Barbara Gordon sat at her workstation doing research for one of Black Canary's overseas missions. She was tired, having slept only eight hours in the past several days. The cause of her lack of rest was usually her work. Being the source of information for the lion's share of Earth's hero community is often an all-day affair, but her troubles recently were far more personal.

The absence of Dick Grayson from her life of late was impacting every facet of her existence. They'd become so close in the months since they allowed their relationship to finally turn romantic. One of the hardest parts of his unexplained absence was simply that it was unexplained. Barbara didn't think there was anything in the world that he wouldn't share with her, but that obviously wasn't the case. Anger and confusion came with that realization, and she'd become very unsure of the extent of their commitment as a result.

In speaking about it with others, even her father, Barbara hadn't felt able to express how deeply she'd come to feel for Dick. Referring to him as her "boyfriend" somehow didn't seem to sufficiently convey her feelings. The boyfriend/girlfriend terminology, in her mind, just doesn't fit the relationship she thought they had. A boyfriend, she thought, is someone you don't fully know. The relationship is usually new and unexplored, and that certainly wasn't the case with her and Dick. She knows everything about him, perhaps moreso than anyone else.

At least she thought she did.

Discussions with Tim and Dinah, who were fully aware of Dick's dual life, didn't prove any more helpful. They would tell her to "hang in there," and try to reassure her that Dick would get in touch when he was able. That was what bothered her most. He WAS able. All of her tracking equipment told her that Dick was alive and well in Bludhaven, though it seemed he'd taken a trip into Manhattan the night before. She knew he was okay, and HE knew that she'd be aware of his status. For some reason, he just wasn't calling.

Perhaps he just didn't care as much as she thought he did.

Barbara was brought out of her reverie by a knock on her door. She turned on the surveillance monitor that displayed the small area outside her front door. The man standing there seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place him.

She activated her intercom. "Can I help you?"

The man looked directly into the lens of the hidden camera, which unnerved Barbara to no end. His deep voice seemed casual as he replied, "Yeah. Name's Vic Stone. I'm a friend of Dick's."

Victor Stone, Cyborg of the Titans. They had met once in passing a few years earlier at a birthday party the Titans threw for Dick in New York. And therein lies the problem. She was Batgirl then, and Vic Stone wasn't supposed to know Barbara Gordon. Dick would have told her if he'd decided to tell his friends more about her.

Then there's the fact that Vic Stone, consciously or not, almost destroyed the Earth. Under different circumstances she might not trust the man, but one simple fact changed that…

Dick trusts him.

Barbara couldn't count the number of times Dick told her stories from his Titans days. Since it was the one time in his life when he and Barbara weren't in almost constant contact, he'd go on and on about his friends and their adventures. She'd met the original group, and was thus familiar with Roy Harper, Garth, Donna Troy, and Wally West. She only really knew Vic by extension, but through Dick's stories she knew that he'd become, along with Joe Wilson, one of Dick's closest and most trusted friends.

Loving Dick, trusting Dick, made her risky decision that much easier. Barbara wheeled over and opened the door, inviting the large man inside.

Vic allowed himself a small smile, knowing the open door was a trusting gesture for her. "Hi. Sorry to drop by without calling, but it's kinda urgent."

Barbara remained careful with her words. "This is about Dick?"

"Yeah, it's about Dick. And to help relax you, it's also about Nightwing, Bruce, Batman…and Oracle, if she'll help," Vic replied with a grin.

Barbara let her guard down, but narrowed her eyes. "He told you. I'll kill him."

Vic laughed and shook his head. "Dick didn't tell me about Oracle. I don't think he's told anyone. Wally's prolly figgered it out, and maybe Donna, but he didn't hafta tell me."

"How then?"

Vic smiled again as he briefly brought the Omegadrome to bear, turning his hands to a spectacular glowing gold, and then back again. "Oracle's hacked into my systems at Titans Tower on more than one occasion. She hides her tracks impossibly well, but I was still able to track her IP almost instantly. Being Cyborg has its advantages these days," he explained.

Barbara couldn't quite hide her smile. "I'll bet," she said, rubbing her wrists. "I could sure use a talent like yours. Carpal tunnel's not a problem for you…"

"Nope, not anymore."

Barbara's expression turned serious. "Is he okay?"

"He was fine last we saw him, which was this morning. He's been working real hard on a case, hasn't been sleeping, lost weight…but he's not hurt," Vic responded.

"Where has he been, and what's this case he's working on? He's got a lot of people worried sick!"

Vic moved over to her Oracle workstation and "plugged" himself into one of her computers. The main monitor showed the transfer of information. When he finished the transfer, he brought up a document on the screen and motioned Barbara forward.

"This'll explain it all…"

"Dear Lord!"

Alfred Pennyworth sat at the desk in his room at Brentwood Academy, a collection of papers in one hand, his head cradled in the other. Wally West stood behind him, giving his shoulder a caring squeeze.

"I'm sorry, Alfred. If the circumstances were different, I wouldn't have sprung it on you like this. There's just no time…" Wally stopped speaking as he saw Alfred raise his head. He could swear that Alfred had aged five years since his arrival a few minutes earlier.

"Put your mind at ease, Master West. Though this news comes as a shock, you are quite right. Now is not the time to weigh this new information. Where is Master Richard?"

Wally gave an ashamed shrug. "We don't know. That's part of why I'm here. We need to find him, and I'm sure you know how hard that can be."

Alfred nodded sadly, still reeling from the news he just received. "Alas, I do. All of the young men in my charge have become quite adept at the vanishing arts. I may be of some assistance in locating him, though I'm fairly certain Master Dick will remain hidden until he wishes to be found."

"I know, Alfred. And that's REALLY why I'm here. We know who can find him. It's just that we're pretty sure we'll need you to get him to do it."

Alfred looked at Wally with a quizzical expression. "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean."

Wally locked eyes with the older man. "We need Bruce to find Dick, and there's no way we can get Bruce to look for him unless we tell him the truth. Dick doesn't think he can ever face you guys again because of this, and I'm not sure anyone but Bruce can convince him otherwise."

Alfred stood slowly, rising to his full height. "I see. So you would like me to deliver this news to Master Bruce."

"Actually, no. We figured that Bruce isn't going to handle this well, no matter who tells him, and that wouldn't be fair to you. We've sent someone to tell Bruce. Here's what we need from you…"

Donna Troy was on her fourth pass of the Gotham City skyline, in search of a man that was, by all accounts, impossible to find in the shadows of his hometown. She landed on a nearby rooftop to get her bearings for Plan B. Having visited Gotham quite frequently when she and Dick were younger, Donna was familiar with his old patrol route. By following it, she hoped she'd either run into Batman or vice versa. She just didn't know how long it would take.

"What are you doing here, Troia?"

The deep, ominous voice from behind her startled Donna beyond words. She nearly leapt out of her skin as she turned to face the Dark Knight.

"Hera, how do you DO that?"

Batman did not respond, and made it obvious that he was waiting for an answer to his question.

"I…I need you to come with me. It's important…it's about Nightwing," Donna said, more than a little flustered.

Batman's expression remained unchanged. "Has he been injured?"

"Well, no. He's not hurt, but he IS in trouble. Please come with me. I need to show you some personal files, and we really shouldn't talk about this here."

"If this is a personal matter, it can wait until morning. I can't abandon my responsibilities here without explanation," Batman replied, his impatient demeanor letting her know her presence was an unwelcome disturbance.

Donna's eyes narrowed, the tone of the verbal exchange igniting an inner fire of rage. She composed herself, removed a minidisc from her belt, and offered it to Batman. "If you CAN'T come with me, then at least look at this in the car."

The Dark Knight reached out to take the disk, and just as he did, Troia seized him by the wrist, pulling him off balance. She then grabbed him by the tunic, lifted him off the ground, and pinned him to the side of the building's tall brick chimney. Though surprised, Batman offered no resistance.

"Listen to me! Nightwing is in trouble. He NEEDS you. You WILL come with me back to your cave, even if I have to drag you against your will," she spat, easing him to the ground as she finished her short tirade. She did not release her grip on his tunic, however.

Batman's face remained impassive. "Don't overestimate your abilities, Miss Troy. I'll go. The car will meet us on the street," he said as he removed himself from her grasp and leapt from the rooftop.

Troia descended to street level under her own power, not letting the Batman out of her sight. When the Batmobile pulled up beside the two heroes, they climbed in and sped off.

The unlikely pair rode back to the Batcave in complete silence, but the unspoken battle of wills was deafening. Twenty minutes later, Batman pulled the car to a stop in the parking bay of the Batcave. They both got out and made their way to the Batcomputer.

Troia handed him the minidisc. Batman took it and inserted it into the computer, bringing up a short list of files.

"Cyborg summarized the contents as best he could without compromising the data," Donna said.

"We could have done this is the car," Batman replied coldly.

"Trust me. You need to see this in private. It's very personal, and we didn't want to give it to you in an area that wasn't secure."

Batman waved his hand, as if dismissing her comment. "I'll worry about my security. In the future…"

Donna cut him off, pointing at the screen. "Read the damn file, Batman! READ IT!"

The Dark Knight sat down at his workstation and began reading the first file, silenced more by the fire in Troia's eyes than the volume of her words.

Having read the files a dozen times herself, Donna instead watched Batman intently. She watched his expression as he put together the clues while he read. It amazed her how much he reminded her of Dick at that moment, the way they both tune out the world around them as they pour over the details of an investigation. His expression changed slightly to one she assumed displayed pride in Dick's work and documentation of the case.

Then his eyes moved to the hit list.

Batman removed his cowl in quick, sweeping motion, as if to make sure its lenses weren't making him see things. Donna watched Bruce Wayne's eyes go wide, even as his jaw dropped. Without saying a word, Donna pointed to the Wayne file. Bruce opened it and kept reading.

"It's all there, Bruce. Every angle is covered," she said quietly.

He looked at her, his eyes betraying the shock that had just seized control of his soul. "Where is he?"

Donna shook her head sadly. "We don't know. We just found the files this afternoon. Dick's been out of contact for weeks, and last night he showed up at my apartment. He was so tired and pale, Bruce, and he couldn't stop crying."

"Why?"

Donna hesitated before responding. "Read the last file," she said, pointing to the police report from the previous evening's events in Bludhaven.

Bruce opened the file, a look of rage enveloping his strong features.

"No…NO!" Faster than Donna's eyes could follow, Bruce's hand smashed the computer screen in front of him. He quickly replaced his cowl and stormed across the cave in the direction of the Batmobile.

Donna followed after him. "Where are you going?"

"To find Nightwing…"

'Thank Hera,' she thought to herself, coming to a halt.

"…and when I do, he'll answer for his actions!"

The accusing tone of the Dark Knight's voice made Donna's blood run cold. "WHAT? You can't be serious," she exclaimed as she reached out to stop him. "Stop, please…"

The Batman grabbed her wrist as she approached and pulled her in close to him, seizing her by her upper arms. She started to protest, but his words silenced her. "He had no right to keep this from me. I'm going to leave now, and you're NOT going to stop me."

"Bruce Wayne! Unhand that young lady at once!"

Bruce's head turned quickly in the direction of the voice. Alfred Pennyworth descended the Cave staircase is his usual well-postured manner, though the angry scowl on his face teemed with disdain. Bruce looked at him in defiance, but he subconsciously and instantly obeyed, releasing his hold on Donna. He looked at his former valet for a long moment before turning on his heel and heading once again to the Batmobile.

"Don't try to follow," he said quietly to Donna.

"Stop this madness! Where do you think you're going, Master Bruce," Alfred asked as he moved to close the space between him and his one-time charge.

Bruce stopped at the door of the Batmobile and allowed Alfred to approach. "I'm going to find Dick."

"And then?"

"And then I'll bring him back, whether he wants to come or not," Bruce replied coldly.

Alfred stepped closer to Bruce. "You'll do no such thing! The young master deserves none of your misguided ire."

"He kept this from me, Alfred! He never should have pursued this case; he knew it was MINE to solve," Bruce answered angrily. He removed his cowl once again; another subconscious act. He'd always thought it disrespectful to address Alfred under the guise of the Bat, especially over matters so personal.

"Your egocentric behavior knows no bounds," Alfred said rather forcefully in reply.

Bruce paused a moment, balling his hands into tight fists in an effort to control his anger, yet proved unable to mask the contempt in his voice. "This isn't about me, Alfred. This is about Dick, and the man he probably killed."

*SLAP!*

…

Bruce brought his hand to his cheek, feeling his skin grow warm from the impact. He expected to see shock or regret on Alfred's face, but bitterness was all it revealed.

Alfred cradled his right hand with his left, massaging away the stinging vibration caused by the blow. He started to raise his voice in anger, but paused, speaking instead in steady, even tones. "How dare you speak such nonsense about your son! That young man has lived and breathed for you since the day we brought him to your parents' estate. He has done everything you've ever asked of him and more. The number of times he has saved your life is inconsequential, but you would NOT be standing here today if he hadn't saved your soul…no matter how dark and cold it has become in the years since.

"And you have the audacity to stand there in judgement of the better man, whose only crime this day was attempting to protect his father from the worst part of himself. In return, you would accuse him of murder."

Alfred took Bruce by the wrist and guided him back to the computer. "Look at it," he said, pointing at the screen. "Weeks of tireless work, obsessed with every minute detail."

"He could have come to me," Bruce said quietly.

"He didn't have to come to you, Master Bruce. He *became* you. He took leaves from his department and Titans teammates. He barely slept. Master Dick became the embodiment of relentless determination. And he did this to stop you from slipping even further away from the man you once were."

Alfred gestured toward the screen forlornly. "I cried when young Master West presented me with these documents. Not for your parents, who may finally rest in peace. Not for you, who may now find reason to dispose of your many personal demons. I cried for the young man who put himself through this horrific obsession that goes so against his nature…against everything we sought to shield him from as a child. I cried for Master Richard."

"Alfred…" Bruce began, an apologetic expression growing on his pained countenance.

Alfred raised his hand to silence the younger man. "Now you will don that godforsaken cowl and seek out the young master. And when you find him, you will reach out to him with friendship and gratitude. If you do not…if you cause the lad even one more ounce of heartache, I shall never again step foot in this house."

Bruce watched as Alfred turned and made his way back up the Cave stairs, Donna following after him. He waited until they faded from view and the sounds of their footsteps no longer found his ears.

Then he raised his cowl and made his exit, directing the Batmobile toward Bludhaven at top speed.