Gotham Knights #14 was just such a sweet, nice issue that gave me a warm fuzzy, that I just had to write *something* about it. It's short. It's cheesy. Enjoy!
Title: And Don't Forget The Hot-Wings - Gotham Knights #14¼
By: Gates mavencree@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: Any characters previously mentioned in a DC comic, I do not own. DC does. I'm not making money off of this. Several lines of dialogue taken from GK#14 do not belong to me. (duh)
Warnings: You might want to read Gotham Knights #14 first. Not a real spoiler, but it is background.
©March 2001
***********************************************************************************************
The approach of a powerful motorcycle engine could be heard driving up the road leading to the holographic entrance to the cave. He didn't need to check the sensors to know who it was.
He sighed deeply… wearily.
Dick would be mad at him.
He hated that.
As a boy, whenever his young ward was happy, the burden of his mission always seemed to lighten. The cave, the world, *his* world, seemed a little brighter. What was that? Happiness? He guessed so. It was an attractive feeling. Distracting, but attractive.
But when Dick was mad at him… Even the shadows cast by his parents' deaths didn't reach *that* far.
And Dick was mad at him now. He knew it. He'd have to be.
If given another chance, would he have done anything differently that night?
No. Of course not.
Dick's safety was priority over any pain he might feel at the boy's venom.
But why had he sent Azrael?
Dick and Jean Luc were… not friends. His fault.
Still, Azrael was a skilled fighter. And he *was* a part of the *family*.
Nightwing could handle himself well enough.
This was just a precaution. But if he had gone, Dick wouldn't have seen it that way. He would have thought he was checking up on him again.
In truth, he hadn't really *checked up* on him in years. His pride in the young man's accomplishment's and abilities… well, *pride* didn't seem to be a strong enough word. Those times when he had shown up in Bludhaven unannounced… his reasons were… more selfish.
He missed him.
But he could never say that. Not to anyone. Not even to himself. It was one of those nagging truths that stuck themselves in the back of his mind and heart and would not go away.
And in a moment, the boy would be here. And he would be angry. That saddened him, but within that was the *smallest* measure of some happiness. That being the times spent with his adoptive son was becoming fewer and far between. There were times when they would team up to fight crime together. There were times when he would stop by to use the equipment in the cave. And there were the times he stopped by to yell at Bruce for something.
At least he got to see him.
He supposed it wouldn't *kill* him to invite Dick over for dinner sometime. Maybe even just for a pizza. But no, he wouldn't-- couldn't do that… as much as he really wanted to.
The squeal of tires echoed throughout the cave and the roar of Nightwing's cycle sent the bats scurrying from their hiding places… all except one.
The cycle pulled to a stop and the engine was shut off.
Batman closed his eyes and sighed again.
"I suppose you're annoyed with me for sending Azrael to help you." He said flatly, bracing for the smart-mouthed retort he knew was coming.
Nightwing's boots clanked heavily on the metal steps leading up to the workstation.
"Nope." He replied plainly.
No? Batman raised his head from the microscope. He quarter turned his head casting a partial glance over his shoulder. Nightwing didn't look mad. He looked… Batman couldn't read his expression. Now where did he get that skill? So he's not mad, Batman thought. He must have another reason for coming.
"You need something?" He asked.
"Nah, you?"
Batman paused then handed him a slide.
"Toxic scan?" he asked cautiously, trying to hide the surprise in his voice.
"Right, no prob." Nightwing replied taking the slide.
Nightwing took a seat to his right as Batman checked the computer to his left, trying to remember where he was in his observations. He adjusted his microscope and silently went back to work.
He's looking at me, Batman thought. He could see the young vigilante staring silently through his peripheral vision. Nightwing went back to his work.
A few minutes later, Nightwing was looking again.
"*What*?"
"What, what?"
"What are you looking at? Why do you keep staring at me?"
"Huh? Was I?" He asked. "Sorry, didn't notice. Got a lot of things on my mind."
Batman drew his mouth into a tight line and looked back to his microscope. It made him uncomfortable to ask, but he knew he had to.
"Anything you want to talk about?"
"Nope." Nightwing said and then gave a wide grin. "That musta hurt."
Without looking up, Batman drew the side of his mouth up into a rare half smile.
"Excruciatingly." He said.
They worked in silence for several more minutes. Then he did it again.
This time Batman sat back and swivelled his chair to face Dick's.
"What. Is. It?"
Dick matched his pose and shook his head.
"N-Nothing. Really."
Batman's eyes narrowed and Dick found himself feeling like he was nine years old again.
"Why are you here?"
"…Can't a guy pay a visit to his D--Bat… without having a reason?" he asked sheepishly.
Batman didn't respond. Nightwing rolled his eyes and went back to his scanning.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Batman typing something out on the keyboard.
"Pineapple?"
"What?"
"Do you want pineapple?" Batman asked.
Nightwing looked up to see the on-line order form for Gotham Deep Pizza displayed on the Crays screen. He grinned.
"Sure." He said. His smile widened and he once again returned to his work.
"And don't forget the hot-wings!"
The End.