Nightwing #152

EMINENCE FRONT

Nightwing stands alone in the Batcave, watching the many empty Batsuits in the place and he can't help but feel just as empty as those.  After coming to terms with the fact that Batman is gone, Nightwing decides that it's time to rebuild the almost destroyed Batcave and he starts with a close inspection of the place. It is then that Nightwing finds a piece of hard wax on the floor and he remembers that it belongs to the candle that Bruce used during Dick's oath to become Batman's parter.  Nightwing moves on and he contacts Alfred, who is currently in Japan. Using the Batcomputer, Nightwing projects an hollogram of Alfred and the butler informs Dick that he is working on what was Bruce's last mission before his death. Nightwing then asks Alfred for any other case that Bruce and him were working before and Alfred gives him the instructions requested. When their conversation is over, Nightwing notices that something is disturbing the bats in the cave and he uses one of his eskrima sticks to knock one ninja from the ceiling of the cave. However, after this, a couple dozen of ninjas drop down and attack Nightwing, who fights them using the batcave to his advantage. Nightwing starts one of the Batmobiles and runs over the ninjas with the vehicle, taking almost all of them down. Nightwing then takes a communicator from one of the ninjas and talks to the person on the other end. Ra's al Ghul is the person who replies and he tells Nightwing that he sent his men to capture him and take him unharmed to his location. Nightwing wonders why would Ra's want him captured and Ra's tells him that he only wants to talk. After a brief discussion, both men agree to have a brief truce and Ra's gives Nightwing the coordinates of the place so they can talk. Before leaving, Nightwing ties the ninjas together and he uses the Batplane to travel to Ra's location.  At the Thar Desert, Ra's awaits for Nightwing's arrival and when the Batplane appears in the distance, Ra's walks to an opening to let himself be seen by Nightwing, who in turn descends the vehicle and walks towards Ra's. Both men stay true to their word and none have intentions of violating their truce. Ra's invites Nightwing to his secret underground lair, where Ra's also keeps a Lazarus Pit and they discuss the recent events concerning Tim Drake. Nightwing is glad that Tim refused Ra's offering of reviving his dead parents, but he is not completely sure that he would have done the same thing in Tim's place. Nightwing sees no more reason to stay and decides to leave, but he is stopped by Ra's, who asks him about Bruce's fate and the truth comes up instantly in Dick's face. Ra's needs no more confirmation and soon he gives Nightwing a sword.  Ra's and Nightwing start fighting in a deadly sword duel and Ra's tells Nightwing how badly is the bat-family handling the disappearance of Batman. Ra's also tells Nightwing that he regrets not having the honor of killing Batman himself and how shameful are Nightwing's attempts to keep Batman as a constant figure in Gotham. Nightwing fights back and tells Ra's that he is only hurt that he never got the chance to eliminate Bruce and now it is too late. However, Nightwing tells Ra's that he would have never been able to defeat Bruce. Nightwing finally gets the upper hand in the fight and overcomes the skilled Ra's Al Ghul. Nightwing starts walking towards the batplane and Ra's tries to convince Nightwing to take the sword he used in the fight as a reminder that they will cross paths again, but Nightwing tells him to keep it as a reminder that he will always be there to stop him.  After a long travel back to Gotham, Nightwing enters the batcave and finds the sword sitting in the batcomputer's chair and he is reminded that he is now in the center of the void left by Batman's disappearance.