From Gotham to Miami

That's What We Do

Author's Note: The clip is from The New Batman Adventures episode: Over The Edge.

"Robin, are you sure you can stand?"

"I can manage."

Nightwing aimed his wrist darts to the door while Red Hood carefully polished the handle of one of his knives.  He would have preferred guns but Bruce wouldn't allow it point blank.  Knives were pushing it as it was.  He slid Robin just a little behind him; not enough for him to protest but enough for him to be somewhat protected.

"Nightwing, what're you doing?  We need to get out of here," said Red Hood impatiently.

"Watch this," Nightwing grinned.

The footsteps stopped abruptly, signaling that the Q.R.T. was just outside.  They readied themselves then-

The door flew open and a Q.R.T. officer stepped into the room but the officer didn't take three steps before Nightwing shot him with his wrist dart.

"What is that?" asked Red Hood in astonishment.

"Tell you when we get back at hotel.  Get to the roof!"

Red Hood and Robin wasted no time in following Nightwing's order.  As Red Hood was climbing up the stairs, he saw another Q.R.T. officer fall to the ground at the hands of Nightwing's wrist darts.

"Is this the right frequency?" asked a voice coming from the com-link.

"Nightwing, is that you?" asked Red Hood.  "Your voice has really changed in the last fifteen seconds."

"What, no, that was- Oracle!" Nightwing exclaimed.

"Yup.  Bruce told me how you failed to stay off the media.  So, he assigned me to your case," said Oracle flippantly.  "Where are you?"

"We're in a building near the precinct; about two floors from the roof.  Big room, lots of empty furniture," Red Hood filled her in.

Nightwing added, "We're pretty much stuck in here; there's not much we can do from here except to take the stairs and that's not really an option right now."

"We're kind of in the middle of something," Red Hood put in edgily.

"Wow, that is a lot of Q.R.T, " Oracle said, surprising them all.

"Wait, how do you know-"

"Nightwing.  Your girlfriend is Batman," Red Hood snapped, not sure whether or not he was joking.

"The lenses you have on your suit are hooked up to the Bat-computer.  So, in other words, I see what you see.  Looks like you have to stall for time; I'll give the Nightbird, Redbird, and the Batcycle your coordinates."

"Okay, when is the Nightbird coming?" asked Nightwing.

"E.T.A. ten minutes."

"Wait, why did you replace the Batcycle with my wheels?" Red Hood asked.

"Your 'wheels' aren't hooked up to the Bat-computer.  So, I replaced them with the Batcycle."

"Fine."

"Grapple to the next building."

"Can't really do that," Nightwing grunted.  He had his back pressed against the door being pounded on but any second it was liable to break down.

"Oh, I see," Oracle said after a pause.  Red Hood adjusted himself so he was still in front of Robin but also could see the situation, lending Oracle his vision.  "Are there any windows around?"

"None," Robin spoke up for the first time but his voice was still weak.  "Just a lot of cement and brick."

"Beautiful," Oracle muttered.  Red Hood shoved an empty bookcase in front of the door to take the strain off his brother.

"Thanks," Nightwing groaned, massaging his left shoulder.

"You okay, Dick," Oracle asked, concern seeping through her professionalism.

"You can kiss him all better later," Red Hood snapped.  "Besides, no names in the field."

Robin grimaced.  "Can we all get a move on please?"

"Agreed," Nightwing said.  "Oracle?"

"I've connected your com-links to the police radio, so you'll be aware of any sudden changes in their plans," she informed them.  "It's only one way, so they obviously can't hear us.  Hold on one second; there'll be this screeching sound loud as all hell when it conne-"

"Goddamn!" Red Hood and Robin both clutched at their ears, glaring at nothing in particular.  Nightwing, for his part, said nothing but dabbed at his ear as if expected to feel blood trickling out.

"We have to move in," an unfamiliar voice bellowed.

"What the hell," Red Hood muttered.  "This is so weird..."

"What do you think we're trying to do," a female voice yelled back.

"Explosives," the first one responded.  "Now!"

"Holy shit," Red Hood said, eye widening.  He grabbed Robin by the waist and yanked him to the far side of the room.  "Come on, come on!"

"Take the maintenance access stairs," Oracle told them, the sound of keys tapping in the background.  "Now, move!"

"We need a code," Nightwing told her, his fingers scrabbling over the pad desperately.

"Stop touching," she yellled.  "It'll open now, just hit 0945."

"Why 094-"

"Red Hood, shut up and just move," Oracle told him.  "I'll explain later."

Nightwing typed in the numbers and the door to the stairs swung open.  "Thank you, Oracle."

"Thank me later."

"Alright, everyone move back," the same officer yelled.  "Five, four..."

"You first," Nightwing said, thrusting Robin down the stairs.

"Go," he told Red Hood, gesturing desperately.

"No, come on," Red Hood protested.  "You go."

Robin grabbed Red Hood by the wrist and Nightwing by the shoulder, pulling them both in.  "We don't have time to argue!"

"Two, one!"

Nightwing had just slammed the door to the stairs open when an echoing boom exchoed all around them.

"I swear, this case is going to be responsible if I'm deaf," Red Hood growled, taking the stairs four at a time.

Nightwing turned around to find Robin at the bottom the stairs, his shorter legs moving as fast as they could.  Nightwing picked him up and just sprinted up the stairs with him.

"No, stop," Robin yelped in surprise.  "What the hell?  Put me down!"

"This is much faster," Nightwing told him.  "Besides, you've already been knocked out twice in two days."

Robin didn't argue.

"Where the hell are they," the second officer snarled.  "Where could they have gone?"

"You don't know how these criminals work," Harvey Bullock said pompously.  "They disappear into thin air like water vapor."

Nightwing gave a bow up on the rooftop.  "That's what we do," he murmured.