"So you were injured, and hid it from your mother. The question is, where o' where, did Terry hide?" Claire taunted him as he arrived home, for the first time in over a week.
"What's with you?" Terry asked, this girl was starting to seriously get on his nerves. She was always everywhere at once, and she was constantly sneaking up on him, which unnerved him, most people were not able to do that, no one actually. He was Batman, people do not sneak up on Batman.
"I was wondering now that you were healed, if you wanted to go hunting," she grinned at him, looking a little maniac.
"Are you joking?" Terry stared at her, and started towards his bike.
"No, I'm completely serious. Batman hasn't been seen in a week. The prey's been getting uppity. Gotta keep the populations down, that's the natural order of things."
"You keep tabs on this stuff? On Batman I mean?" Terry tried to sound offhand, as if bothering about Batman wasn't worth the time, he forced his heart to be steady, sure she would be able to hear it if it pounded too loudly.
"Of course, he's one of the greatest hunters in the world! I've been dying to get a look at him."
"I thought you hated Batman,"
"Are you kidding? I think he's amazing! I hate the posers who try to be like him."
"Don't I fall into that category, clearly I got beaten pretty badly. Bit off more than I could chew?" He quoted back to her.
"Yeah, but you didn't go down without a fight, and I don't think you're telling the whole story."
"Excuse me?"
"Rumor has it that you and your boss-guy or something got jumped by about twenty Jokerz, but I've seen you fight, you'd be able to handle that, easy. Besides, Jokerz never hunt in packs that big, most you ever get is seven, they fight too much amongst themselves, it's one their weaknesses. That and their reliance on their stupid gag weapons, strength over strategy."
"So, you're saying I lied? You're right, I forgot to tie my shoe, and tripped over my shoelace, and fell down the steps, very embarrassing. Didn't want people to know." Terry started to unlock his bike.
"No way McGuiness," He stood up and stared at her, something about her voice made his spine stiffen.
"Wow, you learned my last name, am I supposed to be impressed or something?" He tried to keep his voice casual, but he could see it in her eye, she knew she was challenging him, and it excited her.
"I've seen you move, I've watched you, even injured you move like a hunter, a fighter." He looked at her with his icy eyes, she smiled, "and you can see it in others too. A panther always knows a leopard." He knew she was talking about him, watching her. Okay, she didn't have a certain way of moving, that few ever obtained, a silent grace, balance and poise, it was subtle, she was right, you had to be a hunter to a hunter. Or be the hunted. At the moment he felt like prey, but he still stared at her, determined not to show fear. She smiled, "and you say you're not a hunter." She laughed then turned and walked away. "Anytime you're up for a little hunting just let me know."
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"Can you try keeping him in jail this time?" Batman growled, after a rough fight Mad Stan was finally being escorted away by the police.
"I know," The Commissioner rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Least this time I didn't think you killed him…" She turned to look at Batman, but he was gone, which was probably for the best. Bruce had privately told her that Terry/Batman was still moody and anxious after the man's death, but at least he was back on patrol.
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"So, will you do it?"
"Lady, I don't know who you are, and where you got this idea that Jokerz are killers for hire, but that's not our thing. We don't stand around waiting for Batsy to show up. Besides, rumor has it that the last guys you hired got blown up, and lady, we're not up for that. Now, can you see yourself out, or do you need someone to assist you?"
"Do you ever get tired of being a joke on the streets? No one takes your gang seriously, you spend your time picking on school children, you're no better than school yard bullies. Don't you want to do something real? I've heard it pays better than petty theft." And she threw a bag of creds onto the table.
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"Do you ever sleep?" Terry asked, he had gotten home late, but early enough to use the front entrance, unfortunatly Claire was there smoking a cigarette.
"Temper, temper, bad night?"
"You could say that," Terry growled, at least no socialites had gotten blown up. Still, he felt antsy around bombs, and Bruce was calling him in earlier than usual, he knew crime rates were going up in Gotham but he didn't really bother to protest. Maybe after the nightmares stopped.
"I know what will make it better,"
"What?" Terry asked, but he knew what she was going to say.
"How about a little hunting?"
"No," Terry said, but a part of him wanted. A part him wanted skin to skin contact, death closer, yet farther, with no rocket launchers, no suit, just him against a few dozen Jokerz. No restraints. Sure he could kill someone, but just with his own strength, and he knew his limits. Sometimes the suit scared him, he knew how strong he was in it, and what if one day he pushed it too far? He woke up at nights from dreams where he delivered a wrong punch and the bad guy never got up. Flesh against flesh, bone against bone, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He knew he had hesitated, even though he had said no, and he knew Claire had seen it, "one vigilante is enough for any city." He told her firmly.
"We're not vigilantes, we're hunters. We show our faces." She met his eyes with her own.
"Right, and we can get arrested for assault." Terry stared her down.
"Not if they attack us first."
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That night, Terry slept soundly, and the nightmares didn't come.