Sorry I'm updating this late, and also for anyone who was reading the Failed Project, I'm really sorry because writers block is eating away at me for the sequel. :(

Please enjoy the chapter and sorry for taking forever to update.

L.

~Laces

Chpt.6

Guilt Ciontacht

"Thanks for taking me along for the game." Nell smiled, looking up at Dick as he was holding Aoife's hand and some popcorn.

"No problem Nell, Aoife insisted that you come with us." Dick smiled brightly as they found their seats in the stadium.

"Who do you think will win the game?" Nell inquired, and Aoife shrugged.

"I dunno. I really hope the Gotham Knights win though, because those Philadelphia Eagles fans can be so violent." Aoife muttered as she watched a group of men with beer bottles yell at each other.

To be completely honest, this was Aoife's first football game, and she was nervous from what she watched on television.

However, she was happy when Dick offered to take her and her new friend. Having a friend her own age seemed to make things a lot better.

Watching the game in person, impossibly enough, seemed more boring to Aoife then watching it on television.

As Nell laughed and cheered, Aoife found that the crowd noise was lulling her to sleep. Slowly, but surely, she drifted off to sleep while the game continued.

"A distraction." A big man chuckled. Aoife stood right in front of him as he loaded several guns.

He was wearing a black and orange outfit with a mask that was split down the middle. One half was orange, the other half black, and only one of his eyes was visible.

"Slade here." The man stated, talking into a COM link. He paused for a moment, then nodded. "Understood."

Slade stood from behind a few empty seats that were up high.

"Wait… where am I?" Aoife muttered, as she looked around, and her eyes widened. She was still in the football stadium! And so was Slade!

Aoife was startled awake by loud cheering and she looked over at Dick.

"Slade's here." She said quietly, pulling him down so he could hear her.

"Slade…"

There was a loud banging sound and several football players fell to the ground. The crowd gasped, then grew quiet.

Slade strode onto the field, taking out a blow horn.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen." He spoke, and Aoife looked over at Dick, who was shaking his head.

"This isn't right." He whispered, and Aoife knew what Dick was talking about.

This wasn't Slade's style. Being so out in the open and show boating was something that Slade didn't do.

"Nobody leaves or they get shot." Slade informed, shooting a man trying to run out of the stadium to prove his point.

The entire audience was silent and full of tension. Children clutched their parents in fear, and adults looked alarm, but Dick, Aoife, and even Nell seemed calm and serious.

"Now, we're going to play a little game in substitution for the game that was taking place today."

This is completely unlike him. Aoife thought.

"Will an Aoife O'Connor come down here." He stated, and Aoife's body stiffened.

He knows my name? Aoife thought with worry.

"Come on Aoife, I know you're out there." Aoife slowly stood to her feet, and Dick stood with her.

"I just want Aoife, Mr. Grayson, and unless you want me to shoot her where she stands, I suggest that you sit back down." Slade stated in a threatening tone.

Dick looked over Aoife.

"It's… it'll be okay. I'll be fine." Aoife whispered, and Dick slowly sunk to his seat, and Aoife made her way onto the field as the stadium watched in silence.

"Why hello there." Slade said in a taunting voice, but it was only for her to hear. "Awfully brave of you to walk up here."

"What do you want from me, Sir?" Aoife inquired, and Slade laughed.

"Honestly, I just wanted to rile up Dick Grayson's feathers. He's like your father, isn't he?"

"You've been stalking Dick?" she questioned, not answering the man's question, and Slade shook his head.

"Not as much as I would like. Job's getting in the way." He shrugged.

"So this is a… distraction?" Aoife questioned, and Slade pulled out a gun, aiming it at the girl. A gasp and rumbling erupted from the stadium.

"But, of course." Slade chuckled, then spoke into the microphone. "Anyone with young children may want to cover their eyes. This girl is about to get shot in the head."

He was giving Aoife a warning. He was giving her time to do something. He was trying to drag this out.

However, if Aoife didn't move he was going to shoot her.

Athena quickly kicked the gun out of the man's hands and drove her fist into his gut. Slade was most likely grinning under his mask.

"Nice moves." He grabbed Athena's hand and bent it back, making her scream in pain. "You almost hurt me." he chuckled, then kneed Aoife in the gut.

However, Slade quickly whirled around to face the section where Dick was and aimed his gun at the man, who was running towards the field.

"Sit back down, son." He stated, but then grunted in pain.

Nell was much faster than Dick, and had managed to run onto the field, and she kicked Slade as hard as she could on the side of his kneecap, giving him a dead leg.

He turned around, and raised his hand to strike at Nell, when Aoife picked up Slade's gun and aimed it at him.

"Don't you touch her!" she shouted, and Slade right out laughed when he saw the little girl holding the gun.

The was a rumble in the crowd. Clearly they were getting a show, even though they most likely couldn't hear much of it.

"What are you going to do?" Slade questioned as he took a step forward, and Aoife took a small step back. "Are you going to shoot me, Aoife?"

"No." a gruff voice stated, and Slade turned around to see Red Hood. "But I will." Jason started shooting at Slade and the man quickly dodged.

Now that Slade was up against someone more powerful than two little girls, the crowd made a run for it.

Dick was quickly on the field, helping Jason take down Slade.

"Aoife! Nell! Get to safety now!" Dick shouted, and both girls started running off.

"Batman should be headed over now." Aoife heard Jason say, and her eyes widened.

"No No. No. No." Aoife whispered as she grabbed Nell's hand, and they ran out of the stadium.

"Do you have a cell phone?" Aoife questioned quickly, and Nell shook her head.

"No. Why…"

"Sir?" Aoife turned to look at a man who was standing outside along with several other fleeing people. The man looked over at her.

"Can I borrow your cell phone. I need to call my mom." She said quickly, and the man nodded, handing the phone over to Aoife.

She quickly dialed Barbra's cell.

"Hello?" Barbra questioned.

"Barbra get away from your computers now!" Aoife exclaimed.

"Aoife? What are you talking about?"

"Just get away from your computer!" she shouted, and once the man who she borrowed the cellphone from gave her a strange look, Aoife whispered,

"Love you, bye." and hung up, handing the phone back to the man.

"Thank you." She smiled and the man took his phone back, but still looked at her weirdly as he walked away.

"Aoife, what's going on?" Nell questioned.

Aoife looked at Nell, unsure what to say.

"Um… I… you see…"

"Are you two alright?" Batgirl inquired.

"Her kinda Dad is still in the stadium." Nell informed after a quick little squeal because her hero was standing right in front of her.

"Don't worry, help is on the…"

"Why aren't you with Oracle!?" Aoife exclaimed.

"What… what are you talking about?" Stephanie questioned, trying to act like she didn't know Aoife.

"Call Oracle! Tell her to get away from her computer if she is still there!" she exclaimed. Stephanie radioed in.

"O, are you away from the computer?" she questioned, and paused. "O? O, are you there?"

She then looked at the girls.

"She's not picking up." Stephanie informed, her eyes widening. Aoife ran her fingers through her hair.

"Go to her! Help is coming, you said so yourself, and Dick and Jason have Slade under control right now." Aoife exclaimed, and shook her head as Steph took off.

"This is all my fault." She whispered, shaking her head.

"Okay." Nell sighed, placing a hand on Aoife's shoulder. "So, Barbra is Oracle, and Red Hood is Jason. Does that make Dick Nightwing or Batman or…"

"Don't tell anyone, Nell." Aoife pleaded and the girl nodded.

"I won't tell… are you alright?" Nell inquired, and Aoife shook her head on the verge of tears.

"There's a lot I gotta tell you. But… but Barbra is in danger and I somewhat saw it coming, and I didn't tell anyone for weeks except for Jason, but I should have told Barbra so she wouldn't get hurt, and some crazy guy is looking for her, and Slade is under his control, and he needed a distraction so that's why he attacked the football field, but clearly the crazy guy's going to hurt Barbra, most likely through the computer, and…"

"Calm down." Nell said in a gentle voice. "Batgirl's going to go and help. Everything's going to be okay."

Aoife sighed and hugged Nell tightly, and Nell hugged her friend back.

Aoife couldn't help but cry softly. She felt guilty that she didn't let Barbra know she was having dreams about a man targeting her.

"This is all my fault."