Batman and Nightwing : The True Alien Vs Predator
Author's note (Please read – story will make much more sense if you do)
I've been a fan of the great Alien and Predator movies ever since I first saw them, back when I was in grade school in the late 1980's. Of course, lots has changed since then, but as far as my interest in these franchises go, those stayed constant. I happily own the 4 Alien movies on DVD and the 2 Predator movies on tape, and while Aliens will always be my favorite among that series of six (who doesn't agree with that? ), my second-favorites are Alien Resurrection and Predator 2. I realize that these two films aren't fan favorites, but if you're wondering why I enjoy them so, please check out the reviews for them at the imdb, both at under the title for each film, and written by my screen name – Johnnycage10.
Then, of course, we were subjected to a painful sequel to both franchises in the horribly-made Alien Vs Predator in 2004, which was one of the worst movies ever made and a waste of $60 million. As far as I'm concerned, that piece of garbage doesn't exist and doesn't deserve to have the same title as the previous six films.
Afterwards, totally ignoring the trauma that was AVP, I got to see Batman : Dead End, and absolutely loved it. In my view, BDE is the true AVP.
Which brings us to this story. This fanfiction is written as a continuation of Dead End, but is also a mixture between that great film and the Batman animated series (the best cartoon ever, and one of the best things ever done to film overall), in particular to two characters from the cartoon in addition to Batman – Dick Grayson and Harley Quinn.
Dick Grayson started off as Batman's second-in-command, Robin, who accomplished the nearly impossible task of appearing handsome while dressed in red and green. Later on, he parted ways with Batman on bad terms and became an independent crimefighter as Nightwing. Fortunately, they partnered up and worked together later, which was nice to see since their rift didn't last indefinitely.
Once he left as Robin, that character was replaced by 10-year old Tim, who was both annoying and painfully unrealistic (who got the bright idea of putting a 10-year old out on the streets so he could fight crime?). And we were introduced to Barbara Gordon as Batgirl to serve next to Batman, who had no fire and depth within her whatsoever (apparently, some toothpick can become a superhero by just picking up an outfit and a fancy name). IMO, there was only one true second-in-command to Batman, and that was Grayson.
Harley Quinn, on the other hand, is usually a villainess, as the blonde girlfriend to the conniving Joker. She was given a very good episode to star in the Batman animated series called Harley's Holiday, where she was allowed out of Arkham Asylum due to having completed her sentence, but ended up being taken back by Batman and Robin due to panicking and breaking the law when she didn't intend to. As she and Batman parted ways, they shared a kiss that was both fun to watch and surprising, and it left me wondering if they'd be an item in the future, if she saw the light and stopped committing crimes, of course.
Unfortunately, that wasn't to be the case and in future episodes of the animated series, Harley returned to being just a typical villainess and there were no recollections of the intimacy shared between her and the hero.
Personally, one of the few things I disliked about this cartoon (or maybe the only thing) is that none of the women that Batman had a relationship with ever stayed with him. The show was obsessed with making sure this character lived alone, even when there was no reason to break up the chemistry between him and the woman he was seeing at the time. Andrea Beaumont (aka Phantasm) left after the great Mask Of The Phantasm movie, though she could've easily stayed. And Selena Kyle (aka Catwoman) actually stopped being a villainess and became a heroine for some time, only to then return to being a typical criminal in future episodes with no recollection of her heroics. Thirdly, the only love interest who left Batman in a believable way was Talia, who ended up having to choose between her adoration of him and her loyalty to her father, criminal mastermind Ra's Al Ghul, and she picked the latter. But except for Talia's decision, Andrea's and Selena's choices to not stay with Batman just didn't make sense.
So I broke into unfamiliar ground here and insisted on doing what the writers of the great cartoon never did – I gave Batman a steady girlfriend. Though Talia, Andrea and Selena were cool characters, I decided on going with Harley since her personality was the most different to his, and hopefully the quirks in that interaction would be interesting to read.
While the interaction between Batman and the Predators is believable enough, as Predators hunt in modern-day Earth in the two movies, seeing the presence of an Alien in Dead End is obviously a mystery since those creatures were introduced several centuries later and on another planet (again, AVP never happened). In this story, I tried to link the three ultra-cool universes between Batman, Predator and Alien, and hopefully I did a decent job out of it to make the story be believable and realistic. Only you as the reader can decide if I succeeded, of course. So I hope I did.
So it's because of that attempted link between the three universes that forced me to have the Predators speak as much as they do here, which is in contrast to the difficulty they had in pronouncing English words at the end of Predator 2.
Thus, after a fairly long time spent on debating whether I should write new fanfiction (haven't written since 1996, though my old work is here on my favorite author of all time delighted me by agreeing to co-author this story. That greatest writer of all time that I'm talking about is none other than Shakahnna, who writes the marvelous Resident Evil Damnation here on And I'm very proud of having written this tale alongside her.
It should also be noted that I use a specific way of telling the progression of time in this story, as the first line of every new section is given a certain update regarding how much time passed from the end of the previous scene. For example, the opening scene starts with "10 seconds later", as that scenario is taking place 10 seconds after the conclusion of Batman : Dead End. Hope that made sense :)
And granted this story won't make sense if you haven't watched BDE first, but there's no point in telling you what happens there if you haven't already seen it. My advice is to just watch that 8-minute long masterpiece and then enjoy this story afterwards. Plus, considering that it's available to download for free by just putting the title in a search engine online, finding it shouldn't be difficult.
One last factor to mention in this story is the use of comic book environments, and my own personal connection to them. I grew up idolizing what comic books stood for, but not usually what they were marketed as. I adore the idea of heroes/heroines who do such a dangerous job, that they must hide their identities behind a mask and a fake name, sometimes even from their loved ones. It makes sense when dealing with dangerous criminals and monsters. These protagonists are supposed to be 90 percent attitude, and 10 percent superpowers, costume, name, etc.
Unfortunately, comics are pandered where it's usually the other way around, where abilities, costume and name are all that matters, to the point where it's impossible to tell one character's attitude from another. The string of recent sub-par films like the Spiderman and X-men movies proves this to me, and don't get me started on the appearance of most characters who look like they're men on steroids, or women who are starved after they had breast implants. And it's also amazing to me that while the idea of superheroes is to go to the areas that have the highest crime, most comics/movies seem to think that crime only occurs in upper-class, clean, friendly neighbourhoods.
I like to think that this story portrays my personal idea of what comics are, where costumed heroes are the exception (double identities DO lose their meanings when everyone has one), and where the protagonists go where the crimes are (in the worst areas of the city). Little superpowers, a reliance on costumes only because it's needed, some weapons, but mostly attitude and talent that are earned with discipline and experience. It's supposed to be a compliment to be sent to the worst areas, after all, because it means one is the best. It includes not worrying about politics, or image, which seems to run the majority of the world in real-life. I know it's possible for something like it to exist in real-life. It's just very rare.
Lastly, I would like to dedicate this story specifically to a very cool person I met on She is Shakahnna, who, as said before, writes the best story anywhere, period. But generally, BAN:TTAVP is dedicated to everyone out there who believes that the heroics in comics, movies, TV and video games aren't just works of fiction, but rather ideals to aspire towards in real life.
So without further distractions, I hope you enjoy the story. Reviews will always be welcome, whether they're positive or negative, on either this fanfiction site or sent to my email account, but they're not necessary. The biggest compliment someone can pay me is to think that this story is worthy to be called Predator 3 or Alien 5, but only you can decide if it is.
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10 seconds later+
He spun around where he stood, not daring to remain still, gripping a curved blade in each hand as he did. Surrounded by five of the vertical-standing, two-legged creatures, and four more of the hunched-over, black-skinned reptilian ones, Batman heard himself panting. He had to ignore his fatigue, though, as he inspected his nine adversaries, the wound on his stomach only making it more difficult to breathe.
While he momentarily kept each of the nine foes at bay, he caught a glimpse of the dead reptilian monster who had pounced on him earlier, before it had been shot in the head in its own turn. He also threw a glance off in the distance, towards the two-legged aggressor who had saved his life from the four-legged beast and then insisted on fighting him. That particular individual was finally rising from the kneeling position he had been in for the last minute, ever since having lost the battle against the caped crusader.
In another place and time, Batman would've thought about the situation at length. He definitely found it strange that the creature had remained on his knees after being wounded during combat, since the human in that dark alleyway remembered not delivering a fatal blow after breaking his right wristblades off. Instead, Batman had wounded and overcome him physically before the creature dropped into a kneeling position, after which the masked human could've executed him with ease.
Of course, Batman didn't go along with his initial reflex to deliver the killing blow. That was one of the few factors he believed since the first day he lived his double life, and which remained unchanged even to this day. While other, less important, variables were watered down, compromised or even changed over the years, his steadfastness on never taking a life while on the job had remained the same. That was even if he was dealing with the life of an attacker that he wasn't sure was a human being.
But, returning to the present time and place, Batman noticed that his defeated adversary was now back on his feet. For some unknown reason, though, this foe was refusing to join his brethren in surrounding and inching closer towards the human in their effort to defeat him. The caped crusader didn't have time to wonder why this particular monster was holding back. Not while nine other antagonists continued moving nearer to him from all sides, coming closer until Batman growled without planning on doing so, always turning around where he stood.
The small-knit group of attackers stopped and actually took a step back at the sign of his aggression, knowing that such a powerful prey would be dangerous when injured or cornered, and especially when it was both. But after a short stop, they continued closing in, with the same scenario as before - the first five assailants emitting a sharp, clicking noise from where their mouth should be, while the other four reptilian creatures hissed loudly, drooling on the ground, some of them even protruding a smaller mouth from within their main one. And the two species of creatures definitely did not get along, the five members of the former and the four members of the latter segregated in two different half-circles. But the two groups still moved towards their target from opposite ends, most likely putting their differences aside until the human in their midst was dealt with. Batman suspected that it was only after they dealt with him that they would return to their previous hostility against each other, especially after a member of the clicking, two-legged fighters had killed one of the hissing, salivating monsters.
And why was that particular creature still standing away from his own group instead of joining the rest of his kind in their effort to annihilate him?
Batman shook his head. Now wasn't the time for such questions, not when there was a good chance he wasn't going to live through the next few minutes. Nine formidable opponents, each of which was easily as strong as he was, had already made up their mind that he wouldn't leave this alleyway in one piece.
Many ideas raced through the human's mind.
Could he use his pre-pressurized grappling hook to find a hold on the surface of one of the many buildings that loomed overhead, and then retract the hook so it'd sail him out of the danger zone? Or at least, could he do so before one of the nine creatures pounced on him and eviscerated him during the precious instant he needed to carry out the manoeuvre? He knew that the two-legged monsters could fire a projectile, and he wasn't certain how agile the four-legged ones were. He guessed he could always take his chances that the former opponents would miss if firing against him while he was gliding upwards through the air. But what bothered him about that possible plan was that he knew the odds of him using the grappling hook and then escaping via it were small, considering that the circle of nine deadly adversaries had him as its centre. And the radius between himself and the nearest aggressor was only about ten feet.
There was always the possibility of activating gas canisters against the ground and hoping that he could make his retreat in the confusion, assuming that either of these two species were affected by the gas. But if they weren't, the initial thick fog created by those canisters may have proved advantageous even if neither group of beasts ended up coughing as a result of them.
He would most likely decide to go with the second option, seeing as to how the monsters were becoming more and more belligerent as time went on, and Batman already knew he didn't have more time to come up with a third idea. Not when he knew as well as any of his opponents that the tightening circle around him could've killed him at any time. Fortunately, the individual members of the two clusters were wary of being the first to attack him, since they had most likely seen how well he fared against the sixth two-legged creature that he defeated earlier.
After the first member of either species had pounced on him, it would be putting its life on the line as Batman fought back, and possibly killed it, before the other eight fighters moved in to destroy the human. It was that apprehension of being the first expendable attacker that had kept this group from dismembering him already, and the masked human realized that. But even that anxiety wouldn't hold for very long.
And how had he not spotted the presence of the other five two-legged spectators or the four reptilian ones when he was dealing with the Joker, and was then attacked by the currently-dead monster, and had then fought the sixth member of the humanoid group?
Batman shook his head. This was the second time tonight he had been distracted with unimportant questions, and he couldn't keep doing so if he wanted to retain the already-small odds he had of leaving his alley alive.
More clicks, more hisses, coming from all around him. So the masked champion put away the curved blade in his right hand and swiftly reached for and felt the smooth, circular gas canisters which were tucked within his utility belt. He held his breath while he was about to withdraw them, locking his eyes with what he assumed to be the eyes of as many of his opponents as he did so. It was then that he was interrupted by a whooshing sound that thundered from the sky above.
Batman looked up by reflex, as did the other ten beings in the dark passageway, only to spot the Batwing that was high up in the night air, and diving towards the rooftop of the buildings that surrounded that area. Whoever was piloting the flying craft came dangerously close to the roofs that were on both sides of the alley, but then levelled the Batwing so it was gliding parallel to the building tops.
A machinegun erupted, the yellow flashes bursting from the tip of the Batwing as the pilot opened fire. The first several rounds punched holes into the ground behind the group of non-human attackers, while the subsequent ones found their mark against some of the assailants themselves. Two of the black-skinned monsters were struck, as was one of the vertical creatures, all three of which had been part of the large circle that was closing in on Gotham City's protector. The two members of the former group shrieked as watery, yellow blood erupted from their torso, while the third of the latter team screamed an inhuman cry as bright green blood burst out of the several holes that appeared on his chest. All three creatures collapsed, in different states of dying, as the other six members who had been closing in against Batman quickly dispersed.
The human saw that the two surviving reptilian monsters left their three dead behind as they leapt onto the side of the buildings that surrounded the alleyway and retreated by galloping vertically up the walls. He also witnessed that the four members of the two-legged species who had surrounded him but hadn't been struck simply ran to another wall within the area. Then, surprising even the caped crusader, all four turned nearly invisible, though the rough shape of their outline could still be seen, assuming one knew where to look beforehand. Ignoring Batman, the four creatures turned their attention against the Batwing, firing their shoulder-carried projectiles in the hope of downing the jet plane that had killed one of their own and robbed them of their rightful prey.
Amid further bursts of gunfire that emanated from the Batwing to the ground below, and exchanges of the four creatures' return fire that was shot into the sky, Batman spotted a rope ladder which was attached to the aircraft and dropped towards him. As the bottom of the ladder sailed towards him, several feet off the ground, following the flight trajectory of the Batwing, Batman holstered the curved blade from his left hand and then dove for it. As soon as he gripped the rope with both hands, the jet plane that had dropped the ladder changed course so it was headed upwards into the sky at a 45 degree angle.
Batman found himself being lifted as high as the rooftops that surrounded the passageway where he confronted Joker. He was then yanked even higher than those as he saw the cloudy, night sky all around him and the lights from the Gotham streets and buildings below. With a steel grip remaining on the rope ladder with both hands, the masked man struggled and soon managed to plant one of his feet on the ladder also, thus securing his hold of the rescue device further.
Once more securely fastened, he looked back down towards the alleyway where the peculiar confrontation and stand-off had taken place. Not surprisingly, the two black monsters were nowhere to be seen, considering he was now hundreds of feet off the level of the ground. Also, the two-legged creatures had camouflaged themselves amid the surrounding darkness as soon as they had been fired upon.
He could still see the location of the four invisible creatures who walked upright, though, only because those enemies still fired towards the Batwing, and Batman could follow the path of their bright projectile as those stood out amid the night environment.
But lastly, Batman could also see a single, upright individual who remained in the middle of the alleyway, near four corpses. It was the two-legged creature that he had fought and defeated earlier, and who had then refrained from joining the group that closed in around him. That particular being hadn't run for shelter when the Batwing opened fire, and he also hadn't turned himself invisible. Instead, he continued standing in the middle of the alley, possibly still staring up at the fleeing aircraft, even as four of his brethren kept firing at the flying machine.
Just as the human on the rope ladder was thinking that the creature's demeanour was strange, one of the many rounds that were shot towards the Batwing struck an area at the rear of the aircraft. That caused the jet plane to shake while it continued its ascending departure into the sky. So the navigator levelled the aircraft, slowed it down, and continued guiding it in a straight path, flying parallel to the Gotham City lights that shone hundreds of yards below. The chance finally allowed the passenger on the rope ladder to be more steady. By that time, the projectiles from the alleyway stopped being fired, certainly because the Batwing was too far away from that area.
Fortunately, while struck once by one of the two-legged creatures' strange bullets, the Batwing wasn't damaged to the point where its short-term flying ability was compromised, and Batman knew it from where he was dangled below. In fact, he expected that the pilot would reach the Batcave after another five minutes of flying, and then he'd be able to take his time and inspect the aircraft to fix it and make it as good as new. But that was going to have to be later, as he had the mystery of the monsters that he had just confronted to worry about for now.
Who were those two different types of warring creatures? What were they doing in Gotham? It did not take him long to come to the conclusion that this was a situation on which he had no knowledge.
As he thought about the problem and what threat those beasts held for his city, Batman felt the rope ladder being electrically pulled into the aircraft itself. It was only then that he felt the state of the injury that had been inflicted on his stomach, as the waning adrenaline allowed him to feel the dormant pain he was in during the entire confrontation. At least now, though, he'd be able to continue the rest of the journey home inside the jet plane and not hanging outside it.
He definitely hadn't been expecting to see the Batwing appearing to save him, but was most thankful for the pleasant surprise, as the presence of the aircraft increased his odds of escaping that alley alive by a great amount. And Batman also knew that there was only one person who had the ability to fly the jet plane as well as he could, in addition to having access to where it had been parked in the Batcave. The person who was currently seated in the pilot's chair must've done so after hearing that Bruce Wayne had dressed up in the usual dark clothes and had gone to the last known whereabouts of the Joker. And contrary to feeling indignant that this person borrowed the Batwing without his permission, Batman was glad for it, and not only because the person who was guiding the aircraft had saved his life.
"Good to see you again, Dick", the masked crusader thought out loud as the rope ladder kept being pulled towards a compartment inside the Batwing, bringing him ever closer to the pilot who was seated behind the aircraft's controls.
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30 seconds later+
Once having been pulled within the large Batwing and the partition was closed behind him, Batman's ears heard the difference as the loud noise that had been deafening him outside was replaced by the soft hum of the aircraft's engine. Appreciating the change, the crimefighter was finally allowed the chance to inspect his wounds. Those mostly consisted of the bloody gash that his opponent had inflicted upon him during the brawl in the alley, since the soreness in his head from having the stand-off with the larger adversary was negligible.
Batman pressed his left forearm against the still-bleeding cut in his waistline, wishing to sit down before he examined the wound further. Staggering to the pilot's compartment, his legs still protesting their use after the trauma of being violently pulled into the sky, he wasn't surprised to see that the front seat was already occupied. So he roughly landed in a seated position in the second compartment behind the pilot.
He gasped violently, fresh pain assaulting his senses while he hoped that the act of pressing his bloodied forearm against the wound was managing to slow down the flow of blood that crept out of the injury. And closing his eyes to give his mind a chance to adapt to the discomfort, it occurred to him that Dick didn't look any different now than the last time he had seen the young man. Except that his former sidekick's hair was now longer, which seemed to always be the case when the youngster returned from an absence.
Opening his eyes, Batman visualized that the inside of the jet plane was cramped, with only enough room for the pilot's seat and the co-pilot's seat behind him, but no space for anything else. That was ironic, when one compared how gigantic the Batwing was from outside. Then again, the aircraft was designed for speed, fuel efficiency, silence and stealth, durability and weapons, and not for convenience, and wasn't meant to be used as a transport device for passengers.
He also reminded himself to be careful of what name he used when he was thinking of his fellow combatant, even if he wasn't used to speaking the pilot's first name out loud. It was best to always address each other via their street names and not their personal ones, at least while they weren't within the safety of their sanctuary. So clearing his throat, he knew that Nightwing wasn't saying anything because the younger fighter was waiting for him to speak first, which was odd, since the person who was flying the Batwing now wasn't known for his politeness.
Batman definitely remembered the transition that his former second-in-command had undergone over the years. He was now dressing in mostly black, except for a large silver-colored eagle that was etched on the front of his chest, and with longer hair than when he used to be Robin, not to mention a much sharper tongue. Several years older, his comrade now had a body that was a bit slower than when he was identified as a teenaged Robin. But Nightwing's physique was now more muscular than before, and with his increased fighting experience, it made the Batwing's pilot a force to be reckoned with.
"Thank you", the older man spoke slowly and painfully while he was still catching his breath, also feeling soreness in his mouth for the first time from when Joker had punched him earlier.
"You're welcome, boss", the pilot in front of him cheerfully replied, though Nightwing couldn't turn around as they were both staring out of the windshield that was ahead of them.
The answer caused an internal smile for Batman, though he kept the reaction off his face. It was still endearing to hear the young man call him via such a name, after all this time.
"How did you… find me?", Batman asked next in the same fashion, breathing a little easier as time went on, though exhaling still ached.
"Once I heard about Joker's bust-out", Nightwing explained in a more relaxed fashion, constantly examining the readouts in front of him as he spoke, fingerless gloves wrapped around his hands as he gripped the controls, "I came by the Cave. Alfred said you were already gone since our pet clown was spotted. So I grabbed the Wing and followed you. Was easy enough to find you, considering your wheels' tracking device still works like a charm".
"Batwing's hit", the more experienced crimefighter informed him.
"Uhuh", his partner nodded, "I know, Bats".
"Do you need me to… take over the controls?".
"Are you hurt?", Nightwing held his breath after asking the question.
"A little".
"Then no", the young man followed through, mentioning things that Batman already knew, but which he reasoned the passenger needed to hear anyway, "I can get us to the Cave just fine. We'll be there in a few minutes, so why don't you use the first aid kit that's under the seat till then?".
Following his associate's advice, Batman winced in pain as he reached for the container.
"So what the hell were those things?", the pilot questioned while the older man was wrapping a tight bandage around his own midsection.
"Have no idea", the more experienced fighter admitted, finding it easier to talk as the pain became more manageable, "There were two distinct species, neither one appeared to be human, Nightwing. The quadruped first jumped on me, and I was attempting to subdue it when the humanoid shot it in the head. By the time I pushed the quadruped off and looked at whoever lent me a hand, I could tell the humanoid was about to shoot me next, so I had to strike him first with a batarang. I think that damaged his ability to fire. We fought, I won, as I was about to interrogate him, both species' numbers multiplied. That's when you showed".
"Not a second too soon, either, boss. Seems like I saved your ass", the former apprentice grinned, "So, did you find the Joker?".
"Yeah, the quadruped took him to parts unknown before it attacked me", Batman recalled, "His odds of survival are extremely slim against one of those things".
"I agree", Nightwing shook his head, "But who knows? Mr Insano has survived other situations that should've killed him before".
"I recall", Batman agreed as the scene ahead of them changed from downtown Gotham to the less urban section of the city, indicating they were getting nearer to the Wayne mansion, "Until we find his remains, he's still at large. The potential of these other threats to Gotham doesn't allay the menace from the Joker".
"So…", the young man sighed, implying that he had something uncomfortable to say, but also that he wasn't going to refrain himself from saying it, "Didn't I tell you that this would happen, Bats?".
The friendly tone he previously used was now modified to one where the man in the pilot's seat was readying himself for an argument if need be, and Batman could tell. So the older crimefighter made sure to not let the topic of the conversation get him to act confrontational.
"We have discussed this before and you are still incorrect, Nightwing", the injured combatant countered instead, keeping his voice as even as he could afford it, given the sensitive subject at hand, "Harley did not help Joker escape".
"Oh? You sure about that, Bats?", his former protégé shot back while making sure to keep his eyes ahead of him and fighting the urge to turn around in his seat, "Is that why she's been missing since he busted out? And how two Arkham guards had the shit beaten out of them by Mr Insano who was using a brass knuckle? Just how did he get a brass knuckle, Bats? Can you answer me that? You don't think that's at least a little bit sus?".
A mental image of his nemesis flashed in Batman's mind, and he recalled how Joker was barefoot when the caped crusader had confronted him in the alleyway, but his adversary had also been carrying a brass knuckle at the time. Considering that the insane criminal didn't even have time to find a pair of shoes, which is the first item he should've looked for once free, it only made sense that someone had slipped him the brass knuckle while he was still incarcerated in the most secure unit of Arkham Asylum.
"While I concur with your conclusion that an outside party is involved, that's not hard evidence that she is the guilty party", Batman finally shot back, agitated that he didn't have a stronger argument to use in this discussion.
The muscular tension only caused more pain to shoot through the wound in his stomach, which caused him to gasp for air as he pressed his bloodied left forearm against that area again, and convinced Nightwing to drop the subject, at least while his friend was injured.
"Look, Bats", the young man sighed in his attempt to have a more pleasant conversation, "I do understand why you turned to Harley for companionship after that time she was paroled from Arkham and ended up being taken back there. I could tell this lady wanted to change, really. And there are some things that a guy will be able to tell a girl that he can't tell anyone else, not even his partner. So I understand why there were some things you could talk to her about that you couldn't tell me or Alfred, especially after Selena, Talia and Andrea left rather than sticking around like I thought they would".
"Much has come to pass since then", Batman replied with a sigh of his own, "It's been so long that it surprises me you can remember what occurred then at all".
"Of course I do, Bats", Nightwing grinned while answering, "Hell, what was your reaction to when she said 'call me'? 'Don't hold your breath'? No one was as surprised as me when you went back on what you said and actually visited her a few days later".
Without even realizing it, Batman smiled to himself at the recollection.
"So, like I said, I don't blame you for wanting to talk to her", the younger man continued, "Especially after Barbara took Tim and went to live out some domesticated life under her father's roof rather than continue with you in the Batcave".
From the light reflection on the glass in front of him, Nightwing saw Batman's face becoming more tense in reaction to his comment.
"What?", the young man asked, curious as to what he had done wrong.
"Your assumption is utterly incorrect", the more experienced fighter countered, "And I am aghast you would even consider that possibility".
"Oh! Oh, right", his protégé acknowledged, "No biggie, yeah, I understand, Bats. I suppose that makes sense, sure. It'd be too much like doing your own daughter, if you did".
At least the tension eased off Batman's face, which caused the pilot to grin to himself again.
"I enjoyed these rhetorics significantly more before you felt the need to add your own brand of wit", Batman heavily pointed out, causing the man he was addressing to laugh lightly.
"Actually, as strange as it sounds, I'm partly glad that Barbara and Tim are having a nice life after Tim's latest run-in with Insano back there", Nightwing continued in a more serious fashion after a few seconds of comfortable silence, "Just, rather ticked off that they're not contacting me to find out how I am, you know? And I'm guessing they're doing the same to you too, aren't they?".
The silence on Batman's part was all the confirmation he needed.
"Yeah, I thought so", the young man continued, "I'm always the one who calls them to touch base. Hell, Bats, these are my former team-mates, people that I fought side-by-side with. That kind of bond never breaks a hundred percent. So of course I'll always be concerned for their welfare. I'm just surprised that they're not concerned enough about mine to meet me halfway". It's not the sort of thing that you forget in a hurry, I'll always be worrying about them somewhere. Would be nice if they met me half way".
"I'm sorry they disappointed you", was the only statement Batman uttered in response.
"Hey, don't sweat it. Just water under the bridge now", Nightwing lied as he gave a smile that was fake this time, "So like I said, I do get why you wanted to talk to Harley in Arkham. In fact, it was pretty cute when you used to go to Arkham to speak to her via phone and through plexiglass for two, three hours at a time, and then moved from there to lunch in the Arkham cafeteria after hours and walks together in the grounds outside. But it's when you started screwing her after her second parole that I had a problem with it, Bats. You had no right to put yourself at risk by revealing your identity to the Joker's girlfriend. What's worse, you also jeopardized my safety, and Alfred's, and Barbara and Tim's too".
"How…?", the caped crusader uttered, finding himself to be at a loss for words for the first instant in a long time.
"What?", Nightwing grinned at his former instructor through the reflection in the windshield, "How did I know you were doing her? I was young and naïve, Bats. I wasn't stupid".
"Never thought you were, youngster", Batman flatly told him.
"Oh, thanks, boss", the navigator's smile widened as he paid attention to the view in front of him, "Now make sure you're buckled up. We'll be in the Batcave in under a minute".
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