Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. This story is strictly fan fiction.
I am aware that Barbara's real eye color is green, but in the Animated Series, it's blue, so don't rant me about it.
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Chapter Two (Lockdown):
Dick stood up and watched Barbara run to the bathroom, ready to make her transformation to Batgirl. He, however, was more conspicuous. Knowing this, he drew his gun, and slowly turned off the safety. The crowd was beginning to realize that the hooded hypnotist was not returning. Jim Gordon stood calming the guests, "Remain calm, everyone, and this situation will soon be resolved… Montoya! Get some officers here! Bullock! Get a head start on the case!"
Dick knew he had no jurisdiction in Gotham, and could only act if its Commissioner requested it from Blüdhaven Police. Luckily, he did, in case something was to happen in the party. Gotham's most lethal were not above that, they could, and probably would do something like it. Turns out, Ra's Al Ghul did. Dick Grayson is now an official officer on the case. He had no need of turning into a vigilante and alter ego Nightwing. He walked over to Jim Gordon.
"What do you think, Grayson?" Jim's voice and manner suddenly had that lawful authority. You had to take him serious. Dick examined the site thoroughly. It looked like the disappearing act that he, the first Robin, had pulled off with his comrade in arms, Batman. He and Jim walked closer to the stage. Before he could answer, Batgirl showed up at the scene.
"Don't you guys ever use the door?" Bullock commented sarcastically. Barbara chose to ignore it. She chose not to pummel him to the ground. Getting smart with the vigilantes of Batman was not smart. But Dick just smiled, and it calmed her down a bit. He was a bit more easy-going lately. Maybe this was what he needed, she thought. A break from Batman's shadow, to sever connections from Nightwing and Batman, and the right to protect a city on his own without Batman's interference. This was going to be quite a night.
"Where's the big guy?" Jim asked. Batman wasn't there, and Batgirl couldn't say what had really happened, or he'd piece together that Multi-billionaire Bruce Wayne, was indeed the cape-bearing vigilante known as Batman. But how to get around his question was a different matter.
"Batman's already on the case. I'm just here to get evidentiary support." Batgirl said rigidly. She'd never get used to talking to her dad as just Commissioner Gordon, but what choice did she have?
"Ah… divide and conquer. Smart, but I think we're going to need every piece of help we can get on just getting evidence. Guy disappeared on a cloud of smoke. I think that's along Batman's alley, isn't it?" Dick just looked at Commissioner Gordon.
"I'm sure the big guy's on to that already. Now if you excuse me, I have to make a call. Commissioner, you should request help from Blüdhaven Police." Dick changed the subject again. He was getting good at this. Batgirl looked at him in admiration. Dick just winked at her when the Commissioner wasn't looking.
"Negative, Grayson. You're Blüdhaven's contribution. It's all the help we can get from them. They're investigating some heist that happened weeks ago. It's an oldie, but I think they want the guy behind it bad." Dick already knew this, but he wanted to get Batman out of the subject.
"Alright, Commissioner…" Dick took out his phone and walked off. Batgirl looked at him as he walked out the door. She knew he had a plan, but she couldn't look into it without being noticed. She walked over to the scene of the kidnapping and tried to deduce from whatever evidence she found.
Commissioner's phone rang. The room jumped. "Gordon, here," He said. "Sure thing, Grayson. Thanks for the help. Good night." He put the phone down. Moments later, the window above the door opened. A fast moving figure with the grace that would put Olympians to shame glided in. It was Nightwing. Batgirl smiled at her fellow vigilante. A second later, another figure of red and blue showed up. It was definitely faster than Nightwing and could outrace an Olympian asleep. The room just stared at the newcomer. He was tall and built. Commissioner Gordon and Batgirl ran to him.
"Commissioner Gordon, this is Superman. He's doing Batman a favor while we… investigate this case further." Nightwing smiled. Of course, the Commissioner already knew who Superman was. Who hadn't? He was a king among legends and had a reputation that rivaled the Batman's.
"Good evening, Commissioner. It looks like I'll be doing Batman's job for a while. Do you mind getting me acquainted with Gotham's finest?" Commissioner Gordon ignored his exceptional manners. The Man of Steel was actually there… and talking to him!
"Why… uh… yes… right this way, Superman." The Commissioner stuttered as he led Superman away. No doubt Superman had his eyes out for clues also. He had his own ways that Bruce never did figure out. Maybe it was the X-Ray vision that helped, or the magnified vision… Superman was a Kryptonian of many talents.
Nightwing and Batgirl got on his motorcycle and headed for Wayne Manor. "So, Nightwing, what's the plan?" Batgirl finally asked. They were finally alone. She wrestled down the daydream of them getting personal and reasoned that this was strictly business.
"Ra's Al Ghul has another base in the Sahara. Lately, Africans have been discovering Lazarus Pits. That's supposed to be unnatural. There aren't supposed to be that many. Batman thought that maybe Ra's Al Ghul could be behind it. His suspicions were confirmed when Africans who got too close disappeared. He'd been looking into it after his shifts. One of my co-workers… he went on vacation near the Sahara. He was going to see his family. He was also supposed to be back a week ago. It's like he just disappeared. We looked into his travel files, he's supposedly still there. Batman asked me to look into BCD Archives and hopefully get a clue or something. I didn't." Nightwing paused. "We're headed for the Sahara."
"But how do you know it's Ra's?" Batgirl asked. Nightwing was leaving gaps in his explanation. She noticed it and paid no attention that it was a long one. She didn't like being left out of the plan. It was hardly okay that Batman did it, but Nightwing? Oh no, she was in this one definitely.
Nightwing sighed, "Ra's is one of the few people that know Batman's alter ego. He also knows how Batman pulls that gas trick off. The Joker could probably pull it off, but he's in Arkham, and he doesn't know who Batman really is. The only suspect that fits is Ra's. He's also familiar in storytelling that relate to legends… doesn't matter if it's not true or it is. If it isn't, he can make it believable. And disappearing without a trace after a kidnapping is his style. I've been kidnapped by him once before and I know he was cautious since he knew two more of Batman's vigilantes were present and ready to try and stop him if he made himself conspicuous."
Batgirl nodded. Nightwing had laid the facts down in such a blunt way that she was sure he figured things out correctly. "How does he know who we are?" she piped. It was still a miracle that she knew who Batman was, but Nightwing and Batgirl? She was still a bit skeptical about the achievements of Ra's. If he was this smart, why couldn't he have taken out Batman? Bruce had a lot of explaining to do.
Nightwing sighed. He knew what was going on in Barbara's mind, and there were some things he didn't know… but then again, there were others he could never say. "Ra's knew who Batman was through Batman's design. All those gadgets and computers… only a person of high rank could pull it off. Money would be an essential part. Only one man in Gotham could be Batman… Bruce Wayne. Of course, he wasn't completely sure until he checked his history. Penguin had the goods… but he got them from crime… something Batman was strictly against. This discovery followed several tests, including my being kidnapped. In each test, Batman proved his worth, but when Ra's offered his ultimatum… to marry his daughter or die—."
"—He refused." Batgirl interrupted. Nightwing paused and slowly nodded as they headed to the secret entrance of the Batcave. The alarm went off, and the Batcave got ready for lockdown. "Batgirl! Override! Code: Barbara!" she exclaimed. Nothing happened. The lockdown was still intact.
Nightwing frowned. No doubt Batman was the only one who was authorized to disable the thing. "Hang on!" Barrel guns drew from the walls and statues and shot at them. "Just like old times, eh?" Nightwing couldn't resist a witty remark. He rode off a cliff and landed on the Batcave floor, with gunfire inches away. "Talk about a close call…"
Suddenly, huge guns and mortars cocked their way to the two vigilantes as triple barrel wielding androids surrounded them. "Uh-oh…" Batgirl and Nightwing said simultaneously. They were surrounded, but the two wouldn't give up… it was against their training. The two ran in opposite directions. While Batgirl evaded a series of gunfire and explosions from the mortars, the androids surrounded Nightwing. He back flipped as an android fired at him, but instead the bullets hit their mark on another android directly behind him. As the Android went down, another moved to take its place. Nightwing landed behind that one and tore out its arms. However, the one that went down before suddenly jolted up. It rebooted! "Bruce… you son of a gun…" Nightwing muttered as bullets erupted from its gun and hit him on the chest knocking him down. He would've been killed had it not been that his suit was made of Kevlar. At the same time, Barbara fell unconscious in his lap. A mortar had finally gotten her. "Damn it! You—." What followed his words was anyone's guess for a loud booming voice interrupted.
"—Alfred Pennyworth! Override! Master Code: Thomas and Martha Wayne!" Almost immediately, the Batcave's arsenal withdrew. There were no signs of them being ever there, except of course, for the Batcave being in shambles. Nightwing, Batgirl, and the enforcers of the cave certainly had made a mess of things.
Nightwing got up carrying the unconscious Batgirl. "You've got to show me how you do that…"
"In due time, Master Dick. Let's go upstairs and tend to Miss Gordon, shall we?" Alfred led Nightwing to the guest room and he laid her on the bed. Alfred walked off and returned with a cup of coffee. They sat down. "Now tell me, Master Dick, what happened? And where's Master Bruce?" Nightwing removed his mask and shirt. It would need repairing. The bullets had done some work on it. Slowly, he retold what had happened during the day. Alfred listened. "Oh my, that is quite a jam. We must find Master Bruce. I trust that you have a plan?" Dick nodded. He examined the bullets.
"Hmmm… Teflon coating? Bruce hates guns… why would he get the latest weaponry on guns?" Dick observed.
"Master Bruce needed something that could ward off people like Ra's Al Ghul, or stall them while he prepares to retaliate. He'd been surprised in here once before. He gave me an override just in case. I would've come sooner had it not—." Alfred paused. He blushed.
Dick smiled. "Go on, Alfred! Had it not what?" He was sure it was something embarrassing. Alfred never kept secrets.
"Well… you see, Master Dick… I was… in the bath…" Alfred blushed. It was such a silly reason to almost let Master Dick and Miss Gordon die. He looked at Dick's face, only to see a wolfish grin plastered on his face. "Just what is it that you find amusing?"
Dick chortled. "I don't know. Just don't swear not to take a bath again, that would be really something to worry about." Alfred shook his head as he gave Dick a warm look. Masters Bruce and Dick had been going at each other's throats for a while now. Seeing them actually display affection was truly a cause for celebration.
He caught something moving on the left. Alfred noticed it too, but neither gazed at the direction. Dick discreetly headed to the direction. As soon as he saw that the figure was about to bolt for it, he kicked the door, closing it and wrestled the guy to the ground. "Gerroff! Gerroff!" said a muffled voice. "It's me! Tim!"
"Tim? How long have you been listening?" Dick was annoyed that Tim decided to eavesdrop. He escorted Tim to his chair. "Take a seat."
"Long enough to hear everything that's been going on." Tim didn't have an opportunity to finish his response, because just then, Barbara opened her eyes and bolted up. Dick, Tim, and Alfred were by her side in precisely the equivalent of a New York minute.
After a long talk, Barbara piped, "So what do we do, Dick? You're the one with the plan." There was a long pause. Tim looked at Barbara, then at Dick, then at Alfred. Barbara told him Dick's plan.
"So… what do we do?" Tim questioned. It was quite annoying. Dick didn't want to jeopardize the other Robin. Batman wouldn't want it to happen, but then again, they were going to need his help.
"Suit up." Nightwing finally said. Ten minutes later, they were in the new and highly dangerous Batplane. They didn't take the jet because none of their other vehicles would fit in. Inside the plane were the Redbird, the Batcycle, and the Nightcycle. Three vigilantes were also inside, with Nightwing flying it. Batgirl and Robin were on standby ready to launch retaliation at any given time. Inside Batgirl's cowl was another radio that gives instant feedback from the Batcave computers. It would be needed just in case they needed Alfred when they weren't in the plane.
As they reached the right altitude, Superman knocked at their door. Nightwing opened it, making sure that nothing could shoot out the door. Unfortunately, Robin was overlooked. The youngster didn't have his seat belts on, causing him to fly out the door. Luckily, Superman caught the adolescent. "Nice catch." Nightwing and Robin both said.
Superman smiled. "No problem. I'm coming along." Superman seated Robin and secured him with a seat belt.
"You can't. You've got to protect Gotham… it's—." Nightwing started.
"Gotham will be fine. Supergirl's on it. I heard your plan while I was looking for clues. I agree, Ra's can be found in the Sahara. I've already checked it. I think he's taken refuge in the hideout he used when he kidnapped me. It's guarded." Nightwing was baffled. Of course… super hearing, super speed, and super vision, a few traits that made Superman the Man of Steel. "I'm sure Batgirl's up for the job. Besides, I hear Azrael's looking after Gotham. He wouldn't let me help him… he's kind of like Bruce. Still, I've got Supergirl on patrol at day. Azrael's got night. You're going to need me. Ra's is tough."
Nightwing nodded. Arguing with the Man of Steel was pointless. If he denied the guy, he'd just follow anyway. "Here's the deal…"
