Nightwing

Previous Issue: Mr. Zsasz, intent on enacting revenge upon the two people he most blamed for the fall of Blockbuster, has decided that killing Nightwing will wait until after he has killed Officer Dick Grayson. Dick and Babs had it out as she found that he purposefully kept her away from a potentially dire situation that Black Canary was involved in just to spend more time with her and to keep her from working too hard. An upset Dick Grayson returned to Bludhaven, his relationship with Babs seemingly in shambles. The next day Dick found his landlady dead in her apartment, her throat slashed by Zsasz who had taken an interest in Dick’s mail and in particular to his phone bill to Gotham City. Zsasz had decided that Grayson’s girlfriend would die tomorrow.

Dick Grayson watched as the paramedics loaded the body of his landlady and friend Clancy into the ambulance. Bludhaven officers taped off the area around her apartment as an official crime scene, as he took all this in Dick was high above it all, dressed in his Nightwing garb he had intended to follow up the only lead he had on the case, his missing mail, but he had to say good bye to Clancy one last time.

As the ambulance rolled away Nightwing turned his thoughts again to the business. Who was interested in Dick Grayson, who would kill his landlady, tape a message for Grayson to find her and why would they go through his mail and then leave? Why not wait around and finish off Grayson later on? Why torment him, what had Grayson done to anyone?

Night had fallen and Nightwing came down from the rooftops searching the alleyways, picking up pieces of trash here and there, he searched for anything that belonged to the mailbox of Dick Grayson. His search yielded results in the form of three pieces of junk mail, an electric bill, and the envelope of his phone bill. Half an hour later the only thing that Nightwing could conclude was missing was the long distance itemization report of the bill.

Five minutes later Nightwing was traveling as fast as he could to Gotham City, to Barbara.

Chief Redhorn looked out the window of his third floor office at the Bludhaven PD. He scanned the horizon in the darkness, the lights from the dark lights on the docks to the bright inner city skyscrapers; he scanned the city and smiled. “It’s all mine now.”

“So how does it feel?”

Redhorn spun around to watch Detective Shay close the door behind her as she entered the office. He smiled to himself as he started to scan her this time. She was gorgeous, nearly six feet tall with legs that went on forever. In the heels she stood an easy 6’2”, and with the long brunette curls falling around her shoulders darkly hiding the seductive blue eyes, well he remembered very easily how she rose to the rank of detective so quickly under his...guidance.

“It feels good Emma, real good. Here I am the Chief of Police and the Underworld Kingpin all at once. I’m as close to untouchable as one can get. I can squash any investigation into my dealings. I can send the force after any enemies that try to move in on my territory, I am so far ahead of where Blockbuster was on his best day that it boggles my freakin mind!”

Emma Shay leaned back on the sofa and slowly brushed the dark hair away from her beautiful face. “But what about the vigilante? The one who finally took Blockbuster down? Can you handle him?” She talked with a half smile, knowing her words would anger him, and loving the reaction she knew was coming. She was definitely trouble for any man that fell for her, man-eater was hardly a good enough analogy.

“You mean Nightwing? Oh yeah, I got something for pajama man, don’t you worry about him baby.” Redhorn sat down on the couch and moved in close to Emma. He produced his handcuffs from his back pocket and smiled darkly. “You should know by now, the Chief can handle anything.”

As Redhorn and Emma engaged in their twisted game of sex and violence, they did not notice the shape of a blonde girl watching the m from across the street on the roof of the courthouse building. Lady Vic lowered the binoculars and smiled. Everything was going according to plan.

Barbara Gordon sat in front of her massive computer terminal inside her apartment. From this station she could contact any number of crime fighters not only in Gotham City, but also across the United States and even one in Germany that no one else knew about. She was at one time control central for the JLA, and she was Batman’s personal online expert.

She was also until yesterday girlfriend to Dick Grayson.

Things went bad with her and Dick awhile back. It could be blamed that they were both workaholics, or it could be blamed that his move to Bludhaven had taken away too much of their time for each other except over the internet communication. The bottom line was that she felt she needed to be her own person. It was important for her to be independent, not smothered by an overprotective boyfriend, even if the big dummy was the only one she loved.

Maybe I should call him? She thought to herself for a moment while monitoring a display of violence caught on CNN. No, I need some time away. Maybe I need a lot of time. As the scene on the screen grew worse she reached out and clicked her mouse several times on the screen and spoke. “Level 3 threat in Madison, Wisconsin. It seems Prof. Ivo’s assassin androids are attacking the Governor’s mansion. Looks like a job for the JSA, Mr. Terrific.”

A brief moment of silence later and the JSA Chairman’s face appeared on screen. “We’re on it Oracle. Thanks for the heads up. Dr. Fate will have us there in a moment. Terrific out.”

Barbara took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes for a moment, staring at computer screens all day could give you a murderous headache, but she did it every day of the week regardless. Her sense of duty to the job would let her do no less. She set her computers on record mode and transferred all signals to her laptop as she readied herself to go out for groceries. Being gone even an hour could be fatal to someone who needed her talent in finding information.

An incoming signal immediately flashed at her from Nightwing. “Sorry Dick, you and I really don’t need to talk right now.” She sent his call to a cheery voicemail and posted a command to relay all his calls away from her until she cooled down he could speak to the machine.

As she rolled out of her elevator and into the parking garage the lift to her SUV took her chair inside the vehicle. The garage door opened and she started out to the store. Little did Barbara Gordon know that her SUV was being followed by a Gotham City taxicab. Its sign on off duty, the cab trailed her from afar as the driver slowly grinned to himself in thoughts of what he would do to Dick Grayson’s girlfriend. Mr. Zsasz looked down at the dead taxicab driver in the backseat, his throat slashed open earlier in the day. It took Zsasz 28 seconds to slice him open. He estimated it would take half that time to kill the defenseless little girl in the wheelchair.

“Come on Babs, answer your damn phone!” screamed Nightwing into his headset. He tried dialing Barbara again for the third time, he knew she was mad at him, but ignoring his call was just being childish. Another voicemail forced him to end the call and try the cave.

“So good to hear from you again Master Richard, it has been awhile since you…”

“Alfred, is he there?” Alfred’s refined English welcome was cut short by Nightwing’s desperate attempt for help.

“Well sir, the Master is out once again this evening on one of the many brooding and violence filled nights that your particular club seems to indulge in on an all too frequent basis. If I may sir, I suggest you contact Miss Gordon and request that she…”

“She won’t take my calls Alfred, and she’s in danger. Please try to raise her and tell her that I am on my way and that it looks as if Mr. Zsasz may already be in town looking for her.”

“Surely Mr. Zsasz will not be able to locate Miss Gordon sir.”

“Alfred, he knows where to find her. Warn her. Now.” Nightwing clicked off his headset, he hated arguing with Alfred but he didn’t have a choice, Barbara was all that mattered right now.

“Hello Alfred!” Oracle smiled as she greeted Bruce Wayne’s loyal butler through her headset. “What can I do for you?”

“I’m afraid I call with rather distressing news Miss Gordon. Master Richard has been desperately trying to reach you.

Barbara’s smile faded quickly into a scowl. “I know Alfred, I’ve been ignoring his calls.”

“Well, he has requested that I inform you that a known psychopath may be in Gotham City searching for you.”

“Who?”

“Mr. Zsasz, and Master Richard informs me that the scoundrel knows your location. You had best be on guard. Master Richard is headed towards your studio as we speak.”

Barbara slowed down her SUV and made a U-turn to head back home. “I’m not at home right now Alfred. I’m about three blocks away. How far out is Dick right now?”

“He did not give me an ETA, perhaps you could contact him thus interrupting this absurd game of middle man that the two of you are currently engaged in?”

Alfred’s sarcasm was not lost on Barbara. “Alright Alfred, I get the hint. I’ll call Dick right now.” As Barbara finished her sentence she noticed a GC cab flash its bright lights at her as it switched over into her lane. The cab was headed directly at her.

“Anything Miss Gordon…” Alfred heard a gasp of surprise from Barbara as she jerked her steering wheel to the right to avoid a head on collision with the cab. Her SUV swerved toward the sidewalk but was still slammed into by the cab. The smashing of metal on metal sounded like a tidal wave crashing on her head. As her SUV flipped over Babs’ airbag went off in front of her, protecting her face from crushing into the steering column. The top of the vehicle crunched in as it crashed upside down twice on the concrete, throwing Babs all over her seat. The only thing saving her from flying about the truck was her seatbelt, but nothing could protect her from the scarred man exiting his cab. His front end demolished, Mr. Zsasz saw the smoking SUV and the helpless girl inside, “Hello lover.”

“Miss Gordon?” Alfred listened for something to cut through the silence of the phone line.

“Miss Gordon?” But again nothing but dead air. “Oh dear.”

Alfred quickly dialed Nightwing to alert him of the potential problem. “Master Dick, I’m afraid it sounds like Miss Gordon was involved in an automobile accident.”

“What? Where?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know sir, she simply stated that she was turning back to the clock tower when a horrendous crash of metal was heard on my end. I’m afraid there’s been nothing since. Sir? Are you there sir?” Alfred hung up the phone after not hearing a reply.

Nightwing used the radio on his bike to quickly scan through the emergency police bands. He was looking for word of any hit and run or ambulance needed in the vicinity of Babs’ apartment.

“EMT Unit requested at Denny and Conway. Unit three please respond.”

Dick recognized the street names as only being three blocks from the apartment, and a shortcut through the heart of the city would have him there in no time flat. He gave the bike as much as he could and sped to the rescue…he hoped.

Mr. Zsasz reached through the shattered window and drug Barbara out of the SUV by her hair. Her unconscious form scraped against the twisted metal and broken glass. Her glasses had stayed on but one of the lenses had popped out. She was bleeding from a small cut on her forehead and she had bitten through her tongue, which caused a large amount of blood to pour out of her mouth. She was in bad shape, but she would live, if it weren’t for the homicidal maniac who was dragging her by the hair like some Cro-Magnon man wielding a large butcher’s knife.

Zsasz pulled his victim into the alley on Denny St. behind the dumpster belonging to Southland Sports Co. and propped her into a sitting position. “This won’t do at all my dear, you have to be awake for the experience. How can you enjoy the pleasure of it if you sleep through it?” He smacked her across the face, on the second slap she snapped back to the land of the living. “Good morning dear, I need you to deliver a message for me, can you do that?” Zsasz smiled and brought the knife up to her face.

“What do you want? Why me Zsasz?”

A mild form of surprise played on the killer’s face. “You know who I am? Good, that should make this a lot more terrifying for you.” Zsasz followed her eyes behind him to the small group of people who had stopped at the accident scene, a group of three young college boys looking to help out. He turned to face her again; surprised she hadn’t called out for help. “I’ll be right back dear, don’t run off.” Zsasz put the blade behind his back and walked toward the boys.

Terrified and helpless without her chair or equipment, Babs screamed like a banshee at the boys. “Run! Run away! He’s a killer, you have to run away!”

Zsasz smiled at the group of stunned looking kids. He figured this was only a forty five second delay and as he raised his knife up high he found that his estimate was two seconds shorter than he thought.

Nightwing raced his cycle through the traffic and shot through alleyways, just a few more seconds and he would be at the accident scene. He didn’t know what would be worse, Babs in the accident where he could see her, or it not be she at all.

He could hear the ambulance sirens over the radio as the talked en route to the scene, whoever called in the accident, a young male he heard, had stopped talking on the cell phone for some reason. The 911 operator didn’t know why.

The scene Nightwing rode up on answered that question easy enough. Three men were dead in the street near Babs’ SUV. He screeched to a stop and searched for Babs everywhere, forgetting all about the training Batman had ever taught him about investigating a crime scene, forgetting to distance himself from the victim, forgetting everything but the need to see her alive.

A blood-curdling scream filled his ears like angelic music. He turned his attention towards the alley and saw Zsasz taking strikes at Babs prone body on the ground, her hands struggling to keep the madman at bay but failing terribly.

“NOOOO!” Nightwing screamed and jumped off his bike and raced toward Zsasz. The killer looked up from his victim and smiled.

“Oh yes dear boy. Let’s play.” Instead of retreating away he rushed to meet Nightwing head on, his blade leading the way. “Let me show you how its really done this time.” Zsasz rolled his eyes back in enjoyment, he figured in the vigilante’s mental state this should last all of a minute and twelve seconds.

Nightwing leapt into the air and landed a jumping sidekick to the left side of Zsasz’ face, sending him crashing to the ground like a bag of rocks. He followed it up by sweeping the killer’s feet out from under him as he attempted to stand and then a billy club shot the throat to stun the scarred villain.

“Not tonight jerk-off.” He kicked the blade out of Zsasz’ reach. “Never again.” Zsasz had been off by fifty-one seconds.

Nightwing rushed to Babs’ side and pulled her head off the ground, she was bleeding from the mouth, forehead, both hands had at least two deep slashes in them, her right cheek was split open and she had two stab wounds in her chest.

Nightwing listened for the EMT’s sirens as he cradled Babs’ head to his chest. “Come on baby, come on stay with me here. This is nothing, this is nothing. You’ve fought plenty of maniacs to a standstill, this is nothing for you Babs.” Still there was no movement by Oracle.

“Come on Babs! Wake up! You will survive this! You’re Batgirl for God’s sake! This is nothing, we used to laugh this stuff off when we were kids!” The tears streaming out of his mask made it hard for him to see.

“Lower the volume…will ya…Boy Wonder? Some…of us…still have secret…identities to keep.” Babs managed a weak smile as she looked into Nightwing’s mask. “Everything’s kind…of red…but it is you…right Dick?”

Nightwing tore off his mask and looked into her eyes. “Its me Babs, I’m here, I will always be here for you from now on.”

“My hero…now…get me to a…hospital.”

“With pleasure.” Nightwing lifted Babs up and started out to the street when the shadow of Zsasz rose up over him, a second knife held high over his head.

“Yes Mr. Grayson, it will be!” Zsasz hissed as he leapt at the couple. Nightwing slung Barbara over his left shoulder and caught Zsasz’ knife hand and deflected it to the right, struggling for control of the weapon. “I know your secret, it makes sense now. It all makes sense.” Zsasz hand turned in the struggle and he lunged forward again. The knife sunk deep into flesh.

A long second passed as both men remained still. Then Zsasz crashed on top of Nightwing, causing them all to slam to the concrete.

For a moment no one moved.

Finally Nightwing pushed Zsasz off, his own blade stuck in his abdomen. “I…know…your secret…” Zsasz whispered as the light faded from his eyes.

Dick and Babs looked at the body of Zsasz as the sirens of the ambulance came closer. Dick reached down for his mask and replaced it on his face. He lifted Babs up and carried her to the ambulance.

EPILOGUE – One day later.

Alfred fluffed the pillow up and smiled at his work. “There you are Miss Gordon. I should think that will be a much more comfortable than before.”

Barbara leaned back on the hospital bed. Her hands were heavily bandaged; as was her face and she still had her I.V. in her arm. She would once again survive a madman’s attack, and like the one where the Joker left her in a wheelchair, this one would simply leave more scars. “Thanks Alfred, I’m glad you came by. At least it gives daddy a chance to get that coffee he’s been wanting for the last six hours. I swear I don’t think he’s ever going to let me out of his sight again.”

“With what I have in mind, that might be an awkward situation.” Dick smiled from the doorway, his fifth bouquet of flowers in hand he came over to Barbara’s bed and softly kissed her forehead.

Babs smile faded and she looked out to the hall. “Did you make sure?”

“Yeah, Zsasz is dead. They tried to revive him, and actually had him back once but he killed the only EMT who was working on him. Its over Babs, he can’t hurt you again. I’ll make sure no one will ever…”

Babs put her hand over his mouth, her engagement ring shining in the light from her window. “I know Dick. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Babs.”

As the two kissed Alfred turned put his hat back on his head and headed out the door.

“Alfred! Where are you going?” asked Dick as he held Babs.

“Why Master Dick, I have much to do, after all, weddings don’t plan themselves.”

The End...

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