"The Hill Mall?" clarified Batgirl.

"Correct," said Batman, "Deal with it and report back to me. Over and out."

Batgirl fired her grappling gun and swung off for the mall. She and Batman were on different patrol routes that evening, which meant that this robbery was her responsibility.

She quickly made it past the cops stationed outside and the fleeing patrons exiting the building. Once in the mall Batgirl saw the groaning patrons who had not been fortunate enough to escape. They each looked like they had been beaten pretty badly.

"Freeze!" ordered Batgirl, stopping outside the electronics store and turning to face the woman inside.

She was a tall, chubby, and wide-eyed woman in a full mime costume. She wore jazz shoes, a black unitard, white gloves, and a long sleeved black and white striped shirt. She wore her dark hair undercut and parted to one side of her head. She had a full face of white make up, complete with black eye marks, red cheeks, and bright red lips. The beaten store clerk lay at her feet.

"Oh boy," sighed Batgirl, "Who are you supposed to be? The Mime? Mime Woman?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Really?" smiled Batgirl, "It's going to be like that? How am I supposed to quip when-"

"I'm a mime. I'm not supposed to talk."

"That was implied!" yelled Batgirl back in frustration, "What kind of mime interrupts someone!?"

Batgirl took a deep breath and sighed in exasperation. She would just take this cuckoo bird out quick and be done with her. Batgirl surveyed the store and noticed that nothing had been stolen; the sound systems had all just been taken apart.

"I see," realized Batgirl, "You're one of those bad guys."

"When I'm done, there'll be no sound left in Gotham!" declared the mime.

"Seriously," said Batgirl, "Have you considered learning ASL or something? Talking really ruins the whole aesthetic you've got going here."

The mime grimaced, squatted for a moment, and leapt forward. She made it most of the way to Batgirl in a single bound. Batgirl had just enough time to bring up her arm before the mime swung a roundhouse kick at her. Their forearm and leg collided as Batirl's body tensed to resist the blow and endure the pain. This woman may have dressed like a clown, but she was dangerously strong and agile. Then again, that was typical for Gotham.

Batgirl ducked under the mine's leg and delivered a reverse sidekick to her lower back. The mime grunted in pain but threw a hook in response. Batgirl swiftly ducked under the hook and returned up with a leaping uppercut to the underside of the mime's jaw. The mime stumbled for a moment before Batgirl hit her in the gut with a sidekick that sent her flying.

The mime coughed as she rose to her knees from the tiled mall floor. She glared at Batgirl as she slowly stood up, only to be slammed face first back into the floor as Robin delivered his own sidekick to the back of the mime's head from behind.

"Robin!" gasped Batgirl in delight.

She rushed over to him, trampling the mime in the process. The two embraced in a kiss. It had been some time since Robin left Gotham and relocated across the country. It was so rare that she got to see him, hold him, or kiss him. This was a wonderful surprise.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I thought you'd know," said Robin, "Batman just told me that he wanted to see me."

"Huh," said Batgirl, "No, he never even mentioned you were coming."

"Figures," scoffed Robin.

"Excuse me," grunted the mime, standing once again, "but I wasn't finished!"

"She talks?" said Robin, "Doesn't that kind of defeat the point of her whole shtick?"

"That's what I said!" asserted Batgirl.

"Shut up!" yelled the mime angrily, "That was the last hit you'll land on me, thanks to this!"

The mime held out her hands and flattened them against a nonexistent wall before adjusting her hands and moving them about, feeling out the length and height of the wall and putting some of her weight in it as she leaned forward.

Batgirl and Robin looked at one another. Then they both looked back at the smug mime. Her makeup was smudged and her hair was a mess by this point, but she looked determined. Batgirl cracked her knuckles, walked up to the mime, and delivered a cross punch straight to her face. She was out like a light, falling back to the ground.

"I'll take her in," said Batgirl, grabbing one of the straps on the mime's unitard and dragging her away, "Go find out what Batman wants."

Robin heard the metallic click as his grappling gun finished retracting. He swung his arm onto the edge of the cliff and pulled himself up and onto. He took a moment to center himself, then stood up to find Batman.

Batman was standing directly in front of Robin when he looked up.

"That is unnecessary," said Robin, "and for the record: creepy."

"I see Jump City hasn't changed your sense of humor," said Batman.

Batman and Robin were standing on one of the cliffs in the batcave, one near the waterfall Robin had climbed through to get here. The exit into the mansion was a distance away, barely visible in the dim lighting of the place.

Robin sighed. It had been a few months now. Dick had left the mansion unannounced, leaving behind only a note to join the newly formed Titans. Robin didn't really know what to say. Bruce was the one who had reached out to him, specifying that they meet in the batcave.

"So what is it?" asked Robin, "What's so important that you needed to tell me here?"

"You need to return that suit," said Batman.

"Something wrong with it?" asked Robin in concern.

"I don't want you wearing it anymore."

"You can't be serious."

"I'm serious," said Batman firmly, "You still have clothes left in your old room. You can change into something there and leave the suit behind."

"Why!?"

"You've chosen to give up this life."

"I've chosen to give you up!" shouted Robin, "I'm still Robin!"

"Robin is Batman's sidekick," said Batman, "and you're no longer my sidekick."

"You can't take being Robin away from me!" protested Robin, "That's not yours to take away!"

"I designed and built that suit," said Batman, "I have every right to take it away from you."

"I don't accept that!"

"Too bad," said Batman, "Return the suit."

Robin clenched his fists. Batman didn't move. His blank expression further obscured by his cowl gave away nothing.

How serious is he about this? wondered Robin, He wouldn't take it by force, would he?

Robin stared back at Batman. Still no change in expression. He couldn't take it anymore. He was done with this stalemate, this psychological game Batman loved to play. He had wanted to leave that behind. If that meant leaving Robin behind, maybe that was for the best. He gritted his teeth and pulled off his mask.

"Alright," said Dick, walking past Batman, "After I change I'll let myself out."

"Oh my God, Dick…" frowned Barbara.

"Tell me about it," grumbled Dick back in response.

The two were sitting on a park bench under the shade of a tree. The sun was just starting to set and the buildings were all starting to cast their shadows on one another. Dick smiled. Strangely enough, he missed sundown in Gotham. That wasn't the only thing he missed from around here.

"You might be able to change his mind," offered Barbara, "if you come back to Gotham. Go back to working with him again."

"You know I can't do that."

"I guess not," sighed Barbara, resting her head on Dick's shoulder, "It would just be nice to have you back is all."

"Sorry."

Barbara frowned at Dick. Dick sighed and put his arm around her shoulders. He squeezed her close. He felt her body press into his. He rested his cheek on hers. The moment was enough to tempt Dick to return. He couldn't though. His place was on the Titans now. He'd never be able to grow as a person in Gotham. Batman would hold him back at best and actively stunt his emotional growth at worst.

Dick brushed his face across Barbara's and moved his lips to hers. He felt her grasp his shoulder as she kissed him. Dick kissed back as he felt the warmth swell within him. He paid close attention to this moment. He wanted to remember it well if he was going to leave again.

He kissed Barbara gently on the cheek and stood up to leave.

"Say 'hi' to Kara for me," added Barbara with a smile.

Dick nodded and smiled back.

"There he is!" shouted Wally as Dick walked in.

"How was the trip?" asked Kara, "What did Batman want?"

"Barbara says 'hi,'" said Dick.

"Guys," said Roy, watching one of their newly installed wall monitors, "I think we might be needed."

The monitor, which was set to alert the team if their assistance was ever required, was running live news footage of a team of supervillains running out of a blown out bank carrying sacks of money.

"Of course," sighed Kara.

"Alright everybody," announced Roy, "Suit up!"

"I, um, can't," muttered Dick.

"...what?" said Roy.

"Batman kind of…" continued Dick under his breath, "...revoked my Robin privileges."

Wally burst out into a loud belly laugh, keeling over and wiping a tear from his eye as he gasped for air. He quickly realized he was the only one in the room laughing. What was more, everyone else in the room looked deeply upset by the news.

"Whoops," whispered Wally, "Misread that. My bad."

"Hey," said Kara, looking to Roy, Donna, and Wally, "think you can handle this robbery on your own?"

"Probably," shrugged Wally, "It's a pretty measly teamup. One of them is literally Catman."

"Thanks," said Kara.

Roy and Donna quickly changed. Then Wally spun around and emerged from the blur wearing the Kid Flash costume. He sped away in a bolt of lightning, grabbing both Speedy and Wonder Girl as he did.

"Want a beer or something?" offered Kara.

"No thanks," said Dick.

"You want to talk about it?"

"I think I do."

"So what happened?"

Dick walked Kara through his trip to Gotham as they made their way over stools at the kitchen counter. She nodded and listened quietly. When Dick finished she gently placed a hand on his back. He nodded and looked forward, avoiding eye contact with Kara.

"It's funny," said Kara quietly.

"What is?"

"It… reminds me of a Krytponian legend," said Kara, "There was a god who was tasked by his father to live among shadows to seek out those of ill intent. But in living this existence he became very lonely. One day he defied his father, not wishing to fight for him in the shadows any longer."

"Huh," said Dick, "What was his name?"

"The closest English translation would be 'Nightwing.'"

"Hm."

"What?" asked Kara.

Dick smiled.

"Nightwing?" repeated Roy.

"Yup," said Dick, "What do you think?"

"I don't know…" muttered Wally, a smirk on his face.

Kara, who was sitting next to Wally, reached behind his back and grabbed a fistful of his boxer briefs, pulling them up just enough to put some pressure on Wally's butt and warn him of the punishment he would akrew if he tried to make fun of Dick right now.

"Then again!" said Wally nervously, "What do I know? Nightwing it is!"

"Ooh!" squealed Donna, waving her hand in the air, "Can I design the costume?"

"Sure," smiled Dick.

"I'm thinking something far away from the old design," she said, "Like, a sleek black and blue."

"If you think that's best," said Dick.

"I can probably get Ollie to foot the bill," offered Roy, "He's still paying for my equipment and upkeep."

So they got to work. Donna set about drawing design after design for the costume before finally settling on one. Once it got Dick's approval, Roy put in an order with Oliver for the materials. Donna and Dick worked on putting it all together to match the design over the course of a few days. When they were finally done, they gathered the rest of the team for the reveal.

"Alright!" called Kara, "We're ready! Come on out!"

Nightwing emerged from the bedroom, having completely changed into his costume. The sharp, black look accentuated his lean and fit body. The blue wing symbols across his chest were tight against his skin, causing his muscles to show through.

"Cool!" smiled Kara.

"Pretty good," nodded Roy.

"Eee!" squealed Donna with joy.

"Eh," scoffed Wally, "If you ask me you looooooooook great! You look great!"

Kara's smile widened, taking satisfaction in knowing her grip on Wally's undies were keeping him shut up.

Suddenly everyone's attention was drawn to the monitors as newsfeed of a police chase began to play.

"Perfect timing. Alright everyone," commanded Nightwing, "Suit up!"

"Aye-aye, Nightwing!" smiled Donna.

The Titans all changed into their respective costumes and departed the tower together, led by Nightwing.