BIRDS OF PREY

RETURN OF THE BOY WONDERS

Barbara Gordon is busy working on the Delphi system when Alfred Pennyworth walks in with two bags of shopping

"Miss Barbara, I have some errands I must run this afternoon if you can spare me"

"Alfred, you know I can always spare you... if I need something doing, I always have Dinah to help me!" responds Barbara "Right Dinah?"

"Right, relax Alfred; you do what you need to do!"

"What do you need to do anyway Alfred?" wonders Barbara

"I shall be meeting with two old friends of yours Miss Barbara, and if I have your permission, I shall be bringing them here to the Clock Tower"

"I shall want to know who it is… FIRST!" orders Barbara

"Of course, it is Master Dick and Master Tim" responds Alfred, noticing the look on Barbara's face

"Dinah, I need you to promise me… you WILL keep quiet about this, you can't even tell Helena!" orders Barbara

"Why?" asks Dinah

"Helena isn't exactly on the best terms with Dick Grayson, thanks to the disappearance of Bruce Wayne!" responds Barbara

"So it's basically a case of what she doesn't know won't hurt anyone! Right?" asks Dinah

"Exactly!"

"What if she takes her anger out on this guy?" wonders Dinah

"He can take care of himself… Dick Grayson fought against Helena's mom, so I think Nightwing can take on the Huntress!" responds Barbara "Not necessarily win… but he can handle himself!" she smirks

"Correct on all accounts Miss Barbara!"

"Why are they coming into New Gotham though?" wonders Barbara

"I have not been informed of their reasons... only that they are returning to New Gotham, and that they need accommodations!" responds Alfred

"They can stay here... if Helena has a problem with that, she can take it out on the punch bag, if they don't want to stay here... Alfred, do you think the two of them could survive in the Mansion?"

"I am uncertain Miss Barbara, we could try if you wish but the recent Robin living with the original boy wonder may not be a positive thing!"

"It's settled, at least here, I can keep them controlled!"

"Miss Barbara, have you forgotten, you have always been able to control Master Dick!"

FLIGHT 939 TO NEW GOTHAM – 2 HOURS LATER

17,000 feet in the air, two young men are sat in their seats, the younger one looking out of the plane window, while the older one is feigning sleep

"Hey, you asleep?"

"Naaah, what's up kid?"

"I'm just wondering, what will she do when she see's us?"

"She'll probably smile at us and be ever so polite, but it's not her I'm worried about!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, it's the bat's daughter that I would worry about if I were you!"

"Why, what would she do?"

"If she had her way, she would probably kill me... not sure about you yet!"

"Why will she kill you?"

"Dunno yet, let's find out!"

"Did you call him?"

"Yeah, he'll meet us at the airport!"

"Cool, I should get some sleep, I'm tired!"

"You do that!" responds the elder of the two men as he looks over and finds the younger one wrapping his coat around himself as he tries to get some sleep "don't worry kid, no one will judge you!" he whispers

NEW GOTHAM AIRPORT

Alfred Pennyworth is sat at the arrivals lounge, waiting for Flight 939 from New York when he is approached by a member of the airport staff

"Excuse me sir, can I help you with anything?"

"No thank you my dear, I am simply waiting for the plane to arrive, I am here to pick up two young men whom I have had the honour of serving"

"Excuse me?"

"I am here to pick up the two adopted sons of my former employer!"

"Oh, well, maybe I can help, what are their names?"

"Richard Grayson and Timothy Drake!"

"Why do those names sound familiar?"

"They are the adopted sons of Mr Bruce Wayne!"

"I thought so, anyway, the plane should be coming in for a landing any moment, so if you would like to follow me, you can wait at the gate for when they arrive"

"Thank you, it would be a pleasure, allow me to introduce myself, my name is Alfred Pennyworth"

"Nice to meet you Mr Pennyworth, I'm Jennifer Roberts"

"Flight 939 from New York John F. Kennedy shall be arriving at gate 15"

"Well Mr Pennyworth, it seems your two young men shall be arriving sooner than you think!"

"I am glad to be here to see them" responds Alfred as he notices people walking out from the door way to gate 15 he notices two familiar faces, the younger one wearing a bandage on his left hand

"Master Dick, Master Tim?"

"Alfred, it's been a while!" responds Dick, smiling at his old confidante

"Indeed it has young man, Master Tim; it is good to see you again too!"

"Hi Alfred, can we get out of here please, I don't feel entirely comfortable!" responds Tim, walking toward baggage claims, putting on his hat

"Master Dick, may I ask, what happened?"

"Not my place Alfred" responds Dick, Alfred understands and nods, Dick notices the young lady next to Alfred, "Sorry, where are my manners, Dick Grayson"

"Hi, I'm Jennifer Roberts I work for the airline; I got speaking with Mr Pennyworth and walked him over here to the gate"

"It's good to meet you Ms Roberts, I'm sorry but we need to hurry up and catch up with Tim before he hurts himself" responds Dick as they catch up to Tim

CLOCK TOWER – 25-MINUTES LATER

Barbara and Dinah are watching TV in the lounge when they hear a loud bang coming from the main room, and they turn around to find Helena Kyle stood there

"Helena, what's up?"

"Reese has to work, got roped in to doing some type of undercover work... so now I have no plans, what are you two up to?" wonders Helena

"Just waiting for Alfred, he had to run some errands" replies Dinah

"Mind if I stick around, I need his advice on something!"

"Can we help?" asks Barbara, curiously

"Maybe you can, I wanna do something nice for him but I have no idea what I can do"

"Maybe you can invite him here and Alfred can do something nice for you both"

"Yeah like that would work, last time he came round, he got into a fight with some of Harley's guards, remember?"

"I remember Helena, you saved me that day!"

"I know, because I had to!" responds Helena, when they hear the ding of the lift and notice three people walking out

"Oh come on Alfred, you have to admit, she wasn't that much older than me!"

"Quite true Master Dick, quite true!"

"ALFRED PENNYWORTH!"

"Yes Miss Helena?" asks Alfred

"What the hell is he doing here?"

"Do you mean Master Dick or Master Tim?"

"You know full well who I mean!"

"Ah yes, Master Dick, well"

"Helena, let me explain..."

"...One chance Grayson, if I don't like it, you're out on your ass!"

"Helena, I came back because Tim needed a familymember with him in New York!"

"You're here because of the kid?"

"My name is Tim Drake, NOT kid... and I for your information Helena Louise Kyle, I have been saving the world since before you got out of your training bra!" snarls Tim before he storms out of the room with everyone looking on in shock, Barbara just looks curious as to why Tim would talk that way

"Everyone stay inside! Helena, go work off your anger in the training room, Dinah go watch TV, Dick, help Alfred, I'll deal with Tim!" orders Barbara

"Barbara, I'm going out, I'm not going to be spoken to that way and let him live!"

"HELENA I DON'T HAVE TIME TO ARGUE, GO WORK OUT IN THE TRAINING ROOM AND LET ME DEAL WITH TIM!" yells Barbara in response before Helena storms off, Barbara makes her way outside and finds Tim crouched in a corner sobbing "Timmy, what's wrong?" she asks, getting no response "Tim, please talk to me"

"I'm sorry, I am so, so sorry, please forgive me!" he sobs as Barbara wheels up to him and puts her arm around him, he moves closer to the wheelchair, sobbing, "I failed them all!"

"What do you mean Tim?"

"They're... dead, I... lead... them, I... failed... them; the Titan's are dead!" he sobbed