Ode to Nightwing

Chapter 35: Tim's Trike

        "Well, well, well. What do we have here? Two little militia all tied up in knots, hanging from a lamppost in nothing but socks." I finished my rhyme will glancing up at the militia men that I had grabbed from their tank, the thugs a few meters away. The militia weren't actually just in their socks, but that wouldn't kinda rhyme then now would it?

        The militia just hung there, glaring at me from underneath their masks. The thugs, however, squirmed against the cords that bound them. You could tell who had undergone torture before. 

        "Hellllllllllloooooooo." I knocked on one of the militia's masks, trying to get his attention on me, and make sure it was on me. "The one you work for, what's his name?" I questioned, but the man stayed silent, as I expected. 

        "You're not scary, Night Freak!" One of the thugs yelled over to me, making me turn to look over at him and his buddy. His buddy looked terrified now that I was looking over at them. 

        "Dude, shut up, are you trying to get her mad?" He tried whispering to his fearless friend, but to no avail did his friend listen. 

        "You don't scare me. You caught us by surprise! That's why you beat all of us. Untie me and I'll show you who's the real terror in Gotham!" He said, his voice ringing through the dead night air.

        It was silent.

        So silent.

        So much so that it began to unnerve the fearless thug as I just watched him.

        But then my laugh burst through the silence, scaring him even more as he flinched in his bindings. "You think- you think I'm just gonna untie you, waste my energy in brawling you, and then tie you back up? Which is also a waste of these lovely binding cords. Why on earth would I waste all that?" I laughed, trying to compose myself.

        The man looked shocked. "I.... I saw it in a movie... I thought it'd work." The man hung his head in embarrassment, making me laugh even more before I turned back around to face the militia. 

        "Now. Boss. Tell me." The composure snapped back into place. They just stared back, making me sigh. "I don't wanna do this the hard way, you know. Promised him that I wouldn't get involved with fighting y'all." I murmured, tapping on their visors. "But alas-"

        The roar of an engine cut me off as I whirled around, looking behind me to spot the Batmobile. It was just parked there, Batman looking at me through the window. We stood like that for what seemed like eternity, me trying to figure out what he wanted me to do, or what he wanted me to say. I finally walked over, away from my hanging hostages, and towards the Batmobile, tuning in to his frequency as I leaned against the car. 

        "What's up?"

        "Dick."

        "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh, he's in town?" I tried to play off, but he definitely wouldn't believe me this time. 

        "You knew, don't play dumb." Bruce growled, making me flinch. It was eerie having his head in my helmet, especially when he was mad. 

        "I wasn't supposed to tell you, I think. I don't really remember now." I chuckle nervously. Freaking Batman was making me look bad in front of my captives. 

        As if sensing my thoughts, Batman shifted his eyes to the squirming hostages. "What have you learned?" 

        "So far nothing. I got interrupted. That and the militia need some more persuasion. Wanna help with that?" I smirked, glancing back over at the militia. 

A Few Minutes Later 

        "Thanks for the help." I murmured, straddling the motorbike as Bruce got back into his Batmobile. "They really are scared of you."

        "Go back to Tim. It's not safe for you to be on the streets during this." Batman ordered before speeding away, barely missing a building corner.

        I sighed and switched back to my normal communication frequency with Dick, flinching as I suddenly heard him yelling to me. "Where the hell have you been?" He shouted, and I couldn't make out where he was, but there was some noise in the background.

        "With the B-Man." I grumble back, not wanting to get a lecture from him. "Had some captives, he helped me interrogate them." 

        "Get back to-" 

        "Tim. Yes, yes I know. Everyone wants me to go where Tim is. He is a big boy, you know. He knows how to tie his shoes and go in the big boy potty and everything." I rub my temples as I just straddled the motorcycle beneath me. 

        "That's not what I meant." Dick muttered and I just sighed. 

        I rev up the engine, my helmet activating fully. "Yeah, I know, I know. I'll head back to him. Hope he has some fun for me to do." 

        "Thank you." He sounded relieved, which made me shake my head, still didn't want me putting myself in danger. "Let me know if anything comes up for the cure." 

        "Let me know if you need my backup, how about that." I counter, hearing him sigh through the comms. "Promise meeeeee." I lean against the handlebars, eyeing the abandoned roads. I could hear some thugs in the clothing store nearby, breaking through the windows. 

        "Fine. I promise."

        "Oh, and hey Dicky." I purse my lips. "Did you know that Barbara mentioned something about a ring?" I rev the engine loudly to make sure he doesn't hear the last word. 

        "Mentioned a what?" Dick questioned and I laughed. 

        "Come and ask me in person and I'll tell you what she mentioned." He growled, which made shivers run down my spine. "Talk to you later." I giggle, beginning to speed away down the road back to Tim.

Later

        "I brought back your bike!" I yell as I enter the main section of their makeshift batcave. "I know you missed it."

        Tim didn't even look behind him to answer me. "You took my bike?" He inquired and I started to whistle. 

        "Nope. Totally didn't. I... I meant your........ Trike. I took your trike. And I brought it back." That earned a laugh from him. 

        "Wouldn't that be more believable if my trike was here and not at the mansion?" Tim questions and my jaw drops, him looking over his shoulder to finally glance at me. 

        "You.... seriously.... have a trike?" My voice squeaks in amazement.

        "Hell no, but you should look at your face. Priceless." 

        I punch him in the shoulder, a loud bang sounding throughout the whole building. I glance at my fist before tapping his shoulder again to make sure it wasn't that. A few seconds later the door to our laboratory swings open with another BANG. 

        We both see the group and who's at the head of it, and we whisper in unison, "Shit."