"I can't believe it."

"Believe it. When Max gave you that list of his criminal patients, all of them were dead. None that would bring attention to him, except that they were all under his medical care." Bruce smirked at the screen as names rolled by, all of them with the big red letters reading deceased beside them.

"What did he do?"

"We're not for certain. Why don't you pay a visit to the good doctor, see if he can give you any ideas." Terry smiled.

"Sounds like fun."

*

Dr. Crowley looked up from his car and frowned. The early fall weather made the wind sound as if it were a person. When he turned back around, Batman was crouching on the roof of his car. He stumbled back, dropping his keys to the pavement below. "Wh..what do you want?"

"Answers." Batman leaped to the ground in front of him and hauled the doctor up.

"I don't know what you're talking about." The British accent suddenly appeared, and the man was shaking.

"Why do you have an English accent?"

"I was born there."

"Marcus Crowley was heard to have lost it totally after being here six months. I know who you are." Batman lifted him off of his feet.

"I am Marcus Crowley!"

"No, you're not. You're his twin." He threw him down and watched the doctor pick himself up

"Please. I have a new life here, and I want to keep it. Marcus was so special he could have saved the world, but he was killed by someone so shortsighted as to drive while intoxicated. His bright flame was extinguished before the world knew his greatness. It's my life's work to further his." Alistair dusted off his suit and sighed.

"Who's idea was the operation? Your records don't seem to show you'd have the capabilities to think it up."

"It was my brother's idea. It was so brilliant. Reroute the nerve impulses to the frontal lobe, circumventing the need to use the middle of the cerebellum, which controls the production of a hormone that usually is in abundance in the criminally insane."

"Why have all of your patients died?" Batman glared at him.

"Different reasons. They all died after I turned them over to another doctor. I had nothing to do with it, honestly. Are you going to take me to jail?" Crowley asked face panicked.

"No." Batman flew off, and Alistair breathed a sigh of relief.

*

"Something doesn't make sense. Somewhere…you heard him. He didn't kill them. Maybe what he did to them made him the only qualified person to care for them when they were released."

"Could be. But I doubt it." Bruce looked at the computer screen. "He said that they reroute the nervous impulses to the frontal lobe. Very few people have definite activity in that area. You find out where Billing's is, and I am going go find how his patients died."

"Fine." Batman fired off and away.

*

Max looked up and blinked. "What are you doing here?" She stood up and clutched her laptop to her chest.

"I wanted to apologize. I have been going around and asking for forgiveness as soon as I can work up the nerve to face the people I have hurt." Ira smiled sadly. "I just wanted to thank you as well. Can we talk in private?" Max looked around and pointed to a group of trees not far off from the relaxing people. "Thanks."

They walked over and she turned to him. "Now what do you want to talk about?"

"I wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

"For getting me caught. Do you know how long six months in prison is for a person like me? Anger boiling so hot it gave me physical problems? No, you don't. You think you're immune to what I went through?" Billings gripped her upper arm painfully. "I am no longer physically inferior. Now that I have you, I can get this accrused device out of my head and I will be truly free."

"You're hurting me." Max said, trying to pry herself from him. She dropped her laptop and started using both hands.

"This is nothing. You have no idea what you're in for. Do you know what makes you so special Maxine Gibson? Your high IQ doesn't distinguish you that much, neither does your ability with almost anything electronic. No, it's the fact that you were able to withstand my mental scenarios. Humans don't have that type of will."

"You freak! Let me go. Help!!" She turned and yelled towards the people.

"They can't hear you. Crowley gave me a weapon, and its inside of me. You know what the frontal lobe is rumored to be used for?" Max stopped struggling and sighed.

"In a couple of generations everyone will speak telepathically. It also holds the ability for pyro, tele, and psychokinetic powers."

"Correct." He smiled and leaned close. "Now picture all of my intellect geared towards powering my frontal lobe, a part of my brain that I never used before." The horror dawned on Max as her eyes widened. He jerked her towards his car, out in the open, but no one looked up or heard her cries. All they saw was a man and a woman walking and holding hands.

*

"It's empty."

"Still, be careful. He might have traps."

"I did a sweep, there's nothing here." Batman opened the door and stepped in. The house was immaculate and sparsely furnished, done in off white. No heat signatures in the house at all, and the place had an artificial feel to it. "This is too weird."

"What is?" Bruce asked, looking through the video that was transmitted to his monitor.

"I don't know, it just feels…weird." He shrugged.

"Don't just stand there, check and see if you can find his room." Terry muttered under his breath. "What did you say?"

"Nothing." He started searching upstairs, but none seemed lived in, and none had any of Billings' belongings anywhere in them. "The man has to live somewhere. I refuse to believe he just stands in the corner all day, not doing anything.

"Check for a basement. Maybe there's something there."

"Look, just because you have your secret life in your basement doesn't meet everyone else does too."

"Just check." Terry rolled his eyes and opened the unassuming door to the basement. Turning on the lights, he gasped. Pictures littered the walls on all four sides. Pictures of Max smiling, pictures of Max walking into her building, pictures of her just walking places. The room gave him a cold feeling, and when he saw the small staute of her figure, he picked it up, and the clay head rolled off onto the table, clattering to pieces on the floor. "Good God. The man's mad."

"He better not have touched her." Batman ran out of the room and out of the house. "Where could she be? I know he has her. I'm going to kill him."

"Terry, calm down. Think…there is something that isn't in this picture. Something we've overlooked because it's just not screaming at us. What's not screaming in this whole scenario, even from the beginning?" Batman frowned, eyes narrowing.

"The doctor."

*

"My, you are pretty." Alistair smiled down at Max as she struggled against bonds that held her down to the surgical table. "And feisty. Don't you know you'll be doing the world a great favor. When we find out what's stopping your brain from succumbing to Mr. Billings hypnotic suggestion, you'll unlock the cure to many mental defects."

"But I don't get to keep my head!" She screamed at him. "Why are you doing this?"

"It's complicated. But the short of it is Billings here wouldn't have survived his life sentence in prison."

"Tough luck for him." The doctor gave her a withering stare and she closed her mouth.

"He agreed to get me the girl he talked about in all of his therapy sessions, and I promised to get him out of jail. I held up my part of the bargain, and now that you're here, I can further my research."

"You killed your brother didn't you?" He blinked at the accusation.

"Why do you say that?"

"I went back and read that accident report. His car was hit head on, and a dead body was found not far from it, and it reeked of so much alcohol they ruled out foul play. They didn't even check the alcohol in the bloodstream. If they did they would have realized the man wasn't drunk, he just took a bath in liquor."

"Quite astute. Yes, I did kill him. Do you know how it is to be second best? To your twin? You boys are great, but Marcus is the best. How well mannered, especially you Marcus. Never did they single out me. But I showed him a lesson." Alistair leaned closer. "What else do you know?"

"I know you killed all of your patients that you did that procedure on." He nodded.

"Yes, I did. I used them as guinea pigs. They served as a means to perfect the operation. There are still some kinks on it, but the last two people it was done on it was perfect. Except Billings." Ira's head snapped up, his eyes bloodshot and dilated.

"What do you mean? You promised me it wouldn't end up like your others!" He screamed, standing unsteadily.

"I lied. Like all the others, you'll hemorrhage until you bleed to death, leaking right out of your ears." Dr. Crowley shook his head and grinned. "Did you really believe I would have you running around, a threat to my research, my practice, the life I had to kill to have? Of course not."

"You….You…YOU!!!" Billings choked and held his head, screaming. "This was supposed to be for me! For me!" He crumpled to the ground, a pool of blood puddle growing around his lifeless head.

"Oh…." Max started struggling again. Alistair chuckled.

"It's no use." He picked up the anesthesia mask and placed it over her mouth and nose. She tried to fight it, but her lungs didn't cooperate, and she sank further into the blackness. Alistair held it over her mouth for ninety seconds, then proceeded to suit up for surgery. Turning around, he met the feet of Batman, and the force of the blow sent him flying to the other wall, sliding to the floor.

"I don't think so." Batman walked over to him and stood over him, trying to fight the urge to kill him. He was going to hurt Max….she would have been gone forever and he didn't tell her what he felt for her. Taking the time to glance at the dead body of Ira Billings, Terry released Max and picked her up gently, flying out of the whole in the wall he made as the approaching police cars neared the scene.

*

Max groaned and opened her eyes, her memories flooding back to her. She sat up, frightened, and hit her head on Terry's. "You're here." She exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him.

"Yeah." He hugged her back, relieved to just sit and watch her as she slept off the anesthesia. "Couldn't just leave you there to have your brain taken out." Terry looked down at her pink hair, happy to have her in his arms. "You know Max…" She looked up and kissed him quickly. "Whoa. What was that for?"

"I've wanted to do that for a long time, but I didn't have the guts. Almost having my brain kidnapped made me realize how much of a coward I had been. I know you're dating Dana-"

"No I'm not." Max frowned in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"We broke up a few days ago. I wanted to tell you, but then I realized I wanted you for more than a friend, but I didn't know how you felt." He slid closer to her, holding her. "When I came so close to losing you I felt so sick inside. I…I don't know what I would have done if you were gone from my life." Terry leaned in and kissed her passionately, wrapping his arms around her waist and bringing her closer. They broke apart some time later, panting but happy.

"This changes things." Max said, pushing some hair out of his eyes.

"I know, but I'm thinking for the better." The phone in his pocket rang and he sighed irritably. "Yeah?"

"How is everything?" Bruce asked, smiling softly.

"I thought you would have seen it on the news."

"I mean with Max."

"She's awake now, and doing fine." Terry's voice trailed off as Max stood up and stretched.

"Good. Get back here, we've got things to discuss." The dial tone rang in his head and he pocketed the phone and stood as well.

"I've got to…" Terry started apologetically.

"I know. Just be safe." He smiled and gathered her into his arms.

"You'll stay here right?"

"Maybe."

"Max."

"Oh alright." She sighed and looked him in the eye.

"That's my girl." He kissed her again, a hot open mouthed kiss filled with heat too hot to contain. Slowly they backed against the living room wall, and the spell was broken. "I think I better go…" Terry said breathlessly, willing himself to take his arms from her.

"Yeah, or you'll never leave." She leaned up and kissed him again quickly, pushing him to the door. " We'll finish this later." Max said seductively. "Bye McGinnis." The door shut quickly in his face and he couldn't help but grin.