Dick went to the Daily Planet office in Metropolis to see Clark Kent. He was concerned to hear Batman had fired Robin. Kent disappeared when he heard trouble. Dick followed him without costume. Superman stopped a bombing attempt on the Presidential motorcade. Dick stopped a second bomber with Superman's help.
Dick asked Superman for his thoughts. He told the boy about a Kryptonian superhero cast out of his family named Nightwing. After they talked, Dick went back to the circus. After taking down some thieves trying to make off with the gate, he asked for his job back. They asked him if he minded working with a partner and introduced him to their current trapeze act: Deadman.
In the Cave, Alfred put the Robin costume on display. Batman was not impressed.

Dick talked to Donna Troy, telling her he was working things out. He was shown a poster of his father he'd never seen before. The Brand brothers had more or less taken the costume idea as their own, but Dick thought he could work with it. He got one made in two-tone blue. While he practiced his routine, the lion escaped. He helped keep it back while they tranquilized it.
Alfred found a boy tied up in the cave. Batman introduced him as Jason Todd. He'd caught him the previous night trying to steal the tires from the Batmobile.
Boston Brand got into a couple bodies in the circus and spoke with Dick. Dick decided to return to his "former line of work." Deadman spoke with Batman to give him an update. Jason surprised Bruce and Alfred by snatching and putting on Dick's old costume.

After seeing the Batsignal, Dick visited Commissioner Gordon in his new outfit. He introduced himself as Nightwing and convinced him they knew each other. Afterwards, he took down a pair of carjackers. When checking the driver, he noticed a tied-up person in the back seat. Batgirl came to the rescue when he was whisked away by the maniac driver. They got burgers and talked. She said he should introduce his new self around; they visited Joker in Arkham, Cobblepot's night club, and a few more hot spots.
Batman built a tracking device into the new Robin costume so he could see where Jason was at all times.

Batman had Alfred get into a Two-Face disguise as a test for Jason. As they went out for part of his "gauntlet," "Dent" was spotted and ordered to be delivered to Killer Croc.
Dick and Barbara set a "date" for surveillance that night. She didn't show. Thinking he'd been stood up (when he was actually set up), Nightwing encountered Robin. He followed his replacement, caught him, and tied him up. As he tried to call Babs, Jason got loose and sucker-punched him.
Batman commed to tell Nightwing and Robin to find Alfred - the gauntlet was over.

Dr. Thompkins worked on Bruce, who'd been shot when Alfred / Two-Face had been captured by Croc's men. Nightwing and Robin closed in on them; Batgirl located Bruce and spoke with Dr. Thompkins.
Nightwing was momentarily stunned when he saw Alfred posing as Dent. They were able to get him free as Killer Croc blew up his own hide-out trying to stop them. They caught up with him after a brief chase and were helped out by Batgirl. Dr. Thompkins called - Bruce was back up and wanted to meet with the team. Nightwing recorded a message for him, gave it to Batgirl, and split.
Later, Jason took Dick a costume Alfred put together for him.

Dick, apparently working under-cover, performed a hit for his new boss - Tommy Tevis. Tevis brought an associate with them this time to show off his new guy, "Crutches." Crutches gave them his ground rules and they discussed taking him to Black Mask.

Dick was introduced to the new "Double A" guns (armor assassin), which could fire through kevlar. He was then introduced to Fertitta. He knew Grayson was heir to the Wayne fortune, but Dick convinced him he and Bruce had had a falling out. He was assigned to protect the man who picked up the protection racket money from local businesses. On their way back, they were mugged. Dick took them down and realized it was an inside job. He kept his mouth shut.
In his Nightwing gear, he recovered the computer disk for his boss. When he got home, he found Sophia going through his stuff.

Sophie questioned Dick about a picture of Barbara she found. When she learned he had feelings for her, she threw a lamp and ran off. Dick and Tommy talked - he assured him that he was in with him 100%. Dick learned Black Mask wanted to meet him. He talked Tommy out of shooting Ray (a gang Dick took down was his).
In costume, Nightwing attacked a car who was watching his new family. Back inside, Lynette (Tommy's wife) tried to convince Dick not to meet with Black Mask - she didn't want her husband moving up.
After passing Black Mask's test (taking down 5 of his goons), he planned to send Dick to Bludhaven for some recon work.

Dick took some time off to return to Bludhaven. He saw Robin taking down a street gang and tried to get away before the Boy Wonder saw him. Tim did anyway. Dick found out for the first time that Bruce had tried to adopt a second of his partners. He told Robin he was out of the game and to forget he ever knew him. After brushing his former partner off, Nightwing learned that Deathstroke would be a part of the team he was to join.
Angie Malazavos went to police to testify against the Fertitta family.

Sophia wrote a letter to Crutches. The cops had burst into her home the night before. She ran, but her family fought. Her mother was killed, and her father was taken into custody. She ended up in halfway house until they got her foster care.
Dick visited the location where his apartment building was; a new one was in the works. Later, in costume, Nightwing broke in on Westbrook and demanded to see Deathstroke.
Ray found him that night and told him what had happened with Tommy, Lynette, and Sophia. He begged Dick to find Sophia and get her out of state care. As he left, Deathstroke arrived.

Dick told Deathstroke he was not under cover, and that he was no longer working with (or for) Batman. Slade somewhat believed him after hearing Dick talk about what had gone on in his life. He introduced Nightwing to his daughter and told him to teach her everything he knew.
He got into a new costume (maroon with red) and took Rose (aka Ravager) out to snatch Sophia from the halfway house. She mentioned baby-sitting for Roy's (Arsenal) daughter and mentioned one of her brothers (Jericho). They got into the facility with no problem. As Nightwing left with Sophia, Ravager attacked a guard, which got the other kids in on the situation. Nightwing tossed a smoke bomb in the room and grabbed Ravager.
When on the ground, Dick got on to Rose for the unnecessary attack. He took the girls to Helena (Huntress), who refused to take them in. She told him to take care of them and to call Barbara.
Rose told her father about Sophia.

Nightwing and Ravager spied a possible crime on a Bludhaven street. She disobeyed his orders and jumped the gun. They took down what appeared to be car thieves, but Nightwing found a computer chip in one's pocket. As Deathstroke lurked around, Nightwing explained to his daughter the reason the thugs were checking out a 15 year old car - it had a chip that could be overclocked for performance on other models.
Deathstroke broke in on Captain Amy Rohrbach's home. Holding a gun to her husband's head, he demanded the location of Sophia Teves.
Nightwing traced the modders to an underground car auction. The seller bailed in one of his cars. They gave chase on motorcycle and followed him to a police blockade. Nightwing crashed the car and saved the driver. They returned home to find Deathstroke holding Sophia.