Thanks so much to my wonderful beta readers, Patty and Tammy! They both Rock! I hope y'all enjoy this part and I hope to bring you lucky or unlucky 13 (depending upon who's perspective you have) pretty soon. Char :-)
COURT MARTIAL: PART 12:
Nightwing headed down the corridor lost in thought. He was not even hearing them as they continued to argue. He was oblivious of everything except the visions replying at dizzying speeds in his mind. Oblivious until a burning green light smashing into his back slammed him face first into the cold metal wall.
" -- uch for you being like Barry," Ted pointed.
Wally had turned as red as the costume he wasn't wearing. "Why I oughta ... DICK!" Wally zipped to Dick before looking up at John Stewart. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Stopping a murderer from escaping."
Booster moved over. "Lantern! What the hell are you doing? Intergalactic Police brutality? That's enough!"
"No it's not, not nearly," Stewart growled. Ignoring Blue Beetle and Booster Gold, Green Lantern continued, "Step away from Nightwing, Flash."
"He's not escaping!" Wally yelled. He was frustrated. It seemed no one listened to him. "We were just talking in my quarters!"
"He's in his costume," Stewart countered. "He didn't need to put that on just for a talk."
Kord looked up then moved near the Green Lantern. "John, back down." He had been angry about Nightwing being out of his cell, and had wanted people to know he was breaking the rules, but he did not mean for anyone to get hurt. Especially Nightwing. Barbara was going to be very upset and that was the last thing he wanted to happen. He would never say the words, but all of this was to keep her from being hurt more. She had been hurt enough by Dick and others. Ted took a deep breath. "John, you could've just put him in a cage or something. You didn't have to shoot him."
Nightwing grimaced. The pain in his back was searing, but it was the conversation around him was maddening. Ignoring the pain, he pushed himself up, rocked back on his heels and sprung into a fighting stance. "Don't try that again."
"Or you'll do what?" Lantern yelled across the hall.
"Take that ring and make you eat it," Nightwing replied as his eyes narrowed and his voice dropped a few octaves as he spoke. Wally stood beside him ready to assist his friend however he needed to.
"Okay, everyone calm down," Ted said trying to get a handle on the escalating situation. He had never meant for this to go this far. "Get outta the way, Wally ... we'll escort him to where he belongs." His eyes watched Nightwing. He knew he had to be in pain from the power ring's blast, but he had obviously pushed the pain away. Nightwing was everything that the Bat was. He did not want to continue this confrontation. "Um ... we need shackles, I think. Or ... something."
John raised his balled fist, energy flickering from his ring. "We have everything we need right here."
Wally looked up, anger on his face. He stood between them and his friend. "I'm not letting him go off with either of you. I don't trust you."
Ted nodded to Stewart. He hated it, but it had to be done. Nightwing had not given them any other choice. "Do it."
"ENOUGH!"
All eyes turned to face an angry Superman as he floated a foot above the floor behind John Stewart.
Blue Beetle stammered, "Uh ... he escaped. We caught him."
Superman floated over to Nightwing and checked out his back through the rip in his costume. "That's a nasty burn. Were you escaping, Dick?
Booster Gold moved over. "He says no. I think he was on his way back."
"I was going back. I promised I'd stay and I'm staying ... all the way to the end. I just needed to talk to Wally," Nightwing replied. He grimaced slightly. The loss of adrenaline caused the pain to resurface.
Superman smiled at Nightwing and placed his hand on his shoulder. Nodding at Booster, he said softly, "Thanks." He turned his attention to Blue Beetle and the Green Lantern. His expression was hard and cold. He held his hand up as they both started to open their mouths. "I don't want to hear it. Any of it. Not right now. We'll take care of this and I'll speak with the two of you later."
Lantern glared. "I don't like being dismissed. We are not the ones in the wrong here and I don't appreciate being treated like we are."
Booster Gold gently put his hand on Nightwing's arm and spoke to Superman in an attempt to diffuse the tension. "Let me go with him to the med bay, get him looked over, and then I'll make sure he gets back."
"BOOSTER!" Ted threw his head back and rolled his eyes. This was not working, nothing was going right. How had Nightwing managed to come out sympathetic in this situation? How had he and John become the bad guys in this situation? Even his best friend was coddling the criminal. Nightwing broke the rules, killed, and hurt people. People who trusted him and even loved him like Barbara! Now … he was the victim.
"Thank you Booster. I want to make sure his back's okay," Superman replied. Looking to Nightwing, he smiled and said, "I'll come see you later." Nightwing nodded and turned to leave. Superman watched him as they entered the turbo lift. His arm moved up stopping Wally from following. "Please stay a moment. We have some things to discuss."
"You're right, we do," Lantern said firmly. "We need to discuss increasing security around here."
"John," Superman said with a harsh tone, "we have a lot of matters to discuss."
"Batgirl, report?" Tim Drake's voice came over the com link.
"Nothing yet," she replied as she looked out from the roof of the Bludhaven Arms at the dirty city below. Bludhaven seemed darker and grimier than Gotham City, like there was a stain on the town that could not be washed away. Batgirl sighed. She was frustrated. Detecting was not her specialty and even with the former Robin's virtual assistance she had not come across anyone she could hurt. She really wanted to hurt someone.
"I'm gonna check in with Oracle," Tim replied. In the depths of the Batcave, Tim opened the channel to Oracle and was surprised when Black Canary popped up on the screen. "Dinah, what are you doing running Barbara's computers?"
"Flash called and said he needed her at the Watch Tower, so she left me in charge of the systems," Dinah replied as she propped her feet on the console.
Tim sighed and keyed in a few commands into the Batcave's main Crays. "Okay, I'm re-routing control of Oracle's systems to the Batcave."
Dinah laughed, "Don't trust me with the computers?"
"No," he replied flatly.
"Well, that's actually pretty smart. I wouldn't know what to do if all the lights on these gizmos came on at one time," Dinah said as she playfully tossed the beanie Batgirl between her hands. "Anything I can do for you bird boy?"
"Not really," Tim answered. "I was just wondering if she had anything specific that she wanted Batgirl to do."
Dinah Lance shrugged her shoulders. "That would be a Babs question. I can tell you Huntress is playing Assistant District Attorney again and is questioning the Trigger Twins in the med ward of Lockhaven as we speak."
"That's a good idea," Tim replied.
Cassandra Cain sighed listening to the discourse between Robin and Black Canary. She wanted someone to hit, not to sit here listening to a conversation she was not a part of. Suddenly, she froze. Cocking her head to one side, she turned ready for battle.
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
"Your senses are as honed as ever," the sultry voice stated from the shadows.
"Shiva. What you want?" Batgirl shook her head. No that wasn't right. "What do you want?" she corrected herself.
Lady Shiva held her hands to her sides, palm up. "I just came to help." She smiled watching Batgirl. The younger woman's body never moved, not even a flinch. Like a black panther, she was ready to make the kill if need be. Batgirl was an incredible creature, and Shiva's favorite of the Bat-clan. "Don't believe me?"
"Why would you help?"
"Why not?" Shiva continued to smile at the girl. "You're as talkative as your mentor. You understand the nature of silence. Silence is important. It can intimidate, especially the less disciplined. I have something your people need."
"What?" Batgirl asked.
"An address. The Hotel Amarante Champs-Elysees in Paris." Shiva moved closer to Batgirl who stiffened, ready for a fight. Shiva simply moved her hand near Batgirl's face in what seemed to be a stroking move. Instead of stroking Batgirl, she deftly removed her com and spoke into it. "Hello my little bird."
In the depths of the Batcave, Tim's jaw flexed.
Shiva continued, "You will know what to do with the information." She handed the com back to Batgirl and turned to leave.
Batgirl took a step behind her. "Why?"
Shiva never turned. "Because, little one, sometimes the best revenge can be exacted by others. Revenge can be more satisfying if it lingers than if it is brought about by quick death. And quick death can always follow at a better suited time." She flicked her wrist over her shoulder tossing a small object at Batgirl. "For you, little one."
Batgirl grabbed the object and opened her hand. She stared at the green bobble for a few seconds. When she looked up, Lady Shiva was gone.
"Batgirl! Report!" Tim's voice called in her ear as she replaced the com. "What'd she give you?"
"A bracelet," Batgirl replied as she dangled it by her fingers. "A jade bracelet."
Catwoman slipped in the warehouse from the dock side of the building. The seemingly abandoned warehouse was the home of Nightwing's lair. Expertly, Catwoman crept through the area housing the various modified chasses of the Nightbird. Bodies for a Ford Mustang, a police cruiser, a taxi, and others hung over her head as she made her way toward the weapons room. Suddenly, she stopped. Something was wrong. Looking up, she saw the taxi cab chasse tilt as the chains holding it were released from the ceiling. Catwoman cartwheeled to safety as the taxi body crashed to the warehouse floor.
Landing on her feet, she grabbed her whip and cracked it through the air. It cut through the two darts that were heading in her direction. Looking up to the catwalk, she caught sight of her adversary.
Tarantula leaned over the iron railing. "I thought you were better at stealth, Catwoman. You're getting noisy in your old age."
"Old?" A sly smile developed on Catwoman's face. "Oh, I am going to enjoy this."
"If you're here to steal from Nightwing, I'm not going to let you," Tarantula spat.
"Honey, I'm not the one who's stolen from Nightwing." Cracking her whip up, it wrapped around the crossbeam above the catwalk. She swung up flipping in the air and landing behind Tarantula. Retractable claws of titanium steel sprung from her gloves. "Ever seen cat play with a bug?"
"This bug bites." Tarantula pulled two daggers from the sheaths on her thighs and advanced toward Catwoman. Lunging at her opponent, Tarantula was surprised at how lithe Catwoman was. With cat like agility, Catwoman sprang into the air, used Tarantula's shoulders as a springboard, and flipped over her enemies head scratching her cheek with the steel talons on her glove. Catwoman did not give Tarantula the opportunity to turn and face her. As she landed on the catwalk, Catwoman executed a swift side kick, her foot connected with Tarantula's back. Tarantula teetered for a moment. Before she could regain her balance, Catwoman had struck again, using her other leg in a roundhouse kick to send the orange and black garbed villainess over the catwalk's railing.
Tarantula righted herself during her fall, bending her knees tightly to her chest then executing a flip in the air. Hitting the ground somewhat unsteadily she managed to land on her feet. Sneering at Catwoman, she taunted, "That was a lucky shot. You won't get that lucky again."
Catwoman smirked. "I don't have to." Taking her index finger, she pointed at herself and said, "Cheese." Pointing at Tarantula, she then stated, "Rat." The pointing the same index finger straight up, Catwoman finished with, "Trap," as Batman broke through the skylight gliding down with his arms outstretched and his cape billowing behind him.
TO BE CONTINUED ...
