A Knight's Tale I Chapter 10, a batman the animated series fanfic

digi-gal-rox: final chapter and epilogue up. happy readings!

CHAPTER 10

"DADDY! HELP ME! PLEASE HELP ME! I PROMISE TO BE GOOD! HELP ME!" Nightwing breathed heavily, hearing the pleas of his daughter. He knew he was close. "DADDY!"
"MARY! WHERE ARE YOU!" he bellowed.
"DADDY!" turning around into a room, Nightwing saw his daughter tied up to a pole, looking battered. "Daddy!" the man ran to his daughter, hugging her tightly.
"Thank god! Thank god you're alright!" he breathed. He turned around slightly, noticing a bomb.
"Daddy?" Nightwing quickly untied her.
"Come on, honey. Let's go to mummy, O.K, let's go to mummy." he hoisted the small child into his arms and ran.

"Nightwing?" Robin exclaimed as he darted past them. "Dick?"
"A bomb!" he cried out. "Three minutes and counting!"
"And you couldn't difuse it?" Diana asked.
"Like I could," motion sensors. Moment of touch. Boom!" Nightwing shouted, as the group started to make their way to the exit.
"I don't think so." a familiar voice stopped them.
"Slade." Nightwing growled.
"Thirty seconds." Robin glanced at his watched.
"Now!"

"Team one, head in!" James ordered. But before anyone movements could be made, the building blew up, throwing every- one back. Barbara looked up in horror, tears falling from her face.
"No..." she breathed. "Dick! Mary!" she cried out, trying to make her way to the debris.
"Barbara!" James cried out, pulling his daughter back, holding onto her tightly.
"No!" she cried. James could feel tears falling from his face as he rocked his daughter side to side. "No... Daddy, they... he... they can't be gone. They just can't be!"
"Everything will be alright," he said softly, not believing his own words. "God, I hope everything will be alright."
"I never got to tell him." she fell to her knees, "I never got to tell him... No... No..."
"Take her to the van!" James ordered, handing her to Ellen. "And make sure she stays there."
"Will do, Commish." she paused, looking out at the debris. "Commish?" she pointed to a dim light coming from the near (now non existant) entrance. Barbara, teary eyed looked up, as the green light vanished.
"Well I'll be."
"Dick!" Barbara pushed the captain aside and ran out.

"That was a big boom." Beast Boy coughed, as she slowly stood up, "And Slade ain't here no more."
"Robot." Nightwing sighed, pulling off his mask.
"Daddy? Mary held onto her father tightly.
"What about the guy?" Superman demanded.
"He wasn't there," Dick muttered.
"The baddy ran!" Mary cried out, "He ran!"
"Dick!" Dick looked up to see a tattered Barbara run towards them, he could just see the tears falling from her face. "Dick! Mary!"
"MUMMY!" Mary cried out happily, pulling away from her father.
"Oi!" Dick exclaimed as Mary jumped down and ran towards her mother, hugging her tightly. Dick smiled to himself, walking towards the two women of his life.
"Dick." Barbara smiled, tears falling from her face. "I thought I lost you." gently placing Mary down, who now ran towards her grandfather, husband and wife hugged each other tightly.
"I'm not going anywhere." he said softly, hugging her.
"I was scared. Scared that I didn't saying it to you."
"Saying what?"
"That I love you." she looked at him, rubbing the tears. "I love you." Smiling at her gently, Dick kissed his wife.
"I love you too."
"Well, son looks like you've got some explaining to do." James greeted him.
"Yeah, I sorta figured that Babs may have told you." the man said sheepishly. James smiled at him.
"I'm glad though." Dick looked at him curiously.
"Sir?"
"That you're alive. I wouldn't want my daughter out there again. Now that I know, I'll be worried sick!" James exclaimed, "Just promise me one thing. You won't go out there again?"
"You have my word, sir." Dick smiled, "At first I thought my goal was to bring back the name. But than I had a visit and told me that my only job was to be there for my family." Barbara looked up at her husband, somewhat confused.
"What are you talking about? What visit?"

Ben sighed heavily, watching the scene. Fire brigades, police cars even the ambulance were at the scene, tending to the wounded heroes. His eyes fell. Maybe his 'destiny' wasn't all what it was cracked up to be. Though the mantle may not be his as of now, but maybe in future generations. The red-headed woman looked at him, with a small smile.He smiled back and shook his head. Her smile grew slightly, before mouthing 'Soon'. He turned around and left. He would protect their secret. Like his mother did for them. And will continue. Telling the story of these great heroes and their mentor. The Batman.

"... so, what actually happened when you got there?"
"I found my daughter tied up, and a bomb. No one else was there." Ellen nodded slowly, writing it down.
"Thank-you, Mr. Grayson." she signalled Barbara to come in. "He's free to go, Barbara." the red-headed beamed, as her husband rose from his chair. Dick smiled at his wife who hugged him tightly, before walking out of the precinct.
"So about this Ben guy..." Barbara smiled awkwardly at her husband. "Is he really Bruce's kid?"
"'fraid so." she responded, with a weak smile. "Something Bruce never knew about. Annabelle Walker. Remember her?"
"Yeah... I kinda paid a visit to her." Barbara frowned. "I have a feeling that the kid wants to wear the mantle."
"No." she shook her head. "We can't..."
"I know." he said quietly. "But a world without him... it's hard to believe."
"Not when daddy knows the truth now. He wouldn't allow it."
"Neither would Batman."

Looking at each other, Dick, Barbara and Tim gave a small smile watching the reconstruction of the manor. Placing an arm over his wife's shoulder, Dick smile grew. In the background, Mary's giggle could be heard as James swung the girl too and fro.
"Everything will be just as it is." Tim murmured, "With 'it' being sealed."
"Should we ask Annabelle and Ben to stay?" Barbara asked curiously. Dick shook his head.
"Annabelle wanted to protect him from that world. And we'll do the same." he said softly. "One day when Gotham needs him again, it will be opened. And we'll be there, ready to fight. But till than, it will remained sealed." Looking at each other the family nodded.
"For Bruce?"
"For Bruce."

digi-gal-rox: not much to say. epilogue is also up! happy reading!