A/N: So...I'm trying Whumptober for the first time. Yeah, I'm already late, I know. I might not make it, but why not challenge myself? :) I'm kind of stuck on "A Fighting Chance" so I'm giving myself a break instead of allowing myself to get super frustrated. I'm not giving up on it, though, just taking a short break. :) Italics usually indicate thoughts to oneself, but are sometimes used for emphasis. Thanks for reading! :)
"Really?!" Nightwing exclaimed quietly. "Isn't once enough for this type of thing?!"
"Nightwing, respond!"
Batman's voice, commanding even through the communicator in his ear, distracted the young hero from his current predicament.
"I'm fine," Nightwing replied.
"You're not," came the response. "I can hear it in your voice."
Nightwing took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down. Panicking would only make the situation worse, and he knew that, but being waist-deep in quicksand was kind of alarming. Especially since his utility belt was already buried, leaving him with nothing to help him escape except his right arm that was continually, and fruitlessly, searching for something to grab.
"Are you injured?"
The tone demanded details, but Nightwing gave the bare minimum.
"No."
"Nightwing," Batman growled.
"I'm fine," the younger hero stated again. "The earthquake didn't send anything falling down on me, I didn't get hit by any random pieces of debris, I'm not trapped under anything, I'm fine."
Technically, that was the truth. He was trapped in, but not under.
And I'm not panicking, and I can get out of this.
"Where are you?"
"Warehouse district, last row by the harbor."
I can handle myself, I can take care of this.
"Why is there an edge of panic in your voice?"
"I…there's not."
"Night. Wing. Tell me what's going on, right now, or you're grounded."
With a mirthless chuckle, Nightwing responded, "You can't ground me, I'm twenty and not living in your house."
There was no response. Nightwing suddenly realized that he was now chest-deep in the puddle of death. How had that happened so fast, he wasn't even moving! Maybe he couldn't handle himself, just this one time.
"Um, Batman, do you remember that anniversary cake Riddler baked for you?"
"The one where we were the toppers? I do, why?"
"Well, it's not a cake but I'm a topper and sinking fast."
"Nightwing, why didn't you tell me?!" Batman snapped. "On my way, keep your head up."
The link went quiet and Nightwing sighed. Maybe he should have said something as soon as he had landed in the quicksand. It was true, the earthquake hadn't sent anything falling down on him and he hadn't been hit by any random pieces of debris. But it had sent him flying from the edge of a row of warehouses and straight into the large pile of wet sand that had begun sinking as soon as he landed.
Nightwing's head and right arm were the only things visible now. He knew he had about thirty seconds before his head would be buried, so he took a deep breath. The only things he could do now were hope that Batman arrived soon and keep his arm stretched toward the sky for as long as possible.
He closed his eyes as his head slid beneath the invisible waves.
"Nighwing, respond!"
It had been three minutes since the earthquake, and Batman hadn't received an answer from his partner. The earthquake had been relatively small, but strong enough to topple a building on top of a young hero.
"I'm fine."
The ball of dread in Batman's chest diminished slightly.
"You're not. I can hear it in your voice."
Nobody but Batman would have been able to hear the quiet tremble in the younger hero's voice. Batman sighed quietly. What was the boy trying to hide from him this time?
"Are you injured?"
"No."
"Nightwing," Batman growled.
Did his son think he couldn't hear the tinge of panic skirting around every word the twenty-year-old said? He half-listened to Nightwing's answer as he checked his tracking watch. Nightwing's signal wasn't on there, so Batman had to ask.
"Where are you?"
"Warehouse district, last row by the harbor."
The panic was still there, but Nightwing had said he wasn't trapped under anything. Something had happened, or was happening, but Batman had no idea what it could be.
"Why is there an edge of panic in your voice?"
"I…there's not."
"Night. Wing. Tell me what's going on, right now, or you're grounded."
"You can't ground me, I'm twenty and not living in your house."
The comment was accompanied by a soft sound that might have been a chuckle if not for the well-concealed fear. There was a quick pause, then Nightwing continued.
"Um, Batman, do you remember that anniversary cake Riddler baked for you?"
"The one where we were the toppers? I do, why?"
"Well, it's not a cake but I'm a topper and sinking fast."
"Nightwing, why didn't you tell me?!" Batman snapped. "On my way, keep your head up."
He kept the line open, but stopped talking. If he spoke, Nightwing would feel compelled to reply, and the boy needed to save his breath for when…
No, that wasn't going to happen. Batman was going to make it in time, and they would go back to the Batcave to debrief, and everything was going to be fine.
Shifting into drive, he slammed his foot on the accelerator of the Batmobile and headed for the warehouse district that was fifteen minutes away. Speed limits didn't matter, nor did the four red lights he ran, so Batman made it there just under seven minutes.
The area was dark, the only sound the quiet 'slap' of gentle waves against a sandy beach. If you could call the edges of Gotham Harbor a beach, which was probably stretching it a bit. Batman sprinted along the shoreline, sweeping the powerful beam of the Bat-flashlight from side to side, searching for any sign of his son.
There! The shimmer of hand-shaped spandex that he would have run right over if he had only been using a regular flashlight. Grabbing a Bat-a-rang out of his utility belt, Batman quickly attached it to a line of Bat-rope and tossed it at the sinking fingers. He missed, reeled it in as fast as possible, and tossed again. This time it hit the target, but nothing happened.
"Come on, chum," Batman whispered, knowing shouting wouldn't help at all.
Batman changed tactics and began looking for something to wrap his Bat-rope around so he could dive in and grab the younger hero. Just as he was about to reel in the Bat-a-rang, Nightwing's fingers closed around the weapon. Batman almost yelled in relief as he began pulling at the rope.
It took almost four minutes to get the acrobat's entire body onto safe ground. Batman knelt down and put his hand on the large bird stretched across the younger hero's chest. It was moving, but much too slowly for Batman's comfort.
"Nightwing, wake up, chum!"
There was no response, so Batman slapped him and immediately regretted the action. But, it worked. Nightwing's mouth popped open as his face was shoved sideways, and thick sand spilled out.
Batman pulled him up to sitting and began hitting him on the back. Sand flew out of the boy's hair, ears, and nose.
"Th'ks," Nightwing mumbled as he sagged against the strong chest of Batman.
"I will always come for you," Batman replied softly, repeating a phrase he had used so many times ever since Dick Grayson had become Robin.
"Ne'r givup," Nightwing muttered back.
"Do me a favor, chum," Batman said with a slight grin. "Next time, just tell me you're in quicksand instead of making me work for it."
"Gotta keep your mind sharp," Nightwing responded, his voice a little stronger. "Besides, I can handle myself."
"I know. Except when you're neck-deep in quicksand and sinking fast."
"Actually," Nightwing replied, "I was just testing my ability to hold my breath. I could have gone a little longer."
"Right," Batman said as he rolled his eyes and stood up. "Meet you at the Batcave."
"I would race you," the younger hero said as he shakily got to his feet, "but I know you hate to lose. Besides, my bike was thrown into the harbor so I kind of need to hitch a ride."
Nightwing clenched his jaw and waited for the lecture. Bruce had bought him the motorcycle for his twentieth birthday, and now it was gone.
"Better it than you," Batman replied simply.
Turning around, he headed for the Batmobile, a smirk on his face and a shocked Nightwing trailing behind.
THE END