"What? Are you serious? That sick bastard." Commissioner Gordon said as she stepped out of her car. The crime scene was closed off by laser tape, not allowing anyone through without a digital police badge. The body was juxtaposed in harsh angles, and a slight wince played itself across Barbara's face before she closed it over. "What happened here?"

"Victim is a seventeen year old girl, African American, about five six, 115 pounds. Name, Victoria Harris. Friends say she went out to shop and never came back." The body was severely mutilated, all four limbs were broken twice, as well as her neck." The Medical Examiner said grimly, gently taking the piece of paper held in her hand. He looked up at her sadly. "She was just a kid, never did anything. Her record is on the computer sitting on my van."

"Thanks Sam." He didn't look up as she left, feeling better with more space she put between her and the dead girl. The men moved from her path respectfully, and she opened the laptop and started to read.

Victoria Harris was much loved by all of her family, doting parents who were active in her scholastic life, and she maintained a 4.5 average in all classes she took. Rumored to be a computer genius, she was never without her laptop. The picture of her was a happier time, she was smiling straight at the digital camera, her hair long and black. The body's hair was shorn short and dyed pink. Only one person fit that description.

*

In local news, a young woman was killed last night in a violent murder. Police are investigating the whereabouts of Ira Billings, a.k.a. Spellbinder, as the sole suspect. If you have any information on this case, please do your civic duty and report it. Victoria Harris will be missed greatly by her friends and family. This is your news, have a nice day.

Max looked at the screen in shock, couldn't possibly believe what she was seeing on the news. "Oh my gosh…he's sick and deranged, and still out there." She said, her slim hands reaching up to brush the tears away. She couldn't face herself in the mirror as long as she knew she was the cause of that girl's death. A girl just like her who had her whole life ahead of her, now quickly taken away by some psychopath who thought he wanted her.

Max sighed and turned off the vidlink, welcoming the silence of the apartment. Picking up her jacket, she walked out quickly, closing her door. 'I'm sorry Terry.' She thought as she locked up, 'I have to do this.'.

*

Batman slammed down a perp, letting the burly crook fall onto the pavement.

Leaning into the rubber band like face of the shaking man, he hissed one question.

"Where are they?"

"Down there! Just don't hurt me!" The guy pointed down the alleyway, and almost passed out as the Dark Knight released him and flew down the alley. Batman saw the two others, one with a large bag of creds recently liberated from the local bank. Nearing the men, he extended his hands, fist formation, ramming into the back of the head of the criminal holding the bag.

The other man turned around quickly, almost dropping the bag Terry didn't see earlier. "BATMAN!" he yelled with fear as he started to run. Batman jumped in front of him and snaked his leg to the side of his face, dropping him in record time.

Hearing police sirens he hauled the two unconscious men back to where the other one laid, the bags of creds still intact. Jumping to the roof, he watched the scene of the robbers arrest with slight interest. Until he saw the blink of the red light on his belt. Terry looked down and pressed the button.

"Yeah?" He said, slight irritation evident in his voice.

"We have a problem."

"What kind of problem? The city's quiet, and all it's citizens are in bed. Can I get some sleep too?"

"Max." Terry's heart stopped beating for a moment, suddenly a headache formed.

"What's wrong?"

"Her tracker is showing movement. She's left her building."

"What? Why?!" He almost yelled, stepping away from the edge of the roof. Terry took off into the air, to the awaiting Batplane. As he powered over Gotham City to Max's apartment Bruce Wayne uploaded the tracer and it's activity, as well as the news byte. As he watched his face contorted in horror. "He's sick!"

"I agree. You need to find her quickly."

"I know. I hope nothing's happened to her." Terry said as he zeroed in on her location.

*

Max hesitated as she stepped into the park at night. It was dislocate, and chilly, with no one was around, and she shivered slightly. Sitting on a bench she calmed herself with the thought that it would all be over shortly.

"So you did meet me. I came to think of this as our park." She spun around, eyes wide.

"It's you."

"Who else did you expect?" Spellbinder said, a crazy look in his eye.

"Why are you doing this?" Max asked, a tired sound to her voice. He sat down beside her, regarding her carefully.

"Doing what?"

"Killing people…you made her look like me."

"I wanted to get your attention."

"Well you have it. What do you want?"

"Oh, I think you know what I want." Before Max realized the rag came out of nowhere, covering her mouth and nose. The acrid, sticky sweet smell invaded her nostrils, and she tried not to breathe in. She couldn't hold on for long as she gasped in air from the chloroformed cloth. Her eyes slowly fluttered shut as she tried to hold Spellbinder off, and her arms weakened as oblivion claimed her mind.

*

"This is all my fault." Terry said as he flew around the high rises and tall office buildings.

"No its not. We both know how stubborn she is, even when it comes to her own life. At least you planted the tracker, so we can find her as soon as feasible."

"Yeah, but I shouldn't have left." He glared at the screen that held the beeping position of Max. It was stationary, and his heart slowed slightly as he neared the area. He jumped out of the plane, the bright full moon light casting a silver slight, unrealistic glow on the whole place. "This is creepy. MAX!" He yelled, looking around for her. He didn't see anyone, and became worried.

The locator in his hand beeped insistently, and he followed the signal to a bench about a hundred feet away. On it's empty surface was the bat shaped tracer, embedded in the grain. "Oh shit." Terry said as he flew back to the plane. "Spellbinder's already been here, he has her! The tracker was the only thing left. They were long gone."

"Calm down Terry." Bruce said as the plane reached high speeds.

"No! He has her, he can kill her…" Terry tried to collect himself as he breathed.

"No he won't. He wants her for something. That's why he's after her. Now just step back and think about this rationally. Become Batman, and think about this." Terry took a mental shake of himself and tried to look at the situation objectively. Involuntarily he turned towards Arkham Asylum, his frown deepening as he came closer to the imposing, slightly evil looking building perched precariously on weather beaten cliffs. "Crowley."

"What about the doctor?"

"The doctor is the last link. Who else but Spellbinder can help his escape? I wouldn't be surprised if the good doctor was lying about his condition. Spellbinder still needs the operation done, so it would be a bargaining tool for his freedom. So he's the guy to watch."

*

Max opened her eyes and blinked, head hurting, mouth feeling as if it were full of cotton. "Ugh…where am I?" She asked, trying to bring her hand to her head. She found she couldn't, being tethered to the table by her wrists and ankles. Max frowned as she realized she was in the exact same position only a week ago.

"Hello Maxine." Someone came into her line of vision and smiled.

"What are you doing to me?" She asked indignantly, tugging as she knew was uselessly.

"Oh, just the same thing we were going to do before, right when we were interrupted. The transmitter was found."

"Transmitter? What transmitter?"

"The transmitter that Batman so easily left on you. If I didn't know any better, I would say that you two knew each other."

"He's just concerned."

"Of course he is. You know, I wish we had more time to chat, but the surgery must be completed. Crowley!" Spellbinder barked, looking over his shoulder angrily.

"Hold your horses, I'm coming." Alistair said, lathering up his arms. "I'm sorry, but I had to psych myself up for this."

"Just do it. No stalling this time, or I will kill you."

"Well forgive me if I don't quite enjoy having my life trashed, forced to perform in these horrific conditions."

"But you do enjoy the money." The smile that broke out on the Englishman's face was greedy.

"That I do old chap, that I do. And once I get it, I'm gone. I don't want to see you or this godforsaken city again."

*

"Gone."

"Yes gone. Escaped. The guard came to check on him a few hours ago, and he was doing what he always does at night, playing chess and babbling about his brother. But he was found gone five minutes ago." Batman kept his temper as turned away from the warden, blasting away to the waiting plane.

"Where could he be, that's what I want to know." He said as the cockpit shield slid shut.

"We'll find her." Bruce said, trying to reassure the teen.

"If he's hurt her, I won't be responsible for what I'll do." Terry frowned as Bruce Wayne sat back in his chair, nodding once as he understood.

"Let's think about this logically. Spellbinder has Crowley so he could perform the operation, right?"

"Yeah."

"So think of a place they could go, someplace sanitary."

"Sanitary? Why would they…" Terry trailed off as he passed by the abandoned First Gotham Hospital. He pulled the plane to a stop, turning on his heat sensors and scanning the building. One floor drew his attention, with three spots of concentrated heat, moving. Three people.

"Be careful Terry."

"I always am."

*

Max fought the anesthesia as hard as she could, but she was so tired, and it would feel so good to close her eyes. Spellbinder stroked the side of her face gently and leaned into her vision. "Don't fight it. Just give in, and you'll feel better." His oddly soothing voice breaking down her will as what little gas she mistakenly inhaled started to work. Spellbinder turned quickly to Crowley. "Are you ready yet?"

"Yes, I am. You are in a hurry aren't you?"

"Don't worry about that. Just move along."

*

Terry saw red as he flew down the cluttered corridors of obsolete equipment and dilapidated gurneys, hoping he wasn't too late. He broke through an old OR room's doors and landed quickly. Crowley turned around quickly, dropping the ready scalpel to the ground in slight shock.

"Do you know how long, how long I waited to kill her, to kill you? Do you think I thought of anything else while I was imprisoned unjustly? Night after night I crafted my escape, and for you to deny my revenge at this late date? I don't think so." Spellbinder stepped from the shadows and glared at Batman, eyes livid. "You weren't in my plans as of now, but I will enjoy this so much more." His eyes narrowed and memories flashed unbidden through Batman's head. "I do wish I could see what you're seeing, but I haven't advanced that far yet."

Horrible memories clouded through Terry's mind, the death of his father and the time after, nights of checking on his mom and finding her crying, watching Matt slowly but surely forget how his dad looked, shouldering responsibility he wasn't ready for. The disappointed faces of his parents as he was hauled off to Juvie in a squad car, Dana's face when he had to cancel yet another date. Disappearance after disappearance he couldn't account for that always bothered him. Times where he told Max she wasn't needed, or he lied to her so she wouldn't know what he was doing. The last memory was of Charlie as he fell from the bridge, screaming as he plunged into the mist.

"Feel the weight of all you've done? Past disappointments maybe? Or just general little things that has nagged at your subconscious. Well, let me intensify the load. I want you to feel the maximum guilt and pain you can, in each horrifying instance." Spellbinder laughed as he applied the pressure, and watched Batman sink to the ground under the physical manifestation of his feelings.

His lungs couldn't contract, and his head touched the ground weakly as he tried to breathe. Everything hurt, every embarrassment and guilt and everything he did and didn't get caught tore at him, at his heart, and at the center of it was the realization that he wouldn't be able to safe the girl he loved.

"It hurts, doesn't it. I know it does. You're dying from guilt. Isn't that ironic? The one who judges is now being judged. May you rot in hell!" Spellbinder screamed as he kicked Batman in the face. The caped crusader flipped backwards, groaning weakly. "And as you die, she will too. Crowley! Hurry up and start!" Terry opened his eyes and tried to adjust his pain clouded vision as he focused on Max. He let out a harsh laugh.

"You…might want to know the doctor has skipped out on you." Batman gasped out, wincing from the pain in his head. Spellbinder jerked around and screamed angrily.

"Crowley!!" Spittle flew from his face, and an insane look pasted on his face. Batman gritted his teeth and rose to his feet, firing his turbo blasters on the soles of his boots, catapulting him into Spellbinder. They both fell to the hard ground, and as Terry's vision cleared, he was aware of the crack he heard. Spellbinder groaned and rolled away, getting to his feet unsteadily.

"You're going in Billings…but I got something I want to talk to you about." Batman said, relief almost making his body shake. The weight was gone, and he could see…think again. Terry gave him a right hook, enjoying the satisfying slap against flesh and he pounded his stomach. Billings tried to counteract, but Terry grabbed his arm, his foot landing a blow on his armpit, causing him to kneel before him. A huge uppercut caused him to smile, watching the man reel back, landing against the window.

"No, I refuse to lose!" The crazed man ran at Max, a knife in his hands. "If I can't do it my way, it still will get done!"

"MAX, NO!" Batman grabbed Billings and threw him against the window, shattering the old sheets of glass. Spellbinder hung on tightly to the frame, a large pane of glass digging into his hand, blood coursing down. "Billings, let me help you."

"I would rather kill myself." Terry looked on in slight shock as the man let go, a tortured scream ripped from his lips as he hurled down to the earth.

"What happened?" Bruce asked, hearing the scream.

"He just lost his mind." Batman took off his cowl and walked over to Max, taking the mask from her face. "Should I bring her to the cave? She's inhaled a lot of anesthesia."

"No, I didn't." Terry dropped the mask in surprise as Max smiled at him. "Hey, took you long enough."

"What? I thought…"

"Nah. This is an old hospital, and they used the equipment they found. In the olden days the masks only covered your mouth. I just breathed through my nose."

"That was smart."

"And you expected any different?" She smiled and tugged on her restraints. "Want to untie me?"

*

"Ahh…good to be home!" Max crowed as she flopped on her couch. Terry smiled slightly as he closed the door behind him, turning on the light. She opened one eye as a shadow came over her. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just the last image of Spellbinder as he jumped. Kinda got to me." Max stood and nodded.

"Well, if it didn't, I would be kind of worried." They stood, looking at each other for some minutes. "Thanks for saving me. I knew you would." Terry snorted.

"For a while, I wasn't sure if I could. I was scared."

"Why?"

"I was scared I wouldn't be smart enough to find them, and when I did, it would be too late." Max took a step closer and helped Terry take off his jacket.

"You look tired. Let's not talk about this right now."

"I am tired," He said as he threw his jacket on the floor, "but we need to talk now." The seriousness in his voice stopped her, and she took his hand and brought him to the couch.

"What is it?" Terry suddenly felt all of the total teenage goofiness descend upon him in one instance, and he swallowed hard. Another day…

"Just that you're beautiful." A smile a mile wide split Max's face, and she laughed.

"Boy, you sure know how to scare and flatter a girl." She looked away and kept talking, almost as if she couldn't stop herself. "You know, I wasn't scared for my life, but more like scared that I would never see you again. Never tell you that…" She sighed and closed her eyes.

"Tell me what? That you loved me as much as I love you?" Max turned in surprise. "That's what I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know if you had the same feelings. Guys don't like that, being the only emotional person in the relationship." Terry let his finger trace up the graceful length of her arm.

"Don't worry about it, I promise to get mushy every once in a while. When no one's looking of course."

"Of course." He yawned and stretched, and Max turned off the lights, the orange square on the floor shifting as the sun set. "We have school Monday." Terry said, yawning again.

"Yeah. Some vacation. I get stalked by a maniac, but it wasn't all bad." She pulled him into her arms, and he relaxed, leaning against her comfortably.

"I'm glad." They shifted, stretched out on the large couch. Terry's arms stole around Max's waist, trying to bring her closer. He rested his head on her chest and smiled. "This is comfortable."

"Now I'm glad. Are you crashing here tonight?" She asked, her voice drifting off, drowsy.

"Unfortunately, I can't. Gotta get back home, get ready for school tomorrow. Things like that." He kissed her slowly, his whole body relaxed and sane now that she was back, safely.

"Then I guess you should go then…" Max let him go, coming to her feet as he rose. Terry fumbled around for his jacket, shouldering it on and giving her another kiss. "You know, if you keep this up, you will never get home." Terry laughed against her lips.

"There are worse things. Good night Max." She smiled and eased a lock of hair from out of his face.

"Good night Terry. Dream of something good."

"Why, it's already come true." He kissed her again quickly and left, closing the door quietly behind him. As Terry walked out of the building, thoughts flew through his head. He just told Max he loved her. It was true, but it gave a new meaning to their emerging relationship. Vowing to think about it when he's had more than two hours sleep in thirty six hours, he ambled off to his house, smiling and thinking about Max's lips.