"Nothing!" Terry slammed his fist on his kitchen counter and frowned. Two hours at Gotham University and he turned up nothing. Dr. Crowley graduated summa cum laude, second in his class. Majoring in Psychological medicine he was a mediocre talent until five years ago. Then suddenly he burst onto the medical scene with a procedure guaranteed to correct the pathological behavior of criminals 100 percent.

"Something wrong?" Matt's head appeared from beside the counter. Terry looked down at his brother and sighed.

"No. Nothing I can't handle. What do you want twip?"

"You've got a girl in the living room." The young kid taunted.

"What?"

"Max wants to talk to you." Terry started smiling despite himself and Matt grinned. "Terry has two girlfriends, Terry has two girlfriends." He skipped off and went into the living room, still singing. Terry ran after him and scooped him up, handling him under one arm as he walked to his room and threw him in.

"Don't come out until I say so. Play with some of your toys."

"You can't keep me in here. Or I'll tell mom." Matt stuck his tongue out at him, crossing his arms defiantly.

"Please. I'll tell her how the garbage disposal got busted last month."

"You wouldn't."
"Try me twip." Terry closed the door and walked back into the living room. "Sorry about that. Bratty brother."

"No problem. Just wanted to tell you what I found." He sighed and sat down beside her.

"What do you mean "what you found"? I thought I told you I didn't want you snooping around."

"It's not snooping around unless you get caught McGinnis. Do you want to know what I found or not?"

"Of course. Why not."

"Crowley's classmates say he was amazingly bright, while others say he would have made a perfect doctor."

"Great. That lead down the drain."

"If he hadn't died." Terry blinked.

"What?"

"Marcus Crowley was in an automobile accident five years ago. He was overseas when it happened, visiting his mother. He died as they rushed him to the hospital." Max smiled and crossed her legs.

"So that means…"

"That isn't Marcus Crowley." She finished. The TV was muted, and the news was on. A picture of Ira Billings was shown quickly, then some footage. "Hey, turn it up." Terry grabbed the remote control and turned up the volume.

His employer says he does wonderful work, well mannered and kind to everyone. Another operation that has done wonders to a criminal mind. This is the news, have a nice day.

Terry stared at the screen "Who could he be then?" Max shrugged.

"That's something we need to find out. But I still don't buy that." She pointed to the frozen picture of Ira, who was giving a ball back to a bunch of kids.

"Me either. Maybe it's time I pay a visit to Mr. Rehabilitated."

*

Ira sat up and stretched, his back cracking satisfyingly as he wiped some dirt from the front of his shirt. The air to the side of him shimmered, and solidified, the uniform of Batman coming into view. He sat back and looked at him, then stood. "Batman."

"Billings. So, I hear you've been given another chance."

"I have. I didn't know I had a chemical imbalance. It was corrected, and now I have a conscience." He walked over to the back porch and pointed to a pitcher of lemonade. "Thirsty?"

"No thanks. I just wanted you to know that I'm watching you. For what you did you should be locked up for the rest of your life."

"I agree."

"What?"

"I agree. I don't know why they chose me to take the operation and not someone else, perhaps someone more worthy. But all I know was that I was chosen, and given another chance. I want to live the rest of my life to the fullest, and help others as well. That's why I've taken a job at the suicide prevention hotlink."

"This better not be one of your tricks. If it is I'll come down on you so hard you'll have-"

"I understand Batman. I know you hate what I was, and frankly so do I. But I have learned not to hate you because you caught me, but to be thankful, for you saved me from a long life of crime." The monotone voice of Ira started to grate his nerves. Leaping into the air, he took off, far away from the man who creeped him out just by looking at him.

Ira watched him power away with slight amusement in his eyes. Oh yes, he realized his hate was misplaced when he centered it on Batman. He had intense anger that would give him ulcers and nightmares. But that's alright. The one who had it coming would get theirs, and then some.

He turned as the owner of the house came out, his steps jerky as he tried to fight the hypnosis of Spellbinder. "You …called me?"

"Yes I did. You've done well Mr. Jacobs. Welcoming me into your home out of charity, giving me anything I needed. Even supplying me references. But I'm afraid that your usefulness has run out." Jacob's blood went cold.

"What…are you going…to do to…me?"

"Oh, they'll find your body. You'll have a cup of lemonade in the cool early evening after I've gone to bed early. Since that is my routine. You've had heart problems in the past haven't you?"

"Yes…I have." The fear evident in his eyes.

"Good. Since you've already had a heart attack and you have high cholesterol, no one will think it odd you've had another one. Tragic, but not odd. So go ahead, enjoy the last half an hour of your life." Ira walked past him and into the house, like he has for the past two weeks.

Jacobs's mind forced him to sit down in his lawn chair, and with shaking hands filled the tall glass with chilled lemonade. He sipped it slowly, and waited for his life to end.

*

"It was weird, like he was all mellowed out." Terry shrugged as he paced the Bat Cave. Wayne watched him from his large chair, Ace by his feet, half asleep but still aware.

"Mellowed out how?"

"Like Peace and love for everyone…or some crap like that. He still gives me the willies."

"Of course he does. Any information on who we thought was Marcus Crowley?" Bruce asked, sitting back slowly.

"Zip. I'm looking around, and I bet Max is too. She'll tell me if she finds anything. Some inconsistency has to trip him up. No one can fabricate a life perfectly. Always mistakes."

"Sounds like you have experience."

'Hey, I've watched a ton of movies." Terry picked up his backpack and started up the stairs. "I'll be back tomorrow. I've got loads of schoolwork and my mom definitely wants me at dinner tonight."
"Go, you've got a lot of work waiting on you when you get back."

"Like anything's changed."

*

"Earth to Terry…hello, Terry!" Dana snapped her fingers in front of his face as a last resort. He jerked back to the present and blushed.

"Dana…sorry about that."

"Where were you? You looked a million miles away."

"Just thinking about the usual stuff." Yeah, just the normal stuff Batman has to deal with.

"I see. Well, I hope you're not bailing on our date tonight. I have tickets for the newest horror flick." She smiled and leaned closer.

"Tonight?" He winced…trying to think of another excuse. He looked up to see the smile die on her lips.

"Yeah, tonight. The date I had to make almost two weeks in advanced with my own boyfriend. What, you're bailing?"

"Look, Dana, it's not like I don't want to go…"

"Sure it is. If you wanted to go, you'd make time." She took her arm out of his and stood up, taking her lunch with her. "You know, maybe it's time we broke this off. You never have time for me anyway. I'm not just a toy you can put away until you're ready to play with it."

"Dana I know. I'm sorry, It's just that Mr. Wayne-"

"Mr. Wayne has nothing to do with this Ter. You and I have been having problems before Mr. Wayne. We don't talk anymore and we don't spend time together. I think it's time we see other people." He blinked and shook his head.

"What?"

"I think it's time to break up. This….you and I…aren't working anymore. I'm sorry, but other people have been asking me out, and I'm going to say yes." Terry's jaw tightened and he nodded, looking down at his lunch which had just become unappetizing.

"Fine." Dana sighed and touched his arm, and frowned when he pulled it away.

"Don't be like that Terry. This is your fault mostly. I didn't think it was fair for me to be in a relationship where I feel unwanted." She stood up and straightened her dress. "Perhaps we can still be friends."

"Perhaps." Terry watched her walk off, smiling at Nelson as she passed him. His eyes narrowed and he pushed his tray away as stood up. The din of the lunch room left his ears as he retreated further into the school, towards the computer lab. The soft and continuous clicking inside of the classroom meant one thing. Max was on a project. Opening up the door, he looked around until he spotted the pink haired head of his very good friend.

Coming to the end o f a row of terminals, he stood there and watched her work. Silence always showed Terry things he never noticed before, as if time stood still so he could examine. And that's what it did almost, for Max's fingers seemed to slow, but keep their rhythm.

Long hands. She had long hands and graceful fingers that flowed into strong, yet feminine arms. Max was almost as tall as he was, and he had to admit that she had a great pair of legs, and she showed them off with the skintight pants she always wore. Only she could pull something like that off.

"Hey Terry. How's it going?" He blinked and stood up. Time had speeded along again, and Max's fingers continued along at their rapid pace, the drone of the striking of the keys melting into the background like a comforting hum.

"I've had better days." She looked at him as he took the seat beside her.

"What happened?"

"A nothing I want to talk about right now. What are you doing?" Terry sat forward, intent on changing the subject.

"I'm going through Marcus Crowley's life records. Do you know how that guy could just put himself into Crowley's life?"

"No, but you'll tell me."

"He's his identical twin."

"This just gets better and better. So how could he have known everything there is to know about Marcus's field? I mean, it's not like you could take a vidlink course on it." Terry sat back and stretched. Max nodded and tapped a few keys.

"It seems that they both went into the same field, but Alistair stayed in England, where his brother died years later."

"If they have the same credentials, why didn't Alistair use his own name? I mean, besides the geek factor. I wouldn't want people to know my name was Alistair." Terry frowned.

"I'm not sure, but I think Marcus was the brightest of the two. But you do know it's been documented when one twin dies, sometimes the physic severance is so harsh that they take on the identity of the dead twin. This could be a case like that."

"I'll talk to you know who about it." They looked at the door as a class came in. "Guess I better go, lunch is over."

"I better leave too. I don't want anyone to know what I'm working on." Max stood and gathered her stuff.

"Thanks for the help, I couldn't have done it without you." Without thinking Terry kissed her on the cheek and made his way through the kids that were clustered by the door. Max stood there for a second, stunned…then started to smile.

*

"I loved him like a father. He helped me with my problems, and always listened when I wanted to talk. He knew I wanted to change, and I owe my livelihood to Norman Jacobs." Ira Billings said at the funeral.

"A massive heart attack is tragic, where were you when it happened?" A nameless reporter threw the question into the air.

"I was in my room, sleep. I sleep on the second floor, near the front, and I wouldn't have heard anything. I sleep very hard since the accident, and I get tired easily." He said smoothly.

"Do you have any plans with the money he left you?"

"I'm just going to continue to live the way I lived with him. I was happy, and I don't want to change a thing. It was a surprise he left me anything. But that was his way, he'd take someone under his wing, and make sure they were taken cared of. I'm sorry, this entire ordeal has been very draining, and I must go lie down." The crowd of reporters and hover cameras parted on the steps of the funeral home as Ira Billings walked down, and into the car that was waiting.

{Did you get that?} Batman asked as he watched from his perch, in invisible mode.

"Yeah. He even sounds sincere." Wayne muttered. He tapped his stick impatiently. "There is something we're not getting."
{I have that feeling too. But maybe it isn't with Ira. Maybe the operation worked. Maybe all of this is legit and Alistair really was so broken up over his twin's death his switched identities.}

"Perhaps. There's nothing left there. Let's reconvene." Batman turned off his invisibility and took off into the afternoon air.

*

Billings winced as another stab of pain shot through his head. The headaches were becoming more frequent, taking his energy more and more. His plans would have to be sped up if they were to go as planned. He gripped the steering wheel tighter as another wave of pain washed over him. Soon…very soon.