Nightwing: The Darkness

Chapter 4

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.

The Outsiders were originally formed by the Batman to combat a menace that the Justice League, for political reasons, refused to. He had taken several second-string and newbie heroes and mentored them into a fighting unit that had made him proud. Eventually, the original team had disbanded, only to be replaced by another. And then another. And finally there was the current one.

Based out of St. Louis the group was led by the former Titan, Arsenal. Membership included many of the newest generation of heroes, some very powerful, some not so powerful. They were a family, though, and Arsenal had taken a special interest in the team since his daughter had founded it. When Lian Harper had become pregnant (and after Arsenal had made the father marry his daughter by pointing out the severity of the ass-whippin' he would receive if he didn't), Arsenal had agreed to put on his old costume and take her place.

Being a super-hero again had been tough, mostly because his five years of inactivity had softened him and dulled his reflexes. The six-pack of muscles had long been traded in for a six-pack of beer and a cute little wife that also happened to be a wanted fugitive in most countries. But that was okay with him because it had still felt good to be in the middle of adventure again.

His years off duty had somehow made him forget about the bad part of being a super-hero; the fact that there were bad guys in costumes that wanted you dead. He had put behind him the deaths he had witnessed during his long career until this morning. This morning everything had changed.

He stepped over the bloodied and bruised form of the Ultimate Warrior, the true powerhouse of the team. An Iraqi national, he had been pointed to the Outsiders in an attempt to learn how to control his abilities. For over a year he had been training how to focus and increase his power, but all of it was moot now. He had been the first to fall before their foe, who had just appeared in the gymnasium of the headquarters.

Arsenal notched another arrow, this one a fire type, and fired in the general direction of his attacker, but all he did was manage to burn up a blood spatter that had been the Princess, the token babe of the Outsiders. She had been the second one to fall, her powers of illusion of no use against their enemy. Stumbling back, Arsenal ran down the passageway, knowing that he needed to get to the communications room to call for help.

He now understood what had happened to the Titans and it struck him cold to the core.

Sliding underneath some wires that had been torn from the ceiling, he just missed running headlong into the headless torso of Wee Willy, a young man who hoped to one day become the next Atom. The blood was no longer spurting out of it and Arsenal was thankful for that. He could still remember the youthful enthusiasm that the boy, barely out of his teens, had demonstrated every day. Arsenal could remember a time when he had been so excited to be wearing long underwear and saving lives.

The elevator wasn't working so the former partner of Green Arrow kicked open the fire door and started running up the stairs. The stairwell was filled with a thick smoke that had the flavor of burnt flesh and his stomach lurched. He did not want to see what awaited him above but a voice behind him prodded him.

"Come on, Roy," a voice from the grave called. "Don't be shy. I promise to make it painful."

Arsenal used the threat to put extra speed into his stride and he scrambled up the stairs. The smoke was unable to hide the carnage that had been reaped. Body parts were everywhere and they were all covered in so much blood and gore that he could not tell the color of the costumes. At least three members of the Outsiders had been gutted and quartered in this room. The speed by which their attacker had moved through the team was more than shocking; it was supernatural.

He quickly stepped over the corpses of his friends and made his way over to the large videophone. He hit the large button with the JLA logo on it. "This is Arsenal of the Outsiders…"

"I am going to have to consult with some of the reserve members about this," Wonder Woman said. Standing in front of her, Red Tornado, Impulse and Green Lantern, Nightwing nodded his head. "Because you are the one bringing the charges, but you have no second, I am not sure how we are to proceed with the court-martial."

"I understand," Nightwing said. As team leader, he was very familiar with the by-laws of the League. A motion to court-martial and subsequently remove a member had to be recommended by one member and seconded for a vote. As a court-martial was extremely rare, this particular situation had never occurred.

"Were you a charter member like myself," Wonder Woman continued, "then you could remove Copy Cat yourself without a trial." If Copy Cat had been a charter member a trial would have been required regardless of Nightwing's status. The Amazon princess looked to the other members sitting next to her. "I'm going to contact Superman and suggest we re-activate his membership. I already asked J'onn," she said, referring to the Martian Manhunter, "but he refused. He claims he had something more important to look into."

"I think Superman is the best choice," Nightwing said, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"I have read the Huntress' preliminary report," Wonder Woman began again, holding up a computer printout. "As a reserve member in good standing, her testimony is considered factual and true for the purposes of this meeting." Wonder Woman held the printout towards Nightwing, who moved towards it. "She states that Copy Cat's Venom pump was malfunctioning and that your baiting pushed her over the edge. While you technically were not at fault, the fact that her equipment incapacitated her should account for something. Are you sure you wish to pursue this course of action?"

"Yes," Nightwing said without reading the report. "Copy Cat violated a direct order and then struck a team member. That is inexcusable."

Wonder Woman nodded slowly and then adjourned the meeting. She got up and excused herself to go to the monitor room to contact Superman. Green Lantern and Red Tornado left to perform some maintenance on one of the rescue craft that left Nightwing alone with Impulse.

From the moment the young speedster had entered the meeting room, Nightwing had detected a great sadness coming from him. Normally jovial, Impulse was uncharacteristically quiet throughout Wonder Woman's interrogation of the team leader. Now that they were alone, it was obvious that he wanted to speak to Nightwing, but seemed unsure of how to approach him.

A million excuses ran through Nightwing's mind, a million reasons why he had betrayed a friend's trust. Part of his mind told him he was a bastard and the other half hoped that Impulse would hit him with a thousand punches in the blink of an eye. "I guess you know," Impulse said.

Nightwing did not immediately answer and Impulse took it as a cue to continue. "Cissie left me this morning."

"I see…"

The other hero pulled off his mask; his eyes were swollen, indicating not just a lack of sleep, but also that he had been crying. Nightwing recognized the look; he had seen it enough in the mirror. "I don't know what I did…she won't talk to me," Impulse blurted out.

"Bart, I really don't think I'm the one you should be talking to about this," Nightwing said, trying to figure out a way to remove himself from the situation. But that wasn't possible; he was in the middle of the whole thing even if Impulse did not realize it. "Maybe you should talk to some of your old Teen Titans buddies…"

Impulse shook his head. "I don't talk to any of them anymore. I think a lot of them resented the fact that Cissie and I got married. The two of us sort of graduated up to the League and the rest of them stayed sort of second string." He crushed his mask in his hand, the material disappearing in his fist. "Damn it! I knew something was bothering her, but I'm not too…swift when it comes to reading her."

"I wouldn't necessarily say it has anything to do with you, Bart," Nightwing offered as he turned around. He pretended to examine a copy of the original League charter that was encased in Plexiglas. He couldn't face the younger man. "Maybe the two of you have grown apart. Maybe the two of you need some space."

"It could be a lit of things, Dick," Impulse replied, "but unless she tells me, I won't ever know. All I know is that I woke up this morning and there was a note on her pillow. I don't even know where she is."

"And then she resigned from the League…"

"Yeah!" he agreed. Nightwing closed his eyes, damning himself for the role he was playing. Yet, he knew it was not his place to give Impulse the news that his wife was cheating on him and that the dirty, rotten home wrecker was his boss. Impulse, unaware that Nightwing was trying to blot him out, continued. "That's the other thing, too. Man, she loves being a member of the League! Leaving me I can see, but never the League! I can't imagine what could make her do that."

"Must be something important," Nightwing offered.

"I suppose," Impulse muttered. "But that was why I wanted to talk to you."

"Me?"

Impulse nodded. "She loves the League, loves being a hero and helping people. She also respects the hell out of you. As chairman, you know how to track her based on her genetic pattern. I know they are all entered into the computer…"

"I don't think that's a wise decision, Bart," Nightwing told him, slowly turning back to face him. "If she hasn't told you where she's gone, then chances are she doesn't want to be bothered."

"What if she's been kidnapped?"

Nightwing shook his head, indicating that he did not believe that to be the case. "If she had been taken, and I doubt anyone could do that without her putting up a fight, then there would be evidence to support that conclusion. She left you a note, Bart."

The other hero bit his bottom lip and suppressed the watering of his eyes. "I love her, Dick. I'm going nuts thinking I did something to hurt her. Please, won't you talk to her, try to convince her to at least let me know she's okay?"

He agreed too quickly, willing to say anything to end the conversation. Impulse jumped up with a look of pure unadulterated excitement on his face. "Thanks, Dick! You're a real friend! I knew I could count on you." In the blink of an eye, the speedster moved across the room and was giving Nightwing a hug, slapping him on the back.

"Yeah," Nightwing said, looking up at the overhead. "You can count on me."

Superman had not lost any of his natural charisma in the years since he had retired from the Justice League. Though he still routinely patrolled Metropolis, just as any concerned homeowner would walk the perimeter of their property, Superman was for all intents and purposes a man without a job. Three years before he had handed the reigns of being on call 24 hours a day to the former Superboy, who now called himself Superman as well.

To many, though, there was only one Superman, Kal-El of Krypton.

"Kal," Wonder Woman said as she approached the Man of Steel as he stepped out of the teleporter. They embraced liked old friends and she kissed him on the cheek. Years before they had been much closer, but he had chosen to pursue a normal woman, Lois Lane. She wondered if he, like she, ever considered what could have been.

Now, however, was not the time for nostalgia. "I read your message; this is a pretty intense situation," Superman said as they started to walk towards the meeting room. "I also reviewed the League record on Copy Cat."

"She is young and brash, but I also sense in her a great desire to emulate your generation," Wonder Woman concluded.

"My generation?"

"I'm immortal, Kal," Wonder Woman reminded him. "I have no true generation. I belong to the ages," she said in a voice that betrayed just a little sadness. Superman was reminded of something he had heard once, "who wants to live forever?"

"Nightwing is an old ally and has so far proven to be a competent leader of the League."

Wonder Woman nodded and they paused before the meeting room door. "Indeed, I have found Richard's style of leadership, when pressed, to be exemplary. My problem is his management style outside of combat."

"I'm not sure I understand," Superman told her.

"I cannot put my finger on it, but I suspect it has something to do with what happened seven years ago," she told him. "The Batman's crime affected all of us, but I think Richard suffered the most. He was engaged to marry Barbara Gordon and the Joker killed her along with Commissioner Gordon."

"And Bruce killed the Joker for it," Superman added. "He's now paying for his crime. It can't be easy to see your father convicted of such a horrendous crime."

"I never would have believed the Batman capable of such a thing," the Amazon told him as they entered the room. The door sealed behind them and they were alone. "I always felt he had more self-control than that."

Superman put his arms across his chest and his face took on a thoughtful expression. "None of us understood the relationship between Batman and the Joker. I think, despite all that he claimed, the Batman honestly hoped for a cure for him."

"And now what? Richard hopes for a cure for Batman?"

Superman did not immediately answer. Seven years before, the Joker had gone on a rampage in Gotham City, his insanity pushed beyond even his near infinite limits. In the process Commissioner James Gordon, his daughter Barbara (also a Justice League member code-named Oracle), as well as Poison Ivy, the Penguin and the Riddler had all been killed, savagely murdered by the Joker and his gang. The Joker had gone so far as to record the entire event.

Through his lengthy torture of Barbara, the Joker had been able to learn the secret identity of the Batman and he then let the whole world know. That process had also revealed the alter egos of both Nightwing and Robin. Batman had gathered his allies together to capture the Joker and the manhunt had taken place over a period of two days. Two days in which several Justice League members had tried in vain to put a net out to catch not just the Joker but also the Batman.

In the end, the Joker had been found murdered, beaten to death, on the rooftop of Wayne Manor. A new fugitive pursuit started after that, with the League and the Titans scouring the streets of Gotham City. Nightwing had flatly refused, locking himself away in Wayne Manor to deal with his grief. It was uncharacteristic for him, but he had lost everyone who had meant anything to him in a 48-hour period.

Superman was obviously more forgiving of the younger man than the rest of the super-heroes.

Batman had surrendered to Superman, but had not said a word, instead entering an immediate guilty plea at trial and subsequently being sentenced to 15 years for aggravated manslaughter. A few months later, Nightwing had returned to the scene and had been working, ever since, to try and take the place of his mentor and somehow bring honor to the mantle of the bat again. "I think that Dick is simply tired of being judged for something he did not do," Superman told her. "Copy Cat's anger towards him is based upon some ideal that heroes always do the right thing."

Wonder Woman looked away and he reached out and touched her cheek gently. She turned back to him. "How many mistakes have you and I made in the past, Diana? Despite our powers and abilities, we are all human on the inside."

She reached up and grabbed his hand, squeezing it with all of her might. There was no way she could hurt him, but the only way she could convey the intense emotion she was feeling was through physical touch. "We cannot allow fighting in the ranks, Kal; no matter what."

Slowly, the Man of Steel pulled away from her. "Remember the story about the League back when Maxwell Lord was in charge? Remember how he had recruited both Guy Gardner and Batman?"

Wonder Woman nodded. "Gardner was a typical male pig; still is if memory serves me correctly."

"Batman punched him to put him in line; is this any less serious?"

Wonder Woman turned and moved over to the meeting table. Instead of sitting in a chair, she plopped onto the table itself. "You admire him, don't you?"

"I just want to be fair," was his reply. "I've seen him in action as both a follower and a leader. I have faith in him."

"Or maybe you're displacing the trust you had in Batman into Nightwing," she said. Her tone was even and not hostile, though she could tell that her words had cut to the heart of the matter. His face darkened, but she had seen him too many times at his best and at his worst to be put off by it. She was incapable of lying and sometimes, it appeared, incapable of tact.

He was silent for a few moments and then he looked away and through the walls with his X-ray vision. "You may have a point there, Diana."

"I'm not trying to sway your opinion; I'm only asking if you can be impartial."

He did not get the chance to answer. "All members to the monitor room immediately!"

Superman and Wonder Woman entered to see the Red Tornado busy working the monitor controls. Already present were Green Lantern, Impulse and Nightwing, who was staring intently at the screen. Impulse zipped over to stand next to the newcomers. "Priority message coming in from the Outsiders, but the signal is bad. Reddy is trying to patch through an Ultra-Net connection. I offered to hop in a transport tube and head there, but Nightwing said no, not until we know what is going on."

Superman cast an eye over to Wonder Woman, who indicated nothing. Instead, the three of them walked over to stand next to Nightwing. Superman extended his hand and the leader of the Justice League took it with a large smile. Despite the years, it was obvious that being in the presence of Superman still made Nightwing feel like a kid again. "Thanks for coming, Clark."

"Anything for the League, Dick," Superman told him.

"I believe I have corrected the problem," Red Tornado announced. All eyes focused on the monitor that showed the interior of the Outsider's monitor room. There was smoke in the air and several wires were hanging from the ceiling, showing the room with sparks. "It appears there had been some sort of incident."

"No crap," Green Lantern muttered.

 "Zip it," Nightwing said as he took a few steps forward. "Reddy, I thought the incoming signal registered it was in Arsenal's voice."

"The voice-recognition software confirmed that Arsenal was the sender of the message and allowed for the priority," the android told him. "It has only been five minutes."

Out of the smoke a body flew towards the monitor and slammed into it. Blood splattered, obscuring the view and a maniacal laugh could be heard in the background. "Roy!" Nightwing called out, recognizing the limp form against the screen.

Arsenal's eyes were half-open and he was trying to speak, but it was obvious he was having trouble. It was then that he pulled back slightly, as if pulled from behind. He remained in the air, struggling and writhing in pain. "Hera help him," Wonder Woman said.

Then his chest exploded outward as a black fist punched through it. It dripped gore and blood and the fingers flexed, flinging some matter from them. Again there was the laughing, like something from the pits of hell. It echoed for several seconds and then a voice like fingers over a chalkboard spoke to them from the darkness. "It is only a matter of time," it said.

Nightwing's heart froze in his chest as he watched the fist pull back. The corpse of his friend, one of his oldest comrades, fell out of camera view. Superman moved up to stand next to him. "I recognize that voice," he said.

"As do I," Red Tornado added. "My data banks are interlinked with the Justice League mainframe."

Nightwing spoke as he stepped towards the monitor. "You bastard! Why are you doing this?"

"You were one of us, Todd," Superman called out.

A face moved into a view, completely black except for large eyes and a grinning smile of pearl white teeth. It personified evil in the way it seemed to be a happy face in the midst of so much death. "I concur with Superman's assessment," Red Tornado said.

"Ah, an android with a heart; my little Tin Man," the face said with a giggle. "I hope you can experience pain, I most surely do."

"Obsidian!" Nightwing cried, smashing the keyboard at the monitor station. The image winked out, but only because it had been cut from the other end.