Nightwing: Heartache

Part 60: Granny Taken Down

March 26, 10:12pm
The Orphanage

The longer Nightwing was under Granny's control, the larger the toll became. Around him, the three Green Lanterns and Batman were on the ground, barely holding themselves up. Nightwing and Artemis dropped to their knees. They would die like this sooner rather than later.

Granny, for her part, seemed to relish the thought of a population of enslaved meta-humans and dead non-metas.

And Nightwing had no idea how to stop it. His energy waned the longer he was under control, and he couldn't move, could barely think. Not even Superman was resisting. For the first time, the thought trickled in that they might not make it out.

It filled him with dread. In one fell swoop, the Justice League and Team wiped out. And without a fight, which was the pitiful part. I'm sorry, Will, he thought lazily, his thoughts muddled, we tried. He couldn't even warn Jason, Tim, or Babs what was coming. They would be ambushed, responsible for the entire world just long enough to feel the same desperation rising in Dick's chest before they were subjected to this torture.

He tried to fight one more time, but it was useless. Not even his finger twitched. All he could do was watch.

From the platform above them all, Granny started screaming, and if Dick could squint he would, because it looked like two versions of Granny were being fused together. Painfully.

A boomtube opened behind Granny, but instead of Darkseid, it was Vic. Victor looked down in shock at the enslaved heroes. Elongated Man collapsed, unconscious under the strain. No one else blinked. They couldn't.

Nightwing watched Victor take careful arm and shoot a beam of energy out of his cybernetic arm, hitting its mark on the cerebral leash over Violet's eyes. She cried out and fell on her side, finally free. He could see Violet looking down at them in shock. Yes, yes, Dick thought, they've almost got it.

Then Violet started glowing. But not one of her usual halos. No, this one was all of the colors, vibrating around her, from her. She lifted into the air and casted out her light over all of them.

The light blinded them all, but the effect was immediate relief, a regaining over themselves. From all around, heroes groaned, getting back to their feet. Violet contained Granny in an energy bubble then turned her attention to the machine in the middle of the room. She started blasting it, and Victor followed her lead, and the rest of the heroes following theirs.

Superman shot heat vision, Icon blasted it, Artemis fired arrows, Nightwing and Batman threw as many explosives as possible at it, and it started to vibrate, getting ready to blow. They ducked for cover, but the explosion never came, the blast contained by the Green Lanterns.

The Green Lantern Guy laughed, "admit it, you'd all be chipped beef on toast without ol' Guy." He swayed, leaning even more heavily on Wonder Woman.

The Green Lanterns took down their shield and smoke filled the room. Superboy launched himself up to Vic and Violet, but before they could contain her, she opened a boom tube and dropped away.

"Let's find the meta-teen prisoners. I'm sure they'd all appreciate a ticket home," Superman announced, flying off with Icon to locate them.

Kaldur helped Nightwing and Artemis up. "We did good work today."

"Turns out today was the day," Nightwing joked.

Artemis laughed and leaned into him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Let's go home," she said.

**
March 27, 10:30am
Outsiders Tower

"You're back!" Garfield exclaimed at all the heroes walking out the boomtube. He ran over and hugged M'gann. Then he noticed Violet and Victor. "Vic! Violet! I knew you guys would make it!" He hugged Violet next.

"Good to be back," Victor chuckled.

"There's more good news," M'gann went on excitedly, "the League will soon return to Earth with hundreds of rescued meta-teens."

"Wow," Eduardo breathed, "the Taos Youth Center's going to need more beds. Maybe more buildings!"

"I'm sure we can find a donor," Dick joked. M'gann elbowed him in the ribs.

"And Granny?" Garfield pressed.

"She got away," Connor admitted, "but we've shut down her operation in space."

Vic held up a holographic video of Granny merging with Gretchen Goode. It was pretty disturbing. "Plus I got proof Gretchen Goode and Granny Goode are one in the same."

"Dude, you MVP's this puppy! Granny still had supporters after Willa's statement but this is proof!" Garfield pumped a fist in the air.

Victor waved him off, "nah, Violet's the one who freed everyone from mind control."

"All in favor of Vic joining the Outsiders?" Garfield looked at his teammates, who all cheered 'aye!'

Nightwing stepped forward, holding up his hands to calm the kids down. "Whoa, whoa, how about we ask Vic if that's something he wants first?" He looked at Vic, who looked unsure, "doing something heroic today doesn't obligate you to be a hero. You're still a teenager."

Victor looked like he was thinking it over, and there was silence for a long moment. "You know, when I played football, I was never afraid of the spotlight. But this... this is service to a greater cause. So.. I guess.. I guess I'm an Outsider."

The Outsiders cheered, surrounding Vic with words of encouragement.

"Then I guess you'll need a codename," Violet told him, bouncing on the tip of her toes.

"Hm," Vic tapped his chin with his finger, "I guess it's time I embraced my freakishness," he held out his arm, half of which was covered in metal cybernetic material, "call me Cyborg."

Garfield extended a fist for Vic to bump. "Welcome to the Outsiders, Cyborg."

"Booyah."

M'gann leaned her head on Connor's shoulder, "this has been a good day."

Connor kissed the top of her head. "Ready to go home?"

M'gann nodded, interlacing their fingers. Violet smiled and opened a boomtube the three of them to walk through back to Metropolis.

"I should get back to Lian," Artemis remarked. Victor opened a boomtube for her, but she paused by Dick's side and took his hand. "Good work today. Just... hold on to your happiness, okay, Dick?"

He squeezed her hand, seeing the sadness in her eyes as she remembered Wally. He nodded.

**
March 27, 11:31am
Los Angeles

A bang startled Willa right off the edge of her kitchen island. She had been sitting on it while reading a script and waiting for the oven to preheat.

She poked her head up once the flash of light diminished, expecting the worst from the boom tube, but she let out an excited cry at the sight of a familiar blue jacket. She ran across her kitchen and launched herself into Dick's arms.

He laughed, catching her easily and spinning around, holding her close. She kissed him, cutting off his laugh, and he kissed her back just as hard, walking to set her back down on her counter.

He leaned back but kept his arms around her waist. "Hi."

"Hi," she laughed.

He leaned forward to kiss her again. She could feel his smile against her lips. "I assume the mission went well?" She mumbled.

He kissed her again.

And again.

And again.

He jumped slightly at the beep from her oven and pulled back just a hair. "Do you-"

"-it doesn't matter." She pulled him back to her.