The gaze of a binocular focuses on a Victorian-style mansion looking for something between the windows. There are screams coming from inside. Two figures appear behind one of the windows. The binocular focuses on this. One of the figures opens the window. He is a middle-aged African American man with gray hair and glasses. Behind him is a young African American with a hoddie on that covers part of his face.
"Victor, I've already told you, now is not the best moment" the old man says.
"Then when is it, Dad?" Victor yells. "I'm tired of this."
The father turns around and looks at his son. He sighs. He also looks tired.
"Alright Vic, you want to talk? Let's talk."
The change in mood surprises Victor, for a second a bit of compassion can be seen in his eyes, but he manages to hide it. "I want to go to Starlabs, I can be useful… instead of rotting in this house."
"Vic, you know it's dangerous for you to go, what happens if…" Silas Stone pauses. He must be careful; he doesn't want to hurt his son. "I just need time to do more tests and here in the laboratory I have all the equipment I need."
Victor remains silent, he expected that answer, however it doesn't make him any less angry. "I get it, you have to keep the monster locked up." Victor spits. With that he turns around and leaves the binocular's view.
"Where are you going?" Silas asks. Victor doesn't respond. Silas sighs and looks out the window, completely defeated. He takes out a pack of cigarettes from his pants and a lighter and starts smoking. The binocular zooms in, focusing on the figure of Silas.
A black car drives through the dark streets of Jump City, its speed just below the limit as if not wanting to attract any attention. Inside, the driver wears a Flash mask and white gloves. Behind them three more men dressed in suits each put on their pair of gloves and load their shotguns. They also wear masks. They are Batman, Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman.
The car slows down and stops outside a grocery store. Flash turns and looks at his fellow thieves. "It's time to rock and roll." The rest of the thieves laugh under his masks.
The robbers enter the store running and screaming with their shotguns in hand. "Everybody freeze!" "Down!" "Move, move!" "Get your fucking hands up!" "We don't want any more heroes here" are the incoherent shouts they utter upon entering. The people in the market panic and scream in fear. Wonder Woman punches a man who tries to escape. Martian Manhunter watches the exit. Batman grabs a young girl and throws her to the ground. "You stay there." Looks at Flash. "Flash the money"
Flash nods and points it at the cashier. "The money now! Now!" The cashier tearfully opens the cash register with her trembling hand and begins to put the money into a bag.
Batman observes the situation, everything seems under control for now. He stands on one of the shelves and pronounces "Hello, hello, ladies and gentlemen, we are the Justice League and we need just a few seconds of your time, we have been screwing you up for years, so a few more seconds I don't think will bother you much." He notices the woman crawling crawl away and shoots her a few centimeters away as if to scare her. The girl lets out a panic screa. "You don't move sweetheart… Flash how we doing?"
Flash looks at the cashier who is still carrying the bag with bills. "Come on, speed!" He tries to hurry her up. "Give me a minute" he yells at Batman.
Martian Manhunter looks outside, he's nervous. "Come on, why are you taking so long?"
Batman is also impatient. "Flash"
The cashier finishes filling the bag with the money, as soon as she does, Flash hits her in the face with his gun. "Got it, Bats"
The thief in the Batman mask smiles and jumps off the shelf. "You see, gentlemen, nothing to fear, and before he arrived…"
His words are interrupted by a sudden cut of the lights. Panic fills the thieves who look around in fear.
"What was that?" Wonder Woman asks. None of the other thieves respond.
"Could it be him?" Flash asks scared.
Batman is also scared, but tries to hide it. He knows what's going on. In a quick and violent motion, he grabs the hair of the girl he had thrown earlier. He grabs her with one hand while with the other he holds the shotgun.
"I swear I'll kill her," he shouts.
He receives no response. The rest of the thieves look at him. Batman throws the girl to the ground and points the shotgun at her. He places his finger on the trigger. He suddenly receives the impact of a batarang to his hand causing him to drop the shotgun and scream in pain. He looks towards the exit where the Batarang came from.
Standing there is the figure of a man dressed in a black Kevlar suit with a blue bird insignia on his chest, two esgrima sticks clutched to his back, black hair, a black mask over his eyes and a smile on his face.
"Nightwing," the girl on the ground breathes, relieved.
"I knew one day you were going to break your no-kill rule, Bats, but I didn't expect it to be today," Nightwing says, smiling cockingly.
A few meters from him Martian Manhunter fires his shotgun at him. Nightwing manages to dodge it with ease. He grabs it and with one quick movement manages to pull it out and hit him in the face with it. Martian Manhunter falls to the floor screaming in pain something about a broken nose. Nightwing pulls out another Batarang and throws it at Flash who was aiming at him.
"Gotta be quicker than that, Flash" Nightwing mocks.
He proceeds to do a cartwheel that summersaults him into a flying kick to an incoming attack from Wonder Woman knocking him up.
Flash and Batman shoot him. Nightwing dodges them with a combination of circus-worthy acrobatics. He manages to get between the two and with a jump hits Flash in the face and kicks Batman in the face at the same time. He lunges at Batman and continues punching him in the face. The thief is completely knocked out and his mask is broken. Finally, Nighwing calms down and the attack stops. He breathes, a little tired after the fight. He gets up and spits at the Batman mask thief.
The civilians around him begin to applaud him. Nightwing smiles and nods a little awkwardly at such a display of respect. The girl shyly approaches him and hugs him gratefully.
"Thank you," she says.
Nightwing nods. "Only doing my job m'dam"
Nightwing is heading towards the exit when he notices a female figure watching him from the street across the street. He can't distinguish her well because of the darkness, only that she is a woman.
His thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the police radio on his communicator. "Attention to all units, we have a murder down at seventh and Perez Street, unidentified murderer." Nightwing cuts the radio and looks back at the figure, but it is already gone.
The study in Silas Stone's mansion is full of police officers. Everyone silently observing the middle of the room. A figure followed by the police lieutenant bursts from the entrance hallway. The police notice him and start whispering among themselves. What is he doing here? Nightwing advances through the police agent who simply look at him, only lowering their gaze when making eye contact with him.
A young police officer stops him. "Whoa-whoa, police scene"
Nihgtwing just looks at him without responding. It is the lieutenant who takes action. "He is with me" he declares. The young police officer rudely steps aside, but not before whispering something related to the similar age between the two.
Nightwing arrives at the center of the study where Silas Stone's corpse lies face down. His head is completely crushed with blows, flooding the floor with his blood. Nightwing kneels beside it, studying the corpse. Remains of the skull and brain protruding from the corpse can be seen.
"The murderer left a message," declares the lieutenant.
Nightwing looks up. The lieutenant points to the wall where "What is he hiding" is written in blood. Nightwing looks back at the corpse.
The lieutenant looks at the medical examiner and asks, "What do we know about the body?"
Nervous, the medical examiner takes a step forward. "He was beaten to death, using a heavy object, what is disconcerting is the bullet found in the body, right in the heart."
The lieutenant raises an eyebrow. "A threat?"
"Or the bullet was what killed him," Nightwing interrupts.
The lieutenant and the medical examiner look at him. "What are you trying to say?" asks the lieutenant.
Nightwing stands up. "The beatings could be a facade, a way of hiding his modus operandi, covering up his identity… or simulating that of another… Do you have the bullet?"
The medical examiner looks at the lieutenant, he nods. The doctor takes out a bag with a bullet in it and gives it to Nightwing who looks at it closely. It is a little larger than normal and with an engraved design. Nightwing presses his mask twice.
"What are you doing?" the lieutenant asks.
"Making an impression, it will be easier for me to analyze it like this," Nightwing responds and returns the bag to the medical examiner.
"Can you think of a suspect?" asks the lieutenant.
Nightwing denies. "Not in Jump." Nightwing pauses to think. "Is there a witness?"
"His son Victor was the last person to see him alive and also who found the body," the lieutenant reports. He turns around, pointing with his eyes towards an adjoining room where Victor is sitting in an armchair surrounded by police officers. He still has his hood up, a look of deep hatred in his eyes.
Nightwing looks at him, feeling a bit of empathy for the victim's son. Victor looks up making eye contact. He stands up and walks determinedly towards the young heroe.
"I can help catch the killer," says Victor.
"How can you do that?" NIghtwing asks intrigued.
"I'm good with technology, I can be useful," Victor declares.
"Do you know anything your father might be hiding?" Nightwing asks.
Victor denies. "No, he didn't tell me much about his work."
Nightwing lets out a breath. "Look, I know that you lost your father, and you are looking for a way to process it, but this is not it, these people are dangerous, you could get hurt." Victor tries to protest, but Nightwing continues. "If you really find something, then I do want you to contact me, until then I want you to stay safe." With that Nightwing turns around and leaves the room.
Victor just looks at him, a little frustrated at being shut down by the hero. The lieutenant approaches and places a hand on his shoulder.
"It's better this way, these people don't usually work as a team."
Victor doesn't respond.
Victor watches as his father's coffin slowly descends underground at the British graveyard of Jump City. The priest's words lost in his ears. He still has his hood up covering part of his face. There is only anger in his eyes. His last conversation with his father still echoing in his memory. His relationship with his father had never been close, but this murderer… no, this monster had taken him away from him and was going to pay for his actions.
The coffin finishes lowering, and people begin to applaud respectfully. A tall man with white hair and glasses approaches Victor and puts his hand on his shoulder. Victor looks at him. His name was Garrison Slate from what he could remember, maybe he had seen him once at his house with his father. Behind him stands a blonde woman that Victor doesn't remember ever seeing.
"Your father was a great man Victor, the best he ever had at Starlabs," Slate says.
Victor just nods.
The woman extends her hand in greeting, but Victor doesn't shake it. "Sarah Charles, Silas Stone was one of my mentors when I joined Starlabs, a truly brilliant man."
"That's what they say," Victor responds with a fake smile.
"Look Victor, with your father's death and the stocks going down, the company is going to find itself in a somewhat fragile situation, and it will be my job to keep it afloat, I want you to be part of my team, work with me, I'm sure the company could greatly benefit from your vision, the same blood as your father," Slate explains.
"Thank you, Mr. Slate, I'll think about it" Victor replies. Although he had always wanted to work at Starlabs, now was not the best time, his mind still wrapped up with the killer.
Slate smiles. "That's my boy, if you ever need me, I'm a call away."
"There is something, by any chance do you know anything that my father could be hiding?" Victor asks
Slate appears to think about it. "No, nothing that occurs to me, I had a very close relationship with your father, everything is on the forms if you want to see," he responds.
Richard Grayson watches the exchange from a few feet away. He is not wearing anything to distinguish him from the crowd of people, just a black suit with a white shirt and black glasses over his eyes. He can't help but feel bad for Victor. He also lost his father at a young age. He just hopes he can help him and that he doesn't end up the same as him.
He alternates his gaze and looks at the rest of the attendants at the wake hoping to find something unusual. His eyes fall on a young redhead who looks at him from a distance. A familiar feeling surrounds her. She is just staring up at him. She is tall with a slight tan to her skin; she is also wearing black glasses. The young woman just turns around and leaves. Richard watches her leave and looks back at Victor who continues greeting different people.
Nightwing is sitting in the Nightwatch looking at a holographic projection of the assassin bullet. He looks thoughtful trying to find something. With his hand he grabs the bullets hologram and zooms in on the engraved design. There is a written word. He zooms in further, but the word is blurred.
"Enhance" he pronounces.
The computer automatically improves the quality of the hologram, making the word in the engraving distinguishable. "Mad mod" spells clearly.
Nightwing smirks. "Gotta ya"
There's a knock at the door at the bar "Jolly ol' England" a typical British pub located in the darkest neighborhood of Jump City. A thug opens the door and looks at the one who knocked.
"He's not going to see you, he's busy," he says and closes the door.
There's another knock. The thug opens the door again.
"Look buddy he ain't talking to…" he is interrupted by a vicious kick to the chest that throws him inside the pub.
Nightwing steps inside the bar. Instantly five thugs come out to meet him. Nightwing takes out his esgrima sticks preparing to engage in combat. Just before the fight begins a scream interrupts them. "Oi, who ei doing all that ruckus."
Nightwing and the thugs watch as one of Jump's biggest crime lords rises from the armchairs, red hair man, buck teeth, a shirt with the flag of the United Kingdom and a cane distinguishes him, or better known as Mad Mod.
"Oi Wings, com´ere and talk to mody, my duckie" Mad Mod says with his distinguishable British accent.
Nightwing puts away his esgrima sticks and looks at the thugs. "Got lucky this time," he says arrogantly. He walks over to where Mad Mod is sitting and sits across from him on one of the couches.
"Anything I can offer you, lad? A biscuit? A pint?" Mad Mod offers. For a second it occurs to Nightwing what would happen if he ordered a cookie instead of a biscuit. Concentrating on what he came from he pushes the thought to the side.
"I'm afraid not, I came here on business" Nightwing explains.
"Oi, I see, please my duckie, enlighten me, how can ol´ mody help ya" Mad mod asks.
"This was found on a murder scene" NIghtwing says as he lays the hologram of the bullet found on Silas body on the table.
"Ya foun´ a bullet?"
"With ya signature" Nightwing explains with a mockingly but stern tone. Suddenly he notices the same redhead he saw at the graveyard sitting at a table with her back turned. He can't be sure, but that hair is definitely hers.
Mad Mod's words snap him out of his trance. "It ay my signature but I sell lat of ´em" he defends himself.
"Who did you sell it to?" Nightming demands getting back on track.
"Ya can't expect a lad to keep tabs on all he sells."
"Who are your usual customers?"
"Contractors usually, hitmen with important targets"
"I think you benefit from the death of the main scientist at Starlabs, after all they are your main competitions in the weapons manufacturers business at Jump, I think you had him sent kill" Nightwins reasons. He has a motive and a method. With the corner of his eyes, he notices as the redhead girl stands up and exits the bar.
At the accusation, Mad Mod just laughs. "Y'la got lot of imagination, Wings, I think you gotta let the detective to ol' Batman"
The comment sets Nightwing on edge as he launches himself at Mad Mod, but a click stops him.
"That my duckie ai British engineering pointing right up ya balls" Mad Mod threatens. Down below the table he has his gun pointing at Nightwing´s crotch.
Nightwing just smirks as he leans back. He better change tactics. He looks around the bar and notices a burned wall at the far corner of the bar. "Something happened here Mod? A fight maybe?
Mad Mod turns around and follows Nighwing´s gaze. "Oi, a gas leak the other day, yunow how it ais". He turns back to Nightwing and looks him right in the mask. "You know Wings, I actually like you, I'm gonna tell you something." He lowers his voice as que pronounces the next part. "Something bad is coming to the city, something beg that will destroy your city, thief making rushed jobs trying to get some coin before it's too late, they feel it too."
Nightwing leans forward. "Who is coming?"
Mad Mod just shrugs. "Sorry mate, that's all I got."
Nightwing looks at the crime lord. He doesn't think he is getting much more out of him. "I'll let myself out" he says as he stands up and walks out of the bar. That was a waste of time.
"Always a pleasure chatting to ya, Wings, c´me back mare often" Mad Mod trails as Nightwing exits the Bar.
The redhead girl is standing right in front of the pub as Nightwing gets out. Quicky in an effort to not be seen she hides behind the nearest lamppost. She waits a couple of second and pokes her head out. Nightwing is nowhere to be seen. Confused she gets out of her hiding spot but before she can take a step forward a figure jumps from above and pushes her to the nearest wall.
"Who are you and why are you following me?!" Nightwing roars as he holds her. This is the first time he can actually watch her up close. She is really beautiful; her face says probably no more than twenty-five years old and decently tall standing at the same height as him. To the silent response from the girl Nightwing pushes her again. "Answer me".
The girl just looks at him. In a quick motion she leans forward and kisses him hard on the lips. Nightwing´s eyes wide agape as he was no expecting that. The heroes guard fall as his hold on her diminishes. The girl breaks the kiss and leans back, now being able to escape.
"My name is Kori Anders and I need your help."
A large figure walks with a hoodie walks along the shoreline of Jump City. Hands in his pockets he walks with a lowered gaze. He is at the base of the Jump City bridge, one of the most dangerous parts of the city.
Three thugs watch him past by and decide they want to have some fun.
"Oi, you got lost, sweetheart?" one of them yells making the other two laugh.
The figure stops dead in his tracks at the provocation. Slowly he turns around and smirks.
"He is coming over" another thug says still laughing.
The figure takes a step to the thugs and stop. He takes off his hood. It´s Victor but half his face is metal with a cybernetic eye in it. A mix between human and machine, a complete cyborg. Victor's metallic arms changes to a sort of canyon. The thugs watch in horror at what they half in front of them.
"What? No clever comment?" Victor asks playfully. "I'm gonna enjoy this."
"In every newspaper, news channel, they all call the Nightwing the great vigilante of Jump City, the one who fights injustice, solves any crime and find any missing person, that is the reason I came to you" Kory says as she gazes at the ocean. The girl turns around and locks eyes with Nightwing. "But now as I look at you, I can only feel the disappointment at your young age, you don't seem much more older than myself" she confesses.
That last comment catches Nightwing off guard as he raises an eyebrow. "I can assure you I am more the capable. Who is the missing person?" Nightwing asks. As soon as Kory had introduced herself Nightwing reasoned outside Mad Mods bar probably wasn't the best place to have that type of conversation, so he offered a nearby pier, their current location.
"My sister" Kory explains. "We arrived at Jump City two weeks ago, she has been missing for five days now."
Nightwing thinks about it. "Last known location?"
"The establishment you came out minutes ago."
"Mad Mods bar?!" NIghtwing asks freaking out a little. This can't be good to this poor girl sister.
Kory just nods timidly. "She said she had gotten a job, and the payment was more than adequate."
Nightwing starts pacing around de pier while he thinks, a habit he does when he is uncomfortable with the decision que must make. The girl has been mission for five days. She is probably dead waiting to be found naked and with a bullet on her head and he isn't keen in delivering the news to this Kory girl.
"Look Kory, this isn't the best time for me, there was a murder yesterday and…
"Is he more important than my sister? So, you are choosing your cases." Kory interrupts.
"What? No, I'm not choosing cases, this case has all the signs of a serial killer who will strike again, I don't have the time… have you even gone to the police?" Nightwing questions.
"They said there is not much they can do"
"Fuck" Nighting murmurs.
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing, sorry, just talking to myself, okey look, I'll take your case, it won't be my first priority, but I'll do it"
Kory beams a smile as she throws at Nightwing in a bone crushing hug. "Oh, I thank you, I was beginning to lose the hope."
NIghtwing just leans a little back, bit uncomfortable with the sudden display of affection. "We´ll be in contact, where are you staying?"
Kory shrugs. "Wherever I can for the night"
"You don't have a house?" Nightwing asks in disbelief. He sighs, he already knows he is going to regret this. "Look if you like, you can stay in my department, I'm rarely there anyway."
"Truly?" Kory asks, another smile begging to appear on her face.
Nightwing´s answer is interrupted by an alarm sound. He checks his watch. "Gun fire, not far from here." He looks back at Kory. "Sorry I have to go."
"It's the okey" Kory says.
Nightwing makes his way out of the pier, not before giving Kory his address. Kory watches him as he drives away in his N-Cycle.
One of the thugs avoids the canon blast from Victor and manages to hide behind a trash can. He is out of breath, panic all over his face. He notices one of his friends lying unconscious on the ground a few meters away from him. Blood all over his face.
"He is crazy" he breaths.
Suddenly the trash can is thrown away. The thug looks up. There standing in front of him is Victor, a smirk on his face.
"There you are."
He raises his canon and aims it at the thug who just closes his eyes expecting the blast, but it never comes. Slowly he opens his eyes. Victor is looking confused at his arm for a canon. He too is surprised it didn't fire.
"What the…" he is interrupted by a short circuit begging in his arms extending all the way to his brain. He screams in pain while he grabs his head. He looks at the screen at his forearm. A "low battery" message appearing.
Taking advantage, the third thug appears and hits Victor with a crowbar to the head. Victor stumbles to the floor. The thug raises his crowbar to repeat the blow but is caught buy Victor who takes it and throws it away. He is furious. He gets up, closes his fist and is about to punch him hard when his blow is caught by Nightwing´s esgrima sticks in an "x" position. They lock eyes. Victor fury fades away.
"This is not the way." Nightwing says as he pushes Victor´s fist back.
Victor just looks at him and gives up. "Whatever" he mumbles as he turns around hands back in his pockets.
"Victor what are you doing?" NIghtwing asks.
"I analyzed the bullet found at Silas body; it was from Mad Mod" Victor explains. "I came here to make one of his goons talk."
"Look at them, they don't know nothing, they can barely talk."
"Fucking junkies" Victor swears.
"I talked to Mad Mod, I don't think he is behind the murder, he is just the one who sold the bullets."
"Then let's go!" Victor yells. "Well make him talk together."
"It isn't that easy Victor, just let me do it my way, give me a week." Nightwing pleads.
Victor thinks about it. He doesn't like it; he wants to be part of the investigation. He finally sighs.
"One week" he says as he turns around and walks away. He doesn't trust Nightwing.
Richard Grayson fully dressed as civilian parks his bike in front of his apartment. He gets off and notices a figure outside the door using a bag as a pillow.
"Kory?" he asks.
The girl looks up making eye contact. "Nightwing?" she asks confused.
Richard nods. "Cmon" he says as he opens the door and lets her in.
Kory is lying down on a bed. As soon as they had entered Nightwing had offered her his bed, something she was thankful and even some clothes to sleep with. Although it's been some time since she has last slept on a bed so comfortable she still can't sleep. Her missing sister troubling her mind. She is beyond grateful at Nightwing for giving her a place to stay, however, she doesn't trust he can find her while his mind is focus on another case. She gets up and off the bedroom.
Richard is sitting in his study. In front of him a holographic projection of Silas crime scene on display. He has been the last hour trying to find something new, something he had missed previously, but he's been empty handed until now. He hears the door open. He turns around and sees Kory.
"Kory?" he asks confused.
Kory doesn't answer. She walks to him and sits on his lap wrapping her legs around his torso and resting her hands on his face. Richard just watches her, not fully knowing what to do.
"Hi" he manages to say rather lamely. Not really smooth.
"Greetings" she salutes back.
Slowly she leans in and kisses him in the lips. He instantly kisses her back resting his hands on her waist, a fully make out session begging.
They make there way to the bedroom where she pushes him on to the bed and positions herself up top. She takes her shirt off and continues kissing him.
A teenage girl is sitting on the floor on a complete white room. Her mind is focused drawing on a paper sheet. She has black hair and snowhite-like skin and is wearing white clothes. The room is completely empty except for a bed with white bed sheets and a black drawer.
A middle-aged woman enters the room. She is wearing a grey suit and glasses on. She looks down to the girl.
"How are you doing today, dear?" she questions.
The girl doesn't look at her, just continues her drawing.
"Fine" she says.
The woman doesn't like that answer but decides not to push it. She forces a smile.
"All right, if you need anything just let me know, okey?"
The girl doesn't answer. The woman turns around and exits the room. The girl continues her drawing.
It's a Raven.
