Chapter 12!

In which the Titans are peeing their pants because of the wrath of the team, I fail at having them yell at Batman, and X is up to something. Enjoy!

And apparently I'm going to be inconsistent naming chapters and only come up with names for some of them. Oh well.

DISCLAIMER: Zzzzz...

The Titans were suddenly faced with the terrifying realization of just what Young Justice meant to the heroes involved in it.

It meant family. True family- the kind that would face down the goddamn Batman because they were worried about their youngest member. It was completely and totally terrifying. Nightwing would be proud.

Privately, Raven thought that it was a good thing that Batman had gotten the disrupting program up and running. This wasn't going to be pretty. If harnessed, the anger radiating off of the Team + Robin could be more powerful than a hydrogen bomb. The only time she'd felt anything similar… she paused. The only time she'd felt anything similar was when a villain threatened one of the Titans. Nightwing radiated the same sort of self-ritous anger when his friends were threatened as the Team was now. When their family was threatened.

Huh. Maybe it was genetic.

She abandoned her musings to watch Batman get chewed out by a bunch of young adults + Robin.

Artemis started. "What happened to Nightwing?" She asked in a deadly voice.

"Why were we not informed?" Kaldur continued.

"And where is he?" Kid Flash completed. They all glared at Batman, clearly unwilling to take any BS from him. They wanted to know, and they wanted to know now.

Batman sighed, obviously acknowledging a lost cause, then turned and pulled up some files on the computer. "His name is Slade." He stated. "Apparently, he and Nightwing have had a long term rivalry going on. In fact, Nightwing described him as his archenemy in some of the earlier files. However, that appears to have changed. They are still technically enemies, but they get along better. It is similar to you and the Rogues, Kid Flash. He routinely tries to kidnap Nightwing using various methods- usually some elaborate scheme involving blackmail. He's succeeded three times now."

"Why does he keep going after Nightwing?" Megan asked.

"Apparently, he wants an heir." Batman gritted his teeth. "He's chosen Nightwing to be his apprentice, whether he wants to or not. Unfortunately, Nightwing has become more… open to his proposals."

"Wait, you mean Nightwing could become a villain?" Superboy was obviously having some doubts. Kid Flash nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's never gonna happen Bats." Batman just looked at them grimly and gestured to one of the lines on the screen.

Like I wrote earlier, Slade wants me to be his apprentice… to be a villain. I know I always said that I'd never become a villain but… I don't know. I still don't want to be a villain, but I won't lie, there have been a few times- more than a few actually- that I've actually thought about joining him. I can see myself being his 'heir' just as easily as I can see myself returning to Gotham. That's what scares me most about this- last time, after we started actually getting along and he changed- I changed, too- and I was tempted. I'm afraid that if I'm stuck with him again I'll succumb. It's a very real possibility Bats, whatever you choose to think.

"Nightwing chose to use these files as a diary of a sort." Batman said quietly. "There's a section that contains his personal feelings and reflections on events, things I doubt he ever intended to be read, but he included them in here. This one is from two weeks before he was kidnapped, a few days after we found him again. He's changed in the three years he's been away. He's not the same person anymore. He's grown up."

"But…" Robin protested. "He wouldn't. He's on our side! He took the oath, Batman!"

"So did I." Red-X spoke up. "Didn't stop me, did it, Replacement?"

The Team turned to look at him, as they hadn't noticed him when they first entered the room. Artemis blinked at him. "Jason?" She asked. Everyone turned to look at her and she blushed slightly. "What?" She demanded. "'Wing had him come to me after everything that happened- thought we could bond over having less than perfect fathers and the Shadows. We've kept in touch."

Batman stared at her, wondering if everyone but him had known where at least one of his missing sons were the entire time. "Jason has a point." He said. "Nightwing has his weaknesses, and he as good as told us that we should be prepared for that possibility."

"But… he wouldn't leave us again, would he?" Miss Martian whispered. Batman wouldn't meet her eyes. "I don't know." He turned back to the screen. "I'll send you all a shortened version of this; you can help search. With the League, the Titans, the Team and Red-X, we should be able to have people searching everywhere-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." X interrupted, holding his hands up in protest. "Who said I was helping?"

Time seemed to slow as everyone stared at him incredulously. "Of course you are." Robin said. "It's Dick."

"That doesn't mean I'm going to help." X pointed out. "I mean, yeah, he's cared for me over the years, but he as good as told me that he doesn't expect me to help you guys. I'm a villain, for one thing- if I get on Slade's bad side, I'm toast. Plus, if I had to work with you guys for longer than a few minutes I'll kill someone. And I'm not particularly worried about Dickhead. He'll be fine either way."

Batman glared at him. "You will help us, Jason."

Jason resisted the impulse to roll his eyes. Wasn't Batman listening? He stormed over and grabbed Batman's letter, pointing out a line.

He'll explain things and point you in the right direction, but he may or may not actually help search. It's up to him; don't pressure him into anything.

"See? Goldie knew that I probably wouldn't want to help and was fine with it. I'll give you info, like I just did, but I won't actively help. Deal with it." Batman gritted his teeth. He just wanted to find his son, and he was running into obstacles everywhere. "Fine." He ground out. "Maybe you can help by telling us about this second 'apprenticeship'. Nightwing doesn't say much about it."

"There's not much to say." X shrugged. "It wasn't as eventful as the first one. 'Wing didn't even leave the compound where Slade was holding him. It was training, mostly, but it gave them an opportunity to bond. They got closer. That's the funny thing about training together, going over scenarios where you might be relying on the other for your life. Fighting together tends to lead to a better understanding of the other. Like when a grumpy old man taught a boy full of laughter and ended up closer to the boy than anyone else." He rolled his eyes. "Wing's words, not mine."

It was odd how fighting together could create such close bonds. Batman and Nightwing had fought together so much so they could communicate without speaking. The Team had fought together for years and were closer to each other than practically anyone else. Slade and Nightwing had fought together down in Trigon's hell; while that had, literally, resulted in Nightwing learning something new about Slade (i.e. he was an reanimated skeleton thing) they had also gained some sort of understanding. While they were together during kidnapping #2 it has just been strengthened.

"Anything else?" X asked acidly. "Or can I leave now?"

"That's all for now." Batman dismissed him. "Thank god." X muttered. "You have my comm if you need me. Don't need me." He pressed a button on his belt and disappeared. The Team and the Titans merged and began discussing plans and strategies. Robin split off of the group and walked over to Batman.

"Did you really expect him to help?" He asked quietly. Batman shook his head. "He knows more than any of us, and he doesn't seem to be that worried. If he thought it was really urgent, he would have helped. But I don't blame him for not wanting to help. That would mean that he would have to spend more time with me."

Robin nodded, and then pulled up his holo-computer on his glove, something he had stolen from Dick. "Send me some of the files, I'll help you go through them. You don't have to everything by yourself." Batman glanced down at him and seemed to soften before nodding and sending him some files. He thought back to Dick's letter.

Don't go around biting off people's heads for trying to help or for caring about you. Don't push Tim away.

I won't Dick. Batman silently promised. I won't let you down.

Halfway across the city, Red-X materialized on top of an old, mostly destroyed warehouse. He waved cheekily at where he knew one of the cameras was. Dick had shown him where they all were. He settled down to wait.

In Metropolis, Slade was alerted to the fact that someone was at the old hideout. It couldn't be Nightwing, of course, but it was safe to say that he didn't expect it to be Red-X. He called Nightwing over.

"Oh, yeah." Nightwing grinned. "I told him about that. He probably wants to talk to you."

"He's helping the heroes." Slade pointed out. Nightwing corrected him. "He told the heroes what I asked him to tell. Beyond that, he's not really on anyone's side. He'll get to see me either way, whether I'm a hero or a villain."

"Hmm." Slade was still suspicious, but he decided that he might as well see what the young man wanted. "Wintergreen, I'm going out." He stated. "Get the jet ready please. Nightwing, you're staying here."

"Big surprise." Nightwing muttered.

Timmy, big fail on the secret ID thing. Fortunately, everyone's too worried to notice. And Jaybird is doing...something.

This is the last of the pre-written chapters that I had, so now I'm writing the chapters as I post them, which may or may not mean a shorter or longer wait. It depends on how much time I have.

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