-Dick's POV-

"Ugh," I groaned, sitting up. My head was killing me. And the bright lights above me wasn't helping.

Once I cleared my vision, I took a better look at my surroundings. I was inside the Batcave. Next to me was a bloody side table with fresh instruments still out. The top half of my Nightwing costume was removed and my chest was once again covered in bandages.

I was laying down on the operation table. In the corner of the room, Alfred was washing hands. I rubbed at my aching head, getting my fingers tangled up in the gauze wrapped around my forehead. "Alfred," I called out, "how did I get here?"

Alfred turned around with a smile. "Master Dick, you're finally awake. Would you like something to drink?" He handed me a glass of water and two Advils. I chugged it down and swallowed the pills dry.

My headache started to go down a little, but I could still feel my head throbbing. The cave was perceptually dark, so I couldn't tell what time of day it was. I was still confused how I ended up at Wayne Manor.

I thought about what had happened. The last thing I remembered was fighting Nightingale. She had beaten me to let Red Hood get away. That explained the bandages around my head. No doubt Alfred had given me stitches.

But I passed out on top of the building. How did I get to the Batcave?

I stumbled to my sore legs and stretched my arms. "Alfred, seriously. How did I end up here?" I asked again, grasping Alfred by his shoulder.

"Master Bruce retrieved you after you sent out a distress signal," Alfred wiped his hands, "He brought you here and I stitched up your head wound and bandaged your broken ribs. Would you like something to eat?"

Just as he asked, my stomach growled, sending echos throughout the cave. I laughed and began unwrapping the bandages around my head. "Yeah. What time is it?" I took a deep breath, catching my own scent. "Oh god, I smell awful!"

"You're welcome to take a shower, Master Dick, and stay the night if you wish." Alfred led me up the stairs and back into the mansion. As we exited the cave, I looked at the grandfather clock guarding the entrance.

It was a little past midnight, lucky for me. I had gone out on patrol after Red Hood around eight o'clock. I didn't know how long I had been passed out or how long ago Bruce picked me up, but it was still early in the night.

I sat down at the kitchen bar as Alfred prepared me a dinner. I leaned back in my chair and yawned. "Did Bruce go back on patrol?"

Alfred nodded. "Yes. Everyone is working hard on the Red Hood case."

I chewed my lip. Everyone was working hard against Red Hood, except for Nightingale. The weight that she was working with him was pressing on me. How did they even get together? Red Hood was the type of person Athena used to be. When she first showed up, she was very similar to Red Hood. But I thought that her time with us had changed that. Even though she had shown her true colors when she abandoned us, I thought she had given up her old habits.

I guess going back with the League of Assassins had reverted her back to her original ideals.

Alfred placed a full plate of food in front of me. I didn't hesitate to choke the food down. I hadn't eaten since my lunch break and the blood loss had caused me to feel starved. Alfred laughed as he watched me. "Just like you were a boy, Master Dick," he remarked.

I smiled, revealing the food stuck in my teeth. I swallowed gulps of water between chunks of food. I finished the entire plate off in less than three minutes. My stomach felt like it had grown several sizes. I patted my abs just to be sure.

Alfred sipped some tea, watching me from the side of his eyes. I stood up. "When will Bruce return? I have some important things to discuss with him." I knew Bruce would want an explanation of what happened to me and I was anxious to explain to him the new alliance that had formed between Red Hood and Athena.

The more I worked with Bruce, the more I had a sense that he knew something I didn't. Bruce was on a trail that he wouldn't let me follow. It had something to do with Ra's Al Ghul or his Lazarus Pits. I knew he had also interrogated Green Arrow as well as Superman. For some reason, Bruce was obsessed with reanimation. I was failing to see the connection to Red Hood, but I had faith that when Bruce came to a conclusion, he would tell me.

"He should be returning soon," Alfred answered, "he was just out meeting an old friend."

I nodded my understanding and walked down back into the Cave to wait for Bruce.

If Athena was working with Red Hood, we could question her about him. I wasn't sure if she would talk to us, but we had successfully kidnapped her before. All I would need would be a fluke of blue champagne and a dance. I smiled, thinking of the memory.

Maybe Athena had already found Red Hood's identity. To know who he really was would be very important towards stopping him. If they were working together, she would also know his intentions and his secrets. With his plans, we would be able to easily stop him and put him in jail.

As I trained, the Batplane flew through the waterfall and landed. I flipped across the gap from platform to platform until I reached Bruce.

"Oh, hello, Dick. I see you're awake," he said, not even looking at me as he exited the plane. He unbuckled his utility belt and placed it on his desk.

"Yeah, I am. Feeling much better too."

"You were pretty injured. It makes me wonder how you managed to call for help when you were unconscious," Bruce sat down at the computer and began researching random people. He was treating our conversation as a casual talk. Little did he know about my bombshell news.

I leaned over his shoulder. "Yes, well, the reason I was out was because of a very familiar problem who is working with a very familiar person."

"Just spit it out, Dick," Bruce turned his chair to face me. I stood straighter.

"I gave chase after Red Hood. I had him on the ground when Nightingale interrupted and pulled me off of him. She knocked me out to allow him to get away," I crossed my arms, "I believe they are working together."

Bruce nodded then turned around like he hadn't even heard my theory. "What motive would she have to work with him? I doubt she knew that he was getting away."

"But she did! She even admitted it when I accused her!"

"The whole situation doesn't seem very plausible. If Nightingale is with him, she is probably doing her own work undercover to get into his trusted circle," Bruce continued to talk as he typed, "and it would be best that we leave her to her own work."

I gasped. He didn't believe me? He was still taking her side?

"If she was working undercover, why wouldn't she tell us what she has found out?" I questioned, sounding very matter-of-factly. I hated that the tone of my voice came off sounding whiny, but I couldn't help it.

Bruce just sighed. "Nightingale is working on her own. Just like when you became Nightwing, she is trying to make her own career without our help. This case is very mysterious. It's okay to withhold information if it hasn't been confirmed yet."

"Of course you would say that. You don't tell anyone anything." I mumbled.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean I know you are hiding something!" I shouted, balling my fists like a kid, "I know you are onto something about Red Hood and you won't tell anyone about it!"

"It's not important."

"You know damn well that it is. Why won't you let me help you, Bruce? Why don't you ever let anyone help you?" I let my voice drop down. It was true. Bruce was never good at asking for help or accepting it. When I was Robin, I had to basically force myself into his problems so he would allow me to help out.

"Dick, my work on this case hasn't been successful. Why would you want to know about it?"

I groaned. "That's not what this about, oh my god! You have a whole Batfamily and yet you never let us work with you! You have framed costumes all over the cave for no fucking reason!" I slapped one of the old Robin cases. Bruce stood up, his face stone.

"Just because you are holding an irrational grudge against Nightingale doesn't mean you need to bring your emotions into every single serious situation. Nightingale is her own person. Did you ever stop and think that maybe she regrets what she did? Or that you completely misjudged everything that happened?" Bruce sounded angry but calm at the same time. "People don't have to always report everything they do. They aren't secrets. So stop thinking everyone is hiding everything from you. Get your insecure head out of your ass."

I didn't even have anything to say. Fire bubbled up inside me. It took everything inside me not to scream. "Fine. I will ask her directly. Then, maybe you'll see her for what she is. Maybe then you'll finally place trust in the right person."

I stormed out. Bruce didn't call out to me. He never does.

~~~~~~~~Late Happy Father's Day! I started writing this chapter yesterday and wanted to release it yesterday but I was hanging out with my father :/ Anywayyyy yeah, Red Hood and Nightingale are /really/ straining Dick's relationships, if that wasn't obvious lol. Any of my readers watch Into The Badlands? I think it's my favorite TV show if I'm being honest. I just finished Season 2 and I need to discuss it so bad lmao. I love it so much. 1000/10 would recommend to all of you if you haven't seen it. It's on Netflix!~~~~~~~