Nightwing punched another goon in the face, droplets of water flying everywhere. A tooth flew out of the man's mouth and blood coated just the tip of the vigilante's gloved knuckle. A small kick directs his attention from the dazed wet brunette in his grip, he throws the guy against a pile of crates and whirls around. A crude smirk forms on Nightwing's lips and suddenly the thug doesn't seem so confident.

"What? You're the ones who decided to work for Penguin." The first Robin quips, launching himself at the guy and flipping off, knocking him to the floor. It was kind of a shame that this was one of the last goons in this warehouse but at least the weapons here wouldn't get out. "Tell him Nightwing said hi next time you see him in jail." A well placed smack KO'ed him. He looks around, trying to see if anyone else was left.

His masked eyes caught one of them moving slowly, as if he wouldn't notice. Nightwing rolled his orbs, quietly making his way over to the goon. He grabs a fistful of his shirt. "Where are the weapons?" He growls lowly, a bit of his Batman voice leaking into his usual one. The criminal's hazel eyes filled with fear but didn't speak.

Nightwing plucks the guy off the ground as if it was nothing and shoves him against the wall. The bozo writhed uselessly, as if he could wriggle out of the vigilante's iron grip. "Look, you caught me at a bad time, so either you talk or I show you what pain really feels like." God, he feels like Red Hood.

"N-no I'll talk, I'll talk! The boss wanted to sell these around in Metropolis." He explains, Nightwing bends his elbow, pressing it up against the man's jaw. "Any potential buyers?" He asks, his mind falling into the repetitive pattern of interrogation but slightly frustrated that his body wasn't singing with adrenaline anymore.

"He-he talked a lot about Lex Luthor and his goons, I don't know anything else, I swear!" The thug was shaking and Nightwing didn't know why that made him even more angry, he felt like he should batter the guy's face in but instead he presses just that bit harder. "You sure, I doubt Penguin is that tight lipped around his employees. Everyone knows how narcissistic he is about how rich he is and how much he likes to brag about his customers."

"Alright! He talked about Black Mask at Park Row in three weeks, Wednesday 2 am sharp, that's-that's it! Business' been slow with you and your posse taking down the biggest sale of the season last month!" Nightwing narrowed his eyes. "Thanks for your cooperation." He flashes a smile that he swears was probably predatory and takes out one of his escrima sticks. "Night night." He teases before dropping him on the floor, pressing it on the criminal's stomach and electrocuting him until he passed out.

Nightwing didn't care he got valuable information, he didn't care that the guy was already unconscious, the only thing he cared about was satiating the burning rage that simmered just underneath his skin. What made him feel like he was a volcano that was about to erupt and devour whatever -or whoever- was around him in its hellfire.

He needed water, he needed a line, he needed to leave.

He kicked the goon before turning on his heel and running like a coward. He didn't look back at the carnage he had caused with his bare hands. He tried not to let his grandfather's haunting words that had been spoken just hours before rattle his head any further, he just ran like the wimp he always had been, getting soaked in water and cinnamon.

He clumsily vaulted from building to building, he was lucky he hadn't fallen yet and god forbid he came across someone like Slade right now. Nightwing leaped closer and closer to his apartment, the rain soaking him head to toe, reducing his body to shivers.

It took a while but he arrived, the memories pounding in his head, his legs shaky and hurting he launched himself off of the roof. The droplets crashed against his skin like tiny, ice cold knives and ghostly hands stray too far. Nightwing lashes out, grabbing his opening.

The vigilante clawed at his windowsill, trying to open the clasp that held it tightly shut. Tears ran down his face as it finally snapped, a crack that sounded too much like bone echoing through the alley. He tumbled in, his body shaking as he let himself fall headfirst onto his wooden floors, it should have hurt to some degree but he couldn't feel the pain.

Nightwing laid there, staring up at the ceiling. Why was he crying? He didn't feel fear over the subject of his grandfather, that was a lie, he wasn't afraid of what his grandfather could do to him, he was scared of what that psycho could do to his family.

Curse his vivid imagination, he could see it already, the mansion flooded with hundreds of talons, blood slicking the floors and yells echoing through the old home. Then, the moment of silence as everything goes still, he could see himself already treading around, only to find the place meticulously cleaned, the centuries old wood groaning as it rotted from lack of care.

Would the bodies still be there? Would they have emigrated to go after Jason and Tim or only go after his son, pseudo grandfather and foster parent. Would they turn them against him, make his estranged adoptive father beat him with his bare hands like he had already done so many times. Would they then go after his friends to leave him alone in this wretched world and begging to make the misery end only to take him and make him do their bidding in the end.

The vigilante had been planning to infiltrate anyhow but now with his family on the line he knew this carried more weight than he initially expected. At first it had just been a risk of him dying, no ID reveals, now anything, everything and everyone was on the table. Only he and William Cobb held the chess pieces, what would they lay on the line? What would they do? What would they be willing to sacrifice?

His gut churns, as if he had just swallowed spoiled milk. Nightwing sighs, he was going to get everyone goddamn killed, and he knows if he told anyone they're as good as dead due to everyone's need to help. No, he was on his own on this one. He would've compared it to Spyral if it weren't for the fact that then it was only him in the middle of the wolves, now he dragged everyone he loved into the crossfire. He was a terrible person.

He knew he had fallen into the rabbit hole but he couldn't help it, he takes out his communicator out of his ear, turning it in his hands. He debated turning it on to talk to somebody but he refrained, only staring at what could be. Cold racked through his body, making him shiver, he felt liquid collect around him. He couldn't lay this on someone else. He glances at his hands and spots red on his knuckles, blood that wasn't his.

Nightwing peels off his mask, Dick looked at the visor, seeing his reflection. Is this what he had become? A man willing to accept death when he had been afraid of it so long ago? He huffs, letting the accessory flop to the ground, the slap as it hit the water launched droplets that landed all over his side. He couldn't help but notice how cold it was.

Dick debates getting up.

He doesn't.

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I usually dont put authors notes on my chapters but this is to mention this isn't the full chapter and only a preview -it became a lot longer than expected- but this is for