This is a new version of the original chapter I posted. If you haven't read the old version, it's no big deal. If you have, you will notice some changes (hopefully you think they're good changes).

The story still takes place loosely between Fear itself 7.1 & Longest Winter [Marvel], and between Batman Incorporated #8 & Nightwing #18 (new 52) [DC].

Disclaimer: characters and locations belong to DC and Marvel, respectively. Events and story by The Writers Quill (aka me)

Time: 03:06 hours

Location: Blüdhaven, NJ

First Mission: recruitment

-•-

Dark, heavy clouds rolled angrily overhead. The rain was blinding.

The shadow created by the spiraling bell tower of St. Bernadine's Cathedral was dark and murky. It was from this shadow that the intense, highly trained eyes of a soldier scanned the skyline of Blüdhaven.

The soldier watched the night, searching; unimpeded due to his heightened senses and top of the line equipment. It was a needle in a haystack chase he knew, but he needed someone as highly trained as himself for this mission.

A small smirk arose on his lips. Actually, if he was being honest with himself, between the two of them he'd have to give the other man a slight edge. They were both extremely well trained, by the best he knew, but the innate capabilities of his quarry were far to well known and revered to be anything less than respected, perhaps even feared. He himself had been gifted also, but having been brawled to a standstill by the other man on a few prior occasions lead him to respect the young mans agility and grace as much as his own fighting prowess. So, having tested his targets limits knew that he was indeed the man for the job.

He also knew where to find him. Perhaps that was the downside to being part of such a famous family.

An hour later, and his constant watch had not yielded results. He was beginning to wonder if he had missed his mark.

"I can't afford that," he thought, "this mission is too important, I need to find him now!" As if on cue, an agile form streaked across the view of his binoculars headed west from his position. "Got'cha!"

Replacing his looking glasses to their pouch, he took leave of his hiding spot on the bell tower and, firing a grappling hook, followed a parallel path to his objective.

"It would have to rain tonight." Dick thought as he stealthily made his way back towards his home on the other side of the city.

He had not been in a good state of sorts lately. It was one month ago tonight that his youngest brother, his partner for many months until their father had returned from the dead (or the past depending on how you looked at it), had been killed by his own mother. Indirectly of course, but that was a formality in his mind. For first time in a long time, he had wished the Bat Family did kill, at least her kind.

That is why many of Blüdhaven's thugs were in police custody in hospitals tonight. The memory of his brother had fueled his every punch. One good thing about the rain; he didn't have to wash the blood off his uniform.

Dick had hoped to have the strength to go home to Gotham this weekend and spend some time with his father and brother in the wake of the Wayne family's most recent loss. Neither had been completely right since Damien's death either. Even Jason had come around to try and help ease the pain somehow, seemingly the only Bat unaffected by the recent death. It must have been some act of God to convince him to even set foot in the Bat Cave of his own volition, but the former Robin had made his remorse and support known in his own way.

~•~

Twenty minutes later, Nightwing landed on backend of a rooftop, behind a air conditioning unit. His motorbike was parked in the alley below. He was about to descend to the street below and start his final leg home when he heard a noise behind him; the small scraping thud of a foot sliding slightly as it landed on the wet roof. "Great!" He thought. The exhausted hero took his tricked-out escrima sticks from his back and readied himself for yet another fight. When no attack came he started to think of other options.

The footfall he had heard was not heavy enough to be Bruce (whenever Batman actually made a sound), and was way too heavy to be Tim. Jason fit the bill but had no reason for being there; however, that didn't mean his younger brother had not come to see him. Perhaps he was upset over their little brothers death after all.

One way to know for sure.

Dick turned towards where he had heard the sound. "You may as well come out since I know you're there." He said, doing his best to keep his voice even. He heard more footsteps behind him once again. He looked at the wall beside of him. A figure, about Jason's size and build, stood behind him but the figures hair, he could tell, was too long to be his brother.

"So family's out. Crap. I'm so not in the mood for this!"

"Look I've gone through a lot of muggers, would-be rapists, petty goons and two supposedly trained assassins tonight, so can we take a rain check on whatever this is about?"

"It's already raining."

"Oh for the love of - Wait. I know that voice," he thought. "But from where?" Dick turned to face the determined voice, dreading another fight. Dick's eyes grew wide; he did not have time to think about hiding the his reaction. The sight before him was almost too much to be believed.

Clad in a midnight-blue body suit with a black, leather strap that ran across the chest; a weapon holster attached on the mans right side; a domino mask, similar to his own, covered the mans pale face as chin length brown hair framed it; but the most glaring thing about his appearance was the mans silver left arm. Even though he could not see it in the darkness, Dick knew there was a red star on its shoulder.

This was the garb of The Winter Soldier; one of the worlds most feared and fiercest fighters, best strategists, and most lethal men alive. But he was not alive, not anymore. The Winter Soldier the one and true Winter Soldier - James Buchanan Barns aka Bucky, Captain America's sidekick who had been lost in battle, found by the Russians and turned into a super weapon - he was dead; killed at the hands of Sin.

Dick wanted it to be true, he wanted it so badly! Could it be possible though? Of course it could: Barry Allen, Clark Kent, even his own father had come back from the "dead", but with his mind clouded by the recent events in his family it did not seem very possible at the moment; which meant that this man was an impostor!

"How dare you impersonate The Winter Soldier!" Before James could even attempt to explain, Nightwing's fist was flying past his face. He barely managed to dodge the blow thanks to the amount of distance between them.

"Nightwing! Stop! Let me explain!" But the young hero was not listening.

"He was an American hero!" Nightwing said as he came at him again. This time as his arm flew past, James grabbed it and forced it behind Nightwing's back. He grunted, but from pain or anger James could not tell. James grunted as he held the other man. "You think you can just take up his name and legacy and move on? You're a disgrace!" Nightwing yelled at him.

James was taken aback; touched by Nightwing's response to seeing him. However the fact still remained, "I'm not impersonating him. I am Winter Soldier."

Nightwing nearly pulled himself from James' grasp at this. "Buddy, if you think I'm going to take you at your word for that just because you wear a similar suit or something then you're dumber than you think I am!" He said as he continued to struggle.

"On the contrary, I know exactly how smart you are." James let him go, pushing him away in the process.

"Then bring it!" Nightwing prepared for an attack, his batons poised.

There was a hissing sound as James twisted his own arm. CLANK! His powerful prosthetic hit the flat roof in front of Nightwing. James put his remaining hand up. "Okay? I've literally 'disarmed' myself. Now will you listen to me?"

He saw the whites of Nightwing's mask widen in surprise - even shock. It looked as if the protector of Blüdhaven did not know what to do.

Finally, Nightwing stood at-ease and replaced his weapons in the holster on his back. "Why are you here? How are you alive?" He asked.

James looked around. The roof they were speaking was above an alley, and therefore not exactly secure. "Is there a place we can talk?" James asked. "I'd rather not risk anyone else seeing me, seeing as how I'm suppose to be dead."

"You risked coming to Blüdhaven to find me, you can risk standing here." Apparently he had failed to convince the young hero that he was indeed the real Winter Soldier; even so the kid was pushing his luck.

"Not with the sensitive information I have to tell you." James said more forcefully.

Nightwing was silent. He looked around for a moment. Finally he said, "Follow me."

Nightwing walked past him ignoring the arm on the ground. "Don't you want to take that?" James asked.

"Don't you need it to get around?" Nightwing asked in reply.

James simply shrugged.

Nightwing squinted at him before turning towards the next building and shooting a grappling line from his wrist. He took off in a Northeastern direction. James picked up his arm and replaced it before taking off after him.

So, this was a random piece I wrote years ago, and just decided to post kinda out-of-the-blue. Chapter two should be out this weekend [7/9-10/16]!

~•~

The new version has a little better description and flow, I think. Also I now have a better handle on the story going forward, so I wanted to fix it up for that reason as well. If you read the previous one, do you like the new version, or do you prefer the old one?

Either way, I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, do me a solid and let me know in a review please : )

~T. W. Quill

~•~

Cliff note: Sin is the Red Skull's daughter. She worked with Crossbones to assassinate Captain America/Steve Rogers.