It was Monday morning and the three teenage heroes were walking through their school gate ready for a new day of learning. As said, on the Saturday, Jason and Wally had gone round to Ben's house and explained the situation in regards to the threat made against their alter egos. He had been rather cool about it, clearly ready to take on the mantel of a hero, just like his father did.
The three lads headed in as the school bell rang and moved towards the changing rooms for PE. They went straight in and got their kit on and sat down waiting for the teachers to come in. Mr Sanders walked in and called for hush.
"Gentlemen I have an announcement. We are in need for a rugby team to play in a match against St Oswalds on Thursday next week. Any one wanting to join the team will need to attend a session next Monday for selection. Right, now that is done, time for the registers."
The rest of the teachers then filed in and the lesson began. Mr Sanders dismissed each group off to their various locations. His group then moved out into the bitterly cold air, to the field.
"So are either of you going to go to that session?" Wally asked Ben and Jason.
"Yeah, I have always wanted to play on the school team and now is a good time to go for it. What about you Ben?" Jason passed on the question.
"I am pretty new to the sport, but I could give it a go."
"Hey Alex!" Wally called over to another boy in their group.
He turned around and waited for the group to catch up. He was a well built lad, with dark brown hair and a faint tan left over from the summer. His bright green eyes blinking in the cold air. He wore the typical school PE kit of a maroon polo shirt, black shorts and long maroon rugby socks. I addition to this, he wore a black long sleeved thermal top.
"Hey Wally, how are you doing?" Alex asked.
"Are you going to the session on Monday?"
"Of course I am, you couldn't keep me away from it."
Alex Manning was probably the schools biggest rugby fans. He regularly attended school rugby matches and also he played for the local team as well. He was a popular figure at the school, very kind and willing to help any of the younger students when they needed it.
"Are you coming Ben?" Alex asked.
"Yeah I think so," Ben replied.
"Well if you want me to talk through a few techniques after school someday this week, don't hesitate to ask."
"Yeah, that'll be cool. Thanks."
"How about Wednesday at my house?"
"I will be there."
"Right lads," Mr Sanders interrupted. "As it is so cold today and you need warming up, four laps around the rugby pitches."
They set off and readied themselves for the next 45 minutes of the freezing cold lesson.
Later on, they trooped back inside the school and embraced the warmth that spread through their frozen bodies, hearing them up and brining feeling back to all parts of their bodies. Just before they reached the changing rooms, Mrs Richards the head appeared.
"Jason Kent, when you have gotten changed, I need to see you in my office please."
"Yes Miss," Jason replied. "Am I in trouble?"
"No, no, nothing of the sort. Their is a visitor who would like to have a word with you. Be as quick as possible please."
With that, she walked off in the direction of her office.
"What do you think that is about? Wally asked.
"I don't know, I hope it is nothing bad," Jason replied.
Mr Sanders unlocked the changing room door and they hurried in to get changed back into warm school uniform. Jason went and told Mr Sanders Mrs Richards wanted to see him in his office and he was excused to go and find out what was wanted of him.
He reached her door and knocked twice upon it. The door opened and Mrs Richards beckoned him in.
"Jason I would like you to meet Mr Grayson, he has come to ask you a few questions."
The two shook hands.
"Mr Richards, may we be left in private, these are going to be confidential questions and answers?" Mr Grayson asked.
Jason noticed he spoke with an American accent.
"Certainly, I will be in the school office if you should need me," Mrs Richards said, as she left the office, closing the door behind her.
"Ok, well let's start by introducing myself properly. My name is Richard Grayson, my friends call me Dick and I am a friend of your fathers. You may know me better as Nightwing."
"Wow, I never thought I would meet you. What are you doing here?"
"Your father asked Batman to investigate the recent video threat made against you, your dad and your friends. So far, we have come across little of any use. The YouTube channel was created on an untraceable IP and in a clearly fake profile. The only thing we got from the video was that he is clearly younger than his fake voice software is trying to make him seem. We think he may be around your age."
"My age, do you think I may know him?"
"We're not sure. From his language and body movement, it suggests that he has no idea who you are behind your mask, but we can't be to careful. You are to report any suspicious activity to the league. Here take this."
He handed Jason a small case, about the size of his palm. Jason opened it and saw there were four objects inside. Three small devices which looked like ear receivers. The other object was cylindrical in shape and very unassuming. He pulled it out and took a closer look.
"What is this?" he asked.
"Ah this is a very special device. We were sent the specifications from an unknown source telling us to pass the completed design onto you. Batman has put it through extensive testing and believes it is safe. You wouldn't believe how many we had to build to make sure it was. This is now the only one in existence. The instructions told us that we had to destroy the original designs. Obviously Batman tried to take a scan, but it wouldn't copy. No matter what we tried, we just could not copy any of the design."
"But what actually does it do?"
"It is a sophisticated tracking beacon. You get close to your adversary and then you put the flat tip against their body somewhere and then push. It then fires a small microchip into their skin. Then this device will actually allow you to 'lose' the person and then it will teleport you to them, well within 200 metres of them."
"Cool," Jason said.
"Indeed, but it only works once and once only. You need to be certain that when you want to use it is the right time. Make one slip up and you will not be able to try again."
"Of course."
"Anyway, I need to be going, Batman is expecting me back to help him patrol tonight. By the way, I was watching you out on the files earlier and you are really good at rugby. I believe there is a school match going on next week. Are you going to play?"
"Hopefully. Wally, Ben and myself are all going to try and play. You like rugby?"
"Yeah, Batman bought me tickets to the Rugby World Cup a few years ago and it was fantastic, so much more fun than what we play over in the US. Right, I could talk rugby all day, but I do need to go. Good luck, you will find a slip of paper in the bottom of that case explaining more, but it is too risky to speak out loud. I did sweep for bugs, but you can never be to careful."
As they both rose, the door opened and Mrs Richards walked in.
"Oh good, I was about to ask if you were finished. Have you got everything you needed Mr Grayson?"
"Yes thank you Mrs Richards, Jason has been most helpful. Such a model student. You run a fantastic school here. I shall return to the Department for Education with glowing reports."
"You are to kind, thank you so much for coming. Jason would you mind taking Mr Grayson to Reception before you head back to class. I have written a note for you to give to your teacher to explain why you are late."
With that they walked out of the office and down the corridor to the front of the school. Just as they reached the Reception doors, Dick turned and faced Jason.
"Remember, use the resources given to you to the best of their ability. Your friends are there for you to help you, not to hinder. You may think that what I am saying doesn't apply to you, but trust me, it is sound advice and will prove useful one day."
"Thanks, I will take that on board. You have been a great help. Enjoy your trip back to the States."
"We will meet again soon I am pretty sure of it."
Dick turned and headed out of the school and down the path to the road. He moved out of Jason's view and walked towards a broken red telephone box. He stepped inside and pulled the door shut. Turning to the telephone, he lifted the handset and typed a number into the keypad. He waited a few seconds and then replaced the phone. A bright blue light surround him and suddenly the box was empty.
Thousands of miles away another bright blue light appeared and Dick stepped out of it. A mechanised female voice spoke.
"Recognised, Nightwing B Zero One."
Dick looked around at the inside of Mt Justice.
"Dick, you're back!" Tim Drake cried as he spotted his predecessor walk into the cave. "How did your mission go?"
"It went well, I think we have nothing to worry about."
"When will we get to meet them?"
"When we are told that everything has Ben completed."
"When will that be?"
"When the Doctor says."
"Who is he and why are we doing what he says?"
"He is a man who has seen the universe change through great and terrible actions. He has lived for over 900 years and he has worked with Batman on a couple of occasions doing some incredible work."
"You have met him?"
"Only the once, but he left such an impression on me, that I became much more focused and saw this more like Batman, than a game. What we do is serious and dangerous. We need to show to the world that we can be trusted and do our job well."
"But what does he want with the new heroes?"
"There are events in history that are fixed in time. They must always happen regardless of what people think. The Doctor comes from a planet where they protect time and keep it on course to happen as it should. These three new heroes are a fixed event. What they do must and will happen."
"Can we help them?"
"Not directly. If we were unaware of the situation of them being a fixed point, we could help them as much as we like. However, because of our knowledge, we must be careful and clever in the way we help."
At that moment, the two teenager's conversation was interrupted by the cave's holographic screen coming to life and showing Batman on it.
"Nightwing, I trust your mission was successful?"
"It was."
"Good. I need you and Robin to suit up and rendezvous with Green Lantern at the Gotham docks. He needs help in stopping a drugs exchange. Batman out."
The two heroes jumped into action and were soon on their way to aid the Green Lantern.