Batman Beyond 'Fan Fiction Story'
By Tayla Drago
Episode# 9 – Spellbound
Chelsea returns home from a date with her boyfriend, Rick. When he asks if she's all right walking alone the last few feet to her door, she says nothing ever happens around their block. Before reaching home, Chelsea notices a strange wind picking up and is approached by a man dressed in a strange costume. He tells her not to be afraid and shows her a large eye in his hand, inviting her to an 'adventure'. Chelsea stares into the eye and suddenly finds herself wandering through a jungle. She enters an ancient temple and picks up a small idol in the center. She then follows the strange man to a pool of lava and drops the statue down. In reality, she has entered her home, picked up a statue from her father's study, and dropped it off the riverbank outside her door. When her father confronts her, she snaps out of it and expresses confusion. Neither of them notice the man fly away with the statue in hand. Who was he...? For Gwen to be walking back home from food shopping for Bruce, she sees the man to make a run for it to have some fire sparks on the ground for the strange person in to suit to see.
"(A person in a weird tight outfit taking off with a statue?)" Gwen questions herself. "(And wasn't that Chelsea just a few seconds ago? She wasn't feeling like herself.)"
The next day, Terry talks to his friend Jared and notices Commissioner Barbara Gordon walk by. He follows her and eavesdrops on a conversation between her and Ira Billings, the school psychologist. Gwen catches up to Terry to have a word with him after bumping into Jared.
"Excuse me, Gwen." he was being a gentleman to her.
"Sorry, Jared." she said back. "Terry, hey. You just seen a lot of cops coming by just now? It looks like Uncle's Bruce's friend Commissioner Barbara Gordon is talking to someone, and about Chelsea doing something bad, its not like her."
Even her inner self says this...
"(Maybe she has a boyfriend getting trouble lifetime or something.)"
Terry sees where Gwen was getting at.
"And you told me you saw someone with Chelsea?" Terry asks Gwen.
"Yes I did. And I ran back home to Uncle Bruce just in case." she said.
Yep, those two might be on to something big. For Billings says that, in his expert opinion, Chelsea commits acts like this to get attention, and her 'mystery man' story is likely made-up as an excuse. Barbara accepts this explanation and leaves.
"I guess she made the whole thing up." said Barbara. "Thank you for your time Mr. Billings."
"And I'm sorry for the trouble."
An odd man to start working at Terry and Gwen's high school huh? But he does help other kids like Chelsea. But still, something was off about her dropping the statue to be under an illusion spell of some kind.
"Attention problems?" question Terry. "That's weird. I know Dana's friend and she would never do something to upset her parents by stealing."
"All I know is she has guy troubles, but she's very good in school..."
Just then, Billings sees Gwen to be feeling down to be the next patient to have cured. Gwen Grayson? Really?
"Why hello, Ms. Grayson. I notice you've been down the upset lately." he said. "Why is that? If you don't mind me asking you."
"Huh?" Gwen was lost. "Me? Oh, no. Sir, this is what I am all day. I'm fine with the people I know-!"
"Please, call me Billings." he smiles to shake hands with Gwen. "I can't help but have someone to talk to you about your problems, I can help. I'm a professional psychologist to help the teenagers on hard times or not feeling like themselves. Allow me to hear you out."
Feeling odd for Gwen to do and Terry to not allow it.
"Mr. Billings, I got Gwen covered. But thanks."
"It'll be one part only, I promise." he said to taking Gwen's hand. "If you don't like it, then it'll be the one time you'll have it. If it does work, then you can come back to talk to me anytime. It'll be fine, Gwen, I keep lots of secrets from others."
"Gwen." Terry couldn't get her out of it.
And so she follows Billings to his office to have a quick section to try it out. Feeling shy, she tries to keep her cool for Gwen to know that she'll try it once to see how it goes.
"Ah...Terry, it'll be fine. I'll think of happy things and come right back later, this man is a psychologist person, maybe he can ease my stress." she said. "I'll catch up with you later."
"That's right, Gwen, I'm right here to hear whatever's on your mind."
Well, Gwen might be a while with Billings to keep things a bit...personal to hide her fire powers and her being Batwoman was all she had to do. For her and Terry were still on the case. For Terry is suspicious 'like Gwen was too', but even Bruce doesn't see anything wrong, believing that it's just Chelsea's personal problems. Really, Bruce?
"Guess you're the expert on troubled kids." Terry said to him. "You collect them, right?"
"And why isn't Gwen with you?" Bruce asks Terry.
"She should've been back by now...I hope she's okay."
Night comes and the mysterious man picks off another victim, Mr. Deakins, an auction house manager. Mr. Deakins is hit by the power of the eye and soon after he knocks one of the security guard's unconscious and locks himself inside. As the police arrive, and tend to the guard, Deakins drags a valuable dress (once belonging to Princess Audrey) up to the roof. In his mind, he's in the middle of a jungle war, dragging a wounded comrade to safety while trying to evade the enemy. On the roof, the mystery man is waiting, where Deakins sees his vehicle as a rescue helicopter.
"You're going to be fine, Lewy." said Deakins.
Soon, only Batman arrives at the scene to have a good look at the mysterious person in the tight suit.
"Who the heck are you?" Batman asked.
He loads the dress onto the craft. Batman arrives but Mr. Deakins sees him as an enemy soldier and attacks him, telling the 'helicopter' to run for it.
"Here!" the man hands Mr. Deakins a gun to use.
"I'll hold off the enemy, you two get out of here!"
Lots of gun firing to be going on. After a brief fight, Batman manages to knock Mr. Deakins into the wall, thereby snapping him out of his delusion. All was fine, until some powerful fire try to stop Batman to save the man's life from the blast. What?! It looked familiar to have another person working for the mysterious man to have that type of powers to be a girl.
"What the-?!" Terry/Batman sees the woman getting away. "Batwoman, where are you? Two people strike again. I need help." he gets no answers. "Batwoman?"
Mr. Deakins also expresses confusion.
"What just happened...?"
"You tell me. Who were two to people in the weirdo suits?" Batman asks Mr. Deakins.
For the man doesn't remember anything at all but see a flash of light and then come to afterwards.
"I...I don't know..." he answers back.
Now that there have been two sightings of the same villain and another one who works with the man to be unknown, whom the media dub 'Spellbinder', the police re-open the case and Bruce realizes that he was wrong.
"Either way, I'll get Megan on this case." Bruce checks on Gwen. "Are you doing well?"
She hasn't been herself for her to look so tired.
"Sorry, been working hard, I know." she answers. "I've been trying to find this Spellbinder person and the doctor's trying to help me out. So I've been kind of busy...Forgive me."
Terry announces that he has a personal gathering to attend.
"Its fine, Gwen, just get dress for something to wear." he said. "The dress Megan got for you, wear it. I don't want to go alone. Wedding parties are fun afterwards."
And she goes to do that.
"And I sure hope from talking to Billings, I can let go of my worries."
As Gwen goes to change, for her to see someone to talk to gets Bruce's attentions.
"Seeing a doctor?" he was confused. "Terry, make sure Gwen's doing well."
"I'll try..." Terry notice a 'D.G.' tag names letters from first to last was on the suit he was wearing. "Who's D.G.?"
Bruce stood there in silence.
"Dick Grayson, who's Gwen biological father from the human clone making and another of her problems."
Now he tells him...Borrowing some formal wear from the mansion, Terry and Gwen 'to look nice in a pink dress with some hair ups, gloves, and shoes to look cute in them' go to the wedding of Jared's mother, admiring the large jewels she's wearing. However, as the bride walks down the stairs, a magic eye concealed in a video camera hits her and she suddenly sees herself in a nest of gigantic insects.
"Its the man-!" Gwen then stops talking to feel a bit different.
As the bride runs in terror and Terry sees Gwen was slowly walking away like she was in a trans of some kind.
"Its happening again." he stops to see Gwen wasn't herself. "Gwen? Hey, Gwen? Where are you going? The Spellbinder's getting away! Gwen!"
Something was wrong with her...Catching a glimpse of Spellbinder hiding in the crowd, Terry runs down to his motorcycle and pulls out the Batsuit. Also, Gwen wears a mask on her eyes to be joining with Spellbinder. What the heck?!
"Yes, Gwen, come to me." he chants something to make her not be herself to controlling her movements. "I have a task for you to let out your powers. I'll help you. Now hear my voice and continue to walk with me, that's it."
Terry sees from Gwen was under Spellbinder's control somehow.
"This is bad...He has Gwen!" Terry calls up Bruce to let him know what was going on. "Wayne, you alive?"
"Very funny." he said. "What's happening?"
"Guess who crash the party and has control of Gwen?"
Bruce couldn't believe what he was seeing from the computer screen.
"Gwen?!" he was shocked. "Terry, try to get her out of from whatever's control her!" Bruce didn't sound so happy to have him worried.
"I'm on it." said Terry/Batman. "And I will save Gwen."
In terror, Jared's mother jumps off the hotel balcony. Batman grabs her, but she sees him as an insect too and tries to escape him. Eventually, she sees even her jewelry as insects and tears them off, before falling onto the train tracks in the path of an oncoming train. Batman manages to save her but cannot stop Spellbinder from stealing the jewels. From Gwen attacking him from burns to holding him down...Spellbinder makes his move on Batman next.
"Good, Gwen, now hold him still..." Spellbinder, however, isn't gone, and Batman takes off in pursuit. As he catches up to him, Spellbinder turns and zaps him with his magic eye.
Terry sees himself on the top of a tall tropical waterfall and takes a high dive toward the pool below. In truth, he is falling towards the street.
"McGinnis! Wake up!"
Fortunately, Bruce manages to snap him out of it before he hits the ground, though his escape is narrow, and the suit is damaged in the process. Ouch...! For him to see Gwen gets taken away, Spellbinder has her to use for his heist and still under his spell.
"Gwen!" Terry/Batman was to hurt to do anything. "Give her back! Gwen!"
"Terry, you're back at least. And we will save Gwen, Megan has a tracking device to keep her eyes on her whereabouts on whoever's behind it."
And Bruce was right. As Terry was getting patch up to watch out for Spellbinder's next move and try to find a way to save Gwen from the madman's powers – using his powers to make things look, feel, sound, and smell real too. For Megan, she talks to the two boys from the Bat-Computer to tell them who Spellbinder might be; because as Gwen was having her problems to tell Dr. Billings about it, she did leave her some clues before falling under a spell of some kind.
"Bruce. Terry. I know what's causing Gwen to work for Spellbinder. Along with Jared's mother, Dana's friend, and the man with the fashion clothes." she sends them the information. "Ira Billings is a new psychologist working at Hamilton Hill High School. Feeling under-appreciated — and more importantly, underpaid — Billings decided to use his talents to get back at the very people he claimed had spurned him: the rich. Under the guise of his position, he probed the minds of wealthy students, and in turn — via mind control — used them to abscond with valuables from their own homes. Not only is he good, but he's rich to make anything happen, that might be our unlikely suspect to the case for Barbara to leave some clues. And with that, he might have Gwen somewhere safe to keep captive. Terry, this is where you come in. Act like a trouble person to talk to Billings to get something out of the man. And don't worry, if you go under his spell again but Bruce and I will have your backs."
She still has the skills. The next day, Billings expresses concern for Terry's mental health, given the recent loss of his father and the new stress caused by his job. He invites Terry to tell him about his experiences working for Bruce. Terry is a little reluctant but finally caves in. I guess the plan's working so far...That night, Bruce hears an intruder alarm sounding. Megan was staying over the night with her husband to help him out.
"Megan?"
"Bruce, come on! We got trouble." she said.
They go upstairs and finds Terry stealing valuables from his home. Terry sees himself as being a contestant on a shopping spree game show and even attacks Bruce when he tries to stop him.
"Terry, snap out of it!" he said.
Bruce, however, snaps Terry out of it to make him trip over his cane and Megan spraying Terry with something to make him come back to reality.
"Wake up!" said Megan. "Daydreaming's over."
In the Batcave, Bruce reveals Spellbinder's true identity: Billings. All of the victims either had therapy with him, or had children who did, which is how Billings 'cased' their houses.
"So he's the one who's also using Gwen, Billing found out about her powers...!" this angers Terry.
He does not suspect Terry's secret identity, but only used him to get access to Wayne Manor — which means that at that moment Spellbinder is waiting outside for him.
"And he's waiting for the good to be brought to him right now." said Bruce. "We have to save Gwen."
And so was the mind-controlled Gwen. And lucky for Billings who's Spellbinder, he also doesn't know of her as Batwoman, just her powers. And there might be a way to bring Gwen back to help Terry as Batman to stop Spellbinder.
"Okay, I know how to set Gwen free..." she tells Terry. "Terry, answer me this. Do you like Gwen?"
"I wouldn't I?" he asked.
"I mean, do you like her more than a friend? As in love?"
Once Megan said that part to Terry, he started to blush.
"Huh?! What about it?!" he was freaking out.
"Well, Gwen's emotions can control her fire powers for her bracelet does so. Here's the thing, she comes around to feel so embarrassed to be true to have her face turn red. Just say these words to her, because I know you mean well to this girl." she whispers something to Terry to say to Gwen.
Once Megan did, Terry freaks out a lot more.
"Wait...What!?!"
"Just go!" Megan pushes Terry out to get his Batman suit set to go and the trap to be set. "It'll work, trust me!"
And here we go...! I guess. Terry confronts Spellbinder as Batman but is hit by the magic eye.
"Gwen! Snap out of it!"
No such luck for Terry/Batman to bring Gwen back to reality to attack him since Spellbinder hits his enemy with his powers right on the dot.
"Forget it, Gwen's mine." he said. "Ever since I found out about her fire abilities, she's become useful for me to use to get the goods and I'm not losing this one for my heist to fail like this. And not even beaten by you either. Gwen, protect me!"
And she does for Batman has to keep trying harder to not hurt Gwen at all.
"It's over, Billings! I know who you are!" said Batman. "And using Gwen like this, I'll never forgive you!"
"Well, I'm glad that makes you feel superior, but you haven't caught me yet."
Things don't seem to alter, and he claims that he's okay but soon sees a pack of zombies crawl out of the ground and they attack. As the illusory zombies gang up on Batman, Spellbinder explains his motives for the crimes: Having gotten poor compensation for treating many of the students with connections to wealthy families, he decided to get what he believed he was entitled to and strike back at the rich, with Spellbinder also using the illusions to sneak attack Batman.
"He's under his spell again!" said Bruce. "Terry!"
So why was Billings as Spellbinder was doing all of this you may asked?
"For years, I fought the demons in the heads of those ungrateful little snots! While their coddling parents paid their garbage men more than me! Now I'm taking what I've earned! All but Gwen shall be helpful to have to help me cure her. How beautiful is that?" said Spellbinder to touching Gwen's face. "I could fall for someone like you."
Bruce watches through the suit's video link, but can see nothing, meaning the zombies are illusions. Spellbinder and Gwen's attacks Terry, practically invisible through the illusions. However, Bruce manages to help him evade the attacks.
"You got him!"
"And so have I!" Megan appears to use her baton to whack Spellbinder and Gwen away from each other to use her ice spray next. "Sorry about this, Gwen."
Using it to make Gwen's body feel weak from the cold to go down allowing Terry/Batman to break the ice to grab hold of her to freeing her from the spell for good.
"(Here's my chance!)" he does to whispers the words into Gwen's ears. "Come back to me. Please, Gwen!" Terry/Batman says it. "I love you."
From those words and the cold feeling, Gwen comes around again to see what's been happening.
"What...?" she was now free from Spellbinder's spell. "Batman? Megan?"
Her inner thoughts finally speak up again.
"(About time, Gweny, hurry up and let me take over to get some pay back!)"
She understands that Billings was Spellbinder to be using her powers to hurt others to make Gwen upset.
"Right, he'll pay for this...! Burning passion! Batwoman!" she transforms.
"We did it, Bruce." Megan tells her husband the good news.
For him and her to be happy to see and hear Gwen was back to normal. And so was Terry/Batman to make him feel silly after saying those words. I think he really meant it though. The images eventually fade, and Batman sees Spellbinder standing just in front of a cliff. He runs with Batwoman joining in at long last after him but Bruce warns Terry and Gwen that it's an illusion.
"Stop, now!" he tells the two.
Terry freezes, stopping just short of where the real cliff is for Gwen/Batwoman to help out her partner on that one.
"Oh, we will, Bruce-Old-Boy." she said to be laughing. "After treating poor Gwen as your slave, Spellbinder, you had me worried about my real self to completely lose it, but she didn't thanks to Terry's love. And now...its payback time with a burning desire of revenge." Batwoman means it with flames bursting in anger to help Gwen ease the pain. "She doesn't need quacks like you, I can help out her stress!"
Spellbinder attacks from behind but falls off the cliff himself after Batman evades the attack and captures him once Batwoman burns his suit to die out for no more casting illusions spells anymore.
"You're done for." said Batman.
"(Thanks for saving me, you guys.)" said Gwen. "(I didn't know what I was thinking for him to put a spell on me so easily.)"
She was not to blame for this at all, it was Billings/Spellbinder's fault.
"Its fine." Megan pulls the man up to handcuff him next. "He's to blame, not you."
"I was so close..."
"Yeah, and you can help out other bad people in prison, weirdo." she said. "No more people under your control anymore."
You said it, Megan. With the trouble ended, Bruce calls up Barbara and has her and Megan take Billings away, with Terry explaining how they caught him, while keeping the fact that he did it as Batman a secret.
"So, you're Bruce's two new helpers." Barbara said to seeing them. "Terry McGinnis after losing your father, I'm sorry for you loss. "And Gwen Grayson, who has something from her looks to find your mother, right?"
"Father, I have found to write letters to him, and my Mother I have to look for next. Whoever she is..."
"I see..." she said and then leaves next. "You two stay out of trouble.
Once she leaves, Megan calls this a case closed.
"We got to be careful from people like Spellbinder to not be under his spells again." Megan had an idea in mind. "I should do something about it."
Good thinking there. Barbara questions Terry and Gwen and though she doesn't let on, she knows his secret. Oh, we already know...And for Gwen to feel something familiar about Barbara.
"(Gweny, what's on your mind?)" ask her inner self.
"I don't know...When I was under Spellbinder's spell, I thought I was with my Mom. To find my Dad next to do bad things really, I feel awful. Forgive me, Terry. Uncle Bruce. Megan. I know it wasn't real to be used afterwards to trust in someone who hurts others and commits horrible crimes. It all felt so real to then learn that I'll be able to see my Father one day, and... from seeing this Commissioner Barbara Gordon in person, she reminds me of Mother for some reason."
Another lead besides Dick Grayson to be her biological father to Gwen for a half human and cloning? Who knows...For both Megan and Bruce won't give up on the search for her.
"Megan and I will try to find more answers for you, Gwen, trust us." he said. "And if there's anything you need, talk to her or me. You're not to blame to be used from someone like Billings, but you know what not to do next time."
Bruce hugs Gwen to be happy having her back.
"Thank you, Uncle Bruce, I will." Gwen then goes up to Terry to talk him next. "And you too, Terry, you saved me. From saying those things for my heart to race."
I hope he meant it!
"Oh, that! Yeah, I'm glad that worked. Thank Megan, she told me..." Terry was blushing. "It was the only way to free you, Gwen, you had me scared! All of us!" he then goes up to hug Gwen next. "I'm just glad you're back to your normal self. If you turned against, I don't know what I'll do without you. I think...maybe I am falling for you."
Gwen heard that part loud and clear for Gwen to be blushing so much.
"Oh, Terry...I didn't think you would like me a lot more...and this love, what is it? I feel so embarrassed!"
She'll be fine to make Terry smile for him and Gwen to laugh together to have a moment. A nice scene to call this night off after fixing up everything now.
"You are cute when you laugh, that's the Gwen we all know and love." he said.
"Yes, for now on...Only the people I can trust I will talk about my problems and see my parents one day." she said to Terry. "I'll be ready for it."
And she will, the lesson in this chapter/episode is this...A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry, the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, study, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are medical doctors, unlike psychologists, and must evaluate patients to determine whether their symptoms are the result of a physical illness, a combination of physical and mental ailments, or strictly psychiatric. As part of the clinical assessment process, psychiatrists may employ a mental status examination; a physical examination; brain imaging such as a computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or positron emission tomography (PET) scan; and blood testing. Psychiatrists prescribe medicine, and may also use psychotherapy, although the vast majority do medical management and refer to a psychologist or other specialized therapist for weekly to bi-monthly psychotherapy.