Volume Five Revenge

by xxhanzyxx

Dick is still emotionally unstable and will meeting Jason Bard help? Selina and Bruce celebrate their engagement after Selina is still going cold turkey on giving up her catwoman persona, but is everything as happy as it looks at the manor?

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Revenge

By

xxhanzyxx

This is my fifth instalment on my version of the Batman's world and I hope all is enjoyable and are running smoothly into each other.

In this story, Dick is still emotionally reserved, or not as the case may be, but is it going to get better as time goes on, especially when he meets Jason Bard?

Where as all seems to be happy in the Wayne home with Selina still going cold turkey on Catwoman and Bruce the same on relationships

I am not basing this story on either the comic, film or animation and am not protesting that what I am saying is correct because I am not, this is just how I would have done things if I had my dream job so don't sue!!!

Now onto the story… enjoy…

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Revenge

Chapter One

"Ladies and Gentlemen if I could just have your attention for a moment please" The faintly quiet tapping of the glass was muffled by the voices of the large dinner party being held at Wayne manor and it took some restraint on Bruce's part to allow them to settle before he took drastic measures to quiet them down

"Thank you" He politely thanked the group before proceeding

"I would all like to thank you for coming here this evening for Selina and my first years of being engaged and to also thank you for the wonderful presents you have given us both which are very much appreciated although not expected of you…"

"So when's the wedding date Bruce or are you just going to keep inviting us here every year so that you can keep fleecing us for gifts" The sarcastic old lady who was friends with his parents rudely interrupted rather drunkenly, full to the brim on the free champagne

Bruce looked at her disapproving and although not causing any attention to himself she knew that by the glint in his eye that he was not happy although he would never say anything inappropriate she stayed low for the rest of the evening.

After she had quietened down to what Bruce found acceptable he snapped out of the Batman mode and looked down at Selina who was waiting eagerly for his response

"Well uh…" Bruce scratched the back of his head stalling for time, he knew what Selina's response to that question would be, she would get married tomorrow if she could but Bruce found getting engaged a bigger step than anything he encountered as Batman

"Oh come on Bruce if you don't marry her, i'm sure there are hundreds of guys out there waiting in their tux!" Another man shouted from the other end of the table causing a rowdy stir amongst the guest, Bruce never did understand why he had to hold thing like this with people who he had never met and yet they act like as if they are long lost friends to him

Bruce looked back to Selina who was obviously flustered by the comments and snide remarks by the guest before she stood away from the table abruptly

"Yes Bruce i'm sure there are" She looked at him before walking out of the room

"I'm sorry, will you excuse us" Bruce apologised to the guest before quickly following Selina up the hall way, leaving Alfred and the others to sort out the guests

"Oh I feel bad for the guys who get on the wrong side of him tonight" Tim whispered to Dick who were both stood away from the table as he fiddled with his tie

"By the looks of Selina he may not even make it out" Dick sighed

"Was she really that bad, you know when she was Catwoman?"

"Oh yeah, she was bad, she wouldn't hesitate to double cross you to get what she wanted or to use it to her own advantage and she wouldn't loose any sleep over it"

"What do you mean?" Tim raised an eyebrow curious to Dicks answer

Dick was about to answer Tim but was distracted by the large dining room door opening and Barbara entering into the room, Dick always though she still looked the most glamorous woman in any room she entered even in the chair, but no matter how distracted he was by her, it didn't take him long to notice the tall man standing closely behind her

"Sorry Tim, well have to talk more later" He then patted his shoulder before walking off in Barbara's direction

"Hey more grub for me" Tim shrugged and headed back into the centre of the room

Dick wasn't too far away before Barbara spotted him heading towards her

"Oh god" Was all she muttered under her breath

"Sorry what did you say Barbara?" The Blonde man with her asked before seeing Dick standing before them

Dick looked at the man for a moment and he too looked back before Barbara interrupted the stare

"Dick hi how are you?" She nervously asked

"Barbara, yeah i'm fine thanks, i'm sure Bruce will be glad you made it, is your father coming?" Dick responded with all the usual pleasantries taking his eyes off the blonde man to look at Barbara but knew that he was the one still being watched

"Um no, he's had a call out he had to go to, seemed urgent"

"Oh I hope it's not too bad" Dick turning serious, Barbara knew he was thinking that maybe he should go and check it out

"Oh no, I mean, i'm sure its not Batman and Robin kind of seriousness" She giggled anxiously before the silence

"Well finally, I didn't think I was going to get a word in between you two then" The blonde haired man broke the silence

"Oh yeah sorry" She had forgotten he was even there "Dick this is Jason Bard, Jason this is Dick Grayson"

"Oh so you're Dick are you" Jason wittingly responded holding out his hand

"Yes I am Sir" Dick reluctantly shook his hand, there was something he didn't like about this man

"Well you sure fell on your feet didn't you"? He added an edge of sarcasm to the response

And that was it "Excuse me?"

"Well I mean its not many circus orphans end up in a swanky billionaire estate do they?"

Barbara cringed at Jason reply

Dick remained quiet for a moment, removing his hand from the hand shake almost considering using it to knock this creep out

"Yes I suppose some may see it like that, but I would sure as hell rather have my parents alive" Dick coldly replied, causing Jason to unconsciously back away as he gazed at him dangerously

"Yes, yes i'm sure you would" He coyly replied realising the potential of this man who although was not that much taller or larger than himself had something about him that warned him off

In an effort to change the subject Barbara decided it was time to step in "Jason is the new undercover detective for Gotham PD"

"Hence why you knew about me then" Dick seemed unimpressed

"Yes, I make it my personal business to know everything about people I will be dealing with"

"Well I hope that I won't be coming under close inspection by you Mr Bard" Dick looked at him cold faced, seemingly not threatened by Jason one bit

"No, I doubt it very much" Jason unpleasantly replied

"So you enjoy the work?" Dick attempted to change the subject, although he had little time for this man

"Yes, although I have to work hard to get the answers I want, not everything is as easy as dating the commissioners daughter to get them" Jason taunted, he was well aware of their past relationship

"Isn't that right Dick?"

The last dig at him amazed Dick, Barbara was happy enough to talk about their relationship to some upbeat cop

"Yes it sure had its advantages, although I was never sure what I was going to do with all the information" he looked at Barbara hoping for some king of explanation but knew that it was never going to come

"Dick, sorry, were needed, something has uh… happened in the kitchen and we cant find Bruce… Hey Barbara"

Dick knew this was Tim attempt to say that Nightwing was needed and Barbara knew it too

"As much as I would love to continue this conversation, I have to go, nice to have met you Jason, and Barbara… take care" He then turned his back on the pair, forcing himself not to look back, knowing, feeling Barbara's beautiful green eyes were watching him

They both walked down the hall into the study where they could gain access to the cave

"Who was that with Barbara?" Tim questioned

"Don't know" Dick angrily replies as they made their way to the cave and contacted Bruce who was somewhere upstairs

"Yes?" Bruce's flustered voice came over the COM

"Is Dick there?" Bruce asked

"Yes i'm here… is everything ok with you?" He could tell something was up

"Nothing I cant handle, give me a call if you need assistance"

Then he switches off to let them go

"Are you sure you don't want to go, it would be another brilliant excuse not to have this conversation" Selina angrily shouted at him as she paced around the room like a caged animal

"Its not that I don't want to have this conversation with you Selina, you just know there are more important things than it at the moment"

"More important things than me are there, the common thief is more important than your own fiancée!" She shouted as she threw as vase at him, which he easily avoided. She paused for a moment breathing heavily in frustration, knowing that no matter what she threw at him, it would never touch him, let alone hurt him

"Forget it, i'm going home"

"Selina" Bruce demanded as she left the room

"No Bruce, don't follow me… and I mean don't follow me!" She warned him before walking out of the manor

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Chapter Two

"So what's the deal?" Nightwing asked upon entering the rooftop where Robin was already waiting, surveying the building opposite

"Looks like the everyday hostage situation, but if these morons don't stop hassling him, we wont have any one to save" Robin point down at the police below who were firing at the man holding the woman at gunpoint

"And you know how much I like to play hero" Nightwing quips before turning serious

"Call Commissioner Gordon and tell him what idiots his officers are being and for them to stand down so that they don't end up killing the hostage themselves"

"Right… wait why have I got to speak to him?"

"Because your Batman's right hand man now not me"

"Yeah" Robin felt an overwhelming sense of pride and responsibility and he didn't need to feel guilty about it, Nightwing has been ever helpful in his training and has fully accepted him as a Robin

"Plus I gotta get into position for when they decide to stop playing shoot em' up" And with that Nightwing jumped off the building and with great ease made his way over to the opposite skyscraper

"When's he gonna teach me to do that" Robin sighed in awe before calling Gordon

It didn't take Nightwing long to work out the location of the hostage and her detainee, he could work it out mainly by the sound of where the bullets were Riga shading off the walls and by the sounds of it's a surprise they aren't both dead already, and then came the shouting

"Why are you doing this, why don't you just leave us alone!" The man shouted down to the police as the women pleaded for him to let her go

"Come on Johnny, if you didn't want an audience, why would you have come guns blazing to a building site" Nightwing made himself aware of his presents, his voice attempting to calm him

The man, who Nightwing had named Johnny, turned around looking for where the voice was coming from "Who the hell is there!"

"Just someone who wants to help"

"Then why won't you show yourself?"

"Okay Johnny" Nightwing calmingly walked towards the two, the man gasped in suprisement

"Oh no not you lot, I didn't want to get involved with you lot" He staggered and started aiming the gun back at the woman's head

"Its okay Johnny, it just me there's no others, I just want to help"

"My names not Johnny, its Warren, Warren Howls"

"Sorry… Warren right?" Nightwing knew Johnny wasn't his real name but it was a simple way of getting someone to tell you his or her real name without realising it

"What's it matter to you anyway? You don't want to help"

"Sure I do Warren, there's obviously a reason you're doing this… you want to tell me?"

"Who taught you your interrogating skills huh?"

"Its surprising how much you pick up as you go along" He had also has had one or two stands in hostage situations when he was training to be a cop, at least one good thing came out of the whole thing

"Its funny really, see I use to be doing what your doing now, not the whole costume thing, I mean I use to be a negotiator for the police, I never though I would ever be on the other end, until this whore came into my life!" He shook her violently, which caused her to scream again which lead to more firing from the police

"Dammit" Nightwing cursed, "Look just get down low Warren, you know the drill… Robin why the hell are they still shooting?" He demanded down his COM

"Wait there's another one, I though you were the only one, you told me you were the only one!" Warren panicked and raised the gun to the woman's head

Nightwing held out his hand to stop him "Stay cool Warren, i'm talking to Robin on the COM, he's no where near us okay, it's just us I promise"

"I have spoken to Gordon but the head down there isn't obeying" Robin replied into Nightwing headpiece, as if it wasn't hard enough to deal with without power hogging officers

"What's happening?" Warren questioned as the building started to creak and the floor became unstable and now he was hyperventilating, it look like he was going to pass out at any minute, he honestly didn't seem that bad of a guy and him and the woman obviously have issues and some just crack, its not hard to believe living in a City like Gotham

"Its okay, its just that we cant stay up here for much longer, all the rounds have made the building unstable, we have to get down from here"

"O..okay" Warren nervously agreed, "I don't want to go down there though"

"You have to, tell them your side of the story okay, I'll vouch for you, don't worry"

"You will come down with me?"

"Sure I will.. But you have to pass her to me, so I can get you both down?" Nightwing held out his hand while trying to stabilising himself on the ever unstable surface

"Okay" With that he let her go and through sheer relief she screamed as she ran to Nightwing and sobbed loudly

"You hear that men" The commanding officer called to the others "Fire!"

And with that the firing came again, fuller and faster than the other rounds, the floor covering with bullets, Nightwing just having time to more himself and the woman into the clear, using himself as a shield for her, through the debris caused by the continuing firing, he could just see Warren struggling to cover himself

"Warren get down!" Nightwing shouted out but through the ear piercing sound of the gunfire it fell upon deaf ears and he soon got hit, Nightwing quickly moved the terrified woman against a supporting beam he attempted to get to Warren before he got hit again, but he was hit another five of so times before he had any chance of getting to him, the last three would have definitely killed him and with Nightwing's movements made the now hollow floor deteriorate like although it had been eaten away by thousands of woodworm as it broke underneath him and then the loud moaning of twisting steel and bolts hitting the floor hit him and the building started to come apart

"Oh my god!" Robin gasped as he watched the firing and then watching the building slowly subsiding

"Nightwing you there? You gotta get out of there, the buildings going to come down!" There was no reassurance that he was there as he listened to the crackling of the other end, before he looked down and saw the police still under the building and the way it was leaning, where it was going to hit, and so he quickly jumped to his feet and absales down the building

"You gotta clear the area know, the buildings going to come down!" Robin warned the police who were still too interested in wasting their annual rounds on a pointless exercise

"Are you trying to tell me how to do my job kid?" The commanding officer walked up to him

"Yes if you don't do it properly" Robin warned the man as the others stop shooting and for the first time able to hear the hum of the metal screaming as it pulled apart

"Listen you freaks, I have tolerated your kind long enough and if is wasn't for Gordon, you would all be in that building"

"Well its not your way for now is it, so your going to have to put up with us, or not as you will be too busy being dead if you don't move your team"

The man gazed angrily at Robin for a moment, his finger twitching at his gun holster which Robin noticed before he stopped

"Alright men fall back, go go go!"

And no sooner had he said that the first part of the building came down crashing onto a police car which soon sped up the evacuation and after that it didn't take long for the rest to come down, causing a deafening blast and debris flying into the air.

Robin was able to get cover with the rest of the officers and was surprised that even though a building, they still had the discourtesy to taunt him

"Sure you don't want to take a jump into that building" One officer taunted

"Maybe we could throw him in, see if he can fly" Another joined in

The worst thing the guy next to him did was to have a dig, it was all the excuse Robin needed to hit him, and by the time the others would have noticed he would be long gone and he would think a bit of debris hit him, It would sure have felt like it Robin even felt the force he hit him with it through his gloves

Robin made his way through the wreckage, the dust stinging his eyes as he searched the rubble, hoping no to find anything

"You lost something kid?" The commanding officer scoffed

Robin turned around enraged; ready to knock this fool out as well before he looked behind him into the wreckage and a slight smile came across his face

"No… just found it, which is a shame for you"

The officer smile faded as he saw Robins smirk as he pointed behind him, he turned around to the wreckage to where Robin was pointing and saw a figure walking through the dust, getting clearer as he made his way closer to the group

"B-but there's no way, he can't have walked out of that, no one could!" He baffled as he recognised the blue and black cladded costume as he held the woman in his arms with ease

"There's lots about him that you wont believe" Robin patted the shocked officer on the back mockingly

"Good luck" Robin then backed away as Nightwing approached the officer, looking no less than menacing, the blood on his cheek and tatty costume only adding to that as he stood there silently before he passed the woman to the paramedics

"She okay, just shaken" He handed he to them carefully before turning his full attention at the smaller man who he had established as the chief of the operation

"As for you, that's another issue" He warned

"Y-you threatening me?" The fatter man who overshadowed Robin looked miniscule compared to Nightwing

"I not threatening anyone Sir" He dangerously answered "But I would recommend that you choose your words wisely"

"I don't have to explain myself to you" He shouted at Nightwing, attempting to cover his anxiousness

"No you don't have to" Nightwing replied before lowering his voice dangerously low

"But you will…." Then he stood tall again, removing himself from the mans face

"Tell me... why did you defy orders from Commissioner Gordon?" Robin could tell by the way he was acting Nightwing was a hell of a lot madder than what he was letting on

"Because I- I was on the scene, not him, I knew w-what I was dealing with" He shuddered with confusion, the larger man could feel his chest tighten

"Because of your actions a man has lost his life, a man named Warren Howls" Nightwing gritted through his teeth

"Well that's one less psycho to deal with" The man scoffed as he looked at his officers who were deadly silent, and as he turned around he was greeted by Nightwing fist around his throat and soon dangling off the ground, Nightwing seemingly not to flinch

"That psycho helped you with cases like these, he needed help not shooting!" Nightwing snarled at the man

"Get… off me or… they will shoot" He struggled under Nightwing's hold, slowly turning blue

Nightwing turned to look at the police squad who were standing behind their armoured cars holding their guns uneasily

"There not gonna shoot me, but if they did try, I got enough body armour covering me" Nightwing quipped before leaning into his ear

"And I don't mean my suit, chubby"

The officer looked at Nightwing in terror "Y-you don't do that!" It was the first real time he had un-coherently showed he was scared, and Nightwing liked it

"Don't I? You should look me up in the book sarge" Nightwing menacingly smiled

Not liking the way things were going, Robin knew he had to put and end to this fiasco now

"Nightwing, come on don't do this here" Robin stepped in and spoke calmly to Nightwing

"Its not a good idea"

Nightwing took one last look into the terrified mans eyes before he dropped him to the floor

"See, not so big now are you" Nightwing then kicked the ground casing dirt to go over the man on the floor

"Commissioner Gordon will be wanting to see you tomorrow, I recommend you clear your desk"

"Damn you Nightwing" The officer grumbled into the floor before being helped up

"Sergeant…. Mr Kilns you all right? Do you want to see the medic?" One of the uniforms apprehensively walked towards the stumbling man

"Get you hands off me!" He slapped them away "And its Sir to you halfwits!" He shouted before heading to his car and speeding off

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Chapter Three

Nightwing and Robin ended up in one of Batman's safe houses which were situated in and around Gotham, some plush in the higher estates, others in the scum's of the city, this one was mediocre, not that either one of them cared after the night they had

"You want me to have a look at that?" Robin asked Nightwing as he silently walked into the lounge area of the apartment and started un-armouring which was when Robin notice the nasty gash out of his shoulder

Nightwing looked at the cut "No, its fine… gonna go take a shower" He sounded detached

"You sure its alright?" Robin walked closer to Nightwing to inspect the cut "Looks like it's going to need stitches"

"I said no Robin!" Nightwing snapped back

"Alright, jeeze I was only trying to help" Robin stepped back, He looked like he was about to flip again

"Well I don't need your help okay!" Nightwing then went to walk away

"If this is about me being Robin again, I though we had been through all that" Robin started to get defensive now, what was this guys problem

"No…no its not that" Nightwing sat down on the near by couch

"Its just that.. That's the first, death since Blockbuster" Nightwing went uncomfortably quiet

"Blockbuster?"

"And here's me thinking you knew everything… look it up, I don't want to talk about it now" He got back up to go to the shower, obviously not in any mood to talk

But Robin had to know something, which happed back at the site

"What you said, back there, you didn't mean it did you?" He awkwardly asked

"Mean what?" Nightwing turned round irritated

"You said you would use him as a shield" It was the first real time Robin had felt threatened or belittled by Nightwing although he made a immense effort not to show it

Nightwing turned back and looked at Robin standing there, the boy had guts

"You got good hearing"

"I can lip read… my cousins deaf"

"And not a bad memory"

"It's photogenic" Tim bluntly replied, knowing Nightwing was trying to change the conversation

Nightwing looked at the young Robin and smiled, this boy had some good qualities

"Of course it is"

"You didn't answer me" Aware that Nightwing was trying to distract him from the question

"And I said that I don't want to be having this conversation…" Dick dangerously spoke, he look for a moment to see Tim's reaction and sighed, after all it was what he said that triggered the conversation

"If I need stitching up after, you can practice on me kid" And with that Nightwing left the room and Robin knowing better than to keep pressing for information, if he could find out their identities, he was sure to find out Nightwing's and Blockbusters connection

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Chapter Four

The supped up police car, like many in Gotham now sped dangerously fast down the over crowded roads in and mostly out of Gotham, its siren and lights purposely on but for no apparent reason, it continued for a long time on the roads driven by nothing more than an seemingly mad man, bent on revenge

"That freak, he had no right!" He muttered to himself in the now stolen police vehicle, until he explained his reason for taking it

"Humiliating me in front of all those spotty, greasy faced punks" He slammed his fist on the wheel, causing it to uncontrollably steer off his side of the road for a second

"They will have no respect for me, not know"

It took him at least half the usual time to get to his location by law abiding citizens, which were few and far between here since as long as he remembered, that's was the whole reason he became a cop, to try and sort this city out any years ago, before The Batman's time, but as time went on, he began to realise that the City wasn't worth saving and was no place for a good cop and so slowly at first started taking back hander's from crooks and then it went on to bigger things such as removing evidence from a scene, fixing alibis and sending cops on wild goose hunts, also getting the odd guy killed if it worked to his advantage, hence the sad death of Mr Warren Howls earlier this evening. Kilnes had become an important role in most of Gotham's underworld to reach the top and he never felt safer or more equipped with everything he needed to live out the rest of his life and early retirement, he had good connections, one of which brought him here

He walked into the apartment block wearingly, he had been here before, it was never pleasant for whoever he brought here, but this time he was here alone and without a appointment which made him anxious, this man was a hard one to find if you didn't know the right places to look, luckily Kilns did

"Any one here?" He called out to the musky corridor, he wanted to make his present known before surprising him and ending up with a knife through his heart before he had chance to blink

"Yeah i'm here, wat you want Kilns?" The voice recognised Kilns before he saw him

"You knew it was me?"

"Of course, I heard you fat behind waddle up those stairs before I heard you panting"

Kilns paused for a moment, biting his lip, he had enough mikey taken out of him tonight but knew better than to argue,

"Yeah sure you did, I'm not here on a personal visit"

"Sure your not, you never are, what you need doing?" The figure finally came out of the room, already dressed in his formidable outfit, applying his headdress

"Its not what I need doing, its who I need doing"

"Well I hope she's pretty and not your wife" He audaciously replied

"I mean get rid of, kill, he's cause enough trouble and I have only met him once, I don't want to meet him again"

"He? Sounds like he really rattled your cage Kilns, what he do?"

"Don't worry about the finer details, just do it… I'll pay you double if you ruff him up first "

"Well then you better give me the details, who is this guy that's got you so upset?"

Kilns bit his lip hard causing it to bleed at the fact that he would have to mention the name that disgraced him

"Nightwing"

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Chapter Five

After opting to walk home than get in another chauffer driven car, Selina finally reached her destination, she needed the fresh air to clear her head and to get her body temperature down to less than boiling. For most, a brisk walk in Gotham alone would be their own suicide, but Selina knew that she could handle herself, especially in the mood she was in.

She headed up the steps and put her hand in her rather sleek over coat, courtesy of Bruce and took out a set of keys, finding the appropriate one she unlocked the front door and headed into the lobby

"Good evening Ms Kyle" The guards in the velvet red uniform greeted the elegantly dressed Selina in the rather plush lobby

"Hello Jerry" She made a point to remember each guards name in politeness

"No Mr Wayne tonight"

Selina politely shook her head and continued to the lifts

"Better off without them if I may say Ms" The guard tipped his head as the door to the elevator closed on Selina

"Tell me about it" She angrily sighed to herself before reaching her floor

Once inside, the musky smell welcomed her, she had forgotten the last time she had been here, turning on the lights in her apartment, she could tell it was weeks by the dust collecting on the surfaces and the answer one beeping repeatedly to inform her it was full

"Not now" She sighed as she ignored everything and sat down on the sofa in the dusk room, she closed her eyes peacefully, listening to the silence and knowing that her silence was her own, not awkwardly made by her and Bruce constant arguing, it was then that she heard the faint noise from the kitchen

"Isis!" She shouted in delight as she went into the kitchen and saw the cat clawing at the window "How did you know I was back?" She stroked the black cat tentatively before pausing, looking at the cat in the eyes before putting it down and heading for her bedroom

After moving a couple of items out of her wardrobe she found the small box she was looking for. Carefully placing it onto her bed she removed the lid and looked at its contents

"Missed me?" She purred

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Chapter Six

"Nightwing!" The taller man scoffed "You want me to kill Nightwing!"

"Look I know it a lot to ask, but that's why i'm offering you the job…" A finger pressed against his mouth muted his voice

"It must be you lucky day Kilns, I would almost do him for free… almost!"

"Y-you know him?" Kilns spluttered as he wiped the beads of sweat off his forehead

"Me and him, yeah, we go way back, even from when he was a Robin"

"He was Robin?"

"Those things are finer details that you don't need to worry about, but don't worry I will enjoy killing him"

"If you hate him so much, why didn't you kill him before?"

"Because I wasn't getting paid to do it before" He grinned, but the truth was he had tried, on several occasions and so had his mentor, both failing and eventually leading to his mentors death, and so now taking on his former mentors name Shrike, he knows there's no better time than any to take him out once and for all. Shriek smiled at Kilnes dangerously, causing the older guy to step back

"Shriek… what's going on" The man's terrified expression out ruled every other features of the man as Shriek pulled out a Knife

"Unfortunately I have already been assigned that job and my Boss doesn't want any complications"

"N-n-no… NOOOOO!!!"

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Chapter Seven

"There I hope it holds" Robin carefully tied up the last stitch

"Good, can't wait to show Alfred the handy work" Dick looked at the slightly imperfect stitching to his shoulder wound in the mirror

"Cant wait" Robin grumbled to himself

"Hey, i'm not bothered Tim, at least you stopped the bleeding" Dick reassuringly said

Tim looked up at Dick standing above him "I wish he was as understanding as you are"

"You mean Bruce?" Dick paused to look at Tim

"Yeah, don't you think he's just a bit, too much all the time, I can't believe you were basically brought up by him and yet you are like you are"

Dick smiled at the seeming compliment "Yeah he's hard work most of the time, in-fact all the time, but you get use to it, or not as the case maybe, and don't forget I had mother hen helping to look after me" He smirked turning the serious conversation light hearted

"You mean Alfred" Tim smiled

"Yeah… speaking of mother hens, I guess you are passed you bed time and sure your house hold wont believe the story that you were patching up Nightwing"

"Yeah… if they even knew who Nightwing is," Tim teased as he ready himself to leave

"Hey, next time you say that you'll know who Nightwing is!"

"Night Dick" Robin laughed as he left the room on his grapple gun

Dick stayed behind, sorting things out and making sure there was enough supplies in the medical box until next time before gingerly putting his top half of his Nightwing costume back on, covering the newly stitched wound which he knew would take longer to heal than the normal Alfred's skilled hands

"Don't get dressed on my account, quite liking the view" The woman's voice broke the silence

Dick turned around quickly, already attaching his eye mask but before he had chance to identify who it was that was in the room, she had gone, quickly moving to the window, he spotted the figure moving quickly across the rooftops, he knew he had to catch her.

Quickening his pace out of the window and out into the skyline, he surveyed for mere seconds to try and work out possible routs for his intruder, he followed his best option and it wasn't long before he was on the trail of a shadow moving fast across the rooftops, he pushed himself more and more, forcing himself to move faster, at the speed she was moving, one unpredicted move and she would be gone, but if he didn't know better he would guess she was letting him chase her. The chase finally ended when he arrived at a dead end at the Gotham museum, he looked around the surrounding area, which showed no signs of the woman, he was about to give up before spotting a flickering light in the museum, knowing there were no night guards there, no one would take the hazard pay, he knew that the possibilities were that the person shouldn't be there.

After swiftly making his way over to museum, home to millions of dollars worth of art and historical pieces he surveyed the building, he quickly realised that the perpetrator must be good, no forced sigh of entry, no alarms or sound so he edged into the building carefully, he knew from being here before that's this place had almost as much security than the clock tower.

He made his way round the museum without a sound, but soon came to the decision that the security had been tripped and so put his efforts now towards finding out who was in here

He scaled every inch of the museum until he reaches the diamond collection

"Typical" He thought to himself as he spotted the figure holding a rather intricate diamond necklace, he stealthy made his way towards the figure before recognising her, he could smell her perfume which seemed familiar to him, he then noticed the familiar costume, when he realised he got her he made himself known

"I didn't realise there was a new Catwoman in town?"

The woman didn't flinch a bit by the new voice and instead calmly replied to it

"I was wondering when you were going to make yourself known" she replied blazingly before turning around

"I am engaged to the Batman remember"

"Selina!" He shouted in suprisement "What are you doing?"

"Admiring the handy work" She sighed as she continued to gaze at the diamonds

"The museum is open to the public in the day you know" Nightwing's voice turned serious

"Its not the same as looking at something so beautiful behind a glass casket with groups of snotty kids around" she continued to caress the necklace between her finger

"I don't understand, why steal it? Bruce could buy you anything you wanted and you still choose to steal!" He walked towards her and took the necklace off her so he had her full attention

"Like I said, I am going to put it back, I just wanted to see if I still got it that's all, don't any of your kind listen!"

"Yeah that's what you say now…. Doubt it would have been the same response if I wasn't here"

"You're here because I came to your apartment and let you chase me, I could have lost you, and you know that"

"No you came to my apartment to taunt and I caught you"

"Well you haven't caught me yet" And with that she jumped at kicked him in his shoulder, which she knew was injured, causing him to buckle over, she attempted to jump out of the window before being grabbed by the ankle and brought back down to the ground, smashing through one of the displays, but before she had chance to move, Nightwing was holding her down, already handcuffing her to a bar, the anger obvious in his face

"Oh handcuffs" She quipped seductively

"I just don't get you, after everything your still a common thief! That's why you got engaged to Bruce wasn't it, to pull off the biggest scam of you career, getting him to fall in love with you!"

He held her tighter than he needed to

"Don't you think I deserve it!!" She shouted at him, tears welling up in her eyes taking Nightwing by surprise, never had he seen her upset

"All I ever wanted was a good life, money, a home, security" Selina paused "…to be loved" She whispered before turning to Nightwing with angst

"Do you really think I would throw that all away, just because he doesn't love me!"

Nightwing paused for a moment contemplating on what to say,

"He does love you" He replied sincerely

She laughed, "You believe that do you… honestly?"

"Yes I do, he just finds it hard to show it that's all"

"No, its not hard, every night I try to show him how much I love him and he pushes me away, when we do, its not like as if he's there and after I just feel like a cheep hooker again" She sobs as she relaxes her arms which Nightwing was still holding

"Hey" He lifts her into his arms as he knelt down so she was cradled into his chest "You were never that"

"All I ever wanted was to feel loved," she whispered

"You are," he whispered back as he stroked her head, she had forgotten the last time she had felt so close to someone, he felt it too

"You made me feel loved," She whispered

"Selena…" He sighed; he didn't want to talk about this now, not ever again

"Shhh, I know it wasn't to be, but even back then you were so caring to me, more than any other man had been to me and you were only young, I always said you would turn out good" She stroked the side of his face "I wasn't wrong"

Nightwing couldn't say anything, he hated to see anyone so hurt as she was, how could Bruce do this to someone so beautiful

"Make me feel loved again," She whispered closely before kissing him, only gently but Nightwing didn't pull away, instead after he looked into her eyes, he could tell she was being honest and with that the feeling of his younger self came flooding back as he kissed her passionately…

---

Chapter Eight

"Well that was some night, huh Barbara, never have I been to someone's house party and the owners and side kicks go astray" Jason smiled to himself as he walked into the apartment on the other side of town

"Barbara, you okay, you haven't spoken since we left the party and even then I wouldn't have called it conversation" Jason turned to look at Barbara who was coming up behind him with a face like thunder

"It wasn't a house party Jason, it was a ball, for the high society of Gotham's elite and you made us out to look like a pair of louts!" Barbara shouted as she headed into the bedroom, not bothering to stop by Jason

"Well if it's good enough for you old friend" Jason muttered to himself

"What did you say?" Barbara turned sharply around; she heard the comment and knew what the meant by it

"Exactly how long have you known Grayson?" Jason asked tediously

Barbara laughed under her breath "You just don't lighten up do you?"

"Well you just seem over protective that's all over him, just wondered why that's all"

"I'm protective because he wasn't a hillbilly, he was an entertainer who lost his parents when he was a kid, which you very improperly took mock of"

"Huh" Jason sighed as he leaned at the kitchen sink, seemingly not taking any interest in what she had to say, "So he's a circus boy"

Barbara looked at him stunned; if she could jump over there right now and knock him out she would "You can sleep on the couch tonight"

"Barbara wait i'm sorry…" He went after her before having the bedroom door slammed in his face,

He sighed to himself as the door divided him from her, he looked at it for a moment before gently hitting it with his fist out of frustration before heading into the lounge, he knew he could always go to his apartment, but he wanted to be here for when she woke up, after setting up the sofa bed he sat on the edge, leaning his head between his legs he exhaled.

He looked up at the fire place and noted the photographs neatly arranged in frames on the mantle piece, standing up, he staggered over to the fire place, his leg from where he got shot those many years ago which caused him to give up police patrol and into detective office work had began to stiffen up. He looked at the photographs, mostly of Barbara as a young girl laughing with her father, then teenage years, growing into the beautiful women she was now, her first prom with a boy she probably wouldn't even remember the name of, but he looked happy and then there was one that he nearly missed at the back of the mantle, not in a frame but there none the less, he picked it up and looked at the back first, it was dated not long ago but before she had lost the use of her legs, then below it read

'To my one true love, thank you for finding me xxx' He recognised it as Barbara's writing and turned the photo over to see correctly that Barbara was in the photo but the person next door was what he wasn't happy about, it definitely wasn't the same man from the prom photo

"Who are you Dick Grayson" He held the photo although it was burning through his hands

---

Chapter Nine

In the dark museum, Nightwing and Catwoman lay entwined together, knowing that no one would interrupt them, but the hollow feeling in Nightwing's stomach caused him to stop

"What's wrong?" Catwoman purred as she lay underneath him

"We shouldn't be doing this" Nightwing was breathing heavily, mostly now out of anxiousness

"And you only now though about that, were not teenagers Dick" She attempted to bring him closer to her again in anticipation before he jolted away from her although her touch was burning hot

"I mean it Selina" He warned as he got his belonging together

"Don't try to make it out although this is all my doing!" Selina snapped back angrily

"I'm not" He was calmer now, he knew he had done wrong "I'm not a kid anymore, so I also know when this is wrong and it is now"

"So you're saying before, that was a mistake?" Relating to the past the pair shared

"Lets just say that's a part of my life I want to forget" He replied shamefully

"Really?" She backs away aggressively

"I would of thought you would rather forget things like oh let me think… you involvement with Blockbusters murder, not being there when Robin was killed, Barbara getting paralysed trying to save you and then you sleeping with Huntress while she was struggling for her life, would you like me to stop now or shall I go on?" She smirked wickedly, it was one of the advantages being engaged to Batman was that there was little she didn't know about any of the vigilantes private lives

"And you think that's going to draw me to you?" He replied sarcastically, attempting to cover up that what she just said didn't affect him

"Well" She replied more seductively this time "Maybe you like the aggression"

"Yeah especially when Bruce is punching me in the face!"

"Oh so you would if it wasn't for Bruce?"

"Look you're engaged to him, we shouldn't even be having this conversation!" He was walking away from her aggressively, riled by what she was saying

"You didn't answer my question" Selina demanded, seemingly ignorant of Nightwing's dangerous mood

"I don't need to… this is wrong, just like it was wrong when I was seventeen" He muttered disgracefully, leaving a rather flustered Selina

---

Chapter Ten

"Hope there's no hard feelings Kilnes" Shriek sighed as he wiped the blood from his sword

"But you know I go where the money is and besides, I have been looking for an excuse to kill your sorry ass for years now, just had to wait for the right money to come along"

He knelt down and patted the still warm shoulder of his victim before turning him over onto his back and started searching in the dead mans pockets

"Lets see if you got anything in here of any use except for food wrappers shall we?" He continued delving through the pockets of the man who seemed to live out of this coat, as it was full of unanimous, un-useful items, including an empty wallet with only a photo of the dead man smiling and what seemed to be his wife on his lap

"Yeech! Wot a dog Kilnes, no wonder you were always in a bad mood if you had to go home to her every night! Looks like I did you a favour killing you after all" Shriek smiled before spotting a scribbled number on the back of an old receipt

"Hello" He reached for the receipt to closer inspect the name and number on it

"Detective eh? You came prepared and all…. Bless" He looked at the lifeless body below him before crumpling the number and throwing it.

"Well, suppose I had better move you, your making this dive look a mess" He was just about to start the task of moving the body when his phone rang

"Man!" Shriek sighed before looking at the phone and the frown turned into a smile

"Hope you don't mind if I just get this first, its important…. Hello?" He answered it blasé although secretly realising the importance and danger of the person on the other end

"Yep I accept the offer… no a mill sounds fine, the other guy was offering a tenth of that, I killed him of course… what! You wanna know everything about Nightwing before killing him, what do you think I am a…" He paused for a moment before picking up the receipt that he discarded on the floor and smirking

"Detective"

---

Chapter Eleven

The sound from the kitchen woke Jason, he stirred awkwardly, stiff from the uncomfortable couch, he was not sure exactly what time he had gone to sleep but knew what little he had was not enough, he stood up and stretched as he looked out into the skyline of Gotham, before moving his leg, attempting to get it moving so he wasn't limping too much, although Barbara knew he had a disabled leg, he didn't ever want to draw attention to it, he didn't like sympathy, hence the rather burly exterior he puts on, feeling capable he moved across to the kitchen

"Barbara" His gruff voice entered the kitchen

"You want coffee?" She replied blazingly, not looking at him, she was still angry

"I'll make them" Jason moved over to the coffee

"I'm quite capable of making coffee Jason" Barbara snapped causing him to back away, he never got over how strong a woman Barbara was, even after all her difficulties, things that caused Jason to fall in love with her

"I know you can hon" He started to massage her shoulders

"Don't forget I'm still mad at you" Barbara replied, not as angry as she felt, she knew Jason wasn't a bad man

"Look i'm sorry about last night, I really am, but you know what I get like in those situation, I become awkward with things"

"I'm the one in the wheel chair, you only got a stick"

"I know and I don't know how you cope so well, I honestly don't"

"Don't try flattery, it will get you no where"

"Think I know that by now" Jason quirked a smile

"Well maybe a bit now and again" Barbara defiantly smiled as she tried to disguise it

"Oh my beautiful Barbara how I love you so" Jason mimicked old English as he went down to her level, which caused her to giggle

"You can be so stupid sometimes Jason"

"So were okay now?" Jason turns serious

Barbara nodded her head before kissing him

"Good, now I had better get going for work, otherwise your father will think I enjoyed the free bar a bit too much!"

"You did" Barbara teased before kissing him as he left to shower

Barbara then headed to the lounge where Jason slept and started to organise the sofa, just before she finished she notice a small piece of paper poking from the side of the sofa, looking at it suspiciously, she removed it to have a cleared look, and her stomach sunk as she realised Jason must have found the only photo Barbara has of her and Dick together in better, more simpler times, she sighed deeply before putting it back where she found it so Jason could put it back when he remembered, she didn't want to discuss Dick with him, it would just be too hard.

---

Chapter Twelve

Nightwing took the long route home atop the giddying height of Gotham's skyline, it was the only place he felt alone and safe. He finally found resident in his usual hot spot looking over the city, he turned off his locater and COM so that he was fully alone, he couldn't speak to anyone at the moment, he needed time to reflect, which in Nightwing's case was always dwelling on what he saw as failings and in this case betrayal.

He sat there among the old boxes that has been there for as long as he could remember, he use to come to this place back when he was Robin, he never knew why this certain building drew him but no matter where else he went it was never the same, this was his spot, resting his head on his knees he thought about the nights past events, the numbing pain in his shoulder reminded him of the man he failed to save, and the feeling in his stomach which was mixed between guilt and other emotions reminded him of Catwoman

"Why do I keep doing this?" He asked himself as he rubbed his head, desperately pleading for answers "I ruin everything"

He started thinking about what had happened beyond that night, remembering Catwoman's snide remark about things he would rather forget, and although he had and will never forget those that have scarred the very essence of both Nightwing and Dick Grayson, he had started to put them to the back of his mind and move on with bigger and better things, his career as Nightwing has started to pick back up again as he regained his confidence that he could still do good, the police department said that there would always be an opening for him as an training officer if he ever wished to go back and his relationship with Bruce had began to slowly mend its self and the hard work put in by both sides started to show signs that it was working, courtesy mainly of Tim, the new Robin. Nightwing slumped again, the positivnes sucked straight out of him as quickly as it came, it was gone

"Was better" He said to himself, thinking again of him and Catwoman

"What was?" The deep voice replied which caused him to jump, he knew it wasn't Robin but knew exactly who it was

"Batman…. Uh what are you doing here?" He had forgotten he was still in Gotham and Batman would always be at most ten minutes away

"Your locater and COM got voluntarily turned off, was wondering if you were okay?" Batman could tell by the tone and body language from Nightwing that he was hiding something

"Me? Yeah i'm fine" He jumped up to his feet positively and smiled at Batman, he knew that his cover had slacked slightly and Batman had noticed,

"How did you know I was here? Wait, you haven't put a tracker on me have you?" Nightwing asked abruptly

"No I haven't put a tracker on you Nightwing, I know you were here because you have been coming here since you were a kid and it's the only time you turn you equipment off, Oracle informed me, thought you might be in trouble, you had better let her know your alright"

"Huh and why should she be bothered about me?" Nightwing muttered

"Meaning?"

"Well, she got that Jason guy now hasn't she, I don't need to phone her every five minutes or so"

"That's why your up here" Batman wasn't asking a question, simply stating the facts as he saw them, he always thought Nightwing wore his heart on his sleeve which was possibly the only reason Bruce ever thought that Dick wouldn't be suitable for a job as a sidekick as he would take every case too personal, but over the years he had proven him wrong

"No, that's not why I'm up here" But the more he thought about it, it would have been as good a reason as any

"No?" Batman un-obviously shocked that he was wrong

Nightwing went silent, he looked up at Batman coyly, he could tell that by the way Batman was looking as him that he wanted an answer and he wasn't going to leave until he got it, Nightwing inhaled deeply, using every trick in the book, which he has seen hundreds of times over by small time crooks to stall time, but he knew that it wasn't wise to keep the ever inpatient Batman waiting. For a second Nightwing considered telling Batman about him and Catwoman, past and present but no sooner had he thought about it he blackened it, him and her were never going to happen again so there was no point in telling him something that he didn't need to know, and he knew Selina well enough that she wouldn't tell Bruce, she had too much of a good thing going to ruin that

"Nightwing" Batman snapped the younger man back to reality

"Have you spoken to Robin yet?"

"Not in detail no, why?"

Nightwing paused again for a moment, this seemed as good of a excuse as he could think of, and it wasn't exactly a lie either

"There was a fiasco down at the new building site on twenty fourth, hostage situation, it was all going fine, I had the hostage and the guy was surrendering but the officer in charge ordered them to open fire and they killed the guy, I just think I could have done more, you know, maybe acted quicker, persuaded him to hand over the hostage sooner and then I might not have lost him" Nightwing spoke, somewhat detached from himself

"We always think like that in these sort of situations, but unfortunately it happens to all of us at some point, and more than once also, you know that" Batman knew that even though this hasn't been the first person he had seen die as Robin or Nightwing but by the way he had taken it, Batman guess that it had been the first death he faced since Blockbuster

"I know your Right Batman, but it doesn't make it any easier for me you know, that's why I came here, I needed to sort thing out"

"Yeah" Batman hesitated for a moment "I'm feeling like that at the moment also"

Nightwing turned to look at him, for the first in a long time, Batman's voice seemed troubled and he was surprised

"You want me to pull up a chair?" Nightwing tries to make light of the situation, he was always better arguing with Batman that talking to him

"That would be a first" Batman quipped slightly

"There's a first time for everything, maybe we need it"

It was Batman's turn now to go silent, Nightwing could tell that he was thinking, and it would have been a lot more than what he was doing before, as Batman has to construct every sentence word for word, hence why he wasn't a big talker

"I wasn't actually around here looking for you at first, but when Oracle contacted me, I stopped my other search"

"Who were you looking for, maybe I can help?"

"After… our disagreement, Selina left the Manor to go home, when I went over there to talk she wasn't there, neither was the suit, I know she has gone back to being Catwoman and I need her to realise what a mistake that would be"

Nightwing fought hard not to look shocked, he had forgotten about Selina up until that point, but then it all became so real again, Selina had cheated on Bruce with him because they had fought and if Batman was a little earlier, if maybe he hadn't gone to her apartment, he would have saw the two of them together

"Nightwing?" Batman's voice sounded concerned

"What, uh I mean, I can't believe it, and you really think she has gone back to crime?"

"I don't know if she would go back to that just yet, but I need to find her, you want to help me look?"

Nightwing panicked for a second, he couldn't possibly go searching for the mans, his adopted fathers fiancée who he had just been with

"No sorry I cant, I really got to get on with things, and I had better contact Oracle like you said"

"Fine then" Batman sounded rather upset that Nightwing wouldn't help which plagued Dick with more guilt

"She'll be fine Bruce, you know what she's like, she's a cat, they always land on their feet" Nightwing place a hand on Batman's shoulder, still amazed slightly by how muscular the man was, how could Selina want him when she already has a man like Bruce Wayne?

"Your right, i'm not going to chase after her"

"Just leave the saucer of milk out and tell Alfred not to lock the cat flap!" Joking was the only thing he could do to hide his shame from Batman

Batman studied the young mans face for a minute, there was something he was hiding, something that wouldn't quite fit in Batman's mind, but he couldn't place it because no sooner had he began reading Nightwing's face, he would disguise it again, he had become good over the years covering his real emotions, unlike the young boy that he took into his care all those years ago, Batman started to fear that eventually he, no matter how much he retaliated he would become as emotionally detached from himself as he was

"See you tomorrow" Batman nodded his head realising that no good was coming out of staring at Nightwing he left the man alone again on the rooftop

"Never again" Was all Nightwing could muster as he let out a sigh of relief

---

Chapter Thirteen

"Morning Mr Bard" The pretty blonde secretary greeted Jason as he reached his office "Good night was it?" She asked inquisitively as she looked at she man in shades

"Something like that" Jason grumbled, mocking a hangover, whereas the fact that he was groggy was because he had little sleep over the argument "Has Jim called?"

"Commissioner Gordon" She corrected him "No he hasn't, probably giving you chance to get in after the wild night" She mocked him as he walked into his office "Shall I get you a nice black coffee?"

"Maybe later, thanks" He then closed his door and headed for his desk, as he fell onto the soft office chair he leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment contemplating past events then his private mobile rang, who little to no one had the number to, looking at his phone seeing it was a private number, he answered it uncertainly

"Jason Bard" The dark voice spoke before he had chance to

"Speaking" Jason replied strongly yet weary

"Good, now look at your reflection in the window behind you" The voice abruptly surprised Jason

Jason turned to face the window which showed Gotham covered in dark mist that hung around in the morning, which visually covered the badness of the city from view, it didn't take long for Jason to notice the bright red dot on his forehead

"Oh god!" He was frozen to the spot. Once the man on the phone knew he had seen he replied

"I don't think I need to tell you what that is do I Jason?" He listened to the silence on the other end

"Good, now you as much as itch and I will blow your head off in a second so there's no point in trying to run, I am a very good shot, I will also have no qualm in shooting you if you deny my job offer, although it would be a shame if I did have to shoot you, you are in fact the best man for the job"

"What job?" Jason babbled, his mouth dry

"Interested are we? Good, its amazing what a little bit of mild persuasion does" He paused for a moment drinking in the fear of his hostage

"You're a very good detective Mr Bard, I have been given you name and reading up on you I am hoping I could use those skill to my own good"

"What would you like me to do?" Jason was sweating heavily with fear

"Find the identity of Nightwing, I want to know everything about him, down to what cologne he uses, things like that you know, you will be rewarded heavily of course, and you will get to keep your head, you have seven days"

"What, are you crazy! There's no way i'm gonna find that out in seven days, I've been working that case and the other vigilantes identities for years!"

"No you have been working on it as a hobby, like most of the morons in this city, you have seven days, that's a full week from now, that's a hundred and sixty eight hours, if you put your mind to it, oh and if it will help you complete this task, if you don't do this, I will no only kill you, but also your precious new girlfriend, what's he name, that's it Barbara Gordon, good plan dating you bosses daughter, I like your style" He greasily replies

"No! No don't… I'll do it" He caved in

"Impressed by my detective work Jason? I'll be in contact with you throughout the week, happy hunting" He then hung up

Jason held the phone shakily in his hand before throwing it on the table and running out of his office

"Mr Bard!" The secretary called out surprised by his out burst "You look awful are you okay?" She looked at the white shaking grown man with concern

"Huh, yeah, not feeling as good as I thought, I gotta go home" He stuttered out before heading for the lift

---

Chapter Fourteen

Nightwing finally headed back to his apartment, he was finding it harder going back there every day, but knew that his head wasn't on the patrol that night and the streets would have to make do without him, for what little use he seemed to be he thought to himself as he headed into the dark lounge, but it didn't take him long to spot the figure standing in the corner

"Batman?" He stood there, slightly defensively in case he was there because he found out about him and Selina

"Do I really have the physique of a man?" The figure acted insulted

For a second after hearing the woman's voice he shivered thinking it was Catwoman, before she turned on the lights

"Huntress" He wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed that it wasn't who he though it was

"Don't sound too pleased to see me will you" She folded her arms as she walked towards him

"No, its not that, it's just that i'm surprised that you're here that's all… Barbara hasn't got you on a 'Birds of prey assignment'" He added teasingly

"No, the city doesn't need us every night, can see you noticed that too"

"I'm not in the mood to patrol tonight"

"Yeah I didn't think you would be… after what happened"

"Wait! You know?" Nightwing couldn't hide his shock that she had found out so quickly, has she been there the entire time he thought to himself

"Whoa chill, it's alright to feel like you are, most men would have acted like that in you situation, cant say I blame you either"

"That's not an excuse is it, I mean no matter what happened, I still shouldn't have acted on how I felt"

"Yeah I spoke to her, that's how I knew"

"You spoke to her! I didn't think she would tell anyone!" His voice mixed still with suprisement and now anger

"Well she needed to talk to someone, I mean she feels bad about the way she handled the situation"

"Now she says that, she seemed to enjoy it at the time" He huffed as he paced the floor, how could she make him out to be the bad guy?

"She's not malicious you know that, she wouldn't want to hurt you on purpose"

"Why are you standing up for her! After everything she had done"

"After everything she has done, what the hell do you mean, she is the one that helps us do our job!" Huntress snapped at him, how could he be talking so bad of her

"Wait, what?" Nightwing paused as he thought for a moment

"Barbara, after everything she has been through"

"Barbara? Wait, your talking about Barbara?"

"Yes of course I am, she told me that you met Jason and it didn't go too well… hang on, who did you think I was talking about?" She asked inquisitively

Nightwing stepped back shamefully "No one, its nothing, I just jumped the gun that's all"

"No its not, what is it?" She stepped closer to him again

"Look just leave it will you, it's none of you business okay!" He snapped at her, fighting her off like a caged animal

Huntress jumped back at his irrational reaction "Okay fine, I just wanted to check on you, like a friend"

"You didn't come here just to be a shoulder to cry on, we both know that" He retorted, already regretting what he said

"You think I can't restrain myself from you? Well look at this" She replied before walking towards the door

"Huntress i'm sorry, wait" He followed her to the door "You can stay if you want" She knew as well as he did what the invite entailed, maybe it would help him take his mind of Selina he thought

"As much as I usually would love to, I think I had better go" With that she shut the door and left

"Why does this keep happening to me" He sat down on the chair as he stared at the blank wall in front of him, turning off the light, so he was in the darkness, ignoring the significance that he finds comfort in the dark as much as his mentor does

---

Chapter Fifteen

Barbara heard the unexpected slam of her front door, and although it was nothing compared to the clock tower, over the years Barbara had built a secret room fully equipped with all the necessities she would need to help Batman and associates with their missions.

It was only a small room, built behind the fitted wardrobes in her bedroom therefore she did not feel the need to alarm the entire apartment to the heightened security as in the clock tower which she also felt would cause too much suspicion from other tenants in the block and Jason, and so the simple telecom would have to do, yet having this unwelcome guest in her apartment made her think twice.

As she quickly left the room, locking it behind her so that the tress passer couldn't gain access or even find it for that matter, she headed into the lounge where the person would be. Spotting the figure rummaging through her sideboard, she picked up a heavy paper weight to use as a weapon, she quietly wheeled herself towards, from what she could tell was a man, still preoccupied as he looked through her stuff, she lifted the paperweight high above her head just about to throw it until the man turned around

"Jason!" She shouted in suprisement dropping the paperweight which Jason didn't even notice she dropped "What are you doing home… are you alright?" She looked at his pale face and troubled eyes

"Yes i'm alright, why does everyone keep asking me if i'm all bloody right!" Jason shouted agitated

"Okay Jason" she replied calmer, trying to steady him "You just look a bit flustered that's all"

"That's not the half of it" he muttered as he left the room again only to come back a second later

"What are you looking for?" Barbara watched on as Jason frantically searched around the apartment

"Uh" Jason spoke as she continued to look "that book you had"

"What book?" She asked puzzled about a book that he had never mentioned before

"Don't worry I'll find it"

"Jason what book, I can help you find it" Suspicious by his strange behaviour

"I don't need you to help me Barbara!" He snapped

"I'm only trying to help" Barbara retorted defensively

"I know… I know you are" He clamed down again, he didn't want to shout at her "Its those Batman books you had, you know when you were a kid and stuff"

"Oh Jason your not starting that again"

"I never stopped okay, its just really important that I continue okay"

"Why, who's asking you?" asked concerned about his interfering

"Just this head down the Dc office, he offered me some overtime, I need the money"

"Okay" Barbara hesitantly wheeled herself into her bedroom, knowing that any information that Jason had could cause a problem for Batman and the others as Jason was a very good detective and if it wasn't for Barbara planting fake clues, there would be no doubt that he would have already found out at least several of the vigilantes identities

"Which one are you looking for in particular?"

Jason was about to answer honestly but then thought her interest this time seemed suspicious "No one in particular, he just wants to find out one identity just to see how easy it is"

"Here" Barbara held out the book to Jason who quickly snapped it out of her hand

"Thanks, I had better go" He abruptly said as he headed for the door

"Your going… to your apartment?"

"Yeah" He paused for a moment realising his actions "I had better go open some window and clean the fridge, must be covered in mould since the last time I stepped foot in there" He smiled falsely, trying to reassure her

"Lovely… should I tell Dad that you're ill if he rings for you?"

"Yeah… but Barbara, don't tell him about this okay, promise me you won't say anything?" He held the arms of her wheel chair and looked at her desperately

"Sure" She replied wary at his behaviour

His disturbed expression lightened abnormally "Your amazing" He kissed her lightly and then kissed her again, almost desperately this time before leaving a rather baffled Barbara

---

Chapter Sixteen

Selina headed home after retracing old hotspots to see if they were still there and if Gotham still worked the way it use to, and she was right, Gotham was just as corrupted as ever.

She entered through her bedroom window, knowing that Selina Kyle should be safely tucked up in bed at this hour. After removing her mask and undoing her suit slightly so she felt more relaxed, she entered the kitchen area and opened the fridge door, but what ever she was going in the fridge for was the last thing on her mind as the gentle light from the fridge just gave enough light to light up the figure

"I told you not to follow" She dangerously warned

"And I told myself not to come" Batman dryly replied

"You have a nerve" Selina growled as she slammed the fridge door shut, causing it to shudder

"What are you doing in 'that' suit?" He ignored her threat as he replied almost disgustingly as he looked at her

"That suit? This 'suit' was here long before you were, so you'd best remember that" She pointed at him ferociously

"You shouldn't be in it" He lashed back

"I am your fiancée, not your slave, I will wear what I want to wear and do what I want to do"

"Not when it's against the law you wont" His attempt to threaten her was to no prevail

"Take a look around Bruce… do you see anything that shouldn't be here?" Selina opened her arms wide, offering him to take a look, but Batman had already looked and knew there was nothing out of the ordinary

"It still doesn't explain why youre doing this"

"You knew me before we got together; don't think that because you got a ring on my finger I am going to stop who I am, what I am!" She snarled at his iconic unresponsive expression

They stood and stared at each other for pain filled seconds before he replied "I wouldn't want to do that Selina" Gone were his tones of resentment as they fought before; these were now replaced by the masculine kindness of the man she loves

Selina paused for a moment, surprised by his words, expecting a fierce argument rather than acceptance "Good" Was the only thing she could say as he stood there almost acceptant to her rant

Batman stood silent, looking at the beautiful woman in front of him who he had reluctantly at first feel in love with, he nodded his head before turning to the window before pausing and looking over his shoulder but not directly into her eyes spoke "Come back whenever you feel ready"

"Okay" Selina croaked, unaware to Batman that her eyes welled with tears from her own guilt, how could she have doubted Bruce didn't love her and how could she have acted like she did with Nightwing, she didn't feel herself, it was although her rage consumed her, making her something she never wanted to be again, Catwoman.

---

Chapter Sixteen

Three days had passed since Nightwing met with Catwoman once again, and those three days did nothing to release the guilt he held inside him, and it was beginning to show on the outside as well, in three days he had little sleep, less food and hadn't left his apartment since Huntress came.

It wasn't that he didn't feel the need to, it was the fact that he couldn't face people at the moment, it was therefore all the more frustrating than normal when he heard his door being knocked on continuously for over ten minutes before he had finally had enough and want to the door

"Whoa, if I knew you were going to look like that, I wouldn't have tried so hard" Dinah, also known as Black Canary joked as she looked at the scraggy faced Dick

"Thanks" Dick left the door open as he went back inside, allowing her to follow

"And this place is no better, did you know that opening curtains lets light in?"

"Yes" Dick sat on the chair, making little effort to make her feel welcome

"So I wont ask if your alright then because clearly your not" Dinah stated the obvious, she was known to those who knew her as being very straight talking

"And why are you so concerned?"

"I'm not, its just that i'm fed up of Barbara secretly acting like although she isn't bothered if you are coming to her birthday due or not" Dinah started to look around the apartment, and although it was small, for a man it want overly uninhabitable

"Her birthday?" Dick sat up and for the first time since she arrived gave her his full attention, how could he have forgotten?

"Yes, she's having a bash, or more so, her father is having a bash on her behalf, you know what she's like, she would rather be sat in front of those blasted computer screens than spend time in the real world"

"She never use to be like that" Dick sank again in his chair

"I doubt she was" Pausing for a moment, she knew who Barbara was before the chair and she also knew he was there when she was shot and for reasons unknown to her, he felt responsible for it "But I think it would be easier for her to go if she knew her friends would be there"

"Why does she want me there?"

"It doesn't take an Einstein to work that out does it, she wants her close friends there… that includes you" Black Canary smiled at him warmingly, almost like a mother would to tempt their kids into doing something

Dick though for a moment before replying "When is it?"

"Its tonight, so I would recommend that if you decide to come, you have a good shave and get that incredibly good looking face of yours smiling again"

Dick couldn't help but smile at her unashamed honesty, he though to himself that he needed that

"That's more like it, now I will be waiting for you to come pick me up at seven, so I know your going, because if you don't come for me, I will find you and kick you Nightwing butt"

"As you put it that way, I will see you at quarter to… jeeze doesn't anyone ask people out normally these days?" He quipped, he hadn't felt this good for a while

"Not in hero world, didn't you get the memo?" She teased before leaving

---

Chapter Seventeen

"Jason are you ready?" Barbara headed for the office where he had spent most of his evening instead of getting ready

"Yes, two seconds Barbara" he shouted though the door "Come on" He whispered to himself as the download bar was slowly filling. He had been on her computer a few times and had never taken any notice of the many files that were on her computer, but they recently became suspicious to him as they slowly started disappearing or being move to different areas stored under different names, he became curious of what she was hiding from him

"There!" He sighed with relief as the task was completed and he hid the disk in his pocket before heading to meet Barbara

"What were you doing in there?"

"Nothing" Jason shook his head

"You look suspicious to me, what you hiding… is it a present?" Barbara smiled

"You'll see" Jason smiled before kissing her "Now we better go, don't want to be late for your own birthday do we"

---

Chapter Eighteen

"I was glad you came for me, this dress cost me a fortune!" Dinah joked as she linked arms with Dick, watching the women look at her enviously as she tauntingly flicked her blonde cascading hair back from her naturally bronzed skin as she touched Dick's hand flirtatiously

"After the threat, I was afraid of what you might have done to me… Black Canary!"

"Please, no names here" She smiled at him

"Of course, who do you think I was trained by… the Batman?" He joked

"You! Please, you were lucky if the monkeys at the circus trained you!" She smiled at him; he knew she was only too aware that she knew his brief background, courtesy of Barbara

"You know them then?" He laughed as she playfully pushed him away; tonight was going better than expected

"Ladies and Gentlemen, if I could have you attention please" One of the men tapped his glass as his loud voice was heard over everyone else's, once all was quiet he sat back down allowing Gordon to take centre stage

"Thank you Paul.. Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you all for coming to, as you are all full aware to celebrate my little girls birthday" Gordon joked to the audience

"Its hard to see my baby so grown up now, from that little bundle I held in my arms, I know that if my wife was here now how proud of her she would be for everything she has accomplished in the little time she has been here… So happy birthday darling" He raised his glass towards Barbara she sat sheepishly at the centre table

"To Barbara" Dick repeated with everyone else in the room as he took a sip of the champagne before putting it back on the table, he needed to keep his head clear, he watched her intensely, taking in her beaming smile, which he knew too well was a disguise for how she really felt, awkward with all the attention everyone was giving her, he also noticed Jason again, sat beside her leaning into her neck whispering something to her as she looked at him coyly

"What's his deal?" Dick unimpressed asked Dinah, remembering his first impressions of the man

"That… well that's Jason Bard"

"My question still remains" His stern face locked on the pair

"It's her boyfriend… wait, didn't you know?" She replied relatively surprised

"Do I look like I knew?" Dick turned to her before picking up the champagne glass that he put down, drinking it all in one fowl swoop

"Oh god… I though she would have told you, they have been going out for quiet some time, met through her father I think" Dinah replied hesitantly not wanting to upset him more

"Well I suppose the fact that he was her boyfriend must have slipped her mind when she introduced us"

"Look you don't go out with her anymore, you haven't done for a hell of a long time now and since you have broken up you have had you fare share of flings so I think it's acceptable for her to have one serious boyfriend don't you!" She was close to Barbara, especially more so since she had joined the Birds of Prey and she knows the heart ache she has had over this man, although she would never admit it, she could tell by the pain in her eyes what he meant to her, and she could see it in his too

Dick turned up his face, downing another glass of champagne before turning his back, seemingly unaware of her sharp comments, "I need some fresh air" He pushed passed her and everyone else in his way to the balcony

"Well done Dinah!" She sighed to her self as she followed after him

She searched the large balcony which were clear of people sat around the twenty something tables which glowed delicately by tea lights which flickered in the darkness, the faint sound of laugher and music played behind the closed doors of the ball room, she looked around in the shrouding darkness and finally saw the slouching figure leaning on the balcony wall in the furthest of corners knowing that he wouldn't have been spotted easily. Dinah slowly walked towards him

"I'm sorry about that out burst" Dinah spoke calmly "It was out of order I know"

"No I'm the one out of order, acting like a spoilt child who's lost his toy"

"That's one way of putting it" She sounded slightly amused as she looked at the view

"It's just that" He let out a deep sigh "I wasn't expecting it that's all"

"Well we all move on from break up's"

"Yeah I know, but the past couple of weeks, since I have been back in Gotham, we have been getting on really well and I just though that maybe we could have worked things out"

"Oh naïve Dickey" a slight laugh in her voice "Just because you aren't at each others throats doesn't mean that you can just go back to how it was, I don't know… sometimes people cant see the fine line between friendship and romance"

"I know that" Dick stand upright defencelessly "I have known Barbara for a long time so I think I know our relationship by now thanks"

"I'm only saying!… Look she seems happy with him, you know how cautious she is, they seem serious"

"Yeah well we'll see about that"

"Don't go all Nightwing on him, trying to dish up some dirt, besides it will be pointless"

"How do you know?" He asked suspiciously

"Well, I have already checked" She looked down at her feet shifting her body

"Ha! See I'm not the only one"

"Come on back inside, its freezing out here and there's a party in there, you do the maths!" She linked arms with his and dragged him back inside

As they walked inside, Dinah did her best to take his mind off Barbara, joking and talking to him about anything that came into her mind, which eventually lead to her becoming Black Canary

"I didn't realise you had it so hard" Dick replied sympathetically

"Yes it's harder than most peoples lives, but I never had parents so I never had to see them, well you know… I didn't have to feel what it was like to loose them"

"It was hard I wont deny that, and there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about them, what life would be like if they hadn't died, if I had saved them, of if I had never met Bruce, I wonder where I would be now… my guess county jail from a young age"

"Really! You don't seen the type to be a criminal"

"You don't know me that well then" He whispered to himself

"I mean, what we do, that's breaking the law isn't it? If they could get their hand on us, we would be in jail and for what helping people?" Dinah could hear the passion and frustration in his voice

"I know, but that's the risk we take"

"Taking risks now are we? That's sounds interesting" The voice entered their private conversation

"Jason" Dick stood up, the hate hung low in his voice

"Oh yeah we met.. What's your name again, I know it has a double meaning right?" Jason smiled hiding his sarcasm

"Oh funny man I see" Dinah intervened

"Pretty girl Dick, must have cost a fortune hiring her"

"Why you…" Dinah went to throw herself at him, to only be stopped by Dick

"Leave it Dinah, he's not worth it" Dick held her back by the waist as he dangerously looked at him

"Look, I apologise, I wouldn't want Barbara to think I was being rude to guests, especially not ones as important as her best friend and ex" Jason replied seemingly blasé about the fact that Barbara had dated Dick

"So she has told you?" Dick was surprised that Barbara had told Jason about their relationship, considering that they still see a lot of each other, he was however more surprised at how well Jason seems to be handling it

"Yes, see that the joys of dating the commissioners daughter, you get to grill her whenever you like" Jason unpleasantly taunted, obviously not as comfortable as he like to make out about the situation "Isn't that right Dick?"

Dick then let go of Dinah, as it was his turn to see red, taking hold of Jason by the scruff of the collar he easily and silently moved him from the middle of the room and against the wall within seconds, staring at him with wild eyes

"Go on then Dick… hit me, that will get rid of you" Jason warned Dick, although scared by how threatening he was without saying anything

"Come on Dick, let him go before anyone sees you" Dinah places a hand on Dicks shoulder as he tenses under it, but her voice calmed him

"Your right, like I said, he's not worth it" Dick then let go of him as Jason stood there, attempting to stand strongly but flinched as Dick made another move towards him

"Relax… I'm just straightening you up" Dicks anger now seemingly gone as he put on his charming smile again as he fluffed with Jason's collar, putting it back in place "There you are… let us know when the next party is okay" Dick then winked at Jason before walking away with Dinah, who was this guy Jason thought to himself as he quickly left the area where he was standing

---

Chapter Nineteen

Bruce was at the manor, he was suppose to be at Barbara's party but opted out of the celebration, although he was never into the whole socialite things of being the billionaire playboy, he did it, and all with a smile, but tonight he definitely wasn't in the mood to mingle with the leeches of Gotham's wanna bee's and journalists which keep the cheap champagne flowing.

He sat there silently in the library, contemplating before he heard the door of the library close

"Alfred?" Bruce called out to the darkness

"No Bruce its Selina" The voice replied

Bruce stood up from the chair and watched as the figure walked out of the darkness and was illuminated by the fire burning in the large open fireplace. Bruce didn't say anything as she continued to walk towards him, and when hey were barely a breath apart she look at him in the eyes, which were filled with tears

"I'm sorry" She whispered before Bruce muted her by putting a finger across her lips, feeling how soft they were he soon replaced his finger with his own lips

---

Chapter Twenty

"Remind me not to go to a party with you again" Dinah quipped as Dick walked her to her front door

"Hey, can't say it wasn't eventful, and at least we know that Jason's not an archangel" Dick replied, this time his smile was sincere, his blue eyes beamed, she knew he was good looking and wasn't sure if the champagne emphasized that or if it was how macho he was with Jason that got her excited

"Don't say it's over?" Dinah flirtatiously replied "There's always coffee" She smiled seductively

Dick couldn't deny that Dinah was a beautiful woman, all the curves needed to make her a perfect woman for any man to fall at her feet, her golden blonde hair framed her delicate features look set for any top catwalk as she smiled showing her perfect white teeth and full lips. With all that flooding his mind, he almost wanted to walk up the stairs and kiss her readying lips but knew it would be wrong

"Thank you, but I wouldn't want to spoil the night with coffee" He smiled at her, which didn't make her feel rejected

"Okay, no problem" She smiled at him "I'll see you around Dick" She then closed the door and looked though her key hole and watched him stand there for a moment kicking his feet at the ground, she could tell he was wondering if he had done the right thing by rejecting her, but then he started to walk off, which made her want to open the door and call him back

"No… cool it Dinah, don't get sucked in" She just kept telling herself that he was a serial dater, although she knew he wasn't, he was just misinterpreted, but there was no denying that he had slept with Huntress, dated Tarantula and was still in love with Barbara, she couldn't add herself to the list

---

Chapter Twenty-One

Jason made his way to the centre table where Barbara had patiently been waiting for him to come back

"Jason, I though you had been abducted"

"No, no i'm fine, sorry"

"You okay?" Barbara could see that Jason's hands were shaking which he quickly put under the table

"Me? Yeah i'm fine" Jason smiled reassuringly before kissing her

"I'm the most luckiest man in the world"

"Jason" Barbara smiled at him

"No I mean it" Jason turned serious, there was no way that Dick Grayson was going to get the better of him

"Two seconds" He then stood up and began tapping his champagne to get everyone's attention

"Jason? What are you doing?" Barbara looked puzzled, but Jason just turned and winked at her before facing the crowd which had formed around him, which made him a bit nervous, but he had to so this

"Ladies and gentle man, I know that we have already had a speech off Barbara's devoted father but now, after a few more champagnes I feel its time to hear from her devoted boyfriend!"

He paused for a moment for the clapping

"As a majority of you are aware from either colleagues or myself shouting it from the rooftops that I have been dating Ms Gordon for quite some time, courtesy of Jim here, now I know blind dates don't always go accordingly to plan, especially when its your boss trying to match you up with his only daughter!"

He paused again for the laughter as he paned down to Barbara and kissed her on the head as she smiled up at him

"Now lets get serious, I would like to thank Barbara and Jim and everyone else who has organised this lovely party in honour of Barbara's birthday for all her closest friends and family and it has definitely been a celebration, but its not all about the party, I was hoping for it to be a double celebration"

He turned to Barbara taking hold of her hand as she looked at him worryingly

"That is if she will let it" He then steadily went down on one knee, being careful of his damaged one

"Barbara Gordon, will you make me the most happiest man in the worlds and marry me?"

Barbara gasped as tears welled inside her as she replied

"Yes" She managed to utter as she leaned into his embrace and kissed him as he whispered in her ear

"Thank you" He kissed her again "First thing tomorrow we'll get the ring"

"To Jason and Barbara" Jim emotionally toasted before hugging both of them

"Thank you Jim" Jason shook the older mans hand before sitting back down with a smile, but rather than happiness it was more of contentment, he had won

---

Chapter Twenty-One

Selina slowly turned from here she was to look at Bruce sleeping peacefully as the moonlight hit his face, she slowly edged off the bed and headed over to the wardrobe and put on her silk dressing gown before sneaking out of the bedroom and onto the hallway. The place gave her the creeps in the early hours, when everything else is asleep, in the world that Bruce Wayne existed in, but Batman and the others day was only starting, she headed down the stairs as light footed as any cat would be, attempting not to take any notice on all the objects of Bruce's parent's which stays around the manor like a shrine to the pair, but nothing was as creepy as the room she was heading down to, the Bat cave. Even though she knows who the Batman is now and is even engaged to him, she can still not get rid of the feelings she had the first times she was brought here as Catwoman after breaking the law on several occasions, the fear in her entire body as she woke up tied to a chair, the sound of screeching bats which flew above still causes her hair to go on end every time she hears them, but she switches off those feelings as she heads down the stone cold stairs with bare feet and makes her way to the main computer, she had to do this and so sitting down at the controls she turned on the COM

"Batman… you okay?" The voice quickly picks up the signal

Selina listens to the voice, butterflies in her stomach, which she quickly denies were there

"Batman?" She could hear the concern growing in his voice as the silence stretched on, she enjoyed it

"No Nightwing" Was all she could think of for the moment; she was half hoping that he wouldn't have answered the call out as she wasn't entirely sure what or how she wanted to say what she had to

"Selina?" Nightwing was obviously surprised which was soon replaced by irritation "Why are you ringing me?" He was angry, after everything that has happened tonight he didn't need to be dealing with this right now

"I… I had to speak to you" She desperately replied finally

"I have nothing to say to you" He then goes to switch off the link before she calls out

"No! No please, I need to talk about what happened"

"No you don't have to, what stunt are you trying to pull off here?"

"Nothing, I swear, I just want you to know what a big mistake it was and that it shouldn't have ever happened"

"Damn right" He shouted before pausing, realising how obnoxious he was being

"Look, is not all your fault, I know your feeling as bad about it as I am, at least I hope so"

"Of course I am, that's why i'm ringing you, I cant sleep for thinking about it, I just want you to know that I will never do anything like that again, I love Bruce too much, I realise that now and you were just the unfortunate one to get caught in the crossfire" Selina listened for a response "Nightwing?"

"So have you always loved him?" His question came as a bit of a surprise to Selina and to himself 'What am I saying?'

"Of course I have, that's why i'm engaged to him, I would never marry him for any thing other than that"

"I know you do now, I mean… back when" She knew what he was talking about and she could tell from the sound in his voice, it had been something that he had plagued him

"I don't think we should be talking about that" Selina trying hard not to sound effected

"No, no your right, i'm sorry, just forget I asked" Nightwing sounded more embarrassed now about what he has asked her

"No I wont, look give me half an hour, I want to talk to you face to face"

She could tell that Nightwing was considering her invite very cautiously "Half an hour"

"I'll call you" And with that she switched off her end, suddenly thinking about whether she was doing the right thing meeting with him but knew she owed him that much

---

Chapter Twenty-Two

"What a night" Barbara smiled as she entered her apartment beamingly

"Yeah it was definitely something" Jason closed the door, trying hard to match her happiness

"Now I understand why you were behaving funny"

"Funny?" Jason asked insistently

"Well you must have been worried about asking me to marry you" Barbara was surprised by his reaction to the comment

Jason paused for a moment "Oh yeah, of course that's why, I thought that went without saying" Jason smiled at her before kissing her

"Were going to be so happy"

"I know" She smiles back at him, forgetting his suspicious behaviour, she would know if this was wrong, after all she was trained by the Batman

"I love you"

"I love you too" The words didn't seem natural for him to say, but he knew that he had never felt like this about anyone before, and if she was good enough for Dick Grayson, adoptive son of billionaire bachelor Bruce Wayne… 'Damn why do I keep thinking about him?'

"You okay?" Barbara moved from their embrace to look at him

"Me? Yeah i'm fine… just thinking about all the arrangements that have to be made"

"You leave them to me, you don't have to worry about any of the frilly things, I have some good girl friends"

"But before that I think we should have a get together, you know, our friends and family"

"You mean my friends and family… beside didn't we just celebrate it?"

"Your right, I haven't really got much around here have I, but that was for your birthday, this would be about us and our engagement"

"I suppose you right and its okay I'll add your name to my invites... Although" Her smile soon faded

"Although what Barbara?"

"I don't know how many will come, friends I mean, I haven't exactly got many either have I, and some I don't think some will attend"

"You mean Dick Grayson?" The name was getting harder to say the more it was spoken

Barbara slightly nodded her head to herself before turning to Jason

"I mean, I know he would come, but I think he would find it hard, I don't even now how well he has taken the news of our engagement"

'Why do you worry so much about him?' He bit his lip before replying, "I'm sure you don't have to worry about him"

"What?"

"Oh, you don't know? Well let's just say, him and Dinah didn't stay to see me propose"

"Oh… I see" Barbara turned away to consider the fact that Dick and Dinah might be a possibility, 'Would Dinah do that to me?'

"You seem upset?" Jason knelt down to her level before replying falsely

"Oh god I forgot Dinah is your friend and she has,,, with you ex"

"No, I don't mind really, me and Dick, are history, I guess i'm blowing all of this out of proportion, he's over our relationship, and so am I, as I have a handsome, intelligent, witty fiancé now" Barbara smiled before kissing him reassuringly

"And I have a gorgeous, intelligent, witty fiancé also"

"Guess I had better organise something then"

"Guess I had better leave it to you then" He jokingly replied before kissing her once again and leaving her apartment

He headed to his car which he had parked in the secluded bay opposite her apartment block, he grabbed for his keys out of his pocket before his phone rang, picking that out of his pocket instead he answered the no number call

"I though you were never going to leave Mr Bard" The voice replied at the other end

"Who is this?" Jason replied, disguising his fear

"Don't make me use my gun again Mr Bard, because next time I promised I would shoot, and I wouldn't want to do that in front of your pretty girlfriends house, sorry I mean fiancée now" Jason could hear the sick amusement of his taunting in his voice

"Y-you know, how?"

"I know everything, I though it was best if I followed you progress with the investigation, I hope this little engagement isn't going to cause a problem with your work for me?"

"No, no I promise, i'm following a good lead, I got dates and everything"

"That's good, because if I thought that Ms Gordon was causing a distraction…"

"No! Please I swear, I'll get it done for you… um did you know that Nightwing was the original Robin?"

"Of course I know that! Almost everyone in Gotham down to Metropolis knows that you fool!" He impatiently snapped

"Okay, I'm sorry, I just wanted to show you that i'm following leads"

"The leads are not good enough, I want better ones, and you have to get in deeper, find people who have gotten involved with him try Helena Bertelli"

Jason hesitated for a moment… Barbara's friend "Bertelli?"

"Huntress, god youre the detective, not me, you have four days" He then hung up the phone

Jason place the phone back into his pocket, his complexion totally drained of all colour, before he quickly jumped into his car a drove off 'What kind of friends is Barbara involved with?'

---

Chapter Twenty-Two

Nightwing landed silently at his organised meeting place, looking around cautiously, it was her voice that gave her location away

"I wasn't sure if you would show" Selina walk into sight, she looked ashamed, although she knew she shouldn't be here, he knew he shouldn't be either

"I stick to my word" He smiled awkwardly attempting to seem comfortable

"I know you do, I have always admired that about you" She smiled at him, but he maintained his composure "I though this conversation would have come sooner than this"

"I always said I would never bring this up again, but then I never expected you to get engaged to Bruce… I though you would have just… left Gotham" He seemed disappointed that she didn't, which hurt her

"I contemplated that, but this is my home, I couldn't leave, you understand that"

"And I wouldn't have wanted to push you out, it wasn't your fault, none of it was"

"Yes it was, you were seventeen, seventeen! And I was a stupid twenty something year old who had an infatuation with the chase that got out of hand, it should have ended sooner than what it had, hell it should never had happened"

"Then why did you let it?" Nightwing's voice was cold "Why didn't you push me away?"

Selina looked at him wide eyed "I ask myself that all the time, I kicked myself every time I left you, I knew I had to end it but I just couldn't, I had never had someone like you before and you were just a kid, I guess I though if I had kept you secret long enough, until you were a bit older then maybe we would have had a chance"

"Huh" Nightwing laughed to himself "Keep me in the closet for a few years and then show me to the world.., hey Batman, forget Batman and Robin, decided Catwoman and Robin was a better combo"

"It's not funny Dick" Selina scowled

"Your telling me its not, but that wasn't a serious enough answer, Selina, I asked why you started it, not why you wanted to break up with me"

Selina backed away slightly, she hadn't come to argue, she didn't want to

"Sorry… its just I don't know how to explain why" Selina paused for a moment, holding her hand to her mouth, hiding her quivering lips as she look a him, when did Robin, her Robin turn into such a man?

"When I started being Catwoman, I did it to survive, you know I wasn't born into this life, I had to fight, I had to steal to get food, to pay the rent and before you ask, I did try and get jobs but my past didn't bode well with employers and if they did hire me it was only because they though they could get their grubby hands on me because I used to get paid to do that stuff" Selina choked on her emotion and Nightwing hesitated, before reluctantly moving closer to Selina

"Its okay, you don't have to explain to me, you shouldn't have to" Nightwing was such a strong man unless it involved emotion

"Yes I do, I owe you that much" Selina held her hand to his chest before looking up to him pleadingly, he silently nodded his head

"So I started taking things I started off small, bread, clothes then it lead to charity collection boxes, open tills, closed tills, handbags. By the end of the first year of doing that my face got around pretty fast down town so I knew I had to be careful and Catwoman was born, after that I became well known and eventually it wasn't about the money, I had that, it was the thrill of getting the prize, the chase, the capture, it was my addiction, Batman realised that, but you, you seemed to look past all that and still see me, fighting to survive, I use to be astounded at how you use to stand up to Batman and how he use to listen to you, as to you fought for me, trying to give him reasons for why I was doing what I was doing, trying to make him see the good in me that he didn't, I found that enchanting, and I could tell that you were attracted to me, I found it exciting"

Selina heard the scuffing of his heavy boot across the floor as he found the last comment embarrassing "Why couldn't I affect the girls in school like that?"

"Because they didn't under stand you, and you didn't need to have them, you had Catwoman didn't you, I bet you were burning up inside every time they joked about what they would do to me if they could, whist you walked silently through the corridor knowing you had and could do that because you were with me"

"Modest aren't we?" He looked at her straight

"You know i'm right" She quirked a faint smile, there was still Catwoman in her

She was right, it was although she was there in the corridors, he had the hottest and most infamous woman in all of Gotham and he couldn't tell a living sole, but he didn't want to think about that now

"So you did it to get you own back on Batman, for treating you the way he did, so that you could laugh at him every time we came to one of your crimes, you were laughing as I stood by his side because he didn't know a damn thing that was going on!" His voice became infuriated again

"No! Never, I was with you because he was so horrible, I was terrified of him and then there was you, always there by his side, the light, you made those times easier to deal with because I know you would keep me safe"

"Right, so now your saying you were with me so I could keep him buttered up, stop him from arresting you because I was in love with you!"

Selina look at him in silence "You were in love with me?"

Nightwing didn't realise in his outburst that he had admitted that to her, but he couldn't take it back "Of course I loved you, I was young, you were my… well you know, what do you recon"

"I didn't realise how hard it must have been for you" Selina dropped her voice compassionately, looking at Nightwing that seemed beaten by his emotions

" I just though about how I felt and how angry I was after you broke it off, I didn't think you cared at all, that in the end all I was, was being used again but by a 'kid' that wanted some experience so he could brag to his mates"

"No, I broke it off because I realised that it was wrong and that if Batman ever found out, it would have broken the oath and his trust, I couldn't do that, not to him, I was the only one there for him and if he thought that I couldn't be trusted, I don't know what that would have done to him"

"I know how loyal you were to him, you still are"

"So you can understand why I am beating myself up after, the last time" Nightwing held his head in shame

"Just think of it this way, you were here first" Selina attempted to make him smile

"That's not funny, and besides I don't think he would see it that way"

"I'm sorry" She stepped back again, embarrassed by her last comment

"Its okay"

"I mean i'm sorry about getting engaged to him"

"Its fine" She could tell he was lying by his swift response

"I'll admit, because I know that you are asking me this question in you head, that at first I did only get with Batman to get back at you, I just wanted you to understand how hurt I was and wanted to prove to you that Batman didn't care about any oath, that he would date me and not care what you thought"

"It hurt me to see you with him" She could hear and see the past feelings reliving themselves inside him and for the first time since she laid eyes on him as Nightwing, she could see the seventeen year old Robin still inside him

"But I got over it, moved on and so what"

"I knew it did, I saw it every time I saw you, and I taunted you, and you couldn't say a damn thing, you just stood there and bit your lip like a good little soldier"

"I couldn't bare to think what you were doing with him, I knew where he was going every night because I use to do the same thing, and all I could do was turn over in bed and try to stop thinking about it, about you and him" Nightwing's emotions were in tatters, everyone was being taking away from him, including Barbara, he then sat down on the ledge, he didn't even feel uncomfortable about how he was acting

Selina awkwardly stood there for a moment before walking and sitting close to him

"This isn't just about me is it?"

Nightwing shook his head "Barbara's got a boyfriend, I lost her as well because I worried too much about everyone else, that I couldn't tell her how I really feel, i'm just going to let her get away"

"You don't have to let that happen you know"

Nightwing raised his head, realising suddenly that he was talking to Selina about Barbara

"This isn't about Barbara" His voice turning cold again "If you love him, like you say you do, then why did you come back to me?"

"Because I was mad at him, and I remembered how nice you were to me, I thought I could get that back"

"So is that going to happen every time you argue?" His voice was displeasing

"Of course not, I don't know why I though it would help things, I wasn't thinking right, I turned back into Catwoman"

"So Selina loves him?" Nightwing thought deeply

"Yes" She replied honestly

"And Catwoman loves someone else?" He knew where he was going with this and frankly he didn't care at that moment

He was right, it was although Selina and Catwoman were two different people, like Jekyll and Hyde "Yes" She nodded her head disgracefully

Nightwing paused for a moment looking at her, he couldn't deny it, he couldn't pretend to be mad, he realised now that Selina was like him, two different people, living two different lives, so he leaned into her closely and whispered into her ear which sent shivers down her spine

"Be Catwoman"

Selina looked at him with suprisement, she could tell he wasn't joking

"I cant" Tears welling up inside as she fought desperately against the feelings rushing over her, but Nightwing said nothing to her, only getting closer and gently bringing her face around to look at him, they look at each other deeply before he lent in and kissed her, this time it was her who didn't fight back

---

Chapter Twenty-Three

Jason arrived swiftly at his apartment and bounded up the stair, throwing his belongings to one side he sat down at the computer and started looking up Huntress aka Helena Bertelli, Barbara's friend and it didn't take long before the gossip web pages started discussing Nightwing's growing relationship with Huntress after the pair being spotted around Gotham regularly and eventually an armature photograph of the couple was posted on the internet of the two embracing atop of a building, but after the photo was published it begun a conspiracy that it had been a set up, a hoax to break up the Batman clang with having a relationship in the group, especially after Nightwing and Batgirl had dated and also to exaggerated the fact that Nightwing was already well known for his past involvement with the female superheroes in Gotham and possibly further

But Jason looked at the photo carefully, he had a good eye and could tell that it was not a hoax, everything was there and it was definitely not doctored, so it was true, Nightwing did have a brief romance with Huntress 'lucky dog' Which meant that he must know who Huntress was and therefore did Helena know who Nightwing was? After printing off the information he read and re-read everything word for word and word again until the early hours

****

"What are we doing?" Selina purred as she lay in Dick's arms

Dick turned to her a kissed her "Something we shouldn't be"

"I know, maybe we just needed, to finalise things?"

"And this was that?" Dick raised his eyebrow

"I don't know, we both know we shouldn't be, but yet here we are"

"I know I should be feeling guilty, we both should be"

"But you don't?" Understanding what he meant

"I know that it will come, once we see Bruce"

"Lets not think about him now" Selina leaned into him again, kissing him passionately until the ringing of his phone interrupted them

Dick looked at her before kissing her and getting up to answer the phone

"Hello" He turned to look at Selina who was still lying in the bed and he almost forgot he was on the phone

"Dick… hello?"

"Oh hey Dinah, what's up?"

"How are you after last night?"

"Great, yeah thanks"

"Really, you seemed, a bit tense, after you almost punched Jason into the next millennium"

Dick had almost forgotten everything about last night up until he met with Selina "Oh him, yeah well, i'm not going to let him bother me"

"I'll ask you that after I tell you" Dinah seemed awkward "But I though that you would be better off hearing it off me first"

"What Dinah?" Dicks voice turned serious

"After we left the party, Jason… proposed to Barbara"

"What!" Dick's suprisement caused Selina to get up out of the bed, covering herself with the sheet so she could go over to him to see what the matter was

"She said yes"

"Oh right" He repeatedly nodded his head "Yeah well it's always the next stage isn't it"

"You okay?" Dinah asked

"Fine yeah, hopefully now we can put all the ghosts to rest, bye Dinah" He then put the phone down

"What's wrong?" Selina rested her hand on his shoulder, he didn't respond for a while as he stared at the ground "Dick?"

He then looked up at her "Nothings wrong Selina, gossip queen though it was best for me to know that Jason and Barbara are engaged"

Selina knew how close the pair was and what they meant to each other, she also knew that it was very rocky "And you're okay with that?"

"Why shouldn't I be, it's not like as if I was ever going to do it was I?"

"Bu you still loved her?"

Dick was growing annoyed with her presents although she was only helping, it wasn't her place to "Well maybe now that she's engaged, I might get a chance again, is that right Selina? Is that how you women work?"

Selina looked at him though red eyes before slapping him hard across the face

"You'll be lucky" She then locked herself in the bathroom to get changed, only to come out to leave "Don't ever talk to me again"

"This isn't about you" Dick shouted as she slammed the door behind her "It's about her" He said to himself as he sat by the phone before throwing it against the wall

---

Chapter Twenty-Four

"You were right, Nightwing did screw Huntress"

"That's a nice way of putting it" Shriek replied pleasantly

"I don't want to put it nicely, I just want to get this done so I can get on with my life"

"And live happily ever after, with you're soon to be wife"

"That's right"

"Well at least I know your going to be working faster and harder then"

"I just want this to end" he replied desperately

"Don't worry, you will never hear from me again, once I get what I want"

"I'm going to talk to Helena, Huntress tonight"

"How do you expect to do that?" Shriek replied inquisitively

Jason paused for a moment, he didn't want this mad man to know that Helena was Barbara's friend, as he knew that Shrike would want to interview Barbara and he would hate to think how he would do that "I work at GCPD, I have ways"

"You know you only have two more days, I don't do credit"

"I know but once I speak to her, i'm sure I will have a clearer picture, she must know who he is, or at least what he looked like, whether he had any identifiable marks and so on"

"Lets hope so, for your sake" He then hung up the phone and a second later Barbara entered the room

"Who was that Jason?"

"That… no one don't worry"

"You sure you haven't got another woman?" Barbara joked

"Were having our engagement party tonight, I hardly think I will find anyone better than you"

---

Chapter Twenty-Five

Dick discontentedly entered the room arm in arm with Dinah who was holding him so hard, seemingly so that he wouldn't run away. Dinah pleaded with him to come to Barbara and Jason's engagement, just to show Barbara that he accepts it and therefore it would be easier for the two to get over it or around the matter for when they will have to work together again, which is indefinitely, he could understand her point, he would have to get over it eventually

"You're going to stay here?" Dinah looked at him

"You got me this far" He smiled as she walked away before it dropped as he spotted the pair coming towards him

"Bruce" Dick sounded surprised, although he knew he shouldn't be, Bruce was her friend as well

"Dick, how are things, seems a long time since we have spoken" Bruce smiled at Dick before lowering his voice "Everything is alright isn't it?" Relating to Batman business

"That, yeah everything is fine" He looked at Selina briefly as her eyes burned into him as she stood beside Bruce "Tim not here?"

"No, someone had to keep watch" Bruce then looked at Dick again, something seemed to be troubling him, he had almost forgotten why they were here "You okay, being here?"

Dick looked back at Bruce before glancing at Selina with the corner of his eye

"I'm not a child anymore, I can handle the situation quite fine" Dick smiled at him blankly

"If you'll excuse me" Dick nodded his head at Bruce before looking at Selina

"Selina"

"Dick" Selina replied resentfully before he walked off

He eventually ended up at the bar, he waited by the bar for his drink but before he got his order he heard his name, he looked behind him and met eyes with Barbara

"Barbara" His chest became constricting

"Dick" Barbara seemed anxious "I'm glad you came"

Dick was about to reply but his words were overwhelmed by a pleasant scream

"Richard Grayson!" The shorthaired blonde shouted from half way across the floor before grabbing him in a tight embrace "Long time no see"

"Trixie, how are you" Dick smiled at her, trying to match her happiness

"Fine thanks, come on I gotta introduce you to my friends" She grabbed him by the hand before dragging him away, leaving Dick and Barbara only to hold a brief look at each other before he was taken away

"Barbara, have your friends arrived?" Jason entered her track of thought

"Yeah, pretty much thanks Jason, Trixie has just… well she just came over to say hi and I think Dinah and Helena are over at the balcony"

"Good" Jason said to himself

"You're glad my friends are here then?" Barbara smiled at him

"Of course I am, we can get this started now, I had better go and say hello" With that he headed off to the direction of the balcony

Dinah and Helena were stood overlooking the spectacular views before hearing Jason calling

"Girls, there you are!" He shouted as he walked towards them

"Urgh, here we go" Dinah muttered

"What's wrong Dinah?" Helena looked at her but Jason was already stood by them before she had chance to hear an explanation

"How are we both?" Jason smiled at the pair, but spending the majority of the time looking at Dinah

"Fine thank you Jason, I was just saying to Dinah what an amazing view this place has"

"You like it Dinah?" Jason looked at her before she looked back distastefully

"I did" She replied smarmy "If you would excuse me, I need another drink" She then walked past him abruptly

"She's in one of those moods" Helena apologised for her

"It's fine, probably because she's at an engagement party alone"

"Probably" Helena smiled but then remembered that she too was here on her own

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean that you would be acting like that too"

"No it's alright; you get use to it after a while"

"I'm sure you haven't been alone for that long"

"Let's just say that I haven't had an official boyfriend for a while"

Jason smiled, he knew he was onto something "Really, so they're more off the radar?"

"Something like that" Helena played with her glass felling awkward with the way the conversation was heading, but he didn't seem to care a bit

"Was he well known?"

She looked at him, baffled about his sudden interest in her personal life "I really shouldn't be talking about this"

"Oh, he must have been" Jason smiled at her, which caused her to laugh as he filled up her glass with more wine

"He was more, well known for what he was acquainted with"

"Really, must have been a bit controversial then?"

"I soon realised that you shouldn't get involved in that sort of family"

'The Bat family?' He thought to himself, he had it "And what sort of family is that?"

Helena didn't say anything, but looked behind him, leading him to follow her gaze, he finally fell on Bruce Wayne

"Bruce Wayne, you were involved with Bruce?" Jason was wrong; Bruce couldn't be Nightwing, could he?

"No! God no, maybe I wish maybe, no, it was his 'son''"

"Dick Grayson!" Is there anything that doesn't involve him?

"It was only brief" Surprised by his reaction "And Barbara knows about it, it was over before it had even begun anyway and we both knew it would cause more trouble than it was worth, besides we both knew we didn't love each other"

"How long ago was this?" He asked, forgetting to hide his desperation

"I don't know, last April, look why does it matter "Helena became annoyed by his prying

It was the same time she had the relationship with Nightwing "No, it doesn't matter to me, I just wanted to know more about Barbara's friends and what they were like"

"What are you trying to say?"

"Don't worry about it too much, enjoy the party, hook up with someone, start another controversial relationship, this time maybe sell your story, you can give up your teaching career, concentrate on you extra curricula activities, you know what i'm saying" Jason winked at her sleazily before walking off

"Urgh" Helena turned up her nose, understanding why Dinah wanted to get away from him and finally found Dinah by the bar

"Helena, finally got away from the cockroach I see" Dinah sat at the bar elegantly, ignoring the remarks giving off from Jason's police friends which only raised with the entrance of Helena

"I understand what you mean, should we tell Barbara?"

"I don't know, but what do we say 'Hey Barb, you know Jason, the guy you're about to marry, well he's a total slime ball"

"Tell me about it, he was asking, very personal questions, about my past relationships, then once I started to get curious about his motives, he said something that…" Helena looked concerned; whatever he had said had worried her

"What did he say?"

"He said that eventually maybe I could quite teaching and concentrate on my extra curricular activities… Dinah do you think he knows who I am?" She asked anxiously

"I'm not sure, I mean he is a detective" Dinah sat upright as she though about what he had said to her

"Well he doesn't seem overly bothered that he knew, he was more interested in my love life, pervert" Helena shivered remembering how smarmy he came across

Dinah looked at her for a moment before it finally hit her "Who did you say it was?"

"What?"

"Who did you say you last fling was?" Knowing full well of who it was

"Relax, I said Dick not Nightwing i'm not that stupid to give my identity that way"

"No you didn't give you identity away, but you might have given away Dicks, you remember that photo?" Dinah had seen it on Barbara's computer, proving to her that no matter how much she denied the fact that she didn't care about what Huntress and Nightwing got up to, it clearly was not the case as she hid the photo in a secret file so that she could look at it in self-pity

"Of Huntress and Nightwing?" Helena seemed almost ashamed of it now

"Yeah, well that was controversial wasn't it, and Jason wanted to know about your controversial relationship and you think that he knows you other identity"

"He wants to find out Nightwing's identity!" Helena gasped

"And you probably just gave it to him on a plate"

---

Chapter Twenty-Six

"Once again, I would like to thank you all for coming, but I will promise you, I will keep this speech short, since I have already proposed to her"

Everyone laughed and Barbara smiled before gazing over to Dick, he seemed so miserable, even through he was shrouded by Trixie's friends

"So I would like to make a toast to the Barbara, the love of my life… to the beautiful Barbara"

Everyone repeated after him, raising their glasses high in the air towards Barbara, and echoed the words "To the beautiful Barbara" She smiled once more, but again her eyes landed on Dick and her heart thumped as she realised that he was looking back at her, and then all she could hear was his voice 'Beautiful Barbara'

Panicking at the feelings she had overwhelming her she started to wheel away from the table

"Barbara, are you okay?" Jason asked concerned as he sat beside her

"I… I think I need some air," Barbara gasped as she looked at Dick before wheeling out of the restaurant

"Honey" Jason stood up ready to follow his fiancé before Jim placed a shoulder on his

"Let her go, its been an emotional time" With that Dick swiftly moved from where he was out of the door without catching anyone's attention as everyone quietly muttered between each other

"Barbara! Barbara wait" Dick called to her, he could hear her weeping from where he was

"I… I can't do this right now Dick please" She cried putting her hand defensively against him as her other hand covered her face

"Do what?" Dick took hold of her shaking hand which was pressed against him

"I can't talk to you about this, not now, not yet"

"That's fine, I don't expect it" Knowing she was talking about Jason

"Yes you do, I know you expect it, want it, you want to know why I didn't mentioned him sooner and why I accepted his proposal"

"I'm not denying that I haven't though about that, but I would never force you to tell me, I have known for weeks now and have I come up to you and asked?"

"You haven't come up to me at all" She replied still upset

"I didn't want you to think that I was invading, your personal life is your own now, I accept that"

Barbara burst out in tears again, Dick knelt down to her level protectively "I wish you wouldn't" She whispered into his chest

"Wouldn't what?" Dick moved so he could look at her

"Wouldn't accept this, I wanted you to fight, to show some emotion but you haven't, I wanted you to fight for me"

"Fight for you?" Dick looked at her confused "Why?"

"Because then I would have known how you felt about me, I just don't know you anymore"

"So all this, Jason, the engagement, it's all just a test too see how I would react, I suppose you had Dinah involved as well did you, get her to report back to you after your birthday?" Dick replied angrily

"What game are you trying to play with me?"

"No! No it's no game, please" She grabbed for him as he moved away

"Do you love him?" Dick asked her as he stood away from her

"What?" Barbara looked up at him in despair

"Do you love him? Really? Or is he just part of the test?"

"Jason is kind, caring and will look after me…"

"So that's why your with him is it, because you think that he will protect you and he does it all without a secret identity, so you can show off you hero, not keep it secret like you had to with me"

"No! That's not why, I didn't care that you were Nightwing, I loved you as Dick Grayson"

"So? Do you love him" Dick repeated his question, this time demanding answers

Barbara hesitated for a moment "Look what love got me last time, it broke me, if that's what love feels like then I don't want it, Jason is all I need"

"So you don't" Dick replied evenly

"I don't need to love him, I just know he's right for me and one day I will grow to love him, its a normal relationship, unlike me and you, I will get use to it" Barbara stared at Dick waiting for a response but noticed that his eyes were drawn form her, she turned around to see what he was looking at

"Jason!"

"I uh came to see if you were alright" He stood hesitantly behind the quarrelling two, Dick backing off as he rested his hands above his head as he turned away

"So i'm just gonna go back inside okay, let you two talk it out, I will see you later Barbara" Jason's devastation obvious in his voice, maybe he hadn't won after all but he wasn't going to show Dick that he cared, he had other ways of destroying him now

"Jason let me explain"

Jason continued walking back to the restaurant just holding his hand to her "No it's all right, we'll talk later" Her then closed the door behind her

Dick walked back towards the motionless Barbara "Barbara i'm sorry"

"Save it Grayson!" She snapped, "You have ruined enough already" She ordered before leaving him standing there

---

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Barbara sat at in her dark apartment alone, Jason opted to go home rather than stay, using the ancient excuse that he had 'important business to attend to', but she knew it was because he was hurt, and who could blame him, he overheard her and her ex discussing that she doesn't love him anymore, which isn't entirely true, Barbara did have feelings which she could not explain to Dick as he wouldn't understand as its simple to Dick, you either love someone or you don't which seems a bit remarkable for him to think that way, considering his relationship with Batman but she didn't want to bring that up, besides, if she didn't have any feelings for him, would she be feeling as guilty as she was now? Picking up her phone, she began dialling Jason's number but hesitated to dial, it didn't seem right to speak to him over the phone, she had to see him face to face, explain to him what she really feels, then he could see for himself how much she is hurting, and so she grabbed her coat and headed down the lift into her specially modified car, fully equipped with all the necessities both for Barbara and Oracle business.

It didn't take her long to get to Jason's apartment, considering the time of night, or morning as the case may have been, but she didn't care what time it was, she had to speak to him, thankfully however Jason appeared to still be awake as his light was still on, not feeling the need to press the buzzer as she had a key already as he sis with her apartment, she let herself in quietly as not to disturb others living in the block.

Making her way across the corridor form the lift she reached his apartment door and upon opening, she could not see or hear Jason

"Jason?" Barbara spoke quietly so as not to wake him in case he had fallen asleep, yet making her way around the bedroom or lounge he did not appear to be asleep, she finally heard life coming from his study, a place where she did not spend much time in as it was full to the top with files of new and old unsolved cases which he hadn't had chance to look at yet, but over the past several days, he had become very possessive of his privacy in his study, asking not to be disturbed at all and locking the door, but today the door was open

"Oh my god!" Barbara gasped as she looked into Jason office where she hadn't recently been allowed, and now it was clear why, the man was obsessed

"Barbara!" Jason jumped out of his seat and turned on the light, which shrouded him in darkness, he then attempted to bungle up all the articles relating to Batman and his fellow assistance, but no more than Nightwing

"You have to stop this Jason!" Barbara pleaded fearfully

"Stop what? This is what I do, I am a detective, I get paid for doing this!" Jason's voice rose as he turned to look at her

"Who's paying you to do this? Some crooked cop, or worst?" The fear was clear in her voice as well as her eyes

Jason hesitated for a moment "No one" He weakly replied

"What do you think they are going to do with the information, their identities once they know? Send them in to the local news, embarrass them for a bit?" There was a slight edge to her sarcastic tone

"No! I know exactly what they would do to, and its not about them, they don't care about Batman, Robin, Catwoman, its about Nightwing, and do you know what, I don't care what they do with the information! Maybe then me and you could get on with our lives!" He shouted at her and then mumbled "Without him"

"That's what this is all about isn't it, you're willing to let somebody who has helped thousands upon thousands of people, including me and you, and you want to kill him because your jealous"

"Can you blame me, I can't compare to Nightwing… you still love him, don't you"

"That's no excuse for what you doing" She went to leave but was stopped by Jason holding her chair

"Your going to rat me in aren't you, no matter what your still more loyal to those freaks than you are to me, I have been the one here for you not him!"

"Jason let me go!" She struggled to release his grip on her chair but his grip just got tighter

"No, i'm sorry I can't let you do that, theirs too much at risk" He pleaded with her

"You mean your at risk, with who ever you are messing with, my father though you were one of the good, and do you know what, even I started to believe that"

"Do you think i'm that shallow, unlike some, I don't always think about myself, I love you and no matter what else, I would give the world for you, i'm doing this for us!" Jason looked at her, desperate for her understanding

"They are going to kill him unless I warn him, please don't let this happen if your still the man I thought you were… are" She pleaded with him

"Its too late, I have found out who he is, if I didn't know maybe I could stop it, but if he has a hunch that I know and i'm not telling them, I don't know what he'll do"

"You know?" Barbara gasped

"I'm a good detective, hence why I got the job, and to think you knew the whole time and it was right under my nose, I don't need to tell you how I worked it out" Relating to the conversation between Barbara and Dick

"A good detective would have use their detective skill, not stalking" She had forgotten until that point that she had related to Dick as being Nightwing, how could she have been so stupid?

"I wasn't stalking, I was concerned about you"

"Oh please, you just wanted to see what I had to say to him once you saw me with him"

"Can you blame me, you practically told him you still love him and not me!"

"So that a good enough reason to get him killed, envy? That he's something your not, well it's not going to happen" She then punched him viciously, causing him to back off which gave her chance to head for the door

"No! Barbara" He jumped for her and they both fell to the floor "There's too much as risk" They struggled on the floor for a few minutes, although Barbara didn't have the use of her legs, she gave quite a fight until Jason knocked her out, Jason held her for a moment, and emotionally spoke to her still body

"Please forgive me, well work things out once I get home" He then kissed her gently before resting her back in her chair and grabbing his coat, he hadn't long until he was to meet with his tormentor

---

Chapter Twenty-Eight

It took Dick an hour or so to finally reach his apartment block, he felt sick of the sight of it, he felt sick of everything in his life, and how could he have made such a mess of his life 'How do others do it?'. He wondered to himself, was it because of his parents dying, or maybe it was because he was brought up in a trailer and then thrown into the lime night so soon after his parents death as Bruce Wayne's ward, was it because he didn't have the chance or the opportunity to grieve for his parents death because of the fact that Robin was born? Was it because of Batman, being the way that he was, that he could never hold a stable relationship or that he could never come to terms or understand his emotions because he was taught and trained to do everything except for that, he was brought up to be a crime fighter, a soldier to fight for Gotham, not to have emotions or worry about feelings, just to find the best possible tactics to get the situation under control with minor casualties, that's how he was brought up, not to be a man, but a machine, 'was that where it all went wrong? Was it because I fought for something I shouldn't have, a normal life?'

Dick headed up the stairs and into his apartment and was greeted with the black outline of a figure

"I was wondering when you were going to stop pacing the floor and come up" The voice was irritated

"Sorry, I didn't realise I had a guest" Dick replied coldly

"That was quite some stand off"

"I though you were never going to speak to me again" Dick turned to face her as she turned on the light

"Decided that was going to be harder than it seemed" She smiled crudely

"I'm not in the mood to play your games Selina"

"But you wanted me to play yours" Her expression dropped to a dangerous glare, what was he messing with?

"It wasn't a game Selina, it was a mistake, one that I will regret for the rest of my life"

Selina growled at him before lunging at him, throwing her entire body weight at him, Dick quickly reacted to her attack but was too late before he was bowled over as the pair crashed to the floor

"You'll regret it alright" Selina snarled as she clawed at his face, the searing pain caused Dick to unwillingly call out before he overpowered her, pinning her to the floor, breathing heavily, mostly in attempt to contain his temper he looked at her, her anger now filled with a glint of fear as she looked at him, the large claw like cut across his face making him look all the more threatening

"I suggest you get back to Bruce and pretend none of this ever happened" he looked at her, she could tell he was on the verge of breaking

"Get off me then!" She shouted as she kicked him out of the way and made it quickly to the window, but before leaving, she turned to look at him

"And I thought Batman was the cold hearted one" She sounded almost upset as she said it before jumping out if the window

Dick stared at the window before sitting down at the table, resting his head in his hands, feeling the warm blood between his fingers, he had to get her away, it was wrong, everything was wrong.

He was almost starting to enjoy the silence when his COM went off in his pocket, he ignored it at first but the continuing beeping started to irritate him

"What!"

"Whoa! Chill man!" Robin's voice came over

"Sorry" Dick paused lowering his voice "What's up?"

"There's something odd going down in the centre, I think you had better go check it out"

Dick sighed; he wasn't in the mood for Nightwing tonight and at the moment any night for that matter "Can't someone else look it up Robin?"

"I did think abut that, but I think you will see why I contacted you once you turn on the T.V" Robin's voice was slightly amused but Dick could tell that it was only to cover up additional feelings, mostly anxiety over the matter

Dick picked up the remote and turned on the television and was unsurprised to see a regular programme had been interrupted by a breaking news bulletin which was a regular occurrence in Gotham, he looked at the picture which was consumed by flames and fire fighters attempting to douse it out before being forced back by the explosions, Dick studied the footage carefully before the importance of it came to light

"What the…" Dick gasped out

"Knew you would see why I contacted you personally"

"Uh huh" Dick looked closer at the picture on the T.V and was surprised that he hadn't noticed it sooner as there, clear as day, seemingly spelled out by lit petrol or some other highly flammable liquid atop of the burning building was the name Grayson before the roof collapsed into it

"I'll meet you there" Tim replied before cutting off communication

"No Tim, I think its best if… Robin?" Dick called out at the dead end, desperately changing into his Nightwing costume before the COM started ringing again

"Robin, look don't go there…" But he was interrupted by an unexpected voice

"No its Black Canary, listen it's an emergency, Barbara has been hurt"

"What…how?" The panic evident in his voice, atop of everything now Barbara is hurt

"We were worried abut her after the party, Jason's behaviour concerned Huntress and me so we headed to her apartment and we couldn't get an answer so went to Jason's and eventually we had to break in and found her on the floor, she hasn't woken up yet but Jason we cant find Jason, Huntress is out looking, God help him"

"Just take care of her okay, I'll be round as soon as I can, I just got to do something before"

"No, listen Nightwing, when we were looking for him we looked in his study and your everywhere, the guys a complete whacko"

"We have more important things to worry about than a crazed fan"

"No he's not a fan, believe me, but he knows who you are, we read his manuscript, it gives your identity as Dick Grayson"

Dick paused for a moment and looked back at the T.V, was this Jason? But no sooner had he had that suspicion, something else caught his attention

"Dick?" Dinah called out as she heard a loud sound coming from his end of he line

"I gotta go Dinah" He threw the COM to one side as he realised the piercing sound was that of a missile, he looked at the window and spotted it heading straight for his apartment, running as quick as he could he jumped out of the lounge area where it would hit before it exploded through the window causing glass and debris to graze his torso as it blasted him back and through a partition wall,

"Oh my god Dick!" Dinah shouted as she heard the deafening explosion before Nightwing's communicator went off line

---

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Selina was making her way quickly from the apartment, muttering obscenities that only she could hear, but was quickly stopped in her tracks as she too heard the sound of a missile flying through the sky, she could just manage to follow the trail of smoke and locate it just before it hit the apartment block, she recognised the location quickly as she had only been there minutes before

"Dick!" She gasped before quickly heading back in the direction from which she came

As she effortlessly glided through the air and ran atop of the buildings, unaware of anything except for reaching her designation she heard her communicator

"Hello?" She quickly answered it as she jumped over a wall

"Selina, your locator says you're near the area, did you see an explosion?"

"Sure did, i'm heading in that direction, you know who's building that was right?" her voice sounding as worried as Dinah's

"Yes, I was talking to him, think he spotted it before it hit though, at least I hope so"

"There's civilians living in there, you need to get everyone to the building to evacuate"

"I'm working on it"

"You're working on it? Where's Oracle?"

"Unconscious, look don't worry about that, you need to get there quick, I have spoken to Robin and he said there's someone out to get him who knows his identity…. I think it's Jason" Dinah unenthusiastically informed her

"Barbara's fiancé? You kidding, like he would be able to pull this off"

"Well I don't know, maybe he's working for someone, were on our way so I'll explain more when I get there"

"Lets hope were not too late, for all of them" Selina knew that the apartment block was full of residents and doubts all of them will be able to get out without assistance, she also hoped that Dick did notice the missile before it hit and he managed to get out of the way and was already helping people… she hoped

---

Chapter Thirty

Dazed from the impact he stumbled to his feet before feeling a burning hot pain in his side, he winced as he fell back to the floor before looking at his side and gasped as he noticed that it wasn't a piece of debris as he expected but a sword, and by the handle which was all that he could see as the rest of it was deep in his side he could clearly identify who his attacker was, and so turning from looking at his side still slouched on his knees his unmasked face noticed a pair of red clad feet before him, he looked up painfully and managed to force out his name

"Shriek"

"Glad you remember my name Grayson, though I would have been a lost memory, since i'm suppose to be dead" Shriek smiled psychotically as he saw the blood on the floor and seeing Nightwing fallen stature

"You are" Nightwing attempted to stand up, using the wall as leverage before being kicked back down, he could taste the blood in his mouth

"Then how do you suppose i'm here, or is this all just a bad dream?"

"Because you're not the real Shriek, I was there when he died" Nightwing winced as Shriek pulled the sword from out of him and he closed his eyes as the bloodied sword was held in his face

"I'm as much Shriek as the failed one, he trained me and I have learned from his mistakes"

"Boone?" Nightwing finally recognised the face

"That's right Dick, who would have though that we would both end up like this?"

"Shrike, the real one was psychotic, after he died, I would have though you would have bettered of yourself than become him" His head was beginning to feel light from the loss of blood which was seeping through his entire costume

"I have bettered myself, i'm better than what I could have ever expected, better than what he would have expected, I will defend his title by killing you" Shrike then picked Nightwing up by the throat and held the sword to his stomach but was interrupted by the voice in his earpiece

"Don't forget the deal, Shriek, i'm not paying you so you to have the honour of killing him"

"Fine" Shrike turned off his earpiece to look at Nightwing "Looks like it's your lucky day, well for now anyway" And with that he punched him in the face, knocking him out

Shriek place him on the floor and looked at him for a moment, he was a similar age to him but yet he had done so much with his life, he had no superpowers and yet he had been the leader of the Titans, which was full of meta humans, and yet it was Robin who lead them and then he had the same leadership role when he formed the Outsiders when he became Nightwing, people looked up to him and he was just a man and yet Shriek had his life in his hand. He remembered his mentor, the first Shrike telling him that he would never be as good as Batman's Robin, that he would be nothing unless he beat him, for his entire life he was forced to watched every footage of Robin that was caught on tape, over and over again, he was made to attempt every manoeuvre he did, ending in shattered legs and arms, dislocated shoulders and failure,

"Robin is the one to watch, he can hold his own, unlike you" Is one of the only things he can remember his mentor saying to him

Even when Robin wasn't involved in his humiliation, he was the coarse of his pain and after the fateful night which saw the death of the first Shriek, Robin only enthralled him more, thinking that if he was more like him then he would have been able to have saved his mentors life like Robin did time and time again for Batman and the infatuation continued once he became Nightwing and a hero in his own name

"But who's the most powerful now?" Shriek then picked up the still body and carried him out of the burning building, ignoring the screaming of those surrounding him as they attempted to escape the fiery building in panic

---

Chapter Thirty-One

"Catwoman?" The voice sounded surprised

"Don't act like you didn't know I was going to be here"

"Still doesn't mean I can't be surprised, though you had given this all up" Robin quirked an eyebrow at the latex beauty, sure he had seen pictures and footage of Catwoman in her hay day and even see's Selina on a day to day basis but he was still amazed

"Yeah well, something's can make you fall back on those you can trust and count on"

"Well as much as I would love to hear about that, Batman said to wait for you and then get you on civilian watch"

"What!" It was obvious Catwoman was less than impressed with her duty

"He just doesn't wasn't you to get hurt" Robin looked at her sympathetically before heading into the building

"Yeah right, more like he doesn't trust me" She said to herself before heading to assist those on the ground

Upon entering Dick's apartment, the first thing that hit him was the total devastation the explosion had done to the place, there was practically nothing left of the lounge and kitchen and what was, was now smouldering due to the heat of the flames, he knew by the loud creaking and moving flooring the ground beneath him was unstable and so had to find Nightwing quickly, he searched the entire apartment before noticing the hole in one of the partition wall

"Nightwing!" He shouted out as he headed to the wall and peered behind to find noting but a debris covered bathroom, but more disturbing was the blood on the floor, quickly getting a small device out of his utility belt he analysed the blood sample on the ground and fearing what he though was already the correct answer, the blood matched Dicks DNA

"Black Canary?" Robin desperately called out over his COM

"Yes Robin"

"He's not here and by the look of it he's in a bad way" Robin looked again at the blood and noticed that Nightwing must have been dragged from the scene, he then followed the trail through the hallway and onto the stairwell

"Some one has him, tell Catwoman to keep an eye out" Robin ordered before running out of the apartment and down the flights of stairs

"Catwoman, Robin thinks Nightwing has been taken, he's attempting to follow the tracks, try and find a possible exit they would use" Black Canary anxiously ordered Catwoman as she was trying to get to grips of the command centre 'Where's Huntress?'

"Got it" And with that she headed closer to the apartment block, excited that she is involved in the action once more "Just like old times"

"How do you do it Barbara?" Black Canary sighed as she looked at the concussed woman who at that moment began to stir

"Barbara, Barbara can you hear me, its Dinah" She took hold of Barbara's shoulders to support her as she woke

"What… Jason" She began muttering

"Its okay Barb, we have it sorted" Dinah falsely smiled at her

"No, Jason knows, Dick's…" She weakly replied

"Yes, we know, I have Robin, Catwoman and Huntress all on the case"

"Nightwing?" She weakly asked, as she was still dazed, her head thumping from where she had been hit

"We have it sorted Barbara, you just take it easy for now okay" Dinah then turned back to the computer wearingly, knowing that to tell Barbara that Dick had been taken would cause her unnecessary stress at the moment

"How's it going Robin?"

"Cant seem to see anything, the smoke is getting too thick, he must have left the building another way" Robin attempted to look through the smog, not expecting to see anything and yet, amongst the debris and thick soot he could just make out a figure moving fast down the corridor even though he was carrying a person over his shoulder, Robin was about to call out to see if they needed any assistance before realising that it was Nightwing that was being carried

"Wait I have spotted something, on the west side, he has Nightwing!" Robin shouted as he ran through the smoke filled main hallway which lead to the outside, but before he had chance to get anywhere close enough, he attracted the attention of the captor, the figure said noting as he turned to look at the young boy who was gallantly running towards him

"You Robin's sure do have some guts" And with that Shriek aimed a gun above Robin's head and shot at the already unstable ceiling causing it to crash down, narrowly missing Robin as he jumped out of the way, He turned and watched for a moment and was disappointed when Robin wasn't trapped underneath the falling debris, but he didn't have time to finish the job, the others were looking for him

"Catwoman he's blocked me off, I can't get to him" Robin called out before heading back up the stairwell to make his exit somewhere else

"On my way!" Catwoman replied before setting on foot to the back of the building and as expected found the pair; she recognized the red costume almost instantly

"Shriek!" She knew alerting his attention to her in that way was a grave error on her part, but after all she believed that this man was dead, but she needn't worry about that for the moment, he knew she was there now and for that reason alone she would have to move fast.

Shriek said nothing, only turning around with great composure and watched as she came running towards him and once she was where he wanted and expected her to go, he removed three daggers from his glove and threw one which swiftly entered her upper leg causing her to collapse in pain, he watched as she struggled for a moment

"Cat's aren't so bad either, on the eye that is" He smiled as she snarled at him, but it soon turned to a look of panic as he aimed a gun at her head for one last time but noticed Robin from the corner of his eye

"Guess you will have to be the consolation prize next time" He winked at her wickedly before quickly running off

As Catwoman lay on the floor she noticed suddenly Robin standing by the side of her

"Are you okay?" Robin knelt by her side, assessing the wound

"Don't worry about me, over there, its Shriek" She pointed in the direction of which the pair had headed which Robin quickly followed but was welcomed by the roaring sound of a car engine, which made itself visible as it smashed though the small trees surrounding the roadside

"No!" Was all Robin could frustratingly shout as the car headed for him, but before he made a dive for safety, he slammed a tracker on the car as he rolled over the bonnet before bouncing hard on the road "Urgh" He grunted on impact as the air was pushed out of his lungs

"Canary, they got away, but managed to get a tracker on the car, can you follow it?" He gasped over the COM

"Trying to, but there moving too fast, i'm finding it hard to use the controls" Dinah looked in the direction of Barbara who she hoped was awake so she could take over but saw a still Barbara once more, she looked back at the computer screen and could not see the pulsating dot anymore

"Damn!" She continued searching as far as she could "I lost them"

"Keep looking, Robin out" He then assessed his own body for injuries before turning towards the direction of where Catwoman was lying, who was now sitting up and attempting to remove the dagger

"Son of a…" Selina gritted her teeth as she gingerly touched the wound

"Do you want me to have a look" Robin stood above her, and she couldn't help but look at him in the same way as she did with Dick

"Do you 'feathers' always have to be so nice?" Selina replied before grimacing again, both over the pain and the memories that filled her

"Guess its part of the job, shall I?" Robin opened his hands offering her his assistance

"Unless you have something to take the pain away, I think I'll wait for an ambulance" She looked away from him un-amused by his gallant efforts

"Don't think we have the time for that, you are loosing a lot of blood and unless I get it out, I don't think Batman would much appreciate you being hurt this much on my watch do you?"

"Huh right" She replied displeasingly as she continued to look at her injury

"What's that suppose to mean?" Robin frowned at her as he leant over still looking at the wound, was she not happy?

"Nothing, maybe when you grow up you'll understand kid"

Robin looked up from his crouched position, slightly agitated by her remark and so as she was distracted talking to him, he pulled out the dagger causing her to scream out before he sealed the wound quickly

"Was that necessary?" Catwoman shouted at him as he attempted not to smile, she began to feel woozy and was therefore unaware of Robin's satisfaction

"Don't call me a kid… here let me help you we have to get back to the Clock Tower"

Catwoman looked at him before reluctantly nodding her head and allowed Robin to assist her getting up, which was a good decision as she was surprised by the weakness in her leg which caused her to stumble

"Whoa, here you go" Robin caught her quickly so that she did not fall, leaving the pair in a lovers embrace, which is now how she felt as she looked him in the eyes, 'he had blue eyes too', she was only a breath away from him, Robin instantly felt awkward, especially with Catwoman's strange gazed on him. He quickly moved so that her arm were around his shoulder so he could support her weight on him yet walk at the same time

"We… um had better get you back to the cave"

"You sound like a cave man" Catwoman smiled at him but it was obvious that she was in pain

Robin couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed as Catwoman could see his flushed cheeks, she felt young again "Sorry" was all he muttered as he continued to help her to the Red Bird, his personal Robin car

"No need to be sorry Robin, i'm just glad you didn't hit me over the head first, you always knew I would come without a fight didn't you?" Catwoman's free hand found its way to caress his face, removing soot which had clung to him and his suit disguising small bloodied cuts and grazes underneath

Robin was feeling a lot more uncomfortable than before now, and fought against her hand "I uh, think you have lost a bit more blood than I though Selina, you had better take it easy" he was thankful to reach the Red Bird at that point "We had better get you in, the wounds looking bad"

"I don't care about the damn cut" She pushed him against the car and leaned against him seductively, her hands caressing his armoured chest as he stood there wide eyed

"I know something that will take the pain away, for both of us" And with that she forced her self on him, kissing him, at first he just stood there, totally taken aback with what was happening until reality kicked in and he fought against her

"Selina, what do you think youre doing?" He held her at arms length away from him

"I know what i'm doing, don't worry I'll teach you" She attempted to kiss him again but was forced back, this time Robin snapped

"No Selina you wont, you have had a serious injury, you have lost some blood, more that I had obviously though at first, your not thinking straight and I am going to take you back to the cave and we will forget that this had ever happened" He had to steady her as she swayed, she began to get light headed again

"Sure, forget it ever happened, just like last time" He was right, the blood loss was starting to affect her, it felt although she was drunk and had no control of what was the right or wrong thing to say, and at that moment in time she didn't care, she was now angry also

"Like last time?" Robin stopped to look at her even more bewildered than before "There wasn't a last time"

"Yes there was, and a time before that and a time before that and…" She had started to slur, just like drink would affect you

"No there wasn't Selina, just get in the car, please," He pleaded with her, obvious concern in his voice

"Don't act like there wasn't! I know what we had, what we still have, we can still have it" She shouted emotionally as she faintly hit him

Robin smiled with relief realising who she was talking about deliriously "It's not Bruce Selina, its Robin"

Catwoman looked up at him frowning "I know it's not Bruce... Dick" And with that she collapsed, this time she was out for count

"Dick?" He replied as he held the slouched Selina in his arms

---

Chapter Thirty-Two

"Uhhh!" Nightwing gasped for air as the bucket of cold-water splashed over him, awakening every one of his senses, including every painful muscle and wound on his body

"Thought that would wake you up better than an alarm clock" The voice harshly echoed through the humid room

"Shriek!" Nightwing gasped, panicking as he remembered what happened, he attempted to look at his side as his arms hung above him, but the painful pulling at the wound as he did so caused him to stop

"Relax bro" The man replied wickedly pleasant

"I patched you up good and proper, though I would have let you bleed to death like the pig you are if it was up to me, but they have other plans for you"

"Other?" Nightwing forced out through his hoarse voice, although Shriek had patched him up relatively well with his basic knowledge but yet he hadn't replaced the much needed blood that he had lost, which in some ways he was thankful for, not knowing where and how they would get hold of 'resources' like those, yet he was understandably left light headed and dazed

"Yeah I would be worried too, thinking if i'm only the messenger, then who's the big gun rolling this show huh?" He walked casually closer to the fallen hero, Nightwing felt his body automatically tense

"I always thought of you as my courier Shriek" Nightwing attempted to still seem unnerved although it was becoming harder to achieve in his condition

"Think your funny don't you" Shriek gritted his teeth as he lunged into Nightwing's side, feeding on the heroes' out cry of pain

Nightwing was about to reluctantly plead for him to stop or pass out from the renewed pain before the large re-enforced door opening distracted Shriek

"Leave him alone Shriek, he wants him now" The familiar voice entered the room

"Who are you to tell 'me' what to do newby, I hired you remember!" Shriek walked ferociously towards the door way

"Jason?" Nightwing gasped out painfully, lifting his head from looking at the pool of blood forming around him

"Surprised to see me here are you Dick?" Jason smiled as he walked towards him, obviously gloating on the fact that he knew his civilian name, and possibly even more thrilled that Nightwing turned out to be Dick Grayson

"Surprised… if I…. Said no?" he attempted to hide his shaking pain filled voice that he knew Jason was enjoying so much

Jason just looked and tuts before walking away "You're a mess Grayson" He said with his back still turned "Better get him cleaned up again before he goes up" and with that he re-shut the door behind him

"My pleasure" Shriek replied as he reached for his shabby medical kit

"And do you know the good thing about being the medic this time round?" He opened the kit and removed a needle

"Is that your conscious"

---

Chapter Thirty-Two

"That was quite a nasty wound you managed to get Selina" Dr Leslie's voice drowned her silence as she woke up

"Huh?" She stirred on the uncomfortable medic bed that was situated in the Bat cave

"You were lucky Robin was there to bring you here in such haste, especially in you condition" Leslie seemed displeased as she walked to get her charts

"Condition? What… where's Bruce?" She attempted to sit up but was quickly aided by Dr Leslie

"He's still out looking, lucky for you as I don't suppose he knows about this, as there is no way he would allow you to go out as Catwoman"

"I don't know what you're talking about" Selina rubbed her head

"The pregnancy"

Selina shot up "What!" She replied astounded

Leslie looked at her surprised "I take it you didn't know?"

"No... I mean… of course I didn't… are you sure?" Selina's stomach was turning at the though of being pregnant 'not now please'

"Hundred percent sure, I ran a routing blood check and full body analysis just to rule out other possible injuries and found that your expecting"

"Is the baby all right I mean I took it quite hard, I fell and…" Selina paused 'What am I saying?'

"The Baby seems fine Selina, although I haven't got the full equipment to tell you for sure, I don't get many pregnant women coming to the cave for ultrasounds" It was Dr Leslie's bad attempt to make light of the situation

"No, no of course you don't" Selina muttered

"Are you alright, you look a bit pale, you should lie down"

"I'm fine, it's just a bit of a shock that's all, I mean I never though about having a child, especially not now" She shook her head "Not like this" She whispered to herself

"Your one of the lucky ones, you have a all the foundations to starting a family, you have immaculate health, a good home, you definitely financially secure, you're engaged and in a loving relationship…"

"Bruce?" Selina perked up again "You said he doesn't know?" She looked at her pleadingly

"Well no he doesn't, but I think it would be good idea to tell him sooner rather than later, I mean you know what he's like" Dr Leslie furrowed her brow

"Everything is alright between you two?"

"Yes of course it is!" Selina snapped before pausing again to look at Leslie's concerned expression "Sorry, i'm not taking this well am I?"

"It's a big shock, especially when you weren't even suspicious"

"Telling me… I will wait until I am sure everything is fine with the baby and I have sorted it out myself and then I will tell him, in the mean time I have your co-operation with my decision?" it wasn't so much as a favour as more of an order to Dr Leslie not to tell Bruce

"Yes, of course you do" Leslie could hear the threat in Selina's voice and knew it would not be in her best interest to disagree

---

Chapter Thirty-Three

"Thank you Doctor Leslie" Batman spoke over the radio in the Batmobile

"So she's okay then?" Robin replied as he sat beside Batman

"Yes she's resting now… thank you Robin" Batman remained fixed to the road but Robin could tell he was relieved that she was alright

"No need to thank me Batman, its what I'm suppose to do" Robin shrugged his shoulders seemingly unfazed by his mentor's gratification although he was beaming inside

"I know, but if I ever lost her…" Batman turned to look at Robin who could see the almost terror in his face

"Sure" Was all Robin could think to say after his mentor's clear display of emotion 'God he really does love her'

Batman then noticed Robins suprisement and quickly turned his attention back to the road, setting his jaw firmly he was back in Batman mode

"Tell me again what happened" He commanded

"I entered Dicks apartment and found a hole in the wall that was obvious to me caused by something or someone, i.e. Nightwing to have entered through due to the blast, I went over to investigate but found no one their except for a blood trail, I then followed the trail and eventually noticed shriek carrying an unconscious Nightwing, I tried to follow but he blocked my exit which is when Catwoman came into it, by the time I got outside, Catwoman was on the ground and Shriek was speeding off in a clapped out super car, I managed to get o tracer on him just after he attempted to mow me down but Black Canary wasn't quick enough to stay on him" Robin sounded irritated with his failure, but even though Batman would never let him know in case it softened him, he was pleased with his efforts

"Which way did he leave?"

"North east bound, but I doubt he will be following the one way system, not if he intended driving like that the entire journey" Robin crossed his arms discontented

"Exactly, get Black Canary to see if she can intercept any pursuits on a dangerous driver in that location in the last hour"

Robin looked at him amazed 'Why didn't I think of that, Boy Blunder!' "Yeah sure will" He pitifully replied

---

Chapter Thirty-Four

Nightwing was sub-continuously aware of being dragged by Shriek and another armed guard from the room where he practically lay in his own blood and vomit forced out by the pain of Shrieks more than unorthodox methods of closing an open wound which only caused him to be beaten to an even more bloody pulp than he already was.

He was then aware, after going up several levels in a lift, he entered a parallel vision of the last scene he remembered. Gone was the dark cell where no fresh air filled his lungs for hours as they were replaced by the perfumed stench of newly cleaned carpet which his face was noticeably forced into by a foot to he head, his blurred vision of the minute hollow shell where he was kept for seemingly was now seeing rich oak furniture in a swimmingly large plush room and only a few minutes ago he could hear only his own laboured breathing and bitter remarks from Shriek as he continued his religious beating was now echoing through the low precise tones of classical music which was soon muffled by footsteps coming closer to him, not being able to move his head to look up to see who the steps were coming from he already, as ludicrous as it may seem thought he knew where he was

"Desmond?" He uttered almost to no avail

"Look at what you have don't to the carpet boy, tut tut" Nightwing knew the voice was coming just above his head looking down at him disgracefully

"I have just had the last lot of blood stains removed, I really should invest in wooden flooring…. Much easier to keep clean in my line of work" He sniggered to himself, obviously content with himself

"I think we can make an exception this time round though don't you Boss?" Shriek sneered with the man

Nightwing listened through his ringing ears, swearing at the other guard which 'assisted' Shriek in beating him up before arriving upstairs who seemed more than enthusiastic in kicking him around the head than any other part of his shattering body. He began wondering if this really was Desmond, after all if Shriek was calling this man boss then he had to be someone big, then no sooner had the idea entered his mind, his heart sank 'No, Blockbusters dead, I let him die'. But just as he was about to wallow in his self-pity and concussion, the echoing voice re-entered his mind

"Hey are you listening?" Another kick to the head brought his almost back to the real world "The Boss is talking to you"

Nightwing slightly, painfully shifted his weight so that he was not putting his entire weight on his side before he heard talking again

"Just move him over to the chair, its time I talked to him"

---

Chapter Thirty-Five

"Batman?" The woman's soft Irish accent broke the tension in the silent Batmobile

"Yes Black Canary" The gruff troubled voice of Batman boomed into the Clock tower

Black Canary paused for a moment, still not use to speaking directly to the man himself, she never thinks she will be "I uh managed to find one car chase which seems to match what your looking for" She paused for a moment for his acknowledgment

"Well what are you waiting for?" He replied cuttingly

"Of course yes sorry" She quavered slightly 'Stupid, stupid Dinah'

"They seem to have been heading towards the north of helm street and avenue fifth before they lost him, after running through the co-ordinated on Oracles database it seems to come up with only one known name living in that location… Blockbuster" Black Canary was pleased with herself, thinking that her forward thinking would have given her some much needed points on the vigilante board

"Well follow it up, Batman out" And with no fewer words the Dark Knight was gone

"Thanks Black Canary for saving me time, Oracle couldn't have done a better job herself" Dinah mockingly placed her hands on her hips and deepening her voice to Batman's persona

"Someone say my name?" Barbara's voice entered the room, although still sounding dazed seemed a lot stronger than before as she wheeled into the war room where Dinah was standing

"Barbara!" Dinah beamed with joy as she leapt to the side of Barbara and hugged her

"I'm so glad your back with us, it's been hell, I don't know how you can do this" She pointed at the many computer screens with wires coming seemingly to and endless supply of modems and keyboards

"You get use to it" She smiled weakly, glad that even after her injury, she is still appreciated in the quest for justice

"But I don't think i'm here entirely, still cant get my head around everything" He smile faded quickly into a painful twist of memories and distrust

"No one could have possibly known what Jason was like" Dinah rested a hand on Barbara's shoulder

"No Dinah that's no excuse, I let him into my life, I should have known, should have been sure" He voice began to quiver "And now…" She began to sob as Dinah hugged her reassuringly

"What's happened to him?" She pleaded

Dinah looked into Barbara's drenched green eyes and could see the pain and worry and couldn't bear to think how she is feeling,

"Were not sure…" Dinah hesitantly answered

"But were doing everything we can, Batman and Robin are on their way to a location now where we think he is being held" 'Damn' Dinah cursed herself knowing that Barbara knowing this wasn't going to help he suffering

"What! You mean he's been taken and we don't know who by?" Her upset now turned to anger

"All we now is that Jason was seemingly hired by Shriek to find out Nightwing's identity, there was an explosion at Dicks apartment and by the time anyone could do anything, Shriek had him in the car and was gone" Dinah knew Barbara only too well and she would have gotten the truth one way or another

"So Jason knows" Barbara gritted her teeth causing Dinah to shudder

"I... were not sure for certain, whoever Shriek is working for must be big, we can only assume he wanted to remain the silent partner in this whole scheme until so forth"

Barbara was silent, obviously thinking things through her mind, Dinah looked at her amazed at that unique edge she had about her "Barbara?"

"He must know…" Barbara then, with flash-speed grabbed her mobile phone from the side

"Barbara don't!"

---

Chapter Thirty-Six

Nightwing cant remember how they moved him form the floor to the chair and didn't quite understand why they felt the need to tie him to the chair unless it was merely to keep him upright which the ropes were un-doubtfully doing, he then noticed through his poor vision the figure sat in front of him and was both relieved and disturbed by the fact that it wasn't Blockbuster sat there

"I can tell you're worried, possibly even more so now that you know Blockbuster must be dead" The vicious voice spoke to him through the silent room

"I… thought" Nightwing gasped for air "Dead t-t-oo"

"Awww, finding it hard to breath are we Nightwing?"

Nightwing hung his head low, still trying every possible thing to relieve his injuries "sigh… Y-yes"

"Good, its about time you felt pain, real pain, it thought my stand in let you off pretty lightly last time, after everything I taught him, nearly everything I knew and he still managed to get himself killed without putting a scar on you, and by a girl, really!" He sounded ashamed, mockingly ashamed at least

Nightwing forced his head up to look again at the man in front of him, determined to focus clearly, if even for a minute, especially if what he was thinking was true

"Ahh yes, I can see your getting the picture now Nightwing, you see that night you and your some what friend thought they had killed of another head didn't you, but what you will find out, of course the hard way, is that you can never kill off Blackmask!"

---

Chapter Thirty-Seven

"Is this where I think it is?" Robin hesitantly questioned, looked to Batman and could tell by the anxious silence which is completely different from the normal silence Batman embraced was the only way Robin knew that he was right

"Oh man" Robin sighed as the Batmobile came to a halt outside the apartment block

"He's going to know that we'll be looking for Nightwing so his re-enforcements are going to be twice as strong as normal" Batman attempted not to show he was anxious but Robin knew that the night he found Nightwing barely alive at the hands of Blackmask last time would be playing on his mind and even though he wasn't even Robin at the time that happened, from what he has heard, it was not a good night and even resulted in a vigilante's death, a woman who called herself Tarantula

"And that was near impregnable... right?"

"You stay close and don't leave my side... understood" He commanded

"Got it" Robin attempted to sound although he had it all under control, but he was sure that if it wasn't for his armoured chest plate his heart would be visible as it pummelled against his torso.

As they made there way into the building, Robin mentally tried to remember what he knew about Blackmask, except for that he nearly killed Nightwing once before and is obviously back for revenge.

He could only think of one file on the Bat computer and he didn't bother too much with it as the guy was supposedly dead and so thought it was pointless to dwell on one dead mob boss when there were so many others still at large that he had to worry about.

But there was one thing that he does remember about the file that left him curious for a long time after reading it and that was how incomplete it was, yes for any normal file whether it be for police or even the F.B.I it would have been more than sufficient, but for Batman to have such an incomplete record on anyone that played as big a part in Batman's or anyone's life that was close to him, especially Nightwing's was unusual.

Yes it stated that he was dead, but never how, when or why, yes it had in it that he ran a series of illegal shipments and dealt with millions of pounds worth of drugs between Gotham and Bludahaven and it did state that he had a partner or a so called 'Brother' but it was unconfirmed on whether this brother was blood related of just a business associate but it did say that he was also deceased, again no record of how or when that occurred either.

But the pair had a multi million pound enterprise, the 'Brother' being the front man, dealing with most of the so called paper work and general running of things and Blackmask only really getting involved when someone crossed their path which was only then that Blackmask got interesting.

Blackmask specialised in killing, and not just killing but torture which he learnt and perfected from all over the world as it was stated that he travelled everywhere from Germany to China even the middle east, it was almost his forte in life and by the sounds and pictures of the people who were un-lucky enough to be at his hands he was very good at it.

And that was pretty much all that was said about him, which in hindsight is not a lot considering that Batman has a hundred page life line of a John Doe, so whoever this Blackmask was, whether it be the real McCoy or just an interpreter he knew it wasn't going to be as easy as reading his file, after all he has got Nightwing hostage again and last time he barely made it out alive.

"But why does he want him dead?" Robin blurted out

Batman stopped in mid pursuit "What did you say Robin?"

"Me?" He was surprised that even Batman's finely tuned ears managed to pick up the outburst

"Yes Robin, what did you just say?" Batman was inpatient at the best of times let alone when his adopted son's life may be hanging on a thread, so Robin knew not to aggravate him further

"Well... um I was just thinking of what I knew about Blackmask and I remembered reading a small file about him but it didn't say much and I just wasn't sure how Blackmask came to deciding that he wanted Nightwing so badly that he came back from the dead to finish the job" Robin paused for a moment realising what he just said

"Sorry, I didn't mean to put it so..."

"Lets just keep moving and make sure that its not a possibility" Robin knew that this was Batman's way of saying that he doesn't wasn't to answer his question which came as no surprise to him as he didn't really want to ask it in the first place, however Robin had a feeling that by the end of the night he will find out a lot more than what he already knows.

---

Chapter Thirty-Eight

"Y-you cant... cant be" Nightwing struggled to come to terms with the fact that the man sat in front of him was the same man Tarantula died for in order to kill him also

"Well no one said that you were at my funeral, which I have finally come to terms with and I don't hold a grudge... well not on that anyway" He looked at him with his evil hollow eyes which caused Nightwing to shudder, that along with the fact that he knew his innuendo

"And I left you in a condition that I was sure that you were not going to be aware of what went on between me and your whore... so the only facts that you could rely on were the ones Batman gave you... so tell me what did he tell you?" He leaned in closer to Nightwing, pushing him for answers

"You... were d-dead" His lumbered breathing even frustrated him

"Well" He mockingly looked around insinuating he didn't want anyone else to hear their conversation

"Between you and me I think someone has been telling you porkey's, and I think I have been true to my word, I said that I would kill you and I'm doing a pretty good job so far, so who does that leave?"

Nightwing didn't need to say anything; his weak eyes said it all

"Correct!!" Blackmask mockingly clapped his hands in a round of applause "It was Batman"

"N-no" Nightwing stammered

"No!" Blackmask hit him "No to you maybe, see Batman knew I wasn't dead, hell... he even took me to the hospital before he got your doctor friend to come and patch you and Huntress up and he left that spider girl to die, how do I know that I hear you ask? Because I know where I shot her... here" He pointed at his stomach

"Left hand side, I specifically left the vital organs intact for a slow and painful death, which it was because Batman was too busy rushing me to hospital and left her to die alone, and I'm the bad guy" He smirked as he watched Nightwing struggling to accept his terms of the events

"They always say that there's two sides to every story and I'm sorry that this time the truth is not the one you were voting for"

"Lie's" Nightwing protested

"Lie's!" Blackmask stood up fiercely and kicked over the chair causing Nightwing to fall to the ground instantly shattering his shoulder on impact, but even his cries of pain didn't halter Blackmask

"Even in your state and after everything I just told you about Batman, you still defend him" Blackmask landed another painful blow on Nightwing

"Loyal till the end" Another blow was dealt the already broken Nightwing both physically and mentally

"Wait!" Nightwing cried out before the next and possible fatal blow landed on him

"What! It's a bit late for begging, though I know you're not into that, so what" Blackmask straightened himself up as he watched Nightwing grimace in pain as he mustered the energy to talk

"I-if you wanted to kill me... y-you would've done it by now"

"Oh really, you my shrink now are you? Because I did kill him"

"M-must be... another reason" The last statement was as much of a question to himself as it was to Blackmask

Blackmask paused for a moment and looked at Nightwing "This whole time that i have been doing this to you and you have been trying to work out why" Blackmask sounded surprised and yet impressed by his resistance

"You're like a cockroach aren't you, never giving up... I suppose it has been implanted in you from your training, your just a robot to Batman, a living breathing robot, to serve him in his war, now if only I could decode you..." He mumbled to himself

"D-decode?" Nightwing had gone past caring about what would be the right things to say, no matter what he asked or said now he would never be able to talk himself out of this situation, just like he couldn't with the hostage situation on the skyscraper

"Yes that's right, now I know that I am known for my more than elaborate killing techniques but im also very good at altering peoples behaviour and if I could only make you see Batman for what he really is, but his influence must be more convincing than mine"

"I-influence"

"Or brainwashing if you would rather me call it that, that must be the only reason a man of such calibre as yourself would idolize a lying old man in a cape"

Blackmask watched Nightwing struggle with every breath and he has seen enough deaths in his lifetime to know when the end is near for someone

"Now you and I both know that you haven't got long left in this world unless you are ready to accept the facts..."

---

Chapter Thirty-Nine

"This is it?" Robin hesitantly questioned, although he already knew the answer, the smell of blood already filled his nose

Batman stood almost as hesitant at the door as Robin was, bit was just that Batman was more experienced in hiding it than Robin was, they both instantaneously took a deep breath before Batman opened the door

"What the..." Robin called out as the adrenalin was pumping through his body

Batman remained silent as he entered the room and surveyed it carefully "Spread out!" He commanded desperately

They walked through the room which was not long ago occupied by a dying Nightwing and his executioner and now instead of the cries of pain that echoed through the room moments ago, it was filled with a eerie silence

"Well they were definitely here" Robin responded to the now troubled Batman as he crouched down at the floor

"The blood is still wet... Batman" He soberly spoke, he turned to Batman who was standing in the centre of the room "Batman?"

"He's taken him"

The End

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