Alright everyone quick author note before we begin. I could make a thousand excuses on why I haven't updated but I've been sick, busy with school and plain writers block. Hope you guys can forgive me.
M'gann and Gear arrived at the coordinates Slade had given them. "Wow this is nicer then I expected." Gear stated looking at the mansion in front of them. "True but you have to remember Slade is a highly popular mercenary." M'gann replied as the door opened to reveal Wintergreen standing there. "I take it your here to help Master Richard?" He asked as M'gann nodded. "Team Mind at your service." M'gann answered with a slight. "Good come with me." He stated leading them through the house. M'gann and Gear followed looking at the decorations.
"Wow this is brighter then how I thought Slade's house would look." Gear commented as Wintergreen grunted. "Master Slade has slowly been changing ever since Master Richard came to live with us." Wintergreen replied as they arrived at the medical room where Richard laid deep in his coma. "Gear check his vital signs. I'm going to check his mental state." M'gann ordered and Gear nodded and went strait to work. "Heart rate is rising at abnormal rate. Muscles are spontaneously contracting. Brain activity is off the charts." Gear reported in awe.
"Got it." M'gann replied as her eyes began to glow green. Wintergreen simply stood back and watched the two heroes do their thing praying Richard would be alright. "Administrating drugs to help stabilize muscles and heart rate now!" Gear called out injecting Richard with two syringes.
M'gann nodded as she began to try and mentally contact Richard. "Richard!" She called out mentally only to receive no response. "Unable to contact him mentally. I'm going to attempt to enter his mind to see if I can help from there." M'gann replied her eyes glowing green once more.
Richard stared out into the empty city. Robin had already completed his lesson and left to find Nightwing for his final lesson before he made his decision. So here he sat on the rooftop waiting. "I wonder how Roy and Wally are doing." He said to himself not exactly expecting to receive a reply. "Well their a little worried about their little brother but other then that their doing great." A soft feminine voice replied. Richard turned around to see M'gann standing there with a smile on her face. "Oh great now my subconscious has created a martian." Richard groaned placing his head into his hands.
"Your subconscious didn't create me." She replied flying lower. "Then how are you here?" Richard asked removing his head from his hands. "Mind link. Hello Megan!" She said slapping her forehead. He raised an eyebrow at this. "I am M'gann. Martian Manhunters niece. I'm also a founding member of Young Justice and new recruit to Oath." She said with a smile.
"Really?" He asked with a slight smile on his face. She nodded and grabbed his arm. "Now let's get you out of here." She said attempting to pull him up only for him to pull away. "I can't." Richard said with a sigh. "Why not? It's really simple." M'gann asked attempting to pull him again. "Because I haven't completed my lessons." Richard replied pulling his arm out of her grip. "Your lessons?" She asked an eyebrow raised. "It's a long story." Richard answered shaking his head. "Tell me and then maybe I can help you." She bargained as he contemplated the idea. "Alright." He responded with a deep breath.
Richard then began to tell her everything that had happened since he was put in the coma. Everything from Grayson to Robin and Nightwing's mysterious disappearance. "I see so your telling me you can't leave until you learn your final lesson so you can make your choice?" M'gann asked summerizing his story. "Yep. So until then I wait for Nightwing." Richard said with a shrug.
"Sorry it took so long we had an intruder." A voice said interrupting their conversation. M'gann and Richard turned to see Nightwing standing there with a smile on his face. "Nightwing?" M'gann asked as he nodded. Richard stood up from his spot and looked at Nightwing. "I'm ready for my final lesson." Richard stated looking at his masked counterpart. "Your final lesson is for you to make your decision." Nightwing replied opening his arms out wide.
Sudden the world began to change and memories began flashing by. On the left side were memories of Richard and Bruce as Batman and Robin. On the right side were memories of Richard with Wally and Roy. "Batman saved you from the darkness and created me." Robin's voice sounded as he appeared on the left side. "My parents imbued us with love and kindness which is who I am." Grayson said smiling appearing on the right. "Woah." M'gann muttered as Richard stared at Nightwing. "You have seen both of their ends. Now WHO ARE YOU RICHARD?!" Nightwing yelled at his civilian counter part.
Richard took a deep breath and walked over to Grayson. "Your right our parents did give us love and kindness. I always regretted not being able to save them. Unfortunately that wasn't in my control. I still love and miss them. However I do not blame myself for their deaths and you shouldn't either." Richard stated placing a hand on Grayson's shoulder. Grayson smiled. "Remember we're called the Flying Graysons for a reason." Grayson said before fading into Richard.
Once Grayson was gone Richard walked over to Robin. "You were right a part of me is still loyal to Batman and no matter what I do that's how it will always be. However my loyalty to Oath is much greater than it is to Bats. He saved me from the darkness but Oath saved me from myself." Richard stated looking down at his younger self. "Live so you have no regrets. Don't go half ass when you wake up or else I'll drag you back here personally." Robin replied with a smile. "Will do." Richard answered as Robin faded into him like Grayson did.
"M'gann can you do me a favor and let Roy know I'll be waking up in a second?" Richard asked as M'gann nodded speechless. She then vanished from his mind as Richard approached Nightwing.
"So you've made your decision?" Nightwing asked with a small smirk. Richard nodded three times as Nightwing's smirk grew. "So who are you?" Nightwing asked as Richard smirked back. "I am Rick Blake/Richard Grayson. The first Robin.. Slade's apprentice and finally. I am Nightwing brother of Warp and Red Arrow and Artemis's always traught boyfriend." Richard declared loudly as Nightwing smiled. He began to fade away and smiled at Richard. "Good luck kid your going to need it." Nightwing stated before being absorbed into Richard like Grayson and Robin before him.
Before the darkness engulfed Richard the scene changed so he was standing on water watching as a random Island exploded. Richard tried to place it but he had no memory of this event ever and before he could think about anymore he was engulfed in darkness.
When Richard awoke he was greeted with the sight of M'gann and Gear standing before him. "Where's Roy, Wally, and Slade?" Richard asked seeing the empty room. "Currently engaged in a major battle with the light." Gear answered as Richard's eyes widened. "Why the hell are you guys here?" Richard nearly yelled as M'gann sighed and Gear flinched. "Because we were ordered to watch you. The reason we haven't left yet because we wanted to know if your planning on coming with." M'gann replied calmly.
"Wintergreen!" Richard called out as Wintergreen appeared in the doorway with Richard's Nightwing suit in his hands. "Already prepared master Richard." Wintergreen stated bringing it over to him. Richard smirked as he changed right then and there as the others covered their eyes. "You can open them." Richard stated after a minute of silence. M'gann and Gear looked to see Richard dressed in his Nightwing uniform utility belt and everything. Only he held his mask in his hands. He slapped the mask on and nodded.
"Let's go save some lives." Nightwing called to the team before they dashed out the door. Wintergreen shook his head and smiled gently. He was going to tell Alfred all about this at their next butler meeting.
Red Arrow barely managed to dodge a bullet from Joker's pistol. "Oh come on Arrowboy you can do better then that for your uncle J cant ya?" Joker asked in a mocking voice. RA growled before launching another arrow at the clowns head only for it to miss. A few yards away from the two Slade and Sportsmaster were duking it out. "You've gotten soft Slade!" Sportsmaster laughed knocking Slade down with a round house kick. "That actually kinda hurt." Slade mocked rubbing his chin.
Superboy and Warp were currently dealing with Sulemon Grundy while Static and Aqualad were in a fierce fight with Black Manta. Finally Artemis was attempting to take on poison Ivy on her own. "You and your little sidekick club are done. No ones going to save you like last time!" Sportsmaster cried out laughing at Slade who was struggling to get up.
"Don't count your chickens before they hatch!" A voice cried out as Sportsmaster was knocked to the ground by a projectile of sorts. Grundy was suddenly lifted up as he tried to smash Warp. One of Ivy's plants was frozen just as it was about to hit Artemis. As the three events happened simultaneously everyone turned to see where the voice came from. The villains gasped in surprise and the Heroes smiled. M'gann, Gear and Nightwing stood tall on a beam. "Nightwing!" Warp cried out as RA smirked. It seemed as though Nightwing showing up gave the heroes a new desire to win.
The three heroes jumped from the beam while M'gann floated down. Nightwing and Gear landed with a thud and Nightwing looked at Red Arrow and placed a hand to his forehead. "Nightwing reporting for duty!" Nightwing said with a mock salute. "Looky Birdboys back!" Joker cried out laughing. RA smirked forming a plan in his head. "Team Mind take out Grundy. Team Heartbreaker take out Poison Ivy! Nightwing assist Slade with Sportsmaster! Artemis your with me!" Red Arrow exclaimed at his teams. Everyone turned to Red Arrow and nodded. "OATH LETS KICK SOME ASS!" He exclaimed as Warp smiled at Nightwing as the teams began their switch.
Nightwing nodded and lunged at Sportsmaster in order to give Slade a moment to catch his breath. The two began in a battle of skill with Sportsmaster having the upperhand. He attempted to connect a Haymaker with Nightwing's temple it was stopped. Sportsmaster turned to see Slade standing tall. "Don't touch my apprentice!" Slade stated calmly before connecting a haymaker of his own to Sportsmaster's face. "Master." Nightwing said with a smile. "Good to have you back apprentice." Slade said putting a hand on Nightwing's shoulder before turning back to Sportsmaster.
Very soon it was apparent that Nightwing's apperance had turned the tide of the battle. And within the hour the villains were forced to retreat using a teleportation scroll Klarion had developed for them.
"Were you successful in your mission?" A voice asked as Klarion smirked evily. "Of course the image was placed inside his head at the time he was most vulnerable." Klarion said wickedly. "Excellent Klarion. We are now moving to Phase 3." The voice laughed wickedly...
Again sorry bout the later update making 2k words will make up for it :) I can hope right? Also next chapter will the conclusion to the Masks of Lies and Deception Arc. So now just a few questions for you to sit on while I write the next chapter. What was it that Klarion did inside Richard's mind? What is going to happen to Oath now. Finally what is the Light's plan? Hehehe you'll have to stay tuned until next time to find out. Aren't I evil?