A/N: Oh god I have a crossover story problem but this ship popped up on tumblr and immediately latched onto me and won't let go. I don't even know how to write romance but but but NIGHTSAMI.

And hey I finally thought of a plot and a crappy title yayyy!

It's set in a pocket of time right after The Aftermath. Amon is still causing havoc in the city, Tarrlok is still doing his thing that he does… (screwing non-benders over while hunting Amon, basically). I changed a few things time-line wise… mostly to do with Lin and Asami, but just bear with me, mmkay?

Warning: short chapters, sporadic updates.

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"I'm sorry, but, uh, this is going to be weird, isn't it?" Robin asked. "Haven't you heard of 'three's a crowd'?"

It was a quarter to one in the morning, and Nightwing and Robin were waiting in a dark alleyway, beside a phone booth that was much more than it appeared.

The third person hadn't joined them yet, and they both hoped that she would soon. The two of them were jittering from eagerness to start the mission and from the cold. That frigid wind that whined around every corner of the city was unrelenting; its razor-edge only dulled slightly by the insulation their uniforms offered.

Nightwing was feeling giddy since, with Bruce off on Rimbor, there was no Batman to boss them around tonight and point out their mistakes. He was also worried out of his mind, for the exact same reason. As strict as Batman might be, not having him here meant that there was no safety net.

"It isn't like that, Robin. Zatanna and I… are just friends," said Nightwing. There was once a time when they had been something more, but that ship had long since sailed. "Would you rather have been left behind, lil bro?" he asked teasingly, reaching out to ruffle Robin's hair.

"No!" Robin said immediately, ducking swiftly away from the gloved hand—he was getting good at that. "No… It's just that… You could have brought more team members along, maybe. I know how Batman feels about other heroes in Gotham, but if Zatanna's coming, then…"

"She's only an exception because we need her. Zatanna's the expert in this kind of stuff."

More than that, she was also the one that tipped them off on tonight's sale of stolen magical artifacts. A few of the items belonged to a good acquaintance of hers, and could be dangerous in the wrong hands, so she had used every Justice League resource available to her to track them down. When she narrowed their location to Gotham City, she called up Nightwing for help. They had a history, after all.

Bright light flared within the battered, rusting old phone booth, and Zatanna stepped out as it faded. She was wearing a thicker jacket than usual with her magician outfit, but she still flinched at the bitter, mid-winter Gotham air.

"Just the three of us tonight?" she asked.

Nightwing nodded. "Batgirl has an assignment with the Team."

Nightwing and Zatanna made small talk as they walked to the next alley over—one wide enough to park the Batmobile in—while Robin followed behind, awkward, silent, and watchful of their surroundings.

Talking to Zatanna was always something that came easily to Nightwing. Despite their feelings for each other having cooled off, and despite the slight drifting apart that came with the mutual break-up… it was still good to see her.

Zatanna stopped and stared at the Batmobile gleaming in the low light, then raised a sly eyebrow at the boys. "Does Batman know that you're taking his car for a joyride?"

Oh, Bruce suspected, Nightwing was sure. Dick was only supposed to drive the prized vehicle on nights when he donned the cowl and patrolled as Batman so that the world didn't notice the Dark Knight's absence… But, seriously? The Batmobile was the most technologically advanced, tricked-out, souped-up, sleek, drool-worthy car in the entire world, and Dick would be damned if he didn't take advantage of the opportunity and drive it until the thrill wore off. He didn't think it ever would.

And really, was it so wrong of him to shake off the stress that had been building in tight knots his shoulders and neck—from the alien invasion, Bruce's departure, and the re-emergence of the Light—by doing one thing that brought him joy? He'd dreamt about being behind the wheel of the Batmobile for years, and it was every bit as incredible as he'd imagined. (The Batplane was next on his list to try out.)

"This is our little secret," Nightwing told Zatanna, smirking wickedly. "I thought that a member of the prestigious Justice League deserved to travel in style." He held open the passenger side door for her, like a true gentleman. "Hop in, milady."

"Wait— She— What?" Robin stammered in confusion at Zatanna being offered the shotgun position. A position he would be accustomed to having himself, being Batman's partner and all. Nightwing knew the feeling. "But…"

Zatanna shrugged as she slid neatly onto the glossy leather seat. "I have seniority, Robin, sorry. That's the bane of youth for you. High school, hormones, and being forced to sit in the back."

"We're just lucky that she's not demanding to drive," Nightwing muttered, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel in anticipation while he waited for Robin to buckle up in the backseat. "She'd probably trash the car like the time she trashed my motorcycle." Five years ago as of last Halloween, but he still remembered.

Zatanna heard this and shot him a mild glare, opening her mouth to retort with that sharp tongue of hers, but the only noise she made was a shocked yelp that mingled with the growling rev of the engine, as Nightwing suddenly floored it.

The Batmobile took off like a rocket along the dark roads of Gotham, barely avoiding collisions at each turn, screeching through red lights, tearing every speed limit to shreds. Zatanna was both laughing and loudly questioning Nightwing's sanity. Robin was leaning forward, gripping the back of Nightwing's seat and insisting into his ear that he slow down because if Batman found out that he was driving this recklessly they'd both get into so much trouble, and oh god watch out for that cat! They almost hit that cat! It wasn't funny!

All the while, Nightwing was grinning a mad, mad grin.