Titans Beyond

Episode 33: Detective Work

Author: Brruundin

Warning, I do not own the Titans or any other DC characters I may use.

The dawn of the next day is still a couple hours away, and one Titan can't seem to call it a night. Nightwing, who had yet to go to sleep yet, was still vigorously staring at a computer screen looking at cameras across the city, a police scanner, would sometimes give out information, but most of it wasn't worth the trouble. Nightwing had a feeling he might need to do some recon tonight, but he was waiting for the right chance to go do so.

Eventually something came along that intrigued him. He noticed some unusual activity in an abandoned part of town, near the warehouse they were at the other night. Nightwing leaned up to the front part of his seat and continued to watch, the men walking around on camera appeared to be similar to the ones that they busted the other night. Nightwing kept watching and the people were move boxes and crates into trucks downtown. Nightwing wasn't sure what was in the crates, but he knew it couldn't be anything good.

I better investigate this myself, I need answers. So Nightwing decides to go on a scouting mission alone. He grabs his equipment and makes his way downtown on his motorcycle. He parks a few blocks away as to not give those men a chance for surprise visit. He then heads over towards the building, moving through the shadows as to not be seen. Once he gets close enough, he swoops in and silently takes out one guard, and then quickly another. One by one the guards go down, until Nightwing cornered the leader. The man is backed into a corner and Nightwing begins to ask questions.

"What are you doing here, who sent you?" Nightwing says while picking up the man off the ground by his shirt. The man refused to talk and Nightwing grew angrier, and then threw the man on the ground. He started looking around again for clues, until suddenly he heard a familiar voice.

"Well well, it seems you have outdone yourself this time, Robin- or should I say Nightwing? Taking out my best men single handily by yourself even? Very impressive" the voice gets closer until Nightwing can see him face to face.

"You... I had a feeling you were behind all this chaos lately, and I don't need my teammates to teach you a lesson... Slade."

Nightwing then charges towards Slade, throwing punches and attacking with great vigor. Slade does a good job countering and their fight begins. Nightwing does his best to wear down Slade, as Nightwing had grown much stronger since their last encounter, so he was confident he could bring down Slade by himself, once and for all.

Slade is eventually backed into a corner, and Nightwing braces himself for a counter attack of some sort, but Slade doesn't do so, he just stands there for a second and chuckles.

"Well, it appears you have me cornered, I must say, you have grown much stronger, much more powerful, more consumed by rage and hatred. It seems you have what it takes to finish what I started after all" Slade says still laughing, putting a puzzled look on Nightwing's face.

"Finish what you started? I'd never join you... I despise everything about you Slade, you're the scum of this earth" Nightwing says, picking up Slade and slamming him into the wall, beginning to beat his face in senselessly. All the emotion and anger Nightwing had stored up over the years began to consume him, as he savagely beat down Slade.

"Boy, you can't ignore these feelings any longer, look at you, beating me down like a savage animal, you're not the same person you were all those years ago. The hatred and anger have consumed you, turned you into what you vowed you'd never become. Give into to your instincts, your power, you and I could rule this world!"

This causes Nightwing to stop attacking Slade and think, he stands there panting, trying to catch his breath.

Slade's playing mind games with me again, trying to get me to give into whatever his sick plans are. I need to stop... I can't let him control me like this. As much as I would like to just continuously bash his skull into a million pieces, he's right. This anger and hatred is consuming me. I need to focus, I'll just drop him off at Arkham Asylum, and be done with this for now.

"Alright Slade, you're coming with me now, now get up and get moving before I make you wish I had killed you back there" Nightwing says, while reaching to pull Slade off the ground.

"Oh Nightwing, you think it's going to be that easy to put me away? This is only the beginning of our little fun. There will be much more in store for you and your little friends. Goodbye for now." Slade then reaches at his belt, and throws a smoke grenade, he then vanishes leaving Nightwing in a sea of smoke and confusion.

I should have disarmed him before saying anything, stupid mistake, next time this won't happen...

Nightwing then starts heading towards the door. He hears police sirens, so he quickly makes his exit and vanishes in the darkness.

Nightwing then sits on top of a tall building while watching the police handle the thugs he took out, and inventory up the weapons and drugs the men were moving in those boxes and crates.

All in a day's work, well Nightwing, looks like I can still handle a mission solo, it was actually pretty fun until Slade got away, that's always so frustrating, when I get back to the Tower, I need to figure out what his next move is going to be... I can't let him get the upper hand on me again.

So Nightwing gets up and heads back to his motorcycle, he decides not to head home right away but instead go for a quick ride to clear his thoughts. He heads over to the other side of the Tower, overlooking the bay and the city, he then goes and sits out by the water, thinks and lets out a sigh.

It was a warm morning, and the cool air was very relaxing. Nightwing recently had been coming out here more often and enjoyed the peace and quiet. Sometimes it was the only way he could get some time to think, as Titans tower was buzzing with more people than it had in the past.

It was eventually getting later in the morning, and Nightwing finally had some sort of plan in the works. He decided to head back into the tower. When he arrived, some of the Titans were sitting around watching a movie, starting their day. Nightwing acknowledged them and headed back into his room to pass out for a couple hours before starting his day all over again.

A/N! Slade is back! Looks like he might have some plans in the work as well. Let me know what you guys think! As always read and review! :)