This is where I belong

And all these city lights
Another endless night
Full of all possibilities
Raise your glass to eternity

I never felt so high
It's never been this right
And it's all about you and me
From tonight until infinity

-Infinity by Young Guns

Waller had been true to her word, and Gordon had been on the first boat over the river. From there, it hadn't taken him long to get back to the precinct and reestablish his authority over the department. It was hard marching into the station and finding out how rough the officers here had had it.

It was clear they were all at the breaking point, on their last thread when he had come and informed them that help was on the way and the blockade was over. From there, he was organizing them and then heading out to retrieve a welcome gift from a certain vigilante.

Batman hadn't held back this time. It showed.

For the time being, they would keep Bane in a holding cell and have medical personnel attend him there. With the state of Gotham as it was, he didn't trust that the hospitals were equipped, or secure enough to hold someone like this man, no matter had bad of a beating he had taken. Who knew if he still didn't have loyalists somewhere in the city, ready to take advantage of a convoy?

There was also another reason to bring him to the precinct.

In the same cells, his men and women in blue had managed to round up a hefty portion of Bane's hired goons and were currently holding them there. Stories of how these men would spit and sneer and say who knew what—actually, he had a fairly good idea even though he didn't speak the language—in Spanish; their arrogance was not the least bit affected by their apprehension.

The Commissioner was going to have to do something about that. These people had done terrible things to his city, and while things like decency and human rights would prevent him from doing some very satisfying things, there were others ways to hit them. But first, it couldn't hurt by trying to be friendly.

Entering the hallway in which all the holding cells connected, the Commissioner strolled down it, but not before instructing a few officers behind him to hold back and wait for a few minutes. His footsteps sounded loud to him and that could have been helped by the fact that it was so quiet in here.

That ended as soon as he came into the sights of one of the mercenaries and the swearing and taunting in Spanish began. The thing about that was it made it easy to ignore it; it was hard to take offense when you had no idea what was being thrown at you. None of it stopped the Commissioner from taking in the sight of all the cells with Bane's mercenaries filling them, each more hostile and taunting than the last.

There was one that stood out the most; a thin, balding man who looked content in staying silent, as if all the words volleying around him was nothing more than a spectator sport. Gordon knew this to be one of Bane's lieutenants, though general might be a better description. Making a beeline to the man he already knew as Zombie, the mustached law officer came to a stop and gave his counterpart a look-over.

Zombie returned him look for look, giving no impression that he was impressed by what he saw. "If you think you're going to get something out of me, you're out of your league. Move along," he spoke drily

Even captive, this guy was so arrogant. "I thought I'd give you one last shot, a chance to come clean before I hit you and your friends here with everything my department has," Gordon told him

As if sensing there was something happening between two superior officers, the rest of the mercenaries were gradually quieting down. All the better to listen in and see what their de facto leader had to say.

"That would be something," Zombie drawled, which was a bit difficult since he had his nose bandaged up. "Last I checked, the very men here successfully raided this very building. I see you managed to patch one of the holes."

There was some hooting and hollering, the mercenaries cheering their leader on. It would be the American version of "oooooooh" if Gordon had to describe it.

"I've heard you are a tough nut to crack. You haven't said anything other than to taunt my men," Gordon commented.

"Ah, you must be the commissioner," Zombie commented. "Is this your turn to try? Do show me what you're capable of, while you still can."

"Still can?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Zombie took a step closer to the bars, peering between them with sunken eyes. "This little stay won't last. Do you really think Bane will let us waste away here? We're a standing army, ready to be unleashed. We've proven we're more than a match for anything you can throw at us."

"And yet we still caught you," Gordon retorted.

"Your little vigilante did your dirty work. We ran circles around you and we'll do it again. It's only a matter of time." The bald man gave a thin-lipped smirk.

Gordon ignored the quip about the vigilantes. That was something for another time.

"I hate to break it to you, but I have no plans to keep you all here," he stated, the light from the fixtures above reflecting off his glasses and obscuring his eyes. "I hear Blackgate is ready to accept new guests and I do believe the warden will be more than happy to take in the people responsible for attacking it. I think she has a cell reserved for your boss already."

"Make your threats. You can't stop Bane. Gotham will be his, one way or another," Zombie spoke, speaking like he was talking about the weather. "He will break you, Commissioner. He will break your department and then this city itself. This, this is only an intermission."

"Is that so?" Gordon gestured with an arm towards an officer at the end of the hallway. "I guess negotiations are over. Before I forget, I had another reason for coming down here. Dropping off another member of your outfit, though we have a private cell reserved just for him. Maybe you can recognize him for me first."

No sooner had he stopped talking when a gurney was wheeled into the hallway, a large body strapped down to it. As the wheels squeaked from the weight forced on them, Gordon waited as he observed how Zombie and his fellow mercenaries directed their attention towards the newcomer.

Then he watched as the smugness and arrogance drained out of all of them.

On that gurney that was moving closer and closer to him was none other than what remained of Bane. The outfit he wore was in tatters, stretched out and ripped to pieces. Various bandages over the worst of his wounds could be seen, a lot of it was on the back of the head, but what was the crowning achievement was that the mask that he had wore practically every second of every day was removed and laying atop his chest..

Gordon was a bit surprised. He had always imagined a gruff, hardened face under that mask. Imagine his surprise to see that it was perfectly mundane. The eyes were set too close to one another, the nose jutted out way too much, and the lips were a bit too full. Add to some chubbiness to the cheeks and you had one of the least intimidating faces ever imagined.

No wonder he wore the mask. No one in their right mind would ever be terrified of this man if they knew what was underneath it.

Normally, with the kind of injuries Bane had, he would be in a hospital, but after that mind control business, such places were working overtime with all the injuries from the fighting. Plus, he didn't trust the security enough to keep someone like this bastard without losing them. Who knew if there were still elements in the city loyal to Bane and willing to break him out? No, the department would hold on to him until the Blackgate infirmary was ready.

Zombie's face was an open book. His eyes were nearly bulging out of their sockets, his mouth dropped open, and horror was written in every crevice of his face. Gordon reached passed the bars and grabbed the thin man by the front of this shirt. With a yank, he pulled Zombie close, the bald man banging into the bars.

With a growl, Gordon stated, "Your boss was weak. Gotham broke him. So much for being its next ruler. Next time, find someone who can give us a better challenge because the next people she breaks will be all of you."

With that, he gave Zombie a shove. It didn't matter if the Santa Priscan man was right before, all that mattered was how it ended. They may have been leading, but every game is decided in the fourth quarter, and that's where they choked.

Now it was his turn to taunt, and with Bane's restrained body wheeled past all his very quiet men, there was no better way to do that.

The silence of the holding cells in that moment would remain music to his ears for years to come.

It was silent in the limo. Dinah could feel the urge to nestle in it, especially since she was with Ollie. She hadn't relaxed in a long while, the stress of the last few months finally starting to subside.

Batman had no idea the effect he had on the entire city the moment he kicked Bane off of that construction site. The image of him standing there, strong, imposing, powerful, it had shut down the local criminal element, thugs and criminals hiding underneath the rocks they crawled out from. Gordon was coordinating the police once again, having been locked out of the city when the bridges had been blown. All of that was keeping a lid on things.

So of course, it was finally time for Ollie to return to his own city. Apparently he had his own stable of sidekicks and vigilantes scrambling across rooftops while he had been in Gotham, but it was starting to wear on his people. Unlike Gotham, these vigilantes were all experts with the bow, so Green Arrow's absence wouldn't have gone noticed for awhile.

"You know, I'm gonna miss you, Pretty Bird," Ollie said as he squeezed her hand. Their hands rested on the seat between them, though that wasn't saying much. They were perhaps a few inches away from sitting in the same seat.

"Me too, Ollie," she replied as she looked up at his handsome face. "Don't make yourself a stranger now that all the trouble is gone. I don't want to have to wait for the next crisis to see you again."

The blond man chuckled as he turned his head to rest his chin on top of her head. Absently, she slid over to him, moving their hands so that she could lean into him. "Perhaps I should buy me a penthouse, since I seem to be spending so much time here."

"That's not necessarily a bad idea."

"Besides, I smell opportunity here." This caused Dinah to frown, the blonde woman tilting her head to look up at the man. Ollie moved his head to allow her to do this, opting to look towards the front of the limo. "There's been a lot of damage to Gotham's infrastructure, not to mention the impact on business. I'm pretty certain my board would be willing to jump into the market here."

"Which of course will make you visit to make sure your investments are doing good."

"That and to see a pretty lady."

Dinah raised an eyebrow. "A pretty lady, huh? Is there someone else I don't know about?"

"Yeah." Ollie glanced down at her. "There's this flower girl I keep bumping into. Has the prettiest voice you ever heard. She can even use it to break glass if she tries."

"Well, tell her to keep her hands off of you. You're taken."

"I'm sure she got the message." He sighed. "I sure am going to miss the lot of you. It was...interesting."

"But not something you care to repeat."

"Who would? I do admit, I also miss home too. I need some good ol' R&R, though I think I won't get that opportunity for awhile." His eyes then lit up, as if he got a great idea. "I know, you could come visit anytime. My private jet is at your beck and call."

A smile crawled onto Dinah's face. "I'll think about it," she murmured, shutting her eyes as she took in a deep breath. He was wearing cologne; it smelled good. It was a shame he'd be leaving now that they had some off time. "You just hurry back, okay? Gotham needs all the hands it can get to rebuild."

"You got it, Pretty Bird."

Humming a mindless tune, Talia finished brushing her hair. Setting the brush down, she grabbed an earring and raised it to her ear, attaching it to the lob. It was nearly automatic for her, even with the large mirror in front of her so that she could see her handiwork.

Aside from her grooming and dressing, she kept her eye on the reflection of a table towards the back. Damian sat there, hunched over an iPad, the light glowing in his face. He had his eyes glued to the screen, the audio loud.

She didn't need to see the screen to know what was on it. Ever since it had been aired, many people had promptly posted the broadcast to media sites like Youtube. That was Damian's favorite site at the moment.

"Awesome," he said in a hushed whisper before jabbing his finger into the screen. The video restarted and he was consumed by it once more.

"One more viewing, Damian," the dark-haired woman called out as she put on her other earring. "We have a busy day ahead of us."

The look of wonder on the boy's face vanished as he looked up at her, his trademark scowl back in place. "Do I have to, Mother?"

"Yes, Damian. We are making our public debut in Gotham and appearances matter. You will be at my side during our press conference for the renovations we'll be doing to Gotham's east side."

"But what if more videos are posted? I have to see them!"

"There is plenty of time for you to see them."

"You haven't seen them, Mother. If you watched them, you would understand."

Oh, she knew. She had known for a long time what her Beloved was capable of. She had seen him in action before, long ago, but he was still magnificent. Damian hadn't had that exposure, so his fascination with the airing of his victory over Bane was all-consuming. "I understand all too well what your father has done."

"But he beat that man. Did you see how he kicked him off of that building? It was great!"

"Yes, Damian, of course it was." In fact, she rather did enjoy that moment. She would have refrained from using that chain that ended up saving the Santa Priscan's life, but perhaps allowing that man to live would entrap him with the shame of losing. Bane struck her as a man that was not used to losing, so such a defeat would not be easily accepted.

Standing up from the chair she sat in, Talia smoothed down the blouse she wore and the pencil skirt that complimented it. She would retrieve the matching jacket in all due time. For now, she needed to tear her son away from his hero worship.

Or perhaps father worship was a better choice of words.

"Now then, it is time for you to finish dressing. You can watch your videos later," she told him.

"But, Mooootheeeer," he whined.

Talia's face hardened. "That is enough, Damian. Go finish getting dressed, or I will take that toy away from you."

The young boy sulked, but he shoved his chair back and stood up, trudging out of the room. Talia watched him, even when he slammed the door shut behind him. Shaking her head at his petulance, she walked up to the table and picked up the tablet, looking down as she saw the playing video of Bane's large form writhing on his knees, her Beloved standing behind him just before he kicked him off the ledge..

For a moment, Talia made to stop the video, but then thought better of it. After all, her favorite part was about to play.

As a cool breeze blew past him, Red Robin was taking the time to admire his home city. Jump may be his new home, but his heart would always belong to Gotham. These last few weeks had only cemented that belief.

It was finally over, wasn't it? Bane was beaten and going to rot in a cell for the rest of his life, starting right back where he had started. All the other things from the Joker, to Hugo Strange, the Phantasm, Scarecrow, and freaking assassins, those had been wrapped up as well. They had accomplished so much, even though it had come at a price.

In the distance, he could see construction crews starting to get to work on one of the damaged bridges. For the time being, boats were being used for traffic. Who knew how long it was going to take to repair all the damage this city had taken.

But he was confident that Gotham would come out the stronger for it. It always did and it would continue to do so without him.

He had places to be and they were all back in Jump City. He needed to give a call to the folks and let them know that his field trip to the east coast was wrapping up. He was going back to his new home with its old problems, but hey, that was how it was in this business.

At least this time, he knew that Gotham would be safe under both the Network and the Batman.

Well, he hoped the Network would stick around and, you now, not break up. They could all do so much together, things they weren't capable of when alone, or in their little cliques.

Things could only go up from here, the masked teen felt. More importantly, he was leaving this time at the end of everything and not, you know, in the middle. He was still so grateful that Two-Face didn't get out of Arkham because that would have made things very awkward for him.

Speaking of awkward, Red Robin already knew Batman wanted him out of the city. Nothing needed to be said, only a look. The message was received and going to be carried out tonight. First, he'd visit with Barbara and Dick, say his goodbyes, then get out of Dodge. If there was time, he might throw some advice to the new girls, Spoiler and Bluebird. Just something to keep them alive and their identities a secret. Personal experience and all that.

That was the plan. As another breeze blew past him, he heard what sounded like something touching down on the rooftop, gravel crunching in a way that only happened with feet involved.

Was it Batman? No, he was quieter. That left a bunch of the other vigilantes, but which one? Was it Nightwing? If so, that meant one less trip needed to be made. Well, it could be Huntress, or wait, even Black Canary. They had had some fun times in Santa Prisca, so it stood to reason they'd have a goodbye themselves.

Turns out, it was none of the above.

"What are you doing all the way up here, Red? Trying to work on your Batman impression or something?" a very familiar red and gold-colored girl questioned, her lips curved upwards in a way that made his cheeks go warm. She was only a few feet behind him, but she was leaning forward, gauntlet-clad arms behind her back.

It took an exceptional amount of control for the masked teen to not blurt out her name. Hell, he was almost said the first syllable when he managed to stop himself. "What are you doing here?!" he exclaimed.

"I think you've been here too long. Have you forgotten already? Because 'Beast Boy' won't let us," Cassie, or Wonder Girl as everyone called her much to her annoyance, retorted.

It took him a second before Red Robin groaned, recalling the reason why he and his informal team of teenage crime-fighters had planning to come all the way out here in the first place. Yeah, that little matter. In all the fighting and action, that detail had slipped his mind. He was sure that a certain green-skinned teen would talk his ear off for it.

Instead, he said, "I thought you guys were still in the Keys, enjoying the sun and surf and all that jazz."

"Turns out that gets boring real fast," Cassie replied as she straightened her posture. With a hand that was covered in gold-colored armor, she brushed some hair out of her face. "After about a week, someone was about to tear someone else's face off, and I'm not exaggerating that part. Take a wild guess who is which."

He didn't need to take a guess. He already knew.

"So when did you get in? Tell me Raven teleported you and just you." Now the young vigilante was getting a bit desperate.

"As if. We sailed all the way up here, and hearing about the return of Batman is all anybody heard on the trip." Now Wonder Girl was grumbling, looking away from the slightly shorter male while crossing her arms disgruntly. "Got in like an hour ago. Took some effort to convince the rest to stay on the boat while one of us gets you. Now it's your turn, what do you know about that Nick guy that we've come all this way for? You better have a good answer otherwise I'm gonna have to stop being nice."

Yeah, and she's terrific back on the west coast. No, it was easy to tell that this whole bit of coming here and detouring to Santa Prisca was wearing on the girl's nerves. Her tolerance for stupid had been at its limit and that was why she had been extra snarky and, for lack of a better word, bitchy. She was very straightforward and despised detours of any kind.

Really reminded the vigilante of how they first met. He definitely fit into the detour category.

Enough of that, Cassie was expecting an answer and a good one at that.

So, he did the only thing that seemed reasonable. Lifting a hand to the earpiece he still wore, Red Robin made a query.

"Hey Oracle. What's the scoop on Galtry?"

It was a simple and small headstone, one so insignificant that your average Joe would walk past it without a thought. All that was carved into the rock was a name and a year.

Then again, what did you expect to find in a cemetary used for people who died in the nearby hospital and were too poor to afford burial service, or were unidentified and/or unclaimed. It was the best that could be done for a life that had ended too soon and too tragically.

Having decided to take the night off, Dick stared down at the name that seemed to glare back at him, taunting him with his greatest failure to date. Every single letter of the names JASON and TODD felt like individual blows to the young man, condemning him and demanding why he had let this happen.

Now that there was time to breathe, there was time to grieve.

With hands in his pockets, he gave a big sigh, his shoulders slumping. He felt as if it should be cold out, but the warming weather decided that it wasn't going to cooperate with such a wish. Well, at least he wasn't alone.

Beside him was the woman from the clinic, the one that the Batclan had taken Batman to after Bane had thrown him into the streets. Leslie Thompkins is what he thought her name was. He had to look it up before he had approached her because it had been to her that he had left Jason's bloodied and beaten body. In exchange for her help then, he had to take off, and he was using quotes here, his "stupid mask" whenever he was around her.

Yeah, the doctor knew what he looked like, but she didn't know who he was and didn't seem to care. Apparently, she thought he was better looking without the mask. He had a sense she meant that maternally and not in any other way.

Since he was taking that long awaited breath, one that had been metaphorically held ever since the war with Bane had begun, Dick approached Thompkins to find out what she had did with Jason. To make a short story even shorter, this was where she had taken him.

"I had to treat him every once in a while. He always made a fuss, but took it," Dr. Thompkins commented.

Yeah, that did sound like Jason. Always wanting to be the tough guy, but if you hammered your point in enough he would give in. He was guessing that was what the doctor did in order to get him to take his very literal medicine. Then again, Thompkins had demonstrated she knew how to take charge of hotheaded patients with little difficulty.

"Everyone who comes through my doors, I always wish them the best. It's always sad when...when that doesn't happen," the doctor continued. "It's heartbreaking when you know there is nothing you can do to save them."

Dick bowed his head and closed his eyes. Behind his eyelids, he could see an afterimage of Jason, his mask still on and his middle finger up, even as he left the bunker that the Network had taken as its own. That was the moment he had needed to act. To save a life that he had been responsible for and had failed to do.

"How do you deal with it?" he found himself asking, his voice raspy. "The heartbreak. How do you deal with it."

Thompkins was quiet for a moment. "I push past it," she said at last. "I have no choice but to. Other lives depend on me to be at my best, and not held back. In the quiet moments, I mourn, and give them some of my time, then I get back to work. Does it work all the time? No. But that's how I do it because I have little choice other than to give in to my grief and I can't let that happen."

Despite the explanation, it was a simple answer. Push past the hurt and the regret and move forward. Why did that feel so difficult to do? It was easier to ignore it, to focus on saving Gotham and figuring out the future of the Network.

"You make it sound so simple." Dick wasn't going to deny that he sounded depressed in that moment.

"Sadly it isn't," Thompkins refuted. "But it is either that, or allowing myself to be weighed down and overwhelmed. I have no time for that, so guess which one I chose. For you to consider, know that due to my own decisions, this is how I have to make do with my failures. You can choose differently. You don't have to keep dressing up in a ridiculous costume and risk your life needlessly. It's not too late for you find a life that can allow you to help others with a significantly lower chance of being hurt, or worse, dying."

You know, there was a part of him that had expected something like this, especially after she had demanded he not wear his mask around her, but that didn't change how tempting the doctor's words were. Was being Nightwing really all he could do to help his city? Were there not other ways?

And what about the girls? Was he really the person to watch over them and make sure neither had the same fate as Jason? Yes, they were growing in skill and as people, but they were still young and had so much more ahead of them than the dead end that being a vigilante seemed to offer. Should he be encouraging Harper and Stephanie to do other things while they were still living?

Because Barbara was paralyzed from the waist down, Tim was exiled out of fear of repercussions from a two-faced maniac, and Jason was dead. How many more needed to be lost before Nightwing came to the conclusion that he was not fit to be...whatever it was that he was now.

Even though Dr. Thompkins had said it wasn't too late for the former acrobat, Dick found a part of him disagreed with it. Deep down, he felt it was, but not because he was being over-dramatic and self-absorbed. He was already in a deadbeat job as a convenience store clerk and those jobs were dangerous enough by themselves. Such places got robbed all the time; he would know, he had been involved with one or two of them, but had never told the others. Pure luck was what had kept him from being shot, but his luck would run out eventually.

And what he hoped the others would never find out, was that he would track those robbers down and make sure they ended up in police custody at the end of the night, with a broken bone or two to slow them down a bit.

It was kinda surprising how much he really kept to himself.

"You're right about a lot of stuff, but I don't feel like I still have the time," Dick said after a while. "Not anymore. I'm getting older, and opportunities are drying up. I may not have the kind of choices you think I have."

"Don't give up so quickly," was Thompkins' immediate response. "Wherever there's life, there's hope. No one can live their lives without hope, none but the dead."

"Yeah, but until then, I'm going to keep fighting so that another kid doesn't wind up dead, or worse." Turning away from the grave and the doctor, Dick began to make his way out of the cemetery.

He still had a lot to think about, and decisions to make, but for right now, there was no rest for the righteous.

Perhaps he would call his night job off and put on the mask sooner rather than later.

The wind tugged at his body. Standing at the ledge, the gargoyle extending out even further, Batman rested his foot on the stone creature. He wasn't looking out into the city; fact was, he was looking down at the streets below. It used to be he was searching for trouble.

Now, it was just like the other times he had stood here, only to turn back. The previous times he had been here, he hadn't felt it was the right time. He wasn't ready to leap out and take the city by storm. There was something holding him back.

"As much as I adore this place, I don't think I'll be rushing back any time soon," Zatanna said, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

Bruce glanced at her, then looked away. "Thank you for your services," he replied to her. "I couldn't have done this without you."

"Of course not," she scoffed, raising a hand up and running it through her hair, absently brushing it off her shoulder as the dark strands fell behind her back. "Why, I'm pretty sure you'd be dead and buried if it weren't for me."

The spirit of humility, she was not.

"I suppose you'll be heading back to your estate? Or are you going to check on Xanadu?" he inquired, not in the mood for more bluster.

Thankfully, Zana took his cue. "Actually, I'm going to join up with my troup. We're about to go on tour and the timing couldn't be any better."

That was encouraging. "I'm sure you'll do well. Where will you be starting?"

There was a quiet moment before the magician replied, "I was thinking of Gotham to be honest. I'm sure the people here could use some entertainment, even some magic. Plus, I'd just be coming back in like a week. I'm sure my manager can switch some dates around."

That caused Bruce to look at her again, raising an eyebrow. In response, Zatanna rolled her eyes before she swatted his shoulder. "Don't worry, I won't be doing any patrols or anything. I'm done with the crime fighting business for awhile."

"That wasn't what I was going to ask. I was assuming you wanted a place to stay."

She snorted. "As if. You do realize I can afford a hotel right? And not some crummy one on the east side; I mean one of those fancy high-rise ones. I'm pretty certain there's plenty of vacancies right now."

"And here I thought you'd want to stay someplace free."

The corner of Zatanna's mouth twitched up into a smirk. "Why, you offering?"

"It's the least I could—"

"Alright, you can stop twisting my arm," she interrupted. "I'll stay if that's what you really want. All you had to do was ask."

Bruce returned her smirk. "Don't you mean offer?"

"Details, details."

Zatanna was true to her word, having firmly lodged herself at Wayne Manor. The last they had spoken, she was going to take a long, hot bath. She had disappeared into the manor after that and he hadn't seen her since.

Considering how long she had been watching his back lately, it was a little strange he had to admit. But then, there was a part of him that was glad she wasn't here. This moment, this hesitation he felt, this was for him. It was an obstacle to overcome and he didn't want any onlookers.

Huntress wasn't around either. In fact, following Bane's defeat, she had told him she was going to partner up with the Birds of Prey again. Apparently she had enjoyed her time with them again as part of the Network, which as fine by him. It seemed their run together had been ending anyway.

Which left him with one last partner.

"You're sure about this?" Batman questioned as he sat in his chair. The computer monitor was on, but he had his back to it. Instead he was looking at Cassandra, dressed in her Batgirl armor, but she had her mask clutched in one hand at her side.

She gave him a sharp nod. "I am. I'm ready to be out on my own now."

Already, he had misgivings about this. She had never patrolled on her own—he hadn't allowed it. But after everything, the emotional turmoil brought up by the future flash drive and Talia's announcement of his own blood child, he was starting to realize that she wasn't just a child. While she was his child, no matter the circumstance, she was growing up and maturing.

She was a teenager and a stubborn one at that.

Yet, her desire to become her own person was promising. It was horrifying for him, but he understood at it some level. He had his own journey at one point. To deny Cassandra the same wasn't fair to her.

"I know you know I'm not entirely sure about this," he started, and immediately saw a defiant look appear on the girl's face. In response, he held a hand up to keep her from interjecting and allow him to finish what he was saying. "I won't lie to you and say I don't have a misgivings about this. Just know that if you ever need me, you can come to me."

That seemed to pacify the girl...for now. "Thank you," she responded softly. "And I can go to Huntress too."

While not his first pick, he was fine with that. "Of course."

"And Zatanna for as long as she is here."

Yes, her too. "Of course."

"Even the Birds of Prey."

Alright, she was starting to get ahead of herself. She wasn't wrong about the Birds, but he had a feeling she was going to keep pressing. So Batman shot her a look, one that told her not to tread any further. Thankfully, she got the message.

Raising up her mask, she slid it on, the black lens staring him down. "I'll be heading out now." For a moment, she seemed hesitant. "Wish me luck?"

"Good luck."

If Zatanna's absence was odd, Batgirl's was outright intolerable. Yet, he had to hold himself back. Yes, he wanted to hunt her down as she performed her first solo patrol and watch her. Yet, if he did so, he would only push her away and he had done enough of that in the last few weeks. No, the only way to help her, to care for her, was to let her walk on her own.

That said, it wasn't like he didn't know where she was. A tracer in her armor was broadcasting her location to him at all times. She just didn't know about it.

Batman sighed. He was stalling now. That wasn't him, that wasn't Batman. Steeling himself, he looked over the city in all of its gloom.

A light appeared, his symbol appearing in the night's sky.

Gotham was calling to him. Far be it for him to ignore her call.

Reading himself, he took the leap, jumping off the gargoyle and soaring into the night.

To FlackAttack: As usual, not everything has been wrapped up. That's for the next story

That concludes this three-part story. It's a little hard to believe it's over, honestly. Anonymous Void and I would like to thank everyone that has read, reviewed, and enjoyed this story.

However, AV and I aren't finished with this series yet. We are working on the next installment, which will be posted on AV's profile. It's titled The Eleventh Hour. A reviewer on an earlier story suggested it and AV and I liked it enough to want to use it. We'd like to thank the Guest reviewer who came up with it. We hope to get the story out soon.

Once again, thank to everyone who read and enjoyed this story.

Until next time,

ShadowMajin