Nightwing has never feared death.

Right after his parents died, he'd welcomed it even, despite the fact that Dick would never even contemplate suicide. His mourning compounded with the fact that he was thrown into juvie, well, that didn't do his self esteem any good.

At first, Robin had been his release, his own way of trying to carve his own niche in this world, and it had worked. For a while. He never even thought about dying when there was always a person in need.

Then Joker and guns and pain and Batman yelling at him to stop and Dick couldn't take it anymore. He had never feared death and probably never would. What was dying compared to the feeling of being left behind?

And so, a few days after that alteration, he left and became Nightwing.

Even as an older hero, Dick still had that wild reckless abandon that had frightened his mentor. He never really cared much for his own safety if it meant saving just one more person.

And then Tula happened and Jason had gone and got blown up, by the Joker no less. Nightwing felt the loss keenly, but it he had experience, and the sorrow wasn't as deep as it could've been considering that he wasn't particularly close to either of them. But that didn't stop him from being overprotective when Tim came along.

He had gone through his parents' death at eight, and another two more loved ones had perished when he was barely past his teens. Dick never wanted to lose anyone else.

(Because what scared him the most was being left behind again.)

-0-

It's 4.30 in the morning and I'm dead tired but my mind wouldn't stop working until it churned this out in 5 minutes. Hope you guys enjoy another word vomit by yours truly.

(And yes, I'm still alive for those of you who are still waiting for my multi-chap fics to be updated. Just a heads up, they won't be anytime soon cause I'm lazy and very very busy till Nov. earliest I can update will prob be Dec.)