" she screamed as the remainder fled, "He couldn't of gone far." Adam said calmly as Cass grabbed the nearest gun to her, "He won't be getting very far." She said taking off after everyone else, Adam right on her heels leaving Jeanette by herself with the injured man in black. Jeanette waited until she heard orders being barked outside to slowly approach the Batman who was holding his shoulder, gritting his teeth, she sat beside him as he writhed in pain, "I can help you," she said as he looked at her, "How?" he asked through gritted teeth, "you need to sit up." She said as he used his good arm to push himself up, she put one hand under the good arm, stood, then dragged him to a nearby wall. Jeanette stood up ripping a piece of cloth off her shirt, she placed it in his mouth, "You're going to want to bite down on that." She said taking the limp arm, she quickly lifted it and jammed it back into place, causing him to scream, she stood taking off the long sleeved shirt she had on over a short sleeved shirt, making a makeshift sling, he fell over, still writhing in pain. The two sat in the empty warehouse before Jeanette noticed him move back into the sitting up position, putting his head against the wall, "How'd you learn to do that?" he asked as she shrugged, "My foster dad used to ask me to do it whenever his shoulder popped out of place, I guess I just got used to it." She answered crossing her arms across her chest, shivering, "Cold?" he asked as she nodded, "You can have the shirt back," he said as she shook her head, "you need it." "I'm ok," she answered, "you need it so your shoulder doesn't fall out of place."
Silence fell again when Jeanette heard the agitated voice of her mother outside of the warehouse door, it opened, then slammed shut, Cass turned to face the two remaining in the warehouse, "You're lucky your friend got away, somehow," she said looking at Batman dead in the face, "you, however, won't be so lucky." Jeanette noticed the knife still in her mother's hand as she advanced, Jeanette threw herself between her mother and him, "Leave him alone!" she said as her mother's eyes flashed in rage, "Move." She hissed as Jeanette stood her ground, "I will give you to the count of three, if you don't move, I'll make you move." "Your issue isn't with him," Jeanette said throwing her hand behind her, "it's with Bruce isn't it?" "I have an issue with whoever wears that stupid rodent costume, and if you're willing to protect him, you're willing to protect Bruce as well." Cass snapped now pointing the knife at her daughter's face, "I will say it again," she said slowly, "I'm giving you until the count of three to move, one, two, th-" BAM! Cass sprawled on the floor as Jeanette clenched her fists at her side, rage in her eyes as well. Cass stood up, eyes wide, she watched as her daughter's eyes turned black, and heard a low growl in her throat. A twisted smirk crossed her face looking at Jeanette, she picked up the knife, which instantly got kicked out of her hand, she yelped rubbing her wrist as a laugh escaped, "Oh this is going to be good." She said as she went to charge at Jeanette, she moved out of the way, grabbed her mother's pony tail, yanked, then got ripped away and slammed into the wall, "Watch yourself," Lucas said advancing on his sister, who dropped then kicked her brother's feet from under him causing him to get the wind knocked out of him, "No," Jeanette said, "you watch yourself." "Enough!" a male voice said from the darkness, Jeanette stopped, the same pale faced male in the truck stepped out of the shadows, only he looked and sounded younger.
Cass stood next to him, Jeanette blinked, minus the make-up, they looked identical, "Are you done horsing around now, Cassata?" he asked as she glared at him, "Get it over with." She said stepping back as he stepped forward, Jeanette noticed he was going over to Batman, "No!" Jeanette said getting grabbed by the arms, "Stop, Jeanette," Adam said making her turn, she blinked, "He's not going to hurt him." Jeanette watched as he squatted, "Now, let's see who's really behind the mask." He said taking the mask off, Jeanette almost passed out, "Terry?" she squeaked making everyone turn towards her. Terry held her glance for a few minutes before looking away, Jeanette slumped down to her knees, her eyes never leaving his face, Cass and Adam looked at each other, then at her, Cass walked over to her, "Come, baby, let's get you home." She said pulling her daughter up to her feet, she put an arm around her, "What about Terry?" she asked as Cass looked behind her, "He's not going anywhere." She answered causing Jeanette to stop, "Come on," Cass said pulling at her daughter who shoved her away, "Back off," Jeanette said holding her mother's surprised look, "let him go." She said quietly, "Are you kidding me?" Cass said with a slightly chuckle, "Let. Him. Go." Jeanette said clenching her jaw before the door burst open and cops swarmed the warehouse. Cass glared before taking off on foot, Adam behind her, and whoever else was able to escape before the rest got shoved to the ground and handcuffed, Commissioner Gordon rested her hand on her shoulder, "Are you alright?" she asked as Jeanette still looked to where her parents had taken off, "I'm fine." She answered, "Commissioner, the McGinnis kid is injured, should we take him to the hospital?" an officer asked as Barbara turned, "Yes, take him to the hospital," "Ma'am, we also found this next to him," he said handing her the Batman mask, "do you want to charge him?" "No, for right now we are taking him to get treated."
-Wayne Manor-
A few days had passed since the warehouse incident, Jeanette sat in the windowsill looking outside at the falling rain, Ace was at her feet, bandaged from where he had gotten shot, and Bruce was back to wheeling around the mansion. Terry had not been discharged from the hospital, so Jeanette took his place temporarily helping out around the place, today the rain poured making it gloomier than ever to be living in Gotham, she sighed making Ace lift his head, and he licked her feet making her giggle, "Stop that!" she said making him wag his tail at her, "You're such a good boy." "Yes he is," Bruce said making her jump ten feet in the air, "Jesus! I hate it when you do that." She said making him smirk, "Any word on McGinnis?" she asked, "He should be on his way here now, however I believe I might need your assistance a little bit longer." "I am not putting on a suit," she said very matter of factly as he smirked again, "No, I wouldn't expect you to, nor would I want to put you in that type of danger." "Good, as long as that's settled." She said looking back out the window. Bruce chuckled slightly amused at the young girl, but he understood she did not want any part of Gotham's crime life, or any part of Batman now that she knew who he was, but she had stayed in order to help him out, and that was when he realized she was not as bad as her mother.
A set of headlights came down the windy road making Ace jump up and start barking wildly, he jumped off the windowsill, running to the door as it opened, "OOF! Ace! Ace, down! BLAH ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! I missed you too!" Terry said as the dog whimpered wagging his tail excitedly, barking, and jumping around. Terry walked into the room where Bruce and Jeanette were, his eyes met Jeanette's making him look away, "Glad to see you back on your feet, McGinnis." Bruce said wheeling over to him, then pulled him down with his cane, "You better talk to her, she's staying around." He said wheeling away, "Come, Ace." Ace looked at Terry, then at his master, then back at Terry before following Bruce out. Jeanette looked back out the window as Terry sighed running a hand through his hair, he walked over to the windowsill, she pulled her feet up to her chest, and he sat down. Jeanette looked at him from the corner of her eye, letting out a sigh, "Look," Terry said, "I'm sorry." "For what?" she asked looking at him, "If you think I'm mad about the whole Batman thing, I'm really not." "Then why are you mad at me?" he asked as she looked away, "C'mon Jeanette," he said, "you didn't visit me at the hospital, you didn't even send me a get well card, why are you mad at me?" "I'm not mad, Terry," she said snapping somewhat, "I was scared, ok? I was scared that for some reason or another you wouldn't want to see me, and it worried me so much so that I came here on my own to see if you and Bruce were ok." Terry fell silent, "Ever since we were kids I…I always had a fear that you wouldn't want to see me, I mean after getting kicked out of school, then not seeing you for so long, and when I finally saw you, you brushed me off, calling me a monster and unstable. I didn't ask for this disease, I was born with it, I've had it under control for so long, and now.." Jeanette stopped wiping an eye, "now I see what my family really is." "You're better than them, Jeanette," Terry said making her look at him, tears rolling down her face, "you, of all people, not knowing who Batman was, still stood and protected me. Your fear is also the dumbest thing I have ever heard." He said seeing a slight smirk cross her face, "Do you know how miserable I was when I couldn't see you? I got into a lot of trouble after my step-father got murdered, but that was just a start, everything hit me then, I lost you, and then I lost him. I wouldn't of taken you in that day dripping with blood, let you shower, let my mother help you, and I wouldn't of let you sleep anywhere in my house, let alone next to me if I didn't want to see you. As for your illness, you aren't alone anymore, you can control it, and I will never let you get as bad as your mother." More tears rolled down Jeanette's face, "I'm sorry I scared you, I'm sorry I called you a monster, and I'm sorry I called you unstable." He said reaching out his good hand touching her face, Jeanette reached a hand up, touching his, "I can't promise this," he said moving his slanged arm wincing slightly, "won't happen again, but I promise, I won't lose you again." Jeanette smiled slightly interlocking her fingers with his as he leaned forward putting his forehead on hers, she took her free hand and ran it through his hair, "You're a loser, McGinnis," She said tilting her head to the side, "but you're my loser." He smirked at her before tilting his head to the other side and bringing their lips together in silence.
Bruce watched from the corner of the doorway, stone faced, he shook his head in silence before rolling down the hall, and away from the two teens.
TBC…
