"To be honest, I never really had Ashly as the Superhero type" Nightwing said.

They were sitting in the dank break room of the garage, which is nothing more than an oversized walk – in – closet. It only had enough space for a tiny table, 4 uncomfortable plastic chairs, a white overworked mini fridge that can be found in any hotel in the world, and a tiny kettle.

Nightwing, Garfield and Wendey was drinking a cup of strong black coffee, while Brain number 4 didn't drink anything.

"Well!" Wendy said tisk tisking to herself "That would be because you walked away when she was only 4 years old Nightwing! The closest thing she had to a father was Brain number 4!"

"Please don't bring me into this" Brain number 4 said in what sounded to be fear

Garfield sat watching this altercation with something close to amusement. He was surely tempted to take out a bag of popcorn and eat it like if he was watching a movie, but nobody has ever had popcorn for nearly 10 years to Garfield's knowledge.

"And besides!" Wendy said practically screaming at this point. Garfield was strongly reminded of Amanda Waller when he had an unpleasant encounter with her at a ceremony "What are you talking about!? Her father is Nightwing! Her grandfather's is a Green Lantern and Batman! Being a superhero is hardwired into her DNA!"

"Even so!" Nightwing said in almost equal feroicity "She always struck me as an 'evil badass type' for use of a better word, like the Red Hood, or Red X. She never really seemed especially 'Alturistic'"

"Excuse me!" Wendy fired back adding too much emphasis on each let of 'excuse me' "But are we even having this conversation!" She took several deep breaths and suddenly she sounded like any concerned parent when they hear that their child's life is in danger. "Our daughter is about to be executed by the Penguin here! So are you goanna help her or are you going to let her die!?"

Nightwing finished his coffee in one glup and almost punched through the table "Of course we're going to help her! I am not a complete dirtbag!"

Garfield didn't like where this was going, not one bit. He was here to deliver a package to Metropolis as well as get some answers to Raven and what could be his son. He hadn't signed up for a rescue mission, he hadn't signed up to stop an execution by the Penguin, who currently rules almost a quarter of the country. No. He didn't sign up for this not one bit. "Speak for yourself" was all Garfield managed to growl.

"What?" Nightwing cried out in disbelief staring at Garfield as if he had mortally offended him

Garfield looked on stone faced at Nightwing "I got hired as your map reader, bub. I ain't fetting dragged into one of ye stupid adventures!"

"Are…you…kidding…me!?" Nightwing shouted in complete disbelief "My daughter is going to die! And your going to do nothing!?"

"The deal was that I help you get into Metropolis! I ain't going up against the Penguin! Bad enough that you got me running drugs for you jackass."

"Hypocrite!" Nightwing shouted sounding like a boot camp instructor. Then he visably, with great effort tried to pull himself together. "I am letting you see Raven if we had the chance. I don't know if she is alive, I don't know if your kid, if he exists, is alive. I am letting you see what could be your kid. And you won't let me see mine."

Garfield paused, trying to think, but Nightwing doesn't seem willing to et the topic go down "I'll pay you double. Plus, a day with them" He said in a completely monotone voice that gave nothing away.

"What?" Garfield said almost completely perplexed

"You need to clear you debits with the Cyborg gang, right? You help me save my daughter, and I will double your money, and if Raven and that kid of yours is alive and does exist then you can have a day or two with them."

Garfield paused. He was unable to think. Nightwing is offering $1000 now, and on top of that he will let Garfield spend time with what could be his son, and on top of that he can finally rest in peace if he got the answer that he wanted from Raven. But Garfield still refused to do one thing. Fight or transform. He tried to suppress the memory as he responded with a cold hard stone face "I still ain't fightin"

"All I am asking you to do is read a frigging map, drive the Bat – Jeep for a bit and look through binoculars Garfield!" Nightwing said sounding like his younger self when he led the Teen Titans "I promise that the absolute, total, worst case scenario would come to you punching one person"

Garfield paused, trying not to give anything away, he knew that Nightwing is blind, but knowing Nightwing, Garfield knew that it would make no difference, Nightwing can manipulate anyone to his side if he needed to, and he played his part well. Knowing that either option would have the same result he chose his next words very carefully "And that's it. Read a map, look through binoculars and drive. Is that about it?"

Nightwing saluted "Scouts honour" he said with a small smile on his face.

Garfield didn't know if Nightwing had even been in the Scouts or not, but it would have made no difference with his days as a trapeze artist and his training from Batman. He nodded "Okay. It's a deal. But just so that we are clear, I'd rather die than turn into any animal again. Understand?" Garfield said looking at Nightwing intently.

Nightwing shrugged. "I reckon that I can fight my own battles. Now c'mon. We can't waste anymore time here. The Penguin lives in what used to be Salt Lake City, and that is a 12 – hour drive."

"Yeah. Okay." Garfield said with a voice with less emotion than Raven can produce.

"Look." Nightwing said looking up at Garfield. "I know that the schedule was tight as it was, but Salt Lake City is still on the way, and I swear that this won't take long. You have my word that I'll have you back in time to pay your landlords, Garfield."

Garfield nodded "We're both in this for our kids now, Nightwing" Garfield said almost smiling "We're only doing what we have to"

Nightwing yawned loudly and stretched his arms and legs to their fullest, and Garfield could swear that he could have heard a pop or two coming from his bones. Nightwing gazed up at the ceiling, which had nothing but a cheap LED light fixture on it, but his face looked as if he was looking at the milky way galaxy. "I still can't believe that she's actually out there calling herself a superhero. I mean, I know that it's insane in the current climate, but man…I gotta be honest with you…" he looked down at turned his head at where Wendy was sitting who was watching Garfield and her husbands exchange as if she was watching a mildly interesting television programme. "…I'm so frigging proud of her"

They were about to get up, when Brain number 4, lifted a hand, holding something small in it.

"Mister Garfield Logan?" He said, extending the hand to hand over the thing in his hand. "For luck, sir"

Garfield took whatever it was from Brain's ice cold metal hand and looked at it. It was a simple cheap key chain. Something you would find in a tiny airport gift shop for $1. A smooth silver ring, with a short cheap looking metal chain was holding a large circle. Inscribed on the circle was the letter 'T', and the word 'Titans' written in calligraphy just below it.

Garfield looked at the key chain on his old wrinkly hand as it was a bomb about to detonate, and suddenly Garfield was back in the forest.

He can still feel the blood. How the luke – warm blood ran down his arm, his face, his chest and his legs. He remembered every harsh breath he had taken, every rapid beat of his heart and how the cold wind stabbed his face, and how it mowed his hair. He remembered the tears that came down from his face, how it came down from his eyes, reacted with the blood on his face and how it had turned red. He remembered how each and every single drop of blood came down onto the earth, infecting the flowers, grass and earth with a drop of an infectious diseases red.

He remembered how his eye had stung, how it felt like it was being stabbed when he saw the train coming for him, he remembered the shaking of the ground that reminded him of Terra, as if Terra can do anything about what he had done. He remembered the sounds of the train, the clattering of the wheels, the deafening horn blasting into his ears. He remembered how cold, how cold the rail was, and how it seemed to freeze into his neck, like a tongue on a metal pole. He heard the wheels approaching his neck and…

"Come on dude!" Nightwing's command immediately drew Garfield back into reality. He was standing in front of him with an unreadable expression on his face "I've seen people on wheelchairs who were faster on their feet."

Garfield looked at the key chain, then tucked it into his pocket. "Yeah. I'm coming."

And with that he got up from his chair, and went out with Nightwing.