Gotham City
Amusement Mile Stadium
10:03 P.M.
Saiko pressed the glowing button on the detonator, a thundering sound filled all of Amusement Mile, a huge fireball erupted from below, two thousand people were screaming. The sprinkler system kicked on, it only made things worse.
"Nightwing, the fire is chemical based, it's only making things worse!"
"Get the door open now!"
"I can't!"
"WHY THE HELL NOT!?"
"The stadium controls were over-ridden. The emergency switch isn't working!"
"Son of a bitch! Try to pry them open, anything!"
"Working on it. They're magnetically sealed, this could take a while."
"Damn it! Work harder!"
Nightwing was still hanging over the arena on his grapple line. He looked down and saw all the people banging on the doors trying to get out, others were dead or injured laying in the arena, the c02 level rising. Nightwing looked up to Saiko.
"This is where it ends hero. Back where it all began."
Saiko jumped to the jumbo-tron, Nightwing swung on his grapple and climbed on to meet Saiko.
"I liked your little speech earlier… About confronting the things you don't want to deal with."
Saiko and Nightwing charged each other, Saiko extended both claws as Nightwing pulled out his escrima.
"Of course, that's what all this is about isn't it? I mean if you'd STAYED with Haly's circus in the first place…"
Saiko lunged at Nightwing, he dodged most of the attack but Saiko's claw still found its mark. It sliced through his suit grazing his chest, blood trickled down the front of the suit.
"None of this would be happening."
Nightwing put a hand over the wound, putting pressure on it and catching his breath.
"I don't… know what exactly you blame me for, Raymond…"
"For leaving, Dick… For letting them RUIN me. The night I 'drowned' I wasn't even in the car when it hit the river. Old man Haly staged the whole thing. For months his men kept me isolated, my life confined to darkness surrounded by daggers and claws. Nothing but pain and hopelessness… Until the day I BROKE. Until the day I couldn't feel anything at all. I became theirs… Just another in a long line of kids that were ruined. Ruined when our ringmaster took me. Because that's what the circus really is, Dick. A place that destroys children… Turns them into killers. Except they didn't think I was good enough."
Saiko charged again.
"So they left me in a forest to die, with birds clawing at my eyes."
Saiko lunged with his right, Nightwing ducked.
"But you're Dick Grayson; Nightwing… A HERO. And you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
"Raymond, I have no idea what you're talking about-"
Nightwing grabbed Saiko's wrist and used his own momentum against him, he tossed him off the jumbo-tron.
"But what I do know… Is that killing all these people isn't going to help anything."
Saiko grabbed onto the edge of the jumbo-tron.
"We're about a hundred pounds of magnesium too late for that for that conversation Nightwing. And at this point, you'd have more luck putting out an oil blaze."
"Is that so?"
"Raven, it's a magnesium fire!"
"Got it, Magnesium burns at five hundred and fifty degrees Fahrenheit, extinguishers won't work which explains the rate it's spreading, plus toxic fumes."
"Exactly, so get the doors open."
"I told you I'm working on it! They're magnetically sealed remember?"
"Damn it! We had this planned perfectly, how did he override security? It was working perfectly when I walked out on stage… He has to have an inside… Raven, bond with the crowd, same as the funeral read thoughts, intentions, threats, EVERYTHING!"
"You can't be serious! Nightwing that was barely a hundred people this is over two thousand! Plus not to mention the distractions going on, gas from the magnesium, everyone in a panic, people are dying… There's no way I can…"
"Raven, FOCUS! I know you can do it. Put your hood up, close your eyes, clear your head, meditate…"
"There's no way… All these people are going to die, and there's nothing we can do to save them…"
Raven was doubting herself, she had a habit of doing that in certain situations. Hell, Nightwing doubted himself all the time but never showed that to anyone.
"Rae, listen to me. There's always a way… ALWAYS."
He sounded like Batman.
"Put your hood up, meditate, and focus. You can do this..."
"If you say so…"
Rachel put her hood up and closed her eyes. She heard the screams of panic, the fear, she felt the ones who were dying.
"Too many thoughts… The emotions… It hurts… The pain… You can't imagine the pain…"
"Raven, focus."
Rachel put both hands to her forehead and screamed in pain. Having all those thoughts and emotions in her mind was painful, trying to analyze each and every person in that arena was nearly impossible. She couldn't keep this up. Again Raven tried to search the crowd, find the inside helper. Same result; she screamed in agony as a thousand thoughts and emotions moved through her.
"Nightwing, I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I can't do it. These people are going to burn because I can't do this…"
Nightwing delivered a kick to Raymond, only to put him back in a daze and avoid him from climbing up. Nightwing then looked down to Raven, she had thrown her hoodie to the ground and was on her knees, her head was dropped and she was staring at the ground. She had given up. Nightwing knew he had to do something. He put a finger to his ear.
"Oracle, tell me you're there!"
A voice responded.
"Always there for you former boy wonder."
"Send all GCPD officers, fire response, and medical to Amusement Mile, right now!"
"Already placed the call, anything else you need?"
"I'll let you know."
Raymond had recovered from the kick and started to climb up.
"Look around Grayson, there's no way you can save these people. You may beat me, but these people can't be saved."
"That's where you're wrong Raymond."
"Raven, try again."
"It's pointless. There's no way I can-"
"Yes, you can. You just need a strong enough emotion to counter everyone else's."
Raven put her hoodie back on and began to meditate. She was doing better this time but it still hurt, she still couldn't feel a strong enough emotion.
"It's not working… I still feel…"
"I know. Find a memory. Find a happy memory, one that made you overwhelmed with emotion. It'll block out everyone else's. Please Rae, I need you…"
That made Raven smile, even with everything going on, Nightwing saying that made her smile. Raven closed her eyes a final time, she ran through all the happy memories in her mind. She saw the forming of the Titans, the nights they went out for pizza, the day Cyborg taught her to drive stick. All these memories were happy, she felt the emotion from them but they weren't strong enough. She squeezed her eyes tighter, trying to find something stronger, that's when she found it. She saw a memory she had suppressed and nearly forgot about.
"How we doing Raven?"
"Don't talk. Talking disrupts the memory."
Nightwing was now fighting with Saiko again. Saiko had climbed back up while Nightwing was distracted helping Raven. Saiko was fighting desperately, using his rage while he fought, a mistake. A mistake that made it easy for Nightwing to throw Saiko to the ground.
Raven was halfway done reading the crowd when she felt what she was looking for. She followed it to its source, it was familiar to her; like she had interacted with the person before. That's when she recognized it; it was Raya. Raven opened her eyes and saw as Raya looked around in a panic, then back up to the jumbo-tron to where the two were fighting.
"Nightwing I found it. The inside source… it's Raya!"
Nightwing snapped to attention.
"Seriously Raven, I know how you feel about her but that doesn't give you the right to-"
"Damn it Dick, I'm serious!"
"You really expect me to believe that-"
"It's HER."
"No, it can't be her. You're wrong…"
"Damn it! When have I EVER been wrong when I read minds? When I bond with groups of people? I'm NEVER wrong."
Nightwing knocked Saiko down again. Raven spoke through the bond again.
"I know how you feel about her, but look at the evidence. The clues, pieces that didn't fit before, they didn't fit because she was the one thing neither of us saw… Being close enough to you, that emotion and trust blinded you from what was really happening."
There was a silence, well the people were still screaming in panic but between Nightwing and Raven there was a silence. It lasted for only a few seconds but it was enough for Nightwing to realize she was right.
"Okay, new plan. Get that override switch."
Raven looked to Raya and smirked, she was going to enjoy this.
"With pleasure."
"Raven, don't hurt her."
"Where's the fun in that?"
"Raven, I'm serious…"
"No promises."
"Raven? She's still a good person…"
"Tell that to the dead…"
Raven walked towards Raya, she was standing in the middle of the crowd looking up, watching Nightwing and Saiko fight. The look on her face told Raven she was conflicted, battling herself. Rachel clenched her fist and walked closer to Raya.
"I want the override switch, Raya."
Raya flinched, she turned around and faced Raven.
"What- What are you talking about?"
There was panic in her voice, Raven picked up on it.
"The override switch. I need it."
"Have you lost all sense?! We need to get out of here!"
"Exactly, so give me the override switch, and we can leave."
Raya was still playing innocent.
"What? What override are you talking about? You're not making sense."
"The override switch you're hiding. Y'know, a wireless device with a button, you press the button and the doors that are magnetically sealed open freeing everyone here."
"Why would you think I have a device like that? If I did, I would use it to let us all out of here."
Raven was losing her patience.
"Okay, new approach. Look, I know you're working with Saiko, you're trying to kill Dick Grayson, you will open these doors or I'll be forced to take the override from you."
"Why would I be trying to kill Grayson?"
"For some misguided reason. I can see it in the lines of your face, your thought patterns tell me that you are regretting this decision but at the same time, you want him dead."
"How did you-? Figures, you hero types always travel together. Yeah, that's right, I know all about who Grayson really is. Let me tell you something, you take this override and I'll expose that your boyfriend is Nightwing. You can't stop me Rachel."
"Bet I can."
"What are you going to do, read my mind again?"
Raven gave a semi smile.
"Oh Raya, you have no idea what I'm capable of."
Raven extended her arms at her sides, she flicked her wrists and magic swirled around both hands. She looked up at Raya while her eyes were glowing white. Raya looked terrified.
"The override, NOW!"
"What are you…?"
"Something you can't handle. I won't ask nicely again."
"Fine, take the damn thing. I hope you choke on it."
Raya handed the override to Raven, Raven looked down at it.
"It's code locked, give me the code."
"Never."
Raya charged at Raven, Raven just shifted her weight to one side and Raya fell to the ground.
"Really? What made you think that would work?"
Raven looked down to the override, she looked for fingerprints on the screen to find which buttons were pressed for the locking sequence. Raya grabbed a sharp piece of broken steel from the ground and charged at Raven again. Raven just grabbed her wrist, pulled the metal from her hand and threw it to the ground behind her. Then she brought her knee to Raya's gut knocking the wind out of her, then she encased her hand in magic and placed it on Raya's stomach knocking her to her knees.
"Why are you doing this Raya?"
Raya looked up at Raven, tears were streaming from her eyes.
"Because he abandoned Haly's, his family… He abandoned me…"
"He didn't abandon anyone, his parents were killed, and he was an orphan."
"Then adopted by a billionaire. Why does he have things so easy when the rest of us don't?
"Easy? Easy?! Raya, if you think he's had an easy life then you don't know him at all."
"Oh really? The mansion, the butler, the cars…"
"Raya, do you know how many friends he has seen die? He needs more than two hands to count them. The civilians he has watched get killed and no possible way to save them? The loved ones who have been crippled never to walk again? He has seen more death than any one person should have to witness. He has been kicked down repeatedly, more times than you could count only to get back up every time. He lost so much, failed so many times that he no longer cares if he lives or dies. A few weeks ago I read his mind as he wanted to die… He's broken Raya, and still he tries to save everyone. And you sit here, saying he has had an easy life?"
"He abandoned me…"
"Didn't you hear his speech? He couldn't face his friends, he couldn't face you..."
Raya was quiet.
"Dick said you left Haly's, why?
"B-Because there was nothing left for me here. John and Mary were like my parents, and Dick was… I couldn't-"
"Face the things you'd rather avoid?"
Raya had a sudden look of realization on her face, realization and regret. Raven's anger was starting to escape.
"You're pathetic. Trying to kill someone for doing the same damn thing you did, feeling the same way you did? In that case you should eat a gun, because I've had it with people like you. Blaming everyone else for their problems, but themselves."
Raya had a look of panic on her face, everything Raven had said was true. Raya was trying to consider her options. Raven's anger was still rising.
"Let's get one thing clear."
Raven's eyes were glowing white again.
"The only reason you're not writhing in pain as I crawl my way inside your pretty little head and rip the code from your brain, is because of HIM. HE still cares enough about you that he doesn't want you hurt, and I care enough about him that I respect him, even when I would love to destroy the person that tries to kill him."
Raya was shaking from fear, realization, and regret.
"Now, this is going to work one of two ways…"
She was using Nightwing's intimidation method now.
"You can enter the code and save everyone in here… Or, I can crawl my way inside your mind and enjoy your screams as I pull the code from your mind, and as you resist it hurts more, and on my way out I'll implant the emotion of everyone in here leaving you in such an emotional mess that you'll be so overwhelmed, that it overloads your limbic system, leaving you emotionally numb and unable to feel anything ever again. And I hope to Azar that you choose the more painful one."
Raya was frozen in fear, she wasn't even shaking anymore.
"What's it going to be Raya? Is this really want you want, families being torn apart because of some misguided jealousy?"
Raya reached her hand out, signaling for the override. Rachel handed it to Raya, Raya looked up with tears streaming down her face. She watched as Saiko tackled Nightwing to the ground as the two continued to fight. Nightwing was starting to stand again, blood still running from his chest and lip. Saiko standing over him with blood running from his nose.
"Damn it Raymond, these people are your friends!"
"Friends? You mean like Bryan Haly? Or Raya?"
Dick stood on his feet.
"Come on Dick, at least tell me you saw that one coming? The whisper into old man Haly's ear to come back to Gotham on the anniversary. The whispers into yours to put on the show…"
"Bastard…"
"That's right little Dickie… Raya and I are in this together. Willing to do whatever it takes for this to FINALLY end."
Raya put a finger to the override switch.
"No, not like this Raymond…"
Raya entered the code and the stadium doors opened, everyone charged out the door to the EMT's and police waiting outside. Raven used the psy-link.
"Nightwing, doors are open. Whatever you're going to do, do it fast."
"Got it. Is everyone out of the arena?"
"Everyone but Raya and I."
"Grab her and clear out now, you don't want to be down there in about thirty seconds."
"On it."
Raven put magic restraints around Raya's wrist and they both ran to clear the stadium. Raymond looked down to see the stadium empty.
"What?! What is she-?"
"Looks, like you've got her pegged wrong Raymond…"
"Nightwing, you're clear!"
Nightwing distanced himself from Saiko and loaded a pellet into his gauntlet, he turned towards one of the steel cables supporting the jumbo-tron and fired the pellet. It cut through the cable dropping one side of the ninety ton scoreboard. The entire jumbo-tron began to fall. Nightwing grabbed Saiko and jumped from the scoreboard beginning a free fall.
"Hang on!"
The scoreboard hit the ground, falling through the floor to the old catacombs buried beneath Amusement Mile. The fire was knocked into the catacombs, the sand that filled them extinguished the flames in the arena. Some of the fire still burned in the catacombs but without fuel they would soon die.
Nightwing fired a grapple line to stop his free fall.
"Well, what a clever little hero we've become. But knocking the fire into the catacombs isn't going to change how this all ends."
Saiko reached up and cut the grapple line with his blades. Nightwing and Saiko began a free fall into the catacombs.
"No!"
Raven flagged down an officer and told him about Raya's part in the attack, about how she helped plan and seal the doors. Another officer approached Raven from behind.
"So, you're the new girl."
Raven turned around to face the officer.
"I'm sorry?"
"The new girl. GCPD was told that the Bat had brought another one into his little group. I assume you're her?"
"Uh, yeah. That's me. The name's Raven"
"Raven huh? What is it about you guys and flying creatures?"
Raven didn't answer, she didn't like this part of the job. Talking to cops wasn't exactly her specialty, hell, talking to people wasn't her specialty.
"Well, thanks for the help. Anyone else in there?"
"Just Nightwing. He's trying to stop Saiko; the guy who started this whole thing."
"Psycho, huh? Well, at least he's honest."
"It's Saiko, not psycho. It's Japanese slang for 'the best'.
"Great, another know it all that has to correct us."
The other officer cut in.
"That's enough, go make sure the EMT's treat everyone."
The other officer just rolled his eyes and walked away.
"You hurt Raven?"
"No. I'm good."
"Okay, thanks again. We'll handle it from here."
Raven started to walk away when she heard Raya.
"Why you? What makes him sacrifice everything for you? What makes him push everyone away except you?"
"For the record Raya, he does push me away. He ignores and suppresses all of those feelings, we both do. We have to."
"He still cares about you, I see it every time he looks at you, so why you? What do you have that I don't?"
"The thing you lost… His trust."
Raven started to walk away, as she walked she telepathically spoke to Raya.
"If you care about him as much as I know you do, you'll keep his secret safe."
Raven just walked to the crowd to help anyway she could. Nightwing climbed out of the catacombs panting, out of breath. He reached for a broken barrier to help him climb out. Saiko kicked him in the chin from behind the barrier, Dick collapsed to the floor.
"A valiant effort Dick. You managed to swap death by flames for death by asphyxiation. I'm sure the masses are grateful."
In one move Nightwing stood and landed an uppercut on Raymond that would have dropped The Man of Steel.
"You've got a lot of things wrong, Raymond."
Nightwing walked towards Saiko who was still laying on the ground.
"When it comes right down to it, you're no different than all the other crazies in this city, the victim complex and everything. Always looking to blame someone else for your actions."
Raymond started to get up.
"Well, you know what? I'm tired of it. You think all of this terrible stuff happened because I left Haly's? Fine, believe that. But we both know it's not true."
Saiko was breathing heavy, still a little dazed from the uppercut.
"Except- Except you're forgetting one little thing; the name that was in their selection book. That's right, Dick. They didn't want me, they wanted YOU!"
Dick stepped back in shock.
"Until the night your parents died and you ran away with a BILLINONAIRE!"
Saiko charged Nightwing.
"Until the night they came for ME instead!"
Saiko dove, trying to tackle Nightwing into the catacombs. Nightwing shifted his weight, grabbing Saiko but by the underarms and tossing him over his head.
"You were right earlier Raymond, this does end right here."
Saiko fell into the hole in the ground, the fire still burning below. Nightwing watched as Raymond fell, for a split second he wanted to see Raymond fall into the fire. Wanted him to pay for attacking Haly's. Then he came back, reminded himself what he was fighting for.
"But not the way you want."
Nightwing fired his grapple at Raymond, it shot through his calf and extended, dangling Raymond over the fire. Raymond looked up at Nightwing.
"No… You don't get to save me…"
Saiko cut the cable with his claw.
"No!"
Nightwing watched as Saiko fell into the catacombs engulfed in flames, until his body was out of sight. Nightwing turned and walked out of the arena. Raven was sitting on the back of an ambulance with her hood down, paramedics were checking to make sure she didn't inhale too much smoke. Rachel watched as Nightwing walked out of the arena limping, suit torn on his right bicep, cuts on his chest from the blades. Rachel stood up and walked towards him, he had his head down so he didn't see her approach.
"How bad?"
"Not bad. Think it's just a bruised bone. Fell two stories, my leg broke the fall."
"Here."
Rachel lifted his arm and laid it across her shoulders, she took as much of his weight as she could.
"Thanks, Rae."
"Water?"
Rachel reached into her hoodie and pulled out a bottle of water, Nightwing took it and finished it one sip. They walked to the ambulance and sat him down on the bumper.
"Where's Saiko?"
Nightwing looked down.
"Dead."
"Dead? You didn't…?"
"No, part of me wanted to, for attacking Haly's. But I tried to save him. He cut my line and fell into the fire."
"Damn, what a waste… Did you at least learn who he was?"
"Yeah. His name is- was Raymond McCreary. He used to be my friend."
"Your friend…?"
"Yeah, we trained together. We used to run parkour races in the train yards whenever the train stopped for supplies."
"And he tried to kill you why?"
"Because he blames me for his actions, same victim complex everyone else in this city has."
"That sounds familiar."
Nightwing looked up and saw Raymond's body being loaded up and taken to the morgue. He looked back to Rachel.
"What about you? Hurt?"
Rachel almost smiled, she caught the concern in his voice.
"Few scrapes, nothing major. Paramedics already checked out my lungs, made sure I didn't inhale a lethal level of fumes."
Nightwing just nodded.
"What about you, breathing okay? Nausea, fever, chills, shortness of breath? You were in more manganese oxide than I was."
"Lungs are burning a bit, been in worse for longer. I'll be fine."
"If you say so."
There was silence for a few minutes, the two just stood watching as paramedics moved from person to person and checking injuries.
"Casualties?"
Rachel didn't want to tell him, she knew he would take it personally and blame himself.
"Forty three. Forty one civilians, one EMT and…"
She was quiet, looked to an EMT nearby and nodded. He walked over to them with a body bag and a stretcher, Nightwing looked over to Rachel and she looked away. Nightwing stood up and unzipped the body bag. Rachel felt the anger swirling, she watched as Nightwing clenched both fists.
"Jimmy…"
Rachel looked back to Nightwing.
"He ran back in to save a little girl… He got her out but he was blinded by sand after the scoreboard fell… Too much manganese oxide. By the time he made it out it was too late…"
Rachel nodded and the EMT took the body away. Nightwing was clenching his fists even tighter now. Rachel looked at Nightwing, he was trying to keep from losing it. Rachel put a hand on his shoulder and spoke to him through the psy-link.
"Dick, I'm so sorry. If I knew he went back in I would have..."
"Don't, just don't."
Nightwing sounded like Batman again.
"He saved a girl's life Dick…"
"And if I hadn't dropped the scoreboard, he'd still be alive… I killed him, Rae…"
"Don't. Don't do that to yourself!"
He couldn't contain his anger anymore. Nightwing looked up and saw an officer walking Raya to a squad car in cuffs, Nightwing began to walk over to her, Rachel knew not to get in the way. He made it to the officer, he gave him a look, the officer nodded and walked away.
"The officers said you confessed, that you did all this to help Raymond. Why? I need you to help me understand, why?"
Raya didn't say a word, she just looked at Nightwing with anger in her eyes. Nightwing began to show his temper.
"Just explain it to me, and I'll help you however I can."
Still no answer, Nightwing lost it.
"Damn it Raya look around! People died because of you! Jimmy is dead because of you! You remember Jimmy don't you? The guy who threw you a surprise party for your tenth birthday!"
Again Raya didn't answer.
"WHY RAYA! I WAS YOUR FRIEND! I TRUSTED YOU!"
Nightwing raised his fist, before he could release it his forearm was trapped with magic. Rachel was holding his arm in place. Nightwing lowered his arm and called the officer over, Raya looked aat him one last time, this time it was sadness. Nightwing turned to walk away.
"Enjoy your next twenty years at Blackgate. It's better than the body bag you deserve…"
Nightwing was halfway back to Rachel when a police sergeant approached Nightwing.
"Excuse me, Nightwing? The owner of Haly's would like a word with you and Raven."
Nightwing just nodded and called Rachel over. The two of them walked to the trailer that C.C. Haly called his office. Nightwing stood on the bottom step staring at the trailer door, Rachel knew what he was thinking. Nightwing touched the door with his hand.
"Last time I was on this step, I was a scared little kid being taken away by a man I didn't know."
Rachel was quiet, wasn't sure of what to say. Nightwing looked down.
"Haly was like the cool Uncle everyone needs, I haven't seen him since I left."
"Do you need a minute?"
Nightwing looked to Rachel.
"No. If I needed a minute I'd turn and run. Put your hood up."
Nightwing took a breath and walked up to the door, he knocked and opened it. He and Raven walked in, Nightwing was taken back. The trailer looked the same as it did the night he left, nothing had changed. Same old posters, same lights, even the furniture was the same.
"Mr. Haly?"
Whatever reminiscent tone or memories Nightwing had were gone, he was back to being Nightwing instead of Grayson. The man turned around, he was in his seventies but still looked to be as tough as the day Dick had left the circus.
"Nightwing. Raven. I wanted to thank the two of you personally for saving this circus."
Nightwing did the talking, as always.
"It's what we do Mr. Haly."
"Well, I'm glad you both were here tonight. Especially during the anniversary of my best friends' deaths."
Raven spoke this time.
"Forty three people were killed Haly. Including one performer."
"I know. I got the full report for an officer. The performer's name was Jimmy Clark. He was going through a divorce and just got diagnosed with lung cancer."
Raven could feel Nightwing's emotions, he wasn't showing any emotion but she knew it bothered him. Raven used the psy-link.
"It's okay Dick, I'm here."
Nightwing broke the silence.
"Well Mr. Haly, it's time for us to move on."
Haly smiled.
"Sure you can't stick around a little more?"
"Love to, but we need to head out, other things to do."
Haly smiled and shook Nightwing's hand.
"Well Dick, I'll miss you."
Raven's eyes got wide. She looked to Nightwing who had the same surprised look on his face.
"How-?"
"Ah Dick… You've grown. But there's some things that don't change. Like the sight of a Grayson flying through the air, can't hide it."
Nightwing looked to Raven.
"Wait outside?"
"You got it."
Raven turned and walked outside, she leaned against the trailer to let the two of them talk.
"So, how long have you known?"
Haly smiled again.
"I've always known. A billionaire playboy adopts you then three days later I over hear cops keeping an eye on the circus talk about how Batman found an eleven year old boy who tracked down the man who killed his parents. You were never one to sit around and wait."
Dick was quiet, didn't know how to respond.
"Then about six months later, a kid about your age at the time was seen with Batman calling himself Robin. To anyone else it's just another name, but to me? That's what Mary used to call you; 'her little Robin'. I suspected who it was all along, then tonight as I saw you move through the air, only a Grayson can move like that."
"So, for eleven years you knew who I was, what I do?"
"I did."
The room was quiet, nobody knew what to say, until Haly saw as Nightwing was watching Raven outside. She was digging through his bag for the keys to his bike. Haly saw and smiled.
"You may have a mask on but you have the same look on your face your father did every time he looked at your mother."
"She's important to me, Haly."
"Well Dick, I won't keep you. I'm sure you have other things to take care of."
"Yeah, have to look into some recent developments."
"I'll miss you son. You're always welcome here."
"Thanks Haly."
Nightwing turned and opened the door, he nodded to Raven and she handed him the keys. The two of them walked through the parking lot, watching it clear out of EMT's and other civilians. Nightwing climbed on and passed a helmet to Raven. He started the engine and began driving through the city when Raven heard Nightwing talking, but not to her, he was talking into his earpiece.
"Nightwing here. Hey Zatanna. Yeah, I know he's missing."
There was a pause, Raven's interest piqued.
"It's okay Zatanna. I'm sure he'll be back by the time I get to the cave. Yeah I'm headed there now. I'll dig through his files if he's not back by the time I get there. A week. He's done this before, he always comes back. If I was worried I'd have called. Okay, I'll call you when I get to the cave. Nightwing out."
Nightwing ended the call and stared at the road as he drove back through the city. Raven tapped Nightwing on the shoulder.
"Batman is missing?"
"He's not missing, he just went dark and didn't tell anyone where he was going."
"That's the definition of missing."
"He's fine. Zatanna is just over-reacting and upset that I didn't tell her."
"This is kind of a big deal. Do you know how I'd feel if you just up and disappeared?"
"You'd track me with the psy-link. You've done it before"
"Not the point Grayson."
There was silence.
"Aren't you worried about him?"
"Damn it Rae, of course I'm worried. I get worried every time he disappears even though he always does this. I can't show it because I have to TRUST Bruce is okay, for everyone else's sake. Alfred, Barbara, Tim, Katie. Even Jason. I have to stay strong for them, they all have to believe he's okay."
"So when Alfred went back to the Manor it was because…"
"He was waiting for Bruce."
"And when you said Batman wouldn't show up it was because he was missing too?"
"Yeah."
"Shouldn't we find him?"
"We're heading back to the cave, if he's not back by the time we get there I'll dig through his files. See what he was working on, I have access."
Nightwing revved the engine and picked up speed on his way back to the manor.