All she could do was gape though the bullet proof glass of the Bat-wing, looking down at her torn and ruined city as the after shook of the close Atomic bomb sent a wave through out Gotham, breaking every window and flipping most cars. What was worst was the older, less stable buildings, that crumbled to the ground, large enough to cover whole blocks in nothing but rubble and fire. Fire that cast a bright red glow over the now rust covered sky that leaked ash, dust and soot like it was snow.
She couldn't bring herself to look at the injured still on the streets, pushing rubble and brick aside as they cried to get to buried loved ones, her people were burning, her city was reduced to rubble, and she could barely recognize the streets below, even Crime Alley, the place she had lived for most of her life looked unfamiliar, but when she recognized the broken apartment build she snapped her head to her mentor.
Her mentor that, even under the cowl was struggling to look forward, his hands tightening over the controls.
"Batman! I-I wanna check on-,"
"No," He growled, his fist tightening even further on the controls, and he let out a long breath, "No, Robin, this is bigger than us and we have to focus on the city right now, and right now you're not Carrie Kelley and I`m not Damian Wayne, we can only be Batman and Robin right now."
"It already happened." Carrie said, brows furrowed as she ducked her head and held her hands between her knees, "theres nothing we can do to stop it anymore-,"
"There is always something we can do Robin," he said, "Right now Gotham is in it`s after shock people are in morning but soon, very soon, there will be rioting, fighting and a rush to gain territory, Gotham will get dangerous which also means you stay close, do you understand?"
She nodded, "Yes sir."
"Good, now get ready, were going to air drop near Firewall and from there we can work up communications with the others."
"Not the Cave?" Robin asked, looking up as her fingers played with the clasps of her glove and Damian shook his head, blinking once.
"No, Father had a emergency plan for a situation like this, when the rioting happens, they`ll go for City Hall, banks, and higher class area`s." He said, glancing out the window at the burning fire from the next three buildings they passed.
"Like the manor." Robin nodded, "Bruce and Selina evacuated the manor?"
"No, they had to make sure no one would find the cave if they tried to break into the manor, most likely they burned it down after they retired to the Cave, they might be trying to fix the network connect, get a feed on every one." Damian said, reaching down to unlatch his buckle, "which is why were here, Fire wall."
"And to make sure Oracle is okay." Robin nodded, undoing her buckle as well and reaching forward to pull the latch on the dash board, a gap opening between their seat and Damian reached forward, grabbing her chin to make sure she was paying attention, "Follow. Me." he ordered and the eleven year old nodded watch as Batman jumped through the gap and glided down, she not far behind and doing as told, keeping close to her mentor as they landed on the rubble, ducking straight into the alley way.
She stepped closer to him as the streams and cried of the Gotham people reached them clearly here, the sounds of explosions and crackling fire. Damian reached up, pulling out one of the bricks and the keyboard sliding out, quickly he typed the code and with a loud groan the dumpster beside them moved and shifted to revel a cylinder elevator.
The door hissed open and he stepped in, reaching out and grabbing Carrie`s cape and pulling her in as well, her eyes still on the rubble filled street, people running back and forth, never noticing the vigilantes as the door closed and they instantly started to go downward before the elevator shook, Carrie yelping in surprise and he hands on the walls to keep from falling as the elevator stopped and groaned to a halt.
"It`s broken," He sighed, "Perfection, come on, were zip lining down from here." He crouched down and pulled out the small laser from his belt, cutting the bottom latch and opening it to nothing but darkness.
"I`m not claustrophobic but that is kinda, I don't know, daunting." She said, Damian attaching the grapple to the side of the inside of the elevator before pulling to make sure it was secure.
"Get over it Robin." He ordered before jumping down, Carrie rolling her eyes before following him, smoke slowly starting to appear from her gloves and the rope, the smell of smoke clear before she jolted to a halt, almost hitting a stopped Batman on the head with her boots, he shoved upward pushing her foot away, "Pay attention Robin!" he growled as his other hand grabbed for the laser once more and starting on the door, Carrie tightening her hold on the wire with excitement, she wanted to know if Barbara was okay, if Dick was here like he usually was with his wife, that would give them two less people to look for.
"Done." Batman growled, tucking the tool away and digging his fingers into the crease made to pull the door open before the two jumped in, boots making a loud thud on the metal.
"Oracle!" Damian called loudly. into the semi dark room, the main power having ben knocked out and the emergency light on making it almost too dark to see.
There was a loud thud and the crash of metal, "Dami!?"
"Barb!" Carrie gasped, jumping forward to side down into a couch near the computer where the red haired woman was working on the wires that sparked between her fingers and smiling warmly at Carrie before her face turned cool again, "Did you see any of the others?" she asked, green eyes sparking and Damian shook his head, pulling his cowl back and running a hand through his short black hair, "No."
"Did-"
"No." Barbara said to Carrie`s question, nodding once to her, "Dont worry, he was on line after the bombs went off, he`s out there."
Carrie nodded quickly biting her lower lip and not noticing the glace Barbara and Damian shared, the woman shacking her head ever so slightly, she didn't know, she couldn't know, the moment the bombs went off her computers were dead with it and she had no idea where everyone was five minutes before the explosions. They could all be dead...
"Ra`s," she growled, "Is he-,"
"Dead."
"Finally." she growled, tying two wires together, "His finial act is to blow up Gotham, what a fuckin-,"
"Gordon, it isnt just Gotham." Damian said, Barbara looking up at him and blinking, shacking her head, before dropping the wires, her fingers brushing her lips to keep from gasping, she shook her head again to clear it, "I-I we need to regroup." She stuttered.
"Are you close to getting contact with the cave?" He asked.
She nodded, biting the cover off one yellow wire and tying it with a small blue one, "Yeah, give me two minutes to get communications with Bruce and Selina, but," she paused, " the satellite points were all knocked off point, If the radio signal is still up I can get a small static filled feed between all the coms but not only will it not be secure but I cant grantee it`ll log onto all of our coms."
Damian crossed his arms over his chest, "Right, what do you need me to do?"
"Nothing." she said, "This is all tech stuff, but I wouldn't mind a car battery and my husband." she huffed, the three pausing as they looked up and the normal lights flickered on, though dull and buzzing wildly.
"Where was his last location?" Damian asked, "where were they all?"
Barbara bit her lip, lightly laying down the wires that were tied into an ominous ball, "Dick was at W.E with Tim, Stephanie and Nell are probably at the Clinic and last I heard of Jason he was by the docks, I-I dont know what happened to Cass, but Steph might know." she said and Damian nodded, Barbara snapping her fingers to keep his attention, "Cass, Jason and Steph only had a brief idea of what Ra`s was planning, they could come back here, so find who you can-,"
"And get back, yes." Damian nodded quickly, looking to the ten year old red haired girl, "Robin, come on."
"Yes' sir!" She nodded quickly, racing after him, the elevator door still hanging open as the two disappeared, Barbara lowering her head between her knees as she breathed slowly, wiping the tears from her eyes before sniffling once and shacking it off, "Come on Babs, you got work to do..." She nodded to herself, ducking back under the computer.
XXX
"UGH!" Jason cried out, gasping loudly as he reaching forward and dug his fingers against the hard pointed stones of the Gotham bay shore, pulling with all his upper body to get the rest of his body out of the fringed water and onto the soot soaked ground, gasping at the exertion.
With a heavy flop of wet kevlar and thick gear on pavement he laid on his back, catching his breath while looking up at the rusty red sky through the thick open crack in his helmet, he needed to catch his breath.
He needed to get up.
after what seemed like second when it was actually only minutes, he forced himself up, gasping as his sides just under the wet coat, his ribs were cracked and his breath hurt when it came in and out of his lungs even thought after his sudden dip into the water it felt like heaven to him.
Bombs, explosions.
He shook his head, looking up and gritting his teeth hard together as he looked across the bay at the tall standing buildings fire rising over the sky line and a huge cloud of black smoke coating about the city.
the first thought that came to mind was Batman, Damian, he knew what was going on and which major freak decided to blow up their city!
With another grunt he pushed himself to his feet and pulled out his gun, loading it once more, if what he saw before he was pushed off the docks by the bombs blast was as insane as it looked, then things would only be getting worse.
He blinked, pulling off his hood and tossing it down onto the stone, the metal clanking roughly against it till it fell into the water, floating. shacking his head slowly before tugging off his jacket and tossing it down, the water seeping from the seems, it could only slow him down now.
quickly he spun around looking over his surroundings, the buildings near the water were strong, though the windows were still blown out of the sills, looking around he noted that Devil`s square wasn't too far from here, he could get his bearings and the rest of his gear at an old safe house there. From there he could head to Fire wall then the Cave. Which Ever got him to an explanation.
He would need one.
"Somebody help me!"
Jason growled, his boot squishing against the pavement as he ran into the street and pulled his guns closer to him as his eyes quickly surveyed what was going on.
in front of him were three car, one tipped over and the windows smashed while the other cars where reved and ready, the owners of the alert vehicles were on a smaller group of people like rabid animal`s arms wrapped around a woman`s torso and pulling her away from the group while two other men beat two other men a man and older teen on the ground.
This was the Red Fist Gang, he hadn't dealt with them before this but after they would wish that they`d never met them.
He ran forward and jumped up, throwing his foot into the first man`s face, the men that were beating the two on the floor, said man stumbled before falling to bleed from his teeth on the pavement while Jason threw his fist into the next man`s jaw, side stepping the swing of bat.
with a growl he grabbed the tip of the wooden bat and shoving back against it so it hit the man in the gut, making him bend over and making it easy to throw his knee into the man`s face before pushing him down, looking to the man who held the struggling woman, her face pink and stained with tears.
The man`s eyes wide as he flicked the blade in his hand, watching him, "Dont move! I-I`ll gut the-,"
Jason raised his gun and pulled the trigger quickly, hitting the man right between the eyes and letting him fall like a sack of potato's, the woman screaming even louder before one of the beaten men ran over and hugged her.
Jason turning to look upwards, he really needed an explanation.
XXX
Nell kicked out with a loud cough, gasping in the soot and dusty air in the semi darkness, coughing even harder as the rocks rolled off of her person and she pressed her hands against the ground to sit up on her knees, crying out loudly as she fell back to the floor and rolled onto her shoulder, her other hand wrapping around her wrist lightly feeling against the broken bone.
She must of hit it when she feel, when part of the clinic caved in.
Instantly it hit her and she rolled forward to sit up, looking into the darkness, eyes trying quickly to adjust, "St-," she swallowed, coughing against the dryness in her mouth, "Steph, Stephanie." she called, moving to shift forward, holding her broken wrist to her chest and moving her hands against the ground, hissing when glass nicked her fingers.
She shook the tiny drops of blood from her fingers, "Stephanie!" she called.
"Mmhh."
She paused, hearing the soft moan not too far off and she shuffled to her feet, hissing as pain shot through her arm and hand, gasping further as she hurried over to the blond haired woman who laid, back against the rubble covered tile floor, blood dripping from the cut on her temple and brick laying all along her person. chunks of rock still stuck in her hair as Nell hurried over, resting a hand on her pink cheek, "Steph!"
the blond woman hummed, tongue peaking out between her dry lips and blue eyes blinking in the darkness, "S`time for school?" she asked Nell huffing a relived laugh as she woman moaned again, her fingers twitching to reach up to graze over her forehead, flinching, "Ow-y." she whined.
"Dont move," she breathed, grabbing Stehp`s hand and pulling it away, "Relax, or you`ll pass out."
"T-," She gasped tiredly, "Tim an- hmm."
"Yeah, I-I don't know where anyone is, I-I dont think the little talk with Ra`s went very well." she said, reaching up and wiping her eyes with the palm of her hand, "I-I dont know what's going on."
Stephanie nodded slowly, "G-Go check, go check, I`ll be...hmmm, I`ll be okay."
She shook her head, "Steph, you cant even sit up without passing out, I cant just leave you here." she said, watching as she woman moved the pull out her phone from her jacket pocket, handing it loosely to her, "Call...Call Tim... make sure they`re all right, need to know if they're all right..."
She nodded, "Yeah, Yeah alright."
She crouched down closer to the woman as she dialed the phone number under the Tim`s name, pressing it to her ear and watching Stephanie`s chest rise and fall carefully and without stutter, no broken ribs, thank god.
the phone rang three times before the phone beeped loudly and she pulled it back seeing no cell service, she sighed, tucking it back into the older woman`s jacket pocket, "No luck." she muttered, hissing once more as her wrist started to burn.
"H-Hold on." she muttered, rushing over to the cup-boards and pulling them open, out all of the medical supplies, that was the upsides of being knocked out in a Clinic, medical advantaged. She hurried back over to Stephanie, quickly taping her cut on her forehead and the cut on her lower arm that was coated her hands, before she worked to pull on the brace glove over her hand and tying gauze around her wrist, whining lowly.
"Ow-y." she hissed.
during the time she tightened her brace Stephanie sighed loudly, rolling onto her front before pushing to sit up, only to fall back, leaning heavily against the rubble, dirt coating her face.
"What happened?" she asked.
"Ra`s, remember, Damian went to talk to Ra`s, I can only guess this is his fault." she sighed and Stephanie nodded.
"The-The explosion sounded big." Stephanie said and Nell nodded, pushing herself to her feet, dusting the lint off of her shirt, it really didnt help.
"Yeah, I`m just gonna take a peak out front, see what going on." she said, Stephanie nodding as Nell walked to the front door, shoving her shoulder into it a number of three times before it budged and she stumbled into the derby filled alley way, her coughing fit starting again once out side, and she gasped, her hand pressed against the side of the alley as she walked to the street side walk, wrapping her other arm against he chest as people ran along the road, police cars racing down the street, bullet holes in the side and the building next door was ablaze, she shook her head.
"I need to find my husband."
Nell spun around to face Stephanie who was leaning against the door frame of the clinic, her blue eyes brighter, though she still shook her head, "You have a concussion-,"
"Never stopped me before." she sighed, "We need to get to Fire wall, our suits are there, then we can spread out."
Nell nodded, looking over her shoulder as she heard gun shots, she looked back, worry coating her face, "That`ll be harder then usual."
"Of course it is." Stephanie sighed, Nell grabbing her hand and helping stabilize her, "But we`ve got too much to lose."
XXX
"Gotta get to Firewall," Dick gasped, the man next to him huffing a deep breath as Dick leaned further on the younger man, pain shooting up his leg with ever hop and step down the road and over rumble.
Tim nodded, hanging his head and nodding once, hissing loudly as the gash on his chest and side stung madly, the torn fabric of his shirt sticking to his bloodies skin as well as the man next to him, his older brother Dick. his shoulder swollen as he they`d set it not seconds ago and his lower leg broken and between them they left small drops of blood that collected with other`s that had passed before them.
The heat of the burning building making sweat shine on their skin with the dirt and soot that covered their whole bodies. Tim nodded, again, reaching up with the only arm that wasn't fisted in the back of his brother`s shirt to keep him from putting weight on his leg, "I got to know if Steph made it out," he gasped, "I got to know if she has-,"
"Timmy, come on, no negative thoughts here, not now." Dick gasped, Tim biting his lip and shacking his head.
"Right...right." He said, looked up, eye determined, "Firewall."
They get only a few more feet before they were halted, a group of teens running down the street screaming an crying before they disappeared and five other man raced around the corner to o after them when they saw the two brothers leaning against each other.
"Ah!" on man yelled loudly, pointing the jagged knife at them, Dick frowning and Tim clenching his teeth tightly, "you those Wayne snobs arnt you!?"
Dick grunted as he shifted to stand taller, blue eyes bright, "And your those Joker gang idiots arnt you?"
"hey!" one man growled, baring his teeth at them in an almost amused way, "you can talk your snobby secretary`s that way but `round here you show some respect!"
"My dog has earned more respect then you." Tim snapped shuffling to help Dick lean against the wall, his older brother couldn't fight with his leg broken, but he could if he had to and with these brain dead asserters it was likely he would.
the man with the knife jumped at them first and Tim side stepped his, kicking the blade away and shoved his elbow into the man`s jaw, hard, said man stumbling over to the wall where Dick shoved his fist into his nose with a satisfying punch.
Tim leapt at the next man, grabbing his shoulders and using him like a spring board the push the man down and get a good enough power to shove his foot into the next man`s chest roughly throwing him back against the tilting light post.
He had seconds to dodged the next swipe of the knife, jumping out of the way once, twice, jumping once before the cut on his side burned brightly at the strain and he hissed before a yell slip his lips when the blade tore through the upper part of his sleeve.
"Hey boyo!"
Tim didnt waste the distraction to throw a hit into the man`s gut, hard and fast before a black figure landed on the man in front of him, throwing the man to the ground, "Pathetic." Batman hissed at the man below his boot before glancing up at Tim.
"Drake-,
"Did you find Stephanie?" he asked quickly, "Did she hav-."
"No," Damian said, "We just got back from W.E-,"
"It completely collapsed!" Dick gasped, Robin helping the older man over to them, but the pain behind the man`s brows it was obvious he was holding most of his own weight off the ten year old, "it`s supposed to with stand things like this, it should of been a way point for all of us!"
Tim nodded, looking to Damian, "I think there was a few smaller bombs in some of the more stable buildings."
Damian made a face under the cowl, between disgust and annoyance, "Ra`s always had a distaste for this city."
"We have to move, the faster we regroup the more good we can do knowing everyone in okay for now." Dick hissed, "all our gear-,"
"Is at Firewall with medical aid and Barb." Robin nodded, Dick ruffling the girl`s red hair and muttering a good job to her as Damian walked over and helped Dick, "We don't have much time, lets not waste it chatting."
