The Games We Play

Epilogue

~Grayson~

Nightwing races down the hallways, dodging and weaving through the Riddler's traps. He knew about Arkham being rigged to blow, the entire place was surrounded with dynamite. Kate is here, somewhere along these hollow halls. Only a few moments earlier he got her message about how the Riddler had taken her to Arkham and Kate did not believe she had much time.

Gunfire.

A chilling sound reaches my ear. "Oracle sent an ambulance to Arkham. There's been a gunshot." I move as fast as my feet can carry me. All I can picture is Kate's helpless body lying on the pavement, slowly bleeding out as the last image she sees is the Riddler. Not again, I can not let him hurt her again.

The sound of sobbing guides me to my final destination. Kate on her knees, shaky hands trembling with the riddler's gun in them. We make eye contact and the gun falls for her grip, going off again. The stray bullet hits the wall, but Kate doesn't even flinch. Both she and the Riddler were drenched from head to toy, blood coating the floor beneath them.

Speechless, a distant look of horror in her eyes as her gaze is focused on him. Slowly, I approach her. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry Bruce is going to be so mad.....I'm I'm a monster...." Her voice gentle and quiet, filled with heavy guilt.

First, I kick the gun away from the Riddler and her. Just to be careful. I bend down near the Riddler to check for a pulse on him. The gunshot went straight through both his lungs, piercing them on impact. I shake my head, putting a finger up to the comm. "Cancel the ambulance, tell Batman we found her."

Kate is fragile, her tear-filled eyes glued on the body. She had been lost for days, who knows the torture the Riddler put her through. Her eyes reflect the traumatic experience, still tinges of orange in them from a recent encounter of fear gas.

"It's okay, it's okay. Kay. Look at me. I know you didn't mean to...."

"He...he..." Her words were choppy, breathing heavily in panic. She recoils as I go to hug her, pausing a second. Her eyes were locked in on his body, unable to look away as if it terrified her to see him in such a state. It was not healthy for her to go on like this. I take a deep breath, slowly wrapping my arms around her. I pull her head into my chest, trying to get her to look away from the man who brought her so much pain.

"Shh. It's okay...." I try to comfort her. Her heartfelt like it was pounding out of her chest. My eyes scan the room, trying to piece together what happened. Above us rested a conception, clearly crafted by the Riddler. It was frozen over with blood coating the metal. I look down, noticing similar scars on her body. I sigh.

"We have to get to the summit..."She whimpers, once again only thinking of others. I sigh, feeling her blood bleeding onto my hands.

"Kay, you are hurt, I don't think that's the best-"

"They are going to hurt a lot of people. Arkham's destine to blow..." Kate protests, her eyes finally able to meet mine.

Amazing, after everything she's been through Kate is still trying to get the mission done. I sigh, running a hand through her hair. "It will be okay. It's time you come home now."