AN: My chapter lengths just keep escalating now that I'm free from university! Things are ramping up though and we are *crawling* towards the end. I can't stress enough how much happens in this monster of a chapter.
Warnings for: self-harm (Nightwing is not doing well)
BlueBird183: Yes! Endlich ist die Mission vorbei und alle werden erfahren, was Nightwings wahre Motive sind. Kleines Geschenk: Wir kriegen einen Einblick in Luthors Reaktion dieses Kapitel! ;) Jason macht auch ein paar bedeutende Schritte nach vorne!
Danke für deinen Kommentar. :D
26. Blame
Lex Luthor leaned back in his office chair in Metropolis. He allowed himself a rare moment of peace that his busy lifestyle usually didn't allow for. The city had been quiet now that Superman was recovering from his injuries. Luthor enjoyed the certainty that no alien would burst through his office window to have a chat with him.
His sources had told Luthor that Superman would make it. Too bad. It wasn't surprising though. A Talon taking out the greatest hero on earth would have been more than a bit anticlimactic.
A knock on his door.
"Enter", Luthor said.
Mercy hurried inside, a tablet in her hand.
"Sir, we have a problem", she held the tablet out to Luthor, "The subjects of Project Titan escaped together with the Talons."
"What?", Luthor ripped the tablet out of Mercy's hand.
He scrolled through the intel Mercy had put together for him. It included security footage.
"What is the Talon doing there? I ordered it to Coast City", Luthor said.
"I analyzed the footage. It seems like the Talon freed the subjects."
Lex shook his head: "That is impossible."
Mercy must have a rare programming mistake. Luthor would iron it out once he had dealt with this disaster.
He sighted the footage for himself and almost dropped the tablet when he recognized that Mercy's analysis had been correct. The Talon was working with the test subjects.
"Batman was sighted around the premises", Mercy said, "He flew the escapees away in his plane."
Luthor's hand tightened around the tablet: "It was Batman. Batman was behind all of this. He pulled the Talon's strings."
"I have reason to believe the mission was the Talon's. Talon admitted to it under the Conductor's influence. I analyzed their lip movements."
"Impossible", Luthor shook his head, "Batman was behind this. There is no way that a Talon came up with an operation of this caliber."
"The Talon is incapable of lying under the Conductor's influence."
"I don't care", Luthor threw the tablet to the floor.
It broke, the screen shattering into a thousand pieces.
"I was not outsmarted by a Talon", Luthor glared at Mercy.
"It looks like you were, Sir."
Luthor stood up. He slammed the heel of his dress shoe down onto the broken pieces of the tablet. Mercy watched him with blank eyes during his tantrum.
"Have you calmed down, Sir?"
"I did not program you to talk back to me", Luthor said.
"Accurate, Sir."
Luthor took a deep breath: "Hypothetically, if the Talon was the one to plan this operation, then it would have lied to me all these months. It would have needed to fake all its kills because Batman wouldn't work with a killer."
"Correct, Sir."
"There is no way a Talon did that. These creatures have no independent thought in their head."
"Maybe we need to reassess", Mercy said, "The Talon showed tactical thinking in its approach. It successfully blackmailed Mr. Hagen and it must have passed intel along to the Justice League. It also gave commands to the other subjects during the escape."
Luthor growled and ground the broken tablet under his heel again.
"So, what? A Talon came up with a successful plan to infiltrate the Light and enacted it? Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous."
Luthor frowned, thinking about all the interactions it had had with the Talon. There had been nothing remarkable about it except its physical prowess. The Talon had done nothing but follow Luthor.
But what if Luthor hadn't looked closely enough? He analyzed the interactions again – this time viewing the Talon as an undercover operative instead of a Talon.
Luthor balled his fists: "It pretended to be more loyal to me than to Deathstroke. It was part of its plan. It saw the rift between Deathstroke and me and used it."
Luthor despised ceding any ground to the Talon, but he was also the smartest man alive. He had to view the situation from an objective angle lest he would be deceived again.
The Talon, simple as it may be, had observed Luthor and it – Luthor gritted his teeth – had played its cards well. It had observed a weakness in Luthor and adapted to it.
Luthor noted the Talon's talent for adaptation. The League must have been in the dark. It was Batman's MO to do this operation in the shadows. If the League had been informed, they would have never gone after their own operative with such severity.
Especially Wonder Woman hadn't shown any mercy in her attempts to corner the Talon. She had forced the Talon to mutilate itself to keep its secret. What Luthor had interpreted as animal instinct out of devotion to its master, had turned out to be a calculated move. The little Talon had adapted with whatever means necessary to keep its undercover position secure.
Luthor had been wrong. This creature was dangerous in a way he hadn't predicted. How could he have known that a Talon had such aptitude for strategy? It went against the natural order. It wasn't fair. It made Luthor angry.
He took a deep breath. Luthor needed to approach this with the cold mind of a chess player.
The Talon needed to be punished for its betrayal. He had pushed the Talon as enforcer in front of the other members of the Light and in return the Talon had made a fool of Luthor. His reputation with the other members would be diminished now and it would be a pain to rebuild. Luthor needed to take the Talon off the board before it could do more damage.
And it had potential for so much damage if Luthor didn't act.
"The intel. It has the intel that the ARGUS-agent collected", Luthor froze in shock.
"That intel could lead to your arrest."
Luthor shook his head: "There is no way the public will believe it. I discredited that Talon long before it came to me."
"Not if the League releases the intel."
Luthor gritted his teeth: "This is just a minor inconvenience. Contact our little friend, Mercy. It's time she comes out of her vacation. We feed her some intel on the Talon's whereabouts, and she will take care of our problem for us. It may have made some big moves but in the end, it's nothing but a little pawn. It always has been. To the League as well, even if they would deny it."
Luthor went towards the window. He looked over the city. The peacefulness outside irritated him now instead of calming him.
"You wish to have it killed?"
"I want it destroyed, Mercy. The girl should do the job. There is a reason I kept her as a potential resource."
Luthor thought of Superman, the man who soared in the sky. He balled his fists in anger. Maybe he should have looked at the ground for once and seen the lowly, little traitor for what it was.
Luthor took a calming breath. The Talon would be taken care of. The girl would not stop in her revenge until she had torn the Talon's mind apart. It was already unstable. Fragile enough that one little push could make it unravel. It should have never been able to strike a blow at Luthor like this – not a creature whose mind was feeble enough to be controlled by the Conductor.
It had only been successful because Luthor had barely paid it any mind. It had only been a tool for him to get to bigger things – the League, more power in the Light. Now, the little creature had his undivided attention. It would break quickly from what Luthor planned to unleash on it.
The fact that it had been undercover suggested that the Talon was a bleeding heart after all. Still ashamed by what the Court had made it do. The girl would push it over the edge. Pull all its little insecurities to the forefront.
Luthor had seen slivers of the cracks in the Talon's mind. The way it had been terrified of the Conductor. The way its claws had itched to push into its palms repeatedly – a response Luthor had seen in other Talons. It would be easy to drill into these cracks and make the Talon shatter permanently. The fate of the Talon would be a warning to any other lowlife that attempted to betray Lex Luthor.
Jason was roused from an uneasy sleep by the feeling of someone being in his room. He had grown acutely aware of his surroundings in the last few months. His hand moved towards the dagger under his pillow as his eyes stayed closed.
Jason heard the slightest rustling of a garb. The shadow was blocking some of the light inside his eyelids. He moved the dagger towards the throat of this invader.
"Holy shit, Jason. You don't need to murder me", Themis said.
"Themis?", Jason sat up.
He looked at her. Half her face was a mess of black and blue. As if a fist had smashed into it repeatedly.
"You look like shit", Jason said.
"Thank you for this observation, Mr. Todd. Remember when I told you to wait for my signal? This is my signal. We're leaving."
"You contacted them?"
"I'm not stupid. I see how the instructor looks at me and I feel his eagerness to smash my face in. He's about to kill me. And my contacts told me that my sister's killer is about to be in Gotham. I've learned enough. Now is the time."
"You're gonna get that scumbag?"
"Yep", Themis said, "I have a whole thing planned."
Jason stood up. He quickly searched together his few things and put them into a backpack. He took a katana.
Jason took a deep breath, wondering how he should tell Themis what he was about to do. She wouldn't be happy.
"We need to get Damian", Jason said.
Themis' glare cut into him: "You promised me that you would come with me upon my signal. No distractions – especially not for that psycho-killer."
"I'm sorry but I can't leave him."
Themis crossed her arms. She turned her gaze away.
"Look", Jason said, "Damian is family whether I like it or not. He's Batman's son. I'm his big brother. I have to protect him."
"He's a killer. He doesn't deserve any protection."
"He's a child", Jason said.
"Children can be killers. Their age doesn't shield them from justice. When I look at Damian, I see the red aura that surrounds him."
Jason sighed: "I'm not saying he's a little angel. He's a real piece of work but he's not irredeemable. My family - it would destroy them if I left Damian behind. Batman has never met his son and Nightwing is already excited for another brother. If you won't do it for Damian, do it for me."
Themis opened her arms: "Nightwing is very protective of his brothers, isn't he?"
Jason halted. Themis was being weird. But maybe this was due to the high-stress situation they were in. The girl was still an enigma to Jason. He didn't know what she was thinking most of the time.
"More like overprotective", Jason said, "He's not going to let Damian out of his sight even if Damian doesn't want it."
Themis frowned. She turned her face away from Jason.
"You're right. The brat could be useful", Themis strode to the door, "Let's get him."
Jason was still confused by her behavior, but he opted to follow her. They sneaked towards the al Ghul's quarters.
The guards at Talia's door nodded at Jason in recognition. Talia must have told them that Jason was in her corner.
Jason knocked against the door: "Talia?"
The door opened quickly, and Jason was pulled inside. He came face-to-face with Talia.
"What is the meaning of this?", she looked more disheveled than usual, her hair slightly astray.
"We're leaving", Jason nodded at Themis, "We can take Damian with us to Gotham."
Talia narrowed her eyes: "You are leaving earlier than I expected. I assumed that you would wait for my signal, Jason."
"You said it yourself: Ra's is scheming. We can take Damian now and make sure he's safe."
"Very well", Talia said, "I have long been preparing for this possibility."
"You're going to fight Ra's?"
"I shall", Talia turned to what Jason assumed was Damian's room.
She vanished inside and Jason could hear some words in Arabic. Too faint to make out. Talia left the room and joined them again.
"Damian is readying himself", Talia lowered her voice, "The Light is breaking apart. Word is that Lex Luthor was betrayed, and the Talon-operation taken down. Luthor's own pet bit him."
"Nightwing", Jason said.
"I underestimated the little Talon. We all did. Your brother has claws, Jason."
Jason smiled: "He does."
"The Light has lost the Brain, the Conductor and Manta. It has no enforcer anymore. Luthor will fall even if he denies it. Ra's al Ghul shall too - if I have my way. Afterwards, the Light is as good as over. Queen Bee lost trust with her failed operation and Klarion is too mercurial to help build a new Light. That only leaves Savage."
"You won't take Ra's spot on the Light? The participation of the Shadows could ensure its survival."
"I have no need for such a pathetic display of greed. The Shadows will change under my hand. You shall not worry about these matters. Your sole duty is to protect my son."
Jason frowned, pondering all the implications. The end of the Light was unthinkable. Such a powerful group of villains destroyed? Nightwing's operation had been a complete success. Jason couldn't help but be proud of his big brother. Taking down the Light? That should make him one of the big shot heroes. Jason wondered what the cost had been though.
Talia continued: "Choose family over the mission, Jason Todd. Whatever mission you think you have, your family comes first. My father's mission destroyed this family, and I viewed his mission as my own for far too long."
"I'm sorry, Talia", Jason said.
He couldn't imagine what a difficult situation Talia was in. She had been groomed her whole life for Ra's purpose – just like Damian.
Damian took this moment to exit his room. He was wearing a dark robe with a katana and a backpack.
"Mother", Damian said.
Talia smiled at him and ruffled his hair.
She told him in Arabic: "I'm proud of you, my son, even if I should have shown it to you more often."
Damian looked up at her with wide eyes: "Mother. You shall make it?"
"I shall try my best", Talia crouched to hug him.
Damian hid his face in the crock of her neck. He clung to her like a lifeline.
"Leave, my son", Talia switched back to English, "Do not give your father too much grief."
"I am an al Ghul. He shall be honored to host me."
"Of course, he will", Talia stepped back.
She nodded at Jason.
"Let's go, Damian", Jason said.
"Follow my lead, Todd", Damian only glanced at Themis, "Commoner."
She balled her fists, but she stayed quiet. Jason was glad for it.
They sneaked out of the compound and towards the jungle. Themis told them that her contact was waiting with a boat at the beach.
Jason sighed in relief when they entered the forest. They should be safe from prying eyes-
A gush of wind neared Jason's neck. He rolled forward and narrowly dodged a katana that would have taken off his head. Jason ended up in a crouch.
The instructor was standing in front of them, his katana drawn.
"I knew you could not be trusted", he said.
"Stand down, Sensei. These simpletons are acting according to the will of Talia al Ghul", Damian said.
"I know", Sensei grinned maliciously, "Does Talia believe she can fool the Demon's Head? He knows of her treacherous acts. He was only waiting for her to act and apparently, this moment has come."
Damian froze. He looked terrified for his mother.
"The Demon's Head ordered me to keep an eye on you, Damian, and so I did. You are not to leave this island."
"I do not listen to my grandfather anymore", Damian raised his chin, "My loyalty lies with my mother."
"Very well. You are an enemy of Ra's al Ghul then. You shall be vanquished once he uses your body as his vessel."
Damian's face stayed blank. He must be trying hard to keep his composure.
"Enough of this", Themis lunged at Sensei with her own katana.
Sensei parried and kicked her in the stomach. She was thrown back.
Damian let out a battle cry and lunged at Sensei himself. Sensei was forced to take a step back, lest Damian cut his knee. Damian's katana attacked Sensei relentlessly. He blocked the attacks.
Jason frowned. Sensei was playing with Damian. Damian's technique was perfect, but he lacked reach. He was still a child after all. A trained fighter like Sensei easily blocked Damian's strikes.
Sensei raised his katana and was about to rain it down on Damian's neck. Jason jumped in and blocked the strike that was too high for Damian to reach.
Damian looked up. His eyes widened in surprise. Jason wondered whether he was surprised by the attack or that Jason had protected him.
"We can do this together", Jason said, "You have the technique, I have the strength and Themis has the powers."
Jason nodded at Themis who had stood up again, holding her ribs. He hoped that she understood. They needed to distract Sensei enough so that Themis could sneak up on him and take him out.
Damian gritted his teeth in annoyance: "I do not require your assistance, Todd."
Jason sighed internally. Nothing could be easy with this kid apparently.
Sensei didn't give them any time to bicker. His katana struck out at Jason. He blocked it, his arm shaking from the force of the blow he had just stopped. Jason found himself engaged in a quick battle with Sensei. He could barely see where the katana was most of the time.
Jason was forced to go back and back, almost stumbling a few times. His blocks happened on instinct. It was only a question of time until Sensei would cut through Jason's desperate blocks. He couldn't even attempt to get a strike in while he was on defense.
Damian attacked Sensei from behind. It slowed the attacks on Jason but now Sensei was fighting both of them at the same time. Themis jumped in. She tried to get a strike in, but Sensei blocked it and now he was engaging all three of them.
Jason had no idea how Sensei was quick enough to fight them all. The man was like a machine the way his katana moved around his body. He didn't give them any opportunity to break through his rapid defense.
But machines followed routines and if Jason could throw him off for just a moment, they could have a chance. He thought of a move he had seen Nightwing do hundreds of times. Jason wasn't sure if he could do it. He preferred to stay on his feet most of the times while Nightwing looked like he had a deal with gravity to leave him alone.
But Sensei wasn't even tiring. He looked like he could do this forever and eventually one of them would make a mistake. They needed to get Sensei now.
Jason needed to get out of his comfort zone. He needed to pull off a move Sensei would never expect a fighter with Jason's build to make.
Jason took a deep breath and flipped over Sensei's head. He felt less awkward than expected. Less heavy. But his landing was sloppy. Jason had to do a small step to catch himself. Gravity very much still applied to him.
Sensei whirled around. Jason could see the confusion though. A split second of hesitation.
Jason's katana struck out and hit the spot at Sensei's shoulder. The spot that would throw him off balance.
Talia's teachings didn't disappoint. Sensei fell to the floor. His shoulder was bleeding from where Jason had struck him.
Damian leapt at him with swift strikes. Sensei was unable to stand up while Damian was keeping him occupied. Jason thanked the boy's quick thinking.
"THEMIS, NOW", Jason screamed.
Themis dropped her katana and hurried to Sensei. She pressed her hands to his head.
"Let's see how many people you beat half to death", Themis growled.
Sensei screamed as a deep red energy was pulled from his body. It looked like blood. His body shook like a man possessed.
Damian ripped off a part of his garb and stuck it into Sensei's mouth to muffle his screams.
"What is this?", Damian crossed his arms, "Witchcraft?"
"Themis can see all the pain someone has inflicted on another. She can turn it against you all at once", Jason said, "It's pure justice."
Damian frowned. He seemed to be thinking.
"What is going through your head, squirt?"
Damian growled at the nickname: "I was merely wondering about the nature of this justice. Does it consider if the person was forced to inflict said pain?"
Jason frowned. He hadn't thought about it this way.
"Sensei is a bad person", Jason said.
Damian crossed his arms: "My mother has hurt a lot of people and still you choose to follow her."
"Look, kid. It's about choosing who deserves it. We'd never use this on Talia or anyone like her. This is for the irredeemable pigs."
Damian scrunched up his face, apparently not satisfied by the answer: "Who decides what shall count as an irredeemable pig?"
"Themis and I do", Jason said.
Damian crossed his arms. Still not happy. Typical for the little prince. He always needed to have the last word.
Jason shrugged it off. Damian might be mature for his age, but he was still a ten-year-old. He didn't even know what justice was.
Sensei's body was quivering on the ground under Themis' onslaught. His hand went to his chest and his eyes widened. The man screamed into the gag in pure agony, then he stilled. His head was tilted to the side. It looked painful. Cramped. Sensei's eyes were ripped open in horror, forever frozen in their moment of death.
"He had a heart attack", Jason said.
"He dished out so much pain, but he couldn't take it himself", Themis spit on the ground next to Sensei's corpse, "Piece of shit."
Damian turned his head away. He seemed apprehensive towards Themis now, keeping several steps away from her.
Jason should feel triumphant, but he only felt tired for some reason: "Let's get to that boat."
The rest of the walk happened without any further attacks. Jason was about to relax when he heard an explosion from afar. Jason turned around. The compound of the League of Shadows was in flames.
"MOTHER", Damian screamed.
He looked like he wanted to run towards the compound, but Jason was quicker. He gripped Damian and lifted him up.
"Let go off me, you imbecile", Damian kicked and screamed like a ferocious cat.
Jason held on to him with his full strength.
"Let go. I need to save my mother."
"Talia can handle herself. We need to trust that she is prepared for this."
"She needs my help. I shall not stand by while-"
"I promised your mother that I would protect you and I will", Jason said, "I can't let you go there."
"I order you as the heir to the Demon-", Damian continued to scream at Jason.
Jason ignored Damian. He carried him onto the boat.
Themis' contact was disguised with a nondescript black uniform. He nodded at them.
"Go quickly", Jason groaned when Damian elbowed him in the gut, "I don't know how long I can hold this little hellhound."
"I will jump into the water, Todd and swim back", Damian screeched as the boat moved away from the beach.
Jason didn't doubt that he would. So, he held Damian until the island and the burning compound were out of sight.
Jason reasoned with Damian: "You can't jump into that water now. It would kill you and you'd never reach the island."
Damian glared at Jason as if he wanted to prove him wrong. Jason was sure that if anyone could, it was the little demon.
Damian approached Jason and hit him – again and again. Jason's eyes were watering from the pain.
"I hate you, Todd. I hate you. I HATE YOU", Damian screamed.
"I'm sorry", Jason said.
Eventually, Damian had tired himself out. He sat down on a wooden chest, his knees pulled to his chest.
Jason sat down next to him.
"Do you think my mother will make it?", Damian's voice had never sounded so small.
"Talia is strong", Jason avoided a direct answer.
A secret war had long been led inside the League of Shadows. Now, it had erupted, and Jason didn't know who would come out on the other side.
The plane set down in the Watchtower with a thud. Nightwing bit onto his lips, tasting the tang of black blood.
Donna put Talon's covered body on a gurney. She wheeled it out of the plane, her steps heavy. Donna looked as if she had failed. Nightwing knew that feeling well.
He didn't move. Artemis stood up, looking at him with crossed arms.
"Come on", Artemis said, "You can't forfeit it forever."
Nightwing knew but he still wanted to. Victor carried a tranquilized Garfield out of the plane. Starfire followed. She was visibly banged up, but she still walked with a regality to her steps. Nightwing wondered if she was hiding her injuries.
He looked at the bundled-up Talons around them. They reminded him of why he had done this. Nightwing had protected them when no one else had and he would do it again. No matter what the League, the Light or even Wally thought of him now.
So, he stepped out of the plane with Artemis behind him.
The moment Nightwing stepped outside, something came down on him. Nightwing didn't even attempt to dodge. Green restraints put themselves around his wrists and ankles. Someone pushed him to the floor and Nightwing recognized the feeling of an inhibitor collar around his throat.
"Look what I caught", Hal Jordan stood above him, "A traitor."
The restraints lifted Nightwing into the air so that he came face-to-face with Hal.
The hate in his gaze made Nightwing's freeze. Did the entire League hate him with this intensity? Nightwing couldn't blame them. In their eyes, he had killed Wally, Artemis and injured Superman.
Nightwing hoped Superman was okay. He would never forgive himself if he had miscalculated. If Superman was dead, Nightwing wasn't worthy to bear this name. He still may not be. Not if Superman withdrew his blessing. It would be his right after Nightwing had shot him in the chest.
Nightwing tried to open his mouth to explain himself, but he found his voice gone. It had been a while since Nightwing had last lost his ability to speak but of course it had to strike again now. He only got out a pathetic, little sound.
"Don't pull that innocent act on me", Hal said, "No one is gonna fall for it ever again."
"Hal", Artemis said, "Let him go. He's innocent."
Hal bristled at the mere suggestion. He glared at Artemis in suspicion. She pulled off the cloth covering her face.
"Artemis?", Hal's face fell.
"It's me. Nightwing was undercover", Artemis said.
Hal shook his head in disbelief: "I saw him shoot Superman. Clark is still in the infirmary. He's a traitor. He works for them."
Nightwing shook his head. He opened his mouth and closed it again. Nightwing couldn't do it.
Batman exited the plane, an unconscious Conductor slung over his shoulder.
He glowered at Hal: "Artemis is correct. Nightwing was undercover. I supported his mission."
"That is insane", Hal looked like he didn't want to believe it.
"You have the living proof in front of you", Batman nodded at Artemis, "So, let him go now."
The underlying threat was clear. Hal glared at Nightwing, but he made the restraints vanish.
"Collar stays on", Hal said.
"Until we've explained everything", Batman said.
Nightwing stood up sheepishly. He wanted to vanish from this interaction.
"What is this commotion?", Wonder Woman entered, looking alarmed.
Her gaze ended up on Donna.
"You are safe?", Diana was frozen in disbelief.
"I am", Donna smiled and floated towards her sister.
They hugged each other. To Nightwing's surprise, he could hear sobs. Wonder Woman was crying.
"I thought I lost you. I should have never allowed you to go on that mission", Diana cupped Donna's face with her hands. She looked as if a miracle had found her.
"I'm glad I went or we would have never discovered the Talons."
"Donna-"
"No, Diana", Donna said, "It was dangerous, and I would lie if I said that I didn't regret my decisions at times. But it was worth it. I saved people. I'm not a hero like you but I tried anyway."
Diana smiled: "That sounds like a hero to me, Donna."
"I'm not. I screwed up so much. I should have-"
Nightwing approached Donna. He made a quiet noise and signed: 'You hero, Donna. Even heroes not perfect.'
Donna frowned: "Anyone know what he said?"
Starfire repeated Nightwing's words. Nightwing looked at her with a tilted head.
"I did not just absorb English when I touched you", Starfire said, "Sign language is language as well."
Nightwing looked at her in awe. He found himself envious of her ability.
Diana looked at Nightwing: "You brought my sister back to me. I don't know how - but thank you."
To his surprise, he Wonder Woman's strong arms enveloped him in a hug. Nightwing knew how powerful she was. He had felt it when she had unleashed her wrath on him. But now she was careful, gentle. It felt safe.
Nightwing didn't know how to react. How could you respond to the gratitude of a goddess?
"I will forever be in your debt", Wonder Woman said, "I apologize for hurting you. I see now that our motives aligned and that you sought to save Donna as well."
Nightwing's hands felt frozen. He raised them in an attempt to sign something – anything. But he lowered them again when he came up empty.
Batman walked up to them: "We'll call in a League-meeting where we explain everything. Now, we need to take care of the Talons and get the Titans medical attention."
"Titans?", Diana asked.
"Nightwing's team", Batman allowed himself a rare smirk.
Nightwing tensed: 'Not team. And especially not my team.'
Nightwing found himself sitting in the League's meeting room. The collar around his neck felt too tight and Nightwing wondered if they would ever allow him to lose it again. He was glad that Artemis and Donna were sitting on either of his sides. Without them, Nightwing would have already shrunken under the weight of the glares levelled at him – most suspicious, some with outright rage. Wonder Woman and Batman were the only Leaguers to look supportive.
"Explain", Hal glared at Nightwing.
He opened his mouth but found his throat closed off. The little break had done nothing to dampen his anxiety.
"Open a mind link, Martian Manhunter", Batman looked at J'onn.
He expected the intrusion in his mind to hurt but instead he could hear J'onn: "I don't sense nefarious intentions in your mind. I will hear you out though I find myself sceptic."
Nightwing nodded at J'onn in gratefulness.
"We should use the lasso on him to make sure he tells the truth", Hal said.
"Artemis and Donna being in front of you isn't enough to convince you?", Canary sounded exhausted to the bone.
"We don't even know where Wally is."
There was a whoosh of air behind Nightwing. He tensed as he felt arms embracing him from behind. Wally was leaning over Nightwing's seat. He looked like he had quickly thrown on his Kid Flash costume. His goggles were slightly astray.
Nightwing reached for them and put them on right. It was a convenient way to disguise his nervosity.
Artemis smirked in satisfaction. Nightwing suspected that she had told Wally to come.
"You are alive", Wally sounded relieved.
Nightwing enjoyed the feeling of Wally's arms around him. It felt grounding. Protective. He wanted to vanish in Wally's embrace forever.
Nightwing turned his chair to Wally and looked up at him. Wally leaned down and kissed Nightwing on the lips. Nightwing wanted to deepen the kiss and pull Wally closer, but the League was still in the room with them, so Nightwing withdrew. He grew slightly flustered at Wally's show of affection in front of the League.
"I can't believe your suicide mission actually worked", Wally shook his head.
"You not have confidence in me, Wally?", Nightwing said over the mind link.
He tried to break the ice a bit. Wally was acting concerned now. Still, Nightwing didn't know where they stood after their last fight. Wally might still be angry.
"I have confidence in your ability to completely disregard your own well-being and my sanity for the sake of the mission."
Nightwing flinched at the underlying anger in Wally's voice. Yep. Wally was definitely still angry. His relief had just temporarily taken precedence.
Nightwing's attempt to break the ice had ended in Nightwing slipping on it and faceplanting. He could see some of the other Leaguers cringing. Airing out their relationship issues now wasn't high on the list of things Nightwing would like to do.
'We can do later?', Nightwing signed.
'Do you know how scared I was for you?', Wally signed, 'And it's not the first time. You keep doing this to me.'
'I sorry', Nightwing chewed on his lip again.
'We'll talk later', Wally managed to put all his frustrations into that sentence, 'And no deflecting, no distracting me - not even through kissing. This is going to be a serious discussion.'
Wally's words were terrifying. No one ever wanted to hear the words We'll talk later. Nightwing had seen enough romcoms with Wally to know that these words were too often followed by a break-up. But Wally didn't want to break up with Nightwing, did he?
Nightwing felt his thoughts spiraling. They were making his throat even tighter.
Still, Nightwing signed: 'You right. We talk.'
He put his hand on Wally's and squeezed to show that he understood. It seemed to pacify Wally just a bit. He pulled up a chair next to Nightwing, pushing himself between him and Artemis.
"Does everyone realize now that Nightwing was undercover?", Batman asked.
Wally's appearance and affectionate gestures towards Nightwing were the final piece of evidence. The outright hatred in the faces of the League melted away, making way for confusion, curiosity and worry.
Nightwing bit his lip in guilt.
He held out his arm towards Wonder Woman and said: "Use lasso."
"Are you sure?", Diana nodded, "I already believe that you are telling the truth."
Nightwing nodded in the direction of the other Leaguers. Wonder Woman might trust him, but they didn't and they had good reason.
Diana frowned but she wrapped the lasso around his wriest. Nightwing gritted his teeth at the pain. It wanted to force the truth out of him. Nightwing was ready to give it.
"Start at the beginning", Kaldur said.
Nightwing tilted his head at Kaldur. His team leader's face was unreadable.
Nightwing started explaining. He kept his report as factual and detailed as possible – a mission report.
The League kept asking questions. It was exhausting.
"So, you and Wally staged the kill?", Oliver asked, "And you joined in, Artemis? Do you know how much you hurt us with your actions? We mourned you."
Nightwing cut in: "My responsibility. I have idea for stage kill. Not Batman, not Deathstroke. I do. I ask Wally and Wally do it for me. And Artemis get drag in it because-"
Nightwing grew quiet. He didn't want to say anything bad about Artemis.
"I tried to kill him in Wally's name", Artemis leaned back.
She put on a nonchalant façade. Still, Nightwing knew that she had to be terrified that this would taint her perception by the League.
"Artemis", Canary sounded shocked.
"It was a mistake", Artemis' face stayed guarded, "He talked me out of it."
Ollie turned to Wally: "I understand now that Artemis got roped into this more or less involuntarily, but do you not realize how much you hurt your uncle? All of us?"
"I realize that", Wally lowered his head in shame, "I thought about it every day. I could barely sleep the last months."
"Why do it then?", Ollie asked.
"To protect him", Wally looked at Nightwing, "He'd get himself killed and I needed to protect him in any way I could. And Nightwing might tell you that all of this was his responsibility, but I made my decision."
Nightwing's chest felt warm at Wally's words. He smiled at the speedster.
Wally sighed: "You're not out of the woods yet. We're still talking after this."
Nightwing felt his smile freeze. This would be painful. He could already tell.
"So, what? He's getting away with all of this?", Hal glared at Nightwing, "You shot Superman."
"I do", Nightwing said.
"Why?", Hal crossed his arms, "Even if you were undercover, shooting your teammate is unforgiveable."
Nightwing bit down the urge to say that Superman wasn't his teammate. That would require Nightwing to actually be part of the League.
"I miss heart on purpose."
"Great", Hal said, "So, you didn't outright one-shot kill him. What a relief."
Nightwing stayed quiet.
"What if you had hit him in the heart?"
"I not miss", Nightwing said.
Hal scoffed: "Sure, you don't."
"They train me for not miss", Nightwing looked at Hal and said in a deadpan, "But understand. My responsibility. Do with me what you want."
The Leaguers exchanged glances. Canary sighed in exhaustion.
"Nightwing saved Donna and the Talons", Diana said, "He leaked the Light summit to us and gave us invaluable intel about Lex Luthor. His mission saved hundreds of lives."
"So, what? We're just letting him get away with acting like a complete psychopath?", Hal asked.
Donna spoke up: "That's ridiculous. A psychopath wouldn't risk everything to save people. He's my friend and I know that he's a good person."
"He teamed up with Deathstroke – one of our most notorious enemies", Hawkman said.
"Nightwing got results", Batman said.
"At what cost though? Clark is in a hospital room. Barry is so heartbroken that he took time off and the Team is in complete shambles", J'onn asked, "Maybe the answer is somewhere in-between."
"The Light struck blow after blow against us", Batman said, "Nightwing managed to rip most of it apart from the inside with his operation. Did it need sacrifices? Yes, but those are far outweighed by the benefits."
"Of course, you would come up with the 'whatever it takes'-argument, Bats", Ollie said, "The point is: Nightwing went too far. I mourned Wally. I mourned Artemis. I was terrified for Clark. He's still recovering."
John Stewart said with a heavy voice: "We are heroes, and we have to follow principles. If we don't follow principles, we are just as bad as the villains. No one will trust us anymore. And why should they? These manipulative missions? They aren't how we do it."
"We have a black ops-team", Batman said.
"A black ops-team that still follows the principles of what a hero should do", John insisted, "Heroes don't sacrifice decency for the sake of the mission."
"Not a hero", Nightwing said.
Everyone turned to him.
"No, you aren't", Hal glared at him.
Nightwing stayed quiet. There was nothing to say. Hal was right.
"Hal", Canary hit her fist on the table.
"Nightwing", Diana looked at him in concern.
Nightwing was sick of this. He stood up and held out his hands.
"You want arrest me?", Nightwing asked, "Give over to government? Go ahead."
"Nightwing", Wally's voice was a warning, "Stop it."
"If anyone tries to arrest him, they'll have to go through me", Artemis said.
The Titans nodded. Starfire's eyes glowed with energy.
"No one is talking about arresting you", J'onn said, "We are just discussing which principles our missions should be guided by. I have to agree with John. Heroes should be above the 'whatever it takes'-approach."
"Then, I shouldn't be on this team", Batman said.
"You have a no-killing rule, Bats", Ollie said.
"And Nightwing does, too", Batman said, "He got results without killing a single soul. He saved lives with this mission. Isn't that what a hero should do?"
"Not at the expense of his teammates. The League would fall apart if everyone went on their own secret mission", John said.
Nightwing was tired of this discussion. It would always turn in circles. The Leaguers were right: Heroes didn't sacrifice whatever it took for the mission. They didn't betray their teammates. But Nightwing had never claimed to be a hero. He was too tainted to ever reach that status. His only role could be to do what the heroes didn't and support them in the shadows.
Nightwing stood up: "You need leak flash drive. Take down, Luthor."
Hawkman asked: "What was this, Nightwing? Some elaborate revenge-mission to get back at Luthor for leaking your past?"
Nightwing stayed quiet. He didn't even attempt to explain that he hadn't even know who had leaked his past when he had embarked on the mission. They were heroes. They knew what was right. Nightwing's justifications didn't mean anything.
"What are you doing?", Canary asked.
"Leave if no one arrest. Not belong here."
"We're just letting him crawl back to Deathstroke or whoever he's working with next?", Hal asked.
"He never worked with Deathstroke. What about the word undercover do you not understand, Jordan?", Batman growled.
Hal crossed his arms: "Being undercover doesn't give you a 'get out of jail free'-card. Maybe it does in Gotham but we're not in Gotham, Bats. There are different rules here. I'm still not convinced that you didn't pull Nightwing's strings the whole time. This has your handprints all over it."
Nightwing bit his lips in annoyance. He was so sick of his agency being questioned. Nightwing might not be a hero, but he was capableof planning and enacting a mission - of thinking without anyone controlling him. He was too tired to pretend that he couldn't.
"It my responsibility. It my fault. Everything. I come up with plan. Batman not want me do because he worry for me. But he help because he see he not can stop me. Same for Wally and Artemis. Punish me if you want punish."
"No one is punishing him", Wonder Woman's voice was a warning, "If the US government attempts to capture him, the Amazons will give him refuge on Themyscira. He risked everything to save on of our own."
Hal scoffed: "Aren't you the champion of truth, Diana? Do these principles fly out of the window the moment it benefits you?"
Diana's face stayed stoic: "I am also the champion of peace. There is no peace on a world where people are dehumanized and exploited by the powerful. Sometimes, we have to make hard decisions to reach peace. You are a Lantern. You should know that, Hal."
Hal pursed his lips.
"You have to choose something", Artemis' voice simmered with anger, "He can't be an empty-headed, little puppet and a nefarious manipulator at the same time. Choose something but I can tell you that both are wrong."
Hal glared at Artemis. Still, he didn't answer.
Nightwing bit his lips: "When you secure facility, look in trash. There still some dead Talons, Conductor throw away."
The League grew quiet at that sentence. Their eyes widened in horror. Even Hal stopped any attempts to bite back.
"Nightwing", Canary tried to get his attention, "We need to talk about this privately."
Nightwing ignored her and opened the door.
"You obviously aren't feeling well", Canary said, "You should-"
Nightwing closed the door behind himself and walked away. He moved towards the zeta-beam. The moment he entered, an ear-shattering alarm blared, and the zeta-station was closed off through a glass wall.
"Intruder alert", the computer voice said.
Nightwing covered his ears. He was suddenly glad for the collar that dulled his senses.
A blur zipped towards him, and Wally said: "Kid Flash B-02: Override Intruder Alert."
The alarm stopped and the zeta tube opened. Wally gave Nightwing verbal permission to leave as a guest. Nightwing zetaed to the Batcave.
He froze when he saw Slade locked in a cell in front of him. Slade's mouth turned into a shark-like grin. He said something that was muffled by the thick glass.
Nightwing shook his head and walked off. He was about to ascend the stairs when someone whirled him around. Wally had gripped Nightwing's wriest.
"We need to talk."
'Not here', Nightwing signed with a glance towards Deathstroke.
Wally nodded. He seemed impatient as he hurried up the stairs. Nightwing could barely keep up. He was relieved when they finally were in Nightwing's room away from any prying eyes.
Nightwing thought about all the times Wally had been here with him. Sometimes, he had snuck in to avoid the overprotective Bat-glare. Nightwing wished he could snuggle up to Wally on that bed and watch a funny movie with him. He craved it after months of barely any human contact.
But Wally wasn't having it. He looked furious.
"What was that?", Wally asked.
'What?'
"You offering to let them arrest you? You just letting them drag you through the mud? We both know that you didn't know who leaked the video when you embarked on your mission. This was always about saving people – not getting revenge on Luthor. You should have told them that."
Nightwing shrugged: 'They right be angry at me.'
"And you aren't right to be angry at them? You wouldn't even have needed to go undercover if they had cracked down on the Talon-trade with all their capabilities."
'Wally, I finish mission. What they think not matter. If they hate me, I deserve.'
"Don't give me that bullshit. You are doing it again."
'What, Wally?'
"Being a self-punishing martyr."
'Can we please do other thing?', Nightwing shifted uncomfortably.
Wally scoffed: "We are turning in circles. It's always the same. You aren't even listening."
'I listen, Wally.'
"No, you are caught up in your little circle of self-punishment and I can see it. I see how devastated you are."
'It my problem, Wally.'
"It's not just yours. I'm your boyfriend. You know what I do if I see my boyfriend like this?"
Nightwing bit his lip.
"It becomes my problem, too. Every time you are like this, I cuddle with you and tell you that I love you to make you feel better. But that's a band aid, isn't it? The wound just keeps on bleeding."
Nightwing tried to get in front of Wally's anger: 'I sorry. I know that I burden and that I make things so difficult for you. You can leave. You not obligate comfort me. You not need fix me. I not know if anyone can fix me.'
Wally tore at his hair in frustration: "I don't want to fix you. This isn't about fixing you but caring for you. I lovethat you come to me when you are feeling bad. What I hate is seeing you punish yourself over and over again. Do you know how much it hurts to see someone you love constantly hurt themselves? I can't take it."
Nightwing wrapped his arms around himself. This wasn't about Wally being tired of being there for Nightwing. This was about Wally hating to see Nightwing tear himself down. The first had an easy solution: Nightwing could just stop coming to Wally in one of his spirals. It would hurt but he would do it for Wally's benefit.
The second? No one could find a solution for that, especially not Nightwing.
'I not know how change, Wally. I not know time when I not hate myself.'
"Even after this mission? You put everything on the line to save people. You are a good person. Why can't you see that? The League doesn't even know what you sacrificed because you told them the story like a Talon."
'I Talon, Wally.'
Wally shook his head: "You are more than that."
Nightwing said: "I so sorry."
He didn't know what else to reply.
"Sorry doesn't cut it anymore. It doesn't change anything."
"What mean?"
"I don't know."
"Wally-", Nightwing tried to plead with his boyfriend.
Were they even boyfriends anymore? Or was Wally about to call it off?
"Don't look at me like that. I can't say these things to you when you look at me like that", Wally turned his face away, "I need you to listen. Just try to see this from my perspective for a moment."
'I do.'
"Good", Wally smiled sadly, "I keep telling you that you are worth loving. And that's all true. But you are so self-destructive and every time you hurt yourself you hurt me, too. Artemis told me this mission could change this for you. But it didn't do anything. We're back where we started."
'Not the same. I know I can plan things now. I capable of outsmart someone. I see now.'
"But that's all mission-related. You always tie your worth to the fucking mission when I don't ask any of that from you. I just need you to be my boyfriend", Wally's tone took on a desperate edge.
It broke Nightwing's heart that Wally sounded like that because of him. He didn't know how to fix it. He was poison to everyone around him.
'I not know what you want from me, Wally.'
"Just think about earlier. You told them what happened. You took the blame."
'Because it my fault. I responsible.'
"You didn't even make an effort to defend yourself or to present your motives because deep down you believe you aren't allowed to. You try to protect everyone around you, but you never advocate for yourself. That's why you were so good on this mission. You let people do everything to you as long as it benefits some higher purpose."
Nightwing flinched. Wally made it sound as if Nightwing didn't have any dignity. As if he was cheap. Some tool to be used as other people pleased.
Nightwing blinked away tears. He had rarely felt so worthless. Hearing this from Wally – it hurt.
Nightwing thought of the only time he had stood up for himself on this mission. The only time Nightwing had drawn definitive boundaries. When Luthor had entertained the idea of using Nightwing on honeypot-missions.
Slade had promised to protect him then. Nightwing knew now that Slade's promise was worthless. The mercenary wouldn't have done shit if it benefited him. Nightwing was a tool for him after all.
Still, it had felt good then to assert some boundaries. Some lines Nightwing wouldn't cross. It had cost him so much energy to even do this. He had felt selfish for not being willing to put absolutely everything of himselfon the line for the good of others. But still, Nightwing had done it and he felt some pride at that.
Nightwing raised his hands, thinking about what to sign. He considered telling Wally about this. Wally would understand, right? Maybe he would even be proud of Nightwing for standing up for himself.
But Wally looked so angry, so exhausted. Nightwing didn't want to spring this on him. And Nightwing didn't even know how to bring this up. He would have brought it up in a quiet moment– not in this explosive fight. It was shameful that Luthor had even viewed Nightwing in this way. As if Nightwing had invited it somehow. And Nightwing wanted to forget it.
So, he signed: 'You right. I not believe I deserve it.'
"And you don't see that as a problem?"
Nightwing stayed quiet. Wally wouldn't like the truth and Nightwing had never lied to Wally about anything so important.
"I knew it", Wally sighed in defeat and shook his head.
'What we do now?', Nightwing's hands were shaking.
"I can't be with you when you're self-sabotaging like this. It destroys me."
Nightwing bit down the instinct to get down on his knees and plead with Wally to not leave him. He didn't deserve Wally's love, but he craved it so badly. Sometimes, it was the only thing keeping him going. But that was the problem, wasn't it?
"If you don't love yourself, no one is going to love you. I tried. Believe me but it's true."
Nightwing was frozen. His life was breaking apart in front of his eyes and he didn't know how to fix it. Maybe he didn't even deserve to fix it. And here he was doing it again. He hated himself for hating himself so much. Paradoxical, wasn't it? Nightwing could almost laugh about it in pure desperation.
'I pull you down with me', Nightwing lowered his head in shame at the realization.
Poison.
Wally neither confirmed nor denied it. It hurt. It hurt so bad that Nightwing wanted to rip out his own heart to make it stop.
Wally squeezed Nightwing's shoulder: "I hope you figure this out for yourself. If you do, I'm there. I'll always want you, Beautiful."
Nightwing soaked in the sign of affection like a plant starved for light. It was the last he would get from Wally for a while – maybe ever. If only Nightwing could believe that what Wally was saying was true. Beautiful.
Poison was only beautiful until it killed you.
Wally looked at Nightwing with tears in his eyes.
'So, what this? You break up with me?'
"I guess it's complicated", Wally said.
It was such a non-answer. Neither a yes or a no. It was tearing Nightwing apart. He wished Wally would just say what he wanted but maybe Wally didn't even know what he wanted himself.
'I love you, Wally.'
It was a selfish thing to say. Nightwing shouldn't try to keep Wally with him. He should just be grateful that Wally had been sensible enough to get away from Nightwing.
"I know", Wally's hand was still on Nightwing's shoulder.
Nightwing leaned into the touch. He was trembling. Everything within him itched to plead with Wally to work it out together. But Wally was right. Only Nightwing could solve this, and he didn't even know if he should or deserved to solve it. Maybe Wally would find someone in college. Just leave the hero life and Nightwing behind. It would make him happier in the long run.
Wally let go of Nightwing's shoulder and went to the door. He looked at Nightwing with teary eyes. Nightwing wanted to hug Wally to comfort him. But he knew that this would only make things worse.
"I'll never regret protecting you – no matter what it cost me. You deserve it", Wally closed the door quietly, "I hope you'll see that eventually. I'm there if you do. I love you."
Nightwing's teeth bit through his lips. These three little words were enough to make Nightwing shiver with longing. He wanted to hear them again. Over and over until he felt better. A little band aid. But Wally was gone and Nightwing needed him so badly.
Presumptuous that you believe you deserve this, Nightwing's inner Cobb told him.
Nightwing made a shocked-off noise. He covered his ears in an attempt to block Cobb out. But it didn't change anything. The problem was inside him – as it always had been.
In the hallway, Wally's steps were quick. He was eager to get away from this conversation, from Nightwing.
Nightwing's world blurred away in tears. He threw himself onto the bed and buried himself deep under the blanket. Searching for any sort of comfort. His throat felt as if it would never open up again.
He felt himself slip into a panic attack. But there was no Wally to rip him out of it. So, he spent the next hour trying to calm himself down with little success.
When he emerged again from his pile of blankets, his gloves were torn open and his palms scratched bloody. Just another way in which he was hurting himself. Nightwing watched his bloody palms, feeling utterly numb. They weren't healing because of the collar that was still around his throat. He wanted to press into the wound again, itching to get more release.
But he forced his hands open. Looking at them to make sure that he wasn't scratching again. He had to try to stop hurting himself – for Wally. Only after a few seconds did he notice that he was now biting down on his lip. The metallic tang on his tongue was another reminder that he just couldn't stop hurting himself.
Nightwing stood up from the bed with trembling legs. He looked down at himself – seeing the Talon-uniform Luthor had given him. Nightwing ripped it off piece by piece until it was a crumbled mess in the corner. The gloves were last.
Nightwing glared at it. He never wanted to wear this again. Not even for pretend.
He dug through his wardrobe and pulled out one of the shirts he had nicked from Wally's place. Nightwing pulled it over his head and fell back down onto the bed.
The shirt helped. It was the closest to Wally's embrace that Nightwing could get. He curled himself into a ball on the bed and tried not tothink. He forced his mouth and palms open. He could do this. He could stop hurting himself like Wally wanted him to. Maybe he could be less poisonous then.
The urge to scratch to bite told him that he couldn't.
Nightwing barely noted it when the door opened, and Bruce stepped in. He was out of uniform. The bed dipped as he sat down.
"I'm sorry", Bruce knew what had happened with one look at Wally's shirt, "I know how much he means to you."
Nightwing threw himself against Bruce, crying silently into his shoulder. Bruce hugged him. His arms felt large. Comforting.
Nightwing looked up at Bruce: 'I not can stop hurt myself. How make it stop, Bruce?'
"He broke up with you for that?"
'It too much for him. I hurt him.'
Bruce took a moment to think about his words. His forehead was creased in a deep frown. Nightwing was doing it again. He was hurting his loved ones – making life difficult for them.
"Sometimes we hurt the people we love without meaning to. That doesn't make us bad people", Bruce said.
Nightwing shook his head: 'I feel bad. I always feel bad about myself. Especially since leak. Everyone see how terrible I be.'
"They don't know anything about you", Bruce said, "Luthor only published half the story – the things that make you look the worst. Everyone who is close to you knows that you are so much more than that. Or at least they should."
Nightwing chuckled darkly. There it was again. Nightwing being more than what? He couldn't see it.
'I always feel like not have control about my life. But now it worse. I hope mission change it but it not do. It like… band aid. The wound still bleed. That what Wally say.'
"Surprisingly insightful from Wally."
'He very smart. You not give enough credit.'
"I guess I don't", Bruce took a lock pick from his belt, "But I won't give him any more credit in the near future because he dumped my son."
Bruce tilted Nightwing's chin up and reached for the collar. Nightwing allowed him to pick it. He watched his trembling hands as they mended themselves.
"Canary is right. You need help", Bruce said, "You should meet with her again."
'She hate me.'
"She doesn't. She understands. I promise."
Nightwing bit his lips.
"You trust me, right?", Bruce asked.
Nightwing nodded.
"Then, trust me that Canary wants to help you. Do you promise me that you will talk to her?"
Nightwing hesitated. Then, he nodded.
"I'm scared for you. I don't want you to hurt yourself. I'll be honest: I don't know what to do when I see you like this. I can only be there for you."
'I hurt you, too. Like Wally', Nightwing pulled his legs to his chest.
Bruce embraced him again: "Yeah but that comes with the dad-territory. I chose this gig, remember?"
'Even if you have real son now?'
"I have three real sons. My eldest and my middle child are giving me grey hair right now. I don't even know my youngest yet. Still, I'm sure he's gonna contribute to that – but I wouldn't have it any other way."
Nightwing chuckled.
Bruce smiled softly: "You'll find a solution. You've already come so far."
'Well, I just get dumped.'
"Truly a milestone in a young man's life", Bruce's tone was lighter.
He was trying to distract Nightwing. Nightwing decided to let him. He wanted to think about anything but Wally and the hollow feeling that was still in his chest.
'You get dumped?', Nightwing tilted his head in curiosity.
"Me? Billionaire, playboy, philanthropist Bruce Wayne? No one in their right mind would dump me."
'I sure Catwoman do multiple times. I see newspaper say.'
Bruce cringed: "They really need more relevant stories. Do you want to know who dumped me first though? It was quite late actually. In my mid-twenties. Before that I did all the dumping."
Nightwing nodded.
"Talia did", Bruce shuddered, "After that I spent a week crying on the couch, eating ice cream and watching sugary movies."
Nightwing chuckled: 'You lie for make me feel better.'
"Ask Alfred."
Nightwing frowned. He didn't know if Bruce was just humoring him or if he was being sincere.
Bruce nudged Nightwing's shoulder with his own: "You can't eat the ice cream, but we can still watch those movies together."
'You not need patrol?'
"I think my son's first heartbreak is the bigger emergency."
'I love you, dad', Nightwing hugged Bruce.
Bruce's large arms pulled him close. Nightwing should feel bad about still allowing Bruce to get close. About poisoning him, too. Nightwing did feel bad about it. But Nightwing soaked in the affection. He craved it after months of isolation and hard decisions.
"I love you, too, chum."
Nightwing chuckled at the nickname. What a strange word. Maybe he felt slightly less worthless for now. It was a band aid – as Wally said. But sometimes, a band aid could help stem a bleeding.
AN: Jason is rejoining the crew in Gotham and can you feel the slight brotherly vibes developing between Damian and him? Jason should give himself more credit. He's a good big brother.
Nightwing and Wally are breaking my heart here! They broke up (kinda, it's complicated, welcome to that milestone, Nightwing) while still loving each other. :,,,(