Quick word: Batman is not a dick. He just doesn't know how to properly deal with Richard. After all, Batman is not the most socially adept person in the world…

Robin: Hey, Batman, what're we gonna do once we finally get rid of all the criminals and everything? Move to another city?

Batman: I don't think that's something you have to worry about, Robin

Robin: Okay,so, then we'll just stay in Gotham and keep doing this, right? Forever and ever?

Batman: We'll do this as long as it's effective. And feasible.

Robin: Right. Like I said. Forever...

(Nightwing #75, 2003; by Devin Grayson)

The mansion was utterly empty of any trace that an energetic, charismatic boy who had ever lived there. There were no signs of his presence anymore except for a couple of pictures and the fallen face of Alfred that gave you a hint that someone very important who had just died in this house. His shadows haunted him every where he went. The chandelier on the hallway made him tear up at the mere sight. Many times had Alfred scolded a young Dick Grayson to stop swinging around from it.

"I did not realize we kept monkeys in this house," he would say reproachingly, "I must inform Master Bruce of this sudden menagerie that has moved into the mansion."

But he was always glad to see Master Dick entertained. In the huge mansion they called home, things became very boring to a hyper eight year old. Alfred knew that coming from circus folk meant that he had once lived a very exciting, non-stop life. To suddenly be stuck in this huge manor would have been excruciating for him. He let out that energy in multiple ways. He swung around the house like an animal, laughing and whooping his way downstairs. There had been many injuries due to structures collapsing because of Dick's antics. His laughter was all that kept from Alfred going crazy. It was infectious, in a child's sort of way.

After the child grew up to a teen, he spent most of his time training. He worked very hard in keeping his skills intact. He made sure he met the requirements Bruce expected of him. He wanted so much for Bruce to be proud of him, both as Bruce and Batman. To prove to his mentor that taking him in wasn't a bad idea. Richard never had to prove to himself that he was made for the superhero gig. He knew this from the very beginning, from the moment he donned on the suit that he was meant to leap off buildings and fight bad guys for justice. Maybe it wasn't in his blood but in his tragic experience from an early age he learned that it was his calling. He wanted Batman to know this as well.

Alfred wished his Master would stop being so cold toward his ward. In Alfred's eyes, he knew his Master well enough to understand where the argument had come from. He had been very worried for Dick's well being as well. The boy was such an intricate part of their lives it was something unbearable to think that he could have died. Alfred understood. But that didn't mean he accepted the way Bruce had handled it. Truth was, Bruce could not handle the boy properly. He never could. They were too alike and at the same time too different. Their sense of duty was the same, fighting for good, fighting for those whom they had lost but what they wanted in life was very different. Dick could tell who's Robin and who's Richard. Bruce couldn't.

Bruce hadn't adopted Dick properly. Dick was his ward, possible heir to his millions, Robin the Boy Wonder but he could never be called Bruce's son.

Alfred shook his head, cleaning the kitchen obsessively. Master Bruce had shut himself in his study since the morning and the mansion was empty once more. Madam Barbara had arrived that morning and she had been shocked to find that Dick and Kori had left. None of them knew where. She had cursed Bruce's pig-headedness and stormed out, probably to find Dick. As Alfred cleaned, he knew the rift this had caused and he knew who Bruce blamed though Alfred could simply not see how his Master could dislike such a likeable person.

Maybe that was why. Kori was not a human being. As an alien, Batman instantly distrusted her which caused Bruce's eyes to be clouded over with judgment. But he didn't see that Kori was nothing more than a sweet young woman who was madly in love with Dick and would never do anything to hurt him. But then again, both Bruce and Batman had accused Alfred of being fooled easily and seeing things too simply. He supposed they were somewhat correct; it seemed his Master could see the flaw in Dick's relationship with her. She was always heading into battle without hesitation as she had done with the Man-Bats and Alfred could see that though she had been fearful, something like instinct had taken over her and she threw herself into battle. He remembered Master Dick commenting that Kori was of warrior blood and it showed in her eyes when she went into battle. He had seen the glint in her eyes shine with every blow of her fist.

It reminded him of Batman.

Alfred sighed and continued to clean. He would have to take this new change with character and hope that one day his two sons would come to realize that they are, in fact, nothing without one another. Not just as Batman and Robin but also (and more importantly) as Bruce Wayne and Richard Grayson.

Kori rested her head against the cold tiles of the hotel bathroom, letting the warm water pour over her body and relax her nerves. She didn't need to remember what had happened last night. To say that Richard had been furious was a major understatement; it didn't even begin to cover how he felt. He was visibly shaking with anger and he had all but puller her from her bed and told her (barked at her was more like it) to pack her bags. Kori wanted to ask why, wanted to know what in the world could have happened to have him be so upset but she didn't. She did what he told her to do but tried to maintain calm. He paced around the room, his hair a huge mess that fell across his contorted face and though he tried to keep his anger to a low he found that he couldn't and ended up punching a wall. His fist made a big hole in the sturdy wall but Kori knew, with the loud resounding crack that his knuckles had cracked. She walked up to him and took his hand to see it covered in white dust and blood. Without a word, she took him to the bathroom to clean it up and to her surprise, he let her. He kept his eyes hooded and he didn't speak to her but the mere motion of letting her help him spoke volumes.

They left the mansion that night amidst Alfred's pleading.

"I am sure Master Bruce will come to his senses—"

"Too late, Alfred," Richard said darkly, dragging Kori by her hand, "I'll give you a call later."

Now in the hotel room she let the water pass over her and let her thoughts stray. She had a fine idea of what had happened. She didn't say it to him though. Richard was still too raw from the fight, too vulnerable to talk about it and Kori…well, Kori knew too much. She settled for a shower and left Richard be. After settling into the room, he left to go X'hal knows where. But now Kori had bigger things in her mind. Richard was at a focal point in his life. This was what Kori had witnessed in the future. The sad, lonesome, dark creature who talked like Richard, smelled like Richard, felt like Richard but had lost what made him a hero in his own right. She didn't want that for him. She could help him, she could (as Batman had accused her) influence him to be someone great, to make his name as powerful as Batman's himself.

But…

Galfore had asked for help. She needed to give them help. She needed to make alliances. The damned Gordanians were making a mess of everything. Everyone was pleading war against everyone. Tamaran was in war against the Gordanians who were in war with the Citadel who had, for the moment, sided with the Tamaranians to defeat the Gordanians...X'hal! Kori shook her head, sending little droplets of water everywhere. She just wanted peace on her planet. She wanted to be happy. She desperatly wanted to help her people.

How could she do that with Richard here and in need of her and her world about to collapse? Her duty lay with her people, her heart with Richard. How could she choose? She banged her head against the tile. She knew what she had to do. It bore down on her shoulder like Atlas with the world. She needed to tell him. She needed to tell him what she must do, no matter how much it hurt. And X'hal it hurt her. She shut her eyes tight and bumped her head once more. Hot tears trailed down her face while her stomach churned violently. The water heedlessly tried to clean away her sadness but its effort was useless. Knowing that Richard wasn't there, she let herself slide to the floor and hung her head, a great misery emerging from within her like a beast and took over.

"…and swear that we two will fight together against crime and corruption and never to swerve from the path of righteousness."

"I swear it."

That was a promise Richard meant to keep. It meant more to him than anything else in the world. It was the thing that kept him sane during those years when his parent's murders haunted his days and nights. It seeped into his blood and symbiotically helped him survive. Not just because he had sworn to fight for good and justice but because he had sworn to fight side by side with him. One of the greatest detectives this world had ever encountered. His caretaker, his mentor, but he could never call him his father. But then again, Bruce never called Richard his son. Richard was his ward, his heir, chum, but never his son; Bruce had yet to legalize him as that. He never really wanted a partner and even worse, he never had really wanted a son. And anyway…

Too long had he been stuck in this persona of Robin. He had been given an identity to hide behind but he had outgrown it. He never saw Robin as cheap thrills and fun but as a weapon much like Batman was within his own right. Robin had been a child's game. He wasn't a child any longer. He hadn't been one for a long time. The Titans had both made him flourish as well as regress to a simpler time, something that never ceased to amaze him. With four other teenagers who, like him, had been forced to grow up quickly, childish games came naturally. In fact, Richard couldn't think of a better time in his life than those four years with the Titans. He had prospered as Robin in a way Batman could never offer him. But that had ended too.

He realized then that he was the sum of so many people who have influenced him, shaped his thinking, from Batman to Superman to his parents down to the Titans. He needed to become someone new, someone who knew who he was.

In the back of his mind, the one thing that stood in his mind was the name Kori had uttered to him when she came back from the future. It echoed in his mind constantly, calling to him, enticing him. Was he finally up to that point, to completely sever ties with the Dark Knight and become his own man? Part of him was nervous, extremely nervous but a part of him (a big chunk actually) couldn't wait. With Kori by his side, he could become who he wanted to be. With her support, he was sure he followed the path he wanted to follow and never stray from it. The frown on his face disappeared. His lips turned upward into a small smile.

He said the name out loud and the wind captured it in its arms, swirling it around him with tenderness.

Richard smiled.

Upon his return, Kori had him sit down and talk to him about what had happened. He found it easier to talk it out with her and though he became enraged at certain points, the memory of whom he was meant to become made it better. Kori listened intently but she seemed fidgety throughout, like she had something to tell him as well. She listened to him intently as always, giving her opinion charily every now and then. She was saddened for him mainly because she always held her family in the highest regard. No matter how much they had hurt her, she wished she could have had more time with them. Her sister—she didn't want to think about that at the moment.

When he was done and she couldn't stand it no more, she came out with her request.

"I was wondering if you could do me a favor, please."

"Anything for you, Kori."

She smiled sadly and swallowed before continuing.

"I was wondering if you could call the Titans for the weekend, please."

"Sure," he said strangely, "to hang out?"

She nodded, a sad smile on her face.

"Something like that, yes."

"Why?"

She gulped, the smile dripping off her face slowly. Her breath caught in her throat and her hands, already sweaty, began to tremble. She felt her eyes water and her chin tremble and Richard noticed.

"Kori?" he started anxiously but she shook her head and stopped him. He needed to hear this. She needed to say it. With a big breath, she began to speak.

"Richard," her voice trembled, "Galfore contacted me the other day," she paused when his face fell and somehow her voice continued to work though her brain had long stopped, "and he informed that Tamaran is in trouble again."

"Again?" he repeated darkly.

"Yes and he has asked for my assistance," she bit her lip and pulled on her fingers, "I am to return to Tamaran by the end of this week."

His face gave away nothing, reminding her of the festivity in Tamaran when Karras had 'kissed' her. She waited with baited breath to see something, anything in his face but nothing came.

"Richard?'

He shook his head and stood up, heading straight for the window.

"Richard?" she tried again, her voice breaking, "Please, it is not as if I want to."

'Then don't," he muttered.

"I have to," she whispered brokenly.

"Why?" came the harsh reply.

"Why?" she repeated, surprised, "It is my homeland, Richard."

"What do they need you for?"

She paused and that pause made his heart drop. He made sure to keep his back to her but damn it, he couldn't hide the pain from her. Not from Kori. Don't say what you are going to say, he pleaded

"They need alliances."

One name flashed in his mind and made him see red.

"You're going out there to get married."

"I do not know," she whispered, "but Richard, I have to do this. For my people…"

"Yeah," he whispered, cutting her off abruptly, "Yeah."

She looked at his back. He stood against the setting sun, glowing as the rays illuminated him but she wished she could see him. Her heart was breaking and she felt nauseous. Please say something.

"I'll call 'em."

"Th-Thank you."

He nodded. A silence passed over them, long and pregnant, filled with the sudden overwhelming weight upon them that neither knew what to do with. Suddenly, the world became just a tone bleaker than what it already was. The sun set quietly in front of them, as if in shame of what it had to witness.

The hotel room was small and Richard had only ordered one room. The lady had looked at him funny, especially when he was accompanied by Kori who kept the attention of every man in the vicinity. Richard tried to keep his dignity intact as scenarios of him punching the lights out of every man in the room flashed through his mind. Convinced everything was correct, the nice lade at the desk flashed him a smile and gave him the key. Richard tried hard not to blush when she winked at him but he knew what she was thinking and her thoughts had traveled to him and made him completely forget the troubles he had just gone through. Damn the hormones…

But now, when the sky had darkened and the stars were there but hidden by the pollution of Gotham, Richard lay with his arms crossed under his head and his eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling. Kori lay beside him, her back to him and breathing gently, as if asleep. He knew she wasn't. Richard called the Titans as he had promised and when he told them why they needed to come for the weekend, they all left whatever they were doing to come to Gotham. Their connection was not one to be broken, not after all they had been through. Whatever they had to do with their association of mentors, they could never rise up to the importance of their teammates.

Kori hadn't spoken to him afterwards. Night had fallen by the time Richard went to take a shower and when he came out, Kori had been already in bed. She wasn't asleep; her green eyes shone brightly through the darkness but she didn't speak as Richard lay beside her. Two hours had passed this way with nothing between them. A rift had been caused between them again and Richard remembered what he had told Kori when they first started going out.

"It's just---I have this awful feeling that responsibilities will keep us apart. Not villains or evil plots or even my psycho tendencies, you know? It feels like these good times you and I have together will be far and few in between."

"Between what?" she asked, letting her hand search for his and interlace her fingers with his. He looked down at her, her small, graceful hand caught in his big, calloused one.

"Between all the shit that always seems to happen."

Komand'er had not kept them apart. In fact, she brought them closer still. She changed into someone more resilient, a lot more defiant but she was still Kori. Slade had died by her hands but Kori seemed to be keeping that in her and not letting go. The event had made her sad and in truth, a lot more risqué but again, they had still been fine. A few fights didn't worry him; every couple fought, even more when your superheroes. And yet, they were separated at the moment when they were so close (all he had to do was stretch his arm out to touch her) by responsibility. Richard understood she had to go back. It was her land, her people, her war. Yes, he understood this completely. Part of him was proud of her for choosing what he would have chosen as well. Part of him had a half formed plan on how to keep her tied to a chair forever.

Why now?

He rolled to his side and snaked his arm around Kori's waist. He buried her face in her neck, smelling the lilies of the valley and crushed his face in her skin. Kori's hand wrapped around his and moved back toward his body. Spooned in him, she ran her hands though his hair and whispered how much she loved him but never turned around. She was afraid if she did, the gates wouldn't stop flowing the sorrow she felt. The moonlight shone through the closed curtains and bathed the room in heavenly light.

Neither of them slept that night.

"…and swear that we two will fight together against crime and corruption and never to swerve from the path of righteousness."

"I swear it."

--Detective comics #38