Batgirl: Ascension (a fanfic)

The Batfamily

Barbara and Jason descend the ladder and approached the boy wonder. He smiled and removed his mask. He looked no older than Barbara and Jason themselves. He looked them over and nodded.
"Mhmm. You two look like vigilante types." Robin smiled. "The name's Dick Grayson. Boy Wonder aka Robin."
"Dick?" Jason laughed.
Barbara held out her hand. Dick took it with a smirk. "Barbara Gordon."
"Detective Gordon's daughter?"
"Uh..." Barbara blushed, not expecting him to know.
"And you?"
"Jason Todd."
"Do you...have names?"
"We just told you?" Jason turned his head.
"No, what I mean is like codenames."
"Ah...." Barbara shook her head. "No."
"Okay, good thing Batman has been working on something." Robin smirked. "I have been ready to graduate to something beyond Robin. So...Jason, how does the mantel sound?"
"Me? Be Robin? What would that make you?"
"Nightwing."
"Okay that's way more badass then Robin." Jason threw his hands up.
"What about me?"
"Bat...girl?" Nightwing shrugged. "I... we really didn't settle on anything."
"That's..." Barbara pondered it. "Better than Robin."
"Hey!" Jason and Dick said in unison.
"Well. Now that we're done establishing that. Where do we go from here?"
"There isn't much evidence here." Nightwing said, gesturing around. "What do you guys know?"
Batgirl and Robin explained what they had seen. How Bane had mentioned the League of Assassin. How they mentioned the Court and how they took down the Riddler. Nightwing whistled at their responses.
"That's some pretty impressive work. Any idea where Bane might be?"
"Besides the Narrows?" Robin asked. "No idea."
"Right..." Nightwing tapped his chin. "So, we have Riddler. How about we pay him another visit?" Nightwing tapped a small button on his "R" on his chest. A batcycle appeared. "I'll send you the cords on your little 'secure network.'"
Batgirl's phone buzzed and she pulled it out. Sure enough there it was, a notification on her app.
"How did you -" She started before the rev of an engine had Nightwing shooting off into the distance.
"Thought you said that little app of yours was secure." Robin smirked.
"Okay Robin." Batgirl rolled her eyes. "How about we catch up to him before he has all the fun."
They took off back towards their bike. Batgirl, with Robin close behind, headed towards their destination. They parked about a block away from Precinct 44. Likely where they were holding the Riddler. Batgirl and Robin looked around. There was nothing.
"A trap?" Robin asked.
"Nope!" Nightwing said from behind them. They both jumped. "Easy. We have to get into the Precinct to talk to Riddler."
"And how do you suppose we do that?"
"I let you three in." A voice said from the shadows. It was Det. Montoya. "I see the bat family is growing. Who are these two Robin?"
"From here on out I'll be known as Nightwing." Nightwing said. "This is our new boy wonder, Robin and girl wonder, Batgirl."
"Ah they don't look as well outfitted as you." Montoya said, she studied Batgirl a little closer. "Do I know you, Batgirl?"
Batgirl shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not Detective Montoya."
Montoya shrugged. "Fair. Follow me kids. Riddler is in lock up."
Following Montoya close she led them into the back door. Past some cops that gave them a nod and to an undescriptive elevator. They went up with the elevator music making the moment seem more mundane than what they were actually doing.
"The Commissioner just allows this?" Robin asked.
"Why do you think we're being cloak and dagger about this?" Montoya chuckled. "Commissioner Kane would lose their shit if they ever found out."
They continued down the hall and on their way to interrogation room #34. They entered and saw a Riddler in orange clothes. He smiled when he saw who was with Nightwing.
"Ah, so the Bats did get new wards. Who's this then? Batgirl and Batboy?"
"Close." Batgirl smiled; she walked up to him. "We know you're scared of the one called Bane. Why?"
"I already told you everything I know."
"There must be something you missed." Batgirl leaned in. "Don't make me break your jaw."
"Then I wouldn't be able to speak idiot." Riddler smirked.
Batgirl slammed his head into the table hard. The Riddler was dazed with a broken nose.
"What the hell!?" Riddler cried out.
Montoya chuckled and leaned against a wall. "I'd talk if I were you Riddler."
"She's good." Nightwing chuckled. "Talk Riddler."
"Fine! Word is Bane works for the League of Assassins. And his war with the Court of Owls will bring down Gotham."
"The Court is just a fairy tale." Montoya merely shrugged. "He has to be lying."
"He's not." Nightwing shook his head. "They are a real threat. We already know this Riddler. Give us any information to find Bane and we won't break your fingers."
Riddle looked at the four of them. "The Narrows has an old, abandoned skyscraper. It was abandoned until about a month ago. My goons started reporting movement there."
"Which one?" Batgirl said, leaning in.
"1244 N. Bishop St." Riddler sighed. "Can someone reset my nose?"
Nightwing leaned in and did so. Riddler screamed at the top of his lungs but when he calmed he breathed out a shaky, "Thanks."
The trio started to leave when Riddle said something. "You won't survive this war! At least not all of you."
"Shut up." Montoya said. "Take him back to his cell. He's going to Blackgate."
"Blackgate? I can't survive there!"
"Then you should've stayed in Arkham." Robin smirked.
They left the same way they came in. Montoya smiled at them as they conferenced in the alley. "You two are green. But I like your moxy."
"Thanks." Nightwing beamed back. With a bit of pride in his eyes. "We'll head to the skyscraper first. You want to send some units?"
"No." Montoya shook her head. "We'll likely make more of a mess if we went there. We could lose everything. I'd much prefer some more quiet work be done. That way we know what we're up against."
"Wet works. You two ready to learn a thing or two about infiltration?"
Batgirl nodded and Robin merely shrugged.
"I like to see this Robin is much older than when you started Night...wing was it?"
"Correct." Nightwing bowed. "I was the first but that doesn't mean my age had anything to do with the Bats. I wanted this. I wanted to help Batman fight crime... And we took down the people who were responsible for..." Nightwing trailed off. "Let's just say Batman saved me from the darkness. And now that there is more light. We won't have to recruit people who are from that same darkness."
"Noble of him..." Montoya said. "Keep in touch you three. And give my regards to the Bats when you see him."
"I will." Nightwing nodded.
They hopped on their bikes and started heading towards the skyscraper. The ride was as quick as the last one. Batgirl was excited to realize that the batcycle was traveling much slower than it usually does. Just so their motorcycles could keep up. They arrived at the large monolith of a skyscraper. It was obsidian in both color and reflectiveness.
"Any info on the target?" Batgirl asked as they peered up at the beast.
"Alfred got the schematics. There's a way through..." Nightwing went over to a grate in the ground. "Here. Robin, mind helping me?"
Robin and Nightwing lifted the large garter off the ground. They placed it to the side and the three of them descended in. Batgirl withdrew a flashlight and so did Nightwing.
"Ah, I was less prepared I see." Robin said.
"Okay, when we're in. Keep your voice low. We're still not on comms together so, I'd rather not get caught by some of Bane's goons."
"On your six then." Robin nodded.
They went down the long, dank hallway. Pipes lined the walls and water puddled on the ground in some places. They continue to a door that Nightwing kicks in. They look up to see they were in an elevator shaft. Nightwing aimed a grappling hook up and fired. He did so two more times and handed on each to Robin and Batgirl.
"How do we work this?" Robin asked.
"Just press the red button." Nightwing smiled as he shot up the elevator shaft.
Robin did so next and went up with the same speed. Batgirl grimaced and did the same. They shot up to the what had to be the tenth floor. They flew with such speed, Batgirl's eyes watered. She'd have to find a way around that she realized. Nightwing pried open the elevator door and they all stepped out into a hall. The outside was beautiful but this building was still incomplete. It was more construction site than building. Tarps and the lack of walls indicated as much. But it appeared to be silent here. They walked around, stepping quietly they found a lone gunman. He was patrolling the area.
Nightwing ran up to him and punched him in the throat. The man coughed as he stumbled back. Nightwing withdrew two tonfa and pushed it into the man's skull.
"Talk or I knock you into next week."
The man swung with a fist but was quickly met with a tonfa to the temple. He went limp faster than his punch finished through. Nightwing grabbed him and handcuffed him to steel beam.
"He was guarding this staircase. We should head up and see what we find." Nightwing offered.
They nodded and followed him. Through the door and up the stairs it was equally quite as before. With each flight of stairs Batgirl was getting more and more exhausted. By the time they reached the twentieth floor both Robin and Batgirl needed a break.
"We should break." Nightwing whispered. He went to the door and cracked it open. They overheard some guards talk.
"What do you think of the guys Bane has brought in?" A deep, masculine voice asked.
"Those assassin dudes?" A female responded. "They're a little freaky but you can't argue with the results."
"Do you trust them?"
"Not as far as I can throw 'em."
"What do you think is on the other levels?"
"I know past the fiftieth floor, only assassins are allowed that high up. Us lonely goons are allowed down here."
"What about the elevator? Is it up yet?"
"No." The female sighed. "There isn't even a -"
Nightwing burst through the door. Shocked Robin and Batgirl took a second to follow. Nightwing roundhouse kicked the woman to the ground. Robin clotheslined the other.
"Talk." Nightwing applied the same pressure he did earlier.
"Fuck me they told me the bats wouldn't find us so soon..." The woman sighed. "All I know, is Bane is working on something big okay? We don't hear much down here."
"Where's the elevator?" Batgirl asked.
"That way."
"Thanks." Nightwing knocked out the woman.
The man had been knocked out cold with the clothesline. The went to the elevator shaft, free from a door and looked up. Once again Nightwing shot three grabbling guns up and handed them over. They ascended quick to the thirtieth floor. They repeated the steps until they reached the fiftieth floor.
"We can scout here or assume there is something much bigger going on above." Nightwing whispered.
"Let's get up to the -" Jason started before he was grabbed from the open door.
"Shit!" Nightwing said. He jumped in after him, Batgirl looked as a man in what could only be described as a ninja outfit fought with Nightwing and a now standing Robin. Batgirl grimaced but figured they could handle themselves. She aimed her grabbling gun up and fired. It wrapped around something and she took off up higher. She did it again on the sixtieth floor and then to the seventieth.
She hopped out and looked around. This was a much nicer looking area. There were actually hallways. She looked right and then left.
"Damnit." Batgirl said. She chose to go right. She made her way down the hallway and found there were doors leading to empty room. Empty room after empty room. Not even a patrol. Until she came across something. It appeared to be a chemist's room. This lab was making a strange green fluid. They were gathering in large tanks all around her. "What the hell?"
She heard voices behind her and ducked behind a barrel. The voice walking in sounded familiar: Bane. "We have intruders. They're on the fiftieth floor. We have to abandoned this place already."
"What about all the venom?" Batgirl peeked out to see the tall muscular Bane talking to a meek, greasy scientist type. "We can't abandon this much of the stuff."
"We must. Ra's has plans but not if the bats get ahold of this..." Bane stopped and bent over. He looked at something on the ground. "We have company."
Batgirl's heart raced as she ducked lower. She had to remain quiet.
"Someone here?" The scientist asked.
"Or was here. Damnit. First the bats and now...rumor is the arrows are here too."
"Green and Red?"
"That's what Black Mask reported..."
"What do we do?"
"Torch it." Bane demanded, he walked out and the scientist began getting to work.
Batgirl grabbed a vial from a pile of them before she left. Back to the elevator shaft. When she got there Nightwing and Robin emerged from the shaft.
"What the hell Batgirl?" Nightwing whisper demanded.
"We have to go." Batgirl said. "They're going to torch the - "
They were all knocked over by a huge explosion. The stood and saw as the hallway where Batgirl had been was engulfed in flames.
"Too right." Nightwing gritted his teeth. "Let's get back to the Batcave."