Nightwing #78

LEAPING INTO THE LIGHT, PART 1

Dick Grayson reminiscing his childhood and a confrontation amongst a group of bullies led by Shelton Lyle actively harming a random middle school aged child. A preteen Barbara Gordon intervenes imploring the bullies to leave the other child alone. Preteen Dick Grayson approaches, and tells Shelton and his goons to walk away after they threaten Barbara. Shelton takes a swing at Dick who dodges the hit, and recoils with a headbutt into Shelton's mouth, knocking out his front teeth. Soon after, Detective Jim Gordon approaches after witnessing the attack from afar and arrests Shelton. Detective Gordon drives Dick back to Wayne Manor after the incident. Alfred is both proud and surprised Dick managed to to fend off three high school students by himself and protect the other child, to which he explains doing so without a mask takes a different kind of hero.  The story shifts to current time. 3 high school jocks are chasing an innocent puppy and kicking it drunkenly. Nightwing appears in front of the puppy and expresses his disgust for those that torture innocent animals. The jock leader pulls a gun from his valedictorian jacket and points it at the puppy. Nightwing quickly neutralizes the jock and sends the group of them running. He takes the puppy to the vet and himself to the doctor after the puppy bites his finger.  In Blüdhaven, Blockbuster kills the Mayor by expressing disdain for his failures and crushes his head with his bare hand. He replaces the Mayor's position with Melinda Zucco, daughter of the infamous Tony Zucco.  Dick Grayson walks back to his apartment and sees the lights on from the outside of the apartment building he owns. Assuming someone has broken in, he quickly changes into his Nightwing suit only to find Oracle, (Barbara Gordon) is awaiting him inside. After she is infatuated with the puppy Dick has brought home and decided to keep, She explains the reason for her visit was in regards to Alfred Pennyworth's Will, in which it is revealed he was a secret billionaire and has left the entirety of his estate to Dick upon his death.  The story ends in upper Blüdhaven, when Melinda Zucco comes home and explains to her assistant that she has been made the new Mayor of the city by Blockbuster and stresses the importance of killing Nightwing sooner than later before he can interfere with the crime family's plans.