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Legacy

Summary:

The Justice League has been defeated and Lilian Wayne finds herself alone in the world. That is, until she's led to newly orphaned eight-year-old Terry McGinnis five years after the fact. She takes him in and the two navigate a tentative relationship while she secretly prepares him for his destiny. To take up the legacy of The Batman. Feat: Next Gen Justice League, AU

Notes:

So, this is just something I'm trying out. I was going to put it under Batman Beyond, but I figured I would be using most of the background from the JL/JLU cartoons, so why not? Besides, the Justice League Beyond comics fucked up my poor girl Diana and I'm NOT happy about it. Anyway, please enjoy!

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Chapter Text

Batcave: May 10, 2025

It all happened so fast.

She looked at the despondent faces around her and felt sorrow penetrate her heart. How could things have gone so wrong so quickly? Just hours ago it had been the best day of her life, her steps into adulthood. But that was gone. Any semblance of happiness or celebration was washed away, completely and utterly decimated. And in its wake was a cold, numb feeling. She didn't know what to do.

For the first time in her life, Lilian Martha Wayne didn't know what to do.

She felt their intense gazed burning into her soul and quickly averted her eyes. Of course they were looking to her. Why wouldn't they be? She had always been the genius, the self-proclaimed leader. Why wouldn't they look to her for answers? She had brought this on herself. They needed her to say something.

So what else could Lily do other than deliver? "M'gann, what's the damage?" she finally demanded.

M'gann M'orzz cleared her throat. "The tower's down," the martian informed her. "Both of them. All communication's been cut off." Her dark green eyes drifted to the floor. "Though, I doubt there's anyone left to get through to."

Lily nearly bared her teeth; damn M'gann! Why would she tack that on? A part of her wanted to berate the older girl for her careless choice of words. "What's the legal situation?" she asked instead. Pointing fingers wouldn't get them anywhere. Besides, M'gann may have been the oldest, but everyone else was hurting too.

She wasn't that cruel.

Next to her, Rex Stewart grimaced from his place in front of the computer. "Not good," he answered grimly. "Unregistered capes have been banned all throughout the country." He frowned deeply, green eyes narrowing in contempt. "Waller's trying to get it through to the United Nations. And if that happens..."

She sighed. "The League is banned completely," she finished. Rage boiled underneath her skin, everything finally catching up to her. The disbelief and numbness from before were gone in an instant. "Fuck!" Without thinking, she slammed her hand into one of the medical tables. It collapsed under her strength, clattering to the floor. The sound echoed throughout the cave.

A hand was laid on her shoulder. "Hey, we'll figure something out," assured a gentle voice. She forced herself to meet the dark, warm eyes of Barry West. "Come on, Miss Leader. You always know what to do." A small smile forced its way onto her face.

"No, she doesn't."

And it was gone.

Lily's eyes narrowed as her attention snapped to the offending voice. "Is there something you'd like to say to me, Kent?" she practically spat. She had enough to deal with without the goddamn Kryptonian working her last nerve. Why couldn't things ever be simple?

Henry Kent glared viciously at her. "You're sixteen," he reminded her snidely. "You're just a kid." He stood to his feet, looking down at her. "The entire Justice League is gone, in case you didn't realize. You can't fix this, Wayne."

She held back the string of Themysciran curses dancing on her tongue. "At least I'm trying!" she hissed, startling everyone in the room. She usually had a tight grip on her anger and patience, but not today. Today was the absolute worse day to argue with her. "What have you been doing? Nothing other than pouting in the goddamn corner! Hera, I can't-!"

Rex quickly got between them. "Enough, you two," he interrupted sternly. He was good at that, at getting people to see the bigger picture. "We've got enough of a problem here without fighting with each other. Lily, what do you think we should do?"

Lily took a deep breath. He was right, of course he was right. She couldn't lose her head, not now. Even if Kent was a pigheaded imbecile. "I'm fairly sure that Waller knows our..." She swallowed thickly, the words stuck in her throat. Her father had met his match in Amanda Waller, she knew. But how deep that went, she was unsure. "Our parents' identities. I don't know if she had the grounds to arrest us since we haven't done anything yet. But it's safe to say that she's probably going to be watching us."

Rex cursed under his breath. "We'll have to be careful," he added. Somehow, he always knew what she was thinking. "She might know who we are, but without proof, I don't think she can do anything."

Barry nodded. "So we have to lay low," he concluded. His usual smile was gone, replaced by a grim thin line. Poor thing.

M'gann bit her lip. "Guys," she spoke tentatively. Despite being the oldest, she was the shiest of them all. "I know that you won't want to hear this. But I think we should hang up the capes for a while. Maybe forever."

Henry looked aghast. "What?" he demanded. "You just want us to give up? The League just gave their lives and you want to hide?"

"Kent!" barked Lily, more than fed-up. Hera, did Uncle Clark have a temper like this? She grew somber, realizing she had to use past-tense now. The thought instantly sobered her. "For Hera's sake, let her finish talking!" She had to be careful, she knew. She may have been strong, but Henry was stronger. He could probably kill her if he really wanted to.

Although, she may have been able to get to her father's safe before he had the chance...

"Go on, M," coaxed Barry soothingly. Because Barry was just a good guy. He knew people, knew how to reach them. She had a high level of respect for the boy, mostly because he was the only one who never treated her like a kid. He had been the first one to listen to her, even when she first started out.

M'gann sighed. "It's not as though I want to," she confessed. "But the Justice League was full of hundreds of heroes. There's only five of us. What chance do we have? But if we lay low for, say, a few years..."

Lily suddenly smirked, catching onto what she was saying. "Then they think they've won," she finished. Hera, M'gann was a genius! "Then we can strike back when they won't see it coming."

Henry crossed his arms. "How many years?" he bit out.

She shrugged. "Well, we'll have to wait until more heroes show up," she pointed out. "William Queen and Kayla Sage are young right now. We'll have to wait until they're a bit older. That is, if they even want to be heroes. Although..." She vaguely wondered if she could get the in-between generation onboard. Dick, Tim, Barbara, Roy Harper, and others may have been getting up in the years, but they were still valuable in their experience and expertise.

Rex frowned. "It'll be risky," he warned.

Lily nodded. "It will be," she agreed. "But we all know that this world needs a Justice League." She sneered slightly. "Obviously, the government can't be counted on. Not yet at least." A sudden smirk spread slowly across her face. "But you know..."

Barry was, immediately, alarmed. "Uh-oh, she's doing that Batman thing again."

Rex glared at her. "Lily..." he scolded.

She shrugged. "What?" she questioned innocently. "I was just gonna say we could wait for Waller to die. You can't tell me you all weren't thinking it."

He shook his head. "For fuck's sake, Lil." But he couldn't stop his lips from curling upward. M'gaan chortled into her hand and even the corners of Henry's mouth twitched.

For the first time since everything had happened, Lily had hope. Maybe they could actually do this.

OoOoOo

Wayne Manor: May 11, 2025

As the sun rose the next morning, Lily was busy cleaning up the manor. Streamers, balloons, and other decorations still littered the place and she couldn't think when things had to be put away. Besides, it kept her busy and allowed her to think for a moment. She could ponder her next course of action while she did so. The first thing, she presumed, was for her to get emancipated. She and Barry were underage, the latter still in high school.

She would have to make sure that neither of them ended up in foster care. Besides, someone had to look after her family's ancestral house. Wayne Manor had stood for nearly two hundred years. There was no way in Tartarus that she was letting Gotham get their hands on it.

"Hey," a voice greeted. She turned to see M'gaan with a package in her hands. "I know you didn't get to open gifts yesterday, but I found one. I think it's from your parents."

Emotion clung to the inside of Lily's throat. "T-Thanks," she stuttered as she took the package gently. Hera, her parents. The grief hadn't settled in yet, but the weight was nearly there. Her parents were gone. She was never going to see them again. She would never pester her father while he was working or go flying with her mother or walk through the ground with either of them-

M'gaan squeezed her shoulder. "It's okay to cry," she cooed gently.

And Lily appreciated that, she really did. But the truth was, she didn't have time to cry. There was work to be done and losing herself to grief would get her nowhere. "I-I'm okay," she replied, her voice shaky. Her thumbs lightly ran over the wrapped package. The bow was on the wrong side and one of the ends was taped poorly. Clearly, the work of her mother.

She almost smiled. People who said her mother was perfect didn't know her at all. Combat, diplomacy, and intelligence were the only things she excelled at. Everything else was foreign to her, but that didn't stop her from trying.

Lily shook these thoughts away. "How are you doing?" she asked, giving the older girl a pointed look. M'gann was an exceptional hero, but she tended to be slightly emotionally unstable. There was also the fact that she would have to work on Megan's secret alias. She couldn't risk any suspicion surrounding her, not with Waller out for their heads.

The redhead shrugged. "I've been better, I guess," she admitted. She leaned against the wall, her gaze distant. "I never thought it would happen, you know. Not to them."

Lily felt her heart clench, knowing just what M'gann was talking about. "Me neither," she confessed. If nothing else, she never thought that the original seven would be brought down. The Founders had done the impossible again and again. They had prevailed countless times, no one ever thought that they would ever be defeated.

Alas, nothing lasted forever. They were getting old, she had seen it for herself. Her father had been in his mid-sixties, for Hera's sake. And while her mother had stopped aging at twenty-one, nobody could deny that the process had begun to continue shortly prior to her own birth. She had been in her late thirties (physically, of course).

Perhaps that was how they had been defeated. Time.

M'gann sighed. "Are you gonna open that?" she questioned, gesturing to the package.

Lily looked down at the gift. "I don't know, maybe?" Did she want to open it? She wasn't sure. A part of her wanted to leave it alone, to preserve this little piece of her parents forever. Maybe if she left it alone, this whole nightmare would disappear. "I'll open it later, I think." She set the gift down. "Some graduation party this turned out to be."

Graduation from college, to be exact. Her IQ was 185, five points lower than her father's, so she wasn't lying when she said she was a genius. This had been her graduation party. Or, it was supposed to have been. Before the red alert, the founders had been invited to celebrate with her family. It had been going so well, even Henry had been in a decent mood.

But of course, everything went shit.

M'gann gave her a pitying look. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely. And she knew the martian meant it, she was as genuine as they came.

Lily forced a smile on her face. "Thank you. That means a lot." Or, as much as it could in this situation. As she put away the leftover cake, she came to a startling realization.

Her parents were gone. Lilian Wayne was officially an orphan. And the world? The world was left without its Justice League. Hera, she didn't think she'd ever felt so lost before. She knew that, someday, she would have to be responsible for the entire world. They all would. But she was only sixteen and no one was around to guide her.

How could she take care of the planet when she couldn't even take care of herself?

Chapter 2

Notes:

Please enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Wayne Manor: May 9, 2030

This time of year was always the hardest.

Lily lightly ran her thumb over a framed picture of her and her parents. She couldn't have been older than seven, both of her parents on either side of her. Mom was smiling that enticing, reassuring smile. When she did that, Lily always knew things would be alright. And they always were. Until, of course, that day that they weren't. The last day she had ever seen that smile.

She hadn't inherited it. But of course, who could imitate the dazzling smile of Wonder Woman?

Dad was smiling too. It was much more reserved, but smiles were rare for him anyway. And that was okay because he never needed to smile at her. She knew he loved her and he knew that she knew. That was really all that mattered. Still, she liked seeing him smile anyway. She liked to see that he was happy. For all the darkness in his world, The Batman deserved to be happy.

Hera, she missed them.

Whoever said that time healed all wounds was undoubtedly mistaken. In fact, it seemed as though this hole in her heart grew bigger every day. Perhaps it was because she was alone. Perhaps it was because she had been resigned to watching her precious city fall to ruin while she could do nothing about it. Perhaps she was still just a girl, wishing to simply run into her parents' arms.

Whatever it was, it put Lily in a foul mood. She was a nightmare at Wayne Enterprises all week. She had seen people literally duck out of her way as she stalked through the hallways. Even the most obtrusive board members had tread lightly when dealing with her. Everyone seemed to be walking on eggshells around her.

She couldn't find it within herself to care.

Lily sighed as she slipped on her light pink pajamas, ready to call it a night. Though, she was dreading it. The nights were always the hardest parts because that was when she thought too much. She thought about how her mother would sing her to sleep, even well into her teens. She thought about how her father used to stay up with her whenever she had a nightmare and couldn't fall back to sleep.

Now, there was no one to soothe her to sleep. No one was here when she had a nightmare. She was alone, completely and utterly alone. The despair of it all weighed heavily upon her heart.

She was brought out of her thoughts by her cell phone ringing. "Wayne here," she answered. She was almost thankful for the distraction, though she hoped it wasn't a board member. They kept pushing her about striking a deal with Derek Powers, of all the fucking people.

The guy was an asshole, plain and simple.

'Jesus, you sound like the old man.'

Lily blinked, her eyebrows furrowing with confusion. "Dickie?" she questioned. Oh Hera, it was that call. The call that came every year. She liked to call them pity calls. She had at least three annually. She did not enjoy them.

'Hey, kiddo,' greeted Dick Grayson. He was silent for a moment, and she had to cringe at how awkward it was. 'How are you?'

She cocked an eyebrow. "Fine, all things considered," she answered curtly. She appreciated what Dick was trying to do, but she really didn't want to get into it. She should have seen this coming, yet every year it seemed to surprise her.

He sighed. 'Kid-'

"I'm twenty-one, Dick," snapped Lily, suddenly agitated. For her entire life, people had treated her like a child. Henry, Rex, and M'gann had. Her parents had. Dick, Tim, and Barbara had. The assholes she was forced to work with still did. "I'm hardly a kid, don't you think?"

Immediately, though, she felt guilty. She wasn't the only one who lost them. Dick and Tim had lost a father. Dick may have been bitter and Tim may have been distant, but, in her heart, she knew they had both loved him. Even if loving him had been so, so hard.

So, she swallowed her pride. "Sorry, Dickie," she whispered.

'No, sweetie, I'm sorry,' amended Dick. 'You're right, you're an adult now. I shouldn't treat you like a child anymore. You're not that same kid who used to climb onto my shoulders.'

Lily grimaced. "I shouldn't have snapped at you," she insisted. At least he bothered to call. She knew Joker had messed Tim up, but the least he could do was call once and a while. But no, he had his happy little family to worry about. Why waste time on her? "I'm sorry."

'Don't worry about it, Lil,' he assured her. 'Just... take care, okay? Don't put too much on yourself.'

She smiled. "Why Richard, you say that as if I'm the CEO of an entire company," she teased him.

She could practically hear Dick roll his eyes. 'Go to bed, brat,' he muttered. Though, his voice held a hint of a smile. 'Goodnight, Lily.'

Lily sighed, a small part of her sadness receding slightly. "Goodnight, Dickie." She hung up the phone and stared up at the ceiling. Would this be her life forever? Working in an office all day and wallowing in pity all night? As the years rolled on, her hope for constructing a new Justice League seemed to move farther and farther away.

A cold feeling suddenly gripped her stomach as she stared out of the large window. Wayne Manor overlooked Gotham City and sometimes she caught herself looking out to it. For some reason, she had a feeling that something very bad had just happened.

What that was, she wasn't sure.

OoOoOo

Gotham City: May 10, 2025

Lily never really felt like doing anything on this day.

Her schedule was completely clear, it always was on this day. She would roll out of bed, eat a halfhearted breakfast, get dressed, and then leave the dark, looming manor. She would drive around, prolonging the task she had set out to do because it hurt so, so badly. Then, when she worked up enough nerve, Lily would take one of the cars to the cemetery where both of her parents were buried.

She approached their graves slowly because honestly? They weren't going anywhere anytime soon. Besides, what rush was she in? None at all because this would happen whether she wanted it to or not.

Carefully, Lily knelt down in the grass, staining her two hundred dollar tights. "Hi, Mom," she greeted softly. "Hi, Dad." Reaching into her coat, she took out two separate bouquets of flowers; white lilies for Mom and black tulips for Dad.

Opposites in every way, even in death.

Gently, she set them down on the respective graves. It was hard to imagine that her mother and father laid six feet under this very ground. "I'm sorry that I've been such a coward," she began, her throat clogged with emotion. "I just, Hera, I don't know what to do. Waller's blocked us at every turn. No matter what we do, capes are still banned.

"And I know it shouldn't matter!" She stood up, her blood running hot with frustration and shame. "You both would fight anyway because it's the right thing to do! Mom, I'm not strong like you. I'm a coward with no right to call myself an Amazon. Tartarus, you should see the city, Dad. It's a mess without you and-" She took a shuddering breath. "And it's all my fault. I let Gotham get this bad. I failed you!"

Lily bowed her head as she slumped back onto the ground. "I'm sorry," she whispered, the tears falling freely. She covered her face with her hands. "I'm so sorry..." She sat there, sobbing into her hands like a child. As she did every year.

It was sometime later that two arms wrapped around her from behind. She allowed herself to be lifted and cradled to a very familiar chest. Any other day, she would have been embarrassed or angry, but not today. Because today was the one day where she just didn't fucking care anymore.

Lily sniffed as she was gently placed into the back seat of a car, leaning into the soft cushions. It wasn't like the cold, stiff leather in her car. It was warm and homey and she loved the smell of cinnamon that emanated from it.

She sat up, wiping the stray tears away. "T-Thanks, Barry," she stuttered, sadness still settled in her chest.

Barry turned around from his place in the driver's seat, his green eyes holding empathy. He knew exactly what she was going through because he was going through it too. He was just... a lot stronger than she was. "Anytime, doll," he promised. "Heathers later?"

Lily laughed, startled. "I'll never know why you like that movie so much," she teased him. It was over forty years old and yet Barry couldn't get enough of it. He was such a goof. Though, she wouldn't have him any other way. He knew how to deal with her difficult ass because he didn't walk on eggshells around her. There was nothing she could do to scare him or drive him away, it had been like that since they were children.

He stuck out his tongue. "Whatever, Duke," he mocked her.

She rolled her eyes. "Screw you, I'm a Veronica," she shot back. Though, in retrospect, that wasn't really something to brag about.

Barry chuckled. "Are we doing our regular binge-sessions?" he teased.

Lily grinned. "Obviously." Their binges included ice-cream, chips, and literally anything else that would kill them from the inside. Neither of them could be bothered to care, though, due to their metabolisms. His especially. "And Barry?"

He glanced at her. "Yeah, doll?"

She gave him a small smile. "Thank you."

OoOoOo

Wayne Manor: May 11, 2030

"Ugh..." groaned Lily, the back of her neck aching something fierce. She blinked against the harsh light of the morning sun, turning her face away from it. Instantly, she was aware of the neck she was pressing her face into and jumped slightly. Her gaze flicked up to meet the sleeping face of none other than Barry West. His red hair was a mess, but he slumbered away peacefully and without a care in the world.

His arms wound around her waist.

She bit her lip, part of her wanting to stay in this safe, warm tent forever. Was it selfish, she wondered vaguely, to want to stay like this? To just forget everything and get lost in the light Barry emitted?

Essentially, yes. Yes, it would.

So, Lily untangled herself from her friend, careful not to wake him up. She yawned, stretching as she massaged the sore spot in her neck. Falling asleep on the couch was not something she should make a habit of.

Yawning once more, Lily turned on the large TV and switched to the news. She liked to keep tabs on the world in case there was something- anything- to keep her hopeful. A good one would be the death of Amanda Waller.

She sat down on the other side of the couch, lost in thought. How long would it take for the government to realize that the world needed the Justice League? What would they do when the next alien invasion came up? What would happen when a new generation of villains formed a renewed Legion of Doom?

Lily ran her hands through her long, dark hair in frustration. Was it worth it, she often wondered? Did Cadmus revel in the fact that they had taken away not only heroes, but parents too? She often thought of William Queen and Kayla Sage and how young they had been five years ago.

The thought made her want to end Waller once and for all.

"...death of Warren and Mary McGinnis..."

Her attention snapped to the screen as she turned up the volume. "Mr. and Mrs. McGinnis were returning home from the theater with their eight-year-old son," explained the reporter. "An unknown assailant shot the couple while their backs were turned. Young Terrance McGinnis was not harmed..."

The unfairness of it all clawed at Lily's heart. Dad wouldn't have let that happen because this was the very reason he had taken up the mask. He would have been there and he would have stopped that from happening. Where were the police when the two parents had been killed? Who had been looking out for that boy? Not the police, not Gotham, and certainly not the government as a whole.

Idiots, the lot of them.

Her heart went out to the young boy. No one should ever have to lose their parents. She knew that better than anyone. Granted, she hadn't been a child when her parents were taken from her. The poor thing. She couldn't even imagine what she must have been feeling. He was alone in the world now, just like her.

A soft, gentle hand wiped away the tear she didn't even know was falling. "Never gets easier, does it, doll?" questioned Barry, a sad smile on his face. His green eyes were heavy with weariness.

"No, it doesn't," agreed Lily. "In fact, it seems like it gets harder and harder." She took a deep breath, calming herself. It was moments like these that reminded her why she still trained every day. Why she still made modifications to her father's old Batman suit. Why she had begun to craft a new uniform from her mother's old one.

Someone had to stop this madness. Why not them?

Suddenly, her phone blared loudly. She was going to ignore it in case it was another one of those pity calls when she actually looked at the ID. Her eyebrows furrowed. "It's Rex," she told Barry. Rex never called her. If he wanted to talk to her he would just... show up. He wasn't one to hide behind a screen or anything, really.

Barry blinked. "He's calling you?" he questioned. "Why?"

Lily shrugged, but answered it anyway. "Hello?" she spoke carefully.

'Lil, we're meeting at your house,' announced Rex briskly. 'All of us.'

She cocked an eyebrow. "Who's all of us?" she demanded, not really wanting Kent in her house. They had hardly spoken in the last five years and she wanted to keep it that way. "And what's going on?"

'We'll explain when we get there,' replied a very, very different voice.

Lily's jaw dropped as she immediately placed who that voice belonged to. "Jessica?" she exclaimed, aghast. No way. Jessica Cruz was dead, had died with the rest of the League. But that voice was unmistakable. "Rex, explain."

'I will when we get there,' Rex bit out. 'You know I can't do it over the phone.'

She crossed her arms in a pout. "My line is secure," she grumbled. But she knew now wasn't the time to argue. "Then you'd better get you ass over here fast, Stewart." With that, she hung up.

Barry raised a red eyebrow. "So...?"

Lily sighed. "I guess this year's our year, B."

Notes:

I hope you liked it and please review!

Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Notes:

Please enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Gotham Premiere: May 10, 2030

She raised the weapon, but she could not ignore the tremble in her wrist. What the hell was she doing? He wouldn't have wanted this. Ever! How could she even justify doing this? Completing this act would effectively be taking his legacy and shitting on it. Was this worth it? Was anything worth it? No, she decided that it wasn't. "I can't do this-"

The voice in her ear cut her off, harsh and unforgiving. "You have to. I paid you to get this job done."

She shook her head. "He wouldn't have wanted this," she argued. Her eyes didn't leave the eight-year-old with dark hair and blue eyes, happily walking between his parents. How could she subject that innocent child to that kind of torture? She would rather die herself. How had she even considered this?

"Yes, well, he's not here to stop it now is he?" growled her employer. The woman on the other end was not someone used to being disobeyed. "This is what happens without him here, darling. Pull the trigger."

But she threw down her gun, crushing it under her heel. "I won't," she refused. "You can get one of your lackeys to do it because I won't. Screw you, Waller." With that, she turned on her heal.

And as she did so, the sound of two gunshots reached her ears.

OoOoOo

Wayne Manor: May 11, 2030

It was as if she was looking at a ghost.

But here stood Jessica Cruz in the flesh. Lily couldn't take her eyes off her, the last remaining member of the Justice League (other than M'gann, of course). She was missing her right arm and a scar ran across her left eye, but she was alive. Tears unwittingly filled her eyes as she could have collapsed onto the sofa right then and there.

But Lilian Wayne was nothing if not composed. "Explain this," she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

Jessica sighed. "It's a long story," she admitted. "So I'd like to wait until everyone gets here."

She could have growled at the unfairness of it all. She wanted answers now, goddammit! But she refrained from expressing her thoughts, instead moving toward the entrance of the Cave. She grimaced, noting the dust that coated the clock. She scarcely went into the Cave, there were too many memories. Besides, what purpose did she have for being down there other than to stare blankly at her mother and father's cases?

Lily sighed, turning the hands of the clock to 10:47. She watched as the grandfather clock slid open, revealing a long, winding staircase. "You can wait for M'gann and Kent," she announced to the group. "I'll be down here."

She could have hovered, but opted to walk down to the Cave. Everything was just where her parents had left them, Tim, Dick, and Barbara's suits perfectly in place. Only Mom and Dad's suits had been moved by her occasionally. Whenever she felt the motivation to upgrade them. Her mother's for herself and her father's...

Well, she would have to wear the damn thing too, wouldn't she? Lily plopped into Dad's chair. She didn't want to. She didn't have the cunning or the stealth or the patience to be Batman. She may have been smart, but not even that would be enough. She had the fighting spirit of an Amazon Princess, not a Dark Knight. Putting a Batman suit on her would be akin to putting a green ring on Rex's finger. It just didn't fit.

So why did she bother?

"You've been busy these last few years."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Not busy enough," she answered, turning around.

Rex cocked an eyebrow at her, closing the distance between them. "Which one are you gonna take?" he questioned, ever the blunt one. "Because you can't be both."

Damn it all, she knew that. The Justice League needed Batman and Wonder Woman. She could try to juggle both, but it wouldn't work. They needed to embody all seven Founders if they ever wanted to make a difference.

Because those seven had been good at doing the impossible.

Honestly, though, Jessica had been a saving grace. A Green Lantern hadn't been sent to Earth even though they'd lost two of them. Fucking assholes. She knew why Aunt Shayera had detested them.

"I know that Rex," snapped Lily. Hera, she didn't need Rex doing... that! When he could just look at her and instantly know what she was thinking. When it came to the field, she was an open book to him. She hated it. She hated being predictable "Thank you for the reminder."

But Rex just laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Have you thought about asking one of the other Amazons to be Wonder Woman?" he questioned, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

Lily sighed. "Yes," she admitted. But the truth was, she didn't trust the Amazons. Her grandmother was a very stern woman, demanding and no-nonsense. She had a strong distaste for her father and didn't hesitate to make that clear. And she knew every Amazon on the island would blindly follow whatever the queen said. Could she really trust one of them to bear such an important title? She didn't need another Aresia running around.

"But?" he prompted.

She shrugged. "Don't wanna risk it," she answered. "Fury."

Rex nodded in understanding. "Makes sense..." He leaned against the monitor, watching her for a moment. She resisted the urge to fidget as those green eyes bored into her. "I'm gonna keep Warhawk, I think."

Lily smirked. "Not Hawkman?" she teased.

He made a face. "Jesus, no," he replied. "Besides, there's already a Hawkman." He averted his gaze. "Jess being here makes thing easier, I think."

She nodded. "Now we have a Lantern," she agreed. "Though, I am worried about her arm. Did she tell you what happened to it?"

Rex's mouth formed a grim line. "She had to get it amputated," he answered. "Something about a building falling on her. Her arm got caught in the rubble, but it also covered her escape."

Lily's eyes went wide. "Hera," she breathed. She couldn't imagine losing an appendage, though she supposed Jessica was on the lucky side. No one else had been able to escape. A silence settled between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It never was with Rex. He wasn't too talkative, not like Barry was. It was different. Not bad, just different.

The others joined them a few minutes later. Lily took a moment to actually look at them. Rex and Kent were a bit taller and a lot broader since the last time she'd seen them. M'gann had grown her red hair out and even Barry had bulked up a bit. Jessica's hair was also longer, falling to her lower back.

She had stayed the same.

Lily decided to start things off since no one else seemed to know how. "Jessica, how did you survive?" she questioned, her eyes narrowing slightly. She wanted to believe that the woman in front of her was really the same one who would sneak them onto the Watchtower and encourage them to go on their own missions. But she couldn't take that risk. "All League members were declared dead."

Barry glared at her. "Lil," he warned. She ignored him; now wasn't the time for sensitivity.

Jessica, of course, wasn't stupid. "You think I could be a spy," she stated with a nod. Lily held her gaze. "Smart girl. Why don't you use your mom's lasso?"

Obligingly, Lily strode over to her mother's case. Staring at the incomplete suit for a few seconds, she opened the case and carefully pulled out the Golden Lasso of Hestia. Touching this lasso was always a hassle for her; it made her heart stir and her conscious swell. She wondered if Mom had ever felt that way.

Gently, she tied the rope around Jessica's wrist. "How did you survive the attack on the Justice League on May 10, 2025?" she demanded. The lasso glowed a brilliant gold, growing so hot that it almost burned her.

Jessica winced slightly before relaxing. "When the attack hit, John pushed me away," she recalled. Pain flashed in her dark irises. "I avoided direct contact with the weapon. But he didn't think that the Daily Planet would fall on top of me in the explosion. Luckily, my arm was the only part of me that got caught. Had to get it amputated."

Lily nodded, accepting this. "Why didn't you come to us before?" she questioned. Why would Jessica let them believe she was dead? Dammit, they had needed her back then. Why would she wait?

The woman tilted her head. "It wasn't safe," she finally answered. "For me or you. My body wasn't listed in the casualties. They knew there was a chance I was alive. I couldn't risk it until they gave up."

The young CEO raised an eyebrow. "Have they?"

Jessica blinked. "They confirmed my death a few years ago," she said. "What do you think?"

Lily gave a noncommittal hum. "Why now?" she asked. "Why did you approach us now?"

The Green Lantern gave her an odd look. "Haven't you heard?"

She tightened her hold on the lasso. "Heard?" she repeated. "Heard what?" Lily didn't like not knowing things. It was highly frustrating, especially when over three million workers depended on her to have all the answers. Missing even one little thing in her line of work could mean all those workers jobless. She had to see every angle.

"The restriction only lasted five years," Rex spoke up. He watched her carefully. "They've decided not to renew it on account of no one registering."

Lily's eyes went wide. "What?" That was news to her. She looked around at the others, but the only other one who seemed surprised was Barry. "And none of you thought to tell me?"

Henry shrugged at her. "It was on the news," he pointed out. There was an edge of something in his voice. "We thought you knew."

Her lip curled as a biting retort rested on her tongue, but she chose to ignore him. "Let me rephrase, why aren't we doing something about it?" she hissed instead. "This is our chance, isn't it?" Hope filled her chest. This could be it. They could start a new Justice League. They could honor their parents and carry on their legacies. Their mission.

But as Lily looked around, she saw reluctance. Her gaze steeled. "Or has the goal changed for all of you?" she continued slowly.

M'gann bit her lip. "It's just... putting together another League will take work," she pointed out. "We need to construct a base and assemble a team and-"

"The original League started out with just the seven of them!" retorted Lily. "And assemble a base? Do you know who you're talking to? I could have that done in two months at the most!" Frustration pricked her skin. They had agreed that they would pick this back up! And they had just been given the best opportunity. What was wrong with everybody?

Henry glared. "Use that head of yours, Princess, since you claim to be so smart," he bit out. "Do you think that the public will respond well to us? After how decimated Metropolis was? They'd run us out."

She scowled back. "Who cares if they accept us or not?" she retorted hotly. "This isn't about kissing babies, Superboy. This is about doing the right thing and protecting the public."

Rex nodded before Kent could argue. "Lil's right," he agreed. "People aren't always going to love us and that's okay. What matters is that we protect them anyway."

A warm feeling fluttered in Lily's chest. Something about Rex being on her side edged away her bad mood. They understood each other, she knew. When it came to the mission, they worked in sync. They always had. There were certain parts of her that no one, not even Barry, understood. But Rex did.

And that meant the world to her.

"I'm with you," Jessica spoke up. And Hera, she really put all of them to shame. Missing an arm and she still wanted to fight. Respect. "The League gave their lives. I will not dishonor them."

Lily smiled warmly at her before turning cold eyes to the remaining three. "You're either with us or not," she snapped. "Let me know now." She made sure to glare at Barry the harshest because couldn't he have at least told her if he was having doubts? Fighting or not was his choice, but how many times had she made plans to him? How many times had he listened patiently, nodding with everything she said?

The sting of betrayal pricked her heart.

Barry knew it too. "I'm with you, doll," he said immediately. She almost snapped at him not to call her that. "Always. I just want to make sure you know what we're getting into. This won't be easy."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Has it ever been?" she asked wryly. Though, her anger ebbed away a bit. She could never stay angry with him for long. She would, however, give him hell later. She turned her attention to the martian. "M'gann?"

The redhead fidgeted slightly. "I guess... we have to start somewhere," she relented. "Just... keep me away from fire, okay?"

It occurred to Lily that the fire from the blast was what had killed Uncle J'onn. She found herself nodding. "I'll bring a mini fire extinguisher wherever we go," she only half-joked. It meant a lot that M'gann was willing to try, even if she was scared. Finally, her gaze settled on her last obstacle. "Kent?"

As much as she loathed to admit it, Lily knew they needed Henry. He was a powerhouse, arguably the strongest person on the planet. The Justice League wouldn't stand a chance without him. Uncle Clark had saved the day with sheer strength and heart dozens of times.

She only hoped his son could do the same.

Henry held her stare for a moment before scowling. "Fine," he snapped. "But only because I know better than to leave the safety of the planet to you. God knows you'll find a way to fuck it up."

Lily bristled with the comment, but didn't retaliate. She didn't want to risk driving him away. For now, she focused on the elation she felt that they were finally doing this. She had dreamed about it for years and it was finally happening.

They were forming a new Justice League.

Notes:

I hope you liked it and please review!

Chapter 4: Chapter 4

Notes:

So, I've been binge watching Batman Beyond and am now angry that it only has three seasons. Who the hell made that call? Terry is such a little bastard and I love it. Anyway, please enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The Watchtower: January 20, 2023

"Darling, don't be so nervous."

Nightingale scowled slightly as she adjusted her mask for the fifteenth time. "I'm not nervous, Mom," she insisted. She walked between her parents through the long corridors of the Watchtower. Though, truth be told, she was nervous. Of course she was nervous! Who wouldn't be in her situation? It was something she had spent literal years preparing for.

"No, of course not," drawled Batman sarcastically from her other side. The corners of his mouth twitched ever-so-slightly and she could tell he was holding back a smirk.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not nervous," she repeated firmly. She hoped that, somehow, saying it would be enough for it to be true. But really, she shouldn't have been nervous. These were her aunts and uncle for Hera's sake! She had known most of them her entire life. And they all knew what she could do.

So why did her heart feel as though it was going to pound out of her chest?

They finally entered the main hall where she saw many familiar faces. Warhawk, Miss Martian, Kid Flash, and- she grimaced- Superboy were all besides their respective parents/mentors. She immediately schooled her features, wanting to show everyone that she was serious about this. She may have only been fourteen, but she was ready for this. She knew she was.

Even though she felt as though Artemis has just kicked her in the stomach.

Superman cleared his throat, garnering the attention of everyone. "You have all been brought here today because the League has recognized your individual talents and skills," he began. Uncle Clark, always the Boy Scout. Though, she loved him for it. "We have decided that you are ready to begin the next phase in joining the Justice League."

Wonder Woman beamed that winning smile of hers. Nightingale wished she had that smile. "You will be part of covert operations," she continued. "Small stages in becoming fully-fledged. You are our future, the next generation." She seemed to look at Nightingale in particular. "I know you will do us proud."

And Nightingale swore she always would.

OoOoOo

Gotham City Police Department: May 11, 2030

Terry McGinnis was cold.

There was a blanket draped around his shoulders and a warm mug in his hands, but he was cold. He shivered, goosebumps crawling across his skin. People moved around him talking frantically, but he didn't know what they were saying. He didn't care. There was a lump in his throat that refused to go down no matter how many times he swallowed.

"Terrance McGinnis?"

He winced. His name was Terry. No one called him Terrance except... Mom. And that was only when he was in trouble. Like when he knocked over Dad's science trophy. Or when he hit a baseball into Mr. Montgomery's window.

(He'd said sorry for that, even though he hadn't meant it. Mr. Montgomery was a mean old man.)

Still, Terry looked up at the voice calling his name. A woman was staring down at him. Her hair was orange, like Mom's was, but there were a few grays showing to break it up. "Yeah?" he replied warily. He suddenly felt tired, very tired.

The woman held out her hand. "Detective Barbara Gordon," she told him. "I'm sorry to hear about your parents."

His parents. Briefly, his vision was overtaken by red. Red on the ground, red on his parents, red on him. So much red, blood he knew. Mom and Dad's blood. Suddenly, his stomach churned. "T-Thanks," he replied. Mostly because he didn't know what to say. What could he say?

Gordon dropped her offered hand. "Kid, I'm sorry to say this, but we'll have to ask you some questions," she said. Her voice wasn't very nice, but it wasn't exactly mean either.

Terry had seen enough cop shows to know why. "Okay," he answered with a shrug. He clutched the blanket tighter to his body, but it didn't help much.

He was still cold.

OoOoOo

Gotham City: May 18, 2030

Lily hadn't felt this free in years.

She jumped from rooftop to rooftop, the wind billowing against her masked face. Her dark hair flew around her, only barely restrained by her ponytail. And she loved it. She loved the smell of the cool, night air. She loved the thrill she got from leaping through the air. She loved watching over the city like a secret protector. This Nightingale had been stuck in a cage for far too long.

"Are you having fun, doll?"

Nightingale scowled slightly. "I told you that this frequency is for emergencies only," she snapped. Why did she even have the stupid thing? There was no one to contact. And alright, maybe she was taking this newfound freedom a bit too excitedly. But she couldn't help it. She had been stuck in the Hera-forsaken Manor for five years too long.

She could practically hear Barry's grin. "This is an emergency," he insisted. "My best friend is actually smiling."

Her scowl morphed into a pout automatically. "I smile," she replied, a bit defensive. She knew she was serious and grim a lot of the time, but she didn't think that people- Barry included- knew what she did every day.

Being a CEO was not easy for a sixteen-year-old, even one that was a genius. There were technicalities and procedures and the Board of Directors were utter assholes. It was like fighting a battle every day, one far more dangerous than any she had ever fought in Gotham.

When you ran a multi-billion dollar company, you couldn't really be anything but serious.

Barry seemed to sense her tone. "I know," he said quickly. "It's just nice to see you doing something you love, I guess."

Nightingale sighed. "Yeah, I get it," she conceded. She really didn't, but she didn't feel like arguing with Barry tonight. Especially not right now. She decided to change the subject. "Are you still coming on Saturday?"

"Yeah," he answered hurriedly. "Any requests?"

She grinned stupidly. "Mamma Mia." Her mother had liked that movie.

The objection was immediate. "Doll!"

"Both of them."

"You hate me. You must."

Nightingale laughed. "Of course," she told him cheerfully. She was about to continue when something caught her eye. All humor vanished from her face. "Hey, bud? I gotta go." She ended communications before he could ask why and leaped down onto the ground.

OoOoOo

"Stupid kid!"

Terry cried out as he was slammed onto the ground. Pain exploded onto his face as his nose made contact with the concrete. He had never broken a bone before, but he was pretty sure he had now. He groaned, wincing as a boot stepped onto his back. His fists curled as the pain increased, blood splattering onto the ground in front of him.

Thoughts ran through his head at the sight. Mom and Dad had been bleeding too that night. A lot more than he was now, but it was blood either way. His folks had been shot in an alleyway not too different from this one.

And Terry, though young, couldn't help but wonder if he was to meet a similar fate.

Suddenly, the weight was thrown off of him. Air he didn't know had been missing filled his lungs, though he struggled to retain his sight. Everything around him seemed to want to get darker.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed. Just that suddenly, he was being held by a pair of strong, warm arms. "Kid," called out a voice. It belonged to a woman, probably. Though, he wasn't too sure about that. "Kid, I need you to open your eyes. Can you do that?"

Terry groaned, stirring as he tried to do as she said. He managed to open his eyes to meet a pair of white lenses. He started slightly and she was quick to assure him. "Hey, hey, it's okay!" The woman gently set him down, steadying him on his feet. "I won't hurt you, okay?"

He blinked, finding his balance. His vision focused and he saw that the guys who had attacked him were all lying on the ground, knocked out. His eyes went wide. "Whoa... you did this?" he asked, amazed.

The woman beamed. "That's right," she answered. "So, what's a kid like you doing wandering around Gotham this late?"

Terry flushed slightly at being caught. "I..." He lowered his head, suddenly not wanting to admit what he'd done to this woman. But she had been nice so far and even if she was going to bring him back, it was better than being out here. "I ran away..."

She studied him for a moment and he suddenly found her gaze a little uncomfortable. "Why?" she asked simply. "Don't you think your parents are worried?"

His face darkened as he was reminded of that horrible night. He could almost hear Mom's earrings clang onto the ground as she fell. "They're dead," he responded tersely. He wouldn't have been out here if they weren't, that was for sure. The orphanage they had placed him in was awful. They only ate once a day, there weren't enough blankets for everyone, and the worst part was that the head of the orphanage, Mr. Oaken, was mean. Even meaner than Mr. Montgomery.

He hated it there. So he left.

He couldn't see the woman's eyes, but she pressed her lips tightly together. "I see..." She typed something on her wrist before looking back at him. "I've sent a message to the police to take care of these guys. I'm gonna bring you back, okay? I'm guessing Mr. Oaken's Home For Boys?"

Terry blinked up at her. "How'd you know that?" he asked. He wasn't fond of the idea of going back to Oaken's, but anything beat being out right now. Especially since he would have lost his life if not for this woman.

The corners of her mouth twitched slightly. "Well, that's the closest orphanage," she pointed out. "And you're wearing a Handon shirt. The company just donated a bunch of their clothes to Oaken's."

His pain temporarily forgotten, Terry gawked at her. She must have been the smartest girl in the world! "That's so cool!" he exclaimed. "You're, like, a genius!"

At this point, the woman was full-on grinning. "You could say that." She stared at him again and he couldn't help but get the impression that she was analyzing him. "Say, kid, what's your name?"

"Terry," he answered. Because really, was there any point in lying? She already knew he was from Oaken's. "Terry McGinnis."

OoOoOo

Batcave: May 18, 2030

As soon as Lily returned, she tore over to the monitor. "Computer," she ordered. Her voice trembled as she did so, her nerves thoroughly shaken. She was being paranoid, she had to be. It must have been a trick of the light or even her own imagination. It was still close to that day. Of course she was still emotional. Still... "Search Terrance McGinnis."

Of course, the boy was only eight so there shouldn't be much. A profile of Terry came up, showing his picture along with his stats.

Full Name: Terrance Warren McGinnis
Date of Birth: 03-07-2022
Mother: Mary McGinnis (deceased)
Father: Warren McGinnis (deceased)
Residence: Gotham City

Lily stared at his picture for a while, trying to find traces of what she thought she'd saw. Though as she did, she was even more convinced that it was a trick of her mind. Terry didn't look like Dad, that was ridiculous. Yes, they both had blue eyes and dark hair, but that was where the similarities ended. She had spent hours upon hours looking at the portrait of her father and grandparents.

Dad's eyes had been wider than Terry's were, and darker. Terry's cheeks were also a lot thinner and the nose was off. What had she been thinking? She almost laughed with relief. Of course Dad hadn't cheated on Mom. He had been utterly enamored with her.

Also, who would dare cheat on an Amazon?

Lily relaxed, shaking her head at herself. She supposed she just wasn't as used to patrolling, it had been a long night.

A redheaded blur rushed past her and she rolled her eyes. "Didn't know it was Saturday already," she drawled sarcastically. She wasn't stupid, she knew her friend was talking to her more on purpose. Perhaps he was worried or something, but she couldn't help but feel annoyed. Why was he doting on her now of all times?

She could have used more of that in the last five years.

Barry grinned at her. "Yeah, well, I figured you'd be hungry," he replied, waving the Chinese food in his hands. He laughed when her stomach rumbled at the sight.

Lily flushed, thankful for the cover of her mask. "Remind me to shove you out of the nearest airlock when I finish this damned Watchtower," she muttered. Still, she took the offered food, shoving a crab rangoon into her mouth. "Thanks."

"Of course, doll," he replied easily, plopping himself into the chair in front of the monitor. She rolled her eyes, but was suddenly sobered when he focused on the screen. A curious expression came over his face. "Hey, Lil?"

"What?" she demanded, already next to him. Had he seen something she couldn't? Or had he seen what she thought she'd saw? "What is it?"

Barry tilted his head, his dark eyes thoughtful. Sometimes, she forgot how sharp he could be. "This kid," he replied slowly. "He looks kinda like you did, don't you think?"

Lily blinked, turning to study the picture more closely. Again, apart from the dark hair and blue eyes, she couldn't make out a match. "I... don't really see it," she admitted. Then again, she hadn't really started to pay attention to her looks until she hit eighteen. They were left in silence for a moment as she racked her brain.

"Computer," she called again, her voice trembling once more. "Bring up files from the Mordred mission." She remembered that story. Her parents along with Uncle John and Uncle Clark had allowed themselves to be turned into children by Morgaine Le Fay to stop her power-mad son. It had been one of Mom's favorite missions.

Instantly, pictures appeared. All four of them were tiny, the tiniest she'd ever seen them bar her father's portrait. Uncle John had dorky glasses on and Uncle Clark was far from Superman. Dad, of course, still had his mask on.

But Lily found her eyes settling on her unusually tiny mother. Her mouth dropped open in a rare show of shock as she looked between her and little Terry. The cheeks, nose, and eyes were almost exactly the same. Even the shades of their eyes were similar. If she didn't know any better, she would say Terry could have been her mother's brother.

Or son.

Notes:

Unpopular opinion: Terry's always looked more like Diana than Bruce to me. I don't know, it's just always seemed that way. I can't be the only one who thinks that. But disregarding my WonderBat obsession, it would make sense for Waller to use Diana's DNA. Batman aged and would succumb to mortality, so why not use the DNA of an immortal? But again, that's just me. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!

Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Notes:

This chapter thoroughly kicked my ass. Anyway, please enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Wayne Manor: May 20, 2030

Lily pondered her findings relentlessly.

Mom definitely hadn't been pregnant when she was thirteen. There had been no nine-month missions or anything of the sort. There had been no pregnancies. In fact, they had been led to believe that she couldn't have any more children at all. She had been her mother's first and last child. There was no way that Terry was hers. It just wasn't possible.

And yet, the resemblance between them was uncanny. Looking at her own childhood photos, she could even see Barry's point. She'd always favored her mother in physical appearance. Terry could easily pass for younger her's twin brother.

She racked her brain for a reasonable explanation. Perhaps Terry was a distant relative? A descendant of Hades, maybe? Hell, he could even be a descendant of Hippolyta, though she severely doubted it.

Though, that raised the question. What if this was the doing of the Gods? They were known to tamper with mortals, especially her family. What if they had created Terry or something? Could they have wanted another successor to her mother? Perhaps she hadn't been good enough for them. The thought made her bristle with insecurity, the insecurity she had been pushing down for years.

Lucky for her, Barry didn't suspect anything. He'd made a joke in passing, but that was about it. She had convinced him to go home under the pretense that she wasn't feeling well, which hadn't been far from the truth. Her stomach had started feeling queasy that night.

Lily rand her hands through her dark hair. This was just about the last thing she needed at the moment. Establishing a Watchtower was proving difficult as she was having trouble tipping her funds in her favor. It would have to come from her personal account, unfortunately, as she couldn't think of a way to get the board to fund it without tipping off her identity.

There was also the matter of establishing themselves as the new Justice League. To defend the world against terror. To take a stand against the assholes that took their parents from them. And, hopefully, to inspire other heroes to join them in their crusade.

Easier said than done. But if the original founders could do it, they could too. After all, who raised them?

Lily had to smile at that. Perhaps they had been trying to avoid it, but her parents had made her like them, in a lot of ways. She had a short temper and impatience like her mother. She was also intolerant and cold like her father. They had given her parts of them. Perhaps the worst parts, but they were still them. And she needed every ounce of them she had to honor them.

Now, if Kent could be more like Uncle Clark, that would be great. Though, she didn't see that happening anytime soon.

OoOoOo

Her suit was almost done.

Lily admired her work, noting the changes she had made to her mother's uniform. Instead of red, white, and blue, her suit was entirely black. All of the gold had been replaced with silver as well. It also began a little higher on her chest and stopped at mid-thigh as she knew she would never have the courage to wear it was it originally was. The only things that remained the same were her bracers and the lasso, as golden as ever.

She grimaced as she looked it over. This wasn't the uniform of a beacon of hope and perhaps that was a good thing. No one could ever imitate her mother's light, especially not her. No, she was just here to uphold the legacy, to honor Diana of Themyscira and all that she stood for.

A poor replacement, at any rate. Still, she would have to do.

Now, she just needed a place to establish Wonder Woman II. Gotham was out of the question, she couldn't risk exposing herself as Nightingale or Lily Wayne. Her mother had been fond of a little town named Gateway City. Perhaps that was a good start. She knew that Rex was working in Detroit, Barry in Central City, and Kent in Metropolis. Jessica and M'gann were also aiding the public, though they were more widespread.

It was time for Wonder Woman to return.

Lily bit her lip, figuring that it was as good a place as any. She had to start somewhere, right? She would have to start on that soon.

Suddenly, a notification came up on the computer, grabbing her attention. She sat down in the chair, opening the email. 'Keep an eye on McGinnis,' it warned. Her eyes went wide, her fingers slipping on the keyboard. "Computer!" she barked. "Who is this from?"

'Analyzing... unknown'

Lily cursed under her breath, typing back a message of her own. 'Who are you and what do you know about the boy?' She vaguely wondered if she was talking to the person who killed Terry's parents. If that was true, whoever it was better hope that she didn't find out who they were. Rage for Terry burned in her veins as she thought about what someone had subjected the poor boy to.

The reply came a few seconds later. 'Just that someone wants to hurt him. Don't let that happen.'

The warning made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Someone wanted to hurt Terry? Was this person implying that Mary and Warren McGinnis had been targeted? She thought that their murders had been suspicious. The police report had stated that they were attacked from above.

Should she have paid more attention to the similarities in their murder as opposed to her grandparents'?

'What is that supposed to mean?' she typed back. A few minutes later and there was still no answer. She spat out the most vulgar piece of Themysciran she knew, driving her foot into the steel floor. It made a sizable dent.

What was she supposed to do now?

OoOoOo

Mr. Oaken's Home For Boys: June 8, 2030

Well, it was official. Terry's life officially sucked.

He growled as he was shoved to the side as a couple of older boys passed, his cheek smacking into the wall. It took everything within him not to fight back. The two boys were older and bigger, he stood no chance against them. Unfortunately, he had learned this the hard way his first week here. His arm still hurt from when one of those jerks twisted it the wrong way.

His stomach rumbled loudly and he groaned. Whatever crap Oaken gave them once a day obviously wasn't filling. God, he missed Mom's cooking. And Dad's lectures may have been boring, but they definitely beat listening to Greg Nail go on and on about how his parents had been filthy rich and he had an inheritance waiting for him. No one cared, yet they all had to listen as he droned on and on.

Terry sighed, nursing his bruising cheek. He guessed he really just missed his parents. He would give anything for them to be here, alive and with him. He just wanted to pretend that everything- starting from that night- was just a bad dream. That he would wake up and Mom would be there and everything would be okay.

But, as he was quickly learning, this was reality. And he had to deal with it.

"McGinnis!" barked a voice. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes as Oaken stalked up to him. Of course, no one could miss the large, hulking middle-aged man. He had a pinched face and bushy eyebrows and intimidated everyone around him, even adults. Oaken, he suspected, was the reason some kids hadn't gotten adopted yet. "Someone's here to see you."

Terry blinked. "Really?" he questioned suspiciously. No one ever came to see him. Mom and Dad didn't have any family, it was just the three of them. Who could it be?

Oaken glared down at him. "Did I stutter, boy?" he snapped. "Move it!"

Terry actually did roll his eyes this time, but did as the crotchety old man said.

OoOoOo

When he got to Oaken's office, a woman was waiting for him. She had the brightest blue eyes he had ever seen and impossibly dark long hair. She wore glasses and really fancy business clothes, kind of like what his mom would wear sometimes. She was very pretty, as pretty as Mom had been. Once her eyes settled on him, she gave him a dazzling smile that temporarily threw him off. "Hello, Terry," she greeted softly.

Terry blinked up at her, regarding her warily. "Hi..." Just because someone looked nice didn't mean they were. Bobbi Summer was pretty too and she was also pretty nasty sometimes. Besides, she knew his name. He didn't trust people he didn't know who knew his name, that was a red flag in all the cartoons he watched.

But the woman simply kept smiling. "My name's Lily," she told him. "Lily Wayne. I-" She stopped, her gaze focusing on his cheek. "Did something happen to your face?" Oh, right. His face. He'd forgotten about that.

Before he could answer, Oaken cut in. "Simple roughhousing, Miss Wayne," he said in that way that meant to stop talking about it. But he said it with a smile which never happened, so Wayne must have been someone important. "You know how young boys can be."

Something cold and chilling shifted in Wayne's eyes, but it was gone in half a second. "Of course," she replied, her smile now a bit forced. Huh. If she could see through Oaken's crap, maybe she wasn't too bad. "I would watch that, Mr. Oaken. Could cause a problem if the wrong people found out about it."

Definitely not too bad. Especially now that Oaken was looking red in the face.

Wayne turned her attention back to him. "As I was saying," she continued. "I, well, I'm sorry to hear about what happened to your parents." She cringed at her own words and he appreciated that she knew how useless those words were. "I know that there's no replacing them, but if you need a home then I'm more than happy to give it to you." She watched him with wide, anticipating eyes. "If you want it, of course."

Terry didn't trust this woman. There had to be some sort of catch or... something. No one just appeared out of the blue and offered you a home. The boys who had been here all their lives proved that. What was she up to?

Still, he thought about the crap he had to eat every day. He thought about the lack of blankets and clean clothes. He thought about the 'roughhousing' and the pain in his arm. If he went with Wayne, could he escape all that? He hoped so. Because there was no way he could stay here for another ten years.

So, he looked up at Wayne's pretty, sincere blue eyes. "I... I think I want it," he finally answered her. Anywhere had to be better than here. Even with this strange woman he didn't know.

The smile she gave in return almost melted his worries away. Almost.

OoOoOo

Washington D.C.: June 10, 2030

Amanda Waller was a patient woman. One had to be, when in her position. Things may have not gone exactly to plan lately, but no matter. She could manipulate things, she always did. And right now, her pawns had no idea who was pulling their strings. Beaumont thought she was so clever. Well, no one walked out on her and got away with it.

The woman would pay, surely, but not right now. She had bigger things to worry about right now. Besides, Beaumont had helped in ways she had no idea about. The little fool.

"Ms. Waller," spoke a guard, saluting to her. "The papers have gone through. The boy is now in Lilian Wayne's custody."

Her lips curled into a smile. "Excellent."

Notes:

So, yeah, Waller's tripping. And I know it was fast, but next chapter will discuss Lily's turmoil in her deciding whether or not to adopt Terry. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!

Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Notes:

Please enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Batcave: May 22, 2030

Lily hadn't slept in the past two days.

Terry McGinnis wouldn't leave her mind. If she wasn't thinking about how much he looked like her mother, then she was thinking about the apparent threat against him. Why? What was so special about the boy? Why were Warren and Mary McGinnis targeted in the first place? The couple hadn't been poor, but they certainly hadn't been Thomas and Martha Wayne. And that had just been a random mugging itself.

As far as she could tell, neither Warren nor Mary had any criminal connections. In fact, their records had been almost squeaky clean. No record of even a speeding ticket in Warren's case. So who would go to the trouble of planning out their murder?

And what did any of this have to do with her? Yes, Nightingale may have been seen talking to him, but so what? Robin, Batgirl, and Nightwing all had their own records of chatting up the people they rescued. None of it had ever come up again, according to her files. There was no connection between them.

Unless there was a connection between them.

It made Lily sick to her stomach. What if, by miraculous circumstances, Terry was related to her? It should have been impossible, but was it really? In this life, one couldn't overlook any possibility.

Obligation weighed heavily upon her. If Terry was related to her, didn't that make him her responsibility? Her family? The only family she had left...

Lily swallowed thickly, shaking her gloved hands. Now wasn't the time. She had to get onto the streets and protect her city. Dad would have wanted that and Lilian Wayne never disappointed her father.

OoOoOo

Nightingale easily stopped three muggings, broke up a brawl, and stopped an attempted robbery. Damn, things had changed since she first dawned the mask. Gotham was full of idiots nowadays who couldn't even commit a crime right. It was too easy, even without using her powers. She almost wished she had an arch-nemesis, but knew that she would make plenty once she debuted as Wonder Woman.

The 'W' on her chest was really just a shiny target.

As she glided, a building caught her eye. 'Mr. Oaken's Home For Boys,' the sign read. Nightingale wanted to hit herself; now she was doing it subconsciously! Something about Terry McGinnis was just drawing her closer and closer. Hera, she couldn't avoid it.

Giving into herself, Nightingale risked a peek into one of the windows. She almost immediately spotted Terry, slumbering peacefully... on the floor. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest and she actually flinched. What the fuck, wasn't that illegal? Why was an eight-year-old boy sleeping on the damn floor? And without even a single blanket!

She had half a mind to report this. But she knew she couldn't. It risked the kids being even worse off than they already were. Still, it was tempting.

Grounding her teeth painfully, Nightingale forced herself to move on from the building.

OoOoOo

Metropolis: May 25, 2030

"By my calculations, the new Watchtower should be done by late February," Lily announced to the other five. Her hands fidgeted slightly; she was more than eager to get back to Gotham. She never could stand to be in Metropolis for too long. But apparently, Kent was sick of going to Gotham all the time. Stupid brat. "Maybe sooner if I can get more people working on it. Hopefully, by the time the government notices, it'll almost be done."

To her right, Rex nodded. "We need to be prepared to make our debut," he added. His green eyes hardened slightly. "And for the inevitable backlash."

Jessica's lips formed a thin line. "Not to mention we might be ordered to stop," she tacked on. "There's been a push for the act to be reinstated. And if that happens..."

Her jaw clenched in irritation. "It won't," she assured the group. She would do whatever she had to if it meant preventing the act. She would underhanded methods, she would flaunt herself around every charity ball and elegant gala. This act would not be reinstated. She was only a kid the first time around, but she wasn't anymore.

She would not be deterred again.

Kent looked like he wanted to make a snide comment, but Barry elbowed him. "We trust you, doll," he intervened, giving her a smile.

Lily raised an eyebrow. 'Do you?' she wanted to challenge. The redhead certainly wasn't acting like it lately. He kept checking up on her and something about that rubbed her the wrong way. She didn't care if she was the youngest, she was capable. And if Barry was so concerned, he should be telling her instead of hiding behind false pretenses.

But she gave him a dazzling Wayne smile. "Thank you," she said through gritted teeth. If Barry noticed, he didn't say anything. "Anyway, I think we're done here. Stay safe, everyone." Everyone nodded and dispersed, except for Kent who leaned against the threshold of his small apartment.

Lily rolled her eyes, intent on stalking right past him. Kent had always had a problem if it involved her, she'd gotten used to it by now. As long as he didn't get in her way, she was content to ignore him. She would hope that he would extend the same courtesy to her.

"You're a kid."

Or not.

Her fists curling at her sides, Lily faced him fully. "I'm twenty-one," she reminded him testily. "I'd hardly call that a kid."

Henry's violet eyes narrowed. "You're in over your head, Wayne," he snapped back. "You go about like you're the worlds saving grace, like you're the only one who can possibly save everyone. But you're just a spoiled princess stuck in her parents' shadows. I'll say it again; you can't fix this."

She bristled at the mention of her parents, but did her best not to let it show. "Watch it, Kent," she warned, straightening to her full height. She was still a bit shorter than him, but not by much. She was an Amazon, after all. "My father left me a myriad of tools at my fingerprints. This includes a safe full of kryptonite. Don't push me, Boy Scout."

With that, she stomped past him, making sure to damage the wood floor a bit.

OoOoOo

Lily stepped outside and was surprised to see Rex waiting for her. "Oh good," he remarked with a grin. "I thought I was gonna have to break you up."

She gave him a weak smile in return. "Not this time, Stewart," she joked. Though, it really wasn't an exaggeration. She and Henry had never gotten along, even before they got involved with the League. It just got worse as they got older. They'd even exchanged blows a few times. The only one who could ever get them to stop, bar their parents, was Rex.

She wasn't sure what the case was with Kent, but Lily respected Rex. She always had. He was serious when it came to the mission, something she wholly appreciated. She loved Barry, but his jokes could become grating when she was trying to focus. Rex always trusted her word and valued her intuition, he had since she was fourteen.

She adored him for it.

Rex chuckled, but then his green eyes settled on her. His gaze was so intense that she almost found herself uncomfortable. "Something's on your mind," he noted. "You okay?"

Lily shrugged. "Define okay," she replied.

He searched her face for a moment before gesturing for her to follow him. "Walk with me for a minute, Flower," he prompted.

The use of his old childhood nickname for her drew her attention. He only ever called her that when he was appealing directly to Lily, not Nightingale or the wealthy airhead. Just Lily. "Okay..." she agreed hesitantly.

She followed him down the Metropolis street, wondering what in Hera he had planned.

OoOoOo

They found themselves at a little cafe not too far from Kent's apartment. "Why are we here?" Lily asked as they took a seat at a booth with their drinks. This was out of character for the man across from her. He seemed more... cryptic than usual. No, the Rex she knew was unafraid to say what was on his mind, no matter what. A trait of his she admired greatly.

Rex shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee. "You don't seem like yourself," he told her. "I thought you were gonna punch West through the wall. What's up with that?"

She winced; how noticeable had she been? "Just stressed I guess," she brushed off. Talking about her feelings was a difficult concept for her. Not because she wanted to close herself off, but because she hated being the source of attention.

It was easier as the airhead party-girl. She could throw herself into that part of her life without really thinking about it. It was nice, taking a break from using one hundred and ten percent of her brain.

Rex cocked an eyebrow. "Well, I guess running a billion-dollar company will do that to you," he commented dryly.

Lily blinked, tilting her head. No one ever really acknowledged the work she had to do as CEO. Not her board members, not Barry, and certainly not the vultures who called themselves the paparazzi. "I, well, yeah," she stuttered, her usual eloquence gone. "I guess so." She took a sip of her hot chocolate to avoid talking.

He crossed his arms. "You know, they say talking about these things help," he pointed out, sarcasm evident in his tone.

This only served to irritate her. She slammed her cup down, though she was careful not to use too much strength. "Oh, yes, because you've been such a great listener these past five years," she hissed. Alright, maybe she was a bit bitter with him and the others.

It was hard, being forgotten. She'd had no one to talk two these past years. Barry spent time with her, of course, but not often. He was only doing so now that capes were legalized again.

Was she destined to be alone? Preordained to rot in the old Manor until she died?

Suddenly, Rex's hand was on hers, stopping it from trembling. Odd, when had that happened? "I know," he admitted. For the first time in his life, Rex Stewart sounded regretful. "I'm sorry, Flower. I should have been looking after you."

Lily pulled away. "It's whatever," she muttered. Damn it, she shouldn't have said that. Mental note: keep a better handle on her emotions. Especially in front of Rex. He expected her to be detached and levelheaded. She couldn't jeopardize that.

He seemed to get the hint and pulled his own hand back. "Just remember I'm here if you need to talk," he assured her. Awkwardly, he averted her gaze. Of course, the half-Thanagarian was the worst in social situations, so she should appreciate what she had.

She bit her bottom lip, thinking. To be fair, she could use advice right now. Namely, Terry. Maybe the man across from her couldn't help. But maybe he could give her another perspective. "Rex, what would you do if... if there was a piece of your family out there? Like a secret cousin or something?" That was vague enough, right?

Rex stared at her for a minute. "Is this hypothetical?"

"Sure."

He shrugged. "Do my best to get to know them, I guess. I mean, why wouldn't I? Family's family."

Lily sighed. "What if getting to know them involved more?" she inquired. "Like, more time and responsibility and emotion?"

His green eyes seemed to take in her every facial feature. "This doesn't seem hypothetical," he noted. "Is... Is everything okay with you?"

She shrugged, standing from her chair. "Is it ever?" she shot back. She gave him a halfhearted smile. "I gotta run, but thanks for the hot chocolate. We should do it again soon."

"But Lil-"

Lily blew him a kiss, already halfway out the door. "Bye," she sang. She'd gotten the answer she needed form this conversation.

OoOoOo

Batcave: May 26, 2030

She'd found a piece of stray hair on her Nightingale suit. It wasn't hers, she knew, because it was shorter than any strand on her head. There was also the fact that her hair was tied back when she was Nightingale, usually hidden under a hood. It couldn't have been hers. Though, to be sure, she ran a DNA test. Not one that would prove blood relation, but one that would confirm an identity.

As she thought, the hair wasn't hers.

The hair belonged to Terry. Biting her lip, she placed the hair in the computer's slot. "Computer," she instructed. "Run a paternity and maternity test for the subject."

'Analyzing,' came the machine's reply. She waited a few moments before there was a beep. 'Maternity and paternity matches found.'

Lily steeled herself, facing the computer's screen. Sure enough, the pictures of both her parents popped up. Mom was smiling warmly, as she always did. Dad's face was blank as always, his cowl firmly in place. She ran the test two more times, same results. Her stomach churned as she realized what this meant.

Terry McGinnis was her brother.

Notes:

So, the thing about Rex. Don't worry, him and Terry will still be at odds. Don't think that I'm forsaking that because I am, in fact, really looking forward to it. Also, just a warning, this fic will show Max a lot of love in the near future. We stan this icon. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!

Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Notes:

So apparently, Terry was born in 2023, NOT 2022 *facepalm* I should have researched that better. But for the sake of this story and all the math I put into it, can we just pretend? Please? Anyway, please enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Wayne Manor: June 12, 2030

Living with Wayne was strange, to say the least.

His new room was big, way too big. His parents' entire living room could have probably fit in it. It had cool stuff too; game systems, a laptop, a flat-screen TV, and a bunch of other stuff. The bed was huge too, so huge that he couldn't even sleep in it without feeling like he was drowning. He's taken to sleeping in the bay window. It wasn't nearly as comfortable, but it had a really nice view of the city.

Gotham looked so far away now. He was so distant from everything...

Wayne was nice enough, he guessed. She constantly asked if he needed anything and made sure he always had enough to eat. Compared to Oaken, she was practically a saint.

Though, she was really busy.

To be fair, she did run a really big company. Dad had worked for Powers International and constantly talked about the partnership between them and Wayne Enterprises. Dad had been a really busy man, so he could only imagine Wayne's workload. Still, it got a little lonely sometimes.

Terry sat at the bay window, looking out at the faraway city. He wondered if Wayne ever got lonely. She lived in such a big house and she was so far from everyone else. Did she have any friends?

Not for the first time, he wondered where she had come from. Who just picked up an orphan boy? It would have been one thing if she'd been 'window shopping,' as the other boys called it. But she'd gone there to ask, specifically, about him. Why? What purpose could she have had? And... And why had she chosen him? He wasn't anything special.

He didn't belong in this fancy manor.

Sighing, Terry climbed off of the window and walked out of his room. The halls were long and winding and really, how did she live here alone? There were so many rooms! Eventually, he found himself in the den where he could hear her talking animatedly.

"Yes, I know I'm twenty-one, West," Wayne snapped to whoever she was talking to. He guessed she was on the phone. "I also know that I run a multi-billion dollar company on my own." Silence. "Would you stop nagging me? I can handle it alone. I've been handling things alone for the last five years."

Some quick math told Terry that she'd been alone for five years. That was a long time. He didn't know how he'd manage to be alone for five years. He kind of felt bad for her.

Wayne's tone softened. "I'm sorry I snapped, Bar," she apologized. "Just... don't worry about me, okay? I got this." She was quiet again. "I gotta go, okay? I'll talk to you later."

She walked into the room and she honestly looked a lot less stiff than when he'd first met her. Instead of her fancy work clothes, she now wore sweats and her hair was in a loose ponytail as opposed to the tight bun she'd worn. She smiled kindly at him. "Hey, kiddo," she greeted carefully. "Do you need anything? Are you hungry?"

If he didn't know any better, he'd say she was more nervous than him.

Terry looked up at her. She was really tall, taller than Mom had been. "I guess I'm a little hungry..." he admitted tentatively. He didn't want to always bother her for things, he knew she was busy. Still, she was so nice he was sure she wouldn't want him to starve.

Wayne grinned. "Well, any requests?" she asked.

He thought about this. His first night, she'd ordered catering from Rhino's Chili. His second night, she'd happily taken him to Cheezy Dan's. Last night, they'd simply ordered a pizza and she'd let him choose any toppings he wanted. Takeout was nice, but Terry was really missing his mom's cooking. She'd made a mean steak.

Terry bit his lip. "Uh, I kinda want spaghetti," he told her. Mom and Dad hadn't made it a lot, but he'd tried some at Dana's house once. He liked it a lot. "But I don't think there's a place that delivers it..."

She laughed. "I can cook, you know," she replied teasingly. Her smile stirred something in him, a memory he could only barely grasp. Where had he seen that smile before? "Go sit down in the kitchen and I'll see what I can do."

He looked up at her and shrugged before doing what she said. In a place so big, you'd think she'd have maids and butlers and chefs waiting on her. Or at least bots! She obviously had enough money to get some. Why didn't she?

Wayne was a weird lady.

OoOoOo

Terry sat at the island table for about half an hour before a plate of steaming hot pasta was dropped in front of him. Wayne stood in front of him, a satisfied look on her face. "Go on," she urged. There was something really happy about the way she was looking at him, as if he'd made her night. She really was weird. "Try it. Tell me what you think."

Hesitantly, Terry twirled some pasta onto his fork and pushed it into his mouth. Instantly, his tongue thanked him and he grinned. "Dish isth eelly goo."

She blinked. "What?"

He chewed, then swallowed. Jeez, if Mom had been here, she would have scolded him for talking with his mouth full. He might as well have given Wayne a list with reasons to haul him back to Oaken. "I said this is really good," he clarified, flushing in embarrassment.

Wayne beamed. "Thanks, kid," she replied happily. "It's good to know I haven't lost my touch."

Terry tilted his head. "What do you mean?" he asked, stabbing a meatball and popping it into his mouth.

She was still smiling, but it turned a little sad. "When I was about three, our family butler passes away," she told him. "I don't remember him much, but he did leave me something." She produced a small, brown book from behind her. "My parents were awful in the kitchen. He left me this with a note saying that someone had to take care of them." She tenderly thumbed through the pages. "I spent years learning how to make everything in here."

Silence drew over them as she stared down at the book. For a second, he was scared she would cry. He hated it when girls cried. When Nash made fun of Chelsea's pigtails, he'd been useless as Dana comforted her. But then Wayne's bright expression was back. "Anyway, I'm glad you like it," she continued. "You can have as much as you like."

He smiled. "Thanks." Honestly, he would have been happy with anything that wasn't the sludge Oaken had forced down their throats, but he was glad that Wayne could cook.

Maybe things wouldn't be so bad here. Then again, things had a habit of not going Terry's way.

OoOoOo

Gotham City: June 21, 2030

Lily found it hard to leave Terry every night.

Of course, Wayne Manor had the best security money could buy. And of course, she was keeping eyes on the manor from afar. But still, anything could happen. She wasn't fond of taking risks, not when his life was on the line. Besides, she knew how scary the dark, empty manor could be at night. Hera forbid he wake up in the middle of the night and she wasn't there!

Nightingale grimaced as she wrapped up an attempted robbery by a gang of Jokerz (honestly, these amateur kids wouldn't know a Joker if he hit them over the head with a can of laughing gas). Maybe everyone was right. Maybe she was in over her head here. She was young, younger than Dad had been when he'd taken in Dick. And Dad had been blessed by having Alfred there.

Hera, she needed an Alfred.

But she didn't regret taking in Terry. He was wary of her, but she absolutely loved having him around. What little free time she had was spent with him. She'd take him to the park or out for ice-cream. She loved seeing that smile on his face (Mom's smile, she had realized).

And she was also more determined than ever to solve the McGinnis' murder.

She needed to, for him. She could see it, the darkness festering in Terry. It reminded her so much of her father that it was scary. The last thing she'd wanted was for Terry to end up like Dad. Yes, he'd let Mom in eventually, but he had done so nearly too late. He'd been fifty when she was born, after all.

She didn't want Terry to end up alone, too consumed by darkness and grief to let anyone in.

Unfortunately, she had little to no leads. Whoever had done this was smart. The parking garage cameras had been disabled and the few witnesses had only heard the gunshots. No one had seen anything and no one knew where they'd come from.

Maybe she could get some information out of Barbara. She was the one heading the case, after all.

She would have to look into it more. Hopefully, catching the bastard that had killed Terry's parents would give the boy some peace.

OoOoOo

Wayne Manor: June 22, 2030

"Miss Wayne?"

Lily grimaced. "You can call me Lily, Terry," she reminded him, not for the first time. Though, she supposed he was right to be careful. Coming from a place like Oaken's she would have been on her toes too. Perhaps they weren't at the point of familiarity. On a side note: maybe it was a good idea to report that bastard. "What is it, kiddo?"

Terry picked at his pancakes. "Do you think the cops'll ever find the guy who killed my folks?" he asked quietly.

Her heart could have broken right then and there.

Lily swallowed, trying so very hard to mask her bleeding heart and unbridled rage. How could someone do this to a child? How could someone knowingly strip an innocent boy of his parents? "I... I hope so," she replied. Maybe it wasn't the sturdiest answer, but she wasn't going to lie to him.

It was Gotham's Finest they were talking about. Idiots. She didn't want to get his hopes up.

Besides, the police might not find the bastard, but Nightingale sure as hell would. She didn't care if she had to postpone Wonder Woman's return. She would make sure Terry got justice.

No matter what it took.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Instantly, Lily tensed; it wasn't often she got a visitor. "Stay here for a minute," she instructed the boy softly, moving toward the door. Carefully, she opened it, more than ready for a fight.

"Whoa, kid, fists down! I surrender."

She blinked, taking in the graying hair and missing right eye. "Dickie?" Since when did Dick Grayson deign to visit her? He stayed as far away from Gotham, and her, as he could. She was surprised that he even managed to call her every year. "What are you doing here?"

Dick regarded her for a minute. He wore a smile on his face, though his left eye held a certain coldness that she wasn't used to receiving from Dick. That had usually been reserved for Dad or Barbara, not her. "I heard about your new bird," he informed her. "Not something I expected you to do at twenty-one."

Lily's jaw clenched. Of course, she'd already heard this from Barry, but it was different with Dick. Dick had always been confident in her abilities, so she knew that wasn't what he was worried about. Why was he here then? "Yes, well, I'm an ambitious woman," she answered carefully. She stepped aside. "Would you like to come in, Dick?"

He shook his head. "No," he answered. His one eye glinted. "Just be careful, Lily. The old man went this route too." With that, he turned and fled before she could stop him.

Lily was left to ponder his words.

Notes:

Apparently, in the DCAU comics, Joker temporarily paralyzed Dick and took out his eye. Crazy. While I'm straying from the comics a bit (a lot) I thought it'd be cool to include that. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!

Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Notes:

I know it's been a while and I'm sorry. It's just been... crazy lately. Anyway, please enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The Watchtower: December 6, 2016

Lily took in everything with fascination. She'd seen pictures of the Justice League headquarters on the news, but never of the inside. It was so big and there was so much to see. There were more buttons than she could count and various screens to watch and so many heroes! Yes, her parents were Batman and Wonder Woman, but she'd never seen so many capes in her life!

It was a little overwhelming. Lily hovered closer to her father. He was stone-faced, but that wasn't really a surprise. He was like that at home too. Still, he laid a hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed.

"Daddy?" she questioned softly.

Batman's covered face turned to her. It was hard to picture her farther's cobalt eyes behind those soulless, white lenses. "Yes?" he responded quietly, though his voice was still rough. It gave her the impression that while he wasn't trying to scare her, he still had to be Batman. She understood.

Lily shifted. "Why are we here?" she asked. He and Mommy didn't bring her to the Watchtower. She'd been to the Metro Tower once, but only because Bruce Wayne had funded the construction and they both had made an appearance. She hadn't even gotten to go inside.

The corners of Batman's mouth twitched into an almost-smile. "Your mother and I have a meeting," he told her. "And we thought you'd like to see your friends."

She gasped softly, her head whirling around to see a familiar redhead. "Barry!" she squealed, running over to him. Without thinking, she launched herself into the eight-year-old's arms and pulled him in for a crushing hug. He didn't seem to mind as he hugged her back. Barry was her best friend and she was sure he was her favorite person in the world.

Except for Mommy and Daddy. But they didn't count because they were her parents.

But Lily soon released Barry when she caught sight of Rex and hugged him too. While Rex wasn't her best friend, he was still very special to her. Even though he was older, he was nice to her and never told her to go away. Whatever he was doing, he would include her too.

Unlike a certain boy.

Henry crossed his arms. "She has cooties," he told the other two as if it was obvious. Ugh, what was he, five? She would have thought that they were beyond cooties. Especially him and Rex since they were nine.

Barry seemed to take personal offense. "She does not!" he snapped, his warm dark eyes suddenly cold. He would get like that whenever Henry was mean to her. Or anyone really. When they were four and five respectively, a boy pulled on one of her pigtails at the park and Barry punched him. He'd gotten in trouble, but he hadn't cared at all.

Rex let go of her, but didn't move away as he rolled his eyes. "Cooties?" he questioned. "Really? How old are we, Henry?" Rex always acted older than he was which was good. It made up for Henry's immaturity.

Lily decided to change the subject, thoroughly passing the chance to argue with Henry. It happened far too often and always put her in a bad mood. "What do you think they're talking about?" she asked quietly.

Barry shrugged. "Dunno," he admitted. "Dad didn't say."

Henry rolled his eyes. "They're just having a meeting," he reasoned. "They have those all the time."

She mimicked his actions. "They have them once a week," she reminded him sharply. "They had one on Wednesday, remember?" She gestured to the group. "We're all here. We're never here."

Rex quickly caught on to what she was saying, he usually did. "They usually have babysitters for us," he continued. His green eyes sharpened a bit as he looked at the conference room door. "They didn't. Something's happening."

Barry fidgeted. "What do you think?"

Lily's lips pressed into a thin line. "Nothing good." She turned to Henry. As much as she didn't like him, his hearing range was a little farther than hers. "Can you hear anything?"

Henry looked ready to argue with her, but then his violet eyes narrowed. "They're... upset," he observed. "Your mom's yelling at Dad. Something about... Candace?" He shook his head, almost looking apologetic. "They're talking too fast."

She bit her lip. "I'm sure it's nothing," she tried to assure the others. It had to be nothing, right? Mommy and Daddy would tell her if something was really wrong. And even if they didn't, they were Batman and Wonder Woman. They would handle whatever it was because they were the best heroes in the world. Everything was going to be fine.

So why did her stomach suddenly feel so tight?

OoOoOo

Wayne Manor: July 2, 2030

The subject of school came up sooner than she expected.

Lily had received an email from Neal Elementary School earlier that morning. Since it was a public school, it normally didn't do return forms like Gotham Academy had (the short time she'd been there before her parents found out she was a genius). But since Terry had been given to a new guardian, they wanted to know if he was going to stay at Neal or transfer someone else 'more fitting their lifestyle.'

It had made her stop and think. She honestly hadn't thought about Terry's education. She'd been so caught up in making sure he was adjusting comfortably that she hadn't even thought about where she was sending him to school come fall.

Her upbringing was telling her to send him to Gotham Academy. He was part of her family now, didn't he deserve the best of everything? Everyone in the Wayne family- including Dick and Tim- had been sent to Gotham Academy. It was what was expected.

But was that what Terry wanted? It was times like these when she had to force herself to think like her mother, not her father.

After pondering it, Lily decided to just ask him like a normal human being would. "Terry?" she called on the intercom. "Would you please come down here?"

A few minutes later, Terry shuffled into her study. He was wearing one of the new shirts she had bought him, but one of his old pairs of shorts. She could tell because they were slightly worn, but still in decent condition. "Am I in trouble?" he immediately asked. He was slowly opening up to her more, but was still walking on eggshells around her.

It was almost like he was afraid she would hurt him. The thought made her want to slap the absolute shit out of Oaken.

Lily smiled warmly at him. "Of course not," she assured him. How could he be, he never did anything. "I just wanted to talk to you about something." She paid very close attention to his face. "I got an email from your school asking if you'll be coming back this year."

Terry fidgeted slightly, fingers twitching at his side. "Are you gonna send me somewhere else?" he asked. His sapphire eyes were slightly hard with the question, which told her what she wanted to know.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do you want me to?"

He stared at her for a moment before shaking his head. "All my friends are at Neal," he told her hurriedly. "Dana and Chelsea and Mike and Henry and- and I really don't wanna change schools."

Lily nodded, glad that she had talked with him. The parenting book she had recently bought told her that communication was one of the most important things. "That's fine," she replied gently. "I'll let them know that you'll be returning. Thank you for being honest with me, Terry."

Terry shifted. "Did you want me to go to one of those fancy schools?" he questioned.

She grimaced. "I was thinking about it," she admitted. Honesty, she recalled, was another important thing. And for all the secrets she was keeping from him, she wanted to be upfront with everything else. "Why?"

He shrugged. "Just asking," he answered nonchalantly. He smiled at her, then walked away. She watched his retreating form for a moment before typing up her response to his school stating that he would be returning.

OoOoOo

Hotel Belle Monico: July 3, 2030

Lily's mother had been good friends with Queen Audrey of Kaznia. Lily herself had gotten along with the woman famously. The queen had given birth to three children; Diana (named after her mother), Henri, and James. Diana and Henri were intelligent and polite and she'd had no qualms about spending time with them. She liked people she could keep a conversation with without wanting to gouge her own eyes out.

James, however, she despised.

Not only was he a lecherous womanizer, he had also become a borderline criminal ever since his sister cut him off. Of course, when you were royalty it wasn't as though once could be arrested. But James had a history of gambling and swindling, skirting just outside the law.

Not to mention how many times he'd tried to get in her pants. It had taken all her willpower not to slap him whenever he'd come onto her. Sometimes, she really wished she didn't have her mother's face.

Unfortunately, he was in Gotham now, staying at the Hotel Belle Monico. He also knew her identity, which was just fucking great. It was also unfortunate that she had to check him out. If he was here, it couldn't have been good. And she would not have a spoiled prince making a mess of her city.

Nightingale easily slipped into the suite, the security system almost laughable. Her eyes darted across the dark foyer, searching for any signs of the pompous asshole. It wasn't long before he'd made himself known, sauntering into the kitchen in just a pair of boxers.

"James," she hissed, causing him to jump.

James whirled around, startled, but his lips curled into a grin when he laid eyes on her. "Lilian," he greeted in his thick accent, approaching her slowly. He was much too close for her liking, but she would not back away. That would show weakness. He brushed his fingers over her arm. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Nightingale slapped his hand away. "I want you out of my fucking city, Prince," she demanded.

His grin didn't fade. "Now, Lilian," he chided. "I'm simply a man here on business." He leered at her, eyes roaming over her slowly. "Though, I may be a little more willing to discuss it with you in my-"

The slits of her mask narrowed into a harsh glare (she'd learned the Batglare early, having to deal with Henry for her entire life). "Leave first thing tomorrow or Queen Diana is going to get a call from me tonight," she threatened. After all, his sister was the only one who could get him in line when even their mother couldn't. He was scared of her for whatever reason, though she wasn't quite sure why.

His blue eyes were suddenly hard. "I have diplomatic immunity," he reminded her testily, confirming her suspicions. He really wasn't that bright, was he? "I don't think the Kaznian ambassador would take kindly to this threat at the next United Nations meeting." His cocky smirk slipped back on. "Besides, I've not done anything wrong."

Nightingale raised an eyebrow. "No?" she challenged. Reaching into her belt, she took out a plastic baggie and slammed it onto the table. "Then would you mind explaining this?"

James pretended to be surprised. "They're bullets," he stated obviously. "What does that have to do with me?"

She rolled her eyes. "They're made out of keel metal," she told him, not that he already didn't know. "And where does keel metal come from, James?" He didn't answer, not that he needed to. Keel metal was native only to Kaznia, the nation had started manufacturing it around fifteen years ago with the resources of their land.

He didn't get a chance to respond as Nightingale lunged forward, shoving him up against the wall by his shirt. Anger suddenly coursed through her veins, her teeth practically grinding together. She was sure she had never hated the prince more than at that moment. But when she spoke, her voice was dangerously soft. "You're gonna tell me something, Prince," she hissed, her nails digging into his flesh.

"Psychotic whore," spat James venomously. "What do you want?"

Nightingale's lip curled. "Who killed Warren and Mary McGinnis?"

Notes:

Oh, plot twist! Does James have something to do with the McGinnis' deaths? Maybe... Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!

Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Notes:

Please enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Wayne Manor: February 14, 2025

Lily examined herself in the mirror. Her long, dark hair was tied back into a ponytail with two curly strands framing her face. She wore a red, knee-length dress with a sweetheart neckline and a gold necklace. She had to admit, she looked good. Not that she ever looked particularly bad, but tonight she wanted to look perfect. It was Valentine's Day, after all, and her first-ever date. She wanted everything to go flawlessly and that included her ensemble.

"Knock, knock," came her mother's teasing voice. The tall Amazon had a wide grin on her face as she entered. "Oh, dearest, you look resplendent."

Lily smiled. "Thanks, Mom," she replied, slipping into her flats. She watched her mother, who was fidgeting. "Yes, Mom?"

Diana beamed at her. "Just wondering if we're ever going to meet this young man," she answered easily. "I never thought that my daughter's heart was attainable. You've turned down everyone else. I just wonder what makes him different?"

She grinned to herself, but outwardly rolled her eyes. "Please, Dad probably already knows," she pointed out. She thought of her date, trying to ignore the fluttering of her heart. "But to answer your question, soon."

Her mother observed her for a moment before leaning forward and kissing her forehead. "I trust you, my Sun and Stars," she whispered. "Just be careful. Don't be afraid to say no and if he tries anything-"

"Turn on my distress signal," finished Lily irritably. Her father had made her carry it all her life. "I know, I know." She kissed her mother on the cheek. "I'll be fine, okay? But I really gotta go."

"Have fun, darling," called her mother as she retreated.

OoOoOo

Wayne Manor: July 16, 2030

Another dead end.

Lily was going to yank her hair out by the roots. The shells of the keel bullets she had collected at the crime scene weren't compatible with the guns used to kill the McGinnis's. Fucking James had sent her on a wild goose chase, vacating Gotham whilst she was distracted. Stupid, spoiled prince. She was barely able to stop herself from flying over to Kaznia and beating the answers out of the rat. Queen Diana may have been her friend, but he was still an heir of the country.

She wouldn't lie, she was nowhere near the detective her father had been. Or Timmy was, for that matter. She was intelligent and insightful, that wasn't in question, but sometimes things didn't properly connect in her head. She had a hard time putting together the pieces to see the bigger picture. She couldn't even really read people like Dick could.

Dad had taught her a lot, but some things were either natural or they weren't.

Lily carefully left the Cave, making sure that Terry was nowhere in sight. It was early enough, but she didn't think that he slept all that much. And really, who could blame him? Nightmares still plagued her and it had been five years. Making sure that the entrance was thoroughly hidden, she stalked upstairs, her limbs feeling heavier than usual.

She would have said it had been a long night. But honestly? It had been a damn long two weeks.

Lily finally made it to her bedroom, flopping onto the large, extremely comfortable bed. Her eyes drooped closed and she felt herself drift away into sleep. She was almost under completely when her alarm blared annoyingly into her right ear.

Slowly, she lifted her head, wishing destruction and pain upon the offending device. She glared daggers at it for what felt like hours- really, only two minutes- before sighing heavily and pulling herself off the bed. "Stupid alarm clock," she muttered disdainfully, trekking over to her bathroom. "Stupid Wayne Enterprises."

Since adopting Terry, Lily had taken a short break from the company. She still worked from home, but she had wanted to let Terry adjust before bringing him along to work with her or getting him a babysitter. Though, she would have to be extremely careful if she got a babysitter. Perhaps it would be a good idea to look into summer camps for him.

Not only was she ready to return to work, but she wanted Terry to become familiar with her workplace. She also wanted to make sure that he knew who he could and could not trust within her company.

Once she had made herself ready, Lily made her way into the kitchen and began to cook. Terry, unfortunately, really liked eggs. She really, really hated them, but she would be fine with toast, bacon, and a cup of hot chocolate (she didn't like coffee either).

A few minutes later, Terry, still in his pajamas, slid sleepily into the kitchen. "Hi," he mumbled tiredly, rubbing his eye.

Lily smiled, setting his plate down in front of him. "Morning, sweetie," she greeted. "Sleep alright?"

He shrugged. "I guess," he murmured back. He picked at his eggs with his fork. "I'm going to your job today, right?"

She nodded, sitting down across from him with her hot chocolate. "That's right," she told him. "I wanted to ask, have you ever thought about camp? I'm excited about having you come to work with me today, but it can get boring even for me. I'm sure I could get you into camp somewhere if you wanted."

Terry shrugged again. "That's cool," he muttered. "I used to go to Camp Awesome, but they closed down."

Lily raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh yeah?" she asked. "Why's that?"

He grinned at her. "One of the counselors tried to set it on fire."

Lovely.

OoOoOo

Wayne Enterprises: July 16, 2030

Terry busied himself with one of the game consoles Lily had bought him upon his arrival to the manor. He played quietly while she worked, careful not to disturb her. She was wearing glasses again and he noticed that she never wore them at the manor. She looked like she was thinking hard as she hadn't looked up from her work for about two hours.

A knock sounded at the door. "Come in," called Lily, still not looking up.

A man dressed in a nice suit and glasses walked in, a kind smile on his face. "Morning, boss," he greeted, walking up to Lily's desk.

Terry watched as Lily smiled kindly. "Lucius," she replied. She, finally, turned away from her computer screen as she adjusted her glasses. "What do you have for me today?"

The man, Lucius, handed her a stack of files. "From the board," he told her. For the first time, he frowned. "The board's pushing for a merger with Powers."

For the first time since Terry had met her, Lily looked angry. Her fist clenched at her side and her face twisted. He decided that she looked a little scary. "We went through this five years ago," she hissed. Her eyes darted over to him and she lowered her voice a bit. "Powers is just looking for an opportunity to take over. I may have partnered with him, but I will not merge. End of discussion."

Lucius shrugged sympathetically. "You know how they are."

Lily sighed heavily, then glanced at him again. "Sorry, Terry," she said softly. "This is Lucius Fox Jr., Vice President of Wayne Enterprises. Lucius, this is Terry McGinnis, my ward."

The man smiled at him, extending a hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Terry," he said kindly. Terry didn't know why, but there was something very kind about the man's brown eyes. "How you are adjusting?"

Terry shrugged. "Okay, I guess," he answered offhandedly. Though, 'okay' wasn't really the right word. Wayne Manor was huge. It was so big, in fact, that the few times he'd dared to go exploring, he had gotten lost. Lily was also so busy that he wasn't comfortable seeking her out during the day. He didn't want to disturb her' he knew she worked hard.

There were also the nightmares. Sometimes, he would be in the parking garage as Mom and Dad bled out in front of him. Other times, he, himself, was on the receiving end of the gun. The assailant's face would be completely covered as they would point the gun towards him. They would shoot and he would wake up.

Usually, whenever he would have a nightmare, he would sneak into his parents' bed and sleep with them. But... It wasn't like he could do that with Lily. Really, she wasn't his mom. It would just be weird.

Besides, all he really wanted in those moments were his parents.

Lily and Lucius talked for a little bit, using big words he didn't understand, before he finally left. Once he did, Lily buried her fingers into her hair and released a huff of agitation. Terry looked up from his game. "What's wrong?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing, Terry," she assured him, smiling weakly. "Nothing you need to worry about, anyway." She checked her watch. "You hungry? It's about time for lunch."

Terry realized that he was, in fact, hungry. "Yeah," he answered.

Lily stood up. "Come on," she urged, walking toward the door. "Let's go get something to eat."

He nodded, putting the game down on the chair and joining her. They walked down the long hallways for a while before he looked up at her. "Mr. Fox is nice," he told her honestly, taking her hand. He didn't particularly know why, it was just a feeling he had.

She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "He is very nice," she agreed, smiling a bit. "His family has been allies to the Wayne's for decades. His father was a great friend of my own."

"What happened to your parents?"

The words flew out of Terry's mouth before he could stop them. It had suddenly occurred to him that he had never asked her before. But they had to be gone, right? It wasn't like she was old, but she lived alone in such a big house. That meant that she was an orphan like him.

This was confirmed by the sad way her eyes fell. Shoot, he hadn't meant to make her feel bad! He just couldn't help himself. He shouldn't have asked. He didn't like to think about what had happened in that parking garage. Of course she didn't want to talk about it!

Lily stopped walking, making him stop too. She was quiet for a long time and Terry was afraid that she was mad at him. She hadn't gotten mad at him yet, but now he had gone and ruined it. What if she didn't want him anymore? What if she gave him back to Oaken?

He'd ruined it. He had only lived with her for two weeks and he had ruined it.

But when she looked at him, Lily didn't look mad. Sad, yes, but not mad. "Have you heard about the Battle of 2025?" she asked quietly.

Terry racked his brain. He recalled that his teacher had mentioned it vaguely a long time ago. That was when the Justice League had been destroyed, or something like that. And after that, there were no more superheroes. He had only been three at the time, so he didn't know much. "Yeah," he answered quietly, wondering why she was bringing it up.

Lily breathed in deeply through her nose. "My parents were caught in the crossfire," she revealed. Her bottom lip trembled slightly, like it had when she had talked about her family's butler. But this seemed much worse. "They were in Metropolis at the time."

He instantly felt bad. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, taking her hand. He felt bad for bringing it up, especially since she was so upset. He had never seen her so upset before.

She was quiet again before she gave him a shaky smile. "Not your fault, kiddo," she assured him, all traces of sorrow wiped from her face. "Now come on. If we hurry, we might have time for ice-cream."

Notes:

A few things. I know that the beginning flashback seems... out of place. That's intentional. Try to connect the dots. Also, sorry for the short chapter! Another, I've made a prequel (sequel?) Justice League story to this called Far From Home. The new League gets sent back in time and come face-to-face with their parents. There will be... slight spoilers to this story. But they aren't too bad. Check it out if you want.

With that being said, I hope you liked it and please review!

Chapter 10: Chapter 10

Notes:

When you update after a year. Sorry for the delay my friends! I've been busy with Far From Home. I know it seems like I abandoned ship for that story, but FFH really helps me map out what I want to happen between Justice League Unlimited and this rendition of Batman Beyond. Check it out if you have the time. Also, fair warning, some things may be rectified. Anyway, I hope you like it and please review!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Neal Elementary School: September 1, 2030

Lily was exhausted.

She hadn't felt this tired in half a decade. Between Wayne Enterprises, the formation of the Justice League Unlimited, patrolling Gotham as Nightingale, and looking after Terry, she felt like she would keel over any minute. And it must have shown on her face because her ward was peering up at her with concern.

"You look tired," he commented innocently.

She hummed, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. Coffee would have been better in this situation, but she hated it. Nothing would ever change that, not even exhaustion. "Late night," she told him cryptically.

Terry seemed to accept this answer as he walked beside her up to the school's gate. "You should get Mr. Fox to take over for you," he told her. "For, like, a week or something. Then you could take a vacation."

Lily snorted. "Think so?" Ugh, if only. If she could, she would leave the League in Lucius' hands without a second thought. He was so much more put together than she was.

Unfortunately, this was her burden to bear alone. And she would gladly carry it on her shoulders, even if it dragged her down.

Lily absentmindedly adjusted Terry's coat for him. It was chilly for early September, even by Gotham's standards. She was glad she had ordered their fall clothes ahead of time. "Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?" she asked for the tenth time.

In all honesty, she was probably more nervous than Terry himself. Lily couldn't help it; kids could be cruel and thoughtless. There was bound to be at least one comment about his parents.

Terry huffed. "Yes," he insisted, annoyed.

She put her hands up in defense. "Okay, okay," she relented. "Just... call me if you need me, okay?" Eight years old might have been young for a phone, but she knew Terry would need one. Being connected to the Wayne family was dangerous; he needed to be able to get into contact with her at all times.

He nodded, his little nose red against the cold. "I will," he promised. He seemed to ponder something before wrapping his arms around her in a tentative hug, surprising her. Neither one of them was too comfortable with initiating physical contact yet. "If you promise me you'll go to sleep."

Lily laughed. "Sure thing, kid," she readily agreed, running a hand through his soft hair. She did have some time between now and her meeting on the newly constructed Watchtower. Getting some sleep didn't sound like a bad idea. "Have a good day."

Terry smiled up at her. "You too," he replied as he pulled away. And then he was gone, rushing into the school building. Lily watched his retreating figure until he was gone, a bit forlorn.

She would miss having him around the house all day.

OoOoOo

Terry easily found his classroom. In the doorway was a kind-looking woman with soft brown eyes and a warm smile. "Hello, there," she greeted, holding out her hand. The classroom behind her was decorated brightly. "You must be Terry. My name is Miss Kyle."

He took her hand. "Hi," he said quietly. This woman seemed nice, but he wasn't really in the mood for talking; his stomach was churning with anxiety. He almost wished he had let Lily walk him in, then at least he could have held her hand.

Miss Kyle waved him inside. "The desk with your name on it is yours," she told him. "You can go ahead and hang your coat up in the closet. Then take a seat and talk to your classmates."

Terry nodded and did as she said. His desk was in the middle of the third row, which kinda sucked because it wasn't close to the window or the door. He supposed he had no other choice than to pay attention. He kept his backpack by his feet, resting his elbows on the desk.

"Terry!"

His attention was taken by a familiar voice. "Dana?" he questioned as the girl sat next to him.

It was, in fact, Dana Tan, his best friend, who had plopped down next to him. "Hiya!" she greeted with a smile, setting one of her sparkly notebooks on her desk.

Terry hadn't expected them to be in the same class this year. They were separated last year and he had been so miserable because of it. "How was your summer?" he asked, genuinely curious. He hadn't gotten to see her after what had happened in May.

He'd missed her.

But Dana's smile ebbed away some of that distress. "So cool," she gushed. "Daddy took me and Mommy to Disney! I wanted to send you pictures but-" She stopped herself, her big dark eyes suddenly sad. "I'm sorry about your parents, Ter."

Terry winced, his dad's patient smile and his mom's sweet laughed flashing through his mind. But he quickly shook that off, grinning through the sudden pain in his heart. "S'okay," he said. No, of course it wasn't okay. But he never liked to see Dana upset. He guessed pretending everything was fine would have to do if it meant she didn't look at him with big sad eyes.

"You got adopted, right?" asked Dana, curious. "I saw you on the news with... Lila?"

He surprised himself with a laugh. "Lily," he corrected her. "And yeah, she took me in a few months ago." And Terry still had no idea why- out of every other kid in the orphanage- she chose him. What could she have possibly wanted with him, a scrawny no one?

"Do you like living with her?"

Terry shrugged. "S'okay," he said again. The Manor was cold and much too big, and Lily's presence only made up for it sometimes. "How was-?"

"Well, if it isn't McGinnis. Or should I say Wayne now?"

'Kill me,' thought Terry morbidly as Nelson Nash took a seat on his other side. Of all the rotten luck! He took a deep breath and counted to ten; it was going to be a long year.

OoOoOo

The Watchtower: September 1, 2030

It was around one o'clock that Lily got the call.

Unfortunately, it happened to be in the middle of her first Justice League meeting. Her cheeks warmed as Barry, M'gann, Rex, Jess, and Henry turned to look at her with critical eyes. "Oh, fuck off," she huffed at them, standing up. "It's Terry's first day of school, I couldn't have it on silent."

"Still playing Mommy?" commented Henry snidely, not for the first time. Out of everyone, he'd had the most to say about her decision. She graciously flipped him off before stepping out of the meeting room into the hallway.

Lily cursed once she saw it wasn't Terry's cell, but the school. She answered it, pleasantly masking her voice. "Lily Wayne speaking," she chirped.

"Miss Wayne, we need you to collect Terrance from school." The secretary detailed how Terry had gotten into a physical altercation and needed to be picked up after a conference with the principal.

'Oh, fuck me.'

Sighing, Lily thanked her and hung up, drudging back into the meeting room. "I have to go," she announced. "We'll continue this later."

"Skipping out already?" teased Barry. "Tsk, tsk, doll."

She childishly stuck her tongue out before taking the teleporters back to Earth. The original Justice League had seemingly moved their base of operations to the Metro Tower to appease the public, secretly constructing a new Watchtower for specific tasks such as tracking alien invasions.

Both had been destroyed five years ago.

As far as Lily was concerned, the government could cry all they wanted to. They had ripped away Earth's greatest defense. Now they could live with the consequences.

She materialized in the Cave, sighing as she slipped her uniform off. Hera, she had no idea how her mother had done it; the stupid thing had been riding up her thighs the whole day. She wondered if there was a way to fix that.

Lily also wondered if she would have to scold Terry or go off on the school for incompetence. She wasn't looking forward to either.

OoOoOo

Neal Elementary School: September 1, 2030

Well, he was going back to the orphanage.

Terry couldn't help but assume that was the case. He had punched Nash, more than once. And now he himself was sporting a black eye. Why would Lily want a brat that got himself into fights all the time? She wouldn't, Terry knew that. He also knew that his own mother would be very disappointed in him.

He had promised her weeks before her death that he wouldn't let Nash's words get to him anymore.

The principal sat at his desk, glaring down at Terry disapprovingly. Nash's mother was sitting with him just next to Terry, wailing about her 'poor baby boy.'

Oh, spare him. This was why Nash felt like he could say and do what he wanted. Because his doting mommy spoiled him rotten and his wealthy, busy father couldn't care less what he did.

(Living with Lily, Terry was sure that Nelson's dad just didn't like him. If Lily could run a company on her own and still have time for him, then there was no reason for Nelson's dad not to spend time with him. Though, if Terry had a son like Nelson, he probably wouldn't like him much either.)

The principal sighed. "We've contacted your mo-" Terry glared at him. As much as he liked Lily, she wasn't his mother. He had a mother. "Excuse me, we've contacted your guardian. She should be here shortly."

Terry expected as much. He just hoped she wouldn't send him back.

Speaking of Lily, the door swung open and there she was. She looked considerably less tired and her hair was tied up in the way it always was when she had a meeting. Her outfit was different, which Terry found odd.

"Excuse my tardiness," she said politely. It always boggled his mind how she could switch from swearing left and right to completely proper. "I was in a meeting."

"Take a seat, Miss Wayne," instructed the principal. "We were just about to discuss-"

"How your hooligan attacked my baby boy!" screeched Mrs. Nash.

Terry winced at the sound, and Lily's eyes turned just a bit colder. Uh-oh. "Excuse me?" she replied coolly.

"Miss Wayne," cut in the principal nervously. Oh, so he must have seen it too. "According to their teacher, Terry punched Mr. Nash during recess and a fight broke out. She didn't see everything, so she sent them both here."

Lily nodded in approval. "Fair," she remarked before turning to him. "T, you wanna explain?"

Terry was almost surprised she was asking for his side of the story. He hung his head, letting his messy dark hair curtain his face. "He said it was a good thing my parents died," he admitted to her. "Because now I get to have whatever I want because you have so much money."

And that was why he had punched him. He liked Lily, he was happy she had decided to take him in, but she wasn't Mom and Dad. He would gladly give up her entire fortune if it meant things returning to the way they were. He missed them every time he closed his eyes and that awful, horrible night replayed itself in his head constantly.

He just wished it would all stop.

The room was quiet for a few moments. Through his hair, Terry took a peek at Lily's face. It was completely expressionless; he had no clue what she was thinking.

Then, "So let me get this straight." He flinched at her tone. He had never heard her use that tone before, not even when the stuffy old board members were giving her trouble. She was looking at Nelson's mom. "You had the audacity to call Terry a hooligan when your delinquent of a son told him it was a good thing his parents were gone?"

Mrs. Nash looked terrified, but tried to defend herself. "I-"

But Lily stood, her imposing height causing her to loom over the room. "As someone whose parents also passed away, I wouldn't take too kindly to a comment like that either. It's no wonder Terry acted the way he did." She faced the principal. "Mr. Hank, Terry shouldn't have hit, Nick, was it?"

"Nelson!" squawked Nash. "And McGinnis is a liar. Mom, I never said-!"

The door flung open again, making Terry jump. "Please don't punish Terry!" begged Dana, her pigtails slipping out of her hold. "Nelson was saying awful things about his parents-!"

Lily's cool demeanor shifted, a feral smile curling on her face while Mrs. Nash paled. "Well, what do you know," she said triumphantly. "A witness."

"They're best friends!" Nelson argued. "She's just sticking up for him!"

If possible, Lily's smirk grew. "Ah, but this young lady here couldn't have known what Terry would have 'made up,' now could she?"

The principal, Mr. Hank, adjusted his glasses again. "In light of the evidence, I will have to punish both boys," he decided. And Terry was alright with that. He had hit Nelson, after all. "Terrance, you will have two days of detention. Nelson, you will have three."

"What?" demanded Mrs. Nash. "Why does my son have a harsher punishment?"

"Because while we don't tolerate violence here, Mrs. Nash," said Mr. Hank sternly. "We also don't tolerate bullying. Miss Wayne, you're free to take Terry home if you'd like."

Lily's face softened. "I think that's a good idea," she agreed. She held out her hand to him. "T?"

Terry stared at her hand for a moment, then took it. "Can we get ice-cream?"

"If you want," allowed Lily. She stopped in front of Dana who was looking at her with wide eyes. "Hey, thanks for all your help, kid. What was your name?"

"D-Dana," said Dana nervously. Weird, Dana was never nervous.

Lily held out her other hand. "Well, thank you for your help, Dana. You're welcome to come over and play with Terry any time."

Terry huffed. "We don't play, Lily; that's for little kids! We hang out."

She laughed, ruffling his hair. "Of course, of course!"

Notes:

Finally done. A little extra long to make up for my absence. No flashback, though. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!

Chapter 11: Chapter 11

Notes:

Halloween special two days late let's gooooo.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Wayne Manor: October 31, 2030

Lily's eyebrows furrowed as she looked at her ward. "T," she said imploringly. She had never been one for begging, especially not to an eight-year-old, but she was pretty damn close at the moment. "I will buy you any other costume. I will buy you every other costume. I will buy you an entire costume store. Just, please, for the love of God, don't wear-"

Terry shook his head. "I'm Superman," he said adamantly, peering up at her defiantly.

She stared at him, her face nothing short of disgusted. "Wouldn't you rather be Flash?" she offered. "Or Warhawk?" Hera, at this point she would even let him be Platic-Man. Anything but Kent.

"They don't have laser eyes," Terry pointed out. "Superman is the coolest."

Lily groaned. She couldn't quite argue with that. Not even she had laser eyes. "Fine," she agreed begrudgingly. It wasn't as though she had much of a choice, anyway. It was already five o'clock and while she was sure she could get him a last-minute costume if she really wanted to, he wanted to be Superman. And this night was for him to enjoy.

That didn't mean she had to like it.

"Dana and Chelsea should be here soon," she told them, attempting to change the subject. She had met Chelsea Cunningham approximately two weeks after first meeting Dana and had taken a liking to her when both Terry and Dana had introduced her as a new friend. According to Terry, she was always in trouble for talking during lessons, not doing her work, and pulling silly pranks on her teachers.

As Lily saw it, the poor girl was misunderstood and had communicated that much to Berry and Rex on the Watchtower. Rex had given her a dry look while Barry had doubled over with laughter.

Assholes.

The doorbell rang, alerting Lily to their guests. "That must be them," she said to Terry with a smile. "Are you ready to go trick-or-treating?"

Terry nodded, giving her a rare, genuine smile. "Uh-huh!" he exclaimed, hurrying toward the door. He practically threw it open, revealing his two friends. Chelsea was dressed as Supergirl- Kara Kent, though Lily had never met the woman- and Dana was dressed as her version of Wonder Woman.

(This caused Lily's heart to swell, though she would never admit it.)

Lily leaned against the doorframe with a grin. "I didn't know tonight's theme was superheroes," she commented, causing the girls to giggle.

Dana's mother rolled her eyes fondly. "Wonder Woman is all Dana talks about lately," she revealed. "Ever since she saved that preschool in Boston-"

"Mom!" whined Dana, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

But Lily beamed. "She is pretty cool, isn't she?" she said, winking. Dana grinned up at her. She looked down at Chelsea, who seemed particularly proud of her costume. "Supergirl, Chels? She wasn't around for very long."

"I know!" said Chelsea, excitedly. "But I saw some old videos last month and she was so cool!"

Lily laughed. "She was, wasn't she?" Although, Supergirl had been a taboo subject growing up, that never stopped Lily. She had hacked the Batcave and dug up some old footage when she was seven. Of course, she'd just had to show Barry, Henry, and Rex. Henry had been totally transfixed by the screen. That was one of the only times the two of them hadn't argued.

"And she was blond, like me!" added Chelsea.

"Lower your voice, Chelsea."

Lily barely kept herself from glaring at the man standing behind the young girl. Mr. Cunningham was a wealthy, no-nonsense art collector and single father. It was clear to see he had little patience for Chelsea's exuberant energy and need for fun. More often than not, he ended up dimming her bright light.

She would be lying if she said it didn't irritate her.

The little blond frowned and it was clear her mood had soured. Mrs. Tan gave him a sidelong glance that was none too friendly, but didn't say anything about it. "Well then, Lily, are you sure you'll be alright with the three of them. I don't mind going with you."

Lily waved off her concerns. "Of course not," she assured the older woman. She really liked Dana's mother; she reminded her of her own. "You and Mr. Tan have a nice time tonight. I'll have her home by 9:30."

"Lily," whined Terry.

"9:30, Terry."

OoOoOo

Upper East Side of Gotham: October 31, 2030

While Terry was annoyed that Lily wouldn't budge on curfew, he was excited nonetheless. Last year, he had been sick on Halloween and had to miss out on trick-or-treating. Instead, Mom and Dad had stayed in with him and let him watch scary movies. He'd had nightmares for a week after that, but it had been so worth it.

He was even more excited to have Dana and Chelsea with him. They had been planning their superhero theme for about a month now. Initially, Dana and Chelsea had fought over Wonder Woman- threatening to ruin their plans- but then Dana had discovered Supergirl and was sold. And now the two of them were matching, which he thought was pretty cool.

It was even cooler to know that Lily was taking them to the rich neighborhood. According to Chelsea, they gave the most candy and the biggest chocolate bars. They had already almost filled up their bags and it hadn't even been an hour yet!

Dana and Chelsea were chatting excitedly ahead of them and Terry tugged on Lily's sleeve. "Did you go trick-or-treating over here?" he asked.

Lily looked down at him smiling. "Sometimes," she answered fondly. "Sometimes, I was in Central City or Detroit or Metropolis. It depended on the year."

He blinked up at her. "Do they have better candy or something?" he asked stupidly.

She laughed. "No, silly," she told him, ruffling to his hair. He suspected she deliberately uncurled his cowlick. "I had friends there and we would take turns every year on which city we would go to."

But that didn't sound right. It wasn't like those cities were close; all three of them were in different states. How would she have even made friends so far and spread out? He didn't mention it, though; she was rich after all. Who knew how many friends she had not just across the country, but all over the world?

"Terry!" shouted Chelsea, tugging on his sleeve. "Look, look! Doesn't that place look haunted?"

Terry followed the direction of her finger. The house did look haunted. It was dark and rundown with dead grass and shattered windows. The wood looked like it would fall apart at any moment.

Dana shuffled up to his side. "Chels wants to go in," she said, though he could tell by her expression that she didn't exactly feel the same way. Dana always had been squeamish.

He looked up to his guardian for approval, but Lily was biting her lip. "I don't know, kiddo," she said uncertainly. "There's a story surrounding that house, not a pleasant one."

Terry gave her a dull look. "You're afraid of ghosts?"

"Well, no, but-" She sighed, massaging her temples. "Five minutes. You have five minutes to go look around, but stay near the front door and do not go into those rooms."

He grinned up at her; he knew psyching her out would work. "Come on!" he urged his friends and the three of them rushed into the house.

OoOoOo

Lily had a bad feeling about this.

Unfortunately, she wasn't very good at denying Terry anything yet. She wanted his life to be as carefree as possible, wanted him to have as much fun as he could. She wanted him to be a kid, despite the horror he had been exposed to at the tender age of eight.

Her phone chimed, alerting her to a text from Barry. 'So, Mom, how's the trick-or-treating going?'

Lily rolled her eyes. 'Terry decided to dress up as Superman,' she replied.

'Lol, and you let him?'

'Not like I had much of a choice.'

But she really should have listened to her intuition more. Because the next thing she knew, Chelsea was running towards her, a frightened look on her face. "Miss Lily, Miss Lily!" she shouted frantically.

"Chelsea?" she asked, her heart racing when she saw no sign of the other two children. "What's wrong, what happened?"

"It's Terry!" exclaimed Chelsea, pointing towards the house. Her blue eyes were filled with tears. "Some older boys jumped out and scared us, but Terry's on the floor and he's not moving!"

Lily felt her heart drop.

OoOoOo

'That movie was so cool!'

'Terry, honey, slow down!'

'Oh, Mary, let the boy have his-'

"T? Terry!"

Terry blinked hard, the world around him slowly bleeding back into focus. Lily was standing over him, her blue eyes wide and frantic with concern. "L... Lily?" He squirmed, realizing she was holding him close to her chest. "Where are-? What happened-"

"Oh, T," breathed Lily, clutching the back of his head, his face buried into the crook of her neck. "I'm so, so sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone."

His shirt was wet. Was she crying? His memory slowly came back to him. "Not... Not your fault," he managed weakly. "I wanted to go in."

Now he remembered. The three of them had gone into the house and two older boys had jumped out at them. Dana had shrieked and he had been sharply reminded of that night, when his mother had screamed as a bullet pierced through her skull.

Lily sighed. "You passed out," she told him, helping him to his feet. "I'm sorry, but I think we should call it a night." She dusted him off.

Terry couldn't exactly argue with her, though he was disappointed as he swayed a bit, still unsteady. He had been having a lot of fun with Dana and Chelsea. But Lily was right; he had ruined their Halloween enough.

"Miss Lily, can we stay the night?" asked Dana suddenly.

Oh, they were still here?

Lily bit her lip. "I don't think-"

"Please?" cut in Chelsea. "It's my fault this happened. I was the one who wanted to go in. I don't want Terry to be alone."

One thing Terry had learned about Chelsea was that she was good at getting people to do what she wanted. He could already see Lily's resolve weakening. "I... I suppose if your parents are alright with it," she relented. She then looked at him. "Do you want them to stay over?"

Terry took in Dana's scared eyes and Chelsea's guilty ones and shrugged. "If they want," he allowed tentatively. The girls smiled and hugged him and that made him feel a little better.

OoOoOo

Wayne Manor: October 31, 2030

The night ended with Lily driving them back to the manor after collecting Dana and Chelsea's overnight packs. She suggested that the three of them stay in the living room and they agreed; Terry pointed out that the living room TV was bigger than his anyway. They didn't watch scary movies but they did put on some cheesy Halloween movies.

Lily was glad; they didn't need any more scares tonight.

But the night must have taken a lot out of all three of them, because they fell asleep just before eleven. Lily smiled, snapping a quick picture.

But still, guilt weighed on her shoulders. How could she have been so stupid? She should have never let them go into that house alone. Terry went through that because of her careless decision.

She dragged herself down to the Cave, intent on surveying Gotham from a distance. She wasn't going to leave the three of them alone, but she did want to make sure things were orderly. Teenage pranks were the least of Gotham's worries on Halloween.

But to her surprise, Barry and Rex were there waiting for her.

Lily blinked. "How and why?"

Barry shrugged. "I had a feeling you didn't want to be alone tonight," he told her. "Besides, Halloween used to be our thing, right?"

"Well, yeah," she admitted, glancing at Rex. "But I'm sure Rex had better things to do-"

"Let's go," Rex interrupted, gently tugging her by her elbow back up the stairs. Barry followed them as he led her to the theater. She hadn't used this room in a while; it was the one room Terry avoided at all costs.

Barry held up a bag. "I brought snacks."

Lily stared at them both for a minute before she started to giggle madly. They both looked at her like she had lost her mind before she gathered them both into a hug. "Thanks, you guys," she said, stubbornly pushing away the tears that had begun to form. "It... It's been a rough night."

But watching thrillers with her two closest friends made it just a little better.

Notes:

Not me just realizing that all Terry's friends are girls. Also, Chelsea has my heart. Max is coming in soon, but my HC is that she didn't meet the gang until later. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review! HAPPY (late) HALLOWEEN!

Chapter 12: Chapter 12

Notes:

Please enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Wayne Manor: November 7th, 2030

Terry sat with Dana and Chelsea at the ridiculously long dining room table. The three of them were doing their homework, though he found he was having some trouble. It wasn't that the work was hard, it was actually pretty easy, he just couldn't do it. Or didn't want to. Whichever it was, he was making no progress.

Chelsea seemed to be in the same boat as him. "Ugh, math sucks," she complained, shoving her worksheet away from her.

Dana hummed in thought as she rapidly made her way through the answers. Stupid Dana. "It's not so bad," she reasoned. "I kind of like it."

"Yeah, because you're a nerd," said Terry, a bit bitterly. It was hard not to be jealous of Dana. She had a mom and dad who gave her everything, she was good at school, and everybody liked her. Even Lily genuinely liked her and there weren't a lot of people that Lily genuinely liked.

Dana pouted, a bit of hurt flashing across her face and then Terry felt bad. He shouldn't make her miserable just because he always was. "Sorry," he muttered. Her face softened and he knew he was forgiven.

Lily drifted into the dining room, a plate of cookies in her hands. "Hey, kiddos," she greeted with a smile. She must have had a meeting today because she was in one of her best pantsuits. "Working hard or hardly working?" Chelsea and Dana giggled while Terry rolled his eyes; she used that dumb joke every time they did homework. It got old fast.

Chelsea held out her worksheet. "I need help," she whined.

Lily laughed, sitting down next to the girl. "Let's see what we're working with here," she said. Eyes scanning over Chelsea's work, she pointed to a particular section. "You had the right idea here, Chels, but you made a tiny mistake. Can you see it?"

The blond stared at the page dumbly until recognition lit up in her eyes. "Oh, duh! That's a five, not a two!"

Lily ruffled her hair. "Look at you, smart girl." She turned to him with a kind smile. "Do you need help, T?"

Terry was about to snap that no, he did not need her help when Dana kicked him under the table. From the glare her dark eyes sent him, he knew that she knew what he was going to say and was warning him not to. He sighed, then nodded reluctantly.

Lily beamed, asking her for help usually did that, and took a look at his work. Her lips pursed. "Ter," she said quizzically. "Have you tried any of these?"

He shrugged.

She sighed, her eyes scanning over the page. "Why don't we go over these together later?" she suggested. "Terry, you should show your friends the garden. I'm sure they'd like that."

Terry scrunched up his nose, and groaned when he heard his friends squeal in excitement. What else could he have expected? They were girls, after all. "Fine," he agreed begrudgingly. "Let's go."

Dana and Chelsea each took hold of his wrists and all but dragged him along. Terry sent a rueful glare in Lily's direction, and she smiled back, waving.

OoOoOo

The Batcave: November 7th, 2030

Another day and she was still no closer to finding out who had killed the McGinnis'.

Lily grunted in frustration, banging her fist on the table. This was ridiculous; Dad would have unmasked the culprit months ago. But here she was, grasping for straws. James had obviously been a decoy to distract her; why would he be involved in the murder of two random Gotham citizens? Her distaste of the man had temporarily blinded her, much to her own shame. She should have been more perceptive.

She had never been the great detective her father was. Her expertise was in cold facts, not reasoning. It was hard for her to make the amazing conclusions he had.

Still, there must have been something she was missing. Lily scoured through the information she had.

Warren and Mary McGinnis were the standard suburban couple; steady income, sizable house, and one child. They were both upstanding citizens, she couldn't find so much as a speeding ticket for either of them let alone a connection to Gotham's wretched underbelly. There was no reason for anyone to target them.

The only thing that could have placed a hit on their heads was their son, a genetic match with Batman and Wonder Woman.

Unless this was a random shootout, which Lily knew wasn't the case, Terry was the real center of the attack. The question was, why? Who could have known of his true lineage? Who could have targeted only his innocent parents because of it?

Could the murder perhaps be related to why Terry had her parents' DNA in the first place?

If she was to believe that her parents never conceived Terry, which was the more believable option, could his genetic makeup have been overwritten? Unless it was the work of her mother's gods, that was the most logical option. Lily knew that was technology Cadmus primarily dabbled in, but it had been illegal for almost thirty years. But of course, that hadn't stopped the Joker from-

No. This wasn't the time.

But it did raise the point; Cadmus was the only organization to have nearly perfected genetic technology. Eyes narrowing in suspicion, Lily pulled up the pictures of Terry's parents once more. Staring at them, she was nearly reminded of, well, her grandparents, Thomas and Martha Wayne. Was she crazy or-?

No. No, it couldn't be. Warren and Mary didn't look anything like Thomas and Martha. And yet...

She was paranoid, she must have been. But Lily put all four of them into the Cave's psychological profile function anyway; she had always been paranoid. She leaned back in her seat, waiting anxiously. If the result was what she suspected it to be, then there was a clear culprit. There was only one person on Earth who had the technology, resources, and absolute nerve to do what she suspected was done.

The thought made her blood boil.

As the results came back, Lily braced herself before reading the outcome. She gripped the arm of the chair as the computer confirmed her terrible suspicion.

The psychological profiles of Warren and Marry McGinnis were a nearly identical match for Thomas and Martha Wayne.

OoOoOo

Wayne Manor: November 14th, 2030

Lily had been in a bad mood recently.

She tried to hide it from him, but Terry had been living with her long enough to pick up on the subtle signs. Her smiles were forced, her tone was sharp, and she was spending a lot of time at work. She had called Dana's mom asking if he could go home with them a few times that week.

Her negative energy didn't bother him much. She didn't yell at him like Oaken had and tried her best to hide it from him. Everyone had to feel angry once in a while, right?

The dark cloud hanging over her, however, seemed to ebb away that Saturday as she carefully approached him. "Hey, Ter," she greeted softly, a box of pizza in her hand.

Terry looked up from his phone and waved. "Hi."

Lily set down the pizza box and sat next to him at the dining table. "Thanksgiving's coming up," she reminded him. "I... I know neither of us has much family, but did you want to invite your friends?"

He shrugged; he hadn't given the holiday much thought. It was usually just him, Mom, and Dad. If it was just him and Lily this year, well, he was fine with that. Who else did he have? "Dana will probably want to spend it with her folks," he reasoned. "Maybe Chels?"

She hummed in thought. "We can invite them both," she decided.

They sat in silence for a moment. Terry played with the hem of his shirt and Lily tapped her fingers against the table. Then, "Terry."

He looked at her. "Yeah?"

Lily ran her fingers through his hair for a moment, studying his face. He didn't like it when she looked at him like that; it was like she could see through him. "Terry, the only thing I can hope for is that you stay true to yourself," she said, her gaze suddenly intense.

Terry blinked up at her. "Uh-"

"No matter what anyone tells you," she continued. "You are special because you're you. Just for the simple reason that you were brought into this world."

He didn't quite know how to respond to that.

Whatever trance Lily was in seemed to disappear. "I just wanted you to know that," she told him with a smile. She opened the box of pizza. "Now, dig in. I got your favorite."

He tried to focus on the meal, but her words rang in his head. What did they mean? Was there something she was trying to tell him?

But she never elaborated, so he tried to let it go.

OoOoOo

The Batcave: November 14th, 2030

Lily slipped on her Nightingale suit, her body tense and rage burning in her veins.

She wasn't sure, exactly, what was going to go down tonight. She didn't know if her actions tonight would make her unworthy of holding the Wonder Woman title. All she knew was that Amanda Waller had crossed the line and she had to pay for it.

It was one thing to wipe out the entire Justice League, who knew the risks of their occupations and had taken them anyway. it was another thing to steal the DNA of Batman and Wonder Woman to make a genetic clone of them. And it was something else entirely to murder Warren and Mary McGinnis, two innocents who had just been raising their son in peace.

If she hadn't been disgusted by Waller before, now she was repulsed. People like Waller shouldn't have been allowed to walk the world freely.

As Lily walked towards the Batmobile, she passed the display case with her father's suit in it. She stopped, turning to look at the white slits of The Batman. She could almost imagine her father's angry glare; he would be horrified to know what she was capable of doing tonight.

"Reminiscing, I see."

She didn't turn around. "Leave, Barry," she snapped.

Barry ignored her, coming up to stand on her right. "You've been MIA for a week," he reminded her. "Not really a good look if you want to create a new League." She felt his gaze on her. "Is there something you wanna talk about?"

Lily's jaw clenched. "No."

"Really?" Gone was the playful, aloof tone her best friend was known for. In its place was now something she couldn't quite recognize. "Because I distinctly remember you studying the McGinnis case a little too personally. Weird coincidence that a few months later you adopt the kid who could be your brother."

Was her brother.

"What I do is none of your business," she spat. It wasn't often she was genuinely angry with Barry, but a part of her wanted to shut him up with a punch to the jaw. "You've left me to my own devices for five years, why take an interest now, Bartholomew?"

The use of his full name was a low dig, she knew that, but Lily couldn't bring herself to care. There was no reason for him to involve himself in her business. He wouldn't understand, so why couldn't he just-

A gentle hand was laid on her shoulder. "Doll," he coaxed. "Talk to me. Whatever's going on, we'll handle it, okay? Just tell me what's going on."

Lily's biting response died in her throat. What was she doing? This was Barry, her best friend. She didn't have to hide from him, she never had. Even if he tried to stop her, she couldn't not tell him; she told him everything. She couldn't shut him out, not after-

She sighed, pinning him with a tired gaze. "You really wanna know?" she demanded.

Barry nodded. "You know I do."

So she told him. She told him everything from the moment she had found out about Terry's DNA to her revelation about her conclusion about Waller's involvement. She watched him after she finished, his dark eyes processing the information she had just thrown at him.

Finally, Barry looked at her. "What, exactly, were you planning on doing tonight?" he asked sharply.

Lily met his gaze. "Not sure," she answered flippantly. "The logical side of me wants to question Waller and get her to admit to what she-" Her voice cracked and she cursed herself. "What she did to him. The other side of me wants to end her."

He looked alarmed at that. "Doll-"

"I know," she snapped back. "I know it isn't right to even think of it, I know killing Waller would have drastic consequences on us all. I know my parents would be ashamed of me. But Barry-" She swallowed down the lump in her throat. "On Halloween, I took Terry and his friends trick-or-treating. They went to look at this old house a-and some brats jumped out to scare them. Terry, h-he-"

A tear escaped, rolling gently down her cheek. She didn't wipe it away. "He shut down, B. I could see that entire night play out in his eyes, as if I was there that night. The devastation in his face-" She stopped talking, knowing she was close to breaking down.

Barry's face softened. "Oh, Lily," he whispered, bringing her in for a hug. "I'm so sorry. I know that can't have been easy for you."

Lily buried her face into his chest. "She caused that, Barry," she whispered. "She took his parents from him. And for what? A sick science experiment? She's a monster."

"I know," he murmured, running a hand through her hand. "And one day, we'll bring her to justice, doll, I promise you." His tone shifted from comforting to serious. "But you can't confront her tonight. We're too fragile; even if you go as Nightingale, we can't risk direct vigilantism with someone as important as her just when the League's getting on its legs."

She didn't answer him. Lily's mind knew he was right, but her Amazon heart demanded vengeance. Still, she would have to reign it in; this wasn't her decision to make. She couldn't risk the revival of the League even though she so desperately wanted to.

Terry was too young, he wouldn't understand anyway. The death, or even incarceration, of this woman would mean nothing to him.

She would have to wait. For now, at least.

Notes:

Was not expecting for this chapter to be so long. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!

Chapter 13: Chapter 13

Notes:

Yes, yes, I know I'm late just read it and like it ok?

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Wayne Manor: November 28, 2030

Lily spent the entire morning cooking.

Exceptional at it though she was, even she had to admit that it was a lot. Doing something for Thanksgiving was a foreign concept for her; her mother had never celebrated the holiday before having her and after Tim, Dick, and Barbara left her father, he'd had no reason for doing anything either. The only significance the day held for her was that her parents would clear their entire day schedules, they would order catering, and they ate together as they normally did.

Sometimes, they would invite the other Founders and their families, but they more often than not had prior engagements. Henry and his parents normally went to Smallville, and M'gann and Uncle J'onn didn't celebrate Thanksgiving. Barry and Rex and their parents had come over a few times, but not often.

Christmas had really been when they had all gotten together.

But of course, after the battle five years ago, none of them had reason to celebrate at all. Because Hera forbid they find comfort and solace in one another.

Regardless, Lily was determined to make this day special for Terry. Even if she had to drive herself up the wall to do it.

"Shit!" she hissed as her macaroni boiled over. She quickly covered the pot, wincing as her hand grazed the metal. The turkey was in the oven and her mashed potatoes were simmering, as were the collard greens. She could do this.

Her cell phone rang, making her jump. "Hello?" she answered quickly, nudging the device between her chin and shoulder as she stirred the pot in front of her.

'Hi Lily!'

Despite herself, Lily smiled. "Hello, Chelsea," she greeted. She didn't remember giving the small blond her number, though the girl might have harassed Terry for it. "Did you ask your father?"

"Uh-huh!" she answered enthusiastically. "Dad doesn't care what I do so he wanted to know if he could bring me around one."

Lily barely stopped herself from scowling. "Of course, dear," she agreed, though she was annoyed with the man's actions. Who dropped their kid off at a stranger's for Thanksgiving? Granted, she wasn't a stranger to Chelsea, but Mr. Cunningham had barely spoken two words to her. Dana's parents had been adamant about their daughter spending the day with them, which Lily respected. But for Chelsea's father to drop her here without a second thought-

Maybe she was being too critical. Being a single parent wasn't easy. But the fact that Mr. Cunningham didn't even seem to want Chelsea around upset her.

'Great!' said Chelsea. 'I'll be there!' She hung up before the woman could reply.

Lily chuckled to herself, glancing at the threshold as she heard the sound of little feet approaching. "Hey, you," she said, smiling at the sight of a disheveled Terry. "Sleep well?"

Terry rubbed his eyes. "How long have you been up?" he asked.

She glanced at the clock. It was ten now and she had never gone to bed after last night's patrol. "Um, a few hours now," she answered hastily, handing him a cinnamon Pop-Tart. He didn't like the strawberry ones. "There's an outfit for you in your closet and Chelsea will be here at one. We'll eat after she gets here."

He nodded, clearly still half-asleep. "Lily?"

She held out the spoon in her hand for him to try the mashed potatoes. "Yes dear?"

Terry obediently tried the food. "Little more salt," he murmured, quite used to being her taste tester. "And I was wondering... do you have any friends you want to invite?'

Lily stilled, peering into those blue eyes that were nearly identical to her own. Sometimes looking at Terry was like looking in a mirror. "I... have a few," she answered carefully. In all honesty, she had thought about inviting Barry, Rex, M'gann, Jessica, and (begrudgingly) Henry. She had thought that, maybe, Terry's arrival in her life was the start of a new family and maybe she could include them in it.

But she hadn't worked up the nerve. They had barely had anything to do with each other for the past five years, so why would they start now? Not even Barry had come by on the holidays to see her and she had never asked. If he wanted to be here, he would show up just like he always did.

Though, he hadn't come around often other than on the dreaded anniversary of their parents' deaths. Why would he now?

So, Lily smiled down at her young ward. "They're all too busy with their own families," she lied. They were orphans, they didn't have families anymore. "This day is really for you and Chelsea, okay?"

Terry looked at her, then shrugged. "Okay," he said agreeably, munching on his Pop-Tart. "I'm gonna go get ready."

She ruffled his hair. "You do that, kiddo." He ran off and Lily sighed, the steam from her cooking food making her forehead sweat. They were going to have a good day today. She wouldn't let her feelings ruin that; Terry deserved a good day. He deserved as many as she could possibly give him.

OoOoOo

'Well this is depressing.'

Terry winced at the thought, berating himself for such an ungrateful comment. Even if it was silent, that didn't change the fact that Lily was trying her best. And she was doing this for him. He had no right to be as critical as he was.

But he couldn't help it. They had this entire manor to themselves, but it was just the two of them. Sure, Chelsea was joining them today and she and Dana came home with him almost everyday, but it wasn't the same. The manor was huge, looming, suffocating at the best of times. How had Lily lived here on her own for so long?

Terry pulled out the outfit she had put in his closet; jeans, boots, and a red flannel shirt. Simple enough, Lily was never over-the-top unless she cooked. He could only imagine the feast she had prepared for three people.

He put the clothes on and, as usual, they fit perfectly. He guessed that was what happened when one could afford a personal tailor. He dreaded the day he would have to go back; that had been the most uncomfortable experience of his life.

He wandered into the dining room. Lily had changed the normally white tablecloth to a brown one with pumpkins on it. She had also decorated the front steps with pumpkins and that was the extent of the holiday spirit around Wayne Manor. Not that Terry cared too much for Thanksgiving decorations.

The doorbell rang, pulling him out of his musings. "Terry!" called Lily from the kitchen. "Get that for me please?"

"On it," he called back. Terry answered the front door to meet the eyes of his blind friend. "Hey."

Chelsea beamed, springing forward to hug him. "Happy Thanksgiving, Terry!" she exclaimed, wearing a pretty light pink dress. She released him just in time for him to catch her dad speed off and he scowled.

Jerk. He understood why Nash's dad hated him, but Chelsea was the sweetest person around. She deserved better than that.

"Come on," Terry urged her, leading her into the house. "Lily's almost done cooking. You can sit down."

Chelsea obliged, marveling at the table. "Your house is so pretty," she marveled. Terry didn't think so. Lily's lack of decoration aside, he didn't think that Thanksgiving, in general, was pretty or appealing in any way. Christmas was pretty and Halloween was spooky. Thanksgiving was just... there.

"I hope everyone's hungry!" announced Lily, balancing two pans in her palms. How she didn't burn herself, he would never know. "I have macaroni and mashed potatoes and I'll bring out the greens and turkey in a minute. Oh, and I also have rolls."

Chelsea's eyes went wide at the size of the pans. "That's so much food," she gasped.

Ugh, Terry knew it. Lily totally overdid it. That meant leftovers for at least a week, great. Still, she was trying. "Thanks, Lily," he deadpanned.

Lily smiled at him, setting the pans down. "I'll be right back," she told them, hurrying back into the kitchen.

Chelsea watched her with stars in her eyes. "She's so cool."

Terry scrunched up his nose. "Sometimes," he conceded. Lily could be cool when she wanted to be. Like when she told off Nash's mom, that was epic. But other times, when she was on him about bedtime, she was decidedly less cool. But of course, Chelsea never saw that side of her.

Lily returned, this time with the turkey, rolls, and greens somehow all perfectly balanced. "I wasn't sure what you liked, Chelsea, so forgive me for the starch. The two of you can grab plates and help yourselves."

Chelsea grinned. "I like both!" She then immediately proceeded to stack her plate, making Lily and- despite himself- Terry laugh.

OoOoOo

Dinner went well. The food was amazing, though he was loathe to admit it. Lily could really cook. Chelsea was all smiles the whole time, which made Terry happy. It seemed like she was smiling less and less. He wasn't sure if that was due to her father or the teachers being harder and harder on her. Either way, he didn't like it. Chelsea wasn't a bad kid.

Lily brought out pie once they were finished eating- apple and pumpkin- along with a tub of vanilla ice-cream. Terry immediately went for apple while Chelsea dove for pumpkin. Lily chuckled and quietly made a bowl of ice-cream for herself.

"Thanks for having me here," Chelsea said suddenly while they watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and ate their desserts. It had come on much earlier, but Lily had recorded it. "Dad never does anything for Thanksgiving, so I always spend it alone. It... It was nice to be here."

And suddenly, that made it worth it. Suddenly, Terry didn't care about having to eat leftovers or that his jeans were starting to rub uncomfortably against his legs. He was just happy that Chelsea had a nice time.

Lily gave her a sweet smile. "Of course, dear," she said easily. "You're always welcome here. I never want you to forget that."

Chelsea smiled back and Terry could've sworn there were tears in her eyes.

OoOoOo

Later, when Chelsea's father had come to pick her up, Terry helped Lily clean up the kitchen. "Did you have a nice time?" she asked, washing out the pots and pans she had used. He was wiping down the counters. It was the first time they had made such a mess like this. Though they weren't the neatest people on the planet, there wasn't much two people could do to mess up such a large manor.

He nodded. "Yeah," he answered. "That was nice of you to invite Chels. I think she really needed it."

"Your friends are always welcome here, T," Lily assured him, reiterating her words from earlier. "As long as they're important to you, they're important to me."

Terry's heart swelled just a little bit. "Thanks," he said softly, wiping crumbs into the trash.

Lily smiled, finishing the last pan and kissing the top of his head. "It's gonna be me and you for a while, kiddo," she reminded him. "The two of us against the world. Think you can deal with me for that long?"

He laughed. "If you think you can deal with me," he shot back, grinning. They both laughed at that and soon retreated to the living room to watch 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.'

Maybe things could work out here after all. As long as he managed to not screw it up, maybe the two of them could become their own little family.

OoOoOo

Unfortunately for Terry, many challenges were laid out ahead of him. The forming bond between him and Lily would be put to the test multiple times down the road. Distrust, anger, and miscommunication would drive a wedge between them as he got older.

But for now, the two simply enjoyed the company of one another, unaware of the misfortune lurking in their future.

Notes:

So I've made the decision not to do a Christmas chapter for 2030 (there might be one in the "future," but don''t count on it). Instead, I'm planning a time skip. The filler should stop after this. Also NO I'm not shipping Chelsea and Terry they'll be more like siblings here. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!

Chapter 14: Chapter 14

Notes:

No Christmas chapter, ran out of time. Please enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Wayne Manor: September 15, 2039

Powers was getting persistent. Or maybe desperate was more like it.

Lily frowned, emailing Lucas Fox Jr. with instructions on how to handle the latest assault that had been thrown at them. It was a good thing that she had been expecting this next attack. Derek Powers was, admittedly, very good. He had been able to buy out a startling number of other businesses. Too bad that she was always one step ahead of him.

The Powers would not get the better of her twice in one lifetime. That was a mistake she wasn't willing to make again.

But speaking of Powers... There was a mishap with one of their scientists. Dr. Harry Tully had gone missing just yesterday. According to his wife, he had never come home from work.

The incident could be unrelated to the company. But knowing Derek Powers as she did, she wouldn't be surprised if the bastard had a hand in the scientist's disappearance. She would have to do more investigating tonight as Nightingale.

"Knock, knock."

Lily glanced at the young man leaning against the doorway of her office. "Hey, T," she greeted carefully, closing her laptop. She looked at him analytically, praying that this conversation wouldn't end in another fight.

Terry had grown remarkably over the last nine years. He was nearly as tall as her and almost twice as broad. His dark hair had grown out, hanging roughly in front of his face. His jaw had grown strongly, but that didn't take away from his angular face.

If she had thought they looked similar nine years ago, they might have passed for twins now.

Guilt swirled inside her stomach. Lily hadn't breathed a word of Terry's biological parentage to him once. Much like their first Thanksgiving together, there were times when she almost revealed her deepest secret. But it was never the right time. She wasn't sure it would ever be the right time.

She took off her glasses, peering at him. "What's up?"

Terry shuffled slightly. "I gotta go out tonight," he told her resolutely. He was determined, she would give him that.

Lily raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. "Really?" she questioned. "Last time I heard, you were grounded for a week."

She didn't ground Terry often, even less so for spats with Nelson Nash of all people. She knew the redheaded heathen liked to rile Terry up, but she also knew that Terry was no saint when it came to their squabbles either; he had developed a nasty temper over the years. And Terry did throw the first punch, which he knew was completely unacceptable.

Terry's growing agitation rolled off him in waves. "I didn't even start that fight!" he insisted, not for the first time.

"I understand that," said Lily calmly. She tried not to sound patronizing, but according to Barry that was her default tone. "And I understand that Nelson has a habit of antagonizing you." Her eyes hardened slightly. "But we've talked about resorting to violence when you're upset, you can't just-"

"You're never on my side!" he cried.

She frowned. "Now that isn't true, I've been talking to your counselor-"

"Yeah, my slaggin' counselor!" growled Terry. His fists curled at his sides. "You never listen to what I have to say!"

Lily felt her own temper teetering off the edge of her self-control. "You never talk to me," she reminded him sharply. "You never tell me when something's wrong and when I ask you brush me off." She had kept her fair share of secrets as a teenager, but Terry was emotionally closed off from her completely.

She just didn't know what to do.

"Maybe if you didn't freaking analyze every word I say!"

"I do not." She tried not to think about how childish she sounded. These days, the worse part of her reared its ugly head quite often.

"My parents would have listened to me!"

Lily quickly bit back the stinging retort resting on the tip of her tongue. No matter how much Terry was acting out, she was the adult here. She couldn't lose her temper, not in front of Terry. Even if he was a far cry from the sweet boy she had taken in, he was still her Terry. She loved him and didn't want to hurt him no matter what.

So she took a deep breath. "Regardless, I'm not budging, Terry," she said firmly. "You're still grounded and that means you're not going out tonight."

Terry glowered at her, an almost hateful glare in his eyes. She met his gaze calmly, crossing one of her legs over the other.

Finally, Terry relented and turned around. "Whatever," he snapped, storming out of her office. Once he was gone, Lily sighed and slouched into her chair.

Things between them had been difficult for the past, what, three years or so. Puberty played a large part in their troubles, she was sure, but there was also Terry's past and his unwillingness to deal with it. And, she supposed, she could be rather busy with her responsibilities as Wonder Woman, Nightingale, and CEO of Wayne Enterprises.

His counselor told her that the main problem was that she was hesitant to take a parental role in Terry's life. Essentially, she was a friend to him, not a parent. She would have argued, if it wasn't pretty much true. She supposed that she was more drawn to being a big sister- which she was- than a mother.

Just as well, considering that Terry had a mother. She didn't want to take Mary McGinnis' place; she'd carried and loved Terry. She would never even attempt to take that away from her or him.

But perhaps she did need to take a more authoritative role in his life.

Lily groaned and returned to her work. She would talk to him later, maybe offer him pizza as an apology. That at least usually got him to stop sulking.

But for now, she made preparations to look for Dr. Tully tonight.

OoOoOo

Damn Jokerz.

Terry watched as the cowards retreated with their tails between their legs. Hey, juvie had been good for something. It was just his luck that he'd chase them back to the manor. Slag it all, Lily was gonna have his head for sneaking out. He definitely just extended his grounding by at least another week.

He sighed, guilt from their conversation earlier finally seeping in. He felt bad for getting so mad at her. He knew he shouldn't have hit Nash, but no one ever saw what he did! Perfect golden boy Nash Nelson could never do anything wrong, especially in Coach's eyes.

Ugh, what was he doing fighting with her over Nash of all people? Stupid Nash.

Terry began to make his way to the front door. He was about to go in and face his inevitable fate when he noticed something that made him freeze.

Blood. Not a small amount either; the cement stairs were stained with it. That night played through his head as it had so many times before. Mom and Dad, falling in front of his eyes, that horrible crimson liquid gushing from them. Him, powerless to stop it-

Lily.

Without another moment of hesitation, Terry rushed into the house. To his horror, the blood continued in a path throughout the house. God, what the hell had happened here? Had someone attacked her at the front door? Had it been Jokerz?

"No," he gasped, rushing to follow the trail. She had to be okay, she had to be.

'You never listen to what I have to say!' He was sorry. 'My parents would have listened to me!' He was sorry, dammit! She was okay, she had to be. He stopped right in front of the grandfather clock.

Or, where the grandfather clock should have been.

Terry stopped, staring at the ovular hole in the wall that had definitely not been there before. He had lived in this house for the last nine years and never had that grandfather clock opened to reveal, what a secret entrance, like that. And the blood led right through it.

Oh god, what was he even supposed to do in this situation? Call the police? And say what, that his guardian had bled down into a secret room he never knew about? He may cause more trouble that way, he wasn't on the best terms with the police. And what if Lily was hiding something important down here? He couldn't get her in trouble.

But he had to make sure she was alright.

So Terry rushed down the stairs. The blood was splattered down the stairs, but he did his best to ignore it. 'Please be okay, please be okay.'

The winding stairs were long, but he reached the bottom in no time. The body he found wasn't his guardian, but a woman in deep purple spandex with a black bird on the front.

A woman he had encountered before.

"Nightingale?" he murmured, confused. He remembered the first time he met her; he was eight and had just run away from Oaken's. Since then, she had been a welcomed presence in the city. Her suit was bloody and her breathing was labored. What was she doing here? But then he took a moment to look around.

A large monitor was the first thing he saw. Being Lily's ward, he wasn't a stranger to advanced technology. But that thing looked years ahead of any computer Wayne Enterprises had ever produced. And the computer had to be the tamest of what he saw.

A giant penny. All sorts of dated artifacts. Wax replicas of super villains from decades ago. God, they must have been way older than Lily.

What the hell was this place?

His question was answered when a display of four suits caught his attention. He might have been young, but every Gothamite knew who they were. Urban legends, the sworn protectors of the city. Nightingale was amazing, but she hadn't come up until much after.

"T... Terry?"

He turned back to Nightingale, who looked like she was semi-conscious. Her head lolled as she struggled to hold herself up.

Her voice was painstakingly familiar.

"Lily," he realized, his mouth dropping in horror. Realization slapped him harshly in the face. Lily was Nightingale. His guardian, the shrewd businesswoman he had lived with for the last nine years was one of the defenders of Gotham City.

Holy shit.

Terry blinked. "Guess this is why you missed all those parent-teacher conferences," he quipped dryly. Slowly, he drifted to her side. Checking her pulse, he breathed in relief when he found out it was steady. Faint, but steady. He sighed in relief, propping her against the wall. "A-Are you okay? What... What should I do?"

She weakly waved him off. "Gimme minute," she murmured, gasping lightly for breath.

"But-" he started to protest.

"Hush," said Lily, somehow gathering enough strength to brush down his hair with her palm. He guessed it was supposed to serve as an imitation of how she would ruffle his hair when he was younger. "'m okay. Promise."

Lily was a lot of things, but she had never broken a promise to him. So he listened to her and waited, hoping that she was telling the truth and not just playing it off for his sake.

Silence echoed throughout the cave that happened to be under his house. The two of them were no strangers to awkward silences, but he still felt out of place at the moment. Should he ask her about it? Or was that insensitive; she was bleeding out after all. Maybe it was better he stayed quiet.

"I snuck out tonight." Why? Why was he like this?

Lily didn't respond right away. "I know," she said eventually. Her breathing had gotten a lot more even. That was a good sign, right?

Shame crept up the back of Terry's neck. "I'm sorry," he told her honestly.

The corners of her mouth twitched slightly. "Me too," she mumbled. Her breathing was the only sound he heard for a moment. "Terry?"

He looked at her. "Yeah?"

"Love you," she told him softly.

Damn it all. "I... Love you too," he told her hesitantly. When was the last time he'd said that to her? He might have been twelve.

Slowly, Lily reached up to peel off her mask. Her blue eyes looked frantic, an odd expression for her to wear. "I didn't want you to find out like this," she admitted. She sounded a lot less out of it now, more coherent.

She had stopped bleeding.

Terry gave her a nervous grin. "Any more secrets I should know about?" he joked. That was what it was supposed to be, a joke.

But Lily gave him a startlingly serious look. "I'm Wonder Woman."

Notes:

AND SO REBIRTH BEGINS. I'm so glad we finally reached this point, the lead-up was killing me. It was hard to work around the absence of Terry's dad since the whole series kinda begins with him. RIP to my man Warren. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Notes:

Please enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Wayne Manor: September 16, 2039

Lily was asleep right now and Terry didn't know what to do.

To his relief, the bleeding had stopped a while ago and her breathing had evened out. He was no first aid expert, but he figured that was a good sign. But of course, she was Wonder Woman, a supposedly immortal goddess. He couldn't really expect her not to heal fast.

Wonder Woman. Lily was Wonder Woman.

In a bizarre way, Terry wasn't too surprised. Besides the fact that the two of them looked insanely similar (really, how had nobody ever noticed, Lily had always held herself so gracefully. How could he be shocked that she was actually some kind of princess? If anything, he was more surprised that she was Nightingale.

Terry wasn't stupid, he knew that there were parts of Neo Gotham that were downright disgusting, repulsive even. From the filth on the streets to the filth that prowled them, Lily had never set foot there. She had even forbidden him to go there (not that he had ever listened). It was so hard to imagine her fighting crime there every night.

He stood in front of the display cases, admiring them. They were like a moment out of time. Who had worn each suit? If Lily was Nightingale, that meant her father had probably been Batman. From what he had heard of Bruce Wayne from the people around him, the billionaire playboy didn't seem like the type to take up such an important role. In fact, he was still often the center of criticism surrounding the entire Wayne family (and him by extension).

But then again, Lily was often pushed into the same box and he knew she wasn't like that. Had his reputation been merely gossip, or something else entirely?

"Shit, my head- Terry?"

Oh, she was awake. Terry turned to his guardian, who was now sitting up. He couldn't quite tell behind her mask, but he imagined she was staring at him with that incredulous look of hers. "What are you doing down here?" she demanded. "How did you even get here?"

Terry crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at her. "Must have hit your head harder than I thought," he snapped, immediately defensive. He had only come down here because he had thought she was dying or something! And was it him, or was she nicer when she was out of it? "You're the one who left the damn clock open."

Lily said nothing for a long time. Then, quietly, "I came in through the front door?"

"You don't remember?" he commented snidely.

Lily shook her head, grunting in pain as she hoisted herself up. "What happened last night?" she asked briskly.

Terry scoffed. "A please would be nice," he remarked.

"Terrance McGinnis."

Groaning in annoyance, Terry gave her a quick rundown of what had happened after he returned from the party he absolutely should not have been at. "Then you passed out," he finished begrudgingly.

Muttering to herself in a language he didn't understand, Lily rushed over to the computer. She tapped her foot anxiously as she pulled up what looked like security feed for the front of the house. Terry drifted over to her side, curious. The monitor sure was a sight. He wasn't much of a computer guy, but he was sure Max would have had a ball with it.

Max. She was supposed to get back from Germany soon. He should give her a call.

Terry and Lily both watched as she stumbled through the front door, leaving a bloody trail behind her. Lily's gaze never left the screen. Eventually, Terry came up and saw the blood and that was when she relaxed.

"Good," she murmured. "I wasn't followed." With a sigh, she leaned back in her chair and peeled off her domino mask. Her blue eyes pierced into his. "So, now you know."

Hesitantly, he nodded. "Now I know." He shifted. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Lily hummed, swiveling around to face him fully. "Many reasons," she told him. "You were a kid when I took you in, practically a baby." Her hand cut off his offended grunt. "Would you tell a third grader you went parading around in a costume every night to fight bad guys?"

Terry huffed. "No," he agreed begrudgingly. "I guess not." He glared at her. "But I haven't been a kid for a long time."

She chuckled at that. "You think so, huh? I wasn't an adult until I turned twenty-eight."

He crossed his arms. "That's you, not me," he pointed out.

Lily sobered at that. "Maybe not," she relented. Her gaze became steely. "But forgive me if some of your past actions made me hesitant."

Terry looked away.

She frowned and held his arm. "Hey," she said gently. To her credit, she did look apologetic. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that." He shrugged her off, but didn't snap at her like he usually would. Hesitantly, she let go of him. "Do you have any questions?"

An olive branch. He decided to take it for once. "So your parents were-?"

Lily nodded. "The original Batman and Wonder Woman," she answered. "As you know, my father lost his parents when he was very young. He was raised by his butler, Alfred, and eventually traveled the world to learn martial arts. Using his family fortune, he secretly developed everything you see in this cave and eventually became The Batman."

Terry furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "What about to whole playboy thing?" he couldn't help but ask.

She shrugged. "An act," she said simply. "Not unlike mine is. You know the truth, why do you think I never bother to correct people?"

"You should tell Chels that," he quipped. "She tried to fight Blade to defend your honor one time." And it had been on him to hold her back. Chels had gotten an earful from her old man, but she hadn't cared.

A smile tugged at Lily's mouth. "Such a sweet girl," she commented fondly. "Moving along, my mother was Princess Diana of Themyscira, the island home to the Amazons. She was blessed by the Greek Gods and given her divine powers. She came to Man's World when Martian Manhunter summoned who you know as the Founders of the original Justice League to fight off invaders."

"Wow," said Terry, amazed. His guardian really was the daughter of Batman and the original Wonder Woman. "The Battle of 25?"

She stilled for a moment, something sad in her eyes. "I told you and everyone else that they were in Metropolis on business," she said softly. "It wasn't technically a lie, but they weren't closing a deal or anything like that. They were in Metropolis fighting for the lives of countless innocents."

He sensed there was something she was leaving out, but didn't push her. He didn't like to talk about his folks too much either. "What happened tonight?" he asked instead.

Lily sighed. "I've been investigating Powers Technology for a while now," she told him. "Recently, one of their scientists went missing. I thought if I found him, I'd finally get the evidence I need to put Powers behind bars."

"Your competitors?" asked Terry, the name ringing a bell. Lily was always tense whenever Derek Powers was brought up. He had always been warned to stay away from him. Though, he had thought it had something to do with the fact that Powers kept trying to buy her company out from under her.

Hey, he paid attention to business talk sometimes.

She nodded. "I broke into his lab, but he had bigger security than I thought," she explained. "One managed to inject me with something, which is troubling in and of itself."

"Why?"

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Not many needles can pierce my skin," she pointed out. "They were prepared to deal with metahumans. It's troubling."

Terry guessed that made sense. "What now?" he asked.

She sighed, leaning forward on her elbows and massaging her temples. "Now, you should get to bed," she told him. "It's late." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "We'll discuss you sneaking out during breakfast."

He sucked his teeth. "Whatever," he muttered, annoyed. He couldn't bring himself to regret it; it had been what led him to all this.

Terry wasn't sure what to make of all this, but he knew one thing. He wanted to be apart of it.

OoOoOo

Lily softly cursed herself under her breath as she flipped the pancake sizzling in her pan. How could she have been so stupid as to use the front door? She was almost surprised her father hadn't come back to life just to smack some sense into her. And now she had to deal with an obscenely curious teenager poking around in things he shouldn't be.

Not that she could blame him. This life she lived was like a flame to a moth; it pulled people in with no intention of letting them leave unscathed. Once you picked up a cape, you couldn't put it down.

Which was why she needed to keep Terry as far away from it as she could.

He had a bright future ahead of him. Despite some road bumps, Terry was a good kid. She wanted the best for him and that wasn't on the streets. He had just started his junior year of high school, the last thing he needed was to get involved.

Speaking of Terry, he happened to drag himself into the kitchen at that very moment. Plopping down into his usual seat, he leaned forward and rested his head in his hands tiredly.

"Morning," greeted Lily, dropping a plate in front of him. It was 11:30, almost too late to be morning. They had both slept in. "Elbows off the table, please."

Terry grumbled, but did as she said. Despite his poor attitude, she couldn't help but smile. Neither of them were morning people to begin with and last night had been a long night for both of them.

Lily sat down beside him with her own plate. "Max is supposed to be coming back soon, right?" she asked. Terry, Chelsea, and Dana had met Maxine Gibson in junior high school and she had easily been welcomed into their group. The girl had been away in Germany for the past year and was set to come back sometime in the next month.

He gave her an incredulous look. "Your company was the one who arranged that," he reminded her.

She shrugged. "That isn't my department." As much as she liked to make sure Terry's friends were taken care of, she'd had nothing to do with Max winning the chance to study abroad. The intelligent girl had earned that on her own.

"That what she told me," Terry said. He and Max were very close; Dana was his girlfriend and oldest friend and Chelsea may have been something of a little sister to him, but Max was definitely his best friend. They had just clicked.

Lily smiled. "I like that girl." This was true for a number of reasons. Max was smart and funny and strong-willed, but most importantly, she was always there for Terry. She supported him, but also kept him reasonable in a way that she herself never could. That no one really could.

His behavior had really begun to worsen when she left.

He rolled his eyes. "I know you do." He eyed her expectantly. "Well?"

She met his gaze. "Well, what?"

Terry scowled. "Seriously?" he demanded. "You're really going to pretend like nothing happened?"

Lily thought over her next words very carefully. "What you discovered last night doesn't change anything," she began slowly.

"The hell it doesn't!"

"Terry."

He glared up at her. "You want me to ignore the giant cave under our house?" he snapped. "You want me to just sit in my room while you could be out there dying?"

She looked at him for a moment. "Terry, this was a one-time thing," she told him gently, laying a hand on his shoulder. Perhaps there was more to this than Terry being a stubborn teenager. "It was just a little accident, I'm not going to die."

Terry shoved her hand away. "You don't know that," he hissed.

Lily's mouth formed a thin line. He did bring up a good point. As much as she could sit here and assure her ward, tomorrow wasn't promised. She could very well die tonight and he would be none the wiser until maybe the morning after.

And yet. "What do you plan to do with this information, then?" she asked expectantly.

Terry seemed to falter in his frustration. "I-"

Lily raised a hand, cutting him off. "Let me make something clear, Terry," she said, uncharacteristically stern. She wasn't often like that with him. "It's my job to keep you safe. And this part of my life is the furthest from safe you can get. I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but you are not to be involved."

This was something she had pondered for years, whether or not to tell the boy she had taken in; to let him in completely. When her father had taken in Dick and Tim, he had allowed them to become Robin as a way to process their grief and frustration. But as she saw it, that had been a mistake. Doing so had ruined them. Dick had lost his right eye, a bullet in his spine. Tim was lucky his mind wasn't shattered beyond repair. Even Barbara had become a bitter shell of what she once was.

She wouldn't let that happen to Terry. The ugly side of Gotham- the true rotten underbelly- changed people. It brought out the worst of them. He could resent her all she wanted, but she would rather die before allowing him down a road of self-destruction.

The fact that he was an unknowing victim of Waller's experiments only cemented this for her. Sending him into the Gotham streets with her father's DNA almost felt like a sacrifice. She wasn't terribly superstitious, but this whole thing reeked of a bad omen.

Terry's hands clenched atop the table. She could see the defiance blaze in his eyes, but she held firm, crossing her arms over her chest. Lily would admit that she didn't tell Terry no often, but she wasn't going to budge on this.

It was for his own good.

Finally, Terry broke first. "Whatever," he snapped, pushing his plate away and stalking out of the kitchen.

But Lily wasn't assured. This felt too much like the calm before the storm.

Notes:

I like exploring the bratty, rebellious Terry we see in Rebirth. I feel like we don't talk about him enough. Oh, and just to make a few things clear. Lily's parenting is in no way better than Warren's. I don't think I indicated that, but I just want to make sure you all know. Terry isn't better or worse off because of one or the other. He's just... Terry. His past is still very much prevalent.

Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!

Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Notes:

Back at it again with an update! I've been on a roll with this story! Ahhh, I can't wait until The Call, I have so many big plans! But it's so far awayyyy. Anyway, please enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The Batcave: September 17, 2039

Lily was going to blow a fuse if she caught him down here. But hey, if she had really been trying to keep him out, she should have locked the clock! Could he really be blamed for coming back down here?

He had a feeling she wouldn't like that excuse very much. Oh well, he would deal with that later.

Terry made his way down into the admittedly creepy cave. How anyone could come down here regularly was beyond him. It was dark, damp and were those slagging bats? He tried to imagine Lily coming down here as a child. Would she have been scared? Probably not, nothing phased that woman. It was hard to picture her as anything less than formidable.

He approached the massive monitor and sat down in front of it. God, this system was so advanced that he didn't even know where to start. Only a nerd could translate another nerd. Where was Max when he needed her?

Taking a deep breath, Terry logged onto the computer. Immediately, it asked him for a password. Duh, what else had he been expecting? He narrowed his eyes, leaning forward.

A six-digit pass code, huh? Was it her birthday? He tried that and was met with a glaring red X. Scowling, he tried to think. What was close to Lily's heart? What was something important to her?

For some reason, he doubted it was his own birthday. Maybe the day her parents died? He punched it in- noting that it was almost the exact same date as his own parents' death- but was once again incorrect. What the hell? What else could it be?

Terry slapped his forehead in frustration. He had been so certain that was it! What else could Lily have-?

Wait.

Lily wasn't the one who had built this cave. She wasn't the one who had set up this computer. Her father had been the one to put all this together. He couldn't think like Lily, he had to think like Bruce Wayne.

Of course, that would have been easier if he'd actually ever met the man. But as it stood, that wouldn't be happening for (hopefully) a long time. Dammit, it was like the universe was actively warning him that this was a bad idea.

(Honestly, though, Terry was pretty sure it was his mother.)

What did he know about the Wayne family? Admittedly, not much. It wasn't like Lily gave him daily lessons or anything. Whatever he had learned about his guardian's family had come from the people around him, primarily the higher society snobs he was forced to talk to occasionally.

But one distant memory was nagging at the back of his head.

~OoOoOo~

Wayne Manor: February 14, 2033

"Do my eyes deceive me?" teased Lily, nudging his shoulder. "Does my Terry have a crush?"

Eleven year old Terry's cheeks were warm as he refused to look at her. "I do not!" he denied, embarrassed. "Girls are gross! All they do is talk about makeup and flowers and- ugh!" Frustrated, he crossed his arms. He didn't have a crush on stupid Dana, he didn't!

He hated Valentine's Day!

But Lily just laughed, ruffling his hair. "They're not gonna be gross forever," she told him. But she pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Although..."

"What?"

"Nothing." She ruffled his hair again, chuckling as he tried to swat her away this time. "One day you might want to go on dates and get married-"

Terry gagged. "Never!"

"You're gonna be an adult soon," Lily reminded him, pinching his cheek. "It could happen then, or it could happen much later. My father didn't have me until he was fifty, but his parents had him at twenty! Can you believe that?"

He stuck his tongue out. "No, because I'll never get married!" he insisted. "I don't care if I'm a hundred! This is a stupid holiday!"

She grinned, holding out a small bag of chocolate. "I guess you don't want this, then!"

Terry gaped, reaching for it. "Give it!"

Lily expertly dodged him. "Nope!" she said. "You'll have to catch me first!"

They spent the rest of the afternoon chasing one another around Wayne Manor's enormous field. When Terry finally caught her (he knew she had let him), she had taken him out to eat for dinner to cheer him up. And even though Lily was super embarrassing and teased him often, Terry felt better about not having the courage to give Dana his Valentine's Day card.

~OoOoOo~

Smiling fondly at the memory- it was a good time, before he'd turned into such a brat- Terry's mind lingered on one small detail. Bruce Wayne's parents had been twenty when he was born. If Lily was thirty that meant Bruce Wayne would have been eighty now. And if he would have been eighty, that would have meant that he was born in 1959.

Which meant Martha and Thomas Wayne were born in 1939.

Pulling out his phone, it was fairly simple to conclude that they were both born in September. Biting his lip, Terry punched in 91939.

Access Granted

Lily was so going to kill him.

OoOoOo

Gotham City: September 17, 2039

Lily was going to kill him.

Nightingale growled as the security breach notification was sent to her mini-console. "Dammit, Terry," she hissed under her breath. Quickly neutralizing the alert before the Cave blasted him into the next century, she remotely locked down all information she had about the McGinnis case and- for good measure- Waller.

It may have been cruel, but he wasn't ready to know. She would tell him everything one day, but not now. Not when she didn't know everything herself.

How the hell had he even figured out the pass code? It had taken her two entire days! Granted, she had been eleven, but still. She would have changed it, except she had no idea how. Her father had locked the damn thing down tight. She couldn't delete anything either; she could only add and edit existing files.

The implication that he had intentionally tried to shut her out of it wasn't lost on her.

Scoffing, Nightingale dropped down into Powers Technology. She should have known nothing would keep him out. If there was one thing they definitely had in common, it was how stubborn they were. And it must have been hereditary if her- their- parents were anything to go by.

The situation non-withstanding, she would deal with Terry's rebellion later. Right now, she had to gather the evidence she needed to put Derek Powers away for good.

OoOoOo

Terry swore as the computer locked him out of the file he was on. What, was Lily wirelessly connected to the slagging thing?

Anger curled in his stomach. The file he had been reading was labeled 'Warren and Mary McGinnis.' Lily had been working on his parents' murder. Fists clenched at his sides, Terry silently fumed. Why would she stay quiet about that? He of all people deserved to know!

He shot out of his seat and punched the steel wall, leaving a sizable dent. His hand stinging- but nothing broken- he stalked up to the Batman suit in its glass display case.

There was a tiny voice in his head, that sounded a lot like Max, telling him that this was a bad idea. That he needed to back away from the glass immediately. The suit didn't belong to him. This was Lily's fight- Lily's life- not his.

This could ruin their relationship for good this time.

But the louder voice, the one that usually got him into trouble, raged. She was the one hiding things, not him. She was the one parading around at night fighting criminals. She was the one who probably knew who had killed his parents and didn't tell him.

How could he not be angry?

Growling, Terry opened the display case. It swung open slowly, as if giving him one last chance to back out. But if there was one thing Terry McGinnis was known for, infamous for, it was that he never backed down from a challenge; no matter how much trouble he knew it would get him in.

He just hoped Lily wouldn't ground him for all of eternity after this; Dana was very particular about date nights.

Thankfully no alarms went off as he took the suit off the mannequin. The newer suit was drastically different from the famous classic suit; it was pure black with only a crimson red bat at the center. Terry hadn't been able to look at the color red the same in years, but he didn't mind it so much here. It felt... fitting.

'What, exactly, are you planning to do with this?' a third voice nagged him. Lily's voice this time. God, he didn't know. Where would he even start?

'Cave doors opening.'

Shit.

As quickly as he could, Terry put the suit back in its case. He sprang away from it and tried to look as inconspicuous as possible. A black and red hovercar drifted in loudly and he gaped; the famous Batmobile. So many toys had been modeled after it, he was pretty sure he used to own a few.

And to think, he had been living over it for nine years.

The cockpit door opened and Lily emerged, her mask off and her eyes heavy with bags. Guilt settled in his stomach; she looked tired. "Terry," she said, exasperated. But her face wasn't angry, just exhausted. "What are you doing?"

He shrugged. "Nothing."

Lily sighed, dragging her palm down her face. "Don't you have homework?" she asked sharply.

Terry stuck his tongue out. "I finished it." A lie, but she didn't have to know that. She huffed, going to sit at the computer. "How... How was it?" He had a feeling she wouldn't regale him with daring adventures, but he was still curious. Did she get a rush out of it?

She placed a hand to her temple. "Frustrating," she commented honestly. "Powers moved his entire lab, no doubt because of my screw up last night. I'm right back where I started."

Terry stayed quiet for a minute, an idea churning in his head. "You look tired," he said softly. "Are you hungry? I'll go make you something."

Lily's eyebrows furrowed as she eyed him. "Are you feeling alright?" she asked. "You never offer-"

He grunted, annoyed. "Do you want me to or not?" he grumbled, crossing his arms. That was what he got for being nice!

She laughed. "Sure," she agreed, giving him a fond smile. The same smile she used to give him when he was a kid. "Eat with me? I can't remember the last time we had dinner together."

There went the guilt again even as he nodded. He retreated up the stairs to the manor before the feeling got any worse. Taking out a can of tomato soup, bread, butter, and cheese, Terry began to make one of her (and his) old favorites. It wasn't too cold yet, but he felt like the kind of night this had been called for it.

Quickly putting the soup in the microwave, he got to work on the grilled cheese. Lily- the weirdo- liked her bread nearly burnt. He never saw the appeal; how could you even taste the cheese anymore.

As he waited for the bread to cook, Terry's mind lingered on what he had done. However angry he was with her for keeping secrets from him, he couldn't help but feel like he crossed a line. That suit had belonged to her dead father, after all. Had it been a mistake to even touch it?

He shook his head; no. He couldn't think like that. One thing Lily had always taught him was to never waste time on regret. 'What's done is done,' she'd say. Those words had stuck with him on a particular night around a year ago. Drove him to move forward even at the darkest time in his life. 'What matters is how you choose to live with it. What will you do next, Terry?'

Terry had to see this through. If Lily was going to keep secrets from him- secrets about his parents- then he had to take things into his own hands.

Lily hadn't given any indication that she knew he had touched the suit. So if he were to guess, the display case didn't have an alarm on it like the computer did. So- hypothetically- if he took the suit while she was out one night and returned it before she got home, she would be none the wiser.

Terry didn't want to betray her trust- again- but he had to know the truth. And if she thought he couldn't handle it, he would prove to her he could.

Whatever it took.

Notes:

Terry's a troublemaker. Can't say I blame him though. Also, Rebirth is top tier. Brownie points if anyone remembers what Terry's mysterious past is (that I didn't change from the original show). Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!

(PS, I also figured out a complete timeline. I'll be posting a picture on AO3 soon if anyone wants to see it)

Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Notes:

Damn, how many times have I updated this week? I suddenly got reinspired for this story out of nowhere, isn't that crazy? Anyway, please enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The Watchtower: September 19, 2039

"And now I don't know what to do," finished Lily, her cheek resting on the cool metal of the table.

Barry laughed obnoxiously while Rex patted the top of her head consolingly. She shoved him away; she wasn't a child. "Wow, doll, this is a mess," Barry agreed. "But really, did you expect him not to find out? Sooner or later, he was gonna figure out why you were never home."

"Hey, I hid it from him for nine years!" she reminded him sharply. "The only reason he knows now is because I was drugged." But as much as she hated to admit it, her best friend did have a point. It was foolish to think that Terry would never figure it out.

She had just wanted to protect him a little while longer.

"Why didn't you tell him anyway?" asked Rex curiously. "We all grew up knowing."

Lily scowled. "Because I knew he would have wanted to be part of it," she told him. And she had been right, if Terry's current behavior was anything to go on. "And after everything Tim and Dick went through..." A lump formed in her throat and she stopped talking, afraid she would start crying in front of them.

She used to be so angry with her older brothers. She felt that they had abandoned her, that they hadn't cared about her. But now that she was older, she understood. She was a physical representation of the world that had destroyed them both. It was a wonder that Dick could call her as often as he did.

And after reconciling with Barbara two years back (after the "incident") it was clear that she'd had a grave misconception of how severely Tim's mind had shattered. Could she really blame him for not wanting anything to do with her?

A warm hand on her cheek took her out of her tortured musings. Rex looked at her with soft, gentle green eyes. "You were doing it again," he told her quietly.

The harsh truth of Tim's fate affected her differently than it had before. Following Barbara giving her the harsh truth, Lily had begun to have recurring nightmares about Tim, the Joker, her parents, and even Terry at times. She hadn't slept for two months straight, had been more irritable and paranoid than usual, and had thrown herself into work and the League.

She had also begun to dissociate at times when Tim was brought up. It wasn't always, but it happened more than she would have liked.

It was only when Rex had forced the truth out of her one night during an undercover mission that she had told him everything. Not even Barry knew the whole story, but Rex had simply listened as everything came out in a rush of barely coherent words. She couldn't help but think that it had brought them closer than they ever had been.

What a dangerous notion.

Lily took a deep breath. "Sorry," she whispered, embarrassed. She hated being vulnerable, even in front of her friends. She was supposed to be infallible, wasn't she?

"It's okay," Rex assured her. His gaze held hers for a while before he finally retracted his hand, turning his attention back to his work. Dangerous.

Barry shot her a piercing look. "Ignoring whatever that was-" His tone told her he definitely wouldn't be ignoring it, just leaving it for later. "Why don't you just tell him about Dick and Tim? Make him understand how dangerous our lives are."

That... wasn't a bad idea. Lily didn't want to scare Terry, but maybe he needed it. Maybe this is what she had to do to turn him away from this destructive path. "I could try," she conceded.

But she had raised Terry McGinnis, and she doubted that this would dissuade him. The more something sounded like a bad idea, the more tempted he was to do it. Still, one could hope.

OoOoOo

The Batcave: September 20, 2039

Lily yawned as she transported down from the Watchtower later the next night, stretching languidly. She'd had monitor duty the night before, then had been sent out on a twenty-hour mission in Dubai immediately after. She wished she could lay down for a nap, but unfortunately it was time for patrol.

She led an exhausting life, but she wouldn't trade it for the world.

Lily went to go change from her Wonder Woman suit to her Nightingale suit, only to stop cold. Why? Because the Batman suit, which should have been right next to hers, was gone.

Horror gripped her stomach. "No," she whispered, staggering backward. "No, no, no!" She rushed to the computer, tracking the suit's location. The east side of Gotham. Why was he there? Why did he take the suit in the first place?

Her fists curling with dread, she quickly contacted the suit. "Terry," she said urgently. 'Please be okay, please be okay.' "Terry, are you there?"

"Lily?" called her ward's voice. "Where are you?"

Relief flooded her chest at his response. "Thank Hera," she breathed, pressing a hand to her beating heart. "There's a receiver in your cowl. Are you alright? Are you hurt?" He better not have been hurt.

"No, no, I'm fine," Terry assured her.

"Oh," said Lily. "That's good." She silently stared at the screen, her eyes trained on the red dot she knew was her ward. Her relief vanished in an instant, quickly replaced with something else. Her nostrils flared.

"Lily?" asked Terry nervously.

"TERRANCE WARREN MCGINNIS!"

OoOoOo

Gotham City East Side: September 20, 2039

Terry cringed as his guardian screeched in his ear. "Ow!" he complained, resisting the temptation to rip the cowl off at the feedback flooding his eardrum. "Lily!"

"Don't you 'Lily' me, Terrance!" Lily hissed. Oh shit, the full name two times in a row. She was pissed. "Of all the irresponsible- What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Helping!" Terry defended, flushing under his cowl. He was dressed at Batman, yet here he was being scolded like a child. Talk about humiliating. He was lucky that no one was around to hear this. "You wanted to find Powers' lab, right? Well, guess where I am? I found it!"

"I don't care if you found the goddamn entrance to Olympus!" she seethed. Suddenly, those random Greek references she would throw out made more sense. "Come back here this instant!"

Ugh, he hated 'Mom-Mode' Lily. She didn't come around often, but when she did, it always ended up being a pain in his ass.

"Can't," he told her honestly. "I already handled some dregs on the way in here. If I don't finish this now, they'll move again. I found this place by chance, you think you'll get lucky again?" He knew it was a twip move, to back her into a corner like this. But he needed her to see that he wasn't a child anymore.

Lily growled in frustration. "Stay where you are," she instructed fiercely. He was guessing it was taking all of her self-control not to yell at him again. "I'm coming over there and you're going home."

"What? No!" protested Terry. Dammit, this was not what he wanted. "I'm the one who found the lab!" 'Found' was a strong word. He had technically overheard some guys on the west side talking about transporting expensive technology and equipment to this area. It didn't take a genius to figure out it was Wayne Technology.

But she didn't need to know that.

"Listen to me very carefully, Terrance," said Lily slowly, dangerously. It made him freeze up for a moment; he didn't think he had ever heard her speak like that. Not to him, at least. "The Powers are not people you want to be on the wrong side of. They're ruthless and cruel and will stomp on you as if you're no more than a bug under their shoes. If you're caught, you will be killed. Do you understand me?"

Terry stayed quiet for a moment. "Yeah," he finally answered. "I got you."

She breathed in relief. "Good, now just stay-"

He shut off his receiver, effectively cutting her off. "Sorry, Lily," he said regretfully, advancing forward. "But this is the only way." First he would deal with Powers, then he would work on finding his parents' murderer. He wouldn't stop for anyone, not even her.

OoOoOo

Lily stared at the computer screen, shocked that Terry had just hung up on her. She was livid, but the more rational side of her pointed out that she had been the one to raise him. She'd had a hand in him turning out to be so stubborn, especially since she'd taught him to always make the choice he would least regret.

Of course it would come around to bite her in the ass.

She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. What should she do? Staying here was out of the question; Terry didn't understand how dangerous the Powers could be. She would never leave him alone in Derek's clutches like that. But was it wise to go there and make him go home?

Of course, there was always the paralysis button, but that was extremely dangerous. It would leave him wide open to any attack without being able to defend himself. It was to be a last resort at all times.

As much as she hated to admit it, Terry had a point. If they let Powers move again who knew when they would find the lab again? Her attempting to force him to go home would definitely result in a fight, creating a distraction. She couldn't do that.

Ugh, this would be so much easier if she knew- wait.

Using the computer to connect to Terry's mini-console, she attempted to connect with the computer system closest to him. Under normal circumstances, it would have been nearly impossible to find this system. But with Terry so close, it worked easily and information spilled out in front of her. Lily quickly scanned it and gasped. "Hera," she muttered, springing up.

She had to get to Terry now.

OoOoOo

Terry easily took down the guards attacking him, even chuckling as he did so. These guys made Stormtroopers look good. Who knew being Batman could be so entertaining? Fighting could be a real thrill when no one was looking at you like a delinquent for it.

"I'm glad you're having fun."

Terry stiffened, coming cowl-to-mask with his guardian. He straightened up, though, glaring at her with his arms crossed. "I'm not going home," he insisted.

Nightingale took a deep breath, probably to calm herself down. He knew he was testing her patience. "I know," she snapped. "And we'll deal with that later. But right now, we have to stop Powers." She pulled up her mini-console. "Look."

He quickly scanned the virtual document, his mouth dropping in horror. "Oh, god." Apparently, the reason Dr. Tully had gone missing was because he'd been exposed to a lethal gas Powers Technology had developed. Nerve gas. He had been mutated beyond recognition because of it.

And Derek Powers planned to sell it to a small country having... border issues. All for a profit.

Nightingale turned off her console. "Now do you see why I didn't want you here?" she demanded. "Powers is more than dangerous, he isn't even human."

Terry swallowed. "I know that," he retorted. "I'm not stupid, I know there are bad people. But what matters most is stopping them, right?"

Her jaw clenched. "We'll talk about this later," she decided tersely. "Just follow me and be careful."

"What do you think I've been doing this whole time?" A quick glare shut him up.

OoOoOo

It was easy for the two of them to sneak into the hover transport hangar.

Lily watched Terry out of the corner of her eye. He was more focused than she had seen him in years, holding out his fingertips to listen in one what Derek was saying. She couldn't understand it. It was normal to be enamored but this world- she certainly had been- but to be so insistent as Terry was? It wasn't normal.

Well, unless of course- No.

Her heart began to beat in his chest. Had he found that file on his parents before she had locked it down? That would explain why he was so hellbent. But then, why hadn't he just asked her?

'Probably because he knows you wouldn't tell him everything.'

Guilt gnawed at her, the harsh reality like a slap in the face. Because she didn't plan on telling Terry everything. How could she? She didn't know how he would react. Worst case scenario, he confronted Waller as a form of revenge.

She would tell him the truth, eventually. Just not now.

"Hey! It's the Bat!"

Lily sent her ward a glare. He shrugged. "I might have gotten carried away."

She sighed. "I'll take care of the guards," she told him. "You stop that shipment." He nodded and they both sprang into action.

As far as standard villains guards went, these guys were pretty low on the list. Still, there were a lot of them. As soon as she knocked one out, two more came in his place. It was like fighting a damn Hydra. And her exhaustion from the day wasn't helping things.

Vaguely aware of the hovercraft flying off, she hissed as a bullet lodged into her shoulder from behind. Turning swiftly she saw Derek Powers standing there with a gun in his hand and a smug look on his face. A look that reminded her way too much of-

Terry launched a canister at the man before he could shoot again. "No!" Derek yelled in agony as his own gas surrounded him. She was too busy with the guards to get him out and besides, she wasn't in a rush to save Derek Powers anyway.

He would live.

"Batman," Lily rasped, launching one guard to the ground, effectively stopping three more. "The cargo." He nodded, flying off.

What happened next was a bit of a blur. Lily didn't often remember the details of every fight. Her father had told her that this was due to her instincts completely taking her over. A lot of Amazons were like that, her mother included. All she knew was that about ten minutes later she had taken down every single guard.

Derek Powers was coughing and squirming but unfortunately for him, he wasn't her concern right now. Terry was.

Without a moment's hesitation, she flew off to find him.

OoOoOo

Terry easily reached the cargo hovercraft, ripping open the hatch and discarding the two guards there. Making his way inside, he immediately attempted to attack Mr. Fixx, Powers' heavyset bodyguard, in the pilot's seat, only to be ambushed from behind.

Crashing into the glass, Terry grunted as he fell to the floor. The bigger man successfully tagged a few hits on him with his electric knuckle dusters, but Terry was nothing if not scrappy.

He grabbed the man by the wrists, diverting his attacks. Fixx didn't seem bothered, grinning evilly. Something about this man really rubbed him the wrong way. "You're pretty strong," he remarked as Terry pushed back against him. "For some clown who thinks he's Batman."

Gritting his teeth, Terry shoved forward. He knew who he was and he would be damned if anyone ever doubted it. "I am Batman," he growled. Managing to put some distance between them, he forced the bigger man back into the hovercraft console. His own weapon shocked him tenfold, knocking him down.

The hovercraft lurched and the gas canisters began to fly out. "My cue to leave," he murmured, soaring out of the hatch. Landing safely on the dock, he watched as the hove craft sunk into the harbor, so sign of Fixx escaping.

A part of Terry felt guilty; should he try to rescue him? But a hand on his shoulder stopped him. "The cops will be here soon," she told him calmly, comfortingly. A stark contrast from her earlier frustration with him. "We should go home."

Terry glanced at where the hovercraft had been before nodding. "Okay," he agreed. And as the sun came up, the two of them took to the sky.

Notes:

God, that was a long chapter. My neck hurts. Next chapter will be the last part of Rebirth and then we'll be going from there. I'm so glad I caught this story up to Far From Home. It was bothering me that FFH had more chapters when I started this story way before it. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!

Chapter 18: Chapter 18

Notes:

Please enjoy!

Chapter Text

Wayne Manor: June 1, 2037

His bed was empty again.

Lily sighed as she retreated down the steps. Why had she expected anything different? He was never home anymore, not if he could avoid it. And when he was home, every conversation between them turned into a screaming match. She knew it was going to be difficult raising a teenager, but she hadn't been prepared for this level of defiance and animosity.

She couldn't help the feeling that Terry's new 'friend' played a prominent role in his change in behavior. She knew a snake when she saw when and Charlie Bigelow was that and more. Not that Terry ever took her advice about anything.

Frowning, Lily placed his breakfast plate in the fridge. Whenever he came home, he might be hungry.

Her cellphone rang suddenly and she grabbed it, furrowing her eyebrows at the caller ID. Why in the world was Barbara Gordon calling her? A pit began to form in her stomach, but she steeled herself and answered anyway. "Hello?"

"Lily," said Barbara curtly. "Sorry to call you so suddenly like this, but I thought I'd give you a warning."

"Warning?" repeated Lily, her heart raging in her chest. This didn't have anything to do with Terry, it couldn't. Oh Hera, what if he was hurt? "Warning for what? Barbara, what's going on?"

The Commissioner sighed. "Your ward, Terry," she answered. "We had to take him in for an account of robbery and assault earlier tonight. He's being transported to the juvenile hall as we speak."

Lily's phone hit the floor before she was even aware that she dropped it.

OoOoOo

The Batcave: September 20, 2039

Lily called Terry out of school that morning and then spent about two hours tending to his minor injuries. He hadn't sustained many- the suit did its job well- but there were a few obscenely noticeable ones that wouldn't heal right if left untreated. She didn't say a word as she worked, unsure of what, exactly, to say.

Any responsible guardian would have scolded him, yelled at him. But honestly? Lily was sick of fighting with Terry. She loved him, she didn't want to fall back into their constant arguing. She just wanted to make him understand.

Terry sighed. "If you're gonna ground me, would you just do it already?" He pulled his arm away from her as soon as she finished bandaging it. There was a hard look in his eyes as he stared at the wall. It was a look filled with determination, resilience. One that she had seen many times; not only on her own face, but both her parents' faces.

He wouldn't stop. Whatever she did, he would find a way out there. It wasn't in their blood to give up.

And perhaps, Lily had known that all along. Perhaps, she had always known that this world would draw him into it. Perhaps it had been his destiny, since the day she had taken him in; she just hadn't wanted to accept it.

Still, she had to try one last thing.

Lily drew away from him, looking her ward in his eyes. "Have I ever told you about my brothers?" she asked. She watched him carefully for his reaction.

Terry finally looked at her, confusion engulfing his face. "Your brothers?" he questioned. "You mean the kids your dad adopted before you were born?"

She nodded. "Mm-hmm." She walked forward away from the bed and towards the display cases. She stopped in front of the Nightwing suit. "Dick Grayson, the first Robin and later Nightwing. My oldest brother." She touched the glass where the mask rested, unmoved for decades. "Shot in the spine and his right eye gouged out."

A small part of her was satisfied when Terry couldn't quite hold back his shudder. But she wasn't done yet.

Lily moved to the Robin suit. "Tim Drake, the second and last Robin," she continued slowly, urging herself to stay calm. "Kidnapped, tortured for weeks, and his mind shattered nearly beyond repair. It took over a year for him to recover physically and mentally. We haven't spoken since I was maybe eight."

She pulled back and looked at Terry again. "Of course, some might argue that they got off lucky considering that the entirety of the Justice League lost their lives, slaughtered as little more than cattle." The woman took a deep breath, noticing the lump forming in her throat. She quickly swallowed it.

Lily walked back up to her ward, jabbing a finger to the center of his chest. "That symbol you wore last night?" She chuckled humorlessly. "It's not just a sign of honor or heroism or even vengeance. It's a target."

She stood to her full height, staring him down. "I want you to tell me right now that you're ready for the consequences that come with that suit. That you can go out there every night knowing that there's a very good chance you won't come back at all."

OoOoOo

Gotham City Juvenile Hall: June 1, 2037

Terry sat in the cell they had put him in, completely silent.

The situation he was in wasn't lost on him. They had caught him and Charlie completely red-handed robbing a computer store using baseball bats. Both officers had seen the act for themselves. Charlie had been separated from him immediately, Terry was sure that he wasn't even in this building.

And now he was here alone while they contacted his guardian.

"McGinnis, your mother is here!" Speaking of Lily. Any other time he would have corrected anyone who called Lily his mother. He had a mom.

But of course, not wasn't the time.

Lily walked into the room, her shoulders tense and the scary CEO glare she used to strike fear into her employees was on her face. She waited until the guard left them alone to sit down on the other side of the glass. She patiently crossed her legs.

Terry didn't say anything, he just watched her.

Lily pursed her lips. "So," she said, her voice hard. "Robbery, huh? If you wanted a new computer, you could have just asked."

He cringed. "Lily-"

"What were you thinking?" she demanded loudly, her glare piercing through him. "I have bought you everything you could ever want! What reason could you possibly have for robbing that store?"

Terry's face warmed and he found himself getting defensive. "It wasn't about the stupid computer," he told her hotly. "Charlie was trying to get me in with these guys-"

Lily's eyes flashed. "Charlie was trying to get in with a gang," she corrected him. He gaped at her. "I am not stupid, Terrance, there's only one type of group that wants you to steal for them. And that delinquent was using you to get on their good side."

"Don't call him that!" Terry snapped. They'd argued about this many times and it always ended the same, with him storming up to his room or out the door. Unfortunately, he had nowhere to go now. "He's my friend!"

"Really?" she shot back, an eyebrow raised. "Look at where you are, Terrance. Do you really think a real friend would get you in this kind of trouble? Has Dana? Have Chelsea or Max?"

His mouth clamped shut, but he continued to glare at her. That was completely different!

Lily sighed deeply, massaging her temples. "Here's what we're going to do," she said slowly. "We're going to get you a lawyer, the best lawyer on my legal team. You didn't know what was going on. Charlie didn't tell you that you would be stealing."

Terry gaped at her. "What?" he demanded. He couldn't even believe what he was hearing. She wanted him to sell Charlie out! "No, no way! I knew what was going on, I agreed to it!"

"Charlie was manipulating you," she stressed. "Whether you realize it or not, he was using you-"

"This is bullshit!" spat Terry, his fists clenching. "All you care about is saving your stupid reputation! Can't have your charity case in jail, can you?"

It was her turn to gape at him. "My repu-" A low growl escaped from her throat as she stood up, her chair falling to the ground. This might have been the angriest he had ever seen her. "Is that what you think? This has nothing to do with my reputation! This is about your future! I'm trying to protect you!"

Lily slammed her hands on the table, getting as close to him as she could with the glass between them. "Listen to me," she hissed. "If you're convicted, it will never go away. It doesn't matter if you spend two months or two years here, it will follow you for the rest of your life. People will never stop talking behind your back. Is that what you want?"

Terry held her gaze. "I'm not selling out Charlie." He didn't care what anyone else thought of him. He didn't care if he would always be a criminal in everyone else's eyes. He wouldn't betray a friend, no matter what Lily thought of him.

She glared at him for an inordinate amount of time. Then she turned around. "I'll go speak with our lawyers." Then she walked away. This was the first time she had ever conceded defeat to him. It felt hollow. Especially once the door closed behind her.

Left completely alone in the cold, empty room, Terry almost wished she had stayed.

OoOoOo

Terry stared at her for a long time.

He thought he was pretty good at knowing when Lily lied and as far as he could tell, everything she said was true. She wasn't exaggerating, this job was a dangerous one. She had lost people- she had lost everyone- because of it. And if he got involved, he could very well be next.

But, well, it wasn't like Terry didn't know that.

He'd been there, when Lily had come back bleeding out. He had been the one to find her barely coherent and fading in and out of consciousness. And considering who she was, the odds were that he was in much more imminent danger.

Of course, knowing all this should have made him turn away. It should have scared him. But it didn't.

Because Terry knew what fear felt like. Fear was two gunshots thundering through the night air. Fear was the shriek of pain his mother had let out as her collarbone was hit. Fear was looking over his parents as the light faded from their eyes. Fear was the cold that had settled over him, leaving him numb and detached for hours.

And honestly? There was nothing more frightening than that. Nothing.

"If there had been a Batman around back then," said Terry. "Maybe I would still have my folks." A crack in Lily's armor. Her eyes softened and she finally looked away from him.

He took that as a sign to continue, "You're great. You do so much here and so much as Wonder Woman." He shook his head. "But you can't be everywhere at once. Gotham isn't your only priority. But it would be Batman's. This city needs him again."

Silence penetrated the cave for a good two minutes. Then Lily sighed, bringing him against her chest in a hug. "I can't lose you too," she murmured, burying her face in his hair. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

He knew she just wanted to protect him. But up until now, it hadn't completely dawned on him that this wasn't about her seeing him as a child that needed to be shielded. She wanted to keep him safe because she loved him. Even after all he had put her through over the last few years, she just wanted the best for him.

She couldn't lose him like she had lost her parents. She couldn't lose him like she had lost her brothers.

"You won't," Terry assured her, wrapping his arms around her. This might have been their first hug in years. "Because you're gonna train me yourself, right? You're gonna make me the best."

Lily chuckled dryly. "Yeah," she agreed, pulling away. She gently cupped his cheek. "You'll be the best hero this world's seen in years."

He smiled up at her, but then winced, holding his head. "Ow, slag," he hissed, his brain suddenly pounding. "I think I hit my head one too many times, it hurts."

She laughed this time, gently ruffling his hair. "Welcome to my world."

Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Notes:

Any excuse to binge Batman Beyond. Also, isn't it frightening to know that we're closer to 2039 than 1999? Please enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The Batcave: October 15, 2039

Lily frowned at the results the computer gave her. Apparently, the bullet that Powers had shot her with was keel metal. The bullets that the McGinnis' had been shot with were made from the same material; material only found in Kaznia. She had confronted Prince (now Duke) James about it years ago- before she had even adopted Terry- only to be met with a dead end.

Was this a coincidence? No, her instincts were telling her there was more here.

Why would Derek Powers have these bullets specifically? Had she been wrong before? Even if Waller had been the one to rewrite Terry's DNA, perhaps she hadn't had the McGinnis' killed. Maybe it had been Derek Powers all along.

But why? Lily frowned, bringing up the McGinnis file. Warren McGinnis had been working for Powers Technology at the time. Had he found out something he shouldn't have? But then why leave a witness alive? And why did the setting match the death of her grandparents so meticulously?

"Lily!" called Terry from upstairs, disturbing her train of thought. "Have you seen my black tie?"

She sighed, locking down the files she had opened. These were for another day. "It should be in your closet!" she answered, rolling her eyes; she had definitely put his entire suit in his closet for him. That boy misplaced everything. Or this was a ruse to get out of the party tonight. Either one was plausible.

Speaking of the party, she ought to get ready as well. Not that she wanted to any more than Terry did. But she had already skipped the last two big events she had been invited to. Tonight was a rare occasion; Gotham was relatively quiet, and she didn't have monitor duty or a League mission. She had a free night, and her social life had been disturbingly quiet. Too quiet for the tabloids.

It was just her luck that tonight's party just so happened to be hosted by Derek Powers.

Lily scowled at the thought of the vile man. She had known him since she was a child, and he hadn't been any less sleazy back then either. And his constant attempts at taking her family's company didn't help either. But even growing up she never thought that he would develop and distribute nerve gas just for profit. How revolting it was to have to stand in his presence and act like she didn't regard him as the lowest filth on the planet.

Hovering up the stairs, Lily frowned as she was met with a struggling Terry. "What are you doing?" she asked, confused.

Terry's fingers were tangled up in his tie. "Trying to get this damn thing on," he replied, annoyed.

She shook her head. "I must have taught you a dozen times before," she sighed, helping to untangle the piece of fabric. She carefully tied his tie around his collar, tightening it gently. Smoothing out his suit, she looked at him sternly. "Are you ready for tonight?"

He huffed. "Yes." She fixed him with a look. "I promise I won't do anything stupid."

Lily grinned, pinching his cheek. "Oh, I know," she chirped. He grunted in annoyance, but she didn't miss the slight smile on his face. "Is Dana coming with? You remembered to invite her, right?"

Terry grew quiet.

OoOoOo

Of course he had invited Dana. He had practically begged his girlfriend to go with him so he didn't have to face the rich snobs alone while Lily was playing her part. And she had wanted to. But her father had strictly expressed that she wasn't allowed to set foot in any of the galas or parties thrown by the social elites of Gotham. Though, Terry had a feeling it had less to do with the events, and more to do with him and Lily.

Mr. Tan had never said it, of course, but Terry knew he didn't think fondly of him or Lily. Part of that was due to Lily's infamous reputation, part of it was due to his past in juvenile hall.

Terry hadn't even spent that much time there! But of course, Lily had been right. Those three months followed him around like a thunder cloud over his head. Not only had his face been splashed in the news for that entire year, nearly everyone in the city knew him as Lily Wayne's delinquent ward. Mr. Tan had never treated him the same since.

Terry was sure that the minute he and Dana had begun to date was the man's worst nightmare.

Lily shot him a sympathetic look. "Dana's father again?" she asked.

He gave a ragged sigh. "Don't think he'll be letting go of those three months any time soon," he quipped.

She threw an arm around his shoulder and kissed the top of his head. "Hey," she said seriously. "You don't have anything to prove to anyone, okay?"

Terry chuckled humorlessly. "Yeah," he agreed. "Mr. Tan wouldn't be saying that if he knew I was Batman, that's for sure."

But Lily shook her head. "I'm not talking about Batman," she replied. "I'm talking about you. You made a mistake, it happens. No one's perfect." Her eyes hardened slightly. "Anyone who judges you for something that happened when you were fourteen isn't worth your time."

That did make him feel a little better. "Kinda hard when this man can stop me from seeing my girlfriend."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I think we both know that if Dana wants to keep seeing you, she will." A fond glint passed through her eyes. "That girl isn't one to give up."

Terry laughed at that. Because it was true; no one could stop Dana from doing what she wanted. "No, she isn't."

Lily ruffled his hair. "I'm going to get ready real quick," she told him, hovering up the stairs. God, it was weird to see her do that. He wasn't sure if he would ever get used to it. "This is our first public appearance together in a while, so I'm hoping this night goes well."

"It will," he promised, attempting to put his hair back in place. He wasn't sure of that, of course, but he would be on his best behavior. He owed her that much.

"Chelsea will be there," she called from upstairs. "You won't be completely alone. Try to have some fun, alright?"

"Not likely!" Terry called back.

OoOoOo

Begrudgingly, Lily had allowed Terry to drive them in his car. She had taught Terry to drive herself, so it wasn't his skills she doubted. It was the used, ugly truck he had begged her to buy him that she had a problem with. She could have bought him literally any car he wanted, yet he had chosen the car that had needed more trips to the mechanic than all of hers put together.

"How I let you talk me into buying this death trap, I'll never know," she grumbled.

Terry laughed, pulling into the venue parking lot. "You should be happy I don't have an eyesore like Nash's that I just have to show off to anyone who cares," he pointed out.

And Lily had to smile because, in a way, he was right. Terry could have ended up like any of the bratty, spoiled children he was exposed to growing up, but he hadn't. Besides his past behavioral issues and temper, Terry was a good kid. He didn't ask for much, didn't complain, and the money in their possession meant nothing to him. She was proud of the young man he had become.

As much as she would have liked to take some responsibility for it, Lily knew it was due to what Warren and Mary had taught him as a child. They had been exemplary parents. They had raised him so well.

Lily knew she was a poor replacement.

They got out of the car and walked side by side toward the building. "He has some nerve," Terry uttered quietly. "Throwing a party like this after everything."

Lily hummed. "The rich can afford that nerve, Ter," she told him. "At least, they think they can." She had never met anyone with more nerve than Derek Powers. He was egotistical, arrogant, and had bullied his way to the top. Though, many new money folks were like that. They made a show of flaunting their wealth in everyone else's faces simply because they could now.

The Great Gatsby had been right in that regard. Not that Powers could hope to be anywhere as suave as Leonardo DiCaprio had been as Jay Gatsby. Though, he might have imagined himself that way.

Not that old money families were any better. They looked down on everyone because they fancied their upbringing and history as superior to everyone else's (it definitely wasn't for most of them, not that she would say that out loud). They scrutinized and exploited anything because they simply saw themselves as better.

What an ugly world she had been born into.

The paparazzi were there, of course. They gawked and took so many pictures of them that Lily was surprised her eyes were permanently damaged from years of this. Still, they smiled and waved, ignoring the flurry of inane questions.

"Terry, is it true you stole two million dollars' worth of computers when you were fourteen?"

"Lily, are you still seeing that duke from Kaznia?"

"How much longer can Wayne Enterprises hold off Powers Technology?"

OoOoOo

Terry rolled his eyes at the frankly stupid line of questioning. He hadn't even gotten to steal one computer let alone two million dollars' worth of them. Honestly, these people had nothing better to do. He entered the venue by Lily's said and mentally steeled himself. He found that more often than not he had no patience to deal with this group of people.

He had learned from a young age to just keep smiling and tune them out.

Unfortunately, Derek Powers spotted them all too soon. "Ah, Lilian," he greeted with a smile as he approached them. The two-faced snake held his hand out to Lily and she took it. But instead of shaking it, he placed a kiss on the back of her knuckles.

Gross.

Terry cringed as Lily took her hand back with thinly-veiled disgust. Powers was lucky that his head wasn't through the wall. "A pleasure as always, Derek," she replied graciously. He had never given her enough credit for her patience.

Powers' unsettling dark eyes slid to him. "And young Terrance," he acknowledged, raising an eyebrow. "Staying out of trouble, I hope?"

Terry was nowhere near stupid enough to miss the double meaning in those words. But he reigned in his temper and bared his teeth at a poor attempt at a smile. "Trying my best, sir." Though, honestly, someone should have been asking him that.

Powers gave a noncommittal hum in response. "Ah, youth," he remarked fondly. A server walked by holding a tray of champagne glasses. Powers plucked two off, offering one to Lily. She took it and Terry couldn't help but notice how his fingers brushed hers. This dreg was actually hitting on a woman nearly half his age. Tacky. "Both of you enjoy yourselves tonight. And if there's anything you need, don't be afraid to ask."

Lily gave him a sickeningly sweet smile. "Thank you, Derek." The host finally left them alone and her eyes darkened. "I am going to enjoy hauling his ass to jail one day."

Terry gagged. "I did not need to see that. He's worse than Nash!"

She rolled her eyes. "It could have been worse," she told him. "Imagine if he had decided to bring-" She stopped herself, shaking her head. "Never mind."

He frowned, annoyance gnawing at him. "What is this some villain I'm not allowed to know about?"

Lily laughed, ruffling his hair. "Not quite," she answered. "Go find Chelsea, have fun if you can."

Terry decided to let it go. "Sure," he agreed. He separated himself from his guardian and scanned the room for his blond friend. He found her sitting alone wearing a short light pink dress and approached her. "This can't be Chelsea Cunningham, there's no sign of trouble in sight!"

Chelsea tensed, then realized who he was and laughed. "Well my partner and crime only just got here," she pointed out. When they were younger, the two of them would run amok at every gala, party, and charity event. From pulling pranks on other guests to hiding from Lily and Mr. Cunningham.

Chelsea was always scolded by her father, but Lily was never too mad at him.

"True," Terry agreed, sitting next to her. "Where's your old man?"

She rolled her eyes. "Probably sucking up to a potential buyer. Who knows?" She crossed her arms, a shadow passing over her face. "Who cares?"

He had a feeling she did.

Not that Terry was the one to give his two cents. Things had only just gotten marginally better with Lily. They were far from perfect, but training had definitely brought them closer together. They spent a lot more time together, joked more often with one another.

He found that he had missed the days when it had been him and Lily against the world. When had that stopped?

Terry nudged the blond's arm. "Look at it this way," he said. "Now you can go on another shopping spree and he can't complain."

Chelsea giggled. "You're a bad influence," she told him. She looked like she was about to say something else when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He excused himself to check it.

'Lucius just called me,' read a text from Lily. 'Apparently, one of our labs was attacked. I think someone should check for a clue.'

Dammit.

Notes:

So, I've been pondering how to write this book for a few days now. In the past, I would have simply rewritten the entire thing word-for-word and just replace Lily with Bruce. Obviously, that would be a stupid thing to do. So instead I'm going to build around the episodes already there and hopefully change them significantly enough. Some episodes will have bigger changes than others, but all of them will be different. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!

Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Notes:

Please enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Wayne Enterprises South Lab: October 15, 2039

Terry was not sure if this was better or worse than being at Powers' party.

On one hand, at least he wouldn't have to watch the slime ball make a pass at Lily all night. He did not envy her in the slightest. On the other hand, detective work was irritating. He would much rather be fighting out on the streets. But of course, fighting was only one aspect of being Batman. He hadn't realized just how much thinking hero work involved.

'How's it going?' asked Lily from his receiver.

"Nothing so far," Terry whispered back, eyes scanning the lab around him. Apparently, the lab had been attacked earlier tonight and Lily had gotten the alarm. Seeing as though Powers certainly wanted one of them at the party over the other, Lily stayed behind and sent him to investigate. "Do you think it's Powers?"

She sighed. 'Could be,' she answered tiredly. 'We're up for the same job; the government wants a new lunar station. I wouldn't put it past him to resort to sabotage.'

Powers, in Terry's humble opinion, was the worst type of person; the type that would stomp on anyone just to get what he wanted. He had no qualms about knocking him down a peg or two.

He wandered around the wrecked lab, taking in the destruction. While he was confident Lily could get everything back up and running in at least a day, it still sucked. Her company was her pride and joy; attacking it was like spitting on her father's memory. Not to mention everyone who worked here and all their hard work.

Of course, none of that meant anything to people like Derek Powers. What a dreg.

Terry furrowed his eyebrows, examining the debris. "No trace," he murmured to himself. "My cowl isn't even picking up fingerprints or footsteps. Everything looks like it was just done too."

'Really?' asked Lily. 'Odd. Let me take a look.' He obliged, allowing her mini console to connect to his cowl. She could see whatever he saw. 'You're right. It doesn't look like they took anything either; just destroyed whatever they could and left.'

Terry frowned. "Where are you, anyway?"

'Your car,' she told him. 'I'll go back in soon, I just had to get some air before I threw Powers out of a window; I don't remember him being so salacious. You can come back now.'

He nodded. "Okay," he agreed, leaving the lab. He had a bad feeling about the entire situation, but decided to ignore it. He trusted his guardian's guidance. "How's Chelsea?"

'Last time I saw her she was arguing with her father,' Lily said. 'You should check on her when you get here, it looks like she's having a hard time.'

Terry winced; poor Chelsea was always having a hard time these days. He wished he could do more to help her. "I'll do that. I'm on my way now."

'Be careful.'

OoOoOo

Sunset Hill Club: October 15, 2039

Lily sighed as she ended communication with Terry. She really did not want to go back inside. In addition to flirting with her- which was disgusting considering he had known her since she was a child- Powers was also attempting to trap her into an informal business meeting. Just another of his deplorable business tricks. She knew his goal was to buy out her company; if he acquired Wayne Enterprises, very few people in the world would be able to oppose him. That was more than likely the reason for him constantly offering her drinks as well. He was probably trying to get her drunk enough to agree.

Over her dead body. He could throw his temper tantrums and destroy her labs all he wanted; she would never give him her family's legacy. And she would damn sure guarantee that Wayne Enterprises got this job over him, just for good measure.

She finally left the truck, retreating back inside. But as she did, a shadow passed her eye on the rooftop. Most would have missed it, but her eyes were sharper than the average person's. Pressing her lips together, Lily squinted up at the roof, trying to make out the mysterious figure.

Unfortunately, they disappeared before she could get a good look.

Well, this was not looking great for Derek Powers. But it did confirm her suspicions that he was yet again up to no good. It most certainly was not a coincidence that their culprit had just left the crime scene and now someone was sneaking onto the roof of his party.

Waiting a few moments, she circled around the back of the hall and climbed the ladder to the roof. The harsh autumn air whipped against her face, but Lily ignored it, taking out her mini console. The small device scanned the roof for a moment, before alerting her to an unidentified substance.

She grinned a bit. "Sloppy," she commented, walking over to the very edge of the building. Leaning down, she carefully observed a thick, dark blue substance. It jerked at her voice, attempting to scramble away from her. Like a bug. "Well, that's gross."

Lily collected the sample, trapping it in a small vial she kept in her hidden utility belt. "I'll examine you later," she said out loud. Their culprit could have been one of two things: a genetically modified being or someone bending altered matter to their will. She would have to analyze it back in the Cave.

Climbing down from the roof, Lily touched down just in time to meet Terry, who looked like the wind itself had blown him back here. "Your hair is a mess," she remarked, ruffling it.

Terry swatted her hand away. "Why were you on the roof?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Thought I saw something."

He frowned, furrowing his eyebrows. "What if someone saw?"

Lily laughed. "Give me a little credit, kiddo," she said. "I've been doing this since I was fourteen." Terry crossed his arms, grumbling, as they walked back into the venue.

OoOoOo

Once inside, Terry made his way over to Chelsea, who had a sour look on her face. "Heard you got into it with your old man," he said, sitting down next to her once more. He felt bad about leaving her earlier, but it was not like he had a choice. Duty calls. "That sucks to hear, I'm sorry Chels."

The blond sighed. "Don't be," she assured him, smiling. It was a poor imitation of her usual grin. "I'm used to it by now." She frowned. "I'm sorry Mr. Tan's still giving you a hard time."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Me too," he agreed. In all honesty, he was trying not to let it get to him. Like Lily said, he had nothing to prove. And nothing would stop Dana if she really wanted to be with him. It was not worth stressing himself over.

He had enough on his plate.

Chelsea sucked her teeth, crossing her arms. "It isn't fair," she huffed. "He's such a dreg. You and Lily were there whenever I needed you, whenever Max and Dana needed you. Just because the tabloids have nothing better to talk about doesn't mean what they say is true."

Terry would never admit this, but her words warmed his heart. Before high school, Chelsea and Dana (and later Max) would visit him at the Manor daily. They all adored Lily and had almost been as close to her as him. He would be lying if he said he did not miss those days.

He shrugged. "He's just overprotective. You know, ever since the accident..."

Chelsea sobered. "Yeah," she agreed reluctantly, eyes lowering. "You're right."

It was what stopped Terry from being too irritated with Mr. Tan. Mrs. Tan had been in a coma for the last several years from a car accident. Dana had been in the car with her and could have ended up in just as bad of a condition. Considering how close he had been to losing his wife and daughter on the same day, Terry could not fault Mr. Tan for wanting to keep Dana safe.

He just wished that Mr. Tan was not so hellbent on insisting Terry would ever put her in harm's way.

Chelsea suddenly pouted. "Did you hear?" she asked. "Maxie isn't coming home for another month."

Terry sighed. "I heard," he muttered. He had gotten the call a week ago. "Did she tell you why? I could not get a straight answer out of her."

The blond shrugged. "Something about unfinished business," she told him. "What the hell kind of excuse? And she somehow convinced the teachers to send her all her work too!"

He was mildly impressed. "I guess you can do that when you're the smartest kid in the city." Maybe even the state; Max's IQ was higher than Lily's. "Still, it feels like she's avoiding us."

Chelsea's face suddenly became serious. "Not us," she said. She peered at him with piercing blue eyes. And then Terry understood. Max was not avoiding them; she was avoiding her family.

And to be perfectly honest, he could not quite blame her.

OoOoOo

"I am terribly sorry to hear about your lab, my dear."

Lily kept the smile on her face but was internally fighting the urge to vomit. She detested being near Powers on a good day, but the attack on her company coupled with his flirtatious attitude towards her were lowering her tolerance. Why could not he just leave her alone? Still, she knew she would have to grin and bear it. "Thank you, Derek," she said graciously. "Though I feel worse for my employees, they've all been working so hard."

She saw the flicker of disgust on Derek's face, but he quickly replaced it with a condescending smile. "Ah, you would feel such compassion towards the help," he remarked. "A trait you undoubtedly inherited from your father."

Her temper flared and it took everything in her to tamp it back down. 'Don't talk about my father!' she wanted to yell. Instead, she kept her face pleasant. "My workers are the most valuable part of my company," she told him. "I wouldn't be as successful without every one of them. My father taught me that."

Because she ran her company on respect and loyalty, something Powers knew nothing about. Because his company had been built on fear and exploitation.

Unfortunately, Derek's expression remained controlled. "Such a fine young woman you grew up to be," he said, eyeing her. It wouldn't be the first time. "I hope you and I can move past the... incident."

Lily's jaw clenched; it was almost as if he was trying to get a rise out of her. "Water under the bridge," she replied. The Powers' had no hold over her, not anymore. "It was twenty years ago, after all."

Much to her satisfaction, he frowned. A chip in his facade. "Fourteen," he corrected her.

She feigned shock. "Was it?" she asked. "God, it feels like forever ago."

Derek forced a smile. "Yes, well-" He suddenly grunted, flinching in pain as he held a hand to his eyes.

Lily blinked. "Derek?" she asked, reaching out to him. She may have hated him, but she did not want him dead. "Derek, are you alright?"

"Stay back," he growled, yanking away from her reach. She recoiled, watching him in bewilderment. What the hell was wrong with him?

His secretary, Miss Watson, rushed over. "Forgive him, Miss Wayne," she said cordially, taking his arm. "It's been a long night. I believe it's time for Mr. Powers to take his medicine."

"Oh no," Lily replied, though inside she was trying to remember if Derek had any kind of condition. "I hope everything is alright."

Watson waved her away. "He'll be fine," she assured her. "If you'll excuse us." The woman ushered them both away without another thought, leaving a very lost Lily standing alone.

What in the world?

Notes:

A bit of a short chapter. You know, the more I expand this story the more inconsistent Far From Home is. I should probably fix that. Anyway, please review!

Chapter 21: Chapter 21

Notes:

Hey y'all. This chapter gave me a little trouble but please enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Hamilton Hill High School: October 17, 2039

Terry allowed his arm to relax around Dana as they watched the game in front of them. "Why did I let you talk me into this again?" he grumbled as Nash whizzed by. Of course, Coach's golden boy was the center of attention. Watching the entire school fawn over the dreg like he was a gift from God never failed to annoy him.

He also detested organized sports. Lily thought it was because he had issues with authority. He thought it was because organized sports were stupid.

Dana playfully nudged him. "Oh, lighten up," she teased. "I needed some way to drag you away from that manor."

Terry shifted guiltily. He had been spending a lot of time at home. His excuse was that he was helping Lily more with Wayne Enterprises in preparation for him to take over one day. It was, of course, a lie since he had no intention of ever running Wayne Enterprises. But it was a good cover story. Still, he hated bailing on Dana. Hated lying to her even more.

"I guess," he relented, holding her a little tighter. His eyes traveled to the other side of the arena. "Besides, I can support Chels instead, so it works out."

She rolled her eyes but nestled further into his shoulder. "She is really good," she agreed, watching their friend. Dana had been a cheerleader too in freshman year; she and Chelsea had tried out together. But she had quit because of her mother's condition. The responsibility and commitment had been too much for her.

Terry could understand that. His parents' death had felt like he was drowning for the longest time. Everything else kind of faded away.

His eyelids suddenly felt heavy, his head resting on top of Dana's. He and Lily had been out all night trying to catch their mysterious assailant. But the problem was that Wayne Enterprises had four separate labs in four different areas of the city. They couldn't be at all four, even with Lily's abilities. It just wasn't possible.

The East Lab had been hit while he was at the West Lab and Lily was at the North Lab. Whoever was attacking the labs had to have been watching them. There was no way they could have just happened to hit the lab neither one of them was at. Which meant that it was escaping Lily's radar.

Not something that was easy to do.

Terry flinched as a body collided with the glass separating them from the game. Of course, Nash stood over the poor soul, shamelessly throwing a wink to Dana. Terry rolled his eyes and Dana's lip curled. "Is it wrong for me to root for the other team?" she asked. She had disliked Nash nearly as long as he had.

He offered her a smile. "Not under the circumstances," he replied.

She grinned, kissing his cheek. "So, how is Lily doing?" she asked. "I'm surprised she's training you now, she never mentioned it before."

Terry's jaw clenched. "Yeah, well, it's not like she has much of a choice," he pointed out. "It's gotta go to someone, right?"

But that did beg the question; would it be him? Lily didn't have kids or any other family. He might not have been her son, but he was her ward. Slag, he really didn't want to. Running that company required patience, something he severely lacked. He also had no plans of surrounding himself with boring businessmen with sticks up their asses for the rest of his life.

Besides, he wasn't a Wayne.

Dana shrugged. "Guess so." She smirked. "But you better make Max your VP if you plan on surviving."

Terry snorted but tilted his head in thought. That wasn't a bad idea. He knew that Lily wanted Max to take a job with Wayne Enterprises in the future. Was it possible to make her CEO instead? That would be nice.

Dana laughed at him, taking his face in her small hands. "You goof, you're actually thinking about it."

"Guilty," admitted Terry. He looked into her dark eyes and leaned in. She did the same and their lips were about a centimeter away from touching-

His cellphone rang.

Terry blinked, eyes shifting to his forgotten bag laying on the bench. Grabbing his phone out of it, he saw that it was Lily. He groaned, glaring at the phone for longer than he should have.

Dana didn't seem too perturbed. "Boss lady?" she guessed.

He sighed. "Yeah," he answered.

She grinned. "Better answer it then."

Knowing she was right, Terry answered his phone. "You have the worse timing, you know that?" he snapped. Dana nudged him harshly, blushing.

'Sorry, kiddo,' Lily said. To her credit, she did sound apologetic. 'But there were 'gas leaks' at the South, East, and West labs. I had to shut them down for now. The only one functioning is the North Lab.'

Terry groaned; he knew what that meant. She wanted him to stake out the North Lab. "And what does this have to do with me?" he complained.

He could practically hear Lily glare at him. "Because I'm reviewing the components for our newest phone," she reminded him sharply.

He heeded the warning in her voice. "Fine," he agreed, sighing. "Dana, I-"

"Gotta go," Dana finished for him, smiling. "Go ahead. Tell Lily I said hi."

Terry smiled back, kissing her cheek. "I'll make it up to you, I promise," he swore.

"I'm holding you to that, McGinnis."

OoOoOo

The Batcave: October 17, 2039

"This was your decision," Lily reminded her ward as she poked and prodded at the specimen in front of her. It responded sporadically and she was sure it would bite her if it could. Not that it would have done much anyway. Still, she wasn't quite sure she had ever seen something like this before. The only being she could think of that had similar powers was Clayface.

If this entity was their foe, they were definitely dealing with a chemically altered metahuman. Metas were a tricky thing to decipher in this day and age. Metahumans referred to humans with an activated metagene and extraordinary powers.

Technically speaking, she wasn't a metahuman. She may have had powers, but they were bestowed upon her. She did not have the metagene and neither did Rex, M'gann, or Henry. Though, they were still considered metas for their enhanced powers. Barry and- surprisingly- Terry, however, were. Barry's was activated, but Terry's wasn't.

This must have been the result of Waller's meddling. How else could he have had the metagene but not her? Had she planned to activate it one day? Oh Hera, she was going to be sick. If Waller even thought about laying a hand on Terry's head-

'I didn't know that it would mean the end of my social life,' came the biting retort.

Ugh, teenagers. Had she been this dramatic at sixteen? "Catch our vandal and maybe I'll give you tomorrow off," she compromised, unwilling to hear her ward complain.

As predicted, Terry's tone softened. 'Sure, boss,' he agreed.

Initially, she had been apprehensive about letting Terry patrol alone. He had only been training for a month. But it was impossible for her to be with him all the time between the League and Wayne Enterprises. As long as he kept open communication with her, she would have to resign herself.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Just do what you need to do," she ordered. "But be careful. I still don't know what exactly we're dealing with."

'I'm here,' Terry told her quietly. Despite his complaints, he did take being Batman very seriously. She was proud of him for it.

"See anything?" she asked, analyzing the molecules using the computer. Nothing really stood out, which confused her. Was it at rest?

'Either someone's celebrating the Fourth of July in their office,' he quipped. 'Or I just found our guy. I'm going in.'

"Good luck," said Lily, squinting at her specimen. There was always the chance that it wasn't related to their case at all. But she had never believed in coincidences.

Suddenly, the substance began to thrash sporadically. Lily furrowed her eyebrows, trying to make sense of what was happening in front of her. It definitely wasn't a coincidence that this started as soon as Terry entered the lab. The hair on the back of her neck stood up in warning just before the specimen broke through the microscope slide.

Fuck.

OoOoOo

Wayne Enterprises North Lab: October 17, 2039

'Terry!' said Lily urgently as Terry observed the debris on the ground. 'You need to get out of there!'

Terry rolled his eyes, leaning down. There was a blue pile of goo on the floor. Gross. "In a second," he brushed her off. God, he didn't envy her employees. She was a demanding boss. "I'm looking around." The place really was wrecked. But luckily, their attacker had taken the bait. Now, just to find any trace of-

'TERRY!'

He groaned. "What- Shit!" He didn't register the hit until his head went through the screen of a monitor. Groaning, Terry tried to pull himself out, but ended up crashing onto the floor.

He watched as a dark figure began to materialize in front of him. It was gooey and dark blue, growing as its parts formed together into a humanoid shape. It had no face, but that didn't make its intention any less murderous. "What the fu-"

He didn't get to finish. The assailant looped itself(?) around his ankle, flinging him through at least three computers. He winced; lucky for him the suit was built to withstand crashes and debris. Unfortunately, the pain was still evident enough.

'Shit,' hissed Lily under her breath. He heard distant rattling in the background.

By the time Terry got up to retaliate, the aggressor was gone. It easily slipped through the vents, escaping his sight. Terry stared up at the vent, flabbergasted. "What the hell was that thing?"

OoOoOo

The Batcave: October 17, 2039

"A meta," Lily supplied. She typed away at the computer, the specimen now contained once again. Terry stood beside her, his arms crossed over his chest. She felt guilty; if she had figured it out a little sooner, he might not have been so blindsided. "Definitely the result of genetic mutation."

"Thanks for the heads up," Terry grumbled, blue eyes steely. "No use in warning me about freaks and monsters, right?"

She cringed. "Sorry, honey," she replied. She should have gone with him instead of staying down here. Now she knew better than to leave him out there alone too often. "But to be fair, you've only been training for a month. We haven't gotten to meta training."

His face softened somewhat. "Why not prepare me for everything?" he asked.

"Well," said Lily, leaning back in her chair. She pondered the question for a bit. "A few reasons. We rushed your training enough as is. I wanted to ease you into dealing with metahumans. It's a lot different than fighting your typical gang of Jokerz. You need to take your time. Also..."

Terry raised an eyebrow. "Also?"

She bit her lip. "Well, I honestly didn't think there were metas in Gotham," she admitted. "Years ago me and my dad scoured the city and put every metahuman we could find into either remedial training and care or prison. We also raided every illegal meta testing facility. This perpetrator is new."

That was on her; she should have been checking regularly. Though, it was likely that their new friend wasn't even from Gotham.

He stared at her, then nodded. "Okay, then," he accepted, wandering a bit further into the cave. She couldn't blame him, those old relics were pretty mesmerizing. "God, there's so much stuff in here."

"Before your time," she murmured as she ran the substance through multiple databases. She didn't like to do that since it was more likely the cave would be discovered, but she needed to be thorough this time. She couldn't have Terry unprepared again. "Most of it before my time, honestly."

A soft beeping alerted her; the computer had found a match. "Inque," she read aloud. No picture was available. They were dealing with a real ghost. "A corporate saboteur. Apparently, she's been on Interpol's watch list for years."

"Interpol?" Terry questioned.

"International Crime Police Organization," Lily explained. "Basically an organization that oversees police coordination around the world. As I understand it, they have a representative from each country, not unlike the UN."

Terry scrunched up his nose; he had a thing about cops.

But Lily smirked. "Well," she observed, finally putting the pieces together in her head. "Powers must be her most recent employer." She had the bastard now. He would regret the day he ever made a move against her company.

"But what is she?" Terry pressed. She could sense the frustration in his voice.

"Like I said," said Lily as she read further. "A meta. The result of a mutagenic experiment." She frowned, unable to pull up any more information. "The details are unknown. No weaknesses."

Terry threw his arms up. "Then how-"

She sighed. "A lot of fighting metas is improvising," she told him. "You never know what you'll be up against. I can't tell you how many times we've had to face a villain who can copy our powers." Those were a real nightmare. She, Henry, Barry, and M'gann were forbidden from participating in those fights. They had to resort to sending Rex and other heroes with either manageable powers or no powers at all.

And it was hell every time.

He cringed. "Ouch."

"Yeah." Lily pulled up a few of her old training files, as well as Dick's and Tim's. "We're going to start meta training this week. It's a lot of thinking on your feet." She nudged him lightly. "So don't worry; you're good at that."

Terry grinned and nodded. "Ready when you are," he agreed.

Notes:

So... I took a lot of liberties from Young Justice. Obviously I changed a few things, but one thing that's always bothered me is characters like Diana and Clark being considered metahuman when 1) Clark isn't even human and 2) Diana's powers weren't inherited, they were bestowed (in most cases). So I kind of made my own canon. Also, I didn't like this chapter much because it feels too close to the episode, so I'm gonna be changing some things in later chapters. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!

Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Notes:

I'm back BABY. Please enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The Batcave: October 19, 2039

Lily was far from a gentle teacher.

Terry grunted as he landed face down on the training mat. "Ow," he bemoaned. His entire body ached as he pondered his predicament. To this point, he had only been fighting against simulations. Hand to hand combat with someone as skilled and experienced as Lily was... humbling. Street fights when he was younger and spats with Nash had done nothing to prepare him.

His guardian gave a soft hum from her stance across from him. "Maybe it's time for a break," she suggested. There was no disappointment in her tone, only concern and care.

And to be honest it pissed him off.

He didn't want her pity and he didn't want her to go easy on him. He wasn't a child anymore; Terry wanted to be taken seriously. "No way," he insisted, forcing himself back on his feet. His legs trembled and he knew Lily noticed, but he didn't care.

"Forget that," he snapped, his chest heaving with exhaustion. "I want a rematch."

Lily looked at him with an unreadable expression. "Alright then," she agreed, shifting easily into a fighting stance. He was almost envious of how easily fighting came to her, it was like she wore her skill as a second skin.

Not once did Terry win a match that night. Lily beat him over and over again, his back stinging a little bit more every time it hit the mat. Although every loss utterly sucked, Terry did take pride in knowing that Lily wasn't going easy on him.

That much, he could tell.

Finally, after maybe five hours, Lily nodded. Not a single hair of her ponytail was out of place, he couldn't see a drop of sweat anywhere on her. She wasn't human, she couldn't be. "You're doing well," she said honestly, holding a hand out to him. "Much better than I thought you would."

Terry scoffed, but allowed her to help him to his feet. "Yeah, right," he muttered sarcastically. "I suck."

She smiled at him. "No, you're progressing quickly," she assured him, ruffling his hair. He didn't have the strength to push her away. "Faster than I thought you would. In fact, you're close to most rookie League members."

His mouth formed and o-shape. "Really?"

Lily nodded, giving him a small smile. "Yup," she told him. She stretched, yawning. "Get some sleep, you have school soon."

"Sure," Terry agreed, also yawning. He made his way towards the long, winding stairs. He had some serious issues with whoever designed Wayne Manor; all that money and they couldn't install an elevator?

"And get there on time," stressed Lily from the bottom of the stairs. "Your homeroom teacher called last week, she said if you're absent two more times you'll get a detention."

He shrugged. "Just means I won't be at your beck and call that day," he replied playfully. He missed their banter. Before their troubles, he had always called Lily his big sister. He liked her better when she was a sister to him, not a mom.

"Brat," she huffed affectionately. "Just go to bed."

OoOoOo

Hamilton Hill High School: October 20, 2039

Terry attempted to hide his yawn, stifling it behind his hand. He tried to concentrate on what his teacher was saying, but he honestly couldn't care less about what was being taught. He was already more familiar with the criminal justice system than he needed (or wanted) to be, he didn't need to sit and listen about it for another hour.

Next to him, Dana frowned. "You okay, Ter?" she whispered when it was time to do classwork, nudging him.

He nodded. "Yeah," he told her. "Just a late night." Late wasn't even the word; he had gotten maybe three hours of sleep.

She gave a disbelieving hum. "Don't you think Lily's working you too hard?" she asked disapprovingly.

'You don't know the half of it,' thought Terry to himself. Dana would probably have a conniption if she found out what he was really doing. When he had been running with Charlie back then, she was never silent about her disapproval.

If only he had listened to her; to her and Lily both. Maybe he could have gotten Charlie help. Things might have turned out different for the both of them.

"It's fine," Terry assured her. "It's a lot of work. It I can't handle this, she might as well sell Wayne Enterprises to Derek Powers." As if. Lily would cheat death a thousand times if it meant keeping her family's legacy out of that dreg's hands. Why she despised Powers, he still had no idea. But she was good at reading people, so he was more than willing to follow her lead.

Also, he wasn't too fond of the fact that Derek Powers kept hitting on her.

Dana kissed his cheek. "If you're sure you're fine..."

Terry took her hand. "I promise," he swore, kissing the back of it.

On Dana's other side, Chelsea gagged. "God, you two are sickening," she teased.

Dana stuck her tongue out. "Jealous much?"

Chelsea smirked. "Hardly," she replied, waving her off. "If I wanted the mushy gushy stuff, I'd have it with the snap of my fingers. Unfortunately, it's not for me."

Terry rolled his eyes. It was true that half the guys at this school were in love with the blond. They made such idiots out of themselves that Terry couldn't have cared less when he watched them get their hearts broken. It was a good lesson in his opinion; learn to take no for an answer.

Chelsea yawned. "Anyway," she said. "Is it any surprise Ter's overworked? The Wayne Enterprise labs keep getting attacked."

He eyed her curiously. One wouldn't think that the blond kept up with things like that, but she was a lot more observant than she led others to believe. She paid a lot of attention to what went on in the lives of high society especially. Why she did this he had no idea, but she was a good source of information for the innerworkings of the upper class.

Dana turned surprised eyes to him. "Really?" she asked. "I didn't know that. What's going on?"

Terry waved her concerns away. "Lily thinks it's a petty rival," he answered, which wasn't exactly a lie. "It's nothing too serious, but we have been working extra hard to make up for it."

She gave a humorless chuckle. "And to think Dad's convinced that Lily's never had to work a day in her life," she remarked bitterly.

He felt a wave of annoyance. Mr. Tan would always despise him; he didn't like it, but had accepted that fact. However, Terry loathed the fact that his opinion of Lily was so low. One thing that could never be said about his guardian was that she didn't work hard. Even before finding out she was both Wonder Woman and Nightingale, he had seen her pour hours upon hours into Wayne Enterprises.

Between everything, it was a surprise that she didn't collapse from stress.

Chelsea pressed her lips into a thin line. "Does your dad even know what Lily does?" she demanded.

Dana shrugged. "Probably not," she admitted. "I can't stand how narrow-minded he is sometimes. Without WE, Neo-Gotham would be in the gutter like it was in the eighties and nineties. Batman and his sidekicks dropped the crime rate, but the Wayne family helped so many people in Gotham. I'd say they were the real heroes."

Terry almost wanted to laugh; if only she knew.

OoOoOo

The Watchtower: October 20, 2039

Not for the first time, Lily was grateful that her powers allowed her to multitask so rigorously.

She tried to pay attention as M'gann spoke, but her mind was preoccupied. Now that she knew about Inque, it should have been easy to pin down both her and Powers. But she was swamped here. The software needed to be updated, teams needed to be orchestrated, equipment needed to be replaced, and rookies needed to be trained. She couldn't leave the Justice League Unlimited in disarray.

But staying here meant leaving Terry to that she-demon.

There was no doubt in her mind that Inque was dangerous. Deadly, even. And Terry still wasn't ready to face a metahuman with her level of expertise. Terry was clever and agile and quick and strong, but he was still a novice. She couldn't have him face Inque on his own.

But the labs couldn't take another hit. Not if they wanted to get this space shuttle done. All the time and resources spent would cause a huge loss for Wayne Enterprises. Not to mention Power would get the upper hand on them, resulting in the push for a merger from the board.

The best option she had was getting the work on the Watchtower done. The quicker she did that, the quicker she could return to Gotham. Now, if a certain rebellious teenager could stay his ass home until she got there...

"You've been busy."

Lily snapped out of her thoughts, noticing her fellow Founders had filed out of the room. The comment had come from Rex, who hadn't moved from his seat next to her.

She scrunched up her nose, idly updating the tower via her mini-console. Rex had this irritating habit of checking up on her in the vaguest way possible. Would he ever just come out and say what he wanted to? No, of course not. But he would certainly allude to it, patiently waiting for her to fill him in.

Lily huffed. "Yeah, well, you know Gotham," she drawled. She usually indulged Rex when he did this, but she was busy. She really didn't have the time to satiate the guilt that constantly ate away at him and he refused to acknowledge. That was him problem, not hers.

She was over it, he needed to be too.

Even under his helmet, Rex's expression screamed skeptical. "Heard about the Wayne labs being targeted," he mentioned casually. His gaze never left her.

But Lily refused to meet his stare, keeping her eyes on the downloading software. "Why, Rex, if I didn't know any better I'd think you were keeping tabs on me," she replied.

"Someone has to," he shot back.

Suddenly irritated, Lily looked up from her work to glare at him. "If there's something you want to ask me, then ask," she snapped. It was odd to be annoyed with Rex. Usually, they had a comfortable understanding.

There had been a shift in their relationship. She wasn't quite sure she liked it.

"Fine," relented Rex, crossing his arms over his chest. "Were you gonna tell us about the new rodent running around your city?"

Lily glared. "Not that it's any of your business," she hissed. "But Batman is still in training. There was nothing to tell." She hadn't told the League about giving Terry the suit because, frankly, she didn't feel the need to. How she operated in Gotham was no one's concern but her own. It was her city, her father's legacy to maintain.

When it came to Gotham, the League could kick rocks for all she cared.

"We've offered you help a thousand times for the past nine years," Rex pointed out. She could hear the anger forming in his voice; it was almost a foreign sound to her. "But the kid takes the suit for a joy ride and now he's Batman?"

"Jealous?" she remarked snidely. "It's not a good look for you." She took a deep breath, leveling her temper before it got away from her. "In any case, there's no need to worry about Gotham." Her eyes sharpened as she looked at him. "I've got it."

Rex stared at her for a good while. Then, taking her completely off guard, he flicked her forehead. "Ow!" she hissed, rubbing the sore spot. "Rex!"

He smirked. "For someone so smart, you sure are dumb," he said mockingly. The red of his lenses seemed to bore into her eyes and this time she couldn't avoid looking at them. "I'm not worried about Gotham." Oh.

Oh.

Much to her frustration, Lily felt her cheeks warm. She huffed, trying to hide her flustering with annoyance. "Then just say that," she shot back, averting her gaze once again.

He chuckled. "Promise you'll tell us if you need help?" he asked.

She sighed. "Sure," she agreed flippantly, not that she had any intention of it. The League wasn't allowed in Gotham, end of story. She would finish what she needed to here, then help Terry with Inque when she was done.

Though, now she was starting to think there was another problem festering here. One that she needed to put an end to immediately.

Notes:

Little bit of filler, the fight with Inque will continue in the next chapter. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!

Notes:

So, I had to work out the entire Batman Beyond timeline (took longer than it should have). Two different sources told me two different years for the series. It was between 2029 and 2039, so I decided to go with 2039. And Terry was probably 16, but I'm going with 17. The rest of the dates will be revealed with time. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!

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