Batman Beyond - Burning Passion of Love

Inqueling

"Terry's right." Gwen agrees. "I don't want Uncle Bruce's life to be put in danger again, and Megan to worry so much to take Inque on alone without thinking of a plan first. And when Megan gets mad, she can go crazy from her ESP powers."

So true, Megan acts like that sometimes, but she's no idiot. Meanwhile, Winchell tells someone over the phone that the project has to be scrapped and it's a big loss. Inque arrives and points out that it's only a loss until he gets paid by his insurance company, which will gain him a profit. She gives Winchell a card to route her cut of the profit to her account and he sits down to his computer. However, before he sets the transfer, he pulls out a gun and blasts her with it deciding that he'd rather keep all the money for himself. Inque is unable to evade his attacks and is gravely injured. Winchell tells her that it's a particle destabilize, and that no substance is impervious to its effects. However, before he can kill her, Inque leaps out the window and escapes. Winchell is unconcerned, thinking he's already hurt her too badly to survive. Elsewhere, a repo man starts to tow a car away but the car's owner, Deanna Clay, runs out and insists that she can pay her balance. She hands him a number of credit cards and all of them are over limit. Finally, she gives him a credit card that she claims is brand new. The balance is paid, and the repo man releases her car, also giving her the number for a credit counseling service, saying...

"You've got a problem, lady?" Deanna tosses the card away and goes back into her apartment.

Unbeknownst to her, Inque is watching and sneaks into her apartment. Inside the apartment, Deanna talks to someone over the phone and successfully negotiates her way out of paying another debt—by incurring yet another debt to someone else. Inque arrives and Deanna tries to run, but Inque stops her and reveals her human face, showing that she's Deanna's mother. Wait, she has a daughter...? Who knew! Now laying down, Inque explains to Deanna why she abandoned her: Inque was young, and the police were after her. Feeling she had to run and couldn't keep her daughter, she left Deanna with some guardians, but always made sure to send her money thereafter to keep her in comfort. When Deanna asks why she allowed herself to a become a shape-shifting mutant, Inque says her new abilities allowed her to earn 'more money than you could ever imagine'. Back at school Max arrives and signals to Terry 'while he and Gwen were dating a little' that she has the information and he heads out to see her.

"Hey, you two. Don't forget, be at Rhino's tomorrow night." Dana reminds them.

"We'll be there, Dana, thanks." Gwen said with a smile. "(Now let's see what Maxie has gotten for us.)"

Max explains that no one was competing with Shimano on the project.

"Here's what I could find..." she tells them. "Winchell hired Inque to sabotage a new satellite launch for insurance fraud. Does things well to hiding it from others, very hard to prove in his illegal schemes."

Good lead so far. So both Gwen and Terry decide that he'll have to investigate Winchell himself and heads off.

"Let's go pay Winchell in person, Gwen."

"Right." she follows her boyfriend.

It was time to get some answers to stop Inque next for Max leaves it to them.

"Good luck, you two." said Max.

Back at Deanna's apartment, Inque's condition grows steadily worse. Deanna arrives and starts to ask for more money, but Inque has other things on her mind. Inque asks Deanna to get more chemicals for a revitalizing mutagen shot. Deanna is uncertain, since she has never stolen before, but Inque talks her into it. Deanna suggests renting a car to go to the lab so her own can't be traced, only she has no cash for it. Inque readily agrees, and offers to transfer some creds into Deanna's account, but she's too weak to do it herself, so Deanna offers to do it for her, calling her 'Mother' for the first time. Back at the Shimano building, Batman and Batwoman sneak into Winchell's office.