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From: [email protected] (Lady Wayne) Date: Tue, Jun 11, 2002, 12:03pm (EDT+4) To: [email protected], [email protected] Subject: [Black_Silk] FIC: Resisting 9/11 Reply to: [email protected]
Title: Resisting 8/11
Author: Lady Wayne
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Terry/Bruce
Fandom: Batman Beyond
Feedback: Yes, please. The more you like, the more you get.
Archive: Yes to Prodigette; others ask first, I'll probably say yes.
Disclaimer: Don't own them, probably never will.
Summary: Terry tries to block out his true feelings for the old man, while
Bruce struggles to rein in Terry's recent spate of wild behavior. Notes: Thoughts in <>. **** for flashbacks. BIG, IMPORTANT AUTHOR NOTE: THIS STORY IS BASED UPON THE FACT THAT TERRY'S SMART-MOUTH WAYS HAVE LANDED HIM IN CONSIDERABLE TROUBLE ALONG THE WAY. HE MAY BE A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL, BUT HE'S AN OLD (DID YOU READ THAT, OLD) SENIOR. TERRY IS JUST WEEKS FROM HIS NINETEENTH BIRTHDAY!!!!!
From part 8/11
For a moment, Terry remained still in the near deafening silence. With his own heartbeat raging in his ears, Terry was uncertain when, how to or even if he should proceed. < No time like the present. > He thought and began to lean toward Bruce for a tentative first kiss.
At the same moment, the piercing ring of the phone shattered the moment along with the silence.
Par 9/11
As he reached out to end the jarring sound, Bruce said, "I know I'm not your father, but I hope that someday you'll be able to come to me for advice and support as you would have done with him." That said Bruce turned to take his call.
Lost in his own thoughts, Terry paid little attention to Bruce's side of the conversation. < Father? Advice? Jeez! How could I have been so wrong about his feelings? Because he's a damn enigma and you're an idiot, McGinnis! A man like him would never be interested in a kid like me, even if he does prefer men and you have absolutely no indication he does. His only interest in me or anything else is Batman. >
" . . . Gordon needs our help. You need to get down to Pier 23 right now." Bruce commanded.
Putting aside his own concerns, Terry automatically turned to the process of becoming his alter ego.
Batman arrived at the pier in a very dangerous state of mind. The entire time he assisted rescuing longshoremen and fought the Jokerz, his mind was occupied with losing connection with the old man. The realization that the connection was never really there for him only served to exacerbate his depression, sense of loss and feelings of isolation.
Having tracked the leader, Terry managed to subdue and bag him for the local police. He dumped the trash in Commissioner Gordon's office. Making his way out the window, he was startled by Barbara's exclamation.
"Good Lord, are you sure you can manage that type of exit?"
Terry halted and turned to face Barbara. His eyes followed her gaze down his body. Ignoring the large gashes, free flowing blood and blossoming bruises, he shrugged.
"Doesn't really matter." he said turning to complete his exit.
< Didn't even notice really. Ought to hurt, I suppose; but I don't feel a thing. >
"Wayne, you there?" he queried trying to contact the old man after retreating from Gordon's concern.
"I'm here."
"Just finished dumping the trash at police headquarters. I'm wiped out and heading home."
"No, you're not. I want you back here as soon as possible." Bruce ordered. < So much for any progress I thought I'd made. >
"No. I want to clean up a bit before I meet Max."
"I know what happened and I want to see what condition you're in." Bruce bit back as his anger mounted.
"Newsflash, boss! I'll be NINETEEN in two weeks. Haven't needed my father in nearly a year and you're not my mother either!"
"Get in here with that suit immediately!"
Although Terry failed to respond verbally, Bruce tracked his movements and noted a few moments later that Terry had turned to comply. Shortly thereafter, Bruce heard Terry arrive. He turned and stood as Terry exited the vehicle. < My God! How could he have been so careless? Why didn't he call for help? >
Terry started to move, barely managing to shuffle along. It wasn't long before he fell back against the car.
Exhibiting surprising speed for his age, Bruce was instantly at Terry's side preventing him from sliding to the ground. Momentarily forgetting his anger, Bruce practically carried Terry down to the table and helped him settle atop it.
Almost immediately, Terry closed his eyes, seemingly dead to the world.
Bruce's quick check of Terry's vital signs assured him Terry was still alive. Gingerly, he pulled the cowl from Terry head.
The movement stirred Terry giving Bruce the opportunity to express his concern. Bruce being Bruce, however, vented his worry through accusations and fury. "What the hell were you thinking?"
"Uh. What? How did I..." Terry mumbled as he tried to sit up.
"Lie down. I need to..."
Terry continued his efforts to rise.
"I said, Lie down! Don't you ever follow instructions the first time?" Bruce bellowed.
"Back off! I'll be fine, and I'm sure you can fix your precious suit." Terry grumbled. He immediately began to sway when he attempted to stand.
Bruce easily pushed him back down.
"Get out of that suit! I'll get the first aid kit."
Giving in to the inevitable, Terry slowly started to shrug out of the battered suit. < Why do I bother? I never know if he cares about my life of just Batman's. I did the job! That's what he created Batman for. The hell with it. Might as well let him get it out of his system. >
Returning with the bandages and other supplies. Bruce looked Terry over and froze in his tracks. In addition to the bleeding gashes and bruises, he saw the results of Terry's encounters with Claire. < He's a typical hormonally governed teenager. I shouldn't be surprised by his sexual encounters or their results. I should care either, but I do! > Clenching his jaw, he straightened and continued toward Terry.
Seeing Bruce's physical response, Terry thought, < Here it comes. >
Though he was worried over the severity of Terry's wounds and saddened by confirmation of Terry's sexual preferences, Bruce stoically began to tend Terry's wounds.
After over half an hour of Bruce's silent ministrations, Terry could no longer stand the tension. He decided to jump-start the fight just to get it over with.
"Why don't you just start yelling already before you r jaw locks up permanently?"
Bruce stopped his work and bellowed, "How dare you? Don't you ever think when you're working? Our work is out thinking the bad guys, not brute force. You do what you can, but sometimes you need to cut your losses and use your resources to get them next time or when they're not expecting it before there can be a next time! If you fully expend yourself, who is going to do the job next time? I can't."
Temporarily running out of both breath and steam, Bruce merely stood glaring at Terry.
"Finished so soon?"
TBC