Rachel was standing in the armory with Nightwing. All four walls of the room was covered with equipment and spare suits. In the center of the room was the same training gear that Dick had used in Titans Tower. Except now it seemed more damaged and run down. Like someone had trained harder and faster each and every time he had used it. Raven remembered the time Richard had lost to Slade, he'd spend days in the dojo at the tower until his gloves had worn down and the others had to stop him before his knuckles bled.
"Here, put this in your ear."
Nightwing handed her an earpiece and began pulling equipment off the walls
"Uh, Dick? We don't need these to talk. The psylink links our minds remember?"
Raven was holding the earpiece in her hand just staring at it.
"It's not for us Raven. It's so you can hear mission updates."
He finished grabbing equipment and had grabbed his escrima sticks. Raven put the earpiece in her left ear and pulled her hood up covering up her face. Nightwing shut off the light and moved the secret panel back over the wall to the armory. The untrained eye would never see the opening.
As they walked down the hall to the elevator Dick spoke up about the mission.
"Remember protocol? Never use real names, no matter what. Even if we are alone, anyone could be listening in."
Raven was adjusting the earpiece in her ear making sure it wasn't uncomfortable. They were both silent as they rode up to the roof in the elevator, Raven was getting her emotions under control. Nightwing was trying to pinpoint where firefly would strike first. Firefly was more dangerous than he was smart. They reached the roof of the building; the city was dark but far from quiet. There were police sirens in the distance and the usual police chatter on the radios around Bludhaven.
"I don't see or smell smoke. I don't think he's here yet"
Raven said while scanning the horizon of Bludhaven.
"We need to get to St. Eustace Church; it's in the middle of Bludhaven. There's a three hundred sixty degree view from the top."
Raven flinched at hearing Nightwing say they had to go to the top of a church.
"A church? Damn it.
She swore under her breath. After all, she was the daughter of a demon.
"I'll get the wing cycle. You can ride along or follow over head. It's up to you. Either way we're headed to St. Eustace."
Raven wasn't thrilled with the idea of riding with him. She knew how he drove back when they were Titans.
"With as… entertaining as that sounds, I'll fly."
Raven began levitating over the roof. The breeze was making her cloak ripple. Nightwing hit a switch on the opposite side of the one that activates the elevator. The same small garage raven saw when she arrived opened; she could only barely see the wing cycle. The shadows hid it from wandering eyes.
Nightwing lowered himself to street level and looked up to Raven.
"Keep below roof level. If Firefly is here and sees you it'll complicate things. We get separated, use the psylink to find my location."
Without waiting for a response Nightwing climbed onto the bike and sped down the street towards St. Eustace; Raven following close behind. As they crossed over Littleneck Narrows Bridge she saw him put his index finger up to his left ear but just figured he was adjusting his earpiece from the wind. Nightwing could hear Raven's voice in his head.
"See anything? It's still all clear up here."
"No."
His response almost seemed cold and emotionless, for a second Raven could have swore she saw Batman riding below her. Raven had never spoken to Batman, or seen him in person but heard the stories. Now she realized who Richard had become. The very person he swore he would never become, half the reason he left Gotham all those years ago. Rachel saw who Bruce guided him to become.
"The Church is in sight. Head up to the top I'll be right behind you."
Nightwing parked the bike at the base of church behind a dumpster, hidden from view. Nightwing grappled up to the highest point of the church. Raven was sitting on the tower Nightwing had just grappled up to. He was kneeling on one of the corners while she was on the opposite one.
"I'm getting chills just sitting up here. How do you do this every night?"
She asked Nightwing as he was scanning the horizon. Raven crossed her arms holding them tight against her body to try and stop the chills from creeping up her spine.
"Cold doesn't bother me. Not anymore."
His responses were still emotionless. It seemed like all he cared about was the mission and finding firefly.
"It's not the cold. Well not all of it. The problem is that I'm sitting on top of a church. The irony is almost too obvious."
Nightwing walked to the adjacent corner of the tower looking for any sign of Firefly. A silhouette in the night sky, smoke from a flame, screams of panic or even a bright orange glow from the flames. Raven looked over and could have sworn she saw a small smirk. Maybe it was her imagining things.
"You may be the daughter of a demon Raven, but everyone gets to choose who they become."
He looked over towards Raven and stared into her eyes as she stared back. Raven thought to herself that the look on his face right then, was what made her melt every time back when they were Titans. That determined but caring expression. She could have sworn she saw his blue eyes shining under that mask.
"Raven? You okay? You seem distracted."
She almost jumped up from where she was sitting. The look he had distracted her, gave her mind time to wander.
"Yeah. Just meditating. This city, Bludhaven I mean it seems wrong. Like there is something here that keeps the city shrouded in darkness."
"This place is hopelessly lost to corruption and violence and injustice. That's why I like it here. When you die in Bludhaven, going to hell is considered a promption"
He walked back over to the opposite side of the building. Raven could feel the darkness inside him again. She wanted to find the person he once was when they were Titans.
"Do you ever think about the past? Specifically when we were Titans back in Jump city?"
Again a small smile appeared on his face.
"Sometimes. I remember us. Just us versus them. Simple as that. Some headcase started acting out his criminal fantasy. And we were there to bust heads. The good old days. Gone forever. Remember?"
Before Raven could answer she heard him talking again, but this time it wasn't to her. She looked up to see his finger in his ear.
"Oracle, its Nightwing. Confirm on that, Firefly is in Bludhaven I have eyes on. Looks to me that he has attacked Bludhaven fire department, alert Gotham fire department and send everything they can spare."
Raven looked to where Nightwing had his eyes locked to see smoke and an orange glow. Then she could hear what sounded like a female voice in her ear.
"Nightwing message received. And Nightwing… be careful."
"Raven! We gotta go!"
They both took off towards where the smoke was coming from. She was flying, he had taken to the roof tops. Before they got even halfway there Firefly had moved onto the next building; Bludhaven police department. Without even stopping to look over at Raven he spoke up.
"Raven you go to the fire department and do what you can to help. I'll track Firefly and stop him at the police department before he finds another target."
Raven stopped in mid air and put a mystic wall in front of him.
"What the hell?!"
"We can save people faster if we both go to the fire department. Help get the crew out and then they can go fight fires faster."
"No. We go together he finds more targets and more people get put in danger, we both go after Firefly those people burn. We split up; you can save the fire department and get the crew out while I stop Firefly at the source. It's a win win Raven."
"Fine. But I'll be in your head the entire time. If your emotions get too out of control I'm opening a portal and coming to your location."
Raven dropped the barrier and flew off towards the fire department while Nightwing went to intercept Firefly at the police department. Raven could hear Dick's voice but it wasn't coming from the psylink; he was talking to Oracle again.
"Oracle, heading to intercept Firefly he has chosen his next target to be the police department. Let me know when Gotham sends those reinforcements."
By the time Nightwing got to the police department Raven had saved all of the fire fighters and was helping to smother the flames so they could get the trucks out. Nightwing rushed into the head quarters, by the time he got in the entire HQ had been set ablaze. He noticed three police officers lying on the ground. They didn't make it. He recognized all of them.
"Yoskai? Dine? John? Can anyone hear me?"
Raven could feel his anger even though she was still at the fire department. She could hear what he was thinking.
"How could anyone survive this? No. Don't give up. I can't give up"
"Nightwing, your temper."
"Raven, enough. I know what I'm doing."
They didn't need the earpieces, the psylink always made sure they could sense each other and talk to one another telekinetically.
Nightwing found Firefly on the top floor. Firefly was in his fireproof armor with his bug looking mask. Before Firefly even saw him, Nightwing leapt through the flames tackling Firefly to the ground, pinning him to the ground. A wooden beam fell from the ceiling forcing Nightwing to roll away releasing Firefly. Firefly turned to Nightwing and shot at him using both flamethrowers. Nightwing being the master acrobat he is flipped over the flames and twisted in between the spray of fire that was being directed at him. He got close to Firefly again and grabbed him by the shoulders.
"You better hope that's not the best you got"
Nightwing then swung his elbow hitting Firefly against his chin knocking Firefly off balance. Firefly recovered spraying flames all through the room. Nightwing hid under an office desk that wasn't yet on fire. Firefly yelled over the sound of the flames.
"Burn all the way to hell hero!"
The stream of fire ended and Nightwing picked the desk up over his head ready to throw it.
"News flash, Firefly."
Nightwing threw the desk at Firefly.
"I'm already there!"
Firefly ducked to avoid the desk which was now engulfed in flames. Raven was on her way to the police department because she felt Nightwing's anger growing and his thoughts getting darker by the second. She hoped she wasn't too late. Firefly was almost in a panic.
"What're you-trying to kill me?"
Firefly looked over at the desk then back to Nightwing.
"The capes in Gotham don't kill, no one's ever-"
Firefly then realized who he was up against.
"Wait a minute, Wait a minute… You're that Bludhaven guy, you-"
Nightwing emerged from the flames without even showing the slightest injury.
"You're the one who killed Blockbuster…!"
As soon as Nightwing heard that his temper reached its highest point. He lunged at firefly knocking him over in one punch and started repeatedly punching Firefly. Raven appeared behind him, she didn't hear the part about Blockbuster but she knew his thoughts were dark. She watched as Nightwing kept punching figuring that he would stop but he never did. The right goggle of Firefly's helmet shattered exposing his eye.
Rachel put a hand on Nightwings shoulder.
"Nightwing stop! You're out of control. He's beaten."
"Damn it! He deserves this! Those were good people down there. Then this bastard torches them alive. He deserves everything he's getting."
Firefly had gone unconscious; he passed out from the massive trauma of repeated shots to the head. Raven put a shield around Firefly and pulled Nightwing off of him.
"Don't you see what you're doing? This isn't you!"
Firefly had come to and attacked Raven while the two were busy arguing, which only infuriated Nightwing more. He grabbed Firefly and shoved him against the wall.
"Don't you ever hurt her!"
Nightwing pulled out a wing-ding and stabbed it into the fuel tank on Firefly's back. Fuel and compressed gas began leaking into the room.
"Raven get out of here! Now!"
"No. I'm not leaving without you. I'm never leaving you!"
"Damn it Raven, we don't have time for this!"
Nightwing grabbed Raven by the shoulders and threw her out the window to get her to safety knowing she would either fly or open a portal to land safely outside. Nightwing then rushed over to Firefly and ripped off the apparatus that held the fuel tank and flamethrower to his back. Nightwing crossed the room to see Raven on street level along with Gotham and Bludhaven fire department working on putting out the fire. Nightwing threw Firefly down onto the safety mat. Just as Nightwing jumped free of the building the compressed gas caught fire and the building exploded into a giant fireball sending Nightwing flying through the air.
"NIGHTWING!"
Raven screamed and put a magic sphere around Nightwing while he was still in mid air. Raven flew him to a safe rooftop where she dropped the magic sphere to inspect his injuries. Nightwing was unconscious and covered with second degree burns from his face down to his torso and finally his right leg. Raven could feel that his heartbeat was slowing down. She knew he wouldn't last long like this and then remembered the earpiece.
"Oracle? This is Raven, Nightwing is injured and unconscious his heartbeat is slowing rapidly. I need help."
It didn't take long for Barbara to respond.
"Raven? But what are you-? Nevermind, where are you?"
Rachel could tell that Barbara had more than just a friendly concern in her voice.
"Near Bludhaven PD, Nightwing took down Firefly and the building exploded while he was on the way out."
Bludhaven and Gotham fire departments were working to contain the fire as Rachel was still kneeling over Nightwing's body.
"Nightwing has a tracker in his suit I need you to activate it. There should be a button on his right gauntlet, it's located on the underside of his forearm. Just be careful you don't hit the wrong one. If you do there will be a shock of a hundred thousand volts."
Rachel found the button and a blue ring started flashing around it.
"Coordinates received Raven. Batwing is on its way for medical evac back to the batcave."
A few seconds later the batwing appeared over head. Raven loaded Nightwing into the batwing and crawled in herself."
"All clear. Get us out of here!"
"Copy Raven, batwing programmed to bring you both back here. We'll be waiting."
The batwing's afterburner came on and the batwing began to fly towards Gotham City.