Who: Conner and Dick (feat Scarecrow) What: Dick tries to take down Scarecrow, Attacks Conner. The usual When: May 14, Evening (Backdated) Where: The Park Rating: low
Nightwing was certain that Scarecrow would be at the park. He and Barbara had done some sleuthing and they figured his next big event would be sending groups of children into chaos. Apart from having no desire to see that happen, it was time to stop him once and for all. Barbara was coming, but Dick couldn’t wait. He was already looking for the cracked doctor when he found him.
“This ends now, Scarecrow.” Nightwing looked sternly at the man in a mask who had some sort of bomb in his hands.
Scarecrow held up his hands as if in surrender. “Alright, you got me this time. Fair and square.”
Dick knew it was never that easy, but he had to get closer to the man anyway, so he approached slowly and cautiously. For a brief moment Dick thought that maybe, just maybe, it could be ‘that easy’. But of course it wasn’t.
When Nightwing got in range, Scarecrow threw the device at him. It ‘exploded’ into a mist that surrounded Nightwing. “I made this special blend just for you, Dick.”
Unlike the first time, Dick’s mind couldn’t easily discern he’d been drugged. He coughed and doubled over, trying to keep track of where Scarecrow has went.
– Conner had been told to stay home, but fuck that. Dick was acting…weirder than normal. So, he followed. Confirmed even further that Dick was weirder than normal with the way he was acting. Conner wasn’t exactly a stealthy ninja. Though he had left Krypto at home, much to the dogs annoyance.
That was when he saw it happen. For a moment he just watched. Waited to see what Dick would do. Whether or not he had to intervene. He knew he likely would. He just didn’t want to bruise his friend.
–
At first nothing seemed to happen and then he heard it. The laughter. The Joker was here. Despite his years fighting the madman, The Joker was one of the few enemies that still caused terror to run through Dick. The Joker was dangerous and sadistic. What made it worse was Dick couldn't pinpoint where the laughter was coming from.
He looked one way, then the other, then off to the side as he tried to find the killer clown. "Where are you?! Show yourself!"
– And of course, Conner didn’t hear anything. He only heard Dick yelling at some invisible enemy. So he finally stepped out of where he was hidden from view. “Dick?” This was that crazy guys influence. He didn’t want things to escalate, or to have to hurt his friend if they turned for the worst-but the longer this went on the worse it would get. He knew that.
–
Unfortunately for Conner, Dick did not see Conner, but he saw The Joker. Knowing what happened back home with Jason and the history with Barbara, Dick saw red. It didn’t help that Dick was still a little raw from having The Joker in his head a few months ago and the clown reminding Dick of all the bad things he’d done to him and his loved ones over the years.
Nightwing pulled out his electric batons and started to run at Conner.
– Conner only saw confusion. “Dick?” That fear gas was strong. Conner frowned as Dick ran at him. He was going to have to put him down. He waited until Dick got close, and then put out a hand. That was all for now. He was hoping to end this with as minimal damage to his friend as he could. Dick was after all, squishy. “Whatever you’re seeing, it isn’t real!” He tried to get through to his friend, but he knew the hold that gas had was going to be powerful.
–
Unfortunately for Dick (and for Conner), he saw The Joker’s arm and The Joker was someone Dick could take on himself. So Dick didn’t slow down as was usually the suggested option when dealing with a super.
He tried to grab and bend Conner’s arm, but of course that didn’t happen. Instead Dick felt the strain of his own muscles, his wrist spraining itself from the overexertion. There was a part of Dick’s mind that registered this made no sense, but he still saw Joker who was laughing at him cruelly. So Dick threw a punch at Joker’s face.
Dick cried out in the pain - when he had fought Conner before it had been hard, but he’d been able to attack in a way that anticipated the brick-wall effect. Without knowing it was Conner, he had had no such preparations. Of course for Dick, The Joker was just more amused. “I’ll give you something to laugh about -” Dick went in for a second swing, despite some hand bones being cracked.
– He had the grace to look empathetic for his friend's pain when that hit collided. The most it did was move him back. Dick was obviously not going to listen to reason here. He could only sigh and shake his head. “Really sorry about this, Dick.” When he swung, Conner was gone in the blink of an eye, and suddenly behind him. Grabbing his arm instead as gently as he was able.
He remembered a slightly newer trick he learned. If he didn’t use a full hand he wouldn’t kill him. Right at the back of his head he used two fingers and flicked him hard enough in the hopes to knock his ass out.
–
Perhaps it was a blessing Dick’s mind was currently clouded by the fear gas so that his pride was somehow protected by being completely unable to fight his ‘foe’. He struggled and fought, but somehow ‘The Joker’ was far too strong. And then suddenly, Dick’s world went dark. In Conner’s arms, Dick went limp.
– Conner caught him and held onto him with a bit of a frown. This was the last thing he wanted in spite of his current boredom with the place. He didn’t want his friends to suffer for his entertainment. A cursory glance around for Crane, he decided Dick was more important than finding him in that moment. A speedy second later, literally faster than light itself-they were at medical.
Conner was standing in a corner of the room looking much like a guard. Glaring at anyone who didn’t seem to belong. He only changed when a doctor came to tend to him. That man he let in. But, he didn’t leave. He refused.
–
Dick came to with a splitting headache. He groaned and it seemed to surprise the attending physician he woke up as ‘soon’ as he did. He started to sit up which a nurse didn’t like, but he waved her off anyway and then asked for them to give him a second. Him and Conner.
His head was still swimming, but he was forcing himself to focus. He blinked a few times as he clearly tried to figure out what had happened. “Crane.” He said after a moment, his voice hoarse. Crane had happened.
He brought his hand to his head. “Conner, listen.” Was he aware that Conner kicked his ass? It was coming back to him and yes, yes he was. In typical Dick fashion though, he was thinking about the objective. “Crane… he has a tracking device on him.” He had learned a thing or two working with Batman.
He took a moment to swallow, then said the frequency of the device. “Listen for it…. Find it…” Dick was confident that he’d be able to isolate the sound and find Crane. “Bring him to the police… He’s just a man when you take away his science.”
–
(ooc: Crane will disappear once in police custody.) Unlike Dick, Conner didn’t have such thoughts. Things like he’d just beaten Dick down with a flick of a finger, really hadn’t crossed his mind. When he was given something to do, he was in a better head space. He didn’t need to worry about little things like that. They could come later. When his friend tried to sit up he frowned. “I don’t think you should be moving like that.” Humans weren’t supposed to move when they got injured, they would just get more injured.
He wanted to nudge him back down, but a gentle touch wasn’t something he was good at. So, he let the nurse do it. He could only look on at his friend with a moment of empathy before closing his own eyes.
The sound of Madison valley filled his head, it was almost overwhelming for a minute. His brows furrowed as he tried to sort through the noise. Then, he looked straight up at Dick and was gone in a blur of a motion.
He’d found it. He found the tracker sound and Crane was apprehended. The man of course put up a fight, but to Conner it was a fight of two seconds. The partial kryptonian held onto Crane until the cops came to collect. “You’ll be going away for a long time now.” He stated as he handed the man over only when he was sure he was secure. Then? Like magic once he was cuffed, it was over.
Dick was his priority. He returned to medical to stand by his friend. “It’s over.” Whether or not Dick heard him on that was up for debate, but he hoped it would help him heal a bit faster in knowing so.