Excerpts from an OLD Story from the Early 2010s

Back in the early 2010s, I started to write a story that took place in the Batman Beyond continuity. Essentially, I wanted to make a tale about how Terry didn't really have a Riddler or Mad Hatter-like villain. Spellbinder was the closest, but he was more of a stalker figure who used tech. So, i wrote a couple of chapters and just stepped away from it. 

I wanted to focus more on my own characters and stories and felt I could rewrite parts of this into something involving my own worlds as opposed to playing in DC Comics' playground.

Still, it was a fun story and after rereading it, it could work. Kind of funny looking at it in hindsight since the first chapter largely took place in a mall, and we all know malls are an endangered species in 2026 and probably wouldn't be around in the future Gotham. It felt fun, and I rarely look back at older things.

Maybe one day, I'll finish the whole story. 

Anyway, here's the first (lone) three chapters of Batman Beyond: Curious Thoughts.

Chapter One: The Game

What is reality?

Is it numerous electrical impulses forming a single matrix, predetermined by an outside mechanical force, or is it just the simple, ordinary things we do at random? 

Some call it fate. 

Some call it destiny.

Some call it life.

The life of Terry McGinnis has been anything but typical especially after becoming the current incarnation of a mysterious vigilante many felt was just an urban legend. Like the man before him, he donned the persona of the Batman out of revenge but ended up becoming the unseen face of justice in an unjust world. 

Today, however, he’s not fighting crime.

He’s just tired.

After a night of chasing Mad Stan throughout the streets of Gotham, not to mention listening to his pointless bantering about the evils of technology (which is kind of ironic considering that Mad Stan uses technology to get his point across), Terry needs to just crash in his house for the entire day. It’s the dog days of summer, which means no school for a couple of months. It’s Saturday. Dana left town yesterday to visit some relatives in New York for a couple of weeks. Plus, Mr. Wayne’s going on a business meeting in Metropolis today, so, no roaming the streets as Batman tonight. For the first time in months, Terry can sleep in for a day.

Of course, even he knows that’ll happen, and he’s not that lucky.

“Hey, Terry” Matt shouted to a half-asleep Terry, “you’re supposed to take me to pick up Curious Thoughts at the mall today.”

“Hhuhhh, whuh... what ‘s Curious Thoughts, twip?” Terry murmured.

“Are you serious? Everybody under the sun is talking about Curious Thoughts. Realistic graphics, immersive AI. Realistic sound. So real, you can feel it.”

“Couldn’t you get that from, I don’t know, playing outside?”

“It’s a rich story, Terry. We gotta go get it right now.”

“Why can’t Mom take you? I’m scorched.”

“Mom is going to the grocery store to pick up a few things. Plus, what else are you going to do? Spend the whole day with Dana?”

“Alright, alright. Let me wash up and put some fresh clothes on.”

“Woo-hoo!”

As soon as Terry finished straightening out things, he and Matt walked down to the train station when he looked up at the clock.

“Seven A.M.?!?” he thought to himself. “I am so going to kill him. Barely got an hour of sleep today.”

“I thought you said that Mom was going to pick up groceries today,” Terry told his brother as they got aboard the tram.

“She will, in a few hours,” replied Matt. “Besides, she knew that it would be an almost morning-long wait at the video game store, so, I had to make sure that we left really early.”

“Why didn’t you just order the thing online?”

“They’re doing a big launch at the mall.”

“Come on. The game’s that popular?”

Just as Terry asked that, a news byte scrolled on the transit news screen.

“If you’re going to Gotham Plaza today,” the news announcer began, “prepare to be swarmed by eager video game fanatics. Fans are frantically awaiting the arrival of Curious Thoughts, the most anticipated video game in the history of gaming. Little is known about what the game is about, though commercials for it have been seen around the clock. What is known is that it’s created by a fairly new Gotham-based development group and publisher calling themselves Amgine. The lead developer, Ivory Glasser, will be at today’s arrival to sign autographs as well as demonstrate Curious Thoughts for the eager crowd.”

Terry was a bit curious, but nonetheless underwhelmed.

“Okay, twip, exactly how much of the game have you seen?"

"Just a few stills and videos on the net. We’re here!”

To say that a crowd of people were at a mall early on a Saturday morning would be an understatement. There was a mass of insanity awaiting a video game. The typical gamer geeks, including a trio that looked familiar to Terry. Old and young. Business types. Slacker types. Mallrats. Jocks. Airheads.

“Didn’t think I’d see you up before noon, McGinnis,” a familiar voice shouted out.

“Max! You’re actually buying into the hype of Curious Thoughts?”

“Actually, I want to see if I can take it apart. See exactly what makes this game tick. Maybe end up getting a job at Amgine. Oh, and I see how the game really looks in action. What’s your excuse, Terry?”

He pointed to Matt who was trying to get into the crowd.

“A-ha! That explains it,” Max said. “Figures. I’m sure all of your time working for Mr. Wayne prevented you from actually watching TV and video streams.”

“I think I saw a few billboards around town. Didn’t know it was for a game.”

“Ah yes, the power of advertising.”

“C’mon, Terry, it’s about to start,” Matt said as he grabbed his brother and dragged him to the center court. Max couldn’t do nothing but chuckle at the situation.

“And he thought Mad Stan was a problem last night. Wait up! I’ll sit with you guys.”

The crowd of gamers and potential gamers gathered in the center of the mall where a huge stage was set up with holograms of the various characters from Curious Thoughts hovering around and a huge monitor in place for a demonstration of the hyped game.

All at once, the skylight went black.

“What’s going on?” Terry asked.

“Relax,” Max said. “It’s all part of the show. No need to get into your pajamas.”

“Sorry. It’s a bad habit I learned from Mr. Wayne.”

“WHAT ARE THOUGHTS?” the screen began to read with a strange techno beat playing in the background. “EACH THOUGHT IS ORIGINAL. YOU DECIDE WHAT YOU MAKE OF YOUR THOUGHT. BUT LET ME ASK YOU THIS. AREN’T YOU CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS CAN DO? AREN’T YOU CURIOUS WHERE YOUR THOUGHTS CAN TAKE YOU?”

The screen became filled with several visuals of weird worlds and realistic heroes and villains battling each other online. Then, a huge Curious Thoughts logo appeared on the screen with “Enter the Looking Glass” written beneath it. The crowd went crazy. When that teaser was over, a statuesque blonde woman in a black cloak, seen earlier in the promo, was seen on the screen.

“My first thought is why are there so many people on the other end of this screen?” the character asked to the screaming audience.

A similarly dressed woman appeared with a microphone.

“They came here to see you, and your world,” she told the character. “This is Gotham Plaza deep in the heart of Gotham City, USA.”

“Gotham City? I heard they have guys flying around like they’re bats in that realm and guys dressed up like clowns,” the character said, creating a smattering of laughter and applause. Terry, understandably, didn’t.

“Aw, that’s just an urban myth, like the alligators in the New York sewers and the jackalopes in the Midwest. They’re good folks here in Gotham."

The audience were impressed with the dialogue that continued for a while.

"It’s obviously a prerendered segment made weeks in advance,” Terry told Max.

“No,” she replied, “I think this is in real time. Very impressive AI interface. Hey, how come Mr. Wayne doesn’t have a game company?”

“The old man told me he invested in a few. He told me about this one he tried to buy, but the deal went sour after the owner got kidnapped and placed in a labyrinth maze by this kook calling himself The Puzzler, The Trickster, or The Question. Something like that.”

The lady spokesperson, who revealed herself to be Ivory Glasser, creator of Curious Thoughts, asked for volunteers to play the game for the first time in the world. Matt pulled his brother through the crowd so that he could play it.

“Pick him!” Matt told Ms. Glasser. “I just want to see him embarrass himself.”

“Alright. We have our first player, um, what’s your name?”

“Tim Grayson,” Terry told her, lying to hide his embarrassment.

“TIM GRAYSON!”

“He’s cute,” the game character said. “You think you’re ready to enter the looking glass?”

“It’s just a game,” Terry said.

“Oh, it’s my world, love. And you’ve never experienced anything like this before.”

“Try me. I’ve seen a lot.”

Terry climbed up on the stage where he was fitted into a new outfit comprised of a t-shirt and track pants with the Curious Thoughts logo plastered on them.

“This is so embarrassing,” he thought to himself. “Matt is so dead when we’re through with this.”

“And now,” Glasser told the audience, “the full immersion into the world of Curious Thoughts.”

Terry sat on a huge arcade chair with a game controller built into it. Wearing a monitor visor, Terry’s thought patterns visualized what his character would look like. Trying not to think of his alternate persona, he just focused on being himself wearing a red mask with huge eye lenses and a red and blue skintight costume that made him look like a ninja. His digital self was shown on the screen for all to see. The crowd was impressed with Terry’s moves on the battlefield. He ducked everything thrown his way and knocked out every opponent his way. By the time the level was over, the audience, and surprisingly Terry, were very impressed with the game so far.

“So, Mr. Grayson,” Glasser asked Terry, “how does it feel to be the first person in the world to play Curious Thoughts?"

"Oh, man,” he said excitedly, “it was totally schway! I mean, it was like I was fighting those ogres and robots. I could almost smell the trees in the forest. This game rules!”

“I guess he’s impressed,” Max told Matt with a slight grin on her face.

By noon, Terry and Matt were on their way back home on the tram. Matt wasn’t in a good mood.

“You are so lucky.”

“Hey, come on,” Terry said, still wearing the Curious Thoughts outfit given to him earlier in the day as well as holding a bag full of Curious Thoughts statuettes, comic books, caps, t-shirts, and, of course, two copies of the game, including a deluxe physical copy with even more collectables inside. “It’s your fault for dragging me on the stage trying to embarrass me.”

“Yeah, who knew they were giving away all that cool stuff today? You didn’t even know about the game until this morning, and yet you’re the first to play the thing. You suck, Tim, I mean Terry.”

“Sorry you feel that way. Here, twip.” Terry placed a cap on his brother’s head.

“You are so lucky.”

Ivory Glasser was exhausted after this afternoon’s festivities. And excited.

“I knew it was going to be big,” she said on the phone, “but I didn’t think it’d be this big! I think we all could be multibillionaires by the end of the year. I wish the rest of you guys were here with me.”

“Don’t sweat it, Ivory,” the voice on the other side of the phone said. “Curious Thoughts was your baby, and we felt that you should be there to represent all of us. This is only the beginning of what we have to offer the masses.”

Only she didn’t hear “of what we have to offer the masses.” Instead, Ivory heard static crackling in the phone.

“Rod, Rod, where are you? Are you still there?"

"Rod’s not here, but I am,” another voice said. “Hello, Ivory.”

“Who is this?” Ivory asked.

“You know who this is. You know why I called. I think it’s time to end our arrangement. You stole my game. You stole my life. I want control back now.”

“We’ve gone this far without you.”

“I made this company. I left to pursue other plans. And now I want control of my company back. Your services are no longer required, Ms. Glasser.”

Ivory’s phone began to sizzle and as she threw it across the mall, it exploded. The sprinklers went off, soaking the center of the mall, and Ivory herself. Maybe it was the water from the sprinklers streaming down her face, or maybe it was tears.

 Maybe it was both.

Her first thought after this incident?

Fear.

Chapter 2: Chess

When Terry and Matt got home, their mother, Mary, immediately hugged them. 

“What’s that for?” Terry asked.

“You didn’t hear?” Mary said. “I knew you two were going to the mall today, and I grew worried after hearing what happened. Thought you...”

“Mom, what happened?”

As Terry asked that question, he overheard a news announcement playing in the background. 

“A small explosion rocked Gotham Plaza a little under an hour ago. After a game demonstration event was over, a small explosion was seen in the center of the mall near the food court. Thankfully, there were no fatalities and only a few minor injuries. Right now, police officers are questioning witnesses.”

Some thoughts are born out of necessity to do the right thing. That thought is currently circulating Terry’s mind.

“I’ll be right back,” Terry said as he began to run back to the mall.

“Wait, where are you going?” Mary asked.

“Forgot I had this t-shirt for Max. She’s a huge fan of this game.”

“You can’t leave right now,” Matt told Terry. “You forgot something.”

“I got the bag right here. Oh… yeah.”

Terry gave Matt the regular copy of Curious Thoughts game box. 

“You’re not going to be the only McGinnis to play this game!” Matt told him while he began to open the packaging, struggling to remove the thin plastic wrap encasing it. “Why won’t this thing open up?”

By the time Batman got to the mall, he noticed that Ivory Glasser was being interviewed by a circle of officers. She repeatedly was asked the same questions, and Ivory responded the same in all instances. She said that she received a call from her partners over at Amgine when all of a sudden, her connection went dead. She heard a crackle in her phone and tossed it in the air where it exploded.

“Can somebody verify your tale, Mrs. Glasser?" Police Commissioner Barbara Gordon asked her.

"Rod Philips. He was the guy I was talking to. I’m sure he heard the static on his end as well.”

“Alright. We’ll get officers down there to talk to him. Thank you for your time, Ms. Glasser. Keep an eye out, okay?”

“Yes, ma'am. Thank you so much." 

As a shaky Ivory Glasser left Gotham Plaza, Batman quietly descended towards Commissioner Gordon. Or so he thought.

"For someone who’s trying to sneak up on somebody, you certainly make a lot of noise,” she told Batman. “Why are you here ‘Grayson’?”

“So, you already checked the surveillance files,” he replied. “Not exactly the proudest moment in my life, but it was pretty fun. I...”

“You’re not answering my question. Why are you here?”

“Same reason you are, Commissioner. I want to know what happened exactly. Remember, I was just here earlier today, with my brother. Something bad could have really happened today.”

“Something bad already happened. If Ms. Glasser didn’t toss that phone skyward, we would have had a lot of bodies to clean up. Somebody’s trying to kill her, and for some reason, she’s afraid to name names.”

“I see. Anybody in mind?”

“Not really. I really don’t know much about her. All I know is that she’s a game developer who nearly got blown up today.”

“Developer of the most anticipated game in a long, long time. Or so I hear.”

“Shouldn’t you be going now? I mean, the police commissioner talking to a masked vigilante isn’t exactly the best PR move.”

“You’re right. Wouldn’t want people to think I would associate myself with the likes of a cop.”

The Batman quickly left the scene of the crime. Commissioner Gordon was just beside herself, shaking her head.

“That kid acts just like Dick,” she says. “No wonder Bruce picked him.”

The hours have passed and day has now become night. Deep within the recesses of Blackgate Island Maximum Security Penitentiary, Prisoner #56938401 is watching television coverage of today’s events. A group of thugs are hooting and hollering over the picture of Ivory on the screen. 

“Ivory!” the prisoner shouts. “I know that woman.”

“Yeah, right, Billings,” a prisoner replies. “She’s a looker. How would a geek like you even be in the same room as someone as fine as that?”

“She was once my fiancée." 

"Aw, poor Billings. So, when she dumped you, is that when you went crazy?”

“For the last time, I didn’t go crazy. And my name is Ira. And no, we amicably decided to end our relationship. Ivory moved on with someone else. She inspired me more than she ever realized.”

A burly guard came in.

“Alright, back in your cells,” he said as a klaxon rang in the air. 

Despite his geeky exterior, Ira Billings commanded respect within the confines of Blackgate. Everybody knew that if they crossed him the wrong way, he would immediately put them in their place, putting them into a nightmarish virtual reality courtesy of a micro-sized orb in his eyeglasses. 

A little reminder of his old life as Spellbinder.

By the time Ira got to his cell, he was pulled by another guard. 

“Billings,” the guard said, “you got a phone call.”

“Who would be calling me this time of day?”

He went in the phone room where a few guards monitored the phone call.

“Ira,” the voice on the phone said. “I take it that you witnessed the news today.”

“Who is this?” Ira replied. 

“The first move of this game has begun. Now, are you going to be a pawn in this game and work with me or do you want me to - -”

“I want to serve my time. I’m sick of messing with minds. I already mastered that.”

“So you think.”

“Do what you want. I’m in jail. Leave me alone.”

“Aww, you just want to ruin the game before it gets started. Once it goes out that you and Ivory were once a couple, Gotham PD. will be breathing down your neck. I could make it seem like you were completely involved with today’s events. Besides, with all the hardware I provided you, you owe me.”

Ira sighed. 

“What do you want me to do?”

“You’ll know.” The connection was dropped.

For someone who inspired fear, Ira Billings, the Spellbinder, was never in a position of feeling it himself.

The next morning, Terry was fast asleep.

Brrrrrrring!

“Terry,” a familiar voice said over the phone. “I need you to come down to the mansion. Now.”

Duty calls, even for the restless.

Chapter Three: Boggle

Wayne Manor was unnaturally pleasant today. The coldness that had been in place ever since that fateful night that changed Terry's night forever remained, but there was a slight warmness in the air. 

Terry was a little nervous, to say the least.

"Mr. Wayne?" he shouted. "I came as fast as I could - - -whoa."

Terry stopped in his tracks when he saw an attractive, statuesque woman with long, black hair with just a few streaks of silver in the living room sitting beside Bruce, who was looking at a few photographs.

"I didn't know you had guests, Mr. Wayne?" Terry said.

"It's okay, she just flew in today," Bruce replied. 

"We were supposed to meet in Metropolis to meet a mutual friend," the lady said, "but Bruce said he had to return to Gotham for important business. I guess you were the business, Terry."

The lady stood up and shook Terry's hand.

"I'm Diana," she said.

"I'm in love, I mean, I'm Terry. I mean, I know you know my name, because you said it, and…"

Bruce grabbed Terry and began heading to the Batcave.

"Trust me, Diana, he's much better on the field."

"With you training him," she said with a smile, "I certainly wouldn't doubt it." 

As they were heading to the cave, Terry tried to hide his embarrassment from Bruce.

"I never acted like that around girls," he said. "I mean, I'm no Don Juan or anything like that, but I usually know how to talk to girls."

"For starters, that's not a girl," Bruce said, "That's a woman."

"What is she, a princess or something like that?"

"Something like that. She's a wonderful old friend from another time."

"Your voice trembled a bit when you said 'friend.' That explains the warmness. I thought Talia was supposed to be the one that got away. Or was it Selina?"

"Why did you call yourself Tim Grayson yesterday at that video game show?" Bruce asked, trying to change the subject.

"Commissioner Gordon told you, huh?" Terry replied.  "I didn't want to be embarrassed when I got on the stage, and for some strange reason, that was the first name that popped into my mind. Either that or Peter Park---."

"While you were playing games," Bruce interrupted while several screens lit up, "I've been trying to figure out who tried to kill Ivory Glasser yesterday. So far, I have a shortlist and eliminated a couple of folks. Simon Harper's on probation, and I'm sure he doesn't want to end up back in jail. Plus, I think he'd be frustrated with the upcoming Sentries of the Lost Cosmos sequel that'll make billions for just about everybody involved but him. I'm still wondering about Rodney VanHeimer."

"Who's Rodney VanHeimer?"

"He's one of the co-developers of Curious Thoughts. He's also the last known person Ivory talked to before the explosion. There's another guy I think might be involved in all of this. Spellbinder."

"Spellbinder? He's in prison. Isn't he?"

"Last time I checked, he was. He's supposed to come out next week. Plus, I learned that he and Glasser were once an item."

"How could you possibly know this, Mr. Wayne?"

"I have my methods. In fact, just months before he was sent to Blackgate, Billings was dating Glasser. They broke up, and Billings wore the Spellbinder outfit once again. After that, Glasser was seen around town with several suitors before she decided to go solo. Around this time, she began developing Curious Thoughts. Tell me, Terry, what was the game like?"

"It felt so real, like I was really fighting monsters for real. I could almost smell their musky sweat. Kind of like those times... I fought Spellbinder. Damn. Didn't even realize it either."

"Can you get me a copy of that game so I can examine it?"

"Everybody and their brother have been trying to buy it. Matt told me they had to have month-long waiting lists just to get on the real waiting lists."

"How about your copy?"

"And have Mom and Matt scream at me for taking the game out of the house.”

“Didn’t you get a deluxe version of the game?”

“Oh, right. I’ll bring it over to you tomorrow.”

"You do that. I need to get back to my luncheon date with Diana. You head down to Amgine and find out what you can."

"It's Sunday. They're closed." 

"When has that ever stopped you, Terry?"

"Point taken."