X-Men: Civil War

Chapter 21: Crime and Criminal

Nightwing

I've already crossed off one warehouse where the rubber molecules on Maxine's dress matched. I'm so close to justice, I crave it more than sustenance, and I haven't slept since I lost her. I guess this is how Bruce feels most days.

I almost feel bad for Babs, but she's helping me narrow down the options, so I don't know if I should feel guilty or not. Speaking of Barbara, I haven't heard from her in a while...

"Dick, you still there?" Her voice suddenly explodes from my earpiece.

"Ah, Babs, I think we should turn down the volume a little." I can almost hear her smirk through the line.

"I found another match to the signature pretty close to you, the computer missed it in the first sweep, just sent the location." As if on que, the coordinates pop up on my wrist computer.

It's literally only a couple blocks away.

So close.

I make my way over to the abandoned warehouse, unlike all the others, there are a couple lights on inside.

"I think we might've just found what we were looking for." I don't hear anything from the other side.

"Babs..." Static, her voice only comes in and out in small patches.

"Dick... Just... Don't... Bruce..." I don't understand what she's trying to say, I might as well go ahead and see who's inside.

Silently, I make my way to the back door and tap it open, all's gone quiet on the other side of the line, something's interfering with my connection to Babs. If they're trying to hide something, then this is definitely the place.

I slip in undetected, and quickly find the main hall, where who I suspected to be the conspirator stood. Joker, but next to him stood Luthor and it seemed as though Joker waited around him like a dog to it's master.

Sick, that's how I feel about this situation, this is probably what Babs was trying to tell me, not to come in here without backup. Hopefully Bruce or Tim gets here soon...

"Hey, Dicky bird." A smooth and young voice says in my ear. Jason.

"When Babs said to wait for backup, I was hoping it wouldn't be you." My words come out in a sigh and I pinch the bridge of my nose.

"Oh come on, I'm here to help you with your revenge, and mine, two birds with one stone, pun intended." I turn my head to face him and meet with his red domino mask and lopsided smile.

"It's not revenge, it's Justice, got it?" Basically, I'm telling him that he better not kill Joker if he kills anyone.

"I'm sorry about Maxi, I know how much she meant to you." The words slam into stone resolve, and crack it.

"Thank you." Sorrow comes seeping into my voice and his hand rests on my shoulder.

"I'm here for you, even if I was kind of a jerk, but this is the only time, got it?" I nod my head, suddenly glad it's him and not anyone else.

"I know how hard it is on someone... When they aren't able to save the person they love." He continues, and I feel a strength in having my brother here. My brother if not my partner.

"Let's go in then..." I start, and he finishes.

"And do some damage." Hopefully that doesn't mean anything too bad.

We both step into the shadows on the sides of the room and, without a sound, take out most of the henchmen. A click sounds behind me.

"It's a bat-" I cut the man off with a flick of my escrima sticks, he falls to the ground unconscious.

Heads turn my way, the element of surprise no longer aids me, but maybe Jason...

"Hey, Joker, guess who's back?!" Nevermind, the Red Hood has plans of his own.

He jumps down from the ceiling, I'm not sure when he got up there, and lands on the villain's back, knocking him to the ground with a crack. His arm moves, a gun comes out of it's holster.

"Don't!" I yell, but he points the gun at the crazy man's head, and the shot echoes around the building.