No Down Time [Bruce]

[Dick Grayson - Nightwing]

The silence of the Batcave used to come as a welcomed one, but now it was empty to him, only filled with old memories of the past. He had moved on. He no longer relied on the works within the cave.

But this night was different...

Invited or no, Dick was there now. Typing away on the computer. Alfred had at least given him a fair warning that Bruce might not be in the best of a mood that night. But Dick had work to do. And he wasn't going to let Bruce's mood scare him off from getting information.

And harder yet for him to admit...some help.

Black Mask's gangs were interfering with his part of town. Weapons and gangs coming in to trade with his. Not something he liked to see. He wanted t put an end to it before someone like the Joker showed up soon just to try and sack up the Bats again in another town.

Bludhaven was his town. He may be a part of the Bat-family, but that was his territory. And Black Mask's work was not welcomed there.

Dick wasn't going to admit it. He hadn't, but there was more going on than just Black Mask's work. Dick knew there was more to come. There were more hidden ties between the villains in this town.

And as Nightwing, he had enough work having to try and clean up the gangs in that town that had been there. He had gotten pretty far so far. Kory was there with him at times. But he was taking on the darker work himself most of the time. A lot of undercover work. Sometime putting his life on the line. But he needed the information.

The only reason for the visit to the batcave was to get more information from the main frame itself. It had access to Gotham police files were he would have to hack through many firewalls just to get there. And Bruce had everything. And he meant everything on everyone in this town and more.

Dick knew he wouldn't be welcomed lightly for just showing up. And maybe for being there at all. He came into Gotham as Nightwing, but now stood with his mask off and hard at work downloading and digging up information. Seeing if the patterns in Bludhaven matched up to Gotham's current patterns of Black Mask and a few others.

It was better to asked for some what of forgiveness than to ask for permission. And this was the best way. Otherwise he was sure Bruce would have just turned him away. Dick needed to get his attention.

There were large shipments coming in from the middle east lately. And they were not the kind of weapons a street gang would have. Some of the supplies medical, but deadly in the wrong hands.

He needed to get some support on this. Even if it went down with a fight between him and Bruce. He wasn't going to leave that easily. And they needed to stop drawing the line in the sand between them at this time. They were getting no where fast.

It was just really ticking him off the way Bruce was acting toward him. Just because he wasn't around when Jason had died didn't mean should have to face such treatment over having his own work to do. If he could have help he would have, but even Bruce had failed to let him in on this all. He was shut out from them all.

Barbara was coming back around now a bit since they had broken up. But he didn't go as far as not to expect a pun or harsh referral to him possible going on and working with someone else. Just all the more of her way of not letting him forget.

At this time, Dick sat at the Batcomputer, typing in codes and information. Locking in on points in his town. As well on a few other screens select parts of the globe and Gotham. There was more he was looking up.

More impressive work, work he had taken days to dig up the information. Photos he got from contacts outside of the Titans. Something Batman would not be able to ignore. The facts were all there. This was bigger than just gangs on the streets. That was just the start and the cover.

[Deleted]

The darkness lamented through Bruce Waynes mind as he took the batmobile back to the cave. He had just once again secured the Joker, and was on his way home to relax. Although the environment had been much more relaxed, and in a very lifeless way since the departure of Grayson, and the death of Jason Todd. That spark of life they brought to the mansion and the cave had long burnt out. Nothing was real but the lonely darkness he called home.

The batmobile cut across the turns onto an off beat path. The branches of trees broke as the force of the tank like vehicle smashed through, kicking dirt and mud all over the forest. He came to the usually ramp, and at this point, he went full speed. The vehicle caught air, and smashed through a water fall, and came to a screeching halt. the cover shot back, and Batman jumped out and made his way up the stairs. From the distance he could hear clicking of computer keys ringing through the air. Surely Alfred wasn't watching youtube videos on the batcomputer at this hour? No, Batman knew exactly who it was.

As he went up the stairs, he could see the figures arms typing keys from behind his wide chair. He didnt even have to ask, he knew who it was.

He kept his steps quiet, and moved off to the side out of Nightwings peripherals. Batman leaned against the wall facing him with his arms crossed.

"Little late to be invading the Batcave dont you think?"

[Dick Grayson - Nightwing]

Dick was busy typing away. Digging more and getting more information. Attaching things and seeing how they ran. The bat-computer was much lager than his own systems he had been setting up while living in Bludhaven.

He had heard the entrance of the batmobile. But he did little to give it any attention as he looked on at the screen. After the loss of the first few footsteps, he knew Bruce would approach him.

So, Dick continued to work and not knowing exactly where Batman would show up, but knew he was some where. Sure he could be good at times of spotting where Batman might be, but his mind was busy with other work on his mind. And then when the voice spoken out broke through his own thoughts, Dick stopped and turned to look up at his mentor.

The hall looming figure stretched out with the cape along the floor. Leaning up against the wall and arms crossed. Dick couldn't tell much by his voice if Bruce was upset with having him there or not. But like it or not he was there. Though by the wording of it, it sounded like he would had to ask to come and use the equipment.

"If you mean on terms of trespassing, that doesn't apply. But if you mean in terms of the time of the morning, then I'd have to agree it is rather late," Dick said flatly. Not much of the sarcastic tone to it like it might once have help in a situation like this.

He turned away to look at the computer screen again as he was backing up data to a zip drive while working at the same time. But it wasn't noticeable while he worked. He typed in a few more things. Leaving nothing but silence between them for the moment.

"I had some important work and it could not wait for your approval over how I go about looking into it," Dick got straight to the point.

He knew it was a risky choice of words there, but he was cutting to the chance and giving the slightest of his reason for being there and getting Bruce's attention. Well, at the time Batman's attention.

[Deleted]

Of course Dick would do as he pleased, whenever it was he wanted. Of course phoning ahead and asking for permission wasn't his style, but that was a trait he had learned from Bruce himself, so in the end, the iconic character had only himself to blame for this one.

"Well that maybe you could let me in on what it is you need to look up."

Of course Batman could have just looked up at the monitor that overlooked everything, but he would much rather hear it from Nightwing as to why he invaded his home (and once Dicks own). He began to tap his finger against his elbow, patiently waiting for a response from his former ward. All the while he began to ponder a passcode on the batcomputer. But he could probably get through that as well.

[Dick Grayson - Nightwing]

Dick heard his words and continued on in his search. His fingers moving fast, typing codes, cracking systems from the computer. Codes to security coverage in both Gotham and Bludhaven. A specially designed code protecting that of the Bat-computer's own. No one would be able to trace it. No one.

He got more photographs and some criminal records. As well as some files from the hospitals on recent patients admitted. hours after certain days with specific injuries.

"I'm not necessarily looking up one thing per say," he kept on typing. But he was irritated at the slightest sound of Bruce tapping his fingers as he waited for a response.

Really? Was he really doing this to him? Dick was getting aggravated by Bruce's attitude towards him lately. Treating him like a complete stranger. Just because of his decision to move on and then move out. And even move out of the city. What did he want him to do? Become a Robin again?!

Bruce was really waring thin on his patience. And this air of arrogance that seemed to be filling the room was bothering him. Bruce was really laying on the I know what your doing and get out feel at that time. Had he really thought Dick would always be there fighting by his side? He just didn't get why more so than ever why Bruce was treating him this way more of late. Besides the fact that Jason's death had cause him to go up in protection level over others as well as blocking out many.

He kept typing a bit longer to finish off the program he had started to hack. After he had given Bruce a short time of his attention at his statement. Dick continued to type for a moment, as he finally finished the slight program. Something that work him less than a minute and a half were it would take the average person possible a half hour to an hour.

Dick then sharply turned and glared at Bruce, standing there as Batman, tapping his finger. What was he going to do throw him out again if he didn't finish on a time tap of an explanation.

"If you'd kindly stop from trying to time me, I'll gladly tell you more than what I am about to say," Dick said in an irritated tone. He had tried to hold it back. But his own patience was getting wary of this whole thing going on between the two of them since he had left.

He was silent for a moment before he continued and turned back to the computer. And started to bring up photos and reports. "I have more than reason to believe that Black Mask is behind something big. And I mean bigger than a scale than he even knows about. He is helping to aid something from outside the country and he doesn't know of it. He's being blind sided by the people that he has agreed to do trade with. He's getting the majority of the supplies for them, and some of which he doesn't even know of," Dick said. He cut off there before he went into too much detail.

"I'm here looking for any chance of those trades coming into Gotham as well to any other gangs. Black Mask has already been crossing into my turf and causing quite the ripple of an effect on the gangs in Bludhaven. More have already ended up in the hospital due to his little test runs in the city. And I know there has to be more than just what is coming into Bludhaven. The last cargo I traced it being shipped from some where south of Spain, but the trail goes cold if you search any further. I've gotten as much leads as I could from that area, but haven't heard any further word," Dick finished.

He turned back to look toward Batman's figure again. "Does that satisfy your wanting to know why I'm here? Because, I do have more information and facts to back up my reasoning," Dick said. Almost a smuggle look on his face over having all the information he needed for now. With the main background and patterns of the crime. And some leads to reason, but not the main weapon of the plan that seems to be going on. It was eluding him as much as possible. Someone knew that someone was on their trail.