Chapter 45

BUMPBUM BUMBUMBUM BUBUMP BUMP

The loud speakers filled the whole fraternity house with noise. It was more of a mansion than a normal house. Flashing lights illuminated the dark. There were already people drunk walking around, or more like flailing around. Drinking games were being played everywhere. The pool was already filled to the brim with people. Some danced, and some just sat while conversing with each other. There were people making out in every corner.

"Woooooh!!" A half naked guy screamed as he just passed by Terry and the others while he held two bottles of liquor.

"College kids are crazy, bro..." Don remarked with a fascinated smile.

"Let's go. I'll introduce you to our friends." Max said as she gestured to follow her and Carrie. The two held hands as they walked through the crowd.

"Uweeeek!!"

"Woah!" Terry held out his arm and stopped Don beside him. He saved him from getting puked on.

The girl that puked in front of them wiped her mouth and looked at the two. She smiled before walking their way. Terry and Don separated to make way for her. The two watched the drunk girl get lost in the crowd.

"Holy shit." Don said.

Don obviously has a misconception about college. He thought that because they were college students, they would be prim and proper. He didn't expect things he would normally see in a club here.

Terry and Don laughed before they jumped over the puddle of puke to follow Max and Carrie.

Max and Carrie lead them into one of the rooms in the house. The people gathered there looked at who arrived.

"Max! Carrie!"

"Hey, we brought some friends with us." Max pointed at Don and Terry.

"Oh, hey. Grab a seat. Help yourselves with some drinks."

As they each grabbed a solo cup, "They were the ones that hosted the party." Max whispered.

"They're loaded, as you can see. All of their members came from wealthy families." Carrie added.

Don's eyes showed a little glint after that statement. Terry had to bump him with his elbow.

"What?" Don chuckled. "It was just instinct." He said as he sipped from his cup.

"How did you guys meet them?" Terry asked.

"Some of them are dating our sorority sisters." Max replied.

Their gaze immediately went to the girls sitting next to the members of the fraternity.

Just then, a group of people entered the room. Their entrance was met by cheers and screams.

"Well, if it isn't the pride of GCU?" said the leader of the fraternity as he stood up to greet them.

"If it isn't our future sponsors?" The man that appeared to be leading the group said. It was Nelson Nash. Behind him was the GCU football team.

Max and Carrie immediately furrowed their brows. Among the group that entered the room, there was Carter Wilson and his two minions.

He smiled at them.

Terry and Don saw this and didn't take it too well as they stared back at him.

Carter and his posse approached them.

Despite how Terry and Don look, even though they had their hands in their pockets while holding a cup on the other, they were ready for a brawl anytime.

They leisurely drank from their cups as they watched them draw near.

"Are you two GCU students too?" Carter asked Terry and Don. He glanced at Max and Carrie but he didn't pay attention to them this time.

"I am." Terry replied.

"...but he isn't." Carter pointed at Don and smiled.

"What about it? This isn't your party." Terry said.

"Only GCU students are allowed here."

"There's no sign that says that, is there?" Terry smiled in reply.

Carter chuckled. "We're the football team. We make the rules here."

"Then, try to make us leave." Terry said with a devious grin.

Carter clicked his tongue in irritation. He scowled as he got close to Terry's face and Terry just grinned at him.

"Carter, what's happening there?" Nelson spotted his teammate having a conflict with somebody.

Carter smiled and replied. "I found outsiders here!"

The whole football team walked up to Terry and Don. Soon, they were surrounded.

Unphased, Terry kept grinning at Carter. Don seemed troubled but he kept his cool.

Nelson Nash approached Terry from his back. "Hey, pal. If you're an outsider and you're causing trouble, you're gonna have to leave." He said.

Carter smiled at Terry in triumph.

Terry calmly turned around and faced Nelson. "I wasn't causing trouble,...pal."

Nelson widened his eyes. "Aren't you Dana's friend?"

Carter was taken aback by this sudden turn of events. He didn't knew that Terry and their captain knew each other.

"Yup. It's Terry." Terry made a faint smile. "Nelson, right?"

"Yeah...what were you and your friend doing?" Nelson furrowed his brows.

"We were minding our business then, Carter bothered us."

Carter started sweating on his forehead.

The crowd around them started to split in half as someone is pushing to get through them.

"Hey, excuse me!"

Nelson and Terry looked at where the voice came from. After getting through the crowd, Dana finally reached them. Behind her were her friends, Chelsea and Blade.

"What's happening here?" She asked.

"Hey!...babe!" Nelson suddenly changed his aura. "Your friend and Carter here just got into a little misunderstanding. I already sorted it out." He waved his hands. "Talk to Terry and make him feel welcome while I talk to Carter, alright?"

Then, he approached Carter and put his arm around his shoulders to pull him away. He whispered, "I don't like that guy too, but don't touch him, okay?"

Carter furrowed his brows and looked back at Terry talking to Dana.

"You haven't changed since high school." Dana said to Terry.

"What? I wasn't going to fight." Terry scratched his head.

Dana crossed her arms. "What happened?"

"Well, Max was being harassed by that guy and my friend and I happened to help her. Carter ended up releasing his frustrations on us instead."

Max and Dana ended up looking at each other.

Dana didn't know how to greet her and ended up awkwardly smiling. Max did the same.

"Oh, let me introduce you. This is Don, my friend that I ended up pulling here with me."

"Hey." Don waved his hand.

"And this is Max and her girlfriend Carrie."

Max and Carrie waved.

Dana widened her eyes. "G-Girlfriend?"

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

"I thought you two were..." Dana pointed at Terry and Max.

Terry and Max looked at each other in confusion before realizing what she was saying at the same time.

"!! No! We're just friends." Terry laughed nervously while Max blushed a little bit.

"I'm sorry." Dana apologized to Max and Carrie.

"It's fine." Carrie said as she waved her hand.

Don looked at the whole thing while holding his laugh.

"Oh, ummm...these are my friends, Chelsea and Blade." Dana introduced them to the rest.

"Hi."

"Hello."

Blade and Don instantly locked eyes and flirted with their smiles.

"Hey, Terry...I'm just going to go grab something to eat." Don said with a suspicious smile.

Terry raised his brow at his sudden action. "..okay."

"Hey, Chels, Dana. I think I'll go get something too."

"Huh? Yeah, sure." Dana said without paying any mind.

Chelsea definitely figured out what she was up to and just chuckled through her nose and shook her head.

After the two left, the atmosphere became awkward.

"So, umm...how did you meet?" Dana asked Terry.

"Uh... we met right after you introduced me to your friends. She offered me help and that was it."

"Oh..."

Before the situation gets more stiff, Chelsea decided to save them and initiated conversation.

"Max and Carrie, were you in a relationship even before coming to GCU?"

"No, we met when we joined the same sorority." Max replied.

Chelsea approached them. "What are your majors?" She put her hand behind Max and led her away from the two. Carrie just followed.

Only Dana and Terry were left behind.

"Do...you want to sit down?" Terry asked Dana as he pointed to the empty couch.

"Oh, sure."

They sat down and Terry heaved out a sigh. "The football team is something, huh? They run the student body?"

"Kind of. They're just really favored because the University gets recognition when they win championships."

"They're that good." Terry said.

"I told you that before, didn't I?" Dana chuckled and finally got more comfortable.

"Yeah, you did." Terry chuckled. "You seem proud of them, huh?"

"The football team?"

"Yeah. Your boyfriend is captain, right?"

"O-oh,...yeah." Dana said with a rueful smile.

"What's wrong?"

Dana waved her hands. "It's nothing. It's just that...I feel like I don't even know what I'm doing here."

"...What do you mean?"

"Well, I chose my major because of my brother, and my parents seemed to approve of it too...but sometimes, I feel like I don't know where I'm going. Like, I chose this path for other people instead of for me...Even my relationship right now with Nelson feels like I ran with it because the people around me wanted us together, you know?"

Terry stayed silent while listening to Dana contemplate about her life.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bore you with my stupid introspection about my life...I'm sure you're thinking that I had it better than you."

Terry made a wry smile. "I'm not thinking that at all...I used to live for myself and not anyone else's. But now, I think living for someone else is a better way to live. And I think you're great at it."

Dana widened her eyes at Terry's response and then, made a wry smile.

"You know...I wasn't going to come to this party if it weren't for you." Dana said.

"For me?" Terry chuckled. "You missed me that much?" he teased.

"Yeah...I wish my brother was here too..."

The space between them suddenly made them feel lonely. It reminded them of Doug and how he should be with them there. Hanging out like old times.

"Dana..." Terry uttered. He wanted to tell so many things to her, but he can't. It will just make her more depressed if he tells her all the bad things her brother did.

"AAAAAAAH!!"

Both of them looked at each other before turning their head towards the direction of the scream.

"Stay here and hide!" Terry said to Dana before running towards the source of the scream.

More screams rang out as he got closer to where the noise was coming from.

When he got there, he saw members of the Jokerz thrashing the place. They were carrying weapons. The football team couldn't dare to stand up against them.

"You know who to look for! Bring me back those mutant gang scum!" A man with long black hair and make-up that made him look ghoulish ordered the other Jokerz.

Terry instantly recognized him. He was at the fundraiser party when the Joker reappeared.

But how does he know that Don is here at the party? And he said "those" which means Terry himself was associated with the mutant gang.

There was only one person that could have known that.

'That guy is part of the mutant gang. Which means the other one is too'

His words were clearly remembered by Terry. Carter Wilson is somehow with the Jokerz.

Terry quickly searched for a room and scanned his surroundings if anyone's attention was on him. When he confirmed that it was clear, he got in a broom closet and activated his suit.

He went out and faced the Jokerz as Batman.

----

"!!"

"What is it, Max?" Carrie asked her.

"H-huh?"

"What happened out there? Did anyone get hurt?" Chelsea asked Max with worry.

They were in a secluded room talking when they heard the screams. Max took out her mini-drone and her Tech glasses to survey the situation.

"N-no. I just saw Batman arrived."

"Batman?!" Carrie erupted with excitement.

"Y-yeah."

"How did he get here so fast?"

"I-I-I don't know."

Carrie and Chelsea just looked at her confused.

How could she tell them that he saw Terry turning into Batman?