Chapter 2
Disclaimer: Once again I don't own any of the characters that are a part of Batman Beyond, Batman, etc. You know, seeing as I call this a disclaimer, I should mention that I am in no way responsible for any psychological damage you may incur by reading this story. Besides, I'm poor, so you wouldn't get a dime anyways...
We need criminals to identify ourselves with, to secretly envy and to stoutly punish. They do for us the forbidden, illegal things we wish to do.--Karl A. Menninger
Terry, where were you last night? You didn't even call," scolded Mrs. McGinnis as Terry walked through the front door.
"Um, yeah, I had to drive Mr. Wayne to a party, and it didn't get done until two in the morning, so he just suggested I crash at his place so I wouldn't have to stay up any later."
"Well, that explains why you're wearing the tuxedo," said his mom as she looked at her son, "Now go change and hurry up or you're going to be late for school.
"Right mom," said Terry and went into his room. He hated lying to his mother. For being Batman he could understand, and even forgive himself, however, this was different. He had not been at Wayne Manor, he had been in Max's bedroom, in her bed, and what had passed between them. The tux had been Max's idea. Just let her think that he had been at Mr. Wayne's and it would be okay. He quickly changed clothes, then grabbed his pack and headed out of the house. As he walked down the street, his cell phone went off with a shrill cry. However, this was Mr. Wayne's phone, only he could access it. Anyone else dialing the number would get a voice message saying that the number was disconnected or no longer in service.
"Yeah," said Terry into the phone, waiting for the light to change.
"Where the hell were you last night?" came Mr. Wayne's voice accusingly
"What do you mean?" asked Terry trying to play dumb, "I went home, fell onto my bed, and had to have my mom play her old Linkin Park CD as loud as she could to get me out of bed."
"Then why was the suit at Maxine's house last night around twelve, I let you off at eleven, you should have been home by no later than eleven fifteen."
"Can't a guy say hi to his friend?" sniped Terry angrily as he got onto the train.
"We'll finish this up later, something bigger is happening. What do you know about Jean Taos?"
"He's the leader of that group of home invasion robbers we busted last month. I got all but him," replied Terry after thinking for a second.
"Well, you can stop looking for him, the cops found him last night," said Wayne.
"That's great, one less criminal that I have to bag," said Terry with a smile.
"No, not great, he was missing a hand," explained Wayne.
"Ouch, gang fight?" asked Terry.
"Try Batman," said Wayne.
"What?" screamed out Terry, then looked around and hunched over as he realized that everyone was looking at him, "Since when did Batman do things like that?"
"Exactly my point. He was found last night around two in the morning, leaning against a wall, his hand sliced off at the wrist, ranting on and on about how Batman had taken it off."
"This isn't good McGinnis. I want you to disregard your school today. You need to investigate this. I've already called Barbara, she'll be expecting you at eleven, so be there."
"Hey, hold on, I've got a test today in Econ, I need to take it or I'll fail," protested Terry, hopping off the train at his stop.
"Tough, I've already sent the school notice that you'll be missing classes. It seems that I've been having some health problems and I need my aide there to help me."
"Do I even get a say in any of this?" asked Terry as he walked to find a secluded place to change.
"Never," responded Wayne then hung up.
Later at the scene of the crime...
"I don't see a thing, the cops already swept this place clean," said Terry as he looked around, switching his visor's scanning capabilities randomly.
"Keep looking, there has to be something the police missed," urged Wayne, getting instant video feed from the built in camera.
"I can't see a thing... hello what do we have here," said Terry as he zoomed in on a small trail of smooth dirt that was in the corner of the alley. For about four feet the dirt had been smoothed over, giving the illusion of a trail., "It looks like something dragged along here, maybe a coat or something."
"Or even a cape," muttered Bruce to himself, "Hurry up and get to Barbara's office, it's not exactly the best idea to be late."
"You sound like you know about it," said Terry with a smirk, but was greeted only with a growl from Wayne.
As Terry took flight to keep his appointment with the commissioner, Wayne switched his computer over to his own personal files. The information contained in these files were completely hidden on a different system. McGinnis had no idea that these files existed, which was a good thing, considering the information they possessed. He scrolled down the list, then selected the one he wanted, one that hadn't been touched in nearly fifty years. He began to read silently.
"You know, I remember once when I had to visit my father as Batgirl," said Barbara quietly as she stared out the window, "I thought for sure he would recognize me, but he didn't, or at least, didn't admit it."
"That must have been weird," said Batman, not sure what to say. He was standing on the ledge just outside Barbara's window, staring out.
"Yes, it was," agreed Barbara, then turned to her desk, "Here are the files on what we found."
She inserted the mini-disc into her player and moved to the side to allow Batman to view the files. He scanned them quickly, knowing that Bruce was probably also poring over a copy of it. The facts were simple: Jean Taos knocked off a pharmacy, just looking for a couple of easy credits by selling various medication to the addicts who craved them. He had done it, shot the owner because he felt like it, and then fled out and down a side street. He was found lying against a wall by the police, clutching the stump of his right hand. He was delirious, partly from shock, mostly from blood loss, and had been screaming over and over that Batman had attacked him.
Forensics had scoured the place, and found nothing. Taos blood had been sprayed everywhere, but considering that his was the only blood around, it appeared as if the attacker had caught him off guard. There were no fingerprints anywhere, no footprints in the dirt that filled the alleyway, no fibers to go on, nothing.
Batman finished looking through this, and then turned to Barbara, "Well, do you think I did it?"
"I can't say," admitted Barbara, "I know from my, former job, that you aren't inclined to do such a thing, but from a police officer's view, I think you're a case where you're guilty until proven innocent. Technically I should detain you for questioning."
"And you're not because?" asked Batman.
"You were never here," said Barbara as she pushed Terry off the ledge. Surprised, it took him a second to unfurl his wings, but he sailed away, not sure of what to do next.
(Author's note: Thanks to those of you that reviewed! And to those who decided just to read and not review, DAMN IT! REVIEW MY FRIGGIN STORY I PUT ENOUGH EFFORT INTO IT!!!)
Disclaimer: Once again I don't own any of the characters that are a part of Batman Beyond, Batman, etc. You know, seeing as I call this a disclaimer, I should mention that I am in no way responsible for any psychological damage you may incur by reading this story. Besides, I'm poor, so you wouldn't get a dime anyways...
We need criminals to identify ourselves with, to secretly envy and to stoutly punish. They do for us the forbidden, illegal things we wish to do.--Karl A. Menninger
Terry, where were you last night? You didn't even call," scolded Mrs. McGinnis as Terry walked through the front door.
"Um, yeah, I had to drive Mr. Wayne to a party, and it didn't get done until two in the morning, so he just suggested I crash at his place so I wouldn't have to stay up any later."
"Well, that explains why you're wearing the tuxedo," said his mom as she looked at her son, "Now go change and hurry up or you're going to be late for school.
"Right mom," said Terry and went into his room. He hated lying to his mother. For being Batman he could understand, and even forgive himself, however, this was different. He had not been at Wayne Manor, he had been in Max's bedroom, in her bed, and what had passed between them. The tux had been Max's idea. Just let her think that he had been at Mr. Wayne's and it would be okay. He quickly changed clothes, then grabbed his pack and headed out of the house. As he walked down the street, his cell phone went off with a shrill cry. However, this was Mr. Wayne's phone, only he could access it. Anyone else dialing the number would get a voice message saying that the number was disconnected or no longer in service.
"Yeah," said Terry into the phone, waiting for the light to change.
"Where the hell were you last night?" came Mr. Wayne's voice accusingly
"What do you mean?" asked Terry trying to play dumb, "I went home, fell onto my bed, and had to have my mom play her old Linkin Park CD as loud as she could to get me out of bed."
"Then why was the suit at Maxine's house last night around twelve, I let you off at eleven, you should have been home by no later than eleven fifteen."
"Can't a guy say hi to his friend?" sniped Terry angrily as he got onto the train.
"We'll finish this up later, something bigger is happening. What do you know about Jean Taos?"
"He's the leader of that group of home invasion robbers we busted last month. I got all but him," replied Terry after thinking for a second.
"Well, you can stop looking for him, the cops found him last night," said Wayne.
"That's great, one less criminal that I have to bag," said Terry with a smile.
"No, not great, he was missing a hand," explained Wayne.
"Ouch, gang fight?" asked Terry.
"Try Batman," said Wayne.
"What?" screamed out Terry, then looked around and hunched over as he realized that everyone was looking at him, "Since when did Batman do things like that?"
"Exactly my point. He was found last night around two in the morning, leaning against a wall, his hand sliced off at the wrist, ranting on and on about how Batman had taken it off."
"This isn't good McGinnis. I want you to disregard your school today. You need to investigate this. I've already called Barbara, she'll be expecting you at eleven, so be there."
"Hey, hold on, I've got a test today in Econ, I need to take it or I'll fail," protested Terry, hopping off the train at his stop.
"Tough, I've already sent the school notice that you'll be missing classes. It seems that I've been having some health problems and I need my aide there to help me."
"Do I even get a say in any of this?" asked Terry as he walked to find a secluded place to change.
"Never," responded Wayne then hung up.
Later at the scene of the crime...
"I don't see a thing, the cops already swept this place clean," said Terry as he looked around, switching his visor's scanning capabilities randomly.
"Keep looking, there has to be something the police missed," urged Wayne, getting instant video feed from the built in camera.
"I can't see a thing... hello what do we have here," said Terry as he zoomed in on a small trail of smooth dirt that was in the corner of the alley. For about four feet the dirt had been smoothed over, giving the illusion of a trail., "It looks like something dragged along here, maybe a coat or something."
"Or even a cape," muttered Bruce to himself, "Hurry up and get to Barbara's office, it's not exactly the best idea to be late."
"You sound like you know about it," said Terry with a smirk, but was greeted only with a growl from Wayne.
As Terry took flight to keep his appointment with the commissioner, Wayne switched his computer over to his own personal files. The information contained in these files were completely hidden on a different system. McGinnis had no idea that these files existed, which was a good thing, considering the information they possessed. He scrolled down the list, then selected the one he wanted, one that hadn't been touched in nearly fifty years. He began to read silently.
"You know, I remember once when I had to visit my father as Batgirl," said Barbara quietly as she stared out the window, "I thought for sure he would recognize me, but he didn't, or at least, didn't admit it."
"That must have been weird," said Batman, not sure what to say. He was standing on the ledge just outside Barbara's window, staring out.
"Yes, it was," agreed Barbara, then turned to her desk, "Here are the files on what we found."
She inserted the mini-disc into her player and moved to the side to allow Batman to view the files. He scanned them quickly, knowing that Bruce was probably also poring over a copy of it. The facts were simple: Jean Taos knocked off a pharmacy, just looking for a couple of easy credits by selling various medication to the addicts who craved them. He had done it, shot the owner because he felt like it, and then fled out and down a side street. He was found lying against a wall by the police, clutching the stump of his right hand. He was delirious, partly from shock, mostly from blood loss, and had been screaming over and over that Batman had attacked him.
Forensics had scoured the place, and found nothing. Taos blood had been sprayed everywhere, but considering that his was the only blood around, it appeared as if the attacker had caught him off guard. There were no fingerprints anywhere, no footprints in the dirt that filled the alleyway, no fibers to go on, nothing.
Batman finished looking through this, and then turned to Barbara, "Well, do you think I did it?"
"I can't say," admitted Barbara, "I know from my, former job, that you aren't inclined to do such a thing, but from a police officer's view, I think you're a case where you're guilty until proven innocent. Technically I should detain you for questioning."
"And you're not because?" asked Batman.
"You were never here," said Barbara as she pushed Terry off the ledge. Surprised, it took him a second to unfurl his wings, but he sailed away, not sure of what to do next.
(Author's note: Thanks to those of you that reviewed! And to those who decided just to read and not review, DAMN IT! REVIEW MY FRIGGIN STORY I PUT ENOUGH EFFORT INTO IT!!!)