Nightwing: Heartless

Part 30: Bad Dreams

Sleep didn't provide any relief.

Nightwing was back at Arkham Asylum, Robin by his side, trying to get a grip on the prison break. A city wide power surge had short circuited the security units. Batman was tracking Bane so it was up to Nightwing and Robin to get the patients back in their cells. Which was easier said than done.

Nightwing swung a big guy into a group of three prisoners charging him, sending them all into a cell. He kicked off a woman's face, hitting the pressure points of a group of six men. They were making a dent, slowly but surely. He looked over to see Robin beating the Riddler to a pulp. He caught Robin's arm before he could hit the already unconscious Riddler again.

"That's enough," Nightwing said firmly, pausing to throw some bat-a-rangs at an impending ambush.

Robin jerked out of his grip, "stop watching me like a child."

"Then stop being cruel."

They both flipped out of the way of a thrown table, taking down three more prisoners. This was a mess, the containment units should have been on backup generators, Nightwing thought. It was like this had all been a set up, and he knew just the prisoner to do it. He spotted a blur of green out of the corner of his eye. Robin saw it too, pushing his attacker off and starting to run after the Joker.

"Robin!" Nightwing called, "stop."

"We can't let him get away!" Robin was obviously angry at having been stopped.

"Just hang on a second," Nightwing called, punching the nearest man in the face and kicking two more. "You can't go alone."

"I'll be fine!"

Nightwing flipped in front of the Boy Wonder, "you don't have to prove yourself."

"You don't have to be Batman."

A commotion behind Robin drew both their attention. The gangway above them was collapsing. Asylum guards yelled and clung to the railings but it was holding on by a few pieces of metal. Robin took the opportunity and ran around Nightwing.

"Help them, I've got Joker-"

"No-" the screech of metal interrupted Nightwing. He grabbed Robin's hand, "Just wait, please, I'll help you."

"I don't need your help!" Robin wrenched his hand out of Nightwing's.

The scene was playing out again, but this time Nightwing knew what would happen. He had seen it before, been here before. The moves, the words, Robin's face. Something was wrong.

"Jason, you'll die-"

But when Jason turned to face him it was Artemis. "You're the one who sent me."

Another clang made it impossible for Nightwing to stall any longer. He jumped into action, swinging up and catching a guard as he fell and setting him safely on the ground before climbing back up and saving the other guards. By the time everyone was safe Robin was gone.

**

Dick jerked awake, feeling even more tired than when he fell asleep. It hadn't just been a dream. It was a memory. The last time he had seen Jason alive. Joker had planned the whole thing, down to splitting up the heroes and taking the opportunity to grab Jason, luring Batman to the middle of nowhere in time to blow up the warehouse Jason was being held. Nightwing had arrived to see Batman holding his burnt body.

Dick sat up and rubbed his eyes. He blinked the sleep from his eyes, he didn't even remember falling asleep. Willa looked up from her laptop and smiled. "Hey sleepyhead." She sat at her desk, finishing up a paper.

"I didn't mean to come over and fall asleep," Dick said, a little embarrassed. He was usually so alert, on guard. He wasn't sure it was a good thing he could fall asleep comfortably in Willa's company.

"It's a good thing you don't snore," Willa joked.

Dick hopped down from her bed and walked over to stand behind her chair, wrapping his arms around her, "what are you working on?"

"Michaelson's class. We've only been back for a couple of weeks and we already have a paper due."

"Need any help?"

"I'm okay, but thank you. How was your nap?"

Dick thought back to his dream. "Fine," he answered. He leaned his chin on top of Willa's head as she continued to type. He couldn't shake the feeling of dread. Jason turning into Artemis. Two people he couldn't protect. He hugged Willa a little tighter. What was he really doing with her? Jason had been murdered because of his connection to the Bat Family, letting himself grow closer to Will was just going to make it harder when he eventually had to let her go.

Willa coughed and wiggled out of his embrace, "are you trying to hug me or strangle me?"

"Oh, sorry." Even when he didn't mean to he hurt her. And this was just as Dick Grayson.

She turned around, "are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna head out though. I'll see you later." He pulled on his jacket and was out the door.