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Nightwing had never felt this much panic surging through his body before. He had been trained by the best—by Batman himself—to never show emotion during dire moments. But tonight, he wasn’t at his best.
He ran as fast as he could, his footsteps echoing down the empty street. The air felt chillier than before, and the subtle gray clouds looming over Gotham City signaled an approaching storm. Something felt wrong—terribly wrong. The gnawing feeling in his gut told him something bad had happened, and he couldn’t shake it off.
He reached for the communicator on his right ear and turned it on.
"Batgirl—"
"Nightwing, you’re about a mile away from Artemis’s last signal. Batman and Robin should meet you in five minutes."
"Thanks. Keep me informed if anything changes."
"Will do. Please find her, Dick."
"I promise."
But that gut feeling returned, warning him not to make empty promises. He ignored it and sprinted even faster, nearing the warehouse where Artemis had last been seen.
When he arrived, he scanned the area frantically, swearing under his breath. Please, be safe, ‘Mis. He patrolled the warehouse inside and out, only to find it empty.
Nightwing sighed in frustration. Artemis had turned off her signal and communicator. Why would she do that?
"Nightwing! I found a glimpse of Artemis entering Warehouse 78, three miles from your location."
"Copy that. I’m heading there now."
He shut off his communicator and began running again. The longer he ran, the farther the road seemed to stretch. The thought of something happening to Artemis overwhelmed him, disrupting his focus.
He had never felt so distraught in his life.
"Nightwing! Get in!"
His head snapped to the left, and his eyes landed on the Batmobile, with Batman and Robin inside. Relief washed over him as he hastily climbed into the back. With the Batmobile’s turbo speed, they arrived at Warehouse 78 in under five minutes.
Nightwing jumped out and sprinted toward the door. It felt like an eternity, but he finally reached it—only to have it swing open, revealing his missing archer.
"Artemis!" he shouted, catching her before she hit the ground.
"Nig-Night…wing."
Nightwing stared at her in horror, his mind too rattled to process the deep wounds covering her body. He was frozen, unable to move, until he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Robin, help Nightwing patch Artemis up and get her back to the cave ASAP. I’ll handle things here," Batman ordered before disappearing into the warehouse.
Nightwing nodded numbly, his body feeling heavy and unresponsive. His eyes were glued to Artemis’s injuries—wounds so deep he could almost see inside her.
"Grayson, snap out of it!" Robin barked. "Put pressure on her wound, and let’s go. The faster we get her to the cave, the better her chances."
Nightwing did as he was told, applying pressure to the wound as they rushed to the Batmobile. He set it on autopilot back to the cave, watching helplessly as Robin worked to stop the bleeding. Damian had always looked up to Artemis; she was the one who inspired him to become Robin.
A petrified scream snapped him out of his thoughts. He watched as Robin and Alfred rushed Artemis to the gurney, while Batgirl stood frozen, her face pale with shock.
Nightwing tore off his mask and set it aside, doing his best to help Alfred stabilize Artemis. But even with their best efforts, the wounds were too severe. Dick shut his eyes, tears streaming down his face. Artemis was too damaged internally. That dreaded feeling he’d had all morning—he should’ve forced her to stay home, where she would’ve been safe.
A soft cough and the sound of his name brought him back. He opened his eyes to see Artemis’s soft gray pearls staring up at him. Her hand reached for his, and he squeezed it tightly.
"Artemis, you’re going to be okay. Alfred’s calling Leslie Thompson. She’ll be here soon, and she’ll save you. Just hold on—"
He stopped rambling when her hand caressed his cheek. This time, he didn’t hold back the tears. He knew that look on her face. "Please, don’t leave me, ‘Mis. Not like this. What happened to growing old together?"
Artemis coughed, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. A small grin formed on her lips. "You were always so cheesy about those things, Dick."
"'Mis!"
"I’m sorry, Dick. I guess I drew the short straw this time. I really… thought I could take on Sportsmaster alone."
"Dammit, ‘Mis, why didn’t you call for backup?"
"Apparently, I’m allergic to it," she said with a soft chuckle, which quickly turned into a coughing fit. "Dick… just…"
He tightened his grip on her hand, knowing what was coming. No. No. No. She can’t leave me like this! "Artemis, please, just hold on a little longer."
"I—I don’t… think I can." Her warmth was fading, and he could feel it. He held on tighter, refusing to let her go. "Richard, just… know that I’m thankful for you. For making me love you so much."
The heart monitor flatlined. Leslie Thompson arrived moments later, but it was too late. She tried to revive Artemis, but nothing worked. Dick couldn’t stop screaming.
"Time of death: 5:38 AM."
.
It felt like hours had passed since she died on the table, but only an hour had gone by when he finally left the cave. Her last words echoed in his head. Batman had arrived ten minutes after her death, offering his condolences, as did everyone else in the cave.
He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard familiar voices racing down the stairs. His eight-year-old daughter, Athena, and five-year-old son, Jason, engulfed him in a hug.
"Daddy! Daddy! You’re finally home!" Athena yelled enthusiastically. "Can we go to Uncle Roy’s house to see Lian?"
Dick smiled warmly at his daughter, ruffling her raven hair. "Sure thing, baby. Maybe after Daddy gets some sleep."
There was a tug on his sleeve, and he looked down at Jason. He had named his son after his late brother, who had died during a mission in the Middle East. It was a loss he could never move past, and when his son was born, Artemis had let him name him Jason.
"Daddy, where’s Mommy?"
The memories came crashing back—the last moments with his wife, her soft gray eyes closing for the final time, her last breath as she looked at him. Now, he was staring into those same pearl-gray eyes, which Jason had inherited from his mother. Tears streamed down Dick’s face as he knelt and pulled his children into a tight hug, letting everything go.
His children didn’t pull away; somehow, they knew something was wrong. He whispered the news of their mother’s death, pausing to let them process it. Moments later, they were both crying, mourning the loss of their mom.
Dick took his kids to his room—the room Bruce had provided for them when they got married. He held them close, his arms wrapped around them. Athena wriggled out of his hold and ran out of the room, returning a few minutes later with something in her hands.
"Jason and I made this for you and Mommy."
Dick took the card, his eyes welling up at the words: Happy 10th Anniversary! He flipped it open, tears streaming down his face as he saw their wedding photo.
Today was their 10th anniversary.
And Artemis Grayson wasn’t there to celebrate it with him.