Rewind time: To save a life
Nightingale made her choice a while ago when she decided to marry Richard Wayne even if it meant her death. What she didn't quite understand was the fuss about her pregnancy to begin with or the chaos that soon followed through with it. Especially when another portal opened up bringing through a ghost which was odd because Zantanna was well and alive during her time period, but she knew that portal from anywhere. Especially after meeting a stranger Kid Flash whom tried to talk to his younger self about not becoming a hero only to be the cause and the effect on why Kid Flash became a hero in the first place.
Leaving her knowing and understanding that this was a future version of her friend a version that only she could see and hear which was not a good sign for the young superhero. And, yet despite it all deep down inside of her she knew something was upsetting her future friend spirit even though her current friend was on beach holidays hanging out with her grandfather.
"Why are you here?"she asked.
"I came to warn you about the boy you're holding."
A boy, she thought with glee at the mere idea of having a boy. A son at that oh how she wished he be heathy and strong like her father, a boy she knew for sure now what she was carrying and was glad to hear the fact. However, she also knew her spirit friend wasn't here for nothing especially if she just time travelled from the future to the past just to warn her of incoming danger.
Something happened. Something which wasn't good had happened.
"What is there to warn me?"
"It well kill you."
She narrowed her eyes and knew for a fact that most of the time the child birth didn't lead to death. Her grandmother made that most clear to her when she was just a wee child.
"I think you've lost your mind Zatanna."
"I really haven't."
"I think you've lost it to fairy blood."
"I'm a witch. It's my duty to study the arts."
"But not to madness," Nightingale said. "Did you destroy a whole world just to tell me my son well kill me?"
"It's what men do," said Zantanna.
"And, yet strange men have found me took me in and feed me after my family was killed. Not to mention given me something my grandparents had wanted for me," said Nightingale.
Zantanna hissed out in bitterness.
"You dare doubt me in this debate?"she yelled.
"Of course I do," said Nightingale.
"Than I shall curse you and kill the brat in which you hold just like I've killed your pressure globe," vowed Zantanna.
A portal opened up once again and Nightingale dashed out of the way and out appeared a boy with jet black hair holding up a fire ball in his hands and it was then and there that she knew he was fairy blood.
"Leave my mother alone," the boy warned in a deadly tone. Meanwhile her baby slightly kicked.
"Leave whom alone there is no such thing here boy," said Zantanna.
"I well not fall for you're tricky," said the boy.
The boy attack sending a blast of fire aimed at the ghost and just for a second Nightingale wondered how the spell well attack a ghost, but yet somehow it did and somehow it managed and all she saw and all she heard was a spirit moaning in furious pain. She howled in agony, Zantanna did before her spirit panic as it too faded away.
"No, no, no I can't fade. I shall live forever and repeat the same madness here as I did so before. Live, I shall!" Zantanna yelled in fury, but she choked viciously and then turned to star dust before fading away forever.
Leaving the boy and the mother alone.
"Who are you?"asked Nightingale outside of her son.
"I'm not sure if I can use my name here," mentioned the boy and Nightingale frowned.
"I'm sure it won't matter. There can be two."
"Where's Richard?"warned the boy a frown on his face and she could see the gears turning in his head. If Zantanna went mad, but truthful then that just means she wasn't in the boy future. However, she tracked her future-self a skill Batman had taught her and a skill she used to develop to understand where she was at all times and understood that whatever had happened wasn't the baby fault nor the father's.
"Richard didn't kill me nor did you."
"How did you know?"asked the boy.
"A mother knows Zuko."
Maybe he came with no name, but either way he has one now both he and the child and then it dawns on Nightingale on who the man in blue was. Her husband's future-self.
"Come on Zuko. We find them."
Nightingale grabbed Zuko by the hand and hurried on out. Bruce caught the pair as they dashed on through the kitchen room the millionaire was drinking his coffee when the two came into view.
"Nightingale where are you going?"asked Bruce.
"Outside," she said.
"Who's you're friend?"asked the millionaire with a raise eyebrow.
"This is Zuko. I'm just taking him to see Richard."
Which wasn't a lie as she dashed off father, however what she failed to mention was she would be going off to se future Richard. Not that Bruce knew this all he knew was that there was a new hero in the city going under the name Doctor Faith.
"Be back at six," Bruce yelled as she slammed the door.
"Come on, hurry," said Nightingale as she dashed down the driveway with the boy in toe.
By the time the pair arrived to the main city. There was commotion happening in the main city.
"What's going on?"demanded Zuko.
"There's an attack happening it's the Court of Owls."a bystander cried out.
Zuko eyes widen in recognition and it was here that both of them knew and understood that it wasn't the pregnancy that killed Nightingale in a parallel timeline it was the Court of Owls.
"If my future self proved to be useless then I shall not," promised a Court of Owl. "You are coming with me."
"I'm starting to see the issues at hand and it isn't my father," declared Zuko.
"Those are big words for a boy such as yourself," sneered the Court of Owl.
"I well not allow you to take my mother a second time."
"Ah, a boy from the future this explains you then, but be as it may she'd be Court of Owls in no time."
The Court of Owl charged and Zuko summoned balls of flames at the member of the order, but the Court of Owls moved out of the way and attacked. Zuko ad Nightingale both blocked their incoming attacks the best they could until something yellow zoomed on in it dashed and dashed towards them. Blocking each attack and stopping them from hitting the pair.
"Enough of this," Faith said hovering above them as he summon his binding magic.
A golden cross appeared out of thin air and capture the past.
"You can't do this to us," said the Court of Owl. "Think of your future."
"I am stuck here because of my brother. I am stuck here because of you, my timeline is lost and erased from the multiple ends of the spectrum. And, now we're up to here facing you off where my wife last put you into place. So, yes Court of Owls do tell me why I should care for fools like you?"sneered Faith using Nightwing tone.
Court of Owls shivered in feared as Faith towered over them. He binded them together and opened up a portal the magical doorway swirled and swirled in the colours blue and white as the Court of Owl's we're forced and pushed in sending them to who knows where.
Faith landed on the ground just in time as Red Hood dashed forward panting only to stop to catch his breath. The two brothers loomed over the group. It was Nightingale who broke the silence.
"I think I was meant to be kidnapped then," said Nightingale.
"You were and would've died of a broken heart. Now, do tell me. Who is the boy beside you?"
"Father," exclaimed Zuko. "I am your son."
"Yes, but which one the one that is let to be born or the one who clams it?"
"My past-self is still seen as the son of Robin and not yet of Nightwing. I am seen as the son of Nightwing. It is still me father."
A clap on the shoulder was welcomed and Zuko sigh in relief thankful that his brother hadn't yet forgotten.
"Good to see that yo are still alive. It's a welcoming thought that Red Hood magic was able to remember something important. And, to answer your question Nightingale the answer is yes. You would be taken and never seen again for the next three months until found dead in their lair. So, yes Nightingale today was your doomsday."
"My son?"
"Born healthy and alive, but without a mother kidnapped and taken to the east to be raised by a fericoius eastern warrior who well let him go just at the right time I find him."
"Richard."
"Hmm?"
"I like this ending better," said Nightingale.
"As, do I. Now, let's take you home before past me worries."
And, so he did.
