Timeline: 52, after Nightwing's return to Gotham

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters and locales are DC's. Well, except for New York City, but it's the DCU NYC!

To Honor Tradition

Really, there was no reason for her to be this jumpy. The name had been Kryptonian long before he'd appropriated it. Who cared that the name had been unknown on Earth, and he certainly hadn't meant it as a mockery? Besides, it wasn't as though the denizens of Kandor were likely to confuse the two. She bit her lip. 'Kandor' sounded too uncomfortably much like 'candor'. And candor was the very least she owed him, all things considered.

"I've been keeping a low profile," a voice said softly from the shadows. "I'm impressed that you found me."

"Telescopic vision," she mumbled with some embarrassment. She knew that Batman had trained his operatives to be stealthy, but if she'd been a touch less alert, he would have startled her for real. "I still lost you at the end, though."

He stepped into the light with a smile. "Good. I was afraid I was slipping. It's been awhile."

She nodded. "I tried to reach you before this, but Kal said you were incommunicado."

"I was." His easy smile never dimmed, but Kara sensed that he wasn't going to elaborate further. "So, you're a bit far from Battery Park. Is this a social call, or…?"

She took a deep breath. "It's not really that far. Not compared to where I'm going."

"Which would be…?"

Batman would have made it feel like a cross-examination. Nightw-stop it. He had no business choosing that name. It's from my people, not his! Batman's protégé sounded genuinely interested. "Kandor," she answered.

"Ah. As a… private citizen?"

She shook her head. "No, I think I'll be doing the same things there that I do here."

He stopped, looking at her intently. "I don't imagine that the name 'Power Girl' would have anywhere near the same street cred there, that it would on Earth."

She blinked. How had he guessed? "N-no," she admitted. "I was thinking it might be time to choose something a… a little more traditional."

"Something genuinely Kryptonian, you mean." He nodded. "Taking on a tradition can be a huge responsibility. You always wonder if you're doing the name justice, or if you're perverting it." He looked away from her, studying one of the many grotesques lining the rooftop and continued, "Whether your innovations are enhancing the legacy or just paying lip service."

"Now, just hold on!" Karen exclaimed. "I doubt whether ninety-nine per cent of the Kandorians have even heard of you or your 'legacy', and besides—"

"I meant my taking over the name a few years back," he cut her off gently. "I know Superman encouraged it—or at least, he didn't have a problem with it, but I've tried not to make him regret telling me about his—your—heroes of legend."

Why did hidden trap-doors never spring open when you wanted them to? She felt her face grow hot. "Oh." After a moment, she added, "I'm not saying you've let anyone down, but…"

"But you want the name to go back to its Kryptonian roots," Nightwing guessed.

Her righteous indignation had almost vanished by now. "Do… do you mind?"

"If you use the name in Kandor? Why would I?" He grinned. "It's not like anyone's going to confuse us."

"What if I left Kandor?" she asked. "What if I wanted to keep the name?"

"Would you?" The grin didn't waver but his tone was suddenly more serious. "Will you?"

"I don't know."

Nightwing nodded. "That's fair. Neither do I. But," he said, "I will do this: I've been away for awhile. Most people don't know I'm back. And," he added seriously, "when Batman and I parted ways, he was re-evaluating a few things. At this point, as much as I expect him to return sometime in the not-so-distant future, I have to admit it's up in the air. If his absence becomes permanent, well, let's just say I have another legacy I strive to honor. For now, though, is anyone looking after New York in your absence?"

She blinked. "The JSA. When they aren't off on a mission, I mean. And other people pop in."

"But what happened a few months back," he lowered his eyes, "hurt us. Some of us are on long-term leave. Some of us are still hurting." His shoulders slumped. "Some of us… aren't coming back. And right now, thanks to Batman's arrangements, Gotham doesn't need me. It sounds like New York might."

She heard the truth in his words. He wasn't pressuring her to stay on. He wasn't laying a guilt trip. He was simply pointing out a vacuum and offering to fill it.

"Will you be… you, there?"

He grinned. "I'm always me. Who else would I be?"

Despite herself she smiled. "Nightwing."

"Oh. That. I'm not sure." He shook his head. "Batman's off in the desert somewhere trying to find himself right now. I actually know where I am. I'm just not sure who. And I don't think I need to go to one of the four corners of the Earth to figure it out. But I think I do need a little time away from Gotham." Then more softly, "it's a drop too close to Bludhaven."

She winced. "I'm sorry."

"You had nothing to do with it." He sighed. "Anyway, a change of scenery might be what the doctor ordered. And a place where I'm not the only 'cape' operating…"

"What cape?"

"I used to wear a cape, okay? As I was saying, having more people in the area looking out might give me more time to re-evaluate, decide if I really want to stay in this line of work." He smiled wearily. "Yeah, I've been debating something like this for awhile."

"Okay," Power Girl said with a frown. He hadn't really answered the question.

"Right now," Nightwing continued, "part of me just wants to chuck the Kevlar altogether. The other part of me can't conceive of a life without it. I owe myself a chance to figure out where I really stand. But, you know what they say about life being what happens when you're making other plans. If I see a situation where I can do some good, I'm not going to shrug my shoulders and think that Wildcat can handle it for me. I'm going to suit up. And if that suit happens to be this one…"

She nodded. "I understand."

He frowned. "And you're okay?"

"Does it matter?" She couldn't very well order him not to use the name. And, after seeing him in action earlier tonight, after talking with him now, she didn't really want to. But would Kandor approve her decision, if ever they learned of it?

He took a deep breath. "Not really. But I'd be sorry if that led to any sort of rift between us." He waited for her to face him. "Last year, we saw secrets and stubbornness split the Justice League wide open and when a cosmic threat loomed, we almost lost. Maybe we would have anyway, but the League's dissolution didn't help. If you have an issue with my keeping the name, let's talk it out, not let it fester."

"I don't," she said. "Not with someone who honors it. If it ever happens that the person using the name fails to show it that respect…"

Nightwing nodded. "I hear you." He held out his hands to her. She hesitated, not entirely sure what he expected. Then, with a self-conscious smile, she laced her fingers with his. He grinned. "Here's hoping Kandor appreciates what they're getting."

A surprised laugh escaped her. "I was just thinking the same thing about New York!"