So, I know it's been a while, but here is the next chapter. I'm also almost ready to post my next chapter for my other story. As always let me know what you think and constructive (but polite) criticism is always welcome!

Chapter 6: New Friend

Bruce was distracted with something, there was no doubt about it. Two more times in one week he was absent for an entire day. He was working toward something big, and I knew he would never in a million years tell me what it was. But it was good for me because it gave me more opportunities to go out as Nightmare. Only this time I made sure I was extremely careful to be ready to be picked up at the school by Alfred.

The first time in the week I went out as Nightmare it went smoothly. I once again skipped gymnastics and left the school. This time I got into my costume before looking for a crime. It took me a little longer to find something this time since I was searching from above the city, but I eventually found what I was looking for.

A group of teenagers were grinning and pouring gasoline all around one of the buildings. I discretely made the call to the police and went to make my move. Arsonists. Not big criminals, but I would take stopping the burning of someone's property over nothing.

They were just lighting the match when I dropped behind them, letting the breeze from my cape put out the small flame.

"What the," the taller one squinted, turning to me.

"What the hell is that," the other red headed one muttered. "Looks like a kid."

I glared at them, and got ready for a fight.

"What? Do you not approve of what we're doing? What are you going to do about it, sweetheart," the taller one slurred. He was obviously drunk. "Gonna call the police? We're so scared."

I smirked and pointed toward the direction of the phone. It had been a pleasant surprise for me to find talking over a phone wasn't too difficult. It helped when there wasn't a person in front of me, and I didn't give the operator time to respond before I hung up.

"You didn't," he slurred slowly.

I nodded and let my smirk widen into a wicked smile.

"You little brat," the red head snarled, and he lunged at me. I easily dodged and decided to practice my punch. This particular lowlife was so weak it actually knocked him right out. I didn't have time to cheer for my first successful punch since the tall one was coming at me now. I did my favorite wrestling move against him and used his height against him to throw him to the ground. I quickly ran forward and kicked him in the head before he could stand. It was then that I heard the sirens.

It was perfect timing. I checked the time, saw I had just enough to get back to the school and fled. I would have been late again if I had stopped to look for the presence I was sure I could feel again. But that time I went home with Alfred, and Bruce never suspected a thing.

The second time didn't go as smoothly. I didn't have gymnastics practice, so instead I had to sneak away from school during recess. In costume I began searching the city, and listened for any sounds or problems. I swooped for hours from building to building, and when I was about to give up for lack of time I finally found something. This time I didn't have time to think, because a man already had a teenage girl bound and gagged thrown into his car and he began driving away.

I leaped to the nearest light post, and swung off so I neatly landed on the car without a sound. With some effort I put a lot of power into a kick to break the windshield. The car immediately stopped, and the guy got out with a scowl. This man was larger than he looked before, with a shaved head and multiple tattoos.

"How about I make you a deal?" he said greedily. "You in exchange for her."

I nodded my agreement while glaring at him intently. I didn't doubt I could take him. I jumped off the car and waited for him to untie her. She was in such a panic she didn't seem to even know how to move anymore. I motioned angrily for her to leave. She wasn't moving, so I quickly reached in, pulled her out, and didn't see what came next.

The girl suddenly smiled and tackled me to the ground. Very fast the man was on top of me with a knife to my throat. "Word has it a little girl who barely speaks a word has been going through the streets trying to be a mini super hero," he said softly. His voice sent chills up my spine, but I didn't let him see that. "My friend and I thought we had to see you, so we've been practicing this little act all around the city hoping for a bite. Now that we got you, I must say you're pretty cute." The cold blade touched my throat.

I furiously glared at him, then let my emotions go blank. I knew I had to stay calm, think, and not let him see what I was about to do to get out of this safely.

"After I slit your throat and the life begins to leave your eyes, I will get to have a little fun before we run off," he said even quieter, seeming to enjoy the experience of threatening me. As he spoke I went through about a hundred escapes in my head, and picked the one I thought would be most successful. Just as I was about to make my move, a figure floated by in my peripheral vision and I hesitated. It gave him just long enough to make a shallow cut before I pulled my wrists so the girl holding them fell over, and I sprung to my feet.

Before I could attack the pedophile, the figure I saw ran over and punched him so he flew into the building and collapsed. I was sure it was Batman but when I blinked again, I realized with relief it wasn't. He didn't wear a cape, was much younger than Bruce, and had a blue eagle symbol on his chest. Before I could register anything else, he grabbed me, threw a grappling hook at the top of the building, and let it carry us up.

He carried me to the school, somehow knowing that was where I needed to be, but I saw it was too late. There was already baseball practice, which meant Alfred had already come for me, and I wasn't there. He set me down on the school roof, and I sunk to my knees. "He's gonna kill me," I moaned. I felt my throat to see blood on my hand. "And there is no way I could ever talk my way out of this. I'm dead."

"I've been watching you the last few days," the man said, ignoring my small melt down. "You're an interesting girl, and you fight with Batman's style."

"I wouldn't be cut at all if you hadn't distracted me," I snapped, not even registering the fact that I was speaking effortlessly to him. "I had things under control."

"Yeah, I saw that later," he admitted meekly. "But you have to admit it looked pretty bad from my angle, and I think someone besides me has been stalking you when you go out in this costume. What do you call yourself anyway."

"Nightmare," I sulked.

I could tell he was trying not to laugh. "It's a little too close to my name," he finally said.

I looked up at him for the first time, and temporarily pushed my huge problem to the edge of my mind. "I know you, you're Richard Greyson." It was then that I wondered why I could talk to him. I normally never spoke a single word to anyone besides Bruce or Alfred.

"Ugh, did he tell you that, I can't believe he is now giving away secretes he should be keeping."

"Oh no," I said smugly. "I figured that out myself. I've done my research on my own time, Bruce or Batman didn't tell me anything. I know about all the Robins. You call yourself Nightwing now don't you?"

"Yes, and call me Dick if you're not calling me Nightwing. I can't stand being called Richard." He looked more closely at me, taking in my size and full appearance. "You are an interesting girl," he said slowly. "So you are working for Batman? You seem so young."

"Not exactly. He doesn't want me to have any part of helping him," I said slowly. "When Alfred tells him I wasn't at the school to pick up and he sees this cut, he's going to kill me. He's not stupid." I took a slow unnoticeable breath and calmed myself down before my eyes could start getting watery.

"I know what you mean," he said sadly. "I used to live with that man too. Stubborn with an iron will and an iron hand."

I already knew I wasn't alone in living through one of Bruce's tough punishments. "I don't want to go back now," I mumbled quietly.

"I sure would hate to be in your position," he sighed sympathetically. He sat next to me, and we watched the sun sink in the dull polluted sky. "But you need to go back. It's Batman you're trying to escape, and it isn't possible. Even though I can see you have some skills. You try to escape your fate and you'll only make it worse, and he will find you. You'll have to face him eventually."

I groaned. "I know. That guy is truly cruel."

We both sat together for a few more minutes as I continued to stall. "I can't help but remember the time I tried to run away from Bruce," Nightwing said quietly, breaking the silence and distracting me from my fear again.

"You probably got in a lot of trouble," I said. "Can you tell me the story? I want to wait a little longer to go back."

"Sure," he looked at me kindly. "It actually began before I even knew Bruce was Batman. I had recently moved in to live with him, but I was still mourning the sudden loss of my parents. I heard that murderer's name mentioned somewhere, and anger consumed me. I knew I had to find him, even though I had been expressly forbidden from leaving the mansion. You know, because of the crime rates here."

"Yeah, I have the same stupid rule applied to me," I interrupted.

Nightwing nodded. "So I did find him, but my skills were limited. I hadn't become Robin yet. I hadn't been trained yet. I was just some immature angry little kid. I needed to be rescued by Batman. After that He brought me to the batcave and revealed himself to be none other than my adoptive father."

"That's not fair," I said suddenly. "I had to find out he was Batman on my own. He had no intention of ever telling me his secrete." I stopped for a minute, then added," But of course I figured it out the same day he brought me to Wayne manor. I didn't really give him the chance to decide to tell me."

"Nice job, that is impressive" Nightwing smiled. "Remember this happened several weeks after I came to live with him. So then Bruce took me up to my room and proceeded to give me a long lecture about following rules, and listening to him, and that it was for my own safety blah blah blah. And that's when he spanked me for the first time. It was not a fun night."

"Tell me about it," I said, standing up. The sun was getting lower, and it was going to be dusk soon. "I should go. I'd rather go home to Bruce then be found and captured by Batman."

"Yeah I would agree," Nightwing said, standing up as well. "Listen, do remember what I told you about someone watching you, and I know it's not Batman. It could be trouble."

"Ok," I said, too distracted by what was waiting for me at home to really listen to what he was saying. "Hey, would it be possible to find you again. We have a lot in common. It's kinda like you're an older brother. I don't have a lot of people to talk to," I admitted.

"I have to admit, my social life isn't really great either," Nightwing reached up and scratched his head. "But of course, just look for me on the rooftops. I won't hide from you anymore."

"I'll find you again, as long as I live through tonight," I promised.

"Good luck Little Nightmare," Nightwing laughed.

I stuck my tongue out at him, took off my costume, and jumped to the ground. Then I ran as fast as I could toward home, with my heart hammering faster than it normally would have from just running.