Batman Beyond: The Legacy Returns

Chapter 4 - Rise To Powers

In the window of a retro-style American diner, Max slurps on her coffee as she waits for Terry to show up. The quirky looking restaurant is not at all too big and then again not too small. The buildings surround the small diner as if it was an obstacle in their way and standing all alone like an homage to the quaint history of the late 20th Century. Tables where tacky and brimmed with streamline silver metal, the tops had a marbled green look to them as they shone from a polished glaze. The cushioned seats were just as retro looking as the rest of the place, fake leather padded booths toned in a dark red and all facing back to back just like they did so long ago. Max had not let her hair down; she still had it in the tight ponytail with a black round clip to hold it in place. Still wearing the same outfit when she last saw McGinnis, it was a sign that she had not been anywhere but the station since they last chatted. But as she twirled around the spoon beside her coffee cup as he placed it down, she looked up and suddenly saw Terry finally entering the diner at long last.

"McG! Bout time you came...remember you're the one doing the buying right?" Max laughs.

Terry had a gaunt look in his face and sat in the red leathery booth with her. The two sat across from each other, both still wearing the clothes they've managed to stay in most of the night. Terry sighs and looks up at her.

"Sorry Max, I had some trouble on the way here."

"Yeah I know." The female friend said back as she rest up against the booth padded backing. "Got a call from the squad about your little run in with some Jokers. I figured I didn't need to be there to get the scoop. I told the men I was taking a short time off to have dinner with a friend, so glad you at least made it back to here afterwards."

"I'm beginning to see what you mean about the situation out there." Terry says as he folds his arms and leans down on the table. "Gotham has changed...or maybe I have...or both...damn I don't know anymore."

"Easy Terr..." She says with care to the stressed out friend. "Forget about it right now...we can talk about it at another time, lets just enjoy our meal together."

Terry looks around and snickers to himself, "Man...I can't believe Dini's Diner is still here. I thought they would have torn this old place down years ago."

"They were going too...but some folks still like eating at this old hangout. I think its very shway, I mean just think of all the food you and I used to download when we crammed for studies!" Max giggles as she remembers fondly.

"Like the time we ate the chili supreme mega dogs and quickly tried to run for classes after narling them down!" McGinnis starts to laugh riotously.

Max joins him in the laughter and the two enjoy the humorous memory of trying to waddle to school with overly stuffed bellies.

"Oh...oh god Terry. That was the best! I dropped to the ground as if I was going to die and told you to keep going without me."

Terry still laughing adds to her story, "That's when I tried to drag you along with me and ended up hurling in a recycling bin half a block later!"

Max pounds on the table laughing and leans back as she starts to control herself. Terry also starts to bring it down and relaxes in his seat.

"Oh boy...that was funny." The commissioner woman says wiping the tears of laughter from her face. "We never did get to class on time. You made me get a 'F' on that assignment."

Terry points at her, "If I recall we both failed that one, so don't blame me...besides, who was the one that ordered those killers anyway?"

The waitress suddenly came up to their table and placed down the food in front of them both. The woman was dressed just like one would image they would in this era, a pink polyester uniform with matching white sneakers to boot. Terry stood in shock as she laid down the orders that apparently Max had already made and gazed at it in horror. There was the very chili dog nightmare the two were reminiscing about, sitting in a basket with french fries and swimming it the very chili muck poured over it all.