Alcatraz breakout, cont.

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

Robin's figured out who was behind the Alcatraz breakout and gave assistance to the most dangerous metahuman prisoners. Mammoth and Shimmer.

Where there's one, there's the other, and both are tied to Dr. Light. The question is if they're still here gloating, or if they're long gone. Nightwing glances down at the small device in his hand that shows his daughter's condition.

It's worsening.

Fingers close over it once more, a new and cold determination taking hold.

"Nightwing to all Titans. Mammoth and Shimmer are behind this breakout, and we've got reason to believe they're still here. We find them, it's a short hop to find Light. Omen - do your thing. Flush these pieces of filth out."

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bird_of_flame_/]

"I know." Bette looks down at her and smiles, "You should sleep."

[jessequick.livejournal.com]

"Go find Nightwing," she repeats softly, more lucidly, before following Bette's direction.

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

In truth, he hadn't had the strength left to object to the younger Titan. He watches them head back to the jet, feeling resoundingly numb, before he turns and reaches for the melted remainder of his mask in the dirt. He turns it over in his fingers before discarding it once more. It's useless now; his skin too raw and damaged to take it back even if it were still useable.

He's never felt so torn between his duty and his family before. He knows he can't leave the Titans now; but if his daughter is to die, he'll never forgive himself for not being with her in her final moments.

He rocks forward, and sets his feet under him. He's on autopilot as he heads back to the jet, eyes cast downward.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bird_of_flame_/]

Flamebird is waiting for him there and there is, to her at least, a weird sense of irony about that. She doesn't think she'd ever be able to explain ti to anyone else. She's not even sure she gets it entirely.

Reaching out as he reaches the jet, she takes his arm and guides him toward a place to sit down so she can work on his injuries.

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

He doesn't bother to protest and sits down heavily, leaning his head back against the cold bulkhead of the ship, closing his eyes against the harsh interior light.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bird_of_flame_/]

Carefully, silently, Flamebird begins to work, treating his face to begin with. It seems the worst of the damage.

After a moment, she grabs a blanket and lays it across his lap, before she continues to work.

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

He doesn't say a word; though the occasional tension in his facial expression tells her how much pain he's in. Eventually, he pulls his gloves from his hands, revealing the bloodied mess underneath.

[starfire-kory.livejournal.com]

Starfire enters the jet. "Alcatraz," she starts to say, then hisses at the sight of Nightwing. "Will he be all right?" she asks Flamebird.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bird_of_flame_/]

Flamebird doesn't even take the time to look over at Starfire. "I don't know yet. I'm going to need more water." She doesn't mention that this might need plastic surgery. Hell, it probably will. She's good but she's not that good.

"Lay down." She needs to irrigate the wound for at least five minutes.

To him she says softly, "This is going to hurt." Once he's laid down, she starts the irrigation.

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

He complies in silence, bringing his feet up on the bunk as he does so. His thoughts are elsewhere.

The pain brings him abruptly back from the moon, and he recoils suddenly with a strangulated noise, an arm coming up as a reflex action.

God damn, that hurts.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bird_of_flame_/]

"Stop it. I have to get rid of it all or it might keep going down to the bone. Can you hold yourself or do you need some help?" Bette holds the wayer back, not having enough as it is.

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

He wants to explode at someone, but he doesn't have the strength, and he knows it's not fair to the others. He has to settle for dropping his hand and a resigned, abbreviated nod as he settles back down.

[starfire-kory.livejournal.com]

Starfire takes up a position to the side, stretching out one of her long legs so that her foot is touching Nightwing's. It's the only contact she can really make with him while Flamebird continues the treatment.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bird_of_flame_/]

"You can yell at me later."

Flamebird continues to irrigate the wound, doing what she's doing and trying to keep everything out of his eyes. Because that would make everything worse.

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

Eyes screwed shut against the scouring sting of the remaining acid, he can't answer coherently. Not while he's got a fistful of bulkhead, body rigid with the strain. He manages a hoarse grunt instead.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bird_of_flame_/]

"You can yell at me now." Her voice is softer now.

To be honest, it is professionalism that keeps her from appologizing to him for this.

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

It's done. He relaxes finally, going limp on the bunk. He turns his face away from her for a few moments, then slowly opens his eyes again, pushing himself back up into a sitting position.

How.... how are the others?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bird_of_flame_/]

"You're the worst off. I have to look at Gar when I'm done here. Jesse's sleeping. Everyone else seems to be okay." Carefully, she starts working on his hands.

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

He's distant and unresponsive as he stares down at his battered knuckles.

Good.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bird_of_flame_/]

She doesn't know what to say.

Carefully, she works on his hands, doing her best to stay detached but he's more than detached enough for the both of them.

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

The wedding band on his left hand wasn't spared the mess; coated in his own blood.

Half of his brain is at war with the other. Outwardly, he seems merely stoic or dispassionate.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bird_of_flame_/]

Carefully, she's cleaning his hands. She takes special care of cleaning the wedding band. The wounds are cleaned and bandaged and taken care of to the best of her ability.

"Can I help?"

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

He looks up, blue eyes blinking at her in mild confusion for a moment. He isn't sure what he can say. 'Make me feel like less of a shitty human being for breaking Batman's back'? 'Stop my daughter from dying from some engineered disease'? 'Tell me I'm fit to lead this team'? Nothing seems appropriate to ask - or fair. And he can't seem to snap himself out of it.

I'll be okay.

The look in his eyes says otherwise.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bird_of_flame_/]

"You're not okay. You're not okay and everyone can see it. You're broken and I don't know the first thing about healing this kind of broken."

She pauses and manages to finish without her voice catching. "I'm sorry."

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

The last time he felt like this was... close to three years ago. When Blockbuster tried to break him, and damned near succeeded. He didn't think he'd ever get this low again.

He hates being wrong.

His head bows.

No. I'm sorry. I let you all down.