Chapter 2!
Starlabs Warehouse on the Island
Deathstroke, or Slade, gave everyone a sneering smile. His eye gleamed with wicked intentions as his gaze settle on Nightwing. Batman shifted his weight so that he was somewhat in front on Nightwing, blocking Slade's gaze.
"Let's tango." Hal smirked.
As the group assumed, Nightwing and Batman first dove towards Bane and Slade. Bane dove forwards as well and caught Batman around the middle. Batman got a good punch into Bane's jaw, stunning the giant. Batman grabbed the addict's head and slammed in onto his knee. Bane roared in anger as he stumbled backwards. Bane blinked rapidly. He then gave Batman a smirk as he released a small amount of enhancement drugs into his system. His muscles pressed against his skin. Bane blinked away all his dizziness. His disconcerting grin growing as he released more drugs into his system. Batman chanced a glance at Nightwing and didn't like what he saw. But Batman could do nothing as Bane charged at him with more fervor than before.
Nightwing had ducked under Bane and used his lower body to tackle Slade around the waist. Slade rolled with the tackle, flipping over so he was atop Nightwing. He gave Nightwing a satisfied smile. Nightwing twisted his torso and knocked Slade off his stomach. Sending a kick after the mercenary, Nightwing stayed low to the ground. He spun on his hands, feeling legs give way behind his leg, tripping a ninja that had gotten too close.
"Impressive." Slade said. Nightwing snarled at him.
"Impressing you is something I really don't care about." Nightwing replied. He was still crouched low to the ground, ready to pounce up and knock Slade out. Slade shrugged and drew his sword.
"Cheating ass." Nightwing growled, pulling his own weapons from their sheaths n his hips. His eskirma sticks glowed as he finished the current with a press of a button. The fight began anew.
Nightwing found himself on the defense after the sword cut his arm, leaving a long, but shallow scratch. Blocking blow after blow, Nightwing tried to find Slade's rhythm. When he saw the chance, Nightwing ducked under a swing of the broadsword and shoved the electrified eskirma sticks into Slade's abdomen. The voltage ripped through Slade's body, making him drop his sword and convulse. Nightwing tucked and rolled backwards as Slade fell forwards. His body continued to jerk, but the mercenary had been knocked unconscious.
As he stood, Nightwing felt dizzier than he should for standing up quickly. Without being able to figure out why, Nightwing was pulled into the fight against the ninjas with the rest of the group.
Batman, while trying to bench-press Bane, looked over and saw Nightwing fighting some ninjas. Slade was still on the floor next to a small puddle of blood. Batman's heart went cold when he realized it couldn't be Slade's blood.
"Nightwing!" He hollered. Nightwing back-flipped, catching a ninja with his foot and sending said ninja into Oliver's fist. A second back-flip landed Nightwing on Bane's back. Bane jerked up, off of Batman, in indignation.
"Little pest!" Bane yelled. He swung a sloppy punch towards Nightwing who was still flipping in the air. Batman, from his position on the ground, kicked up and threw Bane's punch off course. Nightwing felt the air whoosh by his head as he landed. Bane was roaring again. With new determination, Bane tried to crush Batman. Batman had slipped out of Bane's grasp and sent a concrete cracking punch into the giant's stomach. Nightwing was keeping the ninjas from interfering. He didn't see the flying piece of machinery. The metal pole hit Nightwing square in the back, pinning him to the floor.
Guys! Any help? Nightwing called. Flash was by his side in a second.
I can't lift this! Are you ok? Flash asked. Nightwing nodded. Flash gave him a strange look. You're bleeding. A lot. Nightwing looked at his arm where Slade had cut him.
Must be a poison to stop clotting. We'll worry about it after I'm no longer under this pole. Nightwing suggested, trying to worm his way out.
I've got you. J'hn announced, lifting the pole and sending it into a large group of approaching ninjas.
Thanks! Nightwing said, standing unsteadily.
Some ninjas started messing with the machine! I stopped them but it seems they powered it up or something. Hal informed the group.
I'll look into it. Nightwing promised, heading towards the machine, jumping over and knocking out ninjas as he went. By the time Nightwing reached the machine, three quarters of the ninjas had been taken care of. As Nightwing started working on the machine, he felt a blade against his back.
"Now, what might we be doing? Playing with toys at a time like this?" Slade's angry, condescending voice caused Nightwing to freeze.
"I was hoping you'd be fried for a couple more minutes." Nightwing admitted.
"Being convenient. Now, does that sound like me?" Slade removed his sword and Nightwing turned. Slade grabbed his bleeding arm and pulled the young hero to his feet.
"Plan to share your antidote?" Nightwing asked. He appeared relaxed, but he was ready to pounce if he needed to.
"Being helpful. Why, one would think you hadn't spent a year under my guidance at all!" Slade, no longer armed with his broadsword, drew two daggers from his chest harness. Nightwing had lost his eskirma sticks when the pole had hit him, so he was weaponless.
"But you wouldn't attack an unarmed foe, would you?" Nightwing asked. His left foot started sliding up his right leg.
"Around you I always seem to try and be a better person." Slade said, shaking his head in mock shame. Nightwing kicked the knife he kept loosely strapped around his right ankle up out of its sheath. The flash of the blade caught Slade's attention, and Nightwing dropped lower, swing his leg in a long swoop. The blade hit the ground, but Nightwing scooped it off the ground before it could bounce. Slade had jumped up to avoid the leg sweep. He landed heavy. Nightwing kept his shoulders low and sent his legs up to kick at Slade's torso and face. In such close quarters, Slade couldn't dodge. Slade blocked the kicks with ease.
"Sloppy, sloppy. "Slade 'tsked' in the back of his throat.
"You're as bad as my little brother with all that 'tsk'-ing. I swear one day, both of you won't be able to speak normally at all." Nightwing joked, wrapping his legs around Slade's waist. He twisted his torso so his body was aligned. He did this while pulling his body up in a sit up, his fist having twice as much forced into Slade's left cheek. Nightwing bent backwards, releasing his legs, kicking Slade in the chin for good measure.
"Now, that is much better." Slade rubbed his cheek. Nightwing shrugged.
"I'm just pretty awesome in general." Slade raised a white eyebrow.
"My turn." Nightwing jumped into a defensive position as Slade said this. Slade charged forward, a fist going under Nightwing's guard and lifting the young vigilante into the air. Slade, wrapped an arm around Nightwing as he came falling down. Slade grabbed Nightwing's opposite shoulder and spun him around so Nightwing's back was to Slade.
"I much prefer this position." Slade growled into Nightwing's ear. Nightwing slammed his head back, catching Slade's nose. Slade drew Nightwing in tighter. Nightwing felt blood drip into his hair.
Gross! Nightwing thought.
Are you ok? Nightwing was pretty sure it was Flash who was asking.
Ah! Maybe not! Nightwing cried out. Slade tightened his hold around Nightwing's neck. Nightwing gasped for air, pulling at Slade's arm.
"Don't lose focus, boy!" Slade snapped. He forced Nightwing's chin up. Nightwing coughed as air rushed into his throat. He gasped as a line rubbed his Adam's apple. Slade shoved Nightwing forward. Nightwing stumbled into the machine and gasped as the line around his throat tightened, choking him. Fingers rushed to his neck, trying to loosen the line. Slade yanked the line and Nightwing fell backwards gasping for air.
"Nightwing!" Batman had throne off Bane and charged to the base of the machine. The other heroes had finished off the ninjas and joined Batman. Nightwing was on all fours coughing to get air into his lungs. Slade stood behind him holding the line.
"A bargain? I give you the sex toy; you let us leave with our merchandise." Slade pulled on the line. Nightwing's upper body rose as he tried to lessen pressure on his throat.
I'm so sorry. Nightwing's mental voice was croaking. Superman's eyes glowed red.
"Oh, do please try and cut this steel/carbon metal filament line attached to Nightwing's bare skin. It doesn't distribute heat or have a 2,800 degree Fahrenheit melting point, which would take you three minutes to get with you fancy eye lasers, and Nightwing wouldn't get burned within thirty-five seconds." Slade rattled on, smiling in victory. The League would never sacrifice Nightwing. He was too well liked. Superman's eyes returned to their cool blue. Oliver was out of arrows, and J'hn had been advised by Batman to not even attempt any mental manipulation with Slade. Flash was ready to run, if he hadn't just gotten a blade to the thigh. In five minutes he would be able to run, but not now!
"We'll trade." Superman said, watching Batman out of the corner of his eye. Batman's shoulders twitched. In relief? In regret? Slade shrugged and tossed his end on the line, which had a weight at the end. Nightwing, who had gouged his neck to get his fingers under the line, looked up and made a whining sound. As superman reached for the line, it went taunt. Turning, the group saw Bane had grabbed the small weight. Bane's smiled oozed evil as he yanked the line. Nightwing yelped and went flying into the group of heroes. Oliver and Barry were taken down. Nightwing flew past them and skidded to a stop by Bane's feet. His gloves protected his fingers from being cut by the line, his fingers had protected his throat form being crushed by the line, but the rest of his neck bore a bleeding red line, and his fingers were seriously bruised, and maybe a few were fractured. Not to mention the line on his throat where he had gouged his neck to get his fingers under the line.
Bane laughed as he shortened the line.
"Well, a birdie on a leash!" Bane pulled Nightwing to his feet, and let him hang a foot off the ground.
Batman growled. He made a move to throw a bat-a-rang at Bane, but held it in his hand longer and twisted, sending the deadly projectile into Slade. Slade had been too busy laughing. The bat-a-rang just pierced the skin on his chest. The beeping promised a much worse promise. As the bat-a-rang exploded, Slade went flying backwards into the machine. Superman took the distraction and sent eye lasers into Bane's bulbous fists. Nightwing dropped to the floor where Flash slid in next to him and together they rolled away.
Bane roared and Slade joined him. Without the ninjas to distract the rest of the group, the two hired hands were quickly brought down. Slade was still a master fighter, throwing Oliver into the machine and giving J'hn a jaw breaking punch before Hal caught the mercenary in a green bubble. Hal then smashed the bubble into a wall, breaking the bubble as he hit the wall. Slade smashed into the wall, completely unconscious.
Superman and Batman took down Bane with a tag team. Batman jumped, using his heavy cape to block Bane's vision as he smashed his heel into the top of Bane's skull. As he finished his jump over Bane, Superman finished with a sucker punch to the face. Bane collapsed in a heap.
"You could set a world record with your vertical jump." Superman commented to Batman as the tied up the addict and the mercenary. Batman gave Superman a look.
"Those records are broken daily by people who have jobs in the circus and mountains everyday. They are only in place to make rich people feel better."
"You're rich." Superman pointed out.
"And I get to jump onto people's faces at night. I'm fine." Batman retorted. The group gathered around Flash and Nightwing. Nightwing was gasping and pulling at the line.
"Hold still." Batman said, bending down with a sharp knife. "I need to find the weak link, be calm. "He said. Nightwing nodded, winced and held still. His breathing was minimal as the line was too tight. His breath was also winy and loud. Batman found the weak link and twisted his knife into the link. The tail of the line snapped off, but it was still tight around Nightwing's throat. Nightwing started to try and say something, but everyone shushed him.
"Hold still chum, I don't want to cut you by accident!" Batman snapped. Nightwing wouldn't hold still and tried to fight the group as they held him down. Batman cursed as the blade caught Nightwing's skin on his neck. Nightwing jerk, from pain this time and the blade was close enough to the chain to catch it. By chance, the line broke and Nightwing took a big gasp before shoving everyone to the side and wheezing,
"Machine!" The machine, which had been ignored, was sparking and making interesting noises.
"Shit. It must have gotten damaged in the fight." Oliver said.
"We should clear the area." Superman said.
"It could destroy 500 squared meters or miles or something right?" Nightwing asked. Superman nodded. "Let me have a crack at it. If I can turn down of turn off the lasers, we'll don't have to worry about evacuating the scientists that live here and alert Luthor." Nightwing's voice was small and raspy. How he was talking astounded Superman, because it must have hurt. He could see heavy bruising forming around the dark red line already.
"Nightwing…" Batman's disapproval was evident in his voice.
"I already have my program in the machine; I just have to activate it." Nightwing assured his surrogate father. Batman hesitated. Nightwing took that hesitation and stood, ready to head to the machine.
"Your arm." Batman said. Nightwing glance down at his still bleeding arm.
"Later." Nightwing was about to take off towards the machine when Flash picked him up and carried him.
"If things get hot, we're out before you can blink." Flash swore. Nightwing nodded, already messing with the machine.
"Come on. Come on. Come on." Batman muttered under breath. They had moved to the exit of the laboratory warehouse.
"They'll be fine." Superman assured Batman. Batman took a step towards the machine. He saw Nightwing's figure stand and Flash grab him. They both shot backwards as the machine sparked. Before Batman could blink, the machine had exploded.
Beams of light burst forth, blinding everyone. Batman cstarted to call out for Nightwing when a beam of light stabbed into his chest. Batman's breath caught in his throat as pain like he had never before felt tore him in two. He felt his skin blasting off his body and his muscles withering. His bones were ground into nothing, and he was gone.
Batman was gone.
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