July 5, 2016

8:43am

Morning after Nightwing informs Kaldur he will be taking his leave of absence.

Sunlight pokes its way through the window of Dick's room at Wayne Manor. His eyes squint at the sudden appearance of the sun and rolls over. Landing himself face first into a full head of golden blond hair.

"Dick that tickles." Came a familiar female voice. "Did you not get enough last night?"

It was Bette, she was his senior back when he went to Gotham High, and in truth this was not the first time they woke up in the same bed with nothing on.

Quickly composing himself to match the situation he was in, he reaches around and starts to stroke her up and down. "What can I say? It was so good that I was hoping there were leftovers for breakfast." He said as gave her a wink and a dirty grin.

She looks over her shoulder at him and with a slight giggle. "For most people I'd say no, but you aren't most people." She closes her eyes and goes in for a kiss.

Suddenly her phone goes off and she rolls over to grab it with a slight scowl on her face. Dick once again got a face full of hair, "At least it smelled nice." He thought to himself.

"Shit!" Bette rolled out of bed. "I got to get into work. The new intern fucked up and filed the wrong paperwork. Now they want me to come in and pick up the slack she left behind."

"So no leftovers this morning?" Dick looked over at her with a play full frown.

"I'm sorry, and it could have been such a wonderful morning too." As she started to put her clothes back on finding them strewn about the room. How her panties got on the ceiling fan we will never know, but Dick got a nice view as she stood on the bed to get them down.

Just as she is about to leave she comes back over to Dick and whispers in his ear. "Let me make it up to you with dinner sometime." She gave him a peck on the cheek.

"An all you can eat buffet?" With a dirty grin on his face.

She turns and gives him a wink and a smile. "Just make sure you can fully enjoy the meal, you dog."

As she is leaving she passes Alfred at the door. "Morning Alf."

Alfred gave her a nod as she walked out of the manor. Then continues on to Dick's room. "Good morning master Richard. Had a full evening last night sir?"

"I guess Alfred." Shaking his head as he finally sat up. "Did I really bring her home last night? And not just to my apartment but back to Wayne Manor?"

"Yes sir I do believe you did." Alfred gave him a slight grin. "I suppose you will no longer be dining in bed this morning?"

Dicks face turned a little red. Anyone else he could probably find a witty come back for that statement but Alfred is the one person who could still flip it back on him.

As he gets out of bed, Dick puts on the bath robe Alfred handed him and grins. "Not this morning Alfred. Apparently it was a, to-go meal."

Alfred cracked a smile. "Then how about you come down for a spot of tea then."

"Will do Alfred."

Sitting on the back patio sipping his tea with Alfred, Dick turns to the butler. "So where is everyone this morning?"

Alfred took a moment to think. "I believe master Bruce is currently on rotation at the watch tower and I believe Master Timothy said something about a 'Hot date' was it with Miss Cassie."

"Well that makes things a bit simpler. Means I don't have to explain why Bette was walking out of my room this morning." He chuckles and looks over at Alfred. Sitting back in the chair and looking up at the shy. "Tim and Cassie, guess the thing with Wally really rattled the cage. Made all the love birds run to find each other."

"Well they can't all play the field like you can Master Richard." Alfred says with a slight smile that slowly turns more serious. "It rattled your cage at well, but in a different way."

Dick looks over the garden. "I've lost friends before to this lifestyle Alfred. But Wally wasn't just a friend. He was my best friend, a brother. It would be like if Batman lost Superman." He turns back to Alfred. "I grieve for my best friend, but that's not why I took time off."

"I am listening Master Richard."

"I'm not going to wallow in self-pity or go and drink myself stupid over it. That's not going to bring Wally back and I don't think he would be that happy to see me in that state anyway." He chuckled to himself slightly. "I can't seek revenge because there is no one to go after. The Reach are who killed him and the ones responsible are all dead or very far from this planet. And even if they were here it's not like the code would let me do much about it."

Alfred looked a little puzzled. "So you are just going to sit here a few weeks and let your mind and body relax then?"

"Alfred, you were a military man once. What would you do in my position if you were in my position and you were still a solder?"

"It's true I was, but I think you would be better off asking Master Bruce about this."

"I already know what batman would tell me. But I want to know what you would tell me. You aren't bound by his same beliefs and can give me another point of view." He looks back up into the sky and holds his tea cup out for Alfred to pour him a second cup.

As he pours the cup of tea. "I see your point Master Richard." He places the kettle down. "I would consider what to do next with my life I suppose. Decide whether or not the death of my friend changed my goals or if it means it started some new ones."

"So should I make new goals or quit pursuing old ones then?"

"That is an answer only you can come up with Master Richard." Alfred said while looking out over the garden. "You say you know what Master Bruce would tell you based on his code and beliefs. But the fact that you are asking me means you are not fully satisfied with his code."

"What?" Dick looked up at the butler. "Batman's code makes sense. I have followed it my whole time while under his guidance."

"And now you are questioning it, do not feel bad Master Richard. While you haven't been a child in a very long time you have not become a man yet. It is time you forged your own code. One you will uphold the same way and same determination that Master Bruce does." Alfred takes a deep breath. "But that is merely the opinion of an old man."

The two of them stayed there in silence for quite some time. Then Dick finally broke the silence. "Thank you Alfred."

"Have you thought of what you are going to do?"

"Yep, I'm going to forge my own moral code like you said." Dick was still looking out over the garden.

"So you are taking your first steps forward then?"

"Unfortunately the world doesn't stop moving forward for us Alfred. Wally is a true testament to that." He smiles slightly. "It is time I branch out and spread my wings."

"Do you have a place to start?"

"Yep."

"Am I going to regret knowing it?"

"Most likely."

Alfred grins. "Spoken like the true son of Master Bruce. When do you wish to set off on this journey of enlightenment?"

"Soon as I'm done with my next cup of tea." He smiled while holding out his cup.

July 15, 2016

12:13pm

Starling City

Nightwing looks over the landscape that is star city. On top of the main building of the Queen company. He sees a red blur swing down onto a lower building about two blocks down. "There you are."

Swinging down to where the red clad figure is. "Hey! Roy!" Nightwing shouted at him.

Red Arrow wiped around with his bow drawn and with a beat on Nightwing. "Don't move!"

Nightwing stops and puts his hands up. "Easy Speedy. It's just me."

Red Arrow released the tension on his bow string and re sheathed his arrow. "You know better than to sneak up on someone like that." He turned his head up to Nightwing. "And don't call me Speedy. So? What do you want?"

Putting his hands back down and taking a seat on a roof air vent. "Strait to business as usual. And after I traveled so far to get here."

"Wait. You drove from Gotham to here? Why not take a Zeta Tube?"

"I'm currently on a leave of absence. And considering what I'm about to do its better if fewer people knew I was out and about."

"Look I don't want to know, just what do you want from me?"

A favor. Well two actually but one is more for your wife." Nightwing was kicking his feet back and forth.

"Oh yea? And what makes you think that she can help with something that I can't?"

Nightwing tilts his head slightly while looking at Red Arrow. "Fine then, do you know where I can find Ra's al Ghul?"

Red Arrow opens his mouth about to say something then pauses. "Yea we better just go ask my wife."

The two set off into the night towards Red Arrows apartment.

"You live here right? So why are we sneaking into your own home through the window. Your apartment is on the fifth floor." Nightwing grumbled as he slipped into the window behind Red Arrow.

"Right because my room tenant totally wouldn't call the cops on Red Arrow walking into Roy Harpers apartment." Roy says in a rather mocking tone. "Oh, what was the other thing you wanted to ask?"

"Right, I'll be gone for some time, don't know how long though. Maybe a month maybe three, possibly more. I was hoping you could just pop in on Bludhaven every now and again. Just make sure they don't burn the place to the ground in my absence."

Red Arrow nods. "Yea I think I can do that. Me and Green Arrow both patrol Starling city, and with Black Canary here, well."

"Yea I get it. Starting to feel a bit cramped?"

"Just a little." Continuing to tip toe through the apartment. "Do your best not to wake the baby or Jade for that matter. Better if I do it."

They head down the hall bas the baby's room, and get to Roy and Jades bedroom. The second the two men step into the room the light flips on and Jade is holding a sai to Nightwing's throat. "Roy, honey. I told you I don't do three ways even if he's a good friend of yours."

Nightwing not moving a mussel for the possibility of being stabbed in the throat. "Well, that's to bad Cheshire, and I was so looking forward to it to."

Jade poked his neck with the sai, then looked to Roy. "What is he doing here, I thought you said I wouldn't be pursued by the League?"

"Calm down Jade, he just wants a favor." The baby started to cry in the other room.

"Jade scowled. "Now look what you did." Putting the sai down then looked back to Roy. There was a serious look on his face. "Okay fine, I'll listen. Just give me a second okay." She walked out of the room.

She comes back with the baby in her arms and sits on the bed. She lifts up half of her shirt and starts nursing. "Know that I'm only listening to you because Roy asked me to." She winces as her daughter bites down to receive her mother's milk. "So, what do you want?"

Nightwing looks at her for a second. Never taking Jade as a person to have a strong motherly instinct, but hey, there are stranger things in this world. "Right, I'm looking for Ra's al Ghul."

Jade looked up at him with a cold dead stare. "Now why on earth would you of all people be looking for him?"

Not budging or breaking eye contact with her. "I'm looking for him, I have questions. That's all you need to know."

Jade looked down. "No."

"What?"

"You heard what I said. No I won't tell you."

Just then Roy spoke up, now sitting on the bed next to Jade. "Please honey. Tell him what he wants to know."

Jade took a deep sigh then turned to Roy, handing him the baby. "Would you put her back to bed for me?"

"Sure." Roy takes his daughter in his arms and heads back to the baby room.

Once he left the room Jade turns to Nightwing. "I'll tell you."

"What? Why the sudden change of heart?"

Looking at the doorway. "Roy said please. He never says please for anything. So if he is saying it now this must be important. So I'll help you, on two conditions."

"Okay. Let's hear it."

"First, you own me a favor and I mean a big one. When I call it in you will do it no questions asked. This is nonnegotiable. Is that clear?"

"Crystal, and the second."

Jades face turned to Nightwing. "Both Artemis and Roy took Wally's death really hard. Now I couldn't care less if you kick the bucket, but if you cause the two of them any more pain by getting yourself killed on this stupid trip of yours know this. I will personally throw you into Ghul's Lazarus pool, bring you back to life, and then kill you again by my own hand!" Her voice goes from a one of commanding to an almost hiss. "Do I make myself clear?"

Nightwing looks at her, his arms folded across his chest. "Yes"

"Yes, what?"

"Yes ma'am."

Jade leans back on the bed and hisses dangerously. "Good, now listen up. I don't wish to say this twice."

|Hey all, hope you like the first chapter. I am still working on this. I have most of the idea about what will end up happening but tell me what all you think. Please give a short review if you can. Alsoif you have suggestionsplease feel free to share.

Once Again Thank you for reading.|