Here's another excerpt from "Last Chance". This would have been found in place of "Chapter 5 - The Crime-Fighting Fairy". A very sweet bit, but not quite what I was looking for. But who can just delete this lovely piece of DaddyBats fluff mixed in with some Nightwing butt-kicking action? I certainly can't . . . And now I get to share it with all of you!
Last Chance - "Dropping By"
Warning: A Little Mild Butt-kicking Action . . . Rating "T"
"Need any help?"
Batman didn't look back at the familiar voice of his eldest son. Pride filled him, however, at the fact that he hadn't heard him arrive this time until he had spoken. He always knew that his little Robin would grow up to be the best. There was no one he trusted at his back more than Nightwing.
"It's an unusually peaceful night, but that doesn't mean I don't welcome your company," Batman replied. "What brings you to Gotham, tonight?"
"Missing you, I suppose," Nightwing admitted. "Just wanted to check in and see how things are with you. Where are the Robins?"
Batman lips tightened slightly, his only reaction to Nightwing's comments, but inside . . . warmth filled him. He had missed him, too. "Red Robin's taking 5th through Broad Streets tonight, then working his way back. I'll be meeting up with him in the middle. Robin, however, is home in bed."
"Sick?" Nightwing asked, concerned. He had just managed to rid himself of the last vestiges of his own illness a week ago. He had been spending the past several nights cleaning up the mess left in Bludhaven after a week without Nightwing. The flu, or whatever it was he had picked up in the lake, had hit him hard.
"Grounded," was the reply.
He groaned. "What did he do now?"
"Disobeyed orders to go after two gunmen on his own. It very nearly cost him more than two weeks on cave monitor duty," Batman growled.
"Two weeks? That's kind of harsh."
"One week per gunman. More than fair considering had I not arrived when I did, he would have been vacationing from patrol permanently."
Nightwing nodded. "Not so harsh, after all."
"Just as well," Batman continued. "He has a week of testing coming up at school. The extra study time will give him a leg up."
Movement caught Nightwing's eye. A block away, a woman was running, looking behind her as she went. "I got this," he said, sending his grapple line out. Two steps, and he dropped out of sight.
As Batman watched, two thugs came into view in hot pursuit. Nightwing swung high, over the woman's head, then releasing his line, he flipped several times before coming down hard onto one man's shoulders. The criminal went down immediately. His partner turned to face the new challenge, pulling out a weapon. A gun? Ah, no, a knife . . . Nightwing dodge the wide swing, coming up under the man's arm to slam an elbow into his jaw. The second thug fell back from the blow, perfectly placed for Nightwing's reverse hook kick. The kick was hard enough to lift the guy off of his feet and slam him back into the brick building behind him. He slumped to the ground without a sound.
While Damian is quite the talented, little assassin, he is more like a well-trained eleven year old in my story than DC is portraying him. I simply cannot wrap my mind around an 11 yr old ninja who is capable of whipping the entire Bat Clan's ass . . . Nope! No way! Damian, although a badass, will be mildly sweeter than the violent, sarcastic, angry, little Demon-child that DC gives us. As such, he can get himself into trouble, and be grounded for it.
