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"What have you done!?"
Six months Later
Dick allowed his mind to wander as his steps reverberated rhythmically off of the treadmill.
Don't think about it.
He chided himself.
Don't think about it…
Six months had passed since the tragedy in Gotham City that claimed the lives of seven-hundred innocents. No one had heard from Bruce since then. He never returned calls, didn't answer texts. When Dick visited, Alfred would regretfully turn him away.
It had been too long since he'd spoken to Bruce, and on top of his own failures, it was getting to him too much.
God he needed a distraction.
Any normal day he'd call Wally, or Kaldur. Someone who could knew his frantic ADHD brain well enough to calm him, but anyone who did was either off-planet, or busy.
I'll live, I'll be fine.
He told himself anxiously.
For a moment his mind flashed to the piles of burned bodies. The ones he couldn't save.
He shook his head and committed himself to the treadmill he was on, doubling the speed.
He shook his head in frustration.
"Twelve miles per hour is the limit? Is that a freaking joke? I could double that in my sleep!" He muttered angrily.
"You seen frustrated." A voice summoned Dick's attention.
A woman stood on the treadmill two machines down from him, watching him with a mischievous grin as he ranted to himself.
"You seem nosey." Nightwing said back.
"Oh ho damn, pretty boy's got bite!" The girl laughed. She flung her midnight-black hair behind her ears and smiled at him. Dick looked this strange girl up and down as she walked closer toward him, Nightwing's instincts flaring up within him as she approached. He pushed them away.
It's just a normal girl, don't be paranoid.
"The name's Catalina." She said, offering her hand. Dick took her hands in his own and shook with her.
She's got hella callouses...
"Richard." He said slowly.
"Nice to meet you, Richard." She said slowly, a sly smile on her face as she looked him over.
"I'm not a museum, you can stop staring now." Dick said, rolling his eyes.
"Sorry." Catalina said with a sincerity that hadn't been present in her voice since the start of the conversation. "You… wouldn't happen to have a phone number, would you?"
"Why do you need it?" Dick asked her.
"I'm a reporter doing a story for The Bludhaven Post. I wanted to interview you."
"What exactly is this story?"
Catalina smiled.
"Big." She said simply. "It's a big piece on your guardian, Bruce Wayne."
Dick stepped off of the treadmill and began walking away.
"I'm not interested." He said, waving her off.
"Dick-"
"Richard." He corrected her.
"Richie."
Dick turned around, stopping in his tracks.
"Do not call me-"
"Here." Catalina said, shutting him up as she pressed a paper with her number on it into his hands. "Think about it."
She left him standing there in the gym, her shoes clicking against the floor as she sashayed off.
"What the hell?"
"Your hunch was right, Dick. She's lying." Red Robin said excitedly, his voice echoing through the Batcave as he tapped away on the Batcomputer.
Nightwing twirled his Escrima stick in his hands as he straddled the top of the enormous supercomputer, his foot dangling lazily as he watched Tim.
"Mhm."
"This is so cool… Bruce never lets me use the Batcomputer…" Red Robin whispered.
"Red, pay attention. We've only got a few more minutes before this stupid meeting.
Red Robin sighed.
"It's so stupid. Bruce doesn't talk to us for almost four months and then suddenly calls us back here? What's he getting at?"
"Six." Nightwing corrected him. Red Robin looked up at him. "It's been six months since I last talked to him. I guess since you didn't leave until a while ago to be Red Robin, he was still talking to you."
"Barely." Red Robin scoffed. "He rarely left the cave while I was here. He was there doing whatever and he wouldn't take me when he went out and I just… I started spiraling. I had to leave. I just had to get out of Gotham and when I left… he didn't even say goodbye…" Tim whispered.
Nightwing looked away from him.
"I'm sorry, Tim… I really am. That night… I don't think any of us are in a good spot after that."
Red Robin shook his head and refocused on the computer screen.
"Enough of that. Pffft Emotions. Whatever to those, right? More importantly, this Catalina chick. She's definitely playing you, but I don't know how hard, or what for. I've got all her info here though. I can have it streamed to the computer at your place now." Tim's words spilled from his mouth in a semi-panicked trill as he tried to cover up his emotions.
"Thanks Tim." Nightwing said with a kind smile.
"Let's go to this stupid meeting. Find out what the hell Bruce wants now."
Nightwing was shocked by the sheer amount of people there. The Cave was full of members of the Batfamily. Nearly every hero Bruce associated with. Just a fraction of the roster included Red Robin, Commissioner Gordon, Signal, Spoiler, Batwoman, Julia Pennyworth, Talia Al-Ghul, Batwing, Azrael, Lady Shiva, The Question, Calvin Rose, Katana, Huntress, Misfit, Catwoman, Basil Carlo, Green Arrow, Red Arrow, and Black Canary, and finally, himself.
Above them, stood Batman himself. Beside him stood Catwoman and Alfred. Both behind him as he stepped forward. Gentle winds blew his cape about his feet as he addressed the crowd.
"Friends. Allies. Comrades," He began. "For years, I have defended this city. Years. For too long, we have failed to gain ground." Bruce said, his low voice echoing across the crowd. He breathed in heavily and looked out over them.
"No more." He said. "No. More. No one else will die. No more criminals will challenge us. Not here. I have called you all here to assist with this undertaking. Over the course of the next week, every night, we will be rounding up the enemies of Gotham one by one together. Everyone. You have all been assigned teams. You are expected and allowed to utilize any resources you must. That means limited League Of Shadows involvement, Thalia." Batman looked out over the crowd. "You will all receive your assignments soon. You will be fitted with communication devices allowing you to be in constant contact with myself and Alfred."
Bruce turned away from them.
"Get started."
"Bruce what the hell!?" Nightwing shouted after catching up to his father. Batman turned to face him.
"Is there a problem, Nightwing."
"Bruce you ghosted us for six months and then call us back for this crap? Tim needed you! I needed you! Do you have any idea-"
"Dick, I am entirely aware. I have more important priorities." He interrupted.
"We're your partners, Bruce. You could have at least told us about this before you announced it. Jesus…"
"I'm sorry." Bruce said. Nightwing looked up quickly.
Did he just apologize!?
Batman turned away from Nightwing slowly.
"Come with me." He demanded. "While I was… out of action, I met someone. I'd normally take over this situation myself but… he needs someone different from me. A lighter hand than my own." Bruce explained.
Nightwing raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
Bruce walked back toward the Batcomputer and pointed at the chair.
"What is it?"
The chair turned slowly and in it sat a young boy, no older than maybe twelve.
"Who is this?" The boy demanded. Nightwing took of his mask as he approached the boy, offering him his hand to shake.
"Grayson. Dick Grayson."
"Nice name." The boy said simply, ignoring the hand offered to him. "Would I be correct in assuming you are my father's… selected progeny?"
"You're a wordy little bastard aren't you?" Dick said sarcastically.
The boy glared.
"Call me that again, Grayson, and I'll ensure that Ace feasts well on your rotten entrails."
Dick grinned.
"Oh I like you."
"I'd like you to allow him to shadow you during this weeks exploits. He's good. I made sure." Bruce said.
"Who is he again?" Dick demanded.
"My son." Batman said slowly. "Damien Wayne." Bruce sighed. "He's not the only one I'm sending with you." Bruce looked up and Dick's eyes followed.
A young girl dropped down from the rafters and landed lightly beside Bruce, standing behind him so that his cape protected her.
She was a small Asian girl, with dark hair that nearly covered her eyes as she stood behind Batman. She couldn't be older than sixteen.
"Hi." She waved.
Dick smiled at her gentle, kneeling to her height and smiling.
"Hi. I'm Dick."
"Cassandra." She said. "Cassandra Cain."
Dick motioned for Batman to follow him and stepped off to the side.
"Batman… are you serious?" He demanded, slipping his mask on. "Those two kids… Bruce she can barely look me in the eye! And the other one is… do I even need to explain!?" Nightwing said angrily. "Where did you even find time to… Bruce Who is his mother? Is it Selena? Dear god it's Selena isn't it?"
"Thalia."
"You literally could not have given me a worse answer." Nightwing huffed.
"Dick, I'm giving them to you because I trust you to help them. Tim and Jason weren't much different, but they always came to you before me."
"Jason is dead, Bruce. And Tim still needs his father even when I'm around. I can't… I can't be that for them." Dick said slowly.
"Dick, when Gordon and Alfred were attacked and almost killed by the Joker, I came to you first for a reason." Batman started. "You do something no one else in this family does, you help me stay myself. I trust you the most to keep me from going to far, to question me. You make us all better, that's why I trust you to do this. Cassandra needs your kindness, Damien needs someone who can handle his attitude. Neither of them are suited to deal with me." Bruce sighed. "Can I trust you?"
Nightwing sighed and nodded.
"Give me my targets and some time to test them out and see how good they are before we leave." He said slowly as he walked away. "And Tim. He's with me too."