Terry doesn't know what time it was when he got home – his new home, that it. Kit must have been pretty early because his mom and Matt were at the dining room table eating breakfast when he walked in. Mary rose from the table the moment he walked in and rushed over to her oldest son.
"Terry, are you okay?" she asked worriedly, looking him over for any bleeding or injury. "You're not hurt, are you?"
"No, mom, I'm fine," said Terry, pulling away guiltily.
"Oh thank god," Mary sighed in relief. "And how's your friend? Are they okay?"
"I…I don't know," Terry admitted, unable to meet his mom's eye. "She was in pretty bad shape when I left the hospital. The doctor's aren't even sure she's going to make it."
"Oh Terry," Mary murmured sympathetically. "What happened?"
"Jokerz," answered Terry, which wasn't exactly a lie. "They jumped us. One of them took a shot at me and missed, but they got her instead."
"Wow, you're a real clown magnet," said Matt jokingly. "Maybe you should join a circus – "
"Shut it, twip, or I'll shut it for you!" Terry shouted furiously, making Matt reel back in fear.
"Terry, don't you threaten your brother!" Mary scolded her sons. "And Matt, that wasn't funny! Terry's friend was really hurt! You shouldn't make jokes about it!"
"Sorry, mom," Matt apologized, hanging his head.
"Yeah…sorry," said Terry, looking away regretfully. "I'm…I'm sorry for snapping. After what happened to dad…."
"You don't need to explain yourself," said Mary, resting an understanding hand on his should. "You've been through a lot lately. It's natural to feel angry."
"I just…I keep think about what might've happened if I hadn't gone out that night," said Terry. "If I had just stayed home – "
"Then you might not be here either," said Mary.
"But if I was there – "
"Terry, no," said Mary forcefully. "Don't go down that rabbit hole – nothing good will come from thinking like that. I miss your father, too, despite how our relationship ended. But we can't let ourselves get caught up in the 'what-ifs.' The best thing we can do to honor your father's memory is to live on."
Terry paused for a reflective moment, then exhaled a sigh and said, "Yeah…you're right. Hey, is it all right if I skip breakfast. I'm feeling slagged."
"Of course," said Mary sympathetically.
Terry turned away and walked over to the guest room – though, technically, it was his room now.
He walked inside and closed the door behind him. His new room was completely barren with the exception of the few boxes scattered around. He had been so caught up in the funeral and finding the Jokerz, Terry hadn't had time to unpack anything. Well, with the suit gone and the Jokerz a dead end, he might as well get started.
Terry kneeled next to the closest box and opened it. To his dismay, the first thing he found was the cracked photo of his family before the divorce. He had found it in his dad's office when the police allowed him to collect his things. His dad would always keep it on his desk while he worked. Terry picked up the frame…and felt a strange lump on the back.
Terry flipped the photo around. There was a little square indentation on the back and…it looked like there was a hidden pocket. Very spy stuff. Terry dug his finger into the pocket and pulled out a little square chip.
"What the heck is this…?" Terry wondered aloud.
Terry put off unpacking (again) and walked over to his laptop, inserting the chip in the side. A new window appeared on the screen along with a familiar logo.
"Wait, is this…Wayne-Powers data?" asked Terry. "Why was dad hiding it?"
Terry scrolled through the data. He wasn't a researcher like his father was, but Terry could make out a few key phrases: "biological pathogen", "rate of infection", "contamination protocol." All of it sounded like something off those old horror games – the ones with the virus zombies.
And when that line of thinking crossed his mind, Terry remember something from several nights ago, during his "meeting" with Black Mask.
"There are…rumors circulating around Old Gotham that Wayne-Powers is developing a biological weapon," said Black Mask.
"Is this what she was talking about?" Terry murmured. "If Wayne-Powers really is developing B.W.s and my dad found out…."
Terry's mind was racing. If his suspicions proved true, then he may have found a lead on his father's real killer! There wasn't a moment to waste! Terry pocketed the data chip and ran out as fast as he could, nearly bowling over Mary when she came to check on him.
"Sorry, mom, I need to go somewhere!" Terry shouted, running out the door. "I'll be back late!"
"Terry, where're you going?" cried Mary, but her son said nothing as he slammed the door behind him. "Terry!"
Several mag-lev stops later, Terry was running through the filthy streets of Old Gotham again for the third time in as many days. He found the Malone Detective Agency with its lopsided sign and started banging on the door with his fist.
"Open up, it's me!" Terry yelled, banging his fist harder. "I know you're in there!"
It took several more minutes of beating the door before he finally heard the lock click. He took a step back, which was luckily as Ace nearly jumped him the moment the door cracked open. His teeth just came short of biting into his leg before Julia grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back. The British woman gave him a hard stare.
"Haven't you done enough, McGinnis?" she said harshly. "We're trying to help you, but – "
"I know, and I'm sorry I took the suit," Terry apologized sincerely. "But I think I found a lead on who killed my dad." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the data chip. "This is from Wayne-Powers. My dad hid it before he died. There's some seriously bad things on this chip and I think this is the reason he was killed."
"Then why not take it to the cops?" asked Julia.
"You know how cozy they are with Wayne-Powers," said Terry. "Please, I know you don't have any reason to trust me, but I need help and Mr. Wayne might be the only one who can give it. Please…."
Julia stared at him with sympathy and even Ace seemed to settle down and whined, looking up at her pleadingly –
"Let him in."
Julia nearly jumped out of her shirt. Bruce Wayne had managed to sneak up behind her even with his noisy cane. She stepped out of the way as the former hero hobble up to Terry and took the data chip without a word. He gave it a quick look over, then started walking towards the den.
"We can use the Bat-computer," he said.
"Thank you," said Terry gratefully.
"Don't thank me just yet," said Bruce.
They entered the Bat Bunker ("Wait, you really call it that?" asked Terry) through the hidden elevator behind the bookshelf. Bruce inserted the data chip into the Batcomputer. For the next twenty minutes, the three (four, if you include Ace) scrolled through the data, eventually ending at a simulated video of a healthy blood cell be destroyed by a black pathogen.
"So?" asked Terry as Bruce ejected the chip.
"It's worse than I thought," said Bruce in a low edge in his voice. "It's some kind of new DNA mutagen. Powers is making nerve gas. He's using my company to make nerve gas."
"And my old man found out," said Terry, grimacing, gripping the back of the chair until his knuckles turned white. "We got to do something."
"We aren't doing anything," said Julia firmly, snatching the chip from Bruce's hand. "Except turning this over to the police."
"You can't be serious!" Terry argued. "They won't do anything!"
"Commissioner Bard isn't like the rest," said Julia. "He can get things moving – "
"And then get stonewalled when Powers pulls strings with the mayor or governor," Terry countered, rounding to Bruce. "Come on, your family built that company! And now Powers is using it to make nerve gas! You gotta do something – you're Batman!"
"I was Batman," said Bruce, looking down at the ground. "Not anymore."
"But – "
"Look at me, Terry," said Bruce, meeting his gaze. "Even if I wanted to, do you think I could do anything in my state? No, the best we can do is hope Commissioner Bard handle this."
"…Or you could send me," said Terry.
"Excuse me?" said Bruce.
"Uh-uh, not happening," Julia rejected firmly. "After what happened last night – "
"Look, I'm sorry. I never meant for things to turn out that way," said Terry, staring her down with determination. "But someone needs to stop Powers before he ships out that gas. And you two aren't gonna do it, it may as well be me."
"You're not trained for this," said Bruce.
"I can learn," Terry argued.
"You'll get yourself killed," said Julia.
"Maybe," said Terry. "But if I don't do something, hundreds more will die, too."
"This isn't about helping others for you, McGinnis," said Bruce, staring him down. "You want revenge for your father's death."
"You're right, but that doesn't mean I don't care what happens to everyone else," Terry admitted. Bruce turned his sat away from him, and Terry exhaled a heavy sigh. "I read up on you, Mr. Wayne. I know what happened to your folks – "
"Kid, you better watch yourself…," Julia warned.
"The guy who murdered your parents – he was never caught," Terry continued. "You never got the justice you deserved…. But my dad's killer is in that building. This could be my one chance to nail him. I have to do this – I need to do this…. Please…."
But Bruce offered no response, staring at the blank screen of the Batcomputer. Terry hanged his head with another sigh, rubbing the back of his neck, ready to give up and leave…. Then he heard a shuffling noise and looked around to catch a backpack that was thrown by Bruce. Terry recognized the bag – it was his! And when he chest inside, he found the white eyes of the Batman's cowl looking back at him.
"Get suited up," said Bruce. "And remember, we do this my way or we don't do it at all."
"…Thanks, Mr. Wayne," said Terry gratefully.
He tossed the bag over his shoulder, dashed back to the elevator, and pressed the button to return to the surface.
"Are you sure about this?" asked Julie hesitantly. "Kid's got spunk and a decent right hook, don't get me wrong, but he's just a kid."
"He needs this, Julia," said Bruce firmly. "He needs to bring the man who murdered his father to justice."
"So that he'll end up like you?" questioned Julia.
"…So that he won't," Bruce answered.
Flying across the rooftops of Neo Gotham seemed cool at first…until he actually tried it.
Batman had figured out how to expand the suit's hidden glider wings, but now he was doing his best just to stay aloft without looking down. He wobbled uneasily, narrowly missing the buildings. He was pretty sure there were some people out on their balconies taking vids of him. Great, he could imagine the headlines now: "Crazy Batman Impersonator Goes Splat."
He finally hooked himself onto a radio antenna, spinning once, then jumped down onto the roof. He overshot and accidentally tumbled over the edge, but managed to catch himself in time and pulled himself back up.
"They made it look so easy in vid-games," Batman groaned.
"You okay, kid?" Julia asked over the cowl's radio.
"I'm fine," Batman reassured her. "Just getting the hang of the suit."
"Do you see the Wayne-Powers building?" said Bruce.
"Kinda hard to miss," said Batman, staring across the city at the giant tower emblazoned with the merged WP logo.
"Power's office is on the eighty-sixth floor," Bruce informed him. "I hacked his secretary's computer and it seems he's in the middle of a meeting with the Minister Kornai from Vlatava. That country has had a history of bloodshed since the days of Count Vertigo."
"And I bet my allowance he's the buyer," said Batman.
"Most likely," Bruce agreed. "You need to get to his office window and listen in on their meeting."
"On it," said Batman determinedly.
Keeping an eye on the distant Wayne-Powers building, Batman dived off the rooftop with more confidence. He kept his body straight as he swooped into a long dive, then suddenly pulled up, allowing him to ascend higher than before. But even still, he wasn't high enough to reach the top of Wayne-Powers. Good thing he had a pair of jet boots that he could remotely activate with his thoughts. The booster propelled him to the very top of the town, landing precariously on the ledge.
"That was so schway," Batman murmured to himself.
Batman sidled along the ledge, stopping just short of the long window. He cautiously peeked inside. He could see Derek Powers along with an important-looking foreign man – likely the minister from Vlatava. There was also a third man standing off to the side – big, burly, and scarred.
"I've got Powers," Batman muttered quietly. "But I can't hear what they're saying."
"Put your fingers to the window," said Bruce. "They're equipped with touch sensitive microphones. They should allow you to listen in."
Batman did as h was told and pressed his index and middle finger to the glass. Suddenly, he could hear Derek Powers voice as if he was standing next to him:
"I'm so happy you agreed to join me, Minister Kornai…."
"I apologize for calling at such a late hour," Derek Powers said politely to the foreign dignitary on the other side of his desk.
"Save your pleasantries for someone who cares, Powers," said Minister Kornai rudely. "Show me what you have an make it quick. I have an important meeting to prepare for tomorrow."
Derek Powers was not put off by the minister's boorishness attitude. He had been expecting as much. The detailed background check he had done on Minister Kornai said he had something of a superiority complex, given that his family was one of the few surviving noble houses in Vlatava despite the monarchy dying out and being replaced by a democracy. Kornai expects to be treated like a king, which only made him that easier to manipulate.
"Right to the point – I like that," said Powers. He stood up and walked around his desk. "Minister Kornai, I would like to present you the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of Wayne-Powers' latest development in germ warfare. A viral mutagen so quick acting and completely invasive, no living cell can resist it." He pulled a remote from his pocket and pressed a button, summoning a holo-screen over the desk. "It all began with experiments on plants."
A video started playing on the screen. It showed a team of scientists releasing a green fog inside a contained space where only a potted plant was inside. The once green and lush plant quickly withered and crumbled into dust after only a few seconds of exposure.
"Impressive," said Minister Kornai. "But we're looking to do more than wipe out our enemy's crops, Mr. Powers."
"Keep watching," said Powers smugly. Another video was brought up, this time showing a calf in place of the plant. "This was our first experiment with livestock."
In the video, the gas was released into the chamber –
Minister Kornai pressed his hand over his mouth, horrified. Powers, on the other hand, had a look of sadistic glee at the minister's reaction.
"I trust this puts to rest any lingering doubt, Minister Kornai," said Powers. "As you can see, the results are the same, even with animals."
"And humans?" questioned Minister Kornai. "You've tested it on them, too?"
"The laws here aren't as liberal about that sort of thing as they are in your country," said Power, who was smiling nonetheless. He reached inside his coat and pulled out a handful of photographs. "But we did have a…little accident. One of my workers Terrible thing. There was a gas leak in his lab."
He showed one of the photos to the minister. It was an image of a terrified Harry Telly, strapped to a gurney, his body spotted with black bruises.
"This is what he looked like the next day," said Powers, then replaced it with another photo. It's showed Harry's body nearly covered from head to toe in black bruises. "Two hours later…." He showed another photo; one that made the minister reel back in revulsion. "A hour after that…."
"There is no cure…?" asked Minister Kornai apprehensively.
"Extreme heat or radiation," answered Powers. "But at this stage, it's obviously not an option." He showed the last picture, but the minister could not bring himself to look at it. "Dust to dust…."
He gave the photos to Buchinsky, who proceeded to burn them to ashes with a lighter and dumped thm in the bin. No evidence, no problem.
"Consider what a real dose of this gas could do to those six armored divisions Markovia keeps on your boarder," said Powers enticingly. "Gone, in a matter of hours."
The prospect brought a smile to the minister's face. He rose from his chair, looked up to Powers, and asked, "Delivery? It's in progress?"
"My men are loading the canisters as we speak," Powers reassured him. "They leave tonight on hover transport. My bodyguard, Mr. Buchinsky, will personally supervise the shipment."
"Excellent," said Minister Kornai, shaking Powers hand. "Good-bye, Mr. Powers. I will see you again soon, I hope."
"Yes, soon….," said Powers, watching the minister leave. When the door closed behind him, Powers instantly dropped his charismatic act and glared at his bodyguard. "Mr. Buchinsky, any word on the chip?"
"Not yet," said Buchinsky. "It's likely McGinnis may have hidden it somewhere else. Whether or not he told anyone is unknown. We're looking into the possibility that his son might know something."
"I don't have to tell you how important this deal is to Wayne-Powers," said Powers. "It's going to open up the entire eastern block for us. So I don't need it spoiled by a snot-nosed punk. Get rid of him if you have to, just keep it quiet."
"I took care of the old man," Buchinsky boasted –
" – I can handle his brat."
There it was. The confirmation Terry needed. The bodyguard – Buchinsky – was the one responsible. The new Dark Knight felt a boiling rage in his chest, urging him to break through the window and beat down Buchinsky within an inch of his life.
But…
"Little early for Halloween."
Batman straightened up and turned his head. A small squad of armored guards were walking along the ledge, aiming their rifles at him. He must have accidentally tripped a silent alarm. Thanks for the heads-up, old man! Batman flipped around with his back to the open air, balancing on the edge, and said:
"But just in time for fall."
It was probably a stupid idea, but he had no better options. Batman leaned backwards over the edge and freefell off the building. The suit's hidden wings extended, letting him catch the air and descended at a slower, more manageable rate. He flipped around and glided towards the base of the build when the guards started shooting him with their laser rifles.
Thank god they had the aim of a storm trooper.
Batman landed safely on ground level and ran inside through the building's parking garage –
"…Did you seriously make a pun?" said Julia. "Batman would never say something like that."
"Shut up, it was cool," argued Batman.
"Kids…," Bruce grumbled.
Powers looked around the corridor with a raised brow. He and Buchinsky had been on their way to the transport pad when the alarms suddenly went off and his guards ran in the opposite direction. Powers reached for his phone and made a quick call to the head of security.
"It's Powers," he said. "What's going on?"
"Unauthorized personnel has entered the building," the security head reported. "Men on the ground are saying it's Batman."
"Batman?" Powers repeated incredulously.
"Or some guy dressed like him," said the head of security. "We're cutting him off. Shouldn't be a problem."
Powers scoffed as he hung up, and said, "Batman... Maybe Bruce Wayne is haunting me from the grave."
A squad of armored guards treaded the darkened hallways. You would think Powers could afford decent lighting, but no – stupid budget cuts! And to make matters worse, they heard reports that the culprit they were chasing was Batman! Everyone mostly dismissed it as some punk dressed up like him, but if there was even a shred of truth, then they were chasing a slaggin' ninja! They heard the stories: Batman could become on with the shadows, taking out criminals before they knew what hit them.
But that was just stories…right?
The squad leader suddenly raised his fist, bringing them to a stop. He pulled out a flashlight and shined it on one of the shutter doors. It had been lifted up slight – enough for a grown man to slip under. The squad leader gestured to the door and lead them inside.
There stepped inside a storage facility, with boxes and crates stacked near the ceiling. The leader beamed his flashlight across the room. No sign of the intruder, but that didn't mean he wasn't there.
"Spread out and search the room!" he ordered.
Several of the guards looked at one another with uncertainty. If the intruder really was…. But, reluctantly, they did as they were told and fanned out.
Guards moved around at every corner of the room, keeping the guns pointed ahead of them ready to shoot at the first sign of trouble. For the next few minutes, everything seemed peaceful enough. One of the guards was checking the gap between the tower of containers when he noticed something on the wall across from him. It looked like a shadow…a shadow with pointed ears. But just as quickly as he saw it, the shadow slipped away into the darkness.
"I've got him!" the guard screamed. "He's over here!"
Two guards came running at the call and followed their co-worker across the room. They came to the area when he had seen the shadow and pointed their guns…but the space was empty. The guard who cried bat tilted his head, exchanging looks with the other men who were glaring at him…. Then, quite suddenly, something fell from the ceiling, slamming the guard into the floor while the other two were knocked off their feet.
One of the guards scrambled for their flashlight and shined a beam on the tall shadowy figure that stood over their downed ally. The guard let out a shuddering gasp as Batman turned on him, narrowing his eyes menacingly.
"Batman! It's Batman!" he cried.
The other guard picked up his gun and took a potshot at Batman, but the Dark Knight jumped and disappeared over the top of the containers in a way no human could.
"The suit works even better than I thought it would," said Batman.
"Of course it does," said Bruce. "I built it."
"Brag much?" said Batman jokingly.
He looked down to ground level as the guards grouped up and one of them pointed up at him. Thy immediately started shooting, forcing Batman to retreat from the edge and take off running. He glided off the containers, circling the room as the guards took wild shots behind him. Batman turned and swooped down on the group, kicking one of them in the chest while the rest were knocked flat on their backs. Batman slammed the guard against the crate, causing it to fall over on top of the unconscious sentry.
The Dark Knight spun around as the rest of the guards started getting back up and reached for their guns. Batman lunged forward, clotheslining two of the guards around the neck, then grabbing the third's helmet and driving his knee into the man's face, rending him unconscious. A fourth guard came running around the containers and pointed his gun at the Dark Knight until Batman held out his clenched fist, shooting a batarang from his wrist. The projectile jammed its bladed tip into the muzzle of the gun, causing it to explode in the guard's face.
"Okay, that was shway," said Batman excitedly.
"Like I said…," Bruce stated.
"Okay, you can brag," Batman conceded.
"Did you hear something?"
"Sounded like it came from in there!"
Batman grimaced. He pressed himself against the containers and poked his pointed head around. Another squad of security guards had just entered the room, and there was more of them than the last one.
"Uh, Wayne, I know the suit is good," said Batman apprehensively, "but I don't think I can take out all these guys before I can get to Powers."
"Hold on a second…," Julia chimed in. Batman could hear the clacking of the keyboard over the radio. "It looks like there's a broom closet on the north wall. Can you get to it?"
"A broom closet?" Batman repeated disbelievingly. "How's that gonna – "
"Just do it!" Julia retorted irritably.
Batman looked around toward the northern side of the room. Just as she said, there was a partially opened door in the very back. He didn't understand how it was supposed to help, but it was better than waiting for the guards to catch him.
Once their backs were turned to him, Batman sprinted across the room like a shadow and slipped inside the closet, sliding the door close behind him. He took a look around and didn't see much; just a shelf of cleaning supplies and a storage locker.
"Now I'm a sitting duck," Batman complained. "Hope you're happy."
"The far wall – put your hand against it," said Bruce.
Okay, now he was completely lost. But, as he looked through he door window and saw a pair of guards walking his way, he supposed he had no choice.
Batman pressed the wall as he was instructed and was pleasantly surprised to discover that the wall could be pushed inward, though it was heavier than expected. He kept pushing until he was on the opposite side and the wall slipped back into place before the guards entered the closet. Batman now found himself in a narrow corridor filled with pipes and gears – this must be the tower's infrastructure.
"Cool," Batman complimented.
"I built the place, remember?" said Bruce.
"Then you'd know where they'd be loading a hover transport," said Batman. "Any shortcuts you mind sharing?"
"I'm pulling up the blueprints now," said Julia. "The hover pads are in the northeast sector. You can take the passageway in front of you straight there."
"Awesome," said Batman. "Wish me luck."
Derek Powers paced around the hover platform, hands folded behind his back, gripping his wrist anxiously. They were nearly done loading the nerve gas onto the transport. They would be shipping out in under an hour and he would soon be even more rich and powerful than before.
"Any word on our intruder?" Powers asked his bodyguard.
"We're still looking, Mr. Powers," said Buchinsky. "We'll catch him."
"You had better – for your sake!" Powers snapped.
He may have said it in jest before, but some part of him worried that maybe Bruce Wayne had return. He was just a boy back then, but he remembered how terrifying the Dark Knight was back in to old days. Nightmarish, even….
Unbeknownst to Powers, the object of his fear was closer than he realized.
Batman curled up and waited until the guards pass over the catwalk he was standing over before standing up. The fact that the suit came equipped with magnetic boots was another cool feature he discovered. Batman narrowed his eyes on Powers, the cowl automatically zooming in on the corrupt CEO. He appeared to be saying something to his bodyguard. Batman extended his hand. Thankfully, the microphones seemed to be within the range.
" – almost done loading," Buchinsky reported. "Just a few more containers and we'll be off."
"The sooner the better," said Powers, noticeably fidgeting. "I don't want this…Batman to ruin everything."
So he was afraid of Batman. The thought brought a smile to the new Dark Knight's face.
"Hey, look, there he is!"
Slag! He hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings and one of the guards spotted him. Now everyone on the hover pad knew he was here. Well, nothing left but to go for it, he supposed.
Batman disengaged his magnetic boots and extended the suit's glider wings. He pulled up as he approached the ground, twisting around the hailstorm of laser fire from above. A squad of security guards lined up between him and Powers and opened fire on him. Batman did know how he managed to swerve around their shots (must have been dumb luck), but he bowled the guards over and knocked them off the hover pad.
Buchinsky pulled out a gun as the Dark Knight landed on the edge of the hover pad, only to have it ripped from his hands by Powers.
"Get that hover craft in the air!" he commanded.
Buchinsky growled under his breath; he wanted to be the one to slag the Bat – or at least his imposter. But Powers was the one writing his check….
Batman turned around in time to see his father's murderer run inside the hover craft. He moved to follow him, but was cut off when a shot was fired at the ground near his feet. He looked across the hover pad and spotted Derek Powers aiming at him. The new Dark Knight flipped backwards and rolled sideways to avoid his shots, which came too close for comfort. For someone who sent all day sitting behind a desk, Powers knew how to use a gun.
Batman took cover behind the crane used to move the canisters, crouching low as one of the shots nearly took out his pointy ear. Powers cautiously approached the Dark Knight's hiding place when he heard a whirring sound that made him look back. The cargo doors to the hover craft were closing; Buchinsky would be taking off in a moment and his plans were secure. But in his moment of distraction, Batman threw a Batarang at Powers, jamming smacking him in the side of the head.
Huh, guess they aren't as sharp as they look, Batman thought.
The cranial impact caused Powers to drop his gun and fall backwards against a transport cart where a single container of his nerve gas still remained. Powers hitting the cart caused the canister to wobble and fall sideways, landing on Powers head, effectively knocking him unconscious.
The container, thankfully, wasn't broken.
With Powers down for the count, that just left the matter of his father's killer.
The hover craft was already airborne and moving away from the hover pad. Batman unfurled his wings again and used the suit's jet boosters to propel himself upwards, jumping on top of the crane before making the leap to the transport. It was close, but Batman managed to grab on to the edge of the transport's wing before it took off.
As they soared over the Gotham River and headed towards the Bay, the wind pressure threatened to knock the Dark Knight off. He disengaged the suit's wings, but he was struggling to hold a grip on the crevices between them transport's plates.
"McGinnis, you have to get inside and stop him before he reaches open waters!" said Bruce.
"Don't you think I'm trying!" Batman yelled. "I can't hold on much longer!"
"The suit comes equipped with extendable claws!" Julia informed him.
"Wait, seriously?" said Batman, surprised. He flexed his hands and was surprised to see the suit's fingers extend into bladed points as advertised. "Schway."
He stabbed the wing with his new claws, which punctured the metal plates like they were made of wet paper. He pulled himself along the wing towards the middle of the hover craft, scuttling across the surface like someone in red-and-blue spandex, until he reached the hatch to the transport's cockpit. With the suit enhancing his strength, Batman effortlessly pried the panel off and threw it aside. There were a couple guards waiting for him, but Batman grabbed them by their collars and threw them off before they could react.
They'll land in the water, so they'll be fine…probably.
With security dealt with, Batman dropped into the cockpit and lunged at the pilot's seat with a flying kick. He snapped the poor chair off with his enhanced strength…but the seat was already empty.
"What the…?" Batman sputtered, surprised. If Buchinsky wasn't flying, then…ah, he saw the autopilot signal flashing. That explained it. "Where the hell is – ?"
"Right behind you."
Batman turned around with a startled gasp before he felt a strong fist slam against his chin, throwing him into the window and creating a spider web of cracks. The new Dark Knight dropped to his hands and knees, rubbing his sore jaw, and looked up with an angry glare.
Buchinsky stood over him, pounding his fists together, which were covered by a pair of blue-plated gloves that crackled with electricity. Guess that explains why it hurt through the suit.
"Get up, freak," Buchinsky demanded. "You want to screw around with Mr. Power's business, then you're going to have to deal with…the Electrocutioner!"
"Electrocutioner? Really?" said Batman, resisting the urge to snort. "That is so lame."
"You should've seen the first guy," Bruce commented.
Buchinsky the Electrocutioner lunged forward quicker than Batman would've expected from a man of his size. He closed the gap between them and slammed his electrified knuckles into the Dark Knight's face, knocking him back into the panel. He swung around with the opposite hand and tossed Batman across the cockpit. The Dark Knight gritted his teeth, his face throbbing – he could feel blood dribbling down his chin.
The Dark Knight flipped over on his back as Buchinsky stood over him, pulling back his electrified fist. Batman reached out in time to grab the Electrocutioner's wrist before he could land the blow, his super enhanced strength being the only thing stopping Buchisky from connecting. Buchinsky threw the other fist, but Batman snagged that, too. The Dark Knight raised himself to his feet and managed to push Buchinsky back a few paces, but the towering wall of muscle pushed back even harder. The two were locked in a stalemate, but the way Buchinsky was exerting himself, it was only a matter of time before he overwhelmed the Dark Knight.
Buchinsky was not happy.
"You ridiculously costumed vermin!" Buchinsky growled irritably. "Do you know who your messing with? Who do you think you are?"
"Who am I?" Batman repeated, gritting his teeth. "I am vengeance…I am the night…I – AM – BATMAN!"
"…Wow, he actually said it," said Julia, sounding a little embarrassed.
"You've been watching too many cartoons, McGinnis," said Bruce exasperatedly.
Whatever, it was cool, Batman thought.
Still, back to the matter at hand. Buchinsky was going to overwhelm him any moment. But for a situation like this, Terry learned that the best way around a stronger opponent…was to play dirty.
The Dark Knight raised his knee and, in a rather unorthodox and undignified manner, kneed the Electrocutioner in the crown jewels. Buchinsky doubled over, gasping in a higher pitch, leaving him wide open for Batman to deliver a solid haymaker across the face. The blow threw the Electrocutioner into the control panel where, somehow, he managed to punch the console with both his electrified gloves. The feedback caused a chain creation that not only destroyed the controls, but sent a shockwave back on Buchinsky, electrifying him with who knows how many watts of energy.
With the controls destroyed, the hover transport took a sudden nosedive, throwing Terry forward into the window. The new Dark Knight grimaced on impact, then gasped when he realized they were spiraling into the Gotham River.
"McGinnis, get out of there!" Bruce yelled.
"Don't need to tell me twice!" said Batman.
The new Dark Knight ran back to the ladder and started to climb out…but then stopped and looked back at Buchinsky. The electrical surge had knocked him out cold. If he was in the transport when it crashed into the river, he would definitely die. A huge part of Batman was screaming to leave him. This was the man who murdered his father!
Just because he didn't kill Buchinsky, didn't mean he had to save him, right?
….
No, that was wrong, he admitted to himself. Batman would never leave anyone to die, no matter how much they deserved it. And neither would Terry McGinnis.
And so, it was with great reluctance that Batman ran back and grabbed Buchinsky's collar – "
Half an hour later, the NGPD get a report of a hover transport crashing into the Gotham River, claiming it belonged to Wayne-Powers. Two officers were dispatched to the harbor near where the transport crashed, but when they arrived, they were left scratching their heads.
Buchinsky was left dangling upside down from a crane, his arms and legs bound, and an envelope strapped to his chest with a single data chip and a note that said "Play me" inside. But what shocked and alarmed them the most was the emblem stamped on the front of the envelope:
A red bat.