Not Daddy's Little Girl…Anymore

By: Malaizjan De Jesus

Author's Notes: The next fic up is #16 in the series by me and Reina Grayson. The heroes are stuck at Watchtower while some heroes have been captured. The LOD is winning and Dana knows Terry's secret-huh? Yeah folks, reality has changed, and the heroes are in a race to learn what was changed before more heroes vanish. But even in this crisis, there is love in the air. What will Nightwing do when he finds out about his little girl and niece? Read to find out!

Chapter 4

Back at Watchtower…

Sam Young had always believed that nothing could inspire him. That nothing could surprise him. That he'd seen it all, living in Gotham…

How wrong he was.

Being in the first Watchtower-the home of the original Justice League-it left him in awe. The technology to create a floating base ops was a marvel when it was first built. And this base's tech was still at pace with today's tech.

For him, it was a dream come true.

He grew up reading and watching the Justice League and their exploits on tv. Now he could fore fill a personal promise that he made decades earlier.

Sam watched as Red Hood put away his holster and guns. Then he hung up his jacket. "I want my questions answered."

Jason sighed.

"Red Hood?"

Barb knew that voice. But it wasn't possible…

Tim Drake walked in, in his civilian clothes, a smile on his face. "You got them! Good, Dick was really worried."

"Tim?" Barb was having a headache coming to her.

"You know these two, don't you?" Sam asked his wife.

"C'mon Babs, tell him." Jason grinned. Seeing Barbara squirming like she was, was priceless.

"Sam…I've been keeping this a secret. I do know them. I knew them in my teens. But if I tell you this secret, you can't tell anyone."

"For crying out loud! Listen, Mr. DA, she was Batgirl. You married Batgirl!" Jason almost yelled.

"Damn it!" cried Barb.

Sam stepped away from Barbara, a look of suspicion on his face. "That was how you were able to throw that…that bat thing when that assassin was after me."

Barb could only nod.

"And your hesitation to arrest Batman…" Same couldn't believe it. He married Batgirl! He had a grin on his face. "I childhood dream come true. I always thought Batgirl was way better than Robin."

"Hey!" both Jason and Tim cried. They felt insulted.

"And I'm married to her…I am truly a lucky man."

Barb didn't know what to think. She expected him to arrest her or something. "You're not mad?"

"That depends. You have your costume still?"

Jason covered his ears. "I didn't just hear that!"

"Get a room!" Tim told the pair. "I'm traumatized!"

"SAM!" Barb cried, blushing.

"And I should arrest you three for decades of interference with police matters…But I'll settle for access to Watchtower." Okay, so he could tease the three. They had no idea how much safer things were in Gotham because of their efforts. Because of their sacrifice, more kids grew up believe there were real heroes helping the police.

"The DA is blackmailing us!" Jason was loving this! He didn't think Sam Young had it in him. And it wasn't for money-just to see the home of the heroes. "I can't decide that. If it was me, I'd say SOLD! But you want to talk to Lady Merline and Nightwing."

Barb shook her head. She then saw Bruce as he, Terry and Serenity entered the room. She looked Bruce right in the eye. "Bruce."

"Barb."

"C'mon you two. Kiss and make up," Terry suggested.

Both glared at him, which he pointedly ignored.

"Mister Wayne." Sam reached out to shake his hand, which Bruce did.

"Sam, this is Lady Merline," Barb told her husband.

Sam couldn't help it-he gawked. The woman before him was beautiful, and pregnant. He quickly closed his mouth before he got smacked for staring. "La-Lady Merline."

"Hello, Sam, Barb," Serenity said politely.

"He wants access to Watchtower," Jason informed her.

"I don't think my husband would have a problem with that. In fact, you are part of this fraternity, Sam. So I say yes. But there are conditions…"

"My lips are sealed. I'll die with this secret," Sam told the heroine.

"Then we're going to need to have a private meeting, including Dana."

Jason turned to Terry. "Your girl knows?"

"Drow was going to do sick things to her when I saved her. She had the right to know," Terry defended his choice.

"Don't worry, Junior. I'm not mad. I'm rather proud of you."

Gear came running in seconds later. "Look out! Boom Tubes are opening up!"

"That's Gear," Sam said. Wow, he thought the guy had retired.

And right on cue, those Boom Tubes opened up.

Mathen's team was the 1st to return.

Virgil Jr. flew in, a little dirty but unharmed. Syfon was behind him, limping slightly. But Mathen…he staggered in, holding a bleeding shoulder. He almost collapsed from the blood loss but Jason caught him. "You okay, kid?" Jason asked.

"Oh my…" That was when she walked through.

Terra.

Terra was in awe of seeing Watchtower for the first time.

"Terra!" cried Tim. He hugged her tightly. "But how-?"

"That can't be…" said Barbara softly.

"You're free!" M'gann cried as she flew to hug her former teammate.

"Wait… That Ms. X," Sam said happily. He noted that she was very pregnant. 'Wow, heroes having heroes…'

"Megan!" Terra said, hugging back. "You're…you're grown too…" The displaced teen seemed lost.

"Oh Terra…you've been stone for so many decades…" M'gann said sadly.

"They got Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire," Syfon told the group. "Beast Boy told us to take Terra."

Jason was upset. "Not Koriand'r…" Oh, he was going to go after the LOD. Shoot them all up for taking her!

"Don't," Mathen said, sensing how his 'uncle' was feeling.

As soon as one closed, a second opened, and Conner and his team returned, all battered but nothing serious. "Australia's lost. There were just too many," Superboy announced.

As theirs closed, another opened up. Kaldur, Orin and Areina returned from Atlantis. Kaldur had his left arm in a sling. Orin carried a sleeping Areina.

Serenity and Bruce went over to the trio immediately. "Orin? What's wrong with Areina!?"

"She's resting, Aunt Serenity," Orin told her. "I'll take her to my room." Without another word, Orin walked away.

"And that's Tempest…" Sam looked about ready to become fan boy. All of the heroes he knew from tv as a kid and teen were there!

"Kaldur?" Terra said, remembering her former leader.

"Kaldur'ahm turned around. He couldn't believe it. "Terra!? You are free!?"

Conner walked over to the geo-kinetic and hugged her. She hadn't aged a day while he aged very little. "You're…but how-?"

"The Earth released me," Terra explained. "But…how long was I in stone?"

"Decades," Artemis answered as she too, hugged Terra.

Then, one more Boom Tube opened. Siren walked through first, arms crossed and a scowl on her face.

Then Komos walked through, and he looked thrashed. But his eyes were love-strucked though. "Siren, my love. Don't leave me! I love you!"

"Why me?" she asked, looking up at the ceiling.

"Siren, you didn't," Black Canary said to her daughter.

"I had to, mom. There were LOD members there. I told them not to listen but I guess Komos relied too much on his demi god powers."

Kevin came through and the Boom Tube closed. "Now Siren?" he asked her.

"Please!" Olivia begged.

With a grin, he chopped the back of Komos' neck, knocking him out cold. "He is an ass! I swear, if he says anything else about Meygan's height, I'll fry him!"

"Great!" Mathen shook his head. As if he needed any more problems.

That was when Siren noticed Nightwing's arm. "What happened to your arm!?" she cried, walking over to him.

Jason relinquished his hold on Mathen to her.

"A scratch," he told her. He had to keep his eyes somewhere else. Already, he could smell her faint perfume. And she was a looker.

"Scratch? Where's your Infirmary at? I'll patch you up," Siren told him.

"Fine. But as soon as Miracle gets here, she'll fix it." Mathen sighed. "Okay. It's that way," he amended when she saw the glare she gave. All he could think about was how pretty her eyes were.

Siren guided him in the direction he pointed.

Black Canary walked them with interest.

So did Jason Todd.

Then another Boom Tube opened up. Miracle, Airhawk and Eclipse came through unharmed. "Mommy, mommy!" cried Molly as she ran to her mom and hugged her.

"Molly? What's wrong?" Serenity asked.

"Deathstroke's fighting Daddy! He injured the Prince of Vlatava but I fixed him?"

"Nighting said he had it and for us to go. So we did," Airhawk added.

"Like HELL he's fighting him alone!" Red Hood cried. "I'm going after him!"

"Me too!" Terry added.

"Not without us!" Barb and Tim chimed.

"Great!" Conner said. "They all want to go."

"None of you should go," Tigress added. "Nightwing has been at this dance with Deathstroke for a long time. He wouldn't want any of you around."

"Too bad. I've spent decades ignoring when I should have been there for him!" Jason yelled. "I'm going and I'll shoot anyone that tries to stop me!"

In Vlatava…

The landscape was in ruins.

The LOD took over the small kingdom.

Slade Bots, active and otherwise, were scattered about, most escorting away many survivors.

The distant sounds of motorcycles could be heard.

It took a few moments for those sounds got louder and louder.

Then a motorcycle came roaring down the ripped up road, Deathstroke was in full gear, shooting behind him.

10 seconds later, Nightwing followed on his own borrowed motorcycle. He dodged the bullets and threw a Wing Ding in hopes of knocking Slade off.

A quick snap of the handle bars and Slade evaded the weapon. "You've gotten slow, Nightwing! I expected better from you, my former apprentice!"

"You're supposed to stay behind bars, Slade!" Dick yelled back. "You're going back!"

"The prison is gone! Nothing will keep me locked up now!" Slade swung his back around so he drove it backwards, his gun raised to fire. He didn't hesitate and fired.

Dick forced his bike onto its back wheel and took the bullets. One bullet did hit the exhaust so his bike was smoking lightly. "You killed my son and daughter, Slade! You don't deserve any freedom!" Dick sped up his bike as Slade flipped his bike when it hit a part of the ruined roadway and got himself going the right way.

"Your daughter still lives! And your son was in my way!" Slade fired again.

Dick felt the bullet hit his shoulder. He grunted and threw more of his Wing Dings. Several hit Slade's bike. One managed to make his bike smoke black smoke.

"Why!? Why kill my son!? What did my son DO TO YOU!?" he shouted in anger. He wanted to know why his children were targeted. Why was Red Arrow?

"You should have thought to teach your children obedience!" Slade's bike started to smoke badly. It was shaking violently.

Dick sped up to match Deathstroke's bike and with a might kick, kicked the villain off the bike with enough force that his own injured shoulder was jolted out of place. Dick leaped off his own bike and the two bikes collided, exploding with fury and smoke. Dick used the force of the explosion to land very close to Slade. As the villain stood up, Dick attacked him, his eskrima sticks in his hands. "My son was an infant!" Dick told him, a kick to Slade's face to make the point stick. "My daughter was protecting me!" He punched Slade in the stomach, making him drop.

"Red Arrow was my BROTHER!" As Dick's foot came down on Slade, the assassin grabbed his foot as it came down and threw him aside like a scrap piece of paper. "Red Arrow picked up where his mentor left off. Interfering in things he had no business being in. I tired of his meddling!"

Dick picked himself up, realizing that Slade admitted to something else. "You killed Green Arrow."

Slade had a proud smile on his face. "It set me back financially but the assassin archer Merlyn did his job. He owed me a favor. And Arsenal is dead as well. That leaves two archers: Tigress and Red Arrow's son, Archeron. And now Flash is gone too. That leaves only you from the original protégés, Nightwing."

"I won't go down so easily!" Dick moved in to attack. But in the back of his mind, he had to get protection for Archeron.

Slade caught his fist, twisted his arm behind him and kicked that arm, the arm that was injured with a bullet and out of socket.

With a cry, Dick staggered away but Slade attacked him, kicking and punching the hero until Dick was thrown into a downed pillar, and he coughed up blood.

"Your children have bounties on their heads. I still have two more to collect. After I'm done with you, your remaining son is next."

"Over my fuckin' BODY!" In pain, Dick fought back, the 2 duking it out for the upper hand. For the survival of his family, he had to win.

That was when a Slade Bot kicked Dick in the small of his back, sending him forward into Slade's waiting knife, right in the gut.

Slade grinned. Dick staggered back and to one knee.

"Morgan was the one who placed those bounties. And getting rid of Flash? That was Stalker's idea. Revenge for his grandfather." Sladde stalked Dick as the hero moved away, backing up. "And your wife, Nightwing? I'll enjoy her before I taste her blood." Slade raised his gun…

A shot rang out.

Slade's gun was shot from his hand.

Several batarangs came his way and Slade dodged them, forced to back away from Dick.

Standing in a semi-circle in front of Dick were Terry, Barb and Tim. And standing in front of them with a smoking gun was Jason, a very ticked off Red Hood. "This family is off limits to you, Deathstroke. Now just stand there while I fill your gut with my bullets," Jason vowed.

"Perhaps another time, Red Hood. We have our own score to settle." Slade threw down a smoke bomb.

Terry threw every batarang he had as Jason emptied his gun.

When the smoke cleared, Slade was gone.

But Nightwing was safe.

Dick couldn't believe what just happened. His brothers and sister came to his rescue. Yes, he was starting to think of Terry as a baby brother. "Whose bright idea was this?" Dick asked as Barb helped him to his feet.

"Jay's," Tim answered.

"Jason…thanks bro," Dick said sincerely.

"I owe you 10,000 more rescues." Jason helped get Dick to his feet.

"Let's get going. Bruce is going to have a fit as it is," Terry said.

Dick smiled. "Seriously…guys, Babs…Thanks."

A Boom Tube opened to take them back to Watchtower…

*** So here it is! The truth has been revealed. Green Arrow died at the League of Shadow's assassin, Merlyn. At Slade's insistence! And what about Archeron? Is he Slade's next target? ***