The Next Nightwing

Chapter Four

Terry's whole body tensed in anger. He knew the Jokerz hadn't been the cause of his father's death. Now he knew the man who was to blame, Terry was going to take him down. The click of a gun's safety unlocking caused the pair to glance backwards. Three of Power's guards stood nervously on the ledge beside them, their weapons raised.

'A little late for Halloween isn't it.' One of them said. Both the vigilantes stood straight, raising their hands.

'Last time I checked it was still fall.' With that they both fell backwards, catching the wind with their suits and gliding down to the ground whilst avoiding the bullets being fired at them.

'You realise this is the second time we have been shot at tonight.' said Amber through their comm link.

'I think it comes with the job.' When they landed they ran, ducking under a warehouse door and jumped behind some stacked crates. Outside they could hear a guy on the phone to, who they presumed was Powers.

'Yeh, there were two of them, it was Batman...or some guy dressed as Batman.' They waited several more moments until all the guards had walked by.

'McGinnis.' Both of them jumped at the voice that was suddenly in their ears.

'Who the heck is that?' said Terry, looking around him.

'It's Wayne, there's a radio in the cowl. Now listen to me both of you, I want those suits back and I want them now.'

'Now's really not a good time.' Terry whispered as Amber signalled that the guards had entered the warehouse. Together they crouched, moving around the crates away from the Powers' security.

'That suit is not yours, you have no right.'

'Somebody had to do something.'

They both ignored what Bruce said next, more concerned with the men who had just spotted them. Running behind a new row of crates, they quickly scaled them so that when the men caught up they were nowhere to be seen. As the guards turned around again Terry leapt off the crates from one side, Amber on the other and together they took down their opponents. Taking a perch back up on the top of the crates Terry couldn't help but be very impressed.

'This suit works better than I thought it would.'

'You're telling me.' said Amber, taking advantage of her new found sonic sight to check over the building for more oncoming guards.

'This is your last chance.'

Three more guards came at them. Amber decided to let Terry take them as he seemed to be having a lot of fun, meanwhile, she would try and smooth over her Grand Father.

'There is something really wrong going down.' she said, 'if we don't stop it then who will?'

'Amber I am warning you, come back now.'

'No, can do.'

Suddenly their suits began to spark, they both realised simultaneously that they could no longer move their bodies.

'This is a failsafe device, in case the suit ever fell into the wrong hands.'

The guard surrounded Terry and began landing their blows on his body effortlessly.

'Come on, you've gotta help me.' Terry grunted as he was thrown to the ground, a boot in his gut. Nothing happened, the suit remained frozen and there was no longer a voice over the commlink. The men continued to descend on Terry. Amber could do nothing but watch in horror as they brought out a gun, pointing it at her friends head.

'Grandpa please, they're going to kill him!' After a few agonising moments, her suit finally was released. Instantly she jumped down into the brawl, knocking the gun out of the man's hand before sending her fist at his head. When the guards were down, Terry's suit was released also.

'Let's get out of here.' said Amber as she helped him to his feet.

'Love too, but I think we have a problem.' He indicated to a mass of guards that were currently entering the premises.

'There's a broom closet on the north wall, can you get to it?'

'A broom closet?'

'Just do it.'

Listening to the sound of the men's footsteps, Amber managed to navigate herself and her partner to the closet Bruce had mentioned. They entered, silently shutting the door behind them.

'Now what?' said Terry, 'We're sitting ducks!'

'The far wall, put your hands against it.' The far wall was the only one that was not lined with shelving. Putting their hands on it and pushing, the wall began to turn giving them a way out.

'Cool.'

'I built the place remember.'

'Then you would know where they would be loading a shipment.' Terry looked to Amber who nodded, she was still willing to finish the job.

'Not a chance.'

'Grandpa, Powers is sending out the virus tonight, we have to stop it.'

'No, you're coming home, we will call the police.'

'I can do it, Grandpa!' In the short time Terry had known her he had never seen her like this. There was something in her voice that sounded so determined. It was then that he wondered, how often was she treated incapable because of her blindness. No wonder she was so determined to prove herself.

'Don't make me call your father.'

'My dad lost his parents when he was a kid, so did you and I lost my Mom. The guy that killed Terry's dad is loading that shipment. This is his one chance to nail him.' There was silence over the comm link. Terry sighed, he was grateful for Amber fighting his case, but he was still angry that Wayne wasn't going to give him a chance.

'The hover pads are in the northeast sector.'

The teens grinned at each other before leaping off the level they were standing on and running to the northeast sector.

'Wish me luck.' Amber whispered over the comm.

'Good Luck.' Leaning back in his chair, Bruce reached down and scratched Ace's ears. Dick was going to kill him for this.