Ode to Nightwing

Chapter 22: Which (K)night?

        The birds didn't keep me company. They left after a little while, being spooked by a strong gust of wind. I waved as they departed, sitting down on the gravel strewn rooftop. I could never figure out why some buildings actually had gravel on the roofs. It did make it easier to run on, when either running away or towards something. Or just getting a boost before jumping off them. 

        "There you are." I glanced over and spotted Dick on the roof, but he was in his Nightwing gear. 

        I realized what I had to do. "Oh my god!" I got up and scrambled clumsily over to him. "You're Nightwing! You're the Nightwing! Oh my god, thank you so much!" I hugged him, jumping and wrapping my legs around his Nomex fire-resistant, triple-weave Kevlar-lined material-clad waist. "In case anyone is watching from a nearby window." I whisper in his ear. I then pick up the act again. "How did you know I was here? Did Dick send you? Is he still on his way?"

        "I had received the call from Richard about you on a roof, and he asked if I could come and get you before escorting you home. He was held up at the police station." Dick whispered with his voice modifier changing his voice. 

        "Oh, thank you so much, Nightwing!" I hugged him again and he peeled me off, to keep up with the act, even though I wanted to kiss him so badly at that moment. I couldn't help it. He looked downright sexy in his gear. 

Back at the Apartment

        "I'm pretty sure that there were some people in the nearby buildings watching us. Some probably had their cameras out." I whispered as I collapsed onto the bed. 

        Dick sat down beside me on the bed, sliding his mask off. "I should've walked you home, or kept you with me at the station." 

        I sit up, grabbing his hands and looking him in the eyes. "No, you didn't have to do anything. It's not your fault." I glance out of the window and notice how it was still light. "Don't you have to get back to work?" 

        Dick shook his head. "No, Amy made me take the rest of the day off so that I could show you around the city." He informed and I nodded my head in approval. "But, I'm pretty sure we should show the city that there's a new protector in town." 

        "Oh, you just want to see me in my gear." I blushed and he smirked.

        "I do love the gear." I leaned in to almost kiss him, our noses touching, but as soon as he leaned in, breathing in me, I pulled back with a giggle before jumping off of the bed and pressing my hand against the picture frame on the wall, which recognized my print and slide the dresser to the side, revealing my outfit. Dick's was usually next to it, if he hadn't had it with him today. I changed right there, not caring that Dick was enjoying the show. I rolled my eyes and threw my shirt over his eyes, running into the bathroom to finish changing before he could react. "Awe, come on." Dick mumbled from the bedroom and I giggled again. "You are really being a tease today." 

        "Today? I should work on being more teasing every day." I said as I walked out of the bathroom, sliding on my mask and shutting the secret door. "How do I look?" I turn in a circle and he just growls. 

        "Let's get going before I change my mind. Again." 

Later

        "The worst streets are these four." Dick pointed out around the warehouse that they were perched upon. I reached up and touched the side of my mask, changing the screen to its detective mode, which I had linked to the police department's records to check how much crime was actually committed on these streets. So many. No wonder Dick moved here. 

        "If there was so much crime here, then why did you go back to Gotham?" I whispered and Dick shrugged as he stood up, the sunset finally occurring to hide us.

        "Didn't I already tell you that?" He asked instead of answering. "Two crimes, one to the right and one to the left. Pick one." He informed and I just answered by jumping off the ledge, using the grappling gun to grapple to the left. 

        The crime was a robbery of a jewelry store. I sighed as the alarm kept blaring. The robbers were still inside, probably not caring that the alarm was going off. Was the police force that corrupted? 

        I clicked the button again and I could now see if they were armed. They were. All six of them. I sighed quietly to myself before whispering the three numbers, my helmet activating.

        I didn't want to deal with the three in the main room until the others were locked in the fault they decided to break into. I duck around, hiding in the shadows before rolling a ball that had a chloroform mist laced into it, sliding the vault closed, and locking it up, not alarming anybody. But the alarm suddenly turned off. Shoot, that was going to hide most of my attacks. Now I needed a new plan of attack. 

        My hand went to my belt and I grabbed a smoke bomb, quickly ducking into cover behind a glass case that had already been shattered. I slid the button to the side before rolling the bomb over to the group of three that were in this room. It exploded and they shouted, a gun going off. I ran and jumped, wrapping my legs around the man's neck before grabbing the chandelier above and using it to smack his head into the wall. He fell limp and I swung on the chandelier to kick the second guy in the chest. He went flying into a display case, the glass shattering as I landed on my back. 

        The smoke was clearing fast. I cursed under my breath as a bullet almost hit my helmet. "It's Nightwing!" A panicked robber yelled and I softly chuckled to myself. So they hadn't seen me fully yet. Another bullet was fired and I dodged to the left by rolling. Getting up before using my grapple gun to yank the man towards me, yanking the gun out of his hands before smacking him on the back of his head with the butt of it. He fell to the ground with a thud and another shot rang through the air, before I could feel a sharp pain in the back of my thigh. I winced, almost collapsing as I felt the warm liquid running down my leg. I bit my lip, my mask already assessing the damage as I ducked behind a display case, grimacing as I had to crouch to hide from the second guy that hadn't been knocked out. "You're not Nightwing." He said into the silent air. His boots crunched against the glass on the floor. 

        I moved to a different hiding point as he followed me around. I bit back a scream before running and tackling the man, dodging the bullet he sent at me before the gun was sent flying. I managed to jab my elbow up under his chin, staggering him as I kneed him in the man's worst place. I got up and placed my boot against hi neck and jaw, holding his face at an angle as he struggled to get me off. "No, I'm not." I whisper, glad for the voice modifier. That was when I realized that this was the robber from before, that Soames had grabbed from the street, which had allowed me to escape. "The name's Nightglider." I then slammed my knee down and knocked him unconscious. I reached down and looked at his phone, using his thumb to access it and look through the text messages. I frowned at them and took the SIMs card out and slid it into my device, downloading the information before putting it back and tipping the police off, making sure to call Amy instead of someone else that I didn't know. 

        I grappled up to the rooftop and waited patiently for Nightwing. I was surprised he wasn't back by the time the police showed up, but I realized why when a cruiser pulled up and Dick got out of the car in his police uniform. Amy must've called him in. I frowned. Why hadn't he told me? I stood up and crossed my arms, not caring that another police spotted me on the rooftop, shining his flashlight up at me, and soon everyone was looking at me. Dick had to follow suit, to make it look normal. Amy picked up her radio and radioed in something. I spotted Dick take out his phone and I felt my back pocket vibrate. I backed up on the roof, out of the line of sight to check my phone. 

From: <3 

        She called in air support to bring you in. Get back to the apartment and wait there. I'll meet you there when I finish here.

        I sigh before turning. That was when I felt the bullet wound. I had completely forgot about it. I gritted my teeth and walked to the other edge of the building. I heard a click and turned around slowly, expecting to see a police officer, but when I turned around, I only saw a metallic-looking batsuit and visor. He looked like a part of the bat family, but his outfit was too militaristic, and there was an actual gun in his hand, aimed right at me.