Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N: I actually don't have much to say here. Most of what I have to say is at the bottom of the chapter.
Chapter 38: Second Chances
-DG-
Bludhaven
A Warehouse
Nightwing managed to force Slade onto the rooftop. The smog covering the night sky prevented any moonlight from streaming down on them, but the street lights provided enough light for them to fight. The cool breeze felt good on Nightwing's sweaty forehead as he continued to fight on the offensive. As Slade backed onto the rooftop they finally broke apart, both of them breathing heavily as they studied each other warily. Nightwing found himself tensing; his muscles and contusions ached as he forced himself to continue fighting. Even Slade looked surprised that Nightwing had lasted this long against him.
I've never lasted so long in a fight against him, Nightwing thought. They were always so short unless he decided to make me suffer.
"Bringing the Titans with you...a clever move," Slade said. "Now we're on an equal playing field."
"I can't trust you to even come alone, can I?" Nightwing asked. "You had to bring your Sladebots, didn't you?"
That automatically made it an unfair fight. That's one of the reasons why Nightwing wanted the Titans to follow him. Although Slade did have his ego and reputation to protect Nightwing knew that Slade wouldn't be beneath dirty tactics to win. With the Sladebots by his side, Slade didn't even have to fight Nightwing to subdue him.
"I can't trust you to come alone either," Slade replied. "You brought the Titans with you."
"Technically, I came alone."
"You tricked the Titans into following you. Same difference."
"They're my friends. Of course they'll follow me. It's a pity that you don't have any friends who'll come to your aid."
That seemed to hit a nerve. Fresh blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth as Slade punched him across the face. Of course Dick that it wasn't completely true—Slade did have Wintergreen, after all. But the butler wasn't one who would deliberately jump into a fight to assist Slade. Although Nightwing was sure that Wintergreen had some military training he was a little old to be fighting. However, Nightwing only said that to piss Slade off. Nightwing dodged Slade's next flurry of attacks.
"A month ago you were asking me for friends," Slade said.
"That's because friends are important!" Nightwing shouted. "They're not like your Sladebots. They actually care for you. And no one should ever have to ask for them."
Nightwing grimaced at this and wiped blood away from his face with the back of his hand. This was one of the reasons why he wanted to be separated from the Titans when he fought Slade. He knew that Slade would bring up things that Nightwing didn't want them to hear. While he trusted his friends with his life he didn't want to worry them anymore.
"Besides, back then I was still under the impression that I wouldn't be able to get away from you."
"Yet you used every bit of cunning you had to trick me."
"We were both trying to manipulate each other!" Nightwing exclaimed. "That kind of relationship never goes anywhere!"
This was frustrating. Even at this point Slade was still trying to mentally manipulate him. Although Nightwing made it clear that he wasn't listening to Slade anymore Slade still treated him like a kid.
"You shot me," Slade said. "If you really want to win this time around then get a gun and shoot me again."
Of course Slade would bring that up. Nightwing shut his eyes briefly. He still hadn't quite forgiven himself for shooting Slade. He had the chance to kill Slade and end the madness. If he had killed Slade that night then he wouldn't be here now, trying to take him down again. When Nightwing didn't respond Slade's voice turned into a smirk.
"Admit it, Dick: you've changed."
"Sure I did. But if I really became as ruthless as you then I wouldn't hesitate to kill you."
"You're not going to kill me," Slade said. "You still don't have the guts for it."
"Neither will you," Nightwing spat back. "I know you won't. You still think I'm a valuable invesetment."
That was the only guarantee he had that he wouldn't die tonight. So long as Slade still thought of him as a valuable tool then he didn't have to be afraid of death. Then again, the idea of being thought of as a tool pissed Nightwing off more than the idea that Slade could kill him.
"Well then, aren't we in a bit of a conundrum?" Slade asked, his voice pleasant. "If we won't kill each other, then what will happen?"
Slade delivered a swift uppercut to Nightwing's chin so forcefully that Nightwing dropped his sticks. As Nightwing righted himself Slade kicked the sticks out of the way. Without the sticks he didn't have anything to defend himself with. He felt Slade kick him in the chest as he tried to dive for the sticks. Slade stepped on Nightwing's outstretched hand. Nightwing couldn't help but winch as Slade put a little more weight on his hand. It wasn't enough to break his hand, but it still hurt.
"You can't have Daddy Bats finance your little vigilante act much longer," Slade said. "Once you run out of toys you can't function. I know how you work, Dick."
That was getting irritating. Not the fact that Slade kicked him, but the fact that Slade continued to call him Dick. Even though Dick made it clear that he had taken on a new identity Slade refused to call him Nightwing to his face. It wasn't just out of habit: Slade refused to acknowledge the fact that Dick had a new identity. He still refused to look at him as anything but his apprentice.
"Don't call me that," Nightwing hissed. "My name is Nightwing."
"I'll call you whatever I want." Slade stepped off of his hand. "Dick, stop this now. You won't win."
The younger man pushed himself to his feet. Nightwing was reminded of the day that Slade stopped calling him Robin. Over time Slade had stripped away his identity both as Robin and as Dick Grayson. Although Slade called him Dick he was never that to other people. Slade always introduced him as his "apprentice." No name. He wasn't even introduced by the name of Robin. Only when people asked for his name was he given one. Anger bubbled inside of Nightwing as he lunged towards Slade.
"Respect me enough to acknowledge that I'm through!" Nightwing exclaimed. "I'm not your apprentice."
Slade caught Nightwing's fist, grabbed his arm and threw Nightwing to the ground. "You are until I say otherwise."
"You can't do whatever you want anymore," Nightwing said. "You can't keep treating people like crap. I have the right to lead my life however I choose. Recognize that!"
Was that what he wanted? For Slade to acknowledge him as Nightwing? Deep down, Dick felt as though that was what he was really aiming for. Just as he felt he had to prove to Bruce that he could lead a team, so he had to prove to Slade that he could be a threat. That he didn't need training or anything else Slade claimed that he needed. Besides, this was different from proving himself to Batman: proving himself to Batman had been a personal goal, but not one he was obliged to do. For his own sake he had to prove himself to Slade because it was a goal that Slade had given to him. If he didn't do it then Slade would never rest until Dick's "training" was complete. Even though Dick didn't like being Slade's apprentice he felt as though he needed to see the apprenticeship through. If Slade was simply beaten and dragged to jail then they wouldn't be able to finish this.
"You keep making the wrong decisions," Slade replied, "you're still a kid. You don't know what you want."
The wrong decisions…
Was this meeting a wrong decision? Nightwing understood that he had made some bad decisions in the past. Everyone did. But even if he did, who gave Slade the right to say that he knew what was right for Dick? For anyone?
He said that I was allowed to make mistakes, Nightwing thought, that he was there to fix them. But what good is it if someone else continually fixes my mistakes? I need to learn how to do that on my own. That's the point of growing up, right? To learn from one's mistakes.
That's why Bruce allowed him to move to Jump City. Although Bruce would always be there to protect Dick he would never try to forcefully condition him to think a certain way. He would be there to give advice. He would be there to help along the way if Dick happened to make a mistake. In the end, though, Dick would always have the freedom to make his own decisions even if they were wrong.
"You keep saying that I'm not mature enough to make my own decisions," Nightwing growled. "But guess what: Batman trusted me enough not to follow me. He trusted me enough to let me leave Gotham to Jump. He trusted me to make my own mistakes and he trusted me to learn how to fix them myself. That's more opportunity than you've ever given me."
Even though Nightwing had the Titans backing him up he knew that he still couldn't afford to lose this battle. While he understood that calling in the Titans to help him would be a good thing he needed to prove one last thing to Slade: he needed Slade to acknowledge the fact that he was his own man.
"Goading me out of hiding with puerile jabs and puns wasn't exactly mature," Slade replied. "If recognition is what you want then you're still going to have to prove it to me."
What in God's name was Slade looking for? What would Nightwing have to do to prove to Slade that he had grown up?
Nightwing ducked as Slade threw another punch towards him and jabbed the mercenary in the ribs. Although Nightwing knew that he could end this fight soon if he called in the Titans he didn't want this to be over until Slade acknowledge his new identity.
Slade stumbled backwards from the blow. He teetered dangerously close to the edge of the rooftop. Before Slade tipped over the edge Nightwing reached out and grabbed his arm before he could fall. Nightwing leaned back and struggled to keep Slade's weight from pulling him down over the edge. For a moment Slade did nothing, his one eye widened in shock.
"You…saved me?" Slade asked.
"I'm not through with you."
Nightwing pulled Slade back onto the roof and shoved him away. Although he knew that this probably hadn't helped him assert his position as Nightwing he couldn't let Slade fall. Besides, he really wasn't finished with Slade yet. Nightwing punched Slade across the face. Before Slade could react Nightwing grabbed Slade's head and slammed it against a steel support beam of billboard advertisement. The mercenary slumped from the impact, momentarily dazed as he collapsed to the ground.
Once Slade was down Nightwing began to kick him. He kicked Slade in the face to knock him out, just as he had done before when he shot Slade. Despite himself, Nightwing had grown tired from the fight. If he didn't knock Slade out now to get a few minutes of rest Slade could turn the tables on him and defeat him. It was the only way to win.
It's the only way to win, he thought. Right?
He stopped once he realized that flecks of Slade's blood had splashed onto his face, hands and arms. Slade coughed and spat out blood. Slade didn't even have the strength to glare at him before passing out. Nightwing's shoulders slumped as he stood up. He had done enough. To his surprise, he didn't feel quite as angry or relieved as he thought that he would after beating Slade. Seeing Slade lying unconscious at his feet actually reminded him of what Slade had done to him.
I wanted to do this, right? Nightwing thought. Or does this make me just as bad as he is?
Deep down, Nightwing knew that it didn't make him as bad as Slade. However, he couldn't help but think that way. He had been flirting with that thin line between good and evil so often that it was becoming difficult to see what was right.
No, beating up someone isn't right, he thought, beating up someone will ultimately not change the way he thinks…but it can become the first step.
That's where Slade got everything wrong: he tried to beat Dick into a mold. He tried to force him to be someone he wasn't. The times where Slade really got through to Dick were the times when he didn't beat him up. The times when Slade actually tried to connect with him by talking were the times Dick doubted himself. Minutes before Dick snatched the controller and ran away he had tried to talk to Slade. Nothing happened. Even when Dick agreed to cooperate Slade still refused to accept any other solution to the situation but his own.
It's because he knew that he had power over me, so why would he bother to change? Nightwing thought. I only changed because it was necessary. I would have gone insane if I didn't.
For some reason, Nightwing felt conflicted. He wondered whether or not he should give Slade another chance. He thought back to everything that had happened between them over the past year. At one time he idealistically believed that Slade could change. Beating someone into the ground would do nothing to change the way someone thought, but with people like Slade it might just be the first step. Instead of doing something to restrain Slade, Nightwing sat on the rooftop, wrapped his arms around his legs and placed his head on his knees.
-BG-
Gotham City
Bat Cave
Everyone in the Bat Cave sat in silence as they waited for news from Bludhaven. Barbara found herself getting antsy as she waited for news. The Bludhaven news footage didn't have anything new pop up in a while. The camera men didn't want to get too close to the fighting, which was a good thing.
Barbara pressed enter. Almost immediately footage from the inside of the warehouse popped up on screen. Four of the Titans were fighting off Sladebots. Although Dick was nowhere to be found—he was probably still fighting Slade—Barbara felt immensely relieved that someone was there to help him.
"I hacked into the security cameras so we can watch the fight," Barbara informed the others. "Dick you impish little troll…"
She found herself smiling as hope swelled in her chest. Why did Dick have to scare everyone like that? Why didn't he just tell everyone what his plan was? It would have made everyone a lot less stressed.
Because we would have tried to stop him, Barbara thought, so he pretended to abandon us.
Just minutes ago the Bat Cave received a call from the Titans, who apparently decided to go to Bludhaven. They called to ask if Barbara knew where Dick was. At first Barbara felt unsure what to do. Both Bruce and Dick told her not to call certain people. But before Bruce or Dick could tell her not to let the Titans through she gave them Dick's coordinates. At that point she didn't care what Bruce or Dick would say.
"Bruce," Barbara said through the Bat communicator, "are you there?"
"Yes."
"He used himself as bait to ambush Slade," she said. "Bruce, did you know he was going to do this?"
"Deep down, I knew that he wouldn't abandon us completely," Bruce replied. "I suspected that he knew what he was doing. He wouldn't have beaten me down without a good reason. And in his letter to me he said that he 'trusts me most of all.' He knew that I would figure it out."
It was all about the trust, wasn't it? Although Dick hadn't shown his love or trust for Bruce in years he still trusted Bruce to figure things out. He trusted the Titans to follow him. And even though he manipulated everyone Barbara found that he couldn't get mad at him for doing that. She just couldn't.
"And the Titans?" Barbara asked. "How did they know to come? I thought Dick didn't tell anyone in his letters—"
"He knew that they would follow him. He put complete trust in his friends. So do I now."
Bruce trusted the Titans? Well, that was a first. He didn't really trust anyone these days, so hearing that from him surprised her. She knew that Bruce had never fully approved of the Titans when Dick formed the team a couple of years ago. Dick was much more inclined to trust people than Bruce, and even though she never asked Dick directly she knew that the kid had probably been hurt by the fact that Bruce didn't trust the Titans. Having Bruce say this now would mean the world to Dick.
"Bruce, aren't you hurt?" Barbara asked. "I can come pick you up—"
"Don't worry about me. Dick will find me once this is all over."
She didn't like being stuck in the middle of all this with nothing to do, but at least she could watch. Alfred turned up the volume of the Bludhaven news footage. In the few minutes that had passed nothing had happened. Barbara leaned back in her chair and began to tap the keyboard impatiently.
"You know," Barbara said, "I thought Bruce would yell at me for letting the Titans, but if Dick didn't have anyone else helping him I would have gone myself."
"Well," Alfred said, "Master Bruce never said anything about allowing the Titans to assist Master Dick."
"Yeah," Barbara replied. "He didn't say that."
Did Bruce know that the Titans were coming? Possibly. Barbara would have to ask later. But even if he didn't, how could he be sure that Dick set up everything right? Well, that probably didn't matter now. All three of them were just going to have to wait for Dick and the Titans to come out of this alive.
-BB-
Bludhaven
A Warehouse
"Where did Nightwing go?" Beast Boy asked.
"He's fighting Slade," Cyborg replied. "I don't think it's a good idea to get between them."
Beast Boy agreed. Watching them fight was unnerving. Since Dick had escaped Beast Boy hadn't seen him fight crime. Dick's fighting style had definitely changed. Dick was a lot more aggressive now, and it was sort of scary—but at the same time cool—to watch. It was like watching Batman fight crime. It was so obvious that Dick had changed, even if Dick didn't realize it Beast Boy and the other Titans noticed. And Cyborg was right: getting in between them while they were fighting so viciously would only get them hurt.
"BB, look out!" Cyborg shouted.
Beast Boy turned just in time to see the Sladebot rushing towards him. He transformed into a gorilla and punched it in the face. He winced as some of the live wires grazed his fist, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. The Sladebot's lower body slumped unceremoniously to the ground.
"Is that the last of them?" he asked.
His jaw dropped as another wave of Sladebots came crashing down on them. Oh come on! Raven shot him a glare that clearly said, "you just had to ask."
"Just how many of these things did Slade lug out here?" Beast Boy demanded as he changed back to human form. "And why?"
"He was probably trying to ambush Nightwing," Raven said. "Once we finish with the Sladebots we should go up and help Nightwing take down Slade."
Everyone nodded. It was a good plan, and so much better than the ones they had come up with these past few months. With Dick back on their side there wasn't anything that could stop the Titans from finally bringing down Slade.
While Beast Boy wished that Nightwing would have let them fight Slade with him right away he understood that Nightwing would want to finish this battle himself. After everything that had happened Nightwing deserved to have a chance to get back at Slade. It was just that the Titans were so afraid of losing him again.
He's our friend, Beast Boy thought. I don't want him to get hurt again.
But at the very least, if Dick failed to defeat Slade by himself then the Titans would come and assist him. Instead of fighting the bad guy alone just as he had done with Cinderblock Dick made sure that his friends were there to help him.
-SW-
Bludhaven
A Warehouse
A few minutes later Slade groggily came back to consciousness. To his surprise he saw Nightwing sitting on the ground a few feet away from him, his back turned to Slade as he looked out over Bludhaven. Slade flexed his fingers and realized that Nightwing hadn't used the opportunity to subdue him. His hands weren't tied behind his back or handcuffed. Judging from the noise downstairs the Titans were still in the process of destroying his Sladebots.
"You're not going to tie me up and hand me over to the police?"
Dick's head turned at the sound of Slade's voice. Slade couldn't see his expression in the dim light, but he could tell that Dick was pretty calm. He stood up slowly, but Slade didn't move.
"Handing you over to the police wasn't my primary goal for tonight," Nightwing replied quietly. "What I really wanted was to talk to you."
"So…if your objective was to talk to me, then why did we fight?"
"Because it was the only way to get your attention."
Slade smirked and stood up. Dick went through all of that trouble just to get his attention? Just to talk to him in person?
"I'm flatte—"
Slade's words were cut short as Dick suddenly grabbed his neck. Since the kid's hand wasn't large enough to circle around Slade's neck he had to use both of his hands to crush Slade's windpipe.
"Look, Slade," Dick said, pulling Slade close to his face, "I'm a vigilante. I'm not bound by the law. As long as I don't get caught I can stomp you into the ground as much as I want."
"Do…it…then," Slade gasped. "I know you can kill me."
After a moment Dick snorted and shoved Slade away. The mercenary rubbed his neck. He knew that Dick wouldn't kill him, but then again the kid had shot him. He was dangerous.
"So if all you wanted was an audience with me…what is it that you want to talk about?"
Perhaps Dick was still a little…unbalanced from the last time he was with Slade. Judging from what Slade had overheard from the Justice League communication most of the superhero community thought that Dick was just a tad bit mentally unbalanced. Besides, Slade didn't want to fight right now. If Dick wanted to talk, then he would talk. But Slade wouldn't allow himself to talk long enough for the Titans to catch up to them.
"I'm not going to hand you over to the police," Dick said, "and if you try anything stupid while I'm talking to you I won't hesitate to call the Titans up here."
Now that surprised Slade. Wasn't the whole objective to put him in jail? What trickery was this? Slade shot Dick a strange side glance.
"Why?"
"Everyone deserves a second chance. Even people like you." Dick's frown deepened. "I'm not you, Slade. I won't kill you. But I'm not Batman either. I'm me. I'm going to give you the chance that you never gave me or anyone else."
That was an idea of the weak, but Slade didn't believe that Dick was weak. The kid had proved over and over again that he wasn't weak. Nightwing put away his escrima sticks and glared at Slade.
"Go to your family, Slade. Make things right between you and your real son. I'm not an adequate replacement for the son you lost. I never will be. Honestly, I felt as though I was being set up to fail because you made me take his place. I understand how it feels to lose someone you love. In those aspects we are similar. While nothing will ever excuse what you've done to me and other people, you can at least go out and do something worthwhile."
Completely stunned, Slade stared at the boy. Why would he be doing this? And why was Dick mentioning his family? In the short time they had been apart had Dick discovered all that he could about Slade's past?
"I know about your wife. I met your son." Nightwing peeled his mask away from his face. "Right here…right now…we're just two people. Not a hero and a villain. Hear me out, Slade: your living son misses you. While I could tell that he disapproves of your profession he loves you. You don't need me to replace your dead son. Go make amends with the one you still have, and be grateful that you have some family still alive."
After a moment Slade took off his own mask. Even though he felt as though Dick wasn't making the right decision he felt as though he too needed to take off his mask. Slade and Dick, not Deathstroke and Nightwing, needed to talk to each other.
"You have every right to shoot me and drag me to jail, so why don't you?"
If Slade were in Dick's position, then he certainly would have done something for revenge by now. Dick wouldn't take being controlled by anyone. Slade understood that feeling, so it baffled Slade that Dick wasn't doing that now. Dick merely looked at him.
"Just because I feel as though I have the right to do something doesn't mean that I have to do it. I'm giving you the chance that you never gave me or anyone else."
"The chance to do what?" Slade asked. "To walk away for a golden opportunity to better yourself?"
"The chance to make your own decision about your fate."
So…perhaps the boy wasn't a self-righteous little twerp after all. A year ago the boy would have done anything to get Slade arrested. But now he was willing to let Slade go. He was willing to take a risk. Although it was irritating to see that he still wouldn't kill or become a criminal mastermind Slade supposed that he had managed to change the boy's thinking just a little.
Maybe, Slade thought warily, it was for my benefit as well as his.
"I'll make an arrangement with you, Slade: you stay away from Jump City I'll let you go. Don't take any more contracts. Just go to your real kid and be there for him."
Slade stood up and straightened. "You may come to regret this, Dick."
"Maybe I will, but there's good in you, Slade. I've seen it. The others…they won't see it. While I want to do nothing more than knock your teeth in for the horrible things you've done the police will probably keep you locked up for life or give you the death penalty. You'll never have the chance to see your son again."
This was a dumb move on Dick's part, but Slade found himself considering Dick's words. For the past few years he had been battling Adeline both inside and outside the courts just to see his son. When he encountered Joey in his old Haunt that was the first time he had seen his son in years. Slade really did want to see his son again...
"Using my family against me…maybe I have taught you something after all."
"I'm not threatening to kill your family like you threatened to kill mine."
So, it seemed as though Dick was determined to demonstrate that was unlike Slade. Even though Dick just proved that he could physically beat down Slade the mercenary wasn't sure if he approved of this move.
"Put your energy to something useful, Slade. I'm sure if you took the time to make amends with your wife and son you'll be surprised. I met Joey a few days ago. He's probably still in town. If you leave now you might still catch up to him. I know you have the capacity to not be a bad father. You're just an...awkward one, at times." Dick paused. "And you have a bad way of expressing your love."
This was idealistic and stupid. Surely Dick realized that Slade wouldn't actually stop being the villain? He wasn't that stupid. However, something in Dick's words got through to Slade. Despite the pain of his injuries Slade's face softened.
"Why are you doing this?" Slade asked.
"Because unlike my mentor, I see the good in other people. Even if you're the villain I would jump in front of a bullet to save your life because that's what heroes do." Dick's voice hardened. "Mark my words: I can't fully forgive you, but everyone deserves a second chance."
That heroism was going to get him killed one day. But perhaps that was the point. While Slade didn't approve of this attitude it was the one that Dick had adopted. There was nothing he could do now to stamp it out of him. Slade brushed dust off of his arm and looked at Nightwing.
"You won't get anywhere in the world thinking like that."
"Not all of us are trying to make a name for ourselves like you are. And considering your profession..." Dick trailed off. "I may have been born to perform for the center ring, but I won't let that kind of pride consume my life. I'm perfectly content with protecting my family. "
As someone who couldn't allow his professional standing to tarnish, Slade had a hard time understanding Dick's sentiments. There were so many things he could lecture the boy about. Letting someone go when he or she was obviously a threat wasn't something that he taught Dick to do. Slade was also sure that it wasn't something that Batman taught him either.
"You have no family."
"Shut it, Slade."
"Don't talk to me like that—"
"Go before I change my mind!" Dick shouted. "Unless, of course, you decide to do the right thing and stay here until the Titans catch up. If you do then I will take you to jail. But I don't expect you to do that. Not at all."
With all of the Titans here Slade wouldn't be able to win. Slade knew a defeat when he saw one, and even if he wasn't injured Slade wouldn't kill the kid now. Slade was also a bit annoyed that Dick was challenging him to leave. Well, it seemed as though Slade had no other choice. With the strength of the Titans behind Dick and considering Slade's current physical condition…well…that fight wouldn't last long. Slade realized that Dick was forcing him to admit defeat this way. Leaving at Dick's mercy was a tad bit more humiliating than being defeated in a fair fight.
"Then I guess this is where we shall depart," Slade said. "If you really insist on letting me go…"
"If I ever see you again, I won't hesitate to take you down."
Ah, there was the boy he knew. Instead of making fun of him Slade shrugged indifferently.
"I would expect nothing less from you."
Hmm…
Dick chose to do this instead of beating him to the ground. Slade was completely disarmed. He couldn't shoot Dick if he wanted to. He wouldn't kill Dick…not now. He was still young. There would be plenty of opportunities in the future…that is, if Slade decided to continue searching for an apprentice.
"Another day, then, Nightwing."
Nightwing looked up at him, surprised. If the kid insisted on being treated like an adult, then Slade would do just that. Slade would no longer call him Dick to the boy's face. The sounds of the Titans shouting for Dick echoed in the warehouse. Nightwing didn't move as Slade slunk away. Before Slade dropped down to the fire escape he turned to look at Nightwing one last time.
"You've done well," Slade said. "You no longer hold the title of apprentice."
A flash of great surprise and relief crossed Nightwing's face. Ah, so that was what the boy had been waiting for: recognition of his new identity. Although Slade was reluctant to recognize Dick's new identity, the kid deserved it. Perhaps, deep down, Dick understood that Slade would never recognize Dick's independence unless Dick outsmarted Slade and defeated him in single combat.
"By acknowledging you as my equal you know that I won't hesitate to kill you if it suits my needs," Slade said.
"I know."
"That's quite sad, really. A waste of talent. We could have worked so well together."
Nightwing shook his head and jabbed a finger towards the fire escape.
"Get. Out."
Slade said nothing to this. He had a feeling that if he said something smart then Nightwing would change his mind and call in the Titans. If this was the end of their relationship as master and apprentice, then what was Slade really training him for? There was no doubt that they would clash in the future. No matter what either of them said or did the apprenticeship would always be between them, for better or for worse. As Slade walked away from the Titans he realized what Dick was to him now: a worthy foe.
While Slade respected Batman for his skills he also respected Nightwing for his potential to become someone like Batman and himself. If he was going to have an arch-nemesis, then Dick was worthy to fill those shoes. Slade had made sure of that. Slade limped away and climbed down the fire escape.
He looked up towards the rooftop and saw Raven come out onto the rooftop. Nightwing began to talk to her in a low voice. Slade couldn't hear what he was saying at this distance and was too far away to read his lips. What would Nightwing tell his team? Would he lie and tell them that Slade managed to escape? Or would he tell them the truth? Slade didn't know. At this point, though, he also didn't care.
He's moved on, Slade thought, I helped shape him to be the man he is now.
He couldn't help but feel some pride. Criminals feared the new masked vigilante known as Nightwing, and Slade had helped shape the intimidation and assertiveness that Nightwing showed. Dick had been so much more than a capable apprentice. When Slade first blackmailed him into the apprenticeship he had only thought about training the kid. Over time, however, he realized that he was subconsciously trying to replace Grant's empty place.
Slade was too proud to admit that Dick was right: no one could ever take Grant's place. It was foolish to think that way. Slade had been quick to see the similarities between himself and Dick and hadn't even considered their differences. Although Dick and Grant were similar they were also incredibly different. Training Dick was so different from training Grant...perhaps Slade had been foolish to delude himself into thinking that he could replace Grant's empty place.
Although it was a pity that Dick decided to stay a vigilante at least he would be putting his training to some use. Slade knew that Dick wouldn't want to hear Slade say that he was proud. He didn't want Slade's praise.
In a way, he did what I asked him to do, Slade thought. He went through all of my training. He learned enough to outsmart me and to beat me. I have to at least give him credit for that.
Slade smiled to himself. Perhaps this apprenticeship hadn't been a waste of time after all. Eventually, the apprentice had to surpass the master. Nightwing would take his own path with the training that Slade gave him. Since Nightwing could take care of himself now Slade wouldn't be able to make him think anything else otherwise. Slade winced as he walked along the empty street.
He would have to recuperate. Once he did that then he would go back to Jump City, but not before he completed some unfinished business here. For the first time in months Slade found that he was quite uninterested in going after Dick again. He had proved himself, it would be fruitless to try to train him again. Slade placed his mask over his face again. The next time that the two would face each other would be as arch-enemies, not as a master and an apprentice.
"Good job, kid."
A/N:
AHAHA. AND YOU PROBABLY THOUGHT THAT I COULDN'T THROW ANOTHER TWIST AT YOU.
Ok, so before you ask WHY Dick let him go, I wanted to say this: his personality has changed. At the beginning of the story he had a pretty black-and-white view of the world. Now that worldview's been muddled. I hope I managed to make this beliveable. If you think that this is a little OOC tell me, but here's a little explanation of my reasoning down below:
I thought about turning Dick evil, but in the end I didn't do that. While he is "good" he still retains some of the feelings he harbored while training under Slade. Earlier in the fic he learned, to a certain extent, how to trust Slade. At times he even got along with Slade and forgot that Slade was the villain. Dick has acknowledged the fact that he's recognized Slade as just another human being instead of an evil criminal, and because of that he has allowed Slade one last chance to change.
Again, I don't consider Slade the villain here. He's a person with motivations just like everyone else. Originally, Dick was supposed to win and everyone would be happy again. But then I thought, "almost every single apprentice story out there is like that. Everything is back to status quo. Why should I do that? Why does the good guy have to win all the time? Why can't Slade also have a second chance?" These questions prompted me to make this decision to give Dick a new identity and to have him let Slade go. I felt as though having the cliché "happy ending" where the good guys win and the bad guys lose wouldn't cut it with this story. I decided around chapter 20 that this was how the climax of this story was going to play out.
Ultimately, this is a story about two people. It's not about a hero and a villain. A bunch of you said that my characterization of Slade is much different than how anyone else writes him…that I made him human. To tell you the truth, it never occurred to me to write him any other way. Writing him as a purely evil character would have been so boring for me to write. Why can't Slade have character development? True, I've probably become a little too attached to Slade's character, but whatever. He's cool too.
Also, I felt as though the actual apprenticeship should have its own ending. Why can't Dick complete the apprenticeship for once in fanfiction?
There are a couple more chapters to go, so hang tight, folks.
And…review!