The Mission

“What the hell happened?” Red Hood tapped his com angrily as if that would restart Red Robin’s voice. “Robin? Orphan? What’s going on over there?”

Nightwing tried to quiet his voice as they ran from the building, gesturing at the terrified thirteen year old holding Spoiler’s hand. She smiled down at him. “Don’t worry Chuck. Everything is going to be fine. We are going to get you to a safe place.”

The kid tried to hide the tear marks on his cheeks as he struggled to keep up. It’s too bad he refused to be carried as they left the warehouse. Luckily, they took a Batmobile so they just had to make it down the street.

“I-I’m fine. I know. And.. and. Thank you. But… did they take someone else?” The boy looked over at where Red Hood was still muttering into his coms.

“No. Well, we don’t know for sure. We just lost communication is all. That could mean anything. Don’t worry about it chuck. Whatever is going on we’ll handle it.” She tried again to give a reassuring smile, all the while listening to Oracle shout desperately about the last known communication and location of her siblings on the other mission. She heard her say that both communication and tracking had been lost for all three. They spotted the Batmobile at last.

“Damnit. Nightwing?” Hood looked over at his brother, and even through his helmet they seemed to have some silent communication.

“I know. Chuck, you are doing awesome you know that dude? Make sure you remember that everything you told us, you’re a hero today too.” Nightwing paused to kneel down and look him in the eyes as they made it to the Batmobile. Then he looked up at Spoiler in her purple hood. She had pulled down her mask to talk to the kid better. “Can you-“

“I got it Nightwing. We’re good. Go with him.”

Nightwing nodded, and he and Red Hood jumped on their motorcycle and sped off towards the last known location of their siblings.

As they climbed into the car, Chuck made a gasp at all of the technology. “Woah, this is-“

“I know, pretty cool right? You get used to it, eventually, sort of.”

Spoiler laughed as he made a squeaking sound when the seatbelt automatically belted him in and the windows tinted around them.

“We’re going to get you to a hospital to get checked out, and the police will need to speak to you. There’s a chance you can help us make sure to stop any other incidents like this and protect more people. I know this is hard. But, there’s a chance my family is in danger now too. Can you tell me what else you remember?”

He squinted his eyes shut. Then opened them again, and gave a shaky nod. “Yeah. Yeah. It all started with this lady…”

—-

“Can this thing go any faster?” Nightwing had to shout over the rushing wind.

“Yeah if you want to crash into a building. Lot of help we’ll be if we become a statistic.”

“Alright no need to be snippy.”

They sped around a corner on the street of the other building. It was semi isolated in a district that was quiet and poorly lit. The buildings were spread out, with a surprising amount of foliage in between. It balanced on a line between sophisticated and creepy. But they saw the base at last.

Red Hood screeched to a stop the next building over and they both leapt off the bike and int action. Oracle had told them of the other vehicles arrival and how everything went dark with Red Robin’s last report. Nightwing grappled up to a rooftop ledge as Red Hood approached the perimeter.

“I see the car, no other vehicles in sight. No sign of our people either. In fact, no sign of anyone.”

“That means that they must have moved inside. We better find their last location. Is this a bust in or a sneak in sort of moment? You know my vote”

“Oracle? How many estimated enemies?”

“At least four guards that were already there. Depending on how many were in that vehicle, maybe three to four more. Up to eight combatants are possible, with potentially injured allies.”

“Those aren’t good odds. We should try and be subtle.”

Red Hood grumbled but nodded, and they approached the building. Nightwing perched on a window and peered around.

“This is RR’s last know location.”

“Look here.” Hood pointed to the grass where he knelt next to a dark stain. “It’s blood. He’s hurt, and it looks bad.” He swore under his breath.

Dick’s blood went cold. Tim. If only they had been quicker, if he had blocked the signal quicker, because it must have been how they knew to return early. He shook his head. He couldn’t afford to think like that, not when there were three of his siblings who still needed him. He looked into the house from the window.

“Darkness. We won’t know what we’re getting into.”

“Sounds fine with me.” Red Hood was pulling out a smoke bomb as he prepped his guns. Nightwing whipped out his ecrisma sticks. He pushed the window open, and they climbed inside to find who would dare hurt their family.

They switched to night vision as they entered. But instead of a fight, the room was empty. So was the next one they checked. And the next. The whole place seemed vacated.

“What happened to the combatants? This doesn’t look like eight. Where did they go?” Nightwing glanced around as they made it to the entrance hall, and he noticed a set of stairs that led to what looked like a trap door. He pointed to it.

“You don’t think…. The roof? Why?”

“I don’t know. But it’s our only shot.”

“Let’s go.”

Nightwing burst through the trap door and onto the roof, weapons readied, as Red Hood flanked him from behind. The first person he saw was a woman, standing at the edge of the roof in a simple dress and bun. The second, was the body of Tim.

“Red Robin!” Nightwing couldn’t hold back his shout as he saw his brother laying at the woman’s feet. His mask was still on, but blood covered the side of his head and face. He appeared unconscious, blood pooling onto the roof tiles, and his hand was dangling off the edge of the roof. But he could see his chest still moving ever so slightly. He’s alive, at least. He heard a quiet groan.

“Ah ah ah. Not one step closer gentlemen. I assume you are the ones responsible for our little loss earlier?” The woman looked up at them with a smile, as she pointed a gun straight down at Tim.

Hood let out a snarl beside him, “you let him go or you’ll lose a lot more, and it’ll hurt.”

She clicked her tongue at him. “So violent. So inappropriate for a strong young man like you. I suppose this is what has happened to the youth of today. No manners. First you steal away my boy, then your hooligans break into my home. So unfortunate what had to happen to this young man here. I’d hate for it to get worse.” Her voice cooed like a mother scolding her children as she looked from them to Tim at her feet.

“You must be the Matron. The one responsible for the kidnappings. And the druggings. Do you know how many you’ve killed? Directly, and indirectly from the drugs out on the streets.” Nightwing didn’t bother hiding the venom in his voice.

She laughed, “Oh, don’t lecture me about deaths. A little hurt now for long term gain? It’s just an investment. All while getting more scoundrels off the streets. I just wish I could cull them all.” Her eyes widened in glee at the thought, “I wonder if you are gentlemen, or scoundrels yourselves.”

Red Hood raised his gun and stepped in front of Nightwing, “Don’t you lay another finger on him you witch.”

She cocked the gun aimed at Tim, “I think you can stay where you are. Unless you want to lose him along with those sweet young people I have currently tied up in my basement. Oh, or perhaps they are already in the car.” She put a hand to her chin as if in thought.

“Nightwing, Hood, the car seems to be on and street cams are seeing it leave. What is going on?” Just as they heard Oracle’s voice, they heard the sound of an engine and squeezing tires on asphalt.

“No!” Nightwing jumped to go after them.

“I said don’t move!” The woman shrieked, and the gun went off.

Dick and Jason both froze in place. They stared in horror at Tim, who was awake after all, as he screamed and clutched at his leg. Blood was gushing from his lower thigh as he yelled.

“Mm. What a mess. Pity. Stop rolling around you’re going to fall off this roof. And you two put those silly weapons away” Her voice had hardened as she stared down mercilessly at the boy whose leg she had shot.

“You’re goddamn crazy.” Hood growled through his helmet as he slowly put his guns away.

“Please, leave him alone.” Dick begged as he watched Tim dissolve into tears. His brother, covered in blood and pain. He prayed that Tim would go unconscious again.

“Now I think you see where we stand. Gentlemen, I have a ride coming. If you even think to follow me, I shoot him again. You try and track me with your clever tricks, I shoot him. You try and save him? I shoot all three.” She smiled benignly, “I think this is only fair. You took my experiment, now I have to start over. Now I have plenty of young subjects to try all sorts of new ideas on. I just can’t wait!”

“You should know we will find you. We won’t stop until you and everyone involved in this death ring are dead or imprisoned. Or worse.” Red Hood was clenching his fists at his side, but he didn’t dare move again.

She laughed. Then she leaned forward and pressed a booted shoe onto Tim’s bleeding leg. He let out a desperate howl. It strangled in his throat as his head dropped to the side, passing out from the pain. “And that’s what will happen if you do. If you find us, it will bring you nothing but pain. Scoundrels.”

A helicopter descended on the house then. Dick and Jason could do nothing but watch as a ladder dropped two men, who grabbed Tim’s body in their arms. He lolled like a rag doll in their arms, and blood dripped steadily as they hauled him away. The woman stepped onto the ladder, waving the gun at them both.

“If I do see you again, perhaps I can teach you to be real gentlemen. Ta ta!”

She slipped into the helicopter and closed the door. Tim’s face was still visible, as she kept a gun pressed to his head as they ascended. Neither moved. When the vehicle was too far gone to chase, Dick collapsed onto the roof. Jason stumbled to the spot where they had been, the blood still dripping down the roofs edged. He reached down and found Tim’s earpiece still caked in the muck. It had clearly been shattered. Dick slammed a fist into the tile so hard they broke.

“We lost them. We lost them all.”