Explanations
By KnightRogue
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction. Batman, Batman Beyond and all related characters and concepts are owned by Warner Brothers and DC Comics. No profit is being made from this work and no infringement is in anyway intended.
Sorry everybody, I've been on vacation and hadn't had time to finish the story. Because of the positive support everyone's been giving me, I wanted to post something for you all. I know this chapter is short, so please forgive me. Again, thanks to you all!
Chapter 5
It took awhile to drag the information out of Matt. He liked the attention, but clearly this was a subject too raw to easily divulge. With careful questioning concealing an impatient need to get going, she finally drew out the entire story.
It seemed that Terry was in the habit of visiting his father's grave whenever he was troubled about anything. Sometimes, he took Matt along. It was a way for the two brothers to bond, to remember the past. If there was anywhere Terry would consider safe, sacred even, it would be there. It was remote and unoccupied, at least by the living, most of the time. It was unlikely that anyone would find him there. Having sat through several hours of debate between Mr. Wayne and Commissioner Gordan, Max was willing to collect a small fortune in bets that no one had even thought of Gotham Resurrection Cemetery. It wasn't even on the maps of places being searched right now. If it wasn't for Matt's slip, she wouldn't have guessed there either. As it was, she debated making a quick call to Wayne before going to check it out.
Matt's troubled glance at Max when his mother came home cancelled that idea. Clearly he wanted his brother found. On the other hand, he was nearly as afraid of betraying Terry's trust and facing his mother's views of 'betrayal'. He knew his mother well, and her divorce with their father had not been amicable. The knowledge that Terry had brought him to the cemetery would not sit well at all with her. It certainly wouldn't help Terry's case as a responsible teenager. Max made an instant decision. It wouldn't accomplish anything to drag Matt into this mess. Putting on an act that would have won her an Oscar on any silver screen, she acted upbeat and positive for Matt and his mom. She reported there had been no updates, but she was sure Terry was just hiding out at a friend's house and would show up soon. Max reiterated Terry's high points again to his mother for her reassurance while mentally wanting to smack him up side the head for disappearing. With one last show of support and a quick wave to Matt, she left.
To her credit, Max did consider leaving a message for Bruce Wayne. But, she reasoned, he hadn't exactly come clean with her and she was tired of all the mysteries. It would do him some good to cool his heels for awhile. She justified her decision that if she did find Terry, there would be time enough to call Wayne then.
The first stop was back at her apartment. As usual, it was empty. "Damn," she whispered. She'd half hoped, that despite Matt's prediction, Terry would have made his way back over to her place to hide out. Creeping around graveyards at night, no matter for what benevolent reasons, did not appeal to her at all. Flipping open her PDA, Max quickly searched the news articles for a location. Grimacing at the webcast of Powers' pretence of graveside grief, she quickly noted the cemetery's location and headed back out.
It was getting harder to focus his eyes. Retching at the nausea induced by his throbbing headache only increased the pain running through him. For the first time that day, Terry would have welcomed anyone showing up. The Juvie counselor himself could show up with shackles in hand and Terry would have willing went. Whatever was wrong with him was getting serious, not better. It was harder to breathe, impossible to stand. Tears slipped down his face. He needed help and none was forthcoming. Curling his body into a tighter wedge, he panted lightly and waited. For what, he didn't know.
The engine noise died and the silence was smothering. Eyes more accustomed to city light glare strained to penetrate the blackness. Calling Terry's name softly, Max paused and waited for an answer. Hearing nothing, she sighed. Taking two steps back, she sprang forward, grabbed the top of the gate, and swung herself over it. Dropping lightly to the earth, she began her exploration.
The information on the PDA hadn't given much detail about the exact position of the grave. She had tried hacking the cemetery's computer, but its records only gave references from spots within the grounds. These weren't much help to her as the pitch dark closed in around her as she ventured deeper into the park. Every few minutes, Max stopped and called softly. After waiting a moment for a reply, she moved onwards. Firmly trying to keep an overactive imagination in check, she prayed for the moon to appear from behind the clouds. Any light would be helpful, if only to give her directions. She saved her flashlight in reserve so not to call undue attention to herself. If anybody, 'or anything' she thought, appeared, she figured she could brain them over the head with it and run.
Deep into the blackness, she stopped. After whispering for Terry for well over an hour, doubts began to flit through her mind. She had ID'd herself several times so Terry would know who it was out here looking. Maybe Matt was wrong. Max knew that she wouldn't be caught dead out here, 'maybe I mean alive...' she mentally punned, no matter who was out looking for her. There were other, better places to hide and Terry didn't seem the type to linger on the morbid. Turning, she started back to the front of the grounds. Large tombstones hid darker shadows and her nerves began to get the better of her. Fumbling for the on switch of the flashlight, she glanced down, and then back up rapidly as a swirl of mist in front of her grabbed her attention.
She couldn't help the small shriek of terror that slipped past her lips. Stumbling backwards several steps, she narrowly missed tripping over three smaller headstones behind her. Grabbing the nearest to steady her, Max paused and took several deep breaths.
"Hold it together, Maxine." She mumbled to herself. "It's only ground fog. It rained earlier. It happens." Another, more instinctive side fought to take over. Deep inside her mind, an inner voice gibbered at her to run. While not totally giving into the small voice within, her pace did accelerate to a much higher rate than before.
Sliding sideways to avoid jogging through the thickening swirl, she kept her eyes on the ground to avoid any potential pitfalls. The flashlight was gone, dropped in her momentary panic. Moving forward toward where she remembered the gates to be, she promised herself to get even with Matt the first opportunity she got. He was probably safe in the apartment, giggling to himself over the thought of her stumbling around in a pitch-black graveyard. Another patch of fog was developing ahead of her again. Obeying a instinct older than mankind, she shifted her path to avoid going through it. The voice inside of her was back, and it told her to avoid the fog at all costs.
As one area dissipated, another spot would form. Stopping to re-evaluate her position, Max realized she was again heading away from the front entrance and the safety of the lights. Taking herself firmly in hand, she marched forward towards the gates, only again to be stopped by a wall of swirling white. Panic took over. Feet pounding on the loose gravel, Max ran, hoping to get around the temporary wall. No matter what path she took, it reformed several yards ahead of her, causing her to shift direction. With sudden knowledge, she realized she was being herded to an off corner of the cemetery. Figuring that she could climb over any portion of the fence to get out, Max ran to the only clear space left open between her and the graveyard boundary. Dodging a particularly tall headstone in her way, she missed seeing the prone figure on the ground. Sprawling to the ground, her palms and knees stung from the impact of the loose gravel. Max rolled, trying to avoid whatever it was that was laying there in wait. Pushing up, as if a runner leaping from the starting blocks, she started towards the fence. Pausing only long enough to estimate the height ahead of her for the jump, she couldn't say what made her look back. The little voice inside of her shrieked at her to run on, to escape the horror it knew had been waiting for her. Resolutely, Max looked back to face her fear. As she did so, the moon appeared from behind the clouds, illuminating the still form curled behind her. Utterly shocked, Max stopped dead.
"Terry!"
To be continued
By KnightRogue
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction. Batman, Batman Beyond and all related characters and concepts are owned by Warner Brothers and DC Comics. No profit is being made from this work and no infringement is in anyway intended.
Sorry everybody, I've been on vacation and hadn't had time to finish the story. Because of the positive support everyone's been giving me, I wanted to post something for you all. I know this chapter is short, so please forgive me. Again, thanks to you all!
Chapter 5
It took awhile to drag the information out of Matt. He liked the attention, but clearly this was a subject too raw to easily divulge. With careful questioning concealing an impatient need to get going, she finally drew out the entire story.
It seemed that Terry was in the habit of visiting his father's grave whenever he was troubled about anything. Sometimes, he took Matt along. It was a way for the two brothers to bond, to remember the past. If there was anywhere Terry would consider safe, sacred even, it would be there. It was remote and unoccupied, at least by the living, most of the time. It was unlikely that anyone would find him there. Having sat through several hours of debate between Mr. Wayne and Commissioner Gordan, Max was willing to collect a small fortune in bets that no one had even thought of Gotham Resurrection Cemetery. It wasn't even on the maps of places being searched right now. If it wasn't for Matt's slip, she wouldn't have guessed there either. As it was, she debated making a quick call to Wayne before going to check it out.
Matt's troubled glance at Max when his mother came home cancelled that idea. Clearly he wanted his brother found. On the other hand, he was nearly as afraid of betraying Terry's trust and facing his mother's views of 'betrayal'. He knew his mother well, and her divorce with their father had not been amicable. The knowledge that Terry had brought him to the cemetery would not sit well at all with her. It certainly wouldn't help Terry's case as a responsible teenager. Max made an instant decision. It wouldn't accomplish anything to drag Matt into this mess. Putting on an act that would have won her an Oscar on any silver screen, she acted upbeat and positive for Matt and his mom. She reported there had been no updates, but she was sure Terry was just hiding out at a friend's house and would show up soon. Max reiterated Terry's high points again to his mother for her reassurance while mentally wanting to smack him up side the head for disappearing. With one last show of support and a quick wave to Matt, she left.
To her credit, Max did consider leaving a message for Bruce Wayne. But, she reasoned, he hadn't exactly come clean with her and she was tired of all the mysteries. It would do him some good to cool his heels for awhile. She justified her decision that if she did find Terry, there would be time enough to call Wayne then.
The first stop was back at her apartment. As usual, it was empty. "Damn," she whispered. She'd half hoped, that despite Matt's prediction, Terry would have made his way back over to her place to hide out. Creeping around graveyards at night, no matter for what benevolent reasons, did not appeal to her at all. Flipping open her PDA, Max quickly searched the news articles for a location. Grimacing at the webcast of Powers' pretence of graveside grief, she quickly noted the cemetery's location and headed back out.
It was getting harder to focus his eyes. Retching at the nausea induced by his throbbing headache only increased the pain running through him. For the first time that day, Terry would have welcomed anyone showing up. The Juvie counselor himself could show up with shackles in hand and Terry would have willing went. Whatever was wrong with him was getting serious, not better. It was harder to breathe, impossible to stand. Tears slipped down his face. He needed help and none was forthcoming. Curling his body into a tighter wedge, he panted lightly and waited. For what, he didn't know.
The engine noise died and the silence was smothering. Eyes more accustomed to city light glare strained to penetrate the blackness. Calling Terry's name softly, Max paused and waited for an answer. Hearing nothing, she sighed. Taking two steps back, she sprang forward, grabbed the top of the gate, and swung herself over it. Dropping lightly to the earth, she began her exploration.
The information on the PDA hadn't given much detail about the exact position of the grave. She had tried hacking the cemetery's computer, but its records only gave references from spots within the grounds. These weren't much help to her as the pitch dark closed in around her as she ventured deeper into the park. Every few minutes, Max stopped and called softly. After waiting a moment for a reply, she moved onwards. Firmly trying to keep an overactive imagination in check, she prayed for the moon to appear from behind the clouds. Any light would be helpful, if only to give her directions. She saved her flashlight in reserve so not to call undue attention to herself. If anybody, 'or anything' she thought, appeared, she figured she could brain them over the head with it and run.
Deep into the blackness, she stopped. After whispering for Terry for well over an hour, doubts began to flit through her mind. She had ID'd herself several times so Terry would know who it was out here looking. Maybe Matt was wrong. Max knew that she wouldn't be caught dead out here, 'maybe I mean alive...' she mentally punned, no matter who was out looking for her. There were other, better places to hide and Terry didn't seem the type to linger on the morbid. Turning, she started back to the front of the grounds. Large tombstones hid darker shadows and her nerves began to get the better of her. Fumbling for the on switch of the flashlight, she glanced down, and then back up rapidly as a swirl of mist in front of her grabbed her attention.
She couldn't help the small shriek of terror that slipped past her lips. Stumbling backwards several steps, she narrowly missed tripping over three smaller headstones behind her. Grabbing the nearest to steady her, Max paused and took several deep breaths.
"Hold it together, Maxine." She mumbled to herself. "It's only ground fog. It rained earlier. It happens." Another, more instinctive side fought to take over. Deep inside her mind, an inner voice gibbered at her to run. While not totally giving into the small voice within, her pace did accelerate to a much higher rate than before.
Sliding sideways to avoid jogging through the thickening swirl, she kept her eyes on the ground to avoid any potential pitfalls. The flashlight was gone, dropped in her momentary panic. Moving forward toward where she remembered the gates to be, she promised herself to get even with Matt the first opportunity she got. He was probably safe in the apartment, giggling to himself over the thought of her stumbling around in a pitch-black graveyard. Another patch of fog was developing ahead of her again. Obeying a instinct older than mankind, she shifted her path to avoid going through it. The voice inside of her was back, and it told her to avoid the fog at all costs.
As one area dissipated, another spot would form. Stopping to re-evaluate her position, Max realized she was again heading away from the front entrance and the safety of the lights. Taking herself firmly in hand, she marched forward towards the gates, only again to be stopped by a wall of swirling white. Panic took over. Feet pounding on the loose gravel, Max ran, hoping to get around the temporary wall. No matter what path she took, it reformed several yards ahead of her, causing her to shift direction. With sudden knowledge, she realized she was being herded to an off corner of the cemetery. Figuring that she could climb over any portion of the fence to get out, Max ran to the only clear space left open between her and the graveyard boundary. Dodging a particularly tall headstone in her way, she missed seeing the prone figure on the ground. Sprawling to the ground, her palms and knees stung from the impact of the loose gravel. Max rolled, trying to avoid whatever it was that was laying there in wait. Pushing up, as if a runner leaping from the starting blocks, she started towards the fence. Pausing only long enough to estimate the height ahead of her for the jump, she couldn't say what made her look back. The little voice inside of her shrieked at her to run on, to escape the horror it knew had been waiting for her. Resolutely, Max looked back to face her fear. As she did so, the moon appeared from behind the clouds, illuminating the still form curled behind her. Utterly shocked, Max stopped dead.
"Terry!"
To be continued