Nightwing: Heartache

Part 64: Two Man

April 16, 8:23pm
Metropolis

Tim sighed as the phone went to voicemail. Again. At the beep, he repeated the same message he'd left Cassie for days. "Hey, Cass, I know you're mad. You have every right to be. I messed up big time. I'm so sorry, but could we please just talk? Even if you yell at me the whole time? I'm in Metropolis if you give me a chance." He hung up, internally kicking himself for being so stupid. He never should have jeopardized his relationship with Cassie.

When five minutes passed, and his phone didn't ring, he started making his way back to the zeta tube. It had been a long shot anyway. She didn't answer the door, he hadn't expected her to, but he had hoped.

A scream from down a nearby alley caught his attention and he started running, slowing to a stop when he came to the end and no one was there. He felt the mistake twist his stomach and he backed up, knowing he needed to get out of here, but a woman dropped down in front of him.

"Boys are so easy," Talia Al Ghul smirked before swinging her sword at Tim's chest. He backed out of the way, diving out her blade's way, finally catching the edge, cutting his hand, but he used the momentum to jerk Talia forward, right into his elbow.

She grunted, dropping to swing at his legs. He hopped over the move but she brought her fist up too quickly for Tim to move and hit him in the jaw. As he stumbled back, she tossed a circular device at him, which detonated and threw him into the nearest wall.

He got to his feet and threw back his own explosives, hoping to give himself enough cover to retreat, but no such luck. He crossed his arms in time to block her feet from kicking him in the face, spinning to deliver one of his own to her knee.

She countered with a series of viper like strikes, which Tim met. He used the top of a dumpster for leverage and punched both feet into her face, satisfied when she stumbled. But she just charged forward harder, faster, making it impossible for Tim to do anything but block.

When he reached for the few smoke bombs he had on him, she caught his wrist and twisted it painfully, forcing Tim to retreat several steps. He wouldn't get out of here just playing defense. It was obvious she was confident in her ability to wear him down.

So he took her by surprise by going on the offense, lunging forward and spinning, almost landing the punch to her throat but she moved at the last second. Her feet trapped one of his and as he fell forward, she extended her bowstaff and brought it down his extended leg.

The crack that echoed confirmed what Tim felt as his leg shattered. He cried out, dropping to his hands and turned to lay on his back to avoid Talia's sword in his head. He caught her bowstaff, fighting through the pain, but she smirked again, twisting her staff. An electrical current flooded the weapon, traveling from the staff into Tim.

He screamed again, and Talia took the opening, slamming a syringe into his thigh. He felt the dread of loss just as he lost consciousness.