Chapter Five
Terry didn't go back to school for a week. His presence had been missed and even caused Max to call up and ask how he was doing. The answer was the same every time.
II don't know./I
Dana had grown to miss him at school and called by the apartment several times. Sometimes he was willing to sit and talk with her, and other times his mother had to go and tell her that he was asleep.
It had been hard for Matt as well. Every night through the walls Terry could hear him sobbing in his room. Several times he had gotten up himself and gone over to console him and the two of them would stay up until three o'clock talking. Sometimes they talked about their dad, most of the time they chatted about baseball and girls. Matt didn't like them very much yet, but he was starting to get interested.
Warren McGinnis' office, the scene of the crime, had been locked and no one wanted to go inside. Their mother had gone inside several times by herself, mostly to collect his things that they'd need, but other than that the boys didn't want to go in there. Terry only went in to get his computer, and it was now sitting on a crate by his bed.
Because of recent events, the Batcave had been pushed entirely out of Terry's mind. Until he got the phone call.
He had no idea how the old man had gotten his phone number or found out who he was, but in the middle of the night his cell phone on his bedside table awakened Terry.
He groggily got up, reaching for the phone. Normally he wouldn't have answered it, knowing it to be one of his friends from school, but it was too late and he wasn't thinking straight. He put it to his ear.
"'lo?" He closed his eyes, resting his head against the pillow. He could feel himself drifting again, but the voice that answered back caused him to open his eyes.
"The secret stays where it belongs."
Terry hadn't spoken for a moment, struggling to sit up. He kicked the sheets off him. "Who is this?" he asked, alarmed.
"If I hear what you found out from anyone else, I will personally fix it myself."
The connection broke, and it took Terry a couple of seconds to figure out who it was from. He had entirely forgotten about that little incident.
During the days Terry stayed in his room. He only accepted the occasional phone call from Jared, telling him what he was missing in school, but that was it. He couldn't get the one thing out of his head.
IIt was my fault/I.
It had to have been. The Jokerz were after him. Somehow they found out who he was and in order to hit him where it hurts, they went for his dad.
But could that really be it?
Jokerz didn't attack apartment buildings for nothing. And no one else had been killed. Warren McGinnis' death had been a deliberate one. Even the police had been baffled by this behavior.
It wasn't only that.
The fight they had had before kept replaying itself in his head. The way he had yelled at his father when his father was only trying to help. It made him hate himself with passion and he wished he could make it all go away.
But it wasn't that easy. And he knew it.
His mother had tried several times to explain to Matt what had happened, but sometimes it proved to difficult for her and she had to stop. Terry, feeling sorry, did it in her place. And Matt hadn't stopped crying since.
Flowers were sent in nonstop since the accident. Flowers from neighbors, from family members, from friends. And there was one bouquet that came in unsigned. But it had the Wayne Enterprises card attached.
"I can't decide whether it's from the company itself, or from an employer who forgot to sign it," his mother had said.
Terry didn't say anything. He had the strong suspense that it had come directly from the source. He felt a little angry when he saw it and tried to figure out what the old man was trying to do.
Then decided to let the intention speak for itself.
It was a nice gesture.
Derek Powers was feeling better about himself. He was able to go about his business with renewed confidence. And he didn't have to worry about nosy scientists finding about questionable projects.
Mr. Fixx sat in front of his desk, a cigar dangling from his mouth. Derek's gaze rested on the hideous scar down his face briefly, then got down to business.
"I want to thank you, Mr. Fixx, for your aid," he said, "and as promised, your payment."
He handed him a check. Mr. Fixx looked at the total and, seemingly satisfied, tucked it away with a gloved hand.
"And as a part of our contract, I will still need your assistance throughout the project. I'm sure you understand. And I assure you, you will paid according to the sum at the end."
"I understand," Mr. Fixx nodded. He reached into his pocket and drew out a wallet. He tossed it carelessly on the desk and Derek Powers looked down at it, moving his hands away.
"This is?" he asked.
"Hughe's. Didn't know if you wanted to hold on to it not."
Derek's gazed moved back up to Mr. Fixx. "No, I prefer if you held on to it. If anyone were to find it here, it would raise questions."
Mr. Fixx shrugged and took it back.
"And what about Mr. McGinnis'?"
"I left that up to the Jokerz. If they ransacked the place, why would we have his stuff?"
Derek smiled. "Good. And the Jokerz? What do they want in return?"
"I already handled that."
"Good. Then it's business as usual. Try to keep any faces from pointing toward us and we should be fine. The project is still in progress. Thursday I will be checking on it at night and I hope you will be there as well as security."
"No problem Mr. Powers."
Just then the door to the office opened and they both turned to see a young man standing in the doorway. He resembled Derek Powers and the only difference was his youthful face and black hair. He wore a business suit, making him look especially suave and clean-cut. His gaze rested on Mr. Fixx briefly before turning to Derek Powers.
"Excuse me for interrupting," he said, his voice light and charming, "but Dad? Our lunch, remember?"
"Ah yes, of course I remember, Paxton," Derek said, getting to his feet. Mr. Fixx did the same and Derek nodded at him. "Mr. Fixx, this is my son, Paxton Powers. Paxton, this is Mr. Fixx, one of my employers."
"Hello," Paxton greeted him warmly, waving and nodding his head. Then he turned back to his father. "Should I wait until this meeting's over?"
"No need," Derek stopped him, buttoning his suit jacket closed and rounding the desk. "We're finished. Mr. Fixx, thank you for your time."
Mr. Fixx merely nodded and left the office. Behind him Derek and Paxton followed, Paxton oblivious to the conversation that had just went on before he'd arrived.
On the day of the funeral Matt found Terry busy at their father's laptop in his room. He stopped in the doorway, watching him. They were both wearing black suits. Matt's mother had to buy his the other day and normally he would've objected to wearing such an outfit. But because of the circumstance, he didn't utter a protest while his mother helped him put it on.
"What are you doing?" he asked finally.
Terry started, looking back at him. "Oh, just looking through a few of Dad's files."
"Why?"
"Just curious to see what he was doing."
Matt approached, leaning against Terry's back and looking at the screen over his shoulder. "Mom says we're leaving in five minutes."
"Okay. Be out in a minute."
Matt turned to leave, but hesitated and looked back at him. He blinked hard.
"Terry..I miss him."
Terry looked back at him. "Of course you do. I do too. We both do."
Matt nodded, his eyes shiny with tears as he turned away and disappeared down the hall. Terry watched him go for a moment before turning back to the computer.
The thought had dawned on him that morning. It suddenly occurred to him that it was too strange that the Jokerz would do such precise damage. It wasn't their way. They corrupted and destroyed, they didn't go after one person. Especially someone that held no significance to them. And after running the whole scenario through his head for several days straight, Terry knew there was no way they could've known who he was or where he lived. It was too dark to even tell who he was, let alone figure out where he lived.
And there was no way they could've done that in such a short time.
So now here he was, going through his Dad's files, hoping to find some sort of link to help him figure out what could've caused his death. At first he thought it had to have been a long shot, but then he found something.
He opened several photo files, and what popped up nearly caused him to gag in surprise and disgust.
What he saw was a man, practically dissolved away, missing most of his limbs.
And what was worst was that by the man's expression, Terry could tell he was still alive. And screaming with pain.
Terry wanted to shut down the program the minute he had opened it up. If this was one of Dad's experiments, how they could let something like this happened? It had to have been illegal.
Then it dawned on him.
The file was from Wayne/Power's agricultural department. Warren worked there. And if he knew of such a grotesque experiment maybe.
Well maybe not. Maybe he was jumping to conclusions. But he was sure there had to be a connection.
"TERRY!"
His mother's voice rang through the house and he quickly shut down the program, closing the computer. "Coming!" he called back, looking around wildly for his shoes. But while he did that, a plan was forming through his mind.
He couldn't go to the police with this presumption. They wouldn't believe him and there wasn't enough evidence to do anything about it. But maybe he could do something about it himself.
But how? He wasn't Superman.
But wait.
There was Batman.
But Bruce Wayne, if he was Batman then there was no way Batman could do anything about it. Mr. Wayne looked ready to keel over after one fight.
He left the room, trying to put his shoes on at the same time. He still ran the idea through his mind.
It wasn't a bad one.
Terry didn't go back to school for a week. His presence had been missed and even caused Max to call up and ask how he was doing. The answer was the same every time.
II don't know./I
Dana had grown to miss him at school and called by the apartment several times. Sometimes he was willing to sit and talk with her, and other times his mother had to go and tell her that he was asleep.
It had been hard for Matt as well. Every night through the walls Terry could hear him sobbing in his room. Several times he had gotten up himself and gone over to console him and the two of them would stay up until three o'clock talking. Sometimes they talked about their dad, most of the time they chatted about baseball and girls. Matt didn't like them very much yet, but he was starting to get interested.
Warren McGinnis' office, the scene of the crime, had been locked and no one wanted to go inside. Their mother had gone inside several times by herself, mostly to collect his things that they'd need, but other than that the boys didn't want to go in there. Terry only went in to get his computer, and it was now sitting on a crate by his bed.
Because of recent events, the Batcave had been pushed entirely out of Terry's mind. Until he got the phone call.
He had no idea how the old man had gotten his phone number or found out who he was, but in the middle of the night his cell phone on his bedside table awakened Terry.
He groggily got up, reaching for the phone. Normally he wouldn't have answered it, knowing it to be one of his friends from school, but it was too late and he wasn't thinking straight. He put it to his ear.
"'lo?" He closed his eyes, resting his head against the pillow. He could feel himself drifting again, but the voice that answered back caused him to open his eyes.
"The secret stays where it belongs."
Terry hadn't spoken for a moment, struggling to sit up. He kicked the sheets off him. "Who is this?" he asked, alarmed.
"If I hear what you found out from anyone else, I will personally fix it myself."
The connection broke, and it took Terry a couple of seconds to figure out who it was from. He had entirely forgotten about that little incident.
During the days Terry stayed in his room. He only accepted the occasional phone call from Jared, telling him what he was missing in school, but that was it. He couldn't get the one thing out of his head.
IIt was my fault/I.
It had to have been. The Jokerz were after him. Somehow they found out who he was and in order to hit him where it hurts, they went for his dad.
But could that really be it?
Jokerz didn't attack apartment buildings for nothing. And no one else had been killed. Warren McGinnis' death had been a deliberate one. Even the police had been baffled by this behavior.
It wasn't only that.
The fight they had had before kept replaying itself in his head. The way he had yelled at his father when his father was only trying to help. It made him hate himself with passion and he wished he could make it all go away.
But it wasn't that easy. And he knew it.
His mother had tried several times to explain to Matt what had happened, but sometimes it proved to difficult for her and she had to stop. Terry, feeling sorry, did it in her place. And Matt hadn't stopped crying since.
Flowers were sent in nonstop since the accident. Flowers from neighbors, from family members, from friends. And there was one bouquet that came in unsigned. But it had the Wayne Enterprises card attached.
"I can't decide whether it's from the company itself, or from an employer who forgot to sign it," his mother had said.
Terry didn't say anything. He had the strong suspense that it had come directly from the source. He felt a little angry when he saw it and tried to figure out what the old man was trying to do.
Then decided to let the intention speak for itself.
It was a nice gesture.
Derek Powers was feeling better about himself. He was able to go about his business with renewed confidence. And he didn't have to worry about nosy scientists finding about questionable projects.
Mr. Fixx sat in front of his desk, a cigar dangling from his mouth. Derek's gaze rested on the hideous scar down his face briefly, then got down to business.
"I want to thank you, Mr. Fixx, for your aid," he said, "and as promised, your payment."
He handed him a check. Mr. Fixx looked at the total and, seemingly satisfied, tucked it away with a gloved hand.
"And as a part of our contract, I will still need your assistance throughout the project. I'm sure you understand. And I assure you, you will paid according to the sum at the end."
"I understand," Mr. Fixx nodded. He reached into his pocket and drew out a wallet. He tossed it carelessly on the desk and Derek Powers looked down at it, moving his hands away.
"This is?" he asked.
"Hughe's. Didn't know if you wanted to hold on to it not."
Derek's gazed moved back up to Mr. Fixx. "No, I prefer if you held on to it. If anyone were to find it here, it would raise questions."
Mr. Fixx shrugged and took it back.
"And what about Mr. McGinnis'?"
"I left that up to the Jokerz. If they ransacked the place, why would we have his stuff?"
Derek smiled. "Good. And the Jokerz? What do they want in return?"
"I already handled that."
"Good. Then it's business as usual. Try to keep any faces from pointing toward us and we should be fine. The project is still in progress. Thursday I will be checking on it at night and I hope you will be there as well as security."
"No problem Mr. Powers."
Just then the door to the office opened and they both turned to see a young man standing in the doorway. He resembled Derek Powers and the only difference was his youthful face and black hair. He wore a business suit, making him look especially suave and clean-cut. His gaze rested on Mr. Fixx briefly before turning to Derek Powers.
"Excuse me for interrupting," he said, his voice light and charming, "but Dad? Our lunch, remember?"
"Ah yes, of course I remember, Paxton," Derek said, getting to his feet. Mr. Fixx did the same and Derek nodded at him. "Mr. Fixx, this is my son, Paxton Powers. Paxton, this is Mr. Fixx, one of my employers."
"Hello," Paxton greeted him warmly, waving and nodding his head. Then he turned back to his father. "Should I wait until this meeting's over?"
"No need," Derek stopped him, buttoning his suit jacket closed and rounding the desk. "We're finished. Mr. Fixx, thank you for your time."
Mr. Fixx merely nodded and left the office. Behind him Derek and Paxton followed, Paxton oblivious to the conversation that had just went on before he'd arrived.
On the day of the funeral Matt found Terry busy at their father's laptop in his room. He stopped in the doorway, watching him. They were both wearing black suits. Matt's mother had to buy his the other day and normally he would've objected to wearing such an outfit. But because of the circumstance, he didn't utter a protest while his mother helped him put it on.
"What are you doing?" he asked finally.
Terry started, looking back at him. "Oh, just looking through a few of Dad's files."
"Why?"
"Just curious to see what he was doing."
Matt approached, leaning against Terry's back and looking at the screen over his shoulder. "Mom says we're leaving in five minutes."
"Okay. Be out in a minute."
Matt turned to leave, but hesitated and looked back at him. He blinked hard.
"Terry..I miss him."
Terry looked back at him. "Of course you do. I do too. We both do."
Matt nodded, his eyes shiny with tears as he turned away and disappeared down the hall. Terry watched him go for a moment before turning back to the computer.
The thought had dawned on him that morning. It suddenly occurred to him that it was too strange that the Jokerz would do such precise damage. It wasn't their way. They corrupted and destroyed, they didn't go after one person. Especially someone that held no significance to them. And after running the whole scenario through his head for several days straight, Terry knew there was no way they could've known who he was or where he lived. It was too dark to even tell who he was, let alone figure out where he lived.
And there was no way they could've done that in such a short time.
So now here he was, going through his Dad's files, hoping to find some sort of link to help him figure out what could've caused his death. At first he thought it had to have been a long shot, but then he found something.
He opened several photo files, and what popped up nearly caused him to gag in surprise and disgust.
What he saw was a man, practically dissolved away, missing most of his limbs.
And what was worst was that by the man's expression, Terry could tell he was still alive. And screaming with pain.
Terry wanted to shut down the program the minute he had opened it up. If this was one of Dad's experiments, how they could let something like this happened? It had to have been illegal.
Then it dawned on him.
The file was from Wayne/Power's agricultural department. Warren worked there. And if he knew of such a grotesque experiment maybe.
Well maybe not. Maybe he was jumping to conclusions. But he was sure there had to be a connection.
"TERRY!"
His mother's voice rang through the house and he quickly shut down the program, closing the computer. "Coming!" he called back, looking around wildly for his shoes. But while he did that, a plan was forming through his mind.
He couldn't go to the police with this presumption. They wouldn't believe him and there wasn't enough evidence to do anything about it. But maybe he could do something about it himself.
But how? He wasn't Superman.
But wait.
There was Batman.
But Bruce Wayne, if he was Batman then there was no way Batman could do anything about it. Mr. Wayne looked ready to keel over after one fight.
He left the room, trying to put his shoes on at the same time. He still ran the idea through his mind.
It wasn't a bad one.