It took me ten minutes to find a motel and get checked in. Then another five minutes to cast a quick veil and maneuver the boy up the stairs and into the room. I'm not an expert at veils; but it was late at night and I hoped no one would see a freakishly tall guy hustling a superhero into a motel room. I don't have a death wish. My life's hazardous enough as it is.

The room had two beds. I dropped Nightwing on the one nearest the window and ran out to the car to grab my stuff.

When I got back, I got rid of the kid's top to check on his shoulder. It was fairly straight, maybe made by a knife. The zombie must have retained its knife skills when it was raised. Animated corpses weren't known for the number of brain cells they still had remaining. But going up against a zombie with a weapon? The kid was either very lucky or very good.

I'd brought a first aid kit with me (being a professional wizard should be on the list of Most Dangerous Jobs in the World) and while I wasn't a doctor, I'd done my own share of patching myself up. Unfortunately, my passenger slash patient stirred while I was stitching him up.

"That hurts…" he groaned.

"Sorry, kid. Forgot the topical."

"Who-?"

"It's Harry, remember? Just suck it up. I'm almost done."

He remained silent as I finished putting the rest of the stitches in then wrapped bandages around his shoulder. "Done."

He sat up and flexed his arm, wincing whenever he stretched or rotated it in full. "Thanks for helping. But I'd better go."

"What, I bring you here, I patch you up and now you're leaving? I thought we were getting somewhere…"

"Uh, sorry but, you're not my type." There was a smile playing on his lips.

"Okay, so I was kidding about the getting somewhere part. But I'm not going to let you out there."

The vigilante frowned at me, suspicion in his voice. "Why not?"

"Stars and stones," I pinched the bridge of my nose. After a day spent traveling, fighting off a zombie, and then the frantic doctoring, I could feel that headache coming. "Look, that zombie back there. He wasn't alone, was he?"

The vigilante shook his head. "There were four of them. One of them acted as their leader."

"That'd be your necromancer. The rest would probably be more zombies."

"Your point being?"

"If he wants to kill you badly enough to send three zombies after you, then he'll be sure to try again. Before that happens, I'd like to set up some wards so he'll have a harder time finding you. At least for tonight."

Nightwing considered that for a moment before nodding. "Alright. Just for tonight. But I want you to stay where I can keep an eye on you."

"Even in the bathroom?"

The vigilante glared.

I grinned and turned towards the door. "By the way, you're not doing this vigilante thing on your own, are you?"

"I'm working solo on Bludhaven, why?"

I waved towards the single phone in the room. "Just thought you might want to check in with someone before they turn the city upside down looking for you. I'd rather not have to pay for damages along with the cleaning bill the rental will slap me with."