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Description
"MOVE!"

On the acrobat's call, the cats jumped backwards and to opposite sides, while Nightwing jumped for the rooftops. He ran as fast as he could towards the distant shine on the shadow. Something was reflecting light on them!

As soon as he reached the shadow drenched figure though, it jumped back and up onto another rooftop.

This guy was good!

The acrobat took the minute moment to swing out his grapple and follow them up and across a few more rooftops. Nightwing wasn't blind to the fact that as soon as his feet hit the third rooftop that his breaths were coming out in shallow gasps. Barely noticeable of course, so he'd keep going. He wasn't dead yet.

The figure kept running, but there-!

The shadow stumbled and the hero took the opportunity, shooting out his grapple and catching the enemy by their foot. Dick heard the tear of cloth and flesh, but he didn't get to contemplate it for long because the enemy tore the wire from their leg and jumped into a darkened alley.

It was always a creepy dark alley with these guys and the so called criminal-geniuses always used abandoned warehouses either by the docks or outside the city. Couldn't criminals do anything new?

He was quick to follow as he swung his grapple around to catch the top of a nearby light pole. Who was this?

Silence was Nightwing's only answer as he landed in the center of the alleyway. Everything was deadly silent, even to his sensitive Bat-hearing. Whoever that had been-he was gone.

Cursing mentally, the hero breathed a deep breath and retracted his grapple line, but he stopped it when he noticed that there was a stain of blood on the edge of the hook.

Dick smirked. Instant ID!

"Nightwing!"

The guy glanced up just as the black themed felines landed behind him.

"Alright, how come the Bats can run faster than us?" Catgirl asked.

"Where are they?" Catwoman asked, her whip already out.

"Whoever they are, they're long gone. Relax."

"Who the heck is this guy?" Kitrina said while stomping her pink booted foot against the mix of pavement and dirt below them.

"I don't know," Dick said, "I know how to find out though."

With that he held up the end of his grapple, the blood was easy to spot.

"We still need to go get Spoiler."

Nightwing sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "Only if we could get there fast."

The blue and black clothed hero turned to see the Bat-Signal still shining against the clouds of the night.

"What about the Batmobile?"

Dick turned to stare at the young girl in shock, "The Batmobile?"

"That's why I know that Batman and Robin didn't go back to the Manor, at least, not on their own," Selina explained, "The Batmobile is still out from their last patrol of the city, parked by Crime Alley."

Ugh, that place, but still, this did give them a slight advantage. For only a moment, Nightwing looked back down at the object that he had caught earlier, still grasped in his left hand was a Batarang-coated with Mercury. This wasn't Batman, or at least, this wasn't Bruce Wayne.

"Let's go!"

"We get to ride in the Batmobile? Sweet," Kitrina said with smirking eyes.

Catwoman rolled her eyes behind her goggles. What was she going to do with this kid?

Good thing the visiting hero knew how to overcome the lock-down security system to the Bat-themed vehicle.

Always good.

--------------------------------------------

Retrieving Spoiler had been easy and simple. Trying to get to police HQ with the buses driving all over the city was another thing. The jets on the previously flying Batmobile had been spayed, so Dick had readjust the normalcy of driving it on the ground other than in the air. What he would've done for a flying Batmobile when he was Robin...

"Her breathing's back to normal," Catgirl reported from the back.

Yeah, the physical state of Stephanie was- well, the acrobat would have to reflect later. They were at police HQ now.

Nightwing ordered the felines to remain the Batmobile while he took to scaling the building; once his feet left the ground he heard the soft scoff from Catwoman.

"You're just like him."

Bruce.

Crap. It had just occurred to him that he'd have to make an appearance at Gotham General later as Dick Grayson and that meant-uh, the paparazzi. His stomach was already turning.

He landed on the high rooftop in his quiet way and slightly shivered silently, when he glanced up, he saw that Gordon was alone, his back to the hero.

"He's not here."

The man jumped and spun around, his eyes going wide beneath his hat, "Son, do you mind not doing that to an aging man?"

"You're not that old," Nightwing said with a smirk before his mouth fell back down into a neutral line, "I need to know what you do."

"The same to you son, I haven't heard about you from anyone for a few weeks. You just now showed up."

The blue and black clothed hero walked closer, his neutral, strait-lined mouth falling into a frown, "I was in the Strata II galaxy, a mission for the Justice League."

"I thought you weren't in the League."

Dick hoped his mask hid the twitching of his right eye, "It was a favor for Superman, but it's not important at the moment. What's happened to Gotham?"

"Scarecrow."

"So I've deduced."

"You take after him well."

The hero tightened one hand into a fist, why was everyone comparing him to his first mentor? It must be a conspiracy; they were obviously out to get him.

"Scarecrow's attack happened exactly seven days and eight hours ago."

Dick remembered the clock he had passed previously; it must currently be near midnight, which means Scarecrow attacked in broad daylight!

"Yeah, I can tell by your face that you got it."

Crap. Maybe he should think about redesigning his mask. Oh well, time for that later.

"It sure surprised us," Gordon continued while stepping over to the Bat-Signal light and turning it off, "I didn't know what to do. Especially since Barbara's went missing like a few dozen others in the city."

"Who all is missing?"

Gordon smirked, "I knew you would ask that."

From inside his coat, the commissioner pulled out a large filing folder, stuffed with papers. Did he have a freaking giant pocket inside that thing? The scene's hero wasted no time in taking the folder and scanning the pictures inside over.

Barbara Gordon-Batgirl.

Kate Kane-That he knew indefinitely. Batwoman.

Dr. Langstrom-Man-bat.

The other civilian identities of the Bat-Clan followed. He'd have to get Spoiler into the hospital as Stephanie ASAP, but then, why the others that followed in the mash-up?

The owner of a gardening store.

A hotel manager.

Some homeless people.

A baker from a local cupcake factory.

Even a shoemaker.

What was this guy's game?

The elder must have seen the confusion on the hero's face, "Yeah, it makes no sense to me either. When I got back from the hospital, my daughter was gone and our place was trashed."

When Nightwing glanced back up he only watched in sad sympathy as the guy ran a hand through his grey hair. It must have been because Barbara was on the list now.

"I'll do what I can. In the meantime, it's better if you remain here."

Gordon glanced towards the ground, took a deep breath and then looked back up. The hero was gone, and the folder was sitting atop the now off Bat-Signal.

"Things never change."

--------------------------------------------

Nightwing slipped back into the Batmobile with a huff. What in the world was going on?

"What'd he say?" Kitrina asked instantly.

A look from her mentor made Catgirl sink back into the back seat. She glanced to each side at the air, and then she reached out over to the violet costumed vigilante beside her to feel for a pulse. It was still weak.

"What's the plan now?" Catwoman asked.

"You, your protégé and Spoiler there will have to show up in you civilian forms at Gotham General. I'll drop you off so you can keep an eye on Stephanie and then I'll join you later once I find somewhere to keep the Batmobile."

"OK."

At least the felines weren't fighting him on this, though Selina seemed awfully disturbed into silence.

The run to the hospital was a quick one and as Nightwing was observing the below scene on a nearby rooftop, watching doctors run out and rush Stephanie inside, he had the sudden urge to look in on his own family. He hoped Damian was alright-

And he still didn't know how fully Bruce and Alfred were hurt. Maybe if he just slipped in for a moment-

The sounds of gunfire exploded in the distance.

So much for that plan.

Dick turned away from the hospital and dove off the side of the roof. He'd need to find a hotel somewhere after he found a secure location for the Batmobile. But where?

The Batcave was sealed and his own previous-

Wait! That could be it!

The top of the Batmobile closed just as the idea hit him.

Wayne Tower! He and Damian had moved there from the manor when they had been the Dynamic Duo. Perhaps Bruce hadn't closed it down yet, but then again, that sounded exactly what Bruce would do, quite quickly in fact. Well, at this point, it may be his only single chance.

Gunfire exploded again nearby.

OK, after he stops this act of violence.

--------------------------------------------

Running around in a skin tight blue and black costume and beating criminals in the darkest of night to a squirming, melted pile of goo?

Sure! He was on it!

Showing up as the eldest child of Gotham's local geocentric billionaire at the hospital at this time?

Please no.

Unfortunately, Dick didn't have much of a choice when he walked up to the hospital doors and a large group of vulture-looking reporters spotted him. One woman ran up a bit faster than the others, sporting a black business skirt and top and nearly shoving her microphone down the poor guy's throat.

"Dick Grayson have you received any word about the condition of Bruce Wayne?"

Another microphone jutted out towards him, some tanned skin fellow.

"When did you receive word of this happening?"

And another-

"Are you currently in a relationship with one of your fellow officers in the BHPD?"

What the hell?

"Boxers or briefs?"

What!

He tried to hide the eye twitch as he walked through the crowd. Ignore them…

"Would you recommend young boys grow up to be police officers?"

Ignore them.

"That's enough questions!" a voice yelled from behind the group.

Thank goodness it was the Bats' Doctor, thank you Dr. Leslie.

The elderly woman, who had been the insured doctor of the Bat-Clan for years on end, pushed her way towards the hero and yanked him through a doorway into the back hallways.

"Where are they?" were the first words out of Dick's mouth.

"Follow me," Leslie said with a sigh, "I assume you're going to tell me where you've been for the past few weeks."

"The Strata II Galaxy."

Did he have to make a billboard and hang it around his neck? If people kept asking him-

"You're here."

He hadn't even noticed that they had reached the room so quickly and in the doorway was Selina Kyle, Catwoman.

That's when an old lightning bolt struck Dick's mind and he mentally cursed for it not coming to him sooner, "Where's Damian?"

And initiate the worried but pissed off older brother look.

"He's still sleeping, two doors down."

He doubted that. Dick's blue eyes followed where Leslie was pointing and nodded thanks. The doctor nodded and left the bird and cat alone.

"Where's Kitrina?"

"Inside."

"How are they?

Selina closed her eyes with a silent sigh, "They're alive."

The cat moved to the side and Dick felt a sudden pull on his mind. If Selina and Kitrina were watching Bruce and Alfred then he really should check on Damian first, the boy was alone at the moment. Gritting his teeth, the acrobat glanced inside the room long enough to acknowledge that Bruce and Alfred were inside and indeed alive, but completely out of reality at the same time.

Comatose. Definitely.

"I'm going to go check on Damian, you and Kitrina stay with Bruce and Alfred."

The cat nodded sharply and Dick turned away from the room, favoring the room two doors down. Of course when he opened the door, he shouldn't have been surprised. The boy that he remembered was sitting up on the hospital bed, legs crossed, and staring at the ground.

Had the fear toxin been cleared from his system yet or-?

"It's about time you got here Grayson."

The younger jerked his head up swiftly and glared at the man in the doorway.

Despite the burn that came with it, Dick felt an instant wave of relief. Damian was back to normal. Although, it looked more like Damian wanted answers from him now.

"I've been waiting for two hours. Where the hell were you?"

"Scouring the city for whoever is doing this."

The boy on the hospital bed sat up strait and moved his legs so they were hanging off of the side. Dick took it as an invitation to cross the room and sit down next to him.

"Damian I need to know. What's happened?"

"Why do you even care? You haven't been here."

Damian kept glaring and crossed his arms over his chest. Dick just smiled slowly and reached out to ruffle the boy's head. The kid slapped his hand away afterwards.

"Grayson, if you do that again I will disembowel you!"

Dick laughed quietly. Same old Damian. He hadn't changed a bit.

Alright, a compromise then.

"A few weeks ago, Superman asked me to lead a team on Glandton Five, in the Strata II galaxy in their Galactic War."

"I thought you quit the Justice League."

Dick huffed and cross his arms over his chest, mirroring the boy in front of him, "It was a favor to Superman."

"Right, you obviously didn't read the letters I sent you."

The letters! That was right, due to all his missions with he never did get to read ANY of his mail.

"They had my suspicions in those letters. My father started acting…strange. He wasn't paying attention to Gotham and I started noticing an odd wave of crime by the Scarecrow. I knew he was going to try something."

"And Bruce was-"

"I don't know!" Damian shouted and Dick had this parental urge to tell him to be quiet since they were in the hospital.

Maybe the younger read it on his face because the younger stopped shouting, "He kept leaving the Manor and the city and wouldn't tell me, his partner, anything."

The elder hero frowned in sad sympathy and reached out to rest a hand on the younger's shoulder. It would be a stupid move for anyone who Damian didn't respect. Thankfully, the elder kept his arm attached.

"And when you two were chasing Jason with the cats?"

Damian's frown changed to a scowl, "They already told me what happened when you showed up."

Dick sighed. So while a few questions were answered but there a few points he needed to still make clear.

"After Catwoman and Catgirl left you two, what happened?"

"I don't know, that's when I was nearly unconscious," Damian huffed and fell back onto the pillow, "I know my Father was fighting something though. Then everything just got…twisted."

Twisted? Probably Damian's version of frightening.

Wait! Fright-

"The Fear Toxin," Dick muttered.

OK. There was no way that this was all done by the Scarecrow. Jonathan Crane was NOT capable of doing all this. At least, he wasn't capable of accomplishing all of this on his own. He must be working with someone else. It would also explain why that mad man back in Bludhaven had been scared/crazy out of his wits. The fear toxin was connected to the Mercury-coated Batarang then. He'd have to analyze the Mercury substance. He was now certain that he would find traces of the Scarecrow's Fear Toxin within it.

"Any other questions?"

The young boy was only half-glaring at him now.

OK. So the boy didn't know much either, but it didn't answer some questions. Very few, but some nonetheless. Only one more thing was a curiosity to the elder hero though-

"One more question."

Damian's gaze transformed back into a glare, "What?"

"I can only assume that you were hit with one of those Mercury coated Batarangs this guy was using."

The boys eyes grew slightly, yep he remembered that much at least, "Yeah. So?"

"I know how the toxin affects its victims. It's rare you're capable of rational thought, but you obviously were rational enough to get out of Gotham and make your way to Bludhaven."

"Tt. Obviously. Are you going to get to the point Grayson?"

"Why did you choose to come find me instead of calling someone else for help?"

That caused the boy to freeze for a few moments and his blue eyes grew slightly yet again, "I-I don't know. You were reliable I guess."

Up went one of his eyebrows.

"Look, I knew you and Father had some awkward times but you always came around to help when he asked. You're so nice you probably rescue cats from trees in Bludhaven."

"Well…"

"Shut it. I knew I could count on you to help but I sent the letters because I- I didn't want to appear…irrational at jumping to conclusions."

Dick smiled and reached out and ruffled the boy's hair again.

Damian growled under his breath, "You better sleep with your eyes open."

That's when the door opened and Doctor Leslie walked in, "May I talk with you Dick?"

The man nodded, smiled a last grin at his 'baby brother' and visually scanned the window. It wouldn't hurt to leave for just a few moments, right? No, he shouldn't take the chance.

"Go stay with Selina and Kitrina."

Strangely, the kid didn't even protest, just did as he was told.

Description
"MOVE!"

On the acrobat's call, the cats jumped backwards and to opposite sides, while Nightwing jumped for the rooftops. He ran as fast as he could towards the distant shine on the shadow. Something was reflecting light on them!

As soon as he reached the shadow drenched figure though, it jumped back and up onto another rooftop.

This guy was good!

The acrobat took the minute moment to swing out his grapple and follow them up and across a few more rooftops. Nightwing wasn't blind to the fact that as soon as his feet hit the third rooftop that his breaths were coming out in shallow gasps. Barely noticeable of course, so he'd keep going. He wasn't dead yet.

The figure kept running, but there-!

The shadow stumbled and the hero took the opportunity, shooting out his grapple and catching the enemy by their foot. Dick heard the tear of cloth and flesh, but he didn't get to contemplate it for long because the enemy tore the wire from their leg and jumped into a darkened alley.

It was always a creepy dark alley with these guys and the so called criminal-geniuses always used abandoned warehouses either by the docks or outside the city. Couldn't criminals do anything new?

He was quick to follow as he swung his grapple around to catch the top of a nearby light pole. Who was this?

Silence was Nightwing's only answer as he landed in the center of the alleyway. Everything was deadly silent, even to his sensitive Bat-hearing. Whoever that had been-he was gone.

Cursing mentally, the hero breathed a deep breath and retracted his grapple line, but he stopped it when he noticed that there was a stain of blood on the edge of the hook.

Dick smirked. Instant ID!

"Nightwing!"

The guy glanced up just as the black themed felines landed behind him.

"Alright, how come the Bats can run faster than us?" Catgirl asked.

"Where are they?" Catwoman asked, her whip already out.

"Whoever they are, they're long gone. Relax."

"Who the heck is this guy?" Kitrina said while stomping her pink booted foot against the mix of pavement and dirt below them.

"I don't know," Dick said, "I know how to find out though."

With that he held up the end of his grapple, the blood was easy to spot.

"We still need to go get Spoiler."

Nightwing sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "Only if we could get there fast."

The blue and black clothed hero turned to see the Bat-Signal still shining against the clouds of the night.

"What about the Batmobile?"

Dick turned to stare at the young girl in shock, "The Batmobile?"

"That's why I know that Batman and Robin didn't go back to the Manor, at least, not on their own," Selina explained, "The Batmobile is still out from their last patrol of the city, parked by Crime Alley."

Ugh, that place, but still, this did give them a slight advantage. For only a moment, Nightwing looked back down at the object that he had caught earlier, still grasped in his left hand was a Batarang-coated with Mercury. This wasn't Batman, or at least, this wasn't Bruce Wayne.

"Let's go!"

"We get to ride in the Batmobile? Sweet," Kitrina said with smirking eyes.

Catwoman rolled her eyes behind her goggles. What was she going to do with this kid?

Good thing the visiting hero knew how to overcome the lock-down security system to the Bat-themed vehicle.

Always good.

--------------------------------------------

Retrieving Spoiler had been easy and simple. Trying to get to police HQ with the buses driving all over the city was another thing. The jets on the previously flying Batmobile had been spayed, so Dick had readjust the normalcy of driving it on the ground other than in the air. What he would've done for a flying Batmobile when he was Robin...

"Her breathing's back to normal," Catgirl reported from the back.

Yeah, the physical state of Stephanie was- well, the acrobat would have to reflect later. They were at police HQ now.

Nightwing ordered the felines to remain the Batmobile while he took to scaling the building; once his feet left the ground he heard the soft scoff from Catwoman.

"You're just like him."

Bruce.

Crap. It had just occurred to him that he'd have to make an appearance at Gotham General later as Dick Grayson and that meant-uh, the paparazzi. His stomach was already turning.

He landed on the high rooftop in his quiet way and slightly shivered silently, when he glanced up, he saw that Gordon was alone, his back to the hero.

"He's not here."

The man jumped and spun around, his eyes going wide beneath his hat, "Son, do you mind not doing that to an aging man?"

"You're not that old," Nightwing said with a smirk before his mouth fell back down into a neutral line, "I need to know what you do."

"The same to you son, I haven't heard about you from anyone for a few weeks. You just now showed up."

The blue and black clothed hero walked closer, his neutral, strait-lined mouth falling into a frown, "I was in the Strata II galaxy, a mission for the Justice League."

"I thought you weren't in the League."

Dick hoped his mask hid the twitching of his right eye, "It was a favor for Superman, but it's not important at the moment. What's happened to Gotham?"

"Scarecrow."

"So I've deduced."

"You take after him well."

The hero tightened one hand into a fist, why was everyone comparing him to his first mentor? It must be a conspiracy; they were obviously out to get him.

"Scarecrow's attack happened exactly seven days and eight hours ago."

Dick remembered the clock he had passed previously; it must currently be near midnight, which means Scarecrow attacked in broad daylight!

"Yeah, I can tell by your face that you got it."

Crap. Maybe he should think about redesigning his mask. Oh well, time for that later.

"It sure surprised us," Gordon continued while stepping over to the Bat-Signal light and turning it off, "I didn't know what to do. Especially since Barbara's went missing like a few dozen others in the city."

"Who all is missing?"

Gordon smirked, "I knew you would ask that."

From inside his coat, the commissioner pulled out a large filing folder, stuffed with papers. Did he have a freaking giant pocket inside that thing? The scene's hero wasted no time in taking the folder and scanning the pictures inside over.

Barbara Gordon-Batgirl.

Kate Kane-That he knew indefinitely. Batwoman.

Dr. Langstrom-Man-bat.

The other civilian identities of the Bat-Clan followed. He'd have to get Spoiler into the hospital as Stephanie ASAP, but then, why the others that followed in the mash-up?

The owner of a gardening store.

A hotel manager.

Some homeless people.

A baker from a local cupcake factory.

Even a shoemaker.

What was this guy's game?

The elder must have seen the confusion on the hero's face, "Yeah, it makes no sense to me either. When I got back from the hospital, my daughter was gone and our place was trashed."

When Nightwing glanced back up he only watched in sad sympathy as the guy ran a hand through his grey hair. It must have been because Barbara was on the list now.

"I'll do what I can. In the meantime, it's better if you remain here."

Gordon glanced towards the ground, took a deep breath and then looked back up. The hero was gone, and the folder was sitting atop the now off Bat-Signal.

"Things never change."

--------------------------------------------

Nightwing slipped back into the Batmobile with a huff. What in the world was going on?

"What'd he say?" Kitrina asked instantly.

A look from her mentor made Catgirl sink back into the back seat. She glanced to each side at the air, and then she reached out over to the violet costumed vigilante beside her to feel for a pulse. It was still weak.

"What's the plan now?" Catwoman asked.

"You, your protégé and Spoiler there will have to show up in you civilian forms at Gotham General. I'll drop you off so you can keep an eye on Stephanie and then I'll join you later once I find somewhere to keep the Batmobile."

"OK."

At least the felines weren't fighting him on this, though Selina seemed awfully disturbed into silence.

The run to the hospital was a quick one and as Nightwing was observing the below scene on a nearby rooftop, watching doctors run out and rush Stephanie inside, he had the sudden urge to look in on his own family. He hoped Damian was alright-

And he still didn't know how fully Bruce and Alfred were hurt. Maybe if he just slipped in for a moment-

The sounds of gunfire exploded in the distance.

So much for that plan.

Dick turned away from the hospital and dove off the side of the roof. He'd need to find a hotel somewhere after he found a secure location for the Batmobile. But where?

The Batcave was sealed and his own previous-

Wait! That could be it!

The top of the Batmobile closed just as the idea hit him.

Wayne Tower! He and Damian had moved there from the manor when they had been the Dynamic Duo. Perhaps Bruce hadn't closed it down yet, but then again, that sounded exactly what Bruce would do, quite quickly in fact. Well, at this point, it may be his only single chance.

Gunfire exploded again nearby.

OK, after he stops this act of violence.

--------------------------------------------

Running around in a skin tight blue and black costume and beating criminals in the darkest of night to a squirming, melted pile of goo?

Sure! He was on it!

Showing up as the eldest child of Gotham's local geocentric billionaire at the hospital at this time?

Please no.

Unfortunately, Dick didn't have much of a choice when he walked up to the hospital doors and a large group of vulture-looking reporters spotted him. One woman ran up a bit faster than the others, sporting a black business skirt and top and nearly shoving her microphone down the poor guy's throat.

"Dick Grayson have you received any word about the condition of Bruce Wayne?"

Another microphone jutted out towards him, some tanned skin fellow.

"When did you receive word of this happening?"

And another-

"Are you currently in a relationship with one of your fellow officers in the BHPD?"

What the hell?

"Boxers or briefs?"

What!

He tried to hide the eye twitch as he walked through the crowd. Ignore them…

"Would you recommend young boys grow up to be police officers?"

Ignore them.

"That's enough questions!" a voice yelled from behind the group.

Thank goodness it was the Bats' Doctor, thank you Dr. Leslie.

The elderly woman, who had been the insured doctor of the Bat-Clan for years on end, pushed her way towards the hero and yanked him through a doorway into the back hallways.

"Where are they?" were the first words out of Dick's mouth.

"Follow me," Leslie said with a sigh, "I assume you're going to tell me where you've been for the past few weeks."

"The Strata II Galaxy."

Did he have to make a billboard and hang it around his neck? If people kept asking him-

"You're here."

He hadn't even noticed that they had reached the room so quickly and in the doorway was Selina Kyle, Catwoman.

That's when an old lightning bolt struck Dick's mind and he mentally cursed for it not coming to him sooner, "Where's Damian?"

And initiate the worried but pissed off older brother look.

"He's still sleeping, two doors down."

He doubted that. Dick's blue eyes followed where Leslie was pointing and nodded thanks. The doctor nodded and left the bird and cat alone.

"Where's Kitrina?"

"Inside."

"How are they?

Selina closed her eyes with a silent sigh, "They're alive."

The cat moved to the side and Dick felt a sudden pull on his mind. If Selina and Kitrina were watching Bruce and Alfred then he really should check on Damian first, the boy was alone at the moment. Gritting his teeth, the acrobat glanced inside the room long enough to acknowledge that Bruce and Alfred were inside and indeed alive, but completely out of reality at the same time.

Comatose. Definitely.

"I'm going to go check on Damian, you and Kitrina stay with Bruce and Alfred."

The cat nodded sharply and Dick turned away from the room, favoring the room two doors down. Of course when he opened the door, he shouldn't have been surprised. The boy that he remembered was sitting up on the hospital bed, legs crossed, and staring at the ground.

Had the fear toxin been cleared from his system yet or-?

"It's about time you got here Grayson."

The younger jerked his head up swiftly and glared at the man in the doorway.

Despite the burn that came with it, Dick felt an instant wave of relief. Damian was back to normal. Although, it looked more like Damian wanted answers from him now.

"I've been waiting for two hours. Where the hell were you?"

"Scouring the city for whoever is doing this."

The boy on the hospital bed sat up strait and moved his legs so they were hanging off of the side. Dick took it as an invitation to cross the room and sit down next to him.

"Damian I need to know. What's happened?"

"Why do you even care? You haven't been here."

Damian kept glaring and crossed his arms over his chest. Dick just smiled slowly and reached out to ruffle the boy's head. The kid slapped his hand away afterwards.

"Grayson, if you do that again I will disembowel you!"

Dick laughed quietly. Same old Damian. He hadn't changed a bit.

Alright, a compromise then.

"A few weeks ago, Superman asked me to lead a team on Glandton Five, in the Strata II galaxy in their Galactic War."

"I thought you quit the Justice League."

Dick huffed and cross his arms over his chest, mirroring the boy in front of him, "It was a favor to Superman."

"Right, you obviously didn't read the letters I sent you."

The letters! That was right, due to all his missions with he never did get to read ANY of his mail.

"They had my suspicions in those letters. My father started acting…strange. He wasn't paying attention to Gotham and I started noticing an odd wave of crime by the Scarecrow. I knew he was going to try something."

"And Bruce was-"

"I don't know!" Damian shouted and Dick had this parental urge to tell him to be quiet since they were in the hospital.

Maybe the younger read it on his face because the younger stopped shouting, "He kept leaving the Manor and the city and wouldn't tell me, his partner, anything."

The elder hero frowned in sad sympathy and reached out to rest a hand on the younger's shoulder. It would be a stupid move for anyone who Damian didn't respect. Thankfully, the elder kept his arm attached.

"And when you two were chasing Jason with the cats?"

Damian's frown changed to a scowl, "They already told me what happened when you showed up."

Dick sighed. So while a few questions were answered but there a few points he needed to still make clear.

"After Catwoman and Catgirl left you two, what happened?"

"I don't know, that's when I was nearly unconscious," Damian huffed and fell back onto the pillow, "I know my Father was fighting something though. Then everything just got…twisted."

Twisted? Probably Damian's version of frightening.

Wait! Fright-

"The Fear Toxin," Dick muttered.

OK. There was no way that this was all done by the Scarecrow. Jonathan Crane was NOT capable of doing all this. At least, he wasn't capable of accomplishing all of this on his own. He must be working with someone else. It would also explain why that mad man back in Bludhaven had been scared/crazy out of his wits. The fear toxin was connected to the Mercury-coated Batarang then. He'd have to analyze the Mercury substance. He was now certain that he would find traces of the Scarecrow's Fear Toxin within it.

"Any other questions?"

The young boy was only half-glaring at him now.

OK. So the boy didn't know much either, but it didn't answer some questions. Very few, but some nonetheless. Only one more thing was a curiosity to the elder hero though-

"One more question."

Damian's gaze transformed back into a glare, "What?"

"I can only assume that you were hit with one of those Mercury coated Batarangs this guy was using."

The boys eyes grew slightly, yep he remembered that much at least, "Yeah. So?"

"I know how the toxin affects its victims. It's rare you're capable of rational thought, but you obviously were rational enough to get out of Gotham and make your way to Bludhaven."

"Tt. Obviously. Are you going to get to the point Grayson?"

"Why did you choose to come find me instead of calling someone else for help?"

That caused the boy to freeze for a few moments and his blue eyes grew slightly yet again, "I-I don't know. You were reliable I guess."

Up went one of his eyebrows.

"Look, I knew you and Father had some awkward times but you always came around to help when he asked. You're so nice you probably rescue cats from trees in Bludhaven."

"Well…"

"Shut it. I knew I could count on you to help but I sent the letters because I- I didn't want to appear…irrational at jumping to conclusions."

Dick smiled and reached out and ruffled the boy's hair again.

Damian growled under his breath, "You better sleep with your eyes open."

That's when the door opened and Doctor Leslie walked in, "May I talk with you Dick?"

The man nodded, smiled a last grin at his 'baby brother' and visually scanned the window. It wouldn't hurt to leave for just a few moments, right? No, he shouldn't take the chance.

"Go stay with Selina and Kitrina."

Strangely, the kid didn't even protest, just did as he was told.