Gotchard in DC Ch 23

The following night finds them in the port's warehouse district, not far from the docks. The area is dead quiet this late, save for one warehouse blazing with light, signaling someone's still on the clock—or up to no good.

Perched near the top of a gantry crane, Dick scans the scene through a pair of binoculars. Thanks to Oracle, they've ID'd this place as the Shadow Gang's central hub for moving kidnapped kids.

Dick glances over at Isaac, who's standing beside him. "Gotchard, you ready to roll?" He's watching a truck disappear inside the warehouse.

This is their first official team-up, something Dick suggested to build some synergy. But, let's be real, it's also because he promised Isaac he could tag along.

"I'm good to go whenever. Just say the word," Isaac replies, his voice noticeably deeper than usual. It's his attempt at voice modulation, trying to keep his identity under wraps.

"Just remember," Dick says, his tone shifting into serious-leader mode. "Our top priority is getting those kids out of there safe, so be careful." He knows Isaac's been doing his solo thing for a while now, but still feels the need to give the kid a pep talk.

Isaac just shrugs. "Yeah, yeah, I got it. No sweat."

He wasn't exactly planning to go wild, but if Nightwing needs to act like a concerned parent, then whatever.

With Dick, the OG Robin, leading the way, they silently slip into the warehouse grounds. Inside, the place is huge and brightly lit. Stacks of crates fill the front, but the real horror show is in the back.

A dozen iron cages line the far wall, each crammed with terrified kids. In the center of it all, the truck from earlier is parked, and a bunch of armed goons are busy unloading their cargo, herding the kids into those cages.

The last of the workers shoves the last cage into place, then heads back to the front, and Dick gives the signal.

"Action!"

Time to cut loose. They can't let this operation continue.

Dick, his dark blue suit blending seamlessly with the shadows, bursts into the harsh light, twin Escrima sticks singing through the air. He moves with a speed and grace honed over years of training, each strike precise and calculated. Two goons, caught completely off guard, crumple to the ground before they even know what hits them, the air knocked from their lungs.

Isaac explodes into the room a split second later. He's a whirlwind of controlled power, fists and feet a blur. One moment he's behind a thug, the next that thug is seeing stars, collapsing like a puppet with its strings cut. Another tries to swing a crowbar, but Isaac intercepts with a spinning heel kick that sends the weapon flying and the thug sprawling. Three more go down in rapid succession, a symphony of grunts and thuds echoing around them.

"Enemy attack!" one of the thugs finally shouts, belatedly.

The rest of the goons, jolted into action, scramble for their weapons. But among them, a hulking figure steps forward. This one is different. He's a mountain of muscle, veins bulging in his arms, eyes burning with animalistic rage. He lets out a guttural roar, muscles coiling like springs, and throws a haymaker at Isaac. The air crackles as his fist whips past, a gust of displaced wind.

Isaac barely has time to react. The behemoth is too close, moving too fast. He braces himself and throws his own fist forward, meeting the attack head-on.

Holy crap, this guy is strong!

The impact is like hitting a brick wall. A shockwave of force travels up Isaac's arm, numbing it instantly. He's knocked backward, stumbling several steps to regain his balance.

Before he can recover, another figure appears at the muscular man's side, a lean woman with icy blue eyes. She raises her hands, and a volley of razor-sharp ice shards erupts from the air, hurtling toward Isaac.

He ducks and weaves, narrowly avoiding the projectiles. They whistle past his head, burying themselves in the crates behind him. Still, a few strike home, scraping against his Steamhopper armor, leaving trails of frost in their wake.

"Don't get distracted!" Dick yells, his voice tight with urgency.

Isaac glances over and sees that Dick is currently locked in a furious battle with a pyrokinetic and a geokinetic, a dangerous duo of metahumans. The pyrokinetic unleashes torrents of searing flames, forcing Dick to dodge and weave, while the geokinetic manipulates chunks of debris, forming makeshift walls and launching them as projectiles. They work together seamlessly, a well-oiled machine of destruction.

Isaac grits his teeth. He'd been caught off guard, underestimating the capabilities of the Shadow Gang. Time to get serious.

With a low growl, he unleashes the Fierce Ki energy within him, a crimson aura erupting around his body. It's a surge of pure power, amplified by the training of the Three Fist Sages. He launches himself at the muscular man, moving like a red comet, leaving a trail of afterimages in his wake.

His fist, now wreathed in crimson light, connects with the muscular man's abdomen with a sickening thud. The force of the blow is amplified by the Fierce Ki, a concussive wave rippling outward.

Steel meets muscle, a jarring noise that shakes the air, but the muscular man barely flinches. He grunts, his massive frame barely budging, and digs his heels in, refusing to be moved.

What?!

Isaac is stunned. The muscular man's defense is incredible, far exceeding his expectations. He truly hadn't thought that his Fierce Ki-enhanced fist wouldn't be able to break through.

Suddenly, a crackling sound fills the air. A third enemy, a wiry man with wild eyes, lashes out with a long whip made of pure electricity. It snakes through the air, aimed at Isaac's flank.

He tries to evade, but he's too slow. He misjudges the range, underestimating the speed of the lightning.

The whip strikes him square in the chest, electricity surging through his armor. His muscles spasm, locking up, and he's momentarily paralyzed, the Steamhopper armor doing little to dissipate the energy.

This isn't good!

The moment his body goes rigid, the muscular man seizes the opportunity. He roars and charges forward, his fist a cannonball aimed at Isaac's chest.

Unable to move, Isaac can only raise his arms in a desperate attempt to block. The impact is devastating. The muscular man's fist slams into him, sending him flying backward like a ragdoll. He smashes through several crates, scattering their contents across the floor, before finally slamming against the concrete wall with a bone-jarring thud.

Seeing Isaac get pummeled, Dick's heart jumps into his throat. He instinctively tries to break away from his fight, but the pyrokinetic unleashes another wave of flames, forcing him back. He's trapped, unable to help his partner.

"Phew~ That really hurt a bit, you bastard," Isaac says, his voice echoing slightly from behind his helmet.

He slowly pushes himself to his feet, wincing. He pats down his armor, checking for damage, then stretches his limbs, testing their range of motion.

While the attacks didn't do a lot of damage, they are a solid reminder that his combat experience is lacking.

He needs to switch tactics.

Okay, Plan B. Since overpowering him with strength isn't working, I'll have to outsmart him.

He focuses, clearing his mind. He can't win this with brute force alone. He needs to be smarter, faster, more precise.

With a burst of speed, he darts away from his original location, dodging the follow-up attacks from the ice and lightning metahumans. He dances around them, a blur of blue and silver, too quick to be hit.

Isaac's gaze sweeps over the muscular man's hulking form, analyzing him, searching for weaknesses. He notes the brute's clumsy footwork, the stiffness in his joints, the lack of finesse in his movements.

Bingo.

Taking a deep breath, Isaac explodes into action, his speed amplified, he moves like a ghost, dodging the muscular man's telegraphed punches. He circles behind him, using the brute's momentum against him.

His foot, now charged with blue Fierce Ki, lashes out, connecting with the back of the muscular man's knee.

A sickening crunch echoes through the warehouse, and the behemoth roars in pain, immediately dropping to one knee.

Got him!

Seeing that his attack had been effective, Isaac unleashes a flurry of strikes, a rapid-fire combination of punches and kicks aimed at the muscular man's joints. He targets the knees, the elbows, the wrists, exploiting their vulnerability.

The muscular man tries to retaliate, but he's too slow, too clumsy. Isaac dances around him, evading his desperate swings, continuing to unleash a relentless barrage of attacks.

Finally, with a final, well-placed kick to the back of the knee, Isaac sends the muscular man crashing to the ground, defeated.

With the brute down, Isaac races toward Nightwing. Together, they take down the remaining metahumans and mop up the rest of the goons, freeing the terrified kids from their cages.