Silence

Chapter 30

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Dick's POV

The night was cold enough to make Dick wish he'd brought a jacket. Gotham's winters were bitter and rarely let up. As the former Boy Wonder leaped across rooftops, his thoughts wandered.

Bennett was sent to prison for his crimes, as well as Mr. Freeze and Cadmus' men. Yet Dick still felt something was off about the whole thing. The way Bennett had mysteriously disappeared from the crime scene only to be found by police later that night. It was almost too much of a coincidence, only he couldn't figure out how.

The idea that someone else was on the same trail as the Team worried him. He tried to tell himself to ignore the mystery figure and focus on finding Cadmus. But Dick couldn't help but wonder. Good or bad, he had a feeling they'd cross paths again. Or at least, almost cross paths.

Dick was on the roof of an apartment building in the East End. It was one of the most crime-ridden parts of the city. One never had to look very far to see a crime that needed stopping. Dick often came here when he was restless and needed something to get his mind off his own thoughts. Tonight, however, he was giving into those intrusive thoughts.

As Nightwing, he scaled and traversed the rooftops of the East End until he reached a familiar street. Park Row was infamous for it's descent into infamy. Dick hadn't been alive during this street's glory days, but he'd heard stories about what it was like here before the murder of two of Gotham's wealthiest citizens turned this street into a festering wasteland.

Dick sensed the looming presence on the rooftop, but stayed still. He'd know that brooding aura anywhere. He waited to let the Caped Crusader speak before turning around.

"I thought you were going to be patrolling the docks."

"I changed my mind," Dick said as he turned around to face Batman. He didn't bother with a typical greeting. Bruce wasn't usually one for small talk. "Something I needed to do here."

"Care to explain?" Batman said. Dick knew it was more of an order than a question. Though Dick was no longer a sidekick, Batman still kept tabs on him. As a safety measure, Batman liked to keep tabs on all the crime fighters running around Gotham. Dick's opinion on the matter changed every now and then depending on his mood. Right now, he wished his mentor had picked a different vigilante to tail tonight.

"I think you already know, and just want me to say it anyway," Dick answered. He often felt that was Batman's motivation, since the idea of Batman not knowing something was almost foreign. Dick waited for him to respond, but Batman remained silent. "Something about Bennett's capture doesn't add up. I know I should forget about it, but I can't help feeling there's something we missed."

"I thought we agreed to focus on finding Cadmus." There wasn't an edge to Batman's voice, but definitely a firmness. "Things don't always go according to plan. Be grateful it didn't end with him or the others getting away."

"I know, I know." Dick turned back to the street ahead. "It's just... It doesn't make sense. Bennett obviously bailed, which isn't surprising considering his record. Then he was just found by the GCPD, apropos of nothing? They couldn't have known we were coming. It's too much of a coincidence, and I know how you feel about those."

Dick waited as Batman presumably calculated the most efficient response possible. Despite spending years with Bruce, Dick still couldn't manage to decipher his distant, astute gaze. Batman walked to the edge of the roof where Dick stood.

"I don't believe in coincidence, but I've learned there are some things that will never make sense." Dick watched as Batman's gaze penetrated the dark street below, lingering on an alleyway cloaked in shadow. "You're not wrong about his arrest being suspicious. If there's something else at play here, we need to be ready for it."

"There's something else," Dick said. "That girl the Cadmus henchman mentioned. I know he was probably trying to throw us off, but... if he made it up he probably wouldn't have made it a girl. It felt so specific, and the way all the men refused to speak, even with Sloan out of the room. It was almost like something was scaring them into silence."

"Or someone," Batman added. "You think the girl had something to do with Bennett's arrest."

"Maybe," Dick said. "I think it was more than a scare tactic. If someone else was there before us that night, they might have information we need."

"We can't jump to conclusions. Sometimes the truth isn't as interesting as we'd like to imagine," Batman countered. Dick looked down at the street below, his chest tightening. He knew all of this, had heard it since his earliest days as Robin. Sometimes the answer isn't fun. You can't assume an explanation without evidence. Dick knew it, but couldn't stop his mind from putting pieces together. "But I saw something tonight that might prove your point."

Dick looked at Batman with raised brows. He didn't hear this often.

"Come with me," Batman directed. Dick followed him across the skyline of the East End, occasionally grappling between buildings that were either too far apart or too different in height to jump across. They reached an alleyway between two apartment buildings. There were fire ladders on either side. Both buildings were only a few stories high. What caught Dick's eyes, however, was the scorch mark on the brick wall.

"It's almost identical to the one you saw at the warehouse," Batman said. "I was after Catwoman, who'd just robbed a jewelry store. I found her here, with two unconscious muggers on the ground. I also saw someone else, a girl in a hood and mask. Catwoman attacked before I had a chance to interrogate the girl, and I suspect she did it on purpose."

"Did you get the jewelry?" Dick asked, though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

"Yes, but Catwoman managed to escape," Batman answered. Dick fought the urge to make a quip, but remained quiet as Batman continued. "When I asked her about the muggers, she said they'd tried to rob a man and his daughter. She didn't mention the girl, and refused to say anything about her. I came back here to turn the men in, and found the scorch mark. I also found this."

Batman reached into his utility belt and pulled out a small, clear bag. It took Dick a moment to make out what was inside, but when his vision adjusted he saw a long, dark hair.

"Did you find out who it belonged to?" Dick asked as he examined the hair.

"No," Batman said. "It's synthetic."

"Like, from a wig?"

"Exactly. Whoever that girl was, she obviously didn't want to be recognized." Batman put the bag back into his belt.

"You think she might be our mystery girl," Dick concluded.

"Maybe," Batman agreed. "Again, we can't be certain. Whether she's on our side or not, it's not safe for an amateur to be out here on their own. We'll likely run into her again. Until then, we need to keep our guard up. Something tells me Cadmus won't stay quiet forever."

Dick nodded in agreement. "So what do we do now."

"For now," Batman said as they grappled back to the roof. "We wait."

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Hey, beautiful readers!!! Happy New Year!!!! Got any plans for the new year? I don't really make resolutions, but if I had to pick one I'd say "make it to college without dying of anxiety" would be the best bet lol.

Did you enjoy this chapter? Will Nightwing and Batman find the hooded girl? Will the Silent Phantom remain secret? What will happen next? Leave your thoughts and predictions in the comments!

Also, thank you guys so much for helping me reach #1 on the DC tag!!! I think it's down to #4 now, but that's still a win in my book. I couldn't have made it here without you guys, and every bit of support and feedback means so much!!! You guys make writing this humble fanfic worth every word!!

Comment, vote, and follow if you like this story! Can't wait to see you all next chapter!!!!!

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~ Mocha :)