As the sun slowly set on Titan City, Dick Grayson stood in his office. His eyes may have been looking out over his city, but his mind was occupied with the upcoming battle he knew was coming. With all the Titans out of the way and Rose dead, there was nothing to hold Slade back. He would be here tonight. For the first time in twelve years, Grayson felt the thrill of the kill. His heartbeat quickened as he imagined the final battle. All the training, the physical abuse he had put his body through in order to remain in top condition would be put to the test tonight. He was about to see if it was all he needed to defeat the greatest mercenary alive.
Wayne enterprises had already shut down for the day, but he was aware that Isabelle was still at the front desk. She had started leaving when he did. Perhaps she felt safer with him. More likely it was because she was enthralled with him. He was a powerful man and a looker, even at his age. If there was anything Bruce had taught him, it was how to be a playboy.
Dick laughed as he thought back on the events of nights prior. With Wayne dead and Grayson having been placed in such a high level in the company, it was only a matter of time until the board made him the CEO of the entire company. That call would come soon, he was sure of it. What would run through Slade's mind when he told him that after he died that Dick would become the most powerful man in the world? What would be his last thoughts as he was struck down?
Grayson's train of thought was interrupted by a knock at the office door.
"Yes?" he called out.
The door opened, revealing Isabelle. "Mr. Grayson, you are aware that it's getting late, right?" she asked, sheepishly.
The businessman smiled. "I'm well aware, Ms. Winters," he said. "I have some…unfinished business to attend to. You head home. I'll see you in the morning."
"Are you sure?" the secretary asked.
"Positive," Grayson said, not wanting her to be caught in the crossfire. To say the least, the young woman was quickly becoming his new flavor of the month.
"Well then, good night, Mr. Grayson," the woman said, quietly with a smile.
"Good night, Ms. Winters," the CEO said as Isabelle closed the door.
As soon as the door shut, Grayson flipped the switch on his intercom. This transmission, however, was heading to a different area than the front desk.
"Main Security," a voice stated from the other end.
"It's Grayson," the man said, firmly. "Escort Ms. Winters out of the building. After that, take up your assigned positions in the hallway."
"Sir, do you really think that the Titan Killer will be coming after you?" the voice asked.
'The Titan Killer,' Grayson smirked. 'So that's what the media's been calling him.'
"I do," he said, smiling. "In fact, I'm counting on it."
"Very well," the voice said. "We'll be in position shortly."
"Good," Dick said.
With that, he let the intercom go silent. These men knew their jobs. They would sacrifice themselves for Grayson. It was a good thing, he surmised. Chances were they wouldn't stand a ghost of a chance against the mercenary. Still, the commotion would be enough to announce their arrival to him. He was certain of that.
The elevator slowly crept up the length of the office building as its' lone occupant rotated its' neck. Entering the building had been too easy. Sure, the door had been locked, but no security had been present. Chances are they were waiting at the top floor, ready for interception.
The figure flexed its' hands. When the news had come down of Rose's death, it had been heart-wrenching. Now information had been leaked that Dick Grayson was the one responsible for it. He would pay on this night – not just for Rose and her children, but for every life he cut down so cruelly in his way to becoming a corporate bastard. Retribution was coming, and it would taste oh so sweet.
It was time.
"Sir, we have someone in the elevator coming up," A voice broke over the intercom in Grayson's office.
"Is it Slade?" he asked, firmly.
"Hard to tell," the voice said. "My guess is that it's…a woman?"
"A woman…" The CEO's eyes widened. "John, tell your men to open fire as soon as that door opens. If you don't you won't live to regret it!"
"Understood, sir," John said.
Out in the lobby of Grayson's office, a dozen riot officers stood in formation around the elevator doors, waiting for the moment to strike. As the distinctive DING rang out through the lobby, that moment had arrived.
"OPEN FIRE!" the command went out among the men, followed by the sound of machine gun fire as the team opened up.
But…this wasn't right.
The men stood in shock as their bullets came to a dead stop just outside the sliding doors of the elevator. With a flick of the wrist, the bullets came flying back towards the officers, the impact scattering them away from the doors.
As the men tried to recompose themselves, a slender woman emerged from the confines of the elevator. Her long blonde hair obscured of the right side of her face, and the years had not exactly been kind to her, but one look at her face told the truth: she was the powerful earth manipulator known as Terra. To the surprise of the guards, it seemed that she had added metal manipulation to her set of skills over the years.
"Shit!" One of the officers said, aiming his gun. "Bitch's bulletproof!"
"Then I guess we just need to sent a few hundred more bullets her way," another one yelled. "She can't stop them all!"
Three seconds later, the two guards from that conversation were lying in a pool of their own blood. Turns out that logic had been faulty: not only could Terra stop the bullets, she had some control on where to project them back in order to by pass the armor for a kill shot.
Gun fire ripped across the lobby as the guards desperately tried to find a crack in the woman's defense, but to no avail. Suddenly, three guards rushed out from behind her, their guns ready. Terra jerked her head in their direction , her long hair billowing out in front of her.
It all happened in slow motion. As the woman locked eyes with the three guards, her hair moved back to her side, pushed out of the way by a gloved hand. A .45 came wiping around her face, unloading three precise shots and dispensing of the guards with pinpoint accuracy. Spinning back, the gun fired again, sending the others hurling to the floor.
Terra took a moment to catch her breath. Controlling her power so much had taken a lot out of her. Turning, she smiled at the figure next to her.
"You always have to make an entrance with some sort of flair," she said, playfully.
Slade looked back at her, and chuckled from beneath his mask.
Gunfire brought the two back to the matter at hand. Slade opened up with a sub-machine gun, keeping the guards at bay while Terra continued down the hallway. Quickly, she came to a stop. Standing before her were six heavily armored men, each armed with what appeared to be an electric cattle prod.
"Whoa," she said, stunned. "Grayson doesn't fuck around."
Scanning the area for something she could use, the woman noticed that there was a great deal of debris on the floor from the initial firefight. The lobby had been done in granite in comparison to the marble used in main office – no doubt where Grayson was, watching the events unfold on his security cameras and waiting for them to come after him.
A grin spread over her face as she concocted a plan. Slowly, she summoned her strength and drew all the small pieces to her body, covering her fists with a layer of rock and metal. Her control allowed her to mold the materials into a pair of devilish gauntlets, spiked on the knuckles for maximum destructibility.
With her rock gloves ready, she simply smiled at the armored guards.
"Come and get me," she taunted.
The five guards attacked at once, hoping to use their numbers to overwhelm the woman. The million-volt prods were capable of putting down a full-grown horse…as long as they managed to hit flesh. But that was proving to be more difficult than they originally perceived as Terra blocked the wands with her rock fists. Ducking under another wild swing, she drilled one of the guards in the face, shattering just about every bone with brute force. She going to take back control with her knuckles.
Another guard screamed as his flesh was shredded from his face by the talons that had become the woman's fingers. This was not what he had signed up for when he had become part of Grayson's personal protection squad. Then again, he was unaware of his boss's motives. If he had been, perhaps he would have taken that job in Metropolis…
Terra slammed her right fist into the chest of a third guard. She could hear the audible CRACK as his sternum broke under the massive impact. He dropped to the ground like a sack of bricks, gasping for air as his chest caved in upon itself.
The last two guards stumbled back, shaking like leaves on a tree. This…this was unreal. They were never trained to handle this type of attack. They had to get out and fast. Before they could make a move, Slade leapt up and over Terra, firing two more bursts from his machine gun. Normally the armor would have held, but the bullets had headed right to the one uncovered area: their faces. The two slumped to the ground, their tattered heads oozing blood as they twitched in their death throes.
As the mercenary tossed away his machine gun, the granite fists crumbled away from the woman's hands. She stumbled forward, catching herself before she collapsed to the ground. The amount of energy she had spent was insurmountable, but it would all be worth it when they had Grayson in their clutches.
Slowly, the two approached the door to the main office. Looking at one another, they nodded in silence.
It was time.
BLAM! The door to Dick Grayson's office flew off the hinges as Slade kicked it in, sending it across the floor and into the desk. Despite the noisy entrance, the room was eerily quiet.
Peering inside, Terra could make out the wall of achievements that Grayson had earned over the years for his actions – actions that had come with the price of blood. Tonight, the nightmare would end.
The woman could feel her body tense up as she stepped into the room. Something was not right about this…
CRACK! Grayson's fist made solid contact with the side of Terra's head, flinging her against the wall amidst the plaques. Slade stepped in with a side kick only to be answered by a brute sweep that knocked his to the floor.
Stunned, the two looked up – and found themselves staring down the visage of the former Nightwing. He had barely changed over the years, as his muscles almost seemed to ripple from underneath his business suit.
"Took you long enough," he said, emotionlessly. "I was starting to think you weren't coming."
Terra glared at the man as she got back to her feet. "We didn't need any innocent bystanders," she said matter-of-factly. "Our fight's not with the people who work for you. We just want you."
Grayson smiled. "I always did like song by Ozzy Osbourne," he laughed.
"Enough games, Dick!" the woman snapped, impatiently. "You killed Rose and her children. Even worse, you let your own team die rather that face Slade yourself. Maybe if you really were the hero you used to be, they'd still be alive."
Though his eyes were hard, Dick's smile still remained. "I'm ten times the hero those fucks remembered," he said, defiantly. "As for them, their time had long passed. They spent their remaining time feeling sorry for themselves. If they had just listened, and followed my example, they'd be here with me now, enjoying the fruits of their labor."
"Yeah," Terra said with a grim smile. "Too bad they all had a conscience."
The three stood in silence, looking each other over. This was going to be the final stand. Only one side was going to win this battle. Slowly, Grayson undid the buttons on his suit jacket. He wanted a full range of movement for this fight. Slade and Terra simply rotated their shoulders, loosing themselves up.
With a quick grin, the former Titan was ready.
"Bring it," he said.
Slade was the first to strike, launching a powerful kick to the side of Grayson's head. Ducking it swiftly, the CEO delivered a gut shot that double the merc over. No sooner that he had straightened up Terra was headed his way, posting off of Slade's back and catching him by his tie. Not wanting to be hung up, Grayson quickly slipped a hand between the tie's knot and his neck, preventing the woman from strangling him with it. With a quick motion, the businessman pushed his hand out, undoing the knot with a Jackie Chan-like prowess and leaving Terra holding the offending cloth. Free to move, he delivered a kick to the woman's gut and sent her sprawling to the ground.
Slade was back up quickly, delivering a flurry of punches with the skill of a man possessed. However, Grayson dodged half and blocked the other half with ease. He had been training for years for this moment. He had relived every battle he ever had with Slade in his mind like a football team watching the opposition's previous games. He had identified the loopholes, saw where the shortcomings were, and was prepared to deliver a maximum impact with every attack. No energy wasted on fruitless assaults. One punch, one hit, one shot, nothing sacrificed – this was Dick Grayson at his zenith. With a quick catch, he flipped the merc over his shoulder and into the display case where the Red X outfit stood. The glass shattered upon impact, leaving Slade in a sea of jagged edges.
Grayson looked away for a moment at the prone body of the mercenary. It was all the time Terra needed to grab ahold of his jacket sleeve. The former Titan, however, was ready. Spinning around quickly, he shed the jacket and wrapped it around his own hands, trapping Terra's within the fabric and bringing him face-to-face with her.
"Hey, cutie," he said, smirking. "What's shaking?"
A flurry of elbows followed those words, striking the woman in both sides of her head. Stunned, she was thrown back by another powerful kick as Grayson let go of the jacket, leaving him in his white collared shirt.
Slade painfully pulled himself to his feet. Grayson had been harder to handle than he had at first thought. This thought was punctuated by two hands grabbing his shirt and hurling him back across the office over to where the elevator was.
Grayson took a few steps towards the merc – then one step back as Terra launched a standing side kick mere inches from his face. Undaunted, he took a firm grasp of her ankle and proceeded to drive an elbow down into her knee. The woman screamed in pain as the knee buckled but was silenced a moment later by a fierce backhand that laid her out on the floor.
With Terra out for the moment, the businessman slowly sauntered over to the fallen mercenary, smiling as he did so.
"Well, well, well," he said, mockingly as he stood over Slade. "Look what the cat drug in." He punctuated this remark with a kick to the merc's ribs, sending a wave of pain through his being. "Did you really think you could kill me in my own house? This city is mine. Everyone worships the ground I walk on."
Grayson chuckled as he put a foot on top of the merc's chest. "Did you really think that you, in your pathetic shape, could take me? I've been waiting my whole life for this very moment! I have being hoping that all those news reports they had about you were lies, that you were just biding your time for one last great hurrah. But I guess it was nothing more than a whimper, wasn't it?"
The former Titan pushed his foot down harder on Slade's chest. He delighted in hearing the strained grunting sounds coming from the merc…so much that he didn't notice Terra getting back to her feet, a length of chain wrapped around her right hand.
"Trust me, Slade," he said, laughing. "You gotta get up pretty early to pull one over on me."
It was then that he felt the cold metal snake around his neck, jerking him back against Terra's body. His eyes went wild as the chain tightened around his throat, holding him in place as well as depriving him of air. In his moment of desperation, his mind had drawn a blank on what to do now.
"I've got him!" Terra screamed, struggling to keep the man under control. "Finish him off!"
Slade said nothing as he pulled a blackened blade from his belt. He was going to drive it deep into Grayson's heart – a fitting end for a social vampire who had been feeding off the fears and desperation of the people in this city for so many years. Finally, the motherfucker was about to get what was coming to him. Stepping forward, he delighted in seeing the once-powerful leader of the Teen Titans know what fear was, to experience it with his own eyes, feel it in his own heart. Yes, this was him at his weakest, right before the end. It was over…
DING.
The ominous sound caught the attention of all in the room. It had come from Grayson's personal elevator. Staring at the doors, no one knew exactly what to expect next.
The metal door slid open. The sound of crackling energy could be heard from within the metal box, the air teeming with electrical charge. The lightshow dazzled the three, bathing them in an eerie greenish glow. It was then that they saw the eyes. Those emerald eyes. Those eyes were clear.
Terra let herself be taken aback as she stared at the widening doors. She had not expected this at all.
"My God," she whispered. "You're supposed to be dead…"
Starfire hovered before the three, her teeth mashed together in fury. The final words Slade had left with her had helped her make her decision. Heroes were supposed to die fighting, not begging. If that was the way, then she would gladly go out with a bang.
Slade tore his eyes away from the Tamaranean, and prepared to bury his blade deep within Grayson's chest. It was a mistake he wouldn't soon forget, as one of her bolts slammed into his head, flinging him back against the wall.
Terra stepped back in shock as she watched the mercenary slump to the floor. In doing so, she loosened up her grip on the chain. It was all that Grayson needed.
With a massive head butt, the man slid out form under the metal garrote, and pulled the chain from her hands. Holding one end in his left palm, he spun the remaining length around the knuckles of his right hand, wrapping them tightly in the steel. Then, came a punch. Then another. Then another.
Slade propped himself back up only to see Terra take blow after punishing blow to the face with the makeshift brass knuckles. Quickly, he sprung to his feet – only to have Starfire slam him back up against the wall!
Grayson sneered as Terra feel to her knees in front of him. He had been here once before, at the feet of Mammoth all those years ago. He had been there the moment he became the unstoppable force known as Nightwing, the hero of the Crusade, The New Messiah of the budding Titan City. It was then that Mammoth's last words came to him. Looking at the length of chain in his hand, he smiled. 'Why the hell not?' he thought to himself.
Terra let out a gasp as the businessman whipped the chain around her neck, wrapping it tightly. As she gasped for air, Grayson pulled her to her feet, a twisted smile on his face as he did so.
"Sorry for the wait, Terra," he said, echoing the H.I.V.E. villain's final words, "How about I give you a break?!"
With a massive heave, the man tossed the woman over his head. As she flipped over him, Dick yanked the chain with inhuman force.
The audible CRACK rang out over the office as Terra's neck snapped like a twig. Her body fell with a thud as she broke through Grayson's desk.
"NOOOO!" Slade roared as he watched the woman die in front of his eyes. Furiously, he leapt back to his feet only to be floored again by the angry Tamaranean.
Unwrapping the chain from his hand, Grayson made his way over to the sobbing merc. A grim smile was on his face like that of the Cheshire Cat.
"Score one for the boys back home," he said, laughing.
Kneeling in front of the merc, he shook his head. "How many does this make, Slade?" he asked. "Four? Four people that you cared about cut down because you are a fucking coward?"
Slade roared, and clumsily reached out for Grayson's throat. The CEO simply shifted back on his heels, smiling as he did so. "I'm afraid you tried that already," he continued, smirking. "Didn't work the first time, and it ain't going to work now."
Standing back up, the smile faded from the man's face. "You know, I spent the last twenty years of my life waiting for our final encounter," he said, angrily. "I prepared for the biggest battle of my entire life, and what do I get? A wasted-up has-been who is crying his fucking eyes out over a couple of dead shitbags! You couldn't even put up a decent defense, could you? Terra is a lot better than you are!"
At this, Grayson paused, and looked back at the woman's prone body sprawled across the ruined desk. "Well, she was better than you are," he corrected himself.
As the CEO stood over the broken mercenary, he felt a pit of rage building up inside of him. He had been training all this time for what ended up being a total letdown. Twenty years of his life lost preparing himself for an epic battle against the best killer in the world, the one who had taunted him for so many years, and it was over in a matter of minutes? Not even long enough to enjoy. Sure, Terra was dead, but Slade had simply lost the will to fight. Seeing him in such a state boiled the former hero's blood. The moment he had been dreaming about for so many years had come, and it was an utter disappointment.
"You let me down, Slade," he said, furiously. "You became a shell of what you used to be."
Angrily, Grayson began landing punches on the merc's face, punctuating each blow with a word: "YOU-SHOULDN'T-HAVE-FUCKED-WITH-ME!!!"
As the final fist came down, Slade's mask cracked. Slowly, the black portion fell away from the mercenary's face. What was underneath was enough to make both Grayson and Starfire step back.
The face was distinctly the merc's. So was the long hair. But something was wrong. Very wrong.
Grayson blinked his eyes, trying to see clearly what was in front of him. Looking back, he could see an eye staring back at him from underneath the mane of blonde hair.
"What the fuck…" he muttered.
Starfire brought a hand to her mouth in shock. "Robin," she began, unable to break away from that name in his presence, "That is not Slade."
Grayson's mind was running. What was going on? The mask, the weapons, and the stance – it had been all so perfect. How could he have been so wrong? How could an imposter have emulated his greatest nemesis so convincingly? There was only one way to get the answer.
Quickly, he pulled the hood off of the merc's head. The remainder of the mask came along with it. As he did so, he was treated to a grim surprise: Underneath that mask was the only man who could have pulled off such a con job, the only one who could have played Grayson so perfectly. He was not Slade, but he had the blood of the merc running through his veins. There was only one who could make that claim…
"Jericho…"