DISCLAIMER: I do not own Batman, Nightwing (even though I'd like to) or
any of the related characters. They are owned by WB, AOL Time Warner, and
DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane, God rest his soul.
Agent Thomas, Carmella and Sammy, along with the story, though, are mine. Read but do not hurt.
Timeline: Sometime after NML, but before the "Bruce Wayne Murder?" series.
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who's reviewed this story. You guys are the inspiration.
Anyway, enough of that mumbo jumbo crap, I hope you like! And please review!!!
* * *
Shadows, everywhere. Sammy Ricco didn't fear very much, but the one thing he did fear, were the shadows. Most gang members loved the shadows. Made disappearing a lot easier. But not Sammy.
Seven years ago things were different. Before Carmella, he didn't have fears. But after Carmella was born, and a very brief run in with the god of shadows himself, his life was changed forever.
That one night made all the difference. It was like some horror flick. Sammy was running, from what he can't even remember, but he was running like hell. He tripped, probably over his own feet, and went face down into the asphalt. And that's when it happened.
It was like the shadows came alive, and swallowed him up. And there was no time to run, no time to scream. He was gone, eaten by the shadow. All he could remember was a fear he had never experienced before, and then a sharp pain in his nose. The next thing he knew he was looking down an arm at a cowl. At Batman. He didn't have to look around to know that he was hanging off of something, something very high. He could hear the sounds of the city below him, far below him. And the only thing between him and the fatal fall was the shadow. It wasn't even a chore for the Batman to hold Sammy out over the edge. He didn't strain or flinch. He was hard as stone.
His words were so simple, yet they spoke magnitudes. "This is my city. Clean up, or get out." And that was it. He brought Sammy back from the edge and left, disappearing into the shadows.
After that, Sammy didn't know how he got home, but when he did, he found out he was going to be a father. Everything changed. And he did clean up. He took on a two rules. One, protect Carmella at all costs. And two, protect his people.
And he did a good job. His parts were probably the safest in lower Gotham. Everyone on his blocks had food, clothing, shelter, and no one messed with them. But with all the changes, one thing stayed the same, their name. Los Diablos. The Devils. That was one thing that never went away from No Man's Land.
Even though he did clean up, he wasn't a perfect. Sammy Ricco never claimed to be a saint. And the last decision he made, he wondered if he had gone too far.
Sitting on the edge of his bed, he held his gun in his sights. He would give it up, everything, to change his choices. But he had to make the decision, and he did. There was no way to go back on it now.
He dropped his head into his hands, trying stop the pain. And in that moment, the figure that had been standing just feet from him, moved, shifting the shadows.
"You were going to let her die."
At the sound of the voice, Sammy jumped up holding the gun out in front of him, prepared to kill whatever he saw. But there was nothing. He flipped around crazily, shaking with fear.
"Didn't even try to stop it."
Sammy's heart felt like it was going to burst. He turned around and around, trying to find the owner of the voice, but he couldn't. It was all around him.
"I want to know . why?"
With the last word, he knew exactly where the intruder was. Right behind him. Just inches away. Sammy whipped around, prepared to shoot, and kill. But he didn't have time. In seconds, the gun was gone, and Sammy was lifted off the ground by the throat. And there he was again. Staring down at that long arm and the cowl.
"Tell me!" the Batman.
"I-I-I-I knew he wouldn't-wouldn't get the chance to-to shoot her. He was right. He-he, Batgirl was there. She stopped him. She-she was there, right when he said she would be."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"You would trust your daughter's life to someone you didn't know?"
"I-I had to. They were gonna kill her."
"Who's 'they'?"
"I don't know. Some guys. She saw something, and now they're after her. Look, you have to protect her."
A knock on his bedroom door took both of their attention. A voice yelled through the door, "Ricky, you ok?"
"I'll be back," Batman growled, and dropped Sammy to the ground.
The door crashed open and three men piled into his bedroom.
"Ricky? Someone in here?"
"No," Sammy said picking himself off the ground. He rubbed his throat looking around the room. "Nothing but the shadows."
Agent Thomas, Carmella and Sammy, along with the story, though, are mine. Read but do not hurt.
Timeline: Sometime after NML, but before the "Bruce Wayne Murder?" series.
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who's reviewed this story. You guys are the inspiration.
Anyway, enough of that mumbo jumbo crap, I hope you like! And please review!!!
* * *
Shadows, everywhere. Sammy Ricco didn't fear very much, but the one thing he did fear, were the shadows. Most gang members loved the shadows. Made disappearing a lot easier. But not Sammy.
Seven years ago things were different. Before Carmella, he didn't have fears. But after Carmella was born, and a very brief run in with the god of shadows himself, his life was changed forever.
That one night made all the difference. It was like some horror flick. Sammy was running, from what he can't even remember, but he was running like hell. He tripped, probably over his own feet, and went face down into the asphalt. And that's when it happened.
It was like the shadows came alive, and swallowed him up. And there was no time to run, no time to scream. He was gone, eaten by the shadow. All he could remember was a fear he had never experienced before, and then a sharp pain in his nose. The next thing he knew he was looking down an arm at a cowl. At Batman. He didn't have to look around to know that he was hanging off of something, something very high. He could hear the sounds of the city below him, far below him. And the only thing between him and the fatal fall was the shadow. It wasn't even a chore for the Batman to hold Sammy out over the edge. He didn't strain or flinch. He was hard as stone.
His words were so simple, yet they spoke magnitudes. "This is my city. Clean up, or get out." And that was it. He brought Sammy back from the edge and left, disappearing into the shadows.
After that, Sammy didn't know how he got home, but when he did, he found out he was going to be a father. Everything changed. And he did clean up. He took on a two rules. One, protect Carmella at all costs. And two, protect his people.
And he did a good job. His parts were probably the safest in lower Gotham. Everyone on his blocks had food, clothing, shelter, and no one messed with them. But with all the changes, one thing stayed the same, their name. Los Diablos. The Devils. That was one thing that never went away from No Man's Land.
Even though he did clean up, he wasn't a perfect. Sammy Ricco never claimed to be a saint. And the last decision he made, he wondered if he had gone too far.
Sitting on the edge of his bed, he held his gun in his sights. He would give it up, everything, to change his choices. But he had to make the decision, and he did. There was no way to go back on it now.
He dropped his head into his hands, trying stop the pain. And in that moment, the figure that had been standing just feet from him, moved, shifting the shadows.
"You were going to let her die."
At the sound of the voice, Sammy jumped up holding the gun out in front of him, prepared to kill whatever he saw. But there was nothing. He flipped around crazily, shaking with fear.
"Didn't even try to stop it."
Sammy's heart felt like it was going to burst. He turned around and around, trying to find the owner of the voice, but he couldn't. It was all around him.
"I want to know . why?"
With the last word, he knew exactly where the intruder was. Right behind him. Just inches away. Sammy whipped around, prepared to shoot, and kill. But he didn't have time. In seconds, the gun was gone, and Sammy was lifted off the ground by the throat. And there he was again. Staring down at that long arm and the cowl.
"Tell me!" the Batman.
"I-I-I-I knew he wouldn't-wouldn't get the chance to-to shoot her. He was right. He-he, Batgirl was there. She stopped him. She-she was there, right when he said she would be."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"You would trust your daughter's life to someone you didn't know?"
"I-I had to. They were gonna kill her."
"Who's 'they'?"
"I don't know. Some guys. She saw something, and now they're after her. Look, you have to protect her."
A knock on his bedroom door took both of their attention. A voice yelled through the door, "Ricky, you ok?"
"I'll be back," Batman growled, and dropped Sammy to the ground.
The door crashed open and three men piled into his bedroom.
"Ricky? Someone in here?"
"No," Sammy said picking himself off the ground. He rubbed his throat looking around the room. "Nothing but the shadows."