Red War

Part Four

-Dick's POV-

"It's started. Everyone, it's started."

I furrowed my eyebrow. Quickly pulling up a radar, I traced Athena's exact location. She was standing on the Gotham main bridge. Apparently, she had hundreds of bodies behind her. As soon as I saw her form start to move, my stomach plummeted.

"Athena? Athena!?" I screeched. The line was dead for several agonizing seconds. Gallons of sweat gathered in my suit as I frantically swung through the skyline.

Finally, I heard the comforting static of the line being picked up. "Run, Dick. I'll meet you when I can." In the background, I heard some moments of fist against fist and Athena's sharp yelp. "I'm trying to lead them away, but they have split off into groups."

I clenched my fist. "Athena, you're outnumbered," I studied the radar like it was a test, "you need to escape and stop fighting!" I urged. I wasn't sure if she heard me, for there was no reply. Rolling my eyes, I picked up my speed. I was going so fast that I might've rivaled Wally.

Eventually, I caught up to Nightingale. She was surrounded by hungry assassins. They crowded around her like zombies, pressing her back to a wall as they closed in. As always, Athena was holding her own against them in an almost inhumanly good way. I could see her two katanas flash through the air. Swords clashed against swords. It was stressful to watch Athena fight.

I quickly touched down, dropping a smoke bomb. Snaking my arm around her waist, I pulled Athena up and away into the air. My line snapped us both hard through a window of a bakery. A large, old wedding cake broke our fall. I pressed Athena to my chest, rolling us multiple times to slow down our momentum.

I let go, her body flipping to the side of me. Both of our black suits were covered in white frosting. Athena jumped to her feet, staring down at me. "What're you doing?" She hissed. I stood up next to her.

"Athena, you were five minutes from getting dragged back to the Temple," I stated, not in the mood to argue with her. Athena sighed and nodded. I could see how much that fight had drained her. Unfortunately, we had a long way to go.

"Are the others in position, do you know?"

I shook my head. "I was already on patrol when I got your message. I would assume that the others were too."

"We have to be sure," Athena paced back and forth, pressing her hand to her com, "Batfamily, come in. Is everyone in position?"

Almost immediately, Tim answered. "Red Robin is in position, as well as Batgirl Zeta and Batwing. As far as I'm concerned, no assassins have approached the North or West. But I can see them moving this way."

"A large group of around thirty is heading your way, Red Robin," Stephanie responded, "I have -- and currently are -- fighting several of them. Will report later."

"Not many are entering via aircraft, though I have detected several small planes flying close towards Gotham that are unscheduled. I'll keep an eye out. I have been helping Red Robin and Batgirl Zeta along the way," Luke chimed in. At that moment, I saw him fly past through the window.

There was about twenty minutes of radio silence. "Assassins are breaking through slowly. I've joined Tim in the North and West," Kate said, "the second wave has approached."

I calculated data on my computer, using all available radar, satellite, and cameras to try and keep rolling footage on the assassin army. I was letting Athena deal with the communication as she fiddled with her weapons. As far as I could tell, we had lost the assassins, although Athena was sure that they had merely left us alone for the time being.