Author's note: So we're back to the normal time stream! So this episode is based on "Where's Terry?".
The credit's rolled on the movie and Sofia stood up and stretched. It was nice to be out at night and not in the Nightwing suit for once. Terry had choice of date night and he wanted to go and see Casablanca in the cinema, even though Sofia wasn't that in to old movies she agreed to please him, he had gone to a lot of museums for her. Max and Howard went with them so it made Sofia a little better, she could talk to Max.
"So what did you think of the movie?" Terry asked as they walked out, he put his arm around Sofia.
"Been there, done that," Howard shrugged.
"We're talking about the movie Howard, not the snack bar," Max joked, Sofia laughed at Howard's expression.
"It was a nice change seeing all of you," Sofia said, smiling at her two friends, Terry nodded and kissed her head. They stopped near the ATRAC, "Hey, I gotta head home for a few, Dad wants me to watch Josh. Can you tell Bruce I'm going to be late?" Sofia asked.
Terry nodded, "Sure I'll tell him, just be on time, you know how he gets," He grinned and kissed her then sprinted to the ATRAC to get the train to Bruce's.
Sofia rolled her eyes, nothing was good enough for the old man sometimes. "Hey Max you wanna keep me company? I don't think I can watch my brother for that long on my own."
"Yeah sure! Howard, you heading home?" Max turned to their other friend.
"Yeah the H-man needs his sleep, see you later chicas," Howard waved and left.
Sofia caught Max's eye and they burst out laughing, "Howard should never say that again, that was so wrong!" Sofia sniggered.
They arrived at Sofia's apartment just as her Mom was leaving, "Ah Sofia, there you are, I was wondering. Hi Max honey. There's food in the refrigerator ok? You're Dad should be home in about an hour or so," Molly kissed Sofia on the cheek and left.
Josh was in the sitting room watching TV, "Hey twip, have you done your homework?" Sofia asked, taking away his plate from dinner. He grunted 'yes' in response.
"He's a talker isn't he?" Max raised an eye brow.
"Oh yeah, he never stops," Sofia said sarcastically going in to the kitchen and putting the dish in the sink. Max laughed. They watched TV for awhile until the front door opened.
"Anyone in?" Tim's voice called.
"In here Dad," Sofia answered. Tim walked in a kissed his daughter on the head and ruffed his son's hair, which earned him a grunt of protest from Josh.
"Do you have to go to work honey?" Tim asked raising an eye brow.
"Yeah, me and Max are going to head out now," She grinned and headed for her bedroom, she pulled the NIghtwing suit out from under her bed.
"Hey, I'm going to head home," Max said, "See you tomorrow." Sofia nodded and pulled on the suit.
No sooner had she donned the cowl, Bruce's voice came loud and clear through the radio, "Soifa? SOFIA!"
"OW! Jeez I'm here boss! no need to shout! My ears!" She shook her head and opened the window.
"Where have you been? I have been trying to contact you all night?" Bruce growled.
"I've been watching Josh until Dad got home, why? Did Terry not tell you?" She asked adjusting her boot.
"Terry never got here, I can't find him, he's missing," Bruce said coldly.
Sofia's heart dropped and her blood ran cold, "What? Why can't you find him? Hasn't he got the tracker on his suit?" She leapt off the window and kicked the jets into life.
"It isn't activated," Bruce hissed. "We have to find him."
"I know we have to find him of course we have to find. Oh my god, how could this have happened, he can't be missing, have you checked everywhere?" She rushed, then heard the silence at the end of the line, "Of course you did, that's a stupid question. Maybe I'll call Dick, he might know some where, or Barbara?" She ran out of steam and still there was a silence at the end of the line.
"You need to put your feelings aside Sofia, do not let them cloud your judgement," Bruce said sternly.
She paused, "What? What do you mean?" And gulped.
"Your relationship, you and Terry," He said. Sofia was stunned in to silence, he knew? And as if he had read her mind, "Yes, I know you two."
"How long have you known?" She managed to say.
"Oh about five months now," She could here the humour in Bruce's voice.
"Well then, now that that's out in the open, I will be needing some help." She tried to restore some composure to herself.
"Of course," Bruce said.
"Not entirely from you, I'll be needing Max too," She turned herself back towards Max's apartment. She got there in no time and knocked on the window. Max jumped when she saw Nightwing sitting on her window sill.
"What are you doing here?" Max hissed as she opened the window.
"Terry is missing," Sofia said in a hushed voice.
"What?" Max's eyes widened.
Sofia nodded, "And I need your help to find him." Max got her coat, and headed for the door. The best place to start was where they last saw Terry, down in the ATRAC station. Max walked in normally, but Sofia had to turn on her stealth mode and sneak down. Max searched up and down the station, there was no sign of him. But Sofia spotted something, the T's gang were walking down the station and on one of their backs was Terry's backpack. She spurn in to action. She landed right in front of them, "Well, well, well, what do we have here? Where did you get that backpack?" She pointed.
"Hey, Nightwing, what are you doing here?" One of them said.
"I thought I made that clear, where did you get the bag?" She said again.
"What's it to you?" They said.
"Everything," She growled, that's it, patience, lost, she thought. She leapt up and double kicked two of them in the stomach sending them flying, the other one and the one with the backpack launched at her. She smiled and flipped over them taking their heads and knocking them together. They fell to the floor and she took the bag opening it, no Batsuit. She breathed a sigh of relief, Terry must be wearing it, but where is he?
She went back to Max and gave her the bag, "He has got to be in the suit, the T's knew nothing about it, but that means that he's out of range, but how?"
"Maybe he's under ground? Most of Old Gotham is under there," Max suggested.
"Oh Max! You are a genius!' Sofia exclaimed. "But I'll have to go on my own, it's too dangerous for you, call Bruce and tell him where I am, I'll try and keep the comm-links open."
Max nodded, "Good Luck."
The tunnels were dark and damp, she turned on her night vision to see what was going on. She heard something in the distance, voices, who would be done here, she thought. She crept into the shadows, becoming one with the darkness, she felt safe here, knowing no one could see her. She rounded the corner and nearly gave herself away, this was the last person she wanted to see, it was Shriek. But the tap on the back of her arm caused her to jump, she whipped around ready to fight but then looked down and saw a small boy, he could have been no more than Josh's age. She grabbed him and took him to one side.
"Ow! Watch it," He side shrugging her off.
"Who are you?" Sofia said.
"Dack, and what's it to you?" The boy crossed his arms.
"I'm looking for someone, have you seen Batman?" She asked.
"You're Nightwing?" Dack looked at her suit, she nodded. "Batman told me to tell….."
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?'" Sofia turned to face what she hoped she wouldn't have to, Shriek.
"I could ask you the same thing," Sofia said to him, getting in front of Dack. But before she could make a move Shriek did his thing. And all Sofia saw was black.
A voice came floating across the room, the ringing in her ears died down, "Oh Batman, I know you're here, I have Nightwing here and your dear little friend too. I wonder what Nightwing looks like without her mask on, and well what I have planned for her she doesn't need it. You better hurry," Shrieks voice was laced with dangerous intent.
"Idiot, no one sacrifices their life for someone else," Dack said to Shriek, "Not in this world."
"You don't know Batman, he'll come for you and he will defiantly come for her," Shierk turned and pointed to Sofia. She tried to move, something had paralysed the suit, it must have been the sound waves, she needed to get it back online.
"I know people," Dack shrugged.
"Would you like to bet on it?" Your life say?" Shriek asked, Sofia tried to shout to tell him no, but her voice wasn't quite with it yet, come on Sof, get it together, she swore to herself.
"To easy, even if he wanted to get us, he can't…." Dack stopped himself. Please Dack, stop talking, Sofia willed him to stop.
"Oh why's that?" Shriek pressed.
"He's trapped," Dack looked over at Sofia her eyes wide, he knew he had said too much.
"You know right where he is don't you?" Shriek leaned down to him. "Tell me, Tell me!"
"Maybe I don't owe Batman anything, but I sure as hell don't owe you anything," Dack jutted his jaw out. Sofia could feel movement returning back in to the suit, but she decided to slip away.
"Wrong," Shriek shook his head, "You're about to owe me your life, but only if you take me too him." He turned to his assistant, "Get Nightwing, she can watch."
"Eh boss, Nightwing isn't here," He said.
"What?!" He shouted, then stopped, "Well never mind, lets find The Bat." The began to march Dack out of the bunker. She turned on stealth mode and followed them, Dack lead them to a wall and pointed at it, it was this one.
Shriek pointed his blasters at it and let rip, she saw Dack move out of the way. What is he doing, she thought and stayed high up on the wall. The wall gave away and released a torrent of water. Sofia switched off stealth mode quickly and raced over to Dack, to pull him clear of the water. But as Dack reached to her his grip on the railing came loose and he fell in to the water.
"Dack!" She shouted after him and dove in to the water. She was swept after him and only kept control by kicking the jets in her boots to life to steer. She followed down the tunnels and then gasped, there was a 50 foot drop in front of them, "Grab on to that railing! Now!" She shouted. The boy reached out and grabbed it.
She ran towards him, trying to keep control, the water flowing around her feet. "Hey, did ya miss me?" She looked behind her.
"Batman!" She exclaimed, "I am glad to see you."
"Back at ya Nightwing," Terry grinned. They ran over to Dack, he was slipping.
"Manoeuvre four," Sofia said to Terry, he nodded. She leapt off the edge and grabbed Dack, she free fell towards the ground, Dack shouted in her grasp, but they stopped suddenly as the Batarang wrapped around Sofia's waist and pulled them up to safety. The water drained away as they all collapsed on the ground.
"And all that for nothing, such a waste," Shriek walked over and stood above them. Sofia looked up, not going to happen. She pulled her hands underneath her, going in to a handstand and kicking Shriek in the sound projectors, then launched over his head and kicked him solidly to the ground.
The cops showed up and took Shriek away, Bruce, Terry and Sofia stood on the build opposite, they saw Dack walking down the street.
"Where's he going?" Bruce asked.
"Told me he was headed for home," Terry replied.
"Good," Bruce nodded.
"He told me he'd find us and kill is, if we told anyone he cried," Sofia laughed.
Bruce looked at them both. "I don't like that look," Sofia raised an eye brow.
"You shouldn't, tomorrow, 6pm at the cave, you both are training," Bruce gave them a stern look.
The next night, they walked down in to the cave to a sight. Not only was Bruce there, Barbara, Dick and Tim were there too. Sofia smiled, "We have an audience,"
"That you do," Tim looked at his daughter, she was half in the Nightwing costume, just missing the cowl. "I want to see what my dear daughter can do."
Dick stepped forward, "Well today we have a little treat, your sparring partner will be Wonder Girl." Out of the darkness walked a tall blonde bombshell. Sofia was a little jealous of the look that Terry was giving her. "You can leave your cowls off, I want to see what you are thinking and doing." Dick instructed.
"Hello everyone," Wonder Girl smiled, "Pleased to meet you. And Dick, you never told me this one was so handsome," She nodded over to Terry and gave him a playful smile.
"Nightwing, you first," Dick instructed. Sofia nodded and walked in to the sparring circle with Wonder Girl. Ok, she thought, she is going to be a lot stranger than you, but you could be quicker, so use that against her. They waited for the signal to start. Dick nodded and they looked at each other. Wonder Girl made the first move, Sofia reacted, it was exactly what she thought she was going to do. Wonder Girl charged at her, Sofia leaped in to the air flipped and kicked her in the back knocking her off balance. Wonder Girl turned and growled at her, Sofia grinned and gave a small giggle. Wonder Girl moved again and this time Sofia went low, the bigger they are the harder they fall. Sofia dodged the swipe at her head and punched Wonder Girl in the stomach, winding her, then swiped her leg under Wonder Girl taking the legs out from under her, sending her crashing to the ground. Sofia straightened and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Tim looked at his daughter in shock, she was flawless.
Dick gave a small clap, "Well done Nightwing, now can we see where Wonder Girl went wrong?"
Sofia stuck her hand in the air, "Oh, Oh, I know. She hit on my boyfriend then got served?" Dick snorted with laughter, as did Barbara and Tim laughed. Terry grinned over at Sofia.
"Well, that's one way of putting it Nightwing," Dick tried to keep a straight face. "Ok again, then Batman."
The night's training came to a close and they said good bye to Wonder Girl. Terry and Sofia got changed and then headed up to meet the adults upstairs. Terry pulled her arm, "Hey you know that I would never look at another girl," He said to her.
"I know," She looked up at him, "Just seeing that horse of a woman flirt with you, made my blood boil."
Terry tapped her nose, "Temper, temper. But my god did you flatten her in about ten seconds flat, I even saw Bruce give a small smile."
Sofia grinned, "Hey it works,"
"Yeah, it does," He leaned down and kissed her softly, "Come on, the oldies are waiting."