Nightwing: Legacy

Chapter 10.1

"They'll never get the chance to," a new, almost robotic voice spoke as a man hit the ground in front of them, rolling to his feet. It was the armored man that attacked Nightwing when he went to collect Tetch's blood.

Nightwing drew his escrima sticks, the others aimed their rifles at the small squad of Joker goons taking place behind the armored man.

"Who are you?" Nightwing demanded.

He heard the man chuckle, "little ol' me? I'm the Arkham Knight."

"That's a shitty ass nickname." Nightwing returned, moving his hand slowly at his side.

"I like it. Besides, my enemies fear my name."

Nightwing smirked, "then why have I never heard of you?"

"I used to go by a different name. Something a little more... crimson."

Thomas's eyes narrowed behind his mask. Why was this guy so familiar? It was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't place it.

The Knight turned back to his henchmen, "quick tip, never aim for the chest. That red may be pretty, but it's not a bullseye, it's padded with kevlar. Aim for weaker joints in the armor. Shoulders, knees. And these cops behind him, same idea. The real prize..."

Arkham Knight tapped his helmet, and the image it projected flickered a bit. The face of the helmet was an LED screen. Nightwing had seen that somewhere, but where?

"Right between the eyes—"

A rumbling cut them off. Everybody turned to see as a giant tank-like vehicle moving towards them, crashing through everything in its way. Red lights were on the front of it, and a giant gun on top.

"It's the Batmobile!" One henchman said.

"No," Thomas corrected, "it's the Nightcrawler."

The tank opened fire on the Joker henchmen, athough the Arkham Knight managed to grapple away in the chaos. The henchmen fired at the tank, some knew it was better to fire at SFN, but they returned fire.

In a few short seconds the fire ceased. Nightwing turned back to them, "is everyone okay?"

They all nodded, and Martinez rushed forward to take a look at the Nightcrawler, "that is one serious piece of metal."

"Nightwing," a pained voice called.

He looked back and saw Garrett standing there. He was taller than Nightwing, but he looked weak. There was a spot of red right above his plate carrier, and blood poured from his mouth, down his chin and onto his body as he fell.

Nightwing rushed forward, sliding on his knees to Garrett's side as he relased control on the vehicle and it fell dormant, the gun receding into the body and back into car form.

He propped the man up on his knee, "luke, look at me."

He reached a bloody hand up, touching Nightwing's chest.

"I don't wanna die," Luke Garrett said softly, his hand sliding from Thomas's chest as the world went against his will.

New gunfire rang out, and Thomas looked up as Martinez was shot. He fell, taking cover behind the Nightcrawler as he pressed his hand to a wound on his stomach, right below his carrier, two more hitting the kevlar.

Pinkney and Mac raised their guns towards the sound of the fire. But Pinkney fell, his body twisted and Thomas saw the hole between his eyes. Mac dropped her gun, a shot falling in her shoulders and she fell.

Nightwing watched the Arkham Knight hit the ground, again. He advanced, holding a gun in his right hand. "Come on, Thomas." He stepped on Mac's chest as she reached for her gun, finishing the job with a shot identical to Pinkney's. "You should know to check your surroundings to make sure the threat is gone."