So...This is the part of the story where I hope you all will forgive me for Abigail's funeral...It's kind of why I had to make it sad in the first place. It's going to get better, I swear.
This was the part of the mission that Nightingale had been worried about. She was fine with having the crap beat out of her...But this part was the part that turned her stomach. Batman was helping her limp along behind the others. He looked down as she pulled out the small device out of her utility belt. She looked up at him and he nodded. Nightingale looked ahead that the back of her brother's head and thought, *I'm sorry, Richard.* She pushed the trigger on the remote control detonator. The blast threw her back and threw the others forward. Nightingale got crushed under some of the rubble. Batman gently moved it away and pulled her back. Miss Martian linked them up with the others. (Alright. Everyone should be online.) He leaned down by her ear and whispered, "Just like we planned, Nightingale." She nodded and screamed as Miss M asked how she was.
Nightwing asked, (Batman? Dad? What's wrong?)
Batman replied (Nightingale's pinned. I can't get her out. I tried to move some of the rocks only for more to fall on her. She's losing a lot of blood fast.) Oh how good at lying he was. As the others tried to get to the two bats, Batman pulled a syringe out of his belt. Abigail whimpered. She hated needles. Batman gave her a sympathetic smile. He started to pull down her glove so he could inject the liquid, but Abigail pulled her arm back.
"What if it doesn't work?" Abigail whispered.
Batman sighed. They didn't have much time. "It will. This will slow down your heart rate and make your breathing so shallow that they won't be able to hear you."
"The supers, Dad. What about them?" Abigail asked skeptically.
"Not even them. It'll be like Romeo & Juliet." Batman said as he held his daughter's arm out.
"Juliet dies in the end," Abigail said. "Not exactly the best analogy." Bruce stuck the needle in her arm and injected the contents of the syringe. Abigail saw the world get hazy. She had a while before the drugs took effect. That's why the dark knight wanted to get them in her system sooner rather than later. Nightwing thought to his sister, (Come on, sis. You can make it through this.)
(I'm trying Richard. But I don't know if I can. It hurts.) Abigail thought weakly back to her brother, keeping up the pretense that she was trapped under rubble. She breathed heavily for good measure, knowing that Superboy could hear her. Richard kept talking to her. Eventually, Abigail started slipping into the coma like state due to the drugs. "Bruce..." Abigail said before she passed out in Batman's arms. He held her close and waited for them to realize what had happened on the other side. *I'm sorry, Dick.* Bruce thought. This was going to kill his son.
Superboy thought, (Oh man, Dick. I'm sorry.)
(Sorry? For what?) Nightwing asked.
Batman played his part now. He quietly said, (You don't have to be careful anymore. There's no one left to hurt.)
(What? Batman, please tell me she isn't-)
Batman cut off his son. (She is. She's gone.) Batman held his daughter close and closed his eyes. This was the hardest thing he had done. Ever. He thought back to the failed training exercise all those years ago. Richard thought that he could sacrifice anything-anyone-for the sake of the mission, and not feel anything. *Not anyone, Dick. Not anyone.* Batman thought.
When Richard saw his sister's body...He just cried. Wally had to take her away from Nightwing in order for him to get up and keep moving. When they got on the bio-ship, Richard held his sister's seemingly lifeless hand. He turned to Bruce and said, "Bruce...I think she's still alive. Feel, it's really weak, but there's a pulse." Batman didn't show his slight panic when Nightwing said this. He simply walked over and felt Nightingale's wrist.
"Nightwing...Son, there's nothing there. You're just imagining things. Look, get some rest. It's been a long night." Batman walked back over to his seat. Nightwing put his head in his hands.
"It was her birthday today...she just turned eighteen...And now she's dead." Dick mumbled.
Batman sat there stoicly. He thought to himself, *What kind of father am I that I would put my children through this?*
_BEFORE THE FUNERAL_
Bruce had to sneak over before anyone else got to the funeral home. He put in a dummy in the place of his still comatose daughter. The director knew that he wanted it to be closed casket, so there was no chance of anyone opening it and finding the body gone. Bruce carried Abigail out to his car. He had to put her in a secure underground warehouse so no one-especially not Richard-would find her. When Bruce got there, Abigail started to wake up. Bruce began to fix her wounds. Abigail groaned as he set her ribs. She sat up with a gasp as he set her broken arm.
"Welcome back to the land of the living," Bruce teased.
Abigail frowned. "Richard...He doesn't know. He thinks I'm dead. Bruce, I hate this. I know that it was important, but-"
Bruce held up his hand. "Your brother will be fine. I'll take care of him, don't worry. Everything is going to be fine. You just have to stay here and heal up." The whole plan was to lull the Shadows into a false sense of security. They wanted to lure them out when they thought the team would be at their weakest. When that happened, Abigail was going to come in and help them out. The League would also be there to take them down. Until then, Abigail had to stay a secret. Which sucked. Bruce left her and Abigail waited patiently. She had a computer there, and TV. She had her iPod, so all hope was not lost. Abigail waited for two weeks. Bruce would come by and tell her how everyone was doing. Abigail couldn't help it. She put her hair in a hat, put on some wrap around sunglasses and left the little bunker that was her home. She went to her funeral. She was very discreet. No one really noticed her. Abigail saw all the people there. She heard them talking to her brother and father. Heard all the things they said about her. She listened to the little memories that people shared. Abigail cried along with everyone else. She couldn't believe how people saw her. Like she was a saint or something. Even the preppy GA kids. . . .
Finally, Abigail snuck away and hid in the little grove of trees near her grave. She watched her little broken family stand over her grave. She saw Bruce and Alfred leave Richard to be alone with what he thought was his sister's resting place. *If only you knew, big brother, that my resting place is only an hour's drive from home.* She heard her big brother say that he loved her. Abigail couldn't help it. She said softly that she loved him too as the wind blew his way. She saw her brother pause, and turn his head slightly towards her grave. Then, Richard shook his head and walked to the parking lot. Abigail watched her family leave without her. She went back to her little whole in the ground. Bruce came by again and told her all about her funeral. Did he really not know that she had been? Abigail chalked it up to him trying to console his grieving son. As Bruce left, he said, "And by the way...Don't think that you got away with going to your own funeral. Just because no one else saw it, doesn't mean that I didn't."
Abigail smiled. "It was a nice turn out." The billionaire chuckled and walked out. Abigail waited for about an hour before she took care of one last piece of business. She went back to Wayne Manor, and climbed up to her brother's room. Richard almost always left the window open. Abigail slipped through and walked over to her brother's bed. He sat up and muttered, "Who...Whosthere?"
Abigail simply sat on her brother's bed and stroked his hair. He froze, every one of his muscles tensed. Abigail laughed softly. "You always were mistrustful."
"You aren't real," Richard whispered quietly.
"Maybe not," Abigail replied. "But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't listen to me."
"Listen to you about what?"
Abigail kept on stroking her brother's hair as she answered. "I want you to have a life, big brother. Don't let the guilt consume you. Don't let me make another day in the year for you to shut down and push everyone away. It's not your fault. I'm sorry." Abigail brushed away the tears that were falling down silently.
Abigail saw her brother quirk and eyebrow. "Why would you be sorry?"
Abigail sighed. "I left. But...you'll see me again. Promise. It's not as bad as it seems. I love you, big brother. Never forget that." Abigail bent over and kissed Richard's temple. Richard sat up with a gasp. Abigail rolled off the bed and landed silently, doing a cartwheel across the room to hide in the corner. Dick stared into the corner, thinking that he saw her. "Abigail?" Richard whispered. Abigail bit her lips together so she didn't yell, "Here I am!"
Dick lay back down and Abigail crept over to the window. As she was lifting her leg over the window sill, she heard her brother whisper to himself, "I won't forget, Abigail. Ever." Abigail smiled before she left, taking one last look at her brother. Then, she went to Wally's place. Abigail had to make sure that her brother was taken care of. Sure, it probably jeapordized the mission, but Abigail didn't really care. She just wanted to make sure that she had a brother to return to. Abigail went back to the underground warehouse and fell asleep on the bed that Bruce had provided for her. Abigail just prayed that her brother wouldn't go out for revenge...but if he did, she hoped that he wouldn't do it alone.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I told you that it got better! I wouldn't just kill Abigail! She is my baby. The fruit of my writer's loom. I could never be so callous. So, I hope that you guys forgive me for doing this to you. I just got the idea one night and I thought, *This is a perfect way to end the story!* This is going to be fun. I might have a chapter where Nightwing lays waste to those he believes responsible for his baby sister's death. We'll see. Please review...and please don't hate me for this!