AN: I fooled myself when I believed this story could be a T-rated one. Gonna return to the good old M for violence. So, there's gonna be some violence in this chapter – but you're used to that if you've read the 1st part.
This chapter is also really long and it's all about the fallout from the leak. And we get some outsider POV with Jim Gordon. I love Outsider POV.
2. Fallout
Jim Gordon didn't take a breather after the situation he had just survived. He told a young cop to go outside and tell the units that the situation was resolved. The cop nodded and left. Jim was about to manage the detention of the goons when the argument broke out.
Batman and Red Hood were talking to each other in hushed voices at first. Standing across from each other in combative stances, neither of them willing to budge. Their arguments grew louder until it devolved into downright screaming.
Jim froze. Caught aback by this sign of emotion from Batman. It was unusual for the vigilante to still be at the scene. In his earlier years, he would already be gone or at most exchange a handful of words with Jim before leaving. Batman had changed since he had met Nightwing and Red Hood.
The other cops forgot about the criminals, watching the scene in front of them like it was the Superbowl. Even the criminals were staring at this point. Gotham's main vigilante had never publicly shown cracks before. He had always been an efficient force, barely more than an urban legend. The Red Hood-situation must be getting to him.
Nightwing stood at the side of the argument. He bit his lip as if he considered stepping in. He tilted his head, signing something that Jim didn't understand towards Red Hood and Batman. They didn't even see it, as they continued their shouting match. Nightwing rolled his eyes and turned towards the computer.
He stepped over the leader's corpse on his way towards it barely paying any attention to it. Nightwing's fingers moved over the keypad. He looked down at it while typing, deliberately choosing each key.
Nightwing clicked through the contents of the flash drive. His hand tensed around the mouse, making the plastic crack under the force. It must be bad.
Nightwing raised himself up again. He looked at Batman and Red Hood. Nightwing's fingers pushed into his palms, his hands shaking. Jim was worried that they would draw blood again. The Commissioner tried to approach Nightwing, but the vigilante walked towards the back exit before Jim could reach him. The door shut behind him.
Jim stood in the middle of the room contemplating what to do. Red Hood and Batman were occupied and Jim felt no particular desire to separate them. He wouldn't be able to get his subordinates to do anything as long as the vigilantes fought so Jim decided to sight the evidence himself.
He used the broken mouse to navigate the flash drive. All the files were still there. Nightwing hadn't changed anything about them. Jim cursed under his breath when he saw how elaborate these files were. Dozens of videos and photos named with different locations.
Metropolis, Taipei, Gotham, Cape Town, London, Moscow… To how many assassinations had the damn Court sent Nightwing?
Jim sighted the videos, shocked by the violence at first but increasingly growing numb to it. It all followed the same pattern. Nightwing – looking various stages of too young – entering some building, the victims looking terrified and him ending them in varying stages of painful. Jim assumed that the Court had ordered him how painful to make it. He always kept his mask on, always stayed detached. Jim wondered how much torture had been necessary to make him numb like this. He didn't want to know.
One video was different though. Taipei. Jim knew it the moment he saw the room. This was an international conference. The international conference that had been subject to a massacre conducted by Sportsmaster and Cheshire years ago. It had dominated the news cycle for weeks and all intelligence agencies of the world had hunted for Sportsmaster and Cheshire – without any success. Jim's stomach turned. Nightwing had been involved in this?
Jim started the video. It showed the meeting room for an international conference with hundreds of representatives. Two entrances. Both were kicked open by Sportsmaster and a Talon who Gordon assumed to be Cobb.
Jim had been there when Nightwing's old handler had terrorized him. Had seen the effects first-hand. Jim had also seen Cobb's decapitated body. Red Hood's work. Jim couldn't fault Red Hood for that kill. If someone had terrorized Barbara in this way… Jim could barely hold himself back in presence of the Joker.
Everything happened quickly. Smoke bombs filled the room. Cobb and Sportsmaster used heavy desks to barricade the room while Nightwing and an assassin in a cat mask – Cheshire - went to work. Their lithe figures moved through the room. Both quicky and deadly. And both far too young to be involved in violence like this.
A security guard shot at them. Even hitting Nightwing in the chest. Nightwing didn't seem to register the black blood spreading on his chest. He cartwheeled towards the security guard. His leg shot out as he killed the guard with a precise kick to the throat. Nightwing took the gun and executed four people where they stood in frozen terror. Then, he went back to his preferred weapons: Claws and knives.
It was a slaughterhouse. The people stood no chance against the four assassins. In less than five minutes, hundreds of people were dead, their bodies strewn over the floor. The assassins picked off the last few victims.
One woman in formalwear was at the window trying to open it with trembling hands. A knife with a golden handle stuck in her shoulder. She must have dragged herself over a pile of bodies to get there.
Nightwing approached her. He threw a knife at the woman's hand before she could open the window. Jim could see her scream as the knife pierced her flesh. Her eyes widened in fear as Nightwing approached. She raised her hands in defense the knife still stuck in one of them, saying something to Nightwing. Nightwing didn't react. The woman continued speaking. Nightwing tilted his head. Jim – despite knowing how this situation would end – urged the woman to keep on speaking. She was getting his attention at least.
It wasn't enough though. Nightwing approached her and shoved his claws into her stomach, twisting to make it go over quicker. The woman struggled desperately and ripped off Nightwing's mask in her final moments revealing his zombified face. Eventually, she stopped moving and dropped to the floor.
Nightwing leaned over her for a few moments while the other assassins finished off the room. His hand hovered over her and Jim frowned when he closed her eyelids.
Cobb walked along the slew of bodies, looking down at them and making sure they were dead. Jim was struck by his cruelty even in comparison to another assassin. Shamefully, he had to admit that he was glad this cruel man was dead.
Cobb screamed something at Nightwing. Nightwing raised himself up and walked towards Cobb. Jim was struck by how young he looked. Not older than 15 and face completely blank. Both Talons were covered in blood and Jim felt sick when focusing too much on it. Nightwing folded his arms behind his back and held his gaze towards the floor.
Cobb seemed unsatisfied. He gesticulated wildly and even struck Nightwing across the face. The force of the strike made Nightwing crash to the floor. The younger Talon immediately stood up and Cobb gripped him by the back of his neck leading him firmly towards the window that the woman had tried to flee out of. Jim recognized the grip as the exhibition of control that it was.
Nightwing jumped out of the window. Cobb, Sportsmaster and eventually Cheshire followed. The assassin in the cat mask looked over the pile of bodies and swiftly turned away and left this pit of hell behind.
Jim felt sick when he closed the video. He felt dirty watching this. This should never have reached the public. It was disrespectful to the victims of this attack but to Nightwing as well.
All these videos only showed half of the story. They showed Nightwing as the predator the Court had made him. Jim expected the public to turn against Nightwing after seeing him slash through dozens of innocent victims. He could understand people fearing Nightwing with only this half of the story.
What these videos didn't show was the other half of the story. That Nightwing had been abducted as a child after his parents had died. That this child had been killed, his memories wiped and his body modified against his will. That he had to go through horrific training where any mistake meant pain. That he had a constant threat of being frozen hanging over his head. The mind games Cobb had played with him. That Taipei-video was the only one which showed Cobb's abusive behavior and it was only a tiny fraction of what Cobb and the Court had done to Nightwing.
This leak wasn't fair to anyone and Jim felt a deep-seated anger towards the despicable people behind this. They had to be people who had it out for Nightwing. Cowards who only leaked the part of the story that suited them.
Jim heard sounds of gagging beside him as a rookie emptied his lunch into the bin. A few cops had grouped around him. Jim had been too transfixed to notice them.
"Who knew that Nightwing had a pile of bodies in his closet", one of the most experienced cops that Jim knew said.
Even he sounded like he needed to keep down bile.
The rookie who had vomited shook his head: "I don't understand this. Nightwing is supposed to be a hero. He saved my sister from a Bane-attack just a few months ago. Why didn't he do anything to stop this? Why did he participate?"
"He looked pretty young in there", one Detective threw in, "We don't know what happened behind the scenes."
The experienced cop scoffed: "I don't care what happened behind the scenes. Nothing can justify these atrocities."
Jim sighed. He had expected these reactions and was already getting a headache. The Commissioner needed to take charge of this situation.
Batman and Red Hood were still fighting. Time to break this up.
Jim approached them. He cleared his throat. No reaction.
"HEY", Jim screamed, getting sick of this.
Batman and Red Hood's heads swerved around, looking at the Commissioner. There was a twitch at Batman's chin that would be as much confusion as Batman could show. Jim suspected that the vigilantes had forgotten there were other people in the room.
"As entertaining as my employees seem to find this, you should really solve this elsewhere", Jim said, "And – a modest advice – you have bigger things to worry about."
"You're gonna arrest me, Commish?", Red Hood said.
"Not for this one", Jim said, "This one was in protection of others."
"See", Red Hood sounded triumphant, "Even the law is on my side, Bats."
"In this instance", Jim stressed.
For now, he would let the dozens of other crimes he could arrest Red Hood for drop. Especially after the vigilante had saved Jim's life.
"We have to be better than the law", Batman replied.
Red Hood scoffed about Batman's moral righteousness. Jim could see this devolving again. So, he turned to his subordinates and finally ordered them to bring away the detainees.
"Quit gawking and do your job", Jim shouted.
Some of the cops at least had the sense to look guilty and scrambled towards their work.
"This is not the right place to discuss this", Batman looked around.
"I agree with you at least on that one, old man", Hood muttered.
"And not the right time", Batman said, "The leak has precedence."
"Fuck", Hood looked around the room, "Where is N?"
"He left a while ago", Jim said, "I viewed the drive and it's bad."
Batman and Red Hood exchanged a gaze. There was another twitch on Batman's chin. As much concern as he would show.
"Nightwing dispatched of three Talons. They should be restrained on nearby roofs. Bring them to Ms. Gordon's rehabilitation center", Batman said while he followed Red Hood to the back door.
Jim took a deep breath once the vigilantes had vanished. Hushed discussions took place behind him. More cops had grouped around the computer now that the vigilante fight was over and went through the files. They looked various levels of shocked, some of them averting their eyes from the violence.
Jim contemplated stopping them, but it would be futile. They would see it anyway in the press and Nightwing's name would inevitably be dragged through the mud. Jim sighed. This would be a long day.
The Commissioner decided to just let the cops be for now and stepped outside. Jim needed to talk to the cops who had reacted to the hostage situation. He was met by a crowd of screaming journalists and bystanders instead. Jim froze for a moment, amazed by the speed of the internet age. Maybe he was just old, but it gave him whiplash sometimes.
The screaming of the journalists rose when they noticed Jim.
"Was Nightwing detained?"
"How will the League react?"
"Did you know about this material, Commissioner?"
"Is the Court really gone?"
"Will he get a life sentence?"
"Will he be face international justice?"
"Will he get the electric chair?"
Wow. This had escalated quickly. Jim wouldn't be able to answer half of these questions even if he wanted to. He shuddered at the idea of Nightwing being put down like a rabid dog. It would be unfair after everything he had done to redeem himself.
These videos should have never seen the light of day. The Court and Cobb – the true perpetrators of these crimes – were already taken care of. Still, the public would scream for a casualty. They would demand justice and Nightwing was the easiest and most obvious choice. Jim hoped that the League would protect Nightwing on this. Explain the context of these videos and illustrate that things were less black and white than they seemed.
Jim took a deep breath to prepare himself. He couldn't let all of this stand without any support. Not after Nightwing had allowed this material to leak in the first place to save Jim's precinct.
The Commissioner stepped in front of the press. Immediately, dozens of microphones and cameras were pushed into his face. More questions were screamed at him. Jim ignored the questions.
"The Nightwing I know is a hero who helped protect my precinct today", Jim said, "Everything else is outside of my jurisdiction."
Jim turned around without another comment and went back into the police station. He ignored the crescendo of screams that followed him, eager to get back inside the safety of the walls. Time to wrap this disaster up.
The inside of the Batmobile was silent on their way back to the cave. Red Hood was too pissed off to speak and Bruce too pensive. He took off his cowl, sighing deeply. Today had gone horribly. What a disaster. Bruce would spend days mulling over the long list of mistakes he had made and had let happen today.
First, Red Hood had killed a man in front of Batman's eyes. No elaborations needed. Second, Batman had been distracted by his conflict with Red Hood. Third, Batman had allowed Nightwing to stall for as long as he had because he had assumed that Nightwing would be fine and nothing could outright kill him. The criminal had proven him wrong by pulling that freeze gun. Nightwing very well could have died today because of Batman's complacency.
Even without the that gun, Nightwing's healing factor should never be a crutch and Bruce had forgotten that. He didn't want to send the message to his partner that Nightwing's pain didn't matter as long as he healed and finished the mission. Bruce had done a shitty job of that today. He should have intervened before the criminals had leaked Nightwing's past. Now, the deed was done and Bruce could only hope that Nightwing was waiting for them at the Cave.
"I can't believe you forgot about him after his whole past was leaked to the public", Red Hood's arms were crossed and he still wore that damn helmet with the voice modulator that Bruce despised.
Bruce swallowed down the need to point out that Hood had forgotten it as well. He could hear the self-hate in Hood's voice. Hood knew.
"We'll find him."
Bruce called Alfred: "Penny-One?"
"Master Batman."
"Is Nightwing in the Cave?"
"Sadly not, Sir", Alfred said, "I would have hoped the boy was with you after the news."
"I screwed up", Bruce's voice felt heavy at admitting his mistake, "I don't know where he is."
"Maybe he is with the young Flash."
"Thanks, Alfred", Bruce sighed and called Wally next.
Maybe Nightwing had zetaed to Central City. West took the call immediately. He spoke so quickly that Bruce didn't understand him.
Red Hood took off his helmet, becoming Jason again: "Slow down, Flash-Boy. Is N with you?"
"He isn't with you?", West sounded concerned, "I'm blowing up his phone, but he isn't answering."
Bruce grunted in acknowledgment. He wasn't willing to admit his failure in front of the speedster. Today had been humiliating enough.
Wally was a good boyfriend for Nightwing. Caring and considerate. Bruce approved. Still, he preferred to keep the young Flash on his toes so he wouldn't get complacent. His son deserved the best and complacency would never be that.
"We'll get back to you", Bruce ended the call.
"Damn, that was cold, B", Jason shook his head, "Sometimes, I wonder if you even like him."
It was jarring to go from interacting with Red Hood to interacting with Jason. But they had played this game for a long time and they weren't vigilantes at the moment but worried family members.
Bruce shrugged ambiguously. He wasn't eager to talk about West now. Not when he had to find his son. Bruce's League communicator beeped.
Jason asked: "So, he isn't with us, at home nor with West. Where could he be?"
Bruce's communicator beeped again. More insistent.
Bruce looked down at it. The League was calling an emergency meeting.
"Damn it", Bruce muttered.
"What?", Jason asked.
"League Emergency Meeting."
"Fuck the League", Jason glared at him, "We need to find Nightwing."
Bruce would love to share Jason's sentiment, but this meeting would probably decide Nightwing's future in the League. He couldn't blow it off.
"I have to go."
Jason scoffed: "Typical. Always the mission first. Do you even care or do you just like having a human pincushion as a sidekick?"
That one stung and Bruce knew that Jason had aimed for it to sting. Bruce's suddenly felt very old.
"I go because I care. The League is going to discuss Nightwing's future and someone in that meeting needs to be on his side."
Jason froze, clasping his lips together.
Bruce drove into the Cave, stopping the vehicle. He exited the car with weary bones. The boys hadn't made it easy for him lately. Bruce prepared himself for the League meeting, drinking some water to stay hydrated before he would deal with that PR cesspit.
Jason approached him, helmet under his arm: "You'll defend him?"
Bruce nodded. His head already going through the best plan to protect Nightwing from bad decisions made under the pressure of crisis.
"I think I know where he is when he isn't with the speedster or us", Jason said.
Bruce grunted, closing off the water bottle. He had his suspicions as well.
"We'll leave him some space", Bruce put his cowl back on and walked towards the Zeta tube.
"Bruce", Jason's voice was quieter.
Bruce halted.
"I'm sorry. I know you care."
"Thank you, Jason."
Bruce stepped through the portal, ready to face this crisis and make up for some of the mistakes he had committed today.
Artemis almost dropped the soda can she was holding when she saw the breaking news on TV. There was a whole exposé on Nightwing laying out all his crimes in every location the files had provided. Experts reviewing his body count. People reacting to this situation, some of them with confusion, most of them with metaphorical pitchforks. This was a mess. A living nightmare for anyone who was at the end of it.
Some of the quotes made Artemis fume. They didn't know Nightwing. They didn't know the Court or anything about being a hero. How dare they be so judge-y?
"Your friend is in deep trouble", Paula Crock sat next to Artemis on the couch.
Artemis didn't know what to say. She simply shook her head in disbelief.
"I'm glad this never happened to you", Paula said, "It would have been my fault for not protecting you enough."
Artemis frowned. She hadn't considered this before. But there was dirt you could dig up from Artemis' own life. Would people react like this to her as well? If a video of her killing that little girl came out?
Artemis accepted responsibility for this mistake. It was the worst thing she had ever done in her life. But she had overcome the deep-seated shame that had plagued her for so long. She would change it if she could. But she couldn't. And she knew that she had been a child herself. Misguided and pressured to do something despicable. Would the public also see it that way if they knew? Artemis couldn't say. She had a suspicion though the way Nightwing was being ripped apart.
"It's not your fault, Mom", Artemis looked at her, "You always did the best you could for Jade and I. And you stopped for our sake. Dad was the problem."
"That's sweet, Artemis", Paula smiled, "I'll never not feel responsible though. This is my cross to bear."
Artemis nodded. She'd love to absolve her mom of all guilt. But some things you just had to make out with yourself. Everyone carried their own baggage around.
Paula frowned: "I think you have a visitor."
Artemis listened, too. There was the slight sound of something patting against glass. Artemis hadn't heard it until now.
Paula smiled to herself: "I'm used to that sound. Your Dad used to sneak onto my windowsill, too. Back when he was still bad but at least loyal."
Artemis stood up. She put a reassuring hand on her mom's shoulder.
Paula smiled up at her: "I'll always be proud of you no matter what you do. I'm still proud of Jade after everything."
Artemis looked at the TV where an excerpt of Jade slashing through dozens of people was shown. There was a warning at the bottom: 'Graphic material. Viewer discretion advised.'
Jade was so young in that footage. Artemis wondered if she had been scared that day of what their Dad would do if she refused. They had both been young and misguided then. Teenagers who had been led on the wrong path. Artemis had found her way back through being a hero and Jade – while she would never be a full-on hero – had found hers through being a mother.
A weight in Artemis' chest lessened: "I'm proud of you, too."
She walked into her room, opening the door. Nightwing was perching on the windowsill, using a knife to lightly tap against her window.
He looked stressed, his hand clenched around the knife. Artemis frowned when she recognized that he was wearing a Talon-uniform. According to the news reports, he had put the uniform on to trick the ringleader in that hostage situation.
Artemis opened the window. Nightwing went inside. He stood in the middle of her room for a while, arms wrapped around himself in an expression of vulnerability.
"Shitty day, huh?", Artemis said.
Nightwing nodded. The Talon uniform was covered in black blood. He looked down at himself, suddenly self-conscious about the blood.
"You need to get out of that uniform and take a shower", Artemis took charge, "I still have some clothes from an ex-boyfriend you can have."
Nightwing tilted his head at the mention.
Artemis scoffed: "Nothing remarkable. We broke up after three weeks. He had a nice hoodie though so I may have forgotten to give it back to him. The pettiest crime I've ever committed."
Nightwing didn't visibly react and just stared blankly. Artemis shoved him towards the bathroom while she went in search of the hoodie. She took a deep breath, using the search as a small break. This situation felt big. Artemis didn't know the ramifications yet, but she could feel them.
After a few minutes (former assassin didn't indulge in long showers), Nightwing sat on Artemis' bed, his hair still damp. He looked moderately more comfortable even if he still seemed absent. He stared at the wall.
Artemis sat down next to him. She cleared her throat, unsure of how to breach the subject.
Nightwing simply signed: 'Thank you.'
His hands were shaky.
Artemis had picked up enough sign language in the last year to be able to understand him – even if she hadn't practiced replicating the signs. It came with the territory of spending a lot of time with Nightwing. Be it aggressive sparring lessons in the Mountain to let off steam, missions or quiet nights of sitting in front of the TV when Artemis couldn't sleep and Nightwing was up anyway. No one understood Artemis like Nightwing and she was pretty sure he would say the same about her.
"Any time", Artemis said.
'How bad are things they say about me?'
Artemis wasn't one to sugarcoat things.
"For the most part pretty terrible. There are some who think you are a horrible person, and the hero-thing is an act. Others think that you may be a hero now but will lose it at some point. And a few defend you."
Artemis didn't mention how few it was. She didn't need to twist that knife.
Nightwing sighed, pulling his knees to his chest.
"I'm sorry", Artemis added.
'Not your fault', Nightwing signed.
"The positive side is, Jim Gordon is one of the people defending you. You can't go wrong with having him on your side."
Nightwing's hands were slow – hesitant – when he signed: 'You think the League throw me out?'
"Never", Artemis said, "All these people saying these horrible things about you don't know you. The League does. They know that you are a hero."
'But I'm a burden to them now. To Batman, too', Nightwing pulled his legs closer to his chest.
He stared at Artemis with wide eyes, looking panicked.
"I promise you, you aren't."
Nightwing tilted his head in question: 'You sure?'
"Completely. Tell me what you did over the last year."
Nightwing frowned: 'Work with team and be Batman-partner.'
"See? One year of being a hero for them. That's worth something. You deserve to be here. It may be hard to wrap your head around, but you do."
'I still kill more people than I save.'
Artemis' stomach churned: "Are you still doing that noting-down thing?"
Nightwing had started a list. One column with people killed and another with people saved. After each mission where the Team had saved people, Nightwing added some lines to the 'saved' column. It was obsessive and Artemis, Canary, Wally and everyone else in Nightwing's environment had told him to stop.
Nightwing didn't answer Artemis' question directly. Only crossing his arms. The reaction was answer enough.
"You still deserve to be here", Artemis reiterated, "You deserve to be here as much as I do."
Everything the League had done for her. They had taken her in. They hadn't judged her. Canary and Arrow had shown her how to be a hero. They were family. And they had done the same for Nightwing. Their past didn't matter for the League. The Team accepting her after Artemis had told them everything had reassured her. Artemis was welcome here – and Nightwing was too even if he doubted it frequently.
Nightwing's gaze became less distant, more pensive. As if he was trying to wrap his head around what Artemis had told him.
Artemis let him think. She had done everything she could to reassure him but sometimes you just needed some time.
Artemis looked at her phone, frowning when she saw dozens of messages. Wally.
"Do you know where N is? I'm looking for him."
"Bruce and Jason, too."
"I'm worried, Arty."
The messages grew more desperate as they went along and didn't stop. Wally's fingers had to be flying over the screen. Artemis typed as quickly as she could.
'He's with me. He's okay - considering the conditions.'
Instantaneously: 'Can I come?'
Artemis looked at Nightwing: "Can Wally come?"
Nightwing nodded, signing: 'As long as it not Jason or Bruce.'
Artemis wasn't surprised by that statement: "They fought again?"
Nightwing nodded, looking dejected: 'Cannot take it anymore. Especially not today. Exhausting.'
Artemis sent a message to Wally.
"I hope they'll resolve it soon", Artemis doubted it.
Nightwing had asked her to a lot of sparring sessions in the last few months. This fight was weighing on him.
'It just not stop.'
Artemis didn't know what to reply. She couldn't lie to him and tell him that it would get better soon. Bruce and Jason were both insanely stubborn.
She still sent a message to Jason though because she knew that the teenager would be worried: 'N is with me. Wally is coming, too. We'll take care of him.'
The implicit message was clear. Jason wasn't supposed to come for now.
There was a blur in Artemis' room as Wally stopped in front of them. Artemis was about to make a remark how Wally would destroy her carpet with burn marks when she saw the relieved gaze on Nightwing's face.
"You worried me so much, Babe", Wally said.
Nightwing raised his hands to sign something.
"Don't you dare apologize."
Nightwing stood up and hugged Wally. They remained like this for a while.
"You OK?", Wally asked.
'Artemis make me feel better', Nightwing signed.
Artemis smiled at him.
"Good", Wally still had a protective arm around Nightwing's waist holding him close.
It was sweet. Wally had never been this mature with her. But Artemis couldn't blame him. They had both been hormonal teenagers in over their heads when they had dated. Wally had changed at lot in the last few years.
'I not want see what they say about me', Nightwing signed, 'It not matter. Only what Batman, Jason, Team and League say. People who know whole story.'
"That's the healthy approach", Artemis sat down on the floor cross-legged, "You wanna wait it out without looking at any screens?"
Wally and Nightwing sat down on the floor as well, Nightwing putting his head on Wally's shoulder. Wally's arm remained around Nightwing's waist.
"We'll know what the League says pretty quickly", Wally said, "Uncle Barry ran off to an emergency meeting."
Nightwing tensed.
"It'll be fine, Babe."
Nightwing didn't look convinced.
"Where did you get that sweater by the way? It's so soft", it was a transparent attempt to distract Nightwing from the current ongoings.
"It's my ex-boyfriend's", Artemis said.
"Before or after me?"
"Why not during?"
Wally's mouth fell open.
"Just joking", Artemis raised her hands, "It was after you."
Nightwing chuckled. The first time he showed any indication of joy since entering her room.
Wally elbowed him in the side: "That wasn't funny at all."
'Very funny', Nightwing signed back.
Artemis was glad he was warming up again.
"Wait", Wally said, "So, my boyfriend is wearing the sweater of my ex-girlfriend's ex-boyfriend."
They laughed, Artemis and Wally more loudly than Nightwing. This whole situation was too terrible to comprehend. So, they had to joke their way through it. But no matter how much they ridiculed it, the inevitability of the League's verdict hung over their heads.
Batman was the last to enter the Watchtower meeting room. His cape swished behind him as he sat down on his chair between Clark and Diana. Even Flash was already waiting anxiously, his foot tapping onto the floor.
Batman was as rational as ever. There was no space for Bruce – the worried Dad - now. It wouldn't help Nightwing. Bruce had to trust the message he had received from Jason that Nightwing was with Artemis and West. They would take care of him. Bruce wasn't needed now, Batman was. Batman would solve this crisis.
"We have a PR problem", Oliver said.
"Ignore it", Batman said, "Let it wash over. There is nothing to discuss. We accepted Nightwing with the knowledge of his past and since then, we've had no complaints. Nothing for us has changed."
"For us maybe", Hal said, "For the public definitely not. They'll run in our doors if we don't react somehow."
Diana sighed, her hands folded in a tense gesture: "I doubt it will be easy to just wait out. My embassy was contacted by the US President. He wants this situation resolved."
"What does he mean by 'resolved'?", Dinah sounded suspicious.
"He wants a guarantee that Nightwing is contained."
"Nightwing is under my supervision", Batman said.
"It's not enough", Diana said, "Taipei was an international conference filled with international diplomats and representatives. There are states demanding Nightwing's extradition. They want to have him stand trial. Some even want him tried before an international court for crimes against humanity."
"That's insane", Dinah said, "You should try the damn Court for crimes against humanity for what it did to all those Talons."
Diana sighed: "I understand, Canary. I don't agree with these demands. I am just relaying them. In fact, I have been in talks with the President. He promised me to not allow Nightwing's extradition if we come up with a convincing concept that ensures his containment."
"He wants us to imprison Nightwing?", Barry asked, "What purpose does this serve? Nightwing isn't hurting anyone even without containment."
"It's fucking PR", Dinah said, "It's useless."
"If we don't come up with something convincing, the President told me that he will come up with something", Diana said, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news."
"No one is holding it against you, Diana", Aquaman said, "You tried your best and averted the worst that could have happened to Nightwing."
"By Hera, if the President had demanded extradition, I would have given Nightwing refuge on Themyscira."
Batman nodded at Diana in respect. He knew that she had tried her best to shield Nightwing from the worst. It was reassuring to know that they would have Diana's support no matter how bad it got.
"I appreciate it, Diana", Batman said.
She nodded back.
Batman had to reconsider his tactic. His initial goal had been to brush off any new criticisms towards Nightwing. Invoke Nightwing's impeccable conduct in the last year and his mental duress when committing those crimes. The involvement of the President – not the one they had blackmailed but a newly elected one eager to show his power – complicated things. There was no way that Batman could leave without a containment plan for Nightwing.
"OK. So, we need a security concept for Nightwing", Hal said, "Any recommendations?"
No one wanted to say anything.
"Well, we need to come up with something", Oliver said, "The President's own security concept can only be worse."
"Waller probably. There is talk that she is building a new Suicide Squad", Dinah said.
"Nightwing is not going through that again", Barry said.
"We need to make sure he stays safely in the League. If he gets lost in the fold, we have a surefire recipe for a future supervillain", Arthur said.
"Future supervillain?", Dinah raised her voice, "What are you implying, Arthur?"
"Don't act like you never considered it", Arthur said.
"Considered what?", Dinah narrowed her eyes.
Captain Marvel flinched at Dinah's aggressive stance.
Arthur stood his ground though: "We all saw those videos. We all know what Nightwing can do. That was before Batman and the League trained him."
"We have to be realistic about this", Shayera came to Arthur's aid, "If the League loses Nightwing and he snaps, there isn't any containment that can hold him. Especially not for the centuries he could potentially live. He gets stronger with every year."
"So what?", Clark spoke up for the first time, "We help him because we want to control him? What happened to helping just for the sake of helping?"
"We are helping him because he deserves it", Hal said, "But after seeing those videos-"
"We always knew that Nightwing has killed people in the past. Under conditions that no human being can survive with their sanity intact. Anyone in this room would have broken, especially as a teenager, dammit, a child even", Clark grew more agitated.
This situation was getting to him.
Shayera added: "You just said it yourself, Clark: No one can survive what Nightwing has survived with their sanity intact. Nightwing is vulnerable. Without support, he could easily snap. We have to consider this when making a decision."
Clark's hand clenched around the table: "I interacted with him last year after the Court abducted and brainwashed him again. I visited him in his cell when Batman was indisposed. At no point, did Nightwing show any indication towards hurting others unprovoked. On the contrary, he beat himself up over what had happened and turned all the guilt inwards."
"Nightwing is more likely to hurt himself than others", Dinah agreed, "He's not some ticking time bomb we have to contain."
"He's a good kid", Clark said, "And treating him like a threat is an injustice that I won't stand for."
Clark crossed his arms, leaning back after he had said his piece. There was silence for a while. Batman was proud how fiercely protective Clark and Dinah were over Nightwing.
Hal took a deep breath: "Then, formulate it like this: Imagine you are the President, and you see these documents. Wouldn't you be worried about this kid, too? Put yourself in the shoes of people who don't know Nightwing: Isn't it understandable that they are scared?"
There were some agreeable hums.
"You aren't making bad arguments, Jordan", John said, "I'll trust what Batman has to say on this. I made mistakes during the Nightwing-situation last year. Mistakes I don't want to repeat. Batman is Nightwing's supervisor and knows him best."
Batman looked at John in surprise. He hadn't expected the Lantern to react this way. Gazes lingered on Bruce waiting for him to come to a verdict.
"Jordan is right. I would be worried if I saw these videos and didn't know Nightwing", Batman said.
"He's your son, Bruce", Clark leveled the disappointed-Superman stare at him, "Connor and Jon are Kryptonians. They are powerful enough to destroy the world if they wanted to. But I know they are good people. I don't need to worry about them."
"Connor and Jon weren't raised as killers", Batman said, "I'm speaking in my role as a Justice League member - not as a father. I leave this part of me at the door the moment I enter."
"Geez", Barry muttered, "Tough love."
Batman ignored him: "I knew Nightwing was dangerous the moment I met him. He sneaked up on me and managed to put a knife to my throat. He could have killed me that day. But he didn't."
"Do I smell some hurt pride, Bats?", Jordan teased.
Batman ignored him as he had Barry: "I monitored him and Red Hood after our initial meeting. And I'm relieved he is on our side. Nightwing has the potential to do great evil. A potential he would never choose of his volition because he chooses to do good every day. We must make sure he stays with the League, so he gets the chance to continue doing good and heal. Without League protection – my protection - he is vulnerable. Talons are valuable nowadays."
The League tensed at the mention of the Talon-trade that had sprung up. Talons kept popping up as bought henchmen to all kinds of villains. And the League hadn't followed the trade to the source yet.
"So, what do you propose, Bruce?", Diana asked.
Batman took a deep breath. Nightwing wouldn't like this. Nightwing didn't deserve this. These measures were for PR-only. Not for anything that Nightwing had done recently or of his own volition. It was unfair but Batman had never been an idealist. He worked with what the world gave him. The only ideal he would never budge on was his codex of not-killing. And now he had to come up with something that was harsh enough to placate the President.
"Nightwing gets an inhibitor collar 24/7. He gets a tracker, so the League sees where he is. A tracker that will cease working in a radius around my home."
Privacy had to come first. Batman wouldn't reveal his secret identity to the government.
"He is under constant supervision of either a Leaguer or his team leaders – Aqualad and Miss Martian. He isn't allowed to go anywhere on his own. He isn't allowed to contact anyone outside the League or Team. Leaguers and his team leaders are the only ones with control over his collar. We send the President weekly reports on Nightwing's conduct and if there are any complaints.
To the public, we present it as basically a prison sentence. We are keeping Nightwing on a short leash and allow him to be useful for us on missions. Any questions?"
"I don't like this", Clark and Dinah said at the same time.
Batman had expected them to. He respected their attachment to Nightwing, but they had no choice but to play the game in this situation. Anything else would be worse for all parties involved.
"Can I say something as his therapist?", Dinah's voice was sharp.
She wouldn't tolerate anyone cutting her off anyways. So, no one even dared to interject.
"This is terrible. This will undo so much of the progress we have made together. Nightwing will question if he even deserves to be a hero. He will feel trapped and alienated from the rest of his team – his friends. And he will pressure himself to be perfect, to not make any mistakes at all. He will be in a constant state of anxiety and anxiety leads to mistakes. A self-perpetuating cycle", Dinah glared at Bruce, "And finding out that the man he views as his father-figure came up with this-"
"We won't tell him or the Team what happened in this meeting", Batman said, "We'll tell them the President demanded this. There is no need to burden them with our decision-making process."
Bruce wouldn't make another mistake. He wouldn't make Nightwing doubt his importance to Bruce because it had been Bruce who had proposed these measures. They were for tactical reasons only but Nightwing wouldn't see it that way even if Bruce told him that. Nightwing would always doubt. How could Nightwing trust Bruce when his Dad had basically recommended to slap a collar around his neck? It was better if Nightwing didn't know. He wasn't stable enough right now to doubt such a major figure in his support system.
Dinah's face fell. Her anger gave way for disappointment, which was far worse.
"You are worried about creating yourselves a future-supervillain? That's a great way to do it. You are lucky though. Nightwing is far more likely to lash out against himself than others if he finds out about this. So, you don't need to worry", Dinah let out a joyless laugh.
She stood up and stomped towards the door.
"It's necessary, Canary", Batman said.
Dinah ignored him and slammed the door behind herself.
Batman knew that it was necessary. It still felt terrible going through with it. But what else was Bruce supposed to do? He would not lose his son to whatever the President came up with, some trial overseas or taken by some traffickers from the street. This was the best option out of terrible ones. By setting the terms, Bruce had ensured Nightwing would stay with the League and him. He was where Bruce could protect him.
AN: Welcome to the #NightwingIsOverParty. That definitely trended in the DC Universe that day.
I also love League politics and shall shove them in as many stories as I can. It's so cute that Nightwing's first instinct was to run to Artemis after that leak. The besties are back.