Hi. Umm... I'm back? And I totally left you hanging for what, two weeks-ish? Sorry. Um. I blame school and tests and AP's. I was kinda too busy freaking out over my APUSH exam to type. Um. Anyway. I'm back now.

So, this chapter is the alternate ending. I swear I meant it to be more lighthearted but it got kinda depressing at the end. Oh well. I kinda like it like this.

I totally stole most of the beginning section from the real ending. Just in case your recognize it.

This alternate ending may or may not be expanded on. After I do everything else, of course, but I think there may be some potential. IDK. We'll see how it goes.

Oh, and for anyone reading Dimension Hopping and the rest of that long title, I'll probably update it tomorrow. Or Saturday. Definitely by Sunday.

Enjoy the chapter!

DISCLAIMER: It's an AU of and AU. I think that indicates that I own nothing.

In some random, alternate timeline-thing:

Punch. Dodge. Kick. Lunge. Dodge. Throw some Batarangs. Kick. Punch.

It was like a dance. Batman could tell why Dick enjoyed fighting against Slade so much; he was an excellent fighter. Batman was giving this fight his all, but he wasn't sure if it would be enough.

Kick. Punch. Duck.

He did have one thing on his side though- he was desperate. He needed to get Dick back. So he would give this fight his all, and more. He wasn't going to give up. And if he did lose this fight, he would find them again. He would keep fighting for Dick.

Attack. Defend.

An opening.

A tiny one, but an opening nonetheless.

Slade struck quickly with a punch-kick combo, throwing Batman off balance. The villain didn't let up his attack, landing blow after blow, culminating with a roundhouse kick that sent Batman flying into the wall. He didn't get up.

Slade took a deep breath and stood back.

He'd won.

Dick leaned back in his chair, eyes locked on the screen in front of him, taking in the picture of Slade standing over a motionless Batman. He let out a slow breath.

"Well, that's that." He said quietly. "I should probably go make sure Slade doesn't kill him."

He got up and started towards the door, but was stopped when Wally grabbed his arm.

"Bro… does this mean…"

"I'm staying with Slade." Dick said firmly. "He won, and now I have to keep our deal." He paused and looked around the room, meeting everyone's eyes. "Try to stop me and I will fight you."

Wally hesitated for a moment before releasing his bro's arm.

This time Raven moved forward to stop Dick's departure. "This is what you want?" She asked quietly. Dick nodded once.

Raven bit her lip and stood back. No one else tried to stop him, realizing that this was what had to happen. Dick walked to the door and hesitated, looking back at them for a moment.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "Goodbye."

He disappeared out the door, leaving his family behind. He was Renegade now.

Slade stared down at his unconscious foe. He'd won- actually won. He'd beaten the heroes, and how his apprentice truly was his. Now, Renegade would be fighting to stay with him, instead of not intervening on anyone's behalf. He could truly introduce Renegade to the world as his apprentice, his partner, his student.

Footsteps came up behind him. Slade knew it was Renegade.

"I'm not going to kill him." Slade said, not looking at the young man. "Not yet, at least. I want him to know what he'd lost."

Renegade didn't respond.

"Did the other heroes leave?" Slade asked. It didn't really matter, he and Renegade would be leaving this base anyway, but he wanted to gather some of his equipment before they left, which would be so much easier without the junior heroes running around.

"Yes." Renegade answered, moving to stand next to him. "Well, the base at least; I think they want to get Batman back before they leave the area for good."

Slade nodded, turning away from Batman. "Grab your stuff. We're leaving too- it's no good staying where the heroes can find us."

Renegade didn't acknowledge his words, staring at his fallen mentor. "He won't stop looking you know. He knows about the deals, and the Titans or the Team will tell him about what I said- but he won't stop looking."

"I know." Slade responded. But, watching at Renegade turned away from his old mentor to obey his instructions before leaving with him, Slade couldn't bring himself to care as much as he probably should. The Bat would likely rain hell down on him if he ever found Slade again, but Slade would fight back- and so would Renegade.

Ending his musings, Slade turned and left the room, flicking off the lights behind him. He was done here.

Batman woke up slowly. Groaning slightly, he sat up and opened his eyes. He looked around the room he was in, realizing that it was his room in the Watchtower. He blinked, confused; how had he gotten there? The last he could remember, he was in Slade's base-

Batman froze. Slade. Dick. The fight.

He'd lost.

The door slid open in front of him as Superman entered the room. Superman smiled weakly at him. "Good, you're awake. We were starting to get worried."

"Dick?" Batman croaked, throat sore. He didn't care about pleasantries right now, he needed to know what had happened to his son.

The weak smile slid off of Superman face. "We lost." He said quietly, confirming Bruce's worst fears. "Dick left with Slade. He's not ours anymore."

Batman slumped against the headboard of the bed, eyes closed. "No." He breathed. His eyes snapped open and he glared at Superman. "No." He said in a stronger voice. "We're not going to let that happen."

"Bruce- he wants this. He left willingly, told the teams not to stop or fight him. He'll be fighting for Slade now."

"I don't care." Batman hissed. "I'll find him again, and I'll get him back."

"Bruce…"

"Get out Clark." Batman snarled, furious that the other hero would even think of leaving Dick with that psychopath. Superman narrowed his eyes but got up and walked towards the door.

"None of us want to give up on him." He said before he left, not looking at Bruce. "But it's his choice. He chose."

The door slid shut behind him as a single tear slid down Bruce's cheek.

Three days later, Bruce Wayne received an email.

I'm sorry, Dad. But this is what I chose, who I am now. Please don't drive yourself insane looking for me. Don't forget about Tim.

I told Slade who I am. It doesn't really matter now. Dick Grayson won't be making many appearances anymore. He promised not to do anything with your ID.

I don't want to fight you, or anyone else, but I will if you insist on fighting me.

Bye, Dad.

Bruce cancelled the rest of his meetings for the day and went home. He wrote up a missings person report for Dick. He made a plan to fake Dick's death. He left them both on the Batcomputer in case he ever decided what to do.

A week later, Renegade made his official debut as Slade's student and partner.

A month later, Renegade pulled off his first official independent heist.

Two months later, Batman and Renegade would meet again for the first time since Renegade officially began a villain. They talked. Batman failed at convincing Renegade to return to the heroes. They fought. Batman didn't lost the fight, but he didn't win it either.

Three months later, the Team was ambushed during a routine patrol around Happy Harbor. Turns out Dick was behind it. He wanted to talk to them. Just because he was a villain didn't mean he couldn't talk to his friends, even if they were on different sides. He let them go an hour later and ambushed the Titans the next day. He would ambush them every so often after that to talk. He never did the same for the League.

Half a year later, Dick Grayson was officially declared missing. Bruce knew he wasn't coming back, but couldn't bring himself to kill his civilian ID.

A year later, Renegade was a villain. Period. Everyone knew Nightwing wasn't coming back. He was Slade's protégée.

Many years later, Slade handed control of his criminal empire to Renegade. Renegade was now one of the League's most wanted criminals. He controlled a vast criminal network around the world. He was the villain.

Batman couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he had won the fight.

And that's the end of the chapter. Told you it got kinda depressing.

I have absolutely no clue which chapter I'm going to write next, so if there are preferences...

REVIEW!