DickBabs AU. Sometimes wearing a cape isn't the most dangerous job in Gotham.
Disclaimer
I own nothing.
The beginnings of daylight were streaming in through the curtains, casting light over the sleeping couple. A click resounding through the room as the alarm was set off, the quiet drone of Gotham's evening news awakening the beds occupant's. Sheets rustled as they shifted and protested the rude awakening. A large callused hand emerging from under the sheets, groping for the alarm clock, silencing Vicky Vale's voice.
"Babs" a voice murmured gruff with sleep.
"I'm up Dick I'm up" Babs answered sleepily, pulling the sheets closer to her. A quiet laughter filled the air as Barbara curled up, trying to drift back off to sleep.
"Babs, you have to get up," Dick's amused voice rumbled, as he began to hum their song. The quiet room filled with his calm humming before he lifted the mattress dumping Barbara on the floor with a loud thump.
"Really?" Barbara asked in exasperation from her seat on the floor, a light glare on her face. Dick just smiled lovingly back at her.
"Come on Mrs. Grumpy-pants, Ace isn't going to wait for his run," Dick chuckled, opening the door for emphasis. A large brown and tan mutt bounded into the room attacking Barbara, her face soon covered in slobber from the dog's vicious kisses.
"Okay, okay" she laughed shoving the offending mutt off of her. Barbara stood, walking to their closet, grumbling as she changed into a pair of shorts and tank top.
"Ready?"
"Nope."
"You just love being difficult," Dick teased as they headed outside, Ace walking happily behind them. The trio started out at a slow pace letting sore and tired muscles warm up before reaching a comfortable pace. Barbara and Dick began their usual three-mile loop through the park, Ace at their side. Sweat quickly covered their skin, despite the early hour and barely rising sun, the air was muggy and hot.
"It's hot" Dick complained.
Barbara simply nodded in response, Gotham had been unusually muggy. Her thick smoggy air seemlying trying to smother its inhabitants. Loathing rose in Barbara's gut, despite all of Gotham's worst being safely locked away. The unusually humid weather was bringing out the crazy in Gotham's normal criminal. They became dangerous and unpredictable, making both their jobs more dangerous than they already were.
Barbara and Dick arrived home thoroughly covered in sweat and panting for air. The pair headed upstairs to their bathroom, Dick groaning as he pulled off his sweaty shirt and throwing it into the hamper.
They stepped into the shower and allowed the water to wash off the grime that had accumulated on their short run.
All too soon they were existing the shower and getting dressed. Dick pulling on the top to his Nightwing uniform as Babs pulled on her police uniform.
"Be careful tonight" Dick said as he pulled on the last bits of his uniform.
"You to FBW" Barbara smirked.
"I'm serious Babs. Something feels off" Dick said voice stern and full of worry.
"I will be and I have the all mighty Nightwing looking out for me what could go wrong"
"Babs" Dick all but groaned as he moved close and stole a kiss. "please just…"
"I know Dick. I love you and go the city needs you"
"I love you too" Dick called out as he swung out their window.
Alone in their bedroom Barbara let a long sign escape from her lips. Despite her teasing moments before, Barbara could feel the upset in Gotham and it made her stomach turn with foreboding. She worried for that Bat and Birds that would be running across Gotham's roofs tonight. And knew that tonight would be dangerous for not only them, but herself along with her fellow officers' tonight.
Walking to the briefing room Barbara passed several officers just getting off shift, all looking exhausted.
"Barb" one of the officer called.
"Hey Jeff," she grunted in reply. "Rough shift?"
"Something like that. Watch your six out there, the wolves are out and the weather is making even the sane acting crazed. Tell Dick I said hi, will you?"
"Will do and get some rest, Jeff, you look like shit. Well worse shit then you normally do."
"You think you're so funny."
"That's because I am."
"Punk!" Jeff threw over his shoulder as he disappeared around a corner.
Barbara let out a soft chuckle as she continued to the briefing room sitting down next to her partner Dan.
"Long time no see" Dan greeted.
"Yeah a whole twelve hours without seeing you was the longest, most horrible time of my life."
"Well isn't someone just cheeky today."
"What can I say, you bring out the best in me."
"Oh I'm touched, truly touched."
"Shove it," Barbara joked, a wicked smirk on her face. The two allowed a few moments of silence to surround them, as few more officers trickled in before the watch sergeant entered.
"Listen up," the sergeant demanded of his officers, the room going silent. "I want all of you to be extra alert tonight, watch yours and your partner's six. Don't be afraid to call for back up, I want all of you back here safe at the end of shift is that understood?" He questioned his voice stern, he had already lost too many officers.
"Yes Sergeant."
"Good. You know your assignments so get out on the street and get some work done" Once the Sergeant left, the officers filed out of the briefing room and to their awaiting squad cars.
Barbara and Dan checked over their squad car, ensuring everything was in its place and ready for the long night ahead of them before rolling out.
"Ready to go?" Dan questioned.
"Yeah why?"
"You seem extra anxious today"
"This weather brings out the crazies and I'm not talking about our Arkham ones either… I pray they stay locked away a bit longer. I don't know I'm just a little on edge, that's all," Barbara confessed as they left the lot.
"Did you tell Dick?"
"He's got enough to worry about with Wayne Enterprises. Plus, I'm bullet proof remember." she joked. Dan ignored it and pressed forwards. He knew that his partner's instincts were usually dead on and it had kept them alive so far.
"You're one of the best Barb, just like your father. You've gotten us out of more of sticky situations than I care to admit. But you're not bullet proof and if your gut's telling you something bad is about to happen, you sure as hell better listen to it."
"I know but…" whatever Barbara was about to say was interrupted by a call from dispatch.
"Report of a disturbance, Lake View and Wester."
Dan and Barbara looked at each other for a second before she picked up the radio. "Dispatch, show us responding," she answered flicking on the sirens as the cruiser took off, cars moving out of the way as they sped through the streets. The siren's cry bounced off the buildings and apartments of the city. Children and adults alike stopped to stare at the speeding police cruiser. It only took a few minutes for them to arrive, a frantic pedestrian was shouting and pointing toward an alleyway, close to hysterics as they pulled up. As soon as they stepped out of the car they noticed blood dripping from the side of her head as the women continued to scream incoherently.
"I'll check it out, you got her." Barbara told Dan as she drew her pistol, the familiar feel of cold steel in her grasp calming as she proceeded down the alley. Darkness overcame her as soon as she stepped into the alley. Flicking on the light attached to the pistol did little to help and only served to possibly alert the suspects.
"Dispatch, report of shots fired at Lake View and Wester, requesting additional units." Dan's voice crackle over the radio, the sound bouncing off the walls echoing eerily.
"Copy that, additional units on route." Dispatch replied.
Barbara continued down the darkened ally, her gut tightening violently in warning as she walked barely avoided stepping on the body of a boy in his late teens. The body lay in before an intersecting alley way, leaving Barbara to choose turning left or continuing straight.
Her choice was made when a shadow appeared towards the end of the intersecting alley.
"Police" Barbara called out as the shadow took off further down the intersecting alley way. A mumbled "shit" escaped her lips as she took off after the shadow following it as it twisted through alley ways, going left, then right, and then left again. Until finally she lost track of the figure she had been chasing.
Slowing to a stop Barbara again raised her pistol, scanning her surroundings. The sound of something shuffling on concrete had the hair on her neck standing on edge.
"Police!" she called out again. She could hear more movement. Her radio crackled with another call from dispatch, blocking out her hearing for a moment. Her grip on her sidearm tightened as she continued forward, her eyes darting across the shadowed ally, everything was telling her that this was wrong, that something was there but she saw nothing.
She risked casting a backward glance to the maze of alleys she had come from, her partner no doubt still in that first alley. She had left herself exposed, out of the sight of her partner she was vulnerable and far from immediate help. It was a mistake that had cost officers their life, the thought sent a chill through her body.
But with no other choice Barbara continued forward. Swallowing a sudden wave of panic her spine tingled with warning and then she heard the click of a gun being fired. The explosion ripped through the air with a deadly yearning. Fear clutched at her heart, there was no time to react, no time to move, she could only hope the shooter or shooters had bad aim.
She was falling before she even knew what had happened; the first bullet tore through her Kevlar, ripping into her abdomen right below her right ribcage. The second sliced through the muscle on the outside of her left shoulder. Her breath left her, lights exploded behind her eyes as searing white pain erupted through her body, ears ringing at the haunting silence that now echoed in the alley.
"Dan!" she cried out, lifting her head and then slamming it down as agony ripped through her, tearing her apart at the seams. There was no reply he was too far away and she knew it.
Crying out in pain she tried to drag herself out of the middle of the alley but was stopped by screams of fear.
Turning her head towards the sound, the familiar shadow of the bat flew over her two birds directly behind him.
"Babs" One hand touched her face as the other reached up and activated his comm.
"Shots fired! Officer down!" she dimly heard Dick call over the radio, the sound of cloth against gravel filling her ears. She felt her world shift, her vision swimming as he pulled her out of the direct line of fire. His hands pressed down on her abdomen sending waves of agony through her body; the sound of gun shots still filling the air "I repeat officer down. Shots fired. Lake View and Wester. In need of immediate assistance." There was more shifting, more gunfire, a battlefield erupting in the once quiet alley. She had walked herself into a trap and how her boys were in danger.
She tried to reach down with her hands again but Dick stopped her, gently guiding her blood soaked hands away. Trying to keep the horror of the situation from her, but she was acutely aware of the large puddle of blood around her. The metallic smell of blood filled the air, corrupting it, tainting it. More shuffling and murmured curses fall from Dick's lips. It was then that Barbara noticed the world around her was fading in and out, sound becoming more muffled and distant as it became progressively harder to breathe; a black film was starting to obscure her vision. She distantly heard the familiar sound of more sirens, but they were still too far away.
"We need to get her out of here," she knew it was Tim's voice but the words scarcely registered as she felt herself being pulled from the continued sounds of gunfire and out of the alley; barely aware of the added presences as Tim and Damian gathered around her broken form. The yells of her partner joined the chaos. She was dimly aware of Tim telling him to go back and lead the paramedics to them.
Silence had once gain fallen in the alley.
And Bruce's voice had joined the quiet reassurances and whispered promises. "Babs you're gonna be fine…Hey where is that ambulance…don't worry your good…it's here…oh god…you're gonna be fine" the voices all seemed to blur together into an endless promise.
"BARBARA, BABS!" a panicked voice cried out, it's normal happy tone completely absent.
Dick! She knew his voice anywhere. Barbara willed herself to open her eyes. Forcing the darkness that threatened to engulf her away as her dull emerald eyes met his Blue frightened brown ones. Fear had swallowed his features, his carefully constructed cool falling to pieces as he looked down at her. She wanted to tell him that it was all going to be alright. That he just needed to relax but she couldn't find the strength and he had turned away to shout something to his brothers before the words could even form. There was a flood of movements and shouting above and around her, it made her tired. Her eyes drifting closed pulling her towards unconsciousness and oblivion.
"Babs I need you to look at me honey, look at me, don't close your eyes, you need to stay awake and look at me," Dick demanded of her, screw his secret identity Barbara was dying. His normally strong voice shook with fear, quivering and raspy as he pleaded.
Slowly, oh so painstakingly slow, she opened her eyes taking in the sight of him. Dick's Nightwing uniform was stained with blood, the crimson liquid seeping into the fabric. He was frantically working, his hands a constant blur to her as he moved about strapping things to her, putting pressure on her wounds. She could hear the wet squash of now useless gauze being thrown aside and the pain of new ones being pressed against her. Pain laced her every thought, every breath a struggled gargle as something seemed to close in around her throat, she heard a quiet gurgling and then something erupted from her mouth sputtering and choking her as it escaped. A frightened curse escaped into the area between the two lovers. Barbara was too distracted by this new coppery taste in her mouth to really focus on it.
She could see Dick's lips moving but there was no sound. Her vision was fading and she couldn't hold on any longer. With a last shuttering breath she slipped into the blackness.
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed and if you did review let me know what you thought and favorite.
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