"Concentrate, Terry," Bruce's exasperated voice speaks into the comlink.
"I am," Batman breathlessly replies as he blocks a kick from a Kobra member.
Grabbing his offender's leg, he throws him into the wall behind him before running after the leader who disappeared through a skylight. But before he can start up the ladder, two more Kobra members jump him and begin their assault using electric brass knuckles. After receiving a few blows to the face and gut, Batman flips back to get some distance and time to defend himself. Landing a few feet away, he fires a bola that wraps itself around one member, the swinging weights incapacitating him, while he concentrates on the other rushing at him.
The Kobra runs at him with arm in the air, and when he gets close enough, brings the weapon wielding fist forward ready to strike. Batman, however, counters the move by side stepping, grabbing hold of the wrist that passes him and throws the Kobra's momentum off by pulling him in a different direction. He then punches the assailant once in the gut and up into his jaw before he throws him off his shoulder and onto the ground. When Batman tries to run back to the skylight, the first Kobra he knocked down manages to regain his footing, and runs straight into Batman's path. Knowing he's wasted enough time already, Batman jumps up to deliver an swinging kick to the criminal's head. Now sprinting to the skylight, he rockets up to the roof only to find a Kobra marked car speeding off.
"Slag it!" He yells before taking to the air to pursue it.
"Call the car," Bruce orders.
"No, it won't get to me in time," Batman counters as he tries to gain speed.
"Do it, McGinnis!"
"I don't need it!" He yells back.
Thinking he's close enough, Batman fires a grapple hook aiming for the car's bumper, but his shot misses. Before he could try the attempt again, the familiar sound of the Batmobile makes him look down in time to find its canopy opening. Although irritated at Bruce for summoning the car, Batman retracts his wings and falls into the driver's seat before speeding off. The Batmobile's incredible power effortlessly catches up to the Kobra's car within minutes, and once Batman finds himself flying directly over his target, he ejects out of the floor and lands on the roof of the car below. He then proceeds to break in a window and pull out the leader that got away. Throwing the Kobra into the street before he could shoot him, Batman repeats the action with the driver and takes control of the car. Simultaneously hitting the breaks and turning the wheel, he manages to bring the car to a skidding halt before it careens into a busy intersection. Once out of danger, he recovers the stolen research samples and gets out in time to find police cars beginning to surround him.
A few officers climb out with pointed guns, but realizing Batman is alone, they lower their weapons. "They should be somewhere back there," Batman explains referring to the Kobras he threw out. Two squad cars head to the direction he pointed just as Barbara comes out of an unmarked car and walks up to him.
"Batman," she professionally greets.
"Believe this belongs to the bio department," he says handing her the case. "Did you pick up the ones at the lab?"
"No, they managed to disappear before we got there."
"Perfect," he unhappily sighs as he rubs his neck.
"I suggest you do the same before rumors get out of hand," Barbara advises when she notices her men staring at the two. With a nod, Batman leaps into the air just as his car comes zooming by to kidnap him.
When he arrives at the cave later that night, he doesn't immediately jump out of the car as per usual; Terry stays in his seat with mask in hand mentally preparing for the argument that he knows isn't going to end well. After a few meditative moments, he sets his jaw as he climbs out ready to face whatever Bruce is going to verbally throw at him. Predictably, his mentor stands waiting by the landing pad with a very unhappy glare twisting his features.
"I was concentrating, Bruce," Terry starts defending himself without moving forward.
"If you were, you would have spotted those two Kobras before they wasted your time. You knew they were just a distraction."
"Look, it ended well. They didn't get their hands on the DNA or the research. Mammals of the world are safe for another night," Terry impatiently replies as he starts taking off his gloves.
"That's not the point. You were sloppy; you looked like you were seventeen again."
"So I didn't perform up to par, big deal," He scoffs leaning his back against the car.
"It is a big deal," Bruce rounds on him with a flaring temper. "You're wasting time and energy on the type of crime you've handled countless times before!"
"I was outnumbered!"
"Don't give me that pathetic excuse," Bruce hisses. "You know as well as I do that I've trained you better than that. Get your act together, McGinnis."
"Hey, I did the best I could tonight and the job was done. As far as I know, it was a successful night; case closed," Terry replies straightening up.
"That wasn't your best, not even close," Bruce shoots back as he walks towards him. "If it were, you wouldn't have had to leave that building in the first place and Barbara would have all five of them in her custody. But what I saw tonight was someone who still thinks he has a partner that could step in and help." Terry sets his jaw and angrily looks away. "Three months is more than enough time to get over it."
"For you maybe," he sneers without looking up at him.
"Watch it," Bruce warns.
"Face it," Terry bitterly continues bravely glaring at his mentor, "you were too used to working alone to value a partner. The reason you got over their absence is because you always acted like they were never there to begin with; you never trusted their abilities, but I did. I may have misjudged her loyalty, but when Jazz was here, I never saw her as an expendable asset and I never acted like she didn't exist. Unlike you, I liked having someone watch my back."
Without warning, a clearly infuriated Bruce shoves his cane onto Terry's chest and pushes him back pinning him to the car. "Don't you dare lecture me about partners, McGinnis." Although he lifts his cane away, he doesn't do the same with his glare. "Either you shape up, or get out."
Feeling he's been reprimanded enough for one night, Terry storms off to an alcove to change leaving Bruce in a worse mood than when he found him.
It's been a while since Terry and Bruce argued the way they did the night before, and although Terry usually would have calmed down by morning, today is different. After replaying the night over in his head, the guilt of accusing his mentor catches up to him. What Terry said was unfair even though there was a level of truth to it, but the way Bruce handled him made it hard not to lash out the way he did. If he was younger, Terry would have let his stubborn mind get the better of him and altogether avoid the manor until Bruce calls. Unfortunately, being a man of 23, he has matured enough to let out an annoyed sigh, grab his keys, and drive over to apologize in person.
He finds Bruce in the study quietly reading a book. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean it; I was angry," Terry starts in a tone that suggests he's apologized like this countless times before. "It was uncalled for, and I won't let it happen again. There, happy?" But Bruce ignores him and flips the page aggravating Terry a little. "This is the part where you nod accepting the apology and change the subject."
"The dog needs a bath," Bruce orders without looking up.
"You didn't nod."
Bruce lifts his eyes to stare at his protégé. "Apologies don't improve your deteriorating skills."
"Fine," Terry sighs, "I'll work harder. Happy now?"
He returns to reading his book. "The dog still needs a bath."
Rolling his eyes, he calls out for Ace and leads him out the door to his car.
Once they arrive at a nearby groomer, Terry hooks the leash onto Ace's collar and quietly pleads the dog to behave. Since his usual groomer decided to move two years ago, Terry has been trying to find a replacement that can handle the Dane mix. He knows Ace isn't fond of strangers, especially those who bathe him, and with this being the fifth groomer in the past two years, Terry has reason to be a little nervous. At the last groomer, Ace tried to bite off the bather's ear resulting in another ban. Taking in a deep breath, Terry walks through the doors of the establishment and up to the counter.
"I'll be with you in just a moment, sir," a red-headed receptionist greets before turning her attention to a customer on the phone.
Taking this moment to look around, Terry finds a viewing window to his left where clients can watch groomers work on their dogs. Walking up to it, he spots three women hard at work on the dogs hooked to their tables. There is a middle aged woman busy cleaning a tiny dog's ears; a short, blond woman scissoring away at a fuzzy poodle; and the third woman, whose back is turned towards Terry, sits hunched over as she files a large dog's nails. When Terry sets eyes on the third woman's short, black hair, he can't help but find something vaguely familiar about her. Before he could shake away the feeling, she straightens up and half turns her head to reveal part of her face and cause Terry's jaw to drop in surprise.
He can't believe he's staring at Jazz, of all people, as she pulls her hair into a short ponytail before retaking her hunched position to finish her work. The shock of finding his former partner at a grooming salon turns into an almost mischievous grin. Before he could tap on the glass to get her attention, the receptionist calls him over to her station. Returning to the desk, Terry introduces Ace, fills out the necessary paperwork, and watches her take the black dog through the doors into the grooming area.
"Got another one for you, Jazz," the receptionist announces when she enters.
Looking up from her dog's paw, Jazz's eyes go wide when she recognizes Ace happily wagging his tail at her. "Ace!" She gasps before turning to look out the viewing window; she almost falls off the table when she finds Terry smiling back at her.
His grin grows wider when he watches Jazz clumsily knock off a tray of combs when she shoots up, nervously grab Ace's leash and try to hide her face with a hand as she pulls the dog into another room. After relishing the comical sight, Terry confirms the pick-up time with the receptionist and leaves with a smile plastered on his face.
- to be continued - reviews welcome -