《Soaring High - Discontinued》Chapter 6
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A quick A.N: I know that Saiko is supposed to be dead and all. If you follow the comics, just pretend that he didn't die when he fell. Let's also pretend that he doesn't know his secret identity and just hates Nightwing because he stopped him from killing Dick Grayson. Deathstroke knows his identity, but he has the professional courtesy not to share it because this is just a job to him.
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Percy was waiting for Nightwing at their special rooftop again. Usually, they met in her apartment and headed out together, but he had said that he would be running late and had to finish up some work stuff.
She was wandering inside her own mind, thinking about Nightwing and reflecting on her recent successes in the hero business. Suddenly, she snapped out of it as she heard the distinct sound of a dart flying through the air. Percy whipped around and grabbed the dart out of the air before it hit her chest. She inspected it closely and found that it was a tranquilizer. While looking for the shooter, she failed to notice the presence sneaking up behind her until it was too late. She turned around, only to have a masked man slap something into her neck.
She focused her vision and narrowed her eyes. She didn't recognize the villain. He had a green and black suit with brown leather straps across his legs and chest for holding weapons. He wore a full black mask with yellow goggles. Two razor sharp metal claws extended from each hand.
She looked down at her neck and found a metal collar wrapped around it. She did recognize that. It was a power inhibitor, from the prison for villains, Belle Reve. She mentally growled and resorted to hand to hand combat. She lunged at the villain, bringing out a collapsible silver bo staff. When he slashed at her with his claws, she blocked him with the staff, the metal clashing.
She recognized his fighting style being somewhat similar to that of Nightwing's because she realized, he used the same acrobatics. He wasn't as good as her partner, but good enough to make him a dangerous opponent. She managed to land a kick on his face, but while she regained her footing, he slashed at her side. She tried to dodge the attack but his claws grazed her side.
She stumbled but got up, her eyes flashing underneath her mask. She moved to attack him again, but suddenly her body was overcome with an extremely uncomfortable feeling. She felt like she was having a seizure and her blood was tingling. She almost fell, but managed to right herself. She knew that feeling. She had been shocked enough by her cousins to recognize electrocution.
The man she had come to know as Blockbuster came onto the roof, standing behind her. She turned around, swaying slightly from the dizziness of losing blood from her side and being shocked.
"You like?" he asked, holding up a remote about the size of a deck of cards, "It's new."
Suddenly, another figure dropped down from god knows where. She had heard of this guy and she knew that mask. Half red, half black. It was Deathstroke, the #1 assassin on the planet.
So that's who shot the dart, Percy thought, I am so screwed.
"What's with the inhibitor?" she asked, trying her luck, "It's not like I have any powers."
She kept her voice steady and light, using all the tricks the Stolls taught her so she didn't give away her secret.
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Blockbuster laughed. "No, you don't. But see, I upgraded it so it functions as a shock collar. To make sure you behave."
She didn't reply to that, directing her gaze to the man in green who now stood next to Blockbuster and Deathstroke.
"Oh, where are my manners? Seabird, I would like to introduce you to Saiko and Deathstroke."
Of course, Percy had to open her mouth.
"Psycho? That's a weird name, isn't it? I mean, why would you willingly call yourself that? I know you're a bad guy and all, but that's doesn't exactly help your reputation."
Saiko growled but held himself back. "Not Psycho, Saiko. Keep talking, and I will slit your throat. I'm sure Nightwing would mind."
Percy looked more confused but managed to clamp her mouth shut. Then she realized something. He had mentioned Nightwing. She mentally gasped. They were doing this for revenge!
"Now that you've all been introduced, we'll be going now."
"Not a chance," stated Percy as she got into a fighting position.
Blockbuster looked thoughtful. "I can see why Nightwing likes her."
Deathstroke, fed up with the small talk, grabbed the remote from Blockbuster's hand and pressed it hard.
Percy was once again electrocuted but did not fall. She more than winced in pain, though. Blockbuster frowned.
"That should have taken her down. Guess she's tougher than she looks."
With that, he turned a small dial on the remote and pressed it down again. This time, Percy shuddered and groaned before collapsing to the ground, her mind becoming dark.
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Nightwing flipped onto their rooftop, smirking. When he realized he was alone, he rolled his eyes. She was probably hiding. However, he searched for her presence and came up with nothing. He tried to call her on their comms, but everything was silent. He was starting to get worried now.
He looked around the rooftop, spotting two things. He picked up a tranq dart off the ground and saw a small bit of blood. He swabbed some of it off the ground, shoving his panic to the back of his mind. He quickly got back to her apartment which was also empty. He went down to her secret room and ran a test on the blood. While he waited, he inspected the dark under a microscope and realized what it was. It belonged to Deathstroke.
The computer dinged, indicating the tests were done, and a name popped up onto the screen: Persephone Jackson.
"Oh, no."
Nightwing was pacing back and forth now, running his hands through his hair. He was freaking out. He quickly grabbed his phone and dialed a number. When the other side picked up, a voice said, "Evening, Dick."
"Hey, Bruce. I need your help. How fast can you and Dami be in Bludhaven?"
Sensing the panic in Dick's voice, he replied, "Is something wrong?" Are you hurt?
"Please, just get here as quick as you can. I'll send you the address."
"Be there in 10." Don't worry, Dick. I'm coming.
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Percy awoke to find herself hanging from the ceiling by her hands. Her feet barely brushed the ground, giving her the smallest amount of support, but not enough for her to cause damage to her captors. Her hands and feet were tied together. Her belt and all her weapons were gone, including her cape. However, her mask remained in place.
The three villains were waiting there, watching her carefully but Percy made sure not to give away anything that could be useful to them. Saiko stood up and made a show of stretching his legs.
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"Finally. Can we kill her now? We could send a recording of it to Nightwing."
"Not yet," Blockbuster said, coming up to her, "We're gonna use her as bait."
He gripped her chin and forced her to look at him.
"Why don't you contact Nightwing for us. I'm sure he'll come to save you."
Percy spat into his face. "No thanks."
In response, he raised his hand and slapped her across the cheek.
"I thought you'd say something like that. So did Saiko."
He walked backward and Saiko took a couple steps forward, grinning insanely.
"What about him?" Percy sneered, looking at Deathstroke.
"He's here because I paid him to be. He's going to be the one to finally put a bullet in Nightwing, after he's done suffering, that is."
Percy thought it was ridiculously stupid, Blockbuster revealing his plan like that. She noticed Deathstroke looking at him as well. She couldn't tell because of the mask, but she guessed he was glaring. Saiko didn't even notice, however. He was busy looking at Percy, probably contemplating how many different torture methods he could use.
He first used force, retracting his claws into his suit so he could punch her freely. Percy did her best to keep her mouth shut and her groans of pain in. After a while, he brought out his claws again and started to cut her slowly. This time, she couldn't keep everything in.
"You ready to call your boyfriend now?"
Percy glared and said, "Never."
He got ready to torture her again, but Blockbuster came in.
"She refuses to break, doesn't she?" he stood next to Saiko. "No matter, we'll do this the old-fashioned way."
He brought out a camera and told Saiko to hold it.
"Say cheese, this is going to Nightwing, live."
Saiko pressed the record button and Percy could only stare in horror at the blinking red light.
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The doorbell rang, and Dick rushed to get it. Bruce and Damian Wayne stood there, carrying a duffel bag that no doubt held their Batman and Robin suits.
Bruce looked at Dick, his hair a mess and his eyes frantic. "Why did you call us here Dick?"
Damian sniffed and folded his arms. "Yeah, why did you drag us all the way to Bludhaven, Grayson?"
"My partner, she's been kidnapped," Dick explained.
"Seabird," Batman confirmed. Dick didn't even bat an eye because Bruce always knew everything.
"Wait, you have a partner? Named Seabird?" Damian was confused.
"Yeah," Dick explained, "I met her a couple months ago. She's another hero, well, vigilante, like us, and eventually, we started to work together."
"Did you tell her your secret identity?" Bruce looked grave.
"No. She wouldn't even let me and said that I shouldn't until I had your permission," Dick looked wistful. "She did tell me hers, though. This is her apartment."
Bruce nodded, slightly relieved, as he hadn't even met the girl yet. "I figured. What exactly happened?"
Damian was still looking at him a little weird, but Dick ignored him.
"I was going to meet her at a rooftop because I was running a little late for patrol. When I got there, she was gone. I found traces of her blood and a tranq dart that belongs to Deathstroke. But there's no indication that it ever touched her."
"A distraction," Damian realized and Dick and Bruce nodded in agreement.
"Do you know who would pay Deathstroke to do this?" asked Bruce.
"My guess is Blockbuster. Before we started working together, I was investigating him. It led me to a warehouse when I realized it was a trap. I was taken by him but Percy showed up and kicked his ass. He already hates me and probably figured that he could hurt me and her at the same time."
"That is a very likely possibility," Bruce agreed, "Could anyone else be working with him?"
"Maybe. See, Percy's good, like really good. She could wipe the floor with my ass if she wanted to They wouldn't be able to just grab her and go. Something must have happened," Dick said, making Bruce furrow his brow.
She could've used her powers, Dick thought. He didn't know the complete extent of what she could do, but if she could control water, she could do many, many things.
"Isn't Percy a guy's name?" Damian asked, wrinkling his nose.
"It's short for Persephone, Persephone Jackson."
"Is this her?" Damian asked again, holding up a picture frame with her and a pale, dark haired boy.
"Hey, that's private, Dami!" Dick took the picture from him and placed it faced down again on the counter before sighing, "But yeah, that's her. And her cousin."
"She's pretty," Damian commented.
"I have to find her," Dick said after agreeing silently, "Can you help me?"
"Of course," Bruce said.
"Fine," Damian sniffed, but Dick could tell he wanted to help.
Suddenly, he heard a beeping noise, from the computer in the secret room. He rushed to it, Bruce and Damian right behind him. The computer showed an incoming transmission. Dick flew his fingers over the keypad, disabling his own camera and microphone so whoever it was couldn't hear or see them. He then let the message come through.
Percy was there, hanging from the ceiling, her suit ripped in many different places and blood seeping through. She had bruises on her face and no doubt all over her body. On her neck was a power inhibiting collar. She was looking right at him, or the camera and he could tell that her eyes were wide under her mask.
"Percy!" he gasped, forgetting that she couldn't hear him, that's why she can't use her powers. Bruce and Damian were tense behind him.
Blockbuster was standing next to her, grinning.
"Hello, Nightwing! Say hi to him, Seabird!"
Percy kept her mouth shut.
"Well, I've got your girlfriend here, and let's just say, seeing her in pain has been so delightful."
Dick growled.
"You know what? I'm gonna offer you this once in a lifetime opportunity to come and save her. I'm in an abandoned building on the docks. You figure out which one, and come and try to bring her back home. How many kidnappers would offer you the sa-"
He was cut off by Percy kicking and screaming.
"Don't do it, Nightwing, it's a trap!" she yelled and Blockbuster fumbled in his pockets for something, "Saiko and Deathstroke are here too! Listen, Deathstroke's going to kill you! Stay away, Nightwing! Please-"
Percy screamed as electricity ran up and down her body, coming from the collar, making her shudder. Then, her head fell limply to her chest and her body relaxed. Blockbuster was holding a remote, rage all over his face.
"Be here Nightwing, or she dies, painfully," he seethed, and the screen went blank.
Dick was breathing heavily, horror all over his face. Saiko was there. He hated Saiko. He had tortured Dick's friend and 'uncle', Mr. Haly, until he died, and had tried to blow up a stadium full of people who were there to watch the show, A Tribute to the Flying Graysons. Last time he saw Saiko, he had fallen over the edge to his death. Obviously, he had survived that and was now after Nightwing, because he had spoiled his plan. He forced his terror down.
"I don't care if it's a trap. I'm going," he said, looking Bruce in the eye, then Damian.
"So are we, Grayson," Damian replied, already putting on his Robin costume. Bruce was doing the same.
I'm coming, Percy.
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A.N. I feel really bad for leaving you guys on a cliffhanger. Just a reminder, I won't be updating for the next 2-3 weeks because I actually won't have any internet. I swear it's not an excuse. Please don't get mad, I'm really sorry.
See you guys next time!
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