(Disclaimer: I don't own Batman Beyond, but I own all people not known to you people.)
The air smelled faintly of lemon chicken and sweet potatoes as Terry
McGinnis entered his family's apartment. "Hi guys." Terry said. "Did you
pick up the milk like I asked you to?" Mrs. McGinnis asked Terry. "Yeah."
Terry said, hoisting the two jugs of milk he'd picked up on the way the
home from Wayne Manor onto the table. "Hey, T.T." Matt walked into the
room. Matt was now 16, he was smart, strong and fast, almost exactly like
Terry had been at that age, but Matt was a whiz with computers. Terry had
gone on to Neo-Harvard, to the surprise of the entire school administration.
Terry had really worked himself ragged the last years of high school. Matt
had started calling Terry by his old gang nickname, T.T. for Tiny Terry. In
response, Terry had nicknamed him Micro, because Terry said that was his
brain size. "Hey Micro." Terry gave Matt's skull an affectionate knuckle
rub. "Boys, we DISPENSE with the gang names at the table." Mrs.
McGinnis said irritably. "Yes, Big Mama." Matt and Terry chorused, yet
again taunting her that they knew their fathers pet name for her. "Stop it!"
Mrs. McGinnis said, blushing deeply. They settled down to dinner, and near
the end Terry's cell phone rang. Terry flipped it open, "Yeah? Ok, I'll be
there in five." Terry said. "Matt, could you get something from Max? Mr.
Wayne needs me at Waynetech." Terry explained, for he worked as a
personal assistant to Mr. Wayne, now that Wayne had regained Waynetech
back from Powers. He raced for the door and then out, along the upper
walkway of their apartment complex to a skywalk that lead to the top of a
neighboring parking garage, where Terry kept the Batmobile hidden and
where he and Matt kept their motorcycles. Matt pulled on his black and
silver Bomber Jacket, then reached for his motorcycle helmet. "I'm going to
pick up something from Max's for Terry." Matt said. "Ok, be careful." Mrs.
McGinnis said. Matt walked out of the apartment and jogged to the parking
garage. He froze as he came out on the top level, as the Batmobile appeared
at the far end of the aisle of the parking garage, hovering a foot or so above
the ground. Matt could see the outline of a figure dressed in black standing
beside it, but he couldn't see his face. Matt pulled on his helmet and flipped
down the visor as he dodged behind a small building that housed the
maintenance equipment. He tapped a button on the side of his helmet and the
high-tech digital screen he'd built into the visor activated, it received direct
feed from a micro-camera he'd installed in the visor's edge, nearly invisible
to the naked eye. Matt pressed another button a couple times, enhancing the
visor image by 25x, 50x, 100x, and then finally 200x. He could clearly see
the person's body from the shoulders up and he blanched, it was Terry.
"Terry? What the hell are you doing here..." Matt said softly. He directed his
camera gaze downwards, at Terry's chest, and blanched. He saw the crimson
Bat insignia on his chest and said, "Oh my god...my brother is Batman."
Matt said just as Terry pulled the cowl down securely over his face.
"Houston, we have liftoff." Matt whispered reverently as Batman jumped
into the Batmobile and took off into the sky. Matt raced to his motorcycle
and started the engine. Revving the accelerator, he took off down the spiral
concrete ramp, heading for Max's place at top speed.
Max heard the doorbell ring; she had been linked up with Terry in the
Batmobile via the link in her laptop, she told Terry to hold on, closed the
screen of her laptop, and got up to answer the door. She yelled, "Coming!"
to whoever was at the door and walked towards it. Dressed in her usual
black pants and mustard yellow tank top, she hit the touchpad to open the
door. Her first impression of the figure standing in the doorway, she said,
"Terry?" The figure laughed softly, "Ehh, wrong answer. Its Matt." Matt
stepped into the room, towering over Max a good 6 inches. "Oh, Terry said
you'd be stopping by. He called just after he said you guys had dinner. Just a
sec, I'll get Terry's laptop." Max said, jogging into the next room. Matt had
a hunch...but he had to prove it. He quickly removed a battered silver
cigarette case from an inside jacket pocket and flicked it open. Inside,
instead of cigarettes, were various computer discs. He found the one he
wanted and opened her laptop disc drive. He inserted the disc shut the disc
drive again. "Here you go." Max said, returning just as Matt had put the
cigarette case back in his jacket. "Thanks." Matt said. He took the laptop and
walked out. Max made sure he was gone, then flipped open her laptop and
restored the link to the Batmobile, oblivious to the disc that was inside her
laptop, transmitting at this very moment.
"So, did the twip get my laptop?" Terry said. He'd just stopped a gang
fight between the Jokers and the Red T's. "Yep. It should be waiting for you
when you get back home." Max replied. "Good, I still need to do my
astrology homework." Terry said jokingly.
Matt got home as fast as he could, which, because of traffic, took at
least a half-hour. He raced to his laptop and checked the log. [Good, the
transmitter I put in her computer recorded their entire conversation AND
should put me in the loop.] Matt thought, pleased. He inserted a disk into his
laptop, which, when a video link would be used, his voice and image would
appear to be different. He donned a headset and made it snug around his
ears, then typed in the string of commands necessary to put him in the loop.
"What the hell?" Terry said aloud as another face appeared on the
video link between him and Max. "Hello...Terry McGinnis." The distorted
face said. Terry was shocked, and narrowly missed hitting a building.
"How...how do you know?" Terry said. "Would you believe, this?" the face
said to him.
Matt ejected the disk, and his face became crystal clear. "Its me,
Matt." Matt said simply.
"Oh my god, MATT?!" Terry said, absolutely shocked. Matt smiled
slightly. "Please hold." Terry said. He closed out what he believed to be the
link to Matt's computer, but not to Max's computer, therefore, Matt could
still see them and hear them. Terry quickly dialed up Bruce, he'd know what
to do. "Yeah?" Bruce said in his usual gruff way. "Bruce, Its about Matt, he
found out about me being Batman." Terry said, cringing in expectation of
the yelling. He didn't need to worry about Max, since she had somehow
found out about Bruce being the old Batman all on her own. "Just so you
know, I can still see AND hear you." Matt said, surprised that Bruce Wayne
had been the old Batman. "How...I shut down your link to the Batmobile!"
Terry said in disbelief. "You THOUGHT you did. Max, look in your disc
drive." Matt said.
"There isn't anything..." Max said as she popped open the disc drive.
She stared, eyes wide, as she saw the disc in there. She shut it again, still in
wonder how he'd gotten it in there.
As expected, Matt was put out of the link when the disc drive opened.
He waited, and didn't have to wait long, as the link was restored. "Come to
Wayne Manor." Bruce said simply. "Ok." Matt said. He reached beneath his
bed and withdrew his computer carrying case. He shut the laptop and slid it
into the already bulging case, which was packed with all sorts of equipment
and discs, just in case. He slung it over his shoulder and ran out to his
motorcycle, then raced for Wayne Manor at top speed.
(To be Continued)
The air smelled faintly of lemon chicken and sweet potatoes as Terry
McGinnis entered his family's apartment. "Hi guys." Terry said. "Did you
pick up the milk like I asked you to?" Mrs. McGinnis asked Terry. "Yeah."
Terry said, hoisting the two jugs of milk he'd picked up on the way the
home from Wayne Manor onto the table. "Hey, T.T." Matt walked into the
room. Matt was now 16, he was smart, strong and fast, almost exactly like
Terry had been at that age, but Matt was a whiz with computers. Terry had
gone on to Neo-Harvard, to the surprise of the entire school administration.
Terry had really worked himself ragged the last years of high school. Matt
had started calling Terry by his old gang nickname, T.T. for Tiny Terry. In
response, Terry had nicknamed him Micro, because Terry said that was his
brain size. "Hey Micro." Terry gave Matt's skull an affectionate knuckle
rub. "Boys, we DISPENSE with the gang names at the table." Mrs.
McGinnis said irritably. "Yes, Big Mama." Matt and Terry chorused, yet
again taunting her that they knew their fathers pet name for her. "Stop it!"
Mrs. McGinnis said, blushing deeply. They settled down to dinner, and near
the end Terry's cell phone rang. Terry flipped it open, "Yeah? Ok, I'll be
there in five." Terry said. "Matt, could you get something from Max? Mr.
Wayne needs me at Waynetech." Terry explained, for he worked as a
personal assistant to Mr. Wayne, now that Wayne had regained Waynetech
back from Powers. He raced for the door and then out, along the upper
walkway of their apartment complex to a skywalk that lead to the top of a
neighboring parking garage, where Terry kept the Batmobile hidden and
where he and Matt kept their motorcycles. Matt pulled on his black and
silver Bomber Jacket, then reached for his motorcycle helmet. "I'm going to
pick up something from Max's for Terry." Matt said. "Ok, be careful." Mrs.
McGinnis said. Matt walked out of the apartment and jogged to the parking
garage. He froze as he came out on the top level, as the Batmobile appeared
at the far end of the aisle of the parking garage, hovering a foot or so above
the ground. Matt could see the outline of a figure dressed in black standing
beside it, but he couldn't see his face. Matt pulled on his helmet and flipped
down the visor as he dodged behind a small building that housed the
maintenance equipment. He tapped a button on the side of his helmet and the
high-tech digital screen he'd built into the visor activated, it received direct
feed from a micro-camera he'd installed in the visor's edge, nearly invisible
to the naked eye. Matt pressed another button a couple times, enhancing the
visor image by 25x, 50x, 100x, and then finally 200x. He could clearly see
the person's body from the shoulders up and he blanched, it was Terry.
"Terry? What the hell are you doing here..." Matt said softly. He directed his
camera gaze downwards, at Terry's chest, and blanched. He saw the crimson
Bat insignia on his chest and said, "Oh my god...my brother is Batman."
Matt said just as Terry pulled the cowl down securely over his face.
"Houston, we have liftoff." Matt whispered reverently as Batman jumped
into the Batmobile and took off into the sky. Matt raced to his motorcycle
and started the engine. Revving the accelerator, he took off down the spiral
concrete ramp, heading for Max's place at top speed.
Max heard the doorbell ring; she had been linked up with Terry in the
Batmobile via the link in her laptop, she told Terry to hold on, closed the
screen of her laptop, and got up to answer the door. She yelled, "Coming!"
to whoever was at the door and walked towards it. Dressed in her usual
black pants and mustard yellow tank top, she hit the touchpad to open the
door. Her first impression of the figure standing in the doorway, she said,
"Terry?" The figure laughed softly, "Ehh, wrong answer. Its Matt." Matt
stepped into the room, towering over Max a good 6 inches. "Oh, Terry said
you'd be stopping by. He called just after he said you guys had dinner. Just a
sec, I'll get Terry's laptop." Max said, jogging into the next room. Matt had
a hunch...but he had to prove it. He quickly removed a battered silver
cigarette case from an inside jacket pocket and flicked it open. Inside,
instead of cigarettes, were various computer discs. He found the one he
wanted and opened her laptop disc drive. He inserted the disc shut the disc
drive again. "Here you go." Max said, returning just as Matt had put the
cigarette case back in his jacket. "Thanks." Matt said. He took the laptop and
walked out. Max made sure he was gone, then flipped open her laptop and
restored the link to the Batmobile, oblivious to the disc that was inside her
laptop, transmitting at this very moment.
"So, did the twip get my laptop?" Terry said. He'd just stopped a gang
fight between the Jokers and the Red T's. "Yep. It should be waiting for you
when you get back home." Max replied. "Good, I still need to do my
astrology homework." Terry said jokingly.
Matt got home as fast as he could, which, because of traffic, took at
least a half-hour. He raced to his laptop and checked the log. [Good, the
transmitter I put in her computer recorded their entire conversation AND
should put me in the loop.] Matt thought, pleased. He inserted a disk into his
laptop, which, when a video link would be used, his voice and image would
appear to be different. He donned a headset and made it snug around his
ears, then typed in the string of commands necessary to put him in the loop.
"What the hell?" Terry said aloud as another face appeared on the
video link between him and Max. "Hello...Terry McGinnis." The distorted
face said. Terry was shocked, and narrowly missed hitting a building.
"How...how do you know?" Terry said. "Would you believe, this?" the face
said to him.
Matt ejected the disk, and his face became crystal clear. "Its me,
Matt." Matt said simply.
"Oh my god, MATT?!" Terry said, absolutely shocked. Matt smiled
slightly. "Please hold." Terry said. He closed out what he believed to be the
link to Matt's computer, but not to Max's computer, therefore, Matt could
still see them and hear them. Terry quickly dialed up Bruce, he'd know what
to do. "Yeah?" Bruce said in his usual gruff way. "Bruce, Its about Matt, he
found out about me being Batman." Terry said, cringing in expectation of
the yelling. He didn't need to worry about Max, since she had somehow
found out about Bruce being the old Batman all on her own. "Just so you
know, I can still see AND hear you." Matt said, surprised that Bruce Wayne
had been the old Batman. "How...I shut down your link to the Batmobile!"
Terry said in disbelief. "You THOUGHT you did. Max, look in your disc
drive." Matt said.
"There isn't anything..." Max said as she popped open the disc drive.
She stared, eyes wide, as she saw the disc in there. She shut it again, still in
wonder how he'd gotten it in there.
As expected, Matt was put out of the link when the disc drive opened.
He waited, and didn't have to wait long, as the link was restored. "Come to
Wayne Manor." Bruce said simply. "Ok." Matt said. He reached beneath his
bed and withdrew his computer carrying case. He shut the laptop and slid it
into the already bulging case, which was packed with all sorts of equipment
and discs, just in case. He slung it over his shoulder and ran out to his
motorcycle, then raced for Wayne Manor at top speed.
(To be Continued)