Disclaimer: I don't own nada. You know the drill. Do you really think I'd own it after only a few months? Well, I DON'T! I mean, I could try chaining myself to the fence outside of the DC Comics HQ and demanding partial ownership, but I don't think I'd get very far…besides, let them worry about all the legalities. As long as I say I don't own it ("I don't own it.") they can't peg me for anything! Bwahahahahaha!
A/N: I'm dual dedicating this chapter to Arian3 (my 25th reviewer! You rock!) and Naru-Kami-Mehami--I hope your roommate won't wig out on you! Tell her from me it's OKAY! Heh…so you know, my chapters will prolly be updated once a week from here on out. I know I've been kind of random, but it's nearing the end of the semester and all…have to CLEAN the dorm before we move out…blah…
Chapter 14: In The Dark Recesses…
"Aw, now why'd you do that, 'Wing?" Arsenal asked, gazing on the unconscious form of Benz pooled on the floor. His nose was bleeding and there was no doubt among the team that Dick had given him merely a taste of what was to come. "I told you to save some for me!" He whipped out a rag and began to polish his crossbow. "I know you're her father, but we all deserve a go at the bastard."
"He's just unconscious, Arsenal. I have plans for this one." Nightwing replied softly as he gave a disgusted look. "He didn't just rape her. He's a pedophile. Anyone who messes with children pisses me off, you know that."
"Good thing we finished off the rest of his gang before we came in." Tempest muttered.
"So what did you have in mind?" Lantern asked.
"As much as I want to kill him right here, that won't solve anything. Neither will maiming him. No, the best way to injure people like this is to get into their mind. That's where they can't escape. If we get into the darkest recesses of his mind, he'll never forget us. Or Natalie."
"You're sounding a bit like someone out of Arkham, 'Wing." Lantern responded carefully. "Just make sure we don't go too far."
"Too far? Kyle, this…this thing raped your goddaughter and did God knows what else!" Roy cried.
"Lantern's right." Nightwing said pensively, not taking his eyes from the limp corpse in front of them. "But we won't have to touch him."
"The nature of psychological warfare." Tempest nodded. "Although I was kind of fond of taking a page from Ivan the Third's book. Impaling him so he stays alive sounds rather generous."
The Flash sped up in a blur of red and yellow. "Impaling? Yes, it sounds generous. Too good for him. What'd I miss."
"We're employing psychological tactics on this pustule." Arsenal spat.
"I like the way you think." The Flash gave an almost disturbing smile. "He won't know we're not going to touch him, right? So, Arsenal, what's to keep you from shooting at him, as long as you miss by a hair?"
------------------------------
Everything was black. Benz's limp body was tied to a char in the corner, though no one could tell where the corner was, exactly. There was no light except for the occasional flickering of a single bulb that swung on a wire. It was only enough to see flashes of movement by the vigilantes occupying the room.
Nightwing was fairly pleased with the results. Oh, he would make this worm pay. It may have been his own fault that Natalie was afraid to tell him what had happened, but he could do something with the knowing. With each flash of light, a new memory of Natalie surfaced in his mind. Holding her in the hospital, seeing her toddle around headquarters and bumping into things. She had been too young to remember any of it. He remembered the first time she said Daddy--it had been directed at Garth, not at him.
It stung him to see his baby calling someone else Daddy, but at the same time, he was glad that she had someone whom Barbara trusted to take care of her, if only for awhile. Now it only rubbed salt on an open wound. Gazing on the bruised form tied to the chair, his eyes grew colder. He felt a hand on his shoulder, but didn't turn.
"You've fought your entire life against becoming apathetic. Don't start now. You'll get your revenge, but it won't take away the pain." Tempest said quietly. "He deserves much worse than we're going to give him. But it won't make what happened to her undone."
Nightwing sighed, turning. "Remind me why you're still doing this."
"For the same reason you came out of retirement one last time." Garth smiled, giving his shoulder a squeeze.
"Can we wake him up now? My trigger finger is getting an itch." Arsenal said from his place against the opposite wall.
"No, he's got to wake on his own. To nothing. No light, no sound." Lantern said, his voice darker han they had ever heard it. When they turned eyes in question, he simply replied, "He hurt our little girl. He's going to pay."
"'Wing, there's something you should know." The Flash remarked. "Natalie's aware of Arse and GL, here. I think she pieced it together when GL used her nickname."
Nightwing frowned. He hadn't wanted it to happen like this.
"It was going to happen eventually." The Flash replied, as if reading his thoughts. "It's not going to be easy for her, but at least her mother has exposed her to some facet of the truth."
"Hey, he's waking up!" Arsenal hissed. He apparently hadn't taken his eyes off the boy. Yes, boy, Nightwing thought. No man would ever hurt a woman or child. No real man. Oh, this would be fun…
They watched his eyes slowly open, groggily, as he tried to grasp his surroundings. Then they shot open and he struggled to free himself. Good luck, Nightwing thought, I tied those knots myself.
"What the hell? Where am I?" Benz shouted.
Silence.
He struggled more and only managed to assist the ropes in cutting into his wrists. Any physical damage done now would be at his own hand. "Hey! Somebody help! Somebody!"
Nightwing smirked and glanced at Arsenal, who nodded and knocked a bolt into his crossbow, making sure Benz heard the click.
"Who's there?" His voice was shaking. Good. He was disoriented.
Flash sped immediately behind him and Benz turned to look.
"What's the matter, don't like being tied down?" Nightwing asked, making sure to keep to the darkest corners. He would not be seen yet. With another nod, Arsenal released the bolt and it whizzed by Benz's head, embedding itself into the wall behind him. He screamed.
"Who are you? What do you think you're doing, man?"
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Arsenal smile and release another, which landed on the other side of Benz's head. The boy yelped. "Cut it out, man!"
Nightwing chuckled. "You should recognize this feeling, Joshua. How's your pulse?"
"What are you talking about?"
Tempest and the Lantern began making noise around Benz, just soft shuffles and rustles of fabric. Nightwing nodded to them and Lantern created a long pole with small, blunt spikes sticking out of it, while Tempest summoned water up around Benz's feet. They moved within three feet of him and as the light flickered, they advanced silently.
Benz struggled in the chair. "The Green Lantern? Tempest? What are you doing? No, don't!"
"Oh, but this will be fun, Joshua." Nightwing replied from the shadows, keeping his voice calm, velvety, even. "You'll like it. Just like Natalie Grayson did when you forced yourself onto her."
They were cast into darkness again save the green glow of the shaft in the Lantern's hands, which soon faded.
They could see perspiration on Benz's brow now, and he was visibly shaking. Oh yes, this was coming along nicely. There would be no need to draw it out as long as they had planned.
"How do you know about that? Who's that speaking?"
"I know many things, Joshua. Now just sit back, or I'll have to punish you."
This time, Arsenal sent three bullets at Benz, letting one graze the side of his forehead ever so slightly.
"God, please, don't! I didn't do anything wrong! She wanted it!" Benz cried.
"Calm yourself. It was only to assure you that you are not dreaming." Nightwing replied. "But I would not lie, if I were you. I am a very powerful man and capable of killing you now, if I wish. Hear me. If you ever go near Natalie Grayson or any other girl again, I promise you we will meet again. And next time, this will not be so pleasurable."
Lantern summoned the pole again and levitated it in front of Benz, sending it closer, and closer, and closer…
Nightwing smiled as he began to squirm. "You made one very big mistake, Joshua. You chose the wrong girl. Not that it matters, I would have come after you anyway."
"Please, don't do--"
"No, no. I think I'll answer your question now. You wanted to know who I am." He crossed the floor in a matter of seconds and came within millimeters of his face, preparing a pin that would put him to sleep. "I am Natalie's father." There was one more flicker of light and Benz screamed, seeing him so close. Nightwing's mouth twisted up into a dangerous smile as everything went black again and he signaled to his teammates.
The air was filled with dark chuckles, slowly increasing in volume and intensity into full-fledged cackles of laughter. Benz began screaming again, and only quieted as Nightwing slipped past him to insert the pin into a pressure point. Then his body went limp…
A/N: Okay, so I know this was really evil. The point was, however, not to harm the guy, but screw with his head. Sorry if Garth and Wally didn't get much to do, I was kinda stuck on that…anyway, hope you enjoyed. Next chapter: Natalie's reaction to her 'uncles' identities!
A/N: I'm dual dedicating this chapter to Arian3 (my 25th reviewer! You rock!) and Naru-Kami-Mehami--I hope your roommate won't wig out on you! Tell her from me it's OKAY! Heh…so you know, my chapters will prolly be updated once a week from here on out. I know I've been kind of random, but it's nearing the end of the semester and all…have to CLEAN the dorm before we move out…blah…
Chapter 14: In The Dark Recesses…
"Aw, now why'd you do that, 'Wing?" Arsenal asked, gazing on the unconscious form of Benz pooled on the floor. His nose was bleeding and there was no doubt among the team that Dick had given him merely a taste of what was to come. "I told you to save some for me!" He whipped out a rag and began to polish his crossbow. "I know you're her father, but we all deserve a go at the bastard."
"He's just unconscious, Arsenal. I have plans for this one." Nightwing replied softly as he gave a disgusted look. "He didn't just rape her. He's a pedophile. Anyone who messes with children pisses me off, you know that."
"Good thing we finished off the rest of his gang before we came in." Tempest muttered.
"So what did you have in mind?" Lantern asked.
"As much as I want to kill him right here, that won't solve anything. Neither will maiming him. No, the best way to injure people like this is to get into their mind. That's where they can't escape. If we get into the darkest recesses of his mind, he'll never forget us. Or Natalie."
"You're sounding a bit like someone out of Arkham, 'Wing." Lantern responded carefully. "Just make sure we don't go too far."
"Too far? Kyle, this…this thing raped your goddaughter and did God knows what else!" Roy cried.
"Lantern's right." Nightwing said pensively, not taking his eyes from the limp corpse in front of them. "But we won't have to touch him."
"The nature of psychological warfare." Tempest nodded. "Although I was kind of fond of taking a page from Ivan the Third's book. Impaling him so he stays alive sounds rather generous."
The Flash sped up in a blur of red and yellow. "Impaling? Yes, it sounds generous. Too good for him. What'd I miss."
"We're employing psychological tactics on this pustule." Arsenal spat.
"I like the way you think." The Flash gave an almost disturbing smile. "He won't know we're not going to touch him, right? So, Arsenal, what's to keep you from shooting at him, as long as you miss by a hair?"
------------------------------
Everything was black. Benz's limp body was tied to a char in the corner, though no one could tell where the corner was, exactly. There was no light except for the occasional flickering of a single bulb that swung on a wire. It was only enough to see flashes of movement by the vigilantes occupying the room.
Nightwing was fairly pleased with the results. Oh, he would make this worm pay. It may have been his own fault that Natalie was afraid to tell him what had happened, but he could do something with the knowing. With each flash of light, a new memory of Natalie surfaced in his mind. Holding her in the hospital, seeing her toddle around headquarters and bumping into things. She had been too young to remember any of it. He remembered the first time she said Daddy--it had been directed at Garth, not at him.
It stung him to see his baby calling someone else Daddy, but at the same time, he was glad that she had someone whom Barbara trusted to take care of her, if only for awhile. Now it only rubbed salt on an open wound. Gazing on the bruised form tied to the chair, his eyes grew colder. He felt a hand on his shoulder, but didn't turn.
"You've fought your entire life against becoming apathetic. Don't start now. You'll get your revenge, but it won't take away the pain." Tempest said quietly. "He deserves much worse than we're going to give him. But it won't make what happened to her undone."
Nightwing sighed, turning. "Remind me why you're still doing this."
"For the same reason you came out of retirement one last time." Garth smiled, giving his shoulder a squeeze.
"Can we wake him up now? My trigger finger is getting an itch." Arsenal said from his place against the opposite wall.
"No, he's got to wake on his own. To nothing. No light, no sound." Lantern said, his voice darker han they had ever heard it. When they turned eyes in question, he simply replied, "He hurt our little girl. He's going to pay."
"'Wing, there's something you should know." The Flash remarked. "Natalie's aware of Arse and GL, here. I think she pieced it together when GL used her nickname."
Nightwing frowned. He hadn't wanted it to happen like this.
"It was going to happen eventually." The Flash replied, as if reading his thoughts. "It's not going to be easy for her, but at least her mother has exposed her to some facet of the truth."
"Hey, he's waking up!" Arsenal hissed. He apparently hadn't taken his eyes off the boy. Yes, boy, Nightwing thought. No man would ever hurt a woman or child. No real man. Oh, this would be fun…
They watched his eyes slowly open, groggily, as he tried to grasp his surroundings. Then they shot open and he struggled to free himself. Good luck, Nightwing thought, I tied those knots myself.
"What the hell? Where am I?" Benz shouted.
Silence.
He struggled more and only managed to assist the ropes in cutting into his wrists. Any physical damage done now would be at his own hand. "Hey! Somebody help! Somebody!"
Nightwing smirked and glanced at Arsenal, who nodded and knocked a bolt into his crossbow, making sure Benz heard the click.
"Who's there?" His voice was shaking. Good. He was disoriented.
Flash sped immediately behind him and Benz turned to look.
"What's the matter, don't like being tied down?" Nightwing asked, making sure to keep to the darkest corners. He would not be seen yet. With another nod, Arsenal released the bolt and it whizzed by Benz's head, embedding itself into the wall behind him. He screamed.
"Who are you? What do you think you're doing, man?"
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Arsenal smile and release another, which landed on the other side of Benz's head. The boy yelped. "Cut it out, man!"
Nightwing chuckled. "You should recognize this feeling, Joshua. How's your pulse?"
"What are you talking about?"
Tempest and the Lantern began making noise around Benz, just soft shuffles and rustles of fabric. Nightwing nodded to them and Lantern created a long pole with small, blunt spikes sticking out of it, while Tempest summoned water up around Benz's feet. They moved within three feet of him and as the light flickered, they advanced silently.
Benz struggled in the chair. "The Green Lantern? Tempest? What are you doing? No, don't!"
"Oh, but this will be fun, Joshua." Nightwing replied from the shadows, keeping his voice calm, velvety, even. "You'll like it. Just like Natalie Grayson did when you forced yourself onto her."
They were cast into darkness again save the green glow of the shaft in the Lantern's hands, which soon faded.
They could see perspiration on Benz's brow now, and he was visibly shaking. Oh yes, this was coming along nicely. There would be no need to draw it out as long as they had planned.
"How do you know about that? Who's that speaking?"
"I know many things, Joshua. Now just sit back, or I'll have to punish you."
This time, Arsenal sent three bullets at Benz, letting one graze the side of his forehead ever so slightly.
"God, please, don't! I didn't do anything wrong! She wanted it!" Benz cried.
"Calm yourself. It was only to assure you that you are not dreaming." Nightwing replied. "But I would not lie, if I were you. I am a very powerful man and capable of killing you now, if I wish. Hear me. If you ever go near Natalie Grayson or any other girl again, I promise you we will meet again. And next time, this will not be so pleasurable."
Lantern summoned the pole again and levitated it in front of Benz, sending it closer, and closer, and closer…
Nightwing smiled as he began to squirm. "You made one very big mistake, Joshua. You chose the wrong girl. Not that it matters, I would have come after you anyway."
"Please, don't do--"
"No, no. I think I'll answer your question now. You wanted to know who I am." He crossed the floor in a matter of seconds and came within millimeters of his face, preparing a pin that would put him to sleep. "I am Natalie's father." There was one more flicker of light and Benz screamed, seeing him so close. Nightwing's mouth twisted up into a dangerous smile as everything went black again and he signaled to his teammates.
The air was filled with dark chuckles, slowly increasing in volume and intensity into full-fledged cackles of laughter. Benz began screaming again, and only quieted as Nightwing slipped past him to insert the pin into a pressure point. Then his body went limp…
A/N: Okay, so I know this was really evil. The point was, however, not to harm the guy, but screw with his head. Sorry if Garth and Wally didn't get much to do, I was kinda stuck on that…anyway, hope you enjoyed. Next chapter: Natalie's reaction to her 'uncles' identities!