Out of My League

Chapter 1: Stranger

"And I'll remember to never forget you"

-Stranger by Chris August

The night was a dark one, with barely any moonlight shining. Though lamp posts lighted the streets of Gotham, the rooftops remained in shadows. The dark didn't bother me though, because I had been raised to use the shadows as my allies. I used them as a shield, and they hid me from the eyes of those who might hurt me.

Right now, the shadows assisted me on my mission. Following two other figures dashing across the rooftops, I made sure to keep a good distance. However, after a few minutes, the shorter one stopped, making his companion halt as well. I immediately hid behind a chimney, another smile appearing on my face.

A few seconds of silence passed before they called out to me.

"I know you're there," an all-too- familiar voice I'd grown up hearing said.

Sliding gracefully into what little patch of moonlight there was, I faced my targets. The little boy was the one who had spoken. He was dressed in a costume with green, yellow, red and black colors. Turning towards his older and taller companion, I saw that it was also a male. His dark hair was messy, and his costume was mostly black, accented only with a few blues and greys.

I smiled, though I knew it looked more threatening than friendly. "It took you long enough. I thought you were better than that...Damian."

I could see the shock on Damian's face when I spoke his name. "Who-"

Before he could ask the obvious question, I pulled down my hood to reveal my face. My long, red hair tumbled down behind me, and Damian's jaw fell to the ground.

"Did you miss me?" I joked, while Damian finally composed himself.

Instead of replying, he charged me with a battle cry. His sword was suddenly in his hand, and it shined in the moonlight. His companion tried to stop him. "Robin, no," he cried.

Damian was too fast and too stubborn to listen. Before his sword could slice me in half, the sound of metal clashing rang through the silent rooftops. My daggers were in my hands, blocking Damian's sword. He grimaced at me, and I grinned back, taunting him further. With another cry, he swung the blade in a different direction. Again, I blocked it, and our deadly dance began. The blades moved faster, and I moved gracefully, matching Damian's swift movements. I was barely thinking of what I was doing. I was so used to the battle that my body seemed to go on auto- pilot. I laughed at Damian's frustration.

Irritated, he started hitting me harder. His companion watched us, wondering how he was going to come between us. We were moving too fast for him to get in the way. I noticed Damian getting tired and made my move. Instead of using my daggers on him, I found an opening to trip him while he was distracted. Sliding gracefully, I swung out my left leg, When Damian was down on the ground, I pinned his sleeves to the ground using my daggers. Unable to move, he glared at me.

Before I could say anything, I sensed someone behind me. Turning, I saw his companion moving towards me with eskrima sticks in his hands. Frowning, I easily dodged his blows. This guy was no fair. I had no weapons. Still, I continued to fight off his attacks, trying to learn his moves so that I could find a weakness. When we moved into the moonlight, I could finally see the logo on his chest- a blue bird with it's wings unfolded. Immediately, I knew from my research who I was up against- Nightwing. Just when he was getting tired, a blur of yellow and red appeared. In just the blink of an eye, I was tied up and gagged, struggling against ropes and a nasty tasting sock in my mouth.