Chapter 7! I liked the whole countdown thing, but did anyone know what it was? I know, I should have asked this last chapter. Enjoy! This was my favorite chapter to write, I know, kind of creepy now that I reread it…
Enjoy! ( , ) panda in glasses to honor nerd day at my school!...
Time moved in slow motion. Robin had been twisting and turning trying to keep the giant animals in sight. He knew his team was in trouble, but right now he was more worried about Nightwing. Robin knew twenty minutes was almost up, what would happen if the heart racing, thing to induce the potion didn't happen in the time limit? Robin was worried, and it showed in the way he stood. Robin thought he had seen a cat tackle Nightwing, but he wasn't sure. Robin twisted one way just in time to miss the monkey.
The monkey with a bleeding ear sent a perfect punch to the back of Robin's knee. Robin fell to n=his knees just in time to see the glowing start. The light quickly flooded his irises and the light rushed to him. Out of the corner of his eye, Robin saw a small, black cat-like shape jump. The rush of light made the air tingle.
The volt of lighting stuck its target. The yowl heard turned into a grunt and Robin was hit back as a slender shape hit him. The light had left him blinded. Robin felt the weight rolled over him and a couple drips of water hit his face.
Not water, blood. The heavy red ran down Robin's face.
It can't be. Not like this.
Robin rolled onto his back just to get sharp claws pressing onto his shoulders, piercing his suit and skin. Robin didn't care. He reached out one arm towards were the weight had been. His hand trailed against the ground until it hit he puddle. The thick, warm liquid saturated the glove and dripped onto the boy's fingers. The puddle grew rapidly until it soaked up toe Robin's wrist. Robin was shaking, which wasn't helping the claws in his shoulders.
Anger made Robin's black vision red, and he used a bird-a-rang to cut up at the cat. Once Robin felt the weight vanish from his chest, he jerked up and over to what was now a fuzzy outline. Robin shakily removed his gloves. The figure was wearing black.
It might be Superboy. Robin thought, if Superboy wore black pants.
Robin was oblivious to what was happening around him, but lights had come back, and the YJ team was now easily beating the beasts. Circ was screaming, but Robin didn't hear a thing as the dark form in front of him drained. Robin, still half blind, uses his fingers to find the wound. His fingers rand up and down the torso until they found a jagged hole, bones sticking out and shattered. Blood poured out, painting Robin's hands.
Robin choked back tears. Vision had almost totally returned, though he wished it hadn't. The wound looked much worse than in felt. Robin felt a hand weakly clasp on to his and he squeezed it. The pale boy in front of Robin was none other than Nightwing.
Robin had never seen Dick this pale. Even when the older boy had his insomnia and went days without sleep he wasn't his pale. Blood, bright, sickly bright blood dribbled from the corners of Dick's mouth. Somehow Dick was smiling.
"Why?" Robin gasped out. Nightwing only coughed up blood. Now Robin could see the wound clearly. It entered just under the left pectoral muscle and exited just under the right shoulder blade. Robin cursed himself. He had seen Nightwing coming, he should of dodged or hit Nightwing away!
"Damn you Nightwing!" Robin suddenly screamed. His voice echoed and the arena went silent. Most of the over-sized cats and monkeys were knocked out. All the remaining fighters looked over. Robin gripped Nightwing's hand like a life line, tears streaming down his face.
"No!" Circ screamed. Her face was a mask of anger. "YOO KILLED HIM!" She screamed. Robin turned and glared at Circ with so much hate and anger, it put he bat-glare to shame. Circe stiffened.
"So… beautiful." She muttered. She was still just long enough for Batgirl to karate-chop a pressure point. When Circ passed out, her minions erupted into to dust. The YJ team ran over to Robin and Nightwing. They all gaped at the injury. Robin had collected him self and was tearing up his cape to create a turret and a bandage. His hands moved methodically, without Robin thinking, Batgirl joined him. Megan called the bio-ship and Superboy, with Artemis's exploding arrow's help, destroyed the roof.
"His breath is too shallow." Whispered Superboy to himself. Everyone heard.
Robin could barely see through his tears, but was able to notice something wrong with both himself and Nightwing's shoulder. The image flashed in his mind. The bruise, Nightwing getting flung across the room, the shoulder was shattered.
"His, his shoulder." Choked out the dark-haired lad. His tears were heavy, and he noticed Batgirl was the same way.
"Your face." Artemis said. She was the only girl not crying, though she looked close.
"I don't care. We got to help Nightwing NOW!" Robin said. A ramp came down from the bio-ship and Megan mentally lifted Nightwing into the ship. Kaldur need to be lifted to as his leg was bent at a very bad angle. When everyone was on board the bio-ship raced off the cave at the fastest speeds it had ever gone.
Zatanna looked at Nightwing's limp body. The small boy really hadn't grown more than 2 inches in the last two and a half years. Zatanna knew she would always love this fighter, but she couldn't love him too. He held to much inner pain that he hid with laughter and jokes. This boy, no, too many years of bitterness, fighting and anger had made this person a man. This man needed someone who didn't need to talk to love, someone who knew a little bit and was content to wait. Only one person matched this description. Zatanna's eyes drifted to Batgirl, the girl had dried her tears and looked as stony as ever. Zatanna whispered her strongest spell ever, a blessing;
"evol ni reverof eb" she put so much power and feeling into the small words that she cried and cried and even glowed a little. Then she passed out.
Batgirl felt a warm breeze rush over her. She looked to Zatanna, who just fell over asleep. Batgirl walked over to Nightwing. In two minutes they'd be home. They had already warned the cave that they need emergency supplies. She took Nightwing's hands, and then she remembered, to fix his cat state she was supposed to kiss him. A wild idea erupted in her mind. Batgirl, making sure no one was looking bent over and kissed to cooling lips of Nightwing. Nothing happened. Batgirl cursed herself for thinking such fairytale endings could happen. She sat in the chair next to the gurney, pulled Nightwing's hand to her face and cried.
30 seconds before they landed, Nightwing's heart stopped. The ship went faster. The group unloaded and Batman saw his ward first. The air temperature dropped. The slow motion feeling the YJ team had had during the ride home suddenly felt like fast forward. The medical supplies were brought into the main hall so they could get started immediately. The team heard the many different forms of resuscitations happening as their own injuries were treated.
Robin, it turned out, had burns on his face for the edges of the lighting and is heats sensors exploding. Kaldur had a twisted knee, and everyone else had various cuts, bruises and other such small injuries.
Batman walked into the room a few minutes later. Conner had heard Nightwing's heartbeat pick up again and the gurney get taken away to the medical wing. Batman had blood on his arms and a grim expression.
"Start talking." He said. So they did.
Well? Yeah, I know weird that this was enjoayable to write. I love writing emotions for some reason. Who knows? Anyway, imagine you cat or dog slowly dying, and the very slimmest chance of saving it. That is how the YJ team feels. Please review!
Love,
Burning Bright
