Nightwing's Nightingale

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters just the plot

Pairing: Richard Dick Grayson/Nightwing Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn

Chapter 8

Nightwing watched as some of Joker's goons snuck into the facility. From the looks of things, the place was closed...aside from some potential late night scientist. He stuck to the shadows, moving with flawless stealth to the back door the goons used.

"They're in," he whispered into the mic hidden in his arm braces. "I am right behind them."

"Don't go in just yet," Batman's voice said from the other end. He heard Batgirl huff.

"Yeah, don't just run in and get killed," she muttered. Nightwing rolled his eyes and made his way to the door anyway.

"There could be people inside. Those bastards will kill them," Nightwing stated as he placed a hand on the handle. He pressed his ear to the door; he could hear the muffled whispers of the insane crowd that followed the lunatic mastermind. "I can hear them on the other side...can't make out what they are saying."

"We're here," Batgirl mumbled. "I'm going in from the roof."

"Fine," he said. "Make sure to keep quiet and get any workers to safety."

"I wasn't born yesterday!" Batgirl snapped. Batman landed behind Nightwing.

"Ready to enter?" Batman asked as stood on the other side of the door. Night nodded.

"As I'll ever be."

xxx

"Alfred?"

"Mhm?"

"Do you think that I'm evil?" Alfred paused. He had been brushing her hair after helping her take a nice warm bath to calm her nerves.

"No," he responded gently and resuming his task. "I think you have been manipulated. Evil? No. You are really sweet and I fear the Joker took advantage of that."

"He would always tell me...he loved me...What is love, Alfred? I never had a good explanation and when someone has said they love me...they hurt me too."

"That was not love, my dear girl. Love is when someone cares for you so much they would let harm come to themselves before you; they care for you more than they care for themselves. Love is someone looking out for you, giving advice even when it hurts, but it's for your own good. Love is...many things...unexplainable, but when it happens...you know it's love."

Harley sat there thinking deeply, her mind reeling with memories of the Joker. There were always moments where she felt that he loved her and her him...but there were also the times that he hit her, snapped at her. He even told her that if she didn't get out of his sight, he would kill her and feel no remorse. She mentally slapped herself. She shouldn't have taken that for a bluff.

"So you can't tell me what love feels like?" Harley asked, slightly turning her head to the left when Alfred stopped brushing her hair. He shrugged.

"Well let me put it the best way that I can...It's a feeling that falls on you. It's unexpected...foreign. You're scared of it, but you welcome it with warm open arms. You hate it for weakening you, but love it for making you strong. Love is often misunderstood for fear, Harley. You just got to trust that gut feeling that tells you that it's right."

xxx

Batman and Nightwing made their way through the facility. They had crippled any clown trying to stop their mission, leaving them to suffer in pain until they called for the police.

"Batgirl, you find anything?" Batman asked through the mic.

"Nothing worth talking about up here," Batgirl grumbled. "Any luck?"

"No," Batman said, before turning to Nightwing. He knew that look. They were about to split up. "You go into the lower levels of the building; see if there is anything in the storage rooms."

"Alright," Nightwing said, without an arguement. He actually didn't mind these orders. They went in two seperate directions, Batman going upstairs and Nightwing going down. His competitive nature was taking over; he wanted to be the one that found whatever this object of interest was, and he had a good feeling that he would.

xxx

"There is nothing down here," Nightwing mumbled as he made his way through the many weaving hallways. The basement was disgusting. Being that it was long forgotten or not visited as much, maitenance was long ago tossed; the walls were peeling and losing color, lights either flickering making the place dark and eery, trash and other papers lining the floor. All in all, it looked like a tornado had hit it...twice.

Despite losing hope that anything was present, Nightwing searched. Hallway after hallway, room after room. Nothing. He was so close to just giving up on it completely.

"Nightwing, report," Batman's voice bellowed through his mic.

"Nothing," Nightwing grumbled as he looked around the big empty room that he was in. "This must have been an old lab area or something, before they added on."

"Well I'm sure there's something down there. Batgirl and I have met up, we're doing a round check then headed your way. Hurry, more of Joker's goons may already be down there."

"Rog-" Before he could finish, there was a thundering sound moving through the hallways. "Hold on," he whispered before turning his mic off. He quickly ran out into the hallway cautiously, prepared for anyone that could be coming. Instead he was greeted by a thick, green vine curling against the wall that seemed to lead down one of the halls he hadn't checked. "Great, now there's that."

He made his way down the hall, following the vine with his guard up. There was a slight humming coming from a room at the end of the hall. There was a red light flooding in from it as well. Nightwing contemplated notifying Batman, but quickly changed his mind. He would do this on his own, besides they said they would head down once they were done upstairs. He quickly, but quietly made his way down the hall. He peaked in the room before entering; no sign of anyone there.

"What the hell?" Nightwing half-gasped as he approached a machine as tall as the room. It took up the center, leaving only enough space for someone to walk around it...monitor it. It had some kind of nozzle on the top, which most likely meant that it released something.

"So is this the part where you attack me and surprise me with fact that you are working with the Joker?" Nightwing said out loud, moving his gaze past the machine where the vine ended. A soft laugh rang out from behind the machine.

"No, sorry to disappoint." Poison Ivy slowly made her way from around it, revealing herself to Nightwing. "Don't you know what this is?" she asked gesturing to the machine. Nightwing just stared at her watching her every move. Ivy huffed and shook her head. "That's what's wrong with you heroes; you don't trust anyone. Even villians help heroes sometimes." She sighed before turning to the machine. "Years ago, some scientists were trying to find a way to fight air pollution. This machine was one of the first and the only working prototypes. It was supposed to dispense an organic "cleanser" into the air and kill the harsh chemicals from factories and cars...anything harmful for the living."

"You said it was the only working prototype...why aren't they using it? Developing on it at least?"

"It takes money to get much needed materials and materials are needed to put a plan in motion. Without much money, the facility was forced to give up the project for the time being. Though it was a great plan, many other people saw the potential of the machine for more...violent purposes. The scientists lied and said they destroyed the left the machine down here in hope that one day they will be able to use it for good. Doesn't seem to be working out, huh? Not with Joker wanting it."

Everything was pulling together. Joker wanted his goons to find this. He was going to take over facility...use the machine to dispense the nerve gas on Gotham! The sick bastard could have mass chaos with the machine in his possession. Nightwing cursed under his breath and shook his head, before looking back at Ivy, who was watching him intently.

"Why?" Nightwing asked, crossing his arms, ready to hear some kind of bargain for helping with identifying the machine.

"What?" Ivy asked, seemingly faking innocence.

"Why help me?" Ivy's face turned serious and she took a few more steps forward, eyes not leaving Nightwing's face for a second.

"Because...there is a bit of information that only you can give me."

"What makes you think that I'll tell you anything?" Nightwing huffed, earning a glare from Poison Ivy.

"Because...it's in your best interest," Ivy said before placing her hands on her hips and walking over to Nightwing until they were face to face. "Where is Harley?"

AN: Well there you have it! I thought this chapter was a bit awkward, but what do you think? Nightwing, with some unexpected help, found out what it was that Joker wanted. What is he going to tell Poison Ivy? What do you think will happen next? I love to hear from you! Thanks for the comments and favorites thus far. You guys rock!

Love Always!