Author’s Notes: Following my story “A Day In the Life Of…” ‘cause it just goes soooooo well!
Legalities: I don’t own da characters!
Rating: PG
Summary: A child gets kidnapped once by a family friend… just to get ‘napped from them by a not-so-nice person, who has no idea he’s messing with the WRONG child.
Parental Probability
By: Carmen Wayne
//BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP//
The horrid sound was certainly enough to wake someone who had been up for nearly three days straight. Barbara Gordon yawned as she pressed a button.
“Dinah, what’s up?” she asked, unable to lift her head.
She cringed at explosions that came from behind the other end of the transmission.
“I need you to call the KGB!” the Black Canary screamed, out of breath.
Barbara managed to sit up, due to surprise.
“KG—Where the hell are you?!”
“Moscow!!”
“How?!”
“Let’s just say it involved a cat, a lamp and a Boy Wonder!” came the panted response.
Barbara rubbed her temples and groaned.
“Do NOT elaborate.”
//BEEP//
“What was that, B?”
“I got another call.”
“Well, they can wait, I need the KGB!”
“ARGH, use a payphone!” //BEEP// “Just hang on!” She pushed the button again. “Hello?”
“Oracle.”
Barbara raised both eyebrows.
“Superman? What can I do for you?”
“I need you to run a check for me… If you don’t mind, that is.”
“Of *course* I don’t mind. What is it?”
//BEEEEEEEP//BEEPBEEPBEEP//
“Someone’s calling you.”
//BEEEEEEEEEEEP//
“I noticed. Heh.” //BEEEEEEP// “Be right back.” Barbara pushed the button once more. “Beep-beep?”
“The no good bastard singed my HAIR! This is YOUR fault! Where’s the KGB?!”
“I have a client on the other line, Dinah.”
“DON’T you hang up ON—“
“—Oracle?”
“Hey,” Barbara smiled. “What do you want me to look up?” she asked as she typed.
//BEEEEEEP//
“Cadmus.”
//BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP//
“On what basis, exactly?”
//BEEEEPBEEEEEPBEEEEEP//
“I’m concerned about possible connections to Lex Luthor, beyond government funding. I’m NOT blaming Kon-El or Mickey Cannon, but it could be possibly under the counter, you know?”
//BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP//
“Ah, I see. I’ll get back to you!”
//BEEPBEEPBEEP//
“Thanks, Oracle. Superman out!”
//BEEP…BEEP…BEEP…BEEPBEEPBEEEEEEEEEEE--//
“STOP THAT!”
“Call the mother lovin’ KGB!”
“I just did.”
“Oh…”
Barbara looked over as someone rang her doorbell.
“Gotta go, Dinah. Good luck!”
“Thanks. Peace!”
Barbara cut the link and looked at the front door by use of her cameras. Standing there was the ever-handsome Dick Grayson. Barbara turned on the intercom between the door and herself.
“It’s open!”
“Sweeeet! I’m on my way, and with a surprise!”
“Uh-oh.”
Barbara shut down her computers and wheeled to the door. She unbolted and unlocked the door, then backed away to wait. Soon, Dick waltzed in, carrying a HUGE black suitcase that was clearly heavy.
“You-nngh-can’t KEEP it though,” he said.
“What IS it?”
“I found it on the street! Sooooo cute!”
He opened the suitcase and toys fell everywhere, along with a little girl with black hair, in blue and green overalls. She wore a red jacket and baseball cap that was backwards.
“Whee!” she laughed.
“DICK!” Barbara yelled.
“Meet my adorable, precious, surrogate niece, Lian Harper!” Dick said proudly.
“Oh… my GOD… Does Arsenal know?!” she cried. “And why is she in a suitcase?!”
“Lian, meet your Auntie Babs!” Dick said, ignoring her.
Lian smiled and waved at Barbara.
“Hi, Auntie Babs!”
“Hello… Dick? Bedroom. NOW.”
She turned in her chair and headed that direction. Dick grinned and tugged on his belt a little.
“All RIGHT!” he said victoriously. He leapt after her like a puppy dog. “But before we get down and funky, you need to phone Rob. I told Lian she could meet him, and show him her—“
*Click* went the bedroom door behind him. Then came the God-awful glare from his red headed dream date.
“Grayson…” she growled.
“I’m dead, aren’t I?”
“My apartment was designed for adults and teenagers who FIGHT CRIME! NOT their TODDLERS!”
“But she’s so cuuuuute!”
“She could choke on something! Or get electrocuted!”
“She’s FOUR, not an idiot.”
“I NEVER said she was stupid.”
“Look, Lian won’t do anything!” He turned and opened the door again. “Believe it or not, Roy’s an EXCELLENT father. I’ll watch her like a hawk, promise!”
They both exited, Dick kneeling down to get a hug from the Harper spawn.
“You never answered me,” Barbara said with a exasperated sigh. “Does ROY know?”
“Nope!” Dick said as he received his hug.
“Oh great, we’re gonna be busted for kidnapping!”
“Oh, right. This’ll fly. ‘Earlier today, Roy Harper, also known as the Titan Arsenal, discovered his daughter was missing from Titans Tower. After an extensive search, the abductors were discovered. We go live to where helicopters and task forces are circling the very clock tower where she’s being held by his life-long friend, Dick Grayson, and Grayson’s lovely partner-in-crime, Barbara Gordon, the daughter of the GCPD’s Commissioner Gordon!’ Yes, Babs. We’ll be gunned down like Bonnie and Clyde.”
“That’s not funny when you abducted the daughter of a man with the ability to hit his target ALL the time, no matter what’s going on around him.”
Dick pulled Lian up with him as he stood. He turned and smiled at Barbara.
“Call Robin, will you? I’m taking Lian *shopping*!!”
“YAY! Hey, Uncle Dick?” Lian asked,
“Hmm?”
“Can Auntie Babs come too?”
“Well… I dunno. Why doncha ask?”
“Kay!” She pivoted in his arms to look at the woman. “Psst! Auntie Babs!” she staged whispered.
“Yes?” Barbara asked, having to smile.
“Wanna go shopping?” Lian whispered still.
Barbara looked at Dick, who was grinning like a fool. With a sigh that was made of her surrender, she nodded.
“Sure, why not?”
“Alright!!”
****
“I have to admit that was really sweet what you did for them, Roy,” Donna Troy said.
In Titans Tower, she walked down a hall with her arms wrapped around the archer’s arm. Roy Harper was still armed to the teeth after the whole Superboy-Wonder Girl incident.
“I’m just glad they expressed their feelings for once,” he said.
“They wouldn’t have if not for YOU.”
“Yeah, I guess. I’m so exhausted now, though. Right now, I just want to play a little with Lian, bribe her into taking a nap, and take one *myself*.”
He opened the door of his room where Lian was last seen, just to fina all her toys gone, along with HER. Donna’s eyes grew wide as she looked around.
“Uhm…”
“Donna…” Roy said, trying to breathe. “Where’s my daughter?!”
****
Barbara looked at the cart that was crammed full of toys. She looked over at Dick, who was watching Lian raid the JLA action figures.
“You’re spoiling her, Grayson!” she exclaimed.
Dick grinned.
“That’s the nice thing about Lian. She doesn’t get spoiled! Her father keeps her at a perfect level of “earthness”. Lian, didja find one?”
Lian pulled out, holding a Green Arrow action figure.
“It’s the only one, Uncle Dick!”
“Well bring it on over, sugar!”
“How are you gonna pay for all this, Grayson?” Barbara asked.
“Just TRUST me,” Dick said through his teeth. After Lian dropped the doll in the packed cart, he started pushing it along. “You can have one more thing, Lian. Where do you want to look?”
“OH! I wanna get a JLA Gameguy cover!!”
She sprinted away and took a right, headed for the electronics section. Dick grinned.
“You see? She’s headed right for it. She’s not stupid, Babs.”
“I never, EVER said she was… Roy has taught her well. I mean, she can read, she knows how to count. Hell, she even says ‘please’, ‘thank you’, and ‘your welcome’! That scores extra points on my list.”
“…Babs?”
“Yeah?”
“Now, don’t get mad when I ask this, but… At any point in your life, did you ever want children?”
Barbara was silent a moment, and then shrugged.
“Sure! I mean… What little girl doesn’t want a child to hold and feed and diaper and… just love?”
“I was thinking more along the lines of when you of legal age?”
“Oh. Well… I never really thought about it. With my… night job, and my other jobs… I was a career woman, and I just don’t feel that’s right. At least having a career in the home is better than leaving every day.”
“I guess.”
“What about you, Dick?”
“Me? I, uhm… Well, no…”
Barbara studied him silently. She sighed and nodded.
“Afraid of repeating Bruce’s mistakes?”
“That’s half of it. Every time I think of children, I think of my wanting to be a cop. What would it do to my child if I were killed? In EITHER job?”
“So you won’t think over it twice?”
“I’ve thought it a hundred times over. When I decide that I want children… That’s the day I get a desk job.”
“Really? Absolutely no more TRYING to get killed?”
“All my years living with Bruce taught me that worry for a parent is a Hell that no child deserves to suffer through.”
They turned to the long electronics isle and scanned for Lian. Two boys and a sales clerk stood there, however there was no sign of Lian. Dick inhaled deeply and left the cart of toys and his wallet with Barbara.
“Wha-?” she asked.
“You never know.” He walked over and tapped the clerk’s shoulder. “Pardon me,” he began nicely. “Did you see a little girl in blue and green overalls with a red jacket come this way?”
“Yeah! Smart little thing. She asked me where the Gameguys were, and she went down to them. Then a guy, which I thought was her father, came and took her.”
Dick’s heart stopped. He grabbed the man’s collar.
“WHAT did the MAN look like?! Red hair?! BLACK?!”
“Uh-uh…. No… He had blonde hair…”
He pointed a shaky finger down that way. Dick slammed him into the shelves and sprinted down that way. He looked towards the left, which was the store, and then to the right which was a door leading to storage area. It was cracked open a little. Dick spun and pointed at Barbara.
“BABS! Look out for HER! Get a link!”
He shoved through the door and found he was surrounded by crates, all of which sort of formed a crate-corridor.
“Oooh! Lemme GO!” came a faint cry.
“LIAN!” Dick yelled, trying to follow it. “Oh God, oh God, oh GOD! Roy’s gonna murder me!”
****
Lian struggled as she was slung over the shoulder of a large man. She pounded his back with all the strength a four year old could have and tried to kick.
“I don’t wanna go with YOU!” she yelled, almost in tears.
“You don’t have much of a CHOICE. You want to see your MOMMY, don’t you?”
Lian stopped struggling and tried to look at him. He pulled her forward and held her as he continued walking for a four-door, black car.
“Mommy?” she asked. “You know my mommy?”
“Uh… yeah! She asked me to get you so you and her and your DADDY can go on a picnic!”
Lian immediately erupted into fierce struggling.
“NO! That’s a lie! Mommy and Daddy couldn’t do that!” she yelled.
“SHUT UP!”
He opened the back door of the car and threw her in. The child’s lock was placed on, so when Lian attempted to open the door, she couldn’t. Lian tugged on the window handle, but it was locked as well. The man got in the driver’s side and didn’t waste a moment to get it started.
“YOU DON’T KNOW MY DADDY!” Lian screamed angrily, tears streaming. “He won’t let this happen! He KNOWS people, an’ so do I!”
“Will you just shut it?!”
“I could have a potty mouth right now, but—UNCLE ‘WING!”
She leapt up at the sight of Dick sprinting for the car. She punched the window, even though she knew it was impossible to break it. When the man slammed on the gas, Lian fell back, onto her back with a yelp.
With a quick movement, Dick launched out a small tracking device that hit the bumper of the car. Dick growled, knowing he couldn’t catch the car as he was on foot. He memorized every detail of the car and activated the device, and then ripped off the sweater and pants he borrowed to his Nightwing suit.
‘SCREW secrecy!’ he yelled in his mind. He slapped on his mask and took off running a different way. ‘This is Gotham City, asshole. People never get ANY where here in a car at this time of day!’
****
“You better let me go!” Lian warned. “My mommy and daddy are dangerous!”
“Oh yeah right. Shut up before I MAKE you shut up!”
Lian huffed and crossed her arms.
****
Nightwing ran across building tops quickly, trying to catch up with the car. He was grumbling to himself about how dead he was if Lian really got hurt badly. With a outburst of energy, he dove across building gaps and went to land on the next one… until a foot slammed into his groin from the side. He fell to the ground and groaned.
“Unnnnnh…”
“I can’t go ANY where without you jerks being there!”
Nightwing spun around and looked up. His eyes widened even further.
“Aw man… what timing!”
****
“Mommy… daddy… Garth… ‘wing… Grant… Toni… Donna… Robin…”
“What the HELL are you doing?” the man snapped.
Lian shrugged as she pulled off her shoe.
“Just thinkin’ of all the people that’re gonna be mad that you took me.”
She launched the shoe out and it hit the steering wheel, and bounced off, hitting the man in the face.
“OW!” He reeled around and slapped her across the mouth. “You little brat!”
Tears once again flooded Lian’s eyes and pulled her knees up to her chest. She rocked a little, shaking.
“Wh-Why’d you lie about knowing my mommy?” she asked through her tears. “You don’t know ANY thing about my mommy OR my daddy!”
“Oh yeah? Why don’t you TELL me then,” he sneered.
“Their names are Jade and Roy.”
“Yeah, yeah. That doesn’t matter to me.”
“Well, it SHOULD.”
“What-EVER.”
****
“CHESHIRE!” Nightwing exclaimed.
Cheshire’s arms were crossed as she glared down at him.
“Son of a—WHAT are YOU doing here?!”
“I’d ask you the same thing!” he said. “Why’re you trying to ‘nap her?!”
He flipped to his feet and glared at her hard. Cheshire blinked, confused.
“’nap WHO?” she asked.
“Lian!”
“I’m not trying to kidnap her!”
“You’re… not?”
“No! …Why?”
Nightwing gripped her by the arms, his eyes widening in fear.
“Jade, I need your help. Please, a man’s kidnapped Lian. I know the car, with your help we can save her!”
****
“WHY?! Why?! Can’t do ONE kidnapping right!” the man yelled. “Robberies, I can do. Murders, FINE! Kidnappings, forget it!”
Lian sniffled and wiped her eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“You are the DAUGHTER of CHESHIRE and ARSENAL! D-uh!”
“Well… I know. But… why you wanna kidnap me?”
“Moneyyyy!”
“I don’t… get it…”
“It doesn’t matter, you won’t get it!”
“I’m four, not stupid!”
The man clutched the steering wheel tighter.
“They’re waiting, they’re waiting. Gotham City limits, they’re waiting. Note to self, study kids before trying to kidnap them!”
Lian frowned and pulled up in the middle of the seats.
“Are you trying to get ridd’a me?”
“Something like that.”
“But why? Daddy told me people hurt people because they’re hurting and don’t know how to stop it. Are you hurting?”
“I don’t believe this!” He elbowed her hard, knocking her back into the back seat. “A four year old is trying to psycho-analyze me!”
“What’s… “si-co-ana-leeze”?” Lian asked as she crawled into the seat.
“Psychoanalyze. It—nevermind, gah! We’re almost there.”
****
“Oh God, oh GOD…”
“Calm down, just breathe…”
Nightwing patted the two hands that were folded in his lap. He was tense as he sped along on the motorcycle he hijacked, with the international terrorist sitting behind him with her arms around his waist.
“No one hurts my daughter and lives. NO one!” Cheshire insisted.
“Shh! I SHOULD be turning you in, but I know we can catch the SOB together.”
“And what happens AFTER this?”
“I… don’t… know, exactly.”
Cheshire emitted a low growl.
“Then lets think of Lian first.”
“How do I know you’ll be true-blue through this whole thing?” he asked.
In response, her arms clamped around his torso. The way she did it sent a shock of pain up his esophagus and out his mouth. It took everything in his power to keep the cycle straight.
“How dare you…?” she hissed into his ear. “How DARE you presume to think that I’d harm my own baby…”
Nightwing gritted his teeth and regripped the handle bars of the motorcycle.
“You’re right… I AM presuming… why not? …Look what you’ve done to Roy…”
The pressure around him alleviated and he felt the woman behind him sigh.
“The only reason he lives is BECAUSE of her, BOY.”
“I’m sure.”
“Look, we CAN debate this *later*, Nightwing. Describe the man and the car to me again?”
“Why?”
“Because I see it.”
She pointed ahead of them. Nightwing yelped at the sight of the car and pulled out the tracking device. He growled to find it was dead in power.
“Dammit. The bunny LIED to me!”
****
Lian wiped her eyes and shuddered as she felt the slight cut and major bruise on her face where she had previously been hit.
“You won’t get away with this! Wait ‘til my fam’ly comes for me!” she insisted.
The man opened the glove compartment and pulled out a revolver.
“They won’t be a problem, little girl.”
“Yeah, like that’ll work.”
She stood up and looked out the back window. When her eyes landed on the approaching motorcycle with Nightwing and Cheshire, she stifled a squeak. Nightwing placed a finger to his lips as he managed to start catching up with the car. Lian’s eyes lit up and she sat down in the seat.
****
Cheshire dug her nails into Nightwing’s shoulders, eyes flaring in anger.
“My baby’s hurt!” she sneered. “You see that?!”
Nightwing shook off her hands and growled deep in his throat.
“I’m not BLIND. I’ll get in close, can you get on it?”
“You’d be amazed at what I can do.”
“I’m never amazed with you.”
Cheshire stood up behind him, clutching his shoulders. Nightwing sped up behind the car as close as he could. Without pause, Cheshire grabbed one of his fighting sticks and leapt over his head. She landed on the trunk and grabbed the roof.
****
The man cringed at the sound and looked in the rear view window. In the reflection he saw a superhero on a motorcycle riding behind the car and a international terrorist on the trunk of the car.
“What on God’s green—“
“It’s mommy and Uncle ‘wing!” Lian cheered.
“WHAT THE F—!!!“
****
Cheshire swung over the roof and slammed the fighting stick into the front window, hoping no glass would hit her daughter. The car swerved and she nearly fell off, but she managed to clutch the roof well. She reached in and grabbed the man by the throat.
“You’re DEAD!” she screamed.
“JADE! COOL OFF!” Nightwing ordered. “He’ll crash the car and hurt Lian, or worse!”
Cheshire slid in beside the man, keeping her grip on his neck.
“You’re so lucky the hero’s here…”
“Mommy!” Lian exclaimed.
She leapt up and waved. Cheshire reached back and gently stroked her cheek with her free hand, smiling sweetly.
“How’s my darling baby?” she asked.
“My cheek hurts,” Lian whimpered.
Cheshire’s eyes rolled into the back of her head as she fought the urge to crush the man’s esophagus.
“We’ll get ice on that soon, baby. Just sit back…” She glared hard at the wide-eyed man. “Pull the car over. NOW!”
The man didn’t waste any time to respond. He yanked the car to the side and slammed to a stop. Nightwing followed behind and hurried to the man’s side of the door. He flung it open and grabbed him by the collar. He tried to pull him out… but Cheshire kept her grip on him.
“Jade, let him go!” Nightwing ordered deeply.
Before he could react, the man got a arm into the throat, which ultimately caved his throat and hit a pressure point. The man started coughing hard and gasped. Cheshire blew it off after that as she slid out of the car and opened Lian’s side. Lian leapt up into her arms and snuggled against her.
“I missed you mommy…”
Cheshire kissed her forehead and walked off a little ways. She rubbed the bruise on Lian’s cheek as she watched Nightwing yank the man out and beat him as he restrained him. She touched her forehead to Lian’s and smiled gently.
“Missed you too, princess.”
“Less talking and more calling COPS, please!” Nightwing ordered.
That’s when Cheshire got defensive.
“And risk them arresting ME?! I think not!”
“Uncle ‘wing!” Lian cried out, clutching her mother tightly. “Don’t make ‘er go to jail, please?! She’ll be good, she promises!”
Cheshire gave Nightwing a God-awful glare. Nightwing returned it in full force. But when he looked at Lian, he had to tone it down and breathe… He knew he’d have to make some sort of choice, but what it would be, he hadn’t an idea…
****
At Titans Tower—2 hours later, the tables had turned the moment Nightwing came in with Lian and Roy saw her bruised face. After babying and cooing her, Roy sent her off to her bed with the help of Argent. Calmly, he entered the meeting room and sat down. Nightwing had been behind him the entire way…
“Roy, I’m—“
Roy held up a finger and glared at him.
“Not a word, Grayson… Not ONE word… My baby got hurt and I wasn’t there to help her.”
“I… know, Roy, you have—“
“And THEN to top it off, you risk her even more by bringing Jade into this.”
“I knew she’d want to—“
“She could have taken Lian!”
“She would have all ready—“
Roy slammed his fists into the arms of the chair.
“G**DAMMIT DICK! At least you could have SAID you were taking her to Gotham! She’s MY DAUGHTER!!! My LIFE! And she could have gotten KILLED today!” He stood up and met Nightwing eye-to-eye. “What the f*** possessed you to do this?!”
Nightwing sighed and shrugged. Very quietly, eyes wandering around, he spoke:
“I don’t have a clue, Roy. You know I didn’t mean for this to happen. You know… you know I love her too. Maybe not as much as a father could, but I just… I don’t know. I’ve always wondered what it would be like having a kid that listens to everything you say because you’re the prime person in their lives… But I guess… God Roy, I’m so, SO sorry…”
Roy continued to stare at him, angered. But as he studied his old friend’s face, he felt himself softening a little. He set a hand on Nightwing’s shoulder.
“Look… I know you love Lian. I mean, you’re her “uncle”. Why do you think I trust you so much with her. But, this stunt just… I know it was brief, and I know you got her back… But what would have happened had Chesh decided Lian wasn’t worth working with one of the guys trying to take her down?”
“I should have kept Lian in my sights…”
“Are you going to do this ever again?”
“Well… I’d like to be able to have her spend the day with myself and my friend again. But only if you TRUST that I can do it.”
Roy punched him in the shoulder. Nightwing winced and looked at him, surprised.
“Nice thing about you Boy Wonders.” He tried to do it again, but Nightwing blocked it away. “You learn fast and on the first try!”
Nightwing grinned and smacked him upside the head. Roy was about to retaliate when red lights swarmed over them and sirens blasted loud. It was the intruder alert. Nightwing looked at his com to try to find it, but—
“DADDYYYYY!!!!”
It was all that it took to get Roy out the door. Nightwing sprinted behind him quickly. They made their ways through the halls, to Lian’s room. Roy flung open the door to see a teenage boy pressed against the wall of her room, near her bed, clearly frightened.
“Nononononono, this isn’t it! Where am I?!” he exclaimed.
Lian dive-bombed into Roy’s arms, scared.
“He-He just appeared, daddy!!” Lian cried.
“It’s okay, sweetie…” Roy cooed, holding her protectively.
“Who ARE you?!” Nightwing ordered.
The boy, frightened out of his mind, shook his head.
“I-I don’t know!”
The End (for THIS)