Chapter 36

"Shit..." Barbara said as she sat on a chair near the bed.

She looked at the young man who was naked under the sheets, sleeping peacefully.

Barbara grabbed her head in remorse for what happened. She could vividly remember what had happened last night. Their moans, the heat created by the friction of their warm bodies rubbing against each other.

She was already somewhat dressed because she immediately did so after she woke up. Barbara regretted it immediately. It's not because she didn't like it, but because of who she did it with. A friend's son. An ex-boyfriend's biological son. A co-worker in a sense.

Too many things that would complicate their relationship. Not to mention their age gap.

She reminisced about Bruce Wayne and how both of them also had a wide age gap when they went into a relationship. Their relationship back then was similar to this.

"Oh god..." She helplessly chuckled. "I can't believe it happened again."

There were only two things left to do. Leave now, or stay to explain what happened.

She opted for the former.

"Hrmmmmm!"

Unfortunately for her, Terry woke up.

She was scared. All she can do now is hope that he will think nothing of what happened.

After groaning and stretching his arms, Terry opened his eyes and waited for his vision to unblur.

Once his vision was clear, he saw Barbara sitting in front of him near the bed.

He smiled tenderly and said "Hey..." in an affectionate tone.

It was bad news for Barbara. The worst possible outcome has presented itself.

She clenched her teeth and bit her lips to gain courage for what she's about to say.

"What happened last night...It was a mistake."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I'm not about to have a relationship with someone who just got out of his teenage years. Get real, McGinnis."

"It's okay. Don't worry..." Terry calmly smiled. His sentence gave Barbara hope that she could escape this situation gracefully. "You don't look a day over twenty-five anyway." But that hope got destroyed immediately.

"Tsk! This conversation is over. This whole thing never happened. We should both forget about it." Barbara said as she angrily walked out the door.

"Hey wait!" Terry got up quickly and noticed he wasn't wearing anything. He clumsily put on some shorts and chased her outside. "What are you angry about, anyway? You look like you had fun too-"

He cut off his sentence. Barbara was standing still in the hallway. In front of her was Alfred.

Barbara was staring at Alfred with a guilty expression while Alfred was just wearing a straight face. Both of them were silent.

Alfred started walking to her direction. Barbara broke eye contact with him and looked down in shame.

Alfred stopped just beside her and said "I didn't see anything." before he passed her by.

Barbara ran towards the stairs to go down and exit the building.

"Hey!-" Terry reached out his arm towards Barbara and noticed Alfred looking at him. "I-I'm sorry about this." He said as he scratched the back of his head.

"Like I said. I didn't see anything."

Terry made a wry smile. " Thanks, Alfred."

"She probably won't talk to you for a while. Leave her alone."

"But-"

"Trust me. You'll get your chance. Next week is the fundraiser party, right?"

"Oh yeah! For the dude running for district attorney!"

"Keep your distance until then."

"Thanks, Alfred."

"..." Alfred stopped before continuing "Please understand her situation and think about it for the meantime." Then, he walked away.

Is Terry in love?

No. It's just pure sexual attraction.

Barbara just assumed that it was like her situation at that time and felt bad if she does the same thing to Terry what she did with Dick Grayson. It was all just a big understanding.

The nights went on without Barbara ever contacting Terry, but that doesn't mean that Terry went on with his life meaninglessly while waiting for them to meet again. He religiously went to his classes, do his work for Alfred, trained, and at night, roam Gotham as the caped crusader.

----

"It's bad, Don!" one of the men from Don's division came running towards him. "They got him!"

Don tilted his head at his subordinate. "What? Who got who?"

"The Jokerz! They got Joe!"

"!!"

Joe is his second-in-command. Although, he wasn't very good at fighting, he's a little bit better than him when it comes to strategy.

Don stood up from his seat. "Where?!"

"In the abandoned amusement park!"

"Gather everyone!" Don pointed at the other members of the gang. "One of you send a text to the other divisions. This is war!"

"We already did." The messenger said. "....The mutant leader is already headed there!"

"Fuck! Why would you head to him first?!"

"I-I don't know! That's what Joe told us to do!"

In Don's mind, something wasn't right. He knows the mutant leader can handle himself pretty well, but his instincts are telling him to make haste.

"Goddamnit!" Don ran to his bike and the other members of his outfit followed suit.

They sped through the streets and ignored every traffic rule.

When they arrived, other members of the mutant gang were already there. They were standinf outside an attraction called The North Pole.

"Why is everyone just standing around?! Where are your division leaders?!" Don demanded answers.

"We only just got here. The heads made us stay here to guard the exits."

Don looked at his subordinates to signal them to do the same before heading inside.

As he got inside, he felt the cold breeze hit his skin. He ignored the cold and quickly walked ahead.

It was an odd thing that an abandoned amusement park would still have a running attraction.

He walked until he reached a doorway covered with blinds. Don weaved the blinds to the side to reveal a big room with ice and snow all around. In the middle of it, the leaders of each division were standing in a circle.

Don ran towards them. "Hey!" He shouted.

Each one of them turned around to see who it was. Once they have recognized Don, they glared at him.

Seeing this, Don slowed down and did a full stop. "What is it?" It was unusual for them to be hostile to him. He instinctively turned around but no one was dare to receive their gazes but him.

"Don't play around..." One of them said. "...You're part of them aren't you?" He said as he pointed a golf club at Don.

Don raised his hands. "What! I just got here! Can anyone tell me the situation first?"

The man holding the golf club walked to the side and revealed who was in the middle of the circle they formed. He pointed at the man lying on the ground with a bloody face. "Your vice-leader did this!"

"!!"

The man lying on the ground was Cedric. He was clutchiing his torso with one hand and is visibly struggling to breath.

"Wh-what exactly happened?" Don started taking steps forward.

"Stop right there, Don." The man pointed his golf club at Don again.

"What the hell?! I genuinely don't know what's happening!!" Don shouted at them.

"...He's not part of them." Cedric turned his body to the side and used his other arm as a crutch to get up. "Agh!" His face contorted as he used his strength to get up. Two men rushed towards him and helped the large man up.

"How are you sure?"

"I'm positive. I asked Joe himself."

"What if he lied?"

"He has no reason to."

"Tsk! Fine." The man lowered his weapon.

Don swallowed his anger and decided to ask again calmly for the sake of Cedric. He walked over towards them. "Can anyone please tell me what happened? Where's the mutant leader?"

Everyone's brows furrowed and gnashed their teeth in guilt and remorse. Don swallowed his saliva in nervousness after seeing this sight. He was scared to know what happened but he has to.

"Cedric was lying on the floor when we got here. We were too late." One of the division leaders said.

"...Joe was a traitor, Don." Cedric stated.

"!!"

"He sold us out to the Jokerz and baited the mutant leader to come here..."

Don clenched his teeth and finally burst. "Where is the leader!!!"

"...They captured him. I don't know how, but he knew his weakness somehow."

"...Who did?"

"...He's back..." Cedric said with grim eyes.

--At the roof deck of Gotham Royal Hotel--

"Terry. It's a pleasure seeing you again." A black man wearing glasses greeted Terry as soon as he saw him in the party.

"Mr. Luke. Likewise." Terry warmly greeted him with a smile.

They're in the fundraiser event that Luke Fox arranged for the running district attorney.

"We didn't get much chance to talk with each other last time. How are you doing?"

"A lot has happened since the last time we met, as you know."

A waiter walked by to them and they both grabbed a glass of champagne from the tray.

Luke Fox put his hand in his pocket as he took a sip of the champagne. Terry did the same.

"Tell me, how is old Alfred doing?" Luke started walking, nodding as he greeted the other guests while Terry followed closely behind him.

"He's fine. I think he'll be that strong until he reaches his hundredth year" Terry chuckled.

"That's good...I never get a chance to visit anymore. It's unfortunate. The mess that Powers made took so much work to clean up." Luke sighed.

"It was nice for you to set him up for treatment too."

After walking across the crowd, they finally reached the lounge and sat across each other.

"He's just lucky. I needed to research on the nerve gas he made to make a cure for it. So far, the radionuclear therapy we use for cancer treatment is working to a certain degree." Luke Fox's eyes turned cold. "If it wasn't solely for that, I wouldn't waste any of my resources just to save his life. "

"...I guess."

Luke Fox faintly smiled. "...You don't agree"

"Don't get me wrong, I understand completely. It's just that lately, I always think of what would Bruce Wayne would have done.. ."

"I understand...I think Bruce wouldn't have hesitated saving his life." Luke said with a wry smile. "He may seem like a cold-hearted man, but that was only on the surface. He is easily misunderstood."

"Did you ever think he was a cold-hearted man, Mr. Luke?"

"I did. Especially because of the media and how my father was always working late hours. That was until I found out what he did for my father. He helped him rise in a company dominated by white men."

Terry listened to his tale intently.

"My father was an engineer. He was hired, but was immediately thrown to an essentially abandoned department." Luke fixed his glasses by pushing it with a finger. "He was hired just to take up space. It paid well, but that wasn't what my father applied for. He asked for a reassignment many times and always got declined. Until Bruce came back from his travels and took notice of him."

"... I heard you discovered their secret when you were playing with your father's computer."

Luke Fox laughed. "I was curious. There was an encrypted folder that seemed to be out of place. And to think my father would use my name as the password for it."

Terry faintly smiled.

"I haven't congratulated you yet for your scholarship."

"Oh, that?" Terry raised his hand and shook his head. "It's fine. It's all thanks to you and Alfred for getting me into GCU."

"Still, that is impressive. Your father would be proud."

Terry made a complicated smile. It was because he didn't know who Luke was referring to.

Taking notice of this, Luke just made a wry smile and cleared up what he meant.

"I was referring to Warren McGinnis. But I'm sure Bruce would be proud too."

"Thanks." Terry said in a wistful smile.

He would have wanted to meet his biological father too.

"Luke..." A man walked up to them and called Luke's attention.

Terry McGinnis turned around and saw Barbara Gordon with him.

"I've been looking everywhere for you, man."

"Sam..." Luke stood up and Terry did as well. "This is Terry McGinnis. Alfred Pennyworth's representative tonight." Luke gestured towards Terry. "Terry, this is Sam Young. The man of the evening."

Terry held up his hand to offer a handshake. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Young.

"You too, Mr. McGinnis."

Terry couldn't help but take glances at the woman beside Sam.