Chapter Text
Dr. Abel Cuvier sneered as he loomed over Terry McGinnis, syringe in hand. The dim glow of the lab’s fluorescent lights reflected off the sickly green serum inside. The teenager, strapped to a reinforced medical chair, glared up at him, his mouth curled in defiance.
"You've been a thorn in my side for far too long, Batman," Cuvier said, rolling the syringe between his fingers. "I wonder what kind of beast would best suit you. A wolf, perhaps? A panther?" He smirked. " Or maybe something more... fitting? A bat, just like your precious mentor."
Terry let out a low chuckle, despite the restraints digging into his wrists.
“You really don’t get it, do you?” he said, tilting his head. His blue eyes gleamed in the dim light, something almost unnatural lurking behind them. "You can’t splice what’s already an animal."
Cuvier frowned. "What?"
Then, it began.
Terry inhaled deeply, his chest expanding, his pulse hammering with something ancient, something primal . His skin rippled like water, the muscles beneath shifting in ways they shouldn't. His hands curled into claws, nails sharpening into obsidian points. His grin widened, revealing canine teeth that extended into fangs.
The final touch came with a sickening shrrrip —as twin masses of dark, leathery wings burst from his back, stretching wide. The membrane, lined with veins, gleamed with a blood-red tint beneath the artificial light.
Cuvier stumbled backward, the syringe slipping from his fingers.
" Impossible! "
Terry smirked. His voice came out lower, richer—resonating with something more than human. " You really should’ve done your homework, Doc... "
He flexed his wings, and in an instant, the reinforced chair snapped apart like paper. Before Cuvier could react, Terry moved. His wings flared, and he was on the doctor, one clawed hand gripping the front of his lab coat, lifting him effortlessly off the ground.
"Let me explain it real slow," Terry said, voice laced with amusement and something else—something hungry . "Batman was never just a man. And me?" He leaned in, letting the dim light catch the predatory gleam in his eyes. "I’m his legacy ."
Realization dawned in Cuvier’s widening pupils, quickly followed by terror.
Terry exhaled sharply. "So, Doc…" He smirked, baring his fangs fully. "How do I look spliced?"
With that, he hurled Cuvier across the lab, sending him crashing into a pile of equipment. Alarm klaxons blared as Terry spread his wings, the air vibrating with the force of his movement.
By the time the lab's security forces arrived, all they found were shattered restraints, scattered vials, and the terrified remains of Dr. Cuvier, muttering to himself about creatures that shouldn’t exist .
High above the city, silhouetted against the neon glow, a dark figure took flight.
Blood-red wings stretched wide as Batman vanished into the night.
Like his father before him.