Nightwing was crouched on a rooftop gazing out at the streets of Gotham with a feeling of distaste and contempt. Despite all the hard work of Batman and his protégés, this city was still overrun with criminals. He'd been in this city for mere hours and already he had stopped three muggings, a robbery, and an assault. There was once a time when Nightwing would have been pleased with his heroics and considered this a job well done. But now, he felt useless. As if nothing he did made any difference. Tomorrow night there will be twice as many thugs to replace the ones he had taken down, and Gotham's streets will be no safer than they were before he had intervened. Nightwing no longer believed in making a difference. He no longer had faith in the citizens of this city. Nightwing's optimism died with Wally West and now he was drowning in darkness, just like these poor souls in Gotham.

"I knew you'd come." A young voice broke through the ambience of the city, interrupting Nightwing's thoughts. He wasn't surprised. He had heard the quiet zip of the grabbling hook, the light footsteps landing softly on the roof, and the familiar flap of a cape catching the night air. He had known Robin was watching him long before the boy spoke.

"Aren't you supposed to be with Batman? You know he doesn't want you out alone when the Joker's loose." Nightwing replied, keeping his eyes fixed on the city streets as he heard his little brother approach.

"Batman's off world."

"Then you should be at the Mountain." Nightwing retorted, finally turning his sharp gaze towards Robin. The boy shifted uncomfortably under the harsh tone. This wasn't the friendly, supportive, big brother he had come to know from Dick, but since Wally died, it seemed his mentor was long gone.

"Come on Dick, I haven't seen you in months. I know you came back here for the Joker… You gotta let us help you. If not me, then at least call the team. You can't do this by yourse…"

"I will NOT risk the teams' lives by sending them after the Joker!" Nightwing interrupted, getting to his feet to show he was not willing to argue about this. Unfortunately, Robin was far from willing to surrender.

"So you're going after him alone? That's suicide Nightwing and you know it! Don't you think the team has lost enough lately? Tula's dead, Wally's dead, no one's seen Jason since he escaped from Belrev! And now you're planning to go head to head with the lunatic who's already killed a Robin!" Tim shot back, letting his concern fuel his anger, but his words fell on deaf ears. Nightwing wasn't willing to listen to reason. He didn't care about the risks to his own safety, so long as none of the team had to face the danger with him.

"Go home Robin. Stay at the Mountain until Batman gets back. If I find you out here again, I'll drag you back myself." Nightwing ordered, his tone not allowing for any argument from the boy. As reluctant as Robin was, he knew he couldn't change Nightwing's mind. All he could do was make sure the Team was prepared for a rescue mission if needed. So with a defeated sigh, he turned his back on his older brother.

"You know, you're selfish Nightwing. You're so wrapped up in what you've lost, you've got no idea how much it would hurt the rest of us if we lost you. I hope you realize that before it's too late." Robin muttered before dashing off the roof and disappearing into the shadows.

"You're wrong, kid." Nightwing whispered to himself, letting his anger fade into sadness as he thought about Tim's words.

"The world doesn't stop turning when a hero dies. It didn't stop for Jason. It didn't stop for Wally. And it's not going to stop for me."