Chapter 1: The Trap

It was quiet. Too quiet,he thought to himself, and he was right. He knew New York well and at 4am, it was never this quiet, ever. He stared over the city. It really was the city that never slept. A rain drop fell and landed on his shoulder. It splashed up and hit his face. Great he sighed and headed back home, Guess its just a slow night. He jumped down, landing on his balcony and slipped in. Suddenly he was grabbed, and slammed down. Now what? His assaillant now had him in an arm bar. There was no movement. He was prepared to escape when the grip was tightened. "Ow.." He tried not to scream. Quickly he grabbed her foot causing her to lose her grip, and fell back, landing on his bed. He jumped up and pinned the mysterious woman. Then, in his best Batman voice he said "Who are you?"

"HA!!" She scoffed at him.

"What's so funny?" He asked still using his Batman voice.

"You sound just like him! Really, its uncanny." She began to laugh, amazed at his ability to mimic.

He returned his voice to normal and asked again. "Who are you?"

"No one special." She pushed him off and and ran out onto the Balcony. "Catch me if you can, Nightwing." As he got to his feet he saw her jump.

Nightwing turned on his communicator, "Babs you there?". He jumped off, following the woman. A tired female voice entered Nightwing's ear as he shot a zip line and landed on the adjacent roof.

"Dick? Come on, it's like five am.", a voice complained. Nightwing jumped across an alley. Even in the rain this woman was incredibly fast.

"I just got back to my apartment and some one was there...female, about 22, 5' 5", 115 pounds." He could hear her typing as lightening flashed and a blast of thunder filled the air. The woman jumped and did a front filp, landing on a much higher roof about 20 feet away. Nightwing continued his pursuit, and jumped after her.

"I have 373 results What color is her hair? What about Eyes?"

"Dark hair, hazel eyes." Another flash of lightning and clap of thunder. The woman was gone. "Damn."

"What happened?", the voice asked.

"I lost her."

"Well I still have 73 results We're not getting anywhere, this way."

Nightwing nodded even though he knew she couldn't see him. "Ok, go get some sleep Thanks, Babs. I love you."

"Good night. Love you too." Nightwing smiled. "And...Dick?"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful."

"I will." He said nodding again.

He looked around, there was no way he was finding her in this weather. He decided to head back to his apartment He was more careful this time. Luckily, no one was there. "Thank god.", he said with a sigh. He locked the doors and windows and took off his mask, changed out of his costume and fell onto his bed and fell asleep.

His phone began to ring. He turned over and looked at the clock. 7:23...why? He grabbed the phone. "Hello?"

"Dick, its Tim. Get to Gotham, now". He hung up. Tim sounded scared, worried.

Damn. It would take at least a few hours to drive to Gotham, and after two hours of sleep, he wasn't really up to it, but he had to. It was his duty. He put on his suit under jeans and a thermal shirt. He put his gloves in his backpack along with a spare costume. His mask was in his pocket along with some SPRITE gum. He decided to take his bike. He hopped on and was off. He got on the interstate and headed south. His mind kept going back to the girl from last night, She knows where I live...thats bad. After less than three hours, he pulled up to the gate of the mansion. "Its me.", he said into an intercom before the gate opened and he sped in. He pulled up to the door and walked inside.

Tim was waiting for him at the foot of the stairs. "He's gone. We were on patrol last night...he said he was following a lead and sent me home. We did get a transmission from him. It's timed 5:32 AM. Come on." They walked down to the Batcave. Dick did not know what to think about how the past several hours had progressed. First the incident with the Girl and now Bruce is gone. Tim walked over to the Computer and pressed a button and a dark, harsh voice was heard.

"She appeared out of nowhere. She's fast. What? No." They could hear a grapple fire. "Young, about 22, 5' 5". Dark hair." It was her but how? Punches could be heard. Then a yell and what sounded like a metal pipe on a certain black cowl. "Ma...", and then silence.

Tim looked up at Dick, looking for an answer. Dick shook his head. Tim nodded and hung his head.

"Don't worry, we'll find him." But first we need to find her. There was a beeping sound and Tim pulled out his Titans communicator and looked at Dick. "Go, The Titans need you, I'll find Bruce."

"But.."

"No, go. I got this, dont worry, when you get back, he'll be back."

"Ok, I'm holding you to that." Dick nodded and Tim began his exit. Ok, now how am find him?

"Tim you still there?" Dick looked up and saw a red haired women with glasses on the moniter, she was in a wheel chair.

"Hey Babs, he left, the Titans needed him, I'm gonna find Bruce." Barbara nodded.

"The woman he describes sounds an awful lot like your little run in last night. But I don't see how she got to Gotham so quickly."

"Me either. Was Bruce wearing his GPS?" Barbara typed in the sequence, then looked up.

"I'm not getting a signal. Wait...I think...yes! I got it! I'm sending the location to your mini PC."

Nightwing undressed, put his gloves and mask on, and flipped up the monitor on his gauntlet. "Be careful." Barbara said as Nightwing hopped onto a red motorcycle and put on a Red Helmet. I wish I brought my own bike. For a second, he even thought about using the bike he did bring but he decided against it as he sped out of the batcave. The sun was still up and the streets were packed. He didnt like being out during the day, but right now, it was needed. The GPS led him to an abandoned dock, he stopped a few blocks away and stealthily entered a warehouse. It was extremely dark compared to the outside. He sneaked into a back room and saw Bruce, who was still wearing his half-shattered mask. He looked around but didn't see the woman. He slid through the shadows and untied Batman.

"Hey, I'm getting you outta here."

"Dick, get out of here, before she gets back. Go, she's been waiting for you. Go."

"What? Shes been waiting for me?" He said as he finished untying Batman's hands. "She's not here now, and I'm getting you outta here."

"She is always here." One blunt strike and Nightwing was out.

He opened his eyes. It was dark He could feel the dried blood on his face. "You're awake." She shined a flood light on him. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light. He was tied up. Bruce, next to him, was also. His hands and feet were bare, but his mask was still on. "Good, I was beginning to think I hit you a bit hard."

"Who are you?"

"They call me Spoof."

Nightwing laughed "Spoof? Where'd you get that?"

"Dr. Crane."

Nightwing laughed again.

"WHATS SO FUNNY!"

"He was making fun of you."

"SHUT UP!"

Nightwing countinued to laugh. She teleported over and punched him in the face. "There's no way you're going to make this any better."

"I don't see how I could."

"What a smart boy." She smiled and walked away. "Your friend over there wasn't very scared, so I had to give him some of Crane's drug. A newer, more powerful version, of course."

"Why?"

"It was the only surefire way I could get to you."

"Why me?"

"Because he didn't want the job himself. What did you think was going to happen? You turned his family against him and kicked his team of his island."

"Deathstroke put you up to this?"

"Maybe."

"It dosn't matter. In a few minutes my backup will be here and you're going down." He smirked. "And thats going to happen, right about...NOW!!!" He looked around, "This never happened before."

"He attacked the Tower, he wanted to make sure you didn't have any help."

"Damn, the old man's getting smart. But there's one he didn't account for. A certain friend that is off planet."

"Red Arrow? He took care of him too."

Nightwing looked shocked. "Oh..." He was cut off by a blast of green light that knocked Spoof back. "Kyle?"

"Once a Titan, always Titan, eh?"

Nightwing smiled. "Yeah." Kyle cut the rope with his ring. and Nightwing Stood up. "Get Batman. I got the girl." Kyle ran over to Batman as Nightwing ran over to Spoof. She teleported behind him and hit him in the back of the head. Nightwing swung at her but she teleported and dodged it. Nightwing was pushed back and fell. Batman ran at her and tackled her They landed on top of a desk and felt it splinter beneath them. Kyle trapped her in a box using his ring. "We need to get her to STARS lab. Be sure to tell them she can teleport, and I'll be there tomorrow to file a full report."

"Ok, where you guys going?"

"I'm going to Titans Tower, I think hes going home." He said as he looked at Batman.

"Yeah." Batman picked up his gloves and belt as Nightwing picked up his own gloves and boots.

"Can I borrow the Plane?"

"Sure." Batman said, as he left.

"Kyle go, when you're done there, meet me at the Tower." Kyle nodded and flew off. When they got back to the Batcave, Nightwing headed straight for the Bat Plane.

"Don't you want to clean up first?", Alfred asked him.

"No time." Nightwing closed the hatch to the cock pit and began to fly toward San Fransico.