"Dad, I can explain."
"Explain, Maia. Explain why is Matthew over at Joker's and you're over here?"
"Well...that question, dear Daddy...is an excellent question!"
"Maia Charlotte Gordon-Grayson, if you don't tell me the truth, I will tell your mother!"
Maia groans and admits up the truth to her father. After she was done, Nightwing frowns at his daughter, with his mask on, his long black hair slicked back and wearing his all-blue ninja-like suit. His arms crossed. He replies, "I don't know whether to be more upset at Matthew for bringing Joker's kid to our house and leaving to fight her father alone...or you for letting him out of your sight! I would ground you, but I'm too pissed off...is he still at Joker's lair?"
Maia shrugs her shoulders and mumbles under her breath, "Why don't you check for yourself...?"
"Hey,", says Nightwing. "Don't you dare act grown around me."
"Why? You're not like Mom anyway."
"What's your problem?"
"My problem is you! Stop acting like you're Mom! She's away from us with Grampa and we don't know if she's coming back!"
"Maia-"
"No! As much as I love to hear your rehearsed lectures...Matthew needs me..."
Storming off to grab her costume from the hangers in her closet, she changes out of her teal t-shirt and ripped skinny jeans. Coming out of her bedroom dressed in her pink ninja suit and matching glasses with her magic tricks wrapped around her waist and tying her stringy black hair into a bun, she glares at her father with her vicious blue eyes and stormed off to help Matt. Watching her daughter slam the door behind her, Nightwing takes off his mask and sighs to himself. He admits that he has lost control of his daughter. It wasn't his fault though. Her mother was the commissioner's daughter and she has to help out with everything. He walks up to a picture of him as Robin, Barbara as Batgirl, Batman and Alfred the butler. He sighs as he remembers his younger years. He nearly was bursting into tears. He was crying for Batman's death. Crying for his wife leaving. Crying for Alfred's heart attack. Most of all, he was crying for his lack of parenthood.
If Alfred was here...he would help me out with Maia...she's acting too much like me...
Matthew was lying on his side as he was bruised from his ribs. Wincing in pain, he was trying to grab one of his batarangs, but a henchman steps on his hand. Crying out in pain, he tries to bite the foot, only to get kicked in the face. Orla screams out and shakes the bars in the cage that her father trapped her in.
"Stop it, Daddy! Leave him alone. He's suffered enough!"
"Shut up, you bratty traitor! You are nothing to me now!"
"Yeah, sure! Treat me the exact same way you did to Mom! Kill me slowly just like you did her!" Orla was crying now. The Joker looks at his daughter and scoffs at her.
"Your mother was a buffoon to fall for me. She should of known better."
"Liar! Leave dear mommy out this!"
"You brat! You're a mere brat and a irritating slut like your mother."
"Shut up, Joker!", yells Matt, trying to stand up but keeps falling on his knees and coughing up blood. "Leave Orla alone. YOU are the brat. Treating your own family like garbage..."
"Like your father...?", asks Joker with a evil grin.
Matt glares at him and growls, yelling at him, "Shut the hell UP, Joker!"
He manages to get up and reaches into his belt to grab and throw batarangs at him. Moving away from the batarangs, the Joker throws a gas bomb at him. Dodging the bomb, Matthew runs up to him and punches him in the face before getting kicked in the gut. Falling on his knees and wincing in pain, he holds his gut and starts throwing up. Just then, Orla's cage bars blew up and she was gone! Matt looks over there and tries to scan the room for her, only to see her and Maia up top on the balcony. Matt smirks at Maia but was a little upset that she was here instead of at the cave.
At least Orla's safe.
"Okay, Joker. You're dead!", says Maia, throwing to throw some powder only to see him getting tangled up in a batarang that didn't belong to Matthew. Looking at the direction it came from, she groans as she sees Nightwing.
"Dad, what are you doing here?!"
"Helping you. You're welcome."
"We don't NEED any help, Dad!"
"Yes, you do."
"Don't tell me that I need you when I don't!"
Nightwing grabs her arm and drags her away. Pulling away from his grasp, Mystique storms off again.
"Maia!", cries Nightwing. Maia doesn't listen to him until she gets captured by one of the henchmen. Being thrown into a cage along with Matthew and Orla, she bangs on the bars. Feeling useless, she groans and plops on the ground.
"Stop, Mystique. It's no use.", says Matthew.
"Don't tell me what to do."
"Someone has to."
"Leave me alone, Wayne!"
"Leave him alone, Mystique.", says Orla, trying to help.
"Shut it, Trickster! This is your fault anyway!", says Maia.
"Leave Orla out of this.", defends Matt.
"Look at you, Matt. Defending this slut!"
"She's not a slut!"
The bars start to explode. The kids were unharmed. Matt looks at the corner of his eye to see a masked shadow.
Dad...