Avenging Justice 3:

To Infinity and Anti-Life

Part III

Earth, New Jersey, Gotham City

Nightwing was in his element. Flying through the air, nothing between him and the ground but pure skill. That and a few toys that Bruce had given him access to. Still, most was the skill ingrained in him since he was barely able to walk. Times like these he was closer to his parents, and the man who'd given him a chance. The man who now currently resided miserably in the cave, talking in his ear.

The new suit was a wonder, not that the Robin suit wasn't good. Bruce had several modifications to this one, to better fit Dick's fighting style. One of those additions were twin baton holsters that he could switch between his back and his legs. The blue and black color scheme gave him the darker edge that Batman enjoyed. With the new suit, Nightwing had been born.

"Nightwing, have your team respond to Crime Alley," Batman's voice growled. "We've got data that Professor Pyg is kidnapping people. Take it slow, and no unnecessary chances. Pyg is not to be underestimated."

"No worries, we got this," Nightwing smiled as he launched out grappling hook. "How is she doing?"

Batman's voice betrayed no emotion, "Batgirl is tracking down recent deaths linked to severe hypothermia."

"You think it was Freeze?" Nightwing, landed and launched again towards the next building.

Batman's voice came back immediately, "Not sure. It's not his style, there seems to be a haphazard nature to it. They're more predatory."

"Well tell her to be safe, but that wasn't the 'she' I was referring to," Nightwing landed softly on a rooftop near a gargoyle. He had to stifle a laugh at how much of a Batman move this was.

For the briefest of moments there was a pause, but Batman responded, "She's fine. Stay focused and keep me informed."

Beside Nightwing, Starfire landed softly. He still heard her, having grown up having to keep up with Bruce's very stealthy movements. He also spied Raven hovering on a rooftop across the street. Cyborg and Beast Boy took positions on another building. They settled in to wait, something that was much easier for Nightwing.

Back in the Batcave, Bruce Wayne stood painfully. Agony lanced through his back, neck and all across his body. Despite this, he moved and with each step, pure hell accompanied him. Even as his vision began to go, he felt strong hands guide him back to the chair. Three steps, he had made it three steps this time.

"Master Bruce, you must not do that," Alfred half scolded, half comforted Bruce. "The specialists say you are lucky not to be fully paralyzed."

Bruce spoke, pushing against his limits, "I can't keep sending those kids out there. They aren't ready for people like Pyg or Riddler."

"Or the Joker," Alfred finished for him. "You will be no use to them if you injure yourself further."

"You should know by now, there is no reasoning with him," came the sultry voice of Selina Kyle. "He's a man with a mission, one that he'll keep going after, till he falls dead."

Alfred went over to her, "Perish the thought. But yes, he is a stubborn one. Ms. Kyle, you shouldn't be up. Let's get you back to bed."

With a heavy limp, and leaning mightily onto the crutches under her arms, she shot him a warning look. Each step sent jolts of discomfort through her leg. As she accidently put her full weight on the injured leg, it was upgraded to red hot spikes being injected into her pelvis. The only sign of this discomfort was Selina's scowl as she made her way down the stairs.

"If I stay in bed one more minute, I'm liable to go mad," she explained. "How is Junior and the crew doing?"

Bruce looked back at the screen, "Nightwing and the Titans are laying for wait. If anyone comes tonight, they'll be ready."

"You sure about that, the green one and the glowy one look bored," Selina pointed to show Beast Boy chasing his tail as a dog, and Starfire, tracing constellations in the sky.

She didn't hear a response from Bruce, and almost could hear his teeth grinding. The fact he wasn't chewing them out about this lack of focus told her a lot. However, that our look on his face wasn't going away. The saving grace it seemed, was that Nightwing was turning out to be just like his mentor in the right areas.

"Titans, form up," Nightwing whispered into the comms. "We have movement."

Sure enough a large, round man bounded about the alley below. His target was stumbling just a few paces ahead, mere yards between them getting home and danger. For a person of his bulk, Professor Pyg moved rather silently. Adding to his stealth was his target's inebriated state. Rag in hand, bonds in the other, this was a practiced maneuver. One that the demented man had done over and over again, on far too many victims.

Nightwing watched till the last moment. Thinking about the poor soul whose life was about to change. Were they out here because of inner demons, winning the battle for their souls? Were they out here in celebration, or maybe in mourning of a loss? He could almost see the victim celebrating a hard one milestone, like a promotion. They could also be drowning their sorrows about a lost love or family member gone too soon. Whatever the case, despite their current state, nobody deserved the demented practices Professor Pyg was about to impose on them.

"Titans! On me!" Nightwing called out as he dove forward.

The cable he attached to the roof snapped taught, and he shifted his weight, as to redistribute the momentum of his fall into a swing. Taking that swing to just the right height, he released the line and prepared for the next part. His target would take the brunt, but even if the villain dodged, he knew enough to roll with the fall. He'd still feel it, but wouldn't do any significant damage.

He slammed into Professor Pyg, knocking the larger man back. They both crumpled into a heap, but Nightwing was already disengaging and getting back to his feet. From his back, he pulled his two batons, hit a button and heard the energy humming through them. He brought them up into attack position even as the other man in the pig mask was gaining his feet.

Quickly Professor Pyg looked around, and started to bound off after his target. The glowing form of Starfire quickly landed, grabbed the confused drunken person and then gently flew off into the air. Still Pyg continued down the alley. He only stopped as a massive green gorilla landed a few feet away and started to beat its chest. Just as quickly Pyg agilely burst to the left.

Nightwing was right on his heels, used to this type of fighting. Beast Boy was just a few fractions of a second behind him. Enough that if they didn't have Raven and Cyborg, might have meant the difference between Pyg being capture or getting away. He didn't even need to look up, to hear Cyborg's jet's whooshing overheard. Raven meanwhile came up right in front of Professor Pyg.

She pulled up a dark shield as Pyg didn't even stop and attacked her with a butcher knife from his waist. With her focus on that, she was bowled over as he slammed right int other. She could hear the ragged breathing, and a horrid smell came off his breath. More in line to dark and more evil plans, his breath was almost enough to make her gag. However, her control was beyond reproach, having spent time with the monks of Azarath.

She sent out a shadowy box that knocked Pyg down. Up, she saw Nightwing land to Pyg's right, while Cyborg landed on the left. His mechanical arm reset into a pulse energy canon, which would let Cyborg send out a non lethal stun blast. Just as quickly that arm could be reconfigured into something that could do more damage, but Nightwing had told them they were bringing Pyg in right. Not that Cyborg would have minded doing it the other way, he'd done a search on Professor Pyg while waiting. He now wished he hadn't.

"Stand down," Nightwing said. "There is no out here. You need help."

Pyg pulled out a cleaver and another butcher knife, "No! I must complete my work. I'm so closed to perfection."

"You pig faced man," Starfire brought her energy around her hands. "Do as Nightwing says, we do not wish to harm you."

Professor Pyg wheezed what sounded like a dying breath and rushed toward Starfire. She sent out a starbolt and was confused as it went just above the big man's head. However, as he raised one of his knives to stab her, a baton parried it and another slammed into Pyg. He responded with a backhand, and Nightwing moved just enough to where it didn't hit. Then he was back into attack position. Pyg turned around, only for Cyborg's stun bolt to hit Pyg in the back.

The villain tensed, turned and then slammed into Cyborg. Thinking the fight had already been one, Beast Boy had started to relax. Which gave Pyg a chance to stumble past him. Nightwing threw a line and it wrapped around Pyg's ankle. He pulled just as Starfire fired another bolt, this one slammed into Professor Pyg. He fell to the ground, rolled and it was just enough to remove the line from his ankle. Raven raised a dumpster with her abilities and slammed it in Pyg's way, blocking him in. By this time Beast Boy had transformed into a caribou and slammed into the villain.

Professor Pyg slammed into the dumpster, dropping his weapons and fell to the ground boneless. His arms were unmoving and for a brief moment, Beast Boy thought he'd hit him too hard. Moving forward, he had gone back to his humanoid form, and was reaching out. Just then a line wrapped around him and Beast Boy found himself being thrown back, and just in time to see a metallic flash near his face.

Nightwing yanked hard, hoping he wasn't too late. He was rewarded to Pyg's slashing attack with Beast Boy's cry of surprise, but he couldn't take time to see if his teammate had been wounded. Instead he reached into his belt, pulled out a batarang and threw with all his might. Cyborg blasted Pyg again, while Starfire closed the distance and punched the pig mask wearing villain hard. That left Raven the time she needed to land the knockout blow with her powers.

"Gordon's people are on their way," Batman's voice was constant, but Nightwing could hear the displeasure in it. Especially as he continued, "He almost got away."

Nightwing felt like the sidekick again, "I'll work with Beast Boy."

"The whole team, each should be ready to react if something happens," Batman corrected. "There is no room for unnecessary risks or accidents."

"Yes, sir," Nightwing looked over his team.

A more pleasant voice purred in his ear, "Don't mind him, Junior. He's just grumpy."

Nightwing couldn't help but smile, just imagining the look Bruce was giving Selina now. Wisely thought he kept his mouth shut and assisted the other Titans in making sure Professor Pyg was ready as the police sirens caught up. Then just as quickly the Teen Titans were gone, leaving the Gotham P.D. the villain. Only once did Nightwing look back, knowingly that both Selina and Bruce were right. They had done something good, but they could improve, now to just figure out how.

"Look, their kids," Selina countered to Bruce's disapproving look.

He shot back, "One who can shoot bolts of energy out of her hands, another whose powers are held by a thread, another who can turn into any animal, and one whose body is one step from a murder machine."

"Don't you trust them," then realizing the questions, Selina corrected herself. "Of course not, you don't trust anyone but yourself."

His voice dropped, but it wasn't angry, "I trust, you and Dick. Alfred, Gordon, Wonder Woman and Superman." Selina didn't say a word, at a loss. "I'm not pushing his team because I lack trust in them. I don't want to lose them. Gotham is my city, and while I'm stuck here, I will do what I can to protect them."

"Even from themselves?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered and started to monitor Batgirl's mission.

Selina watched as well, feeling bored at not being out there. She liked being out in the night, running across the rooftops. She was free then, despite everything going on in the city. It was her home, and she liked what Bruce was sharing with her. However, she wasn't meant to not be out. It was just a part of who she was. Looking over at Bruce, she felt ashamed at questioning if she would have done things the same way. However, as she gazed, she began to understand the choice had been the right one. Now, she just had to live with the rest of that decision.