Life is as tedious as twice-told tale, vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man.
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Batman Beyond Season 4Episode 57: A Little Help From Friends
Author James the Lesser
I do no own the Characters, names, villains, so forth
A/N This takes place after Batman Beyond Return of the Joker so yes that movie happens in this timeline/series
Several Joker gang members are in a warehouse. They are busy replacing canisters with HE stamped on the side with new canisters with just H on the side. "Any idea what he is planning?"
"No idea." They continue doing this until all the HE canisters are replaced.
Terri tries cornering Dana outside the school entrance. "Come on Dana like I said we weren't seeing each other then."
"News flash Terri no one told me that. Just because we fought about you ditching me all the time doesn't mean we were broken up."
"You know why now."
"Why you cheated on me?"
"No, I, I didn't. I didn't think we were seeing each other then."
"Because you wouldn't see me."
"You know why."
"Yes but I didn't then! That makes it even more of a bad move on your part. You cheated on me and did god knows what with her all while I thought we were dating."
"I, that night, she was on the run and,"
"Oh so she's a criminal too!"
"No, not any more. She's changed like I did."
"Oh so I should just forgive you doing what ever you did with her because she isn't a criminal now."
"No, yes, yes forgive me but not for that reason."
"Leave me alone two timer Terri." She puts a hand in his face stopping his next comment then walks away.
Max walks up. "Uh, that bad still?"
"I messed up but she has to forgive me. She tell you any thing?"
"Nothing I could repeat on a PG show. Actually I don't know if I could repeat what she said in a rated R movie. Pretty much you screwed up and I told you so. I told you so I told you so I triple told you so."
"I, I was confused at the time. Please Max can you try again?"
"Maybe. Not today I have work."
"Sure you do. You keep saying you have a job but won't tell me what you do."
"So? Doesn't mean I don't have one."
"Sure." He pats her on the back. "When you're ready to tell me the guys name I'm here."
"What?"
"Who could be so horrible you'd hide it from me? Flash? Don't want Blade finding out?"
"No! Not him, or any one, I have a job." She walks away.
"So do I." He goes over to his motorcycle.
At the Bat Cave Terri changes in to the bat suit. "So any word on Blight or Joker?" He pulls the mask over his head.
"No. The Gotham Holiday Parade is tomorrow and the police are working on overtime to make sure nothing goes wrong."
"Oh, yeah. Easter and all that."
"Just as celebrated in your home as it is in mine."
"No one does any more. They only do this parade stuff so they have an excuse for sales at the mall." Terri walks over to the Batmobile. "Did you get the radiation detector back in here?"
"Yes. But before you leave I have a surprise."
"What? My birthday was a few days ago."
"Not for that. I'm getting you help. He should have been here by now but I guess some thing kept him."
"Who? Some one from the Justice League?"
"No." A screen flashes on the monitor of the Bat Computer. "There he is. Bruce presses a button.
A minute later a motorcycle stops and the driver takes their helmet off. "Sorry Bruce I got a little lost. It has been a few years since you last had me over." He gets off the motorcycle and Terri gets a better look.
He was three inches taller than Terri and easily in his thirties. His outfit looked familiar but Terri couldn't place it. "You must be Terri." He puts his hand out.
"Yeah, who are you?"
"Nightwing, the second. After my father retired and I got out of college he trained me to take his place back in Bludhaven." Terri shakes his hand. "So you have a bit of a clown problem?"
"And a Blight problem and a couple other problems."
"Why I called him. Terri I want you on the Joker and Nightwing on Blight."
"Whoa, hey, I'll take Blight." Bruce shakes his head.
"It is too personal for you. I don't need you making a mistake because you let your anger get the better of you."
"A mistake like what? Killing him? Can he even be killed? I left him on the bottom of the ocean for months and he didn't die."
"I'd rather not find out. I have some reports of Jokers being spotted near three different locations. I want you investigating them."
"What about the police station? The place was getting packed with Jokers. Sounds like a plan to me." Bruce chuckles.
"Joker did that before. Had the men at Blackgate transported to Arkham. Barbara knows this and when they rebuilt the Gotham Police Department had the cells designed to make sure no matter what Joker did they couldn't do the same there."
"Always be prepared that is Batman's motto. And a few other groups I think. I never did get to be a boy scout." Nightwing pouts sarcastically. "So where should I be looking?"
"You'll take the Batmobile."
"What? Hey, I, what am I taking?"
"A new toy." Bruce hits a button and metal doors in the ceiling open. A platform appears and as it lowers he sees a sleek black motorcycle. "What do you think?"
"Cool! How fast does it go?"
"Fast enough. And the wheels have a special adhesive so you can climb walls for a few yards."
"Only a few?"
"Don't try scaling Wayne Towers."
"Got it." Terri gets on the motorcycle and pushes the button with the Batman signal on it. The engine rumbles but is quiet. "A stealth cycle, cool." He revs the engine.
"Just be careful it isn't as noticeable as a regular motorcycle but it doesn't have the hologram stealth mode of the Batmobile."
"I'm looking for Jokers they aren't looking for me."
"As far as you know." Terri takes off.
Max finally walks down the stairs. "Why was the entrance locked? You told me to come over after school."
"Terri and a friend were here. I had to wait for them."
"Oh, well, I'm ready. You said you were teaching me the cure for Joker Venom and Titan today. Chemistry isn't my favorite subject but I'm good at it."
"Straight As every year from what I could find."
"You really had to check?"
"I am teaching you some dangerous compounds. If you make a mistake you could end up killing the person receiving the cure. If you are infected would you risk your own life that you got the formula wrong?"
"Well, no. Of course not. So where do we start?"
Terri, annoyed with being given the orders he had, ignores them. "Where is Max? I hope that tracker stuck to her shirt when I patted her on the back." He pulls out a tracking device. "Whoa that's back the way I just came." He turns the motorcycle around.
He follows the signal back to the entrance he used for the Bat Cave. "She's there? Why would she be there? She said she has a job but she's in the Bat Cave?" He parks the motorcycle and goes in under stealth mode.
He stops when he hears voices. "Max this isn't even the most dangerous part. Calm your hand and pour it in slowly."
"I'm trying but you staring over my shoulder makes me nervous." Terri sneaks closer. He sees her with a vial pouring a chemical in to a beaker.
"If you are nervous about that how will you perform under real pressure? I must know you're ready to take my place when the time comes."
"Yeah, years from now."
"Maybe not. I hoped a dip in the Lazerus Pit would cure me but my liver is still damaged. Even with surgery and treatment I would only gain a couple more years."
"Oh, well, I'm doing it." She stops the pour. "Exact amount right?"
"Yes. Good now let it sit a few minutes. You can't be too hasty or the compound won't mix right."
Terri goes back the way he came. He gets on the motorcycle and takes off. "He expects me to just sit back and let Blight go? Blight killed my father I won't let Nightwing's son get him." He takes off for the school. "He has Max training behind my back and thinks it is ok? I need one of those geese counter things." He shakes his head as a voice tells him the right name. "Geiger Counter. Must be named after the guy who made it."
At the school he sneaks in to the science lab and finds what he was looking for. "Uh that doesn't really have a long range but maybe I could make it stronger?" He opens it up and starts messing with the inside. "What are you doing? You don't know any thing about this stuff. Why did I even think I could?" He tries putting it back together but can't. "They might have another." He searches through the science lab but can't find another.
Nightwing follows a weak radiation signal to an old Powers mansion. No one had bought it since both Powers had either disappeared or been sent to jail. "He's hiding in his old house? Not a very clever hiding spot." He lands nearby and walks over to the front door.
Blight hears the door being smashed open. "Batman is here? I should give him a present it has been a long time." His hands glow with power.
Nightwing taps the side of his mask. "I should have grabbed a bio hazard suit or some thing before coming in. But then again this guy should be a giant glowing rod why is the radiation trail so weak?" He follows the trail through the house.
Blight hears the footsteps from the floor above him. "Now!" He blasts the ceiling.
"Hot foot hot foot!" Nightwing falls backwards and smashes through a chair.
Blight leaps out from below and towers over Nightwing. "Any last words before I, wait, you're not the bat." He backs away. "Who are you?"
"A friend of the bat. As for last words, catch." He fires a small orb at Blight. It attaches to his clothes then releases a noxious gas.
"What are you trying to do smell me to death?"
"No I saw that suit you wore." Nightwing gets back on his feet. "It was covering your radiation. Now it will smell so bad you'll refuse to wear it."
"And then what will you do? No prison will hold me!" Blight fires a green glob of radiation at Nightwing but it goes over his head. It hits the wall and explodes setting it on fire.
"Hope your insurance policy covers arson." Nightwing flings a bolas at Blight and it wraps around his legs.
"Boy your toy will not affect me." He grabs the bolas and his hand melts through it. "I will kill you!" He reaches for Nightwing but is out of reach.
"You can sit down while the roof is on fire but I don't have any water in this belt so I guess it will just burn." Nightwing turns and runs.
Blight yells in rage and smashes through a wall. "You won't even come after me any more Batman you sent some one else!" He ignores the fire and smashes up the home in rage.
Terri is driving through the city when he sees the smoke blocking out the moon. "Big fire maybe they need help rescuing people." He drives towards the smoke.
Nightwing is outside on a neighboring roof waiting for Blight to run out. "Man if he doesn't come out soon I'll be going in there to save him. And I bet all that flame will give his suit a nice smoky smell instead of skunk with a side of rotten egg." He sees a green glow among the red orangish flames. "There he is." Nightwing leaps and spreads his arms gliding down.
Terri sees the house burning as the fire fighters appear. "That's a nice house. I hope they got insurance on it." He sees Nightwing in the air. "What is he... Blight!" Terri follows Nightwing.
Blight stumbles coughing. "That idiot! I had money stashed there now I'll never get it out! I am a Powers I should not have these kind of problems! The bank won't let me take money out and I can't gain access to any of my stashes! Some one declares you dead and suddenly you can't live the life you deserve!"
"Really? That is your problem? Not being a giant glow stick or being a wanted criminal but not having money?"
"Those with money have power!"
"And you could power half of Gotham. How about I plug you in to my game room first and see if you can power my new TV. It keeps blowing my circuits every time I plug it in and use the popcorn maker."
"Big mouth for a small man."
"A small man with a small toy." Nightwing blinks twice. "Uh, this toy, not, not that kind." He throws a batarang and hits Blight in the chest. It beeps twice then stops. "Ok that should have been a flash bang." Nightwing starts backing off. "Give me another chance?"
"No!" Blight throws more energy at Nightwing and hits him in the chest. "I will kill you and send your head to Batman! He thinks this is funny? He thinks sending you after me is a joke? I don't deserve his full attention?" Blight forms energy between his hands. "Now you die!"
"Exactly!" Terri kicks Blight from behind knocking him off balance. The energy slams in to the ground.
"There you are Batman."
"And there you are Blight." Terri pulls two batarangs out. "You remember what I told you?"
"What that I killed your father?"
"And for that you must die!"
"Stop! Batman don't! Killing is not the way." Nightwing tries stopping Terri but Terri knocks him back.
"This doesn't concern you Nightwing." Terri throws the batarangs at Blight. Blight knocks one down but the other explodes. "You killed my father! You've killed dozens of fathers! I will be the avenging demon for all you've hurt!" Terri leaps on Blight and starts choking him.
"Idiot!" Blight knocks him off. "Batman doesn't kill."
"I am Batman and I choose the rules not the old man!" Nightwing's eyes go wide with shock. The tone of voice he had only heard twice before when Batman had been to Bludhaven when he was young and his father needed help.
"Stop!" He tackles Terri. "Blight you can't beat both of us and if Batman has lost it he will kill you. Run!"
"I have better things too do." Blight takes off as Nightwing hold Terri down.
Nightwing lets Terri get up after a few minutes. "What are you?"
"What? What kind of question is that? You let him get away!"
"You lost it. You would have killed him. And you changed. Did you even realize it? You weren't you any more you became the old man."
"He didn't tell you did he?"
"Tell me what?"
"Batman Beyond ring a bell?" Nightwing shakes his head. "It was a project he paid for to create a new Batman. He chose my father and overwrite his DNA."
"With what?"
"With Batman's."
"Whoa. But doesn't that just make you the son of Batman?"
"How do we know? The old man is worried some thing went wrong. I'm becoming him not his son. And who knows I might become him. They had no idea what they were doing. This was totally experimental. They got lucky I wasn't born with three eyes or eight toes on each foot. And when I turned eighteen I started getting these strange dreams where I'm fighting people I've never met before."
"Did you tell him?"
"Not about the dreams. Do you think he'd care? He played mad scientist with my father and created me to become Batman. And now he has my friend working behind my back to work with him. I don't know if he's making another Batman or Batgirl or some thing else."
"Batgirl? She cute?" Terri glares. "Hey, just trying to lighten things up. I had no idea about this Batman Beyond project." Nightwing puts a hand on Terri's shoulder and squeezes it. "Listen for a minute. The old man made a mistake but he cares about you. He called my father and asked if I could come over here and help you. If he saw you as just some lab rat would he cash in favors so you would be safe?"
"He sent you after Blight."
"Any question why? You lost it."
"What would he have done if he found the man who killed his parents?"
"He did. From what my father told me it wasn't a good time in his life but he didn't kill the man. Batman doesn't kill."
"I'm the new Batman I make the rules."
"Tradition can't be changed. Could you imagine if Superman started killing? No one would accept it. Super Heroes are allowed by most but many are looking for the tiniest reason for turning on us. New York City almost started a war with some heroes and in the end a few legendary men and women died before things could be settled. You can't go out and kill."
"Blight isn't human. Batman doesn't kill humans."
"He doesn't kill mutants or metahumans or mutagenics. He doesn't kill. And what would you do if you did kill Blight? Would that bring your father back?"
"Well, no. But I don't care. I hate him and one day I will make him pay for what he did."
"Lock him up and throw away the key. He is the kind of person where a life with out being pampered and feared and taken care of is far worse than death." Nightwing looks back at the burning mansion. "We should go back to the Bat Cave."
"I should contact him first. He doesn't know that I know about my friend working for him."
"And you won't just tell him?"
"No."
"Good. He has a reason for what he is doing. He'll tell you when the time comes."
"Pretty much what I figured. And now that I know I can mess with my friend."
"Mess with or mess around?"
"She, she's just a friend."
"So is she single?"
"Do you know how old I am?"
"Uh, twenty some thing? Early thirties?"
"No."
"Uh, so younger? Don't tell me you're young enough to be in college."
"I'm not old enough to be in college."
"So that would mean your friend who one would logically figure too be the same age is, uh, forget I said any thing about her." Nightwing laughs nervously. "Contact the old man and we'll go back. He'll want to know about Blight."
"I'm sure." Terri taps the side of the cowl and connects with the Bat Computer. "Hey Bruce we're heading in."
"We?"
"There was a fire. I saw it and went to help and found Nightwing with Blight."
"Any thing on Joker?"
"No, sorry. We should be back in about twenty."
"We? I have the Batmobile I'll be there in ten."
"Nightwing says he'll be there in ten." Terri disconnects. "It is my car I should be driving it."
"You have that cool motorcycle. Which must take roads and not fly over they city." He gives a sarcastic salute and takes off for the Batmobile.
Nightwing arrives in under eight minutes. "Bruce what the hell did you make?" He takes a small disc out of his left wrist and puts it in the computer. "Listen." He clicks play.
"I am Batman and I choose the rules not the old man!"
"Sound familiar?"
"You shouldn't play tricks on some one my age."
"This isn't a trick Bruce. He said that tonight when he was going to kill Blight. Can you imagine how and why he would sound just like you?"
"I think I know."
"I damn well know. He told me about Batman Beyond. You made a monster Bruce what are you going to do with him?"
"I didn't make a monster. Terri is changing and I've been studying more about what they did. The DNA overwrite should have just made him my son biologically. Instead part of me seems to have made it inside of him. How much I'm not sure."
"A lot more then he lets you know. He has dreams fighting people he's never seen before. It sound like your memories have made it through the process."
"Impossible. It was just my DNA not my memories."
"Impossible? You overwrote his father's DNA with your own! That is impossible. People coming back from the dead is impossible but my father has told me about Ra's Al Ghul and Jason."
"Don't speak that name."
"You get my point."
"So there may be side effects. Why I've been interviewing the scientists who were part of the project. Some say it is impossible and others think that this is a good thing."
"He's becoming a monster. This kid will kill if you don't stop him. If I hadn't stopped him he would have killed Blight or died trying."
"I know! The only scientist who has told me more than lies or pleasantries has a theory."
"And?"
"Terri is one person. The DNA overwrite in his father has some how passed on to him. That DNA is trying to take the place of Terri. His mind is his only part of the time. When the DNA tries taking over he fights back and this is causing damage."
"Oh great you're gonna kill this kid from the inside. Any idea when it will happen?"
"Never. It won't kill him. I asked the scientist to help with a cure. If we can undo the overwrite then Terri will be just Terri. A brash young man but one who doesn't kill."
"And if it doesn't work? If he becomes a killer? If he becomes a new Red Hood?" Bruce strikes Nightwing on the shin with his cane.
"Never speak of him."
"Bruce who will stop him if he does become a monster? Will you ask me to do so? What of his family and friends? How will you explain this?"
"I will cure him. His brain will have one person giving orders. The parts of the DNA overwrite that passed on will be removed."
"You hope." Nightwing walks towards the exit. "I'll stick around and help but you better fix this kid. I won't be responsible for taking him down if you can't heal him." He looks towards the exit. "He's almost here." Nightwing disappears in the darkness.
A/N Ok, since some one asked, I have never watched the JLU episode that dealt with the Batman Beyond stuff. I've only read about it on websites. So I'm doing with it as I want. As for what I'm doing with it I'm making it that the overwrite on his father passed on and overwrite part of him as well. And so you have two people in one body fighting over one brain on the DNA level. And for my Lyoko fans, next week I should be able to present my new Season 0. And for those who read Animorphs I'm working on a new book of that. Between work, Batman Arkham City, friends, and my writing I have a full plate but I can handle it all.