Nightwing tangled with Kid, neither one giving ground. Then I noticed something. Nightwing was outright brawling with the guy. There was no finesse. No grace to how he was fighting. Nothing matched with what I had seen when I watched him the first time. Something was off. Way off.
He was aggressive. Worse than aggressive. He slammed Whiz Kid around and knocked him for several loops. Of course the villain fought back, and that's when I realized what was so off about my partner.
Nightwing was toying with him. Deliberately.
I hadn't been working with Grayson long enough for this to be considered odd. Who knew how he thought when he was up against more than just a bunch of thugs? All I knew is that the hero I saw wouldn't do this on a regular basis. It was too unsettling.
But I had to make sure.
"Hey it's me. Are you seeing this right now?" I asked my boss. There was a long pause before his voice grated in my ears.
"Yes."
Very softly, I heard him inhale and whisper "Oh Dick..."
"What, this isn't how he norlmaly handles the real baddies?" I wanted to know.
"Stop him McGinnis."
"Stop him? Won't he know when to quit on his own?"
"Stop him. He won't be able to do it himself. He'll cross the line before he stops beating the man. He may not even stop after that. His heart is his crutch, and right now that crutch is clouding his judgement. Stop him."
I had my answer, and just like the old man predicted, Nightwing had his hands on Kid's throat and was squeazing the life out of him, his mouth in a satisfied, predatory smirk, as he snarled something I couldn't quite make out. When I stepped closer, I could hear the animalistic growl in the vigilante's voice as he continued his tenure.
"You beg for your life now, but did you even give the Flash a CHANCE?! You didn't did you? Well now it's your turn. You're done Whiz Kid, and you're mine!"
I threw the batarang, and Grayson yelped as it snaked him in the forehead, knocking him on his back. Whiz Kid sat up and gasped for air, then looked at me with a slimy glare.
"Why thank you for freeing me, Batman!"
I snorted.
"Now I can return Nightwing's generous helping of punishment."
I gulped I don't like the sound of that...
The vigilante screamed as lightning struck him. It took a minute for me to register that I was under attack too. The simple reason? Something was jamming the suit. I was a sitting duck. I was a stuck duck. I couldn't move at all.
"Poor vigilante." Kid cooed at the smoking form now at his feet. He raised the odd wand in his hand and lightning threw Nightwing into the wall. "You never stood a chance!" Again a bolt made contact, and again, he was thrown around. "Just like the Flash..."
I turned away, activating a beacon and turning from the scene in front of me. I knew Bruce was working overtime to get the suit rebooted, But I doubted we had even that long. The wacko was electrocuting Nightwing still, and he had no intention of stopping. My partner had already stopped moving, and thrashed limply every time he got zapped.
"Wayne! Kid is going to KILL him! How long?!"
No one answered for ten seconds, and my suit still was stuck. The villain was still taunting his victim, and zapping him mercilessly.
"I knew one of you Titans would come to avenge Red. Aren't I lucky to get you? A non-meta...someone easy to dispose of...and so alone!"
"He isn't alone, dreg!" A rhino slammed into him, sending him faceplanting into the wall., and a wolf bit the wand in half "We Titans always come in PACKS!"
As if to illustrate his point, the twin twips landed in fighting poses next to the still wolfafied Changeling, Escrima and nunchuku at the ready. It was unneeded however, because without the wand, Wiz Kid was powerless.
My suit finally unlocked, and I wasted no time in batlining the creep, and cuffing him just to be safe. Changeling, F5, and Bluejay huddled over the still body of Nightwing. The twins nudged him gently, hoping for a response but getting none. Flamebird five, Jimmy, climbed on top of him and nestled into his chest.
I walked over and took his life readings with my suit, the others waited with bated breath. I watched the graphs and smiled in relief, pleased to have some good news.
"He's alive."
Gar looked at me warily "How alive is he?"
"Don't spoil it for his twips." I warned "All they need to know is that he is still alive. Besides, looks like he's recovering quick enough."
I was right. Nightwing had an arm around his twip, and was trying to get up off his back. A wave of sparks shocked through his suit, and he went down again. He wimpered my name and I leaned down to hear him.
"Is...he...secure? Is that bastard secure?"
I snickered
"Oh don't worry. He's not going anywhere but prison any time soon."
Gar cut in "Can you move?"
Bluejay did too "Can I punch him out?"
Nightwing twitched as another residue wave rippled through him, but grinned weakly
"No, to both questions."
Changeling turned into an elephant and gently scooped Grayson up with his trunk. I hopped on with the boys and lugged Wiz Kid with me, and we headed to the Nightbird, triumphant but at the same time, solemn.
