His Last Hope of Coming Home

Chapter 4: Yet, Not So Different

Nightwing's feet dangled off the top of the tallest building in Gotham, which was the Wayne Enterprises building.

Of course.

Nightwing had snuck out again tonight. He was lucky if he got back, and no one knew he was gone, but he doubted that possibility.

Nightwing had heard someone land behind him and load a gun. He knew it was aimed at his back, but he couldn't care less.

"Alright, bluebird. What the hell do you want from me?" Red Hood ordered.

Nightwing got up from the legde and walked back onto the rooftop.

Red Hood kept the gun aimed at his head the whole time he was moving.

Nightwing stopped and looked straight at the slits of the helmet.

"Take the helmet off, Jason." He ordered back.

Red Hood visibly tensed for a moment but recovered so quickly that if you blinked, you would have missed it. Luckily for Nightwing, he didn't.

"And what if I don't?" He snarled

Nightwing stood there for a moment. He was so still that he could have been mistaken for a statue.

He could see Red Hood's hand shaking slightly. Like he didn't want to be aiming a gun at the other vigilante. And that's what made Nightwing so sure that it was safe to approach him.

Nightwing slowly stepped towards the other, and with every step he took, Red Hood cautiously took one back. Nightwing stopped. He was right in front of Red Hood's pistol. He glanced at it, then raised his hand, gently pushing it to face the roof they were standing on.

"Just take it off, Jay-bird." It wasn't a demand this time. It was a request, almost pleading. One of the few things that Red Hood couldn't stand. He lifted his arm and slipped the pistol back into its holster, and then reached up to his head with both hands. There were some clicking sounds from the helmet as it detached itself from the vigilantes head.

The helmet was then placed under Red Hood's arm, revealing a young man with raven black hair with a few streaks of white. He had teal-blue colored eyes that looked dull compared to how Nightwing had remembered them. They were no longer playful and full of life. They were serious, and Nightwing could tell that they were normally filled with anger or irritation.

It took a few awkward moments before Jason spoke.

"So you finally figured it out, huh? What gave it away?" He asked. He didn't snarl at him this time but seemed a little snarky about it.

Nightwing shrugged

"I had my suspicions." He said simply before frowning. "Jason, why didn't you come back? We miss you. We thought you were dead."

Jason snarled.

"I was dead." He snapped. Nightwing took a step back in surprise with a slightly hurt expression on his face. Jason felt a pang of guilt.

Why was he mad at Dick? It wasn't his fault. He didn't even know that he was kidnapped because Bruce didn't tell him. He didn't attend his funeral because Bruce didn't tell him. He wasn't mad at Dick. He was infuriated with Bruce.

"I didn't come back because I want nothing to do with Bruce." He said, tone softening.

Nightwing stared for a moment but understood where he was coming from. But he still missed him.

"You know, Tim misses you. You don't have to get involved in Bruce's life again, if you don't want to, I won't tell him." He said.

"Just - don't tell anyone yet." He said.

Nightwing nodded but couldn't hold it anymore and hugged his brother tightly. He felt Jason stiffen for a moment and was about to pull away and apologize, but strong arms wrapped around him, pulling him close. He heard the metal helmet clunck against the roof as Jason hugged his brother that he had missed so much - though he would never admit it.

After a moment, the brothers pulled away and said their goodbyes after exchanging contacts to keep in touch.

As Nightwing jumped off the roof, feeling like a little piece of himself was recovered once again along with his brother.

-----

A foot tapped impatiently on the floor of a certain cave.

The garage-like opened to reval a motorcycle entering and stopping, the doors closing behind it.

Dick got off the bike, taking his helmet and mask off, and placeing it on the bike. He sighed then stared into the angry glare of Brue Wayne.

"Care to tell me where you were?" He looked Dick up and down for a moment. "In your uniform?"

"If you're pissed at me for not staying here all day and all night, then I'm sorry, old man. But I am an adult and I can do what I fucking what. You can't tell me what to do anymore, and don't even think about resigning me." Dick spat, voice rising into a yell.

Bruce was taken aback but recovered and sighed.

"You're grounded until further notice, and if you leave again, I'll have to force you to stay at the mountain." Bruce replied, then turned, leaving a shocked and pissed off hero behind him.

He hated doing this to his son, but he didn't know what to do. And if this was what he had to do to help him, them he would.