Ok, so we are going to ignore how long it took me to update this fic…I had a serious case of writer's block and "I hate the way this thing is shaping out to be." But I'm back now! This story should be wrapping up soon, mostly because I want to try something else and I really hate Chimeras. (does anyone like him? I mean really?) So hopefully, you will enjoy these two short chapters to get me back into the swing of things/let me poke fun at the characters. Things should be getting serious after this. Thanks to all the supporters and people who are actually still reading…
Chapter 10 - Romance ain't really your thing.
"This would be a lot easier if I knew exactly what was wrong," Max sighs to herself. She had been tinkering with ways to improve the Batsuit, ever since Bruce gave her the okay to join the team. It was the least she could do. Sure Bruce had several spares, but fixing this suit -- making it stronger than the others -- was important to Max. It was a way to show Terry that she would always have his back, whether he was behind the mask or not. But improving the suit had turned out to be harder than Max thought it would be.
There were obvious changes that needed to be made: the boot-jets needed to provide more lift, the camouflage needed to last longer as well as disguise Terry's heat signature, the armor needed to be stronger, and there needed to be a more effective way to heal wounds. Bruce shot down many of Max's original ideas without giving any reason, but Max was finally able to convince him to let her add medi-nanos to the suit.
The medi-nanos work with the suits pre-existing monitoring system. They are normally dormant, but when an area of the suit or Terry's body reaches a certain danger point the nanos respond by primarily re-enforcing the suits armor and secondly, if needed, treating Terry's wounds. It was exactly what the suit was missing -- probably because the medi-nanos required a large amount of power and occupied a large amount of space in the suit. To accommodate them Max had to add an additional layer and install charging docks across the suit. All that in a week's time. Was Max a genius? Yes. Was she determined? Of course. Was she trying to avoid another sparing match with Bruce? Slag yes. All the work, flushed down the drain when Terry said it was uncomfortable. So here Max sat, staring at the schematics for the original and her model suit to see where things wet wrong.
Suddenly, Max's screen is interrupted by an instant message from 'Jbond494,' her lab partner in genetics.
Jbond494: Hi
Max closes the window.
Jbond494: Max? u there?
Max closes the window.
Jbond494: Max? pls I need help
MAXSUPPORT: help with what Jeremy?
Jbond494: y didnt u answer me b4?
MAXSUPPORT: you need help don't you?
Jbond494: yea…can i borrow our notes from last week? i cant find mine.
MAXSUPPORT: I haven't been to school in two weeks.
Jbond494: oh. so you habe no idea what we did?
MAXSUPPORT: no I don't…I wasn't there.
Jbond494: oh, so do u want to meat up and study after school tommorow? We could stop by the arcade.
MAXSUPPORT: there's only a week left, I don't think any amount of studying will change our grades.
Jbond494: so do u just want to hit teh arcde?
MAXSUPPORT: what? why?
Jbond494: lets just meet up ther around 5:00? that's good, for u right?
MAXSUPPORT: what?
Jbond494: 5:00 PM. Maybe we could see a movie to
MAXSUPPORT: are you asking me out on a date? cause you are doing a horrible job.
Jbond494: i am?
MAXSUPPORT: yea
Jeremy goes silent for several minutes.
Jbond494: sorry, I just figured this would be my last chance. We'll both be leaving for college soon and I always liked you. But you were always with Terry...and he gives me the creeps. But I figured hey, what do I got to lose, you're online…I'm online…and only one week of school. Man up while I still can, I guess.
Going out with Jeremy is a bad idea…not that he is unattractive, he just isn't Max's type. Then again Max's type seems to be her best friend, who just happened to be in love with a girl who was everything Max wasn't. Maybe Max is was into the wrong type…and a few rounds at the arcade could clear her mind and help her re-evaluate the bat suit's upgrades.
Jbond494: was that better? I'm not good at telling people how I feel, especially people I like. To be honest, I stole part of what I said from a movie I had to see with my little sister…I could say how I really felt…but I don't want to labeled a pervert this close to graduation.
MAXSUPPORT: Haha
Jbond494: she laughs, she smiles, she agrees to go out with me?
MAXSUPPORT: she does
Jbond494: great. Then goodnight, until tomorrow.
Jeremy watches in amazement as Max agrees to go out with him. He never expected Max to actually say yes.
"So do I actually have to go out with her," Jeremy asks.
"After all the work I had to do to patch up that pitiful conversation you had with her," Chimeras swings away from the computer, "of course you have to go out with her, and you are going to enjoy it too."
Jeremy shuffles his feet on the floor, "but I don't even like her."
"I'm not paying you or any of your joker friends to like what I tell you to do," Chimeras walks to the boy and towers over him.
Jeremy backs away, "but, but why this girl…there's so many in the school."
"Because this girl knows a lot about me and has some sort of connection with Batman. I catch the girl, I catch the bat," Chimeras eyes the boy, then turns away. "And if he really is dead, I'll just have to find some other use for the girl -- before I kill her."
Batcave - 4:15pm
After a not so stressful return to school. Terry found himself going to the bat cave alone. Max had some spur of the moment date with some loser and would catch up later. Max could do much better and had in the past. They'd have to have a talk later about standards.
"Don't bother suiting up," Bruce turns from his perch at the bat-computer, dressed unusually well for a night of mentoring.
"Giving me the night off," I ask jokingly.
"Of course not," Bruce scoffs back at me, "Didn't she tell you?"
"Tell me what?" All Max told me today was that she was going on a date. I doubt Bruce would change my night schedule because of that.
Bruce passes by me on his way to the elevator leading to the rest of the manor. "I spoke with your mother this afternoon about your disappearance. I wasn't able to calm her down over the phone, so I invited her out to dinner."
I didn't know my mom had gotten back in town, but Bruce had managed to talk her into a dinner date? "You are going on a date with my mom!"
"I'm too old for dates, McGinnis," Bruce answers over his shoulder.
What was that supposed to mean? "What is that supposed to mean? You know she's half your age. And she has a boyfriend. And she's my mom."
Bruce pauses in front of the elevator, "I have to convince her that you working for me is still a good idea."
"And you're gonna convince her over some expensive candlelight dinner? Don't you think you're going a little to far with this? I mean look at you!? Do you have to wear such an expensive looking suit."
"Terry, I'm a billionaire. I don't have inexpensive suits. If this bothers you so much, then I can cancel on your mother and you can leave the suit on the table."
I like to think his "leave the suit on the table" statement is an idle threat. I've proven myself worthy of the job, and he certainly can't handle it on hi own anymore. Then again, he is such a stubborn old man.
Bruce enters the elevator, "We have to buy flowers before picking up your mother."
"Wait --we? Why we?"
"Your mother thinks you're my personal assistant. Its time she saw you assisting me," Bruce answers as the doors close.
I fling my bag into the corner and run up the stairs behind the old man, "you solve all your problems by throwing money at it?"
Bruce exit's the elevator, "Just the female ones."