We dropped down to the street using jumplines again – on another day, I probably would have enjoyed the stunt but I could feel tiny tremors running across Nightwing's back. The fight must have taken more out of him than I thought. It reminded me of when I was walking wounded but still sucked up the pain and ran. It frustrated the hell out of my friends until I told them I had to do it because…

"…no one else will."

"What do you mean?" Nightwing asked as he dropped us a few steps away from the rental.

"Nothing. Thinking out loud." I opened the driver side door and climbed in.

Nightwing settled back into his seat and told me to drive to Gotham.

"So what else can you do?" the vigilante asked.

"What?"

"Your magic. It's different from what I've seen."

"Oh. In a nutshell, I manipulate energy. Mana. Juju." I shrugged. "The fire I created back there; I took heat energy from you three, poured anger on it and let go. Like igniting fireworks."

Nightwing snorted. "Thought it felt a little chilly there for a while. So that was you?"

"Sorry about that. Didn't have time to explain."

"It's okay. Just don't mention it to Batman. He doesn't like magic."

"And strangers."

"He distrusts strangers." The vigilante corrected. "There's a difference."

"So I have to make friends with him?"

Nightwing nodded.

"Stars," I huffed, "and how would I score brownie points with tall, dark and silent?"

"You saved Robin." The vigilante's tone was quiet. "And me."

"At least, that counts for something."

"With Batman? It means everything."

I didn't answer him for several minutes. Family had always been a sensitive subject with me. My mother died when I was born, and my father followed six years after. I'd been living in an orphanage for five years until a wizard adopted me – and then he tried to kill me. And here was a kid – a superhero – who was similarly orphaned but got lucky in the adoption game. I was more than a little envious; I was jealous. I had to mentally kick my bitter self for feeling that.

Nightwing seemed to respect my silence and didn't speak up until we were almost at the Gotham City limits.

"Pull over. I'm driving the rest of the way."

"Uh, you sure about that?" I glanced at him but I pulled the car to the side. "You're still moving stiffly."

The vigilante grinned at me. "From this point on, you're not allowed to see how to get into the Cave. Batman's rules."

"Oh, right. Secret identity stuff." I climbed out of the car and moved to the passenger side. "Is there a Superhero list out there like the Evil Overlord list? Where it says superheroes aren't expected to give straight answers because of secret identity issues?"

Nightwing laughed. "Robin might have a copy. We've been thinking of adding to it." He held out a piece of fabric.

I pointed at the fabric in suspicion. "Blindfold?"

"Blindfold."

"Hell's bells." I muttered and let him tie the fabric over my eyes. With my eyes shut, the long day of interviews capped off with a fight finally got to me and I dozed the rest of the way.