Hey all,

BOOM! Quick Update. Lets go.

-X-

Chapter 31: Division

December 28th, 2012

{10:34 EST}

M'gann was sitting on the floor of her room in front of a full length mirror. She looked at herself with discontent.

Her identity had been leaked worldwide, and there was no going back now. She sighed and continued to flip through a magazine on her lap. She continued to shape-shift into different looking women with their different hairstyles. Blonde and curly, brunette and long, black and short. Nothing looked quite right on her. She didn't look like Megan, her idol from "Hello Megan", anymore. She didn't look like herself anymore.

A knock was heard at her door. She shape-shifted back into her normal form and got off from the ground.

"Come in!" She called.

Kaldur opened the door, "Hello M'gann." He said kindly, "May I come in?"

The Martian girl nodded, and put her magazine on the small table beside her bed. She took a seat on the bed and gestured for Kaldur to sit beside her.

"How are you holding up?" He asked her.

M'gann shrugged, "I've been... better." She chose her words carefully. "I know it's a silly thing to be upset about. I'm a shape-shifter after all, and-"

Kaldur interrupted her, "M'gann, please." He said gently, "It is not silly. You have every right to be upset."

The girl sighed and grabbed the magazine, handing it to Kaldur, "I've been looking at different hairstyles. I've tried all sorts of colors, lengths, curls, but nothing feels right. Nothing feels like me."

"It will take some time, I"m certain. But, nothing is permanent. You could change your hair in a month from now, if that is what you wanted."

She nodded to acknowledge his comment. Kaldur flipped through a few pages of the magazine before putting it down beside him, "Have you spoken with J'onn?"

M'gann shook her head, "Not yet. He should be returning from Mars soon. I know the League explained the situation to him."

Kaldur nodded. He reflected on his conversation he had with Wally a few weeks ago, about a potential mole on the team. Now, looking at the broken girl before him, Kaldur knew in his heart that there was no way she could possibly be soliciting information to the League of Shadows. Her kindness was unmatched and genuine. He felt certain that she was not capable of such a terrible deed.

He put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "The team and I are here to support you." Kaldur confirmed, "Have you adjusted moving back into the mountain?"

"Sort of." She shrugged, "Most of my belongings are still at Uncle J'onn's apartment."

"It seems so long ago that we moved out of Mount Justice." Kaldur mused, "How was your time spent at your uncle's apartment?"

"It was okay." She said, "It's about as normal as you can get. I love my Uncle J'onn, but I missed seeing our friends everyday."

Kaldur nodded, "I understand." He agreed, "Did you have any trouble settling in?"

"I couldn't stop thinking about it." M'gann started, "You know... About the training simulation. About... what I did. I-I still think about it every day."

"None of that was your fault." Kaldur assured her. He squeezed her shoulder softly, "Do not blame yourself for what happened. Please."

Tears welled in her eyes, "I can't help but think that we would still be a team if I hadn't ruined it," M'gann sobbed, "And we wouldn't have failed the next two missions. A-and Robin would still be home. My identity wouldn't have been leaked. Kaldur," She looked up at him desperately, "I don't have any idea how Deathstroke knew my identity. It must have been Deathstroke, right!? And poor Robin is stuck with him!"

Kaldur extended his arms forward and M'gann graciously accepted the hug, "M'gann you had no way of preventing what happened. None of us did. We cannot blame ourselves for what occurred but we have to keep moving forward until we get him back home"

She shook her head frantically, "You don't understand... he was so afraid of him. Afraid of what he might do. Afraid of what he has done. It was... it was awful."

The Atlantian rested his head on her's and held her until the sobs began to subside. M'gann pulled away from him, rubbing her runny nose on the sleeve of her sweater. She took a few deep breaths to recollect herself.

"I'm sorry." She told him.

"Do not be sorry. This is what friends are for."

"I didn't think you would be back from Atlantis so soon." M'gann told him, "But I am happy you are here."

Kaldur smiled at her, "I knew my friends needed me here, more than they do in Atlantis. How was your Christmas?"

"It was nice. Zatanna and I shared presents and cooked together. She misses her father a lot."

"I'm certain she deeply appreciated your company."

M'gann nodded knowingly. Her and Zatanna had barely spent any time apart from each other. Frankly, M'gann was grateful for Zatanna's company as well. Reestablishing a new identity for herself was taking a toll on her. Was she going to pick a new name? A new face? How much did she really have to change about herself to pass as a new person all together? Did she even need to establish a new identity?

The questions plagued her.

"How was Atlantis?" M'gann asked.

"Quiet." Kaldur explained, "We do not celebrate Christmas in Atlantis, so it was merely a time to see my friends without worry."

M'gann nodded. "Do you think Superman is still mad at me?" She hesitantly asked.

Kaldur sighed. He reflected on the way Superman had snapped at them. He had never seen a time where Superman looked so angry and out of control.

He spoke earnestly, "I, unfortunately, do not know. What I do know is that he has not taken Batman's death well... And it is clear that it has severely impacted the functionality of the Justice League. In time, I know Superman will realize this and things will start to improve."

M'gann nodded slightly.

Kaldur grabbed the magazine in his hands again, "If I may..." He flipped to a page with a woman with short blonde hair, "I think this would suit you very well. However, with red, and not blonde hair."

The Martian smiled before morphing her hair to match the blonde woman in the magazine. Her hair grew shorter, barely poking out around her ears. Bangs still swept across the side of her forehead. Her eyes changed from their usual amber color to a soft green and her skin turned pale white. She stood up from the bed and walked over to the mirror to examine her appearance. She bent forward at the waist to get a good look at her face. She made some freckles pop out against her skin.

"What do you think?" She asked.

"I think you look excellent." Kaldur said, "You still look like yourself without looking the same as you did before."

M'gann hesitantly spoke, "I've been thinking, Kaldur, do I even need to make a new identity? How bad could it be, really? Once the excitement dies down. I mean... I couldn't go to school, but-"

Kaldur spoke before she could finish, "M'gann, pardon my interruption, but I thought you loved going to school?"

"I-I did."

"You were on the cheer-leading team, correct?"

"I was."

Kaldur's tone of voice got serious, "Then do not let Deathstroke take that from you." He encouraged her, "To give up on the things you love would mean that Deathstoke has won. It would mean he broke you. He may have taken Robin, but that does not mean he can take your identity too. This new identity... Deathstroke will have no idea who you are."

"You're right." She said with some confidence. She looked in the mirror again. The short hair suited her face, "I think I like this look. I should go show Zatanna."

"That is a good idea. I will be in the common room, if you need me."

She nodded before zipping out of the room, leaving Kaldur alone. He quickly got up from the bed and exited the room right after her, as to not intrude on her personal space. Although Kaldur did not get a specific answer for M'gann's whereabouts the night of Robin's kidnapping, he felt confident that M'gann was not the one behind it.

When Kaldur made it to the common room, he found Conner sitting there with static on the television screen. Wolf was resting on the couch beside him, with his head in Conner's lap. He could see Conner stroking Wolf's white fur while he slept. Upon closer inspection, Kaldur could see that Conner's eyes were transfixed on the television. It was as though he was listening to something intensely even though there was no sound. Perhaps he could kill two birds with one stone, Kaldur thought to himself. Discover Conner's whereabouts on the night of the kidnapping.

"Hello, Conner." Kaldur greeted. Conner didn't move. Perhaps he didn't hear Kaldur.

"Conner?"

The teen looked up, "Hi." Conner responded shortly.

"Would you mind if I sat with you?"

"I don't care."

Pleasantries were never Conner's strong suit. Kaldur took a seat on the armchair near by, "How are you feeling?" Kaldur asked him, "After our encounter with Deathstroke?"

Conner was disinterested in the conversation, "I'm fine."

"That is good to hear." Kaldur moved things along, "How are things with Black Canary? I am afraid I never asked you how things were."

The teenager's eyes were back on the television screen, "It was fine."

Kaldur's mind worked hard to keep Conner interested in the conversation, though he couldn't say too much as to make it seem suspicious. Kaldur had to admit that he felt great shame, interrogating his teammates without their knowledge. But, Kaldur kept reminding himself, that they were all innocent until proven guilty. If anything, the more knowledge they had, the more they could limit the list of suspects and begin to find answers. Answers on why Dick was so willing to go with Deathstroke in the first place.

"Were you able to get all your belongings moved in?"

Conner didn't turn his head, "I don't own that much."

"Did you and Black Canary do anything after?"

"Why do you even care?" Conner snapped, "Why do you keep asking?"

Kaldur bowed his head, "Forgive me, Conner, for overstepping. I only ask because I had a mentor to go home to. You did not have the same luxury."

Conner retracted his misplaced frustration. "She kept asking me how I was feeling. It was annoying. I unpacked my things and went to bed."

"M'gann is moving back into the mountain to be with Zatanna. Have you considered moving back in?"

"Not really." His voice was curt, "Anything else?"

Kaldur shook his head, "No, my friend. Please, do not hesitate to reach out if you ever need to talk."

Conner gave no response as Kaldur stood up from his seat and began to walk to the kitchen adjacent to the common room. He felt confident in his analysis, that both M'gann and Kaldur were innocent of the crime. This meant that only Artemis was left to ask about her whereabouts that evening. Kaldur worked many thoughts through his head, surely Artemis would fall quick to suspicion if he asked the wrong questions. But, as the once leader of the now fragmented team, it was his duty to see that any threats to the team be thoroughly investigated.

-X-

"Remind me again why we are meeting with Sportsmaster? He works for the League of Assassins, so he works for the Light."

Dick chased behind Slade as he swiftly walked with large strides. Slade and he were in Central City to meet with Sportsmaster. Dick couldn't quite understand why Slade wanted to meet with an extended member of the Light after moving all the way across the country specifically to get away from them.

"He is interested in property I own in the Middle East."

"Doesn't the Light want you dead?"

"Partially." Slade responded, "Now quiet down."

Before Sportsmaster came in, Dick stood tall, shoulders back with arms at his side. Slade stood immediately to his right. Sportsmaster could be seen coming through the door, followed shortly by Cheshire. Slade reached out and shook Sportsmaster's hand, but did not make the effort to shake Cheshire's hand. The woman didn't extend it for him either. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she leaned to put her weight on one side of her body. She didn't look interested in being here. Come to think of it, Dick wasn't sure why she was even here in the first place.

Sportsmaster spoke first. "You've pissed off a lot of people, Deathstroke."

Dick looked up at Slade as he spoke, "They're a bit of an uptight bunch, wouldn't you say?"

There was silence for a moment before Sportsmaster chuckled, "An understatement."

Dick felt relief at Sportsmaster's reaction. Apparently, Slade was not the only one which considered the Light's grandiose mission to be silly. Dick took comfort in this fact. The less individuals on board to take down the Justice League, the better it was. Dick could only imagine how they handled adjusting to life without Batman at the helm.

"I must admit, I did not expect to hear from you." Slade said.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's business as usual," Sportsmaster continued, "I won't allow some witch boy and an overzealous immortal to tell me who I can and can't do business with."

Cheshire made an aggravated sound, "Can we just get on with it?" Her tone of voice was very annoyed, "I don't intend on being here all day."

"Cheshire," Slade finally addressed her, "Pleasant as usual."

For the first time, Dick finally felt as though he could feel Cheshire rolling her eyes behind her mask, much similarly to how Slade always could always tell when Dick was rolling his eyes. She seemed to have an obvious dislike for Slade, Dick noted. He could recall Slade telling him about different members of the League of Assassins having come to him in hopes of learning from Slade, for Ra's Al Ghul did not train with members individually. Was Cheshire one of them?

Slade gestured behind himself, "Allow us to speak privately." He said to Sportsmaster. Sportsmaster gave a nod of his head before following Slade out the doorway they originally entered in from.

"Robin."

"Cheshire."

The cat-like mask bore into him, "My, my," She purred, "I must say... I didn't believe the rumors about you. And yet... here you are."

"What kind of rumors?"

She grinned behind the mask, "That the Boy Wonder became Deathstroke the Terminator's apprentice. So shocking I almost refuse to believe it."

"Well, believe it." Dick responded shortly.

Cheshire leaned forward and tilted her head to the side. "It's just you and me here, you know." She told him, "Why don't you tell me why you're really here? Undercover?"

"What you see is what you get."

"Hmm..." She purred, "I don't think I believe you, Robin. Is that really you underneath all that black and orange?"

She extended a hand to toy with his hair and Dick moved quickly to grab her wrist in a vice. She did not have enough time to pull her hand away before his fingers locked down on her wrist.

"You caught me." She said, her tone of voice flat.

"Watch yourself." Dick warned. He tightened his grip for a moment before releasing her arm. She returned it to her side with a masked frown. Dick studied her, trying to piece together what Cheshire was trying to accomplish. Dick recalled the conversation he had with Slade in the car after their meeting with Professor Chang. Earn respect, Dick reminded himself, and where you cannot earn respect, you demand fear.

Dick spoke again, "Why don't you tell me why you're here instead? Didn't think you'd be a pawn for the Light."

"I'm not a pawn."

"Could've fooled me."

"I work for the League of Shadows." Cheshire stated, "Ra's Al Ghul's... extracurricular activities do not reflect my work."

Dick raised an eyebrow, "You expect me to believe that your master's allegiances don't impact your own?"

"The same could be said for you, Boy Wonder. You're not really one of us. Whatever little game you're playing is clever, maybe clever enough to fool Deathstroke, but not me. You do not belong with the wolves."

"Deathstroke handpicked me himself. Did you honestly think I'd have problem keeping up?"

She shook her head, "It's a different ball game. There's a lot more to it than just dressing the part."

Dick smirked, "Are you jealous, Cheshire?"

"Jealous?" Cheshire threw her head back and laughed, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I've heard all the different stories about those from the League of Assassins who would throw themselves at his feet for an opportunity to learn from him." Dick explained furthered, "People like you. Begging to be noticed by the world's deadliest mercenary, even just for a moment. Is that why you have such obvious disdain for him? Because he watched you grovel but gave you nothing?"

"Oh, shut up." She told him, "Both you and Deathstroke are so arrogant and prideful."

Dick pressed further, "If its not that, then is it the fact that a hero was the first pick for the apprenticeship? I earned the position without even trying."

"I don't have any interest in being his apprentice" She growled.

"Of course you don't. The only apprenticeship you were good enough for was one your own father made for you."

Cheshire growled and withdrew a sai from her belt. She rushed for Dick's throat in one swift motion. Before she made contact, Dick swung his arm up into the air, the sai colliding with his metallic glove. The sound of metal against metal made a loud noise throughout the small room. The edges of the blade were caught around his wrist.

Dick thought for a moment, he could imagine a previous lesson with Slade pointing a gun at his head. A lesson on disarming the enemy and taking control of the weapon. Dick used his freehand to whip in front of his face and grab the weapon from Cheshire's grasp. He used the same momentum to wrap his arm around her's and pull her down to the ground. Her body was pulled along Dick's back before she slammed into the ground. He pointed the weapon back towards her.

To Dick's surprise, Cheshire began to laugh. He pulled the weapon back to his side as Cheshire pushed herself off the ground. She adjusted herself before extending her arm out for her weapon to be returned. Dick made no move to give it back to her.

"You're not going to steal my toys, are you? I was just having a bit of fun."

Dick flipped the weapon in his hand before pulling his arm back behind his head and whipping it forward. The blade whizzed past Cheshire's ear, ruffling her hair as it flew by. The made a loud noise as it was embedded into the wall. The knife-throwing he had learned in the circus certainly was paying off for him today. He watched as Cheshire moved to retrieve her weapon.

When she made it over to the wall, Slade and Sportsmaster re-entered the room, no doubt due to the noise. Cheshire firmly grasped the handle of the blade before yanking it out of the wall. When it was free, she slipped it back in the band around her waist. She turned to look at the men in the room.

"Finally finished, hmm?"

"Indeed." Slade responded, "And you two?"

She made her way back over towards them, "What can I say... Curiosity killed the cat." She purred. Instead of stopping at their side, Cheshire continued until she made her way out of the room.

Sportsmaster turned towards Slade, "Always a pleasure, Deathstroke." He said, extending a hand. Slade firmly shook the man's hand in return. Once finished, Sportsmaster turned to face Dick. Dick stood a little taller, in an attempt to make himself look bigger. To his surprise, Sportsmaster extended a hand towards him. Without hesitation, Dick took the man's large hand into his own and gave a firm two shakes before releasing. Sportsmaster cast Slade a slight nod of the head before turning to follow Cheshire out the same door. Dick and Slade waited in silence until they could hear the helicopter breathe to life before disappearing completely.

Slade glanced down at Dick, "What happened in here?"

"I did what you said." Dick responded, "Earned respect."

"You two fought, I take it?"

'Sort of." Dick shrugged, "She attacked, I countered. Threw her to the ground in one move."

"Well done." Slade praised Dick, giving him a pat on the shoulder, "I'm impressed."

Dick nodded in acknowledgement, "How did it go with Sportsmaster?"

"It went well, considering the tension between us and the Light." Slade explained. He began walking as he spoke, "I anticipated you being part of the conversation, but I did not expect Cheshire to come with him as well. She can be... troublesome at meetings, if you will. But, as I expected, Sportsmaster purchased the remainder of my property in Qurac."

Dick reeled, "Qurac?" He asked, walking behind Slade, "As in, right next to Bialya?"

"Correct." Slade agreed, "Have you been?"

"For a mission, once." Dick recalled the migraines he had for days from Psimon after completing that mission, "It was a rough one."

"Hmm. Seems to be a common theme for that team."

Dick ignored Slade's jab at his old team, "Queen Bee is trying to take over Qurac, isn't she?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"And you just sold them your property there?" Dick was flabbergasted, "Why would you sell her your property in Qurac? It'll help her take over."

"I had no use for the property any longer." Slade explained, "What they do with it does not matter to me."

Dick sighed, "...Right." He admitted his own defeat. It wasn't their problem, Dick reminded himself. It wasn't his problem to solve anymore. That problem belonged to the Justice League. Dick wasn't sure if he felt more of a sense of relief from the realization. The only thing that mattered was what directly impacted him. Dick felt as though he could recall Slade saying that to him once.

Slade continued to speak, "Despite the Light's grievances with me, they still require my assistance far more than I require theirs. It is imperative that we maintain the status that we are willing to make compromises. To remove ourselves from the loop entirely would put us at a disadvantage."

"You like keeping tabs on them."

"That's correct." Slade told him, "It allows me to limit how frequently our paths cross."

"So what's your end goal then?" Dick inquired, "If you're not interested in joining them to take down the Justice League, then what are you trying to do?"

"Currently, the priority is training you." Slade told him, "And before you, I was taking contracts to earn an adequate amount of money to further develop my assets across the globe."

"I meant besides training me."

"That's it." Slade confirmed again, "The priority is continuing your training. Although I am finishing collecting payments from completed contracts, when things arise that are good training opportunities for you, I decide to pursue them. An example of this would be stealing Starro from Luthor or the large quantities of Xenothium. I have no use for Starro, but it was good experience. And the Xenothium will be used for improvements to your suit."

Dick pondered Slade's words for a moment. For him to be considered Slade's only priority, Dick didn't quite know how to feel. Although he was one of Bruce's top priorities when he was alive, Dick always came secondary to keeping the city safe. The mission always came first. If it proved to be too dangerous for Dick to come with, Bruce made him stay at home until the threat was cleared. But Dick could remember many holidays and birthdays where Bruce had to leave abruptly to tend to the city. Dick never held any resentment towards Bruce for it. It was just the way things were.

"The luxury of our line of work is that we make our own schedules, if you will."

Dick didn't say anything back to him. He looked at his metallic gloved hands, reflecting back on how he used the gloves to protect himself from the sai. Dick wasn't sure if the gloves on the old uniform would have protected him as well from a similar attack. Perhaps, he liked the gloves more than he initially thought.

Thinking back to the fight, he couldn't tell if he actually had gotten the upper hand on Cheshire, or if she had allowed him to do so. She was cunning and it was nearly impossible to read anything from her with the giant mask over her face. The way she reacted to his mocking... was it genuine anger? Or had she been toying with him from the beginning? Dick could remember exactly how she threw her had back and laughed aloud when he stood over her.

"Cheshire wanted to be your apprentice?"

"At one point, yes."

Dick smirked. He was the protegee of the World's Greatest Detective after all, "By the way she reacted, I'm guessing it didn't go well?"

"She would have made for a fine student if not for her reckless nature and careless attitude. At the time she was driven by hatred for her father and herself, which made her dangerously unpredictable. Like trying to get an ocean to bend to your will. Her own chaos will eventually be her downfall. I've seen it happen before."

"Who?" Dick found himself speaking before he knew what he was saying.

"My son Grant." Slade told Dick, "His chaotic nature was not unlike Cheshire's. It was self-indulgent and ruthless. Should he set his mind to something, it had to be done, no matter the cost. If Grant had more control over himself and his emotions, he would likely be alive today."

"How old was he?"

"Seventeen."

Dick quieted down again, not knowing how to respond. It was a touchy subject, so Dick would take whatever little information he could get and run with it. Dick thought for a moment, he wondered if there was enough information about Slade... somewhere out there, that could give him some leverage against the man. Some kind of counter blackmail that would hurt Slade just as bad as Slade could hurt him. Dick entertained the idea. Perhaps one day.

Slade spoke during the silence, "Have you picked a new alias?"

"I've thought about it." Dick responded, "But I haven't decided on anything yet. It's a little hard to find something with as nice of a ring as Deathstroke the Terminator has to it."

"What about Crow? Osprey? Peregrine?"

Dick shook his head, "I'm not sure I want to do the bird thing again." Dick admitted, "Robin was what my mother called me when I was growing up because she thought I could fly like a bird on the trapeze. I did it to honor their memory, when I first started working under Batman. I don't feel like I'm honoring their memory anymore."

Slade nodded, "Something more neutral then. Nightfall?"

"Or Nightwing." Dick said.

"Nightwing?" Slade repeated, "It's catchy."

"Superman told me stories about a hero named Nightwing. I decided that when I go off as a hero in my own city, I'd go by Nightwing. Bludhaven, probably." Dick was fond of the idea. After all, he had the idea for years now, "It could still happen, you know."

The older man chuckled, "I wouldn't hold your breath."

"What about Renegade?" Dick asked, "It feels more fitting for me."

"Ah, traitor?"

"It's what I am, isn't it?"

Slade shook his head with a sigh, "Again, Dick, black and white thinking. Indulging yourself on better opportunities for training and knowledge does not make you a traitor. You've learned much more from me in the past two months than you had since joining the Junior Justice League."

"Right." Dick spoke sarcastically, "I should be grateful for even being given the opportunity to work for you."

"You took the words right out of my mouth."

-X-

December 29th, 2012

{15:54 EST}

"Roy!" Wally called out. He was wandering around the main floor of the Batcave. He had left multiple messages for Roy that went completely unanswered. Wally stared at the Batcomputer. It looked like the computer had not been used for awhile. Wally turned around and walked towards the edge of the floor he was on. He leaned over the edge, "Roy! You down there?"

Roy put his fists down, hearing Wally's shouting. A punching bad swinging in front of him, "I'm down here."

The speedster walked over to the nearest stair case and descended to the lower floor of the Batcave. At this lower level, a large majority of the exercise equipment was stored, including exercise equipment and different mechanical robots for training. He saw Roy standing before a punching bag, in a red tank top and black pants. There were gloves wrapped around his fingers to protect them from the impact of his punches. Wally could see the sweat on his body.

"Where have you been?" Wally asked him, "You haven't answered any of my calls."

Roy returned to hitting the bag, "I've been busy."

Wally came over to the punching bag and held it from behind, "Come on, too busy for your best pal?"

The punches stopped. Roy turned away from the speedster and walked to pick up his water bottle off the floor. He brought it to his lips and took a long drink of water. Once finished, he put the bottle back down and moved to one of the training robots in the room. Behind the robot, was a series of buttons and a small keypad to activate it. Roy specified the settings for the robot before it kicked into life. It turned around and began to attack.

Wally frowned, watching Roy from a distance, "Dude! Are you mad at me or something?" He pushed.

Roy ducked under a punch, "No, Wally."

"Then what is it?"

He flipped backwards, dodging a kick, "I'm busy." Roy stated.

"Just tell me!"

Roy continued to duck between punches. He had yet to deliver any attacks of his own. He needed to improve his speed and agility after the last encounter with Joker that left him with two minor stab wounds. Roy needed to be faster, better, and stronger. That's what Batman was, and that's what he needed to be. He continued to dodge the punches, panting.

"I did tell you, Wally!" He jumped to the side, "I'm just busy!"

"Doing what?!"

Roy let out a growl before jumping into the air and kicking the robot in the head. The machine caved into the force and slowly began to shut down. Roy wiped the sweat off his brow.

"Doing what?" Roy repeated, "What the heck do you think I've been doing every night? Having tea parties with Alfred?"

"I think I found some new leads on Dick." Wally explained, ignoring Roy's snarky comment, "I've been trying to get a hold of you for hours."

Roy put his hand up, "No, Wally, don't. I can't keep doing this."

Wally gave Roy a puzzled look, "What are you talking about?"

"I can't keep spending all my time and resources on this," Roy explained, "I've got Gotham to worry about, the League, Stay City, and Batman's entire reputation to uphold. The Riddler escaped from Arkham after the Injustice League fiasco and Killer Croc has been active for the first time in months. I can't keep trying to do everything. If I do that, then I'm going to fall short somewhere. And if I fall short, people are going to get hurt."

"You're joking."

Roy didn't say anything.

Wally was furious, "You have to be kidding me, Roy. Why is everyone giving up on Dick? Why am I the only one who cares!?"

"I still care! Of course I care, it's Dick! I just... can't keep wearing myself out chasing nonexistent leads."

"You think he's turned." Wally accused, "That's why you don't want to help. You think he is a criminal now."

"He is a criminal!" Roy shouted. The bats in the Batcave screeched at the abrupt noise, "It doesn't matter what way you try and twist it. I'm sorry the truth is so hard for you to handle, but you need to start accepting facts. Deathstroke is ten steps ahead of us. He knows exactly what he is doing with us and with Dick. We don't stand a chance against him right now."

Wally turned away, "So you're just giving up, huh? Things get a little tough, and you fold in the towel?"

"I have a city that needs me." Roy exaggerated, "They need Batman. What city do you have to protect? Central? That's what the Flash does. That's the Flash's city. Not Kid Flash's City. Not Flash and Kid Flash's City. Just the Flash. What do you think he's been doing this whole time? Or Superman? Or Black Canary? You can't expect everyone to drop everything to pursue this case endlessly like you are."

"Am I even hearing you right?!" Wally shouted, "Are you even hearing yourself?! We're talking about Dick. The Dick Grayson. Robin. The Boy Wonder. Do I have to remind you that he's one of your best friends?"

Roy began to walk away Wally to head back to the upper level, "Dick isn't missing, Wally. You know exactly where he is and exactly who has him." Roy said. Wally was right on his heels as he ascended the spiraled staircase.

"When Batman knew Joker had kidnapped Dick, you think he just sat around and did nothing?"

Roy immediately pivoted, "When Joker kidnapped Robin, he was in danger." Roy emphasized, "Joker wanted to kill him. With Deathstroke, Dick is clearly alive and clearly well enough to steal for him."

"He's under duress!" Wally yelled, "You think M'gann's identity was leaked by coincidence? Deathstroke was punishing him for something."

"And you could be next." Roy stated. His tone was final, "Or me. I can't risk him outing me as Batman. What would you do if your identity got leaked?"

"I'd live with it." Wally argued back, "If it meant getting Dick back home."

Roy continued to stare down at him, "Would you? You can't go to school. You can't go out in public without getting haggled. People who know Wally West know his Uncle Barry, right? So then Barry becomes a target. But Barry is the Flash, so he can take care of himself. But what about your Aunt Iris? She's a public news anchor. Everyone knows her face, knows her name. What if someone wants to get back at the Flash and Kid Flash and attacks Iris? Kidnaps her or worse?"

Wally didn't speak.

Roy took in a deep breath, "Wally, look. I'm not telling you to stop looking for Dick. And I'm not telling you to give up on him either. So, if you really need me, of course I will help you. But you have to stop letting your emotions drive you. Deathstroke is dangerous. He's made it clear to us many times that he has the upper hand on things. You need to take a step back for a second and refocus."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Work smarter, not harder." Roy told him. He turned back and continued to ascend the staircase. "If Deathstoke is ten steps ahead, then you need to find out a way to make it nine. It's not going to happen over night."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Wally asked, "If Bruce couldn't find him, what chance do I have?"

"You keep talking about finding him." Roy stated dryly, "What does that even mean? What are you even going to do, take on Deathstroke on your own? Whatever is keeping Dick there, under duress like you say, it's gotta be serious. If you pull Dick out of there, say for a second you get the upper hand, what do you think Deathstroke is going to do to retaliate? Have you even thought about how Deathstroke might retaliate if you did somehow manage to get Dick back."

Wally shook his head. He didn't know what Deathstroke would do. Hunt them down and kill them one by one? Hurt Dick? Leak more identities? Go after their friends and family? Cause chaos and distruction?The more Wally thought about it, the more endless the possibilities seemed.

Roy sat down at the Batcomputer and spoke to end the conversation, "When you can answer those questions, that's when I will help you."

-X-

Hello all!

Glad I was able to push out a quick update. I'm going to work really hard to finish this story. I expect there to be at least 10-15 more chapters.

That being said, I do have an arc in mind that I am considering writing in. Its like a 5-chapter long arc but isn't totally necessary to the story. Its just an additional arc revolving around Dick and Slade that further develops their father/son relationship. Its not NECESSARY for the story, but I've been thinking about including.

I want your input on this. Would you like to see an additional arc in this story or would you prefer to see things wrap up soon? (by soon I don't mean any time soon but I'll start to direct the story into the direction I want to go for the ending). As we know, I am inconsistent on updates so adding the additional arc will make the entire story take longer overall.

Please note that you guys DON'T want to see it in Thirteen, that I don't plan on posting it as a one-shot. I anticipate Thirteen being my last addition to the fandom.

Just let me know your thoughts!

ALSO, please vote on ONE of the following names:

Renegade

Red X

Osprey

Peregrine

Crow

Nightfall

So two things: Please let me know if you want an additional Slade/Dick arc and please vote on a name. Thanks!

-Azu