Nightwing: Heartache

Part 12: Car Bomb

June 24, 5:55pm
Gotham City

"Yes, I'm on it. I know, Artemis, but I'm on it now," Dick said into his phone as he left Bibbo's diner with to-go bags. Artemis was rightfully frustrated. Dick was supposed to already be looking into Halo's identity, her past, and it might have slipped Dick's mind. He had a lot going on at the moment; it was hard to find a moment to think. Lately it seemed like Nightwing had a million things to do and no time to focus on any of them. Meta-teen trafficking, a missing Markovian princess, refugees, it was a lot.

Dick unlocked his car, shuffling the bags to hold them in one hand and opening the driver's door with the other.

"Shit," Dick muttered as he dropped the bags and took off running, diving behind a dumpster as his car exploded behind him. Metal and pieces of his car flew everywhere, the heat singing Dick's hair as he took cover. He stayed like that even after it was done, waiting for another attack, an aftershock, something, but there was nothing.

He peered around the corner then leaned against the dumpster, groaning. His car no longer existed and someone had tried to kill him.

**

June 24, 6:21pm

The Batcave

"So what I'm hearing is you didn't bring dinner?" Tim dodged Dick's half-hearted swing but they both cracked a smile at the joke.

"Sorry, kid. No Bibbo's for you," Dick answered, wiping some ash off of his own forehead. "I was looking forward to it too."

"Were there any clues?" Barabara was at the Bat computer, replaying the security footage from the explosion. Luckily there was no one else around. They could bury the footage easily. "How did you know to run away?" She asked as she watched the video again, of Dick opening his door and immediately taking off running. A second later and he might not have gotten clear.

"That's the strangest thing," Dick walked over and leaned over Babs's shoulder, "there was a note on my front seat. It said 'stay out of our business'."

"Sounds like a death threat to me," Tim remarked from a few feet away. He was in his Robin suit, hood and gloves off, just about to go out for patrol.

"A death threat before attempted murder aren't a usual pairing," Batman said from the corner, brooding as usual. He watched the video, coming to the same conclusion as Dick, "whoever did this didn't actually want you dead."

"I wouldn't go that far," Dick added, "one more second and I could have been. The note was just a piece of paper with words typed on it, like a last minute effort to warn me. At least give me a chance. It's weird."

"Very," Spoiler remarked, "but at least it means you're making headway in the meta-teen trafficking if they're targeting you, right?"

"It also means they know who Dick is," Tim added, "which isn't good."

"This fits with whoever's been watching you," Barbara said, "the Shadow."

"The Shadows are after you again?" Batman asked. Dick saw the small clench in his jaw. Aw, Dick thought, the old man was worried.

"I don't know," Dick answered truthfully, "I think they've been watching me, but I haven't actually been attacked, until today. One of them even beat me to a trafficking hub one night. There's no pattern yet. No motive."

"Well you're definitely a target," Tim said, "so we just have to find the Shadow that's after you."

Dick sighed, "I'll add it to my to-do list."