Thanks to Fanfiction and it's glitch on double hyphens, all of my double hyphens have been removed and replaced with double ='s. Looks stupid but I can't write with double hyphens. :)
Unbeta'd so read at your own risk...
Previously:
"This is it, Bats. I'm killing two birds with one stone . . . " a right hook to the face " . . . I get my revenge AND I get to finish what I started fifteen years ago." Two-Face turned and faced the camera, "And, this time you're not here to stop me. This time... the bird dies." He grinned and swinging hard, connected with the side of Nightwing's knee.
The sound of Dick's cry echoed throughout the cave, surrounding them-the link breaks and the screen goes white, "Website Unavailable" is displayed across the top.
The three heroes stared at the massive, white screen. Stunned silence hung between them for a heartbeat before Arsenal turned on his heel and marched across the cave floor; a string of profanities mixed between English and Dine rolled off his tongue in waves.
Walking to the edge of one of the cave's drop offs, Roy stood there for a moment with hands on hips and breathed in deeply; tilting his head back to peer off into the darkness above him. As he held that breath, he thought back to earlier that night and came up with a dozen things he could have done differently, "Should have done differently!" Roy growled, slamming a gloved fist into his palm. "Shit, Harper," he exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck and then took a seat on the ledge. Peering down at the river running below, Roy tried to let go of the feeling of helplessness that had been hovering over him ever since the explosion.
This was one of the Bat's villains and he's in Bat world now, Roy reminded himself as he flung a small rock over the edge. It didn't matter how much he wanted to just get out there and tear the city apart until Dick was found... the smartest thing he could do now, was to trust that Bruce did, in fact, know what he was doing when it came to the special breed of scum and lunacy that Gotham seemed to breed.
Taking another deep breath, Roy centered himself and then pushed to his feet and walked back over to where Batman and Robin had gathered. He frowned as Batman scrolled down through a list of words, "What's all this?"
"Trace analysis came back from Nightwing's suit." Robin answered without taking his eyes from the screen.
"Xanthan Gum, Powdered Milk, Brown Rice Flour, Baking Powder,..." Roy mumbled to himself as he read over Batman's shoulder.
Batman leaned back in his chair, "They're all ingredients that can be found in baked goods—more specifically, gluten-free baked goods."
"Not very helpful, considering how many homes and restaurants have switched to gluten-free baking in the last few years," Robin pointed out.
"True," Batman paused as he zeroed in on one ingredient in particular, "However, how many homes and restaurants do you know of that have access to Calcium Propionate, Robin?"
"Calcium Propionate?" Arsenal frowned and then took a step forward, pointing at the screen, "Hey, I know that one!"
Batman swiveled his head to look at Roy, an eyebrow raised under his cowl. Roy couldn't see it, but he knew the look was there.
"What?" he asked defensively and shrugged, "Lian wanted me to buy her these donuts from the store not too far back... I said no, but she wouldn't let up and so I picked up the package and pointed to one of the longest ingredients I could find. Told her it wasn't good for her. She let it go but I went ahead and looked it up when we got home in case she called me on it later==" Roy waved the story away, "Anyway, it's a preservative==used to hold off bacteria and mold on baked products."
"Correct." Batman answered as he pulled up a new window on the Crays, "But, is primarily used by commercial bakeries==Computer: Show me all bakeries specializing in gluten-free edibles in a one-hundred-mile square radius. Add search field. Modus Operandi: Two-Face."
Arsenal leaned toward Robin, shielding the side of his mouth with a stiff hand and spoke out the other side, "You'd think he'd shorten that to: M.O. by now."
Robin snorted.
Bruce pretended not to hear the exchange. Allowing a little light, even during the darkest of situations, helps to keep you sane. Dick had taught him that.
"Search Complete." A slightly robotic, female voice announced and they watched as a holographic, 3D map materialized before them and spun slowly, clockwise: "Twice As Nice Bakery==42nd and Elm Street, Gotham."
"How many?" Roy asked Robin who was laying on his stomach on the bakery rooftop, busy counting the occupants through the roof's skylight with his infrared lenses.
"I've got twenty three," Robin answered as he flipped through the setting of his lenses, bringing them down to f/22 while boosting the ISO to 1600, allowing a him a tighter focus. "One right in the middle; looks to be standing still==I'll lay you odds that's Nightwing."
"Move in." Batman gave orders and within seconds, the three vigilantes were inside and at opposite corners within the rafters of the structure, leaving the fourth corner as their escape route.
"That was 'Wing, all right." Roy whispered into his comlink, observing the scene below him, "...and by the looks of it, we'd better hurry up and get him out of there==he's not holding up so good," Arsenal growled, observing how the noose allowed his friend no slack, squeezing tighter with each falter of his injured body.
"Robin, you're on rescue detail; Arsenal and I will jump in first, create a distraction and redirect their attention away from you as much as possible."
"Roger." Robin confirmed as he stood at the edge of the rafter.
"Arsenal, on my go, you're to sever the noose then immediately shoot off three explosive arrows in a semi-circle toward the northeast group of thugs. I'll be making my entrance immediately after, before the smoke clears."
"Copy that," Arsenal replied, already in motion during Batman's orders, ducking past crossbeams before choosing his location. Taking a knee, he extracted the necessary arrows from his quiver.
Roy thumbed the first, and most important, arrow a couple of times, testing its razor-sharp edges to insure a flawless connection with the rope. He placed it against his bow and pulled back on the draw, giving it the precise amount of tension for it's intended purpose—there was no margin for error here.
"Get ready, people. On my mark..." Batman's dark voice warned.
Whirling his Bat-grapnel in a tight rotation, Robin allowed the line in his hand to slip out until it reached the length necessary to hook on the crossbeam he'd chosen upon reaching his assigned position. Standing on the edge of the rafter, he remained focused and calmly awaited the signal. He'd tossed his Bat grapnel over the crossbeam, pulled it taut and was forcing himself not to pay attention to the scene below. Instead, he continued to map out and memorize their surroundings and escape route. He anticipated it would take no longer than 37 seconds to drop down, toss Nightwing over his shoulder and exit stage left.
Roy breathed deeply a couple times and concentrated on keeping his respirations even and smooth as his vision narrowed, blocking out everything but his target: a length of rope 1.5 inches in diameter== 217 feet away.
Drawing in another breath, he trapped it in his lungs and closed his eyes in meditation, blocking out sounds and smells just as he'd been taught by his Navajo family when he was just a young boy.
Exhaling slowly, Roy opened his eyes to find an empty building. No crates covered with dust-laden tarps; no fire crackling in various metal drums; no criminals laughing and jeering at their object of entertainment; no brother with a jaw line stretched and rubbed raw from the abrasive rope; no angry vigilantes prepped and ready to end this. There was no longer anyone or anything in the warehouse except Arsenal–-and the rope.
Nightwing's consciousness had begun to fade in and out as the noose around his neck tightened each time his trembling legs gave out on him. The sounds of jeering and mocking laughter had been replaced by the roar of his blood surging through his veins==his heart pounding faster and faster as the oxygen levels in his blood began to dip to dangerous levels.
Fighting off the darkness was becoming harder and harder. The pain from a deep knife wound to one leg and God knows what to the knee in his other leg had changed from an aching, burning, intense pain, into numbness. He no longer felt their painful warnings and didn't know they'd given out until he felt the rope squeezing off another breath of air.
The last couple times, his legs weren't sure if they would be able to stand back up. It didn't matter though, as long as he was aware, he would stand back up. His body was not in control here. His mind was in charge and had won out against his body's wants and needs on more than one occasion... this one was just one more hash mark he'd add to his record.
"Engage!" Batman's command sounded in Arsenal's ear and he released the draw on his bow. The arrow shot forward, spinning through the air before making contact with the noose; its razor-sharp tip sliced through the fibers of the rope, severing all but the two strands of fibers that laid against Nightwing's throat.
Turning forty-five degrees to his right, Arsenal snatched up the next three arrows he'd laid out earlier and, holding them between the fingers of his shooting hand==he loaded, pulled and released.
Batman remained perfectly still, perched atop a pipe that snaked its way through the ceiling along his corner of the building. He gave the command and then forced himself not to give into the human mind's natural need to turn and watch their child be released from death's grasp.
Instead, he fed that need with his unwavering confidence in the young archer's undeniable–-unfathomable==accuracy.
*BAM*BAM*BAM*
Arsenal's explosive arrows connected with the floor in rapid succession.
The Bat took his cue and lept from his perch, throwing down smoke pellets in the opposite direction of Arsenal's explosion, completely immersing the group of thugs in a perfect ring of smoke. Batman took his cape in both hands and spread his arms wide, allowing it to billow behind him.
The light in the room dimmed ominously. Hacking and wheezing, the the criminals looked up through red, irritated eyes; their souls instantly filled with dread at the sight of a well-known, dark shape descending upon them from above the cloud of smoke. Many began to scatter, running for their lives from the living shadow which seemed to encompass the entire structure.
Robin saw the noose snap a second before hearing the first arrow explode. A rolling thunder of sound vibrated off the bakery's thin, aluminum walls and Robin dove from his rafter, clenching his jaw as he witnessed Nightwing's body drop to the ground.
Gunfire erupted around them as Robin swung down and landed beside his brother. Arsenal and Batman did their best to create a distraction while Robin worked to extricate Nightwing. Hot detest at the criminals burned up the back of Robin's neck and radiated through his face from hearing the sharp gasps of air Nightwing fought to breathe in "Just a sec==I've gotcha, bro."
Mind too sluggish to realize how he had dropped down to the ground, Nightwing felt a hand grip his arm and, determined to never give up, landed a solid kick with his better leg to where he sensed the unknown assailant's head was.
Robin was hyper-focused on getting Nightwing to safety and never saw it coming== and while the kick was no where near as powerful as it usually is, it was still had enough force behind it to send the young hero sprawling onto his side.
Upon feeling the connection, Nightwing immediately began to get to his feet. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to push past the agonizing pain shooting through out the entire length of his leg from his injured knee.
Dazed only for a second, Robin scrambled off the floor and rushed back, "Easy, Nightwing! It's me. Robin!" he shouted, blocking another kick. "Knock it off so I can get you out of here!"
"Robin?..." Nightwing gasped as best he could, collapsing back down to the ground.
"Yeah, bro, it's me. Give me just a sec and I'll have you out of here." Voice firm with steel determination, he caught Nightwing, cradling his neck in one arm while quickly–
"NO! Not this time!"
Robin whirled around to see Two Face running toward them==gun drawn.
Batman heard Two Face's angry protest from somewhere within the smoke-filled room and wondered what hole he'd crawled out of. The Dark Knight had been searching for him ever since they'd set foot inside the large, industrial bakery. Zeroing in on his voice location, Batman advanced.
"I don't lose this time." Two Face said as he saw Batman barreling down upon him. Dent knew if he didn't shoot now, eliminating one of his most loathed nemeses==one that's been a nagging reminder of past failures==Batman would take him down before he could take the shot.
Two Face pointed his gun directly at Nightwing, "This time, you don't get to escape your fate."
"Harvey! Stop!" Batman shouted and threw a batara==
*BANG*BANG*
To Robin, it all happened so fast...
Two Face aiming==Batman hurling a batarang==Arsenal's net-arrow==
Turning, Robin threw himself on top of his brother, shielding his body with his own.
*-thwack-thwack-*
"NNNAAUGH!" Robin cried out and arched back against the slugs, feeling them through his kevlar-lined cape and tunic as they dug into his upper back.
"...Robin?" Nightwing rasped when the teen's full-body weight slammed down on top of him, "Robin–-Robin, answer me!"
Robin gave no reply and wasn't moving. Nightwing could feel a wave of panic briefly attempt to pull him under its tide before he forced that emotion aside and, instead, channeled it into determination. Rubbing the side of his face against his brother's shoulder, he tried to slide the blindfold off and could hear Batman and–- Roy?... shouting through Robin's earpiece; both demanding a response from the young hero.
"...auugh..." Nightwing froze at the sound of Robin's gasp, "son== of a..."
"Robin? You== okay?" he gasped.
Tim winced at the weak, breathy voice. "Yeah, bro, I'm okay–- I said, I'm good, guys. You can quit screaming in my ear now," Robin snapped into his comlink as he snaked an arm behind Nightwing's neck and wrapped the other around his side, swiftly bringing him up off the ground as he got to his feet.
"Here we go," Robin warned, aiming his grapnel launcher and hauled Nightwing onto his shoulder. Forcing himself to ignore the outcry of pain, he retracted the line, removing them from the ongoing battle beneath.
"We're clear!" Robin announced in his comlink to his partners as he landed with solid footing on a crossbeam in the ceiling and then hurried toward the predesignated escape route, "Hang on for me, Nightwing. Just couple more seconds," Robin promised, countering the weak grunts of pain coming from his junior mentor and shot off another jumpline.
Nightwing concentrated on breathing as the broken ribs he knew he had screamed in protest at being pressed against Robin's shoulder and, even though he still had the blindfold on, Nightwing squeezed his eyes shut as his stomach lurched with the sudden drop in altitude as they swung swiftly through the air.
As promised, Robin landed at their safe-point quickly, "I'm going to lower you down now... nice 'n gentle=='kay, Nightwing... Dick?" Robin asked and frowned at how limp the older man's body had become.
"Nightwing... !" Panic began to edge it's way around his heart when he noticed his brother's breathing had once again grown dangerously ragged and shallow. Tim scooped him up in one arm and rubbed a gloved hand on his brother's sternum with the other.
"Come on, Dick, give me a good breath... come on... good== now another..." Robin coaxed.
Nightwing breathed as deep as his injured sides would allow and relished each breath as the cool, night air soothed the fire in his aching, burning lungs, "Robin..." he rasped through a bruised and swollen throat, squinting against the bright moonlight when the blindfold had finally been removed.
"I'm here, don't try to talk," Robin replied as he worked behind Nightwing's back, picking the lock on the chains that kept his wrists bound, before gently laying him back to the ground and remote-called the Redbird to their location.
"...nnggh," Nightwing groaned as he rolled onto his side holding his leg with both hands, "...my==gnngh==my knee, Robin...fuck," he rasped through gulps of air, "I think... I think it's busted."
"Ok, ok, ...it's ok," Robin soothed, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder and removed an item from his utility belt, "Taking care of it right now," he said, and pressed an adhesive strip to Nightwing's forehead just as the Redbird came to a halt beside to them.
Robin gave the strip a few seconds to activate as it temporarily redirected pain receptors in the body without the side effects of a narcotic pain reliever. He saw Nightwing relax and knew it was working.
"Let's roll you onto your back again for a sec, slowly," Robin instructed as he took a closer look at his brother's knee. "I don't think it's broken, but it does looks nasty==possible dislocation. Let's get you up and back to the cave so Alfred can patch you up==but, don't put any weight on it. Okay?"
Nightwing nodded and struggled to sit up with Robin's help. His brother looked to him with concern, "Can you do this or do you need me to take care of it?"
"Nah, I'm good," Nightwing answered and slung an arm around Robin's shoulder, wincing as his brother slowly brought him up off the ground. Taking a few awkward steps, he tried not to put any weight on his bad knee and accepted Robin's help getting into the car.
Robin shut the door and then rounded the other side and slipped in behind the wheel. "Here," he said, reaching behind the passenger seat, producing a bottle of Alfred's personal twist on a popular sports drink. He cracked the seal and handed the bottle to his brother, "Drink this; you're dehydrated."
Dick took the bottle and Robin pretended not to notice how his brother's hands shook.
Tim cranked the heater, put the car in gear and, offering up a prayer of thanks that they'd managed to get Dick out alive, he headed back to the cave.
To be continued...