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Batman Before	By : Jessy8 Category: DC Verse Cartoons > Batman Beyond Views: 8886 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Batman Beyond, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Batman Before
- 2-ch 2
- 3-chapter 3
- 4-ch 4
- 5-chapter 5
- 6-chapter 6
- 7-chapter 7
- 8-ch 8
- 9-ch9
- 10-ch 10
- 11-ch 11
- 12-Chapter 12
- 13-Chapter 13
- 14-Chapter 14
- 15-Final
- 13
- 14
- 15
Batman Before
Chapter 14
By Wildfire
Terry lay in his bed, softly petting Irvine. The cat was much more affectionate than most cats. He stares at his arm, thankful that it was back to full strength. So much had been happening these last few weeks that he had forgotten it had been broken at all. The cast had been off for some time now, thank God. He couldn’t very well go out as Batman with a cast. He was just glad that it had been off for the earthquake. ‘Course, if he hadn’t been there, Tim and Barbara probably wouldn’t have been in the sticky situation to start with.
He sighs, turning over and away from the cat. It had been a week since he had talked to Bruce. Christmas was tomorrow, so tonight was Christmas Eve. As much as he wanted to say that he was staying, so he could give his gift to Dick, it was all a lie. He didn’t want to be alone for Christmas. He felt the bitter sting of tears against his eyes. He missed his mom and brother, and wondered what they were doing now. Would they have a Merry Christmas? Were they okay without him? His mother must be so upset. He was glad that she at least still had Matt there; that would help.
He turns over again, noticing the cat was gone. He had planned on fully ignoring Dick and hopping he’d just get the point so he didn’t have to break the man’s heart. But it turned out he didn’t need to ignore anybody; Dick was already avoiding him like the plague. It’s what he wanted… so why was it bothering him so much?
He found himself turning over yet again. He just wanted to know why Dick was avoiding him. Had he done something wrong? He let out a frustrated sigh, reminding himself that it didn’t matter if he had. It was for the better if Dick was pulling away on his own.... But could he give him the rings now? It seemed a bit too much now. He turned over yet again, wanting to ram his head into a wall. What could he get him now?
&&BB&&

Four gifts sat in front of Terry. Christmas Eve had flown by and now it was Christmas morning. The four gifts were from the four people in the house. Barbara would come by later that night to see them, since she was spending Christmas with her own family. The gifts varied in size and color.
“Well, Terry. We usually go from youngest to oldest. Is that alright with you?” Terry nods. Bruce sounded shorter with him than usual. He turns his attention to Tim.
Tim looked through the gifts before picking out one with gold paper. “I’ll open Dick’s first.” He tore it open, not even trying to save the paper. He pulled out a… McDonald’s gift card? What a horrible gift! Tim stares at it before reading the card, and suddenly his face split in two. “Thank you!” He attacks Dick with a large hug.
Dick hugged him back. “You’re welcome,” he laughs.
Terry wondered what Dick had actually gotten the boy. Probably something to do with Robin, he was sure. He knew there was no way Tim was that happy over a McDonald’s gift card....
“Terry, you’re next, I believe.”
Terry blinks, looking at Alfred. Apparently, they went one gift at a time. His hand itched to pick up the gift from Dick, but he couldn’t do it. Not yet. Instead, he picked up one from Alfred. He carefully opened the gift and slipped out a book with the title “Old-Fashioned Cooking for the Current Chief.” Terry smiles, finding his eyes were suddenly wet. “Thank… you.” He held the book to his chest. “E-Excuse me.”
He quickly stood, leaving the room. He found himself wanting his mother… he wanted his mother. God, he felt like a baby. He shut his door softly behind him. Why was this stupid book making him so upset? Maybe because it was gift from people he was using. Deceiving. He should have left -- he shouldn’t have stayed here. He watched as his door slowly opened.
Dick looked at him, his eyes seeming to struggle with his own inner demons. He let out a sigh, tying his long hair back and going over to kneel beside the upset boy. “Terry....” His voice was soft.
Terry turned his head away. He didn’t want Dick to be here right now. He couldn’t explain this to him.... Hell, he couldn’t explain it to himself! Strong arms wrapped around him, pulling him close, and Terry broke down bursting into tears on the older man’s chest.
It was then that he realized what it was that was bothering him: He didn’t want to leave, and he wasn’t just talking about the manor. He didn’t want to leave the time period. He didn’t want to leave Dick and Bruce and… everyone. But he couldn’t bear the thought of leaving his mother, either. Not that it mattered. He had to go home or watch them die. He clung tighter to Dick.
Dick held tightly to the distressed boy. His grip tightened on Terry. Worry coursed through him, since he was literally shaking. He didn’t know what had obviously distressed him, but he wanted to kill whatever it was. Dick had swore to himself that he would keep his distance from Terry, at least until they found out what he was up to. But now as he sat there with the distressed boy, he found himself lifting Terry’s chin, meshing their mouths together in a soft, gentle kiss.
Terry’s shaking slowly calmed as the kiss deepened, though he suddenly pulled back. “No!” He moved away from the older man. “I don’t-- I can’t. Get the hell away from me!” Terry quickly stood up and moved away from the night warrior.
Dick sighs, standing up and going him. “Terry, I won’t leave you. I tried, and I was miserable. If you can’t stay here, then damn it, I’ll go with you!”
Terry wanted to scream. “No, no, no, no!” He grabbed his backpack and raced from the room, straight out of the house.
Dick got down the stairs before Bruce gently stopped him. “Let him go. He’ll be back, one way or another. He’ll return to some part of this house.”
He hesitated one second longer before moving over to his own gift pile and grabbing the gift from Terry, ripping it open. It was a movie, “The Wizard of Oz” -- a bad movie, at that. He tossed the movie onto a chair before leaving the room again. He wasn’t in the Christmas-y mood anymore.
The black cat walked up to him and he picked it up. “Hey, T-shadow.” The cat didn’t respond to that name like it did to the one Terry gave, but he could never remember that one. T-shadow was just such a better name. He headed down to the cave, though he knew Terry wouldn’t go there yet. It would be empty. And right now being alone sounded perfect.
He set the cat down and turned the computer on. Bruce had already checked and double-checked to see if they could trace where Terry had contacted. There was nothing. It left no memory on the computer. He idly typed away on the computer, hopping to find something, some clue. He sighs after an hour of nothing.
He pulled out the security tape, putting it in. It had been watched multiple times as well, but it had no sound so they could only see what was going on and not re-listen to what had happened. He stares at it, watching exactly what Terry did, not that it revealed anything new.
The old guy came on in the tape, not that he could really tell; the picture was such a bad connection. That was a mystery in itself. This was a high-powered computer, and he was sure the old man had to have a high-powered one. Why was it not coming in clean? Unless the person was in the mountains.... Maybe he could clean it up, they had a program it took fractured skulls, and reconstruct what the face would have looked like. He may be able to use that. First, he’d have to try and get the clearest picture possible. He knew finding out what the old man looked like wasn’t a huge deal compared to finding out what they were up to but it wouldn’t hurt. Plus he had nothing better to do.
After hours of non-stop work, he finally had a decent picture to feed the machine. Now he’d have to rewrite it to fit the dynamics of the program, which took him another hour to do.
Dick fell asleep in the chair, being woken up by a ding. He looks up to see the picture was done. He double-clicked it, his blood instantly running cold. It was just a hard-looking old man... except for those eyes and how he frowned. “Bruce!” He dashed up the stairs faster than he thought he could ever move. How could they be so stupid?
&&BB&&
“Jason!” Terry pounded on the house’s door until a middle-aged man opened it. It had taken him a while to track the guy down.
The man looks Terry up and down. “I don’t know you, but I do know you are not meant to be here. Want to explain this to me?”
“I met you in my time when I fought with Etrigan.” Wow, it felt good to say anything about his past. He quickly explained the situation, sprouting most of it out before he had even sat down. He figured he must sound like an insane man but with Jason, well he hoped the man would understand.
Jason nods, handing Terry a glass of water. “That is... dramatic. While you shouldn’t be in this timeline, it does seem your soul has decided it needs something in this line has that yours isn’t able to offer you.”
“Are you saying this had to happen? That even if the scientist hadn’t forced me back or whatever, I’d be here anyway?” He talked quickly, hopping that meant this mess wasn’t so much his fault.
“No, of course not. Man should not mess with things they don’t understand. You should not be here. But you are now, so now your soul is adjusting to it the best it can. There is one way to solve this whole issue easily, but I believe you need to figure it out on your own.”
“Well, why the hell am I talking to you, then?!” Terry tossed his glass down.
Jason stared at him calmly and stated, “So you can talk.”
Terry blinks. Oddly he did want to just talk, and it seemed to be a very easy thing to do with this man. “I don’t want to leave them.”
Jason nods, not even trying to offer excuses on the fact that they’ll be there in the future, if just older. “Then don’t.”
“I have to! Otherwise, the timeline will fall and possibly cause the fall of mine, too!”
“Well, that would be your choice. Everyone has a choice.”
“Wow, some choice,” he said sarcastically.
“The timeline is truly a magical thing.” He grabbed a peace of paper, setting it down with a pen. “Here.” He draws a line. “This represents your line. The end of it here is the present. Now here,” he drew a line back in the line then down and made another horizontal line, “is this current time. What happened was it took a time and took all the past from the pervious line and then started making a new future. The problem is the only thing sustaining this line is yours, and yours is not strong enough. Now, as long as this time takes nothing new, it’ll sustain. But every time someone is born, it takes more energy to hold it.” He pauses. “Understand?”
“Kinda....” Terry stares at the lines.
“Alright, think of it like this: You are the timeline that you know. You’re carrying 100 pounds -- it’s difficult, but you can do it. Suddenly, you have to hold another 100 pounds. You manage to hold it, but as time goes on you have to hold more and more. Eventually....”
“I’ll drop it.”
Jason nods. “The question is will the timeline drop all the weight or just the extra weight.”
Terry sighs. “So how come no matter how many are born in my time, the line isn’t in danger of falling?”
He points to the end of the line. “Here is the present, right? As time continues, the line grows longer. The longer the line, the more it can hold. This line by itself can hold as many new people as it needs as the line will just grow with them.”
“But when this one grows… it’s just a dead weight?”
“Well, yeah. In simple terms, yes. That’s pretty much it.”
Terry sighs. “And if I leave, then this weight is dropped?”
“If there’s nothing else holding it here.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, the reason why this line hasn’t dropped already is because something changed and every soul is strong and has a desire to live. So it’d be like you trying to drop something, but it holding on with a tight grip. As you change things and the other souls like the change, they grab hold too.”
“So if the soul doesn’t really care about the change or doesn’t like it, then it won’t hold the line, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“So… even if I were to stop seeing certain people and ignore them, they could still cling?”
“If you made a large change in them, and they like the change, yes.”
Terry’s heart thumped against his chest. He may have destroyed time as it was, anyway. Even if he had no contact with any of them, they may still cling.
“There’s an easy solution, Terry. I know you’ll figure it out. But I must be going, so I’m afraid our talk is over. I’m sure I’ll see you in the future. Good luck, Terry.”
Terry nods, leaving in a slight daze. He could have destroyed the whole world, the whole… universe? No way could one person destroy it all, right?
&&BB&&
Tim swung from one building to the next while on his nightly patrol. Something was going on with Bruce and Dick, but they wouldn’t tell him, though he knew it had something to do with Terry. Obviously, they had sent him on patrol to get rid of him for a while. He wasn’t stupid; he knew when people wanted him gone. Not that he minded. He had really wanted to try out his new grappling hook that Dick had gotten him for Christmas. It was amazing. Though he also kinda wanted to be home, too.... Terry had gotten him a new game for his Nintendo and he had really wanted to play it. He felt kind of bad opening the gift when Terry wasn’t there, but Bruce said he may not be coming back and to just open it.
Tim sat on the roof, wondering what was going on. He sat there for a while before he heard a crunch behind him. He quickly whirls around. “I know you’re there!” Alright, yelling to the person stalking you? Not the best idea. But hey, he did at least know they were there.
The fraud Batman seemed to materialize in front of him. “Hey.”
“How do you do that?”
“My boss made my suit. Ask him.”
Tim’s eyes narrowed. This fraud seemed to be lacking its normal... flare. “Hey, you okay? You don’t seem as spirited as the other times we fought.” Oh, great. Now he was worried about bad guys. This could not be a good sign. Next thing you’d know, he’s be going to the movies with the Joker.
The fraud didn’t respond. Instead, he sat down on the building, legs hanging. “If someone you knew was in danger, but saving them could mean the end of the world -- but you may have already caused the end of the world anyway -- what would you do?”
Tim blinks. “Not following.... If it were about saving one person or the world, I’d pick the world. Seems the obvious choice.” He kept his distance, still not quite sure what was going on.
“But what if they world may already be ending? And by saving this person, they’d at least be happy before they died…?”
The fraud sounded so defeated, Tim finally sat down beside him, taking the chance. “But you don’t know if the world’s ending. It’d be an awful big risk. It might be better to just let whoever it is die, just to be safe.” He shrugs. “Though I probably couldn’t just let someone die. I’m sure there’s some other way to fix it that doesn’t result in their death. I think I’d look for that.”
“What if you can’t find it in time and the world ends?”
Tim shrugs. “Then I guess it won’t really matter anymore, will it? You know I can’t let you leave here, right? I will be arresting you.”
The man chuckles and nods. “If you want to fight, we can. Why are you out alone, Tim?”
He stiffened at the mention of his name, even though he had known the man knew. “How do you know my name? How do you know so much about all of us?”
Terry sighs, staring down at the alley below. “I grew up where Batman was just a story, a legend of sorts. The streets were crowded with thugs of every kind. Our cops were good, though. We have a great commissioner, not that she likes me much.”
“A female commissioner?”
“Do you think males are better at it? I believe Batgirl’s beat your butt a time or two.” His voice was hasher there.
Tim shrugs. “No, just never seen one before. But I don’t care how good she is -- Gordon is the best. And he likes us.”
Terry had to smile at the slight irony of it. “Yeah, he’s done a good job with his daughter, too. Good virtues.”
“This is all mesmerizing and all, but it didn’t answer my inquiry.” Tim grimaces slightly when the man glared at him.
“Some people knocked off my old man. I got mad. There was someone who could help me. He did; he became my boss; I became Batman. He tells me what I need to know.”
“But how does he know all this?”
“How could he not?”
“What?” Tim sighs. “Look, I don’t know what this guy told you, but we have a Batman -- and a good one, too. We don’t need you!”
Terry nods. “I know. But for the time being, I am here.”
“Why don’t you just go home?” Tim growls. The man was infuriating. “Just leave!”
“Tell me, is anything ever that easy? Ever?!” Terry put his elbows on his knees, glaring down.
“So… you’re like what, stuck here? Tell me where you need to go, and I’ll arrange for you to be taken there. How’s that? Problem solved.”
Terry glares. “No, it’s not.” His eyes move to Tim, who was quiet. He seemed to be listening to something, and it wasn‘t him. He smirks. The bastard already had the codes changed! They’ve been talking to him the whole time!
“How close are they?” he asked straight out. Tim jumps a bit at the question.
“We’re here.” Two forms moved out of the shadows.
“Who do you have to save, Terry?” Nightwing asked. His voice sounded firm, unsympathetic.
“Terry?!” Tim stared at him in shock. “No way! No wonder you knew so much -- you were living with us!”
Bruce shook his head. “He knows so much because I’m his mentor.”
Terry’s eyes widen. How the hell did they figure all this out?! How long had they known? How long had Dick known…?
“What? Batman? You--”
“Not me. Looks to be me in about 40, 50 years from now?”
“You’re from the future?!” Tim just stood there, shell-shocked. “Some strange kid became Batman instead of me?!” Terry looks away. How could he tell the kid that one?
Both Batman and Nightwing’s eyes widen as they look from Terry to Robin. As if they had just figured out another piece of the puzzle.
“Terry, is he…” Nightwing pointed to Tim, “the one you want to save?! ‘Cause if something happens that you could prevent to him, I’ll kill you myself!” His voice no longer held any compassion it once had. Anger and betrayal was all Terry heard in the voice. He wondered if it was cause he lied or because he was Bruce’s new ‘lap dog.’
“Me?”
“It’s not that easy, Dick! Stop making it so sound so easy!” They all seemed to think what he was doing was just a simple thing.
“We will take you back to the cave, and you’ll be kept in a secure room ‘til we figure this out.”
“You’re locking me up?!” Terry glared. “What, don’t even trust yourself?! I knew you had issues, old man, but damn!” The hell they’d lock him up. He’d fight ‘til he couldn’t fight anymore before they locked him up! That was just what he needed now. He was getting angrier at the thought. Why would they lock him up?! He’d done nothing wrong!
Bruce ignored the ‘old man’ comment. Terry seemed to fall back on that whenever he was upset. He wondered if it bothered him in the future. “I have no idea what happens to me in the future, nor do I want to know--”
“You’re a bitter old man who lives alone! All your sidekicks hate you! I’ve never even met Dick in my time! He’ll have nothing to do with you! You have no family -- no one -- until I came along! I got Barbara and Tim back into your life! And it sounds like from my disappearance, Dick even came back, mostly to tell you what a moron you are! That is your future!” He was shaking and all three of the masked avengers just stared at him.
Tim remained silent while looking down. Dick turned to watch Bruce, who squared his shoulders. “I have given my life to keep others--”
“They hate Batman!” Terry glares. “There’s no Bat signal anymore. Barbara’s tried to arrest me a couple times, simply for interfering. I have smoothed it over! Me, me, me!” He knew he was being ridiculous and acting like a child, and that Bruce had smoothed things over much more than he had. And without Bruce, he would never have gotten as far as he did with bringing people to like Batman again. And it was Bruce that went to see Tim in the hospital and smooth that over, too. But at the current moment, he was mad at this Bruce and was going to tell him every bad thing he could.
“If it’s so horrible, why do you stay around me?” Bruce’s voice was firm.
Terry stares at him. He knew he looked to the old man like a father now. Heck, respected and maybe even loved him, too. “Because I made a promise to Barbara that I wouldn’t abandon you just because you got difficult or the job got difficult or whatever. That I would stand by your side, even if I did decide not to be Batman anymore. ‘Cause for some reason I care about your bitter ass. And you’re a hell of a lot more bitter than you are now. I really don’t know what your complaining about, Dick. He’s like a pussycat here!”
Bruce raised an eyebrow at the pussycat comment. “You will still be held in a secure cell. You don’t need to be changing time anymore than you probably have.”
“Forget it! You aren’t locking me up!”
“If you want to use the Bat computer to contact your time, you will come with me.”
“I said forget it! I am not going to be your lab experiment! I’ll find a way to contact my time without your damn computer!” More like he’d sneak in again, but he wasn’t telling them that.
Terry turned on his jets, only to have Bruce grapple his foot, pulling him back down. His body gave a jerk at the pull. He looks back to see Bruce had anchored himself against some pipe. If he pulled to hard he’d hurt Bruce, and Bruce knew it. He was banking on the fact that Terry didn’t want to hurt him. That was a gutsy move.
Didn’t matter. He pulled out a Batarang, throwing it through the cord of the grapple. He started off again, though he couldn’t go far with his jets since they still weren’t working right due to the earthquake. His visor seemed okay, though.
He knew they were following him and that he’d have to check himself for Bat bugs, too. Bruce loved those little transmitters. Another grapple wrapped around his feet. He looked back -- Tim. He was literally dragging him across a roof. He growled, pulling out another Batarang. He couldn’t afford the extra weight.
A slight movement caught the corner of his eyes and he realized Tim was the distraction. It was a second too late, though, as a dulled Batarang struck him in the head. It was no doubt to just knock him off so he’d land, but unfortunately it knocked his visor off instead.
Terry realized there was nothing scarier than being very high off the ground and realizing your jets were about to go out and you couldn’t see a damm--
He collided into something, his head knocking against it. He went limp and started to fall. He was sure he heard someone call his name out before he hit ground and lost all thought.
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Batman Before