Bless Me Father for I Hunt the Angel of Death
Disclaimer: Read the other chapters, I have nothing original left to say...
Pain is the price lovers pay.--Anonymous
At Wayne Manor...
Bruce pulled on his gloves, surprised by how well they still fit. He reached back to the mannequin, and pulled off his most treasured possession. In a much practiced, and still familiar motion, he swung his cape around his back, fastening it around his neck. Reaching behind his head in spite of his arthritis, he pulled the mask over his face, and once more, Bruce stood as Batman. Moving quickly, he took the elevator to the house, arriving in the silver closet of the dining room. He strolled out, the house completely silent. Ace was back in the cave, and Terry wouldn't be back in for awhile still. He began to feel a blade of pain stick itself into his knees. Devoid of his cane, walking even a little bit began to take its toll.
"If I could do one thing over, I would have made this hall a lot shorter," thought Wayne to himself with a small smirk as he finally made it to the front yard. He took a second to steady himself, then opened it and walked out into the cool fall morning. He didn't notice the slowly approaching clothes, nor would he have cared. He pulled out his grappling hook launcher, not sure how good he would do after forty years of retirement. He aimed, then launched it up, hooking one of the gargoyles that guarded the roof of Wayne Manor. He shot up in the air, cape flying out in all directions, and suddenly, he was on the roof. Putting the hook away, he walked over to the center of the roof, and simply began to wait.
It didn't take too long. Smoke simply began to billow out from the ground, and a dark figure seemed to materialize behind it. The smoke blew away, leaving only an old woman. Like Bruce, she was in costume, black jumpsuit, gray gloves and boots, and a long billowing gray cape. She wore no mask.
"Hello, Andrea," said Bruce quietly.
"Hello yourself," she said icily. Her hair was a dark gray, and like Bruce her skin was heavily wrinkled by time.
"What are you doing back in town, I thought you were finished here," asked Bruce quietly.
"I'm only passing through. I'll be here one more day then you really will have seen the last of me," she replied, devoid of emotion.
"Only enough time to slice a few gangsters up," asked Bruce, his old interrogation methods vaulting out of his mouth before he could stop them.
"What are you talking about, I don't kill anymore," she replied stonily, "and besides, you asked me here to this little reunion. What do you want from me anyways?"
"I want to know why your specter is back again. The Phantasm may be a memory to almost everyone, but it's still fresh in mind. And who is behind its mask," said Bruce honestly, looking for a response.
"Are you for real?" Andrea spat out, "After what happened I gave up the blade. I willingly stopped using my powers, and until tonight I've been without them."
"If you need me, please don't call, I won't answer," she finished angrily as the smoke suddenly swirled around here. She stepped into its mists, and with it, disappeared.
"Please, not again," sighed Bruce as he removed his mask, his hand covering his teary eyes.
"McGinnis, what did you find out?" asked Bruce later as he contacted Batman.
"Nothing, it's like no one was even there," replied Batman as he scanned the computer, "What about you?"
"Not much, I'm going to try and check out another lead or two. Have you eaten today?" asked Bruce.
"No, its not like I could just swing through the drive-through and pick up a few burgers," said Batman sarcastically.
"Go ahead and take a few hours break before going out on your normal patrol, try to see if you can come up with anything," suggested Bruce.
"Thanks, I'll take you up on that," replied Terry.
"Oh, and McGinnis," said Wayne.
"Yeah?"
"You don't get to use the company credit card."
"Aw, slag it!"
"Terry!" called out Max with a wave as she walked out of Hamilton High.
"Hey Max," called back Terry, leaning against a wall across the street from the school.
"Hey yourself," she said with a laugh as the two embraced, then kissed.
"You know something Max?" asked Terry as they broke the kiss and he wrapped an arm around her waist.
"What?" she asked as he took the books from her hands and put them under his arm.
"I'm starved, let's go get something to eat," suggested Terry.
"Sure thing, and you can give me whatever excuse you have for not being in class today," said Max.
Terry and Max headed out to the local burger joint, and there Terry ordered two supreme cheeseburgers, onion rings, a large PepsiÓ, and a piece of what was supposedly apple pie. Max stuck with her standard chocolate milk shake. The two found a booth and sat down next to each other with their collection of food across from them.
Terry began to dig into his food with obvious enthusiasm, and Max was content to wait a few minutes before interrogating him.
"So, why the huge appetite?" asked Max finally as Terry took a second to stop and breathe.
"I've been running around all day, I've got a rather big problem," replied Terry, thankful that he could talk to someone about his problems as Batman.
"Jean Laos, attacked by the Batman," said Max quietly, and Terry nearly spit out his drink.
"How did you..." began Terry.
"The net, but what are you worried about, you have the perfect alibi," interrupted Max with a smile, "In case you forgot."
"Oh, I know, and you know, but everyone else doesn't, even Mr. Wayne," said Terry, finishing off another onion ring, "Commissioner Gordon, doesn't know, and neither do the politicians thar are already campaigning for my head on a platter,"
"Don't worry," said Max with a smile, "You'll be fine."
"Thanks Max," said Terry, returning her smile.
"Terry, what are we now?" asked Max quietly as she lay her head on his shoulder.
"What do you mean?" asked Terry.
"I mean, I want to be more than just friends, even if it is friends with benefits,"
"Max, I can't, it wouldn't work," replied Terry immediately, "I mean, with my 'other' job, it just wouldn't work. I don't want to be leaving you in the middle of the movie because some crackhead is holding up a jewelry store, or leaving a party with you because I got to save the world."
"And how is that different from now?" asked Max as she sat up, "You do that to me and everyone else that cares about you already."
"It doesn't matter, it's just that I would feel awkward with it, and besides, if it didn't work out..."
"So we'll make it work out. I want to be closer to you than just a friend," said Max, in a tone that sounded somewhere between compassion and pleading.
"Max, please, I love you, but..." Terry suddenly realized what he had and instantly stopped.
"Do you?" asked Max quietly. She was shocked by his admission, but somewhere in the back of her head, she heard laughter. Here Terry was, declaring his love for her, in the middle of a greasy burger joint, a little bit of ketchup still remaining at the corner of his lips. His lips seemed to be trembling a little out of fear, fear at how she would react. She didn't know how to react, after all, the only people that ever told her that they loved her was her family, and they rarely, if ever were around to actually say it to her face.
Sadly, the moment that passed between Terry and Maxine was interrupted, as usual, by the sharp ringing of Terry's phone. Terry shot it open, listened to Wayne, then shut it off.
"I have to go, there was another attack five minutes ago, four or five blocks down, I have to go check it out."
"Okay," said Max with a small smile. She ran her hand along his cheek, tracing his jaw, "You better come back in one piece, we're not done yet."
"I know, I'll try to call you tonight," Terry replied softly, kissing the palm of her hand, then he turned and ran out the doors, already reaching for the avenue of his power.
Disclaimer: Read the other chapters, I have nothing original left to say...
Pain is the price lovers pay.--Anonymous
At Wayne Manor...
Bruce pulled on his gloves, surprised by how well they still fit. He reached back to the mannequin, and pulled off his most treasured possession. In a much practiced, and still familiar motion, he swung his cape around his back, fastening it around his neck. Reaching behind his head in spite of his arthritis, he pulled the mask over his face, and once more, Bruce stood as Batman. Moving quickly, he took the elevator to the house, arriving in the silver closet of the dining room. He strolled out, the house completely silent. Ace was back in the cave, and Terry wouldn't be back in for awhile still. He began to feel a blade of pain stick itself into his knees. Devoid of his cane, walking even a little bit began to take its toll.
"If I could do one thing over, I would have made this hall a lot shorter," thought Wayne to himself with a small smirk as he finally made it to the front yard. He took a second to steady himself, then opened it and walked out into the cool fall morning. He didn't notice the slowly approaching clothes, nor would he have cared. He pulled out his grappling hook launcher, not sure how good he would do after forty years of retirement. He aimed, then launched it up, hooking one of the gargoyles that guarded the roof of Wayne Manor. He shot up in the air, cape flying out in all directions, and suddenly, he was on the roof. Putting the hook away, he walked over to the center of the roof, and simply began to wait.
It didn't take too long. Smoke simply began to billow out from the ground, and a dark figure seemed to materialize behind it. The smoke blew away, leaving only an old woman. Like Bruce, she was in costume, black jumpsuit, gray gloves and boots, and a long billowing gray cape. She wore no mask.
"Hello, Andrea," said Bruce quietly.
"Hello yourself," she said icily. Her hair was a dark gray, and like Bruce her skin was heavily wrinkled by time.
"What are you doing back in town, I thought you were finished here," asked Bruce quietly.
"I'm only passing through. I'll be here one more day then you really will have seen the last of me," she replied, devoid of emotion.
"Only enough time to slice a few gangsters up," asked Bruce, his old interrogation methods vaulting out of his mouth before he could stop them.
"What are you talking about, I don't kill anymore," she replied stonily, "and besides, you asked me here to this little reunion. What do you want from me anyways?"
"I want to know why your specter is back again. The Phantasm may be a memory to almost everyone, but it's still fresh in mind. And who is behind its mask," said Bruce honestly, looking for a response.
"Are you for real?" Andrea spat out, "After what happened I gave up the blade. I willingly stopped using my powers, and until tonight I've been without them."
"If you need me, please don't call, I won't answer," she finished angrily as the smoke suddenly swirled around here. She stepped into its mists, and with it, disappeared.
"Please, not again," sighed Bruce as he removed his mask, his hand covering his teary eyes.
"McGinnis, what did you find out?" asked Bruce later as he contacted Batman.
"Nothing, it's like no one was even there," replied Batman as he scanned the computer, "What about you?"
"Not much, I'm going to try and check out another lead or two. Have you eaten today?" asked Bruce.
"No, its not like I could just swing through the drive-through and pick up a few burgers," said Batman sarcastically.
"Go ahead and take a few hours break before going out on your normal patrol, try to see if you can come up with anything," suggested Bruce.
"Thanks, I'll take you up on that," replied Terry.
"Oh, and McGinnis," said Wayne.
"Yeah?"
"You don't get to use the company credit card."
"Aw, slag it!"
"Terry!" called out Max with a wave as she walked out of Hamilton High.
"Hey Max," called back Terry, leaning against a wall across the street from the school.
"Hey yourself," she said with a laugh as the two embraced, then kissed.
"You know something Max?" asked Terry as they broke the kiss and he wrapped an arm around her waist.
"What?" she asked as he took the books from her hands and put them under his arm.
"I'm starved, let's go get something to eat," suggested Terry.
"Sure thing, and you can give me whatever excuse you have for not being in class today," said Max.
Terry and Max headed out to the local burger joint, and there Terry ordered two supreme cheeseburgers, onion rings, a large PepsiÓ, and a piece of what was supposedly apple pie. Max stuck with her standard chocolate milk shake. The two found a booth and sat down next to each other with their collection of food across from them.
Terry began to dig into his food with obvious enthusiasm, and Max was content to wait a few minutes before interrogating him.
"So, why the huge appetite?" asked Max finally as Terry took a second to stop and breathe.
"I've been running around all day, I've got a rather big problem," replied Terry, thankful that he could talk to someone about his problems as Batman.
"Jean Laos, attacked by the Batman," said Max quietly, and Terry nearly spit out his drink.
"How did you..." began Terry.
"The net, but what are you worried about, you have the perfect alibi," interrupted Max with a smile, "In case you forgot."
"Oh, I know, and you know, but everyone else doesn't, even Mr. Wayne," said Terry, finishing off another onion ring, "Commissioner Gordon, doesn't know, and neither do the politicians thar are already campaigning for my head on a platter,"
"Don't worry," said Max with a smile, "You'll be fine."
"Thanks Max," said Terry, returning her smile.
"Terry, what are we now?" asked Max quietly as she lay her head on his shoulder.
"What do you mean?" asked Terry.
"I mean, I want to be more than just friends, even if it is friends with benefits,"
"Max, I can't, it wouldn't work," replied Terry immediately, "I mean, with my 'other' job, it just wouldn't work. I don't want to be leaving you in the middle of the movie because some crackhead is holding up a jewelry store, or leaving a party with you because I got to save the world."
"And how is that different from now?" asked Max as she sat up, "You do that to me and everyone else that cares about you already."
"It doesn't matter, it's just that I would feel awkward with it, and besides, if it didn't work out..."
"So we'll make it work out. I want to be closer to you than just a friend," said Max, in a tone that sounded somewhere between compassion and pleading.
"Max, please, I love you, but..." Terry suddenly realized what he had and instantly stopped.
"Do you?" asked Max quietly. She was shocked by his admission, but somewhere in the back of her head, she heard laughter. Here Terry was, declaring his love for her, in the middle of a greasy burger joint, a little bit of ketchup still remaining at the corner of his lips. His lips seemed to be trembling a little out of fear, fear at how she would react. She didn't know how to react, after all, the only people that ever told her that they loved her was her family, and they rarely, if ever were around to actually say it to her face.
Sadly, the moment that passed between Terry and Maxine was interrupted, as usual, by the sharp ringing of Terry's phone. Terry shot it open, listened to Wayne, then shut it off.
"I have to go, there was another attack five minutes ago, four or five blocks down, I have to go check it out."
"Okay," said Max with a small smile. She ran her hand along his cheek, tracing his jaw, "You better come back in one piece, we're not done yet."
"I know, I'll try to call you tonight," Terry replied softly, kissing the palm of her hand, then he turned and ran out the doors, already reaching for the avenue of his power.