Nightwing's Nightingale
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters just the plot
Pairing: Richard Dick Grayson/Nightwing Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn
Chapter 13
"Well I guess I better go," Richard groaned as he stood and stretched. He and Harley had just finished watching Sleeping Beauty, yet another movie that he hadn't seen. Harley expressed her love for Maleficent and her annoyance with the fairies. It was a good way to get her mind off of the conversation she overheard.
"So soon?" Harley whined, sitting up and pouting. Richard laughed.
"It's 8:30. I may get time off my day job, but at night I'm full time no breaks. Besides, maybe something will turn up tonight."
"Yeah...well...be careful, yeah? Don't let Joker get the drop on you. Don't walk into dark alleys alone," Harley lectured, which only made Dick laugh more. "I'm serious! You be careful or I'll whack you myself!"
"Yes ma'am, I'll be careful!" Richard insisted as he turned to walk out of the room.
"Wait!" He turned to face her again, noticing that she was slowly walking up to him.
"Promise you'll be ok? Maybe you can call Ivy? Maybe she's heard something!" Harley rambled. Dick placed his hands on her shoulders and gripped them reassuringly.
"I'll be fine." Harley gave him a quick hug and nodded. She looked down at her feet and wiggled her toes. "I'll be back before you know it," Richard said as he ruffled her hair and walked out of the room. Harley sighed and returned to her place on the bed once more. She felt so powerless and worried. Something was going to happen tonight. Joker had been silent for too long. What was he up to? What was he going to do? Harley quickly pulled out her cell and dialed Ivy's number.
"Harley? What's up?" Ivy's voice asked, with a hint of concern, no doubt born from the hang up a few hours ago.
"Nightwing and the crew, I figure, are heading out on patrol. I have a bad feeling, Red. You know that my bad feelings are usually worth investigating. Can you follow up on them if you can catch them? I have no idea how you can find them, but one of them may go by the facility?"
"Yeah, no problem."
"Thanks, Red. I owe you one, seriously."
"There's something you should know..." Ivy mumbled after a moment of silence. Harley felt her heart drop into her stomach and gulped.
"What is it?" Harley asked. Ivy sighed.
"Some of the Joker's boys stopped by here to get information about you. I crippled them and tried to get some information of my own, but the bastards were loyal. I dealt with the bodies. No doubt the Joker will try to find me again...He's searching for you, Harley. Desperately."
"Yeah, so he can kill me." Harley whispered harshly, though she felt a slight pang of guilt as well. "He knows the last people to see me where Batman and Nightwing. He'll try to get it out of them!"
"Don't worry," Ivy said with a calm yet stern voice. "I have an idea to get the bat's attention. I'll tell them what I know, and offer assistance."
xxx
The streets where quiet. Hardly any civilians out. No crime as far as Nightwing could see...that worried him. It was always quiet before the storm. Bruce had taught him that, and he has seen this happen multiple times. Things were never this quiet in Gotham.
"Seeing anything?" Nightwing asked into his speaker.
"Nothing...worried?" Batgirl asked from the other end.
"Shouldn't we be?"
"I guess so..."
The conversation between the two was short and awkward. They were just speaking for the sake of being in the loop of each other's whereabouts. Barbara was still very much angry with what Dick said, and he was angry about how she's been acting. However, now they had reached a silent agreement to work together and not bring it up. At least for right now.
Nightwing shrugged off the cold aura around the brief discussion and rode throughout the empty streets, his motorcycle rumbling and breaking its silence. There had to be something...anything. Not that he wished bad on Gotham. It would be relieving if Gotham had no crime for a night, but this was Gotham. There was always something. No matter how minor or major, and yet, Nightwing wasn't seeing anything.
The flash of lights behind him somewhat startled him. He looked in his mirrors to see this van pulling into the street from an alley. It turned its lights off. The van was dark and the windows were tinted. It had danger written all over it.
"Shit," Nightwing mumbled as he speed his way down the road. As he expected, the van speed up also. "I got a tail; a black van, tinted windows."
"Where are you?" Batgirl asked. He was just about to tell her when the van speed up and tried to hit him in the back. He focused on the issue at hand. Barbara would find him. She'd make a way, and bring Bruce. Soon he was running neck and neck with the vehicle. Only then did he see the graffiti on the side. The passengers started letting the windows down, exposing painted faces. As he suspected...Joker's men. But what he wasn't expecting was the cackle that came from the driver...the Joker himself.
xxx
Ivy stood by the bat signal light on top of the department. She had her arms crossed staring at Gordon, with an expressionless bored look. The man had tried to arrest her, but she threatened to release a toxic gas, that she prepared, on the entire station. She was of course bluffing, but he didn't need to know that. When Batman got there, Gordon shrugged and gestured to the redhead woman.
"She wouldn't tell me anything," he said with annoyance. "I'm sure she'll fill you in on whatever she wants you for, but be careful. I have men close by. I remember what a snake she can be."
Ivy pretended to be hurt and placed a hand over her chest and pouted, before shooing him away. Once her and the dark knight were alone, she spilled her intentions.
"Word around the street is Joker's pissed," Ivy started. "Tearing around, asking questions, killing people...missing his mistress. He even sent his little minions to my place. I also hear that you and the Nightwing were the last ones to see her. Interesting."
"What do you want, Ivy?" Batman grunted.
"What you want, I hope. To help Harley and stop the mad man."
"Batman, come in! Nightwing is being followed. He said it was a black van with tinted windows. I'm sending you his coordinates. Hurry!" Barbara informed him through his earpiece. He frowned.
"I'll be right there," he answered before looking at Ivy again. She held an expectant look and threw her hands up in the air before dropping them at her sides again.
"Let me guess, Joker on a rampage?"
xxx
Nightwing hit the breaks, letting the van get ahead of him. He slowed to a stop, and jumped off his motorcycle. He pulled out his escrima sticks and prepared for a fight as the van skidded to a stop. Clowns rushed to him, trying to crowd him, but he took them down one by one. He connected his weapons and swung his staff, whipping it around to cripple his foes. He almost realized too late that the van was coming back at full speed in reverse. He leapt out of the way, to avoid what would have most likely been his death. Some of the goons weren't so lucky. Nightwing looked up to see that Joker cackling and putting the vehicle in drive. He was making another attempt. Great. Once again he jumped out of the way just in time. As he got to his feet, he noticed another black van making its way onto the street in the distance. Great. The Joker got out of the van with a grunt and a fake distraught sigh.
"Well it seems like you won't fall for that trick," Joker whined as he walked up to the former boy wonder with a crowbar in hand. "You always have to make things so difficult."
"Sorry about that, but you have to realize that your jokes are getting old. You should really know when to quit," Nightwing spat getting into a fighting stance and pointing his staff at the mad man. The tip sparking in warning. Joker frowned.
"The same could be said for you. You keep playing hero, and yet you'll still be nothing more than a sidekick." The van finally pulled up with more painted freaks jumping out of it. Circling them. Leaving no way for him to escape. "I'm not much in a joking mood, so I'll cut straight to the point. You have or know where something of mine is. I want it back," Joker growled.
"Sorry, Joker. I don't use lipstick. Maybe try asking one of your friends here? They seem to use the same color," Nightwing mocked as he smirked at the anger growing on his face.
"I don't have time for your games!" Joker barked as he pulled out his gun. "Tell me where she is, and you'll die quickly," Joker said, promising pain to Nightwing if he didn't spill.
"Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you."
"Why bother holding the information? You know she'll find her way back to me; she always does." Nightwing took in the sight before him. Was Joker telling him what he knew or trying to reassure himself? Even with the grin on his face, he looked...lost? Shocked even? Nightwing remembered Harley telling him that it was hard being away from him. That she had never been away from him for so long. Was this division effecting him too? Did he miss Harley? Or was he just desperate to have a scapegoat? A loyal toy under him that he could break whenever he felt like it? No. He wasn't about to let this sinister bastard anywhere near Harley, nor her near him.
"Are you sure that she will?" he taunted, watching the clown's face fall, curling into more anger, if it were humanly possible. "You really messed up this time, didn't you? You're like a crazy ex-boyfriend thats finally realizing: I'll never find another. You are sickening! I think that she sees that even more now."
Joker let out an animalistic growl and raised to the gun with more aggression to shoot. But as he did, something hard hit his hand knocking the gun away. He looked up to see Batman's boot just before it connected with his face. Nightwing turned to face the goons attacking behind him, and Batgirl swung in to face the others. Joker's men attacked Batman, so that he could get away. He ran to the one of the vans, not caring about his followers as he drove off into the night.
Nightwing noticed him fleeing, but his pursuit was stopped short when a crowbar connected with his arm leaving a gash. He turned to grab the weapon and pull the attacker downward so he could connect his head with his knee. They always fell for that. Once done, they all walked towards each other.
"Did he mention anything about his plans?" Batgirl asked. Nightwing shook his head.
"No, he seemed more interested in finding Harley..." he mumbled as he observed the gash on his arm, which was bleeding over his armor. It would need stitches.
"Ivy came to me with an offer of assistance," Batman mumbled. "Joker is interrogating everyone, and no doubt making alliances. She has made an alliance with us for Harley's sake." Barbara turned away, not saying a word. Yet another?
"That's good," Nightwing nodded as he spoke. "We need all the help we can get. We still don't know what his next plan is. I'm not even sure that Joker even knows what his next plan is."
"He's distracted without Harley," Barbara agreed without completely saying so. "We should really take this time to crack his plan before it goes into full swing."
AN: Well there you go! Thanks for the comments, favorites, and follows thus far. Motivation is appreciated in these trying times. I love you guys!
Joker seems to be getting a bit...restless, huh? What do you think about what happened? Let me know! Love always!