The sounds of typing were cutting the silence of the cave. Beeping and clacks were coming as well from the automated analyser, while the young man continues with his work on a laptop. At his side, Barbara was using the Batcomputer. As the Oracle, she would occasionally provide Batman with any information that he asked for. And soon they have discovered that the owner of the van was only the first obstacle before they could reach Scarecrow.
Time drags slow through the night as the duo tries to concentrate on their tasks. Sometimes Barbara would take an opportunity here and there to look at Dick. And by each time, she would notice that he would get more and more impatient for some unknown reason. She tried to find out what was wrong and engaged him in some conversations, but every time that she asked about the tests, he would change the subject saying that they were not completed yet.
After some hours, Batman was finally calling it a night. It seems that their search led to an old lab, but Scarecrow wasn't there.
"You should get some sleep as well. You seem tired, Red." though he was smirking, she knew him long enough to know that there was a glimpse of frustration in those eyes. Still, if he didn't wish to share his thoughts with her, she would respect that. After all, Dick was not the kind of guy that would hide his feelings if he didn't need to.
"You should do the same. You look paler than before, Dick."
"… I still need to arrange some things before leaving the tests to be run in background. Once I'm finished I'm going upstairs as well." without noticing, he was already rubbing his eyes, which made Barbara heart ache a bit. It seems that more hairs were growing not only on his face, but on his hands as well. The change rate was fast, but the new hairs weren't calling that much attention yet.
"Just don't push yourself too much, ok?" she finally says.
"I'll try, thanks." again that same smirk. Still, she repays him with a tender smile, before turning and going towards the cave stairs.
Dick sighes. He didn't like to keep things hidden from his friends, but if he told Babs the results, it would just add more unnecessary concerns. There was nothing that she could do to change that situation, so it was better to leave it and tell her later. Now, if only Batman arrived sooner, he would be able to get on with the tests and rest as well. It's true that he was used to stay awake for even four nights straight, but on that night in particular he was feeling as if he didn't sleep for three. It was getting harder to keep his eyes open, and to make things worse, he was indeed feeling kinda sick. The dizziness now was more persistent than the last hours and it was starting to take its toll on him. Even so, he needed to wait for Batman so he could share his thoughts on the results.
Fifteen minutes later, the sound of a large iron gate being opened pricked up Grayson's ears, making him turn and look while the lousy Batmobile approached its parking space. As the car stops and opens its roof, Batman and Robin come out of it and go directly to the Batcomputer.
"How did it go?" asks Grayson.
"We've found Crane's old lab, but besides some annotations and empty cells, there was no sign of him. Although during the search we've found some names that can lead us to his actual location." due the costume, sometimes Batman would forget to turn off his usual cold and growly tone of voice.
"Considering how easy it is to make those goons talk, we are going to find Scarecrow next time. It's just a matter of time." the last line was finished in a yawn from Damian.
"And the results?" asks Batman.
"It's not a virus or anything pathogenic." Dick takes a deep breath, trying to keep his composure. Not only because he was feeling his anger building up inside him and becoming an issue again, but the sickness was getting unbearable by each minute "It's genetic. Which means a cure will take longer than we predicted. My DNA is being changed rapidly, and yet, in familiar patterns. I've never seen something like this before, Bruce. I don't even know from where we can start!"
Frustrated, Dick clenches his right hand on the armrest. Sweat was coming down from his forehead, and even visibly irritated, he seemed a little lethargic as well, what doesn't go unnoticed by the detective.
"Dick, you should get a rest. I'll take it from here and see what I can do."
"I appreciate it, Bruce. Thanks."
While he stands up, the dizziness suddenly overwhelms him, making the young man stumble and fall over the Dark Knight.
"Dick! Hey, Dick!" as soon as Batman gets him, he holds Grayson's arms and shake him, trying to wake him up.
However, he wasn't giving any signs that he would regain his consciousness anytime soon.
"His fever won't stop increasing, Master Bruce..."
"Damian, can you bring us more...? … the results didn't find the source of the symptoms… due his actual condition… hope that the medicine will do its job..."
Groaning, he finally opens his eyes. Dick finds out that he's alone in his room, on his bed. Wait… again? What the hell happened now?
And if it was not enough to find out that he has lost consciousness, it seems that this time he was using only his underwear. The sunlight indicated that it was day, but he couldn't tell if it is before or after noon, but surely it was not early. After removing the towels and cold compresses on his arms and forehead, Grayson tries to stand up again, but in his carelessness, he did it so fast that the dizziness came over to him again, making him lose his balance and forcing him to use the splint on the headboard to break the fall. It worked, but strangely, he didn't feel any pain coming from his broken arm. Taking a seat on the bedside, Dick decides to take his time and look at his arm. He then holds the splint and tries to move only his arm inside of it. Nothing. Next, he slams the splint on the wall next to his bed, this time using more strength. And yet, nothing again. Not a single twinge.
This can't be… can it? The young man keeps looking curiously at his splint, intrigued. And even though he was hearing the chirps of birds outside his window, he was not able to notice that there was a conversation unfolding downstairs.
"And when do you think this friend of yours will grace us with a visit and helps us circumvent Master Dick situation, sir?" except for Alfred, Batman and Robin were sitting in their respective couches, still in their disguises.
"The call was cut off before I could hear it. I suppose it will be in a matter of days. Maybe if we are lucky, before the end of the week."
"So, the poor boy..."
"It will happen, Alfred. And we need to be prepared for it. I'll arrange the metahuman cell for his temporary incarceration as soon as possible."
"Incarceration? Don't you think that's overdoing it, sir?"
"From what I've come to know, no. I wish there was another way, Alfred, but I couldn't think of a better solution yet."
"And when are you planning to tell it to Richard, father? Because if you are not, I will." Robin was just next to Batman, sitting on a couch of the same size as his. Holding both hands together with fingers crossed, he now awaited his father response. Even though that idea wasn't pleasant to be heard, he understood how delicate the situation was and how smoothly it should go. Now it was not the time to keep secrets and make obnoxious surprises.
"You won't need to. As soon as he gets better, I'll tell him myself. There is no need to rush it now, since I'm planning to do it some hours before the 72 hours deadline anyway. If nothing else surprise us before that. Knowing Dick, he will understand."
"And what about the location of the werewolf, sir? Was there any progress?"
"Unfortunately no, Alfred. No words from the streets yet. We've been to the scene again before coming back but there was no further clues. I'll start looking the recordings from other CCTVs from the area and see if I manage to find any strange movement prior the attack. But until then, nothing yet."
"Shapeshifters are a pain to be found." adds Robin "I've tried to locate one during the year of blood and in the end I didn't. For my luck, there was another way to reach what I was seeking for."
"Well, since there is nothing more to be done for now then, can you both finally accept my suggestion of being as wise as Miss Gordon was?"
"Not before I take a look at him again, Alfred."
"I didn't think you would say otherwise, Master Bruce."
The strikes from a grandfather clock comes as soon as they start to climb the stairs. Mentally, Damian counted two of them before the chime started to fade away through the room. Soon they were upstairs, walking through the long hall and its several closed doors. At least most of them were still closed, because Dick suddenly decided to come out from one of them in a bathrobe. Seeing Alfred, Batman and Robin immediately before him like that, and with those surprised looks on their faces as well, surely caught him out of guard.
"Ahn… I'm guessing that none of you guys will need to use the bathroom now, right?" smirks Dick awkwardly.
"We will leave you to your shower if you at least tell us how are you feeling, Dick." Batman didn't expect to see him awake yet, but watching him walking and apparently feeling better lifted a little of his mood. Even though his seriousness wouldn't give that away.
"I'm better now, Bruce. A little sick and dizzy yet, but fine overall. Oh, and..." the young man then lifts his arm, bringing the splint closer to his chest "We should do some X-ray exam on my upper arm. It seems… better now."
"*Tt * Don't say such foolish things, Grayson. You know very well that it takes weeks for a broken arm to completely heal." Damian crosses his arms and examines Richard from head to toe, hoping that lunacy is not in the list of the werewolf symptoms.
"Thank you, Mr. Obvious. Let's just say that an incident in my room made me realize that there is no pain coming from my arm. Not even a single twinge." since their looks were yet doubtful, Dick decided to slam his upper arm against the door's casing.
"Master Richard! What nonsense is this?"
"See? Nothing. Not even a pinch." shruggs Grayson.
That makes Batman give one of his glares. And if Dick were not used to it already, he would have felt a shiver right now.
"Since you are feeling that well, I think Alfred can take care of the rest. And Dick?"
"Yes, Bruce?"
"You are already aware of your..."
"My teeth? Yep. And here I thought that I was supposed to become a werewolf not a Dracula."
That detail didn't surprise Batman as one would expect, though he still wasn't comfortable with the fact that there wasn't much he could do to prevent the progression of Dick's predicament. However, that seemed to be an acceptable answer coming from his former sidekick. And since there was nothing else that could've been said or done, he turns and starts walking through the hall, with Damian and Alfred looking as the cape graciously follows Batman's steps. Dick on another hand, decided to proceed to the bathroom.
"Now, if you boys excuse me" interrupts Alfred "I'll bring the medicine. If there is anything else that you may wish for, Master Dick…?"
"No, Alfred. I'm fine. Thank you." says an echo of Dick's voice coming from the bathroom.
Damian looks as Pennyworth walks towards the stairs. However the boy doesn't wait for the butler to get out of the view, as he goes towards the bathroom's door. He finds Dick washing his face at the sink.
The young man doesn't mind when Robin silently leans on the casing. But he knew Damian well enough to know that he doesn't simply stand by people's side in silence for nothing.
"A penny for your thoughts, kiddo." says him while looking at the mirror and applying the shave gel on his face.
"You can keep it. This one is going to be for free anyway." Damian still sounded detached, yet even Dick wasn't expect to hear that.
"Oh? Feeling generous today? Do you know that my birthday is still two months away, right?" Grayson smirks as he looks at the grumpy looking kid besides him. It was always fun to nag Damian just for the sake of taking a look at that scowl.
"Just shut up and listen, Richard. I need to ask you something."
"Ok, I'm listening. Go ahead." even though he was now looking for his razor blade, Damian knew that he was still listening.
"How are you feeling now?" the scowl had disappeared on Damian's face. Yep, he was more serious than Dick initially thought.
"Don't worry, kid, you didn't hear it wrong. I'm not feeling 100% yet, but overall, I'm better." Dick confidently smiles. Most of it was to give assurance to Damian, plus to divert his attention of those itchy hairs and gel on his face.
"I'm not only talking about your physical conditions, Richard."
"Well..." without thinking, Dick scratches his face and get some hair gel on his fingers, for his further annoyance "As you can see, it's a pain to deal with all this werewolf stuff, but I'm confident that we are going to find a cure for this before things fall apart. When you use the costume for long enough, you come to realize that everything always ends well sooner or later." he smirks while putting his right hand on the kid's shoulder. Dick knew how difficult it was for Damian to get his feelings off his chest. And he wouldn't let his own doubts cloud the boy's feelings as well. Damian didn't need more darkness in his life than he already has.
"Don't you ever get tired of that exacerbated optimism of yours?" smirks Damian.
"Nope. But there is one thing that I'm already tired of: this damn itchy hairs. And I'm gonna get rid of them right now. * sigh * I just hope that at least I don't have to shave them everyday. But hey, since you are staying, I may even give you some tips. I know that you are only ten, but..."
"Not interested. And I'm still thirteen."
"Whatever. But don't blame me if in your first shave you will have to fight criminals with small pieces of toilet paper on your face. I wonder what Joker would say about it..."
"Alright, then. If you insist." answers Damian rolling his eyes.
"That's good to hear." Dick joyfully messes Damian's hair, who in turn gives him another funny scowl "Now, for starters, get over here next to me."
The Batcomputer screen shows it is 9:31 p.m. already. Usually the silence of the cave would make the time drags, but now it was even pleasant in a soothing way. Since that day, he would only feel calm sometimes, but in other moments, a sudden rush of anger would build up inside of him without any trigger. Like earlier. Dick still didn't understand why he felt that upset during his last conversation with Bruce. Even now he still feels that his former mentor was being quite reasonable in his solution due the circumstances, after all he wouldn't be imprisoned permanently. And yet, he had to leave the Dark Knight be, before the rage would do the talking for him.
He sighes. The physical side effects of the change were not only irritant, but were becoming painful as well. However, they were still manageable compared with his feelings. The most difficult part was dealing with these erratic emotions without dumping them on everyone. And doing that was proving to be strenuous. At least there in the cave he was able to isolate himself and keep his hands busy with work. Both hands in fact, since the x-ray revealed that his arm was indeed cured and the splint was now unnecessary.
Suddenly, his ears prick up. Footsteps were now coming from the cave stairs and going towards him.
"You should be resting. You are still feverish." Batman and the rest were in their costumes, coming closer to the computer and Dick. Without making them notice, the young man breathes in deeply before answering.
"Well, in a way you can say that I'm resting while sitting here." he tries to sound calm, but Batman notices that his tone was a bit off. Hence, instead of pushing the subject, he decides to move on.
"I can see that you are checking the recordings, did something called your attention yet?"
"No. I didn't find anything, but there are some to be checked yet. And regarding the tests, some of them are still running." Dick turns the chair around, finding Batman, Robin and Batgirl just next to him "And it seems that you are going after Scarecrow now, isn't it?"
"Yes. It's likely that I'll find him today and end this matter at once."
"So I think today is my day to be the Oracle, isn't it?"
"I think that I don't need to tell you that you are already pretty aware of your situation, Dick."
And again there it was, that inexplicable rage bubbling inside of him. However, he manages to keep his cool, even though Batman was silently evaluating him, since Dick was taking seconds longer to answer him.
"Yes, I understand. Just... be careful, ok?" his concern made it easier to make that rage fade away.
"Ah, please. It's Scarecrow we are talking about, Richard."
"You have never fought him face to face before, have you, Damian?" asks Batgirl harshly.
"I've assisted my father against him once. Besides reading his files, of course."
"Of course." sighes Gordon.
"Barbara is right, Damian. You can't underestimate Scarecrow. You should have already learned that overconfidence can kill you."
"Fine. I'll try my best to not think of him as a second-rate villain, then." annoyed, Damian places both hands behind his head. He was already looking at the Batmobile, eager to leave the manor and prove that they were the ones overestimating the enemy.
"As for you, Dick, I'll leave the rest in your hands."
"Rest assured, Bruce. I'm not thinking of leaving here anytime soon."
"Take care!" says a smiling Barbara.
"You too." he smirks back.
"*Tt * We are going to return sooner than you think, Richard."
"If you listen to your father, I'm sure you will." teases Dick.
Soon enough, they were leaving the cave with the Batmobile. With the lights of the stars and those of distant buildings, the night receives that outstanding car as it heads to downtown. The next hours went as normally as any night would go for Batman and his teammates: some crooks flew through bar's glassed windows, while others begged for the Caped Crusader's mercy in exchange of information. In the end, the clues led them to a neighborhood near to downtown. Between the brick apartments and wood houses, they stop the car in front one of the buildings. The wooden house looks old and abandoned, adding a feeling of creepiness to that dark street. As the group gets out of the car, they notice that there were no people walking around the sidewalks, except for some bums here and there, who were now looking curiously at the Dark Knight and his two partners. If it was not for the noises coming from the downtown's traffic, that place would be even more quiet.
"Its last buyer was from ten years ago. He is not related to Crane. From the looks of the documents and its market value, it's understandable why it's abandoned. Most probably a case of flipping." says a muffled voice coming from the Caped Crusader's comms.
"And how are the tests going, Nightwing?" asks Batman.
"The mapping is taking longer than we predicted, but the rest is going smoothly. It's a matter of hours now."
"Copy. Keep me in the loop."
"Roger. Please keep at least the cam on, Bats. I want to keep my eyes on you guys. Nightwing over and out."
Steam was coming out from a culvert, while the Dark Knight, Batgirl and Robin approaches the door. Again more silence comes to greet them. Still, Batman signaled everyone to break into the house through its windows, since the wooden door looked so beaten up that it was not worth to try to open it and risk making noises. In seconds, the trio meet each other in the living room. There was no furniture nor light, and at first, that place really seemed dead, unless for a light coming further inside from a corridor. As soon as Robin opens his mouth to talk, Batman gestures him to keep it quiet. It was low, but definitely some noises were coming from somewhere else in the dark.
Even though the floor was squeaky, they succeed to get to a half open door. It belonged to the basement. The typing and electronic sounds definitely were coming from below there. It's then that Batman places a small portable respirator onto his face, with the others mimicking him next. Following his lead, they descend the stairs silently, until they reach the basement.
The dim light from the ceiling barely illuminates the room, leaving for two notebooks on a table to do most of the lighting, revealing a chair with someone wearing a sack over the head.
Batman quickly jumps out of the stairs and goes quickly for the chair, trying to put the shadowy figure in a sleeper hold. However, his arms went straight to the neck. As soon as he was touched, the person became smoke before him.
"Ah, more guinea pigs! And I couldn't have asked for better ones!" says a sinister voice coming from the darkness to their ears. He couldn't find its owner, even the computers were now gone, yet it seemed that he was everywhere, like an illusion. But that couldn't be… he was using a respirator, how he could have been affected?
"Your fear toxin won't work, Scarecrow! I've beaten it before!" but the Caped Crusader notices that his arm was already trembling, which he immediately answers by tightening its muscles.
"Of course you have. You are the Dark Knight." the voice goes on saying "Night is your domain, so I highly doubt that you would be afraid of a few shadows. But can you still say the same for your friends?"
Batman turns around just to see Robin and Batgirl trembling in their knees and holding their heads. Their mouths were open, but no sound was coming from them. Their terrified looks were getting worse by each second.
"Robin! Batgirl! They are just illusions in your mind! You must keep it together!"
"Tell that to yourself, Batman!" Scarecrow reveals himself out of the darkness and punches Batman's head hard enough, making him unable to defend the second blow against his guts. Now a strike with his elbow against the Dark Knight's chin makes the job, as he falls to the ground. While keeping his distance from the Caped Crusader and his allies, Scarecrow now moves around the fallen terrified group, with the lights from the computers barely showing his mask's creepy smile.
"You must be asking yourselves: how the hell did I manage to infect you all even though you are wearing respirators, right? You can thank my new fear toxin for that. It is more potent than the last ones, besides being odorless, colorless and… highly absorbent through the skin. For my luck I was working on it just when you decided to pay me a visit. And now look at you! It seems that curiosity may have not only killed the cat, but the bats and the bird as well." a wicked loud laugh surrounded them, not even minding Batman and the others weakly trying to get up, attempting to fight the toxin.
"I'm tired of watching my subjects dying out of heart attacks, Batman. It's hard to dispose of bodies without leaving clues for meddling detectives like you to reach my lab and force me to move out. But I hope that this time you and your friends will endure long enough so that I can at last finish my new toxin."
"I know… how to... overcome it..." Batman was finally managing to stand up, though his entire body was still trembling and persisting to not do so.
"Ah, you think it's just an improved version of the same old formula. But I guarantee you it's not!" Scarecrow quickly goes towards Batman and hold his face with both hands "There is nothing that you can do to prevent this dread! Look me in the eye and see for yourself how futile your struggle is!"
Batman's eyes widen, and as soon as his mouth opens in terror, Scarecrow punches his face again. Leaving the Dark Knight unconscious, Crane proceeds to his table, turning away from the senseless Robin and Batgirl.
"What do you think you are doing, Master Dick?!"
Nightwing was already finishing the final touches on his uniform when Alfred descended the stairs. The Batcomputer screen is static.
"Batman and the others got captured, Alfred. I can't just watch and let them be in Scarecrow's hands!"
"But your conditions!"
"I'm well enough to do this. Believe me, I've faced Blockbuster in worse shape. Besides, just to make sure, I've injected myself with the antidote for the fear toxin."
"But..."
"Now, if you are talking about my remaining time." cuts off Nightwing "I still have more than 30 hours. It's plenty to rescue them and come back even before my curfew begins."
"Richard!" hearing his first name like that from Alfred has really gotten Dick's attention, making him turns to look his friend in the eye "I know that I can't stop you and that you can take care of yourself, but you usually get into trouble without thinking it thoroughly. Please, all that I'm asking is that you don't act solely on impulsiveness. Remember that you still have friends and a home to return to."
Still serious, Nightwing places his hand on Alfred's shoulder.
"I'll not only promise you that, but that I'll bring everyone back safe and sound. Just you wait, Alfred."
"When did I have not, Master Dick?" answers a reassured Alfred. Dick then gives his back and runs towards his motorcycle.
Several minutes have passed but it seemed to have been hours. He immediately noticed that his arms were wrapped with ropes on some metal pipes. There was haziness in his eyesight, but even so Batman tries to look at Robin and Batgirl. Gladly, both were coming to their senses as well.
"Ah, you are finally conscious. I need you to be awake to better… visualize the effects of the toxin. You know, that was just a small sample. That's why the toxin is beginning to flush out of your bodies. That reminds me that I still need to work the duration effect of the gas, it's too fast for my taste. But don't worry, the liquid version is way stronger and lasting than its gaseous counterpart. Here, let me show you." the Dark Knight observes Scarecrow going to the table and getting tubes of fear toxin. That was his call to cut off the ropes with one of his small hidden blades in his glove. He couldn't even look to the others if he hoped to not arise suspicions. Hopefully Robin and Batgirl were doing the same right now.
"And here it is." triumphantly says Scarecrow while turning around, showing three syringes filled with a colorless liquid "I would test it in Batman first, but since you are all starting to recover, I suppose I should do it all at once."
A sudden noise interrupts Scarecrow and before he could even look at its source he feels a kick coming straight to his torso, making him fall on the ground. Trembling, Crane tries to stand up, with him finally being able to take a look at his attacker.
"Nightwing?! How did you…?!"
"Ah, you know, I like to do my nightly jogging around creepy neighborhoods, when I suddenly saw this house giving off a Jigsaw vibe. I was hoping to find a damsel in distress and a psycho, but one out of two is not that bad."
"You will not ruin my research!" Scarecrow runs towards Nightwing and tries to give him a punch, but instead he receives one from the hero on his guts.
"Let's play a game: you have 3 seconds to surrender or get your ass kicked. Make your choice."
Scarecrow quickly throws two syringes in Nightwing's direction, but he easily dodges them, making the cylinders crash against the wall.
"Whoops! No cheating!" he quickly goes to Crane and gives him a round house kick, sending him flying to the stairs. The villain goes straight to the handhold and breaks it upon his landing.
"Now that the trash is out, let's get down to the rescue." Nightwing was going towards Batman, but he didn't notice that Scarecrow, even though trembling and panting on the stairs, was already taking another syringe out of his pocket, with a label written "EPI" on it. He quickly pierces its needle in his thigh.
"Hm, that's Batman for you. The rope was almost cut off already. Give me just a second to..." a sharp pain crosses his body, making his eyes twitch "...untie it."
That wasn't overlooked by the Dark Knight.
"You should have stayed in the cave. We could have dealt with him all by ourselves." grunts Batman.
"Thank you for saving us, Nightwing!" growls the young man, giving an enraged glare to a surprised Dark Knight. The same reaction shows on Robin and Batgirl faces while the look at their annoyed friend "Holy rescue, Batman! That's what I was supposed to say now? Damn! I'm not your sidekick anymore! Can you just stop treating me like one, and let me help you?" snarls him.
"Nightwing, you idiot! Scarecrow is escaping!" yells Robin while they see Crane desperately crawling the stairs.
"Shut up, brat! I'm on it."
As soon as Nightwing gets closer to Scarecrow, the villain throws an empty syringe on him, making him instinctively dodge it. However as soon as he does it, his vision suddenly gets blurred, giving Crane an opportunity to kick Nightwing on his stomach. Contorting, he curves in pain, allowing Scarecrow to get up and finish climbing the stairs, exiting the door's basement. Despite the ache, that now was not only coming from his stomach but from all his body as well, Nightwing withstands it and follows Crane, leaving Batman, Robin and Batgirl behind.
"Did he… just dared to call me a brat?! And the fool didn't even mind to use the batarangs to free us before leaving!" yells Robin even angrier than before.
Scarecrow is some steps ahead, running through the corridor that gives access to the hall and the bedrooms. He suddenly get out of sight as he turns to the left. Nightwing does the same. Still as soon as he turns, a huge scythe descends towards him, barely giving him time to react. Its blade cut his chest, and in a yell, Nightwing writhes and falls on his knees. Though the wound was deep and bleeding heavily, it could have been much worse.
"Heh! From all the subjects that I have earned today, I've never thought that you would step up to test my new toxin, Nightwing." without minding the gasps and moaning coming from the heavily bleeding young man, Scarecrow admires his success, smiling at his futile attempt to recompose himself "Yes, my scythe's blade is coated with my new fear toxin, and after all you have done, you deserved it. Now, have a taste of your own greatest fears!" while it was true that his desire to run was great, Crane's curiosity was even greater, making him look upon a writhing Nightwing.
The pain was becoming insupportable, and his heart was beating insanely faster, as if it was trying to get out of his chest. Each muscle was throbbing and aching horribly, like they were being split open. Still, he tries to open his burning eyes again. He needed to see and prepare to defend himself. However what they saw was not Scarecrow. The vision makes his stomach sick: before him there were Bruce, Barbara and Damian laying dead on the ground. All their corpses were brutally mangled like they were attacked by a beast. Desperate, he falls on all four again. It's then that he immediately notices that there was some liquid coating his hands. No, not hands, but claws. Black furred claws covered with blood. Their blood.
Cries of terror and pain filled the hall, but they were not loud enough to mask the footsteps rushing there. However, Scarecrow was so entertained observing the effects of his work on Nightwing, that he doesn't even notice them, not until it's too late and the footsteps reveal to be from Batman, Batgirl and Robin.
"Damn you all! Don't you think that I'll return to Arkham before finishing my masterpiece!"
Scarecrow then throws his scythe at Batman and his group. They were able to avoid it, but that didn't stop Crane from running towards a room. Before resuming their pursuit, they took care to look at the wounded and trembling Nightwing first, despite the fact that seconds of advantage would make the difference between an escape and an arrest.
"Nightwing!" shouts a distressed Batgirl as she kneels besides her curled and trembling friend. Batman and Robin are the next ones to look at him and all the bleeding on the floor, both being as shocked as she.
"How did this happened?"
Only his cries answer her. His hands were still holding his head, hiding his face from the rest. Yet, when Batman's and the others look closer, they notice the sharp and huge claws coming from his hands, having ripped his gloves.
"No…" mutters a baffled Robin.
"Batgirl, you and Robin…!"
However, Scarecrow appearance interrupts Batman when he quickly comes back from the room. Wrapped under his arms, a crying child was fighting against his grasp, not noticing that a syringe was being pointed out to his neck.
"Anyone moves and I swear that this boy will be the next corpse!"
"Using a child as a hostage, Scarecrow?! That's low, even for you!" yells Batman.
"I was planning to use him when my toxin was ready. If even a child wouldn't die, then my masterpiece would be ready. But you! You had to force my hand, don't you?!"
"Hand over... the kid, Scarecrow!"
Nightwing keeps struggling, while the cries of the child were getting louder by each second, reminding the Dark Knight that the time was short. Yet that didn't prevent Batman to cool his head and play smart. With one of his hands behind his back, he signals to Robin, who was behind him and discreetly preparing a batarang in one of his hands.
Batgirl was trying to watch over a trembling Nightwing and the Scarecrow at the same time. Her mind was racing to think a viable solution. That is when, out of sudden, snaps starts to come out of Nightwing's body, as if his bones were breaking. Batgirl looked horrified as she saw his shoulders and neck rapidly getting larger and stronger, while his legs were elongating as well.
"Batm…!"
Batgirl stops when she notices Nightwing moving, turning his head to Scarecrow. His face was all covered with black fur as he looks madly at Crane. But what she didn't know was that for him, in his eyes, it was not only Scarecrow holding any child, but Damian instead.
Then several things happen in mere seconds: Robin throws his batarang at Scarecrow's hand, making him shriek and loose his grasp on the child. Batman rushes to Crane, but instead of him, it was Nightwing that got there first, holding his neck with his hand and lifting him against the wall. The others look in horror as they see that even Nightwing's uniform wasn't withstanding his change. His shoes were teared apart, being replaced by grotesque elongated furred feet.
"Wha… what the hell is this?!" cries out Scarecrow when he sees Nightwing's mouth opening, with his teeth growing and sharpening into long fangs. Suddenly his eyes twitch in pain, and annoyed, he tosses Scarecrow, who flies directly to a door at their right side. Groaning and crying out in pain, Nightwing curves. And though he was still giving his back to the others, he covered his face with his hands, instinctively attempting to ease his agony.
Batman was already getting the boy out of the way, guiding him to the astonished Batgirl and Robin. Once together, the Dark Knight looked behind and grunts when he sees Nightwing's large back and furred neck. Black pointy ears were now quickly growing out of his head. His uniform was still mostly covering his body, with only parts of its sleeves and pants being ripped off, showing partially his black furred arms and legs.
"Batgirl! Robin! Get the boy out of here!"
"But father…!"
"Now!"
As Robin grabs the kid's hand, Batgirl takes a look before joining the boys. Amidst the growling and howls, she sees before her eyes her former boyfriend becoming a terrifying creature. From all the people, why that had to happen with Dick? She couldn't help feeling her heart sinking while watching his body in convulsion.
"Batgirl, I need you to stay out of this and help Damian protect the boy."
"You…! You can't expect me doing nothing!"
"You have to trust me! If something happens to you, how do you think Nightwing will feel about himself?"
Batgirl took another disheartened look at a shaking Nightwing. Still against the wall, she could only see his back, with all the black fur coming out of the exposed skin and rips from the uniform.
"Go already! I promise you that he will return with us safely!"
That convinced her enough to finally listen and run towards Damian and the kid, who were both leaving the house already. Batman now was getting his grappling hook gun out of his waist. However, he hesitated when he sees Nightwing fall hard on the floor on his knees. On all fours, he was heavily panting, with drool coming out of his opened mouth; now in a shape of a dog's muzzle. His eyes were fixed on the unconscious Scarecrow. Quickly, the Dark Knight lifts his right wrist next to his mouth.
"Batmobile, engage. Lock the tallest target and move next to it..."
Batman stops when he sees the creature ear turning to his direction, as well as his face. Bright blue eyes were looking painfully upon him. The Dark Knight's first thinking was to point his grappling gun at him and prepare for the worse, but that could trigger a reaction. Instead, he felt that he needed to try another approach.
"Nightwing, listen to me. I need you to remain calm and stay put so that I can help you. Can you understand me?"
A loud roar comes next, with the werewolf violently shaking its head. Immediately after standing up, he wobbly runs in his direction. Batman quickly uses his grappling gun to shoot its cord towards the beast torso, causing his fall as the string wrapped him. Yet that doesn't last long. The creature fiercely struggles and severs the cord with sheer brute force in mere seconds.
"Batmobile, hit the target!" yells Batman to his wrist while he runs out of the werewolf way.
Abruptly the sound of squealing tires comes from the other side of the wall. The beast stops in his tracks and covers his ears, looking distressed at the source of the disturbing noise. In a matter of seconds, a car breaks through the wooden wall, going straight to the werewolf and taking him to the other side, making him cry out loudly when his back hits the wall. Now imprisoned between the debris, the wall and the car, the creature was growling and struggling to break free, clawing infuriated the surface of the vehicle.
"Nightwing, stop! I don't want to hurt you more than I already did!"
However the werewolf doesn't listen to him, with him now fiercely trying to lift the car and get out. In a few more moments, he would manage it and probably attack again. The Caped Crusader suspires when he confirms that there was not other way around.
"Batmobile, activate electroshock defense!"
Flashes come all around the external part of the car, striking everything touching it, including Nightwing. After seconds of cries and howls of agony, he falls motionless over the hood, leaving Batman to finally deactivate the defensive system and call Batgirl and Robin back through the comms.. A sad look behind his mask observes now that unconscious and unrecognizable form of Nightwing. Even if he already knew how resilient werewolves were, he had to approach him and make sure that his signals were okay before proceeding to Scarecrow. And he feels relieved when the vital signs indeed proved to be still strong, but notices that strangely Nightwing was not bleeding anymore. It was a miracle that he was able to control that situation without any casualties, but he knew that he couldn't blame Dick's recklessness for what happened. After all, he would have done the same in his place. But what about his transformation? From what he has heard, it was not supposed to happen that soon. And probably for knowing that, Dick came to their rescue. While the Caped Crusader was pondering that, the sudden footsteps from Batgirl and Robin reminds him that these questions would have to wait. He then focuses on a fallen and groaning Scarecrow from a distance. The Dark Knight wouldn't let him escape, not after all that happened. Not while knowing that all this came with a bitter cost.
Yep, this chapter is the longest that I've written until now, and probably the next is gonna be as long as this one. These days I've been reading my new 52 comics in history order, not in publication order, so I can get a clearer vision of Batman's and others reboot. I've read most of them already in publication order, with some exceptions, like Batman Eternal and Robin War (I've read some of them, but not all issues and not in order). I'm following Rebirth and keeping up with its new releases, but since there were some series that I didn't have the opportunity to read, I thought "hey, why not read all of them in history order then?" and here I am.
Aside those, I've started to read Nightwing: The New Order. I've heard of this series before, and even tried to read it, but since Dick was so out of character in the very first issue, I didn't have the patience to keep reading it at that time. I know that the series happens in another Earth so it's not that shocking, but still I wasn't that eager to read it (it was more due my laziness than my liking), so I've left it for later. And the later came. I'm at the half of the series now, and I'm finding it interesting so far. Even though Dick is being machiavellian and hypocrite until now. But hey, it's a new way to look at the character and what dire situations and poor choices do with him, and who knows, maybe he gets better. Ah, and Starfire is his wife in this series, so that's a bonus ^_^ (besides other things that I can't tell or they would be major spoilers).
I hope that you have enjoyed this chapter! See you guys next time! Peace!
