Nightwing: Heartache

Part 63: One Man

April 16, 8:23pm
Gotham City

Dick stepped out of the zeta tube, back from visiting Central City to check in on Artemis. Apparently Tara Markov had been staying over since Brion betrayed them and took the crown in Markovia.

He switched the grocery bag to his other hand and swung his keys around his finger on the short walk from the zeta booth to his apartment. Will should be there by now, and if he had learned anything, she was the most impatient when waiting for cookie dough.

Dick paused, doing a quick scan of the surrounding area. He knew when he wasn't alone.

A glint of light was all the warning he got to dive out of the way of a dagger before it hit him in the chest. He swung the grocery bag around and hit his attacker in the face, sending them reeling back, but arms circled him, lifting him off the ground. Dick jerked his head back and heard a satisfying crunch before wrenching him out of his opponent's grasp, dropping to the ground and sweeping their legs out from under them.

He jumped back as a knife hit the ground where his foot just was, flipping away from three more impending daggers and throwing an elbow back, twisting another attacker over his shoulder and slamming them into the ground.

These weren't just street thugs. This was the League of Shadows.

He took a hit to the face but countered by disarming the man's weapons and practically dislocating their shoulder, moving on to the next waiting shadow, ducking under their sword, jumping up with both of his feet to throw them back.

As soon as he landed on the ground he rolled out of the way of someone's foot. Jesus, he was completely surrounded. He had to get out of here. He knew they were slowly leading him into the alley to corner him.

He lunged, wrapping his legs around a shadow and twisting his body to bring him down, landing on his feet and delivering a melody of swift kicks to knock out one, two, three more. He grunted as a sword cut the skin on his arm but took hold of the sword and hit the wielder in the face with it. He was breathing heavily, but the small reprieve of attacks gave him time to run, using the wall as momentum to grab the nearest fire escape and flip up.

He was almost home free, but when he went to jump to the next level, a fist connected with his face so hard he fell back, landing squarely on the metal of the fire escape. He didn't have time to sit up before two feet landed on his chest with so much force the metal fell out below him, sending him and the person on top of him crashing into the ground.

Dick gasped as the wind left him at the impact and he felt a crack of at least one of his ribs. He lurched up but his attacker hit him in the face again. He blocked the next blow, grabbing the shadow's hands and pulling forward just to head butt him, sending him off kilter enough for Dick to get out from under him. He rolled back to his feet, fighting the urge to hold his side.

The shadow wiped his mouth, and when he looked up, Bruce's eyes met Dick's. Dick froze. "Bruce?" He cried out as a knife dug its way into the back of his thigh. Bruce charged forward and Dick got out of the way, using both hands to hit him in the back and send him into the nearest wall.

Dick heard a pair of feet land behind him. When he spun around, the Dragon himself, Ra's Al Ghul stood there, eyes gleaming with victory. "You've fought valiantly.. Your master has trained you well." When he struck out at Dick, Dick blocked each one, but Ras was absurdly fast, and Dick felt another slash of a sword on his side that he didn't have time to block.

No, that wasn't a sword. It was a bat-a-rang. Dick looked up in surprise, trying to hide his limp, but he could feel blood trickling down from the stab wound in his leg.

He lurched to the side to avoid Bruce's fist, ducking under Ras's at the same time but took a hit to the knee. He felt it twist painfully.

"Surrender, Richard," Ra's growled.

Dick couldn't see Bruce anymore, so he looked up just in time to move out of the way. Unfortunately, the distraction worked and he stumbled as Ra's kicked him in the jaw. He grunted as another blade wedged its way between his ribs. He faltered and felt an arm around his throat, squeezing. "Bruce," he gasped out, "it's me..." His words were cut off by a punch from Ras.

"None of that now," Ras chided, kicking out at Dick's injured leg.

Dick gasped as Bruce yanked the knife from his side only to stab him again. Pain exploded as Dick's body slowed down, but he head butted Bruce behind him hard enough for Bruce to let go.

The hilt of Ras's sword hit him in the head, and Dick dropped to a knee. A kick to his side. Dick could feel blood coming from his injuries. In his mouth. He jerked back just enough to not get skewered but felt a sword cut right above his brow, and blood clouded his vision.

He tried to get up but fell again at another hit to the temple. He coughed, gasping for air as someone kicked him in the ribs. He landed on his back and looked up to see Batman's foot connect with his face before everything went black.