Nightwing: The Darkness
Chapter 2
DISCLAIMER: The characters and situations contained in this story are ©2004 by DC Comics Inc. and are used without permission for fan-related entertainment purposes only. This original work of fiction is ©2004 by Christopher W. Blaine and may not be reproduced without permission.
Copy Cat stood at the doorway to the medical center of the satellite, her hands on her slender hips. She chewed on her lower lip, craving a cigarette before starting, but she didn't really have the time to go all of the way to the top of the headquarters to step into the small closet that was the designated smoking area. She was the first League member, according to Wonder Woman, to smoke cigarettes, though Copy Cat had it good authority that the original Green Arrow had a habit of smoking things other than tobacco.
The fact that she smoked put her in the lower ten percentile of the world's population. At ten dollars a pack and no smoking areas everywhere, it was not a habit worth picking up. It wasn't exactly her fault, though; she had uploaded a program for a former boyfriend that had altered her personality from her normal "sweet" self to something a little sluttier. Along with the program came an addiction to nicotine.
She always intended to delete the program from her processor, but it always came in so handy when she was out hitting the clubs. Before the upload, she had difficulty approaching men. Now she was the life of the party and she figured she only lived once, so why not live hard? "Let's get going," Nightwing said over the loudspeaker.
Copy Cat sighed and pulled out here data collection, selecting the program that would turn her into a S.T.A.R. Labs worthy scientist and inserted the small metallic ball into her wrist interface. A few moments later, the knowledge and experience imprinted within the ball was uploaded into her brain. She quickly moved to the tables and began a cursory examination of the remains of the Teen Titans.
Two hours later she stepped out of the medical center to meet with the rest of the team. All seemed anxious to hear her findings. Nightwing stepped forward. "Well?"
"All of them, except Robin, were torn apart," Copy Cat said. Impulse told her that her discovery wasn't anything new and that they had already known that. "I also found evidence of severe freezing on the limbs that were recovered. Wherever these kids were, it was damn cold. Outer space cold."
Wonder Woman shook her head. "That is impossible. We tracked Kid Marvel all over the globe. He was physically on the planet. The signal would have indicated if he were in orbit."
Red Tornado nodded his agreement. "I concur. However, there are many enemies of the League and the Titans, as well as their individual members, that employ cryogenics in their mode of operation." He paused for a moment as he accessed the Justice League computer via his wireless link. "Records indicate that the newest Mr. Freeze is no longer incarcerated at Arkham Asylum."
Nightwing shook his head at the idea and explained that there was no way it was Mr. Freeze. "Freeze steals, he doesn't kill. He has a code against killing." Copy Cat snorted and Nightwing asked her if there was a problem. "I seem to remember that some of our former members had a code like that as well."
Nightwing narrowed his eyes. "If you have as problem with the prior membership of the League, go ahead and say it so we can move on. You're damn lucky to be here."
Copy Cat threw her head back and laughed. She and Nightwing had never gotten along very well and she had been one of the members that had voted against his election to the chair of the team. She didn't need to put in any special program to hold her own against the older hero. "Please. You might be leader, but you don't have the votes to kick me out and you know it!"
"Wendy…"
The scarlet-haired member ignored Wonder Woman's warning. "You're damn lucky to have me here, buddy. Most of the good heroes refuse to serve under you because of your old man."
Nightwing stepped forward, but Wonder Woman put an arm out to block him. "No, let him through, Diana. The only reason he's on this team is to make up for old Pointy-Ear's mistakes!" Copy Cat handed a small hand-held computer to Green Arrow. "Here is my report. I'm going to go shower and then go get drunk."
"You're not dismissed," Nightwing told her.
"What do you want me to do, oh glorious leader? The only lead we have you're convinced isn't it because you say he doesn't kill." She shook her head. "If you were such a good judge of character, then maybe Batman wouldn't be…"
"That's enough!" Wonder Woman snapped. For the last several weeks she had to be the mediator as the two team members came close to trading blows. She could not understand why Copy Cat resented Nightwing so much, but it was obvious she did. Perhaps it was his legacy and the entire affair with the Batman seven years before. It had been a devastating blow to the entire super-hero community and apparently it still stung some people. "This is the Justice League, not a high school debate team!"
Nightwing took a deep breath and back up a step, sensing the tension in the air. This had been the closest he and Copy Cat had come to swinging and he hated to admit it, but she was right. Ever since he had become the leader of the League, they had been receiving less and less cooperation from other hero organizations. If not for Wonder Woman and Impulse, he doubted anyone would have anything to do with them.
And it all went back to Bruce and the events of seven years before, back when it had all happened and his life ended. Copy Cat was merely the voice of the majority of heroes that looked at him as being part of the problem. He wanted to just walk away, to quit the League and concentrate on the things he felt were more important, such as jumping off buildings and tempting fate. But he couldn't; Bruce had made him promise to carry on the legacy until the day he died. "Wonder Woman is correct, but you need to remember that I'm the leader of the League," Nightwing said, pointing a finger at Copy Cat. "We have dead heroes here, kids, and it won't do any good to go out and get drunk."
"Oh, I'm sure there are other more destructive distractions I could find, wouldn't you agree?" Copy Cat said with a slight smile. Nightwing turned his head towards Wonder Woman and he didn't like what he saw.
Six hours later he rolled out of bed and looked at himself in the mirror. His figure and form were that of a man twenty years younger; his attitude was that of man consigned to the grave. Physically he could have passed for the man of his youth, if not for the crow's feet now around his eyes. His chest hair was filled with gray now as well, but nobody seemed to mind.
A figure stirred under the covers and he turned to watch a blonde head pop up. She had a large smile on her face, but she often did after they made love. He didn't understand her attraction to him for she had so much else in her life, and he knew he should have resisted her charms. It was unfair to say that she forced herself upon him all of those months ago, but she did initiate their relationship. "That was fun; I like it when you're all riled up. Gets the blood pumping."
"I'm getting too old to be arguing with youngsters," Nightwing replied as he reached for the aspirin on the nightstand. He kept a bottle in every room of Wayne Manor so that he didn't have far to go for headache relief. The aspirin was his only companion besides his little "wiener-dog" named Batmite, who was snoring in his bed in the corner. The romps in the bedroom had ceased to be a source of wonder for the small dog.
"Not to old to roll in the hay with them, though," she said as she pushed the covers away to exhibit her bare body. She was in better shape than he was, with a flat torso and the breasts every woman had before giving birth. She was flawless, except for a few scars here and there from the various battles she had been in over the years. "Ready for some more, handsome?"
He shook his head. Sex was nothing more than a distraction to him now. In years before, it had been the pinnacle of a worthy pursuit and he could list each and every conquest and how much he had enjoyed them. Before this woman, he had never engaged in sexual activity with a woman he had no intention of marrying. Well, except the Huntress, but that had cost him when he had broken it off with her. She still hounded him about that. "Cissie, I'm old, I need rest."
"You're about to turn forty. My father was nearly your age when I was born," she said.
That wasn't exactly true and he knew it. Green Arrow, the original, had fathered many children starting from his mid-twenties. Over the past three decades he had parented two members of the Justice League and adopted a member of the Titans. Cissie, who now operated under her father's name, was thirty and had nursed a crush on Nightwing since her days as Arrowette.
In those days she was unaware that her father had been Oliver Queen, a sometime hero with a penchant for chasing blondes, redheads and brunettes. It was only in the past few years that her mother had revealed the truth of her biological origins. Queen, for his part, was as supportive as he was with any of children, which meant he had offered to get drunk with her on a few occasions.
Nightwing thought that maybe she was attracted to him because she desired a father figure in her life, but he hoped it wasn't the case. It made him feel weird. "I think Copy Cat knows about us," Nightwing said.
"I think Copy Cat wants you for herself," Cissie said with a laugh. She stretched and yawned and then patted the bed next to her. "Come on and lay down."
"I doubt it would be relaxing," he replied.
"Oh, but it would be so much fun," she said as she sat up on her knees. He remembered when he was so flexible. His knees had been the one part of his body that had been truly showing his age of late. "I wouldn't worry about old Wendy."
"Why not?"
"She's one of these new heroes that wants to make a reputation for herself early on. She didn't have the benefit of being part of a team while her powers developed," Cissie said as she reached down for her underwear.
"Her powers never developed; they were forced upon her by H.I.V.E.," Nightwing reminded her. "She might have some resentment."
Cissie shrugged and started to dress. "Maybe she was talking about your attitude."
"What about my attitude?" he said as he turned and folded his arms over his chest. Her eyes moved down below his waist and she smiled and he accepted the boxers she threw at him.
"Something has been steadily bothering you, Dick," she explained. "I know you won't let me in, even though I want you to."
"You don't need to be that close."
She stopped and pursed her lips, deciding if now was the best time to tell him. If he continued to sink further into the darkness, then she wondered how the news would affect him. "I'm pregnant."
His heart fell into his stomach and slowly began to dissolve in the acid that was building up. "You took a birth control shot…"
"It wore off, Dick; they aren't one hundred percent effective. Remember, I come from a long line of breeders," she said as she buckled her bra.
"You don't want to have my baby," he said turning around and looking into the mirror. He had accepted a long time ago he would never have children especially after what had happened.
"Actually I do, Dick, and I will," she said matter-of-factly. She could tell he wasn't happy at all and she somewhat sympathized with him. While she did not know the exact details of his entire life, as they spent most of their time together in the bedroom, she suspected that she was seeing the climax of a seven-year depression. She halfway thought he might be suicidal. "And it isn't like you have the real problem here."
"I know," he replied, holding his hands up. "I know, damn it!" He couldn't believe that after all of this time, after Donna, Kory, Barbara…"Barbara," he whispered and once again the demons swooped in to attack him at his weakest time. He wondered if Cissie had heard him, but she didn't seem to have by the way she continued the conversation.
"I didn't plan this, Dick, but it's here and you need to deal with it. Tell me what's wrong," she said, reaching out as best as she could. He didn't respond, or maybe he couldn't respond. She wondered how deep the scars ran in his soul. She was carrying his child and he was acting like she had the devil growing in her womb. "You don't want me to get rid of it, do you?"
He wanted to say yes; it would make things so much simpler. He couldn't be a father now or ever. Being a father meant more responsibility than he could handle. He would have to be like…Bruce. "God damn it!" he said, smashing his fist on the nightstand. In earlier years, such a blow would not bother him but now his hand was starting to hurt.
He turned towards Cissie, who was now in full costume minus the mask. He saw the horror in her eyes and realized his mistake. He stepped towards her and she fell into his arms sobbing. "I don't want you to get rid of it, of course not. I just don't think…this really isn't the best situation."
She nodded and he felt her hot tears running down onto his shoulder. They burned like holy water on a vampire. He wished he could say he loved Cissie, for God knew she was a wonderful woman. They had a lot in common besides the need to tumble in the sheets every other day. They had both been super-heroes for a long time and both had at least one demanding and controlling parent.
She stepped back and wiped her nose on her glove. It reminded her of something she was missing and she pulled it off her left hand. "Can you hand me my rings?"
He nodded and reached behind him to get the diamond ring and wedding band she wore when not in his bed. "What are you going to tell Bart?"
She shrugged. "I don't know, Dick. What do I tell him? That I never loved him? That I settled for him because he was a nice guy? God, why did you let him on the team?"
"Wally was busy," he snapped. He needed a drink and he started to walk out of the room. "Come on, Batmite, time to get papa his special medicine." Cissie followed behind him, scooping up her bow and quiver at the door. "I want in, Dick."
"I know you do."
"Is wasn't your fault."
He laughed at the absurdity of the thought. Of course it had been his fault! But that wasn't the way history would show it and that was what ate at him every day. "You want a drink before you go?"
"I'm pregnant."
"I'll drink one for you then," he said as they entered the library. He moved over to the small bar and poured a double shot of whiskey. He downed it in one swallow, savoring the burn. "When are you telling him?"
"I don't know that either," she admitted. She had fantasized that the idea of having a child together would snap him out of his funk and bring back the hero she had idolized as a teenager. She had dreams of him sweeping her up in his arms and carrying her away to some country she could file for divorce in and get remarried in a single day.
A small red light illuminated on the top of the bar and he reached down for a small headpiece. "Nightwing here, go ahead Commissioner Braniff," he said.
He nodded his head and engaged in a brief conversation before signing off. "Son of a bitch!"
"What is it?"
"Copy Cat has been sighted downtown, heading into territory run by Mr. Freeze's gang," he said. "I doubt she'll answer the Justice League transmitter so we'll have to go get her." He then considered her condition. "No, scratch that, you aren't going."
"What?"
"You're pregnant!"
"And I'm not your wife…"
"No, you're Impulse's and what I don't need is you and that child clouding my judgment or his. You're on temporary leave as of now." She started to protest and he held up a hand. "I have a responsibility to the League as well as to my child and to you." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, willing himself to say the things he wanted to. How long had it been since he had been honest with someone?
Seven years.
"The League cannot be compromised for anyone," he said. It was a half-truth. He jeopardized it every day with his own actions. "If you were chairman, you would make the same decision and you know it."
"Fine." She turned and started to walk towards the doorway. She then stopped and turned around. "I'm in love with you, you know that? But you are so damned stubborn! It was seven years ago, Dick, seven years! You couldn't save any of them but that doesn't make it your fault."
"You don't know what you're talking about," he said.
"Justice was served, Dick! You didn't kill the Joker, Bruce did and now he's the one in Blackgate. Why do you act like you're the one who's condemned?"
"Not condemned, damned is more appropriate," he said as he walked up to her. Her bottom lip trembled as he stood there and he realized just how beautiful she really was. If his heart worked, he could fall in love with her, but she deserved so much better. It was too bad she had to carry his child. Undoubtedly his taint would infect both the fetus and her.
He wondered how he could have been so stupid.
He reached out and grabbed her chin and pulled it up before kissing her. He enjoyed her taste, the taste of a woman that was not his to have; forbidden fruit. It was all part of the self-destructive attitude. She pushed against him, hoping that this was the kiss that would tell her his heart was hers.
It was a good kiss, she decided as she pulled away, but not that good. He saw the look in her eyes and he wanted to say something, anything to give her hope. He wanted to say "I love you, too," but he couldn't. Besides the physical attraction and the comradeship that came from being teammates, he just didn't have it in him. She knew it, but despite her best judgment, she was going to settle for it.
"I'll have myself put on inactive reserve status. Bart will have a cow, but it was bound to come out sooner or later," she said before turning around to leave. "I'll be moving out of my house this week."
Just as she got to the door he called to her and she stopped. He quickly ran over to her. "You can move in here," he said and she happily accepted the compromise. By the time she had driven off, he was dressed in his costume and checking his utility belt. He didn't know why he had offered to let her move in, but it seemed like the right thing to do.
He chuckled when he thought about it, that he had finally done something worthy of praise. Then a demon laughed in the back of his mind, reminding him that this was temporary joy because his tainted soul would only bring her misery, just as it had everyone else.