Richard gently removed the empty coffee cup from Kori's hands. She was sleeping in a chair in the corner of Bruce's office. Richard kissed the top of her forehead before going back to the desk. There was map of Jump City strewn across the table. Bruce put his hands on in it and leaned forward.
" What are we missing." He growled under his breath. Richard slumped in a chair in front of the desk.
" We have been over every crime record in the last two years, there are no correlations." He said with a sigh.
" Then what do we do?"
" I think the answer is obvious." Richard frowned, " He is planning something, which means one of us has to be there, and you know it has to be me." Bruce closed his eyes.
" There is no easy way to do this, it's too complicated. Richard can't move there and have Robin show up, it would be too easy, people would figure it out."
" Exactly, maybe I don't go as Robin." He sat up straighter. " What if another hero showed up, not as Robin."
" And what about Richard?" Bruce asked, massaging his temples. Richard's response to this was to slump back in the chair. It went back to silence for a few moments while both men concentrated, refusing defeat.
" It has to be slow." Kori said. Richard quickly got up and went to her side as she stood up.
" How are you feeling?" He asked quickly. She ignored him and continued talking.
" This process, has to be slow. You can't go as a hero and Richard at the same time. Bruce is right that would be obvious." She said quietly.
" What are you suggesting?" Bruce asked standing up straight.
" He is focusing on Richard, so he does have to go, but I agree, not as Robin, another hero, but you have to choose which one goes first."
" So, Richard moves to Jump City and how much longer do you suggest that this hero waits?"
" I don't know." Kori said, defeated.
" And we still haven't addressed the biggest problem at hand." Richard said glumly. " He listened in, which means he knows what your voice sounds like, which means he can track you, then you to us." He said looking at Kori.
" This is hopeless!" Bruce said with anger. The three waited in the quiet.
" Nightwing." Richard whispered. " I'll go as Nightwing." The other two stayed silent. " A new hero, one that no one has heard of. For a while I can go just as Nightwing, patrol at night and use the jet to be Richard here. Maybe eventually I can transfer to a Wayne Enterprise out there. Kori, your every move will have to be tracked. When you aren't at work, you will be near one of us."
" Nightwing?" Bruce asked.
" You knew I couldn't be Robin forever, so I have been thinking about possible ideas." He got quiet. " Unless you don't think that I'm ready."
Bruce's stern face softened. " I do think that you're ready. There is no more that I can teach you." Richard's chest swelled with pride as he heard the words. " I knew that you would outgrow my side one day, and I think that the time is now."
"Thank you."
"So, Nightwing will start patrolling Jump City at night, looking for clues about Slade while Richard still works at Wayne Enterprises in Gotham. This is going to be difficult,"
" I can do it." Richard cut him off. He looked at Kori, " I am not going to lie to you, this will be hard," he stopped for a moment, " so I completely understand if you want to stop," now it was Kori's turn to interrupt.
" Stop. Now. I will help in whatever way I can. This is going to be a team effort so don't you dare even think about pushing me out." Richard nodded.
" Then you have to promise me that you will stay safe, and don't try anything that could even potentially get you hurt, no matter how small." Kori returned with her own nod.
" Today at work I will go into our archives and try to see if we have anything about Slade, or resembling him. I know it's a long shot, but I might as well try."
" So today, Richard, you work with Alfred on a new suit, and Kori, you see what you can find. I will talk to the Commissioner and see if there is anything we don't know. Tonight you will take the jet to Jump City to begin patrolling, I will talk to our headquarters there and see if you can transfer there. I don't care what it takes, I want this man stopped." He looked at his watched. " We have been at this all night, it's almost 6."
Kori stood to leave and Richard followed her out.
" Not quite how I pictured our first night together." He laughed as he opened her door to drive her home.
Kori quietly entered her apartment, hoping that she wouldn't disturb her roommate, but she was quickly filled with fear as she saw Rachel drinking her tea at their table.
" So, how long have you been gone?" Her eye brow raised with curiosity although her voice was still monotone.
" I- I feel asleep on a couch and Richard thought it best not to wake me," she stammered, hoping her roommate would buy it.
"Are you alright, you look exhausted." Rachel said with some compassion.
" Just a lot to handle at work," her reply wasn't a complete lie so she said it more confidently. " I do have to get ready to go though." With speed and diligence she went about her morning routine trying to wrap her mind around the previous night.
" So, are you doing better than you were yesterday?" Roy asked as he leaned into her cubicle.
" Yes, I am." She said giving a fake smile.
"Boss Man wanted me to tell the interns, next month we are focusing on business tycoons, like Wayne, Wilson, Grant, and a few others. He will be watching our articles to pick the top writers and assign them. You should be a shoo in since you are, you know, dating Wayne's son, but still wanted to tell you."
" Thank you." She smiled. This was an assignment that she could do well at, and it was a welcome change to have a challenge than to think about the future she was facing. Her phone buzzed alerting her of a text message.
" Are you at work?" it read.
" Yes, what are you doing?" She responded, within seconds she got a long reply.
" I called out sick today. Al and I were putting together my new suit and making sure that the jet is ready to fly. I just wanted to check in and make sure you are safe. Tonight I want you to stay in the Manor. It's safer there, promise me." She ignored the last two sentences and replied,
" Do you want me to come with you?" She barely pressed send before it buzzed again.
" NO." She was thinking about how she wanted to respond when it buzzed again. " You haven't promised me back yet." She sighed and sent a reply,
" We will talk about it tonight." He didn't answer which meant he was probably annoyed. She went through the rest of her work day, focusing on her article to make sure that it was going to be an articulate one.
When the clock on her computer switched to 5 she quickly got her things together and headed to the elevator to leave the building. When she walked out she saw Alfred waiting outside of a sleek, black car. He gave her a sympathetic smile.
" Let me guess, I'm not allowed to drive myself anymore," she said with an aggravated sigh.
" I'm sorry Miss Anders, Master Dick was very firm with how he wants to proceed in this process." He smiled and opened the door for her and then drove her to the manor.
As she entered the Bat Cave she saw the two men standing around a mannequin with a suit on. It was black, leaving spaces designed to fit his muscles. There were blue stripes that went up the sides of the arms that met in the middle of the chest, making a dramatic " V" and the head of the mannequin had a mask covering the eyes that was black, with the outline of a hard bird.
" And all of the systems are charged and up to par." Bruce asked as he walked around it, examining it.
" Al and I tested it out today."
" It looks nothing like your Robin suit." Bruce acknowledged.
" That's the point, I'm not," he hesitated, " I won't really be Robin anymore after this." There was a silence. Kori knew that both men were too prideful to express their emotions, so she stepped up.
" It looks amazing." She smiled.
" You haven't answered my promise yet." Richard said ignoring her compliment.
She sighed. " I am not staying here at night. I am not going to have an apartment with Rachel and then pretend to move in with you. I don't want it to be like that," he started to protest, " I will let you have Alfred drive me everywhere, I will let you track my every move, but I will cross the line at staying here." Her face was unwavering and stern which meant he had to give in.
" Fine, and I am going to track you." He said with a slight threat. She ignored him and went to look at the screens.
" Will we be able to help you from here?" She asked.
" We haven't tried this before," Bruce answered, "but we are going to try tonight."
Richard took the suit and a back pack new the door and began to head to the jet, which was in a different part of the Bat Cave. Kori followed and marveled at how big this place was and was in awe that she had not seen it all yet.
The jet was small, and black. Richard discussed strategy and then turned to kiss her, passionately.
" Please be safe," she whispered. He gave her a grin and kissed her again before boarding. Bruce and Kori watched as he left, before heading to the screens to monitor his flight.
It was estimated that the flight would take an hour, and Bruce had found an empty warehouse on the outskirts of town where Richard could safely land the jet and head out. No one was sure what he was looking for, but he had planned to watch for any activity from the rooftops. He had landed safely, and was in costume as Bruce and Kori sat up straighter.
" Are you going out tonight?" She asked Bruce.
"Not unless I need to, I want to be here to watch his first solo mission." He said, and even if he wouldn't admit he was scared his voice showed his emotion. The Bat Cave went back to silent as the new Nightwing crouched on rooftops, watching the city.