A/N) Ok so I got way more follows the reviews but hey, that's ok! At least I know people are actually looking forward to my next chapters!
Just a heads up, I suck at action scens, I don't know, I think I do. Maybe you'll think different. But whatever, always looking for some friendly advice, if you can give me some that would be great!
Have fun! And just so you Nightwing fans out there know, he isn't going to be so great in these first parts. But don't worry, all part of the story!
She fought with her pride. A battle that she had been doing since for ever now. Barbara knew he was down in the bat cave, she knew he was probably busy, She Knew he would barley talk to her then she'd get mad then they'd start a new cycle of heated anger and arguing.
It was inevitable. And she hated it. Thoughts about how it used to be clouded her mind and often, after their worst fights, she'd couldn't stop those over whelming feelings. The way he used to be. The way Dick Grayson used to be. Then, she'd forgive him all over again. Against her will and pride, she'd forgive him all over again.
She slipped into the secret entrance and waited with abated breath until she reached the massive underground cave. Fully teched out and updating. She wondered if Bruce even kept track of it any more. Maybe Dick was the one updating it. Needless to say it always had some new model of something in it whenever she mustered up the idea to come down. Which was usually once every three weeks, depending if they had fought or not.
She tip toed down the winding steps.
Sure enough, there he was, bent over the computer console, tapping away angrily, his blue eyes, maskless, squinting at the blaring screen that you could see from mount Everest.
His body was tense under his new Nightwing suit, that stuck to every muscle he had. He either didn't realize she was there or knew but didn't care enough to show it.
"Dick?" Stupid! I sound so weak. Why can't I just say something normal. Rough day. Remember, Rough day. She sighed loudly and ran a hand through her burning hair, "Um, what's up?" She asked after a minute of silence, she hated when he was in Bat mode.
"New case. People disappearing. Bane toxin being relocated over waters. Looking for ring leads." He muttered almost robotically.
She'd noticed that was a newer thing for him. In the beginning he'd get angry at everything. Then he went through a faze where he didn't seem to care about anything, then came the faze where he forcefully hide all form of feeling and now . . . he was acting like an emotionless robot!
Her bright blue eyes studied his unmoving face. Dick had changed. Ever since Jason died, he'd changed so drastically even she had trouble keeping up. Oh, who was she kidding. She couldn't keep up. Which was why he had dug a void between them almost bigger then the one he'd dug for outsiders, or as they used to be, his friends.
"Oh. Ok. Well, need help? I can always run a little over the systems and-"
"No. Got what I need." He stood up, now a towering six-four, "Tell Al I'm coming home late tonight." Then he brushed past her effortlessly, The coldness biting Babs through her sweater, slipped on his mask and disappeared into the vehicle nook to get his bike.
Barbara didn't move. She stayed there, her eyes closed in fury, taking deep breaths as she heard the roar of his motor blare then dim as he road out the cannel.
Not going to cry. No. She was stronger than that. He didn't deserve that. Pulling her emotions under protective wraps she opened her eyes and slid into his chair, still warm from his otherwise, alive body.
Her slim fingers danced over the keyboard expertly until she pulled up what she wanted.
Bane inc, spreading. Funny, never pictured that muscle bound moron for a business man. She scoffed under her breath as she read the meeting points. With a satisfied click she stood up and headed up stairs.
Dick may be in charge of Gotham while Batman was away, but he sure as heck wasn't in charge of her.
She slipped her head into the living room where Tim was playing a video game, fully concentrating.
"Hey Timmy?"
"Yah?" He answered distractedly, moving his body with the hero on the game.
"Wanna do some real hero work tonight?"
His attention drawn, he dropped the game and bound up to her with a grin, "You bet!"
"Great!" She smiled, "Now go get ready, Robin and Batgirl are hitting the town!" She ignored the sting of familiarity those words had as she watched the younger boy laughed and flip down into the cave.
"Awesome!"
She nodded to herself firmly. Batgirl and Robin.
How many times has she been through that.
Green Arrow glared at the screen as he replayed the last robbery over and over again. A set of well trained men had broken into Stars lab and were seen carrying out some relatively unimportant chemicals. Oliver couldn't figure out what in the heck these guys were up too. Usually the League was to busy to handle something like a half cocked robbery, but Batman had contacted him and told him to keep on eye on these guys.
Apparently they were cronies frm a high ranged Assassin group that the B-man knew. and where up to something different, which seemed to gain the Bats attention to a point. But since the Leuge had sent him off world into a inter dimension mission, he'd asked, or ordered, Ollie to take care of it.
Pfft. Yah, cuz I'm not already stretched out. Handling an AWOL sidekick AND two cities, not to mention keeping an eye on the brats down there.
When he'd asked Bats why he didn't give it to his trusted sidekicks down IN the city, he'd just given him an icy glare and signed off.
Yep. typical, moody bat behavior.
Ollie tapped the console off and stood up. Whatever these freaks where doing, it didn't seem do be anything of immediate worry.
Yah, Bats is probably just over paranoid. Yah that's it.
Then he proceeded in going to find something to eat before something actually did happen.
Nightwing perched in a hidden nook as he watched the six masked men in heavy sea fairing jackets, loading boxes on a barge in the middle of the night. If that didn't scream 'shady' he didn't know what did.
With practiced grace he flipped and landed directly on one of the purp's, effectively knocking him flat.
The other two whirled around, to his surprise, and one threw a studied punch at him, he barley dodged and kicked one of them away.
The one under him shot a sharp kick to his knee causing him to momentarily loose balance before he flipped over, sunset style and landed like a cat behind them.
In an instant they turned around, threw off their seamen attire and each pulled out a deadly sharp sword.
Dick took one step back.
Something told him these guys weren't just your average thugs.
"You see him yet?" Robin asked while landing lightly on the roof of a boat house next to Batgirl's crouching form.
The older hero looked through a pair of compact binoculars, "No. I know I got the right coordinates. Where the heck is-"
Her words were cut off by a loud crash and yelp. Robins eyes widened through his mask, both thinking the same thing.
Nightwing's in trouble!
Fear gripped her chest, he barley ever got in to trouble any more. This wasn't good. They simultaneously drew out their lines and shot them to swing over.
Batgirl landed just in time to have Nightwings body collide with hers, both went rolling and hitting a stack of massive crates.
Robin instantly drew out his staff, "Um, Nightwing?" He looked down at his fallen predecessor.
Batgirl grunted and lifted her crushed body up, "He-he's out cold." Her eyes widened, "Robin Look-"
Too late. A punch landed in the boys gut sending him sprawling across the dock.
The red headed heroine slipped out from under Nightwings weight and flipped over in front of them, "Hey, where did you guys come from?!" She snapped, partly confused. Since when did drug dealers have moves?
In a blurring rush, six men flew at her with deadly attacks. She flipped, dodged, and just barley missed getting herself decapitated.
Meanwhile Robin drew in a second wind and threw a birdarang, successfully slicing one of the men in the shoulder, also, successfully getting his undivided attention.
Oh boy.
"Um, sorry 'bout that." The new boy wonder smiled not so apologetically, "Looked like it hurt."
The man threw punch, Robin blocked, aimed his stick only to have it grasped, and twisted out of his hands, he flipped backwards several times, the man grabbed his cape, threw him on his back, hard, causing him to choke, out of breath, before kicking him in the side.
"Robin!" Batgirl yelped, fear stabbed her, her mind blurred as the onslaught became harsher, then a whistle blew from, god only knew where.
The men instantly melted away, threw Robin to the side and headed for the barge as if nothing happened. Batgirl sputtered, pushed her self to her feet in anger and lashed out by throwing a half aimed Batarang at the closest freak. It hit his hand making him hiss and drop whatever he was carrying, the others grabbed his angered form and dragged him to the boat before he could attack her.
Batgirl watched, breathing heavy, sick feelings pitted in her stomach, the adrenaline wore off, her wounds were noticed, she blacked out.
When she came too, Robins soft face lined with worry was staring down at her as he crouched over.
"Bab-Batgirl!" He corrected his near mistake of names on the field, "Thank god! I was almost freaking out." He admitted slightly ashamed.
She groaned and sat up, dizziness rushing to her head. Now she noticed where they were. Still at the docks, and by the looks of things, she'd been out for a while. So had they, or else why would they still be here.
Her blue eyes caught Nightwings bending form.
Not even an 'are you ok?' She thought bitterly.
"You ok?" She asked, half in real concern and other half to guilt him.
He straightened and looked at her, for the first time in a while, his face stayed hard, "Fine. Here's a better question. What the heck where you and Robin doing here!?"
She bit back a grimace as she stood up on sore legs, ignoring the sting of his words, "Um, our job? Your welcome by the way, Mr. I'm-too- stubborn-to admit-I almost-got-my butt-handed-to-me!" She countered, with less than moderate control over her voice. Today was just freaked up. She was done controlling. She glared defiantly at him, her hands solidly on her hips, Robin looked up, back and froth between them, sensing the tension, he seemed to shrink away.
The ex-Robin tensed visibly, "I would have handled it! Nobody asked you two to be here." He bit back.
"Nobody needed too! Last I checked we're not a team anymore remember? I can go to any mission I see fit. As for Robin, you don't take him, so he comes with me." She spoke so fiercely, her throat hurt. For a second there she actually saw Nightwings iciness fail. It looked like she'd slapped him.
Then it was back, he built the ice right back up, "Forget it. Do what you want, just stay out of my way." He ordered roughly, then turned and walked away, his hands fisted.
Batgirl was near screeching point. That's what he always did when he didn't want to deal with something healthily. Just walk away! When the hell was he going to learn you can't walk way from everything!
"Um, Batgirl?" A timid voice asked behind her.
Barbara felt her anger melt in remembering the young boy was there, "Oh, yah Robin?"
He eyed her warily, as if not sure if she would explode or not, "You . . . one of those guys dropped something. I picked it up before Nightwing came to." He looked slightly ashamed as he uncurled his fist to show her it's contents, "I didn't tell him. I-I don't know if I should have but-"
Batgirls felt her face stretch into an appreciative smile for this boy, "Timmy, you couldn't have done more right. This'll teach that hard head not to throw away his heart." She reached out and took a small vial that seemed to glow an eerie green, it reflected powerfully from the strange substance inside, "Come on Robin. We have some detective work to do. Without Nightwing."
Wally felt bad about it. He really did, his conscious didn't let things like that go. He really shouldn't have thrown that conversation in Megs face yesterday. Especially since she had been about the only one that still reached out to him. That's why he found himself clearing his schedule and making another trip to Gotham and the shabby café.
He sighed, ran a hand trough his unruly red hair and walked into the room like place. He saw Meg bent under the counter as usual.
With a slight smile he walked to the counter, "Hey, Megs? I'm sorer 'bout yesterday and-"
She straightened and glared at him. Wait? That wasn't Megs soft brown eyes. Hard green ones replaced them, come to think of it, this wasn't Meg at all. He was staring onto a face of a much shorter young woman. Her face was sharp and defiant, Her eyes a cutting green, her hair a soft brown that framed around her head.
Wally had never seen her in his life, but there was something off about her. His instincts shuddered through, "Um, Hi? I don't believe I know you?"
She narrowed her eyes at him in uncalled for sucpision, "You think? Now are you going to order or what?" She snapped while swishing a cloth over the dim counter.
Wally watched, her hands were awful small, her entire being was small, delicate looking. But the way she was glareing at him said otherwise.
"Um, yah I . .. I'm Wally West."
"How nice for you." She replied less than honestly.
"Wally!" Megs high voice called as she appeared from the back, she caught sight of the red heads confused face, "Oh, I see you've met my new co-worker. Mallory this is Wally, he's a real good friend, we go way back." She smiled brightly at him. Mallory scoffed.
Wally didn't get it, usually people liked him. Usually.
"Yah. Nice to meet you Mall, um hey Megs. Just came to say I'm sorry for running out yesterday." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, asking for forgiveness.
He caught an eye roll from the new girl before she shifted away, Meg laughed, "Aw, Wally that's so sweet of you. But I'm fine. No big deal. Silly, I knew you weren't having a good day." She patted his shoulder lightly, "Roll?" She asked giving him a cinnamon roll.
He grinned lightly and took it, "Thanks, I'll need it for work later." He winked before he scarfed it down.
Meg caught the hint and smiled, "Have fun. Don't get hurt ok."
Licking his fingers one by one Wally nodded, "See ya Megs. Bye Mallory." With a friendly wave he was gone.
Meg smiled after him. Wally West the ever present heart of life.
Even after it was broken several times.
After months of this mess. Talia felt the conclusion of her father's project nearly here. Sufficed to say she hadn't agreed with his idea of genetically enhanced creature, or his attempt to immortalize the dead.
But what had taken the most to swallow was who he was testing his project on. Granted, they'd sent their men out to dig up graves and bodies of past officers and army men.
But when he had the body of her Beloveds past partner dug and brought. Talia almost drew a line. One that was none existent for her entire life. Watching the boy shrivel and thrash almost made her feel pity. Almost.
The project wasn't meant to succeed, she knew it wasn't. Not yet. But then there was that first bit of advancement that said 'positive' of course then Father wouldn't shut it down completely.
Fine then. She would let it go. Let it slid to as far as possible without drawing a betrayal mark on herself. But once she got her chance, she'd put her plot into motion. She had too.
"Mistress?" A submissive voice caught her attention.
She turned coldly an looked down at the bowing warrior, "What is it?"
"Dr. Benet has taken Subject 423 out. Mistress - you need to see this." He sounded shocked.
Talia's face flashed for a second. Then she followed the man out of the room.
Time to see where this mess stood now.
