fall and fail
{nothing like overkill}
"You know, I'm pretty sure you two could put Batman and Catwoman to shame— which is saying something, because I'm pretty sure they consider half their fights to be dates."
"Shut up, Jason," Dick hissed, bending back as Barbara's leg nearly caught his face. She slid beside him, her fist connecting rather painfully with one of his ribs, but he hooked his arm around hers, yanking her off balance. She easily slipped away from him, flipping into a handspring and spiraling on her hands, catching him once again in the chest. As he fell back, he curled into and a bridge, pushing himself into a flip with both his hands clapping against the floor as he dodged and parried, his body moving fast to intercept hers. She was a faster learner than Jason.
Jason was hanging upside-down from a bar, watching with a smirk as his elders fought to trump the other. Three months into Barbara's training, and she was as good as Jason was in almost a year. Dick knew that Bruce was going to have to let her patrol soon, or else they were wasting potential. She was fast, and she was strong, and she was clever. Her photographic memory allowed her to have an advantage over all of them, easily figuring out which moves they liked to use the most, and putting that to her own skills to topple them. She had yet to beat Bruce, but she'd crushed Jason and Dick too many times to count.
Dick blinked as her leg slipped behind the crook of his knee, and he gasped as he slid backwards, his legs locked by hers, and he winced as his spine connected to the ground. Before she could pin him down, however, he grinned at her and flipped her over his head, rolling easily and catching her by the shoulders, slamming her back against the ground before she could sit up. He flung himself over her, smirking as she glared and objected, squirming as he straddled her waist.
"Pinned ya, Gordon," he laughed, as she pushed at his chest, craning her neck to keep her face farther from his. She was blushing, and it was funny, but he didn't quite understand why she was so uncomfortable. They've done this a million times before. Why was she so squirmy now?
"I can see what's happening," Jason sang, appearing above them with a wily smirk. "And they don't have a clue!"
"What?" Barbara asked, blinking as she shoved Dick off of her, ignoring his laughter as his legs untangled from her waist. Jason rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest as he looked between them incredulously.
"The Lion King," Dick sighed. Jason nodded.
"Yeah, you know, the film about two best friends who bicker all the time, and have domination issues, and you know, I'm pretty sure they fuck in the end, but I'm not sure, it's kind of unclear—"
"Jason," Dick warned, glaring at the younger boy as he morphed his smirk into an innocent smile. He could feel Barbara laughing beside him, but he ignored it. "You really need to drop that."
"Yeah," Barbara agreed, sitting up. She pulled her hair out of a loose ponytail, running her fingers through it to rid it of tangles. "Dick and I aren't… well, like that."
"Yep," Jason said, rolling his eyes. "You keep saying that, but let's be real. You guys are way too touchy-touchy to be 'just friends'."
Barbara and Dick glanced at each other confusedly, and he felt his own face heat up. "Sorry? It's a training exercise, Jay. We kind of have to touch each other."
"And we keep saying it because it's true," Barbara said. She stood up, frowning down at Jason as he shrugged, rocking on the balls of his feet as he smiled to himself. "Do you want to fight now, Jason?"
"Yes!" Jason grinned, pushing Dick back to the ground when he moved to stand up. "But please, no straddling, I don't think I'm ready for that type of relationship yet."
Dick buried his face in his hands, not sure how to properly respond to Jason's intrepidity. He was going to be a terror when he actually started dating girls. He would be like a cross between Wally, who was a constant flirt, but never actually pursued a relationship until Artemis, and Bruce, who was kind of notorious for getting into screwed up relationships without really trying. Dick didn't know where he stood on the spectrum. Zatanna had been… a long and interesting experience, and they still sort of had a thing. Sometimes. He didn't really know how to explain it, and it was strange, but they were strange too. And he didn't want to think about his failed relationship with Raquel. They were still friends, of course, but the entire 'dating' thing hadn't lasted very long, and that was okay. She didn't seem to mind much, and he really only just felt guilt for the whole thing.
He decided to leave the room instead of watch his younger brother and his good friend fight themselves bloody. Which they had. Numerous times, actually, which worried Dick a little, but they knew when to stop. They were both a little too aggressive, and they matched each other, so a lot of the times the situation ended up being something akin to a kindergarten squabble. Hair pulling and scratching. Of course, one time Jason had cracked one of Barbara's ribs, and they were all forbidden from sparring for a week.
Being a teenager was so weird. It was so stupid. Why should he care about dating and silly stuff like that when he was a superhero? He didn't want to. Maybe that was what went wrong with Raquel. He had issues with trusting, and when he felt like he was getting too comfortable he distanced himself. It had been his mistake with Zatanna, and he'd made it much too early with Raquel. He wasn't Bruce, and he didn't understand how the man did it. Talia, and Selina, and Diana, and countless others. He didn't like it, and it made him feel guilty and silly and stupid.
After taking a quick shower and changing into normal clothes, he hung himself from a platform and watched, amused as Jason and Barbara continued to fight. When Barbara and Dick fought, it was always playful and teasing. When Barbara and Jason fought, it was like stepping into an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, without as many witty lines. Mostly because they were too focused on beating the crap out of each other.
He blinked as his wrist computer buzzed softly, and he twisted it, watching as Batman's face appeared on the holographic screen. He stood up, gripping the support beam as he turned away from his fighting friends. Batman was on a League mission in Qurac, but it seemed he had something important to say. His eyes glowed behind the whites of his cowl, and he frowned at Dick.
"I was just alerted of several kidnappings in Gotham," Batman said. "Eight boys, pre-pubescent, black haired and blue eyed. I'm sending you the details so you can debrief the Team."
"The Team?" Dick repeated, surprised. "In Gotham? I mean, I know we've been here before, but a kidnapping case isn't exactly…"
"I need the entire Team to deploy and discover who is behind this, as I am currently unable to." Batman's lips twisted in distaste. "Including Batgirl and Robin."
"Seriously?" Dick's eyes narrowed, and he knew that there was more to the case than Batman was saying. Black haired, blue eyed boys… "Okay. We're going right now."
The only thing he got in response was a slight nod. "Batman out," he rumbled, and the screen blinked away. Dick stood for a moment, still a little surprised, and he quickly spun around, leaping over the support beam and dropping down beside the two sparring partners.
"Guys," he called, watching as Barbara flipped backwards, landing easily beside him. She looked at him curiously, kicking Jason away as he dove at her. "We have a mission."
"Huh?" Jason looked puzzled, his brow furrowing. "A mission? Like, a team mission?"
"Like," Barbara continued for him, amused. "We're actually allowed to come with you this time?"
"Yes?" Dick rolled his eyes, clapping them both on the shoulder. "You two have now graduated from trainees to legitimate members of a covert Justice League. Congrats. Now suit up."
"Aw yeah!" Jason cried, spinning around and cartwheeling away, springing out of the training area with a large grin on his face. Barbara watched him curiously, and then she looked up at Dick.
"Do you… think they'll be okay with it? I mean, they don't know me. How can they trust me if they've never met me before? I thought I'd be able to meet them before…" Barbara bit her lip, and she tugged on a piece of her hair nervously. Dick stared at her for a moment, surprised at the insecurity.
"You're a Bat," Dick assured her. He smiled wide, giving her shoulder a squeeze, and he pulled her into a one arms hug. "They'll be fine with you, Babs. Our team is very accepting."
"Okay…" She nodded slowly, pulling away from him and moving quickly after Jason. She had a right to be scared. She knew close to nothing about the Team. All she knew was that Wally and Artemis were on it, and even that wasn't clear to her. She'd been surprised to find out that Dick had helped form a hero team for a younger generation, which tackled huge assignments in comparison to patrol. He knew she loved the idea of it.
After slipping into his Nightwing uniform, he found Jason already waiting by a monitor, bouncing slowly on his feet. He put on his mask as Dick walked out, and he grinned, moving to punch Nightwing in the gut. He was cut off though, and Nightwing grabbed him, pushing him to the ground and laughing as the boy began to flail and whine, growling a little and swearing.
"Are you two serious?" Barbara asked with a sigh. She swept toward them, her cape trailing behind her, and her cowl hanging around her neck. She was pulling her hair back and pinning it in place, carefully ridding her face of strays. Robin elbowed Nightwing in the stomach, hard enough to make him gasp, and he slipped out from under him, grinning madly.
"Jealous, Barb?" Jason asked, wiggling his eyebrows. She rolled her eyes and slid the final pin into place, smoothing her hair back. As Dick watched her, he realized what a pain her hair must be under that cowl. It probably got hot and irritating.
"Not even remotely," Barbara said dryly. She pulled up her cowl, sliding it gingerly over her eyes, and she smiled warmly. She had little chance to put on the suit since her birthday, so this was a rare and wonderful thing. Dick smiled back at her encouragingly. "So, are we going?"
"Yep." Nightwing gestured them toward the zeta tube. Barbara stared at it, looking confused and awed. Jason simply walked past Dick and stepped right through, his cape fluttering behind him. Dick turned to Barbara beckoning her forward. "Ladies first," he joked.
She stared for a moment before she gained her bearings and stepping into the zeta beam, disappearing from view. Dick followed quickly after her. He'd gone over the mission info while changing, and honestly, he didn't understand it. Eight boys, all from social standards ranging from dirt poor to being on the mail list for a Wayne Christmas card. Black haired, small and athletic, blue-eyed, and aged from six to twelve. It confused Dick greatly, because it sounded like someone was looking for… well, him. Or Jason. Dark haired, blue-eyed… Right.
Nightwing was puzzling over this when M'gann's voice pulled him from his thoughts. Nightwing yelped, hurrying forward and prying Beast Boy's skittering bear cub form from Robin's leg. Robin looked as if he wanted to fling the little green bear across the room, but he contained himself, swearing softly under his breath as Beast Boy slipped Nightwing's grasp by turning into a twittering green robin, spinning around Robin's head and landing on his shoulder.
Batgirl watched, taking a few involuntary steps toward Nightwing as she peered at Beast Boy, surprised by the little green child. M'gann quickly put a stop to Garfield's antics, snatching him from Robin's shoulder and frowning at the young boy. Robin simply glared up at the siblings, hunching defensively.
"Gar, that wasn't nice!" M'gann reprimanded. She dropped the bird, and he turned back to his normal, monkey-like form. He laughed brightly, his little body shaking in hysterics. He grinned down at Robin, and he held out a hand.
"Hiya, Rob!" he chirped. "You haven't been around in a while. Like, months."
"Yeah, I know," Robin said slowly, taking Garfield's hand and pulling himself to his feet. He looked disgruntled, but not so much angry anymore. The few times Robin had been to the cave, he always stuck close to Beast Boy or Nightwing, not really trusting anyone else. He didn't like being around Artemis and Wally because he found their enthrallment with each other to be annoying. "Sorry? Blame Batman, I guess."
"Yeah, okay." Garfield rolled his eyes and beamed up at Nightwing. "Hi, Nightwing! You look super serious tonight, what's up? Where's Batman? Who's she?"
M'gann hushed the boy, glancing at Barbara curiously. Then she perked up, and she looked to Nightwing, her eyes bright and her lips drawing into a large, excited smile. "Oh!" she cried, flying to Barbara and landing in front of her. "Are you joining the Team? Nightwing! You didn't tell us Batman had another protégée! Or that she's a girl! This is so amazing, everyone will be so excited to have another girl on the team!"
"I'm pretty sure you guys already outnumber us, Miss M," Nightwing laughed nervously. Barbara looked surprised, her eyes wide as she took in the Martian's excited personality. She smiled a little and nodded to her fellow redhead.
"I'm Batgirl," she said slowly, extending her hand. M'gann took it eagerly, and she spun around, pulling Barbara toward the rest of the Team members. Well, the ones who were around, anyway. Nightwing and Robin followed quickly, not wanting to leave Barbara alone.
"I'm Miss Martian," M'gann said. "M'gann M'orzz. Why didn't Nightwing ever say anything about you?"
"He probably didn't want to admit that he knows someone who's better than him at— well, everything." Barbara smirked, meeting Nightwing's eye and winking. He shook his head, frowning at her. He wasn't hurt or anything, he just was a little bothered by it. And it was sort of true, which sucked.
"You're not better than me at everything," Nightwing said.
"Yeah, he still pinned ya today, BG," Robin cackled, earning a sharp shove from Nightwing.
"Um, ignoring Robin," Nightwing said. He looked around the room and saw that all the members who lived at the cave were there, as well as Rocket and Bumblebee. Artemis and Wally were missing, but Dick had a feeling they were together anyway. "We have a mission from Batman. I'll debrief all of you when Wally and Artemis get here. Until then, get to know Batgirl. She and Robin will be joining us for this mission."
"Three Bats?" Zatanna asked, tilting her head. Her eyes danced between the three of them, and she grinned. "What's the occasion? I feel kind of spoiled here. Oh, I'm Zatanna, by the way!"
"The mission is in Gotham," Nightwing said.
"So?" Conner frowned. "We've been to Gotham before with just you."
"Superboy, right?" Barbara asked. Conner looked at her and nodded. "Okay. Well, Superboy, trust me when I say that three Bats? Still not enough to cover all of Gotham."
"That's true," Robin piped up. "Gotham still sucks, and three of us patrol already."
"And it will probably always suck," Nightwing sighed. "Not the point though. Gotham is our territory, and our home. We know it better than all of you, and we're not sure exactly what we're dealing with."
"Then will you be leading this mission, Nightwing?" Kaldur asked, looking curious. Nightwing smiled at him. So hopeful that he could pass on the leader mantle.
"Sort of." Nightwing shrugged. "I'll explain more when—"
Recognizing Kid Flash: B03
Recognizing Artemis: B07
"— when Wally and Artemis get here." Nightwing sighed, smiling a little as his two close friends walked into the room, looking a little surprised.
"Hey, what's the deal?" Wally asked. "We have a miss— wait, is Batman a girl?"
Robin and Nightwing glanced at each other, rolling their eyes, while Barbara turned to face him. She smiled at Artemis, who recognized her immediately, her dark eyes widening. "It's nice to see you again too, Wally," Barbara said. "And yes. I am a girl."
"What are you— I mean, why did you say anything?" Artemis asked, her eyes flitting between Nightwing and Barbara. Wally zoomed up to her, studying her costume with one hand cupping his chin. He pulled on her cape, earning a glare from Barbara, and she tore it away from him.
"This is eerie," Wally said. "It's like, you look at her and you think, aha! Batman! But no, she's female. She looks female. So weird."
"You… know each other?" Tula asked, leaning over a couch to peer at them all. Her short red hair framed her faintly freckled face, and she looked very curious.
"We go to school together," Barbara explained. "Well, me and Artemis, at least. I know Wally because he helped me save a friend of mine a few months ago."
Wally winced at the memory. "Right, right, so… you're like… a Bat now? Dude, I'm getting super tired of you neglecting to tell me when you start training new kiddies!"
"Sorry," Nightwing said, moving toward the monitor without really listening to Wally as he continued to rant to Barbara. He seemed oblivious to the rest of the Team, who watched them with looks of confusion and wonder. "Okay, we can have real introductions on the bio-ship. We've wasted enough time."
"Are all of us really going on this mission?" Bumblebee asked, tilting her head. "Don't you think that's a little bit of an overkill?"
"Might be we need overkill," Nightwing replied. He turned to them, pulling up pictures of the eight missing boys. "Tonight these kids were all taken from Gotham. Nothing connects them but their hair and eye color, the youngest of the bunch being six, the oldest twelve. Every big name Gotham villain is accounted for in Arkham, so this is someone who is most likely trying to stir things up. Our mission is to find these eight boys and rescue them— also, find out who had the gall to take them in the first place."
"Do we know where they are?" Artemis asked.
"Yeah. That's something Batman managed to figure out." However, the mysterious kidnapper still eluded them. It was going to be one hell of a show, Nightwing could just tell. "We'll be splitting up into three squadrons. Alpha will be led by Aqualad, with Aquagirl, Tempest, Rocket, Bumblebee, and Miss M. The building is right on the harbor, so you'll have plenty of water to work with, while Rocket, Bumblebee, and Miss Martian will search the air for our suspect. I'll lead Beta with Batgirl, Robin, and Superboy. We'll be getting the captives out safely, and as quietly as possible. They'll trust us the most because they're Gotham kids. They see Robin and a bat symbol, and they'll go with it. They'll trust Superboy by default, and we'll need his strength. Gamma will be led by Artemis with Kid Flash, Zatanna, and Beast Boy. The building we're going into is incredibly unsound, and can collapse at any moment. You four will be stationed around the perimeter of the building and given equipment to help ensure it won't collapse while we're inside."
"Wait, what?" Artemis stared at him, her mouth dropping open in shock. "Why am I leading anything? Wouldn't Wally be more qualified? Hell, wouldn't Zatanna be more qualified?"
"Aw, babe," Wally laughed, nudging her. "Don't second guess yourself. You can totally lead three of us. Don't freak out."
"I'm not freaking out," she snapped at him. "Just… surprised. I guess."
"Don't be." Nightwing smiled at her, pulling away from the computer to face her fully. "You'll do fine. Just don't let the building collapse on top of us, and everything will be great!"
"Nightwing!" Barbara and Artemis hissed in unison. They glanced at each other, smiling a little. Robin stared at him, shaking his head, and he turned to Garfield, whispering something to the green boy. Gar grinned in response, hiding a snicker behind his hand.
They left after that, filing into the bio-ship as the girls of the team flocked around Batgirl, chattering excitedly. They'd never known a female Bat before, and their curiosity seemed to get the better of them. Barbara was being strangely quiet, though speaking softly when asked about training, how long she's been Batgirl, how long she's known Nightwing. He noticed how surprised they were when they found out they've known each other since they were nine, and when she mentioned that she was his oldest friend, they all looked at him. It seemed they had always thought Wally was his oldest friend. He found that funny, and so did the speedster, but he also felt strangely uncomfortable. He didn't want them to know that Barbara had been the first friendship he'd made after his parents had died, not counting Bruce or Alfred.
Robin was not quite as popular. He sat next to Nightwing, glaring at Beast Boy every so often as the ten year old tossed chicken whizees at him. It became something like a game, Beast Boy throwing bits over Aqualad's and Tempest's heads, seeing if he could actually hit Robin. He never did, and Robin ended up giving the small pile of food he'd collected to Kid Flash.
When they were nearly to Gotham, Robin turned to Nightwing and whispered, "Whoever this guy is… he's looking for us, isn't he?"
"We don't know that."
Robin gave him a look. It was a long, irritated glance that told Nightwing, 'you're joking, or you're an idiot'. "What if it's… the guy?"
Nightwing felt himself go rigid, the scars that marred his stomach tingling in a ghost pain that shot up his abdomen. He stared forward, feeling nausea stir up within him. "What makes you ask that?"
Robin shrugged. He looked down at his lap, his jaw setting in anger as he inhaled sharply through his nose. "It's like someone wants our attention. If he wanted to get to us again, this would be a good chance."
Nightwing did not reply. He didn't want to admit it, but he was scared because… Robin could be right. That would make this entire mission his fault. The kidnapping of those boys, and any harm that came to them. And the more he thought about it, the more it made terrible sense, and he hated it. He hated that Robin had figured it out before him, and he hated that he might have to face the assassin again. He hated the thought that he might fail.
No. He wouldn't. He couldn't. This assassin— he was only a man. Like Nightwing, or Batman… and he could fail too.
"Nightwing, take the controls," Miss M commanded as the straps around his chest melted away. He stood up, switching with her and resting his fingers against the glowing white orbs. He felt the bio-ship whir softly, responding brightly to his touch, recognizing his influence. Miss M stood beside Rocket, and Bumblebee floated beside them, looking up as the ceiling of the bio-ship peeled back. A chunk of the floor also dispersed, and Aqualad, Aquagirl, and Tempest all stood around it.
"Alpha departing," Aqualad said, not looking at anyone as he dove from the bio-ship's hatch. Aquagirl waved goodbye to the fliers, as well as the other girls, and she dove after him, leaving Tempest. Garth tilted his head back at Nightwing, frowning a little.
"You will be careful, won't you?" He looked worried, though Nightwing didn't know why. He liked Garth, but he wasn't someone he knew exceptionally well.
Nightwing nodded anyway. "You too, Tempest. Now get going before Aqualad and Aquagirl ditch you."
Tempest grinned and leapt from the floor hatch, just as the fliers swept away from the ceiling. When they were safely out of range, Nightwing, mentally commanded the bio-ship to move toward land, and it obeyed without hesitation, moving swiftly toward the warehouse that was settled very close to the harbor. It was November, and chilly, and the wind whipped softly as Nightwing lowered the bio-ship toward the ground.
"Gamma team," he ordered. Artemis stood, Kid Flash following her, and then Zatanna and Beast Boy (who'd taken the form of a falcon). Artemis readied her bow, and the floor hatch appeared again, peeling back from the ship's body. Kid Flash stopped to bump his knuckles against Nightwing's, nodding to Superboy, winking at Batgirl, and trying in vain to tussle Robin's hair. Zatanna smiled and extended her arms, drawing them through the air and a swift sweeping motion.
"Ekam su ekil a s'noelemahc egalfuomac!" she commanded. Nightwing watched as their bodies seemed to drain of color, their skin tones and the hue of their clothing melting off them and sliding away, leaving them barely visible. Their bodies took the appearance of whatever was behind them, reflecting it back to the eye. Then they disappeared through the hatch, leaving only the Bats and Superboy.
"So…" Robin swiveled his chair to face Nightwing. "The captives?"
"The building has three floors, and a basement. The smartest place to keep them would be the basement, because there are only two entrances. The door on the inside of the building, and a small entry on the southern face of the building. Assuming they're both being guarded, we'll have to take out anyone and anything that might see us. So we'll split up. Robin and I will take the inside entrance while Batgirl and Superboy handle the outside one. If you run into trouble, Kid Flash is stationed on that side of the building, so he'll be right by you."
"That sounds reasonable," Batgirl said. She glanced at Superboy and offered him a small smile. He jerked his chin at her in response. "Our door will be the one we'll use to get the kids out, right?"
"Yep." Nightwing landed the bio-ship, closing his eyes as M'gann linked them all up. Barbara and Jason looked up wildly, surprised by her voice in their heads. "Chill, this is how we communicate on team missions."
"No radio?" Robin asked curiously. He touched his ear, looking confused.
"Only if the mindlink is tampered with. Radios can be easily hacked. I think we all know that from our own experiences."
Robin smirked, obviously remembering his own hacking triumphs. The four of them nodded to each other, exiting the bio-ship and splitting up immediately. In their heads, Artemis and Wally were bickering again, while Beast Boy and Zatanna tried to hush them in reminder that they were on a mission. The air nipped at Nightwing's exposed face, small flurries of snowflakes fluttering around them as the wind whipped harshly against his ears. Nightwing and Robin made their way up the building, never making a sound. Their stealth was commendable, and they were easily inside the building through a first floor window before they knew it. It was dark, and the building creaked softly against the raging winds.
The building was like something you'd see out of a horror movie. All around them sheetrock and chunks of wood littered the floor, the walls boarded hastily, haphazardly, and debris was cluttered in corners. Sharp, spindly steel twisted out from the wall frame, jutting dangerously toward any unsuspecting person who turned too quickly. It was so dilapidated that even Nightwing had trouble navigating the room without stepping on something that would make a horrifically loud crunch. The eerily quiescent building whispered in its shuddering attempt to stay upright. It cried, screamed, shook, the world and wind snarling at it to break and fall and destroy itself, rip itself apart and collapse into itself. But the building stood still, holding itself against the wind, and the weight, and the odds as it trembled in the frigidness of the November night.
They moved quickly, slipping from the first room to the next, a strange hopeless feeling creeping at his spine and stretching harshly around him, pounding against his chest and gnarling around his heart, gnashing and grappling, reaching to devour him whole. It was nothing but human fear, the ambience of the broken building settling inside him and crying out. Paranoia spread all around him, whispers in his ears, fingers tickling his spine, and his ribs, and his throat. Robin was twitchy as well, his head roving wildly every time he heard a soft rustle in the darkness. The skittering of rats was like the scratching of nails against hard wooden floor, desperately clawing, gasping, screeching for escape. It was an odd sort of horror. It was nothing, and it was terrifying. Their minds were suddenly their worst enemies. This was no trick of Klarion, no illusion of fear gas. It was just humanity. It was fear of fear and fearing the darkness, and it was awful.
"This place is really getting to me," Robin thought, after freezing for a moment and carefully looking behind him, staring into the abysmal darkness for a little longer than he should have.
"Yeah, I'm getting it too. It's like when you're little, and you're trying to sleep, and you know that there's nothing in your room, but something keeps you awake anyway, but you don't want to open your eyes because you're afraid of what you'll see," Nightwing thought back.
"The great Nightwing is afraid of the monster under his bed?" Artemis asked, her voice resonating in their heads.
Nightwing didn't answer. Truth be told, he'd been afraid of the manor at night for years after his arrival. It was almost a nightly thing, laying in bed, his eyes squeezed shut, fear paralyzing him as he tried to tell himself that no one was in his room, nothing was there, they were just shadows, there was no face in his window, the mansion was safe, he was safe, Bruce was there, he wouldn't let anyone hurt him, it was okay. Even when Dick went downstairs to get himself a drink in the middle of the night, he used every conceivable way possible to avoid stepping on the floor, and when he did he'd run. He ran like hellhounds were at his heels, and he wouldn't stop until he was back on his bed, curled up beneath his blanket and gasping quietly.
Robin said nothing either. He was staring ahead of him, looking suddenly bitter and angry. Nightmares were a regularity with them, but he was embarrassed and frustrated. It was weak, but they couldn't help it. Life gave them horrors. Their minds twisted them into dreams of screams and blood and twisted, broken bones, stuck out through necks and tearing through flesh. Artemis couldn't know better. But Barbara did.
"Artemis, don't." Batgirl sounded fiercely protective, yet apologetic at the same time. "Are you two alright? We're down here already. A few of the kids were drugged, but there's no one—" She broke off with a startled gasp, and everyone but Superboy cried out in surprise.
Nightwing shook his head, rushing forward, no longer occupied with being careful to watch his step. He reached the door to the basement, surprised to find it unguarded, and he flung it open. Robin was down the stairwell before Nightwing could register the sight of Batgirl struggling to fight against a masked man. Robin's voice rang indignantly through the mindlink.
"I told you it was him."
"Who?" Aquagirl asked. He could hear a struggle in her thought process, and he knew she was fighting something. Perhaps the assassin had robots again.
"No one. Don't get distracted, guys. Deal with whatever is out there. We've got this." Nightwing flung himself over the rail, slipping behind the man as he grasped Batgirl by the cape, twisting her toward his sword. Superboy was hovering protectively over the kids, some of whom were awake and wide-eyed.
The assassin leapt away from Nightwing's darting leg, tossing Batgirl into him as he slid back, his sword level with his face as he cocked his head. Nightwing caught Barbara easily, flipping back and straightening her. She looked surprised, and her chin was bleeding from a thin cut that ran from her cheek to the tip of it. Robin leapt over the assassin's head, flinging several birdarangs, but the man's sword knocked them away as if they were toys. Robin spiraled in mid air, but when he moved to kick the man he simply knocked him away with the pummel of his sword.
"Shit!" Robin cried through the link. Nightwing mentally hushed him. "This guy is fast!"
"Rob, help Superboy get the captives out," Nightwing ordered, jerking Batgirl toward the stairwell. "BG, we're going to lure him away from the kids. He's obviously stronger and faster than we are, but we have to play on that. Pretend you're sparring with Batman."
Robin moved fast toward the children, and he watched as he bent toward one of them, one of the elder ones, who was watching with a stony expression. When Robin tried to pull him to his feet, the boy shook his head profusely, shoving Robin back. His eyes were wide, and terrified, but he waved to the smaller boys around him.
"Take them first. I can go last." Nightwing and Robin stared at the boy for a moment, confused, but there was no time to argue. Robin snatched one of the younger boys and moved to the very small exit, that was more like a little window than anything else. Conner and one child would barely fit through it, and Robin wasn't strong enough to take two at a time.
Batgirl darted forward, moving fast as the assassin dodged her kicks and punches, but she continued, sliding and reacting and spinning on her feet. Nightwing did not follow. He waiting until the assassin caught his eye, and he took a step back. His stomach squirmed at the strange understanding they seemed to have, the indescribable knowing of what the other was thinking. The assassin wanted Nightwing alone. Nightwing wanted him away from the kids.
He spun around and sped up the steps, skidding across the landing as he dodged the man's sword. It was suddenly a chase, debris flying as he fled carefully avoiding the man's blade as it whipped forward, nicking his leg as he spun and kicked him back. Batgirl was following, her eyes wide and questioning as she jumped over the assassin and landed beside Nightwing. He looked at her and spun, swatting her arm to motion her to follow.
"Up, up!" he gasped, feeling blood run down his leg. He wondered vacantly how Jason had guessed that it was the assassin who had organized this. It bothered him. Jason had understood the assassin's plan before Dick had even thought about it. Jason was very smart, but… there was something unnerving and strange about the entire situation, and Dick hated it. It was the same crawling feeling that he felt when he looked into the assassin's eyes and saw him, knew him, and knew well that the man could reach into Dick's mind and crawl under his skin, and know him inside out. It was awful, and invasive, and perhaps it was that way with Jason.
They ran together, dodging and throwing and fighting. Barbara got hit twice more, but they were small scratches, her shoulder and her arm. Nothing bad. She was trying her hardest, harder than she'd ever fought before, and she slid and danced and knocked the assassin through a wall. The entire building screeched and shuddered in protest, shaking long after the impact, and for some reason they had all stopped and stared at each other, giving the building a moment to settle.
"Nightwing," the assassin greeted. Dick's muscles went rigid at his voice, the smooth, disgustingly sly, knowing voice of his that had picked him apart so simply. "You're fairing well, I see. You've found yourself another playmate as well. Thoughtful."
Barbara glanced at him, her voice hissing in his head. "Tell me who he is right now. I don't care if everyone can hear, I need to know."
"Leave her alone," Nightwing said, his voice calm. In his head, however, he was seething. "Flaying, BG. Flaying."
"Him?" Artemis thought, sounding wild and furious. "It's him?"
"Yes. Stay where you are. The building is shaking pretty badly. That goes for everyone, please!"
"Who are you?" Barbara asked, glaring at the assassin through her cowl. He looked at her, his dark eye flitting up and down her body slowly. It made them both severely uncomfortable, and Nightwing growled under his breath, sending the man's gaze back to him.
"It's only fair that I tell you," the man said. "After all, I know who you are, Grayson."
He saw Barbara's eyes go wide, and she looked at him, her mouth opening in surprise. He shook his head at her, and he stared at the assassin. "Well, I'm listening. Isn't that what you wanted? For me to listen?"
"Very good. You understand. Though I'd hoped we'd be alone, it seems plans must change. I'm called Deathstroke. Your League called me the Terminator once, when I was under their radar." Deathstroke lifted his sword, pointing it straight at Nightwing's heart. "Now answer me this. What will you do to prevent me from telling the world your identity?"
Barbara seemed to bristle at his side, staring at the man with loathing and frustration and fear gleaming in her blue eyes as they darted to Dick's face. He stood, his body still unnaturally rigid, and he felt trapped. He didn't know how to answer Deathstroke. He didn't know if he could do anything. Arrest him, maybe? But that would require catching him, and… Dick wasn't certain he was capable of it. Holding the man down? Sedating him? Even his sedatives wouldn't work fast enough to restrain him, and he'd actually need to get a direct hit at one of his veins, and his armor… no. Truthfully, the only sure way to keep Deathstroke quiet was to kill him. Dick knew he was definitely not capable of that.
So he stayed silent. Because he didn't know. What would he do? He couldn't do anything. The man could tell the world, because Dick would not kill him, and he could not restrain him, and he wasn't sure if M'gann would be able to wipe his identity from Deathstroke's mind if he called her into the room. Even then they would need to hold him down for her to get a real grip on his mind, or else he would just block her out. The man was smart. And Dick was scared.
"Nothing?" Deathstroke's one eye flitted carefully across Dick's face, taking in his stoic expression, and Dick knew there was likely a smile beneath that stupid mask. "I'm disappointed. You would allow me to put those you love in peril? Jason?" He said Jason's name in such a sharp, crooning way, it was mocking and spiteful and biting and it dripped with irony and malice.
"Whatever it is you want from me," Dick said, his throat dry, and his voice low. "I can't give it to you, Deathstroke. I won't kill you to keep my secret. I… I can't stop you either. Is this what you want to here?" Dick wished, for the first time in a very long time, that Batman would figure out the details of this mission and come help him. It would be so much easier. Deathstroke would have no chance when Batman caught a whiff of what he was threatening to do to his family.
"No." Deathstroke's eye flashed, and he zipped forward, his blade gleaming in the darkness. Dick flipped away, his fingers catching on crumpled old papers and sending dust flying into the air, staining his uniform a powdery white. Batgirl spun and threw several punches at him, but he was so fast… It was not uncommon for them to face opponents physically better, stronger in almost every sense— but usually they had the advantage of their minds. Cleverness and celerity saved a Bat from a trap. Deathstroke's mind was as sharp as his sword, and a thousand times more deadly. Dick decided he hated him more than anyone in the world— maybe more than Tony Zucco. Then again, maybe not. He couldn't decide, because he was so angry, and so frightened of what might happen to Bruce and Jason if he failed.
When he failed. It became clear now as Dick flipped and dodged and parried, his fist barely grazing Deathstroke's ribs… He would not win. They were matched. Barbara was helping, but only a little. She was still in training, still so fresh and new and raw. It was up to him.
What do I do, he thought, listening as his boot caught Deathstroke chest, and he spun away his knuckles connecting with his back. The man retaliated with a blow to the stomach, and that horrible ghostly pain sent Nightwing staggering back, gasping softly. What do I do, what do I do?
"Nightwing!" But Barbara was caught, Deathstroke sending her hard through a wall, and he winced, flying into a roll so he could reach where her body had crashed, debris and dust and bits of wall whirling all around. However, he was knocked to the ground by the shuddering of the building, and it screeched in protest and rocked, the floor vibrating as the dust settled, and Barbara emerged carefully. She stood a little awkwardly, as if she was favoring one side.
"You so disappoint me, Grayson," Deathstroke said from above him. Dick rolled onto his back and flipped onto his feet, narrowly missing a stab to one of his kidneys. "Your inability to come up with a solution to your problem eludes me. You have the variables. Put them together."
Variables, variables. An equation he couldn't fathom, a situation that violence wouldn't solve, a mind that knew his better than he did. He hated this. He hated himself for getting into this situation. He hated Deathstroke for playing it so well, so perfectly. This man played a game. It was… a test. A test and a game and a trade. A name. Deathstroke's name. An eye for an eye. To stop the beast, utter its name. Like a fairy tale, and just as unreal. He understood. He didn't know how, and it felt completely unnatural, and he truly, deeply hated this man.
"Batgirl, I need his name," Nightwing thought. "His real name. Check the League's records for an assassin called the Terminator."
"Okay. I can do that. Can you distract him?" She was already on her holocomputer, her fingers dancing across the screen. She looked up only once, and when her eye caught Deathstroke's she did nothing but scowl. It was all a game. Even Batgirl knew it. But it was not a game Nightwing could play. Not now, not when he saw the glow of the detonator as he held it out, his dark eye curious and cutting and calling and clear.
Nightwing leapt at him, reaching for the device with the knowledge that it was a ploy, that Deathstroke was baiting him. But he couldn't stop himself, not with Barbara oblivious beside him, oblivious because of his order, and Jason far below, trying to save the children that were only here because Deathstroke had wanted Dick Grayson to come to him. As he leapt, he called out to every mind linked with his.
"Everyone get out! He's about to blow us up!"
He felt the blade, cold and sharp and lethal, as it sliced clean through the all the Kevlar, and sunk into his skin, trailing from his left hip to his right shoulder. He gasped, feeling the force of the attack send him flying, and he moved to catch himself, the pain lancing hard and fast through his body, dark tendrils of fire curling around his chest as the building screamed and an explosion shuddered above, sending cracks spider-webbing across the ceiling. And then suddenly the floor beneath him was falling, and he was falling, and he fell painfully onto his back, his vision clouded by stars. He flipped onto his stomach, but that only made it worse, and he saw Batgirl flying for him as he slid, the world crumbling around him, glass shattering and imbedding itself in his leg. He saw his blood as he slipped into the cool night air, sliding right through the shattered window, and he blinked when he realized he could not catch himself. There was too much pain, too much… he felt the air, and it tickled his neck, and breathed fire against his open wound.
She caught him by the wrist, and he hung limply in the air as he smelt the burning of metal and brick and wood, and listened as the building crunched and crashed and collapsed. When he opened his eyes, all he could see was dust, and smoke stung his eyes, and he looked up. Barbara was hanging from her grappling hook, which had tangled itself around a construction beam beside the wrecked building. They were lucky. They were so lucky. He felt her fingers tremble as her fingernails dug through her gloves and his, and he felt them against his wrist. He could feel blood sliding hotly, thickly down his chest, his blue bird slashed cleanly in half.
"Dick?" she asked in a small voice. "Dick, you have to stay with me here, okay?"
They swung against the wind, and Nightwing closed his fingers around her wrist, feeling relieved as she began to lower them toward the ground. "Okay," he rasped, tears prickling against his masked eyes. "Okay, Babs."
When his feet brushed against the ground, he let go of her. That proved to be a horrible idea, because the pain blinded him almost immediately, and he let out a small, strangled cry, falling onto his side and curling into himself, pressing his hands against his chest. His head rung, and his leg was throbbing, and so was his chest, and he had no idea where he had gone so, so wrong.
"Nightwing?" Barbara gasped, at his side before he knew it. "Oh my god. No, no, no, that's a lot of blood. Look at me. Stop covering it up, I need to see how bad it is!"
He looked at her, and he saw her blurry face through the haze of smoke and dust, and he shakily dropped his arms to his sides, grunting in pain as she sat him up and pulled his back to her chest. Suddenly there were more people around him, and he cringed, holding onto Barbara as she helped him to his feet, her arms around his chest, and her fingers slick with his blood.
Perhaps someone had sent out a mental message, he didn't know, but it seemed as if the entire team had appeared, and they all stared at him, looking torn between wanting to swarm him and help, or give him space. He begged they would choose the latter. He could hear Barbara barking an order for all of them to stay back, and he was eternally grateful for that. He looked around, his vision clearing, and he smiled a little in assurance that he was okay, he was going to live, it was just a scratch. Then his smile slid away.
"Where's Jay?" he whispered into Barbara's ear, his head falling back against her shoulder. She looked around then, her eyes suddenly wild and fearful. "Babs? Where's…" He spoke louder then, and he straightened himself, ignoring the jarring pain in his left leg as the glass sunk deeper through the Kevlar, stabbing into his muscle. "Where's Robin? Superboy, did you see him get out?"
Superboy looked suddenly very pale. Nightwing stared at him. He opened his mouth, but he couldn't speak. Suddenly he didn't feel the pain in his chest or in his leg anymore. He felt nothing but a lurching panic as he attempted to move toward the wreckage, shouting for nothing, and he gasped as he fell to his knees, Barbara still holding onto him tight enough to make stars dart across his vision.
"Let me go," he gasped, twisting against her. "BG, let me go!"
"You're going to kill yourself!" she hissed into his ear. "Calm down. Please calm down. Oh god… oh god…"
"There's… only seven," he heard Rocket say. Dick knew she was talking about the kids. He could see Zatanna and Artemis sifting through the wreckage, crying out softly as they burned their hands on metal and cut them on splintered wood. Nightwing looked at Superboy again. His eyes were wide as he spun around and stared at the wrecked building.
There was a crash, and Nightwing looked to see a slate shoved aside. He stared and he began to laugh in shock and relief as Jason jumped up, a big grin on his face, and he waved his arms. Wally was next to him before he could move another muscle, and Nightwing scrambled forward to meet them. Barbara helped him, and he stared as Jason hobbled away from the wreckage, holding onto a wide-eyed boy. Dick recognized him as the child who had insisted on being rescued last. Well, he'd gotten his wish.
"You're bleeding," Nightwing said, staring as blood dripped slowly down the boy's forehead, staining his mask. His face was littered with cuts, but the one on his head looked awful, oozing crimson against his hair and pale skin. His uniform was torn as well, exposing a bloody shoulder, and a few shallow cuts on his legs. Still, he grinned, wickedly and madly and proudly. Fiercely.
"Speak for yourself, birdy," Robin gasped, though he was wobbling on his feet. He let go of the boy, who was rather unscathed. Dirty, but scratch free. Dick realized, with a burst of pride, that Robin must have shielded the boy from the collapse. They probably hid beneath something so they wouldn't get the brunt of it. The survived as bomb victims tended to survive. They hid in a bunker and waited it out.
"Worst mission ever," Nightwing whispered. "Worst mission to ever grace my memory. Holy… ow…"
"What the hell happened in there?" Artemis hissed. "You know what, never mind, tell us when you're not… dying. Crap. Where's the bio-ship?"
"No need," Nightwing croaked. "Gotham, Arty. Just gotta get back to the batcave."
"You're…" The young boy stared up at him. "When you… those… flips…?"
Nightwing stared at him for a moment, before deciding the boy was in shock. He let himself fall against Barbara, taking deep breaths as the pain returned. "Police are coming," she murmured. "We should go."
"Too far," he whispered back. "I… I might pass out. I'm sorry…"
"Shut up— Robin's down anyway." When he turned his head, he saw that it was true. Jason had collapsed, his fingers against his head, and his face contorted in pain. Yeah, it probably hurt a lot.
The boy was bent over Robin, staring around in awe and surprise. "He… he'll be okay?"
Kid Flash picked Jason up, nodding to Barbara and Dick. "He'll be just fine. We're taking him to get patched up right now, um…"
"Tim," the boy said quietly. He looked up at Nightwing, his eyes big. "M-my name. It's Tim Drake."
Something sounded familiar about that name. He just couldn't remember what.
So long. I'm sorry it's so long. It's like, when I'm writing this story I try my hardest to outdo myself from chapter to chapter. I didn't mean for it to be so long. Also, I came up with this mission solely because I wanted to introduce Tim. Don't know when he'll show up again. Deathstroke was a default kidnapper because I thought I might as well bring him back. Just so he'll be a creepy bastard. Actually, watch this story end up being AU because of him once he shows up in the show. Damn it.
Did anyone think I actually killed Jason off there? I mean, obviously not, because Jason's character as Red Hood pretty much revolves around who kills him. Hell, he takes an old alias of his. Also, I feel like this story is just turning out to be a long character study of Dick. I hope I'm doing it right. O.O There were so many characters in this chapter too. I think I gave at least each of them one line? Poor Aqualad, I want to use him so much more than I do. I just don't get enough chances to. Now he's a character that doesn't get studied enough.
The title has a double meaning that you might not get. Deathstroke the Terminator is like, the biggest overkill ever. But he deserves it.
This will most likely be my last update until school begins again, so things might slow down a little. Happy New Year, and review, please?