Vigilante Struggles

Chapter nine

Dick's P.O.V.
I look back to see where Barbra and Tim were. I see them under my kitchen table, Barbra was out of her wheel chair and Tim was covering her. They both look at me with big eyes filled with worry and despair. I look to the scene in front of me again. Joker was mumbling and complaining about not been able to cut through the wire. This will be my only chance to get away, I will not let him get to Barbra and Tim. I turn onto my stomach and begin to army crawl towards Barbra and Tim. I look over my shoulder to make sure that I wouldn't be noticed to soon. Joker had his back towards me and Slade was flat on his back, Bruce made sure that no one but him and his...Robins? Could cut through this wire.

I continue my tedious journey to my family. I grit my teeth to prevent myself from letting any noise escape from my mouth. My wounds are burning and I don't need to check to know that I was leaving a trail of blood behind me but I needed to push on and reach Tim and Barbra before Joker, despite the wire strength, manages to free Slade.

I let my body relax when I reach them, all I need to do now is figure out how to get everyone out. Not too hard, right?
"Can you walk Tim?" I really hope he can because I'm not sure I'll be able to walk myself let alone carry Barbra.
"No I can't, the bullet totally shattered my knee I won't be able to do anything for at least a year" he frowns. I know how badly he wants to help.
"Ok Barbra I'll have to carry you, Tim you will have to climb out the window in my room and I'll pass Barbra out to you, let's go and try to be quiet" I whisper our plan. I check behind me once more to see Joker's progress, thankfully he made none. I shakily stand up and I try to place some weight on my leg. I feel the burning pain increase but I ignore it. The bullet is definitely still in there. I keep lookout as Barbra and Tim crawl out from under the table. I nodded to Tim, signaling him to go ahead. I gently pick up Barbra and place her over my shoulder before quietly making our way to my room and hopefully making it out alive.

Barbra's P.O.V
I wince as I look at Dick trying to stand. Joker had used a gun that caters for large bullets and his wounds are bleeding heavily. I don't even want to look at the inevitable trail of blood he left. Tim stumbles to his feet beside me and picks his crutches up, making his way to Dicks room. I feel Dick trying to pick me up and I try to help by pulling myself up. I wince as he stumbles a bit but he naturally regains his balance. He limps heavily to the bedroom. My limp legs dangle and swing wildly from Dick limping and I feel him tighten his grip either out of pain or for my own safety. I can feel his blood soaking my shirt and I shut my eyes in worry and deep guilt. If I could still walk I could be helping him, not the other way around. I'm in no pain now and I can't imagine what he is going through. I should be the one carrying him.

I cover my mouth as Dick falls to one knee and I'm suddenly grateful for the ugly apartment carpets. The horrible feeling of his body shaking with strain as he gets back to his feet fills me with more guilt. He is trying so hard, too hard, for me. Slade would only use us as bait and Dick wouldn't want us to go through that experience because he knows what it's like. He has been through those traumatic situations and I know he refuses to let it happen to anyone else. I remember seeing his unnecessary guilt when I lost my ability to walk. He had been in my apartment that night, some Dick and Babs movie time. He eventually had to go home to help Bruce with business and that is when it happened. He told me, after some time, how he felt about it all. He had tears in his eyes and was mumbling "if I had have stayed longer....if I had have stayed longer". That made, me realise something though. If Dick had stayed he could have been the one to get shot. If he had answered that door. If he had gotten shot and paralysed, I can't bare the thought. I remember when it happened all too clearly. The feeling....and the immediate numbness in my legs. The fear. The hopelessness. I had no time to dodge, he shot me as soon as he saw me. I hate what has happened to me but I'm glad that it wasn't Dick.

A sudden pull brings me back to reality and I'm suddenly faced with the problem of getting out of the window. Tim had managed to get outside and Dick hands me to Tim. We are almost free. Dick will be able to heal and we can all regroup and think of a plan. I can only hope Joker hasn't realised we are gone yet. None of us can fight.

Once I'm fully outside the window Dick begins to attempt to get out of the window himself until he stops. I was unsure as to why he stopped until a familiar, croaking voice calls from down the hallway.
"Robbie-poo...where are you?" Joker is looking for Nightwing and we aren't far enough away.
"Go. Go" Dick whispers. Tim moves me out of the way and Dick climbs out and slides the window shut. He takes me from Tim and returns me to my spot on his shoulder.
"Tim stay there and keep hidden, I'll climb down with Barbra first then I'll come back for you" Dick tightens his grip and tells me to hold on. He walks to the edge of the platform and I feel him take a deep breath. He moves me around so I'm lying across both shoulders.
"Please hold on tight Babs, don't worry about my shoulder" Dick forces a smile on his face. I place one of my arms under his dislocated shoulder so that I could hold on. I don't like having to hold on, I can feel his shoulder joint moving freely and it's unsettling. Dick positions himself to start his descent. He can only climb down with one arm, making the journey slow and apprehensive.

We make it halfway down when Dick slips. The blood on his suit is making his boots slippery. I squeeze him tightly and I bite my lip to stop me from screaming. Dick is panting and I can see his face contorted in pure agony as his body dangles, his arm acting like a lifeline. He pulls himself up with his arm slowly and painfully, just enough so he can find his footing. I hear a soft clang of metal as Nightwing's feet find the rung of the ladder. He rests his head on the cold metal of the ladder and his chest causes me to move up and down with his shoulders.
"You okay Babs" he pants out. Always thinking of everyone else.
"Yeah Dick, I am. Are you okay?" He laughs a bit when I ask this.
"Never been better really" I almost smile at his ability to laugh things off but his voice is too small and weak for the infamous Richard Grayson, so instead I worry. He begins our descent again and we reach the bottom. Dick props me up against the wall and returns to his position on the ladder, slowly climbing it to get Tim. I continue to watch him until I couldn't see him anymore.

I begin to feel vulnerable sitting alone in the alley. There is an eerie silence that is only broken when the wind decides to make an unwelcome appearance and kick the little clumps of rubbish around the concrete floor. There is a single street light above the back door of the building across from me, making it hard for me to see anything beyond the little circle of light it has created around me. I look down at my shirt. It looks like I have murdered someone. My midsection is soaked through with Dick's crimson blood. The fabric clings to my skin creating an uncomfortable sensation as I sit on the damp and dirty floor of a Blüdhaven alleyway. Soft clanks of footsteps tell me that Dick is making his way down with Tim. After about five minutes he is standing beside me allowing Tim to slide off his shoulders. Thankfully he didn't slip this time, I don't think he can endure the pain and the blood loss anymore.
"I should be able to contact Bruce using the comm link on my motorcycle since we couldn't grab anything useful, hopefully he can send the Batwing" Dick says while ripping a tarp off his now destroyed motorcycle.
"Damn it, I really liked this old thing" Dick sighs." Slade really wanted to make sure we couldn't get away" he continues. Our luck has been shit so far. The world always seems to be against the good guys.
"Where can we stay? it's obvious we can't go back to your apartment Dick and the transport facilities are still non operational. What do we do?" Tim asks. Honestly I don't know what to say to him. Our equipment is not working so we can't use our emergency beacons and we left our working communication devices on Dick's kitchen table. None of us will be able to journey anywhere far or safe. So what can we do?
"We need to get help" Dick states the obvious.
"I can help you" a robotic voice calls out from the darkness.
" Who's there?" Dick demands. He turns and straightens up to a point he can bare.
"Me" the voice replies. Two army combat boots step into the light and it's no other but the man in the red helmet.
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I think we all know who our little saviour is. I hope to update more during the summer holidays.