AN:
jthm7izim: Wow. Your comment was incredible to read and I loved your take on the story. Thank you so much for this thoughtful piece of writing!
You were spot on. I also think it's true that some relationships can't be salvaged. Sometimes, the consistent damage that has been done is too much to fix even if the guilty party sincerely tries.
Your analysis of Bojack Horseman was also really intriguing. I have never actually watched the show even though I've heard that it's really good. It's definitely on my radar now. It sounds like it would be up my ally. So, thank you for the implicit recommendation. I wish you all the best as well!
Epilogue: The Doctor
Batman was back on the streets of Gotham patrolling with the third Robin and Batgirl. Nightwing had been with them at first. But he had left for Blüdhaven after a few weeks again.
Gotham had embraced its vigilante back with open arms. What Batman had done to Nightwing – documented for millions of eyes to see – was only a passing reference. Everyone who had been critical of Batman's re-emergence had become silent after the first big Arkham outbreak.
Batman was a looming presence over Gotham's streets. The Doctor had read the headlines praising Batman's heroics. Heard conversations about how much safer it had been since the vigilante was back. Seen the Batsignal alight in the night sky.
The last one had hurt the most because it meant that Gordon was working with the Dark Knight again. The Commissioner may find Batman morally questionable – but they needed each other. Without their partnership, all of Gotham would suffer.
Every time, she saw any snippet that portrayed Batman as Gotham's savior, she thought about the handprints around Nightwing's neck. The way he had curled into a protective shell when he had assumed that no one was looking. How he had told her that he was breaking from shouldering the Bat's emotional weight. How he felt obliged to take anything the Bat threw his way just because the Dark Knight had 'saved' him.
None of it counted in Gotham. The city would always cling to its dark icon and justify everything he did. She had heard every damn excuse.
The second Robin vanishing under mysterious circumstances? He had been a loud-mouthed brat anyway. Batman punching criminals into a coma because of his rage? Everyone needed to let off some steam and it wasn't like the criminals didn't deserve it. Batman's lust for revenge almost leading to Nightwing's death? That's what the kid got for running off to Blüdhaven.
She was sick of this hypocrisy. So, she had left Gotham - moving to the other side of the river.
Blüdhaven was the city of the outcasts. Even its crime was less glamourous. It was mostly plagued by brutal gangs, not colorful rogues. But glamour had never been a condition for danger.
In Gotham, people died if they stumbled into one of the Joker's newest schemes. It would be the headline of all news outlets the next day. In Blüdhaven, you would die by being strangled in a back alley and thrown into the harbor. No news stories. No sensationalism. Just a daily occurrence.
But if Blüdhaven understood one thing, it was being an underdog. The former whaling town had seen its best days. The neon billboards advertising new casinos and amusement miles barely pulled any tourists into the city. Instead, they drew in those who felt lost.
And Blüdhaven welcomed the disillusioned with open arms. When she walked along its streets, she saw newspapers and screens praising Nightwing's latest heroics. She heard people talking about how Nightwing had saved them from a mugging and had stayed with them to comfort them until the police came.
She had never heard a good word about Batman on the lesser side of the river. If the topic of vigilantes came up in one of the city's many bars, people scoffed at a mention of the Dark Knight. The vigilante who had never done anything for Gotham's sister city. Even if it was just as crime-infested. The vigilante who had treated the hero that cared for their city like shit.
Yes. She was right at home in Blüdhaven.
The Doctor crossed a sleazy alley on her way back from work always aware of her surroundings. Blüdhaven General was smaller and more understaffed than Gotham General. But it was a small sacrifice to make.
A black-and-blue shadow was perched on a railing above her.
She looked up: "Have you been following me?"
"Not that long", Nightwing shrugged sheepishly.
He jumped down from the railing and landed in front of her.
"I wouldn't have expected to see my favorite Doc here", he said, "Most Gothamites would never give Blüdhaven a second glance."
She shrugged: "I needed a scene change."
He nodded: "Scene changes can really give you a new perspective."
The neon lights tinted his face in bright color.
"Batman is back in Gotham", she said.
He tensed: "I know."
She frowned. Nightwing looked thinner than the last time she had seen him. More gangly. And she would bet that he had dark shadows under his eyes that were covered by the mask.
"What happened?", she asked, "You seem… different."
He sighed: "I can't tell you much – just that I'm kind of leading the Team now. I'm involved in some serious shit, Doc."
Her throat felt dry. He still looked too young to shoulder this kind of responsibility especially after what he had been through.
"I'll be fine, Doc. Really. I always am", he pulled something out of his pocket, "I actually am here to give you this."
She looked down at the black-and-blue communicator.
"Blüdhaven is dangerous so if something happens - maybe at the hospital or wherever - you can call me."
She nodded and put the communicator into her bag: "This goes both ways."
He frowned.
"You look like shit, kid. You need someone on your side. So, you better call me if you need someone to patch you up."
"Doc, it could be dangerous-"
"I lived in Gotham all my life and worked directly on the front lines in the hospital. Do you think I care about danger?"
He shook his head smiling: "If you say so, Doc. But be prepared to see some weird stuff – probably in the middle of the night."
"I think I can take it."
He hesitated fidgeting with his grappling hook: "I actually arranged for Batman to be back."
She crossed her arms.
"Don't look at me like that, Doc. Gotham and the League needed him back. There is something on the horizon that only a united Justice League can deal with. It is – how would you say, Doc? – above my paygrade. Well, if I was actually getting paid for all this superheroing."
She stayed silent. But she was sure that he was selling himself short. If he could 'arrange' something for the League to do, then his paygrade seemed to be low in name only. He was playing a dangerous game and she hoped that the kid – whom she had pulled back from the brink of death - would see the other side of these impossible odds.
There was the low sound of a voice coming from Nightwing's ear. The vigilante frowned while he listened.
"Lagoon Boy did what?", he sounded exasperated running his hand through his hair, "Tell Superboy to keep it together until I'm there."
"Business above your paygrade?"
He grimaced: "No. Business that should be below my paygrade."
Nightwing jumped up a fire escape with his usual flair. Now, she knew where the flashy pictures in the newspapers came from. The kid was quite a show-off.
"Hope you enjoy your time in Blüdhaven", he nodded at her.
He seemed less tense after she had offered him her support. It must be exhausting to work as a vigilante without having someone to patch you up if you were in a tight spot. She didn't want to know how he had managed before.
"It seems to be the right city for people like us. A place for a new start", she said.
He gave her a thumbs-up and vanished into the shadows of the billboards. She felt reassured. He would be fine. That was the thing about underdogs: They were hard to keep down.
AN: Wow. It's really over now. Finishing this story is really bittersweet.
If anyone's interested: My description of Blüdhaven is heavily inspired by Nightwing Rebirth. I'm reading it right now and it's impressive how well-realized and interesting the city is. It is its own character and the art is stunning. Really enjoyable.
I'd like to take this opportunity to again thank everyone who interacted with this fanfiction. Seeing that people enjoyed this story was always a highlight for me and this community is very awesome and welcoming.
Writing for this fandom has been so much fun that I'm writing another Dick-Grayson-multichapter fanfiction. Now that I've started, I can't stop. :D
