Chapter 8 - "Follow me" - a blog series

 FOLLOW ME

       Chapter 8 - Rebirth

“Batman?” called Barbara on her phone as she walked with Nygma to her car. “Dick is down. And I’ve reported it to the department. They should take it on from here. I’m sorry!” She got no reply from Bruce.

She started to drive to the place Nygma asked to be taken.

“Derek Powers...” He started.

“More riddles?” she asked in a tone of disdain.


“We haven’t got enough time for games anymore.” He said and he seemed to be serious about it.

“He is planning to sell his weapon to a European buyer. But, there is a disk, with some information on it that Powers seems to feel is endangering his operations. It was with this guy called Warren McGinnis who worked with Powers in the research wing. But the guy got killed, supposedly by one of the Jokers gangs who looted his house and the disk has been missing. Powers seems to think that his son Terry might have the disk and is behind the kid” said Nygma.

“How do you know all this?!” asked Barbara.

“Let’s say I have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.” answered Nygma, with a smile of pride.

“Well, we need to get to Terry then?” she asked.

“Yes, and that’s where we are headed.” He said.

Meanwhile, in the Wayne Manor, after Barbara and Dick had left, Bruce was having some soup as he watched the news. It was a report about Derek Powers receiving the Minister of a European country who was in Gotham for attending the World Trade Confed. Bruce knew immediately that something was fishy. He got edgy and turned the TV off and started towards the cave to check on Barbara and Dick when he realised that Ace was barking more than usual. He looked out of the window to see that Ace who was tied to the main gate was really edgy. Bruce opened the window and threw a ‘Batarang’ to unleash the hound.

Ace scampered towards the manor and just as he reached the door, Bruce held it open for him to enter. Ace entered and began sniffing the floor and found a trail. Bruce followed Ace and Ace finally stopped at the entrance of the Bat-cave. Bruce opened the secret entrance and saw Ace hurry down to the cave and stop in front of the casings where the suits were held. He looked up to see that his batman suit was missing. He almost immediately knew who had taken it.

He then went to the computer to call Dick. He reached the computer and saw that a message was already waiting. It was Barbara’s message about Dick. He immediately called her.

“Barbara!” he said, “There has been a complication. This kid has stolen my suit.”

“Kid? What do you mean kid?” she asked. And she had heard the term twice in succession and couldn’t help making the connection.

“McGinnis?” she thought out loud.

Bruce was extremely surprised to hear the name. But he didn’t have time to sit and analyse the situation right now.

“Yes, but I need to go.” He said and he hung up.

Barbara knew that wherever they were headed they weren’t going to find Terry.

“Let us head back to the University.” said Nygma.

And so, Barbara turned around to but not to head back to the University, but to the station.

“The kid seems to have taken the onus on himself, commissioner. Now, we just need to sit and watch.”
Over the next few hours, Barbara got various reports of gunfire at the Powers Corporation Building. And then she got the report of a hovercraft that sunk into the bay. But all those reports which were coming through on the police radio she carried with her were just running to a corner of her brain. All her concentration however was on chewing upon the conversation she had with Nygma.

 “You see, commissioner, penitentiaries are correctional facilities for those who need correction.” He had said.

“Well, you see, I am also a camel, who drank a lot of water when it was at the oasis. But when I started walking away, I started feeling thirsty again. That’s when I my walking cactus. It was a fleshy and juicy cactus and it gave me water whenever I was thirsty. But it was not an everlasting cactus, it would eventually die too. And then, I was left with a choice, either to head back to the oasis or find myself another juicy cactus. And I chose to find a cactus which would help me continue my journey. And I chose you. You see, commissioner, a man might change many a leaf over time, but his purpose is single. And my purpose has always been simple; I’m just the camel who needs water. And I guess I have found my cactus in the new kid in the block. And according to your radio, he seems impressive.” he said.

Barbara had been thinking things over. Her world had changed a lot over the last few weeks. She had been on a roller-coaster ride, and it had all started, thanks to the man sitting right next to her on the car. And now, there was possibly a new Batman in her city. The Batman would be a great ally to have, but Barbara couldn’t help thinking, “A teenager? Really?!”

And then she stopped the car and asked Nygma to get down. They were in front of the Gotham University Staff Housing.

“Goodbye Mr. Gough. It was a pleasure meeting you. Could you take care of the duplicates for me?” She asked.

He nodded and he took his phone to press a button.

“I will stay in touch.” said Barbara as she drove away. A new era was upon her; a new Batman would be helping the police. And contrasting to the weeks that preceded, now, she would be the one guiding Batman. It was the dawn of a new Gotham City.


THE END

Thanks a lot for reading! I loved writing this! Would love to hear from you too!

And as for Batman, Terry and Powers. You will have to see these two episodes to know what really happened between them.





Batman Beyond - Episode 1 - Rebirth (part1)





Batman Beyond - Episode 1 - Rebirth (part2)