Becoming Nightshade

The distant wail of police sirens faded into the night as Batman stepped out of the Batmobile, his silhouette cutting through the hazy glow of the flickering lights. The overturned car sat like a broken carcass on the side of the street, steam hissing from its shattered hood. Glass shards littered the pavement, while the faint acrid scent of burnt rubber and oil hung thick in the air. His eyes swept over the scene, his jaw tightening beneath the cowl. The tires had been shot out— Bullet holes peppered the frame, each one strategically placed to incapacitate rather than destroy. This was no random attack.

A soft chime echoed in his ear as Oracle's voice came through the comms. "Batman, I've got something. I accessed nearby security cameras." Barbara's voice was calm but urgent. "Pulling up footage now. Sending it to your HUD."

Bruce's lenses flickered, and the world in front of him shifted to a transparent overlay of video footage. The grainy black-and-white feed played back the moment the ambush happened.

The vehicle's tires screeched as Dick tried to speed away, but Briggs' men were faster. In the grainy footage, Bruce saw the unmistakable flashes of muzzle fire as bullets tore through the back tires. The car swerved violently, losing traction on the wet pavement. Dick fought to maintain control, but the vehicle spun out, overturning with a sickening jolt. Bruce's jaw tightened at the sight. Dick barely had time to recover before the thugs surrounded the car. One of them shattered the driver's side window with the butt of a rifle, dragging Dick out and slamming him against the car. Jason forced to his knees. Maggie tried to resist, but two men yanked her from the passenger side, shoving her roughly toward the waiting SUV.

"Freeze that," Bruce said, his voice low but commanding.

Oracle's voice crackled in his ear. "Got it. Enhancing now."

The screen zoomed in on Briggs, standing near the SUV, watching everything unfold with an infuriating smirk. His men worked fast and efficiently, shoving all three into the back of the vehicle, slamming the doors shut before speeding off down the street.

Bruce's fingers curled into a tight fist. "How long ago?"

"About thirty minutes," Oracle responded, her voice tense. "I'm tracking the SUV through street cams. They took a route heading toward the docks, cutting through back alleys to avoid main roads."

Bruce nodded, rising from his crouch beside the wrecked car. He pocketed Maggie's charm bracelet, his mind working through scenarios. "Briggs knows better than to leave them in the city. He'll want to get them somewhere isolated."

"The docks?" Oracle suggested.

Bruce's gaze sharpened as he scanned the nearby alley. "It's the most likely option. Briggs prefers areas with minimal surveillance and easy water access." His voice hardened. "Send me the most recent feed from the docks."

There was a pause before Barbara's voice returned, her tone urgent. "I've got movement at Pier 17. Black SUV matching the make and model from the footage. Looks like they're taking Jason away somewhere. No sign of Dick or Maggie."

"Where are they taking him?" His voice was calm, but beneath it, a sharp edge of tension cut through.

"I'm working on it," Oracle replied, the sound of rapid keystrokes in the background. "They switched vehicles near the docks." They're moving fast, heading south—likely toward the outskirts of the city."

Bruce exhaled sharply, his mind racing.

"I don't like this," Oracle said, her voice laced with concern.

"Stay on it," Bruce ordered. "And keep scanning for any sign of Dick and Maggie. If Briggs has separated them, they're vulnerable."

The Batmobile roared through the dark streets of Gotham, weaving effortlessly between traffic. The streets blurred past him, but his mind was already working through contingencies. If Jason was being taken elsewhere, it meant Briggs considered him the primary threat. Dick and Maggie were leverage—hostages to ensure Jason's cooperation.

Barbara's voice came through again. "Bruce, the SUV just gone dark. They turned off the main road, and I lost visual. They might have a jammer running."

Bruce's eyes darkened. "Get me alternate routes they could have taken. I'll find them."

Maggie sat against the cold concrete wall of the warehouse, her hands still tied behind her back. Her ribs ached from the earlier beating, but she forced herself to focus, to stay alert. She glanced at Dick, who was sitting nearby, blood crusting on his temple from the earlier scuffle. He had been trying to subtly loosen the ropes binding his wrists, but so far, no luck.

The warehouse was dimly lit by a few overhead lights, casting long shadows across the towering crates and rusted equipment. Two of Briggs' men stood by the entrance, their eyes darting around nervously. They were armed, but not professional—just street thugs with guns.

Dick leaned slightly toward Maggie, his voice barely above a whisper. "How're you holding up?"

Maggie swallowed hard but nodded. "I'm fine. Just... pissed."

Dick smirked despite the situation. "Yeah, well, join the club." He glanced at the guards. "We're gonna get out of this, okay?"

Maggie gave him a sharp look. "You sound way too sure of that."

"Hey," he whispered, his tone lighter, "I've been in tighter spots." His eyes flicked toward the door, where faint sounds of water lapping against the dock could be heard. "Batman will come. He always does."

Maggie sighed. "Let's just hope he hurries."

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and Briggs himself strode in, his usual smug smirk in place. He walked up to them, crouching in front of Maggie first.

"How's the little princess holding up?" he taunted, tapping her chin lightly with the barrel of his gun.

Maggie didn't flinch, her eyes locked onto Briggs with an icy defiance that only made his smirk widen. His grip on the gun was casual, but the weight of the threat hung in the air like a vice.

"You know," he continued, his voice dripping with mock sympathy, "your boyfriend's taking longer than expected. That's gonna cost you and pretty boy here some pain."

Dick tensed beside her, his muscles coiled and ready, but he knew better than to move too soon. Instead, he forced a smirk, blood still drying on his temple. "Briggs, you really need better thugs if you want to intimidate us," he said, his voice laced with sarcasm. "That whole tough guy act? It's getting old."

Briggs let out a low chuckle, stepping back slightly. "Oh, I don't need to intimidate you. I just need to make sure you two stay... cooperative." He turned to the nearest thug. "Remind them why they should be."

The thug nodded, stepping forward and delivering a brutal kick to Dick's ribs. He grunted, doubling over but catching himself before hitting the ground, pain radiating through his chest. Maggie reacted instinctively, surging forward with fire in her eyes, but Briggs was faster. He grabbed her by the shoulder and shoved her hard against the cold concrete wall, pressing the barrel of his gun against her chest.

"Come on," Briggs sneered, his voice a low, dangerous whisper. "Give me a reason to pull the trigger." His finger rested lightly on the trigger, his smirk unwavering.

Maggie's heart pounded, but she refused to show fear. Her breath came steady, her eyes locked onto his with a burning defiance. "Do it," she said coldly, her voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins. "See how that works out for you."

Briggs' eyes narrowed, his amusement flickering into something darker. "You're brave, I'll give you that," he mused, pressing the gun just a little harder against her sternum. "But bravery doesn't make you bulletproof, sweetheart."

Dick, still on the ground, groaned and slowly pushed himself up. "Hey, Briggs," he coughed, drawing the thug's attention. "You might wanna rethink this whole 'shoot the billionaire's daughter' thing. Pretty sure that comes with consequences you don't want."

Briggs glanced at him, smirking. "You think Wayne scares me? The guy's too busy in his tower to give a damn." He turned back to Maggie.

Maggie glared at him, a slow smile forming despite the fear thrumming in her chest. "You have no idea who you're dealing with," she whispered.

Briggs raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I think I do." He eased the gun back slightly but didn't holster it. "And don't worry, sweetheart. I'm not gonna kill you... yet. You and pretty boy over there? You're insurance. Todd's the one who's got to learn a lesson."

He glanced at his watch, then back at Maggie with a grin. "And he's running out of time."

Dick, standing slowly, wiped the blood from his mouth with a smirk. "Jason doesn't do deadlines well."

Briggs chuckled, stepping away and nodding to his men. "Tie them up again. Tight. If Todd screws up, I wanna be ready to send him a message."