[color=ghostwhite][i]Why is it that whenever Bruce goes missing, I put my whole life on hold to come and look after Gotham? I mean, it's not like I'm the only graduate of the Bat-Dad school of vigilante training. And Tim could surely take a few days out of his difficult schedule of staring like a sick puppy at Cassy? Or Jason could promise not to shoot any criminals for one week...[/i]

Dick Grayson, otherwise known as the costumed hero Nightwing, was perched on one of Gotham's many gargoyles and moaning internally. It might not be very productive but he found it was a good way of venting without hurting anyone's feelings. The truth was that he was glad to be back in Gotham, to smell the air and walk the streets. Or, technically, to walk far above the streets. He might've been raised in a circus but Dick was a Gotham boy, through and through.

Currently, he was watching a the entrance to a building from his elevated position. One of Bruce's many 'contacts' had told him that a couple of Joker's crew were holed up there and Dick had no better leads to chase than to run down as many of the clown's men as he could until one of them gave him a clue to their boss's whereabouts. The last sighting of Batman had been in the Joker's company but Bruce hadn't triggered a distress beacon, transmitted on any of their secret frequencies or made his position known in any way shape or form. So Dick was going to find the Joker in the hope that either Batman was with him or that the green haired maniac knew where he was. It was not, he had to admit, a perfect plan. But then it was Bruce and Tim who were the detectives, not him. Dick wasn't stupid but tracking down one of the planet's best hiders was probably a job for the world'd greatest detective. Ironic, that.

To his shame, Dick's musings had made his concentration shift for a few seconds. They were abruptly brought back to reality by the harsh crack of a frag grenade. Focussing on the entrance far below, he saw a figure smash through the door, catching nothing more than the the shape of a large gun. [i]Damnit! This is Tim's fault somehow![/i] Dick thought as he dropped from the gargoyle to the street far below. He allowed himself the pleasure of free fall for a few seconds before sharply pulling out of his dive with the assistance of a grapnel. He swung, twisted and flipped to land on the floor by the shattered window. He expected to hear the rough tones of one of Gotham's many street based criminals. Instead, it was a [i]much[/i] more familiar voice.

[color=FF0000][i][b]"Joka neva gave me half the credit I deserved.. SO COME ON! Lemme introduce to the new and improved HARLEY QUINN!”[/b][/i][/color]

Internally, Dick groaned. It was just going to be one of those nights, wasn't it. Snatching his billy clubs from his back, he mentally rehearsed his opening line. [i]"Is this a private fight or can anyone join?"[/i] was good, "[i]Knock, Knock, who's there?"[/i] was a classic, [i]"The vigilante union is going to have something to say about this, miss Quinzel"[/i] was funny but probably a big over the heads of the most of the room. Hmmm... No, he had it.

[color=dodgerblue][i]"I never could resist a distressing damsel"[/i][/color] he quipped, leaping through the mostly empty window frame and appraising the situation. Harley seemed to have taken out some of the goons but now had three bearing down on her with the clear intention of rearranging her anatomy with their fists. She had a bat out but didn't look too confident, more defiant. Before the men could really change focus (sometimes it takes a long time for a thug's brain to latch onto a new idea) Dick sprang across the room feet first. He slammed into the nearest one and sent him flying to crash into a wall, even as he threw one of his billy clubs at the other's face. That man stumbled backwards, cursing and spitting, only for Dick move over to him in one roll and hammer his empty fist into the man's temple.

Two opponents down in as many seconds, Dick turned to see what had become of the last man. Not particularly to his surprise, Harley was standing over him with a triumphant expression. Dick gave her a light nod.

[color=dodgerblue][i]"Doctor Quinzel, what brings you out on a night like this?"[/i][/color] Truth be told, he'd actually heard she was dead but he wasn't going to let on about it. Better to seem quietly capable and generally unflappable than at all mortal, lessons he'd learned long ago from Alfred.
[/color]