NIGHTWING FIC 1/2
Go easy on me, I haven't written anything in 5 years or more and this is my first fic for this fandom. :) Elves to Superheros is a bit of a jump! ;) (Though Elves would make great superheroes lol)
Gah, I'm nervous! Writing modern day fic is a new experience!
Title: Last Night
Author: Tuxedo Elf
Rating: PG (for injury, mostly)
Characters: Nightwing, Robin (Tim Drake), James Gordon
Summary: Nightwing falls. Will he get up again, or stay down?
He'd never really given much thought to his own mortality. He spent so much of his time trying to keep others from losing their lives, his own got pushed to the sidelines. Over and over again he put himself in harms way to keep another safe. He supposed it had been inevitable that his disregard of his own safety would one day be the end of him.
But he hadn't realised how much it would hurt.
Physical pain first, the steel beam crushing his chest, making each breath agony. The concrete of the collapsed ceiling trapping his arms and legs, making it impossible to move at all. Not that he wanted to, the searing pain told of many broken, even shattered bones. He was fairly sure he had broken ribs too, probably a punctured lung - or two. Not to mention the gash to the back of his head which he could feel bleeding profusely.
“Damn,” he whispered to himself. There was no getting out of this one, not unless someone found him and he knew he was almost out of time. It had been worth it though... the homeless kids who had been sheltering here were safe. Though he regretted that he hadn't caught the monster who had thought it a good idea to try and 'reduce' the city's homeless by getting rid of the most vulnerable. The thought caused him to growl, despite the pain the sound cost him. Maybe Batman would pick up on what had happened, would finish what he could not. He only hoped his death wouldn't destroy the man too much.
Because he was dying, he was in no doubts about that. There was darkness in the corners of his vision, despite it being close to dawn. He was getting cold too, so very cold. He found himself wishing he'd prepared for this, left letters... it was stupid, but he hadn't even written a will.
With those thoughts came the emotional pain that seemed to cut deeper than the injuries to his body. His thoughts drifted to those he was leaving, each one of them part of the family that had grown around him over the years. If only he had a little more time, time to tell Bruce he was sorry, to hug Tim, to kiss Barbara. He blinked back tears that threatened to spill from beneath the tattered mask. Damn it all, but he was afraid.
He struggled to breathe as the darkness crept across his vision, fighting for every heartbeat now. It was too much. His eyes fluttered shut and did not open again.
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The news had come over the police scanner a few minutes ago. The kids had, surprisingly, called the police after escaping from the building. At first he hadn't worried, but after failing to raise Nightwing, Batman had become concerned. Too far on the other side of the city, he had sent Robin to investigate.
Robin's cape fluttered behind him as he raced through the city on his bike. He could see the dust rising from the destroyed building before he saw the devastation itself. Rounding the corner, he stopped sharply. He gasped, it was almost unrecognisable as anything other than a pile of rubble.
“Nightwing?” He called out as he ran towards it, looking for any sign of his friend. Approaching the building with caution, he tried to see inside the building. “Nightwing! Are you here?” When there was no response he stepped into the rubble, attempting to enter what was left of the structure, stepping carefully as the ground moved beneath his feet. “Nightwing?” The lack of response unsettled him. Maybe he wasn't here, maybe the kids just hadn't seen him leave... he was stealthy, his communicator might have been damaged... he tried to convince himself.
Then he saw it. The mess of black hair and a flash of far too pale skin. “Nightwing!” He moved over as fast as he dared, finally reaching Nightwing, trapped under steel and rubble. “Oh hell..” he hissed, seeing how trapped Nightwing was. Reaching out, Robin pressed his fingers to Nightwing's neck, seeking his pulse.
There wasn't one.
“No!” Fear coursed through him and lent him strength he would not have believed himself capable of. Gritting his teeth he pulled the steel beam off the prone form, letting out a low cry when he saw the battered body beneath it. As he worked at freeing Nightwing from the rubble he heard sirens and the sound of people running. “In here!” He cried out. “Quick, help me!” He would later berate himself for endangering the officers, but at the time, he was focused completely on Nightwing.
Four officers came in, immediately setting to work. They didn't yet know what Robin did, that Nightwing was not breathing.
Strong hands helped Robin carry the fallen hero out of the destroyed building and lay him down outside.
In the cool dawn light, the extent of his injuries became painfully obvious. Robin dropped to his knees and once again tried to find any sign of life. “No, no, no...” even as he felt for a heartbeat, he could feel bones moving beneath his fingers, which came away bloody.
“Robin?” Commissioner Gordon stepped up behind him, his expression grim as he looked at Nightwing.
Robin ignored him, fighting down the rising panic. Still, his hands shook as he tipped Nightwing's head back and began CPR.
His stomach turned as he felt the broken ribs giving way even more as he pressed down, desperately trying to restart Nightwing's heart. This wasn't happening, it couldn't be... he had to get him back. What would they do without him? It was inconceivable.
Over and over he tried, pressing, breathing, listening and looking for the slightest hint that it was working. Yet, despite his best efforts nothing happened and then, at last, he felt a strong hand on his shoulder.
“Robin...” Gordon's voice was soft, sad. “Stop now. He's gone.”
END (PART ONE OF TWO)
Gah, I'm nervous! Writing modern day fic is a new experience!
Title: Last Night
Author: Tuxedo Elf
Rating: PG (for injury, mostly)
Characters: Nightwing, Robin (Tim Drake), James Gordon
Summary: Nightwing falls. Will he get up again, or stay down?
He'd never really given much thought to his own mortality. He spent so much of his time trying to keep others from losing their lives, his own got pushed to the sidelines. Over and over again he put himself in harms way to keep another safe. He supposed it had been inevitable that his disregard of his own safety would one day be the end of him.
But he hadn't realised how much it would hurt.
Physical pain first, the steel beam crushing his chest, making each breath agony. The concrete of the collapsed ceiling trapping his arms and legs, making it impossible to move at all. Not that he wanted to, the searing pain told of many broken, even shattered bones. He was fairly sure he had broken ribs too, probably a punctured lung - or two. Not to mention the gash to the back of his head which he could feel bleeding profusely.
“Damn,” he whispered to himself. There was no getting out of this one, not unless someone found him and he knew he was almost out of time. It had been worth it though... the homeless kids who had been sheltering here were safe. Though he regretted that he hadn't caught the monster who had thought it a good idea to try and 'reduce' the city's homeless by getting rid of the most vulnerable. The thought caused him to growl, despite the pain the sound cost him. Maybe Batman would pick up on what had happened, would finish what he could not. He only hoped his death wouldn't destroy the man too much.
Because he was dying, he was in no doubts about that. There was darkness in the corners of his vision, despite it being close to dawn. He was getting cold too, so very cold. He found himself wishing he'd prepared for this, left letters... it was stupid, but he hadn't even written a will.
With those thoughts came the emotional pain that seemed to cut deeper than the injuries to his body. His thoughts drifted to those he was leaving, each one of them part of the family that had grown around him over the years. If only he had a little more time, time to tell Bruce he was sorry, to hug Tim, to kiss Barbara. He blinked back tears that threatened to spill from beneath the tattered mask. Damn it all, but he was afraid.
He struggled to breathe as the darkness crept across his vision, fighting for every heartbeat now. It was too much. His eyes fluttered shut and did not open again.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The news had come over the police scanner a few minutes ago. The kids had, surprisingly, called the police after escaping from the building. At first he hadn't worried, but after failing to raise Nightwing, Batman had become concerned. Too far on the other side of the city, he had sent Robin to investigate.
Robin's cape fluttered behind him as he raced through the city on his bike. He could see the dust rising from the destroyed building before he saw the devastation itself. Rounding the corner, he stopped sharply. He gasped, it was almost unrecognisable as anything other than a pile of rubble.
“Nightwing?” He called out as he ran towards it, looking for any sign of his friend. Approaching the building with caution, he tried to see inside the building. “Nightwing! Are you here?” When there was no response he stepped into the rubble, attempting to enter what was left of the structure, stepping carefully as the ground moved beneath his feet. “Nightwing?” The lack of response unsettled him. Maybe he wasn't here, maybe the kids just hadn't seen him leave... he was stealthy, his communicator might have been damaged... he tried to convince himself.
Then he saw it. The mess of black hair and a flash of far too pale skin. “Nightwing!” He moved over as fast as he dared, finally reaching Nightwing, trapped under steel and rubble. “Oh hell..” he hissed, seeing how trapped Nightwing was. Reaching out, Robin pressed his fingers to Nightwing's neck, seeking his pulse.
There wasn't one.
“No!” Fear coursed through him and lent him strength he would not have believed himself capable of. Gritting his teeth he pulled the steel beam off the prone form, letting out a low cry when he saw the battered body beneath it. As he worked at freeing Nightwing from the rubble he heard sirens and the sound of people running. “In here!” He cried out. “Quick, help me!” He would later berate himself for endangering the officers, but at the time, he was focused completely on Nightwing.
Four officers came in, immediately setting to work. They didn't yet know what Robin did, that Nightwing was not breathing.
Strong hands helped Robin carry the fallen hero out of the destroyed building and lay him down outside.
In the cool dawn light, the extent of his injuries became painfully obvious. Robin dropped to his knees and once again tried to find any sign of life. “No, no, no...” even as he felt for a heartbeat, he could feel bones moving beneath his fingers, which came away bloody.
“Robin?” Commissioner Gordon stepped up behind him, his expression grim as he looked at Nightwing.
Robin ignored him, fighting down the rising panic. Still, his hands shook as he tipped Nightwing's head back and began CPR.
His stomach turned as he felt the broken ribs giving way even more as he pressed down, desperately trying to restart Nightwing's heart. This wasn't happening, it couldn't be... he had to get him back. What would they do without him? It was inconceivable.
Over and over he tried, pressing, breathing, listening and looking for the slightest hint that it was working. Yet, despite his best efforts nothing happened and then, at last, he felt a strong hand on his shoulder.
“Robin...” Gordon's voice was soft, sad. “Stop now. He's gone.”
END (PART ONE OF TWO)