Disclaimer: DC owns them. Not mine, never will be. No money was made from this piece of fiction.

Silent, but Deadly

By Arlene

It was silent, as the most effective ones should be. Nightwing merely slipped the rebreather into his mouth, no questions asked. He hadn't expected it, he never did, but training had taken over, and the action had come quite naturally to him. Years of working alongside the Bat, especially as back up, had prepared him. Didn't mean he liked it, though.

Unfortunately, the current Robin still remained rather inexperienced in this area. He stepped back and covered his face, trying not to gag from the fumes.

Batman glared at the boy for his blatant reaction. They were on a stakeout, and even the slightest movement could break their cover. Nightwing merely rolled his eyes and shook his head at the younger hero.

By now, Robin had sunk to the floor, gasping for fresher air. Nightwing unobtrusively tapped the boy's head to get his attention, pointing at his own face. The frantic grasping at the utility belt showed that the message had been received.

Minutes passed, the air cleared, and the two vigilantes tentatively removed the devices from their mouths. "Just think about all the tear gas we could save if he learned to bottle them," Robin muttered.

"I have," Batman smirked.

End