Author's Notes: Major thanks to Bumpkin for editing portions of this chapter and suggesting some wonderful detail to certain scenes.
Thanks to Kim and Jordan (who left no email for a personal note) for their enthusiastic reviews.
And an apology to Candice if she reads thisI must have been delusional when I told you it wouldn't be months before another update. Sorry.
With a grunt, Terry sat up in the small hole he had made in the damp ground. He vaguely remembered his uncontrolled trip through the night air and crashing through a hundred or so tree branches of various thicknesses. He wasn't about to complain about them since they had managed to slow his body smearing landing into a mere lung-clearing thud.
'Hunh, definitely one thing that I didn't miss about wearing this suit,' he thought wryly as he carefully got back to his feet, ' the regular physical abuse to my poor body.'
Terry checked himself out and found everything still working. Looking skyward revealed only the pitch black of a moonless night. The entity that he'd been observing at close range and which had blazed like a mini-sun for a minute before it seemed to explode and send him on his uncontrolled flight, was gone.
"Damn thing must have vomited." he muttered, rubbing at the cowl to scratch the beard-induced itch beneath while activating the link to the cave. When silence was the response he worked the switch again with the same results. Trying different frequencies was also useless. He turned to face the distant, out-of-sight mansion and murmured worriedly, "What's going on over there Max?"
The distant beam of a searchlight slicing across the sky pulled his attention heavenward. It was the hovercraft and it was descending below the far off tree line.
Impulsively he rocketed his suit-covered body in that direction. He landed within the concealment of the forest edge and observed. The hovercraft's movements were jerky, the sound of its engines labored as it played out its netting over a much diminished Blob which had settled to float at ground level.
Filled with a sense of urgency, Terry again tried to contact the cave. He needed to let Max know what was going on.
Silence was the only reply.
The limping ship had now snagged the drifting, faded Blob and was rising slowly back up to the skies. Torn between worrisome thoughts of what might be happening in the cave and fear that 'Blob and company' would slip away from him, Terry made a quick decision.
Batman cloaked himself and flew toward the craft, hoping the thrust from the boot-jets wouldn't be noticed. Reaching it he landed softly on the hull, magnetically adhering to the surface. A nearby window drew him to it. He peered cautiously around the edge.
People inside the ship were running around, looking flustered and a little shell-shocked. Terry's blood turned cold when he glimpsed his sworn enemy standing inside. Talia...his...her...
Terry made a hissing sound and jerked himself in irritation. After all this time he still couldn't categorize the being that had turned his life into personal chaos. He grit his teeth and used the proper noun….
Its regally calm bearing contrasted sharply to the chaos around it.
Terry realized he had unconsciously bared his teeth and a low growl was escaping from his throat. He made himself stop despite the fact he wanted to follow through on the animal urge to crash through the window and tear Its limbs from its body.
The ship bucked violently and he lost the view while steadying himself against the hull. When he looked again, It was no longer visible. A fierce determination to get inside and confront It was abruptly confounded by the worry he felt for his friends in the cave.
What was wrong with the link? Was the problem on his end or the cave end? Were they all right? How bad had Bruce gotten? Were they so busy trying to keep Bruce alive that Max didn't have time to contact him?
Suddenly the slim female form strolled into view again. Once more angered adrenaline roiled through every feeling part of him. He raised an arm, fist clenched, swung it toward the clear surface andstopped it an inch from contact.
Terry released his incensed emotion with a subdued shout of aggravation.
This wasn't the time! Al Ghul's Blob was incapacitated for now, hopefully for good. Either way there'd be a cushion of relief for Gotham. More important right now was knowing the welfare of the people he loved residing in the cave. He had a feeling Bruce wouldn't agree with his choice, but it's what his guts were telling him to do and it was about time he started trusting them again.
After placing a tracer on the gradually accelerating ship Batman took off for the batmobile .
The batmobile screamed into the darkened cave entrance. Dread anticipation of what he'd find when he got there had Terry performing a risky bottom ejection from the cockpit before it slowed to land.
He touched feet first, rolled to lessen the impact and was back on his feet in seconds running toward the annex. Senses on high he easily noted the burnt smell of fried circuitry. Thick wisps of smoke blocked the already dimmed lighting, giving the cave a surreal look. Most eerie of all was the strange quiet. Terry had never realized how much white-noise all the cave's equipment gave off until this moment when, apparently, most of it was now inoperative.
He saw Max sitting by the deadened computer with her head down on folded arms. It looked like a natural pose, not one she would have fallen into if…
Terry swallowed hard against a rise of sick fear. He yanked the itchy cowl from his head as he approached her. Holding his breath, he squatted beside the chair and called softly,
"Max."
She mumbled and groggily lifted her head.
He let the breath go.
Thank you God.
Impulsively he reached fingers to brush hair from her eyes. She focused blearily on him and smiled, her murmur heavy with relief,
"You made it back."
Duh. Not one of the more intelligent deductions she's ever made. She must be really out of it.
He grinned and nodded. "You all right?"
She sighed, "Tired."
"How's Bruce?"
She pushed herself straight in the chair, the struggle to become alert easy for him to see. "We think he's out of danger. His vitals have stabilized. He came too for a minute and seems to be resting comfortably now. One of us will keep an eye on him for the next twenty-four hours just to make sure."
He steadied her wobbly rise from the chair, "You sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine." She made a half-hearted attempt to shrug off his helping hand, "I just need to sleep for a week or two."
He let her go when she seemed steady enough, "What happened in here?"
"Massive power overload. Too much, too fast for the breakers to handle. Tim's thinking whatever kind of connection the Blob made to tap into the cave's energies was still intact when it released that same energy. It's going to take days to get everything back online again." Max moaned the last while rubbing a hand across her eyes.
"Don't worry about it. We'll get it done."
She stared at him with a strange look on her face for so long that he had to question it.
"What?"
She shook herself, "Nothing."
He followed her into the medbay.
"Terry," Tim rose from his seat beside the bed where Bruce lay with tubes and wires running from his body to the life support unit. "Glad to see you're still in one piece."
"For awhile there I was wondering how many I'd end up in, but yeah it turned out okay." Terry replied as he went automatically to the bed and stared at its still occupant.
"Can we get you to elaborate on that a bit? Max and I were driving ourselves crazy wondering what you were dealing with."
"I don't think the phenom is going to be bothering Gotham for awhile. The hovercraft snagged what was left of it after it exploded. I stuck a tracer on the ship then headed back here." His voice trailed off as he eyed Bruce. "You sure we shouldn't take him to a hospital?"
Without the power of his conscious personality emanating through his eyes and mouth, Bruce looked like any other frail, old man. A fact that filled Terry with a certain sadness. He reached out to touch the gnarled hand lying atop the blanket, relieved to feel warmth there. Behind him, Tim's voice held strong reassurance.
"He's going to be fine Terry. His vitals strengthened as soon as the phenom's influence faded. I figure another hour on the unit just to be sure, then we can take him off of it."
Terry nodded that he had heard before turning in time to see Tim unsuccessfully stifle a huge yawn. Behind him Max seemed to be swaying, almost asleep on her feet. "I'll take over here. You two need to get some rest."
"How about I stay with him a little longer while you take her home." Tim said.
"I can take myself home." Max's sleepy protest lacked conviction.
Tim rolled his eyeballs tiredly at Terry and mouthed the word 'stubborn'.
"I heard that." Max made the effort to give him a friendly swat and missed.
Terry grinned, "Why not stay here and sleep in one of the spare bedrooms Max?"
"My cat needs me. I haven't spent any time with her in days "
Tim let out a loud snort and plopped back down in the chair. "I tried to get her to go upstairs before. Total waste of energy. Just get her out of here, even if you have to carry her."
Smiling, Terry took her by the arm and propelled her weakly protesting form out of the bay with an aside to Tim, "I'll be back within the hour."
Max fell asleep as soon as her head hit the back of the car seat. Seeing she hadn't fastened her seatbelt, he reached across to do it for her, surprised when she didn't stir even a little from his efforts.
Terry traveled the familiar roadway in his usual speedy manner and noticed her relaxed body gradually tilting in his direction. With a pleasant notion in mind he took the curves with sharper emphasis than necessary until her head was resting against his shoulder. He lifted his arm carefully so she settled more snugly to his body then rested the arm around her. Satisfied, he smiled to himself, enjoying the opportunity to hold her close.
Too soon he was parked outside her building. The cessation of movement did not arouse her. Terry unbuckled and shifted a little so he could get a better look at her unguarded features, remembering how it was to make love to her. He wanted to do it again, but only if she wanted it too. No more begging.
Bending over he smoothed hair aside to softly kiss her forehead. He tensed in anticipation as she murmured sleepily. Her head tilted upwards leaving her face more exposed to his scrutiny. Unable to resist the impulse he twisted his torso into an awkward reach until his lips pressed gently to her cheek… then trailed with feather lightness to her nose… brushing down to her upper lip…
He held his breath as her mouth parted, full lips fastening lazily around his slow-to-recede lower lip. He responded in kind, restraining his eagerness as she continued to dreamily play with his mouth, deepening the kiss.
He felt instant disappointment when she suddenly stopped, her eyelids raising wide in shock. She pulled away and sat up straight on the seat. Slowly she turned her face to him blinking sleep from her dark eyes.
He showed her an innocent grin, "You're home."
She blinked again, looked out her window and slowly unbuckled. Then she just sat there.
"Max?" he said finally and touched her arm.
He's taken aback at the expression she turns to him. He's not sure what it means. He's never seen it before.
She leaned towards him, surprising him when her arms wrap around his neck pulling him close. Her throaty murmur is even more unexpected. "I'm scared…for all of us."
His arms encircle her, wanting to comfort her spoken fearsof what he wasn't certain. Her next words give him the answer.
"He really is a demon isn't he?"
Terry felt an angry resolve rise inside. Al Ghul, known in some historic circles as the Demon's Head. That bizarre example of a warped human being was even unhinging Max nowsomething he thought she was immune too after seeing how easily she had helped handle some of Batman's more unusual cases in the past. Bruce was right. This had gone on long enough. And he was a jerk for letting it.
He pulled away without letting her go and stared determinedly into her eyes, "He's human Max. Intelligent, insanely obsessed and willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to get what he wants, even his own child. And I'm going to stop him."
"Alone?"
His expression turned rueful, "Not as long as I have you and Bruce and Tim on my side. And since you're still here after all the crap I've put you all through lately, I guess you won't be going anywhere now."
Max smiled tiredly, "I'm glad you're back."
"So am I."
"You really mean that?"
He shrugged, "It hasn't sunk all the way in yet, but yeah, it feels right."
Her dark eyes studied him intently for a moment before she nodded, "Good."
"I talked to Tamara tonight."
Max became more alert, "How is she?"
"He's turning her into a basket case, but she's holding on. She gave me a lead that might help me find where Rasy is keeping her parents cloistered. As soon as we're sure Bruce is recovering I'll follow up on it."
He could see questions in her eyes, but she only nodded wearily. Her mouth curved into a small smile and she cupped his bearded jaw with tender hands. His breath froze in his throat, caught fast by the gentle gesture.
"Terr, no matter which direction our lives go in the future," Max hesitated for a moment. Her face tilted downwards as her eyes fell closed. She was obviously trying to marshal her tired brain into order to finish saying what she had begun. When she looked up again her eyesalight with passion.
"You are my best and oldest friend. I love you. I always will and I wanted you to" she corrected herself with a small shake of her head. "No, I need you to know that." She leaned forward and kissed him fiercely as if to seal the words with the action before she scooted out of the car.
Stunned, Terry could only lift two fingers to rest on his stinging lips and watch her make her way slowly from the car and into her building.
Terry busied himself with repair work to the cave equipment while making regular checks on Bruce's condition. It was over six hours before the old man began to stir.
Ace, who had not budged from his position beside his unconscious master, now jumped down from the bed as Terry entered the room. Tongue lolling and tail wagging, he trotted over to greet the young human as if saying 'Hey, look! He's finally awake!'
"Hey pup." Terry palmed the broad head and scratched behind the appreciative dog's ears while noting Bruce's eyes watching them.
He approached the bed, Ace trotting ahead to jump up and return to his spot there. Bruce's hand automatically moved to absently stroke the soft fur. Ace made a dog-like moan of pleasure and Terry would have sworn the animal was smiling.
"How you feeling?"
"Old." Bruce replied in a scratchy growl. He fumbled for the bed switch, grabbed it and raised the head of the bed.
"Then I guess you're doing okay." Terry grinned, happy to see his mentor returning quickly to his usual curmudgeonly self.
Looking a bit paler in the new position Bruce still managed his patent frown, "Report McGinnis."
"Short version?" Terry kept a close eye on Bruce as he moved to another part of the room to pour a glass of ice water. "They got away. But not before I stuck a tracer on the ship."
"And?"
"Aannnd" he walked to Bruce and handed him the cold container. "When Max or Tim get here to keep an eye on you I'll go and check it out."
"I don't need a babysitter." Bruce grumped.
"Right." Terry noted the tremble in Bruce's arm as he reached out to grasp the glass. "We've already established your age category."
"Give me the long version. What happened after I lost consciousness?"
"Drink first. Long version later."
Ready to stand his ground when his mentor scowled, Terry was surprised when Bruce raised the glass to his lips. Giving in that easily? He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.
Terry took the near empty glass from Bruce, "You hungry? I know I sure am."
"No." Bruce replied irritably. "And why is it so dark in here?"
"That's courtesy of our friendly neighborhood Blob who decided to give back as much as it took."
"Blob?"
"The phenom. It was drawing off the cave's power like crazy until it got too much and spit it all back. The reverse surge was more than the breakers could handle and wellyou can guess what happened. It'll be awhile before everything is back online."
Bruce sat in thoughtful silence before looking at Terry again, "How long have I been out?"
"Ah, about nine hours. You really had us worried for awhile there."
"So you got a visual on it?"
Terry nodded, "Up close and personal."
"Did you see R'as?"
Terry scowled, his mood darkening without conscious thought.
"Yeah," he grated. "It was on the ship."
Bruce crooked a silver brow at Terry who noted the jaundiced look before turning to put the glass away. He didn't want his mentor lecturing him right now on the pitfalls of emotion and how they adversely affect judgment. He attempted to change the subject instead.
"I'm gonna run upstairs and get us some soup."
Too bad Bruce wasn't going for it. Terry sighed inwardly when he heard the voice evolve into full mentor mode.
"You have to defeat him in your mind before you can be successful at it in reality."
"Can we save this for later, when you're feeling better?"
"Haven't you learned by now that avoiding issues won't make them go away?"
"Dammit Bruce!" Terry barked in exasperation. "Don't you ever quit?"
A few hours back in the suit and they were already falling back into the same routine. And let's totally forget the fact Bruce had been near death. It didn't matter to Bruce so why should it bother anyone else? Well it mattered to him and slaggit! he wasn't ready for this conversation.
"No." Bruce replied firmly. "And neither do you."
"Ah" Terry cast his mentor a skeptical look. "Could you please state your full name and date of birth and whether you remember anything of the last couple months?"
"There's nothing wrong with my memory."
"Then you'll probably recall the fact that I did indeed quit my alter ego?"
"You stepped away from it for awhileto get a new perspective. That's not quitting. I've done it myself more than once."
Terry focused an intense gaze on the elder whose pale, deeply wrinkled face made him look more fragile than he'd ever seen before. How close really had they been to losing him this time? He didn't want to imagine what life would be like when it did happen. Maybe now wasn't a good time to say what he wanted to saybut maybe if he waited too long he'd never have the chance.
Hesitation played an expressive series of movements on Terry's face before Bruce's mouth quirked into a slight grin.
"Something you wanted to say?"
"I was think'in I" his voice was husky and strained as he fought to control emotion, "don't want you to die. I don't want Batman to die. Tell me what I have to do to keep it all alive."
Bruce gazed with a fathomless stare for a long moment, the fingers of one hand continuing to work the fur at Ace's neck, before he rebuked softly,
"It doesn't matter what you want. Life will go on without me or Batman or even you in it. But the ideals, the justice, the... purpose we've been struggling to preserve all these years will never die. There will always be someone out there who will pick up where we left off, just as we were compelled to."
Bruce closed his eyes and let go a heavy sigh. He was annoyed that the simple act of talking was so exhausting, but he wouldn't let it stop him from continuing.
"Terry" Bruce tilted his body slightly towards the young man. "I have my own selfish reasons for wanting you to continue, but if that's not what you want thenthere's no shame in letting that part of your life go. You've done more than your share of righting the wrongs. And it wouldn't be fair or right to compare yourself to me. You are not me."
Terry stared at Bruce...and saw him with new sight. Not with eyes that regarded him as a living legend or as a demanding and often unforgiving mentor. He saw him simply now, as a man who had struggled and fought for everything he had become just as Terry was doing now. There was no magic to Batman. He was who he was through motivation, intelligence, discipline and persistence. And though he might get close to being as good a Batman as Bruce someday, he would never be Bruce. He voiced the revelation in a soft murmur.
"I always thought I had to be."
Bruce gave his grayed head a slow shake and replied with that sage tone he used on special occasions.
"There are just two expectations I have ever had for you Terry. One. That you are effective in whatever you set your mind to doing. And two. That you stay alive."
Terry stared for a long time, thoughts unreadable on his face, though the flash of blue in his eyes expressed disbelief. "That's it? That's all you ever wanted from me?"
"That covers a lot of territory." Bruce's eyebrows had risen marginally, a cautious tone in his voice. "Think about it. All I had to do was direct you where I wanted you to go by convincing you that that's where you wanted to go. And if you accomplished the goal then we were both satisfied."
"So what are you saying?" Terry said after a thoughtful silence, the rising edge of anger tingeing his words. "That I was some kind of puppet for you?" He was surprised to see a genuine smile light the old man's face, yet his eyes held a rock hard glint.
"No one has ever controlled you Terry. Not your parents. Not your peers. Not me. Not even the dictates of Batman. Every decision you've ever acted on was compelled by your own reasoning."
"But you just said - "
"I used the words direct and convince. I knew in the very beginning if I had tried to bridle you and rein you in the direction I wanted, you'd have taken hold of the bit and given me more trouble than I was willing to or perhaps even able to handle at this stage in my life."
"So I'm in the horse category now?" Terry muttered distaste at Bruce's choice of metaphor.
Bruce's brow lifted in wry emphasis, "That's a better term than Max sometimes uses when she's referring to you."
Terry grimaced at the reminder of how angry she could get with him at times and went to give his beard an irritated tug. He looked squarely at Bruce.
"Why?" Terry's murmur indicated true bewilderment. "Why did you choose me?"
"Choose?" Bruce replied with a knowing droll. They both knew quite well that Terry's introduction to Batman had none of Bruce's input or consent.
"Okay, maybe I'll rephrase that. Why did youletme?"
"Because it's what we both wanted."
They couldn't work together. One of them had to go.
It was either the cowl or the beard. The decision was pretty much a no brainer. Batman without the cowl would be as unthinkable as Superman without his cape. Yet the thought of losing the concealing mass of chin hair left him feeling a bit bereft and sort ofnaked.
Terry stared at his image in the mirror, one hand stroking the thick reddish black hair covering his jaw line.
"So what're you afraid of McGinnis," he murmured to himself. "Why the hesitation?"
Like he had told Max, it was there for him to hide behindto tell himself and the world he was not the same man he had been once. Well duh! From the lousy way he'd been acting around others the last months he sure didn't need the beard to let them know.
No. Admit it. The beard meant something only to me.
So whatshaving it off was the final act he would make to seal his return to the alter-ego and that scared him? He shook his head.
"No. I want this. Being Batman feels right, but…."
I'm thinking if I take the beard off I'll go back to being who I was beforea failure.
Huh? You believe that facial hair is going to decide your destiny?
He laughed aloud at the absurd deduction, his train of thoughts suddenly taking a more positive track.
And let's be honest here. The only people who really feel you're a failure is yourself and old Rasy and neither of you have an objective viewpoint on the subject. If there was any real failure it was with Terry McGinnis for taking his frustrations out on the people who deserved his respect. He was sorry about that and was doing his best to atone for that past negative behavior.
Terry picked up the clippers, took a deep breath as he stared at it then brought the device quickly up to his face and began shaving.
The thirty-second story window was open, letting the night's humid breeze into the room. Batman perched on the ledge and looked in to see Vince Wardo's back as he sat at a large office desk.
He jimmied the screen latches and slid it upwards, wincing at the sound and waiting for Vinnie to turn around. Either the guy was really deep into thought or Terry hadn't lost as much finesse as he thought he had. Uncloaking, he slipped into the room and stood about a foot behind the seated man, arms crossed, pose relaxed. Letting his voice drop to Batman's distinctive timbre, he said quietly,
"How you been Vinnie?"
Vince Wardo jerked in surprise, one arm accidentally sweeping the meal from his desk as he whirled to face the threat behind him. The fat-lined pasty-white face gaped in silence for long seconds. The papers held in his nerveless hand fluttered to the floor while he continued to stare in shock. Terry wondered if he had just triggered a heart attack in the man.
It was his turn to be surprised when Vinnie dropped to his knees in front of Batman and began to babble.
"Batman! Praise all that's sane in this world! You're back! You're back from the dead!" His meaty hands clasped together in a pose of supplication. "You've got to save me from her. She's insane. She's going to kill us all! I didn't know what I was getting into. I'm sorry! Please... send me to prison. I don't wanna die!"
Whoa. If he needed proof that Vince was involved with Al Ghul he had it. Seemed old Rasy could bring anyone to the brink of mental unwellness. Terry felt a new depth of compassion for the hapless Vinnie.
"Easy Vinnie. It's nice seeing you too." Batman urged the trembling man back to his chair. "Just relax and tell Uncle Batman all about it."
Vince continued to stare wide-eyed and hopeful. One of his trembling hands wiped at the sweat beading his forehead. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you…no idea at all."
"Ah, I think you've made that pretty obvious and I'm flattered Vinnie. Really I am. I didn't know you cared. So tell mewhat kind of trouble have you been into since I've been gone?"
"I" Vince clutched at his left shoulder, his face screwing up in pain and confusion. He leaned crookedly in the chair trying to ease the hurt.
"You okay?"
"Indigestion."
"In your arm?" Terry watched Vince's complexion take on a bluish tinge. He had a bad feeling about what was happening.
"This whole side…" his hand slid across his chest, "burns."
Terry wrapped a gloved hand around Vince's wrist, holding it firmly for a minute. A glimpse at the readouts within his cowl made him frown. He turned away to activate the cave link and murmur, "Maxyou there?"
"Yep, got it. Dangerously high blood pressure, rapid, weak pulse and chest pain. I'm sending an ambulance your way now. Get him to chew a couple of aspirin while you're waiting."
Terry flicked open a tiny compartment on his utility belt, letting two white tablets fall into his gloved hand. He offered them to Vince, "Here. Chew these and swallow."
"What is it?"
"Aspirin. You on any medications?"
With a shaky hand Vince took the pills and palmed them to his mouth, "Just my daily dose of brandy at night. Helps me sleep."
Terry's mouth quirked into a wry grin beneath his mask. That was something he could relate to, "When's the last time you went to a doctor?"
"Don't go," he ground out between chews. "Don't trust 'em. They're all a bunch of quacks."
"You don't trust doctors, but you're willing to deal with a wacko woman you know nothing about. When you gonna start using your brains Vinnie?"
"There's a difference. One's personal, the other's business. A man's got to make a living." He hunched further in his chair to give Batman a suspicious look. "You sound like you know who she is."
"I might."
"She's the reason you" Vince drew in a pained breath, "disappeared, isn't it?"
Batman gave his head a dismissive shake, "I'm back. That's all that matters, besides the fact you're having a heart attack. You know that right?"
"No, I've felt this before." He continued to grimace and rub at one side of his chest. "It'll pass in awhile."
"Paramedics are on their way. They'll be taking you to a hospital."
"No…no hospital, no doctor. I'll be okay now that you're back. You'll stop her. She won't be slit'in my neck."
"If you want me to stop her, you'll have to tell me everything you know."
"Anything," he panted. "Ask a question."
"She's holding a man and woman hostage. Where are they?"
Vince grunted assent, "Married. Nice people. Don't know why she's keeping them."
"Where?"
"Ugh…hard to breathe."
"Just try to stay relaxed," Batman placed a hand on Vinnie's shoulder. "So is this couple in the city somewhere?"
"New Town," Vince wheezed and writhed in his chair. "Thirteen twenty-one… Lane Avenue. I set up a twenty-four hour guard schedule to… keep them inside and make sure… they got food and… and stuff."
"How mVinnie?"
Batman caught Vince as he slumped over and guided his fall to the floor. He gripped the unconscious man's wrist. Sensitive instruments within the suit's glove weren't detecting a pulse.
"Max? He's in defib. How long before those EMT's get here?"
"ETA four and a half minutes. Better not wait for them."
Terry emitted a noise of displeasure as he laid Vince out, made sure his airway was clear and bared his chest, "I knew you were going to say that. I hate doing this. It never goes like it's supposed to."
"You mean like a textbook scenario?"
"Right," he replied as he pulled a tiny kit from his utility belt. Opening it he fumbled to retrieve some small specialized electrodes from within. When his padded fingers refused to grasp them, he let out an exasperated sigh and pulled off the right glove. Nimbly he picked them out and placed them at strategic points on Vince's chest. He connected the separate electrodes to a central lead, then connected that to a retractable wire pulled out from a hidden dot beneath the suit's breastbone area. "You getting a reading?"
"Yeah, it looks good here. Whenever you're ready."
"Here goes."
There was no sound as a controlled electrical charge was sent from Batman's suit to Vince's chest. Vince did not move even as Max's relieved voice sounded in Terry's ear.
"It's not real steady, but I am reading a rhythm."
"Great, but he's still not breathing." Terry pulled up the lower half of his cowl and positioned himself beside Vince to give mouth to mouth resuscitation.
Over and over he blew air into Vinnie's mouth, waiting for some sign the unconscious man was taking in his own breath. His own breathing becoming labored, Terry paused again for what seemed the thousandth time and stared down at Vince's still form.
"Come on Vinnie, breathe! How long has it been Max?"
"Almost four minutes."
"Damn!" Terry muttered and resumed breathing for Vince. The sound of approaching sirens sent a feeling of both relief and anxiety through him. Relief that Vinnie would finally get professional help and anxiety knowing he couldn't disappear like he wanted to when the help arrived because he couldn't stop breathing for Vince.
The loud piercing sound of an up close siren was suddenly silenced, but he could see the faint blue-red of flashing lights bouncing at tiny points around the room. He wondered vaguely how a ground level light could reach inside a room at this height. The thud of running feet came from outside and then a pounding on the outer office door.
With a final breath for Vinnie, Batman surged to his feet, pulled the cowl back in place and sprinted to open the locked door. He gestured to the room beyond.
"He's in there. Heart attack. Shocked him out of defib. Still not breathing on his own."
The policeman and two paramedics stared gaping at the famous, thought dead and gone, Batman until Batman ordered in deep-voiced urgency,
"GO!"
That jerked them into action. They scrambled past him, the paramedics setting up their equipment beside Vince while the policeman stopped and turned around to ask Batman a question.
He was gone.
A quick check around both rooms revealed nothing. With a shrug, the cop went to help the busy medics. One of them handed him a bag of intravenous solution to hold saying, "We seeing things or was he really here?"
"Somebody let us in," the cop replied, unsure himself of what they had seen. The other medic snorted.
"Course that was him. Had to be the real thing. I ain't never seen a costume with that kind of detail. Besides, itfelt like him."
"Felt?" his partner laughed as they both continued to stabilize their patient. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"I don't know. Just some'thin about him. You knowan aura or whatever you call it. He felt strongenergizedyou know, like a hero should be."
There was another disbelieving chuckle. "And how would you know what a hero's supposed to feel like?"
"Hey," the other chided sharply. "I just know, okay?"
"Well," the cop mused after a lengthy silence watching the medics do their job. "I hope he is back, cause this city sure hasn't been the same since he's been gone."
"That's an understatement if IAll right, his respirations are starting to climb. Let's get him home."
Working as the trained team they were, the three got Vince's heavy body loaded quickly unto the portable gurney and headed to the transport.
They didn't see Batman's cloaked form reappear in one corner of the room or hear him murmur to himself,
"Guess it's official now, eh Max?"
"Yep. Batman's back."
"You think Vinnie'll be okay?"
"Yeah, for some strange reason I do. Of course we'll have to keep Al Ghul away from him."
"Right." Batman moved to the open window, perching on its edge. He took in the sight of the city at this mid-level height, the buildings that rose higher and those that dotted the lower landscape. All dazzling with manmade lighting. "I'm going to free Tamara's parents first. Rasy'll be next. We're going to stop him for good this time Max."
"I know. Keep me informed."