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Broken Wings	By : deadintentions Category: DC Verse Comics > Batman Views: 2521 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Batman series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Broken Wings
- 1
I do NOT claim any of the DC © characters in this story. I do however claim the idea of the story itself.

This is the sequel to 'Rebirth'. At first I had thought I would NOT make said sequel as I liked the suspence, but after talking with some people and things, I thought I would give it a try. If you have not read Rebirth I suggest it as you will not understand the orgin of 'Broken Wings'. Here Dick thinking it is safe to wonder the streets of Gotham has what he thinks is merely a near miss with his former mentor.

“I knew in the depths of my soul, this day would finally come. The day that I would have to face the man who’s heart I had ripped out. But will ‘sorry’ be enough?”

“I was on my lunch break and my other employee Tiffany was watching the store while I was out. It felt great to be just a normal guy. To be able to sleep a full night and not have to worry about some bad guy stealing some artifact. It was the greatest feeling ever. But through all this jubilation, my sin still ate at me. The fact that I hurt so many people just out of selfishness. My headphones blared some happy song… I can’t even remember what it was anymore. It had almost been two years by this point and it seemed as things had become normal. I was about to turn 26 and the world was really looking... Nowhere.”

“I still lived in a cramped apartment near Gotham Heights and money was still tight. I was so used to being able to buy whatever I wanted and now I had to scrounge to pay rent. What used to be a long black limo with Alfred behind the wheel was now a yellow cigarette reeking taxi with a driver that barely spoke English. This Robin had certainly fallen far from the safety of the nest and broken his wings on the way down.”

“I had long tossed away those sweater vests and khaki slacks. They were replaced with blue jeans and T-shirts. Following suit of a certain “Super”, I bought myself a pair of black rimmed plastic framed glasses. Sure my eyesight wasn’t horrible, but if it fooled people around Clark maybe I would be so lucky? But… Bruce is smarter than that isn’t he?”

“The sun was so bright and shiny that day. With a vanilla ice cream in hand I strolled down the sidewalk. Not one cloud in the sky and everything was looking up. Until… I seemed to be so lost within myself and the day that I ran right into someone… familiar… My eyes gazed up to whom I had just bumped and I felt as though every drop of blood had just left my body. Staring down at me with vanilla ice cream on his black suit shirt was the one thing I feared most… Bruce. My eyes cast back down to the concrete and I apologized trying to disguise my voice. I hear a slight gasp as I thought he may have known. But then, he walked away with a wave. Relief was felt greatly as I watched him go. Still I wanted to tell him, but I couldn’t. The newspapers all said Nightwing was dead… All but one. I had come across one paper from Bludhaven that blurted out that thanks to a nosey sneaky reporter the man behind the mask was none other than Jason Todd. Apparently Bruce never saw that particular paper. And maybe that was for the best.”
“After work, I decided it was a nice night to walk home. It was only a few blocks and the air was so fresh. The smell of restaurants filling my nostrils with pleasant scents. Call it an old habit that dies hard, but I swear I could feel someone following me. Occasionally, I would stop and look around, but no one was there. I thought maybe it’s just paranoia. Just the after effects of my run in with Bruce earlier in the day. But something was eating at me… like two familiar eyes peering from behind that cowl. Bruce always had a way of putting me in my place. Sometimes all he had to do was look at me with that cold stare and I would stop whatever it was I was doing. He had a grip on me that no one could ever break. Even after my alleged death I could still feel Gotham’s eyes set upon me. Analyzing my movements.”

“The night was so quiet as I made it to my small building. My hand went up to rub my eyes beneath those stupid glasses as I used my free hand to unlock my apartment door. A chill came over me as I stepped inside. It seemed I must have left the window open when I left. The sheer drapes danced an eerie ballet in the cool Gotham breeze. My glasses and keys were tossed in a bowl I kept by the door and I walked to the window. I stared for a mere moment before my hands reached and pulled the pane down with a click. My place was so dark and almost creepy tonight and still... I felt those eyes. What was this?”

“I walked back to the door and shut it. Within a moment I felt a severe pain in my back and winced as I was slammed against the door repeatedly. When I looked up, I saw the Batman. Those empty white eyes glaring at me from beyond the cowl. My blue canvas hi-tops couldn’t even touch the floor anymore as he had pulled me up by my shirt. A scowl on his face told me he knew. He knew the moment I bumped into him. He knew that I was the one who lied and broke his heart in the process. What was he going to do now? Kill me? For real? I’d deserve it for what I put everyone through.”

“Batman slammed me against the door again and did the one thing that told me how angry he was… He called me Richard… He knew I hated that and every time I was in deep trouble he called me by my full first name. He kept saying it to with every slam and my back began to ache. But I couldn’t… I wouldn’t fight him… This was all my fault. I grunted a little and then he stopped. His spare hand balled up into a fist and he reared it back. Oh this was too familiar, but I was more afraid than angry. I knew Bruce’s strength and it would be an easy take down. But instead of hitting me, he punched next to my head right into the hard oak door. The force was so strong the wood cracked and the noise echoed down the hall. My head bounced a little from the force and then he put his forehead against mine and muttered. ‘Why?’ I was actually taken quite aback at this weak display. He released me and I slid down to the floor. His head met the door gently and he boxed at it a little more.”

“I was so heart broken. I slipped passed him and sat on my chair with my knees pulled up to my chest. ‘Because I can’t live up to you’ I turn my head and look out the window. It was so dark and empty out there. No moon this night. Maybe that was a sign of some sort? He seemed to calm just a bit and sat on the loveseat staring at me as if I were a ghost. I was a ghost. He only ever wanted me to be his Boy Wonder and once I had become a man, he wanted nothing to do with me. His Robin was gone. ‘Live up to… me’ he said weakly. His voice was hoarse now and I swear I could hear sadness in his words. With a sigh I looked back at him. ‘Look at yourself. You are bigger than me, Stronger than me, Smarter than me… How am I to live up to godlike status of the Batman?’ I could still see a flicker of anger in that face. He could never hide his emotions from me. I knew him too long.”

“Batman still peered beyond that cowl trying to hide from whatever he was feeling. ‘Who is buried as Nightwing Richard?’ Again with that name. I look down at my knees and sigh deeply. ‘Jason’ is all I mutter. The next thing I see is the ceiling as the chair is flipped back and Batman is on top of me pinning me to the floor. ‘Tell me everything’ I am terrified by this point. But whatever happens should happen. ‘I killed him.’ Those cold gloved hands around my neck bring back memories. Batman was not Bruce. Bruce was debonair and compassionate. Batman was ruthless and uncaring. My face feels so warm and I can’t breathe, his grip getting tighter. My fingers fumbled to pull his hands away and then… he stops. He sees himself in me I just know it. Again he asks why and I tell him. I tell him about that night and everything that happened and his eyes look toward me in horror as I explain. I fear he will send me to jail even if were an accident.”

“He stands and shakes his head looking down as if he is taking it all in. ‘I… thought it was you.’ He mutters and holds his head. To comfort him would be my greatest gift I could give. I apologize, but maybe sorry isn’t enough this time. I stand slowly and look at him with deep concern and before I can speak he did something I had never felt before… He… hugged…me.”

“My eyes widen as I feel his tight warm embrace. My own arms wrapping around him. He hadn’t hugged me since I was very small and it always seemed so forced. Like someone was holding a gun to his head. But this was sincere. This wasn’t the Bat this was Bruce. This was that little boy who lost his parents at the hands of a maniac. It had been so long since I felt love like this… It was almost overwhelming.”

“So, per his word, I packed my bags and ended back at the life I ran away from. (As I said in my previous exert, I seem to run right into my problems.) I still work at my comic book shop as it seems to be the small dose of reality I need. Bruce nearly demands me to be Nightwing… well, Robin on many a night, but Robin and Nightwing are going to stay dead no matter how much he begs. I won’t go back to that. I’m happy now… Aren’t I?”
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Broken Wings