Batman/Nightwing:
Death of Innocence
Part 2
By: Shannyn Grayson Ivy
Bruce Wayne sat transfixed in front of his PC in the lavishly decorated office at Wayne Enterprises. Linked directly to the computers inside the Batcave, they allowed Batman to do his research without a mask, all the while giving his minions the opinion that he sat in his office and played video games all day.
At present, the unmasked Bat was lurking in a chat room filled with local Gothamites. Listening to local business owners both brag and complain Bruce felt a headache coming on. This was his third chat room in as many hours with no leads. Sure, the missing girls had been mentioned, numerous times in fact. Still, no one said anything that particularly stood out to the trained eyes and ears of the Bat.
Annoyed that he was forced to be present at Wayne Enterprises while there was 'real' work to be done, Bruce drummed his ink pen on the antique oak desk. An 8 x 10 photograph in a silver frame caught Bruce's eye and he stared at it for several minutes. The picture of a young man with laughing eyes and a devil may care attitude looked back at him. Dick Grayson. Bruce Wayne's adopted son and the Batman's first partner, Robin, had now grown into a hero in his own right. He had left his Robin persona and Gotham City behind to find his own way. In doing so, he had become Nightwing, the masked defender of Bludhaven by night and Officer Richard Grayson, Bludhaven's finest by day.
Bruce couldn't be prouder of the young man, or more concerned.
Silently he closed his eyes and held to a firm wish that Dick would not catch wind of the latest developments in Gotham. Living only half an hour away, Dick made sure he could be accessible to Bruce and his night persona Batman at all times. It would be just like him to use up some vacation time from work, nonchalantly breeze in and solve the case, and be back to the 'Haven before bedtime. Bruce smiled to himself at the thought. I miss you, kiddo. Bruce nonverbally conveyed to the photo. The photo smiled back at him as if to say-'who wouldn't?'
"Little shit." Bruce retorted, oblivious to the fact his secretary Gladys Martin had entered the room.
"Pardon me?" The hefty woman asked confused.
"Oh, Gladys. I'm sorry I didn't see you come in." Bruce answered mildly embarrassed. Giving a warning glare to Dick's photo, Bruce minimized the chat room before the eagle eyed snoop of a secretary could discover what he was doing.
"Who were you talking to, Mr. Wayne?" Gladys pressed. No doubt she needed fresh gossip to share in the break room, Bruce reasoned.
"My Achilles heel…" Bruce muttered as he glanced back at the picture.
Clearly irritated that he wasn't going to fully elaborate, Gladys placed the afternoon's mail on Bruce's desk and showed herself out. Not, however, before she gave him a sideways glance that seemed to blare out 'how odd'.
Sighing, Bruce maximized the chat and his eyes lit up. Finally, a bite, as it were. Someone named Tyzan1895 was attempting to lure females into his night club on Nicaniss Road, in the downtown district. All seven victims had been found in or near that same district. Maybe it was nothing, maybe it was just what he had been looking for.
Having had remained silent since he first entered the chat, Bruce now spoke up, using a bogus name that no one would recognize. xxxMystiMorann17, Bruce in disguise, proceeded to set up a time to met Tyzan at the club. Conveniently enough, Tyzan picked a time when the club would be closed, stating that he owned it and could audition Mysti for a top spot in the nightclub's act. After flirting shamelessly under the guise of a female name, Bruce said his goodbyes and promised Tyzan they would in fact meet at three a.m. It was a promise Bruce very much intended to keep…
VVVVV
Dick Grayson growled as a ringing phone interrupted a wistful dream. Damn. Why were a few minutes of shut eye so hard to accomplish? Without opening his eyes, Dick reached for the offending phone, sorely tempted to yank it out of the wall. Deciding it might be important, Dick answered after about twenty rings. His voice sounding thick and groggy, Dick did his best to sound civil.
"WHAT?!" Dick asked impatiently.
"Hey, what ya doing?" Tim chimed annoyingly. Waking up his surrogate brother was one of life's truest joys.
"I was sleeping, idiot." Dick growled and slammed the phone down. Unfortunately his cell phone began ringing before he could bask in his victory.
"WHAT?!" Dick's voice boomed.
"Hey, DICK, what ya doing?" Tim chimed with an ear to ear grin.
"Talking to you, apparently." Dick sighed.
"Good answer." Tim smiled.
"SO, did you actually WANT something?" Dick questioned. Stretching, Dick yawned his disapproval loudly.
"Uh...no, not really." Tim answered. Although Dick could not see him, he was certain his 'little brother' was laughing at him.
"Wanna hang out tonight?" Tim asked quietly. He had to make sure that his step mother Dana didn't over hear his plans. It was a school night so that meant sneaking out to join the Bat clan. He didn't even want to think about what his father, Jack Drake, would do if he ever found out that Tim was in fact Robin, Batman's junior partner.
"Depends." Came the low growl.
"ON?" Tim asked oblivious to the danger he was in.
"ON if I get any friggin' sleep boy blunder." Dick spat back hotly.
"Okay, okay, point made. See ya tonight bro." Tim laughed.
"Yeah yeah, whatever." Dick mumbled and killed the juice to his cell phone. As he reached over to turn the ringer off the phone that sat atop his bedside table, Dick sighed as it began ringing yet again.
"You are soooooo a pain in the butt!" Dick yelled into the receiver.
"Who are you calling a pain in the butt?" Bruce asked, as if he didn't already know.
"OH…um, hi, Bruce." Dick answered in a much more polite tone. Bruce smiled at the noticeable change in attitude.
"Listen, I need a favor." Bruce answered sheepishly. He had to sound convincing if this was to work.
"Usually." Dick growled under his breath. Aloud he replied, "Name it."
"Could you entertain Robin tonight? I have a date with Selina…." Bruce let his voice trail off hoping it would get his message across.
"Sure. He can help me in the 'haven tonight."
"You're a good son." Bruce answered with a smile. Content that Dick did not suspect anything unusual. From the doorway Gladys listened with her mouth a gasp. She was appalled by what she had overheard. With lightning speed, Gladys made it to the break room to tell everyone that Bruce Wayne was 'passing along' one of his girlfriends named Robin over to his son so he could go out with some other poor disillusioned girl. The details became more sordid as her audience grew. Soon, the talk escalated to Bruce and his son engaging in a foursome. Gladys left the break room confident that she had brought about the best gossip of any of her peers. Yes, her phone would be ringing off the hook tonight. She smiled to herself at the thought. Now…where had she laid gossip Gertie's number?
VVVVV
The youthful exuberance of Robin did not go unappreciated by Nightwing, still, at times; Nightwing fought within himself not to hand the kid a valium. He hadn't seen Robin this excited in a long time.
"So we are really going after Blockbuster's gang tonight?" Robin asked around a mouth full of sandwich.
Nightwing glanced about the cavernous dwelling that his mentor called home. The 'Batcave' seemed deserted except for the starving teenager and himself. Convinced that he could indeed talk freely, Nightwing filled in his younger companion on his plans for the night's activities.
"Look, between us, NO WAY is Bruce going to dump you to go out on a 'date'. I figure something is up. He wants you and me waaaay away from what he's into tonight." Nightwing reached over and acquired the other half of Robin's sandwich before continuing. Robin was far too interested in what devious plan his big brother had in mind to complain.
"SO, of course that means that we stick to him like glue…" Robin chimed in, smiling when Dick nodded in argument.
"Exactamondo." Dick concurred.
"Only thing is, there is virtually no way to spy on the Batman. Come on man, you of all people KNOW that." Robin reasoned and took the last little bite of sandwich from Nightwing's hand before it could reach his mouth.
Nightwing glared at his younger sibling. Robin smiled and handed him half of a Zesti Cola that he had left to consume. Though the fizz was long gone and the drink itself room temperature, still it was wet and it worked. Nightwing took the offering and continued with his plan.
"We don't really follow him exactly. I mean he would be on to us right off. But we know what he's investigating, soooo, maybe we do a little investigating of our own." Nightwing encouraged. Now he could see just how Robin had come to possess his job. The boy was one hundred percent gumption.
"The vampire case? DUDE I AM SO THERE! Can we bring garlic and wood steaks and stuff?" Robin asked excitedly.
Nightwing tried but couldn't stifle a laugh at the energetic teenager. Had he ever been that young?
"Sure kiddo, bring the whole Van Helsing kit if ya want." Nightwing teased. "Just hurry it up. Nightfall is in half an hour. What say we wrap this case up for the big guy tonight so he really can go out on a date for a change?"
"Then its- Dracula be gone, you're breath is too strong…wait... come back... you need a garlic rack…" Robin chanted as the two left the safety of the Batcave for their hunt in the night.
VVVVV To be continued….