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FROM TIME TO TIME, Dick Grayson wonders what ever happened to Jude Cross, his childhood best friend from Haley's Circus, the girl who walked the tightrope on the points of knives, since she'd disappeared with her little sister without a trace.
It's funny. People usually ran off to join the circus, not away from it. But Jude and Scout have their reasons. And Jude has severed all connections to her past, started a new life as a starving artist holed up in a rundown apartment in Gotham. She's never looking back. Not when she's much better off living this one.
Except, that's only half a lie.
The first is a truth by omission: by day, Jude paints, and paints, and paints tirelessly, sitting behind a mediocre job at the local art supplies store. By night, Jude is the Viper—notorious thief of precious jewels, invaluable art, millions, whatever she can get her hands on. And she doesn't pretend she does it for a good cause. She's no Robin Hood. The goal is not to slave away like the rest just to live lathered in luxury. As her former mentor, Selina Kyle, always says, diamonds aren't just a girl's best friend. They're every girl's birthright. The second is a truth she denies: Dick Grayson, Jude thinks, ruminating on the face of her childhood friend, the first boy who'd shown her kindness, I miss you, too.
Here's the deal: they're not as far from each other as they think.
When the Viper is recruited contractually by the Injustice League to covertly steal certain sensitive items, she doesn't question the integrity of her decision. All she knows is that the moment she closes the deal, the money she's getting would be enough to get her and Scout out of Gotham. For good.
Only, the vigilante Nightwing seems to be hellbent on squashing her plans.
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