Ch 24

Max woke up in a cold sweat, remembering the nightmare she had about James killing her. The fear was real, and she tried to push it down. She was determined not to let him get inside her head as she got up from bed, walked towards the window, and opened the curtains to see the grounds of Wayne Manor. Today was another day, another reminder that this could potentially be her life if she couldn't set things right. Before she could think of anything else, a knock came to the door.

Looking at her wardrobe that consisted of a white bikini wrapped in a white towel, she knew she had to do something about it but she'd figure that out later. "Come in," she said as she sat on the bed.

"I thought you want something warmer to wear," said Terry. "Wayne doesn't really have woman clothes lying around," he said as he handed her a black spandex top with matching pants.

"It's better than what I'm wearing right now so thanks."

"No problem. I'll let you get dressed," said Terry as he walked out the door, closing it behind him.

Max stepped into her bathroom, closed the door behind her, undressed from her towel and bikini, and stepped into the shower, ridding her body of the chlorine of Jame's pool. Just thinking about his hands on her made her skin crawl but thinking of Terry's hands on her, set her body a flame. 'Whoa Gibson you can't think about that now. Things are different now.'

Fresh and clean Maxine put her bikini back on and put on the top and pants over them. Making her way downstairs, her nose caught onto a good smell and she found herself in the kitchen to see a surprising site, Terry feeding the dog and cooking.

"Am I in the twilight zone?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You can cook."

"Bruce thought it was a good idea since I was going to be helping him out."

"Now is the food edible?"

"Ha ha very funny Max. I guess you'll never find out," he smirked as Max sat down at the table as a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast was placed right in front of her. "Just kidding," he said as he sat beside her and began to eat. "Bruce is doing some more digging into your ex-boyfriend. Hopefully he has something useful."

"I'm sure I can help fill the blanks," said Max as she saw Ace by her side.

Terry smiled. "You know I'm starting to think he has a thing for you. He's not that sweet to me."

"You just have to know how to treat him," Max smiled as she scratched behind his ears. "He's a good boy."

"Good yes, harmless, not in the least," Terry said as he watched the two interact and he saw how sweet she was to Ace.

Terry and Max made their way into the bat cave to see Bruce hard at work on his big computer that Max had fallen in love with.

"So, what have we got so far?" asked Terry as he made his way to Bruce's side.

"Jack Wilson came from a wealthy family, both parents, two brothers, and a sister. He was a high school dropout and never went to college. When his parents passed away, he inherited their company and has been successful ever since."

"How is it possible I never met his family? All I knew is that he was abused by his father," said Max. "Does it say how his parents died? What ever happened to his siblings?"

"His parents' death was pronounced as murder but no one has been able to figure out how. His siblings are deceased as well, murdered, again unknown,"said Bruce.

"You think he killed his whole family?" asked Terry.

"I wouldn't be surprised," said Max. "I remember James telling me that his mother didn't lift a finger to help him when he was being beaten."

"What about his siblings?" asked Terry. "What's the motive to kill them?"

"They were never beaten by their father, perhaps he held some resentment towards them," said Max.

"It seems James doesn't have a record of any kind," said Bruce. "That doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't have one. It might mean that he knows how to hide his tracks."

"I should have reported him to the police when I had the chance," said Max, "but I was weak. I didn't want to be alone. I let him abuse me, but he was all I had at the time," she said before she went into more depth about he relationship with James. "I thought he was dead the last time I saw him. Apparently he spent all his free time finding away to get me back. Sick bastard."

"Tell me about this time machine he procured," said Bruce as she told him everything she could remember about it.

Terry went over in his head everything Max told him about her relationship with James, and it made his blood boil. He was surprised on how intense he felt about the situation, but he remembered Max telling him that they were best friends. 'Why does it seem more than that?' he thought. 'There's something else she's not telling me.'

"Terry," said Bruce.

"Sorry uh just thinking. What is it?"

"We may have a possible location of the time machine," said Bruce.

"Be careful McGinnis," said Max.

"Got it, time to suit up," said Terry as he went somewhere more private to change.

Once Bruce gave him the coordinates, Batman hopped into the bat mobile and took off out of the cave. Bruce observed Max the whole time she was watching Terry, and there was something in her eyes that he couldn't quiet place. "You worried," he said.

"James can be unpredictable, but I know Batman can handle himself."

"You look like you've lost something, and it seems Terry has something to do with it. I know you left something out of your story, what is it?"

"I don't know why you need to know. It doesn't matter, nothing matters if James can't be stopped and the time machine can't be found, if there still is one."

"It matters to you Max. I won't tell him, if that's what you're worried about."

Max sighed as she walked up to Bruce sitting at his computer. "Before James manipulated time, I wasn't alone. My family was back into my life, and I had Terry. He was my boyfriend, and it felt good to have someone love and care about me unconditionally. I miss it, but I'm not willing to change this time unless I can get back to the way things were. He's with Dana, so—

"They broke up a month ago Max."

"What!"

"He broke up with her."

"What! Why?"

"You'd have to ask him."

"I—I can't believe it, he was never the one to break up the relationship."

"He seemed serious about it. His mind was made up."

Max sighed. "I'm sorry it couldn't work out. They've been a couple for so long, and—

"People grow apart Max. It's possible they were growing in two different directions, and Terry saw this and wanted to break the cycle."

"Are you sure it was his decision? It seems a little too smart for McGinnis," she said as Bruce smirked at her.

"If it's any consolation, you fit right in here," said Bruce as Max smiled.

"Thank you Bruce, that means a lot to me. I never thought I'd fit in anywhere, but I've always felt right at home with you, Terry, and Ace."

"He saved your life, didn't he?"

"Batman gave Terry purpose, but it also give me one. I could help people and help Terry. He made me feel like I wasn't alone."

"I'm sorry for what you've lost, and we'll do our best to give it back to you."

"Is it worth risking your lives for?" asked Max as she looked at the big screen of Bruce's computer and hoped Batman and Terry would be all right.

Batman spotted a potential location for the time machine. It was at an abandoned factory. As he landed at the location, he carefully looked around him before making his way inside. When he spotted something under a tarp, he lifted it up to reveal the time machine.

"Found it," said Batman. "Now, what?" he asked Bruce through his suit.

"Now, you die!" exclaimed James as he pointed a gun at him.

"I'm afraid that's not going to work on me," smirked Batman.

"You're not getting away Batman," said James as his men came into the factory, surrounding him on all sides. "Where is she Batman? Where is Maxine?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"My cameras caught you stealing her from me. She's mine Batman, and I want her back now!"

"She's not your possession James, you don't own her. She belongs to no one but herself."

"Get him!" demanded James as his men went to attack Batman.

Batman took them out with some difficulty, but he was able to render them all unconscious. As he looked for James, he saw him at the controls of the machine. James looked up to see all his men indisposed.

"It's over James, step away from the machine and no one gets hurt," said Batman as he made his way towards James.

"Stay back Batman! One wrong move and I'll destroy the machine."

"You're in love with Max. That's why you did all this."

"She was the only one who understood me, and I realized I just wanted it to be me and her forever. She didn't want that, so I put her in her place. She struggled for a while, but she eventually gave into me. She realized she had no one else but me. I wonder when it all went wrong?"

"When you tried to take her body by force, she realized how low she sunk to let you treat her the way you did all those years ago. She fought back. Max is a fighter."

"No, it was that McGinnis guy. She fell in love with him, leaving me behind. He put all these ideas in her head and poisoned her against me."

"It's time to end this," said Batman as police sirens could be heard outside. "You're not going to escape James."

"No, there's no escape now," said James as he grabbed his gun.

"No!" exclaimed Batman. "Wait!" he said as the gun went off and saw James' fallen body on the ground, blood coming out of his head. He heard the police come in, and he looked to commissioner Barbara Gordon. "I need a favor."

"You caught our criminal. I guess it's the least we can do. What's the favor Batman?" she asked as she saw him look towards the time machine.