Nightwing: Heartache

Part 71: Benefit Attack

May 30, 9:38pm
Hollywood

It was sad, really. Pathetic. Willa almost pitied The Dollmaker. It could have been anyone, really, it just so happened that the Dollmaker was the villain that took the bait first. Ever since Dick had been outed as Nightwing by Lex Luthor and Willa had been linked to Dick publicly, they had all known some idiot supervillain would get the bright idea to use her against him. Very original. And with the fact that most of the big league villains knew the secret identities of most of the heroes, it was only a matter of time before one seized the seemingly easy target.

Willa was onstage, presenting an award to Cindee Lauren, a child advocate and philanthropist dedicated to supporting children of Joker attack victims and their families, when the Dollmaker raised a gun into the air.

But before he could fire it, one of Artemis's arrows shot it out of his hand. His men, planted in the crowd, all pulled their weapons, trying to locate the source.

A barrage of arrows and bat-a-rangs took out each gun.

"Dollmaker, isn't it?" Willa asked into the microphone.

He sneered, pulling a second gun from his coat pocket and aiming it at her chest.

Superboy dropped down right in front of him. "I would rethink your next move."

Kid Flash zoomed by, seizing the gun, and stopping by Willa's side. "Souvenir!" Bart exclaimed, disassembling the weapon.

Dollmaker growled with frustration, but Garfield popped up beside him as a gorilla, causing the villain to trip over his own feet in shock. Red Hood dropped down on the other side of Willa and Wonder Girl floated above her head.

The Dollmaker's men quickly assessed the situation and turned to flee, but Robin and Artemis blocked the door. Miss Martian de-camouflaged and telekinetically lifted them all in the air, ignoring their yells of panic and Zatanna quickly casted a spell, making ropes appear, restraining them all. Miss Martian set them down by the door.

They all looked at Dollmaker then, whose face was white as a sheet. He threw one last glare at Willa then raised his arms in surrender. The message was clear. Willa was off limits, unless one wanted to start a war they couldn't finish with the heroes of Earth, Justice League or no. She was no victim, or pawn to be used against a boy. She was not quivering, shaking in her boots. She wasn't a little girl anymore.

She was very much a woman behind an army.