Chapter Three: The Bat Recipe

Knowing that genetics was not the only factor in creating a Batman, Waller had to make certain plans. Hiring an assassin was the easiest step to her plans when making the second coming of the Dark Knight.

Yes, she would need to kill Terry's parents. But they also had to be murdered at the same age and under very similar circumstances as his predecessor to try to recreate those same conditions.

With an 8-year old Terry witnessing his parents' murder after watching some sort of entertainment. She honestly wasn't sure if 'entertainment' was actually necessary, but her guess was that after a 'great day' with them would probably suffice.

The leg work involved was immense, but soon it was the day she had long-awaited. Terry had just gotten through watching a movie with his parents and they were walking through an underground garage.

At that point, she ran into an insurmountable issue in the form of the hired assassin.

Backing out at the last minute, he claimed to realize that they would be dishonoring everything Batman stood for by subjecting another child to the same horrors Batman had dealt with.

She wasn't sure how she found such an honorable assassin, but she was quite thankful she had. Because at that moment Waller realized she had gone too far. Soon the project was terminated and Terry McGinnis lived a normal childhood.

She figured the world would probably compensate for the lack of a hero such as Batman one way or another, but at least one boy would live his life without the nightmares she was sure Bruce had suffered.

---

Terry hiked his way back to the closest bus stop on foot, feeling annoyed that the old man couldn't be more civil about the entire exchange. It wasn't like he had done anything wrong. It had been a mistake, but what was the big deal? So, the old guy used to be Batman. It was awesome, but he wasn't going to the press or anything.

"Slaggit…" Terry said kicking the metal pole he was leaning against managing to leave an imperceptible dent behind.

Soon the doors opened at his stop. Luckily, this place had been close to his Dad's apartment. He knew his Dad was going to kill him when he got home, but at least he was there to save Dana. He had no doubt she would have still gotten nabbed without him there, and he'd hate to know something happened to her.

Suddenly flashing lights caught his eyes as he spotted several police cars coming into view. Dread filled Terry as he noticed they were parked outside of his apartment complex's entrance; he couldn't hold himself back as he flew towards the doors of the building.

Horror replaced dread as he saw the graffiti lining the walls. In colors of green and yellow the words "HA!" and "Laugh while you can!" and "Laugh it up!" had been written in spray paint. Anxiously Terry walked down the hallway fearing what he would find at the end.

Spotting a familiar figure talking to a police officer he called out, "Mom?!"

"Oh, thank god, Terry." The redhead quickly approached him and embraced his shoulders.

"Mom, what happened?" He pulled back confused by her presence.

She hesitated her mouth moved to form words but the only ones he could catch was, "…Your Father."

Not letting her finish, he rushed past her and into the apartment he had spent the last three years living inside.

---

Several hours later. Terry was sitting in his room at his mother's place. It was quiet. The kind of quiet that makes someone want to scream just to stop the all-consuming silence. But even if he yelled and banged two pots together to have something to interrupt the quiet… the pressure would still try to crush him.

Matthew McGinnis was Terry's younger brother, usually, he was a ball of uncontained energy, constantly asking the question, and wanting favors. Today it was like someone had siphoned off all his energy he even took the initiative to go to bed earlier for a change.

A knocking sound on the door registered in Terry's mind but he made no action to tell them to enter. After a few moments the door opened anyway and his mother with her stoic face stepped inside.

"That friend of yours, Dana called. She left her number. Have you eaten anything yet?"

Terry didn't respond. He couldn't. The possibilities of these events happening didn't make sense. He still wanted to rationalize them. He pissed off the Jokerz and then they somehow found where he lived and took revenge on his father… Was the only conclusion he could find... but things didn't add up! He racked his brain to piece together the puzzle but it was like he was missing information.

"Terr, you haven't said a word all day…" sighing she turned away wanting to shut the door when she heard his question.

"Why would he open the door mom?"

"Wha…" Mary asked in bewilderment at the unexpected question.

"The police said the door wasn't broken; it was like he had opened the door for them. I mean they were Jokerz! He wouldn't have opened the door he would have looked first."

"You said you had a run-in with them… it wasn't your fault Terrance. But people like that…" Sighing again she sat down beside him placing her head on his shoulder.

Still not letting go he stood up and raised letting his voice out his frustration, "I should have never left, I should have been there! If I had…"

"You might have been killed along with him." Tears starting to run down her face.

"I'm not afraid of those guys, I could have done something!"

Wrapping her arms around his stomach and pressing her face to his back Mary McGinnis held on to Terry thanking the heavens above she still had her little boy.

Tears finally broke free from his eyes falling down his cheeks his voice coming out in a croaked whisper, "I yelled at him, mom… He grounded me and I wouldn't listen. The things I said… I'm such a jerk."

The night passed as the boys raging emotions were bottled up once more. But the nagging feeling didn't dissipate but only grew stronger as time progressed.

It all came to a head a few days later when he was bringing boxes from his Dad's old apartment into his room at his mother's.

There were many reasons he decided to live at his father's instead of his here, and part of the reason was Terry's temper. His mother was a lot of things, a corporate executive, a single mother, and one of the kindest ladies he had ever known. But she was also fragile. He didn't want to subject her to his rapid rise and fall of temper. His father was able to handle it, for the most part. Warren McGinnis was at least better equipped to manage a boy than his ex-wife.

Now Terry was stuck. He had no other choice which meant he had to be on better behavior if he planned on staying here until graduation.

Carrying two large boxes of his only possessions Terry came to the front door of his mother's apartment. The items weren't heavy but the boxes were bulky and they were stacked higher than he could see.

Yelling out impatiently, "Hurry up!"

"I'm coming as fast as I can…" Came a reply from the other end.

The door slowly opened and Terry couldn't help complaining, "You're some help. You know that?"

"It's not my junk." Mat said slowly walking away.

Grumbling to himself Terry didn't see the toy car Mat had been playing with. Slipping Terry fell to the floor in a heap scattering the box's contents across the floor.

"I suppose that's my fault too." Mat was still not handling his father's death very well and was in a sour mood, but he was still handling the situation loads better than Terry.

Getting back to his feet in one quick motion Mat quickly ran out of the room screaming. Shaking his head Terry didn't run after him. Little brothers are just annoying sometimes, there wasn't really any helping that.

Gathering up his fallen items he noticed a picture frame. It was of him and his father at a fair a year ago. Warren was smiling like he had told the funniest joke in the world, while Terry looked like had been mortified and just wanted to disappear. It pretty much summed up their entire relationship… How he wished he could take back his words.

Sitting the cracked frame on a shelf in his room he felt something odd sticking out of the back when he placed it down. At first, he almost wanted to dismiss whatever it was and continue to put up his stuff, but he felt that nagging feeling again telling him he can't dismiss anything.

Turning the frame around, he spotted a data stick halfway peeking out of the backside of the frame. When he plugged the device into his computer he realized what the information was. He actually remembered his father working on this the night he left. Which means, this was probably the real reason his father was murdered.

Quickly putting the missing pieces together the mystery of his father's death quickly fell into place. The data stick showed that his dad's company 'Wayne-Powers' had been developing a bio-weapon that could take down its target within six hours. Meaning entire cities can be completely depleted of human life if the weapon was used.

It would make them millions... and kill billions. His father must have wanted to be a whistleblower, but Powers got to him first.

Doing research on the company he found one very interesting fact. The previous CEO Bruce Wayne resembled an old man he had met a few nights ago... Batman.

Terry knew he would have no part in such a business. Batman had taken down many more monsters than Derek Powers in his time. So, the only conclusion he could come to was Bruce didn't know.

Since this involved his old company Terry was sure Bruce would at least have something to say about this situation, and he couldn't trust the police. He guessed Powers had most of them in his pocket already. No this needed something more, it needed a Bat.

---

That afternoon Terry was in the car with Dana. He felt guilty because he couldn't explain why he needed to come out the edge of Gotham to speak with an old man.

Looking at her small body in a small blue dress black hair styled nicely around her shoulders he wished they could just spend the rest of the afternoon making out or planning their lives after high school… But he couldn't. He needed to see this through.

"If you follow this road around it will curve back to the highway."

Concern etched into her face she frowned, "I can't leave you out here."

"Sure you can." Terry smiled at her his clear blue eyes catching her attention for a second. "I just need to see this guy."

"For what?"

"I… will explain later." Giving her a quick kiss he urged her, "Go before the storm gets any worse."

Waving at her from the gate Dana gave him one last worried look before she drove away.

Pressing the intercom button he waited. After a few minutes of no reply, he yelled, "Look, I know you're in there! Something is rotten in your company!"

Still no answer Terry punched to stone above the intercom causing faint cracks in the mortar.

"It cost my old man his life… The answer is on this!" Terry held up the data stick.

After waiting longer for any answer Terry had lost all patience and respect for the man inside the mansion. Sighing, "Yeah I guess I should have known you wouldn't care. You're no Batman, you wacked out old fraud!"

Turning around Terry started down the road, hoping he could catch the next bus before the rain hit. Suddenly he heard the sound of grinding of metal behind him as the path was opened up for him.