Well, this wasn't as quick as I'd have liked, but, hey, at least it wasn't another year, right?
Q&A time-
Wolfdaughter- the official story is that Warren McGinnis was killed by Jokerz during a home invasion. Mary suspects there's more to it than that, and that Bruce and Terry know what really happened.
Pivitor- Ivy brought Harley to Catwoman. I meant to put that in, but forgot. Getting Harley out of Gotham would require subtlety, and Ivy knew Catwoman was better at being subtle.
Tigerdrake- That isn't a plot hole. I looked at both scenes very carefully before posting. There is an explanation, but that's for the next chapter. Let's just say it's all about perspective and miscommunication.
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Mad Stan looked up at Charlie "Big Time" Bigelow, and decided that Terry's taste in friends had really improved since Juvy. Max was a hoot, Dana was full of surprises, the Groote kid was showing promise, Chelsea would probably be a good kid once she grew up a bit more, and Jared was rock-solid. And Wayne's crowd was turning out to be a lot more human than he'd given them credit for. But Bigelow, he thought, was one of the biggest wastes of space he'd ever come across- no pun intended.
"So what does Gotham's favorite bomb nut want with me?" Big Time asked.
"I hear you're looking for someone to take out the McGinnis kid."
Big Time grinned.
Yeah, that's attractive. No wonder you have to pay your women.
"Hey, I didn't know you were for hire. Thought you were strictly for your cause. What kind of rates you lookin' at?"
Stan's smile was more attractive, but also a lot more feral as he revealed the dead man's switch in his hand.
"Your life if you don't call it off."
Big Time gaped at him. The wolf-guy who had been pretending to ignore them while playing vidgames suddenly focused all his attention on Stan's left hand.
"See, what you don't seem to realize, because you never pay attention to the fine details, is that I'm dating the kid's mom. And if something's gonna make her unhappy, I'm gonna stop it. Whatever it takes. And if this isn't enough to convince you, let me drop a few names. Stalker. Ten. Bruce Wayne. Static. Gear. The Clarendon. Kid's got a lot of friends these days. Hell, I heard even Superman stopped by. These are not people you want pissed at you, and you know something? Neither am I. So if I don't hear that the contract's dropped by tomorrow night, I'm gonna find a new hobby. It's called 'make Big Time go Boom'. Ya know, people seem to think that just because I got a habit of lugging grenades around that I'm thicker'n two short planks. But they never stop to ask themselves why Batman never seems to find me until I've already started setting the bombs. Or already set them off. If I was as stupid as people think, would I be able to get into those places undetected? And if I can get into government and industrial buildings without too much trouble, you think I'm gonna have trouble with your twips?"
"Hey-"
"Shut up."
Mad Stan in a temper was -well, fairly normal, actually. But Mad Stan being relatively polite, smiling, and rational was just plain unnerving, which was why he was keeping a lid on his temper despite an intense desire to just toss the overgrown orc a grenade and get it over with.
"As I was saying, I can locate and take out any of your places any time I feel like it. And if I'm in a real bad mood, I might just pass on a few tidbits to those people I mentioned. And the one thing guaranteed to put me in a bad mood right now is making my Mary unhappy. Killing her son would make her very unhappy."
"What about killing you?" Big Time took a step toward him, and he held up the dead man's switch in warning.
"Are you really that dumb? I always figured Terry must have been the brains of the outfit. That what you did? You came up with what you wanted to do and scammed Terry into making the plans? 'Cause everything I've heard about you says the only reason your big-picture plans work is because you get everyone else to fill in the details and then make them think it was all you. Hell, everyone in Gotham knows you only got to take over Major's outfit because you were so busy with your big scheme to bring the kid in that you were one of the few top guns not around when the cops showed up. And none of the others wanted to take over and deal with the headaches. Face it, Charlie, you got this through sheer luck. Think that luck's still holding?"
"You're bluffing. You wouldn't blow yourself up, too."
"Bet your life?"
"Lebowski's not known for bluffing," the wolfman said casually. "That kid really worth the aggravation?"
"But if I back down-"
"Because a guy known for blowing up city blocks because his laundry got ruined is focusing on you? Spike's Law number three- never piss off a crazy with a bomb. They'll figure you're just waiting for him to get fixated on something new before going back to your plan. Won't kill you to wait. Might hurt our profits if we don't. 'Sides, I hear his grandma's working on it anyway. Nice family the kid's got."
Big Time whirled on the wolfman, managing to ignore Mad Stan for a few seconds. Stan blinked, but decided he wanted to hear this, too.
"You mean Brenda McGinnis?" Big Time snarled the name just like Mary and Old Man Wayne did, Stan noticed.
"That's the name. She's been heard spouting off about the kid. Sounds like a real piece of work. I hear she got Wayne arrested after he threw her across a room."
"Wish I'd seen that. Damn. I ever see the old fart again, maybe I should shake his hand. Kinda wanted to do that myself a few times." Big Time turned back to Stan. "Look, if she's causing trouble again, you don't need to worry about me. I hate her a lot more than I want Tiny dead. -Hey, wait a minute! Did I-?"
Big Time dashed over to a computer with an oversized keyboard and started searching for something. Stan and the wolfman looked at each other and shrugged.
"Oh, yeah! And here I thought I was just being a sentimental idiot! Check this out, you two- bet this'll get the old hag in deep!"
Stan and the wolfman exchanged another look-and-shrug, then joined Big Time at the computer. The room was silent as the three read and re-read the message on the screen.
- she said that if the cops could prove it was the same gang that was
chasing me earlier, they'd charge me as an accessory. She said she'd keep
her mouth shut about what she knows if I just signed the paper. But if I
didn't, she'd tell what she saw and I'd be back in Juvy even though I
didn't do anything! And since this was murder, I might even be tried as an
adult.
God, Charlie, Juvy still gives me nightmares. I don't even want to know
what it's like in a real jail. And don't think I don't know you haven't
told me everything- you always did protect me, even when I didn't need it.
I signed the paper. I mean, it's just stuff, right? It'll go into storage
until Matt's old enough to inherit, and the money will probably put him
through college. And after everything I said and did that night, I sure as
hell don't deserve any of Dad's stuff.
I'm such a coward. I know I didn't kill him, and that I sure as hell
didn't set him up, but I really think I'd rather die than go back to jail-
even Juvy, even now that I wouldn't be one of the smallest kids there. No
joke, Charlie. I can't do that again. I'd rather have a quick death than
that again.
"Damn. I forgot-" Big Time shook his head. Stan's teeth were grinding together as he planned various ways of not just killing Brenda McGinnis, but completely obliterating her from the face of the earth. Even the wolfman was looking like he wanted to put his oversized teeth to good use.
"All right." Big Time looked Mad Stan in the eye. "Maybe Tiny- Terry- and I aren't friends now, but we were. And yeah, I probably wouldn't be where I am if he hadn't helped me, even if he didn't mean to. I guess I owe him. Look, he was sixteen when his dad died. I'm no lawyer, but I don't think he could have signed away anything legally. Which means she conned him out of his inheritance. And whatever evidence she was holding over him she probably made up, because I heard it was some of Derek Powers' guys, not Jokerz, who killed his dad. So that's blackmail, too. Bet Old Man Wayne and his fan club could do something with this. Then me and Tiny are even. And I'll let the contract slide. For now. Hell, it was a dumb idea in the first place."
"I ain't arguing." Stan took the disk Charlie gave him. "Gotta ask, though- why do you hate the old trout so much?"
"She got my mom fired. Nothing to do with Terry, not that it stopped him from trying to blame himself. He still do that- never mind. Anyway, that's why I started stealing, to get money for food. Mom died while I was in jail. Cancer. Some psychologist would get rich out of figuring out why I blame the hag, but I do. End of story."
"Makes sense to me."
Big Time didn't look too pleased with that statement, and Stan took that as the perfect moment to leave. As he strolled through the park, he dropped the dead man's switch in a trash can, wondering where people got the idea that he didn't bluff.
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Selina, Harley, and Nathan the Nosy Neighbour (as the two women had silently christened him) had had far too easy a job of it. The security system was a joke as far as Selina was concerned, and the house was anal-retentively tidy. In all, it took them less than half an hour to find just what they needed. It took less than ten minutes to copy the necessary files and mail three copies- one to Commissioner Gordon, one to Bruce Wayne, and one to Mary McGinnis. A fourth set was left in place of the originals, which Selina placed in her bag. She wasn't going to take the chance that one of the senior McGinnises would have a moment of common sense and destroy the incriminating evidence. Not that she thought they would; if they'd had any common sense they'd have destroyed the files in the first place. Instead, they'd left clear-cut evidence of endangering the welfare of a minor, fraud, falsification of evidence, and blackmail. Not to mention bribery. Selina did not want to be around when Bruce learned that Brenda McGinnis had bribed the judge at Terry's trial to give him a heavier sentence than the usual thirty days. Or when he learned that the Old Trout had bribed guards to beat the boy, then place him in solitary confinement as a "troublemaker".
As they read the documents back at Nathan's house, Selina found herself flexing her hands as though she was still wearing her old claws. Harley was running out of names and curses, and Nathan was turning an unhealthy shade of red.
"What I want to know," Selina said in an eerily calm voice, "is exactly how this woman has stayed out of jail, much less New Arkham."
"Money and connections," Nathan growled. "They know a lot of people, and they know what buttons to push. And they can afford to push a lot of buttons. Brenda was a Wigglesworth, and Stephen may be nouveau riche, but that's still money. Not that any of Warren's family ever saw any of it. Cut him off without a dime when he married a Southie Irish girl. Not that he cared about the money, I'll give him that. But still, this is just- God."
"Now, what would Puddin' do," Harley mused.
"Harley."
"Sorry, Ca- um, Selina."
"Now, Eddie, on the other hand..."
"Riddle me this, Catty- what do you think would happen if these just happened to show up at Mad Stan's place. He's dating Terry's Mom."
Nathan made a strangled noise. Selina just stared.
"You didn't mention that."
"I forgot."
"Mary McGinnis is dating Mad Stan," Nathan said.
"Yeah."
"I wonder if Brenda knows. I hope not. Because I want to be there when she finds out."
"Why?" Selina and Harley chorused.
"Because as far as she's concerned, Matt McGinnis is her first grandson. I was out pruning the roses when Warren stormed in and announced for the entire block to hear that the DNA tests were back, proving conclusively that Matt was his son, and that if she didn't like it- well, let's just say I didn't know the guy knew that sort of language. Anyway, imagine how she'd react on learning that her oldest grandson was looking up to Mad Stan as his new father?"
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A soft noise woke Terry up, but he decided not to open his eyes this time. He'd enjoyed his conversation with Grayson, but he really did want just a few hours of uninterrupted sleep!
"I'm just saying that it doesn't seem right. All the advances in medical technology-"
"Well, gosh, Mary Sue, I know you'd love to just swoop in, save the day, and have everybody fall madly in love with you, but unfortunately it just doesn't work that way." The sarcastic voice paused for a moment. "I'm not going to have to give you the 'Doctors Aren't Gods' speech, am I? "Cause I gotta tell you, I re-heeeealllly hate that one. You just can't deliver it without sounding like either a pretentious jackass or a complete sap. Now, any good doctor can do pretentious when he absolutely has to, but I don't do sap. Got it, Newbie?"
Terry struggled not to react. He loved it when these two were on rotation; they were better than anything on TV.
"Okay, okay. I just-"
"I know what you just. And I can't say you're entirely in the wrong, much as I'd love to. But it just ain't that easy. Get used to it. Actually, don't. Keep trying to make it that easy. Just don't be disappointed when it isn't. And now, since you seem to have a special rapport with coma patients- or at least their families-"
"Hey!"
"-here's a picture I want you to look at. You see this woman anywhere in the hospital, you stay the hell away from her and call security immediately. Better yet, sic that freaky janitor friend of yours on her. Ah, hell, Newbie, knock yourself out- do both. Just make sure she doesn't get anywhere near this room."
"Who is she?"
"A psycho. And possibly his grandmother, though there seems to be some doubts about that. If he's lucky, she isn't. Heard about the fish-lady yet?"
"Yeah, Turk told- her?"
"Nah, she's the one who got smacked. Ah, Clarice, it was a thing of beauty. If the fish-woman wasn't even scarier-looking than Jordan when she first wakes up, not to mention older than God, I'd marry her."
"Ignoring the fact that you're married already."
"Ah, Gretchen, if only I could."
Terry snickered. He couldn't help it.
"He's awake!"
"Very good, Newbie! Amazing how quickly you pick up on the obvious. Eavesdropping, kid?"
Terry opened his eyes to see a fuming doctor and a bemused resident staring at him.
"Well, yeah," he admitted. "You two always dial it down if you think I'm awake and it's nowhere near as much fun. I need my dinner theater."
The doctor grinned at him.
"Not bad, kid. Now try being that tactless to that old harridan if she shows up again and makes it through security. I'm cutting you some slack, 'cause, hey, amnesia, but next time? If she's not writhing on the floor in agony, I'll be very disappointed in you. You don't want to see me disappointed- does he, Chantelle?"
"Um, isn't that a kind of mushroom?"
Terry stifled a laugh as the doctor swung into another rant. This doctor could be incredibly caustic, as Mr. Wayne had already learned, but the fact that he was showing a picture of Brenda McGinnis and warning people about her was strangely heart-warming. Terry didn't like needing protection; he was already discovering a streak of pig-headed independence. Still, it felt good that so many people were jumping to provide it. It went a long way towards dispelling more of the depression brought on by Her attack. After all, if people like Mr. Wayne and Dr. Cox thought he was worth something, then the opinion of some crazy woman he'd be just as happy never to see again shouldn't matter.
He drifted back off to sleep to the somewhat less than musical tones of Cox's rant, smiling.