chapter 2: history lesson
The sun had set in gotham. Batman stood tall on top of the police headquarters staring at the bat signal, which hadn't been used in years, and at the figure of a women standing next to it. Commissioner gordon shut off the light. terry walked up to her he was about to ask her why he was here when she spoke.
"hungry?"
they went to the localist coffee shop( no suit) and sat down. mcguiness had no idea what this was about. all he knew was that he had seen some serious peoplr in his life and never had he seen a more serious look than that of gordon's face.
"whats with the mug. someone die?"
"no," she answered. she showed no sign of laughter."but your on the right trail." she pulled out of her purse a piece of paper. it was a newspaper article entitled: two second generation heroes bring hope to hopeless cities. on the picture next to it it showed terry as batman holding two thugs in his arms unintentionally posing for the camera. on the other side of the article another picture showing a tall muscular black haired man dressed in skin tight armor, the same terry wore as batman. it was black all around with blue on the chest. connecting the colors was a V-shaped gold wing.
"it that who i think it is," said terry after taking a double take on the picture? "it can't be. he'd half to be atleast 60 something. when was the last time you heard from him."
"i haven't seen dick since alfred's funeral. he stood in the shadows. didn't say a word. stayed for 5 minutes. payed his respects and left. that was over 20 years ago. i haven't heard a word of him since."
"and your telling me that now he's back?", terry asked with obvious confusion in his voice. "how?"
"I don't know. Dick would have to be in his 60's by now. He was looking older 20 years ago. And he saw what happened to bruce when he tried to carry when he was to old. He wouldn't make that mistake. So my guess is that its another nightwing dressed like the old one. There is no other explaination."
Terry had been thinking about this story. Letting it all seep in. then something hit him. Why was gordon telling him about another super hero from another city. Why was it such a big deal to her? He looked down at the floor. On the floor inside her purse was an opened envelope. He snatched the envelope and quickly read the address.
"you got this from wayne manor," terry said shocked! Why would bruce send you this. does this have something to do with why I haven't seen or heard from him in two weeks. And why..."
gordon held up her hand. She lowered it to take a sip of her coffee. Looking back at terry she spoke, " how much of the nightwing stories have you heard?
Startled, terry answered, " umm...none I guess. Just that he was robin until he and bruce had a falling out. Then he became nightwing. And I know mr. Wayne can hold a grudge. And I know the story of him liking you but you liking bruce."
Gordon blushed slightly. She looked down at her plate of now cold toast. Picked at it with her fork. " do you remember why it didn't work between me and bruce? Why bruce wouldn't allow me to get to close?" she took another sip of her coffee. Her hand was shaking slightly.
"picture a young boy walking down the streets with his parents. Now picture both of his parents getting killed by guns and now this young boy has to grow up without his parents and consumed by hate. It was a recipe for disaster. But bruce was able to handle it. Now almost 40 years later, batman comes across this kid who had the same thing happen to him. Both his parents killed. Bruce let down his defense and let someone into his life. Closer than alfred. Closer than I ever was to him. Closer than tim. Closer than you will ever be to him. Dick was like his son. He taught him everything. Life lessons. They ate dinner together. Bruce saw so much of himself in dick, he pretty much groomed him to become himself.
"but dick wasn't bruce. Their personalities were to different to be ignored. If bruce had an idea about something or wanted to do something his way, good luck trying to change it. It was the rule we all knew and I am sure you heard to, that he is the boss. We don't like it, tough.
"it got too tough for dick. Bruce wasn't a father. He didn't know how to handle all the anger in dick. He didn't understand why it was directed at him. And dick hated the fact that bruce's word was god. And it showed. I saw it first hand. It went from dick telling me that he felt bruce was wrong to telling bruce he was wrong but following orders anyway to finally the night when bruce pissed him off to much and swung and knocked him to the ground. That was the last time dick wore the robin costume.
"this was before tim arrived. Dick went to visit bruce and myself and met tim for the first time. " 'you can't be a boy wonder forever'" he said. After that he bacame nightwing. He and bruce patched things up enough. They both realized it was time for dick to move on. But it wasn't quite the same. Then it happened. We were in the batcave..."
The sun had set in gotham. Batman stood tall on top of the police headquarters staring at the bat signal, which hadn't been used in years, and at the figure of a women standing next to it. Commissioner gordon shut off the light. terry walked up to her he was about to ask her why he was here when she spoke.
"hungry?"
they went to the localist coffee shop( no suit) and sat down. mcguiness had no idea what this was about. all he knew was that he had seen some serious peoplr in his life and never had he seen a more serious look than that of gordon's face.
"whats with the mug. someone die?"
"no," she answered. she showed no sign of laughter."but your on the right trail." she pulled out of her purse a piece of paper. it was a newspaper article entitled: two second generation heroes bring hope to hopeless cities. on the picture next to it it showed terry as batman holding two thugs in his arms unintentionally posing for the camera. on the other side of the article another picture showing a tall muscular black haired man dressed in skin tight armor, the same terry wore as batman. it was black all around with blue on the chest. connecting the colors was a V-shaped gold wing.
"it that who i think it is," said terry after taking a double take on the picture? "it can't be. he'd half to be atleast 60 something. when was the last time you heard from him."
"i haven't seen dick since alfred's funeral. he stood in the shadows. didn't say a word. stayed for 5 minutes. payed his respects and left. that was over 20 years ago. i haven't heard a word of him since."
"and your telling me that now he's back?", terry asked with obvious confusion in his voice. "how?"
"I don't know. Dick would have to be in his 60's by now. He was looking older 20 years ago. And he saw what happened to bruce when he tried to carry when he was to old. He wouldn't make that mistake. So my guess is that its another nightwing dressed like the old one. There is no other explaination."
Terry had been thinking about this story. Letting it all seep in. then something hit him. Why was gordon telling him about another super hero from another city. Why was it such a big deal to her? He looked down at the floor. On the floor inside her purse was an opened envelope. He snatched the envelope and quickly read the address.
"you got this from wayne manor," terry said shocked! Why would bruce send you this. does this have something to do with why I haven't seen or heard from him in two weeks. And why..."
gordon held up her hand. She lowered it to take a sip of her coffee. Looking back at terry she spoke, " how much of the nightwing stories have you heard?
Startled, terry answered, " umm...none I guess. Just that he was robin until he and bruce had a falling out. Then he became nightwing. And I know mr. Wayne can hold a grudge. And I know the story of him liking you but you liking bruce."
Gordon blushed slightly. She looked down at her plate of now cold toast. Picked at it with her fork. " do you remember why it didn't work between me and bruce? Why bruce wouldn't allow me to get to close?" she took another sip of her coffee. Her hand was shaking slightly.
"picture a young boy walking down the streets with his parents. Now picture both of his parents getting killed by guns and now this young boy has to grow up without his parents and consumed by hate. It was a recipe for disaster. But bruce was able to handle it. Now almost 40 years later, batman comes across this kid who had the same thing happen to him. Both his parents killed. Bruce let down his defense and let someone into his life. Closer than alfred. Closer than I ever was to him. Closer than tim. Closer than you will ever be to him. Dick was like his son. He taught him everything. Life lessons. They ate dinner together. Bruce saw so much of himself in dick, he pretty much groomed him to become himself.
"but dick wasn't bruce. Their personalities were to different to be ignored. If bruce had an idea about something or wanted to do something his way, good luck trying to change it. It was the rule we all knew and I am sure you heard to, that he is the boss. We don't like it, tough.
"it got too tough for dick. Bruce wasn't a father. He didn't know how to handle all the anger in dick. He didn't understand why it was directed at him. And dick hated the fact that bruce's word was god. And it showed. I saw it first hand. It went from dick telling me that he felt bruce was wrong to telling bruce he was wrong but following orders anyway to finally the night when bruce pissed him off to much and swung and knocked him to the ground. That was the last time dick wore the robin costume.
"this was before tim arrived. Dick went to visit bruce and myself and met tim for the first time. " 'you can't be a boy wonder forever'" he said. After that he bacame nightwing. He and bruce patched things up enough. They both realized it was time for dick to move on. But it wasn't quite the same. Then it happened. We were in the batcave..."