The Competition Mission Re-Write

Time Flies

As suspected, the flat was empty when we arrived. But this was where the uniforms were being delivered, he can't have left it spotless. Someone had to know something.
"Go door to door," I said as we stepped into his flat, "See if anyone's seen anything to do with this place. Any information we can get our hands on will help."
She nodded as she headed off and I turned my mask to detective mode, there had to be something here. We were running out of time, an hour and half left. Over half our time gone and we still had nothing on where he was, never mind starting to move in on him. There was no way we were going to win this. I slowly moved through the flat, but it was clean as new. He never moved in here at all, only an address to get his things delivered to. It looked dusty enough that I doubt he'd ever opened that door. A dead end, that's all this was. Dead end after dead end after dead end. We think we have something, and then nada. He knew exactly what he was doing, at this point I bet he'd even planned this.
Wait, that room didn't have any dust. I quickly moved over, and that's when I heard breathing. Ragged and heavy, sounds of someone injured. I palmed two birdarangs as I moved round the doorway to see the scene. And to say I was surprised was an understatement.
"Batgirl, I need you to get here now," I said down the line, "Right fucking now," And then I turned to Bette, "It's going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay."
I turned to the door as Babs came round, a small gasp escaping her lips, "I'll call an ambulance."
"My name's Nightwing," I said, "You probably already know that, I'm here to help. Do you mind if I take a look?"
Her blue eyes were barely staying open as she moved her arm away from her stomach, and I repressed a shudder. I quickly pulled some gauze out of my belt and started wrapping, muttering soothing words whenever she flinched.
"I needed to tell you something," She whispered.
"It's okay," I told her, "It can wait."
"No, he said I had to tell you as soon as you arrived," She said and I perked up, she'd gotten involved with the boss.
"He said to say that you're too late," She was fading fast, and I quickly placed her back upright against the wall as she begun to slump over, "He said he's going to kill your friend."
"Who is he?" I asked, "What's his name?"
"He didn't say," She was barley above a whisper now, "But he wore a strange uniform. Reminded me of Harley Quinn."
"How?" I asked but it fell on deaf ears as she passed out, "Babs, how far off is that ambulance?"
"Five minutes," She shouted back, "I've told them to hurry. Is she okay?"
"She just passed out," I said as her redhead came around the doorframe, "Said the man reminded her of Quinn. Something about his uniform."
"Yes, it's two-toned. Orange and Black," She said, "Good old door duty. Mr North was curious as to who the new neighbour was and went to check out. Saw a man in an Orange and Black suit meet with Bette. Not only that, that he was around the height we're looking for an always had a sniper and sword strapped across his back along with other weapons that he couldn't identify."
"Bette's been helping him?" I asked.
"He said she's been in and out since the start of the rental period," She explained, "Her father is the worst to her, she might have been looking for an escape. If he offers a home, some money and no questions asked. She'd take it."
"So what else does she know?" I mused.
It could be nothing, she could literally just be here like Babs said. Or she could know my identity, know everyone's identities. She could be dangerous, but we don't know. And we don't have time to find out.
"I have a new lead," Bruce's voice came through the comms and both me and Babs perked up, "A trusted worker for this man has just let slip that he has five bases. I'm sending everyone one to check out with a team. Has anyone found anything else yet?"
"The drop-off address," I quickly got in, "Bette Kane was here, injured badly, ambulance on the way. A neighbour said a man came to meet with her, tall and wore an Orange and Black uniform. Heavily armed at all times."
"Anything else?" He asked, "The actual location provide anything?"
"The apartment looks as if it's never been touched," I replied, "We got nothing."
"Anyone else?" An chorus of no's answered him, "Locations sent through, everyone move."
My hologlove buzzed with an address as he clicked the line off, "That's not far," Babs commented as she read over my shoulder, "You go, I'll meet you there once the ambulance is here."
"You sure?" I asked.
"Yes, of course, you're better at this, you've had more experience. I'm not ready to mess your life up by missing something," She said, "Maybe another time."
"You rock," I called as I ran out and towards the theatre on Founders Island.
An hour left. A fifteen minute journey. It was getting close, but so were we.

I arrived to see Bruce already scanning the area, "There are ten heat signatures," He said as soon as I landed next to him, "One's sat down and others are all standing as if they're holding guns apart from one, around six foot just behind the sat one."
"Wally's here," I breathed.
We'd found him. We'd done it. We'd beat him at his own game.
"I've sent an update to everyone, in fifteen minutes we're storming in, no risks," He continued, "And then you can come home."
I smiled up at him as we waited, relief finally washing over me. It was all over. No more hiding, no more being scared. We won.

After fifteen minutes everyone that was going to arrive had arrived, which was most of us.
"How are we doing this?" Babs asked.
"We're safe, our first priority is to protect Wally. Nightwing and I have scanned the building multiple times, from what we can gather there's no other heat signatures that would suggest a bomb or other explosive around him, we just need to keep the guns from him," Bruce explained, "Flash, Supes, I want you to go in and disarm everyone, just get the weapons so they're not functional and then get Wally out of there. Diana, Arthur, Batgirl, Nightwing and I are going to focus on the boss. Everyone else I want you to take out all the goons and then join us. Understood?"
We all nodded and began to move. As soon as the doors opened it began.
I ran straight past the goons who were busy trying to figure out why their weapons weren't working and towards the boss. But it wasn't to be.
Everyone came to stop as we saw the reality of the situation. There had been no windows, no way to actually confirm the identities, and now we knew why. Wally was not sat in the chair, the man behind him did not wear orange and black nor was he armed with a sword. They were both just goons. As the fighting died behind us we could see everyone else was coming to the same conclusion.
"Thought that would trick you," The goon sat down said, "Boss knows what he's doing. Knows how you guys think."
"Where is he?" I asked, my voice coming out very similar to Batman's growl.
"We don't know, knew you'd try to get it out of us," The one standing replied, "But you can't."
"Fourty-Five minutes to hand over the Richard Kid," The other chimed in, "Something tells me you're not gonna make it."
I didn't have a chance to go at them as two Batarangs knocked them out, "Everyone split up. Did anyone get anything at their bases?"
"Nothing," was chorused back at us.
"Go," Bruce growled and everyone scattered, "Dick," He turned to me once us and Babs were the only ones left, "I need you to go back. Get ready for my signal."
"Of course Bruce," I said as I felt my heart drop, "Please find him."
"We're not giving up," He said, "Just buying time. We will fix this."
And I wanted to believe him. I really did. But it's hard to believe someone when they don't seem to believe what they're saying themselves.