Hello guys, how have you all been? I'd like to thank PokerFaceLovesMakorra for the inspiration for a new story I'll be starting after I complete this one. More details to come on that, for now though enjoy the continued adventure that is Charlotte Grayson's life.

Disclaimer – I own nothing that belongs to DC comics and whoever else, I do own Charlotte, Corey, Chase and a couple of other characters though…. :D

Nightwing's Daughter – 14

The Unwanted Plan

Unsurprisingly I didn't get much sleep that night, I was to stress about the idea that the Joker could be anywhere. When I finally managed to close my eyes and drop over the edge into oblivion, he was waiting in the darkness, forcing me to relive not only my mother's death, but my new worst nightmare, my father's death. Each time death impacted with either of them I would wake up in a panic to realise I was in the confines of my safe warm room, dad sleeping soundly just a couple of doors away.

After dad was killed in a very violent and graphic way involving being kicked from the top of a very tall building – possibly Wayne Industry's, I wasn't quite sure – for the third time that night, I had had enough, finally deciding that sleep would not be kind to me that night, I made my way silently down stairs. Just to be sure that he was indeed in his room I checked in on dad, pushing the door open as quietly as I could. His bed was empty. Maybe he was in the kitchen. I made my way downstairs, the lights weren't on. A growing sense of unease inside said something was defiantly wrong. I pressed myself against the wall, edging towards the kitchen, worrying about what I would find; I took a chance, flicking on the light. Nothing. He wasn't here either. I didn't know whether I was relived or annoyed. He must be in the basement.

Hell bent on asking him what the hell he thought he was doing in the basement at two in the morning I ran down the stairs - flicking the light off as I did so - punched in the key code and was gearing myself up for a dramatic entrance. The door swung open, "What the hell do you…" He wasn't there. I did a sweep of the basement and couldn't see him. What I did see though were the computer monitors, they glowed with a sickening white light. I rushed over, pinpointing certain areas on the various screens. Arkham was highlighted. Arkham? Why would he be interested in Arkham? Corey wasn't due for realise until later that day. Something wasn't right.I went into auto pilot. According to the monitors Nightwing hadn't left the basement, which was true, Nightwing was protected between a wall and pane of glass. But where was the man that filled the iconic suit? I walked up the stairs, locking the basement behind me making my way towards the stairs that led to upstairs. The front door opened.

I flung myself at the nearest wall, pressing myself against it as the figure came closer, what I was going to do I didn't know; when they flicked the light on it would be over. The click of the light was like a bullet shot in the silence, I kept still, screwing my eyes closed as the light pierced the sensitive pupils, used to the dark. "Charlotte?" To my surprise, it was Chase. I opened my eyes, "Charlotte?" He asked again, sounding more desperate. "I'm here." I relaxed and peeled myself away from the wall. I didn't know what I had been expecting, but Chase West walking into my house at two in the morning wasn't one of them. He span around, looking sick. "Charlotte oh thank god you're still here." He rushed forward and enveloped me in a bone crushing hug, burying his freckled face in my bed head style hair.

I was stunned and confused to say the least, "O-of course I'm still here… Why wouldn't I be?" I asked slowly, I was still rather sluggish while he told me what had happened. "The Joker, h-he got your address, figured out where your dad worked." I gasped at this, dad had been right, nowhere was really safe. "He sent a message to Bats, telling him he had picked his new targets, he of course contacted your dad, this was about thirty minutes ago. He didn't want to go as Nightwing… he went straight to the police station, handing himself right over to the Joker, in the promise… in the Promise that he wouldn't hurt you." I shook my head, I was to numb to register any sort of emotion, what had he done? "…Charlotte? Charlotte?" Chase had been speaking this entire time and it hadn't even sunk in. "He's in Arkham, he took your dad to Arkham, then he just disappeared, we panicked, we thought maybe he came after you, so I came to see if you were ok. Char, we got to get you out of here."

What he was saying made sense, Run! Everything in the fibre in my being screamed to run. "We can't…" My voice was barely a whisper; he looked like he had just been hit by a building. "You…What?!" I started to walk back down to the basement, Chase followed me, not a super speed but in a rush none the less. "You can't be serious?! Wh-wha…?" His words died as for the first time his eyes got to see the room that was the base of Nightwing's and Starling's operations. "This is why." I answered coolly, if a little hoarsely. "If, if he comes, he'll find this, if he finds this, it's really game over, not just for us… for the entire Bat-family. I need to lock this place down, he can't know its here." Chase was still in ore, staring intently at each inch of the room, he snapped out of it, seemingly remembering the situation at hand. "How would you do that?" For starters I rushed over to the basements main entrance, locking us both in, but not just with the normal key code, with the iris recognition as well. "Umm, right, we're just going to hid in here?" I turned to him shaking my head, "No, But if he's coming I don't really fancy fighting him in my PJ's. And anyway that's the first step of the lock-down process, making sure no one can get in via the main entrance." He walked over to the tunnel in the wall, running his hand over part of the opening, examining it, "And I guess this is how we get out?" I nodded, rushing over to a cupboard that we kept near the weapons and training equipment, pulling it open to reveal mini explosives, not enough to destroy anything, but enough to obscure a tunnel. "Chase, you're fast, I need you to run to the end of this tunnel, you'll find yourself in a back alley in the centre of Blüdhavan, in need you to set the explosives around the opening, and then come back." He looked shocked; I think he figured out what I wanted to do. Before he could say anything I put in, "Don't argue."

I felt the air displacement as he ran through the mile and a half tunnel. I grabbed the detonator from the cupboard before rushing over to the cabinet that housed my Starling costume. I opened the draw just under it, pulling out a Pale pair of jeans, a white top, jumper and a pair of sneakers. I always kept a spare pair of clothes down here just in case, more often than not I used them if I got hurt, the clothes offered more free movement, so offered a quick alternative to my uniform. I got changed as quick as I could, uniform hidden under my normal clothes. Making sure to wear my spare utility belt between my top and jumper. I felt the air displacement once again as he re-entered the room. "Done…Hey…" I smiled at him, I walked back over to the weapons, "You have anything that resembles your costume on you? It's ok if you don't, I have you covered." I didn't wait for as reply, just continued, pulling out a yellow and green jumpsuit and a pair of goggles, chucking them to him as I reached for a bow and quiver full of arrows that we kept hidden behind all the other equipment. I looked back, all I saw was a blur as he got changed, the air wasted from the wind tunnel whipping my face. He stilled and there was Chase the speedster, the archer. "Let's go." I nodded, just one more thing, I pulled out the power supply of the computers, they gave a pained fizzing and scream of static as the screens faded to black, "Yeah lets go."

He picked me up, I think he expected me to complain, but we didn't really have the time to walk a mile and a half of tunnel, so I didn't argue. In second's we were out in the open. He slowed down enough for me to successfully hit the detonation switch, he sped away until the explosion was complete, then back again, making sure it had worked. It had. "Someone must of heard that." I shook my head, "No these apartment blocks are abandoned." He made a 'O' shape with his mouth before picking me up running straight for Gotham.

-N.D-N.D-N.D-

I opened the door to the cave, it was empty. "They're not here Chase. Not even Alfred – but I think he went to England or something for the weekend." He cursed, annoyed as he entered to verify what I had said. "They must have gone when I left to check on you. I don't think they wanted us involved." I looked at him as I walked down the metal stair case, gesturing for him to follow. "Well tough, if they've gotten themselves in trouble, we'll have to get involved on principal, anything might happen to them otherwise." The horrific image of dad falling to his death pushed its way to the forefront of my mind. That wasn't an option. We walked around to the Bat computer, Chase was again in awe as he took in his new surroundings. "Come on you." I pulled him down onto one of the chairs, he gasped as his bare arms made contact with the cool leather. I pulled off my normal clothing, leaving me in my costume before my fingers flew across the key board trying desperately to locate my family; I found my own dot on the map, well below the foundations of Wayne Manor. "Arkham yeah?" He made a muffled sound of agreement; I turned around to see him eating a protein bar. Really? Now? Right now? I gave him an incredulous look. "What? I just carried you from Blüdhavan to Gotham at super speed, gimme a break." Fair enough. I still raised an eyebrow.

Turning back to the computer I zoomed in on Arkham, the dots that signified Batman and Redhood were so close together they looked like a blemish on the screen. Without a tracker on him I was unable to tell whether Dad was close to them. I only hoped. "We need to get in." It was his time to look sceptical now, "What, without a plan? No thanks, I won't have your death on my head." I ignored him and got up, walking towards Hood's bike, which he hadn't taken on account of riding in the Batmobile with Batman. "I have a plan, you're just not in it sneakers." He looked horrified, I felt a pang of guilt mixed with something else I couldn't quiet recognise, whatever it was, it made me want to laugh and cry at the same time. "YOU ARE NOT…" I cut across his angry raised voice. "Listen to me, if anything happens, we'll need back up, I need you to go and get your parents. Fill them in, and then wait for my signal." I chucked him an earpiece, he looked at it in his big hand for a couple of seconds, I slowly backed towards the bike, "No!" I froze. "No! You can't, I won't let you. You go in there and you won't come out." I stood looking at him; he had never for as long as I can remember, reacted like this before, he never minded when I got myself in dangerous situations before. "It's no different from…" He walked forwards, grabbing my shoulders, shaking me a little. "Don't you dare… Don't you dare say this is no different from before. Because it is!" I blinked, my breathing became shallow, "Don't do this, don't say it." I begged, pleaded, I had had a suspicion, for quite some time now as well, I thought I was imagining things, or maybe I ignored the signs because… I felt the same way… NO!

I pulled away, he was smart enough to let go, but not smart enough to keep quiet, "I care about…" I span around, "Don't! This is hard enough already, don't you think I know I might not come out? Don't you think I know I could die? I don't need you… getting sentimental. If you cared, like you said you did, then you'll go and get your parents and wait for my signal." He watched as I got on the bike, turning on the ignition, "I could follow you." I looked back, of course he could follow me, he had super speed, he could track me with ease. "But you won't, you won't because I need you to do this." I floored it, not wanting to stay a moment longer in the cave with him and that awkward feeling in the pit of my stomach that of all the things, felt like butterflies, I had a job to do, and if it meant I died doing… well the joker would just be going down with me.