Chapter Eleven
Terry jumped out of the batmobile, pulling off the cowl and tossing it aside. He didn't even look at Bruce Wayne who was sitting in his chair waiting for him, hands upon his cane.
Terry had arrived at the lab in time to see the test subject, Ted Williams, be strapped up inside the glass room. He remained crouched on the ceiling his camouflage belt activated, watching and listening.
Then when the experiment started to go too far, he spun into action.
Now he regretted everything.
What did he achieve? Ted Williams died, Derek Powers died, Mr. Fixx died. He didn't achieve anything. He couldn't even save Ted.
Finally Bruce Wayne spoke.
"What did you think would happen?"
Terry scowled, disappearing into the shadows to change back into his regular clothes. "I'll understand if you want me out for good. I won't bother you anymore."
"Why did you want to be Batman, Terry?"
Terry pulled his shirt on over his head. Now that the question was being asked, he wasn't too sure how to answer it.
"I don't know," he answered. "Wanted to do something."
Bruce frowned, looking down at the floor. Ace lay curled up beside him. "What happened tonight?"
Terry laughed. It was a hollow one. "Don't you know?"
"I want to hear it from you."
"Mr. Fixx is dead, the test subject is dead, and so is Mr. Powers."
Bruce looked sadly up in his direction. "Didn't you do anything to avoid it?"
"I tried." Terry emerged from the shadows, dressed in his regular clothes. He held the suit in his arms. He set it down on the computer console and moved to leave the cave.
"Terry stop."
Terry did, slowly turning back around. Bruce didn't move from his position, watching him from his chair. He stood there uncertainly.
"Sit down."
He looked around for a chair, but there really wasn't one so he sat down on the steps. He didn't want to be there but he figured he'd stay around long enough to listen to Bruce for awhile.
There was a long silence. Terry shifted uncomfortably. Finally Bruce spoke.
"I thought I set down the rules."
Oh boy.
"I know," Terry said, "I tried to do something but-" he trailed off, not sure how to even start explaining himself. He looked down at the ground.
"I'm sorry about your father."
"That's decent of you."
"My parents died pretty much the same way, mauled in the streets when I was only six years old."
Terry looked up, surprised. Bruce Wayne wasn't looking at him and he could tell by the way he spoke that he didn't talk about this often. For the first time he was opening up to him.
"I'm sorry," he stammered, not entirely out of sympathy but because he didn't really know what else to say.
Bruce nodded, looking up. "It did the same thing your father's death did to you. Ultimately it created the Batman."
Terry wanted to say something but decided against it. This was one of those rare moments. He didn't want to ruin it.
"There were others," Bruce continued, "others that wanted the same responsibilities, others that wanted to do something about Gotham. But none of them held on to the mantle long." He looked down and Terry saw sadness pass over his face. "That could be my fault, but the point is it's long done. Can you keep and bring honor to the sign?"
Terry started. "I thought I failed, you said no one dies-"
"I know what I said."
"Then what are you getting at?"
"I know what happened tonight, I have my connections, I have the links." Bruce tapped on the speakers briefly, and Terry suddenly remembered how Bruce had been able to communicate with him earlier.
"Then you know how I feel right now." Terry stood up and turned back around, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "I'll see you later. Or something."
He left the cave through the mansion, leaving Bruce Wayne sitting at the computer console.
It wasn't that Terry didn't want to Batman. Far from it. He just hadn't expected what had happened when he actually went out there as the Bat. And Bruce Wayne didn't seem too happy about it either.
He returned home to find his mother sitting on the front couch, waiting. The TV was off, but the lights were on.
And she was angry.
"Where *were* you?" she demanded, getting up. She was wearing a silk nightgown with a blue robe wrapped around. "I've waited up all night, I was worried sick!"
"I'm sorry Mom," Terry said, "I was- I was-"
"Running around town while *I* sat here, worrying about you? I called everyone you knew! Dana didn't know where you were, Jared had no idea, hasn't talked to you in days, and he's supposed to be your best friend!"
"I'm sorry, I just needed some time by myself-"
"In the middle of the night? I know about the attack that happened here, Matt told me all about it."
Oh yeah. In all the excitement of that night he had nearly forgotten it had happened. "Oh yeah," he said, "I ran out and I couldn't find him and-"
Mary McGinnis expression changed as she checked him over. "Are you okay? Matt said you got in quite a brawl- did he hurt you? Are you okay-"
"I'm *fine*," he insisted, pulling away, "don't worry about me. I was just helping out Mr. Wayne, I bumped into him on the street when I was following him and-"
"That's right, Mr. Wayne did call me," she remembered, "but she didn't tell me you'd be gone *all* day! What have you been doing?"
"Just.nothing. I'm tired I'm going to go to sleep."
"Did they catch him? The man that broke in here?"
"Uh yeah. He's gone."
His voice sounded strangely hollow when he said it, but she didn't question him anymore. He moved around her and down the hall, backpack still slung over his shoulder. She watched him disappear into his room, then sighed heavily and went into her own.
Terry's entire body ached as he lay down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He hadn't bothered to turn on the light and he lay there in the dark, thinking. He didn't bother to change out of his day clothes. He just lay there until fatigue swept over and he fell asleep.
Paxton Powers waited impatiently outside the hospital room pacing, hands stuck in his pockets. He hadn't really been asleep when he was called late that night at his penthouse, but he sure looked like it. His hair was uncombed and sticking out at strange angles, his suit was rumpled from being put on hurriedly. He didn't wear a tie and he had stubble around his cheeks and chin, barely seeable but there nonetheless.
The hospital room was part of Wayne Enterprises. When Paxton had been called about his father's condition he had to find a good medical team that could take care of him and keep it secret as well. This was the only place that could do both.
He didn't know quite for sure what had happened at the medical lab, but an explosion had occurred, spilling toxins all over the place. His father had been caught up in the explosion and Paxton had hurriedly brought him to the hospital.
Somehow he had survived. Barely.
"Mr. Powers," a voice spoke up, and Paxton turned to see a pretty dark- haired woman approach him, wearing the nurse's uniform. "Mr. Powers?"
"Yes?" he answered anxiously, taking his hands out of his pockets and clasping them together nervously. "Yes? Is he okay?"
"He's alive," she answered, "but." she trailed off, not sure how to explain it. He felt his heart skip a beat.
"What?" he demanded, "What's wrong?"
"Perhaps you should come see for yourself."
All right then. He followed him down the hallway, walking quickly. She carried a clipboard and she looked down at it, reading the charts.
"The accident left Mr. Derek Powers in a condition like nothing we've ever seen before," she explained, "we don't know how he did it but he's alive. The toxins left him in a different state however and we're doing studies to see how we can fix it."
Her words flew through her mind. Condition? Toxins? State? Studies? Fix?
"What happened?" he demanded again, losing his patience. No one was giving him a straight answer in this place.
"Here sir," she stopped walking and turned down the next hall. "Past those doors."
He glanced at them warily, then nodded. "Thank you miss."
He hurried down the hall, pushing the double doors open and coming to a new hallway. He quickened his pace to a slow run, passing orderlies and nurses as he went. Finally he reached the room.
Before he could open it the door opened and someone stepped out. It was a doctor.
"Sir, I advice you to stay back," he told him. Paxton stood there, blinking.
"Why? What's wrong with him?"
"We don't know but-"
He was cut off by low laughter coming from behind him. Paxton looked past him into the room and realized that all the lights had been turned off. In the far corner was glowing green light. The laughter continued to echo through the room.
Then Paxton realized what it was.
It was a glowing green *skeleton*. Its skull was opening and he could see it move. The skeleton was laughing.
"What the-?" he trailed off, stepping into the doorway. To his amazement the skeleton stood up. He could hear terrified murmurs coming from around the room and realized that the other doctors were still there. The bones were connected, moving and aligning with one another. He could see a small outline around the edge and realized that whoever it was had skin.but it was transparent or.something. Paxton couldn't quite figure it out. And it was emitting some kind of energy, a hot energy that Paxton could feel against his own skin.
This guy was radioactive.
"Hello Paxton," he heard his father's voice say, and to his horror the skeleton's jaw had moved with the words. The voice was the same, but it was different somehow. Menacing.
He stared in horror, unable to speak.
"See what this new Batman did to me?" his father continued to say, "see what he did? He ruined me! He turned me into this! Look at me! Look at me Paxton!"
Paxton couldn't believe it. He took a step back as his father, Derek Powers, started laughing again, a low laughter that chilled his spine. He looked at the doctor, then back in the room as he took another step back. He tried to shut out the sight, closing his eyes, but the laugh was still there, haunting him, driving him crazy.
He turned around and ran, back down the hallway, away from the room as far as he could possibly go, away from the laughter, away from his father.
The same nurse who had helped him earlier stopped him down the hall, reaching out to touch his arm. "Sir, are you okay?" she asked, alarmed.
He stopped, looking back quickly. "This gets out to *no one*," he told her. "I mean it. No one can find out about this."
She nodded quickly, looking bewildered, as he took off running again. He had to get out. He had to get away.
News of the new Batman had reached all stations that morning when Terry woke up. He had switched on his television while he was changing and nearly did a double take when he saw himself on the screen.
Not him. The Bat.
Apparently word had gotten out from the explosion at the medical lab. According to the news an illegal experiment had been underway and Batman had been there to stop it. The doctors had been interviewed, but as Terry listened realized that there had been no word of Derek Powers being there.
There were only two deaths listed for that incident. First one was from Ted Williams, the test subject for this illegal experiment, and the other Dr. Fixx. Apparently when Batman tried to stop him from taking off Fixx had done something to the controls and the plane went down into the ocean, taking him with it. No one was sure whether or not the Batman got out, but only one body was found in the ocean last night.
"What about Derek Powers?" Terri murmured, pulling a shirt on over his head. What happened to him?
There could be only two explanations. One- somehow Powers had fixed it beforehand so that his name wouldn't be announced or found out, or two- he was alive.
But that didn't count on why he wasn't listed as one of the people *there*.
"Terry!"
He looked up as his mother's voice rang through the apartment. "Yeah?" he answered back.
"Someone's here to see you!"
He frowned. Dana? Probably Dana. She had been worried sick about him lately and he didn't blame her. He hadn't been spending much time with her lately. Feeling renewed he pulled on his pants and quickly ran a comb through his hair, hoping he didn't look *too* bad.
He went down the hallway, livening his steps, and was just about to call her name rounding the corner when he stopped.
Bruce Wayne was there, sitting on one couch, a cup of coffee in his hands. His mother, Mary McGinnis, was sitting across from him, holding her own cup. Both looked up at him when he entered.
"There he is," Mary said, getting up and setting cup down on the coffee table. "He's been sleeping in again- Terry, this is Bruce Wayne. But from what he's told me you already know that."
Terry glanced quickly at Bruce Wayne, who was getting slowly to his feet and leaning against his cane. For a brief second Terry wondered where his dog was.
"Hi," he said. He didn't know what else to say.
"Good morning Terry," Bruce Wayne said warmly, and Terry nearly jumped from the difference in his voice. It was lighter, happier.nicer. He never imagined he'd hear a voice like that coming from the older man.
'He's being nice to me because my mom's here'.
"Morning," he answered stiffly, glancing at his mother and wondering what they could've been talking about while he was changing. "Anything I can do?"
"Mr. Wayne has been telling me about how helpful you've been to him yesterday," his mother gushed almost excitedly, "and he's here to offer you a job!"
Terry looked up quickly then, catching Bruce's eye. "Really?"
"That's right," Bruce Wayne answered, nodding. It was so weird for Terry to watch him being sociable, he nearly had to fight to keep from cringing. "You were a big help yesterday and I'm here to offer you a job of assisting me in the future."
"Okay---"
"But remember, I only take the best and expect the most you can offer. I may come off as harsh sometimes but that is only because I take nothing less. Does this sound like something you can do?"
Terry fought a small smile. Maybe he had been wrong about Bruce Wayne's assumptions about the night before. Maybe he really was worth something. He glanced at his mother who was standing there, smiling. It had been a long time since he'd had a decent job.
"I think I can handle it," he answered.
"Very good then Mr. McGinnis." Bruce Wayne put out his hand and Terry took it. His handshake was firm.
"Welcome to my world."
Terry jumped out of the batmobile, pulling off the cowl and tossing it aside. He didn't even look at Bruce Wayne who was sitting in his chair waiting for him, hands upon his cane.
Terry had arrived at the lab in time to see the test subject, Ted Williams, be strapped up inside the glass room. He remained crouched on the ceiling his camouflage belt activated, watching and listening.
Then when the experiment started to go too far, he spun into action.
Now he regretted everything.
What did he achieve? Ted Williams died, Derek Powers died, Mr. Fixx died. He didn't achieve anything. He couldn't even save Ted.
Finally Bruce Wayne spoke.
"What did you think would happen?"
Terry scowled, disappearing into the shadows to change back into his regular clothes. "I'll understand if you want me out for good. I won't bother you anymore."
"Why did you want to be Batman, Terry?"
Terry pulled his shirt on over his head. Now that the question was being asked, he wasn't too sure how to answer it.
"I don't know," he answered. "Wanted to do something."
Bruce frowned, looking down at the floor. Ace lay curled up beside him. "What happened tonight?"
Terry laughed. It was a hollow one. "Don't you know?"
"I want to hear it from you."
"Mr. Fixx is dead, the test subject is dead, and so is Mr. Powers."
Bruce looked sadly up in his direction. "Didn't you do anything to avoid it?"
"I tried." Terry emerged from the shadows, dressed in his regular clothes. He held the suit in his arms. He set it down on the computer console and moved to leave the cave.
"Terry stop."
Terry did, slowly turning back around. Bruce didn't move from his position, watching him from his chair. He stood there uncertainly.
"Sit down."
He looked around for a chair, but there really wasn't one so he sat down on the steps. He didn't want to be there but he figured he'd stay around long enough to listen to Bruce for awhile.
There was a long silence. Terry shifted uncomfortably. Finally Bruce spoke.
"I thought I set down the rules."
Oh boy.
"I know," Terry said, "I tried to do something but-" he trailed off, not sure how to even start explaining himself. He looked down at the ground.
"I'm sorry about your father."
"That's decent of you."
"My parents died pretty much the same way, mauled in the streets when I was only six years old."
Terry looked up, surprised. Bruce Wayne wasn't looking at him and he could tell by the way he spoke that he didn't talk about this often. For the first time he was opening up to him.
"I'm sorry," he stammered, not entirely out of sympathy but because he didn't really know what else to say.
Bruce nodded, looking up. "It did the same thing your father's death did to you. Ultimately it created the Batman."
Terry wanted to say something but decided against it. This was one of those rare moments. He didn't want to ruin it.
"There were others," Bruce continued, "others that wanted the same responsibilities, others that wanted to do something about Gotham. But none of them held on to the mantle long." He looked down and Terry saw sadness pass over his face. "That could be my fault, but the point is it's long done. Can you keep and bring honor to the sign?"
Terry started. "I thought I failed, you said no one dies-"
"I know what I said."
"Then what are you getting at?"
"I know what happened tonight, I have my connections, I have the links." Bruce tapped on the speakers briefly, and Terry suddenly remembered how Bruce had been able to communicate with him earlier.
"Then you know how I feel right now." Terry stood up and turned back around, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "I'll see you later. Or something."
He left the cave through the mansion, leaving Bruce Wayne sitting at the computer console.
It wasn't that Terry didn't want to Batman. Far from it. He just hadn't expected what had happened when he actually went out there as the Bat. And Bruce Wayne didn't seem too happy about it either.
He returned home to find his mother sitting on the front couch, waiting. The TV was off, but the lights were on.
And she was angry.
"Where *were* you?" she demanded, getting up. She was wearing a silk nightgown with a blue robe wrapped around. "I've waited up all night, I was worried sick!"
"I'm sorry Mom," Terry said, "I was- I was-"
"Running around town while *I* sat here, worrying about you? I called everyone you knew! Dana didn't know where you were, Jared had no idea, hasn't talked to you in days, and he's supposed to be your best friend!"
"I'm sorry, I just needed some time by myself-"
"In the middle of the night? I know about the attack that happened here, Matt told me all about it."
Oh yeah. In all the excitement of that night he had nearly forgotten it had happened. "Oh yeah," he said, "I ran out and I couldn't find him and-"
Mary McGinnis expression changed as she checked him over. "Are you okay? Matt said you got in quite a brawl- did he hurt you? Are you okay-"
"I'm *fine*," he insisted, pulling away, "don't worry about me. I was just helping out Mr. Wayne, I bumped into him on the street when I was following him and-"
"That's right, Mr. Wayne did call me," she remembered, "but she didn't tell me you'd be gone *all* day! What have you been doing?"
"Just.nothing. I'm tired I'm going to go to sleep."
"Did they catch him? The man that broke in here?"
"Uh yeah. He's gone."
His voice sounded strangely hollow when he said it, but she didn't question him anymore. He moved around her and down the hall, backpack still slung over his shoulder. She watched him disappear into his room, then sighed heavily and went into her own.
Terry's entire body ached as he lay down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He hadn't bothered to turn on the light and he lay there in the dark, thinking. He didn't bother to change out of his day clothes. He just lay there until fatigue swept over and he fell asleep.
Paxton Powers waited impatiently outside the hospital room pacing, hands stuck in his pockets. He hadn't really been asleep when he was called late that night at his penthouse, but he sure looked like it. His hair was uncombed and sticking out at strange angles, his suit was rumpled from being put on hurriedly. He didn't wear a tie and he had stubble around his cheeks and chin, barely seeable but there nonetheless.
The hospital room was part of Wayne Enterprises. When Paxton had been called about his father's condition he had to find a good medical team that could take care of him and keep it secret as well. This was the only place that could do both.
He didn't know quite for sure what had happened at the medical lab, but an explosion had occurred, spilling toxins all over the place. His father had been caught up in the explosion and Paxton had hurriedly brought him to the hospital.
Somehow he had survived. Barely.
"Mr. Powers," a voice spoke up, and Paxton turned to see a pretty dark- haired woman approach him, wearing the nurse's uniform. "Mr. Powers?"
"Yes?" he answered anxiously, taking his hands out of his pockets and clasping them together nervously. "Yes? Is he okay?"
"He's alive," she answered, "but." she trailed off, not sure how to explain it. He felt his heart skip a beat.
"What?" he demanded, "What's wrong?"
"Perhaps you should come see for yourself."
All right then. He followed him down the hallway, walking quickly. She carried a clipboard and she looked down at it, reading the charts.
"The accident left Mr. Derek Powers in a condition like nothing we've ever seen before," she explained, "we don't know how he did it but he's alive. The toxins left him in a different state however and we're doing studies to see how we can fix it."
Her words flew through her mind. Condition? Toxins? State? Studies? Fix?
"What happened?" he demanded again, losing his patience. No one was giving him a straight answer in this place.
"Here sir," she stopped walking and turned down the next hall. "Past those doors."
He glanced at them warily, then nodded. "Thank you miss."
He hurried down the hall, pushing the double doors open and coming to a new hallway. He quickened his pace to a slow run, passing orderlies and nurses as he went. Finally he reached the room.
Before he could open it the door opened and someone stepped out. It was a doctor.
"Sir, I advice you to stay back," he told him. Paxton stood there, blinking.
"Why? What's wrong with him?"
"We don't know but-"
He was cut off by low laughter coming from behind him. Paxton looked past him into the room and realized that all the lights had been turned off. In the far corner was glowing green light. The laughter continued to echo through the room.
Then Paxton realized what it was.
It was a glowing green *skeleton*. Its skull was opening and he could see it move. The skeleton was laughing.
"What the-?" he trailed off, stepping into the doorway. To his amazement the skeleton stood up. He could hear terrified murmurs coming from around the room and realized that the other doctors were still there. The bones were connected, moving and aligning with one another. He could see a small outline around the edge and realized that whoever it was had skin.but it was transparent or.something. Paxton couldn't quite figure it out. And it was emitting some kind of energy, a hot energy that Paxton could feel against his own skin.
This guy was radioactive.
"Hello Paxton," he heard his father's voice say, and to his horror the skeleton's jaw had moved with the words. The voice was the same, but it was different somehow. Menacing.
He stared in horror, unable to speak.
"See what this new Batman did to me?" his father continued to say, "see what he did? He ruined me! He turned me into this! Look at me! Look at me Paxton!"
Paxton couldn't believe it. He took a step back as his father, Derek Powers, started laughing again, a low laughter that chilled his spine. He looked at the doctor, then back in the room as he took another step back. He tried to shut out the sight, closing his eyes, but the laugh was still there, haunting him, driving him crazy.
He turned around and ran, back down the hallway, away from the room as far as he could possibly go, away from the laughter, away from his father.
The same nurse who had helped him earlier stopped him down the hall, reaching out to touch his arm. "Sir, are you okay?" she asked, alarmed.
He stopped, looking back quickly. "This gets out to *no one*," he told her. "I mean it. No one can find out about this."
She nodded quickly, looking bewildered, as he took off running again. He had to get out. He had to get away.
News of the new Batman had reached all stations that morning when Terry woke up. He had switched on his television while he was changing and nearly did a double take when he saw himself on the screen.
Not him. The Bat.
Apparently word had gotten out from the explosion at the medical lab. According to the news an illegal experiment had been underway and Batman had been there to stop it. The doctors had been interviewed, but as Terry listened realized that there had been no word of Derek Powers being there.
There were only two deaths listed for that incident. First one was from Ted Williams, the test subject for this illegal experiment, and the other Dr. Fixx. Apparently when Batman tried to stop him from taking off Fixx had done something to the controls and the plane went down into the ocean, taking him with it. No one was sure whether or not the Batman got out, but only one body was found in the ocean last night.
"What about Derek Powers?" Terri murmured, pulling a shirt on over his head. What happened to him?
There could be only two explanations. One- somehow Powers had fixed it beforehand so that his name wouldn't be announced or found out, or two- he was alive.
But that didn't count on why he wasn't listed as one of the people *there*.
"Terry!"
He looked up as his mother's voice rang through the apartment. "Yeah?" he answered back.
"Someone's here to see you!"
He frowned. Dana? Probably Dana. She had been worried sick about him lately and he didn't blame her. He hadn't been spending much time with her lately. Feeling renewed he pulled on his pants and quickly ran a comb through his hair, hoping he didn't look *too* bad.
He went down the hallway, livening his steps, and was just about to call her name rounding the corner when he stopped.
Bruce Wayne was there, sitting on one couch, a cup of coffee in his hands. His mother, Mary McGinnis, was sitting across from him, holding her own cup. Both looked up at him when he entered.
"There he is," Mary said, getting up and setting cup down on the coffee table. "He's been sleeping in again- Terry, this is Bruce Wayne. But from what he's told me you already know that."
Terry glanced quickly at Bruce Wayne, who was getting slowly to his feet and leaning against his cane. For a brief second Terry wondered where his dog was.
"Hi," he said. He didn't know what else to say.
"Good morning Terry," Bruce Wayne said warmly, and Terry nearly jumped from the difference in his voice. It was lighter, happier.nicer. He never imagined he'd hear a voice like that coming from the older man.
'He's being nice to me because my mom's here'.
"Morning," he answered stiffly, glancing at his mother and wondering what they could've been talking about while he was changing. "Anything I can do?"
"Mr. Wayne has been telling me about how helpful you've been to him yesterday," his mother gushed almost excitedly, "and he's here to offer you a job!"
Terry looked up quickly then, catching Bruce's eye. "Really?"
"That's right," Bruce Wayne answered, nodding. It was so weird for Terry to watch him being sociable, he nearly had to fight to keep from cringing. "You were a big help yesterday and I'm here to offer you a job of assisting me in the future."
"Okay---"
"But remember, I only take the best and expect the most you can offer. I may come off as harsh sometimes but that is only because I take nothing less. Does this sound like something you can do?"
Terry fought a small smile. Maybe he had been wrong about Bruce Wayne's assumptions about the night before. Maybe he really was worth something. He glanced at his mother who was standing there, smiling. It had been a long time since he'd had a decent job.
"I think I can handle it," he answered.
"Very good then Mr. McGinnis." Bruce Wayne put out his hand and Terry took it. His handshake was firm.
"Welcome to my world."