“And the Justice League?” Nightwing asked, shedding his gloves as he disappeared into the bedroom, the clock on the wall showing it was 2:11am.

“They made it through the interdimensional portal safely,” Oracle reported, her weary voice echoing from the computer speakers in Dick’s main room.  The apartment was compact, but he spent very little time there.  It was just a place to lay his head when he was in Gotham. “All going well, the portal will open again in ten hours.” 

“And the Titans and Teen Titans?” Dick called from the bedroom.

“Are ahead of schedule and should be back on the planet some time tomorrow.”  Dick disliked being away from his team at a time like this, but they were more than capable of handling the mission.  At Batman’s request, Nightwing, Red Robin and Robin had remained on Earth to look after Gotham in the Bat’s absence.

Oracle waited.  She knew he would be carefully stowing his costume in the uniform safe. “Dad thinks I’m spending too much time at home… and he is trying to set me up with a guy in the Gotham PD’s finance department.”

“I thought you were going out with that lawyer.”

“Oh, keep up, Short Pants.  I kicked him to the curb a month ago.  He was… I don’t know. He was okay, but there was no spark.  You know?”

“Yep… Hey, you’re not lookin’ are you?”

“Hah.  You’ve got nothing I haven’t seen before, Batboy,” Barbara chuckled.

Dick reappeared dressed in a loose t-shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants, flashed his disarming blue eyes over at the computer screen that was filled with her face, and winked. He strolled into the kitchen, Barbara swivelling the camera on the wall so she could see him.   

After draining a glass of water, Dick asked, “The boys?”

“Damian is ten minutes from the Manor and Tim has just arrived home.”

“Good.” He grimaced, reaching for his lower back. 

“Okay?” Oracle asked, noting the movement.

“Yeah.  Just a glancing blow.”  A glancing blow from a five-hundred-pound girder swinging at 100 miles an hour.  “Nothing a hot shower won’t fix.” Dick smiled at the screen and Barbara’s heart melted.  He was her best friend and could be more, but she was the one blocking anything in that direction.  The thought of losing his friendship if things didn’t work out was simply something she would not - could not - risk.  And yet, when he smiled… talk about sparks!

“Okay, I guess that’s my cue. Enjoy your shower.”

“I’d enjoy it more if you joined me.”

“In your dreams.  Good night.”

“Catch you in the morning, pretty lady.”

- Sons - of – the - Bat -    - Sons - of – the - Bat –

Not far away, in an apartment not dissimilar to Dick’s, but lacking the highly sophisticated security afforded a member of the Bat Team, Red Hood locked the door, slid two bolts into place and glanced at his watch.  Just after 2:30am.  Carole was coming over for breakfast at 5:00 - before she headed to work - so there was time to grab a few hours’ sleep.

Red Hood removed his helmet and locked it and his guns in the trunk at the back of the bedroom cupboard.  Pulling his phone from his pocket, he dialled his client.  “That little problem has been dealt with.” The voice on the other end confirmed they would wire the rest of his fee. 

Jason grunted.  His bank account was certainly looking healthier these days. Working freelance was a new gig since he had been cleared of murder… adjudged justifiable killings… and had been psychologically cleared of his own demons. That was one psychologist who needed to be struck off the register for incompetence, Jason thought darkly.  

Red Hood had been back in Gotham for a couple of weeks and while Batman was not happy – the understatement of the century - Nightwing had brokered a deal. If Hood left the Bat Team alone and didn’t cross the ‘no kill line’ that Batman insisted upon, then the Bat and his minions would leave Jason alone.  Basically, he was working on the side of truth, justice and all that crap so to this point, it hadn’t proved a problem and their paths were yet to cross.

What would happen when they did?  A frown settled on Todd’s face. They certainly hadn’t exactly parted on anything approaching good terms – unless he trying to kill them and they having him committed to a mental institution was considered good terms. 

The only member of the group he had spoken to since that time was Dick Grayson. Grayson had sent messages of so-called support and had called multiple times… and each time, Jason had told him to go to hell - until the call arranging the truce.  The ‘chat’ had lasted eleven seconds.  Red Hood had ended it when Nightwing had asked how he was.

Jason picked up the open can of beer that had been sitting on the bedside table since yesterday and drained it, the sour taste, stale and unappetising.  He crushed the can in his fist and tossed it across the room, the tin missing the trash bin.  The tired man cursed and flopped back on the bed waiting for sleep to take him.

- Sons - of – the - Bat -    - Sons - of – the - Bat –

Oracle rubbed the fatigue from her eyes and eased herself into her wheelchair. Last night’s mission had been a long one, thus affording her only a few hours’ rest.  Then again, this was the life she and her partners had chosen.  She rolled across to the wall of computer screens and tapped the keyboard, the screens springing to life.  All was quiet.

Her fingers danced and the Manor gymnasium filled the monitor to her right.  Damian was working out.  

“Good morning.” 

Damian grunted, gave a dismissive wave and went back to his staff training.  The apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree, Oracle reflected not for the first time.

With a few keystrokes, Tim’s family room appeared on the screen to her left.  He was tying his shoelaces. “Good morning.”

“Hey, Barbara.  I think I could have done with a bit more sleep. Any word from the others?”

“All quiet from off-planet and other dimension teams so must be okay.”

“I’m off for my run then I have a physics assignment I can’t put off any longer. Catch you later.”

She smiled and a few clicks later, a view of Dick’s apartment filled the screen directly in front of her.  Normally, he would be sitting on the couch shovelling cereal into his mouth when she checked in at this time, but the couch was empty.  “Good morning, Short Pants.”

She waited. “You ignoring me?”  Nothing.

Maybe he had slept in or was in the bathroom?  Barbara shrugged and went off to prepare her own breakfast.  A few moments later, she returned with a bowl of fruit and yoghurt, expecting to see the former Boy Wonder where he usually was, but the room was still unoccupied.

“Dick?”

Oracle glanced at the time at the bottom of the screen as she spooned some yoghurt into her mouth.  5:35am.  Had he gone for a run?  She put the bowl down and checked the location of Dick’s phone, but it was in the apartment.

“Dick?” she called a little louder.

Barbara frowned. 

She typed on the keyboard, accessing his phone.  She listened, turning up the volume on the computer.  She could hear his phone ringing.  Even if he had decided to sleep in, why wasn’t he answering?

Barbara accessed the controls on the wall-mounted camera and swivelled it.  The apartment was empty.  The young woman cursed.  She’d wanted cameras in every room but as the boys had pointed out, security needed to be balanced with privacy.

“Dick?  I’m starting to get worried.  You there?”

Nothing.

Barbara snatched up her phone and called again using the handset.  The phone rang… and rang… and rang until Dick’s voice message played automatically.  “Sorry, looks like I must be in the middle of something.  If you need me urgently, please call the following number - …” Barbara ended the call.

Curiosity was fast becoming concern. He wouldn’t go out without his phone.  The tracker in his bike showed it was in the basement. According to the door data base, Dick had come in at 2:06am and had not left.  Then again, he could have exited via the window. 

Unless he had ‘company’.  She dismissed that.  He would have let her know so she didn’t interrupt.

Oracle glanced at the time again. Dick was a creature of habit, and if not that, responsible - too responsible for his own good. He would have reported his position, particularly with Batman completely out of reach.

“Nightwing, report now, please.”

Nothing. 

The tendrils of fear found root.  

Oracle activated all trackers. Damian was 45 minutes away from Dick’s apartment, Tim was 40.  Cassie was with the Teen Titans and Barbara herself was more than 50 minutes.  One red light was flashing close to Dick - Red Hood. Since his return to Gotham, Barbara had been tracking Hood’s phone without his knowledge, although Jason was no fool so probably knew she did.

Oracle bit her bottom lip. No matter how you packaged it, Todd was a wild cannon.  She hadn’t spoken to him in years.  His ‘death’ at the hands of the Joker had changed Batman… changed them all.  The former Batgirl confessed to never warming to the young man – not even when he was a kid.  She’d found him arrogant and abrasive.  It had been clear to her that Jason had suffered mental health issues long before he was pulled from the Lazarus Pit and while that was sad, it didn’t make him any easier to like.

“Dick?” The silence was ear-splitting.  There was no longer any doubt.  Something was wrong. 

Barbara typed quickly, dispatching a distress call that would send Tim and Damian rocketing to Dick’s aid.  Then, she grabbed her phone, but something stilled her tense fingers. 

Would Todd even respond? 

True he was supposed to be ‘cleared’ and ‘cured’. 

True, he was a past Robin, but did that mean anything to him? 

There was a lot of bad blood between he and the rest of his former team. 

“Dick?”  Terrifying, unadulterated silence.

Trepidation overcame Oracle’s hesitation.  If Dick was in trouble, seconds may count!