Hang on a moment. Just need to wipe down my computer monitor here. It’s gotten fogged up from all the steam in this week’s NIGHTWING #26 by Tim Seeley and Javier Fernandez.

Yeah…THAT happened. “That” being a full half-dozen pages featuring a nearly naked Nightwing reuniting with his former lover, Helena Bertinelli. Don’t blame Dick. He was just trying to process the shocking death of Giz, his hacker friend who had been shockingly killed at the end of the last issue while researching the Second Hand, a shadowy organization that had managed to smuggle illegal high-tech weapons into Blüdhaven. Granted, he was processing it in the shower, but hey, we each grieve in our own way.

Dick’s had a lot on his mind these days, even beyond the death of his friend (for which he blames himself). He’s also trying to come to terms with his recent breakup with Shawn Tsang, which happened due largely to his untruthfulness and his tendency to put his role as Nightwing before his relationship. It’s a lot for one man to process, and the last thing he needs—I mean, seriously—is an unannounced, unanticipated visit from his ex.

Okay, okay. I have to admit, I always kind of liked the relationship between Dick and Helena when they were both agents of Spyral back in GRAYSON. (If you’ve never read the Grayson Futures End one-shot, you need to stop what you’re doing and read that right now. It’s one of the sweetest and most creatively written comics you’ll ever read, and it was scripted by none other than Tom King.) However, they’ve both moved on, so Dick has every reason to be suspicious of Helena’s sudden appearance, especially since word of her personal mission to hunt down the gangsters responsible for her family’s death has gotten around.

Helena claims she’s just there to help Dick work through his recent losses, however, and he reluctantly accepts her help hunting down Giz’s likely murderer—a contract killer named Gianni Dracul. Dick gives the occasionally lethal daughter of a gangster one stipulation: absolutely no killing.

Nightwing and Huntress raid a shady Blüdhaven joint called “Club Leone,” which is a mafia front managed by a man known as Signore Argento. After subduing two of Argento’s heavies in an impressive—and kinda sexy—display of teamwork, they learn that Dracul has been acting unhinged and hasn’t paid Argento his cut. The mafia boss is only too happy to hand over the hitman’s address.

However, when the duo arrives, they find Dracul already dead. Two shots in the back of the head. It’s obviously the work of a professional. Along with the body, they do manage to find a clue—a flash drive hidden in the frame of a photograph.

Yes, it turns out Dracul was an undercover Spyral agent. And that means…

What on Earth? Has Spyral gone bad? It sure seems that way, and if looks are any indication, their next two targets are none other than their former Matron and Agent 37. And Dick thought he had problems before? Let’s see if things “Spyral” further out of control when Nightwing’s team-up with Huntress continues on August 16^th!