Chelsea had gotten out of the hospital right before Terry had died. His death had, had a deep effect on her, but she was beginning to move on, unlike Dana. Dana had drifted off, and seemed to get further and further away from her and Max every day. It was really depressing, because it was hard enough dealing with the problem as it was. They had even done a school assembly to say goodbye to him. Not many people died in school, not even in Gotham.
Her alarm clock rang and she was definitely not looking forward to that day. With a Dana who was always in her own world, and exams looming around the corner, it was not looking promising, and Chelsea wasn't even out of bed.
She flicked the switch to off and went to take a shower. Like on any normal day, she was listening to the radio while she was in the shower. She was content, listening to her favorite song, and when her shower was over she felt refreshed.
When she was dressed she reached out to turn off the radio when the news came on. News in Gotham would never change, it seemed, it was always about someone getting arrested, or someone gone missing, so she was about to turn it off, until she heard Dana's name. So she listened.
"So if anyone sees any member of the Tan family or the McGinnis family please call-"She flicked the radio off.
What
did this mean? Had Dana gone missing? Did it not say her whole
family? The McGinnis's as well? Why would anyone target either of
them? She shook it off in hopes that the radio had been wrong, or had
been making stuff up. She got her stuff together and went to
school.
-
She
made it to class alright and didn't see Dana anywhere. Well they
didn't share first period together; she could still be here. Max took
a seat next to her, looking a little worried.
"What's wrong Max?" Chelsea asked acting like it was every other day.
"I'm worried about Dana." Max said plainly. Chelsea's face went blank; Max was worried about it too? This could not be good.
"So
you heard about it too?" Max asked. Chelsea nodded as a tear
streaked across her face. First they take away Terry now Dana too?
Why?
-
Dana
woke up. She looked around and realized the surroundings were
different. She pushed herself off the cold ground.
"Now, now no need to fret," She looked up. There was a man in a red and black stripped suit looking down and her.
"Where am I? . Who are you?" Dana asked, she was a little scared, but tried to stay calm. She looked and saw her mom and dad still sleeping peace fully next to her. And on the other side of the room she saw that Terry's mom and her brother Matt were sleeping as well.
"I am Spellbinder and you are not here for yourself. You are here for a different purpose, it is late so go back to sleep." Spellbinder said. Due to her fear she lay down, but couldn't sleep, why was she here? What plot did these villains have up their sleeves? Why her and her family what did they do, and the poor McGinnis family, how much more did they need to suffer for them to be happy?
She
stayed down and silently went to sleep with fear in her
heart.
-
Terry
woke up and looked at the white walls surrounding him. He had finally
truly come to accept the fact that this was his life now. He had also
begun to get over his suffering, but there was nothing to enjoy here.
And that is what made it so difficult to accept. Yet somehow, after
all that he had begun to accept it, he knew that there was no way he
could fight back so why try?
His friends would really be proud of him now. So weak and exposed, why didn't they just go ahead and kill him? If they were just going to cage him for the rest of his life why not go ahead and save time? Did they have something else in mind for Batman, or Terry?
The door opened, electricity flooded his suit and Terry lay dormant, and unable to move. Psycho made his way to Terry.
"Today's the day Batsy! Today's the day!"
He picked Terry up and carried him. Terry watched as he was moved, they had never done this before? What was different about today?
"Haha I would hate to spoil the surprise Batsy! You'll just have to see for yourself. Psycho stopped and opened a door. Terry didn't care anymore; in fact he was hoping to find death in this new room.
"HA HA! Don't worry Batsy! There will be plenty of death in here!" He threw Terry in the hanger and slammed the door shut.
Terry looked up, he saw Dana and her family on one side, and his mom and Matt on the other.
"No." Terry said quietly hoping things weren't as they appeared to be. Why, why drag them into this? They had who they wanted! They didn't need to be taken as well.
It hurt to look at them, with the knowledge that they had already been to his funeral, they had already accepted his passing on.
"Well glad to see you've arrived Batman!" It was Spellbinder. Terry hated him, just for brining him here.
"So what is different about today, is what I believe your guessing? Well we have three choices here for you today! Yes I am being nice enough to give you choices! Ha ha and I can't wait to see what you decide! Here are the rules! You and the girl will live! You choose which family to kill! Of course if you choose neither; you will be released and all will die, that is including the girl! Ready to begin the game? Good make your choice!" Spellbinder laughed and awaited an answer.
How could someone make a choice like this? How could he kill his family with his own words? Or condemn a person he loves so much by killing their family and walk away from that? He wished he could die, or kill Spellbinder, but he was unable to move, and precious lives were in his hands. Dana ran to her parents and started crying on them, they held her tightly, with the though they might die.
Matt was crying his eyes out. "I don't wanna die mom! I don't wanna die, please someone save us," He looked to Batman, to his hero, to his role model. He looked to his own brother in hopes that he could be saved, that he could live and cry every time he remembered this day. Terry felt tears go down his face, but the mask hid it, the mask hid everything. His face and identity could not be seen by them, so in a way it made him a little happier that the ones who would die would not know who it was that killed them.
Dana. She called out for her mom and Dad over and over again, not wanting to lose them so soon after the loss of her love. She held them tightly like she would never let go for as long as she lived. No matter who he chose Terry knew that he wouldn't be able to bare himself for as long as he lived.
All of them were crying, no he couldn't bear to look at them anymore.
"Well? I haven't got all day you know!"
Terry looked at Dana again. No matter what choice he chose she would have to live. Unless he condemned them all to death, but then what would he have to live for? What did he have to live for now for that matter? He looked at all of them. Of, course, even though they all though he was dead, even though they were all scared right now, even though he had to choose some of them to die, he still loved them. He still cared for them, and would do anything to protect them. Now he didn't have the power to do that, now he only had the power to kill. It would be greed not to kill them all wouldn't it? He loved them so much, and they would all suffer some loss. He looked at Dana again, directly into her weeping eyes, how could he kill them. Any of them. No, some had to live. He looked at his Mom and brother again. Batman had been Matt's hero since he was young. but how could Batman still be after he killed some one in front of the child's eyes? His Mom. She had lost so much in a year. could she lose respect for Batman too? If she came out of this alive she would surely move. How could he ever guarantee seeing her again? Terry buried his face into the ground, his decision had been made but he couldn't bare to see what would happen next.
He had chosen Dana and her family. He wouldn't be greedy anymore, he loved her too much to let her watch her family die. But he loved his family too much to kill them off. He wanted who would live to be happy, and Dana would live through it regardless of his choice. He looked up at her again, This is for you Dana. Never forget this, I love you. he looked up as his heart broke in two, "The Tan family shall live." His head went straight to the floor again as he heard Matt call out in fear, his Mom held him tighter, and the Tans just sat there quiet. He heard as the door opened and as they were escorted out.
He couldn't bear to look up. Not at his Mom, not at Matt, who he had betrayed and killed.
"Batman. What's wrong? Can't find it in yourself to watch them? Perhaps they can watch you first, lift his head," Psycho lifted Terry's head, and he saw them, they were on the floor crying over each other, he could hear his Mom's voice telling Matt that they were going to see Terry and Warren, Matt's dad.
"Now do they want to catch a glimpse of their killer?" Terry looked up at him with pleading eyes.
"No don't do this," he muttered weakly under the mask.
"You know as well as I do that you can't hide under that mask forever," Mary was looking at him in sadness tears were streaming down her face which had a 'how could you' look on it. No, no, anything but show them, anything. How could he live with himself to know that they were dead, knowing that it was their own son/brother that had killed them?
"Show them," Spellbinder loved every minute of this, he was in control, and he finally had the power to get the ultimate revenge. And he had succeeded; Batman could do nothing but let it happen.
Psycho came towards Terry and slowly removed the mask. Terry looked at them, with exposed, human eyes, as he continued to cry.
"I'm sorry" was all that he could say.
Clayface came out of the shadows with a gun in hand.
"Terry." He heard her say. A loud bang came from the gun, Terry called out for her, tears welled up in his eyes as he watched his mother fall to the ground, lifeless. It all happened so fast, Matt cried, and looked at Terry, with the most innocent look that Terry would never forget, seconds later he, too fell to the ground, dead.
"NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!" Terry yelled his head went back to the cold hard ground, he felt his heart shatter into a thousand different pieces. He had just killed his Mom and Matt.
"Throw them in the river Psycho."
