AN: Hello! I'm back with chapter two, and I hope it lives up to your expectations, and thank you to every one who reviewed, favourited and alerted this story, it means a lot to know my writing is appreciated.
Enjoy!
Blue Bird
Chapter 2
Superboy's first punch would have sent Nightwing flying through the wall, had he been standing there, as it was the blow sailed over his head and into the brick Nightwing had been backed up against, he laughed and slipped away, calling back over his shoulder;
"Is that really the best you can do? My girlfriend hits harder than that!"
"And who's your girlfriend?" Kid Flash asked, sending a volley of short, sharp punches in Nightwing's direction, "Some big-ass alien troll?"
Nightwing flipped away, "No, but my ex is a big-ass alien warrior princess who can shoot lasers from her eyes,"
"Sounds like a charmer," Artemis said, firing a volley of arrows,
Nightwing ducked another oncoming blow from Superboy and kicked backwards, catching Kid Flash in the middle and sending him stumbling backwards into Artemis.
Aqualad lunged, his water-bearers forming two glowing swords, which Nightwing avoided easily, letting out another laugh,
"The sword isn't really your forte is it Aqualad?" he asked,
The Atlantean took a swipe at Nightwing, who once again was no longer there, and replied; "I know the weapon well enough,"
"Your posture's all wrong," Nightwing reappeared, this time behind Aqualad, "Let your movements be fluid, but well timed and sharp,"
Aqualad drove his elbow backwards, into thin air, "Perhaps I should correct myself, I should have said that I know the weapon well enough to defeat you,"
Nightwing drove his elbow into Aqualad's shoulder and the Atlantean's swords dissolved, "Apparently not,"
Nightwing disappeared again and, from the shadows, watched the team of four regroup, he smirked slightly, as the Martian reappeared and he strained he ears to hear what they were saying,
"He was defending his mind well," Miss Martian was saying, "But I saw that he is telling the truth, he doesn't know where Robin is,"
"Or he is merely manipulating his thoughts to look like that," Aqualad said, "Either way, he is our only lead, and I am not keen to return to Batman and tell him what has happened,"
"So now we need to find him," Kid Flash said,
Nightwing rolled his eyes, "I'm over here,"
The team's heads flicked left and right, then Superboy spotted him, with a roar the clone launched at him and Nightwing leapt out of the way, tripping Kid Flash and deflecting Aqualad's attempt to punch him, leaving Nightwing facing Artemis, who had collapsed her bow and was readying herself to go hand-to-hand,
"You've got weapons," the archer said, "Why not use them?"
"How d'you know they're not just for show?" Nightwing asked, "And how come you haven't given Aqualad some pointers on how to properly use a sword?"
"I'm no good with a sword, that was always my sister's area," Artemis replied,
"Last I checked she was three years older than you, Artemis," Nightwing said, "And a gun for hire, I don't think you've got too much competition there,"
Artemis narrowed her eyes, "What do you know about me?"
"More than you want me to," Nightwing replied,
"You talk a lot, don't you?" Artemis said,
"I'm chatty, it's part of my charm," Nightwing replied, glimpsing movement in the corner of his eye, which meant Miss Martian was floating around, waking everybody up,
"What makes you think you have any charm at all?" Artemis asked, turning slightly pink,
"Every woman I've ever met prefers to look at me from behind," Nightwing smiled, "That and, you're blushing,"
"No, I'm not," Artemis spat,
"Of course not," Nightwing smirked, despite a feeling of nausea settling in the pit of his stomach.
Aqualad got to his feet, pulling Kid Flash up with him and Superboy also stood, Miss Martian appearing next to him, a hand pressed to her temple,
"How many times are you going to read my mind before you realise it only works if I want it to?" Nightwing asked,
There was no reply and Nightwing sighed, "Okay, you want to see the inside of my head? I'm sorry, really,"
Nightwing stopped concentrating on blocking his mind, and a series of images shot through Miss Martian's head, so quickly she almost missed them; a funeral for two people, the names on the headstones blurred, more sorrow than she could ever have imagined running through her, a man in a black and white suit, half his face cruelly burnt, right down to the bone bearing down upon her with undisguised venom, an orange and black mask filled her vision causing terror to fill her insides, an open coffin contain a young man, giant, ugly gashes marring his pale skin,
The connection broke and Miss Martian fell back with a gasp, "What was that?"
"What you wanted to see," Nightwing said, the team looked him and saw that he was shaking, "That's why I don't let anyone into my mind, ever."
"I'm sorry, I-"Miss Martian faltered under Nightwing's glare, "We just want to find our friend,"
Nightwing laughed, and the air of tension broke, "What makes you think I know where he is?"
"You were here when he disappeared," Aqualad said,
"No I wasn't," Nightwing said, "I was in Bludhaven, with my youngest brother,"
"Ha, nice try," Kid Flash said, "Bludhaven's on the other side of the country, not like you could get from there to here in the space of two and a half minutes,"
"Says the guy who can break the sound barrier in his sneakers," Nightwing said, "How do you know I can't teleport or whatever?"
"If you had that power you'd have used it by now," Artemis said,
"You are still making the same fundamental mistake, Artemis, you assume I'm telling the truth," Nightwing said, "Telling you would be playing fair, I don't play, I don't reveal my advantage until it's too late for any of you guys to do anything about it,"
"So, you don't have powers?" Superboy asked,
"That would be telling," Nightwing said with a smirk, "But by all means cut loose, just know that I carry kryptonite,"
"You're bluffing," Artemis said, "You said yourself; you never reveal your advantage,"
"Maybe I am," Nightwing shrugged, "Have fun finding out,"
With these words he threw down some smoke pellets and vanished into the fog, Superboy followed and, with remarkable stealth, charged, catching Nightwing off guard and sending him flying into a wall.
"Ow," the vigilante deadpanned, wincing slightly as he regained his footing, "Thanks for that Supey, like I need more cracked ribs,"
Nightwing leaned heavily against the brickwork and began feeling his side, "Four cracked ribs, two broken, three bruised, multiple lacerations due to gunfire," his hand moved up slightly, "three torn stitches," up to his head, "Mild concussion and oil burns, and not forgetting the poison,"
"Poison?" Miss Martian looked slightly alarmed,
"Yeah, I'd say a slow acting distillation of arsenic, but I'd need a med-lab to be sure," Nightwing said, as though lethal poisoning was something he dealt with regularly,
"And your other injuries?" Aqualad asked, despite himself,
"Same fight, except the concussion and broken ribs, that was you lot," Nightwing said, "But it's weird, because usually this guy tries to run me through this great big sword,"
"Maybe you were being particularly annoying?" Artemis suggested, "I'm pretty sure I'd be able to sympathise,"
"Ha, ha," Nightwing growled, "How d'you know he's not a bad guy?" he slid a little down the wall and blinked rapidly,
"Are you okay?" Kid Flash asked,
Nightwing sat, heavily, in the rubble, "Seriously, multiple fractures. Lacerations and concussion coupled with a slow acting toxin, how d'you think I feel?"
Nightwing blinked several more times, trying, in vain, to clear his vision before he blacked out.