Summary: Takes place around October of this year (2012), so 10 months after Auld Acquaintance.
Disclaimer: I don't own DC
Batman and Robin were monitoring Stagg Industries as they awaited any sign of intrusion. Gordon had alerted them of a possible corporate espionage ploy by Gothcorp, and the only way to get proof would be to bust the hired gun. We really need proof. Gothcorp has managed to pay and swindle their way out of like 50 different cases at this point. 'S about time they got shut down. If we can get good enough evidence against them, we could finally send them packing. Not that Stagg is any better. Honestly, Wayne Tech is probably the only honest tech conglomerate left in Gotham. Besides STAR, I guess...Bruce had analyzed the data already stolen by the thief, and all signs pointed to this facility being the next target. Dick watched vigilantly from a rooftop, though he would be lying if he said he wouldn't rather be somewhere else. Man, this is like the 5th long patrol night in a row! Between this and school, I haven't gotten to spend time with Zee in a while. Can this thief just show up so I can kick his ass and get to the cave?
About 20 minutes later, Dick's prayers were answered as a shadowy figure exited the rooftop door of the building, securing a flash drive that likely had the data he stole. Robin radioed to Batman before gliding in. Once he got closer, his eyes widened as he saw who the thief was. Oh man, not you! Deathstroke chuckled before cracking his bones as he stepped forward.
"Hey, Grayson. 'S been a while." Dick remembered what this psycho did to Zee and the rest of the team, and he gritted his teeth. He's SO going down this time.
"Not long enough, Slade."
"Really? Because I've been looking forward to meeting you again, Boy Wonder. You and your team cost me a contract. Not many have done that. I've been meaning to pay you back." Slade lunged at Dick, who barely blocked the blows and started to fight back. He landed a few good hits in, but also took some of his own. After getting a pretty substantial beating from the Terminator, Dick flipped a few meters away before regaining his composure. Slade cracked his jaw, shrugging off the hits he'd taken. "I'm impressed. The last person to tag me like that in hand-to-hand was Green Arrow. You've certainly been training. I appreciate that." Dick growled before engaging him once more in hand-to-hand. He managed to land a few good hits, but took far more than he gave. He stepped back a bit to recover.
Slade lunged at him once more, pinning him with ease and pressing his foot down onto his chest. Dick gritted his teeth as he struggled to move, so he pulled out a taser and aimed right at Slade's face. Slade let out a quick growl of pain before grabbing the taser and using it to pull Dick to him, slamming him to the ground once more. Robin rolled out of the way before Slade could stomp down on him again and barely managed to stand, pulling his staff out. He jumped at Deathstroke and swung his staff, but Slade grabbed it before it could hit him. He yanked it out of Dick's hands and used it against him. The Boy Wonder took several hits from his own staff before grabbing it and pressing a hidden button on it to activate the taser feature. The staff coated itself with an electrical field, shocking Deathstroke as Dick flipped away, hoping that the shock would at least phase him. Slade shrugged off the shock from the staff and simply snapped it in two. Dick glared at him with gritted teeth and very tightly clenched fists as he thought of a new strategy, but Slade did not give him a second to breathe. He pulled out a gun and Dick used his acrobatics to dodge the bullets, knocking the weapon out of his hand with a birdarang. Slade prepared to lunge at him once more, but before either of them could move, an explosive batarang came out of nowhere, sending Deathstroke reeling back. He looked up to see Bruce land next to Dick, and he smirked from under his mask as he pulled his sword out.
"Deathstroke, you're outmatched. Surrender." Yeah, I don't think so...
"Outmatched? Need I remind you who I am?" Deathstroke leapt at the Dynamic Duo, taking them both on at once. Dick struggled to keep up whereas Bruce and Slade moved as if they were in an action movie. Eventually, Slade knocked Dick away and focused on Bruce. Robin got up to his knees, gasping for breath and trying hard to forget about the possibly broken bones and sword cuts riddling his body. Bruce and Slade were locked in combat, and Dick knew he had to try something. He saw the pouch that the flash drive was in, and he pulled out one of his own drives, one he and Wally had used to troll Arty about a year ago. Only got one shot at this...
Slade kicked Bruce to the ground and picked up his sword, eager to go in for the kill. Before he could, Robin leapt at him, struggling for a bit before Deathstroke grabbed him and flung him away. Batman used the opportunity to get up and fight back, but Slade leapt away.
"This has been fun, but it's time for me to go." He dropped a smoke pellet before disappearing. Dammit! Well, there is one upside...Dick smirked. Bruce huffed, glaring at where Slade had stood earlier.
"He got away. Reconvene at the cave. We need to figure out a possible next target." Dick's smirk widened before he pulled out the drive Slade had used.
"Cool your jets, Bats. I have a feeling he's not gonna be very turbed when he gets back and loads that flash drive in..."
Slade made it back to his hideout before reaching into his pouch and pulling a flash drive out. Weird. Coulda sworn I used a different colored one. He loaded it into the computer and growled when a troll image Robin had planted on the drive came up. He eventually let a chuckle escape his lips when he realized that Dick must have swapped the drives out when he leapt at him. That little...impressive, I'll give you that much, Boy Wonder. Beat me once, you've got my attention. Beat me twice, you get added to my list...
On the shorter side for sure, but I wanted to show one more interaction between Dick and Slade before doing something with the two a few chapters from now. Feel free to leave comments or suggestions. Next chapter up soon.