Chapter 30

A week after Terry got back to work at Wayne Manor as Alfred Pennyworth's Personal Attendant, he decided to move out of his family's house.

Alfred found out about it and offered him to just stay at the Manor. Terry reluctantly accepted the offer because Alfred had already done so much for him. They arranged that his fee for living there is to be deducted from his monthly salary so that he would be less guilty about it.

He had his own room but he always ends up at Rose's room.

Rose and Terry have been having fun for days, training together, fighting crime together, and sleeping together.

But as days continued to pass, Rose's energy began to decline.

"You've been so down lately. Is it because of your father?" Terry asked Rose as he noticed her not being so lively lately.

"...Yes. This place, Gotham, just reminds me of what happened in that warehouse. Plus, I just miss being with my family. Family was the reason I came here to America in the first place."

Rose's mom lived in San Francisco and so did her second family, the Titans. Now that her father died, she craved that familial bonding.

"Then, why don't you go there to visit?" Terry said as he combed her hair.

"I don't think I'll be coming back here if I go." Rose said as she looked him in the eye.

"What do you mean?" Terry furrowed his brows in confusion. "Can't you just visit? I'll even go with you since it's summer vacation." He smiled.

"I'll want to be close to them, always." Rose said.

"You don't want to stay here in Gotham because it reminds you of what happened to you and your father, and you want to go back to San Francisco?...But I'm here. What are you saying, Rose?"

"....You also remind me of what happened...." Rose uttered as she looked away.

"Rose...What?..." Terry chuckled nervously.

"I don't blame you for what happened, Terry. It was all my father's fault, but it was also because I defended you!"

Terry widened his eyes then, frowned.

"...You say you don't blame me for what happened, but you're lying to yourself. You just said it was because you defended me from him."

"...That's not the same."

"It is the same!" Terry's eyes became watery. "You don't want to stay here in Gotham because of me!"

Silence fell in the room.

"...I'm sorry." Rose said as tears fell from her eyes. "I know it wasn't your fault, but maybe a part of me IS blaming you."

The two of them couldn't look at each other.

Terry lied down at the bed and covered his face. "What do we do now, Rose?"

"I have to leave, Terry." *sniffs* "If I stay here, it will only get worse for us."

Still lying down and covering his face, he said "I don't want you to go. I don't want you to leave. I'm in love with you, Rose."

Rose went up to him and removed his hands that were covering his face. She saw Terry's face wet with tears. "I love you too, but I have to leave. We'll just tear each other apart if I don't. It's better if we hurt now." She said as she lied down on his chest.

Both of them cried to each other.

"When will you go back to San Francisco?" Terry asked after they cried for a long time.

"Tomorrow."

"Do you want to get away from me that much?" Terry said half-jokingly.

"I don't think I'll ever get away from you. You'll haunt my memories when I go back to San Francisco." Rose said with a wistful smile.

"...Will you ever come back to Gotham?"

"...I don't know."

"Will you come back to me again when you finally find it in your heart to forgive me?"

"If I stop blaming you and come back, will you take me back?"

"That's unfair. You didn't answer my question."

"You can't answer mine as well."

"Well, if you do come back,...and you finally forgive me for what happened... If I still don't have someone in my life then. You know I'll take you back."

"...Your answer was unfair too." Rose closed her eyes as she buried her face on Terry's chest. "You just gave me hope that I still have a place here with you waiting for me."

Both of them asked questions that couldn't be answered in the present. The only thing that was clear to them was that their future together is uncertain.

Rose climbed on top of Terry and kissed him.

They made love for the last time.

When Terry woke up, she was long gone. All that was left was her scent on the bed.

She couldn't say goodye properly because she was scared that he'll convince her to stay. Rose had to make the right decision for both of them as the older one. Them being together was already rocky from the start because of their parents, but now there's more wounds that can make their journey together as a couple more awry.

Terry buried his face on her pillow and cried his heart out. He couldn't blame anyone but himself. Not even Amanda Waller. In his mind, this wouldn't have happened if he was just stronger. He could have prevented Deathstroke's death and his relationship with Rose could have been saved if he was just stronger.

He got up with more determination in his eyes.

----

After the news of the Maroni family being gone from the underworld scene broke out, all other criminal organizations frantically tried to take away the territories that the Maroni family left to get ahead of the other.

But they didn't get ahead as another power got to take the territories first. The mutant gang. They promised to protect all the territories that the Maroni family left without any compensation. The mutant leader knew a power struggle was going to happen if news that the Maroni family got wiped out. Fortunately, he was one of the first to know along with Batman and he got to act quickly. Ironically, the places they protected gave out more money than they did with the Maroni family simply because they were kinder to them. They get along great with the mutants unlike the threats that the Maroni family did to take from them.

The mutant gang had good reputation with the police too as they help them with any illegal activities going around their territory.

Their numbers got bigger as well.

But because of these big changes, trouble was stirring within the group. Trouble that wasn't easy for the mutant leader to deal with anymore because of the sudden increase of his responsibilities.

A presence was lying in wait to take advantage of this situation once it blows up.

----

"Remember your training, Matt! Go!" Terry shouted as he cheered for his brother Matt McGinnis from the sidelines.

It's been a week since Rose left Gotham. They're currently in a gymnasium that was holding a karate competition. Matt McGinnis, Terry McGinnis' brother, is currently participating and is about to win the trophy.

"Go Matt!" His girlfriend Stacy was also there to cheer him on.

"The winner of this summer's karate tournament....." The last match is finally over and the mc was about to announce the winner. He drew it out to make it suspenseful as the drum rolled. "....Matt McGinnis!"

""Yeah!"" Terry and little stacy high fived as they celebrated in the crowd.

Matt bowed to the judges and the audience, then, immediately waved when he saw Terry and Stacy. He was gesturing them to come with him and take a picture with the trophy.

After the event was finished, they walked back to the car that Terry borrowed from Alfred. It was gathering dust in the mansion's garage without it being used anyway. Terry figured he can do work on it just like with his motorcycle. It was a green BMW E30 M3.

All of a sudden, two men walked up to them and blocked their way to their car. They were about the same age as Terry or even younger. Along with them was a kid that lost to Matt in the early rounds of the competition.

Terry narrowed his eyes at them. He knew what they were after.

"Come on." Terry said to the two kids that were with him as he pulled them to circle around the people that were blocking their way.

But just as they moved, the two men moved too.

"What do you want?" Terry couldn't ignore them anymore.

"We just want that trophy." One of the men spoke and pointed at the kid they were with. "My brother over there could have won that if he didn't face your brother.

"Wouldn't my brother have won it anyway if they met in the last round?" Terry asked them.

"Probably. Probably not. The thing is, it was a bad match up. Your brother could have lost earlier too if he wasn't fortunate enough to face opponent that he had an advantage on."

Terry sighed. "I'm still in a bad mood. Please don't do this." It has only been a week since he broke up with his girlfriend. Of course his mood is still sour.

He felt a tug from his side.

Terry looked at his brother Matt who was furrowing his brows at him. "What?" He asked Matt in a low volume so the two punks wouldn't hear it.

"Why don't you just beat them up?" Matt asked Terry in all seriousness.

That's when Terry realized that his brother's image of him wasn't good. It was his fault for always being involved in trouble when they were growing up. He had to do something about it.

"Listen, Matt," Terry crouched down while ignoring the goons in front of them. "You can't solve all your problems with violence, okay? Let big brother Terry show you how it's done in the adult world." He said as he tousled Matt's hair and got back up.

"Listen. Guys. I know what you're trying to say. That may be the case if that happened but unfortunately it didn't. What are you going to do?" He shrugged his shoulders. "So, please let us pass through. We still have to meet our mom for dinner." He said in a bright smile to convince them.

"Not until you hand over that trophy." The man replied.

"Haaah." Terry sighed because he failed to convince them with words. Then, he thought of another way to maybe convince them. "Can I interest you in some money instead? You can just say that we bought the trophy from you." He said with a bright smile."

But that didn't seem to work either.

"You must be one of those arrogant rich folks that think they can buy off whatever from anyone." The two took out a stick and flicked it. The stick elongated. It was a friction lock baton.

Stacy hid behind Matt. Terry went in front of them both to cover them.

"Guys. There's really no need for violence. Can we just talk this out?" Terry said with a troubled smile.

"What are you doing, Terry? Just wipe the floor with their butts!" Matt shouted at him

"Enough talk!" The man shouted. Then, he waved his baton to break a car's tail light behind him to threaten Terry.

But Terry wasn't threatened.

His eyebrows twitched out of anger instead.

Terry's smiling face slowly distorted into a demon.

"...That was my car." The demon uttered. His voice was so deep and ominous that you would think his voice changer in his Batsuit was on.

The two guys instinctively took a step back. Chills went down their spine as they heard Terry's angry voice.

They made a big mistake.

One thing that Terry hates the most is when someone destroys something he worked hard on.

And he worked hard on that car and loved it so he can take his mind off of Rose.

Terry walked towards them and rotated his neck to warm up.

A few moments later, the two men were on the floor knocked out.

"Ha! You showed them!" Matt scoffed as they got in the car.

Terry drooped his head down. He had failed from giving his little brother a valuable life lesson by him ending up using violence.

He looked at his brother at the passenger seat next to him who was proud and satisfied of the outcome. The rear-view mirror showed Stacy at the back seat looking at him with sparkly eyes.

"Haaah." Terry sighed as he started the car.

Who could have known at that time that incident would lead to a meeting with his old friends?