5

I know this has been a long time coming, but the end of the semester kind of kicked my ass. Also…I keep trying to write more serious stuff but it seems to come out like stalling. I promise the end is starting, and now that the semester is over I got about a month to get it finished. So anyway, this is kind of a cute chapter. As always, I hope everyone enjoys, reviews are love and shouts out are always welcome.

BRL

That Monday, Terry found his friends sitting in the courtyard, Drake wrapped around Max as she leaned back against him. They were engaged in what Max called the 'secrets game.' In which Max would get to ask Drake inane questions but ones that would, hopefully, get the other to start trusting her again. Terry and Drake had their own version, whenever they sparred, the loser would have to tell a secret. So far, Terry was ahead by two. So far he had found out that Drake first fell in love with Max's eyes, and that he was secretly a John Wayne fan. "So," started Max. "How many languages can you speak?"

Drake grinned as he rubbed his chin against Max's shoulder, a lot like a cat. "Human or extraterrestrial?"

Max scratched her chin for a moment as she thought. "Both."

"Seven," answered Drake. "Martian, Thanagarian, Tameranian, English, Latin, Russian, and Japanese. A bit of French and Spanish, but nothing serious."

Max craned her head back at her boyfriend. "Seven?! How do you keep it all straight?"

Drake shrugged. "I learned them as a child, so it all made sense to me. I had seven tutors, who only spoke to me in those languages. I learned quickly. Next?"

"Hey guys!" called Terry as he walked over.

Drake dipped his head to the teenaged detective as Max waved. "Hey Ter, I was just asking Drake here some questions."

Terry nodded. "I heard, seven huh? Why the alien ones?"

"Better to communicate with my team without being overheard," replied Drake.

"And Tamaranian?" prompted Terry.

Drake shrugged. "Beat me next time and you'll find out."

Terry chuckled as Dana walked over. "Hey guys, good to see you two are back together."

Drake tightened his grip around Max's waist. Max dramatically rolled her eyes. "This fool's been clinging to me the minute he got over our little argument. Seriously he's worse than the twip sometimes."

Dana giggled as she wrapped an arm around Terry's. "Max you don't seem to be working all that hard to escape if it's so annoying."

"Did I say it's annoying? Cause it's not…totally not," grinned Max as she leaned into Drake's embrace.

"Glad to know I'm not a nuisance," quipped Drake.

"See, I knew we'd get you a sense of humor," replied Max. Drake just shook his head.

Terry grumbled as he covered his eyes. "It's too adorable; tell me when it's over."

"I don't know if I can keep watching, I think I'm getting a cavity," answered Dana.

"Now you know how I felt having to watch you and McGinnes over there make goo goo eyes at each other!" cackled Max. Drake just smirked as he rested his chin against Max's shoulder.

"Ok well Max and me need to discuss some things, so Max detach yourself from Drake and follow me!" commanded Dana as she grinned at her friends.

Drake cocked an eyebrow at his girlfriend who just brushed her lips against his. "It's cool babe, you and Ter go be manly men, me and Dana want to have some girl talk." Drake reluctantly let go of Max who sprang to her feet. "Come on Dana, let's chat." Dana and Max walked off, talking animatedly.

Terry offered a hand to Drake, hauling the gold eye teen up. "Should we be worried?" asked Drake.

"Oh yea. Always be scared when the girls talk. But we're doomed no matter what, no use stressin," answered Terry.

The two started inside the building. "So, any luck tracking down the Miraculo dealer?"

Terry shook his head. "Nothing. You know what worries me though?"

"No word on the Queen?" finished Drake.

"Exactly," agreed Terry. "It's been weeks since Scarecrow betrayed her, and not a peep."

"Do you think she's harmless without Scarecrow?"

Terry shook his head. "Somehow that doesn't feel right. If she was just a figure head I doubt Scarecrow would have put her in charge. No…she's planning something."

"But whatever it is, she's hiding it well," agreed Drake. "And she moved her base of operations."

"Which means we're back to square one with her," stated Terry. The pair ended up leaning against their lockers. "Man, for once I'd like it when someone went to jail they stayed there."

"Then the world wouldn't need us," countered Drake.

Terry shrugged. "Would that be such a bad thing?" Drake opened his mouth to answer but stopped, he looked puzzled as he thought. "Yea, I don't know how I feel about that particular thought either."

Drake went to answer, when he sniffed the air, and his eyes narrowed. "That's not a problem for us to worry about yet." He pointed.

Approaching the pair was a young man in a three piece suit talking to the principle. When the principle saw the pair he smiled. "Ah Mr. Abel, your brother is here! Sir it was a true delight, Mr. McGinnes shouldn't you be in class." The man in the suit grinned, it was Achilles. Drake forced himself to remain relaxed while Achilles looked positively delighted.

Terry tensed but Drake shook his head. "Go," he whispered.

Terry nodded as he bumped his forearm against Drake's. "Call if ya need me."

Achilles smiled at the principle. "Thank you very much for bringing me to my brother, I hate to be rude but is there somewhere private we can talk?"

The Principle fretted slightly. "Well sir it is school hours and your brother"

Achilles deftly maneuvered the principle away. "It's alright sir, I am his older brother, and technically one of his legal guardians."

"Well I"

"Alex, just come on, we'll talk outside. It's my free period sir," said Drake. Achilles's eyes widened as heard Drake's voice, the lack of pauses surprising the metahuman.

Then he smirked. "See it's perfectly alright, after you little brother." Drake stalked off, hands going into his pocket where he kept a folded wingding at all times. Achilles fell into step next to him. "Smile little brother, or it'll look like something is wrong."

"Something is wrong," hissed Drake. "How did you find me?"

Achilles just grinned. "Wasn't hard, after all I had a lead from the Martian and Thanagarian. I was surprised you sent them away, finally got sick of being the odd man out?"

Drake spun slamming Achilles into a locker, a forearm pressed against Achilles's throat. "Don't. Talk. About. Them!" he growled.

Achilles leered down at Drake. "Oh did I strike a nerve? I thought Spartoi taught you to control your temper better. Then again you were always the more…emotional one of us." Drake's eyes narrowed, wingding in hand. "I wouldn't do that brother, we're developing an audience." Drake looked around; students were beginning to stare, coming out of their rooms. Drake snarled as he dropped Achilles.

"Come on!" he grunted as he stomped outside. Achilles fixed his tie as he followed. Outside Drake led Achilles to an empty section of the courtyard, away from prying ears. "Why are you here!?" demanded Drake when the pair were out of ear shot.

Achilles's smirk left as he folded his arms across his chest. "You know why. You've had your fun Tiberius it's time to come home. Your training isn't done and Spartoi isn't about to let all the time and energy invested in you go to waste because you don't want to do what you're supposed to do."

Drake glared at Achilles. "I am not a slave! Spartoi trained me to be the new Batman, there is a new Batman. I'm Nightwing, still a vigilante, still doing what they want!"

Achilles's hands dropped to his hips as he shook his head. "You're doing exactly what the first Justice League did. You're a loose cannon, you and your ilk are unreliable, unpredictable."

"Uncontrollable you mean," finished Drake. "They're right, I am uncontrollable, unpredictable. So tell them Achilles, tell them that the only way they'll get me back is by dragging back my body."

Achilles sighed. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to that. Your continued resistance undermines all of Spartoi, and puts a spine in those idiot aliens of yours." Achilles went to say something when he went pale and staggered back slightly. A timer beeped and Achilles stared white eyed at his watch.

Drake shook his head as he discreetly checked the time. "Need your medicine huh? Never did get why Spartoi made you addicted to that junk, but now…I think I get it. They made you take it cause it's a way they can control you."

Achilles pulled out a bill bottle and popped two pills. "That might have been the intent but," Achilles' color returned after a moment and he grinned at Drake. "The pay off is so worth it. Drake you train hard and condition yourself to be a worthy opponent. These make me better," he said as he shook the bottle. "These and the little work Spartoi did on me."

Drake shrugged. "Then Spartoi doesn't need me."

Achilles chuckled. "Don't be so naïve, of course they do. So will you come along quietly?" Drake shook his head. Achilles sighed. "I was hoping you wouldn't be so foolish. But oh well. I have so missed our little sparring matches. And who knows, you might even be able to last more than a minute."

"A minute was enough to give you that," grunted Drake as he pointed to a faded scar that ran down the face of Achilles.

Achilles' hand automatically flew up to the scar. "Yes, I still haven't made you suffer for that."

"You mean beyond chasing me across the planet and being seemingly determined to drag me back to Spartoi?" spat Drake.

Achilles shrugged. "That's business, I still need personal satisfaction."

Drake stared at Achilles for a few minutes, not saying anything. Finally he shook his head. "Is this because we didn't take you?"

Achilles stiffened. "What!?" Now Achilles was the angry one.

Drake nodded to himself. "Yes it is. The great betrayal. Guess I can understand."

Achilles was about to lash out, but instead reined himself in. "It doesn't matter. Either you come back, or we'll drag you back. And…well, if we have to come for you it wont end well for your pet aliens, and your new friends."

Drake's eyes narrowed to slits. "Touch them Achilles, and I will end you."

Achilles smirked. "We'll see little brother, we'll see." The pair looked at each other for a while longer. Finally Achilles shook his head. "You're different I give you that. Well, it's time for me to leave. I'll see you soon little brother." With that Achilles spun on his heels and walked off, waving slightly as Drake just stared. When the older Spartoi soldier disappeared, Drake fled the courtyard. He raced through the school faster than he should have, but he needed to move, he needed to get to Max and Terry. Achilles didn't make hollow threats, and while he had faith in A'lexx and Isis, he was less certain of his new partners. Not for a lack of skill or heart, but because of who Achilles would send after Drake's new friends.

Drake burst into their classroom, a wild look in his eyes, but…nothing happened. Except everyone staring at him. The teacher just glared at the student. "Yes, is there something I can help you with young man!?" demanded the teacher.

Drake scanned the room several times before finally deciding it was safe. He sheepishly rubbed his head as he apologized to the teacher. "No sorry…um…wrong room." He quickly shut the door and raced away before the teacher could call him back.

Terry sent Max a confused glance, but the pink haired girl could only shrug. The teacher cleared his throat and returned to the lecture, though there was a bit more murmuring as kids discreetly talked about the little incident. As soon as the bell rang, both Max and Terry rushed out of the room. But they didn't have to go far. Waiting near the room in a doorway was Drake. He grabbed both and dragged them away from the crowd, deliberately ignoring both Max and Terry's attempts to talk to him. When he finally got to a deserted area of the school Drake stopped and turned around. "They're coming."

Terry and Max shared another look. "Spartoi?" asked Max.

Drake nodded. "Achilles, he was here today. He came as a warning. Whatever Spartoi is planning, it's going to happen soon."

Terry sighed as he shrugged his shoulders. "Well, it has been really quiet lately, why not right?"

Max nodded. "Yea, sides, if they do try something, we can whoop their butts and get them out of your life forever babe."

"That guy from before," questioned Terry. "That was Achilles right?" Drake nodded. "Huh he's not that scary looking. Is he a meta human?"

Drake smiled slightly as he drifted into his own head. "He's…complicated."

"So…yes?" prompted Max.

"Honestly…I don't know," replied Drake. "Beyond Miraculo I have no idea what Spartoi did to him. We weren't exactly close, and the scientists weren't in the habit of explaining things to me."

Terry scratched his chin. "Well if he's supposed to be a new Batman odds are he's more trained then enhanced. I'm more worried what back up he's bringing."

"Don't forget the Jokerz are running around with this junk, Scarecrow's got a ton of fear gas," continued Max.

"And the Queen is M.I.A," finished Drake.

The three vigilantes shared a moment of silence. "It's never boring huh?" said Max as she took Drake's arm.

Terry chuckled as he nodded in agreement. "It never is."

"But it's for the best," commented Drake. Max looped her arm through Terry's, while Drake wrapped his around her back. Together, the three walked off, ready to fight anything.