Don't lie to me [Dick]

[k]

[/b] Babs snapped impatiently, desperate to reach the floor. The minute the doors started to open she'd crossed the hallway towards their apartment in nothing but a few strides. She had her keys in her hands still and unlocked the door, pushing it open with force and stumbling inside. Babs looked around, her bag swinging wildly from her arm as she did so. Such a normal, quiet night at her family home had turned into something quite different, and now her heart was pounding against her chest as she began to look for Dick.

"Dick, are you here?" Babs yelled, beginning to feel worried. If he wasn't here, did that mean... She began to blink back tears and headed into the main room, where Dick had put up to a screen to shield his computers and such from the prying eyes of whomever should visit who didn't know about Dick's vigilante lifestyle. She pulled it aside, finding that he wasn't there. Babs shook her head, putting her hand on her forehead and pulling the screen back. Was he not here? Did that mean that it really was Nightwing?

"Dick!"! Babs shouted again in a last ditch attempt to see if he'd reply to her adament calls. She refused to believe he'd left the house, and her hand had moved to cover her mouth now as she headed towards the bedroom, hoping she was going to stumble across him. "No, no, no," Babs whispered to herself. "Don't do this to me," she said, her voice breaking slightly.[/ul]

[Dick Grayson - Nightwing]

Sure enough, Dick had been in his bedroom. And at this time of day, for once he was actually getting some sleeping in. Though rather for him, he had over slept. Dick had finished up with some work before five o'clock and had been running low on steam to keep himself going for the day after spending the last three days with a little less than seven hours of sleep. And the night before, he had been out getting the serum for the poison like he had been doing every week since the issue had come up.

He had finished a light work out before then even though he had been exhausted, taken a shower, slipped on a pair of gym shorts and decided to rest for a hour or so. He had been getting around quite a bit without the crutches lately, but had been wrapping his leg with the ace wrap. His leg was in a bit of better condition, but still has a ways to go.

Dazed and sleepy, Dick could somewhat hear someone calling for him. it didn't register to him who it had been as he opened his eyes slightly. What time was it? There really wasn't any other thought going through his head at that moment.

He rolled over in his bed to look at his clock, propping himself up slightly with shoulder, seeing that it was twelve already. Was it really that late already? He hadn't planned on sleeping that long maybe until eight or nine. He let his head fall back against the pillow again. Then he heard someone calling him again. This time, more awake, he knew exactly who it was. Babs. And by her tone it sounded liked she was in a bit of a panic to find him.

He wondered if someone had maybe tried to break in while he was a sleep and she had stumbled upon the sight, he thought to himself knowing someone wouldn't have gotten in that easily. It was just a though.

Dick could hear her foot steps coming up the stairs towards his room. "Yeah, I'm here," he finally answered still slightly sleepily. He looked up at the ceiling and then dragged himself up to prop himself up on his elbows slightly. His covers slipping off his bare chest as he had gotten up, it felt a slight colder in the room than before. He must have had the AC set lower while he had been working out and forgot to set it back.

[k]

[/b] Babs asked, looking for signs that Dick had gotten into bed in a hurry. He seemed dazed enough to make her believe that he'd been sleeping when she'd woken him. She knew what a sleepy Dick looked like and she could see through him pretty well - she was definitely inclined to believe he'd been asleep. Babs took a step closer, her voice shaking slightly. "Something's happened - my dad got a call - it's... There was an incident downtown, I had to come straight here," she explained.

Babs walked into his room, looking lost. She'd been so worried, but here he was. So what did that mean? This was only getting stranger and stranger, Babs thought. She was sure someone had gotten mixed up - Nightwing was a fairly new vigilante in the city, so maybe someone had made a mistake. However, Babs had just read an eyewitness account on her phone, along with a snap from CCTV footage. Definitely Nightwing. But here he was, laying in bed and looking quite sleepy indeed. It didn't make any sense to her. [/ul]

[Dick Grayson - Nightwing]

From the look on her face, Dick could tell something was definitely wrong. He saw up a bit more in his bed, knowing he should getting any way and heading out. "Yeah, I've been here since probably...two or three o'clock working on some stuff. I didn't plan on sleeping this long though," he answered, rubbing his head with his left hand as he sat there.

Something was definitely wrong if Babs had come up here in such a rush she had forgot to put her stuff down and where she usually kept it. His drowsy blue eyes looked over her, trying to figure out what was going on before she started to go on about something.

"What's the matter? What happened," Dick asked, becoming more alert to what was going on. His eyes showed that he feared what she might say. "Is everything ok? Are you ok? Is Bruce?" He couldn't stop himself from trying to get an answer from her as he watched her walk into his room.

There was definitely something wrong. Babs was never this...almost stunned over something. Or at least he hadn't seen her look that in a long time. Babs was a strong person. But the Babs he was seeing before him was something he didn't see often.

"Babs, just calm down and explain what is going on," he said himself more calmly as he swung his legs out from underneath the covers, now sitting on the edge of the bed.

[k]

[/b] Babs muttered, dropping her bag onto the bed and brushing her hair back with both her hands. "I mean, we're fine, we're not hurt," she assured him. Babs had never experienced such a turn of emotion before - she was usually so collected and conducted herself with the utmost poise with everything she did. Babs was not one to be turned into such a shuddering wreck, and this, of course, posed concern to Dick. He'd never seen her like this, and Babs hoped he never would again.

"I don't understand, you're here," she muttered, and realized she ought to do some explaining. Taking a deep breath she nodded and tried to collect herself at the same time. She had to calm down and explain what was happening to Dick, because he seemed to have no idea what was going on. Babs believed him, she believed he'd been here at the apartment all night - why should she not? She wanted to believe him, because she knew him well enough to think that the acts that had been committed earlier were beyond Dick's capacity. Not because he wasn't strong enough, but because he was human enough to never commit such a crime.

"A charity event downtown got interrupted, several people were killed, they kidnapped Pamela Isley," Babs explained, brushing her hair behind her ear and trying to remain collected. "But the eyewitnesses... there's CCTV... it was - I don't know... someone dressed as Nightwing?" Babs questioned, looking over at Dick. There was no way it could have been him, but there was a tone in her voice that begged for an explanation. She trusted him fully, but she was desperate to hear from his own mouth that he hadn't killed those people. "What's going on?"[/ul]

[Dick Grayson - Nightwing]

Dick breathed a sigh of relief that her answer had assured him that she was alright and that this had nothing to do with Bruce. Sure Dick was in a dispute with Bruce, but after all, the guy was 'family'. Bruce and Alfred meant a lot to him. So, of course he was going to give off some concern over everyone's well being with how Babs had rushed in there looking as though her world was almost caving in around her. Dick knew that feeling and that look. He had faced it himself and had seen it mean time in his work as a vigilante.

"Why wouldn't I be here," Dick replied not really looking for an answer. "Though I should have been on patrol about an hour ago." He hated when he overslept. But it wasn't the first time. When he ran low on energy, it was hard to keep himself from crashing every now and then.

He watched as Babs seemed to try and collect herself as she was about to speak. Though he still was wondering what going on. She had given him the answer that no one he knew was hurt or in the hospital. Yet, he was still concerned by her approach to what she was so upset about.

When the words finally came out, Dick's expression change from the reassurance that everyone was fine to worry in a flash when he heard the first part about Pamela Isley being kidnapped. His main concern was that if something happened to her, his life was now on a time limit. Sure, he hadn't cared for what Pamela did to him, but she was a victim in what ever was going on...possibly. But his life was one the line if he didn't do something about it. His mind was jumping around trying to figure things out.

And when she said people had witnessed that Nightwing had committed the crime, he was almost left speechless. Dick was starting to wondering himself what was going on...He had been here, so of course he hadn't done it. He should know he is Nightwing. But who would want to go about dressed as Nightwing? He didn't know of anyone who would be able to pull off the stuff he did and his look as much. But if it had been enough for Babs to even thing it was him, then the impostor must be doing a good job.

He wondered if Isley wasn't in on this whole thing now, once he thought about it. She would have a few reasons to help get him out of the picture. And she would also be able to make herself look more innocent.

He cursed under his breathe as he stood up hearing the news, He wouldn't have more than a week to be able to figure this out before something set off the poison. "I don't know! This is the first I'm hearing of this. I've been here all night," Dick replied as he rubbed his hair in frustration over the new situation.

He was worry about more one thing at the moment. What had happened, who it involved, and why it had happened, were all questions playing on his mind. "Did it just happen now? Was any one hurt," he asked as he looked at Babs with worry in his eyes over what had happened.

He started to pace a bit. He had to try and put things together. Dick had to try and figure this out. He had to do something. "Was there anything else that was reported and leads picked up by the police," he asked. He needed to start some where with this. Time was precious at this point. And he wasn't going to let something happen to Isley if this wasn't something of her doing.

[k]

[/b] Babs explained, with a level of conscious precision now she was beginning to get a grasp on her emotions. "Isley walked out, taken by men who were apparently there with this Nightwing vigilante - nothing else was taken. The men with her had guns," Babs explained, laying the facts down in front of Nightwing. "The police are out looking for them but they're not having much luck. There's no ransom yet, but they can't rule out the idea of Isley being a hostage for extortion," she added.

Babs' eyes flickered from Dick back down to the floor. She brushed her hair back again, which had once been straight when she left the apartment, and was now a static mess as she continued to worry. Babs took a heavy breath and looked over at Dick again. Things were not looking good now.
"Stay off the streets for now, Dick - or at least, leave the Nightwing costume at home and use something else," Babs instructed. "They're looking for Nightwing, because they think it's you," she pointed out, as if Dick needed reminding that this was the case. If the FBI came across Nightwing before the police did, they were not going to be forgiving. "As far as the police and the FBI are concerned, Nightwing's a murderer, and currently has Isley kidnapped," she added, darkly.[/ul]

[Dick Grayson - Nightwing]

Dick looked at Babs as she now sat back down on his bed. All the facts of the crime were running through his head. This could go either way. This might just be a trap that Isley had planned to try and get rid of him once and for all. With the timing of the situation, the FBI and police would be on their toes looking for any reason to take down anyone in this town. He had heard of the recent torture treatment they seemed to be giving people even with the slightest speck on their records. He had noticed when the ADA had actually come to him about something with the bank. But that he felt was an entirely different situation.

The day the FBI came knocking on his door to question him, he'd worry about it then. But at the moment, his mind was racing with questions that he couldn't answer without investigating the cause and looking at things for himself.

"I'm starting to wonder if she isn't the brains behind all this. She has good reason for pulling a stunt like this," Dick started in. "Then again, she probably wouldn't want this much attention drawn to her. He continued to pace the floor again, letting his thoughts come out.

He was not thrilled that people have been shot and killed at the hands of this Nightwing impostor. It made his work all that much harder for him to go and figure things out. He stopped and looked over towards Babs. The worried look on his face only growing graver.

"There's not much time. I can't just sit up here and let his happen. Waiting to see what could become of this hostage situation. What if Isley is behind it? She would probably be safe, but the impostor could go out again on a killing spree, since it looks like he doesn't mind doing so. But if she is a hostage, this changes things dramatically," Dick started to rant on. Seeming to build one thing after another, using facts and logic that Babs would not have information of like he had.

"There's isn't time to play guessing games and pointing fingers at who may have done it," he said. "I have to go out and find out for myself. The sooner the better." He turned and was going to head for the door.

"I know it is a risk going out as Nightwing at this point with what is going on, but walking around on the streets trying to get answers myself is only going to slow things up," he said.

He stopped about half way from the door way. "I don't have much time," he finally said. "If Isley's life is in danger...So is mine..." He looked down at the floor. Letting the his secret coming out in a twist of meanings. He really didn't want to say anything about the whole situation. And how he said it was best to protect Babs from the truth that lay under the possible threat this impostor imposed on his life.

[k]

[/b] Babs said, her eyes following the man as he moved across the room in mid-rant. Her heart was pounding hard against her chest, but she was beginning to regain some sense of her compose as she had now shared the information with Dick. She was glad to find that his incompehendable rambling was a sign that he too was utterly confused and thus had absolutely nothing to do with this. She thought of the facts they had, the limited facts that gave them quite a narrow view on what had happened. Isley had been kidnapped, whether by her own hand or not, Nightwing was in trouble, and that meant Dick was in trouble too. She didn't like the idea of him patrolling outside in his Nightwing costume as such a pivotal moment in time; her father had made it very clear all police officers would be out looking for Nightwing right now.

"No, Dick, don't. I'll see if I can find a trace on the van they were in, but I-" She stopped when she repeated Dick's words in her head and she looked across the bedroom at him incredously. "What do you mean your life's in danger?," she stood up from the bed and clutched her handbag in her left hand. "No, you're fine," she said. "Just... stay here," Babs pressed, her voice beginning to break. Something told her that it wasn't quite what Dick meant, and she looked at him, her eyes flickering fast as she walked towards him. "You're not in danger... are you?" Babs asked, wondering if Dick did in fact know a little more about what was going on than he was allowing her to believe. There was a deep concern in her voice, mixed with utter bewilderment, feeling a new wave of worry rush over her as she realized Dick knew something she didn't. "Dick..."[/ul]

[Dick Grayson - Nightwing]

Dick stopped and turned to face in her direction. But he did not make eye contact with her. He listened to her. She was hitting all the right notes to make him feel guilty about everything he had been hiding from her. The confusion, the worry, he couldn't leave her in the dark about it any more. He didn't want to tell her and then half of him wanted to. Now, with all this going on, he really didn't have much of a choice.

"I have to do this myself. I need to solve something that has been plaguing me for sometime now. And it's not just the impostor situation," Dick said, at the last part he looked up at Babs. He could see her green eyes were filled with worry. She had all the right in the world to be worried. He had kept something from her. Something big, but he had only done it to protect others as well as try to save himself.

He gave a heavy sigh and let his gaze fall from her again. "There isn't much time. If I don't take action, others may be hurt or killed. And I don't hurry, I'll be one of them," he said. He stopped for a moment again. Not wanting to go on, but he knew he couldn't protect Babs from the truth any longer.

"I had a run in with Isley, and from the meeting, there is a poison in my system. So, I only have a limited amount of days to find Isley and get a serum from her," Dick said. Shortening the story to simplify the situation for how long it would take to explain it. He needed to get out on those streets.

"I only have about six days time to find her and save her," Dick replied. "Without the serum for the poison...My time will run out for good." He went deathly silent. Not even looking up at Babs. Every word was the truth. He had not time to explain Isley plans he could turn into the police if he wanted to. And how she was threatening and using his life against him to protect herself. He wasn't entirely sure what to do about the whole situation himself. Dick knew the news was going to be hard for Babs to here, but it had to get out. This was serious. More serious then he had ever thought it might become.

[k]

[/b] Babs asked, and her face paled even more when he explained he had a poison in his system and had precisely six days to find and rescue Pamela or face death. Tears were forming again and Babs tried to regain control, but here was Dick - her Dick - explaining to her that he was six days away from dying. That wasn't something anyone would be able to control themselves having just heard. She didn't even try to stop the silent tears as they began to fall. She'd never felt so vunerable and so frightened in her life. The vigilante lifestyle had offered her much in the form of life-threatening moments, usually fleeting and on patrol when they faced a particularly dangerous criminal. She'd never quite had to square with something like this though.

"Oh my God," she muttered, shaking her head, and her eyes flickered up to Dick, hoping he was playing some sick, cruel joke on her. What had that woman done to Dick? She felt a pang of anger mixed with absolute disbelief. Pamela Isley had introduced a poison in Dick's bloodstream that could kill him in less than a week, and that was the reason he'd been making such strange disappearances. The fact he'd neglected to inform Babs about this passed her by right now, no doubt at some point in time it would be raised as an issue. She refused to imagine that within six days Dick could be dead, and she didn't even want to think about the slow decline that would take place as the serum destroyed him from the inside out.

"Dick," Babs cried, tears falling down her face. She felt so utterly helpless and so exhausted and desperate. There was so little to go on, and the entire night's events had made her fatigued. Crying didn't help either, and she tried to stem this quickly and recover from the sudden bombshell that Dick had dropped upon her. "I'm coming with you, I'm not going to sit here... I can't just sit here," she said suddenly - she wouldn't sit her alone knowing what was happening. "I'll go out and we'll both look," she said sternly. She was going to find Pamela Isley and then god forbid what would happen to her then. "We'll find her, I promise," Babs assured him, reaching forward and grasping his hand tightly in her own. [/ul]

[Dick Grayson - Nightwing]

Dick's heart was heavy. The pain of seeing the one he loved seeming to fall apart in front of him, He had never seen Babs like this. And she had probably never seen him like this before. They were both on new territory. A field Dick wished he had never at to face. One that would challenge him and those around him.

Babs was the first to know of this beside what it being between him and Isley. It didn't matter. There wasn't time to go over everything. It only matter that they find who ever was behind this and stop them and save Isley. And right now Dick could use all the help he could get.

Dick accepted her hand as she held on tightly to his. "Alright, but it might be best for the two of use to search different parts of the city. I can't go anywhere near where the police are going to be. It's to risky. That's where you can help most. You'll be able to get by without much trouble from them. If they're mainly after Nightwing tonight, they shouldn't give you much trouble. Just stay low and be careful," he said as he looked at her in the eyes. He stayed calm for the most part. But it was killing him inside to see Babs like this. "I don't want you taking any anyone without mean near if you get close to the impostor. Please be careful."

He pulled her close to him, letting go of her hand to embrace her in his arms. "I am so sorry about all of this. I never thought things would turn out this way. I had it under control. But this...this is out of my control now," he admitted while holding her close.

[k]

[/b] she told him, cheeks still wet from the tears. She drew back from the hug and kissed Dick on the lips before embracing him again. She was beginning to feel maybe she ought to start telling him that more often, just in case... She shook her head, they'd get through this. They'd make it through okay. She pulled away slowly, desperate to keep hold of him for as long as possible, but Babs also knew they had a search and rescue mission on their hands now. There was a look of solid determination on her face, the familiar look that often graced Babs' features. She didn't like the crying, vunerable side of herself. "We better go now," she said darkly.[/ul]