Nightwing looked out over the edge of the building and lowered a pair of
binoculars as he sighed. He and the other's had been searching for
Robin for two hours now and it was getting close to sunrise. He stood up,
rising from his crouch and stretched his legs to get the circulation back
in them. Running a hand tiredly through his hair he activated his comlink
to Oracle. "Babs...There's no trace of him here. Batman have any luck?"
Back at the Clocktower, Barbara Grayson was looking up at the dark shadow draped figure in her window, her green eyes filled with worry. Turning her head back to the array of computers at her side, she clicked on the mic. "Dick?" Her voice wavered only slightly and she took a deep breathe before she plunged ahead, "Batman just returned from scouting and he heard something on the police band...." she paused a moment before she continued. "The Joker escaped last night." Oracle waited as she heard a sharp intake of breath on Nightwing's end and could tell that Dick's worry has just increased by a factor of twenty. Barbara herself was extremely fearful for her son. Her hand rubbed the armrest of her wheelchair, a token of one of the Joker's schemes, when he had shot her point blank years ago, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down.
Dick was filled with flashbacks of his own, as he remembered the uncontrollable rage he felt towards the Joker, for everything he had done to those he loved. He looked down at his gloved hand as the grisely memory of when had killed the Joker came unbidden to his thoughts. In his mind it didnt' matter that he brought him back, the fear of that anger still frightened him, as did the fear of Joker getting to yet another member of his family.
Batman himself was frowning, though you couldn't tell because of the mask. Deep inside, Bruce's heart stirred at the painful loss of Jason Todd, his adopted son, and the second Robin. Jason had been a good soldier, though too rebellious for his own good. In the end, the Joker had taken his life as he had with so many others. The idea that Jymmy was in the Joker's hand did not sit well with him, and sent a shiver down his spine. He was shaken from his thoughts as he realized Dick was speaking.
Nightwing's voice had a harsh edge to it, with enough steel in it to rival Batman's. He was addressing Oracle at the moment, trying to qualm his fears for his son. "Oracle, contact Tim and Cassie get them to help search the waterfront. Batman...if you could get Catwoman to scout the Eastside and downtown. I'd like--I NEED your help searching the warehouses." It wasn't a command, but a plea to Batman's ears and though Nightwing couldn't see it he nodded as he voiced the affirmative and took off out the window. Barbara got to work, slipping into the proffesional, impersonal Oracle mode.
After the last of his directions, Nightwing stood there on top of the building for a few moments in silence. The wind blew through his hair, throwing his dark curls in every direction. His strong shoulders lifted as he took in a breathe of the cool night air and sighed heavily as he realized this is how Batman had felt all those years ago, and probably still felt. Afterall, you never STOPPED being a parent. "C'mon Grayson, get a move on. Jymmy's not gonna wait forever." he whispered to the wind. Taking one more deep breathe he launched himself off the building and free- fell towards Grand street as he shot off a jump-line. "Hold on James....just hold on."
As a matter of fact, Jymmy COULDN'T hold on for long. Not with a group of armed clowns closing in on him. He looked around and saw the immediate threat was the four goons closing in on him. The same ones who had been playing poker. In his hand he still held the batarang, and now he threw it directly at the clown--who looked freakishly like a mime--on the right. He didn't wait to see it take the big henchman down, as he reached behind him feeling around for the scattered cards. His hand came across one and he quickly brought it up and tossed it at the goon on the left, with a flick of his wrist, causing the edge of card to become razor sharp as it grazed the goon's forehead. He rolled backwards over his shoulders and used his arms to lift himself to a headstand position, kicking his feet in a wide split and grinning with satisfaction as he felt the boots connect with the two remaining clown's jaws. Robin stayed in a protective crouch as he landed and looked around to assess the threat of the ominous looking outer- circle thugs. There were five of them, and they were closing on him with guns. One of them raised his gun and fired in Jymmy's direction. Robin lost no time as he lept up, thereby dodging the bullet and somersaulted backwards. Now, he rose from his crouch and sprang forward before the ugly thug had a chance to retrain his aim on him. The last thing that guy saw was a green-gloved fist heading straight at him.
Even as the first guy went down, Robin could feel arms grabbing him around his neck, in a headlock. Another thug was rushing him, assuming his buddy could hold the kid in check as he pummled him with the brass knuckler that adorned his fist. He assumed wrong, for as ran straight forward at full speed, Robin had swung his legs up at the last minute catching the overgrown ape on the chin, and twisted out of Moron #1's headlock. Moron #1 just stood there looking stupidly at Robin, who was grinning, as he tried to figure out how he managed to get away, a process not unlike a blender mixing concrete. In what seemed to be a blink of an eye, the moronic thug was saved from anymore painful thinking as he fell to the floor unconcious.
Robin chuckled to himself as he muttered, "Four down...one to go." Before he could turn around to look for the last one he heard a sound that sent a cold shiver down his back. Behind him there was a soft click of a gun hammer cocking and a low maniacal laughing. The laughter rose in pitch and became louder and more forceful, till it became the delerious laugh of a madman. Slowly turning around, Robin began to feel a little sick as he saw none other than the Joker standing there in all his glory, holding an oversized gun and laughing as if there were no tomorrow.
Back at the Clocktower, Barbara Grayson was looking up at the dark shadow draped figure in her window, her green eyes filled with worry. Turning her head back to the array of computers at her side, she clicked on the mic. "Dick?" Her voice wavered only slightly and she took a deep breathe before she plunged ahead, "Batman just returned from scouting and he heard something on the police band...." she paused a moment before she continued. "The Joker escaped last night." Oracle waited as she heard a sharp intake of breath on Nightwing's end and could tell that Dick's worry has just increased by a factor of twenty. Barbara herself was extremely fearful for her son. Her hand rubbed the armrest of her wheelchair, a token of one of the Joker's schemes, when he had shot her point blank years ago, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down.
Dick was filled with flashbacks of his own, as he remembered the uncontrollable rage he felt towards the Joker, for everything he had done to those he loved. He looked down at his gloved hand as the grisely memory of when had killed the Joker came unbidden to his thoughts. In his mind it didnt' matter that he brought him back, the fear of that anger still frightened him, as did the fear of Joker getting to yet another member of his family.
Batman himself was frowning, though you couldn't tell because of the mask. Deep inside, Bruce's heart stirred at the painful loss of Jason Todd, his adopted son, and the second Robin. Jason had been a good soldier, though too rebellious for his own good. In the end, the Joker had taken his life as he had with so many others. The idea that Jymmy was in the Joker's hand did not sit well with him, and sent a shiver down his spine. He was shaken from his thoughts as he realized Dick was speaking.
Nightwing's voice had a harsh edge to it, with enough steel in it to rival Batman's. He was addressing Oracle at the moment, trying to qualm his fears for his son. "Oracle, contact Tim and Cassie get them to help search the waterfront. Batman...if you could get Catwoman to scout the Eastside and downtown. I'd like--I NEED your help searching the warehouses." It wasn't a command, but a plea to Batman's ears and though Nightwing couldn't see it he nodded as he voiced the affirmative and took off out the window. Barbara got to work, slipping into the proffesional, impersonal Oracle mode.
After the last of his directions, Nightwing stood there on top of the building for a few moments in silence. The wind blew through his hair, throwing his dark curls in every direction. His strong shoulders lifted as he took in a breathe of the cool night air and sighed heavily as he realized this is how Batman had felt all those years ago, and probably still felt. Afterall, you never STOPPED being a parent. "C'mon Grayson, get a move on. Jymmy's not gonna wait forever." he whispered to the wind. Taking one more deep breathe he launched himself off the building and free- fell towards Grand street as he shot off a jump-line. "Hold on James....just hold on."
As a matter of fact, Jymmy COULDN'T hold on for long. Not with a group of armed clowns closing in on him. He looked around and saw the immediate threat was the four goons closing in on him. The same ones who had been playing poker. In his hand he still held the batarang, and now he threw it directly at the clown--who looked freakishly like a mime--on the right. He didn't wait to see it take the big henchman down, as he reached behind him feeling around for the scattered cards. His hand came across one and he quickly brought it up and tossed it at the goon on the left, with a flick of his wrist, causing the edge of card to become razor sharp as it grazed the goon's forehead. He rolled backwards over his shoulders and used his arms to lift himself to a headstand position, kicking his feet in a wide split and grinning with satisfaction as he felt the boots connect with the two remaining clown's jaws. Robin stayed in a protective crouch as he landed and looked around to assess the threat of the ominous looking outer- circle thugs. There were five of them, and they were closing on him with guns. One of them raised his gun and fired in Jymmy's direction. Robin lost no time as he lept up, thereby dodging the bullet and somersaulted backwards. Now, he rose from his crouch and sprang forward before the ugly thug had a chance to retrain his aim on him. The last thing that guy saw was a green-gloved fist heading straight at him.
Even as the first guy went down, Robin could feel arms grabbing him around his neck, in a headlock. Another thug was rushing him, assuming his buddy could hold the kid in check as he pummled him with the brass knuckler that adorned his fist. He assumed wrong, for as ran straight forward at full speed, Robin had swung his legs up at the last minute catching the overgrown ape on the chin, and twisted out of Moron #1's headlock. Moron #1 just stood there looking stupidly at Robin, who was grinning, as he tried to figure out how he managed to get away, a process not unlike a blender mixing concrete. In what seemed to be a blink of an eye, the moronic thug was saved from anymore painful thinking as he fell to the floor unconcious.
Robin chuckled to himself as he muttered, "Four down...one to go." Before he could turn around to look for the last one he heard a sound that sent a cold shiver down his back. Behind him there was a soft click of a gun hammer cocking and a low maniacal laughing. The laughter rose in pitch and became louder and more forceful, till it became the delerious laugh of a madman. Slowly turning around, Robin began to feel a little sick as he saw none other than the Joker standing there in all his glory, holding an oversized gun and laughing as if there were no tomorrow.