Nightwing: Heartache

Part 50: Hospital

February 9, 12:16pm
The Watchtower

Dick couldn't shake a chill. An early stage of hypothermia, Palmer had told him. Him, Barbara, and Willa all had it. They would be completely fine, just maybe a little cold. Dick had a bandage on his head alongside a nice bump. He had hit it on some metal in the water when the floor gave out. Tim, Jason, and Barbara had minor concussions from the impact of the water and Bruce had a dislocated shoulder. All in all, for an attack from the League of Shadows, they got lucky.

He looked down at Willa, asleep against his chest. She was wrapped in a heated blanket and had an IV for warm fluids. They all did. But she still shivered slightly. Dick squeezed her a little tighter. She was the reason they had all gotten out with barely any injuries.

Dick looked up as Bruce came back into the Watchtower infirmary. His arm was in a sling. He looked pissed. Alfred followed him, going straight to Barbara, Tim, and Jason to make sure they were okay. Tim had been dozing, but he jerked awake at the entrance of the two men.

"Well-"

"What did you-"

Tim and Jason spoke at the same time, then stopped to glare at each other. Bruce glanced at Willa, then at Dick. "She's out," Dick promised, "Ray gave her some sleeping pills to make her more comfortable while her body warms back up. She was in the water the longest."

"The manor is okay," Bruce explained, "all the party guests were long gone by the time of the attack, and the cave was deep enough that the structural integrity of the house is still intact."

"However, a full rebuild of the Batcave will be necessary," Alfred added, "there is nothing left but a gigantic hole."

Jason snorted.

"We also confirmed the explosives weren't preset," Bruce continued, "the shadows set them when the invaded. That's why they didn't attack."

"How did they know about the Batcave? Or how did they know enough to sneak in, undetected, and then blow it to shit?" Tim questioned.

Jason sighed and rubbed his temple, "I think that's on me."

Barbara put a hand on his shoulder, "we should have expected it."

"It is not your fault, my boy." Alfred patted Jason's knee.

Tim stood up and started to pace. "So they weren't trying to kill us. Otherwise, why not pick us off while they had the element of surprise? Or make sure we blew up?"

"We easily could have died," Barbara pointed out. They all snuck another glance at Willa.

"So they didn't care if some of us died," Tim went on, still pacing, thinking through everything, "but they had to know most, if not all, of us would find a way to make it out. Which means total wipeout of the bat family wasn't the goal. So why? To send a message? What message?"

Dick looked up at Bruce. "Bruce, Ra's Al Ghul..."

Bruce nodded, having already arrived at that conclusion. "When Ra's attacked Dick and I, he said one way or another I would be the heir to the League of Shadows. He's tired of me not answering him."

Barbara rolled her eyes, "that's so him. Kill your family to make you want to join his."

Jason looked up, his face pale, like he'd been struck, "no, this wasn't the original plan." He squeezed his eyes shut, like trying to block out memories. "It's why he brought me back."

Alfred moved closer to Jason, "what?"

Jason clenched his jaw, "it's why Ra's brought me back. For you," he fixed his glare on Bruce, "as a gift when you agreed. A loyal soldier at your side. A... a gesture of goodwill, is what Ra's called me."

Dick tried to swallow the lump in his throat. Barbara tried to take Jason's hand, but he threw her off, standing up and taking out his IV. "It doesn't matter," Jason muttered, "I'm not going back and you are most definitely not taking over the League of Shadows," he stormed out before any of them could say anything.