It was nighttime outside of Foxteca - one the the largest technology companies in Gotham, and the only one that could rival Wayne-Powers Enterprises.

All seemed quiet for the night, as they do every night. A lone truck delivering this weeks shipment of materials drove across the high bridge leading to Foxteca and came to a stop in front of its laser-guarded fence. The driver rolled down the window and turned his head to a screen hanging on the wall perfectly at the truck's height. The attached camera took a snapshot of the driver's face, presenting it on the screen, then zoomed in on the driver's eyeball, declaring that it was performing a retinal scan. The driver tapped his finger on the steering wheel impatiently. He knew it was for "security" or whatnot, but he had places to be and didn't want to waste any more time with a ridiculously slow machine. It's not like anyone was actually going to break in while they were out in the open like this!

Oh, how wrong he was.

Unnoticed by the driver or the small security detail, a black blob of...something slithered out from underneath the bridge, crawling underneath the truck and latching onto the bottom. So when the security wall finally authorized the driver and laser wall opened enough to let him through, they were unknowingly carrying a stowaway.

The truck lined up with the other similar-looking vehicles parked outside the building. While the driver got out and went inside, saying he was going to grab a coffee and sandwich, the dark blob poked its head out from underneath the truck. It quickly slipped back as security detail did a sweep of the area, check underneath the truck with a flashlight. The guard didn't notice anything out of the ordinary due to the blob blending in well with the shadows.

The guard touched his earpiece and said, "This is Miller. Sector one is clear."

"How are those new men we sent you?" his boss asked over the radio.

"Feels like we're stepping on each other," said Miller, nearly bumping into two more guards on the way to his next sweep. "No one's causing trouble here tonight. Miller out."

The blob waited until the guard walked around the corner before diving out into the open, slipping into the shadow of the truck and going inert as another guard walked past. It then jumped into the shadow of a lamppost, the side of a wall, the shadow of a crane, and even under a guard's feet. Once it made it to the far wall, it slithered to the roof where a couple of guards were watching the entrance. It stayed hidden in the darkness, watching patiently, until one of the guards looked away for the briefest of moments and pounced. It slipped through the crack underneath the door and silently entered the building.

It made its way into the buildings central control room, the chamber literally buzzing with electricity coming from the multitude of wires and panels. The inky blob raised itself to one of the boards...then splashed itself across the panel, seeping inside through the tiniest gaps. This gained an immediate reaction as the build's systems started to run haywire, energy building up inside the walls until the burst in a chain reaction of fiery explosions. The building and its surroundings were soon caught in heavy wildfire. The workers and security guards who been stationed there panicked and screamed in surprise and it took several moments before they finally regained their wits and started grabbing the nearest extinguishers and hoses until the fire department arrived.

Miller the security guard noticed that the flamers were getting dangerously close to an oil tanker parked out in front of the building.

"Get the tanker outta here before it explode!" he shouted to one of his men.

One of the security guards scrambles to the truck, dodging a flaming chunk of stone that nearly landed on him. Thankfully, the keys were still in the ignition, which meant he didn't have to worry about finding them. The guard pulled out of the lot and drove through the laser gate, which had been temporarily raised to let the tanker exit. Once the oil tanker was safely out of range of the fire, the guard jumped out and ran back to help his co-workers.

None could have predicted that the inky blob had been hiding underneath the tanker, slinking out once the guard had run off, and jumped off the bridge.


When the next morning arrived, the fires had been mostly put out, though the damage to the building had been extensive. Noticeable enough for Bruce and Terry to see from a distance as they headed into Foxteca's main building.

"Damn, they really did a number on this place," Terry whistled, sounding both impressed and sympathetic.

"It's been happening a lot lately," said Bruce gravely. "First it was Foxteca's computer chip manufacturer in Burnley. Then it was their financial department in Diamond District. And now this."

"This is corporate sabotage if I've ever seen it," said Terry. "Bet you it's Powers."

"Who else do you know that's a self-absorbed egomaniac willing to destroy other people's lives for a profit?" said Bruce scathingly.

"Is that a trick question?" said Terry jokingly.

They entered the main lobby and approached the bespectacled receptionist sitting behind the desk, typing furiously with her eyes wandering back and forth in rapid succession.

"I'm Matthew Malone," Bruce introduced himself. "I'm here to see Mr. Fox."

"Mr. Fox is waiting for you in his office - top floor," said the receptionist, not even giving him the courtesy of looking up. Bruce scoffed; kids these days.

They took the elevator at the end of the hall and made their way to the top floor as instructed. There was an awkward sort of silence - at least from Terry's perspective. Terry was young and used to long conversations with his friends; he was lucky enough if Bruce managed to string together two sentences. Thankfully, the trip to the top was short and they arrived on the top floor in only a handful of moments. The elevator doors opened to a long hallway that lead to a pair of double doors. There was a bronze nameplate on the wall beside it that read: "L. Fox: CEO." Bruce knocked on the door with his knuckles -

"Come in!" a voice called from inside.

Terry opened the door for Bruce and followed him inside. The man Terry assumed with Mr. Fox stood by the long windows overlooking the company. Behind his weathered face, salt and pepper hair with matching beard, and pair of "smart man" glasses, Mr. Fox was as tall as Terry and built like a tank. Even hidden behind the formal gray business suit, Terry could tell that the CEO was pure muscle despite pushing into his late sixties. Terry couldn't help wondering what kind of training regimen he went through...

And why he was talking to Detectives Ethan Bennett and Ellen yin.

"Slag!" Terry cursed under his breath.

"Stay calm," Bruce muttered out of the corner of lips.

Easy for him to say, Terry thought. He didn't have to slip away from the police - twice - during the Joker fiasco less than a week ago. Although Ethan seemed supportive of the Batman, his hard-ass of a partner almost popped a cap in the Dark Knight for doing their job for them. And if the narrowed stare she was giving him as they walked through the doors was any indication, she wasn't going to be any friendlier with Terry McGinnis.

"Terry!" Ethan greeted jovially, diffusing the tension in the room. He walked over and shook Terry's hand. "Haven't seen you around in a while. How've you been?"

"Trying to keep busy," Terry replied lightheartedly.

"That's good, that's good," said Ethan, nodding. "After what happened with your old man..."

"His killer was brought to justice in the end," said Terry coolly.

"That he was," Ethan agreed.

"Sorry to cut in on the lovefest," said Yin loudly, joining them.

"Sorry 'bout that, Yin," Ethan apologized sheepishly. "Terry, this is my partner, Ellen Yin. Yin, this is Terry McGinnis."

"Charmed," said Yin formally, politely shaking his hand. "So how do you know each other?"

"Former parole officer," said Terry nonchalantly, gesturing to Ethan.

"Terry's a good kid; just fell in with the wrong crowd," said Ethan. "So, what're you doing here at Foxteca? No offense, but I'd never expect to see you in a place like this."

"He's my assistant," Bruce introduced himself, offering his hand. "Matthew Malone - a shareholder for Foxteca."

"Mr. Malone and I were scheduled for a meeting right now," said Mr. Fox. "So if it's not too much trouble..."

"Of course, we'll get out of your hair," said Ethan understandably.

"If you have anymore possible leads, give us a call," said Yin. "You have our numbers."

"Of course," Mr. Fox agreed. "You be careful now, you two."

Ethan and Yin left the office and closed the door behind them. Mr. Fox waited until he heard the doors to the elevator open and close before pinching the bridge of his nose with an exasperated sigh.

"I thought those two would never leave," he complained. "Thanks for coming to the rescue again, Bruce."

"Anything for a friend, Luke," said Bruce, chuckling good-naturedly.

"Bruce?" Terry repeated, surprised that not only the CEO knew Bruce's real name, but he managed to make the old man crack a smile.

"So you must be the new Batman I've been hearing so much about," said Mr. Fox - AKA Luke - readjusting his glasses to get a better look at Terry. "I don't know what you did to convince this stubborn old coot to let you put on the cowl, but I'm glad the suit is being used for more than collecting dust."

"Wha - how did - ?" sputtered Terry, taken aback.

"Terry, this is Luke Fox," Bruce introduced him. "His father, Lucious, was the brains behind Batman's technology back in the day."

"And now I'm the one making all those bat-theme goodies you love so much," said Luke humorously. "Including that impressive suit you're running around in. How is it, by the way?"

"It's amazing," said Terry. "Totally shway."

"It should be," said Luke. "Took me twenty years to finish the damn thing to Bruce's impossibly high standards."

"We didn't come for a social visit, Luke," said Bruce, getting down to business. "What happened?"

"It's the same old story, isn't it?" said Luke, walking around his desk and taking a seat with an exhausted sigh, rubbing his wrinkled forehead. "Someone's been attacking Foxteca's assets. Likely a mercenary - someone was paid to do the most amount of damage with the least likelihood of getting caught. And easier to cut ties with if they do."

"Think it's Powers?" asked Terry.

"Who else?" said Luke, shrugging.

"Wayne-Powers and Foxteca have been business rivals for years," said Bruce, grimacing. "Ever since your father was wrongfully dismissed twenty years ago. But this is the first time that Powers has physically attacked the company. Why now?"

"Likely because Wayne-Powers and Foxteca are after the same bid," said Luke, steepling his finger with a furrowed brow. "The government wants a new lunar station, and whoever builds it will net not only a huge profit, but also a stable connection to any and all future projects associated with the pentagon."

"So Powers is crippling the competition with sabotage," Terry glowered.

"And until we can stop him," said Bruce, "you're guardian angel."

"Okay, so, where do we start?" asked Terry.

"I got something you might want to look into," said Luke. He reached into his desk drawer and offered Bruce a small test tube. The old man looked inside and saw some type of black liquid. "Security found it all over the panels where the original explosion took place. Might be a clue to our mystery saboteur."

"I'll look into it more when I get back at the Bunker," said Bruce, stowing the tube in his pocket.

"Thanks, Bruce," said Luke gratefully. "Now, if you don't mind, I really do have a meeting I need to get to."

Bruce and Terry made their way out of the office, passing a couple men in business suit sweating up a storm as they headed to Luke's office. They were likely not looking forward to the meeting as much as their boss was.

"I'll heading back to the agency," Bruce told Terry as they stepped into the elevator. "There are a few leads I want to look into."

"Does that mean I get some time of my own tonight?" asked Terry, already knowing the answer.

"Don't count on it," said Bruce smugly as the doors closed.


When he said he wanted time of his own, going to a school hockey match wasn't what he had in mind.

Granted, it was nothing like the hockey matches like they had several decades ago. It involved zero gravity and slamming the players against the walls was not only permitted, but encouraged. It more like a cross between football, lacrosse, and hockey.

Terry slumped in his seat next to Duke, who was the only reason why he was even here in the first place. There was only so many times he could watch Nelson Nash steamroll a guy into the glass and then secretly flip him and Duke off before it got old.

"Is it wrong to root for the other team?" asked Duke.

"Not under the circumstances," Terry replied. "So why'd you invite me here. I never took you for a hockey fan. Or any kind of sports fan, for that matter."

"Just wanted to hang out with my best bud," said Duke, bumping his shoulder into Terry's. "You've been pretty busy lately. What with your dad and working for Mr. Malone."

"Sorry 'bout that," Terry apologized. "I'm just...trying to help out, you know."

"Hey, it's cool, I get it," said Duke understandably.

"So where are Harper and Max?" asked Terry, looking around. "Did you invite them?"

"Max said she wouldn't set foot in this place for all the extra credit in the world," said Duke, shrugging. "And when I asked Harper, she just laughed in my face."

"Yeah, that tracks," Terry snorted.

"Ah, we don't need them to have a good time," said Duke, throwing his arm over Terry's shoulder good-naturedly. "What do you say after this we hit up Bat Biurger - "

Any plans they had in the making were crushed when Terry's ringtone blared from in his coat pocket. Terry grimaced; he knew there was only one person who would be calling him at this hour. And wouldn't you know it, the name "M. Malone" flashed on his phone screen. Terry sighed, pulling away from Duke, and answered.

"Yeah?" he said. He waited for 'Mr. Malone' to respond. "But... On my way."

"The boss?" asked Duke knowingly as Terry hung up.

"He needs me to pick up some documents from Foxteca," Terry explained, putting his phone away and standing up. "With all the recent attacks, he's just worried - "

"You don't have to explain yourself," said Duke, raising his hand to stop him. "Just promise me you'll hang out with us sometime. All of us."

"I promise," Terry reassured him.

Terry made his way down the bleachers and exited through the double doors, pulling off his bag and reached for the cowl stashed inside...


Another Foxteca building was the target of the mysterious black blob; this time in Otisburg.

Through some unknown method, the inky blot had managed to slip into the building's central computer lab through the ventilation system. It dripped into the room and reformatted itself, molding into a strangely feminine body shape with a large white spot in the middle of its "face." The feminine ink blot slithered around the room, twisting through a jungle of cables and pipes until it stopped in front of a computer console.

The inky saboteur seemed to regard the panel for a moment before jumping into it, seeping between the keypads under it was deeply buried underneath. They it burst out like an inky volcano, shattering the console and causing the system to overload, resulting in a chain reaction that lead to multiple computers exploding. The shapeless blob lunged to the next area and sharpened her limb into a scythe blade, slashing through the sea of cables and creating a shower of sparks. Once that section was finished, she moved on to the next -


"Wayne, you there?" asked Batman as he glided through the lower levels of Otisburg.

"Go ahead," Bruce answered.

"Is there any time of day I get to have a social life?" asked Batman sarcastically.

"You can have a social life," said Bruce. "It just involves criminals and men in colorful tights."

"You get a real kick out of this, don't you?" Batman scoffed, landing on the roof across from the Foxteca building. "Maybe it should be you out here instead of me."

"Don't forget who it was that begged to put the suit on," Bruce reminded him.

"I know, I know," Batman grumbled.

"If you're done complaining, tell me what you see," said Bruce.

Batman narrowed his eyes. Thanks to the cowl's automatic zoom lenses, he could see in through the building's skylight even from a distance. And what he could see was dozens of flashes going off inside what in what is supposed to be a normal computer lab.

"Looks like someone's celebrating the fourth of July inside their office," said Batman. "I'm going in."

The new Dark Knight leapt over the edge towards the Foxteca building, extending his wings to slow his descent. He glided to the skylight, feet first, and smashed through the glass to land inside the computer lab. He touched the ground and rolled into a crouch, a batarang already loaded in his hand. But he didn't see anything at first. The lab was a mess of broken screens, cut cables, and sparking control panels, but there was no sign of an assailant. The Dark Knight stood up slowly, retracting the batarang up his sleeve -

He failed to notice the glossy black blob jumping across the floor, which he barely missed out of the corner of his eye. When the Dark Knight's head turned away, it jumped the the ceiling, reshaping into its feminine body, and crawled across the skylight like a spider.

Batman moved quietly through the wreckage, ducking behind the broken computers and peeking around corners. As he circled the lab, he took notice of the various amounts of damage caused. None of them were consistent. Some areas looked like they were sliced apart, other like they had been pounded with a mallet, and some looked like they had been ripped out from the inside. This was the work of multiple people, but there was no sign that anyone had entered the room. Not when both doors were locked. This case was starting to leave him baffled.

Then he happened upon a clue lying on the floor near his foot. It was a shard of glass from the computers, but there was a dark spot on the corner. Batman picked up the shard gently and held it close to his face to examine it. It definitely wasn't blood - it was black in color and glossy like ink. In fact, it reminded Terry of something else he had seen earlier today.

"Wayne, you check out that sample Fox gave you?" asked Batman.

"I'm looking at it right now," said Bruce.

"I just found more at the site," said Batman. "It's definitely the same person."

"I figured," Bruce hummed. "Forensic scans have shown signs of DNA blended in with the substance. Mutated human DNA. The thing is, it's cellular structure is loose, like a form of liquid."

"And that means what exactly?" asked Batman.

"It means that whatever we're dealing with can mold itself freely into any desired form," said Bruce. "The only other person I've seen with something like this is... McGinnis, you got to get out of there!"

"What? why?" asked Batman, surprised.

"Get out now!" Bruce yelled frantically.

Startled by the old man's sudden outburst, Batman turned around to leave, but was caught off-guard when he came face-to-face with a wall of black ink. The formless assailant lashed a whip of ink across the Dark Knight's chest, flinging him across the lab into a wall of computers. Batman grunted in pain, collapsing to his hands and knees, and looked up with gritted teeth. The shapeless blob took on its slender feminine form, only it had become more solid - more human.

The saboteur was undoubtedly a woman whose "clothes" were made up of various shades of black warping into a pattern. The exception to the color scheme was the multiple areas of exposed "skin" that was made up of a pale-shade of gray with blank ink molded on top of her head to resemble hair. The odd thing was that the "saboteur" was surprisingly younger than what Batman was expecting. He was prepared to face an experienced professional, but she looked to be around the same age as him, maybe a couple years older.

"Hah! What a dreg!" the inky teenager cackled. "You're supposed to be the big bad bat that everyone's so scared off? I don't see it? What's up with the ears? Do you catch satellite signals with those?"

"And who the hell are you supposed to be?" questioned Batman, leering.

"Name's Inque," the saboteur known as Inque introduced herself.

"Inque?" Batman scoffed. "A little on the nose, don't you think?"

"Say the guy wearing a big red bat on his chest?" Inque retorted.

"Whatever," Batman brushed off her well-aimed critique. "I'm taking you in."

"Yeah...no," said Inque with a condescending smirk.

To Batman's surprise, Inque reduced herself into a single trail of black liquid and jumped across the lab, splashing across his chest. She molded her body around him, becoming solid, and lifted the Dark Knight off the ground as if he weighed less than a feather. The inky saboteur slammed him against another wall of computer, causing more deliberate damage to the lab as she intended. She pulled Batman back and slammed him into the computers on the opposite wall, sliding him across to take out nine monitors at once. She finally let go and threw him into one of the computer towers, causing it to break in half, sparks crackling from the broken wires and circuit boards.

Batman rolled off the tower and fell on his back with a pained groaned. Inque reformed herself into her human appearance, looking down at the Dark Knight with a smug grin, and blew him a kiss.

"Later, loser," she said arrogantly.

She then shot up into the overhead vent, slipping through the gaps and making her way out of the building.

"...What the hell just happened?" Batman groaned.


The new Inque's appearance is based on the redesign made by Hassysoda ( www . deviantart . c-o-m / hassysoda / art / Inque-861383574)

I'm sure you were all expecting the original Inque, but I always felt that she was too unbeatable in the original series as Terry never defeated her without help. With this new, younger Inque (I'm sure fans of the show can figure out who she is), she's cocky and inexperienced, making her more manageable for Terry to defeat one-on-one to prove he's growing as a hero.