Hey guys, I said I'd try to give you another update, so here it is. Please excuse any mistakes I may have made. Italics is personal thought and bold italics is electronic communication. I do not own DC Comics of any of their characters. Thanks to those who reviewed last chapter, please do so again. Thank you for reading and enjoy! I apologize for the short chapters.
When Richard woke, he noticed the pill bottle and note sitting on his nightstand. Groggily, he rolled over and picked it up.
Richard,
Take these pills to control pain if it gets intense or to a 7 in the pain scale. I do hope you are careful not to tear or break the stitches. If you need anything, call Batman and he'll get in touch with me or Martian Manhunter. To avoid breaking your stitches, do not do anything remotely strenuous on your body. In other words, don't be a hero.
Good luck, Black Canary.
Richard rolled his eyes and scoffed.
"'Don't be a hero.' As I told Martian Manhunter, I'm not fit to be a hero." Richard said to himself.
Richard swung his legs over the bed and checked the time. Five am. The time was fine, the date, however, was two days after the last day he remembered. November third?! It was the first! Let's see, I was probably in the...wherever I was with Black Canary and the rest of them for a day or so. In that case, I slept a full day! Richard groaned and looked around for his phone, then he realized he was still in a medical gown. He looked for his clothes and any possessions he had on him when he was stabbed. He found nothing, but he expected that since the lights were off and the curtains were closed causing the room to be really dark.
"Where the fuck is my stuff?" He said, getting annoyed.
"Right here." A rough voice said.
Richard spun around to see a silhouette in the corner of his hotel room. The silhouette was a man and he had a bag in his hand holding it out. My clothes, I assume.
"Very funny, Batman. Give me my stuff." Richard said dryly.
The man laughed. Alarms went off in Richard's mind and he stiffened. I don't have any weapons or a phone. He prepared himself for a fight that he'd probably lose.
"Who are you?" Richard asked, staring at the man.
"You know me, Richard." The man said, "Given you probably don't remember, but you and I were very close at one point."
"I don't know you." Richard said.
The detective began looking around for his gun or escrima sticks. Anything at all will be fine at this point. Richard heard the man laugh.
"You don't need a weapon. I have all of them anyways, but you do know me. Think Richard." The man said with some cockiness.
Richard thought about what the man could be talking about, then it dawned on him. The years I was missing...All I remember is William Cobb and…
"Slade Wilson aka Deathstroke." Richard said with recognition.
Slade Wilson laughed.
"So you do remember me." He said.
"Only the name and face." Richard replied.
"Come now, Dickie. You don't remember us? What we did?" Slade asked.
"Sorry to disappoint but no, and don't call me Dickie." Richard growled.
"I suppose for that's best." Slade sighed.
"What do you mean?" Richard asked
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Slade grinned.
"Stop with the mind games. The two years I was missing, what do you know about them?" Richard growled.
All Slade did was laugh.
"Tell me!" Richard commanded.
"Or what? You're weak in the state you're in. You can't fight with that wound." Slade grinned.
"You think it would stop me?" Richard asked.
Slade laughed again.
"I know it wouldn't, but I'll leave you with this." Slade stood.
Richard could finally see Slade. He wore a red button up with black pants and an eyepatch. His white hair was tied up in a ribbon. He looked in his 40s, but he was insanely fit. I really don't want to fight him...ever.
"The truth lies with the Light." Slade said.
"I said stop with the mind games!" Richard yelled.
Slade said nothing, but walked to the door.
"Wilson! Tell me what that means!" Richard yelled again.
Slade looked at him, threw the bag with his clothes at him, and grinned before leaving the hotel room. Richard growled before opening the bag and fishing out his phone. Richard then realized it wasn't charged. Letting out an annoyed sound, he looked around for his charger. Seeing it, he plugged his phone in and encouraged his phone to turn on soon. After a few minutes, the phone finally turned on and Richard quickly called Gordon. After a few rings, the detective was sent to voicemail.
"Hey Gordon, I'm back in Gotham and I need to talk to you." He said and hung up.
Who else has information on Deathstroke? Richard's shoulders sagged as he realized who else had information on Deathstroke. Sucking up his pride, Richard called Bruce Wayne. After a few rings, the billionaire answered, surprisingly.
"Hello, Wayne Residence" Alfred said.
"I need Bruce." Richard replied.
"Detective Grayson, how are you?" Alfred asked.
"I've been better, but I need Batman." Richard responded.
Alfred was silent for a moment before saying:
"One moment."
There was a little talking before Bruce answered.
"Detective." The polite billionaire playboy was gone.
Richard was slightly disturbed by how good the facade of the playboy was and how different Bruce and Batman were. Polar opposites.
"What do you know about Slade Wilson?" Richard asked.
"He's a mercenary who goes by the name Deathstroke. He competes with Deadshot aka Floyd Lawton for jobs. He's very good at what he does and is someone who can be on an even playing field with me. He has an acquaintance who goes by the name Wintergreen, his real name is William Randolph Wintergreen. I highly doubt you'll find anything about Wintergreen in police databases." Batman said.
"And what about in your databases?" Richard asked.
"We have his name, face, status, and how he's associated with Wilson, but otherwise nothing." Batman said.
"Well, Wilson just visited me." Richard informed.
"What?" Batman asked.
"He basically caught up with me. Asked me if I remember what we did together, said we were close once. I asked if he knew what I did or where I was in the two years I was missing, and he just laughed and said 'wouldn't you like to know' and 'the truth lies with the Light'." Richard answered.
"The Light? He said the Light?" Batman questioned.
"Does that mean something to you?" Richard asked.
"I'll get back to you when I have more information." Batman said before hanging up.
What about Clark Kent? He is a news reporter. Deciding to give it a shot, Richard dialed Kent's number. The reporter picked up on the second ring.
"Clark Kent." He said.
"Kent, it's Detective Grayson." Richard said.
"Detective! Is there any information you can share on your case now?" The reported asked.
"I'm here in Gotham to figure out the identities of Batman, Red Hood, and Robin. Now, I need information on Deathstroke aka Slade Wilson." Richard responded.
"Oh? And why do you need that, Detective?" Clark asked.
"...It's personal." Richard said hesitantly.
"Personal, and you're using police resources?" Clark questioned.
"I'm not using police resources." Richard growled.
Clark laughed.
"Whatever you say, Detective. I will do as you ask and try to find any information on this Slade Wilson." Clark replied.
"Thank you." Richard said before hanging up.
He looked around his room, quickly getting bored. He decided to do a little research of his own. He found that he didn't have his laptop and sighed. That means I can't do any research. Gordon still hadn't called him back. With a sigh, Richard sunk down into bed and turned on the TV. Of course, it was Gotham News and as usual it was about Batman's recent fight with Two Face and Robin and Red Hood's fight with Bane. They even had pictures of the fight between the heros and villains. The reporter went on about how the Bats were helping Gotham and how the Mayor was wrong for trying to 'stop the only people doing good in this city'. Richard rolled his eyes and scoffed at that. GCPD isn't that useless, maybe corrupted, but not useless.
A knock at the hotel door alerted Richard. With a groan, Richard got up and answered the door. On the other side of the door was Jason Todd and Roy Harper. The redhead had a bottle of tequila in his hand. Richard looked at it.
"Isn't that a little strong for a minor?" He asked.
"I turned twenty-one two days ago." Roy said with a smile.
"Oh yeah! Happy Late Birthday!" Richard said with an embarrassed laugh. "Come on in."
The two boys walked in. Jason flopped onto Richard's bed, while Roy sat on the couch. Richard sighed and laid down on the bed, quickly checking his stitches.
"So you know Jason's Red Hood." Roy said quietly, setting the tequila down on the table.
Richard looked at him with a calculating eye.
"Yeah." He replied.
Roy nodded before getting some cups from the rooms kitchenette. He poured two glasses and gave one to Richard.
"Cheers to you figuring them out." Roy said.
Richard stared at him before agreeing and clinking glasses with Roy. He took a sip.
"So where's Tim Drake?" Richard asked.
"School." Jason answered.
"And you aren't?" Richard asked.
"I work." Jason replied.
"And you, Roy?"
"I work in Queen Industries with Olie." Roy answered.
"Do you run around vigilanting?" Richard questioned.
Roy looked at him then at Jason. They exchanged a silent conversation before Roy answered.
"Yes."
"Red Arrow?" Richard guessed.
Roy stared at him in shock.
"I had my suspicions." Richard shrugged. "So why are you guys here?"
"Bats told us to come by to check on you and to give you this." Jason said while giving Richard a small box.
Richard opened it and looked inside. It was an earpiece.
"What's this for?" Richard asked.
"To keep in touch. You press the button on the side and say a hero's name, they'll usually respond." Jason explained.
Richard pressed the side button and a blue bird with it's wing stretching upwards. The two heros got up and started walking to the door.
"This isn't like any business logo I've ever seen." Richard commented.
"It's not a business logo. It your symbol." Jason said.
"My symbol?"
"Yeah, we each have our own name and symbol." Roy replied.
"I'm not a hero." Richard said tiredly.
"You'd make a good hero. You're a good detective and you want to help people." Roy responded.
"You even have a tragic backstory and probably has a shitty childhood. It's a wonder you haven't become a hero yet, honestly." Jason commented.
"I'm not fit to be a hero." Richard said solemnly.
Jason and Roy exchanged a look before walking to the door.
"What does it mean?" Richard asked quietly, while looking at the symbol.
"Nightwing."