The Birds of Prey: Nightwing (Batman Fanfic)

Chapter 14: Jason

- Barbara's P.O.V -

I wake up to a continuous throbbing in my head and the familiar sounds of hospital machines whirring. I remember when I was in the hospital for all those months, the beeping of monitors and the low hum of doctors and nurses talking became somewhat of a lullaby.

When I was in the depths of my depression, early into my rehab, I found that I could not get a good nights sleep unless I could hear the noises of the hospital to help me drift off. Even though I wanted to push Richard away from me and I did for a very long time, he would still sit by my bed as I lay catatonic, unmoving and consumed by a dark depression. He fed me when I couldn't feed myself, tended to my self-harm wounds and washed me when I couldn't do it for myself. Richard even recorded the sounds of Gotham general so he could play it through the speakers in the rehab centre and eventually, in our home.

So now I feel oddly rested, lying in a somewhat comfortable bed and surrounded by that familiar smell from before. It was all slowly coming back to me now- the meeting with my Dad, the new information, the crash and the man that had approached me.

Red Hood

As if a jolt of electricity hit me, I sit up as fast as I can manage although I am met with instant dizziness and nausea. I have felt these symptoms before and I know instantly that I am suffering from a concussion.

I manage to open my eyes and take in my surroundings. The best way to describe the room would be that it was a bunker with dark walls and no windows. I lie on a bed, surrounded by monitors however this was not a hospital bed but very obviously someone's own personal bed. I begin to turn, to get a better look around but a shooting pain in my shoulder stops me from turning.

"Easy" comes an electronically distorted voice. I start at the sound. I would have usually been able to tell when someone else was in the room with me, I chalk it up to my injuries and disorientation.

Out from the shadows from the corner of the bunker, emerges Red Hood. Though he had taken his jacket, hoodie and shoes off, his helmet remained, obscuring his face. He walks slowly towards the bed.

"How are you feeling?" he asks, he reaches to pull over a chair from a table, to sit at my bedside.

My head throbs painfully and my world keeps spinning, "I don't understand" I dip my face into my hands, trying to come to my senses. This man in front of me is dangerous, has killed hundreds of people and now has me hostage. When I had full use of my legs I would be able to put up a good fight, but now? I'd never stand a chance.

"I don't think you've broken anything. I dressed and stitched some cuts" even though his voice was altered, his tone was easy to understand. He was being kind but there was an air of awkwardness.

"I don't understand" I repeat slowly "What am I doing here? Why did you attack me? Why bring me here?"

"Truthfully, I just wanted to talk. I've been following you for some time now. You were getting too close to the truth and I needed you to hear it from me before you heard it from anyone else" he drew his chair even closer to me, now there was less than a foot of space between us. Maybe I should be scared but for some reason, this man has my trust. " I know how the truth can be twisted" he added bitterly.

"What truth? I don't understand what you're saying" I ask.

"The truth about who I am" he states matter-of-factly.

I frown "But I have no idea who you are. I just know that you have something to do with what happened to Nightwing"

Anger flashes across his body, stiffening and tightening his fists "I had nothing to do with the disappearance of Richard. I was trying to save him!" his voice raged with strained anger. "Save him and save you from him" my mind was working overtime trying to understand exactly what Red Hood was saying.