A/N: 10.17.2017
Hello, all! Sorry I haven't updated this in a while. I've been working on this chapter, in particular, for some time and I do rather like how it came out! It takes place after "All This Time" and is my take on the events of the Justice League Unlimited episode, "Epilogue."
Synopsis: Terry learns a shocking truth about himself and Bruce and has a hard time dealing with the news. Max, Basem, and Sally all sit down with Terry to help him sort it all out.
Enjoy!
Family Ties
Terry and Max sat in the waiting room of the hospital as they waited to hear from the doctor about Bruce's condition. Bruce had been eating breakfast when he suddenly fell ill. Fortunately, Terry had stayed over from the rough night of crime fighting the evening before. Terry rushed to his mentor's aid but both of them immediately knew something was wrong. Terry got Bruce to the hospital as quickly as possible.
Basem and Sally rushed into the waiting room, hurrying over to Terry and Max.
"Any news?" Basem asked.
"No." Terry rubbed his forehead. "Nothing yet."
Just then, Doctor Martinez walked in and looked at Terry, "Mr. McGinnis."
Terry looked at him, "How is he?"
"It's serious but not insurmountable. His kidneys seem to be failing, probably just due to old age. But, as I said, it's challenging but not unbeatable. He just needs a blood transfusion."
"Well, hook me up!"
Martinez smiled. "I had a feeling you'd say something like that. I did want to ask if you wanted to be tested and if you knew anyone else who might…"
"You got four candidates standing right in front of ya, Doc," Sally said, pulling up her sleeve.
Martinez looked at her and stared, "Sally Croft?"
She smiled, "Hey, Dr. Martinez."
"You know each other?" Max asked.
"She shadowed me for a week," Martinez smiled. "Almost lost her job because she liked showing off."
"Sounds like Sally."
"So, how do we get this thing started?" Terry asked.
Dr. Martinez all took samples of their blood and determined that Terry was the best match for Bruce. After a few hours, Martinez cleared Bruce of danger and moved him to a private room for observation for, at least, the next couple of days to make sure he'd recover properly.
Terry, Sally, Max, and Basem were in a more private waiting room. They were decompressing after the all of the panic.
"Damn, that was scary," Sally said.
"I know," Basem agreed. "Damn that old man. Having us be concerned about him."
"Yeah," Terry said, contemplatively.
Max looked at Terry and smiled. "You were actually worried. For all of your sniping at each other, you were worried about him!"
"Oh, leave me alone," Terry replied. "Just don't want to have to deal with him being dead and his ghost haunting me for the rest of my life."
"Oh, whatever!"
The next couple of days went about fine with Bruce recovering well. Terry and Max had just visited him and were about to head home with Dr. Martinez caught them in the hallway.
"Terry, Max," the doctor called out, causing the couple to turn toward him. "I was hoping I could speak with both in private, if you don't mind."
Terry and Max exchanged unsure looks. Terry looked at Martinez, "Uhh, sure."
"My office is right down this way. Follow me."
Walking the opposite direction from the exit, Martinez lead Terry and Max into his office and closed the door.
"What's going on, Doc?" Terry asked.
Martinez walked toward his desk, "Please, have a seat." As they both sat down, he sat down at his desk and took a deep breath. "There's no real easy way to say this but… I do want to explain something to you before we begin."
"Okay," Terry said.
"I've known Bruce since I was a kid, Terry. He saved my life once. Due to his other job."
Terry silently exhaled while Max started to look around, worried.
"Don't worry," Martinez said. "I've known since I was eleven. Long story. I grew up to be a doctor to help people, including guys like him. Because of him. I didn't talk then and I never will but I wanted to show you something."
"Show me what?" Terry asked.
Martinez pulled out his computer tablet. "These are the results of the blood test you gave. I compared it to Bruce's for the transfusion and… well." He handed him his tablet, "See for yourself."
Terry took the tablet and both he and Max looked at it, reading the results. Simultaneously, their eyes widened and they said, "Oh, my God."
Max took the tablet and read the results over and over again.
"I ran them three times," Martinez said. "Just to be sure. The result was the same every time."
Terry sat back then looked at the doctor, "Did you show Bruce this?"
"No," Martinez answered. "I thought he might know but I figured that you needed to see it."
Terry's face slowly becoming more rigid.
"I'm sorry you had to find out this way."
"What are we gonna do?" Max asked.
Terry didn't respond.
Max looked at him, curiously. "Terry?"
That night, after a phone call from Max, Basem and Sally went to Terry and Max's house. Just from the tone of Max's voice, Basem and Sally knew that something bad happened and they needed to get over there right away.
Max opened the door, found Basem and Sally standing there, and greeted, "Hey."
"What's the urgency, girl?" Sally asked. "You're scaring us half to death."
"You better get in here."
Basem saw Terry sitting in an easy chair with an intense look on his face. "Wow," Basem said. "You're usually about to punch someone when you look like that."
"What's wrong?" Sally asked.
Terry picked up a sheet of paper that showed the blood test results between himself and Bruce and handed it to them. Basem took it then he and Sally read it over. After reading it, their eyes went wide.
"Holy shit," Sally whispered.
"You've gotta be kidding me," Basem said.
"No," Terry stood up and started to pace.
"Terry," Basem exhaled, "you're Bruce's son."
"I know."
Basem sat down on the couch, "Are you sure?" Sally sat down next to him.
"Dr. Martinez said he ran them three times. They're right."
Basem rubbed his face. "How… the hell is that even possible?"
Terry stared at him. "Really? That's even a question?!"
Basem immediately understood what he was implying, "Hey! I don't know where exactly your mind is going but your mom doesn't seem like the kind to cheat!"
"But Bruce was a playboy."
"Not with married women. Even he wasn't that bad."
"Well, who's to say that he wasn't?!" Terry shouted.
"Okay, Terry," Max said in a warning tone. "Too far."
Terry's fists tightened but he took a breath. "I'm… sorry."
"But, well…" Sally said, confused, "h-h-h-h-how else could this have happened?"
"Could've overridden Terry's DNA," Basem shrugged.
Terry and Max gave him a drawn-out glare.
"Hey! You want an explanation? That's the only one I've got."
"But Bruce wouldn't do that!" Sally said. "Would he?"
"Why not?" Terry asked. "He's so damn arrogant that he thought the world couldn't live without a perfect clone of him!"
"Okay, Bruce is a lot of things but that damn controlling, no," Basem argued. "He's got lines even he won't cross. That's one of them."
"You're opinion of him is higher than mine."
"No, it's not. You're just mad."
Terry turned his back and folded his arms.
"Well, either way, we need to deal with this," Max said. "I don't care how but we do. We're not letting this divide us."
Terry turned around, "So, what you're saying is that you don't mind Bruce being a manipulative son of a bitch?"
Max clenched her jaw and stared at her husband. "First of all, get that shitty tone out of your voice. I've already told you about that. Second, Bruce does like things his way but he wouldn't screw up your life like that. Third, do not ever talk that bad about him again. Got me? Fourth, that kind of thinking is the stupidest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth."
"He made a clone of him, Max!" Terry shouted.
"We don't know that and stop acting like he did!" Max fired back.
"I don't have another explanation!"
"You have your mind! You know who Bruce is! And the last thing he would do is make you some kind of clone of him! He'll never say it but he actually loves you! Like a son! He would never do something like change your DNA to match his, I don't care what's going on! So, for the last time, calm your ass down!"
Terry stared at her, still seething, but slowly relaxed. He walked to the easy chair and sat down, leaning forward and placing his hands over his face.
"How often have you had to do that?" Sally asked Max.
"First time," Max answered. "But I warned him that I would if I had to."
Basem was reading over the results again. He stood and started pacing back and forth. He suddenly stopped and looked up from the paper. "Oh, damn it all to hell."
"What?" Max asked.
Basem sighed and turned to face them. "There's…" he sighed, "one more person who could've done this. The only one I can think of who'd have the material to make Terry a Bruce-clone, conceive the damned idea at all, and have enough stones to even do it in the first place."
Terry instantly knew who he was talking about. And he couldn't believe he didn't consider it before. "Amanda Waller."
"Oh, what the hell?!" Max shouted.
"Who's Amanda Waller?" Sally asked.
"You remember her. You read about her in history class as kids. Worked with the Justice League, Project: Cadmus."
"Oh, yeah!" Sally snapped her fingers. "Wait. She's still alive?"
"Yeah," Basem said. "The joke going around about her is she'll outlive everyone."
"What would she have to do with this?"
"Good question, Sal." Terry looked for his jacket. "That's exactly what I plan to ask her."
"She might not have anything to do with this, Terry," Basem insisted.
"Maybe. But she'll give me more answers than anyone else."
"I still think you should talk to Bruce," Max said.
"No," Terry said, immediately.
Basem exhaled. "So, I guess, we're going to…"
"No," Terry said. He grabbed his jacket, "I'm going to see Waller alone." He paused. "I have to."
Sally stared at him and couldn't help but say, "Going by yourself is a mistake. I mean, I think so."
"I think she's right," Max agreed.
Terry nodded. "Maybe it is. But… I have to do this." He looked at Basem. "Do you know where she is?"
Basem opened his mouth then looked away.
"You know."
"How do you know that, babe?" Sally asked.
Basem shrugged, "Long story. Let's just say that Dad likes to know where certain people are at all times. And from the hero community, Waller doesn't make as much effort to hide."
"Why?"
"She's always around to lend a hand. And it's not like anyone would be stupid enough to attack her. Half of everyone is afraid her as it is."
"Sounds about right," Max said.
"Where is she?" Terry asked.
"Terry…" Basem started to say.
"Where, Basem?"
Basem reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He scrolled for a few seconds then stopped. "She lives in a compound 40 miles outside of Metropolis in Wein County. 1986 Ostrander Lane. She's got guards."
Terry scoffed, "Of course she does." He started for the door.
"Wait, you're going now?!" Sally asked.
Terry stopped. "The sooner I talk to her, the better."
"Terry…" Max said.
Everyone looked at her.
"Go, talk to her. But you listen to her. Whether she did it or Bruce did, you listen to her. Besides the usual circle, she's probably one of the few people who knows Bruce the best. Listen to her. And… if, if Bruce did it… you'll hear him out as to why. Promise me."
Terry stared at his wife for a while. "Promise."
A few hours later, Terry was back at his house with Max, Basem, and Sally, all sitting around as Terry recounted his meeting with Waller. Terry explained that Waller was responsible for his DNA matching Bruce's in an attempt to make a new Batman to replace Bruce after he passed on. But didn't go all the way through with the plan because, it would call for her to kill Mary and Warren McGinnis.
That was a line Bruce wouldn't cross and Waller realized that she couldn't either after her assassin refused to, in Waller's words, "pull the trigger."
Terry told them that Waller gave him more advice; about who Batman was, how Terry was his own man, and how he needed to continue to be so.
Terry sat down in the easy chair and exhaled. "And… that was it."
Basem shook his head. "Waller. Dad already said that she was a bulldog with things she wanted."
"Sure it wasn't a pit bull?"
"Oh, hell, it was probably a wolf."
Terry chuckled.
"So, the big question," Max said, "are you going to tell Bruce?"
Terry leaned back and started running his hand over his mouth. Basem and Sally stared at Terry, quietly, as they awaited the answer.
Terry moved his hand down. "No." He shook his head, "I don't wanna hurt him."
Max blinked in surprise.
"Wait, I'm sorry," Sally shook her head. "Hurt him?"
"Bruce never had any kids," Terry said. "Except for the ones he adopted and they all left him. How would you feel if you drove everyone away and the one kid you did have out there, you didn't meet until he was 16-years-old?"
Sally sat back. "Damn. That poor old man."
"But this is Bruce we're talking about, Terry," Basem said. "He probably already knows."
"All the more reason not to tell him, then," Terry said.
"What do you mean?"
"If he knows and didn't tell me then he was either protecting me… or it just hurt him way too much to acknowledge it."
Basem scratched his head, "Yeah."
"Either way," Terry said, "best keep this between the four of us for now."
"And if you decide to tell him later?"
"I'll deal with it then."
Max smiled. "Glad you see you're using your head." She shrugged, "And your heart."
"Well," Terry shrugged. "You were right."
"Big shock," Basem and Sally said, simultaneously.
Terry glared at the couple and they smiled.
Terry rolled his eyes and looked back at Max, "Like I was saying: you were right. Bruce isn't like that." He sighed. "He never would be."
"Told you so," Max smiled, triumphantly. She walked over and kissed him. "I'm just glad you got it."
Terry nodded, "Yeah. Me, too."
A/N: I hope you guys liked it!
I didn't write out the talk between Waller and Terry as it would be similar to the one in "Epilogue" but, if anyone wants me to write my own version of it, I can give it a shot. Also, in case anyone was wondering, Amanda Waller's comic book debut was in 1986 and her creators were writers, John Ostrander & Len Wein.
Thanks for sticking me, guys! I hope I can update this sooner but we'll see. Also, "Good Life" is still actively going and should be updated this week or next. Leave me some reviews and let me know what you all think! Have a great one, all!
