"All units, all units, please respond. We have a bank robbery in progress at Jump City First National on Corwin and Jane, repeat bank robbery in progress at First Nation, Corwin and Jane. Send all available units. Suspects inside are armed, repeat, suspects inside are armed and they have taken hostages. Be on the lookout for two costumed heroes. They are pinned down under fire near the entrance of the building…"
"Hot dog, sounds like it's time for us to roll!" Cyborg said, tossing a grease-laded wrench back onto his workbench and closing up the outer housing of his left leg. Fighting villains at quite a clip every night was taxing enough on the human body, but the Titan's cybernetics were burning out at a faster rate than normal. Too much action, he had surmised after their last throwdown. Still, a regular old bank robbery would be easy as pie…
"Attention, attention, all units. Spotters have confirmed the presence of H.I.V.E members in the bank. I repeat: H.I.V.E. members are in the bank…"
"Well, so much for that," Cyborg muttered to himself. "Damn, and now I got a hankering for pie!"
"Maybe we can catch us a slice on the way home," a voice projected from the door way of Cyborg's room. "I hear Tortelli's is open late."
"Yeah, well I ain't ever heard of a Tofu pie tasting any good, so maybe you should let me order," the mechanical man said as Beast Boy smiled at him from the hallway. Although it had been nearly three years since the Titans had put away the Brotherhood of Evil, villains great and small had flocked to Jump City just to see if they could gamble with the Teen Titans. Usually, the house won without too much of a fight, but doubt always lingered in the mind of the Titans as to whether or not one of them would find their number was up one night. Three years hadn't changed Cyborg at all, while the only thing that changed for BB was the mane of hair he now sported. Truth be told, he look more like he was auditioning for a Poison cover band than he did a superhero.
"Yeah, but if you fly, you'll probably gonna have to buy," the green hero said, smirking.
"Man, when are you going to get some money together and stop mooching off the rest of us?" Cyborg asked, slightly irritated.
"When the city cuts me a big, fat check for services rendered!" BB shot back.
The remark caught both of them off-guard, and they exploded into laughter. "Okay, I'll spot you this time," the Titan said, clasping his friend by the shoulder. "Now, we got some bad guy butt to whoop!"
As the two Titans headed down the hallway, they were soon joined by Raven. However, she did not seem dressed for the big dance they were about to go to.
"Woo-wee, did someone call for a hot schoolgirl?" Beast Boy whistled as he saw the girl in a short skirt, boots, and black tank top with her purple hair pulled back in a ponytail. In the three years since the fall of the Brotherhood, Raven had opened up a bit and grown her hair out in an attempt to appear more feminine. However, if one thing was certain, she was still immune to the shape shifter's brand of humor.
"Shut up," she quipped as the three headed for the elevator. "I was planning on going on a date later today, but I see the bad guys of this city have no respect for our private lives."
"They never do," Cyborg said as he called the lift.
"Who are you going out with?" Beast Boy asked, his eyebrow raised.
Raven glared at him, annoyed. "If you must know, Aqualad invited me to a party down at the beach later tonight," she said. "He's got a bonfire planned and everything – and before you ask: no, you weren't invited."
"What?!" the Titan said, looking like a child who had just dropped his ice cream cone. "Why not?!"
"He said that he doesn't want to have to rescue you from the bonfire when your clumsy ass sends you head over heads into it," the girl said, smirking.
"I'm not that awkward!" BB said, his cheeks reddening. "And furthermore, how can you stand to go out with that guy? He smells like fish!"
"Mmm, sounds like a match made in Heaven, Rae," Cyborg said smirking.
"You butt out of this!" Raven said, a small smile forming on her face. "Have you contacted Starfire about the situation?"
"I was just about to," Cyborg said as the elevator opened.
"Hey Cy, could you tell Star to make sure that Mr. One-Man-Army actually waits for us this time?" Beast Boy said, a tone of irritation in his voice. "This 'lone wolf' routine of his is really starting to piss me off."
"You and me both, BB," Cy said.
As the three got inside, Raven looked at the two of them. "I don't have time to change into my outfit in private if we're gonna make it on time," she said, sternly. "So, you two just keep your eyes on the shiny little buttons and off me, okay?"
The two nodded slowly. As the elevator doors closed, Raven slowly pulled her tank top up and over her head. This would be a fun trip down.
The warm water felt good against Starfire's skin. Tossing her head back, she stood motionless, allowing the water to rain down upon her face. In the older days of the Titans, she would have already been in full gear and heading down to the Cy-Car with her fellow heroes. But things had changed in the past three years.
She smiled, thinking back to that moment after the Titans defeated Brushogun on their ill-fated trip to Japan, the moment where her lips met Robin's again for the second time, a real moment of love and appreciation for one another. As they had gotten older, and Robin had assumed the identity of Nightwing, the two had opted to move out of the tower which they had called home for some many years and settle in at a posh apartment in the center of town. This move also allowed the two Titans' relationship to become somewhat more…intimate. Needless to say, the young girl was not showering off after a hard fought battle on the streets.
Despite their relocated status, Cyborg had installed an emergency comlink in the apartment so that when things went down he could contact the two lovebirds for assistance. It was this device that sounded with a loud buzzing noise, startling Starfire and bringing her back to the present. Shutting off the water, she stepped from the shower, foregoing covering her body with a towel. It wasn't as if Robin hadn't seen it all before…
'Nightwing' she corrected herself, mentally. It had been a difficult transition when Robin ditched the outfit that had made him a cult icon in Jump City and settled for a blue-and-black number. His mask, however, remained the same. Starfire felt rather honored to be one of the only people who had ever seen him without his mask. Then again, she had seen him without the costume as well…
A devilish grin crossed the Tameranean's face as she pressed the comlink button stationed in the hallway.
"Yes, Cyborg?" Starfire's voice rang out loud and clear over the Titan's arm communicator.
"Star, looks like we're on the clock," the mechanical man said. "Bank robbery in progress at Jump City First National. Corwin and Jane. Tell Mr. Hotshot to suit up as well…if he already hasn't."
"Speaking of suiting up," Raven grumbled as she pulled her arms through her costume, "do you think one of you could zip me up in the back?"
"Why can't you do it?" Cyborg asked, matter-of-factly.
"Because my hair gets caught in the teeth of the zipper and it hurts like hell, that's why," the girl said, irritated.
"Okay, I'll do it," Beast Boy said, volunteering his services.
"Make it quick, would you?" Raven told him curtly, pulling her hair up and holding it with both hands.
As the Titan located the zipper, he allowed himself a moment to 'enjoy the view'. Raven's body wasn't as good as Starfire's, in his opinion. No – it was better. Maybe it was the fact that she had never been the one to show off her body for no good reason. Robin might have fallen head over heels with Starfire, but there was just something about a girl no one could touch that turned BB on. It was then that he noticed something that he was certain hadn't been there before.
"Dude, when did you get this tattoo?" he said, eyeing a rather large piece of Tribal art twisting around the lower portion of her back.
"That's none of your business," Raven said, shortly. "Just zip me up."
"Oh, I don't think I like your tone," the green hero said, slowly reaching inside the girl's costume and poking her in the sides with both fingers. To his glee, a small "Eek!" escaped from the Titan's mouth.
"Don't." Raven's single phrase was as cold as ice. BB decided it was time to defrost her just a bit.
"Don't do what?" he asked, playfully. "This?" He again poked her in her sides.
"I said quit!" the girl shot back, angrily.
"Oh. Well then, I probably shouldn't do this…" he began wiggling all ten fingers down Raven's exposed body.
"NO! Quit it! I mean it!" the Titan screamed with fury, but BB knew better. He could feel her body shaking underneath his fingertips. It was only a matter of time…
"I…swear…heeheehee…I'm gonna kill you…ahahahahaa…" Raven squealed as her emotional dam began to rupture. She tried to escape his wandering hands, but the confines of the elevator made that easier said than done. With her hands holding up her hair, she couldn't move fast enough to break his grip. It was nearly over…
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!" she screamed in laughter as Beast Boy continued to tickle her exposed sides. "ENOUGHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Come on Rae," BB said, smirking. "You know you love it."
'Oooahhh-kay, you asked for it," Raven giggled.
In the small space of the elevator, the two Titans could see the girl's eyes grow white with energy.
Starfire put a hand over her mouth to stifle the giggles as she heard the commotion on the elevator. In the heat of the moment, Cyborg had forgotten to shut down the live feed, and now the sound of crinkling metal and the sound of a scuffle echoed back through the comlink.
"Yo! No using spells in the elevator!" Cyborg's voice ran out over the sounds in the background. "You trying to kill us all, Rae? It's just a little tickling!"
The feed ended shortly afterwards, but the young girl knew her friends would be okay. This was standard operating procedure for the Titans at work.
With little time to spare, Starfire grabbed a towel and proceeded to dry off her body as she stepped into the bedroom which she and the man she had come to love shared.
"Nightwing, Cyborg has called. We have a miss…ion…" The girl found herself talking to an empty bed, sheets entangled from the moment that they had shared as the sun rose. Nightwing was gone.
The battered elevator doors opened on the Titan Tower's garage. The Cy-car had already been warmed up via automatic starter. Though the heroes were in a hurry to leave, one Titan in particular came out of the elevator faster than expected.
"OOFF!" Beast Boy grunted as Raven' spell sent him flying back-first into Cyborg's auxiliary workbench. Tools and rags scattered from the massive impact as the Titan sat down, momentarily stunned.
Raven slowly exited from the lift, the energy in her eyes slowly dissipating. Her outfit still sagged, as BB had never quite got around to closing it up for her.
"Raven, my workbench!" Cyborg cried out as he surveyed the mess. "What'd you have to go and do that for?"
"I told him to stop," the girl said, matter-of-factly. "Now, if it wouldn't be much trouble, would you mind zipping me up?"
Needless to say, the Titan was a little reluctant to accept the girl's request. Finally, he relented. "Yeah," he said slowly, "I'll do it."
As Cyborg grasped the zipper, Raven stood straight up, taking hold of her hair once again. "Cyborg," she said quietly, "if you so much as touch the small of my back, I'm going to take you apart piece by piece."
"Not in my plans, Rae," the mechanical man said as he slid the zipper up into place right underneath the back of her neck.
Dropping her hair, the Titan whipped her cloak out of a small bag, and fastened it to her shoulders. Pulling the hood of the cloak up over her face, Raven assumed the identity that she was famous for.
"Let's roll," she said, coldly. "People are waiting."
As the melancholy Titan slid into the back seat of the chair, Cyborg offered a hand to Beast Boy, who still seemed pretty out of it.
"Man, why do you do that to her when you know she's only gonna slap you silly?" he asked his friend as he helped up back to his feet and steadied him.
Despite the pain, BB had a grin plastered on his face. "Any attention from Raven is good attention in my book," he said, confidently.
Cyborg shook his head as the two got into the car. "You do know that attention's gonna kill you, right?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Wouldn't have it any other way," the green hero said, smiling.
With tires screeching, the Titans made their way towards another long day in Jump City.
As the sirens rang out in the background, Captain Winston Zeddemore surveyed the scene in front of him. He had seen a lot of things in his twelve years on the force, but this was something new…and he sure didn't like this change.
About a dozen Jump City patrol cars had been strategically placed outside the doors of Jump City First National Bank. The clear glass windows gave the officers both stationed and arrive on the scene a clear view of the situation, and it wasn't a pleasant one. A dozen or so hired thugs were stationed at the vault doors and behind the counter, armed with sub-machine guns. In addition, there were nearly twenty hostages, including the bank tellers on call that day, sitting on the floor in a line against the outside of the teller wall. But this scene would have been standard procedure for the men and women of the Jump City PD if it wasn't for one snag…well, make that three snags.
Standing about center of the building were three students from the infamous villain 'university' the H.I.V.E. One, a relatively short individual, seemed to be strapped into some sort of power suit, two high-velocity high-mag machine guns mounted in place of hands. This was none other that Gizmo, a pint-sized technologically-savvy supervillain with a mean streak inversely proportional to his height. The man next to him towered over everyone in the vicinity, nearly having to duck his head to keep from bumping it against the fluorescent lights that hung from the ceiling. Built like a train, he carried no guns, but it was clear that he himself was the most dangerous weapon he needed. Mammoth was his name, and destruction of property and justice was his game.
Zeddemore grimaced as he took in the view of the villain standing just in front of them. Based on her headset and bulletproof vest, it seemed she was the ringleader in this demented circus. Although she didn't have the physical dominance of her cohorts, the captain had read up on her profile, and knew that she could quite possibly be the most dangerous of them all. She was Jinx, a powerful spellcaster who had sought to leave her old villainous way behind. Looks like the old ways were just too much fun, the officer surmised.
Suddenly, he ducked down behind the wall of cruisers. Gunfire had once again ripped out inside the building, and instinct told all the officers to hit the deck. But the cops were the least of the villains' worries at the moment…
"Damn!" Speedy hollered as another bullet exploded near his head, causing him to push a little bit further behind the bank's reception desk. He glanced quickly over at the smaller deposit station, where he noticed his fellow Teen Titans East member Bumblebee had taken up a defensive position.
The two heroes had heard the call for backup while they were at the local pizza place. The two Titan teams hadn't been in contact since the fall of the Brotherhood, and they had decided to stop by and catch up on old times with a bonfire celebration later that night. However, Aqualad, Mas, and Menos were busy cleaning up the Tower after a wicked night of partying, and promised to arrive as soon as they were done.
Another round ricocheted of the top of the desk, bringing Speedy back to the matter at hand. Man, how he wished they were here now.
"Bee," he shouted out over the commotion, "I can't tell you how glad I am that you suggested we barge in here!"
"Oh, shut up!" Bee shot back, covering her head as another round ripped through the box, taking out the window with it. But she knew Speedy was right. This had been a bad idea.
Captain Zeddemore took the scene in once again. Bumblebee and Speedy were still pinned down under heavy fire. Against his orders, they had stormed the building, unaware of what the H.I.V.E. members had up their sleeves. Now, they were fighting to stay alive while the officers sought a course of action.
The captain jerked his head back as he felt a hand being placed on his shoulder. His eyes took in the view of a red leather mask with lightning bolts branching off of it. It was Kid Flash…well, the Flash, as the Justice League member of the same name had retired a year back, allowing Kid Flash to upgrade to a more legendary status.
"Hey, Cap," Flash said, a grim look on his face. "I got the transmission about four seconds ago. Had to finish up some business in Alaska. So, what's the sicht?"
"We've got about twenty people being held captive in the building," Zeddemore explained. "Two Titans East members are trapped in the building as well, and they're being fired upon." Looking at the young hero, he gave a faint smile. "Looks like your girlfriend's playing for the other team again," he added, sadly.
"She's not my girlfriend," Flash said, coldly. "Not anymore. We split about six months ago."
"'Fraid to say she's back to her old ways," the captain said.
Flash sighed. "Well, everybody's got to eat," he said, weakly.
There was a moment of silence. Then Flash said, "Look, what if I run in there and pull Bee and Speedy out of harm's way? The hostages are behind the trio, so if you signal the sharpshooters, they should be able to take them down."
"No offense, Flash," Z said, sternly, "but that just ain't gonna work. If anyone of us breaches the building, Gizmo's gonna unload those Gatling guns of his into the hostages. You might be fast, but you can't carry twenty-plus people on your back. Plus, the sharpshooters might be able to take a few of them down in a second, but it'll take just as long for that techno-bastard to murder all those people."
"Shit," Flash muttered, realizing the gravity of the situation. Despite his speed, he'd never be to move fast enough without endangering the innocents in the building. Every plan he was formulating in his mind carried too much risk of civilian casualties to be effective. In short, the hero and the cops were at a standstill. "What do we do now?"
Zeddemore remained silent, his mind locked in thought. Grabbing his radio, he began relaying to his officers. "All right, I need eyes on every building from here to the city limits. Get our choppers in the air, and get ready to back off. Once they leave the building, we should be to corner-!"
The captain's command was interrupted by the massive sound of an explosion ripping through a wall on the right side of the structure. At least two henchmen went flying as high explosives tore a hole in the side of the bank, while others stumbled back from the shockwave of the blast. Even the officers took refuge behind their squad cars.
As the dust permeated through the building, Zeddemore and his men, including Flash, slowly looked up.
"What the fuck was that?" Z said, staring at the hole gaping in the wall.
The same though was on the mind of every single individual in the bank, hero, villain, and citizen alike. As the dust settled, an ominous figure could be seen standing in the outline of the hole. Its' shoulder-length hair hung down straight on each side of its' head, and its' tone, muscular physique seemed to beckon a challenge. Jinx had seen this figure before, back when she and Flash were still dating. This, however, would be the first encounter with the two standing on opposite sides. Smiling, she sighed.
"Nightwing," she uttered, a tone of excitement in her voice.
The Titan stood tall in the shadow of the building behind him. As far as Jinx was concerned, he still knew how to make an entrance, both literally and figuratively. As stunning at he was to behold, the girl knew that all good things must come to an end. This was his last dance.
"Get him!" she shouted, motioning to her henchmen.
As they charged, Nightwing slowly turned the handle of the metal rod in his hand. The ends sprung open as the rod telescoped outwards, extending into the staff that had been his weapon for so many years. While the criminals he faced hide behind little black boxes that spewed forth lead, he had never compromised himself. His was simply the way of the fist, and these poor saps were about to learn what pain really was.
"Come and get me," he muttered, his eyes narrowing behind the mask. It was time.
The first was always the easiest. He never seemed to know exactly what Nightwing could do, even though he had lived in fear of his prowess for his entire villain career. A swing and a miss, and a chop to the back of the neck later put him down for the ten-count. One down, eleven to go.
Two more coming. One kicks, the other swings for the fences. Staff blocks kick, arm blocks punch, fist takes face, staff busts head. Three down. Almost too easy.
Another one comes. This one's armed with a gun. So close, can smell his cheap cologne. Rata-tat-tat. Missed. Like always. Too scared to aim straight. The staff whips around Nightwing's head, whistling in the confines of the lobby. CRACK. Staff, meet head. Four down.
The other two back off, seemingly terrified for their lives. Good. Not as stupid as the rest of them. But something's still not right…
That's when the Whirring begins…
"Eat lead, ass-tick!" Gizmo said, unleashing a wall of bullets in the direction of Nightwing.
"Shit…" The hero outran his words as he charged behind the teller windows. Granted, Gizmo had always been a bad shot, but these weapons more than made up for less-that-stellar accuracy.
Nightwing quickened his pace, narrowing staying ahead of the death shroud of lead right on his heels. A few of Jinx's henchmen had gotten in the way, and had been mowed down by hot lead. A slight miscalculation on Gizmo's part, and a grave error on theirs', but thugs like them were a dime a dozen, and could easily be replaced. Besides, that meant less hands grubbing for cash when all this was over.
The hero neared the end of the teller wall. Suddenly, he stumbled. His foot had caught the leg of a prone henchman, and the momentum was pitching him forward. His heart skipped a beat. Then instinct took over. Landing on his hands, he executed a series of back flips that vaulted him over the teller wall and near the vault door.
The two thugs who had remained at their position in front of the vault were startled to see the hero launched over the five-foot-high wall and practically landing on top of them. Before they could make a move for their weapons, they were face-down on the floor. Nightwing was one step ahead.
"Dammit, I've overheating!" Gizmo growled, slowing the guns to a halt. The rotating barrels of the weapons were glowing red hot, like coals in a barbeque grill. "I need a moment to cool down."
Those were the exact words the Titan had wanted to hear. With uncanny agility, he leaped over the teller wall, his eye on the prize. Both Jinx and Gizmo looked up, a mask of sheer terror covering their face.
Nightwing twirled his staff between his fingers as he targeted the two villains. Technical knockout…
BAM! A massive fist connected with Nightwing's chin, sending him off-course and into the office area of the bank. Mammoth had just made his acquaintance for the first time in many years.
Shaking off the cobwebs, the hero got back to his feet. BAM! Another solid shot by the hulking villain staggered the Titan. Then another. And another. And another.
Jinx and Gizmo giggled as their teammate beat Nightwing like a government mule. This was too good for pay-per-view, they surmised as the hero's legs buckled and he dropped to his knees. Blood was running from his busted nose, and the room was spinning around and round. Not the best place to be in the middle of a fight. Still, he had been here before…just not too often.
As the beatdown continued, Speedy and Bumblebee peered out from behind their cover. Seeing the state Nightwing was in was a shock for both the Titans.
"Holy shit…" Speedy said stunned.
The sound of the hero's voice caught Jinx's attention. Noticing the two exposing themselves, she quickly reached into her pocket, her hand emerging with a small pulse grenade. With a flick of a switch, the weapon armed itself. A wicked smile crossed the girl's face. Technical knockout.
Speedy heard the sound of the pulse grenade hitting the floor of the building. The weapon began emitting a high-pitched whine. Only one step left…
"BEE, LOOK OUT!" he shouted, ducking behind the reference desk.
Bumblebee had only a moment to look at the grenade in its' regular form. Suddenly, a massive white light blinded her as the device detonated. The next feeling in her body was pain. Massive pain. She screamed , clutching her face where the shrapnel of the explosive's outer casing dug itself deep. She had never experienced such agony, such helplessness.
For the first time in the young girl's life, she was faced with her impeding death. And she was scared.
Bee's scream resonated in Nightwing's ears, bringing his mind back into focus. Mammoth had been knocking on his door pretty hard, but he had looked away for the moment to see what his partner had been up to. He could distinctly hear his voice call out, "Nice one there, Jinx!" followed by laughter.
His eyes shuffled around the scene before him. Bee was curled up on the floor, screaming in pain as blood oozed from her wounds. Speedy was stuck behind the desk, his hands over his ears. He was helpless to save his friend, and the look on his face told the story. Jinx and Gizmo looked absolutely satisfied with their work, while the three remaining henchmen of the original twelve busied themselves with collecting the money from the vault. A look of sheer terror covered the face of every hostage lined up like a shooting gallery. They were preparing for death, which now seemed a disturbing reality.
The tears and the screams of those about to die awoke something deep with Nightwing. Something that he had never thought of before, a feeling of fury and hatred for those who desecrated the lives of both the heroes with pledged their lives to protecting their cities, and those who lived in those very cities. This was not the way life should be. Villains who maimed and murdered his kin and innocents for pleasure and profit being arrested and spending time in jail – nothing more than a little vacation before they grow tired of life on Easy Street, escape, and start the vicious cycle back up all over again. There had to be an end. A way to prevent even one more innocent life from being taken so cruelly…
Nightwing looked down at his right hand, and clenched his fist. The device he had built into the costume was functioning perfectly. But, even in a last-ditch effort, he had never employed it. It just didn't seem right. But something was different now. He was different now. And a choice had to be made. It was now or never…
"Mammoth, we've nearly finished up with the vault," Jinx said, tossing her hair back. "I hate to spoil your fun, but get rid of Nightwing, quickly."
The massive villain chuckled ever so slightly, and turned his attention back to the Titan. "Sorry for the wait, Nightwing. How's about I give you a little break-!"
Mammoth's words were cut short as he felt the point of cold steel pierce through his chest, the pain overwhelming as it punctured deep into his heart. His eyes wild, he staggered, trying to stay on his feet.
As his consciousness began fading, he heard a voice come to him, muddied through the murky water in his mind. Still, the voice was familiar…so familiar…
"How about I give you one?" it said, cold as ice.
His knees buckling, Mammoth pitched forward onto the floor of the building. Still confused, still trying to take in what had happened, he closed his eyes, and exhaled for the last time.
Nightwing steadied himself as he felt the weight of Mammoth drop off of his shoulders. The man had grabbed him, looking for support as he collapsed to the ground. He was motionless, and a pool of dark liquid had begun to build around his body.
The hero shook his head. He couldn't quite comprehend what had just happened. His head was aching, and his right hand felt uncomfortably warm and sticky. What ever had occurred, another villain was down, and only two more remained.
Nightwing closed his eyes momentarily, and let his instinct take over. His enemies might have won one battle, but he was going to win the war.
Jinx stumbled back, terrified of what she had just seen. Mammoth was dead, and only one man had the opportunity to kill him. Now, that man was making his way across the lobby towards her, a double-edged spike protruding from the knuckles of his right hand.
"Oh, fuck me," she breathed, her mind and heart racing. With a moment of composure, she took a deep breath.
"Somebody kill that son of a bitch!" she screamed, motioning to the remaining members of her henchmen squad.
"Give me another twenty seconds, and he'll be setting off metal detectors around the goddamn planet!" Gizmo said, reloading his weapons as the barrels regained their color.
One henchman was down already, his head twisted around to meet his back. Another screamed as his arm was shattered at the elbow. His head was quickly tucked under the arm of Nightwing and as he was lifted up, he could feel his spine separate from his body. It would be the last thing he ever felt on this planet.
The third henchmen had watched his partners in crime get sent on a dirt nap. He wasn't about to take the same trip. But as he tried to run for the door, a gloved hand reached out and snatched him up by the collar. Falling back, he had only moments to spare before he felt a cold metal blade snake its' way across his exposed throat. Choking on his own life essence, he collapsed to the ground, his body twitching violently before seizing up altogether.
An audible sound alerted Gizmo that his weapons system was up and running again. As Nightwing drew within arm's reach, the Whirring began once again.
"See you in Hell, Nightwing!" the techno-villain shouted. Suddenly, his body shuddered as the cold steel slammed through his eye socket, burying itself deep within his superior brain.
"You first," Nightwing said as he detached the assassin's blade from his fist. Two down, only one left.
Jinx was frozen in place as she watched Gizmo fall onto his back, the ghoulish blade sticking straight out of his face. This was not supposed to happen. No hero had ever crossed the line between justice and murder…at least, not here in Jump City. But Nightwing had just leaped across it with reckless abandon. With little choice else, the girl made a break for the main doors. She had to get away. Even if the cops got their hands on her, it would be far better than him doing it…
Jinx let out a scream as a metal boomerang embedded itself deep in her back, hurling her to the floor. The Titan's aim had been dead on. Painfully, she crawled on her hands and knees, feeling the tingling of paralysis pulsating throughout her lower body. Spinal damage was curable in this day and age, she remarked mentally, but death was still the same old story.
As the villain moved towards the exit, Nightwing followed close behind, a determined look in his eye. This one would not get away, either. He would make sure of that.
Jinx flipped herself over, slowly scooting herself back as she kept her eyes of the Titan as he advanced towards her broken body. Tears of pain and terror rolled down her face, smearing up her mascara. Fear gripped her heart like nothing else had ever done. Death was coming, and Nightwing personified it.
"Please…" she sobbed, holding her hand up in defeat, "don't do this…I beg you… Mercy!"
The Titan's eyes narrowed as she stood over Jinx's prone figure. It was time.
"You don't get that," he said, gravelly. "Not today."
Reaching down, he yanked the girl up to her feet by her hair. Jinx let out a scream as Nightwing wrapped one arm around her neck and the other around the top of her head.
"No! Please!" she cried. But the words fell on deaf ears.
The movement was swift and silent. The only sound audible in the building was the loud CRACK as the girl's neck snapped like a twig. Her body shuddered involuntarily, and then fell still as the last of her life faded away.
Like a robot, Nightwing drew his arms up, letting Jinx's lifeless body fall to the floor. As the carnage around him fed into his mind, he interpreted all into a small phrase.
"Game, set, match," he said.