Peroxide

Chapter 1: Introductions. [Peroxide/Nightwing]

Peroxide stood on a rooftop, looking down at the busy streets of Gotham City. Things were calm, for which she was grateful. Tonight was important to her. The Dark Knight himself had sent her a message asking for her to meet with someone she deemed equally inspiring; Nightwing. She still wasn't sure how Batman had got this message to her, but she got it and was where she should be when she should be. Nightwing, on the other hand, was late. Peroxide was not one who liked being left waiting.

Five minutes, she thought. Five minutes more and then she'd go back to her patrol. She sighed, relaxing very slightly. She was never one to fully relax, always wary of the city she had chosen to protect. Out of nowhere, she heard a noise behind her. She spun round, her Eskrima batons raised.

"Relax, it's just me."

Nightwing stood in front of her, a smirk on his face. Peroxide huffed, annoyed. This made his smirk increase.

"It's about time, Nightwing. I've got things to do, y'know." She half-scolded him, but the civilian side of her wanted to forgive him. He was just as handsome in person, perhaps even more so. The TV and newspapers didn't do him justice. Nightwing laughed, then grew a bit more serious.

"You're wondering why you're up here on a random rooftop, waiting for me?"
"Obviously." Her moves were fast, but her wit was faster. "What does Batman have to say? I figured since he'd sent the message that I've caught his attention in some way."

Nightwing nodded. "That's true. You have. He sent me to ask you to stand down." Nightwing felt no joy in asking such a thing from her. She was a different type of vigilante. When the big bad guys attacked, she wouldn't be with him and his team. She would be helping citizens get to safety. He looked at the woman in front of him. She was smart, going for a similar style of uniform as his own, skin tight, black with a utility belt. No capes attached. She wore a domino mask as well, and her blonde hair tied into a high ponytail. He liked that.

"What do you mean, he wants me to stand down?" Peroxide's voice brought him back to the rooftop. "I have never once interfered with what you big boys do. I am not concerned with what you do. My only concern is the citizens of this city and keeping them safe from each other." Nightwing could hear the annoyance growing in her voice. He could understand it as well.

"I know, Peroxide." He said her name for the first time. "Which is why I volunteered to come and tell you this. Because I, and a couple of others, feel like you are useful in this city. This city needs someone like you looking out for them." He paused. "I want you to continue doing what you're doing. But we won't be able to help you."

Peroxide frowned. "You don't help me much anyway, Nightwing." Below them, screams and shouting came rising up. Peroxide looked towards the sound, then back at Nightwing. "Duty calls. See you around." With that, she took a couple of running steps and jumped off the side of the building. Nightwing looked over the edge and watched her fearlessly stop a mugging in process. She had impressed him, and although he knew he shouldn't, he wanted to see her again. He had ways of finding out who she was behind the mask but he didn't want to use them yet. He was sure he'd see her again. He took off into the night, to report back to Batman. He didn't know what he'd tell him, but he'd come up with something like he usually did.

Peroxide had soon fended the mugger off, and was promptly thanked by the woman she had saved. With no more than a 'you're welcome', the blonde vigilante took over into the sky, using her grappling hook. For her, that was easy. Some of them were not as simple. Some brought guns to a fist-fight. She'd had her fair share of near misses and injuries thanks to those. She landed on a different rooftop, taking a second to breathe. She took in the sounds of the sounds of the city, thinking about her meeting with Nightwing. She still didn't understand why Batman would want her to stand down from the good she was doing. Did he feel like she was taking over? She frowned to herself. That didn't seem possible since she literally didn't go near his neck of the woods. Gotham didn't give her long to think about things, as soon there was alarms going off in the distance. Peroxide launched herself off the side, using her grapple to gain momentum and get to the source quicker. Soon, she reached the bank and took less than a moment to survey the scene. There was smoke, she could feel heat from somewhere nearby. Her brain kicked itself into gear and she was off, running to get to people. From somewhere behind her,she could hear people telling her to stop, that it was too dangerous. She could hear people shouting from inside, presumably the overnight guards.

"Peroxide! Stop! Wait a second!" She knew that voice. She slowed for a second to see Nightwing running towards her. "I know I said no help, but this one has got HIVE written on it. You can't go in there alone."

"We need to get them out," she looked at him, very aware of the flames getting hotter. "Come on, lets go." Nightwing nodded and ran with her, squinting against the smoke. He could see the fearlessness in her again as she climbed through a broken window. He heard her hiss slightly as her knee snagged on a shard of glass but it didn't stop her. She dropped to the floor to start crawling towards where she hoped the security guards were.

"Can anyone hear me?" She yelled out, hoping to be heard over the roar of the flames.

Nightwing also called out from next her. "Is there anyone out here?"

Peroxide couldn't even see to look at the masked man beside her. The smoke was burning her eyes behind her mask. She coughed as she reached the desk.

"Is anyone there?" She yelled again. This time, they got a response, the sound of coughing from behind the desk. She wasted no time in jumping over the desk to see how many people there were. She heard Nightwing land next to her. She could see the figures of three guards through the smoke.

"Is there anyone else?" She asked as she heard the water jets from the fire brigade start pumping water.

"There was Joe-" a guard started before coughing. "He was where they detonated. I don't think he made it. I've never seen anything like this. They had it in the vents." The man coughed again.

Nightwing coughed as well. "Come on, let's get you all out of here and checked out." He helped the guards closest to him over the desk and lead them on hands and knees to the window. Peroxide helped the last guard over and ushered him first, making sure he got out fine. As he climbed out, she stood up to pull herself out. Firm hands grabbed her wrists from outside and pulled her out. Once her vision cleared slightly, she saw Nightwing in front of her, face blackened by the smoke. He was smiling kindly as he brushed some ash off her shoulder.

"Nice work, Peroxide. This is why we want you around." He gestured to Red Hood and Red Robin behind him as he spoke, helping the guards to ambulances. "We should get you checked out."

"I'm fine, Nightwing." She replied. "I'm more concerned with why someone would blow up the bank, from the vents. It makes no sense. Why would HIVE want that?"

Nightwing frowned, the questions also playing on his mind. "I don't know. Leave it with me. I'll learn what I can and debrief you tomorrow, if you like?" The last part a question, he wasn't sure how she'd take to it.

She nodded. "Fine. But we have to meet discreetly if you don't want Batman finding out that I'm still around. I mean, I don't care, I don't work for him. But you're a decent guy. Don't want you to get in trouble."

Nightwing smiled. "Here." He took out a radio earpiece from his belt. "Take this, we'll have a separate frequency so Bats can't be nosy. I'll let you know where to meet."

The blonde vigilante took the earpiece and put it in her own belt pocket. She looked at the bank, the flames now dissipating. The sun was making a slow appearance.

"Clock out, Peroxide. You did good tonight."

"So did you." She looked back at him, and half smiled. "You're forgiven."

"For what?"

"Being late."

With that, she launched her grapple and disappeared into the buildings around them, a smirk playing on her lips.