| abstract
| - The organization known as the Republic of Tomorrow has become convinced that Nightwing is responsible for the deaths of two of their members; the Strayhorn brothers. This is the same murder for which Nightwing was framed using one of his escrima sticks, and for which Detective Travis Nie has been hunting him. Led by a masked man called Paragon, the Republic attacks Nightwing, despite his claims that he is not who they think he is; that he is actually after whoever killed the Strayhorns as well. In a moment of desperation, Nightwing attaches a sonic device to the inside clock-face of the Gotham Clock Tower. The screeching noise from it sends the Republic into disarray, and covering his own ears, Nightwing tries to get to Paragon. However, Paragon uses his own weaponry to send the clock-face and the device crumbling out of their foundations and down toward the street below. Rather than allow any civilian casualties, Nightwing leaps out the hole after it, attaching explosives to the debris in the hopes that it will explode harmlessly before it can crush anybody below. his plan proves a success, but when he returns to the clock tower, he finds it empty. Nightwing decides to pay a visit to Detective Nie, who legitimately believes that the vigilante was the killer, despite Nightwing's own belief that he is being framed. As he argues with Nie, Nightwing uses his visor's computer to lock onto Nie's phone's GPS system for tracking. Meanwhile, the remains of the Republic of Tomorrow aren't satisfied with how their encounter with Nightwing went. Paragon regards his mutinous acolytes with disgust, and realizing that they can be of no use to him anymore, he kills them all. The next morning, Dick wakes up to the sound of knocking at the door. Sonia Branch, the daughter of Tony Zucco and a business woman, has come to discuss his bid for partnership in rebuilding Gotham's Amusement Mile. Unfortunately, the board has rejected his request for a loan, given the fact that his last show with Haly's Circus literally went up in flames, and nearly killed numerous spectators. Dick reacts angrily, but Sonia admits that she voted yes. It was the board who out-voted her because of the risk he posed. Offended by some of the aspersions that Dick cast in anger, Sonia leaves his apartment, slamming the door behind her. Disappointed, Dick decides to use the Batcave's computers to search for info on the Strayhorns and the Republic of Tomorrow. Robin interrupts, hearing Dick's story of how he has been framed, and comments that it is impressive enough that he didn't simply run away with his circus when he found out that he was supposed to become a Talon for the Court of Owls. Dick responds that he has no intention to run, and Damian admits that that was an important statement to make. Meanwhile, at Gotham City Police Headquarters, Deputy Mayor Kavanaugh calls a meeting with Detective Nie and Commissioner Gordon. The Commissioner states that he has placed Detective Alvarez on the Nightwing case instead of Nie. Kavanaugh warns that a lawsuit would fail, because of the Mayor's office's support. Nie exclaims that he is not framing Nightwing, and so Kavanaugh asks why Nie seems to be so obsessed with the case. Finally, Nie admits that he was in a homosexual relationship with one of the two patrolmen who were murdered by Saiko, and he blames Nightwing for what happened to him. Dick realizes something important about his case. The picture he took from the tattoo shop was taken two days before the Strayhorn brothers were murdered - but their tattoos had already been removed. Every other picture of them features the tattoos. Dick realizes that Travis Nie isn't framing him after all. Now he knows who the Strayhorn brothers were, and what got them killed. At Detective Nie's apartment, he sadly sits alone in his darkened room, looking at a photo of his lost lover. Suddenly, he is attacked by Paragon.
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