p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #d7dadc; background-color: #1a1a1b;"Terry McGinnis begins his life in crime. His parents are members of the Joker Gang, and he grew up in it, doing oddjobs for his higher ups and being abused by other, stronger members. After years of abuse, at age 13 he decides he needs to do some fighting back. He becomes brutal. Angry, and vengeful. He quickly rises the ranks above those who once hurt him in the gang, as well as his parents. He forgot about them. He has no clue where they are, or what they're doing, let alone if they're even alive. It's possible he sent them to their deaths on a robbery that he ordered, for all he knows. It doesn't matter, though, in his mind. Power, strength, violence are what /br /This story truly begins with Terry McGinnis as a powerful member of the Jokers, at age 24. He's one of the most violent, and higher ranking members, to the point most others are afraid of him, even some of his higher ups. He doesn't like the Joker persona though, and doesn't enjoy the theatrics of the Jokers. He doesn't get the joke. He's always thought that the goal is what matters. The money, the destruction, and the control. So, after some thought, he decides to leave the Joker Gang. He quits, at first relieving the Jokers he informs, thinking they are finally free of their nigh-tyrannical boss. While walking away from the sewer-based Joker hideout, he pulls out a small device with a red button. Terry places his finger on the button, finding a sickening pleasure in what he's about to do. But still no smile. He wants everything to hurt, for him and them. An explosion erupts from the Joker hideout, killing a majority of them instantly, as well as burning whoever and whatever is left after the initial blast. He grimaces as he walks away, thinking about how weak the Jokers were compared to him, and how they had no goal, no grand scheme like he does. Now it is time to make his own gang. His own mafia. But first he needs /br /p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #d7dadc; background-color: #1a1a1b;"This leads to one day, where he takes a stroll through a forest, at night, near Wayne Manor. His intent is to scope out the place for robbery in the following days while planning out the job. This is when a group of 5 Jokers out for revenge show up, thinking they can take him in a straight fight, figuring the explosion was just a crutch. It's five on one, right? Bruce Wayne sees the fight taking place on his security cameras, and realizes Terry is trying to kill them (not that he knows who Terry is yet), something he feels the need to stop, even after he gave up the Batman persona. He speeds down in his car, hoping to help take down the Jokers without allowing any murder to take place. Terry allows Bruce to fight with him, after all, it might help him see what Bruce is capable of and if he can rob the mansion without any... Complications. After the fight is over, Bruce begins having heart trouble, and collapses to the floor. Terry plays the helpful card, asking if Bruce is alright. Bruce requests Terry drive him up to the mansion to help him, still not clearly seeing Terry /br /p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #d7dadc; background-color: #1a1a1b;"Terry and Batman have fought before, back when Terry was less ranked and feared in the Jokers, at age 16, and back before Bruce quit being Batman. Terry was out collecting debts from people who had to buy protection from the Jokers. Terry is still just as brutal, though. He tries to hold back, knowing that if he murders the family he's collecting from he won't get his cut of the money. The scared parents and crying child get to him, though. He keeps shouting for everyone to shut up and just give him the money, holding a gun to their faces, but this only frightens them more. He shoots the parents, killing them instantly, while the child watches in fear. This is when Batman finally shows up, alerted by the gunshots. He bursts in through a window, knocking the gun out of Terry's hand with a Bat-a-Rang. This is when Batman notices the two dead parents on the floor, with holes in their faces and blood pooling on the hardwood. And the child, couldn't be more than 10 years old. Batman gets furious, scowling at Terry, and lashes his suit claws at Terry's face, leaving 3 scars across his cheek. Batman arrests Terry, but the Jokers break him out quickly, since he still had debts to collect for them. Terry still has those 3 scars on his face, and curses Batman every morning he sees them in the mirror, swearing vengeance against the Dark /br /p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #d7dadc; background-color: #1a1a1b;"Returning to the scene of Bruce and Terry in the car. Terry drives Bruce to the mansion, jumping at the opportunity to see the inside of the place so he can get the layout for robbing it in the future, and perhaps pocket a few things while he's there at the moment. He helps Bruce to a couch, sitting him down. Bruce asks Terry to grab him his pills, which he does. He steals a couple for himself, too. While looking around, he decides to try and find hidden valuables, since he cant find any loose necklaces or rings. He attempts to look inside a Grandfather clock, when he notices a bat inside. He opens the casing holding the bat, freeing it. This moves the clock, revealing a hidden entrance that he walks down, assuming it's some kind of money vault. He instead finds a cave, where he notices... Batman paraphernalia? No... It's too advanced, and with that big computer in the corner. This is the real Batcave. Terry's attention is immediately drawn to the Batsuit with a red logo, reminding him of the night Batman scarred him. He realizes now that billionaire Bruce Wayne is indeed... The Batman. Quickly, he runs to the suit, putting it on knowing that Batman must have a million sensors and turrets in his hideout ready to fire at his command, once the old man comes down. But he's seen Batman flying, and grappling. He knows he can kill with this suit, even if Bruce wouldn't. He touches the scars on his face, as he puts on the glove that made them. He looks over to the entrance of the cave, seeing a brooding, scowling Bruce Wayne and his dog /br /p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #d7dadc; background-color: #1a1a1b;"Terry immediately knows what he wants to do. He begins flying towards Bruce, as Bruce begins to shout "Batcave turrets, set to non-lethal, fire at Ba-!" But Bruce wasn't quick enough with the command, and the turrets don't activate, not having a target lock onto. Terry tackles Bruce into the stone wall behind him, cracking it, before dropping Bruce to the ground. Cave alarms begin to blare, no doubt signaling... Something. The Justice League, or maybe the police... Terry doesn't have time to think, as Ace begins barking at Terry, and jumps off the stairway, biting the flying Terry in the leg, making him fall to the ground. Bruce is still stunned, with his back, likely among other bones, broken. Terry quickly shakes Ace off, kicking and punching, and scratching the dog in its face, ripping one of his Aces eyes out in the process. Bruce tries to get up and hit Terry in the face with his cane, but as Terry kicks a whimpering, bleeding Ace, he quickly leg-swipes Bruce back to the floor. Terry removes his mask, grimacing down at Bruce. Bruce finally realizes who exactly he let into his home, and who exactly now has the Batsuit in his control. That teenager who mercilessly killed those two parents in front of their child, and must be here for revenge. Terry picks Bruce up by the neck, beginning to strangle him, and watches the life drain from Bruce's /br /Terry's face is scowling, filled with scorn. He is doing what he has decided must be done, as retribution for the scars Batman gave him. Terry tightens his grip on Bruce's neck, and as the former Batman draws his final breath, a new one takes his place. Terry drops the corpse of Bruce Wayne on the floor, and looks at his suit claw covered in Aces blood, reminding him again of the scars batman gave him, and the blood that was on Bruce's claws that night. He grimaces further, and crushes Aces head beneath his boot, walking away solemnly. This Batman Beyond will terrorize Gotham, and eventually rule it with an iron fist, making rival criminal gangs fear his own, and punishing any and all criminals in his own gang who don't fear him and follow his orders exactly. He demands perfection, or he will scar you /br /br /And, as a bonus, an alternate ending:br /br /As Terry sees the helpless old former hero dying in his hands, a smile begins to form on his face. His eyes grow wide and his smile becomes twisted. Terry finally understands what the Jokers were talking about. He finally gets the joke, seeing this frail husk of a Batman in his grip. He laughs, and laughs, and laughs some more, as he tosses the corpse of Bruce Wayne on the ground. Walking over to Ace, he crushes the dogs head under his boot, reveling the crunch its skull makes, and his wicked laugh overpowers the alarms. This is The Batman Beyond Who Laughs./p