Disclaimer- Sadly I don't own Young Justice, if I did we'd have a season three.
Might Not Make It Home
Aqualad is standing in front briefing us, assigning teams and positions but I already know what we're doing, benefits of being a bat and all. It's the usual observe the bad guys and if or should I say when the Joker decides to show up for the newest shipment of deadly chemicals, we stop the transaction and lock up all the baddies.
So while he drones on about the mission I sneak a glance at Nightwing, he'd only been back a month after a yearlong absence from the team trying and successfully bring back Wally. Artemis had been ecstatic when the two of them had walked into the watch tower, the computer voice announcing "Recognize Nightwing B Zero One, Kid Flash B Zero Three"
"WALLY" Artemis had cried out rushing to the Zeta beam, she had slammed into him crying and hitting his chest and he simply murmured into her hair line. I had followed her desperate to see if they were really back and was greeted by the sight of Artemis and Wally reuniting. My eyes had been torn from their happy reunion to Dick's smiling face as he advanced towards me until we were inches away.
"Babs" he breathed before pulling me into a breath taking, knee weakening lip lock that made me see fireworks. When he finally pulled away he let his forehead rest against mine he murmured. "I missed you and damn it I love you"
"Ha you finally admit it to her face" I heard Wally proclaim followed by a muffled smack and a mumbled 'ow'.
"Shouldn't you be paying attention Batgirl" Nightwing says with a smirk, causing me to blush lightly and snap my head back to the front as I hear Robin snicker behind me.
"Alpha Squad will be Nightwing, Batgirl, Tigress, and Superboy. Beta Squad is Robin, Wonder Girl, Lagoon Boy, and myself. Delta squad Blue Beetle, Static, Kid Flash, and Miss Martain. Gamma will be in reserve here at the watch tower in case we need them and that is Beast Boy, Bumblebee, Guardian, and sphere. Lastly Wally will be monitoring everything from the watch tower." Aqualad explained. "If there aren't any questions we leave in five minutes, Miss Martain please get the Bio sphere ready."
"Batgirl I know I have a nice butt, but you can't let it distract you during briefings" Nightwing quipped.
"Don't be so full of yourself dick" Artemis scolded as she walked by causing Robin and I to laugh as Nightwing pouted.
"So not aterous Tigger" Nightwing called after her a moment later.
"She's gonna kill you" I warned as Robin and I headed towards the Bio ship.
"What she started it" Nightwing whinned as he caught to us.
"Whatever you say Boy Wonder" He just smirks as we sit down with everyone else on the ship and we head off to our mission.
Two hours later we arrive at our destination.
"Alright Alpha squad you get off here" Aqualad says as Miss Martian opens up a hole for us to jump through. We silently disembark from the ship expertly landing in the shadows of a warehouse roof across from our objective. Superboy and Tigress moved to one side of the roof while Dick and I conceal ourselves if the shadow of an air vent and wait. "All teams in position is everyone connected" Aqualad asks through the mind link and is rewarded with a choir of yeah's.
And so the waiting game began, after a while I glance over at Dick and he flashes me that cocky little smile of his that said 'I'm gonna kick ass and take names while also saying everything would be alright' the same smile he'd give me when I had just started out as Batgirl and was naive to the dangers of our lifestyle.
"BG you might want to focus" he suddenly noted nodding his head to the entrance, and I see Joker waltzing into the warehouse.
"Aqualad the guest of honor just walked through the front doors should we roll out the welcome mats" Nightwing asks through the mind link.
"All squads move in" Aqualad replies
We enter the warehouse and it's a trap. Thugs are everywhere and in the background I can faintly hear Joker's laughter as he escapes down one of the corridors. Nightwing moves to go after him but is cut off by a flash of orange and black that I know isn't Tigress, my heart speeds up and I know it's not from fighting. I attempt to head in his direction but I'm cut off by an army of thugs and soon I lose sight of the Black outfit with the bright blue bird.
At one point I mentally ask if anyone has seen him and I get a universal "No" as well as a "What's wrong Batgirl worried I can't handle myself" from Nightwing and I can practically see him smiling that stupid smug smirk of his. The fighting seems to go on for hours and at some point I hear Aqualad request Gamma to come to our location as we fatigue sets in even as the army of thugs seems to continue to grow. Everyone is sporting some form of injury from what I can tell but their all minor nothing that we need to worry about.
I weave through the masses Punching here dodging there, I take one out with a round house kick and as I dodge Robin's Bo staff swings over me knocking out another. I flip over him using his shoulders to spin myself knocking out three men who had tried to surround us. I land and go to hit another man when the sound of a gunshot echoes through the warehouse and for a moment every hero there freezes as a single thought goes through their minds, "NIGHTWING!" And then the fight is renewed with a new vigor.
"M'gann can you reach him through the mental link" Aqualad asks. "No I've lost him. He shut me out several moments before and I didn't realize because of everyone else's thoughts." M'gann admits and I look at Tim who nods to me and I take off like a bat out of hell towards where the sound seemed to have come from taking out every scumbag that gets in my way. One almost takes me out from behind but he is grabbed by Superboy, who tosses him away. "I got your back go find Nightwing" he says and I merely nod and dash down a corridor praying it's the right way.
The corridor seems to go on forever until it leads to a small but open room and in the center I see Nightwing laying in a pool of his blood that's slowly continuing to grow around him. Deathstroke is standing over him his sword resting carelessly against his shoulder, a crimson liquid running down the silver blade. "Get away from him" I scream throwing a batarang at him which he bats away with his sword. I advance towards him another batarang at the ready. Deathstroke merely chuckles, raising his sword to impale Nightwings chest.
"Throw it and I'll kill him" He growls, and I hesitate a moment before drop it and in that moment the blade begins it decent, a scream escapes my lips. Suddenly Deathstroke flings his body away from Nightwing and an arrow embeds itself in the wall behind where his head had just been. A second later I hear a feral cry of anger and Superboy is charging past me towards Deathstroke as Tigress fires arrows at him and I take the opportunity to run to Nightwings side.
Blood is leaking from a hole in the right side of his chest staining the once bright blue bird a sickening crimson. I press against the wound as hard as I can trying to steam the blood flow as a groan of pain escapes Nightwings lips. "Nightwing look at me" I tell him desperately, and his masked eyes shift in my direction.
"Hey BG" he smirks at me but it's all wrong and full of pain.
"Don't hey BG me" I say angrily as I scan over his body his littered with deep cuts and he defiantly has a few broken ribs because he has flail chest, from where he was shot and his stuggled breathing I know he has a sucking chest wound and his lung has collapsed. He's losing way to much blood and his leg is bent in the wrong way and why isn't he trying to come up with some stupid comment.
"Nightwing" I ask frantically looking back at his battered face, it littered with cuts and bruises.
"mhmmm" he hums, and suddenly I'm even more frightened.
"Nightwing talk to me" I say pressing even harder against the wound in his chest.
"You're cute when you're worried" he says looking at me.
"I bet you think you're so funny and romantic right now" I chide and he lets out a wet chuckle that sprays red. In the background I hear Artemis tell me M'gann is coming with the Bio Ship but that's too slow and I'm so scared because I can't lose him. Dick seems to sense this because he grips my wrist and I look back down at him.
"It's okay Babs" he whispers.
"No names in the field Dick" I warn and he just smiles.
"Batgirl" Superboy is suddenly right next to me and I know we need to move Dick because the Bio ship is suddenly right above us and where did the ceiling go. Supes scoops up Dick and I continue to put pressure on the wound and then we're laying Dick down on a bed that M'gann has made and I hear crying in the background but all I can do is look at Dick.
"We're going to the nearest Zeta beam and Batgirl you and Superboy will take Nightwing up to the watch tower Wally's waiting with a med team." Aqualad states but it's numb.
"Mă doare (it hurts)" Dick whimpers underneath me and my eyes widen.
"Shhhh it's gonna be okay" I cry leaning forward and kissing his too pale face, he's cold, I can feel his pulse getting weaker and he's barely breathing. He looks up at me through half laden eyes that are slowly closing. "Sunt oboist (I'm tired)" he mumbles and they close completely.
"Deschide blestematele tale de ochii scula nu fac acest lucru pentru a-mi (Open your damn eye dick do not do this to me" I yell at him in his native tongue as I shake his body. Small white slits appear on his mask and I breathe a sigh of relief. "nu îndrăznești să-mi lase (don't you dare leave me) " I tell him
A small smirk forms on his face "niciodată (never)" he assures me I take one hand off his chest and grasp his. "Spune pasăre mică a făcut bine (Tell little bird he did good)" he slurs.
"Spune-i tu (tell him yourself)" I reply and mentally telling Robin to come over and I can see the anxious eyes of the team when I turn to look at Robin. He comes right up next to me his eyes going wide behind the mask as he takes in the sight of his brother. "Tim" I whisper learning over so I'm speaking into his ear. "He's gonna be fine just talk to him"
"You just had to go run off and try to be a big shot hero didn't you" Tim stutters trying to sound confident in front of his big brother but I can see the trembling in his shoulders like he's doing everything in his power to keep from breaking down.
Dick smirks at his, "Awe haide pui de pasăre fi frumos am rănit (Awe come on baby bird be nice I'm hurt)" he tries to whine teasingly but he's gasping for air at the end of it.
"M'gann" I cry mentally
"We're almost there thirty seconds" She responds in my head and I look at Tim and he seems to understand what I'm saying because he leans in close to Dick and mumbles something in his ear before looking at me.
"I let Agent A know he'll be at the watch tower soon" he states, returning to his seat as the hatch to the Bio ship opens and Superboy lifts Dick up and we exit so quickly that even flash would be jealous. Because the next thing I know there is a flash of light and we are in the watch tower.
Wally is standing there with a hospital bed and Black Canary and Flash. Superboy places Dick down on the bed and we're running to the medical bay, the entire time Dick's eyes are locked on mine.
When we get into med bay it a blur of motion around me as I hold pressure Wally is hooking Dick up to an IV and two bags of blood and I know that's not good. Black Canary is attacking him to an EKG and Flash is zipping around the room gathering medical supplies.
The only person who isn't doing anything is Superboy, whose eyes are closed as if he's listening to something and I wonder if it's the beeping of the EKG or something else.
Suddenly I'm brought back to Dick as he mutters "întristat" and a long shrill beep fills the room.
"DICK!" I scream out desperately only to be pulled away by a mop of red and black kicking and thrashing as I call out "YOU DO NOT GET TO DO THIS, DICK GODDAMN IT, DICK PLEASE"
"Barbara stop" I hear Wally's voice and I realize he and Conner had carried me out of the med bay. Suddenly my body is exhausted and I just slump into the two boys.
Eventually the two bodies are replaced with a single body and it whispers to me. "Shhh Barbara"
"Tim" I mumble as I look into his not so childish face.
"Come on Barbara let's sit down" he says helping me up and guiding me to a waiting area where the rest of the team is. Suddenly he doesn't seem like the little brother, he sounds older and exhausted not the way a fifteen almost sixteen year old boy should.
As we enter all eyes are cast upon us, I merely look down at the floor until Tim has guided me to a couch and we sit with my head against his shoulder. Beast boy shifts into a dog and whines resting his head on my knee. I absent mindedly run my finger through his soft fur.
"I can hear it" Connor announces, my head rises and we meet eyes and he nods. Hope flairs in my chest he's still alive. With that news the room resumes it anxious waiting, until a British voice interrupts the silence.
"Mistress Barbara, Master Robin" Alfred enters the room his eyes obscured by sunglasses, making him look hilarious in any other situation. "My goodness is that…"Alfred begins only to freeze when his eyes land on me. "Oh good God I must call Ms. Thompkins at once" he states and quickly leaves.
Alfred's startling actions cause me to look down at myself only to realize I'm covered in blood. I stumble backwards 'it's everywhere' I start to shake just looking at myself and I feel my knees go weak.
"Let's get you changed" I suddenly hear Artemis state and she and M'gann grip each arm tightly leading me away and too my room where I'm able to strip from my blood stained suit and into civvies consisting of a pair of sweatpants and one of Dick's superman hoodies. It feel so much better to just be out of that suit and surrounded by Dick's smell.
I exit my room and Artemis and M'gann are waiting outside. "How are you doing" Artemis asks looking at me with sympathetic eyes. I just shake my head at her with a sad smile. Artemis seems to understand I can't talk about it because she just sighs and we head back to the waiting room.
When we enter I notice that Conner has also changed out of his uniform, comforting Gar who's now in his human form and bawling unable to contain his emotions, M'gann had instantly flown over and joined them. Wally is sitting in a chair his head in blood stained hands, I look away from him quickly. Artemis gives me a gentle hug and then goes to comfort Wally so I head back to the couch with Tim, Wolf comes up to me his tail wagging weakly when I sit down and he rests his head on my lap.
As I pet him I realize my hands have a reddish ting to them and I barely manage to stifle the sob before it escapes my lips. Tim however notices because he looks at me and I can see where his tears have removed the adhesive of his mask as it barely hangs to his face.
"Little bird why don't you go change" I say quietly as I press his mask back to his face. He looked at me for a second before getting up and leaving. He returns a few minutes later in pants and a Nightwing hoodie dick had gotten him last Christmas and I can't help but smile. When he takes his seat he pulls his knees up to his chest, resting his head on my shoulder. "He'll be okay baby bird don't worry" I whisper to him and kiss the crown of his head.
Tears stain my sweatshirt as Tim cries and I continue to rock him and whisper words of encouragement to him, wolf nuzzles his hand and whimpers trying to get him to stop. I look around the room to see everyone in various states of depression. Blue and Bart are huddled together trying to comfort each other, Static isn't far away from them head dipped and quietly mumbling something. Aqualad looks on the verge of breakdown as he murmurs in Alantian, scrubbing his face with his hands. Mal is holding Karen as he tries to comfort her, next to them are La'gaan and Cassie; Cassie keeps glancing in Tim's direction and I can't help the small smile that place against my lips for them.
My musing however is interrupted as several League members walk in and I instantly feel my heart drop. In the doorway stands Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Superman, and finally Batman.
"What the hell happened?" Batman questions his voice dark and dangerous.
Aqualad raises to his feet wearily replying "When we entered the warehouse we were vastly outnumbered and Joker was escaping so Nightwing took the initiative to pursue him. However he was engaged by Deathstroke and the two ended up in a different section of the warehouse. We mentally contacted Nightwing and he said he was fine on his own, we did not know of any danger to him until we heard a gunshot. By that time I had called in our reserve squad and Batgirl was able to go to Nightwing's aid, however by that time he was already….." Aqualad never got to finish because Batman erupted in anger.
"YOU ARE A TEAM THAT MEANS YOU HAVE EACHOTHERS BACKS AT ALL TIME YOU DO NOT LET SOMEONE GO OFF ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT BACK UP! I THOUGHT YOU WOULD OF ALL FIGURED THIS OUT AFTER TULA AND THE SECOND ROBIN" Batman's voice thundered over us, but he had gone too far with the comment about Jason and Tula because Wally was on his feet in a second.
"HOW DARE YOU BRING THEM INTO THIS! NIGHTWING WOULD BE SO DISAPPOINTED IF HE HEARD YOU SAY THAT." He fired back.
Batman's eyes seemed to widen just a fraction but they returned to their angry slits so fast that no one aside from me and Tim could have really noticed.
"YOU INSILENT LITTLE SHIT! ALL OF YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED HERE, YOU LET HIM DOWN AND HE IS DYING BECAUSE…" Batman took a step forward and before Superman or Wonder Woman could try and stop him I was in front of him glaring with my puffy red eyes and suddenly he deflated and stopped what he was about to say, staggering back a few steps.
"I'm sorry" he sounded exhausted "If it weren't for you…all of you he would already be dead." He turned on his heel and exited, the League members looking after him worriedly before Wonder Women hurrying after him.
"He's…." the blue Boy Scout starts but loses his voice and trailed off, the room again filled with silence as the League members and Team waited. The silence drags on for maybe another hour until it's interrupted by hurried footfalls and in the doorway appears another familiar red head in his arms a sleeping Lian.
His eyes scan over the room before he questions, "he's really….is he" Roy can't seem to find the words and he looks expectantly at us. No one answers and he scolds before going over towards Artemis and Wally, a now awake Lian reaching expectantly towards Artemis who complies and takes her in her arms and the room again silences.
Eventually it becomes too much and I leave the room Cassie moving to comfort Tim in my place. I wonder the halls and find myself at the end of the hall leading to med bay. I can see Bruce with his cowl removed head in his hands as Diana tries to comfort him, I head towards them.
When I'm within arm's reach Diana looks up at me nods and I nod back. She raises from her crouched position resting a hand on my shoulder reassuringly before walking down the hall towards the waiting room leaving Bruce and I in silence.
"I'm so sorry" I cry slumping down in front of in as he raises his head from his hands his eyes searching my face. "I saw him leave and I..I…I couldn't get to him…I should have tried harder or done something different but I just watched him go… bec…because… he's Dick and….he gave me that stupid smile…and I….I'm…so….so sorry" I bawl hiding my face in shame.
For a moment it was silent as I bawled and then I felt two arms wrap around me as Bruce tried to comfort me, "Barbara you did nothing wrong none of you did. The only reason Dick is still alive is because you were able to get to him when you did and I thank you so much for that." Bruce comforted me before pulling away and looking into my eyes "I don't blame you and neither does Dick so don't blame yourself because he wouldn't want that"
I nod my head as I try to quiet my sobs, Bruce just sats next to me quietly until they've finally stopped and we're surrounded by silence. "Let's get you back to the waiting room" He suggest and then we head to wait with the others in the tense room. When we enter I go to sit with Artemis, Wally, Roy, and Lian; the small girl struggles out of Artemis' arms and into mine.
"Don't worry he'll be okay he loves you too much not to be" the toddler says confidently cause our small group to smile. For the next hour Lian tries to cheer up our small group, small smiles playing on our faces at her attempts.
However all eyes snap to the doorway as four exhausted looking figure appear, Dr. Thompkins stood ahead of Alfred, Flash, and Black Canary. Before anyone could ask any questions Dr. Thompkins raised her hand warning everyone to be silent.
"Nightwing is still in critical condition but he is stabilizing. He suffered from a Pneumothorax from the gunshot wound which we had to fix in surgery, during the surgery his heart stopped for a second time. The first being when he was first brought in and was caused by a combination of blood loss and the stress on him body, he is currently being given transfusions to replace the blood he's lost. Aside from that he also has a broken leg and several torn ligaments in his knee, eight broken ribs, a concussion, and numerous lacerations that required a total of one hundred and fifty-eight stiches. The combination of his injuries have left him in a coma the next twenty four hours will be critical in his chances of recovery." She concluded.
Again everyone moved to question her but she simply held up her hand, "Visitors for right now will be limited to only the batfamily. As for the rest of you I recommend you shower, change, and get some sleep you can return after but visitors will be decided based on his condition. Batman, Batgirl, Robin, and Agent A please follow me." And with that she turned with Bruce, Alfred, Tim and I following behind her until she stopped us outside the med bay.
"Black Canary and Flash will be in charge from here on out if he gets worse she will call me, I will be back this evening to check on him." She told us and then left.
Bruce entered first with Tim and me hot on his tail and Alfred bringing up the rear. When we finally caught sight of Dick in his bed I froze as did Tim. Dick had a tube in his mouth causing his chest to rise and fall, another tube was sticking out of the right side of his chest, and he had an IV line going into his hand connected to a morphine bag and IV fluids and another IV with blood connected to his arm. His chest was wrapped in heavy bandages with wires coming out of the bandages and connecting to the EKG which beeped to the steady thumping of his heart. His leg had a combination of a cast and thick knee brace, the rest of his body littered with bandages, scratches, and bruises.
Bruce hadn't let the shocking sight of Dick stale him as he approached his son and lovingly took his hand leaning down and whispering too him, we all stand back and allow Bruce the privacy before he stands up and turns to us. "I'm going after the bastard responsible, contact me if anything changes." And just like that the Dark Knight fled a deadly rage coming off him in waves.
With Bruce gone I quickly approach Dick taking a seat in a chair next to the bed and pulling it close to his bed, grasping his hand. Tim had also approached the bed and took Dick's other hand, together we sat watching over him as Alfred stood of to the site also watching faithfully.
After an hour or two Tim had fallen asleep clutching Dick's hand and Alfred had left to help Bruce from the Batcave. "Dick what have you gotten yourself into?" I asked the comatose boy as I gazed at his battered face, the only reply I got was the soft beeping of the heart monitor and the fall and rise of his chest.
After another hour of silence the calm that had overtaken the room was it was interrupted by a choking sound coming from Dick. Startled I quickly rose and hit the code button on the wall and seconds later Barry came racing in asking what was wrong. The noise and commotion had awaken Tim who was panicking.
"He's choking on something, I…something's wrong" I exclaimed.
Barry was instantly at Dick's side and was pulling the tube out of his mouth, once out he placed a breathing tube under his nose and around his ears. "Is he okay, what's wrong, what was happening" Tim and I asked frantic.
Barry held his hands up singling for us to stop so he could explain.
"He was chocking which is good. It means he was fighting with the breathing tube. He's breathing on his own now, its progress." Barry said smiling happily as he checking a few things before leaving.
"So he's getting better right" Tim questioned his face lighting up at the thought.
"Of course he is he's too stubborn not to" I tell him with a smile, Tim smiles happily back.
"I'm going to update Batman and the rest of the Team and maybe get some food and sleep you want anything Babs?" He says getting up and heading over to the doors.
"No I'm good Tim but thanks" I reply, Tim nods understandingly and exists.
"You see how happy he got just from you breathing on your own again?" I ask Dick once Tim is gone. "Just think how happy he'll be when you wake up, so please do it soon because we need you." I tell him but get no response.
"You know you can be a real ass some times. Like right now you're laying here a mess and hours earlier you gave me that damn smile, your stupid everythings would be okay be okay Babs smile. Guess what it's not all okay I could have lost you. I need you, I don't know how to function without you anymore. You always run off and do stupid dangerous tings without think about yourself and one of these time I swear to God Dick I will kill you myself for making me worry so much." I finish with my face hidden against my hands.
"Babs" I hear a voice whisper, my head shoots up and I'm met with the most dazzling blue eyes staring at me a small smirk on his face.
"Dick" I cry out moving forward and pulling him into a deep kiss full of need and relief. He kisses me back with just as much emotion as one hand goes to my hair the other my waist and pulling me as close as possible. When we reluctantly pull away from the kiss we keep our foreheads pressed against each other, "I'm so sorry Babs I didn't mean to scare you" he murmured as he continued to hold me close.
"You're forgiven" I say with a smirk and kiss him again.
Let me know what you think should I add more maybe or am I a horrible terrible writer and should I just go hide in a corner and never release any of my plot bunnies. Please review!
Thanks
Soccernin19