Batman Beyond #6

Downtown Gotham was never a pleasant place to be after dark, but tonight, with a giant, humanoid bat tearing through the streets, things were even worse than usual.

’Okay, I’ve got three people dead already.’ Terry thought as he flew over the sight, looking things over. ‘Gotta think this through, or I’ll…’

Man-Bat bounded towards a small child, frozen in place with fear.

’Dammit! No time to think. Gotta act!’

Terry shot towards Man-Bat, as fast as the suit could carry him.

The creature stepped closer and closer, not in any real hurry. It pulled back one of its long, winged claws, ready to strike.

“Hey ugly!” Terry shouted.

Man-Bat turned to see Batman flying strait toward him, fists-first.

Terry slammed into him before he could react.

’God!’ Terry thought as pain shot through his arms. ’There’s no fat on this thing. Crap, I think my arms are going numb!’

The hit sent them both rolling to the ground together. Terry finally landed on top of his enemy, and, thinking fast, he activated the suits electric pulse again.

The creature flinched briefly, then, grabbed Terry by the head, hurling him like a rag-doll. He landed roughly against a building, leaving cracks in the wall.

There were still civilians in the area, screaming, running, some frozen, afraid to move.

Terry’s vision blurred. He felt a large claw wrap around his throat, Man-Bat’s hot breath could be felt even through the mask.

He looked at the people still standing in the street.

“R-Run!” He gurgled.

His vision was just clear enough to see the last of them run away, followed by the monster raising its other claw above its head, preparing to deliver the final blow.

’So, this is it, huh? Guess everybody has their time… just didn’t think mine would be now…’ He closed his eyes.

’Don’t really want to see it coming…’ He waited…and waited, but the blow never came.

He opened his eyes. Man-bat was still there, but something was different. It looked like the creature was debating about what to do. Almost as if…

“Dr. Langstrom, if you can hear me, fight it! Don’t let this thing beat you. Give me a chance to help you.” Terry said in a hoarse whisper.

For a moment, nothing happened, then, Terry felt the claw release his throat.

“Good job, Doctor. Now…”

The creature threw its wing back, sending Terry flying.

By the time he recovered from the fall, Man-Bat was gone.

Damn!







“So, he just let you go?” Bruce asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah. That proves it; there’s still a bit of Kirk Langstrom in that thing.” Terry said confidently, sure that he’d found a weakness.

“Yes, but that was probably the last of it. I wouldn’t count on it happening again.” Bruce replied, shooting down Terry’s theory.

“Wasn’t planning on it, boss.” Terry responded quickly, trying to hide his annoyance at Bruce’s cynicism.

“And Waller thinks I’m the only one who can come up with an antidote for Langstrom as well, huh?” Bruce asked, turning back to face the monitor.

“Right. What, is that a problem?” Terry smirked.

“We’ll see. Oh, and about that Lazarus liquid you took…” Bruce began.

“Yeah? What about it?” Terry asked with a sigh, bracing himself for Bruce’s berating.

“Don’t ever take it again. You don’t know it like I do. It’s nothing but trouble.” Bruce said, authoritatively, not bothering to turn away from the screen.

“Another blast from the past?”

“Yes.” Bruce responded coldly.

“Fine” Terry sighed. “I can see I’m not gonna get anything else out of you right now.”

“Now you’re learning.” Bruce smiled.

“Why is it that, every time you smile, it creeps me out?”

“I don’t know. That’s your problem, not mine.” Bruce said, keeping the smile on his face.

“Well, I’d better go and check on our happy couple at the hospital.” Terry slipped his mask back on.

“Don’t you have school?”

“Ah, damn it! I totally lost track of time!” He looked at the suits wrist-watch. “Great! I’m gonna be late, and I haven’t even gotten any sleep! He pulled the mask back off. “At least I’ve got a few hours of daylight before Man-bat hits again. Plenty of time for you to come up with an antidote.”

“Don’t think he won’t attack during the day. Normal bats may only come out at night, but he’s no normal bat. And now he has your scent, so-to-speak; he can find you anywhere, if he wants.” Bruce warned.

“Well then, what do you expect me to do?” Terry asked, annoyance tingeing his voice.

“Do what you normally would, aside from going home. Just be ready to fight him off at any time. It should be harder for him to find you at school since there are so many people in one cramped place.”

“Guess I don’t have much choice, do I?”

“Not really.”

“Then I guess I’ll just check on Beth and Charles after school.”

“On a first-name basis, are we?”

“Something wrong with that?”

“Never get too close to a victim or suspect. It clouds your judgment, makes you sloppy.”

“Whatever.” Terry said, turning away. “I gotta go.”







Terry sat at the lunch table closest to the window across from Max, with Dana sitting to his right. Lunch had just started, so they had plenty of time to kill.

“So, Ter,” Dana said, taking a bite of food. “You never told me why you ran off last week while we were at the club.”

Not again! He thought.

“I ummm….”

“Relax, Ter, I’ll tell her.” Max interjected. “Y’see, Dana, Terry’s been wanting to do something special for you for awhile. He knows how much you love slow-dancing, but he didn’t know how… We’d made plans for me to give him lessons last week but he forgot until the last minute…sorry if it ruined the date for you guys.”

Dana’s expression softened as she turned to Terry.

“Is that true, Terry?”

I owe you one, Max.

“I wanted it to be a surprise, babe.” He said with a smile.

“Aww.” She threw her arms around his neck and roughly pressed her lips against his.

Finally, she broke the kiss.

“Whoops, I almost forgot.” She said quickly. “I’m leaving early today. My mom and dad want me to go on a trip with them for the weekend.” She got up from her seat. “Call you when I get back.” She smiled, then turned and walked away.

“Talk about a close call, McGinnis!” Max laughed.

“Yeah and thanks for saving my ass back there, Max. Didn’t know how I was gonna get out of that one.”

“Well, it’s only a temporary fix. Now she’s going to expect you to give her a slow-dance soon.”

“Damn,” He said, hitting his forehead. “You’re right.” He thought for a second. “Hey, Max, you think you really could teach me?”

Her eyes widened.

“You really want to?” Max asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Hell no! But unless I do, Dana will get suspicious. Please, Max?”

“Alright.” She sighed. “Guess I don’t have much of a choice.”

He smiled.

“Thanks, Max.”

He looked down at his food. Nothing pleasant today, just the usual slop. He looked back up and his eyes widened.

Without hesitation he dove across the table, dragging Max to the floor.

An instant later the window shattered as Man-Bat crashed through it, flying at the level Terry and Max had been at just moments before.

The students and lunch-workers scattered in a panic, screaming to the top of their lungs.

The noise didn’t make things any better. Man-Bat roared loudly, as if trying to shut them up. It didn’t work. The screams became louder as the panic grew. Some of the students bolted for the door only to be cut off by the huge creature before they could escape.

Terry stayed on the ground, hoping he wouldn’t be notice for just a bit longer.

“Terry. What the hell is that thing doing here?” Max asked loudly, trying to hear herself above the screaming.

“Bruce was right, it has my scent now! I didn’t think it could find me here, but I was wrong.”

Terry reached instinctively to his back, then, realized his backpack wasn’t there.

Dammit! I left it in my locker before I came to lunch.

“Terry, the thing’s going after Nelson!” Max said in a panic.

Terry looked up to see Nash on the ground begging for mercy at the monster’s feet.

As beautiful as this is, I can’t let Nelson get killed.

Terry scanned the room, looking for something—anything—that he could use to his advantage. The kitchen caught his attention.

That’s it! He thought.

“Max! I need you to distract him long enough for me to get back into the kitchen, can you do that?”

“You got it.”

She got up, grabbed a lunch-tray and threw it at Man-Bat as Terry crawled towards the kitchen.

It only took Terry a second to find what he needed. He grabbed the nearest container of cooking oil, poured it all in a small pot and zapped it in the instant-fryer.

The oil was steaming.

Perfect!

He heard Max scream and moved quickly back to the lunchroom. The other screams had died down and only Max was left in the room, Man-Bat closing in on her in the corner. Blood covering her hand as she clenched her stomach.

Max! Hang on, I’m coming!

He was close enough now.

“Over here, ugly!” He yelled grabbing, the creature’s attention.

He hurled the oil in its face. It howled in pain, lashing out blindly at him. He didn’t worry, the swipes missed him by a mile; his worry was focused on Max, now lying on the floor.

He dove under the next swipe, stopping next to her.

He felt for a pulse, it was faint, but there. Blood still poured from the wound in her stomach.

The smell made him queasy. His vision blurred.

No! Don’t pass out, idiot! Pull it together and get Max out of here, Damn you!

He steadied himself, taking a deep breath, only this time, the smell didn’t seem as bad.

That’s it. Stay calm.

He ripped off the arm of his jacket and tied it around her stomach to slow the bleeding.

He took one last look back at Man-Bat to make sure he was still distracted. He was, but it wouldn’t be much longer before he recovered.

“Let’s go, Max” He said, picking her in his arms.

“T-Terry.” She said weakly. “I’m…scared.”

A tear escaped her eye.

“Don’t be, Max.” He replied, breaking for the door. “You’re going to be fine.”







It didn’t take long for the ambulance and the police to get to the school. Max was rushed to Gotham General for immediate medical attention. The police ran in to detain the creature, but it was gone when they go there.

Dana hadn’t had time to leave the building before the attack. She rushed to Terry, making sure he was okay. She noticed a cut on his forehead that he didn’t even notice. He figured it was from a piece of glass when the window shattered.

“Terry, she’ll be fine.” She said softly, stroking his cheek.

Terry wasn’t so sure.

“Dana… No one stayed to help her… hey all left her there to take that thing on alone!” He said through clenched teeth.

He wanted to blame Man-Bat, he wanted to be able to take out his frustrations on him, but he knew the truth…the fault lied with the people who’d left her…and also with him for asking her to get involved.

“They were scared Terry. You can’t blame them for…”

“Like hell, I can’t! It’s their fault for leaving her and my fault for getting her into it in the first place!”

He wanted to lash out, to hit something, maybe one of the people who left. But with no one around, he did the only thing he could… he fell to his knees and screamed as loud as he could.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!”

“Terry, it’s okay.” Dana said, kneeling beside him. “Just let it out.”

She placed a hand on his shoulder, he didn’t move a muscle. She gently embraced him. His chest was covered in blood but she didn’t care, right now, he needed her.

“Dana… I don’t expect you to understand but… I have to go…”

“Okay.” She said gently. “Just be careful, alright?”

“I promise.” He said giving her a kiss on the forehead.

After making a brief stop inside the school to grab his backpack, he left for the cave.







“That’s not good enough.” Terry shouted at Bruce. “That bastard doesn’t deserve to live, not after what he just did.”

“He’s not in control Terry.” Bruce’s tone remained level, despite terry’s outburst. “He only wants to be free of that curse once and for all.”

“Oh, I’ll free him all right. I’ll send him strait to hell for what he did.”

“You’re acting as if Max is dead, Terry!” Bruce raised his voice slightly. “Calm down and think this through!”

“He’s a mad dog, Bruce. There’s no time to wait on you to find a cure. Let me do what I have to do.”

“I wasn’t aware that Warren McGinnis raised a murderer.”

Terry froze, not really sure what to say. Bruce took advantage of Terry’s pause.

“I never told you this, but, I met your father once or twice, Terry. Just from the few times we spoke, I could tell he was a good man, much too good a man to die the way he did. All the times Powers wronged him, he never once sought vengeance of any kind. What would he say if he saw you like this?”

Moments passed that seemed like hours.

Bruce was right, if he turned into a murderer, he’d be shaming his father’s memory, and that was something, he just couldn’t take.

“You’re right.” He said quietly. “My father always believed there was good in everyone. Who am I to argue with him?”

Terry saw it for the first time; how much Bruce and his father had in common. They both knew just what to do and what to say. And even when they were at their most infuriating, you couldn’t help but hold them in the respect.

“What are we going to do, Bruce?”

“I’ve got an antidote that should work. But it won’t reach its potency before nightfall.”

“Alright. I’ve got to pay a visit to the hospital before that.”

“No you don’t… Charles died this morning, Terry. I’m sorry.”

I…failed?

“But… I didn’t get the chance to try and help him.”

“You did your best.”

“So, that monster’s destroyed another life?!”

“No. It was nothing that Man-Bat did. Barbara was suspicious, so she sent me a sample of Charles’ blood. He was being poisoned by one of the nurses.”

“Why?” Terry asked in shock.

“Barbara cornered them after I got the results and they confessed to being paid by Beth to administer the poison in the I.V... No one thought to check him for poisons after he stabilized.”

“But…Beth loved him.”

“That’s something else troubling. They found Beth’s body in a broom-closet on the third floor.”

“She couldn’t bear the weight of what she’d done, I guess.”

“That’s what it looks like, but I don’t buy it.”

“Why not?”

“Don’t you find it suspicious that this happened at the same time as Langstrom’s appearance? I don’t believe in coincidence.”

“So, what can we do about it?”

“Nothing. We wait for nightfall, then, you hit Kirk with the antidote and pray it works.”







It was an hour after nightfall. The rain had just begun to start.

I’ve been waiting here for almost an hour. Where the hell is he?

After leaving the cave, Terry stopped by the hospital to check on Max. Her condition was stable, and the doctors expected her to make a full recovery within the next day or two. Still, Terry was angry about what had happened, but now, he knew to blame, or rather, he knew who not to blame.

Guess Langstrom isn’t the real problem. I swear, Max, Charlie…even Beth… I won’t rest until I find out who’s responsible.

It was a promise he intended to keep, no mater what.

Another hour passed. The light drizzle turned into pouring rain as Terry sat perched on top of the radio tower on the edge of the city.

He’d picked this spot because there were no civilians nearby; enough people had been hurt in this mess, and that was enough. He’d worried that the rain would make it harder for Man-Bat to track him down like he wanted, but Bruce had a solution for that; he gave Terry instructions to set the signals from the tower to certain pulses, sending a message letting Man-Bat know exactly where he was. Of course, this signal also meant he wouldn’t be able to contact Bruce, but there was no other way. No more running, no more hiding; it all ended here, tonight.

Shouldn’t have to wait too much longer. Good thing I stopped by Waller’s before coming here; a little more Lazarus liquid couldn’t hurt…just in case.

There was no warning before the first hit. He felt the blow connect across his back, sending him flying off the tower, down to the ground below.

Ouch! That hurt you bastard!

He could hear the creature’s giant, leather wings pounding against the wind and rain as it followed after him.

Gotta time this just right!

The sound grew louder as the ground grew closer.

Now!

He fired the jets and arched his back. A loud roar followed; his hunch had been right. Man-Bat’s face had been just close enough to get his face fried by the jets as they fired.

That’s it! Now for step two.

He blasted eight batarangs at the monster while it was blinded, all of them bounced off his skin.

Damn! His skin really is tough.

By now the creature’s pain had ceased. It turned its attention towards Terry, launching toward him at break-neck speed.

Oh s%&*. He thought.

The blow came fast and hard, knocking the wind out of Terry. He could feel the wind against his back as the creature pushed him through the air, then, suddenly, the wind was replaced by a sharp pain shooting down his spine as he was pinned against the tower.

He looked down, he was about twenty feet from the ground now. A fall from here wouldn’t kill him…he hoped.

Okay. Now’s as good a time as any.

He struggled to reach his belt, as the monster continued to try and crush him against the tower; finally, he managed to reach the button on his belt he was looking for. It emitted a high-pitched frequency, only heard by bats’ senses. The creature howled and loosed it grip on Terry letting him fall to the ground.

Okay, that won’t last long and I’m all out of tricks….. Dammit dammit dammit!

The signal’s charge ran out just then.

Here it comes.

He pulled out the serum-gun, waiting for his opponent to make his move.

He didn’t have to wait long. The creature rammed into him, knocking him to the ground, sending the antidote flying from Terry’s grasp.

“No!” He yelled.

He tried reaching his arms back to grab it, but Man-Bat pinned them down with one of his wings. He raised another claw in the air, preparing to deliver the final blow.

I failed… I couldn’t beat him… I just couldn’t…

Terry could feel it; the end was coming.

Suddenly, something jetted above Terry through the air. The object pinned Man-Bat’s wing against the tower. Ten more followed, each one landing in the bulk of the wing.

Of course! The wings are a soft spot! Wait a sec, what the hell am I doing?! This is my chance… let’s hope he still feels this….

While the creature roared in pain and tried to free its wing, Terry jutted his knee as hard as he could into its groin. The monster’s eyes watered as it continued to roar in agony. He released his grip on Terry’s arms, allowing him to slip free and grab the gun.

Okay, even though the wings are a soft spot, I can’t inject him there…. Bruce said it wouldn’t work… so where can I…. Oh crap…

He ran over Man-Bat before he could recover.

“I’m sorry about this, doc.” He said.

He injected the serum directly into the creature’s groin, earning him yet another ear-shattering roar.

The serum worked almost immediately, returning the doctor to his human form.

He was very old. It seemed he was only kept alive by his bat-form and now that it was gone, he would return to his normal age.

His skin was still pierced by the arrows. Terry jerked them out, then, held the old man in his arms.

“Th-Thank you.” Langstrom said.

Those were to be his last words.







Back at the cave, Terry told Bruce the whole story.

“So, you couldn’t see who shot the arrows.”

“No. When I looked up, there was no one there. All I know is, they were green.”

Bruce smiled.

“What?” Terry asked. “Someone you know?”

“Maybe. We’ll find out in time.”

“Whatever.”

“The point is, this mission is over and…you did well, Terry. Langstrom can finally have peace.”

“Yeah…At least there’s that” Terry said, smiling. “Well, I gotta go. My mom wants me home early tonight. Wants me to watch the little dweep while she goes out for something.”

“Alright. We’ll look into the deaths of Beth Saunders and Charles Hanson starting tomorrow. Good night, Terry.”

“Night.”

As Terry walked away, he thought to himself.

A quick compliment and then back to business. He thought. Just like dad…just like dad…


The End[/b]

If you wish to comment on this issue, please CLICK HERE to visit the letter page.