Enjoy this chapter!
This is another good one, despite how it's short-ish. Some major insight into Dick's head near the end, and the beginnings of Slade's plan.
Happy reading!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own TT or YJ.
Bruce watched as a transformation came over Dick. He straightened, his eyes focussed, and the beginnings of a scowl formed on his face. "He said he wouldn't…" He muttered, so quietly that Bruce almost didn't hear him. He shook his head and regained his composure. "What did you hear?" He asked through the comm.
Beast Boy quickly replied. "He's leaving the city. Apparently, he accepted a contract on some wealthy bigwig in Gotham. Starting with a B or D or something."
Dick swore in Romani under his breath. "Thanks BB."
BB cut in before he could hang up.
"Does this have anything to do with the 'get Nigh-'"
"Bye Gar!" Dick cut him off and and hung up before BB could further comment.
Bruce fixed his gaze on Dick. "Who's Slade?"
"A Titan's villain. It's nothing."
Bruce raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Doesn't sound like nothing."
Dick let out a frustrated sigh. "Drop it Bruce, please. Just forget about it."
He scooped up all his papers and his computer. "I'm going to put this stuff away." He muttered, and left the room.
Bruce looked after him, worried. Obviously, about this Slade character bugged Dick. There was some sort of history between the two, and it probably wasn't good. Bruce made a mental note to research this Slade. If he was causing problems for his son, well, it wouldn't be pretty. DaddyBats hadn't been needed for years, and he was itching to make a reappearance.
Dick lay, once again, on his bed in his room. His mind was working furiously, trying to figure out what Slade was planning now. He hadn't taken a contract in years, although he'd had plenty of options. There had to be some ulterior motive, money, or power, or…
Dick's eyes widened.
Or, a way to get to Gotham, hopefully without alerting him. He wouldn't be on the look out for mercenary activity, and he doubted that he would have any idea about this if BB hadn't told him. After all, Slade had only promised to leave the Titans alone, not Dick himself. Slade's attention would be divided, what with the contract, but Dick was sure that he had some sort of plan. Dick would have to lay low as Nightwing, hopefully not attract any attention, and try to avoid Slade, That shouldn't be too difficult.
Although, to be perfectly honest, another apprenticeship probably wouldn't be so bad, he mused. That second time, after they had sorted everything out, he had actually enjoyed himself. And he learned a lot. He had honestly considered, if only for a few moments, staying with Slade, making his position there permanent, but he had stopped himself.
That was what was really terrifying him. Not the prospect of being alone with Slade, or cut off from everyone, or even being trained to kill- his real fear was that he'd give in. Become Slade's perfect apprentice, take over for him someday, forget why he had chosen to fight crime and not become it. Deep, deep down in his heart, he longed for the freedom he knew would come. He yearned for the trill that stealing had given him, the rush when he had evaded the best security systems and gotten away undetected.
He had denied it when Slade asked, of course. He wasn't ready to admit it to anyone.
The first apprenticeship had started to create these feelings, but they had been so weak and barely there they had been easy to crush.
The second had strengthened them and brought them to the light. Getting along with Slade and actually enjoying had cemented them and made them almost impossible to ignore, but he had done his best to shove them under the metaphorical carpet and forget. It hadn't worked as well as he would have liked, but he could deal.
The looming possible third was making those feelings impossible to ignore. Part of him was clamoring to keep fighting, not to give in to the feelings, but another part, growing more insistent and vocal by the day, told him that here was the perfect opportunity to stop resisting and embrace them. Let himself be captured by Slade and become the villain Slade was trying to mold him into.
Villains had been trying for years to get him to switch sides. Robin had long been hailed as one of the more dangerous heroes, despite his unlikely appearance. He knew everything- everything- about everything. None had ever come very close to succeeding.
But Dick knew that if he ended up alone in one of Slade's bases, without his friends to support him, it was very likely that he would fall.
Light to dark.
Hero to villain.
Vigilante to thief.
Trusted to hated.
Nightwing to Renegade.
O.O
Dick's goin' bad! No!
Nah, he's not bad... yet. He's just conflicted. He's toeing the line. Like Catwoman.