New Beginnings Chap 5

“Wake up Swift. It is time.”

Nightwing gently touched my shoulder. I sat up. We had been resting for what felt like a few hours. I got up and helped Nightwing to his feet. Leaning rather heavily on me he managed to stand. And with an arm slung around my shoulder I helped him limp several steps towards the door. He pulled out a lock-pick and went to open the door. With a click and a soft grating sound the door swung open.

I walked out ahead to survey the area. There were numerous cells down a corridor that looked to be around 20 metres long. There was a table near the double door entrance that had Nightwing’s utility belt and various weapons, including his eskrima sticks. I helped the vigilante gear up and he handed me a spare pair of eskrima sticks.

“You’ll need them.” he told me.

I tested the weight and balance. They were perfect and felt natural. I moved about with them and strangely they felt right in my hands.

“You’re a natural.” he murmured.

I strapped the eskrima sticks to one thigh while Nightwing set to work on the next door. The door opened with that loud squeaking, grating sound old unkept doors make. I winced at the sound. Nightwing scanned the area outside the prisoner block.

“All clear for now.” he whispered.

We moved along corridor after corridor till eventually we made it to the underground hall where Nightwing fought the army of goons.

“This is a little too easy.” I whispered.

“I agree.”

We stalked along; keeping to the shadows then we heard voices. Sure enough there were just over half a dozen goons sitting about gambling.

“That’s the only way out of here.” Nightwing pointed past the goons into the darkness.

“Looks like we’ll have to fight our way out.” I whispered. I let Nightwing lean against the wall in the shadows and drew my eskrima sticks.


I examined the situation. 8 men, unarmed… wait a knife and some broken bottles about; sitting in a circle. There is no way to take one out silently without being spotted. They needed distracting. I looked around at my feet and found a pebble. I picked it up and threw it. It landed with a crack and shattered. The shards ricocheted around the floor and off the nearby wall.

“What was that?” said a man with a broken nose.

“It sounded like something breaking.” said another.

“Well we’d better find out. Spread out. It may be a prisoner that got lucky and managed to escape.” The broken-nosed man ordered.

The goons stood up and started walking in different directions. One started going my way. I crept my way around him and hit him hard in the back of the head with the butt of one eskrima stick. The man fell with a grunt.

“What was that?” one man exclaimed.

“Here I found someone! He’s out cold!” The broken nosed man indicated to the man strewn across the floor.

“Argh”

“We’ve got another man down!”

“Who’s doing this?”

“It’s gotta be Nightwing and his girlfriend. Quick! Someone go and tell the boss!” the broken-nosed man exclaimed.

It was then I decided to hit the lights.

“Hey who turned out the lights?” one of the goons asked.

There were grunts and smacks as in the darkness as I felled 2 more thugs.


The lights came back on and the broken-nosed man saw me.

“That’s the girl. Get her! You go look around Nightwing can’t be far away. He won’t be any trouble you saw what happened to him the last time he messed with us.” he commanded.

2 goons ran off into the darkness. I went to follow them but my path was blocked by the remaining thug and the broken-nosed man.

They both went for me. I side-stepped and kicked one squarely in the knee. The man buckled and I struck his mid-section and head. He rolled away unconscious.

I felt a blow right across the back of my shoulders. I cried out and stumbled forward. I swerved around and came face-to-face with the broken-nosed man. I heard a cry. One of the goon’s must have found Nightwing.

“It’s just you and me.” I said as I kicked the man in the thigh. He looked at me with fury and feigned a punch to my stomach. I swerved out of the way and felt a sharp pain in my right knee. I had stumbled over a fallen goon and made my knee hurt once more. I fell to the ground and was locked in a deadly bear-hug from the broken-nosed man.

“It looks like your time is up.” he grinned.

I fought to get out of his grasp but to no prevail. He started to drag me off and after several metres we were knocked over. I rolled out of the goon’s grasp as I heard a grunt and a meaty crack. I turned and found Nightwing on top of the goon who just went unconscious.

I retrieved my eskrima sticks that fell out of my hands after my fall. Nightwing went to stand up and succeeded but as he tried to walk he almost collapsed to the ground. I caught him and we both limped off in the direction of the exit.


We walked for a minute or so. My knees were starting to weaken and my right knee was killing me. Nightwing’s limp was becoming more pronounced and we were already tiring. We went through some more corridors and halls till we entered a massive room where at one end there was stairs and the beautiful light of a sunset.

We started making our way towards the exit when we were circled by goons armed with guns. There was a chuckle and a massive shadow followed by a smaller shadow blocked the exit.

“Did you seriously think you could escape me?” Blockbuster laughed as he walked toward us. James hovered nearby.

“Yep” Nightwing replied and the goons started laughing.

“And what is so funny?” I snapped.

The goons silenced and Blockbuster looked me in the eye, “You thought you two injured people could take out a dozen of my men and just walk out without even saying goodbye?” he explained.

“You still won’t stop us.”

“Oh really? Because from where I’m standing I see you two are weakened and surrounded by men holding guns.” Blockbuster grinned, he indicated for some goons who went to our side and stripped both Nightwing and I of our weapons and handed them to James. They kicked us in the backs of our injured knees and we fell to the ground knees first. The goons grabbed our arms and tied our hands behind our backs.

“I treat you two with kindness and this is how you repay me?” Blockbuster started.

“You call capturing, maiming and starving us hospitality?” I exclaimed.

“You could have been treated much worse and now since you have not respected my merciful hospitality you will suffer and pay the consequences.” Blockbuster retorted.

“While I decide a suitable punishment for you two you men have my permission to do whatever you want with them. Just make sure they’re alive enough for me to have my satisfaction.” he told them.
The goons faces lit up and some chuckled evilly. They made us stand up and went to make us walk away when a voice called out.

“Stop!”

It was James. Blockbuster and the goons looked expectantly at him.

“Let me deal with them first sir. If you let these thugs carry out their revenge on them there will be nothing left for you. I’ll take care of them and make them ripe for you to pick. Once you are satisfied, we can let these animals have their vengeance.” he proposed.

Blockbuster considered this for a second and nodded in agreement.

“Alright.” and with that he stormed off.

“Well you heard him. Clear off! I’ll deal with these two.” he ordered. The goons hesitated for a second but then complied and they all walked away.