TITLE: NIGHTMARES

AUTHOR: Natasha Bennett e-mail: nbennett@islandnet.com

RATING: Pg-13

SUMMARY: Robin meets Nightwing for the first time, who is a wanted criminal.

DISCLAIMER: Everything batman belongs to DC comics, Time Warner Productions, and Warner Brothers.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Largely due to the fact that I have not even seen the new animated series, some of my details concerning Robin, Nightwing and Batman may be off. As well, the falling out between Batman and Robin (Dick Grayson) are intentionally different from the show.

Robin stood in front of the shadow before him, his blue eyes starring at it pleadingly. “Don’t do this,” he begged. The rain was dripping very heavily now, running through his brown hair and mixing with the blood on his cheek

A response came from the shadow. A low, dry chuckle. The shadow lifted something which glinted from the moonlight-a gun, Robin could see with growing horror. A slow, angry whisper rose from the streets. The voice of the nightmare, of the monster of nightmares.

“This is what you wanted.”

Robin could see the black gauntlet tense, then pull the trigger. A shot of death stretched out like the shadow’s blowing wing and tore straight through Robin’s chest. Not even his colorful red armor could protect him. Robin reeled backwards from the blast and fell to the ground with a cry of pain. Trash blew besides his deathly pale face. Blood flowed from his green clenched fist which tried in vain to block off the wound. Even before his blue eyes began to fade, they glowed with new, raw hatred. In the space of two heartbeats, Robin’s life had been changed forever.

In the space of two heartbeats, Batman had shot his only partner.

***************************

Dick Grayson’s head jerked up from his pillow with a shout. For a moment, he stared at nothing, gripping his blanket tightly in the darkness. Then reality slowly set in and his rapid breathing soon calmed. With a soft sigh he got out of his small bed and dressed in a white robe. His hand slowly touched the scar just below his heart. “Now I know what every criminal must dream,” he said to himself. It was ironic, that he, the defender of justice, now had something in common with the common psychopaths and criminals he had spent eight years fighting.

He wondered if Batman thought of him as being no better then them.

Angry at himself, Dick’s hand went under his bed. There he found the closed box he always had stashed away. He put it on the bed, turned on the night lamp, and opened the box.

Inside was his familiar costume. He was no longer Robin, the boy wonder. Another had filled that role for him, sooner then he would have ever expected. Another reason for Dick to be angry at Batman. Inside the box was another identity, another life.

He was Nightwing.

************************

Ironically, at the same time that Dick had finally gotten back to sleep to begin another round of the same nightmares, Bruce was also thinking about his ex-partner, and of the past. He really had no choice in the matter-he was in a business meeting that had lasted well into the day. His business partners of Wayne Foundations had been rather less then impressed with Bruce’s negligence. Truth be told, Bruce hadn’t payed the slightest attention with his own affairs during the abrupt leaving of Dick and the even abrupter entrance of Jason. But now his business associates were threatening to pull out, and that could cripple Bruce Wayne (and his alter ego, Batman) financially, at least temporarily. He had long spent weary hours trying to convince them to stay, hours that soon turned Bruce’s brain to mush. And still they pressed on relentlessly.

Then suddenly, he could see Dick leaning behind the accountant’s couch, grinning. “Gosh, Bruce, what are you doing trying to talk to these people? Batman could convince them with a simple toss of his Batarang.”

Bruce blinked and his head jerked up sleepily. He actually made a motion to half-rise out of his velvet green chair.

“Mr. Wayne, is something the matter?” one of the men asked gruffly.

Bruce blinked, then saw that Dick Grayson was gone. He had disappeared like smoke. A simple figment of the past. “No,” Bruce said quickly, sitting back down. Not a second later he jerked up again, for this time he did see something that was very real-the bat-signal. “If you’ll excuse me, gentleman, I just remembered that I had pressing business elsewhere-”

“More pressing then us?” one of the man demanded angrily. “No, Mr. Wayne, we’ll settle this right now, or you’ll have our bills in the morning.”

Bruce sighed heavily. Wrong choice of words. He glanced up one more time at the bat-signal before sitting back down. Then again, a simple toss of his Batarang would solve his problems.

**************************

It was a few hours later before Bruce Wayne could free himself and become Batman. He was now driving the Batmobile towards the Bat-signal. Fast. When it stayed for this long it usually meant bad news. Beside him sat his new partner in crime, Tim Drake, now known as Robin. Batman had to smile a little under his mask. Dick and Tim were clearly as opposite as day and night. Dick was always angry and impulsive on his decisions, a toughness that had come in handy again and again. In contrast, Tim often thought with careful consideration before sweeping into action. Dick’s departure had shattered Batman’s life. Tim’s arrival had glued most of those parts back together.

But there were still a few cracks that could never be repaired.

As the Batmobile arrived next to the Gotham State Police, Batman angrily forced his mind to focus on the task at hand. As one they both jumped out of the Batmobile, black and gold capes flapping in the wind.

“I don’t think Commission Gorden is going to wait much longer,” Robin said with a small smile. He looked up at the roof with his green eyes.

Batman nodded in silent agreement. “Then we should take the direct route.”

Three tosses of the Batarang later (Robin had angled his first wrong and nearly impacted against Batman’s skull on the way down) they were up in the roof. Batman glanced left and right, and finally spotted the familiar flare of a cigarette being puffed. “Commissioner?”

Commissioner Gorden, a man who had been Batman’s friend almost as long at Batman’s faithful butler, Alfred, turned. “I didn’t think you would show up.”

“We were stuck in traffic,” Batman said. “Any word on Two-face?”

Two-face had been the most recent criminal that Batman and Robin had tracked down. Together they had ruined his fiendish plots and crippled his gang. Unfortunately, Two-face had fled with the money before they could catch him.

“No,” the Commissioner said. His voice sounded unusually heavy, and his blue eyes were tired and unfocused. “He’s sunken so low that not even my underworld contacts can’t find him. He may have left the city. That’s not why I called you. We think that a new criminal has come to Gotham city. Someone who calls himself ‘Nightwing’. Assaulted two of my men while guarding the national bank. Tried to leave with some pretty hard cash.”

Robin glanced impulsively at Batman, who’s face was as hard as stone. “What do we know?” Batman asked.

“Not much,” Commissioner Gorden said. “Might be insane. Might just be a petty thief. Whoever he was, he moved too fast for my men to get a good look. Only managed to snap this picture.” He handed Robin a photograph.

Robin stared at it closely. It looked almost like a black cloud. “It’s just a blur!” Robin exclaimed.

“As I said, he moved fast,” Gorden said flatly.

Batman took it and stared at it for a long moment. He said nothing.

“Batman?” Robin inquired.

“Nice costume,” Batman finally said dryly. He handed the picture back to the Commissioner. “We’ll certainly look into it, Commissioner. Any other advice?”

“Just one,” Gorden said, and took a long puff from his cigarette. “The man’s dangerous. He put one of my best men in hospital The other barely had enough time to flash a picture before he died.” The Commissioner’s voice was very flat. “Gruesomely.”

************************

Batman and Robin dropped straight back to the Batmobile. “Should we go to the national bank, Batman?” Robin asked. He was eager to nab this criminal quickly. Anyone that murdered innocent people barely deserved to be in jail.

“No,” Batman said quietly, surprising Robin. He geared the Batmobile into reverse.

“Where are we going!?” Robin demanded, straightening in his seat.

“Wayne Manor!” Batman replied.

*************************

The Batmobile lurched to a stop in the Batcave, the secret hideout of Batman’s that was underneath Bruce Wayne’s Mansion. It was also far out of town.

Robin jumped out of the Batmobile. “I don’t understand,” he protested as he joined Batman. “Why are we back here? Do we need the Bat- computer?”

“No,” Batman said, and turned to face Robin. “Robin, I want you to stay here and track down Two-face. Listen to every signal that comes from the bat-radio. All channels. He can’t stay hidden forever.”

Robin’s green eyes starred at Batman in astonishment. “Two-face is hiding in the underworld. He’s not a threat to anyone for the moment! What we need to focus on is this ‘Nightwing’ or whoever. It sounds like the Commission was really concerned!”

“And he has a right to be. That’s who I’m going to track in the Batmobile,” Batman said.

Robin frowned, not comprehending. “Well, fine. We’ll track Nightwing and then we’ll go after Two-face together-”

“No,” Batman said curtly. “I want you to stay out of this.”

“Excuse me?” Robin echoed. He shook his head. “Batman, you’ve never asked me to hide from anything, not even once. And I’m not going to start now!”

“It’s not your decision to make,” Batman snapped.

Robin glanced up sharply at Batman. “You don’t trust me?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just-” Batman paused for a long moment, then sighed. “I just think it’s just too dangerous for you to handle yet. That’s all.”

“Oh, so now I can’t handle myself?” Robin demanded. He folded his arms. “I’ve gone single-handed against the Joker, the Penguin, and Two-face. You know that! Why are you shutting me out now!?”

“Because it’s something worse then all three,” Batman snapped.

A long pause.

“You know this man,” Robin accused.

“I know of him,” Batman corrected. “The Commissioner is right. This man is dangerous. He’s a very good fighter, almost as good as I am.” His blue eyes stared at nothing for a moment. “I may not have the option of bringing this villain to jail. But I have to try.” He glared at his young partner before leaving upstairs. “And I don’t want you in the cross-fire!”

Robin stood for a long moment in the Bat-cave, before pounding his fist against the wall and leaving the Bat-cave. He left out into the open streets of Gotham city.

**********************

Oblivious to the fact that Robin was rapidly leaving Wayne Manor, Batman slowly took off his cowl and became Bruce Wayne once more. He walked through the mansion, down the steps to the cellar floor, before approaching a metal door. Bruce took off his black gauntlet and put his bare hand on a sensory plate.

The plate lit up, and the door opened. Bruce stepped through it and closed the door behind him. He was in a room that no one knew about. Not Tim, not Dick, and not even Alfred. In it were pedestals with glass cases. In the first was a photo of Batman’s parents. And the gun that killed them. Each and every one of them had a link to his past, a time of buried pains and deep regrets. It constantly reminded him of who he was, and why it was crucial that no one knew of his secret identity. In the ten years of Batman he had broken that rule only five times. And he had regretted it only once.

Batman went to the third and last case. Behind the air-tight glass was Robin’s old uniform, the one that Dick Grayson had once wore. Batman opened the case and took it out. It was torn where the bullet had gone through, and there was dried blood on it. Batman fingered the fabric for a moment. The day before he had disappeared, Dick had sent it to Bruce in the mail. It signaled a lot of things-the fact that Dick had quit. The fact that Dick would never forgive Batman for what he did. Thousands of regrets. Thousands of unspoken words.

Since then Robin, a.k.a Dick Grayson had disappeared from the face of Gotham and the world forever.

Until now.

Angrily Batman threw the uniform onto the floor and left for the Batmobile.

*********************

From the other side of town Two-face was congratulating himself on his new hideout.

It would be the last place his Caped Menace or his little brat would ever suspect-the very place they had arrested him. He was now in his broken warehouse, sitting in an abandoned office. The bag of money was hidden away in the safe, a small consolation to his otherwise humiliating defeat.

“I’m sick of hiding,” Two-face softly said to the silver coin in his hand (a clean face and a scarred face made decisions fairly easy to make). “I’m sick of being defeated again and again. I want revenge for what happened to me. But for now I must hide, yes, hide low until the Bat begins to forget. I must wait for a break, a lucky stroke of opportunity. A lucky-”

Two-face suddenly heard muffled shouts from beyond the door. He lifted his scarred face up, hearing his hired grunts fall to an unknown intruder’s fists. Two-face took out his gun and aimed it for the door. Anyone entering would get a very nasty surprise through the head.

Silence. Then the door opened slowly, deliberately slowly. Two-face kept the gun leveled at the intruder as he slowly entered.

Two-faced gasped in fear. ‘Batman’ instantly jumped into his head when he saw the cloaked shadow. But...no. This one was different. Slightly shorter, with a costume that was dark blue, not black. Burning blue eyes starred openly at him as the masked creature walked slowly, like a predator.

Two-face chuckled and lowered his gun. “Nightwing. Is that your name now? Or would you prefer Robin, the boy wonder?”

The shadow gave a visible start of surprise.

The sound of a coin twinkling. “No, I did not need extraordinary powers of deduction or your Bat-computer to know who you are...or were, batbrat. All I had to do was look into your eyes. They were the eyes of a man who has been seriously wronged, of a man who has been unjustly pushed into the fire and had every aspect of his previous life burned away.” A pause. “They are my eyes.”

Nightwing said nothing, but tilted his head slightly to know Two-face that he had his full attention.

Two-face leaned back. “I warned you, once. We were trapped alone in a burning warehouse. You tried to reach me. You couldn’t through the fire. Remember the last words I said to you? ‘The Dark Knight will destroy your life as easily as he destroyed mine!’ And now I find you, here.” A pause. “Should I flip a coin for your soul, too?” Two-face held up his silver coin in the soft light. “Ah, my boy, we are all pawns of hatred. Me, you-even Batman. All of us wanting to inflict suffering for our pains. Will you strike them down in the name of vengeance, or will you spare them in the name of justice? Are you here to arrest me, or by chance are you here to make a deal, an alliance to destroy the man who wronged both of our lives? Two identities, two choices....one toss.” Two-face skillfully tossed the coin into the air, in the darkness.

Nightwing suddenly snatched the silver coin out of the air just out of Two-face’s grasp. Nightwing lowered his dark clenched fist into the light, and slowly opened his gloved hand.

The scarred side was up.

“My choice was decided the moment Batman shot me,” Nightwing said softly, very softly. “I left justice behind a long time ago.”

Two-face slowly began to smile.

*************************

Robin was furious with Batman.

It wasn’t enough that Batman was shutting Robin out of this case. That he could handle. It was the undeniable sense that Batman was lying to him, a fact that Robin didn’t appreciate too lightly. Tim had grown up in the streets with the punks and, well, the trash. He had taken a lot of things in that life. One thing he didn’t take too well was deception, and lying. Batman lying to him implied a lack of trust.

So Robin decided to earn that trust.

Swinging on his Bat-rope Robin decided to try the national bank. Nightwing had failed the first time. It was possible he might try again. Besides, Robin didn’t really have any other leads.

Stealthily he climbed up the wall of the national bank. He enjoyed the cold, crisp air of autumn. It helped keep him focused. Hot summers were the worst. There were times when having to wear light armor was a drawback.

With a final kick he hauled himself onto the rooftop, silently congratulating himself. Suddenly his trained ears heard muffled shouts, and brief cries of pain. Robin crouched low, keeping himself well-hidden. He lifted his head slightly to see.

When all of a sudden a guard in blue uniform came skidding to a stop next to Robin, having been kicked unconscious. Robin felt for a pulse, then looked up.

Another guard was fighting with a caped man. He was wearing a dark blue costume with leather gauntlets, and something attached to his right wrist. He had no weapon, but after a moment of seeing him fight, Robin could see that he really didn’t need one.

The man fought with a dazzling speed, applying a series of punches and kicks that were almost too fast to see. Every move the poor guard tried to do, the masked stranger seemed to predict and was ten moves ahead. Nightwing easily blocked the guard’s feeble punch, hit him once in the abdomen, and kicked him in the back of the leg. The guard went down on his knees. With one, quick move Nightwing snapped the man’s neck. The guard went down soundlessly, already dead.

Robin lowered his head. Batman wasn’t kidding when he said that this guy was tough. Maybe he should leave before-

A thin, sharp whistle of another guard made Nightwing’s head jerk to the right. Robin stood and snuck up behind the murderer as light as a feather, the debate in his mind over. If he could just deliver one, good hit to Nightwing’s head by surprise then he would be out cold instantly. Robin’s muscles tensed as he was right behind the masked murderer-

Just as Robin struck Nightwing grabbed Robin’s arm and threw him over his shoulder. Surprised, Robin hit the ground with a grunt. He jerked his head up, seconds away from fighting for his very life-

And froze. Before he had not managed to get a good look at the man’s face. Seeing him for the first time, Robin felt his own face give way to recognition and astonishment. He had seen enough pictures around Wayne Manor to know exactly who this way, even with the mask on.

This was Batman’s protégée.

Robin could see the astonishment reflected in Nightwing’s own eyes, before they hardened.

Robin struggled to find his voice, “Oh my god....Dick Grayson???” he whispered.

A long pause. “Oh, swell. My replacement has arrived,” Nightwing said dryly. He turned his head away slightly, then abruptly punched Robin with his clenched fist.

Robin crashed into darkness.

**************************

Robin slowly opened his eyes. He found himself sprawled on a bare floor littered with old newspapers. It was dark, but a dim light told him that he was in a large warehouse that was empty, probably abandoned. He lifted his head.

A dark shadow suddenly blocked out the light. “So. The boy blunder’s awake,” Nightwing said dryly, folding his arms.

“Dick Grayson,” Robin stated. “The legend himself. Or at least you were.”

“Tim Drake,” Nightwing returned. He shrugged. “Barely heard of you until today.” “Batman will find me!” Robin instantly snapped.

Nightwing snorted, a small smile on his lips. “Funny. That’s exactly what I used to say.” He walked away, his boots echoing on the floor.

A long pause. “What happened to you?”Robin demanded, his green eyes very wide. “Why are you doing this!? Why did you murder that man!?”

Nightwing said nothing for a moment, then smiled slightly, but the smile was traced with bitterness. “I guess I had a revelation about a few things,” he said. He lowered his head. “I still have nightmares about him....every day of my life...it just never ends for me. Even when I’m doing good. The nightmares never stop. You know, they should have warned me...the Joker, Two-face, Mr. Freeze...no wonder they all went insane. Some days I honestly think I am.”

A long pause. “Batman?” Jason whispered.

“He...he didn’t tell you, did he?” Nightwing asked. “About what happened.” He shook his head angrily. “No, of course not. He wouldn’t have. He wants to protect you.” His voice was now laced with contempt. “Suffice to say, we had a falling out. Within a day I lost everyone and everything that I loved. I was never the same person ever again. But you should know this. The media had a field day outlining the story of Robin’s departure.” He crouched down until he and Robin were eye-to-eye. “You know, I think we were once the same. Same family. Same names. Same....well, same agenda at least. But looking at you, I see an innocence that I never had. And because of Batman, all I see now...is darkness.” A long pause. “Batman choose well, I guess.” He stepped up and walked away.

Robin stared at Nightwing with a mixture of horror and sympathy. “Being a criminal won’t solve your problems, R-Nightwing.”

Nightwing had to laugh. “Sure making me feel better,” he said. He glared at Robin. “It’s nicer then being a good person. And sure as hell more rewarding. Maybe you’ll learn that someday. Assuming that you live the night, of course.”

Robin stared at Nightwing for a long moment. “Batman talks of you fondly,” he said.

Nightwing paused and looked up. For a moment, he thought he saw a flash of emotion in Nightwing’s scarred eyes. “I know,” he said. Then his blue eyes cleared. “But it doesn’t make a difference. Nothing he will ever do. And after today, I don’t think he’s going to like me much longer.”

“What do you mean!?” Robin demanded.

“I need to get into Two-face’s gang. He has money. I could use that money. But for some strange reason, probably due to my previous profession, he doesn’t trust me. So I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse.”

Robin glared at the dark shadow. “What’s that!?”

Nightwing smiled thinly and drew his head closer. “I’m going to offer them Robin’s head.”

***********************

Two-face had no doubt whatsoever in his mind that Nightwing was working for Batman.

Oh, sure, Two-face was a firm believer of fast changes in a moment of destiny. He had a similar experience when half of his face melted away to acid (thanks to Batman, naturally). He had no doubt that Robin, or Nightwing as he liked to call himself had a similar revelation when Batman shot him. But still, eight years of working with the same man didn’t just fly away with a single misunderstanding of differences. Two-face still had a great deal of goodness in his soul even after his experience, and nothing he could do will ever get rid of it. Just as Nightwing did. Nightwing was on a killing spree, but so what? Even Batman killed, no matter how hard the media tried to hide it. Everyone kills something, whether it was a piece of joy in someone’s life, a person or anything even remotely happy on this cheerful world. They were all disgusting creatures. It was a fact of life.

As for Nightwing, Two-face was sure that he was making a very clever bat-trap.

That is, until the door opened.

Two cloaked figures stepped into the light-Robin, bond and gagged, and Nightwing dragging him mercilessly along. With a look of disgust Nightwing hurled Robin onto the floor in front of Two-face’s boots. Robin lifted his bruised head and struggled without success to free himself.

A long pause as Two-face took a long swing from his cigar. Then, “My apologizes, Nightwing. I should have never doubted you. Not even Batman would put his sparkling new junior partner into my hands just to set a trap for me.” He gestured to Robin. “Take him.”

Two grunts grabbed the struggling Robin, who had managed to work free his gag. “Nightwing, don’t do this! If you do then..argh..then Batman will never forgive you! You’ll never forgive yourself!” he shouted as he was dragged away.

Nightwing looked up mildly at Two-face. “What do you plan to do with him?”

**************************

An hour later, Robin was chained in the air. Below him was a vault of boiling blue acid.

“Okay, this is just ridiculous. Why all the melodrama? Why the over-elaborate plots?” Nightwing asked Two-face in disgust from below. “I never understand that with you people.”

Two-face laughed and clapped Nightwing on the shoulder. “Ah, my boy, in our line of work we seldom have any fun. Look at the boy wonder’s face-the carefully hidden fear, the horrible anticipation, and the slim hope that the Batman will come and save him from a very messy fate. And of course, we’ll do it extra slowly so that our young brat will have time to feel his own feet slowly turn to mush.” He gestured at the metal grating above. “Boys!”

One of the men pushed a button. Instantly Robin slowly began to lower down, ever downwards towards the pit of acid.

“True, but you don’t want him raised so high in the air. At this rate it’ll take hours!” Nightwing pointed out.

“We have time,” Two-face replied. “After he is completely melted, we’ll use the same acid on Gotham City’s national bank.”

“It’s impenetrable from the roof,” Nightwing said. “I tried it myself. How do you plan to get through security?”

“I don’t,” Two-face said cheerfully. “We’ll go on the roof, and melt the ceiling from above the vault. Afterwards security might be difficult but you...ah, with you on our side it should be laughably easy.”

Nightwing turned to Two-face. “There’s just one thing I want to know,” he demanded, starring at Two-face intently. “What’s my cut?”

“Eighteen percent plus interest,” Two-face said.

Robin glanced down at Nightwing, steam blinding his vision. “Help me!” he shouted.

“No,” Nightwing said flatly, then turned his attention back to Two-face. “That’s not what we agreed on.”

“The acid cost more then I imagined. Seems to be in high demand.” He instantly took out his gun and aimed at Nightwing’s head. “Or I could just shoot you right now. I’m fond of hero’s gone bad, but not too much.”

The window above them suddenly exploded in a shower of glass as Batman flew down on his bat-rope and landed firmly on the ground. Batman only had to take one glance at the struggling Robin before his face turned pale with rage. And that rage was directed entirely on Nightwing.

“Seems to me like you have other problems,” Nightwing remarked dryly.

Two-face snarled in rage. “You want to earn more, you take out that winged...critter forever!”

Nightwing tilted his head slightly, starring at Batman thoughtfully. Then he flew after him with a speed that astonished even Two-face.

Meanwhile, Robin’s boots were almost touching the acid. He stared at Batman in fear.

Two of Two-face’s gang were trying to punch Batman, but their blows hit only his chest armor. Batman threw one over the railing, and grabbed the man’s gun just as he was pointing it at Batman. He kicked the man off the stairs, and without thinking, whirled around and pointed the gun straight at Nightwing.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke as hard memories resurfaced for both of them. Assorted emotions were carefully concealed in Batman’s eyes. “Let’s finish this, once and for all,” he said quietly.

Nightwing’s face hardened. “Fine,” he said.

One of Two-face’s men was behind Nightwing. “What are you waiting for!?” he shouted. “Stop Batman now! Do you hear me, man? Stop-” the rest of the words were lost as Nightwing’s fist suddenly connected with the goon, mashing in three of his teeth.

Batman wasted no time and jumped over the railing, heading straight for Two-face. By that time Two-face had taken his gun out. “The brat tricked me!” he snarled. He aimed it straight at Nightwing, who was fighting with eight more men. “We’ll see how he likes getting shot a second time!”

When suddenly the gun was snatched away by Batman. “Shouldn’t play with toys, Two-Face. You might hurt someone,” Batman said calmly. “You’re finished.”

Two-face’s face was half-white with rage. Then he looked up and laughed. “That may be so, Bat-freak, but it’s going to cost you another partner!”

Batman’s face jerked up. He saw that Robin was only seconds away from being melted. And Batman was too far away. “Robin!” he shouted. He tried to aim his Batarang up to the grating above, desperation cracking through his stony blue eyes.

Robin, coughing from the boiling stream and with tears trickling down his cheeks, was only seconds away from death.

A black glove slammed on the red ‘STOP’ button. Robin jerked to a stop. Batman looked up in astonishment.

Nightwing stood on the second level, a darker shadow then the rest of the night.

***************************

By the time Batman had managed to release Robin and brought Two-face to the nearest jail cell, Nightwing was long gone. Robin, on the other hand, was full of questions as they walked away from the jail.

“So all this time he was on our side!?” Robin demanded.

“Yes,” Batman said and reluctantly sighed. “Two-face was about to stage another assault. Many people had already been killed. Nightwing was in the area. He said that he could flush Two-face out.” Batman paused for the longest time. “Nightwing said something about understanding him now. Two-face.”

Robin stared at him in puzzled astonishment. “But the fighting! He murdered a guy-”

“No, Robin,” Batman said gently. “It was staged.”

Robin lowered his eyes. “Staged,” he repeated dully.

“Two-face would have certainly never let Nightwing out of his sight. He undoubtably had sent someone to watch him all the time. And us to make sure that this wasn’t a set-up. The plan worked,” Batman said. His blue eyes under his black mask hardened. “Though, I never once agreed to including you in the plans,” he added angrily. “Any more then I gave you permission to try and stop him. It was reckless and foolish.”

“Because it was personal. I understand that now,” Robin said. He looked down. “He said...that he had nightmares about what had happened.” He looked up, starring at Batman intently with his green eyes. “What you had done to him. Was that a deception?”

A long pause. “I don’t think so, Robin. I think that part was true,” Batman said softly.

Robin looked away. “What did you do?” he whispered.

But Batman did not answer, for he saw a shadow move on the building above. “I’ll be back in a minute,” he said, and with a toss of his Batarang he was gone before Robin could say a word.

***********************

Nightwing was waiting for him, standing on the very ledge of the building. With his back turned to Batman, he was looking down at the busy streets. “I was wondering if you’d ever get here.”

Batman glared at Nightwing. “I told you not to include the boy!”

Nightwing turned to face him. “It wasn’t really my choice. Besides, any person worthy of being Batman’s partner should have been able to handle himself.” There was a slight ironic tone in his voice.

Batman’s voice was very quiet. “You don’t know how much you screwed up and crossed the line. You don’t know what you’ve done.”

“But I do,” Nightwing said, sounding faintly surprised. “And you know what the funny thing is? That really doesn’t bother me at all. I look at you...and I hate you so much that I really don’t give a damn about how you feel.” He blinked. “And that’s what scares me. Because after eight years of fighting by your side, I’m not entirely sure what I would feel if I killed you right now. But I’m guessing probably nothing.” He said nothing more, apparently finished.

And in that sickening moment, Batman knew that Dick Grayson would never become Robin ever again. Batman wasn’t even sure who this stranger was in front of him. Who was Nightwing? Batman couldn’t even begin to guess. Was there anything of Dick left inside? Questions, endless questions filled Batman’s mind. For once, Batman welcomed the darkness as he turned to leave.

“There was another reason why I used Tim,” Nightwing suddenly said from behind him. “I wanted to see how tough he really was. If he could stand up to the endless horrifying forces of evil that awaited him.”

Batman turned to face his former friend, curious in spite of himself. “And is he?”

Nightwing smiled. A very tiny, tiny smile, but it was there nevertheless. “He’s with you, isn’t he?”

Then, he stepped off the ledge and into the shadows before Batman could reply.

THE END.