Nightwing: Heartache

Part 59: The Orphanage

March 26, 4:00pm
Outsiders Tower

"Motherbox has Savage's coordinates," Connor declared. The rest of the Team: Artemiss, M'gann, and Kaldur, lined up behind him.

Dick felt M'gann's touch in his mind, establishing the psychic link between them all.

M'gann's eyes glowed as she used her powers. "Link established. If Vandal's intel is correct we'll have the element of surprise. If not, this could be an ambush. Be ready for anything."

Superboy held out Motherbox.

The Orphanage
March 26, 4:02

M'gann, Aquaman, and Superboy ran through the boomtube first, taking out the parademons around them before Nightwing and Artemis stepped through.

Motherbox dinged. Savage was right. Violet's here, Superboy thought through the psychic link, and she's close.

That's odd, M'gann thought, I can't sense her psychically. But I don't have to be a psychic to know our boomtube will attract attention, and soon.

Alpha, Kaldur got their attention, the Javelin. He pointed to the Justice League spaceship docked. That was not good, Nightwing realized. Perhaps Batman and the Justice League had found Violet. But it was too late. We are almost certainly aboard Granny Goode's asteroid base, Kaldur continued, the League was staging a raid here to liberate dozens of kidnapped meta-teens.

Superboy looked around, listening. Not hearing a battle.

I can't reach them psychically. I can't sense any of them here, not even my uncle.

Nightwing's stomach dropped at the realization that they were perhaps too late to stop Granny from using the Anti-Life Equation. We know Granny can potentially use Violet's power to control anyone without a fight.

Artemis put a hand on her hip. Then we assume Granny's got'em. And we'll just add the Justice League and several dozen meta-teens to the rescue list. No big deal.

Something's coming, Superboy warned.

Alpha squad, take positions, M'gann ordered, let's get through this quickly before Granny has time to get Violet and the other captives away.

The sound of several dozen parademons casted just a hint of doubt in Nightwing's mind about how fast they could realistically get out of here. Nightwing took cover behind some cargo boxes across from Aquaman. He pulled his escrima sticks out from their holdings, taking a second to wipe his forehead before the fight started. He was breathing too heavily, and his skin felt like it was on fire. But he saw Kaldur's concerned expression and offered a smile. I'm fine, he thought at Aquaman.

They could all hear the snarling and screeching of parademons from the tunnel. M'gann flew up into position. "Please surrender. Now."

From the increased screeching, Nightwing guessed they hadn't taken M'gann up on that offer. M'gann threw the first parademon into the oncoming hoard as Superboy yelled, dropping from the ceiling into the fight. Aquaman lept into action while Nightwing snuck away to set explosives on all the other tunnel entrances, forcing the parademons to come from only one entrance.

Artemis rolled to avoid fire, firing arrows left and right and watching Aquaman's back.

An explosion went off. Entrances sealed, Nightwing thought to his team, they'll be channeled through that one. From his vantage point on the top of a pile of metal crates, he could see the battle below. He could also see one parademon aim his staff right at Nightwing's chest. He took off, but his sickness slowed him down just a hair. A hair too long, so as the beam from the monster's staff hit the crates, it launched Nightwing over the docking area, crashing into the ground as crates fell around him.