Log: In the Dark Who: Nightwing NPCs: The ‘Marauders’ gang Where: Old Town When: February 1, late night. What: Nightwing shuts down the latest gang terrorizing the neighborhood, only to find a link to the city’s justice department. Rating: PG-13 for Violence
The sudden impact of his boots on the slick pavement hurt. The drop was longer than recommended, but there had been little room to maneuver, and he would be damned if he let one get away. The Marauders was not a gang Nightwing wanted back on the street. Pushing off from the ground, he took after the leader, using what moonlight there was tonight to navigate the narrow lane through Gotham’s Old Town district. The parts of the city built on top of each other, tight spaces once full of steam when the city still had power. Warm despite all the snowfall of a harsh winter.
That lack of warmth hit his face, a blast of icy wind forcing him to close his eyes as the man he pursued found himself cornered. A heavy impact hit Nightwing in the side of the head, and he hissed his annoyance, closing his eyes and feeling the air currents as something cut against the wind.
One of the many useful tricks he’d learned thanks to Bruce’s insistence that he train under the same people that Bruce had. Training he had to rely on in the wake of his father’s death. That was why a dozen others were already down. All of that fight done in under a minute. Ruthless efficiency, passing marks from the Batman.
This guy wasn't good. He was just lucky. Dick waited until it came close, then held up his arm guard to catch the pipe, twisting and moving in for a kick to the leader’s shin. The man yelped in pain and Dick felt a grim satisfaction at the turnabout. No relishing the victory. With a swift jab to the man’s neck, the pipe clattered to the ground and the man slumped.
Dick pulled up the hood and snapped a photo with a quick press on the domino mask he wore. “Proxy, I need to figure out where this guy came from. Make it a priority.” He paused, noticing the harsh bite in his voice. Bruce’s bite. “Please,” he added. and then turned to scan the alley for any trouble he might have missed.
A small chirp let him know that information was being loaded into his suit. Dick pushed the man over with his foot and stepped aside, pulling out the link from his belt. The download stopped halfway, an error message popping up. “Damnit.” Nothing worked the way it used to, and a hundred things in Gotham could cause interference when you had to rely on makeshift signal towers to connect.
Reaching for his grapnel, Dick stowed the link and aimed. The swift hiss of compressed air followed, and soon he was zip-lining to the rooftop overhead.
When the data finally arrived, Nightwing scowled. “Thomas Sydell?” He didn't even need to read the rest. Sydell worked for the city’s justice department. In the Gang Task Force. Another one had crossed over the line. At this rate, there would be no one left but the new District Attorney and her secretary.
Proxy seeing to the police about the men down in the alley, Nightwing vaulted forward and made his way through the labyrinth of old buildings toward the small apartment he was keeping near the top of Wayne Tower. No going back to the cave tonight. He had business in the city tomorrow, and he was looking forward to seeing Liz Raleigh in person after all these years.