Ring. Ring. Slowly opening his eyes, Dick Grayson glares at the phone located by his bed. Hoping that to ignore the offensive sound might make it go away, Dick gives up the hope after two more rings.
"Hello?" mumbles Dick into the phone as he places the receiver at his ear.
"Hey Dick!"
"Tim?" asks Dick, sitting up in bed. "What's up?"
"Oh, same old, same old," replies Tim cheerfully. "But I actually had a reason for calling."
"What's the old man done now?" asks Dick, as he sits up and slides his feet over the side of the bed.
"No, Bruce is fine," replies Tim, with a strained laugh. "Actually, he's kind of benched me."
"Oh?" asks Dick, standing up and walking over to his closet.
"Yeah, he won't tell me why, so I figured I'd get around him," says Tim cheerfully. "I think it has something to do with Joker breaking out of Arkham a couple nights ago."
Pulling a sweatshirt from his closet, Dick pulls the phone away so he can slip the shirt over his head. Placing the phone back at his ear, Dick continues to listen to Tim.
"…it just seemed odd that he would tell me to take time off around the same time, you know?" finishes Tim.
"Ok, so how does this involve me?" asks Dick, walking over to his bureau to find some jeans.
"Well, I was kind of hoping that you would come to Gotham so that he wouldn't work alone," suggests Tim.
"And let me guess, you don't want Bruce to know that you asked me?" asks Dick, raising a brow, even though Tim couldn't see it.
"Yup."
"Ok, I'll tell you what," says Dick, as he takes a pair of jeans out of the drawer and then closes it. "I'm come up to Gotham to see how things are going, but I can't promise how long I can be up there. Things are kind of hot in Bludhaven right now."
"Any help is better than none," replies Tim. "See ya when you get here."
Nodding his head, Dick clicks off the phone without saying good bye.
……………….
Slipping into the city after dark, Nightwing patrols the city streets. Deciding to take a breather, Nightwing holds his next jump and rests for a moment on the roof of a tall building. Knowing that his mentor is also searching those very same streets, it doesn't come as any surprise when he hears the sound of someone land right behind him.
"You're far from home."
"Gotham is as much my home as Bludhaven," replies Nightwing, as he turns to face the Dark Knight.
"Why are you here?" asks Batman, as he takes a few steps to join Nightwing on the edge of the roof.
"I heard that Joker broke out," says Nightwing carefully.
Not getting an answer from his former partner, Nightwing glances at the older man out of the corner of his eyes.
"I also heard that you're doing some solo action," continues Nightwing. "I figured I'd come up here and ask if you needed a hand."
"And how did you hear about this?" asks the Dark Knight, not looking at the younger man, but keeping his gaze on his city.
"You could say a little birdie told me," says Nightwing with a cheeky grin.
"I see," says Batman, before glancing once at Nightwing. "Are you able to spare the time to be here?"
"I'm here," replies Nightwing, seriously. "Any time you need me."
Nodding his head, Batman jumps off the roof and into the night.