Adrift in Time
- Thread starter A Curious Stranger
- Start date
You're using Word? Well that's your problem right there. If you want to keep using Word, go to the auto-correct settings and tell it to stop auto-correcting quote marks from the straight form to the curly form.
Here's a <a href='http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/change-curly-quotes-to-straight-quotes-and-vice-versa-HA010173242.aspx#BM13' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'>link</a> to how you're supposed to do that.
The curly form isn't recognized by the default character encode on most browsers (Western/ISO-8859), so it comes out as gibberish. Another solution for readers is to switch the encode to Western/Windows-1252, but that's annoying to make the reader do that when you could just as easily disable curly quotes.
Here's a <a href='http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/change-curly-quotes-to-straight-quotes-and-vice-versa-HA010173242.aspx#BM13' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'>link</a> to how you're supposed to do that.
The curly form isn't recognized by the default character encode on most browsers (Western/ISO-8859), so it comes out as gibberish. Another solution for readers is to switch the encode to Western/Windows-1252, but that's annoying to make the reader do that when you could just as easily disable curly quotes.
Yeah, FYI I've decided to make Gear less dickish by letting Booster be the one to leak it like Gear suggested. And zeebee, the League took in Bwana Beast. Come on, Gear's not the least likely to be accepted.
And Kayeich, thanks for the info dude, as a bonus...
---
Just like Gear had warned, the rumor of a Batman from the future spread like wildfire. Booster had told Blue Beetle, who had told everyone else. The chatty genius was generally well liked, and could never resist the chance to tell some gossip.
At first the rumor was dismissed as unlikely, with the fact that it was Booster Gold who had been the source seemingly dooming it to oblivion. That was of course, until Green Arrow and the Question heard of it.
Though the QuestionÆs paranoia was also easily dismissed, no one knew what to say at the angry figure of the Emerald Archer as he scoured the decks and constantly poked his head around, looking for the mysterious figure. If Arrow believed in it so strongly, there might have been something to it after all.
This was not helped by Green Arrow complaining about his encounter with this alleged Batman to everyone he met, from fellow superheroes down to the lowliest grease monkeys on the station.
The man in question, Batman, was of course oblivious to all this as heÆd spent the next few days in near complete isolation, with almost no contact with the outside world with the exception of the Martian Manhunter, and more rarely, Superman. More than once, Terry thought of complaining about his situation, but he couldnÆt deny the fact that he had allowed himself to be imprisoned so.
With the rumor mills working at full power, eventually all gossip turned to the exciting possibility of a time travelling Dark Knight.
Which of course was when Bruce Wayne entered the Watchtower, intent on grabbing using the powerful supercomputers there for his own mysterious purposes before vanishing to Gotham once more.
---
The Watchtower was unusually silent as Bruce teleported in, with everyone with the exception of Mr. Terrific giving him uneasy looks. The looks werenÆt anything special of course, Batman was well aware of just how intimidating he could be, but this time things were different.
There was an undercurrent ofà amusement? Pity? Confusion? This would require some looking into. Later of course. The recent crime sprees demanded his attention. No doubt looking at the complicated patterns, it was RaÆs al Ghul, but he had to be certain.
Batman walked up to Mr. Terrific who barely gave him a second glance before Batman keyed in his access code and entered his backdoor that would allow him to erase all electronic traces of him down to the camera recordings, and electronic footprints his typing would make.
ôSo Batman,ö Terrific began. ôIf you really want to test out new equipment, do it in Gotham please. I had the devilÆs time patching up all the damage you caused.ö
Batman didnÆt miss a beat as he replied ôIÆll keep that in mind for next time,ö while his mind raced to figure out what Terrific had meant. Even while his fingers glided over the keys, his brain ripped open every possible meaning of TerrificÆs words. It made no sense. HeÆd spent the last few weeks tracking down the unlikely duo of Riddler and Firefly after the two had decided to send a message of arson in Gotham. HeÆd barely even slept. HeÆd never come to the Watchtower, but at the same time, Terrific was no fool.
Mr. Terrific stared at Batman for a few seconds before laughing. ôIs it- is the rumor really true? Is Booster really not making things up?ö
Unaccustomed to being laughed at, Batman gave Mr. Terrific a glare strong enough to shut the man up before asking ôWhat rumors?ö
ôYou know Batman,ö started Terrific, ôIÆve taught myself how to read microexpressions of the body. You really are curious arenÆt you? You never actually came by last week.ö
ôWhat. Rumors?ö Batman gritted out.
ôThat you showed up from the future,ö Terrific said. ôOr at least some kind of student of yours did.ö
Batman logged out of his workstation before leaving to the cafeteria. If there was gossip like that going on, he needed to find the source and cow him into submission.
He passed by a few more technicians giving him that odd look again, not even bothering to glare back.
By pure luck, Batman came across Green Arrow muttering furiously to S.T.R.I.P.E and Stargirl and overheard the last parts of the conversation, ôSome kind of saw you know? And that freaking Batarang thing was way too damn sharp. Could have killed someone.ö
Realizing heÆd just found a clue, Batman made his way through the trio to look at Green Arrow in the face.
ôInteresting conversation. Care to enlighten me?ö
Looking at BatmanÆs enraged face, Oliver Queen decided it would be best to tell the truth. ôQuestion and I ran into some imposter acting like you down at Star City. Had the equipment for it, but I canÆt say he was all that great.ö
ôWhat did he do to make you so angry?ö Batman hissed.
ôUh,ö Oliver started, quickly realizing that if he admitted that the guy had nearly dislocated his jaw before vanishing so well that even Question, indisputably in the top ten list of detectives couldnÆt find him, chances were that Batman would be proud said, ôNothing in particular.ö
ôReally now?ö Batman started before discarding that line of thought. ôDescribe him.ö
Oliver started to hesitate until Batman finally pressed his advantage by stepping even closer and said ôIÆm waiting.ö
ôSkinny I guess. All black bodysuit. Long ears. Red Bat insignia,ö Arrow stammered out.
The description made its way though BatmanÆs honed mind until a single possibility showed. That kid heÆd seen with Green Lantern on that damnable mission.
Oh yes, it had been an exercise in frustration, time constantly rewriting itself to the point even now Batman wondered just what he had seen. If everything had been real.
But how had he gotten here, and how had he come to the watchtowerà anything overt by the boy should have sent alarm bells ringing through the cave. HeÆd probably trained the boy well if he was meant to be his successor, but-
No. He shouldnÆt think of the future like that. Destiny was never set in stone, and he would be damned if he started treating the future as though it was an unstoppable force.
But only a select few would have had the capabilities to hide the other Batman from showing up from his scopes. One of the original seven. Green Lantern was on Oa, Hawkgirl would have been more likely to smash the boyÆs face in, Flash was too reckless and easygoing to hide him, and Diana was acting as a goodwill ambassador to the UN still. Which left Superman and JÆonn.
Clark would be his first target.
ôSuperman,ö Batman breathed before stalking off.
ôWow, so uh, I donÆt think I want to be the boy in blue right now,ö Arrow admitted as he straightened his collar. Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E. who had been quiet the whole time could only nod in agreement.
It took Batman three minutes to corner the man. Fully aware that though Superman might have had him beat on every other category, when it came to inspiring terror, Batman was firmly in first place, he slammed the man into a bulkhead.
ôWhere. Is. He?ö
ôBatman! YouÆre here,ö Superman tried, smiling disarmingly.
ôWhere. Is. He?ö
ôBruce,ö Superman tried to cajole, ôThereÆs nothing for you to gain here by-ö
ôGetting. Tired.ö
Crap. At the point Batman enunciated and paused before every word, Superman knew heÆd best cave in.
Sighing, Superman finally acquiesced and led Batman through the hallways, the two of them the focus of every single person in the Watchtower. All those with non-essential duties started to follow the two, that sixth sense of humans knowing whenever something interesting was happening kicking in, before Batman turned to look at them all.
Everyone found something to do very quickly.
Minutes later, though at a pace Batman felt was far too slow, he found himself in front of one of the guest rooms the Tower kept for dignitaries. Though this was a small one, used for people they snubbed to rub in a point.
Superman punched in the code, and Batman came face to face with Batman.
The other was exactly how Bruce remembered.
ôBruce?ö The other man yelped.
ôYou.ö
ôMe?ö
---
Here's hoping it works guys.
And Kayeich, thanks for the info dude, as a bonus...
---
Just like Gear had warned, the rumor of a Batman from the future spread like wildfire. Booster had told Blue Beetle, who had told everyone else. The chatty genius was generally well liked, and could never resist the chance to tell some gossip.
At first the rumor was dismissed as unlikely, with the fact that it was Booster Gold who had been the source seemingly dooming it to oblivion. That was of course, until Green Arrow and the Question heard of it.
Though the QuestionÆs paranoia was also easily dismissed, no one knew what to say at the angry figure of the Emerald Archer as he scoured the decks and constantly poked his head around, looking for the mysterious figure. If Arrow believed in it so strongly, there might have been something to it after all.
This was not helped by Green Arrow complaining about his encounter with this alleged Batman to everyone he met, from fellow superheroes down to the lowliest grease monkeys on the station.
The man in question, Batman, was of course oblivious to all this as heÆd spent the next few days in near complete isolation, with almost no contact with the outside world with the exception of the Martian Manhunter, and more rarely, Superman. More than once, Terry thought of complaining about his situation, but he couldnÆt deny the fact that he had allowed himself to be imprisoned so.
With the rumor mills working at full power, eventually all gossip turned to the exciting possibility of a time travelling Dark Knight.
Which of course was when Bruce Wayne entered the Watchtower, intent on grabbing using the powerful supercomputers there for his own mysterious purposes before vanishing to Gotham once more.
---
The Watchtower was unusually silent as Bruce teleported in, with everyone with the exception of Mr. Terrific giving him uneasy looks. The looks werenÆt anything special of course, Batman was well aware of just how intimidating he could be, but this time things were different.
There was an undercurrent ofà amusement? Pity? Confusion? This would require some looking into. Later of course. The recent crime sprees demanded his attention. No doubt looking at the complicated patterns, it was RaÆs al Ghul, but he had to be certain.
Batman walked up to Mr. Terrific who barely gave him a second glance before Batman keyed in his access code and entered his backdoor that would allow him to erase all electronic traces of him down to the camera recordings, and electronic footprints his typing would make.
ôSo Batman,ö Terrific began. ôIf you really want to test out new equipment, do it in Gotham please. I had the devilÆs time patching up all the damage you caused.ö
Batman didnÆt miss a beat as he replied ôIÆll keep that in mind for next time,ö while his mind raced to figure out what Terrific had meant. Even while his fingers glided over the keys, his brain ripped open every possible meaning of TerrificÆs words. It made no sense. HeÆd spent the last few weeks tracking down the unlikely duo of Riddler and Firefly after the two had decided to send a message of arson in Gotham. HeÆd barely even slept. HeÆd never come to the Watchtower, but at the same time, Terrific was no fool.
Mr. Terrific stared at Batman for a few seconds before laughing. ôIs it- is the rumor really true? Is Booster really not making things up?ö
Unaccustomed to being laughed at, Batman gave Mr. Terrific a glare strong enough to shut the man up before asking ôWhat rumors?ö
ôYou know Batman,ö started Terrific, ôIÆve taught myself how to read microexpressions of the body. You really are curious arenÆt you? You never actually came by last week.ö
ôWhat. Rumors?ö Batman gritted out.
ôThat you showed up from the future,ö Terrific said. ôOr at least some kind of student of yours did.ö
Batman logged out of his workstation before leaving to the cafeteria. If there was gossip like that going on, he needed to find the source and cow him into submission.
He passed by a few more technicians giving him that odd look again, not even bothering to glare back.
By pure luck, Batman came across Green Arrow muttering furiously to S.T.R.I.P.E and Stargirl and overheard the last parts of the conversation, ôSome kind of saw you know? And that freaking Batarang thing was way too damn sharp. Could have killed someone.ö
Realizing heÆd just found a clue, Batman made his way through the trio to look at Green Arrow in the face.
ôInteresting conversation. Care to enlighten me?ö
Looking at BatmanÆs enraged face, Oliver Queen decided it would be best to tell the truth. ôQuestion and I ran into some imposter acting like you down at Star City. Had the equipment for it, but I canÆt say he was all that great.ö
ôWhat did he do to make you so angry?ö Batman hissed.
ôUh,ö Oliver started, quickly realizing that if he admitted that the guy had nearly dislocated his jaw before vanishing so well that even Question, indisputably in the top ten list of detectives couldnÆt find him, chances were that Batman would be proud said, ôNothing in particular.ö
ôReally now?ö Batman started before discarding that line of thought. ôDescribe him.ö
Oliver started to hesitate until Batman finally pressed his advantage by stepping even closer and said ôIÆm waiting.ö
ôSkinny I guess. All black bodysuit. Long ears. Red Bat insignia,ö Arrow stammered out.
The description made its way though BatmanÆs honed mind until a single possibility showed. That kid heÆd seen with Green Lantern on that damnable mission.
Oh yes, it had been an exercise in frustration, time constantly rewriting itself to the point even now Batman wondered just what he had seen. If everything had been real.
But how had he gotten here, and how had he come to the watchtowerà anything overt by the boy should have sent alarm bells ringing through the cave. HeÆd probably trained the boy well if he was meant to be his successor, but-
No. He shouldnÆt think of the future like that. Destiny was never set in stone, and he would be damned if he started treating the future as though it was an unstoppable force.
But only a select few would have had the capabilities to hide the other Batman from showing up from his scopes. One of the original seven. Green Lantern was on Oa, Hawkgirl would have been more likely to smash the boyÆs face in, Flash was too reckless and easygoing to hide him, and Diana was acting as a goodwill ambassador to the UN still. Which left Superman and JÆonn.
Clark would be his first target.
ôSuperman,ö Batman breathed before stalking off.
ôWow, so uh, I donÆt think I want to be the boy in blue right now,ö Arrow admitted as he straightened his collar. Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E. who had been quiet the whole time could only nod in agreement.
It took Batman three minutes to corner the man. Fully aware that though Superman might have had him beat on every other category, when it came to inspiring terror, Batman was firmly in first place, he slammed the man into a bulkhead.
ôWhere. Is. He?ö
ôBatman! YouÆre here,ö Superman tried, smiling disarmingly.
ôWhere. Is. He?ö
ôBruce,ö Superman tried to cajole, ôThereÆs nothing for you to gain here by-ö
ôGetting. Tired.ö
Crap. At the point Batman enunciated and paused before every word, Superman knew heÆd best cave in.
Sighing, Superman finally acquiesced and led Batman through the hallways, the two of them the focus of every single person in the Watchtower. All those with non-essential duties started to follow the two, that sixth sense of humans knowing whenever something interesting was happening kicking in, before Batman turned to look at them all.
Everyone found something to do very quickly.
Minutes later, though at a pace Batman felt was far too slow, he found himself in front of one of the guest rooms the Tower kept for dignitaries. Though this was a small one, used for people they snubbed to rub in a point.
Superman punched in the code, and Batman came face to face with Batman.
The other was exactly how Bruce remembered.
ôBruce?ö The other man yelped.
ôYou.ö
ôMe?ö
---
Here's hoping it works guys.
Nobody's really called Terry by name except for Old Bruce over the communicator when he vanished (I still think it's more likely he'd use McGuinnis instead, but it's not a huge deal, and Terry's been a superhero for 2-3 years so not that unlikely).
As for Terry being flippant with Bruce's name, well he's only used it around Superman and he did hesitate before using it the first time. Similar to the minor bother with Terry/McGuinnis from Bruce, I do think Terry would have also used other identifiers like "Mr. Wayne" or "the old man", since he generally refers to old Bruce by those instead of first name basis.
Though it makes sense in some spots to use Bruce, such as when trying to prove his identity to Superman (although he'd probably have given the whole name, Bruce Wayne).
I'd assume one of the major reasons for the differentiation and focus on first names is to avoid confusion over which batman is which, and making for easier identification.
If you want to poke fun to the use of first names, Terry -does- think of Static as "Beyonce". Have him refer to Static as that when he and Booster pop in? =)
As for Terry being flippant with Bruce's name, well he's only used it around Superman and he did hesitate before using it the first time. Similar to the minor bother with Terry/McGuinnis from Bruce, I do think Terry would have also used other identifiers like "Mr. Wayne" or "the old man", since he generally refers to old Bruce by those instead of first name basis.
Though it makes sense in some spots to use Bruce, such as when trying to prove his identity to Superman (although he'd probably have given the whole name, Bruce Wayne).
I'd assume one of the major reasons for the differentiation and focus on first names is to avoid confusion over which batman is which, and making for easier identification.
If you want to poke fun to the use of first names, Terry -does- think of Static as "Beyonce". Have him refer to Static as that when he and Booster pop in? =)
Ah dude, I was just goign to post that. Well, then have all of Chapter 4 which I hope comes out right in this stupid forum's encoding.
---
Just like Gear had warned, the rumor of a Batman from the future spread like wildfire. Booster had told Blue Beetle, who had told everyone else. The chatty genius was generally well liked, and could never resist the chance to tell some gossip.
At first the rumor was dismissed as unlikely, with the fact that it was Booster Gold who had been the source seemingly dooming it to oblivion. That was of course, until Green Arrow and the Question heard of it.
Though the QuestionÆs paranoia was also easily dismissed, no one knew what to say at the angry figure of the Emerald Archer as he scoured the decks and constantly poked his head around, looking for the mysterious figure. If Arrow believed in it so strongly, there might have been something to it after all.
This was not helped by Green Arrow complaining about his encounter with this alleged Batman to everyone he met, from fellow superheroes down to the lowliest grease monkeys on the station.
The man in question, Batman, was of course oblivious to all this as heÆd spent the next few days in near complete isolation, with almost no contact with the outside world with the exception of the Martian Manhunter, and more rarely, Superman. More than once, Terry thought of complaining about his situation, but he couldnÆt deny the fact that he had allowed himself to be imprisoned so.
With the rumor mills working at full power, eventually all gossip turned to the exciting possibility of a time travelling Dark Knight.
Which of course was when Bruce Wayne entered the Watchtower, intent on grabbing using the powerful supercomputers there for his own mysterious purposes before vanishing to Gotham once more.
---
The Watchtower was unusually silent as Bruce teleported in, with everyone with the exception of Mr. Terrific giving him uneasy looks. The looks werenÆt anything special of course, Batman was well aware of just how intimidating he could be, but this time things were different.
There was an undercurrent ofà amusement? Pity? Confusion? This would require some looking into. Later of course. The recent crime sprees demanded his attention. No doubt looking at the complicated patterns, it was RaÆs al Ghul, but he had to be certain.
Batman walked up to Mr. Terrific who barely gave him a second glance before Batman keyed in his access code and entered his backdoor that would allow him to erase all electronic traces of him down to the camera recordings, and electronic footprints his typing would make.
ôSo Batman,ö Terrific began. ôIf you really want to test out new equipment, do it in Gotham please. I had the devilÆs time patching up all the damage you caused.ö
Batman didnÆt miss a beat as he replied ôIÆll keep that in mind for next time,ö while his mind raced to figure out what Terrific had meant. Even while his fingers glided over the keys, his brain ripped open every possible meaning of TerrificÆs words. It made no sense. HeÆd spent the last few weeks tracking down the unlikely duo of Riddler and Firefly after the two had decided to send a message of arson in Gotham. HeÆd barely even slept. HeÆd never come to the Watchtower, but at the same time, Terrific was no fool.
Mr. Terrific stared at Batman for a few seconds before laughing. ôIs it- is the rumor really true? Is Booster really not making things up?ö
Unaccustomed to being laughed at, Batman gave Mr. Terrific a glare strong enough to shut the man up before asking ôWhat rumors?ö
ôYou know Batman,ö started Terrific, ôIÆve taught myself how to read microexpressions of the body. You really are curious arenÆt you? You never actually came by last week.ö
ôWhat. Rumors?ö Batman gritted out.
ôThat you showed up from the future,ö Terrific said. ôOr at least some kind of student of yours did.ö
Batman logged out of his workstation before leaving to the cafeteria. If there was gossip like that going on, he needed to find the source and cow him into submission.
He passed by a few more technicians giving him that odd look again, not even bothering to glare back.
By pure luck, Batman came across Green Arrow muttering furiously to S.T.R.I.P.E and Stargirl and overheard the last parts of the conversation, ôSome kind of saw you know? And that freaking Batarang thing was way too damn sharp. Could have killed someone.ö
Realizing heÆd just found a clue, Batman made his way through the trio to look at Green Arrow in the face.
ôInteresting conversation. Care to enlighten me?ö
Looking at BatmanÆs enraged face, Oliver Queen decided it would be best to tell the truth. ôQuestion and I ran into some imposter acting like you down at Star City. Had the equipment for it, but I canÆt say he was all that great.ö
ôWhat did he do to make you so angry?ö Batman hissed.
ôUh,ö Oliver started, quickly realizing that if he admitted that the guy had nearly dislocated his jaw before vanishing so well that even Question, indisputably in the top ten list of detectives couldnÆt find him, chances were that Batman would be proud said, ôNothing in particular.ö
ôReally now?ö Batman started before discarding that line of thought. ôDescribe him.ö
Oliver started to hesitate until Batman finally pressed his advantage by stepping even closer and said ôIÆm waiting.ö
ôSkinny I guess. All black bodysuit. Long ears. Red Bat insignia,ö Arrow stammered out.
The description made its way though BatmanÆs honed mind until a single possibility showed. That kid heÆd seen with Green Lantern on that damnable mission.
Oh yes, it had been an exercise in frustration, time constantly rewriting itself to the point even now Batman wondered just what he had seen. If everything had been real.
But how had he gotten here, and how had he come to the watchtowerà anything overt by the boy should have sent alarm bells ringing through the cave. HeÆd probably trained the boy well if he was meant to be his successor, but-
No. He shouldnÆt think of the future like that. Destiny was never set in stone, and he would be damned if he started treating the future as though it was an unstoppable force.
But only a select few would have had the capabilities to hide the other Batman from showing up from his scopes. One of the original seven. Green Lantern was on Oa, Hawkgirl would have been more likely to smash the boyÆs face in, Flash was too reckless and easygoing to hide him, and Diana was acting as a goodwill ambassador to the UN still. Which left Superman and JÆonn.
Clark would be his first target.
ôSuperman,ö Batman breathed before stalking off.
ôWow, so uh, I donÆt think I want to be the boy in blue right now,ö Arrow admitted as he straightened his collar. Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E. who had been quiet the whole time could only nod in agreement.
It took Batman three minutes to corner the man. Fully aware that though Superman might have had him beat on every other category, when it came to inspiring terror, Batman was firmly in first place, he slammed the man into a bulkhead.
ôWhere. Is. He?ö
ôBatman! YouÆre here,ö Superman tried, smiling disarmingly.
ôWhere. Is. He?ö
ôBruce,ö Superman tried to cajole, ôThereÆs nothing for you to gain here by-ö
ôGetting. Tired.ö
Crap. At the point Batman enunciated and paused before every word, Superman knew heÆd best cave in.
Sighing, Superman finally acquiesced and led Batman through the hallways, the two of them the focus of every single person in the Watchtower. All those with non-essential duties started to follow the two, that sixth sense of humans knowing whenever something interesting was happening kicking in, before Batman turned to look at them all.
Everyone found something to do very quickly.
Minutes later, though at a pace Batman felt was far too slow, he found himself in front of one of the guest rooms the Tower kept for dignitaries. Though this was a small one, used for people they snubbed to rub in a point.
Superman punched in the code, and Batman came face to face with Batman.
The other was exactly how Bruce remembered.
ôBruce?ö The other man yelped.
ôYou,ö
ôMe?ö
---
Terry found himself choking at the sight of a young Bruce Wayne, seemingly ready to strangle him. Yes, the old man's dip in the Lazarus Pit had shown Terry hints of how the first Batman had fought, just how he had earned his reputation, but here, in the prime of his life?
Batman was terrifying. He checked his mind just then. Had he really referred to as Bruce as Batman just now? Even after he'd fought and earned that name, even to the point the old man had to admit it himself?
"This is him?" Bruce asked rhetorically.
Bruce stared at him carefully, seemingly trying to scrounge for every bit of information possible before asking Superman "How long has he been here?"
"About a week now," Superman said calmly.
"And you didn't tell me," Bruce scowled.
He had the audacity to look abashed before saying "You were busy in Gotham, and we figured we should try our hardest to keep this a secret. If we could have sent Batman here back to his future without you knowing, we would have."
Bruce wasn't appeased as his frown grew larger.
"You haven't done much of a good job if Green Arrow's been telling tales to everyone he's seen," Bruce accused.
"In any caseà you, you're coming with me."
Bruce's tone implied that Terry was being given no choice in the matter even as he sputtered for a refusal.
Terry tried to object but found himself cut off by Bruce once again.
"If people already know you're here, and believe me, they do, you might as well hide in the Manor. The Watchtower isn't as safe as people think. Besides, I can keep an eye on you that way."
Unbelievable, 50 years in the past and Wayne still took charge without a question. Terry wasn't sure whether he should feel ashamed or insulted. And then there was the way Bruce immediately assumed Terry was familiar with him, it was like the idea that Terry was a completely different Batman, unassociated with him didn't occur to Bruce at all. He'd have to ask about that later, but firstà
"Yeah? That's real nice Wayne, but how am I even going to get down there without being seen? This is kind of a busy time for the Watchtower, it's dinner time isn't it? Heroes and techies should be swarming the place," Terry argued.
In response, Bruce sized Terry up, before saying "You look about a medium. We can get you a worker's uniform and you can disguise yourself."
"You want me to take off my mask!"
"It's winter," Bruce said curtly, "I'm sure there's a surgical or cough mask in the infirmary. We can just say you're sick."
"You, you-" Terry stammered.
"If it makes you feel any better, I can turn around while you change."
Oh God, Terry had never wanted to punch the old man so hard before. That settled it, this Bruce was getting a good kicking during a spar, and the Old Man was going to skip out on soup when he got back.
"Hand me some contacts while you're at it then. Green, and as bright as you can make em," Terry specified.
Bruce approved, pleased to see that the kid was familiar enough with disguises. The distinctive eyes with be the focus of any attention, and keep away inquiries from the mask.
"Well, it seems like you've got everything in hand, uhà I'll just be leaving now," Superman said nervously.
"Batmanà Batman," he said before exiting.
"I'll hand you an ID card to let you leave using the teleporter along with a card with instructions that gives a secure way to access the cave later. Sit tight."
A few hours later, Bruce proved to be as good as his word and even provided a bag to hold his costume. He quickly changed into the surprisingly comfortable outfit before securing his costume and headed out. He'd studied the hallways as much as he could in the hours beforehand to make his movements seem natural, and fit in easily among the
general crowd.
Making sure to cough every few moments to keep up his disguise, Terry entered the control room and keyed in his coordinates, getting approval from the board. A flash of light, and Terry was gone. He arrived at a public terminal in Metropolis, at a designated site for Watchtower workers. He switched to another set of clothes, this time casual, before putting on a wig and a baseball hat, keeping his mask and stepped on an outgoing bus.
He followed Bruce's instructions and waited in costume atop a high building, idly counting stars to pass the time before he heard Bruce's voice.
"Punctual. Well done," the other Batman said as he stood up in his jet.
"Nice plane," Terry complimented. "Mine's better."
Without waiting for Bruce to snap back, he got into plane without prompt and snapped on the military style harness. Without another word, the two sped on their way to Gotham City.
---
The two Batmen arrived in secret through the cave, and as Terry jumped out of the jet, he was surprised by a voice.
"Welcome back Master Bruce, and ah. The guest you spoke of," an older man, with a dignified air said.
Terry fought down the urge to ask who the man was before realizing that the man must have been Alfred, the butler Bruce spoke of fondly during his rare moments of reminiscence.
"Might I ask how you preferred to be called sir?" Alfred asked.
Before Terry could even speak back, Bruce answered for him by saying "His name is Terry."
"What? How do you know my name?" Terry asked, flabbergasted.
Bruce shot him that oh so superior look, before heading to the computer, appearing to think that even answering the question was too below his vast intelligence.
"I'm afraid that Master Bruce will most likely be indisposed for the rest of the evening, and will no doubt vex me as he insists on going out on patrol. Therefore, I believe I shall be your guide to the manor. Master Bruce, I've left you a sandwich and some tea on the desk there, do take care to eat before you leave," the butler rapped sharply.
"Hnng" Bruce grunted before distastefully grabbing hold of the plate.
"I am watching you sir," Alfred reminded.
Bruce looked at the sandwich with an expression Terry couldn't place before starting to bite down, smearing his gloves with flakes of lettuce and mustard.
Pleased, Alfred turned to face Terry once more before saying "I'm sure you are hungry as well. Any preference sir? I have some Kobe beef in stock if you would desire something heavy, or I could make you another sandwich like Master Bruce."
"Um, a sandwich sounds good," Terry said, too baffled by the situation to say much more.
"To the kitchen then."
Terry's knowledge of the mansion as he intentionally skipped ahead didnÆt to faze the older man at all. Unflappable seemed to be the word for describing him. The butler seemed to have faced too many things to even be bothered by some man dressed up as a bat. Well, considering he DID work for the original that made a lot of sense.
Though professional, the two kept up some small talk, and even Terry dropping the bombshell that he was from the future didn't even do so much as raise the other man's eyebrows.
Feeling at home in the manor, even if the was the past, Terry casually mentioned Bruce's fond memories of the butler, this time receiving a small smile, as Alfred said "It is good to know that I leave Master Bruce memories he enjoys after my passing. Heaven knows he doesn't need any more bad ones."
Terry was surprised by the blatant acceptance of the man's future death only to see him say without prompting, "I have lived a long life Master Terry. It's only expected that I will be gone soon. Don't worry sir, you've just brought a deal of comfort to this old soul. If I had gone violently, Master Bruce would have never mentioned me."
Arriving at the kitchen, Alfred first made Terry some tea, which Terry admitted was even better than the old man's finally made the butler glow with pride.
"Master Bruce," Alfred confided, "is capable of burning water. The fact that he manages to even create a decent tasting cup will probably be my finest accomplishment."
Finishing the meal, as the two went up to the guest room Alfred had prepared, Terry finally asked the question he'd been dreading to know the answer to. "Can you tell me where Robin is?"
"It is the weekend sir, and Master Timothy is with the Titans. He will be back in a few days. And just in case, Master Dick is in Bludhaven and Miss Gordon is currently busy with her University courses."
Grateful for the knowledge that he could avoid Tim Drake for the immediate days, Terry sat on the silk sheeted bed, now completely without direction. He was helpless, with no way to get home, and the only person he even knew was in the basement uncaring.
"Well, things can only go up from here," he muttered.
---
Amanda Waller looked at the newest report from her operatives on the Justice League Watchtower. Though Cadmus had indeed been stripped down from their near unstoppable grasp after that disaster with Luthor and Braniac, several heads at Washington had approved of their work, so now with an official Government liason and a reduced budget, the group still operated, officially as a research group and a metahuman liason with a small, but secret and viable metahuman wetworks division.
Her eyes flicked over the small day to day doings of the league before a rumor on the elusive Batman caught her attention. One of the few normals among a group of virtual gods, Batman had made himself into one of the most potent forces on the planet. The agent had noted a near belief in the idea of a future Batman, having come back to the past. At his own discretion, he'd used one of the few working backdoors Cadmus had to the League mainframes to find a still frame of this new Batman after witnessing a brief, yet terse discussion between Mr. Terrific and Batman.
It was clear even through the relatively low-quality picture, the man was not Bruce Wayne, and the timestamp on the image confirmed it was just seconds before a power outage outage in the Command Room. She connected the obvious dots together, concluding that the new figure had been responsible, but a time travelling Batman?
Time Travel was technically possible, she'd been told, but not with the materials available today. But if the man really was from the future, it was certainly possible if not probableà
She pulled up a small file labeled under Project Batman Beyond on her computer, which had the slightest of pages. It wasn't much more than a concept at this point, with only the firm idea that the world always needed a Batman. Could this new figure be proof of her success?
She looked at the picture once more before making her decision.
She picked up her phone and rang for Doctor Hugo Strange.
---
Just like Gear had warned, the rumor of a Batman from the future spread like wildfire. Booster had told Blue Beetle, who had told everyone else. The chatty genius was generally well liked, and could never resist the chance to tell some gossip.
At first the rumor was dismissed as unlikely, with the fact that it was Booster Gold who had been the source seemingly dooming it to oblivion. That was of course, until Green Arrow and the Question heard of it.
Though the QuestionÆs paranoia was also easily dismissed, no one knew what to say at the angry figure of the Emerald Archer as he scoured the decks and constantly poked his head around, looking for the mysterious figure. If Arrow believed in it so strongly, there might have been something to it after all.
This was not helped by Green Arrow complaining about his encounter with this alleged Batman to everyone he met, from fellow superheroes down to the lowliest grease monkeys on the station.
The man in question, Batman, was of course oblivious to all this as heÆd spent the next few days in near complete isolation, with almost no contact with the outside world with the exception of the Martian Manhunter, and more rarely, Superman. More than once, Terry thought of complaining about his situation, but he couldnÆt deny the fact that he had allowed himself to be imprisoned so.
With the rumor mills working at full power, eventually all gossip turned to the exciting possibility of a time travelling Dark Knight.
Which of course was when Bruce Wayne entered the Watchtower, intent on grabbing using the powerful supercomputers there for his own mysterious purposes before vanishing to Gotham once more.
---
The Watchtower was unusually silent as Bruce teleported in, with everyone with the exception of Mr. Terrific giving him uneasy looks. The looks werenÆt anything special of course, Batman was well aware of just how intimidating he could be, but this time things were different.
There was an undercurrent ofà amusement? Pity? Confusion? This would require some looking into. Later of course. The recent crime sprees demanded his attention. No doubt looking at the complicated patterns, it was RaÆs al Ghul, but he had to be certain.
Batman walked up to Mr. Terrific who barely gave him a second glance before Batman keyed in his access code and entered his backdoor that would allow him to erase all electronic traces of him down to the camera recordings, and electronic footprints his typing would make.
ôSo Batman,ö Terrific began. ôIf you really want to test out new equipment, do it in Gotham please. I had the devilÆs time patching up all the damage you caused.ö
Batman didnÆt miss a beat as he replied ôIÆll keep that in mind for next time,ö while his mind raced to figure out what Terrific had meant. Even while his fingers glided over the keys, his brain ripped open every possible meaning of TerrificÆs words. It made no sense. HeÆd spent the last few weeks tracking down the unlikely duo of Riddler and Firefly after the two had decided to send a message of arson in Gotham. HeÆd barely even slept. HeÆd never come to the Watchtower, but at the same time, Terrific was no fool.
Mr. Terrific stared at Batman for a few seconds before laughing. ôIs it- is the rumor really true? Is Booster really not making things up?ö
Unaccustomed to being laughed at, Batman gave Mr. Terrific a glare strong enough to shut the man up before asking ôWhat rumors?ö
ôYou know Batman,ö started Terrific, ôIÆve taught myself how to read microexpressions of the body. You really are curious arenÆt you? You never actually came by last week.ö
ôWhat. Rumors?ö Batman gritted out.
ôThat you showed up from the future,ö Terrific said. ôOr at least some kind of student of yours did.ö
Batman logged out of his workstation before leaving to the cafeteria. If there was gossip like that going on, he needed to find the source and cow him into submission.
He passed by a few more technicians giving him that odd look again, not even bothering to glare back.
By pure luck, Batman came across Green Arrow muttering furiously to S.T.R.I.P.E and Stargirl and overheard the last parts of the conversation, ôSome kind of saw you know? And that freaking Batarang thing was way too damn sharp. Could have killed someone.ö
Realizing heÆd just found a clue, Batman made his way through the trio to look at Green Arrow in the face.
ôInteresting conversation. Care to enlighten me?ö
Looking at BatmanÆs enraged face, Oliver Queen decided it would be best to tell the truth. ôQuestion and I ran into some imposter acting like you down at Star City. Had the equipment for it, but I canÆt say he was all that great.ö
ôWhat did he do to make you so angry?ö Batman hissed.
ôUh,ö Oliver started, quickly realizing that if he admitted that the guy had nearly dislocated his jaw before vanishing so well that even Question, indisputably in the top ten list of detectives couldnÆt find him, chances were that Batman would be proud said, ôNothing in particular.ö
ôReally now?ö Batman started before discarding that line of thought. ôDescribe him.ö
Oliver started to hesitate until Batman finally pressed his advantage by stepping even closer and said ôIÆm waiting.ö
ôSkinny I guess. All black bodysuit. Long ears. Red Bat insignia,ö Arrow stammered out.
The description made its way though BatmanÆs honed mind until a single possibility showed. That kid heÆd seen with Green Lantern on that damnable mission.
Oh yes, it had been an exercise in frustration, time constantly rewriting itself to the point even now Batman wondered just what he had seen. If everything had been real.
But how had he gotten here, and how had he come to the watchtowerà anything overt by the boy should have sent alarm bells ringing through the cave. HeÆd probably trained the boy well if he was meant to be his successor, but-
No. He shouldnÆt think of the future like that. Destiny was never set in stone, and he would be damned if he started treating the future as though it was an unstoppable force.
But only a select few would have had the capabilities to hide the other Batman from showing up from his scopes. One of the original seven. Green Lantern was on Oa, Hawkgirl would have been more likely to smash the boyÆs face in, Flash was too reckless and easygoing to hide him, and Diana was acting as a goodwill ambassador to the UN still. Which left Superman and JÆonn.
Clark would be his first target.
ôSuperman,ö Batman breathed before stalking off.
ôWow, so uh, I donÆt think I want to be the boy in blue right now,ö Arrow admitted as he straightened his collar. Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E. who had been quiet the whole time could only nod in agreement.
It took Batman three minutes to corner the man. Fully aware that though Superman might have had him beat on every other category, when it came to inspiring terror, Batman was firmly in first place, he slammed the man into a bulkhead.
ôWhere. Is. He?ö
ôBatman! YouÆre here,ö Superman tried, smiling disarmingly.
ôWhere. Is. He?ö
ôBruce,ö Superman tried to cajole, ôThereÆs nothing for you to gain here by-ö
ôGetting. Tired.ö
Crap. At the point Batman enunciated and paused before every word, Superman knew heÆd best cave in.
Sighing, Superman finally acquiesced and led Batman through the hallways, the two of them the focus of every single person in the Watchtower. All those with non-essential duties started to follow the two, that sixth sense of humans knowing whenever something interesting was happening kicking in, before Batman turned to look at them all.
Everyone found something to do very quickly.
Minutes later, though at a pace Batman felt was far too slow, he found himself in front of one of the guest rooms the Tower kept for dignitaries. Though this was a small one, used for people they snubbed to rub in a point.
Superman punched in the code, and Batman came face to face with Batman.
The other was exactly how Bruce remembered.
ôBruce?ö The other man yelped.
ôYou,ö
ôMe?ö
---
Terry found himself choking at the sight of a young Bruce Wayne, seemingly ready to strangle him. Yes, the old man's dip in the Lazarus Pit had shown Terry hints of how the first Batman had fought, just how he had earned his reputation, but here, in the prime of his life?
Batman was terrifying. He checked his mind just then. Had he really referred to as Bruce as Batman just now? Even after he'd fought and earned that name, even to the point the old man had to admit it himself?
"This is him?" Bruce asked rhetorically.
Bruce stared at him carefully, seemingly trying to scrounge for every bit of information possible before asking Superman "How long has he been here?"
"About a week now," Superman said calmly.
"And you didn't tell me," Bruce scowled.
He had the audacity to look abashed before saying "You were busy in Gotham, and we figured we should try our hardest to keep this a secret. If we could have sent Batman here back to his future without you knowing, we would have."
Bruce wasn't appeased as his frown grew larger.
"You haven't done much of a good job if Green Arrow's been telling tales to everyone he's seen," Bruce accused.
"In any caseà you, you're coming with me."
Bruce's tone implied that Terry was being given no choice in the matter even as he sputtered for a refusal.
Terry tried to object but found himself cut off by Bruce once again.
"If people already know you're here, and believe me, they do, you might as well hide in the Manor. The Watchtower isn't as safe as people think. Besides, I can keep an eye on you that way."
Unbelievable, 50 years in the past and Wayne still took charge without a question. Terry wasn't sure whether he should feel ashamed or insulted. And then there was the way Bruce immediately assumed Terry was familiar with him, it was like the idea that Terry was a completely different Batman, unassociated with him didn't occur to Bruce at all. He'd have to ask about that later, but firstà
"Yeah? That's real nice Wayne, but how am I even going to get down there without being seen? This is kind of a busy time for the Watchtower, it's dinner time isn't it? Heroes and techies should be swarming the place," Terry argued.
In response, Bruce sized Terry up, before saying "You look about a medium. We can get you a worker's uniform and you can disguise yourself."
"You want me to take off my mask!"
"It's winter," Bruce said curtly, "I'm sure there's a surgical or cough mask in the infirmary. We can just say you're sick."
"You, you-" Terry stammered.
"If it makes you feel any better, I can turn around while you change."
Oh God, Terry had never wanted to punch the old man so hard before. That settled it, this Bruce was getting a good kicking during a spar, and the Old Man was going to skip out on soup when he got back.
"Hand me some contacts while you're at it then. Green, and as bright as you can make em," Terry specified.
Bruce approved, pleased to see that the kid was familiar enough with disguises. The distinctive eyes with be the focus of any attention, and keep away inquiries from the mask.
"Well, it seems like you've got everything in hand, uhà I'll just be leaving now," Superman said nervously.
"Batmanà Batman," he said before exiting.
"I'll hand you an ID card to let you leave using the teleporter along with a card with instructions that gives a secure way to access the cave later. Sit tight."
A few hours later, Bruce proved to be as good as his word and even provided a bag to hold his costume. He quickly changed into the surprisingly comfortable outfit before securing his costume and headed out. He'd studied the hallways as much as he could in the hours beforehand to make his movements seem natural, and fit in easily among the
general crowd.
Making sure to cough every few moments to keep up his disguise, Terry entered the control room and keyed in his coordinates, getting approval from the board. A flash of light, and Terry was gone. He arrived at a public terminal in Metropolis, at a designated site for Watchtower workers. He switched to another set of clothes, this time casual, before putting on a wig and a baseball hat, keeping his mask and stepped on an outgoing bus.
He followed Bruce's instructions and waited in costume atop a high building, idly counting stars to pass the time before he heard Bruce's voice.
"Punctual. Well done," the other Batman said as he stood up in his jet.
"Nice plane," Terry complimented. "Mine's better."
Without waiting for Bruce to snap back, he got into plane without prompt and snapped on the military style harness. Without another word, the two sped on their way to Gotham City.
---
The two Batmen arrived in secret through the cave, and as Terry jumped out of the jet, he was surprised by a voice.
"Welcome back Master Bruce, and ah. The guest you spoke of," an older man, with a dignified air said.
Terry fought down the urge to ask who the man was before realizing that the man must have been Alfred, the butler Bruce spoke of fondly during his rare moments of reminiscence.
"Might I ask how you preferred to be called sir?" Alfred asked.
Before Terry could even speak back, Bruce answered for him by saying "His name is Terry."
"What? How do you know my name?" Terry asked, flabbergasted.
Bruce shot him that oh so superior look, before heading to the computer, appearing to think that even answering the question was too below his vast intelligence.
"I'm afraid that Master Bruce will most likely be indisposed for the rest of the evening, and will no doubt vex me as he insists on going out on patrol. Therefore, I believe I shall be your guide to the manor. Master Bruce, I've left you a sandwich and some tea on the desk there, do take care to eat before you leave," the butler rapped sharply.
"Hnng" Bruce grunted before distastefully grabbing hold of the plate.
"I am watching you sir," Alfred reminded.
Bruce looked at the sandwich with an expression Terry couldn't place before starting to bite down, smearing his gloves with flakes of lettuce and mustard.
Pleased, Alfred turned to face Terry once more before saying "I'm sure you are hungry as well. Any preference sir? I have some Kobe beef in stock if you would desire something heavy, or I could make you another sandwich like Master Bruce."
"Um, a sandwich sounds good," Terry said, too baffled by the situation to say much more.
"To the kitchen then."
Terry's knowledge of the mansion as he intentionally skipped ahead didnÆt to faze the older man at all. Unflappable seemed to be the word for describing him. The butler seemed to have faced too many things to even be bothered by some man dressed up as a bat. Well, considering he DID work for the original that made a lot of sense.
Though professional, the two kept up some small talk, and even Terry dropping the bombshell that he was from the future didn't even do so much as raise the other man's eyebrows.
Feeling at home in the manor, even if the was the past, Terry casually mentioned Bruce's fond memories of the butler, this time receiving a small smile, as Alfred said "It is good to know that I leave Master Bruce memories he enjoys after my passing. Heaven knows he doesn't need any more bad ones."
Terry was surprised by the blatant acceptance of the man's future death only to see him say without prompting, "I have lived a long life Master Terry. It's only expected that I will be gone soon. Don't worry sir, you've just brought a deal of comfort to this old soul. If I had gone violently, Master Bruce would have never mentioned me."
Arriving at the kitchen, Alfred first made Terry some tea, which Terry admitted was even better than the old man's finally made the butler glow with pride.
"Master Bruce," Alfred confided, "is capable of burning water. The fact that he manages to even create a decent tasting cup will probably be my finest accomplishment."
Finishing the meal, as the two went up to the guest room Alfred had prepared, Terry finally asked the question he'd been dreading to know the answer to. "Can you tell me where Robin is?"
"It is the weekend sir, and Master Timothy is with the Titans. He will be back in a few days. And just in case, Master Dick is in Bludhaven and Miss Gordon is currently busy with her University courses."
Grateful for the knowledge that he could avoid Tim Drake for the immediate days, Terry sat on the silk sheeted bed, now completely without direction. He was helpless, with no way to get home, and the only person he even knew was in the basement uncaring.
"Well, things can only go up from here," he muttered.
---
Amanda Waller looked at the newest report from her operatives on the Justice League Watchtower. Though Cadmus had indeed been stripped down from their near unstoppable grasp after that disaster with Luthor and Braniac, several heads at Washington had approved of their work, so now with an official Government liason and a reduced budget, the group still operated, officially as a research group and a metahuman liason with a small, but secret and viable metahuman wetworks division.
Her eyes flicked over the small day to day doings of the league before a rumor on the elusive Batman caught her attention. One of the few normals among a group of virtual gods, Batman had made himself into one of the most potent forces on the planet. The agent had noted a near belief in the idea of a future Batman, having come back to the past. At his own discretion, he'd used one of the few working backdoors Cadmus had to the League mainframes to find a still frame of this new Batman after witnessing a brief, yet terse discussion between Mr. Terrific and Batman.
It was clear even through the relatively low-quality picture, the man was not Bruce Wayne, and the timestamp on the image confirmed it was just seconds before a power outage outage in the Command Room. She connected the obvious dots together, concluding that the new figure had been responsible, but a time travelling Batman?
Time Travel was technically possible, she'd been told, but not with the materials available today. But if the man really was from the future, it was certainly possible if not probableà
She pulled up a small file labeled under Project Batman Beyond on her computer, which had the slightest of pages. It wasn't much more than a concept at this point, with only the firm idea that the world always needed a Batman. Could this new figure be proof of her success?
She looked at the picture once more before making her decision.
She picked up her phone and rang for Doctor Hugo Strange.
Disclaimer- I own jack shit. So, you know... don't accuse me of having rights to Batman Beyond and JLU. All goes to those corporate DC fatcats!
---
Terry's week in the Watchtower had adjusted his sleeping schedule to a more sane time, what with him not having to go crack criminal heads in Gotham, and as such, he managed a good seven hours of sleep before waking up in bed still in costume.
With nothing to do, he examined the guest room, amazed at all the lavish furnishings. He couldn't help but wonder if all of these plush carpets and hardwood furniture was just gathering dust somewhere in his time, or if they'd simply been covered, gathering dust.
Speaking of which, this room looked like it had never been used, though it was very clean. Terry hadn't really seen too much of the actual manor besides the parlor, kitchen, and living room so he wondered exactly where he was. Out of idle curiosity, he swiped a finger above a nearby table amazed at the lack of dust. Alfred certainly kept things in shape alright.
He stepped out to the window, making sure he couldn't actually be seen before looking out. The manor wasà actually gorgeous. He was so used to the nearly ruined manor, with its gothic architecture and decayed lands, the change surprised him.
Terry knew there would be no groundskeepers, so he opened the window and jumped out, landing perfectly before simply walking, confident he wouldn't be spotted.
There were actually animals making their homes here, and Terry could hear birds chirping. All the greenery Terry was surrounded by reminded him of the few parks left in Gotham, set high above ground level, nearly as artificial as the rest of the city.
àThis was not his city anymore though. It would not be HIS Gotham for decades.
Terry clenched his hands unconsciously. His Gotham was a bloated thing, big enough to nearly touch from the cliffs of Bruce's home. Bruce's manor was a dead place, surrounded by a black forest.
This was not his home. Not now anyway.
Terry turned and walked back in, the full impact of his time travel finally sinking in. He ignored Alfred's greeting and call for breakfast, instead making his way to the cave.
With a closer look, even the Cave wasnÆt his. The trophies were non-existent, the cave was perhaps half its current size, the antiquated car and jet rested where his own Batmobile should have been.
Terry moved to where he knew a training room was kept, only to be lost with the unfamiliar layout of the cave. This was ridiculous, Batman lost in his own slagging cave. It wasà pathetic.
He punched a wall in frustration, only to be stopped by Alfred's voice.
"It is all so very different isn't it?" the man asked softly.
Terry gave a wry grin, "The Watchtower was completely new, so even when I felt out of place, it didnÆt feel so bad, butà" Terry trailed off.
"I feel like Rip van Winkle in reverse."
"Well, at least some standards are kept in the future," Alfred joked. "Especially when all one sees is bad news."
The two shared a comfortable silence before Alfred motioned Terry to follow. He led him to a training room, styled in a traditional Japanese manner, a remnant of Bruce's own training journey.
It lacked the high-tech holographic Synthoids Terry always wore out, but the cloth and wood dummies, along with the multiple sandbags would do just as well.
"I've noticed Master Bruce always enjoying physical exertion to calm himself down, I am not wrong that you are the same? Of course, I can't let you into the city so that you may have live targets, but these should perform decently"
"These aren't theà T's, but it's a nice substitute," Terry said, carefully omitting the word 'Jokerz.'
"Of course sir, Master Bruce is currently sleeping and he has expressed a wish to see you later," Alfred said before leaving.
Terry made sure the Butler had gone before carefully lifting his mask to reveal his nose. He smiled as he took in the scent of tiger balm and other assorted scents. Well, a Gym is a gym he thought as he punched a dummy. Too bad he couldn't take off his suit though, it would have been nice to feel his knuckles scrubbed raw after a punch. Anything to take his mind away from the past.
---
Hours later, Terry had a good enough lunch and met with Bruce out of costume, still in the Dojo.
Bruce raised an eyebrow at Terry's costumed form but seemingly accepted his need for privacy.
"So you going to tell me how you know my name? Or why you're not surprised I exist?" Terry asked.
Bruce just stared for a moment before beginning to talk.
"I want to see just how capable you really are," Bruce started slowly. "So we'll do this as fast as possible.
Terry cocked his head to the side, peeved at his questions being ignored and unsure just what Bruce meant. Pressing for more information, he was dismayed to see Bruce actually smile. When the Old Man smiled, that usually meant someone (namely Terry) was going to be taking a whole lot of pain.
But hey, maybe this was before the Old Man had been such a tightwad?
---
Terry flew into the wall with a thump, sure he'd just cracked something important before wheezing out, "Yeah this isà not how I wanted this to go."
Bruce hadn't even broken a sweat before saying "You're far too sloppy, and your guard leaves much to be desired. Don't I teach you anything?"
Terry shot up, hoping to catch the man off guard, but instead found himself rebuffed by a block before evading.
"Acrobatic though," Bruce noted approvingly. "At least I know you can dodge hits."
Terry lunged forward again, and the two Batmen exchanged blows, but Terry found himself eating the mat once more. Slaggit, sure he'd been holding back on his suit, but this was embarrassing.
"You're not trying very hard are you?" Bruce asked. "That suit, it's powered isn't it? Any reason you're not trying to hit me harder?"
Terry wiped off some spittle he was sure he spilled before saying "Classified."
He twisted on the ground, avoiding a brutal axe kick from an annoyed Bruce before he leapt and danced around the man, finally irritated enough to reach back and punch through a sandbag.
Bruce's eyes widened as he realized exactly what Terry would do before Terry kicked in his rocket boots and flew in to tackle Bruce. As the man made a recovery, Terry hurled the sand before getting off a solid straight to the other man's stomach hard enough to make the man wheeze.
"Youàyou cheated," Bruce swore.
"I won," Terry pointed out.
"Is that right?" Bruce asked as he fingered a smoke bomb he'd snatched from Terry's belt.
Terry barely had time to bring out his rebreather before the bomb went off and Bruce mercilessly pummeled the teenager.
The two of them both caught their breaths while Bruce took a chug from a bottle of water. "While you're here, I'll be teaching you marital arts. We'll focus on Krav Maga and Sambo, as it seems like you focus on getting things done quickly. If Nightwing shows up, he can help you out with your agility.'
"Soundsàgood," Terry breathed out.
"I don't know just how the world is like in the future, so I'll stick to physical conditioning for now. Get you less reliant on that suit. And you can be sure that I'll teach you about being a detective."
"Yeah?"
"Hope you're not too attached to sleeping," Bruce smirked.
"As long as Alfred gets me food, I'll be fine." Terry shot back. "To be honest, the older you is harsher on my training."
"I see," Bruce murmured. "I'll be sure to not disappoint you then."
Terry had no answer to that.
---
Terry's week in the Watchtower had adjusted his sleeping schedule to a more sane time, what with him not having to go crack criminal heads in Gotham, and as such, he managed a good seven hours of sleep before waking up in bed still in costume.
With nothing to do, he examined the guest room, amazed at all the lavish furnishings. He couldn't help but wonder if all of these plush carpets and hardwood furniture was just gathering dust somewhere in his time, or if they'd simply been covered, gathering dust.
Speaking of which, this room looked like it had never been used, though it was very clean. Terry hadn't really seen too much of the actual manor besides the parlor, kitchen, and living room so he wondered exactly where he was. Out of idle curiosity, he swiped a finger above a nearby table amazed at the lack of dust. Alfred certainly kept things in shape alright.
He stepped out to the window, making sure he couldn't actually be seen before looking out. The manor wasà actually gorgeous. He was so used to the nearly ruined manor, with its gothic architecture and decayed lands, the change surprised him.
Terry knew there would be no groundskeepers, so he opened the window and jumped out, landing perfectly before simply walking, confident he wouldn't be spotted.
There were actually animals making their homes here, and Terry could hear birds chirping. All the greenery Terry was surrounded by reminded him of the few parks left in Gotham, set high above ground level, nearly as artificial as the rest of the city.
àThis was not his city anymore though. It would not be HIS Gotham for decades.
Terry clenched his hands unconsciously. His Gotham was a bloated thing, big enough to nearly touch from the cliffs of Bruce's home. Bruce's manor was a dead place, surrounded by a black forest.
This was not his home. Not now anyway.
Terry turned and walked back in, the full impact of his time travel finally sinking in. He ignored Alfred's greeting and call for breakfast, instead making his way to the cave.
With a closer look, even the Cave wasnÆt his. The trophies were non-existent, the cave was perhaps half its current size, the antiquated car and jet rested where his own Batmobile should have been.
Terry moved to where he knew a training room was kept, only to be lost with the unfamiliar layout of the cave. This was ridiculous, Batman lost in his own slagging cave. It wasà pathetic.
He punched a wall in frustration, only to be stopped by Alfred's voice.
"It is all so very different isn't it?" the man asked softly.
Terry gave a wry grin, "The Watchtower was completely new, so even when I felt out of place, it didnÆt feel so bad, butà" Terry trailed off.
"I feel like Rip van Winkle in reverse."
"Well, at least some standards are kept in the future," Alfred joked. "Especially when all one sees is bad news."
The two shared a comfortable silence before Alfred motioned Terry to follow. He led him to a training room, styled in a traditional Japanese manner, a remnant of Bruce's own training journey.
It lacked the high-tech holographic Synthoids Terry always wore out, but the cloth and wood dummies, along with the multiple sandbags would do just as well.
"I've noticed Master Bruce always enjoying physical exertion to calm himself down, I am not wrong that you are the same? Of course, I can't let you into the city so that you may have live targets, but these should perform decently"
"These aren't theà T's, but it's a nice substitute," Terry said, carefully omitting the word 'Jokerz.'
"Of course sir, Master Bruce is currently sleeping and he has expressed a wish to see you later," Alfred said before leaving.
Terry made sure the Butler had gone before carefully lifting his mask to reveal his nose. He smiled as he took in the scent of tiger balm and other assorted scents. Well, a Gym is a gym he thought as he punched a dummy. Too bad he couldn't take off his suit though, it would have been nice to feel his knuckles scrubbed raw after a punch. Anything to take his mind away from the past.
---
Hours later, Terry had a good enough lunch and met with Bruce out of costume, still in the Dojo.
Bruce raised an eyebrow at Terry's costumed form but seemingly accepted his need for privacy.
"So you going to tell me how you know my name? Or why you're not surprised I exist?" Terry asked.
Bruce just stared for a moment before beginning to talk.
"I want to see just how capable you really are," Bruce started slowly. "So we'll do this as fast as possible.
Terry cocked his head to the side, peeved at his questions being ignored and unsure just what Bruce meant. Pressing for more information, he was dismayed to see Bruce actually smile. When the Old Man smiled, that usually meant someone (namely Terry) was going to be taking a whole lot of pain.
But hey, maybe this was before the Old Man had been such a tightwad?
---
Terry flew into the wall with a thump, sure he'd just cracked something important before wheezing out, "Yeah this isà not how I wanted this to go."
Bruce hadn't even broken a sweat before saying "You're far too sloppy, and your guard leaves much to be desired. Don't I teach you anything?"
Terry shot up, hoping to catch the man off guard, but instead found himself rebuffed by a block before evading.
"Acrobatic though," Bruce noted approvingly. "At least I know you can dodge hits."
Terry lunged forward again, and the two Batmen exchanged blows, but Terry found himself eating the mat once more. Slaggit, sure he'd been holding back on his suit, but this was embarrassing.
"You're not trying very hard are you?" Bruce asked. "That suit, it's powered isn't it? Any reason you're not trying to hit me harder?"
Terry wiped off some spittle he was sure he spilled before saying "Classified."
He twisted on the ground, avoiding a brutal axe kick from an annoyed Bruce before he leapt and danced around the man, finally irritated enough to reach back and punch through a sandbag.
Bruce's eyes widened as he realized exactly what Terry would do before Terry kicked in his rocket boots and flew in to tackle Bruce. As the man made a recovery, Terry hurled the sand before getting off a solid straight to the other man's stomach hard enough to make the man wheeze.
"Youàyou cheated," Bruce swore.
"I won," Terry pointed out.
"Is that right?" Bruce asked as he fingered a smoke bomb he'd snatched from Terry's belt.
Terry barely had time to bring out his rebreather before the bomb went off and Bruce mercilessly pummeled the teenager.
The two of them both caught their breaths while Bruce took a chug from a bottle of water. "While you're here, I'll be teaching you marital arts. We'll focus on Krav Maga and Sambo, as it seems like you focus on getting things done quickly. If Nightwing shows up, he can help you out with your agility.'
"Soundsàgood," Terry breathed out.
"I don't know just how the world is like in the future, so I'll stick to physical conditioning for now. Get you less reliant on that suit. And you can be sure that I'll teach you about being a detective."
"Yeah?"
"Hope you're not too attached to sleeping," Bruce smirked.
"As long as Alfred gets me food, I'll be fine." Terry shot back. "To be honest, the older you is harsher on my training."
"I see," Bruce murmured. "I'll be sure to not disappoint you then."
Terry had no answer to that.
IDK man. Terry really doesn't have Batman's build.
Bruce was rather bulky, where-as Terry is more athletic. Hell, even in the beginning of Batman Beyond, in the new suit, Bruce's bulkier figure stood out.
I don't see Terry picking up much in terms of strength outside the suit.
You maybe right about helping him work on his detective techniques. He is a bit slow at times.
Bruce was rather bulky, where-as Terry is more athletic. Hell, even in the beginning of Batman Beyond, in the new suit, Bruce's bulkier figure stood out.
I don't see Terry picking up much in terms of strength outside the suit.
You maybe right about helping him work on his detective techniques. He is a bit slow at times.
Note that Terry is learning grapples, counters, and other such things.
Bruce has fully noted that Terry is incredibly athletic, which is why Nightwing will help later, and that he fights dirty.
Krav Maga and Sambo are there to complement those skills and just make him better.
Besides, Terry bulks up as he gets older. Haven't you seen Epilogue?
Also, thanks Aarik, I'll fix that for the final draft.
(Man, I really want the next few chapters over with so I can get to the big stuff where Cadmus decide they want Terry, and don't care what they do to get him)
Bruce has fully noted that Terry is incredibly athletic, which is why Nightwing will help later, and that he fights dirty.
Krav Maga and Sambo are there to complement those skills and just make him better.
Besides, Terry bulks up as he gets older. Haven't you seen Epilogue?
Also, thanks Aarik, I'll fix that for the final draft.
(Man, I really want the next few chapters over with so I can get to the big stuff where Cadmus decide they want Terry, and don't care what they do to get him)