Chapter Four – Rise To Powers

In the window of a retro-style American diner, Max slurps on her coffee as she waits for Terry to show up. The quirky looking restaurant is not at all too big and then again not too small. The buildings surround the small diner as if it was an obstacle in their way and standing all alone like an homage to the quaint history of the late 20th Century. Tables where tacky and brimmed with streamline silver metal, the tops had a marbled green look to them as they shone from a polished glaze. The cushioned seats were just as retro looking as the rest of the place, fake leather padded booths toned in a dark red and all facing back to back just like they did so long ago. Max had not let her hair down; she still had it in the tight ponytail with a black round clip to hold it in place. Still wearing the same outfit when she last saw McGinnis, it was a sign that she had not been anywhere but the station since they last chatted. But as she twirled around the spoon beside her coffee cup as he placed it down, she looked up and suddenly saw Terry finally entering the diner at long last.

"McG! Bout time you came...remember you're the one doing the buying right?" Max laughs.

Terry had a gaunt look in his face and sat in the red leathery booth with her. The two sat across from each other, both still wearing the clothes they've managed to stay in most of the night. Terry sighs and looks up at her.

"Sorry Max, I had some trouble on the way here."

"Yeah I know." The female friend said back as she rest up against the booth padded backing. "Got a call from the squad about your little run in with some Jokers. I figured I didn't need to be there to get the scoop. I told the men I was taking a short time off to have dinner with a friend, so glad you at least made it back to here afterwards."

"I'm beginning to see what you mean about the situation out there." Terry says as he folds his arms and leans down on the table. "Gotham has changed...or maybe I have...or both...damn I don't know anymore."

"Easy Terr..." She says with care to the stressed out friend. "Forget about it right now...we can talk about it at another time, lets just enjoy our meal together."

Terry looks around and snickers to himself, "Man...I can't believe Dini's Diner is still here. I thought they would have torn this old place down years ago."

"They were going too...but some folks still like eating at this old hangout. I think its very shway, I mean just think of all the food you and I used to download when we crammed for studies!" Max giggles as she remembers fondly.

"Like the time we ate the chili supreme mega dogs and quickly tried to run for classes after narling them down!" McGinnis starts to laugh riotously.

Max joins him in the laughter and the two enjoy the humorous memory of trying to waddle to school with overly stuffed bellies.

"Oh...oh god Terry. That was the best! I dropped to the ground as if I was going to die and told you to keep going without me."

Terry still laughing adds to her story, "That's when I tried to drag you along with me and ended up hurling in a recycling bin half a block later!"

Max pounds on the table laughing and leans back as she starts to control herself. Terry also starts to bring it down and relaxes in his seat.

"Oh boy...that was funny." The commissioner woman says wiping the tears of laughter from her face. "We never did get to class on time. You made me get a 'F' on that assignment."

Terry points at her, "If I recall we both failed that one, so don't blame me...besides, who was the one that ordered those killers anyway?"

The waitress suddenly came up to their table and placed down the food in front of them both. The woman was dressed just like one would image they would in this era, a pink polyester uniform with matching white sneakers to boot. Terry stood in shock as she laid down the orders that apparently Max had already made and gazed at it in horror. There was the very chili dog nightmare the two were reminiscing about, sitting in a basket with french fries and swimming it the very chili muck poured over it all.

"Oh you brat!!" Terry exclaimed to her.

"Heh! What's a matter Terr...still don't have the stomach for it?" She giggles at him.

A devilish grin on his face appears and picks up one of the forks the waitress leaves for them.

"That's it! I challenge you to another rematch...and this time...we've got no where to run too."

Max leans in and gives a sexy smile that doesn't even get noticed by Terry.

"That's right, we've got all the time in the world now."

She knew Terry wanted to talk about what had happened in the ally and even about the death of Mr. Wayne. But she could see the wear and tear of the day was taking its toll on the handsome friend, so she decided they both needed a time of laughter to lighten their spirits. If only if it was for a short time of the night. The two dug into their sloppy looking meals, steaming with hot chili and overly greased fries. Terry was having fun reliving a fond moment they once shared; he was even timing himself to see if he could out last her once again. Max, though stunningly beautiful as she was, still had that tomboy nature to her and also shoveled in the food because there was no way she was going to lose her old chili dog eating record to the likes of him. The few others in the restaurant looked on in disgust and shock. A gross display of two grown adults acting like children in the middle of the night.

On the widescreen TV well behind them both on a back wall, a news channel blares away as the female blue holographic anchors give the news at the top of the hour.

"Good evening Gotham! This is GNN with an update on your news of the day. Bruce Wayne was fondly remembered today as he was finally laid to rest in Gotham Cemetery. A spokesman for Wayne Enterprises was quoted as saying, 'a great man has been lost to the city of Gotham, and one that returned to take back a family business he so loved.'"

The other male blue holographic anchor slides into the fame as the woman is edged off the screen.

"Powers Incorporated also made a statement about the late Bruce Wayne. Jason Smythe the top senior official of the Powers Company, gave this live statement..."

The image flips in as the colorful hi-res video show a young dapper looking gentleman standing in front of the Powers Incorporated logo backdrop. A Caucasian man with jet-black hair and a chiseled body that fit his dark blue suit well.

"Bruce Wayne was a pillar of the community and a wonderful businessman in the industry, his loss is deeply felt by all those that knew him. He fought to get the full ownership of his company back and managed to separate the once unified Powers-Wayne giant back into the two rivals he left behind today. I don't blame him at all for this, seeing how the original Powers father and son managed to turn to a life of crime and was sent to prison for life. I've been the CEO of this company for nearly eight years now...and I've managed to bring this place back to it's full potential. Wayne respected me for that and accepted that Powers was a company he could fully trust again. I look forward to meeting the shareholders and seeing if a new merger can take place once again."

The image flips back to the blue holographic male anchor and shows an inset photo of Terry McGinnis.

"Of course the take over may be in question as the only sole air to the Wayne Empire has returned to challenge this new Powers proposal. Terry McGinnis, once the personal assistant to Wayne and now legal guardian of the entire Wayne estate, will address the shareholders as well with possible plans to take over Wayne Industries himself. Does this young, inexperienced kid have the same business savvy as his predecessor? Or will the shareholders vote to replace him and merge with Powers Incorporated again?"

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Watching the same program in the prestigious office of Powers Incorporated, Jason Smythe sits in his large black leather chair and watches the news. The room is very large, high ceilings, a huge window that stretches the length of the wall and even full of expensive office furnishings of every kind. Sitting behind his hand carved antique desk, the young handsome executive stares at the picture of Terry McGinnis with almost intense vision. The light blue-grey suit he wears is almost trendy for the times, a black shirt and white tie seem to give his over all look a very hip style. Reaching up with his right arm, he turns off the TV with a small hand held remote, and then with a small exhale of breath he leans back in his chair.

"I didn't think he'd actually come back Mr. Winters." Smythe says aloud.

Walking up to the desk is a Caucasian male in a rather deep blue suit and red tie. His hair was dark grey, but his youthful face gave the impression he was still well in prime years. Mr. Winters handed his employer a cup of tea and laid down a disk with Terry's name on it.

"Yes. Puzzling isn't it sir." Winters speaks in a very dry and almost non-expressive tone. "I've brought you all the information we have on Mr. McGinnis and even the detailed files of his travels. I must say, the young gentleman has been traveling a lot, most of the schools he studied at were almost parallel to that of Wayne himself."

Swiveling his chair around to look at the grey haired man, Jason took a sip of his tea and tapped on the disk lost in thought.

"A busy little bee then...strange that Bruce would coddle this inexperienced child to handle his affairs or his company for that matter. I always thought Wayne looked to me like the son he never had, I was around him more then McGinnis was in the past eight years. People swore that Bruce and I were almost looked like father and son, naturally our looks are similar, but still...I always respected Wayne even though I had to climb to the top of Powers Incorporated."

Winters continues to stand there and listens like a statue; his face never shows any sort of compassion or even a friendly smirk.

"He did seem to care for all you've done, sir. But it took him more time to trust another Powers employee that rose to the top after the criminal behavior of the former two heads of this company."

"You're right about that Mr. Winters." Smythe said taking another sip of his tea. "But changing polices and cleaning up after what those two idiots left behind was job and a half for me. Still, stocks are up now...shareholders are pleased with me and becoming Gotham's new wealthy playboy has helped this company's image immensely. Mmm...good tea Mr. Winters."

The man bows to his employer's praise and starts to walk towards the large doors leading out of the office.

"If there is nothing further sir? I have other matters to look into."

"Oh Winters?" Jason Smythe says inquisitively. "I was just wondering...where have you been for the past few hours? I've been paging you for this report on Terry for some time..."

Winters looks back with his head and stares at Jason as he replies.

"Sorry sir, I was...indisposed. I'll try to be more alert to your pagings from now on."

The Powers executive leans back in his chair and gives a quaint smile at him "See that you do from now on. You're the best assistant I ever had Mr. Winters, I'd hate for you to drop the ball now."

"Yes indeed, sir." Winters says back as he now returns to leaving the room. "It would be the worst crime imaginable."

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Hours later at Dini's small diner, both Terry and Max are still sitting in the same booth and chatting away over cups of coffee. The small restaurant is completely empty of customers, the lights are dimmed and the employees are huddled over to the far side of the diner's end as they take time to relax and get ready to leave. Still laughing about the good old days, Terry and Max soon pause from their reminiscing as they suddenly become noticeable of the late time.

"This has been fun Max." Terry said with a smirk. "It's been so long since I've had a good laugh and a talk of something other then business."

Maxine slurps her coffee and nods, "Me too. Being commissioner isn't all that its cracked up to be, all I ever get are calls about the Jokers doing this or that. I feel like I'm stressed out to the limit. It was nice to have a break in my day like that...you always know how to cheer me up McG."

"Well, if there's one thing I'm known for...it's my gift for gab. Bruce never liked the fact that I'd act that way, even when had the costume on. He always told me I should be more stoic and very non-verbal. But that's not me...and that's probably why I'm not going to be that 'thing' anymore." McGinnis says cautiously to her, trying not to mention too loudly that he was Batman.

"What?!" She gasps with eyebrows raised. "Terr...come on. You have to be him again...this city needs you back! I need you back...there's a war going on out there and I need the one man in Gotham that can give me the necessary backup."

"Wait a minute..." Terry looks at her with questionable eyes. "I thought you said whatever decision I made was ok with you? Now you're acting as if I'm letting you down all of a sudden."

Max lets out a small sigh and reaches across the well-polished table to gently grasp his hand sitting there. As she takes hold of it, she gazes at him with a soft nature.

"Terr...you've never let me down. And I know you want to have your own life again, maybe even raise a family, find a piece of mind you've never known before. Truth is...I don't think you can, hon. If you want to run away and forever be the that little boy who likes doing whatever he wants...then the only person you'll have let down is Bruce Wayne."

Terry's eyes give a sudden shock to her answer and pulls his hand away from hers.

"How...how can you say that to me Max? Wayne was one who understood what I wanted, he even guided me out of the life that he was too trapped to escape from himself. He didn't want me to be some lonely old man sitting in an empty house with nothing but a failing heart and remembering the costumed life. He knew what I wanted, because it's what he wanted most of all."

Maxine leaned back into her seat and folded her arms in a frustrated manner, "That was his dream Terry...who says you have to live that exact way as well? You're just afraid to pick up the mantle and carry on the legacy is all. I know the real reason you don't want to become him again...its because of her...Dana."

"That's not true!" He harps back at her.

"Yes it is Terry and you know it." She hollers back. "For some reason you thought you could balance your life with her and your adventurous night alter ego. Well forgive me if I don't sit here and pity you for what happened...but the fact is, Dana was the only reason you wanted to keep going. Once she broke up with you...the dream you thought you could hold on to was gone."

Terry stands up quickly and snarls at her.

"That was never the reason!! I did it because I wanted to avenge my father!"

He quickly stormed out the diner while the employees looked at him with concern. The loud yelling had made them look at the two with curiosity but when Max got up and marched out after Terry, the group shrugged their shoulders and one of waitresses gave a smug explanation.

"Must be the chili dogs they ate."

As Maxine rushed out the doors, she soon found Terry standing just outside with his hands on his face. The young man was utterly shattered by her comments and was desperately trying not to cry. She kept her distance from the man she secretly loved and tried to apologize.

"I'm...I'm sorry Terr. You know me...I speak my mind, I didn't mean to hurt you."

Taking his hands away and turning to look at her with a calmer look, he breathes out to sooth his nerves and brings his emotions under control.

"I know you've never liked Dana. For some reason you've always thought of her as the crux for all my problems. But she was never the reason for me to keep being Batman, I did it to avenge dad...but after it was done...I ....I just..."

She now steps closer to him with her arms folded over again and gently rubbing the sleeves of her black leather coat.

"You wanted more." She said finishing his sentence.

Terry nods with agreement, "Yes. More...it was like a drug. The feel of helping, saving people and soaring through night skies...of doing good and being the most feared man in all of Gotham. It becomes like a second skin that's comfortable and addictive. When Dana ended our future together, it suddenly hit me that I've been missing out on the very thing my dad would have wanted me to experience. The mask had now become my hiding place, a darkness that I could lose myself in and never go into reality ever again. It frightened me Max..."

She finally comes over and hugs the somber friend as he too hugs her back with the same care.

"Terry..." She sighed.

"I don't want to lose myself again." He continues to speak. "I'm nothing like Bruce...I don't want to be him or live as his shadow as Batman."

Maxine raises her head to look into her friend's eyes. In her gut, the moment was never more perfect to tell him how she truly feels. This poor man was pouring his soul out to her and she was willing to accept him in whatever role he wanted to be in. She backed away slowly and held his cheek with her right hand.

"Terry...this may shock you...but I want to let you know..."

McGinnis stared back at her and was now giving a curious face as to what she may say.

"We've known each other for a long time...and ....I...I..." She quivers trying to spit out her exact words. "Terry, I lov..."

Just as she tries to admit her deep feeling, the holographic phone begins to page her loudly. The beeping noise is a familiar ring and one that she instantly picks up without hesitation. As soon as she takes the device out of her pocket, the green holo-image of a male Caucasian police officer appears.

"Commissioner! We've just had another bombing on the east end of town! We need you over there right away!"

"Damn Jokers again..." She growls. "Ok hang on, I'll be there in a sec."

The image disappears and she shoves the phone back into her jacket. Looking at Terry who still wonders what she was about to say to him, she quickly gives him a peck on the cheek and pats him on the shoulder.

"Sorry boy wonder...duty calls. I hope you do well at your meeting tomorrow...but don't be a stranger and stop by again."

Terry smiles at her and watches her sprint for her hover car, which is not too far down from where the diner is.

"Thanks Max!" He yells to her and waves. "For everything!"

The woman gives him a quick sexy smile and gets into the vehicle. With a rev of the car's engine, she speeds out like a racecar driver and lifts into the Gotham skyline full of traffic. The sound of her siren manages to part the sea of floating vehicles as they make way for her. Terry rubs his cheek from where she kissed him and thinks to himself.

"Hm...I wonder what she was going to say? She's acting so goofy around me...I wonder if...nah, can't be. Not Max, she's just a good friend. But still...I wonder what she was about to say to me...."

Terry walks down the dark and lonely street of Gotham and makes his way back to the hotel to prepare himself for the morning meeting of the Wayne and Powers stockholders. High above in the Gotham City nightly profile, an orange glow of fire and billowing black smoke can be seen in the far distance. Another deadly strike from the Jokers gang, with the continuing sounds of emergency vehicle sirens blaring over the busy metropolis.