Nightwing drifted across the night sky like a phantom floating through the air. He was every bit the silent protector that his old mentor had hoped that he would become. To the untrained eye, one might even mistake Nightwing for the Batman, minus the cape and mask. Their movements were generally the same, and neither man looked human as they glided from rooftop to rooftop on the wind. Nightwing eventually came to rest on a ledge at the top of a high tower. The Gotham Cathedral was the second tallest building in Gotham City and the Batman had often used its high perch to scan the city. Now Nightwing stood there overlooking his new home; he now knew hot it felt to Bruce Wayne when he stared out from this vantage point.
"Any lead on the Batman's whereabouts, Nightwing?"
"Nothing yet, Oracle," Nightwing replied, almost forgetting for a moment that she was in his ear on com link.
"Maybe there's nothing to see, Nightwing. What if this is all in your head?" Oracle asked concernedly.
"It is not in my head. And if it is, then staying out for another hour couldn't hurt."
"Okay, now you're starting to sound like the old man."
"Thanks."
"That wasn't a compliment. Besides, how do you even expect to find this Batman imposter? And if you do, what do you plan on doing about him?"
"I'm not sure yet. I just need to know that I'm not losing my mind out here. I'll handle the rest when I get there."
"Dick, be careful out there. This is dangerous territory-"
"Hold on, I think I see something."
A familiar light pierced the moonless night sky and a symbol of great power and meaning was etched into the clouds. Nightwing sat slack jawed for a moment as he stared at the Bat Signal floating in the air. It was every bit as beautiful and ominous as he remembered it from his dreams. He sighed regrettably when he thought about the fact that the man who had been his brother would not be answering the call. But someone would be, and he had to know who.
"It's the Bat Signal, isn't it? … Nightwing? … Dick?" Oracle's cries went unanswered as Nightwing dove headfirst from the cathedral tower and down toward Gotham's unforgiving streets. He instinctively pointed he left arm at the nearest building top and activated his wrist grappling hook. It immediately caught onto the edge of the roof and Nightwing raced off toward the Bat Signal's point of origin. He hoped to find the floodlight providing the signal before it went it out, in hopes of tracing its creator. It was a long shot, but it made more sense to him than running around Gotham City chasing shadows.
When Nightwing arrived within eyeshot of the floodlight, he easily came to recognize to recognize the building as the Gotham Observatory. It was centrally located and tall enough to reach anywhere in the city with ease. Nightwing somersaulted through the air and landed in a crouched position on the roof. He walked over to the floodlight and examined it for wires or a control panel. There was nothing. Dick realized that this Bat Signal was controlled elsewhere and he would find no more help on this building. It was quite plausible actually that this Bat Signal had been constructed by the Bruce Wayne himself. Bruce had several secret Bat Signals hidden all across Gotham City so that he could see them no matter where he was at the time. Besides that, Dick had been gone for ten years and had no idea how many signals Batman constructed in his absence. After he died, however, the Bat Signals were destroyed by the authorities; but it was obvious they had missed one.
"Hello, Nightwing. Welcome home," a low grumbling voice calmly stated from behind Nightwing. Nightwing quickly spun on his heels, assuming a defensive posture in case the intruder was hostile. What he saw, in a way, was more discouraging than if he had just seen another rogue. A criminal he could have handled; a criminal he could have trounced easily and then sent him back to Arkham or Blackgate where he belonged. But this was a different situation altogether. He couldn't simply throw the Batman in prison, after all.
"Who the hell are you?" Nightwing growled.
"Isn't it obvious?" the Batman responded sarcastically.
"Don't play games with games with me, stranger. Who the hell are you?"
"Look at me, Dick. You know who I am." The Batman walked closer to Nightwing who backed away and readied himself to strike at a moment's notice. The Batman knelt down and looked into Nightwing's eyes with all the compassion that Dick remembered and more. Nightwing jumped up from the ground and began to pace frantically, waving his arms as he spoke.
"It can't be. I saw your body and you are dead."
"Yes, but what does it truly mean to die, Dick?"
"It means your heart stops and they bury you in the ground. People don't just come back from the dead."
"Didn't I teach you anything? By devoting yourself to something far greater than one man, you become immortal. A symbol can never die."
"But a person can. And you did!"
"Damn it, Dick, look into my eyes," Batman grabbed Nightwing around the neck and pulled him in nose to nose. "Look into your heart and you will find the truth. You already know it though, don't you?"
"Stop talking riddles, goddamn it and tell me the truth." Nightwing broke the Batman's grip and turned away from him. "Who are you, and why are you doing this to us?"
The Batman came up to Nightwing and placed a comforting, fatherly, hand on his shoulder. He spoke not a word, but merely surveyed Gotham City alongside his one time partner and brother. Without warning, Nightwing suddenly began to wobble in place and eventually he fell to the ground. His eyes were closed, but his chest continued to rise and fall with each breath he took. The Batman stared down at him for a moment and shook his head slowly. Before leaping off the rooftop and disappearing again into the shadows, the Batman whispered a few consolatory words to his old friend.
"Sleep well, little Robin. All will be revealed in time."