[CENTER][color=black][i]And introducing Dick Grayson as Nightwing starring in...[/i][/color] [color=ed1c24][H2][U]A Knight In Blüdhaven[/U][/H2] [B][PART 1][/B][/color] [I]My name is Richard Grayson, but you can call me Dick. After training under the Batman for four years, I have left my mentor's shadow to become my own man. No longer a sidekick, I have struck out on my own and traveled to the city of Blüdhaven in pursuit of my parents' killer. To bring him to justice I must become something else, someone else... I am Nightwing.[/I][/CENTER] The steady rain on the roof tops of Blüdhaven did little to still the ever present stench of the city. Not that it mattered indoors where Detective Amy Rohrbach was currently standing. Twenty four hours ago, city council woman Stephanie Hill had been abducted from her home in Avalon Heights. An hour ago, the detective had received a call from the Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant, something about a mutilated body. Entering the crime scene, the young detective lifted the yellow tape above her head as the first responder guided her in. "What are we looking at?" Rohrbach asked as she was guided towards the worker's washroom. "Not a mutilated body, and not the usual M.O.'s we get down." The officer answered. "This looks like it came straight out of Gotham." "Wonder if Gordon would lend us his oversized flashlight then." Rohrbach snarked flatly. "Certainly would be nice if the Bat could handle this one." The Officer said as he opened a stall. The walls were covered in red writing, repetition of the word 'HA' could clearly be seen as a smiley face was painted behind the toilet. "What... is that?" The Detective asked pointing to a device that kept swinging back and forth, hanging from it was a bloody foot that was smashed against the porcelain throne with each swing. "Like I said Detective," The officer sighed, "Straight out of Gotham." "Bag the foot and get it to forensics for testing. We're going to need photos, I want to find out every detail we can about this. I have a feeling whomever did this, we haven't seen the last of them." "Do you think this has anything to do with the missing council woman Detective?" The responding officer asked as he followed Rohrbach towards the exit. "I hope not." Amy muttered quietly as the officer looked towards her inquisitively. "That a message officer, the foot was [i]kicking the can[/i]." The young officer's face fell as Amy pulled out a pad of paper. "New to Blüdhaven officer?" "Yes Ma'am." He responded. "Don't worry, it'll take the optimism out of you soon. Nothing ever goes our way in the 'Haven." Rohrbach retorted coldly. "Now could you please point me in the direction of the individual who discovered the crime scene." [hr] There was something about the sensation of falling, of gravity pulling your body towards the Earth with every intent to punish it for ever believing that you could escape that thrilled every fiber in Dick Grayson's body. The new suit Alfred had provided was everything he could have dreamed of. How Alfred hid it from Bruce was another matter, if Bruce even cared that was. No doubt Lucius simply hid it in the batarang budget. The suit Cheyenne had made him had been functional, but this suit, this was made by Lucius Fox. It was practical, functional and almost as fashionable as Cheyenne's designs. Landing without a sound, Nightwing peered down over the edge of the warehouse as he watched the scene below unfold. Three weeks ago, Nightwing had discovered that Tony 'Boss' Zucco was running arms in Blüdhaven using the Narrows. Getting himself a copy of the schedule, he had discovered the next shipping would be the one he was observing currently. However much to his disappointment it seemed Zucco himself would not be showing. Either way, the last thing Blüdhaven needed was more guns on its streets, Nightwing throught to himself as he sprung into action. "Welcome to the gun show!" He cried as he dropped to the ground, wingdings flying from his hands striking the armed thugs standing guard. "You guys wouldn't happen to know which way to the beach?" Like a sentient body of water, Nightwing's movements were fluid as he flowed from one target to another until none of the men were left standing. "Barely broke a sweat." Twirling his escrima sticks, Nightwing sheathed them quickly as he approached the wooden crate. A crowbar had fallen from the hands of one of Zucco's men during the struggle, which Nightwing used to quickly pop the top off the arms crate. "Toys..." He muttered, taken back slightly in surprise. "Then where are the guns." "Heh." Came the forced voice of one of the thugs. "Zucco knew you were on to him hero." Nightwing snapped his attention to man as he placed a hand around the man's neck and lifted him from the ground. "Where are they?" He growled as the hair on the back of the man's neck went up before the man started to chuckle upon realizing it wasn't the Dark Knight before him. "What are you? Batman-Lite?" The thug said as he spat in Nightwing's face. "And to think we could have done this the easy way." Nightwing muttered as he snapped an escrima stick across the man's forehead. Pulling a line launcher out, Nightwing threw the man over his shoulder as he scaled to the top of a nearby crane. Anchoring the line, Nightwing firmly tied it around the man as he gave him a few small slaps on the cheek. "Wakey wakey, eggs and bac-y!" Nightwing muttered with a smile as the thug opened his eyes slightly disorientated. "Huh..wha?" The thug barely had time to register what was going on before Nightwing landed a kick to the man's chest sending him towards the ground. Grabbing a hold of the line, Nightwing pulled it taunt as the man screamed. "Where are the guns?" Nightwing roared. "Let me go!" The thug yelled. "Let me go, and I'll tell you everything." "Poor choice of words." Nightwing smirked as he released more of the line. "No! Stop!" The man yelled. "He used the commercial docks!" "How was he able to get guns in through the commercial docks." Nightwing roared. "He has friends! Friends on city council." The thug yelled back, practically sobbing at this point as the rain continued to poor. "Keep talking, I don't know how much longer I can hold this." Nightwing replied again loosening some more of the line. "I don't know who! I swear that's all I know!" The thug said sobbing as Nightwing sighed and released the rest of the line, bringing it to a halt just a few feet above the ground. Jumping from the crane, he slid down the line and hopped to the ground, standing beside the upside down man. "If I find out you lied, I'm coming from you again." Nightwing threatened as he tossed the man's wallet back to him. "I hope one of your friends is around to cut you down."