WARNING: This story is rated R (just to be safe) for language, violence,
and mild sexual content.
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, Agent Hicks, 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.
Oh my gosh, I am sooooo sorry it took me so long to get my next chapter up. First I had no computer for a while, and then total writer's block. But everything's ok now. Anyway, sorry again!
Anyway, enough of that mumbo jumbo crap, I hope you like! And please review!!!
* * *
Gotham began her daily battle with the dark, each building fighting with artificial sunlight as it refused to be swallowed by the night. The soft glow of the halogen searchlight flooded 5th Avenue and cast moving shadows along the stone buildings.
At the edge of the blast damage, knelt on top one of the buildings, Nightwing gazed through a pair of binoculars at the white med tent.
Without moving he closed his eyes hearing the soft landing behind him.
"I thought you had given up on that a long time ago," Batman's voice was solid and his all emotion was hidden.
Turning his attention back to the occupants of the tent, Nightwing clenched his teeth, forcing a response. "Given up on what?"
"Watching her. You've been doing it all day."
The binoculars dropped from Nightwing's face. "And that means you've been watching me all day."
"Oracle sent the test results on the chemicals Black Canary acquired."
Ignoring Batman's complete change of subject, Nightwing let it be. "Experimental narcotics. It has Blockbuster written all over it."
"You think Agent Thomas knows something?"
Nightwing sighed, stealing one more glance at his quarry. "I don't know," he answered honestly. "But I'll find out."
"She's not the same person she was before," Batman warned.
Nightwing stood and faced his previous mentor. "Neither am I." He pushed pasted the Dark Knight, hitting his shoulder on the way. Batman gave, slightly, letting the younger man pass.
He doesn't know what he's getting into, Batman thought to himself. He never did.
Batman made his way to the edge of the building and peered down in the mess of a street. He clenched his fist. Who ever did this would pay. No one hurt his city without a price.
Batman dove off the building and landed unnoticed behind the med tent. There were three bodies lined up on a table. They didn't make it through the day, and were now waiting for their families to come claim them.
The pain, he felt it inside. Eating at him.
"You cannot be everywhere at once, Master Bruce." The familiar voice of Bruce Wayne's oldest friend, Batman's most trusted confident, rang through his head.
Alfred was right, as always.
Batman couldn't be everywhere at once. But he was sure that if circumstances were different, if he had just looked harder, maybe he could have prevented this from happening. If only he was in this part of the city instead of schmoozing with the mayor over breakfast. Maybe he could have saved these people's lives.
It was the same feeling he had when he thought of his parents. This didn't have to happen.
It didn't have to happen to anyone. His thoughts suddenly went to Agent Thomas. It didn't have to happen to her.
She wasn't Agent Thomas then, she was just a girl. A dumb runaway. And this time he was even there. Right place, right time. He could have stopped him. Batman could have stopped the man, prevented those children from being murdered, saved that girl's life, her soul. But he didn't. He made a mistake and went by the facts instead of a gut feeling. And he paid for it.
No. She paid for it.
Batman couldn't help but remember the look on her face. She held nothing but hate for him. If he had stopped that man before he kidnapped her, those children would still be alive. But he didn't. He let the man go, and he tainted that innocent girl's life.
Watching a person kill changes you. Batman knew that all too well. He had promised himself that no one else would go through what he went through. But he failed. It was his fault.
Batman took one last look at the three lifeless bodies lying like rag dolls on the ground. There was nothing more he could do for them. He looked up, following the massive stone of the cathedral in front of him with his eyes.
God, send us your angels.
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, Agent Hicks, 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.
Oh my gosh, I am sooooo sorry it took me so long to get my next chapter up. First I had no computer for a while, and then total writer's block. But everything's ok now. Anyway, sorry again!
Anyway, enough of that mumbo jumbo crap, I hope you like! And please review!!!
* * *
Gotham began her daily battle with the dark, each building fighting with artificial sunlight as it refused to be swallowed by the night. The soft glow of the halogen searchlight flooded 5th Avenue and cast moving shadows along the stone buildings.
At the edge of the blast damage, knelt on top one of the buildings, Nightwing gazed through a pair of binoculars at the white med tent.
Without moving he closed his eyes hearing the soft landing behind him.
"I thought you had given up on that a long time ago," Batman's voice was solid and his all emotion was hidden.
Turning his attention back to the occupants of the tent, Nightwing clenched his teeth, forcing a response. "Given up on what?"
"Watching her. You've been doing it all day."
The binoculars dropped from Nightwing's face. "And that means you've been watching me all day."
"Oracle sent the test results on the chemicals Black Canary acquired."
Ignoring Batman's complete change of subject, Nightwing let it be. "Experimental narcotics. It has Blockbuster written all over it."
"You think Agent Thomas knows something?"
Nightwing sighed, stealing one more glance at his quarry. "I don't know," he answered honestly. "But I'll find out."
"She's not the same person she was before," Batman warned.
Nightwing stood and faced his previous mentor. "Neither am I." He pushed pasted the Dark Knight, hitting his shoulder on the way. Batman gave, slightly, letting the younger man pass.
He doesn't know what he's getting into, Batman thought to himself. He never did.
Batman made his way to the edge of the building and peered down in the mess of a street. He clenched his fist. Who ever did this would pay. No one hurt his city without a price.
Batman dove off the building and landed unnoticed behind the med tent. There were three bodies lined up on a table. They didn't make it through the day, and were now waiting for their families to come claim them.
The pain, he felt it inside. Eating at him.
"You cannot be everywhere at once, Master Bruce." The familiar voice of Bruce Wayne's oldest friend, Batman's most trusted confident, rang through his head.
Alfred was right, as always.
Batman couldn't be everywhere at once. But he was sure that if circumstances were different, if he had just looked harder, maybe he could have prevented this from happening. If only he was in this part of the city instead of schmoozing with the mayor over breakfast. Maybe he could have saved these people's lives.
It was the same feeling he had when he thought of his parents. This didn't have to happen.
It didn't have to happen to anyone. His thoughts suddenly went to Agent Thomas. It didn't have to happen to her.
She wasn't Agent Thomas then, she was just a girl. A dumb runaway. And this time he was even there. Right place, right time. He could have stopped him. Batman could have stopped the man, prevented those children from being murdered, saved that girl's life, her soul. But he didn't. He made a mistake and went by the facts instead of a gut feeling. And he paid for it.
No. She paid for it.
Batman couldn't help but remember the look on her face. She held nothing but hate for him. If he had stopped that man before he kidnapped her, those children would still be alive. But he didn't. He let the man go, and he tainted that innocent girl's life.
Watching a person kill changes you. Batman knew that all too well. He had promised himself that no one else would go through what he went through. But he failed. It was his fault.
Batman took one last look at the three lifeless bodies lying like rag dolls on the ground. There was nothing more he could do for them. He looked up, following the massive stone of the cathedral in front of him with his eyes.
God, send us your angels.