Time for revenge of Nightwing. This is where Nightwing will discover a small part of the consiracy cooked up by Bats and Nightingale. Will Nightwing break the code of heroes and kill? I guess you have to read to find out.

Nightwing sat on the limb of a tree. Watching. He was waiting for the right moment to strike. He had been running surveilance on the same group of crooks for a week. They were the monsters that killed his sister. Nightwing had been going on patrol. He didn't go to the cave anymore and help the new team with their missions. He left that to Miss M and Superboy. Wally tried to get him to hang out, but Richard was totally consumed with one thought...Revenge. At first, he had tried to move on. He took a break from the hero gig for a week, and tried to be a good boy. Go to work at Wayne Industries. Go to college. He even went out with Zatanna somewhere in that time. But he couldn't do it. He couldn't pretend that he didn't want their blood. So, Dick gave up all pretenses.

Now, here he was, the old boy wonder, about to do something he swore he would never do. Kill. *Only if it comes to that,* Richard told himself. *Yeah right. You know you want to beat the crap out of them, whether they tell us or not.* Nightwing threw back. This was one of those moments when Richard, mild-mannered son of a billionaire, and Nightwing, more serious and slightly angsty hero, butt heads. Sure, Nightwing was a lot like Robin, just older. But he still was more of a bad boy. *You're only crazy if you lose the argument. You're only crazy if you lose the argument.* Richard told himself. He smirked. That was something his sister said...Used to say. Dick's rage was rekindled. *Revenge,* Nightwing demanded. Now, Richard wanted it too. A life for a life.

As the men walked under his tree, Nightwing dropped down and layed waste. He took all ten out in almost no time at all. Rage can be a powerful motivator. Nightwing grabbed the last one and pushed him to the tree. "L-l-look, man. I-I-I don't want any t-t-trouble." The man whimpered, holding his hands up in surrender. Nightwing glared.

"And yet, here you are. Commiting a felony." Nightwing said coldly. The man flinched a little. Then, recognition came to him.

"Hey...You're Nightwing. Your sister was the girl-"

"The girl that you murdered!" Nightwing snarled, pushing the man against the tree.

The felon blinked. "I don't know what you're talking about. I never murdered anyone. I might have robbed them everyone now and again. I've put people in the hospital, sure. But I would never kill anyone. Least of all a kid."

Nightwing growled and held a bird-a-rang against the man's jugular. "Don't you dare lie to me. I saw it happen. We were going down the tunnel and the explosives your men planted killed her!" Now, the man just looked outright confused.

"Wh-What are you talking about? The explosives my men planted? I assumed it was your guys and it just went bad."

Nightwing snorted in derision. "Oh, that's rich. You expect me to believe that you had nothing to do with it? It was the bombs that you guys stole. You honestly expect me to believe that the Justice League had something to do with this?" He asked, digging his bird-a-rang in, causing a little blood to drip down the man's neck.

"Yeah, it was our bombs. But some went missing a while before. Let me ask you something, boy. Why would we blow up the tunnel? It was the only way out! We may be crooks, but we ain't stupid. Maybe you should look into the people that you work for." The crook said. Nightwing looked into the man's eyes looking for the slightest tell that he was lying. He wasn't. *Okay...so either he doesn't know anything, or...or the Justice League really was behind it.* Nightwing took a step back, letting the man go. The man sighed with relief before Nightwing knocked him out. He tied them all up and left them for the proper authorities to find. He got on his motorcycle and drove away. It couldn't be the League...It couldn't be. They loved Abigail. They were her aunts and uncles. Dick drove to Wayne Manor and parked his bike in the Bat-cave. Batman was standing by the computers. He turned when he heard his son's approach. Nightwing was furious. If the League had anything to do with it, Batman had everything to do with it. The League didn't do any kind of covert mission without the Bat's seal of approval. After all, he was the best at covert.

So, Nightwing being the disgruntled young person that he was, he did the only thing that he could think of. He sucker punched the man he thought was his father. Batman fell to the ground, with a look of total shock on his face. "Richard,"

"No. You don't get to talk. Not yet. Do you know where I was? I was tracking down the thugs that killed Abigail. The ones that you told me to leave alone. I didn't understand that then, oh but I sure as Hell do now! When I asked them why they killed my sister, they said they had no idea what I was talking about. They said that the tunnel was the only way out. The crook also said that some of the bombs that they stole had gone missing. If they didn't do it Bruce, then who did?" Nightwing finished. He was breathing hard and glaring even harder. Batman was silent. Unsure of what to do. "Now, talk." Nightwing said, his voice hard.

"Let me get this straight. You just sucker punched me based on what a criminal told you? You're honestly asking me if I had anything to with it?" Batman asked in a patronizing tone.

Nightwing clenched his fists. "I'm not thirteen anymore, Bruce. You can't lie to me. You can't trick me into believing your cleverly spun stories. Tell the truth."

Bruce sighed, pulling down his cowl. Nightwing took off his mask. If they were going to have this talk, it had to be face to face. "Alright...Yes. I planted the bombs. But your sister wasn't supposed to get hurt." Bruce added quickly when Richard's eyes started to blaze. Bruce stood up and walked up to his son. "We were leaving and she accidentally tripped them. I never intended for Abigail to die. How could you even think that? She was my daughter. I loved her." Bruce looked at his son earnestly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Richard asked.

Bruce ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't want you to jump to conclusions."

"And you thought it was better for me to find out from a crook?" Dick asked incredulously.

"I told you to leave it alone. Not just so you wouldn't find out, but so you wouldn't do something you would regret. She wouldn't want this for you, Dick. You know she wouldn't." Bruce said, putting a hand on his son's shoulder. Dick looked away.

"I-I know she wouldn't...But...I just wanted to stop feeling so angry all the time. I thought that if I took them out...It didn't help though. I'm still miserable. And she's still gone." Richard started to walk away, but Bruce clamped his hand on tighter.

"Richard...Please, tell me you didn't-"

"They're all still alive Bruce. I couldn't do it. I'm not like them." Richard said a little disappointingly. Bruce relaxed his grip.

"Good. Now, how about we go up and get some sleep. Last I checked you were running on two hours...from three nights ago." Bruce said with a smile.

"It was two and a half..." Richard said rubbing the back of his head. He walked up the stairs to Wayne Manor and turned when he saw Bruce still standing by the computer. "Uh, Bruce? You comin'?"

"I'll be right up...I just need to finish some things." Bruce said. Dick shrugged and walked through the door. Bruce fell into the chair by the computer and rubbed his face with his hands. *Too close. He came too close.* Bruce sent a message to Abigail letting her know that she needed to be careful. Her brother was onto them. Abigail sent the following message: [You're the idiot who didn't tell him in the first place. I told you the Richard would figure it out anyway. When he does, you do realize how dead you are, right?]

[Thank you for the words of comfort, Abigail.] Bruce sent back.

[ :) You didn't raise me to sugar coat it. Now get some sleep. 'Night.]

[Good night, Abigail.] Bruce turned off the computer and changed out of his Batman suit. Then, he went up to his bed and slept very soundly. He hadn't gotten much more sleep than Nightwing lately

So? Whatcha think? I know I didn't really have Nightwing hold anyone over a building or anything, but I didn't want him to actually kill them. Just scare the crap out of them. And I had to add a little more lies and deception with Bruce. He can't just go telling his secret plans willy-nilly. Even if it does involve lying to his kids. Next chapter will be longer, promise!