Plan B
February 22th , 2014.
Gotham
Nightwing watched as the Batwing flew over their heads, heading straight for the bay.
With the bomb in tow. He allowed himself to feel hope for a second.
"Too bad." a new voice interrupted. Nightwing and Batgirl whirled around, facing the owner of the voice. Batgirl's frowned in confusion and turned her attention to Nightwing.
"Who's that?"
Before them stood a woman dressed in black. Her face stone cold and eyes like daggers.
Nightwing glared.
"Hello Talia. Too late to pick up your little toy I'm afraid."
Talia al Ghul narrowed her eyes. "We'll get Gotham, just wait and see Boy Wonder." she answered, her voice cold. "But, for now.. we'll settle with destroying her protectors."
Batgirl felt Nightwing tense beside her. She then felt something being showed into her hand, under cover from her cape.
"Take the trigger. Keep it safe."
He spoke so softly she wasn't even sure he'd said anything. But she felt the trigger in her hand, and she quickly hid it in her belt.
Nightwing barely got a chance to react before Bane charged him. Quickly jumping out of the way he saw that Batgirl was now engaged in near combat with the heiress to the League of Shadows.
Not. Good!
oOo
Batgirl barely had any time to react before this new unknown enemy was upon her. Batgirl fell back, falling into a fighting stance while trying to read her new opponents movements and motives.
"Who are you?" Batgirl asked, force in her voice.
Talia smiled. "You don't know? Then child, you can't have been doing this for very long." Talia attacked, forcing Batgirl to block.
Batgirl grimaced against the pain that flew up through both of her arms. The woman was strong!
"Oh no my girl, I just know how to read you."
Batgirl swallowed. She might be in over her head in this one. Then her eyes hardened. This woman, whoever she was, were the one responsible for everything that had happened to her, her friends, her father and Gotham these past months. Before Talia managed to get another blow through to her Batgirl blocked, forcing her opponents arms up and kicked her in the chest. Hard.
"Bring it, bitch."
Nightwing was dizzy. Bane had smashed his head against a wall and while the young hero had managed to get away for a few seconds things weren't looking so good. His ribs protested against the ruff treatment and his leg were beginning to go numb thanks to the gunshot wound.
He'd never seen Bane this angry. The man was absolutely mental in his attacks. They were swift, and they hurt.
"Aren't you worried you'll break your precious trigger if you squash me?" he asked, as Bane missed him again.
"New plans niño. Instead of hurting you, now I just have to kill you." Bane smirked, his knuckles crackling maliciously. "Much easier order to follow."
"I guess that doesn't really work in my favour." Nightwing replied, trying to get some distance between him and Bane. If only his head would stop spinning.
'Probably concussion' Nightwing thought to himself. 'And a bad one at that'.
Bane suddenly charged, using his entire body as weapon against the light acrobat. Nightwing felt his ribs scream against the force as he was slammed against the wall of city hall. Bane grinned as his hand grabbed around Nightwings neck, starting to add pressure.
"I've been waiting for this opportunity for a very long time niño. It is time for life to leave you.."
Nightwing struggled to get free, but his injuries and the concussion not to mention the lack of air took its toll on him. He gasped, trying to pry Bane's hands away from his neck. In vain and he knew it, he stood no chance against the strength of Bane. But maybe he could..
"Hey, BANE!" suddenly, just as blackness had started to dances in his eyes, Bane was torn away from him, and the pressure on Nightwings neck disappeared. He tumbled to the ground, gasping for air as life returned to his body quickly. He stumbled as he tried to stand up, failing forward but oddly enough he didn't hit the ground. Arms supported him, stabilizing him. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He could see Batgirl on the rooftop of the opposite building. But, if she was over there, with Talia, then who..?
"Ehm.. Rob?" a new voice asked. A familiar voice. Nightwing suddenly realized that he could turn his head. He looked. And blinked.
"Wally?"
oOo
The Team had arrived in Metropolis as planned. A small plane, curtesy of Queen Industries, had been waiting for them to take them to Gotham. The airplane had been the state of the art, transporting them to the city in just over 20 minutes. The brief trip had allowed the team to form some sort of plan. Their objective was clear, thanks to the media reporting about the fight in front of City hall. They would part up as soon as the plane landed, and rendezvous as soon as one of them had located Robin and Bane.
Wally, now with his Kid Flash mask back on, had the obviously advantage in this. The more experienced girls – Rocket, Zatanna, Bumblebee and Miss Martian – followed at the highest speed they could muster.
Artemis, due to her lack of flying abilities, would follow as quickly as possible with Superboy and Wondergirl.
Kid Flash couldn't remember the last time he'd run so fast. Luckily not many people were outside, so he didn't have to worry about running into anybody. He knew the girls and the rest of the team would catch up with him shortly, but he would reach the battleground first. Priority number one – find Robin.
As the only bridge connecting to Gotham downtown came into view he speeded up, intending to get past the military without them even seeing him. The force from his speed knocked down almost every person on the bridge.
'Sorry!'
He rounded a corner, and a few seconds later he stood in front of City Hall. He saw Bane, holding the black dressed man they'd seen from the satellite, in a death grip. Anger boiling inside of him, Kid Flash speeded up, running directly into Bane. The force from the impact caused Bane to fall back, releasing his grip on his victim. Kid Flash took a second to make sure Bane wouldn't get up for the next few seconds, before turning to the man he'd just saved. The man gasped for air and stumbled forward. Wally caught him and gently placed him on the ground. He couldn't believe what he saw.
"Rob?" he asked, not really sure if he wanted this person to be his best friend.
The battle suit had been all but teared to pieces. The armour protecting the vital organs had been crushed, by Bane no doubt. Blood was leaking from a wound to the leg.
The man looked up when he said the name.
"Wally?" he said, sounding disbelieving. Wally's mind screamed and danced in joy.. It WAS Robin!
"Rob.. oh man, what've you done to yourself?" Kid Flash asked, helping his friend back up.
"And why are you dressed like that?"
Robin didn't answer him right away, his breathing still troubled by his near death experience with Bane. Just as Wally was about to ask more questions, a yell interrupted him.
"Kid Flash!" Miss Martian and the others had arrived. Rocket quickly trapped Bane in on of her power bubbles while the others landed beside Kid Flash. They all stared at the person in front of them.
"Robin? Is that you?" asked Miss Martian, a bit unsure. He felt different.
"Yeah.." he answered, sounding quiet overwhelmed by the fact that all of his friends were suddenly standing in front of him.
Miss Martian jumped forward, hugging him. "Oh, we've been so worried about you!" she felt him shiver underneath her touch and she backed away. "Are you injured?"
"Bruised ribs, nothing serious." he answered, turning away from them to look at the trapped Bane while rubbing his bruised neck. Then his eyes snapped open and whirled around.
"Have you seen Batgirl?" he asked, worry in his eyes.
They starred at him. ".. Bat-who?" asked Zatanna, while the rest of them looked as if Robin be more injured than they first thought.
"I have to find her. Help the police!" he made ready to run off, only to be stopped by Kid Flash grasping his arm, holding him back.
"Who Robin? Who's Batgirl? Why do you look like that? Where is the bomb?"
The Boy Wonder turned around, facing them.
"I'm not Robin anymore. I'm Nightwing. Batgirl's been helping be the past months. Batman has the bomb. I've been fighting Bane and she is fighting Talia and she needs my help! Now, let me go!"
The others blinked at the rapid information stream and Kid Flash released his grip on his friend.
"Not Robin?" asked Miss Martian, unsure of how to respond to this new piece of information.
"No I'm not. Guys, I'm so excited to see you but she really needs my help." he began to run, the others following.
"But, if you're not Robin, what can we call you?" yelled Kid Flash over the noise from the battlefield.
"Nightwing!" a new voice caused them to look up. On the rooftop was two women engaged in close combat. One dressed in a uniform similar to their friend, but with a cape and long red hair. The other, also dressed in black, had long black hair and looked oddly familiar to some of the older team members.
The black headed had the upper hand of the fight. She was obviously more trained than her opponent. The woman in the cape looked exhausted and a second after she yelled – they assumed she'd been the one yelling – she was caught by her opponent.
Robin (had the red head been addressing him when she yelled Nightwing?) stopped death in his tracks.
"Let her go Talia! Bane is down, you men has been defeated! Stop this!" he yelled, with such anger in his voice that it caused the Team to share a shocked look. It would seem that not only his name and uniform had changed in these past months.
Talia laughed, tightening her grip around Batgirl's neck while holding her arms trapped in a death grip. Superboy took a step forward, only to be stopped by Artemis.
"We can't interfere! She'll kill her before we reach the roof!" Superboy growled, but remained on the ground. Talia smirked at the young heroes.
"Don't say that boy wonder. I told you earlier – we don't fight to destroy Gotham now. We fight to destroy her protectors."
Batgirl wriggled in her captors arm, attempting – and failing – to get free. "So just kill me, lady if that's all you can think about."
Kid Flash looked to his left and saw a brief flash of surprise and fear crossing the face of his best friend. Kid Flash frowned, getting uneasy as fear started to enter his mind. He apparently knew this girl quite well.
Talia laughed again at Batgirls words, stroking the younger woman's chin causing Batgirl to look positively ill.
"Oh no dear child, not you." half a second later Batgirl's scream filled the air as Talia swiftly broke her arm. Talia then pushed the gotham vigilante of the roof. Miss Martian and Zatanna flew up catching her and quickly lowering her to the ground where Robin/Nightwing were absolutely livid with anger. Artemis quickly kneeled down by Batgirl, attempting to help her with her now broken arm.
"How DARE you!" he screamed at Talia who was still smirking at them.
"It's your own fault, Boy Wonder. You could've taken the hit instead of your little girlfriend, but you just had to go and give this to her." Talia raised her hand. Nightwing felt his blood run cold.
Talia had the trigger.
"Batman proves to be difficult to kill. So, for once and for all I'm getting rid of him. Using a multibillion nuclear bomb should do the trick."
Before any of them could react she pushed the trigger down. A few seconds of total silence except Batgirls rapid, pained breathing.
And then the blast could be heard.
The Team shared a terrified look before looking up again. Talia was gone.
They looked to their left.
And so was Robin.
The time frame is a bit messed up in this. But it's fiction, so I won't beat myself up over it.
And the stroke thing – not meant to be homophobic or anything. I think it's rather normal to look put off when your captor strokes your cheek.
It's difficult to write a character who has two names. Damn you Nightwing for not being straightforward with your friends!
Pardon about the wait. It's not like I've been too busy to write. It's just.. it seems like my inspiration levels are dangerously low.
But, now with the autumn coming I can feel my fingers long for the keyboard once again. Hopefully I'll finish this story in a few months. I can't promise anything but that I will finish it :)