Nightwing; A Series of Doubts – Give and Take –
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Chapter 8: Caller I.Ds and PTSD
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Slade goes for the head, the state of Robin's head being his greatest feat yet. Read on!
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Robin didn't let the weight bury him for much longer than he was allowed. Slade's diet plan returned his desire to run laps for some reason, and so much time as Robin now that Blud needed him….
~ We got a call to action, boy scout! ~
Slade was on the burner with one set of texts, but talking to a person after him and hearing her chipper words of encouragement. Slade was also listening in for a reason to whisper a few words with a devil'ss tongue into the kid's ear. He had been keeping an eye on the hero for a week, and so far no kicking and screaming.
Kori was an empty picture frame on the kid's shelf, while Todd was on a restraining order until Dick talked on his own time.
Time, was not something that Slade wanted the boy to waste.
Dick flew into action; a bank robbery. A perfect comeback. Slade applauded the righteous grin of that arrogant child he'd plucked from his roots. "Go get em, tiger…" Slade smirked from his car monitor. This one was close to a side street lot to watch and see the action. If the kid cracked again, he'd stop the fires.
After all, Slade was if not a generous daddy long legs to get trapped in the web of. He could spare letting one bird fly away on his own, before he dragged it back in. keeping it still.
Draining it of life, in order to birth something anew.
A masterful execution, and when there was no new hero, he'd have it.
Slade leaned in to see what a crash landing this lad would do for; how Barbie still had yet to master this puzzle box he kept to.
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The cops were outside, radio units on and the guns they had at a standstill.
"What's the trouble?" Dick swung down next to Valentine as she tried to get her act together. The bat's kid was now a likable asset to their case.
"The crooks have hostages." Valentine relayed to the boy wonder. "We can send in back up, but they'll shoot if we try anything too soon."
"Can I try something, then?" Smirking, the boy wonder could crawl into tight spaces. "Let this one-man SWAT team help out your officers, there." He assured. "I'm the Bat's number one, after all."
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Dick squeezed in through the air vents as he usually knew to. He was more than better after a week of re – toxing. He was…
More energy.
He kicked the grate and landed with a crouch, now inside the bank's surveillance and security room.
With a huff, he got to work.
"Time to get soaked."
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The sprinkler system was still on. These crooks had to be newcomers. Good think, because Dick was also a veteran to the industry.
Slade nodded as the boy wonder's performance made sense.
The good cops ran in while those dis –
Where was he now??
~ Hyaa ! ~
Slade chuckled under his breath.
" That's my boy wonder!" He praised from yards off, enjoying the knock out win that this hero had brought to Blud. A performer at best, he'd keep dancing right to the top.
"Very good, my little bird… Almost…" Slade felt his ego rising.
"Almost."
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Dick had made the news, but this time?
No causalities.
"Whoo! I'm back! Yes!!" Slade heard from the rest, but his first motive was to do a little more training to that ego.
Time to manipulate again.
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Babs looked at the text from the week Dick had sent it, the day he'd left Kori and…
Scratching her head, Babs groaned and returned to her research.
"The time is forewarned, and the face I hold has been tested…. Nostradamus was wrong?"
She didn't get that message. "Has to be in the "language of birds." She joked, giggling at Dick's pig Latin as if –
She scanned it again.
"Code…it is!" Immediately, the red headed hacker picked up the cell on her desk. "Dick?" She started leaving her message, not knowing that it was being intercepted.
"I think I know what you meant to tell me. Meet me at the Waterwheel Inn by the bridge so we can go over the answers. Hang in there, partner…"
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Slade growled at the message, his back to the robot he'd built. An idea starting to form. "I want you to throw her off of our scent." He ordered the bot, it being on one knee for its creator.
"As you command, sir." Away it leaped, leaving no trace due to its ninja reflexes. What could that bat brat hope to do?
Say…
"I have to look deeper." He turned now to the device, to find out…what scared that little bookworm the most.
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Dick went to get into the shower, rinse off from a long day. He'd call Babs in a few. The most they got was when…
He felt something rattle.
What…
The floor started sinking.
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Dick awoke to his face being knee deep in the cushions of his sofa. Did he…. fall into them? Groggily, he got up and checked the time…
Five at night??
"Slade's, going to burn me alive…" Dick sat up quickly and cleaned up any messes, feeling that any dish unwashed required a good –
He shook the thought, but there it was.
Slade, was a rapist. He didn't need him anymore. Dick swallowed, putting a ceramic bowl in the dish drain. He didn't…
He hugged his arms to his chest and rushed into the bathroom.
He was forgetting, he was coming back…. coming….
Dick's heart raced.
The longer he ignored the real crime here, the more disillusioned he became – just like that r –
Dick went into the shower and heaved. His whole body shaking as he let the water run. Let it all leave, as he tried to dry heave before coming to his knees and bawling slick tears.
"No! No no…. it's not fair! I can't…he can't…. have to tell…. Babs! I…I –
He'd be a fraud then.
Dick sat under the pouring water and shivered.
He'd be a creep just like the man who…. had…
Who had touched him, he was now…. becoming his coach?...
Dick didn't feel like moving as the sound of a key in the lock was ignored. He'd seen the man's face, so it made no sense to sneak around with his heavier weapons on.
"Kid?"
Deathstroke. The one who'd…
Dick curled up tighter until the water left his top and shorts completely sopping.
"Kid? Are you in here? We had a sess –
Slade opened the door to the bathroom and had a far different, more human look on his face.
He was remembering. Shit.
"Ric –
" Don't come near me!"
Slade was never confused about how his bird's feathers had been ruffled far too soon. "I –
" NO." Dick just turned to the wall, Slade's black army boots and white patch nothing to him as he squeezed his eyes shut.
"Fine."
Dick breathed through his nose with a short gasp.
"Fine." Slade played the reverse, to gather his bird back up. Manipulation. Such a tragic retelling as he put his arms up and shrugged to the boy. "You win, now let me at least remedy this so you can get something –
"Shut up!" Dick snapped at the freaking monster. "Y- you took my virginity, you effing bastard! You…. you fucking tried to y- use me... I'm a…just a damn, fake!" Dick shook harder. "Babs won't even talk to me if…. if I come clean, so forget it!"
"Then, let her go fucking help herself for once." Slade said without a care, making the boy raise his eyes.
"You…what did you do ???"
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Barbara got to his voicemail over an hour ago…why was…
She clicked her tongue and took the pen she'd been chewing on from her lips.
"Try again…come on, pretty boy…pick up…."
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The vibrating cell was new as Slade gave Dick a look before going to the kid's room to retrieve it from atop his dresser. "She's calling you now." Slade told the boy as he showed the kid the flashing screen with an image of the hero's faithfully, pining partner.
"Care to answer it?"
Dick licked his lips, knowing his plan was not going to happen. Shoulders slouched, he just nodded and Slade carefully placed the boy's cell in his hand. No longer under the cod spray of water but in new clothes since Slade had technically gotten the boy his answer in less than the time it took Barbie to become impatient.
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Dick stared down his nemesis with a snarl
"What, did you do??"
Slade sighed and went to sit on the toilet seat, Dick scrunching away like this man carried an incurable disease.
"I was watching out for you. I did a retake on your future self. You and Batgirl do end up, happier together...until she gets hurt."
"That's…. impossible that you know any of that. You can't be –
"I'll show it to you some time." Slade told the teenager.
"I'll show you how it works, and maybe then you might believe what my intentions really hold. To your best interest, for you to become a real adversary to someone who could potentially cripple your partner's body and heart."
"I will." Dick sniffed as the water was shut off, his fists in a lesser state than he'd had them. The fear…. Babs was, going to be unable to walk? What future was this?
That…
That was, too sad….
"And even so, I'll protect her if that can happen." Dick decreed, both that and his puppy love.
"She won't get hurt because of you –
"But, boy wonder." Slade scoffed and sat up a bit taller. "I'm not the one she has to worry will hurt her; you are."
"W-
" You, broke her heart in the future, right after you led her to lose her ability to walk…by letting her go of her too soon."
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Babs gave up. No –
~ Barbie! ~
Dick breathed into the phone as she let go of her withheld thanks.
"What were you doing? Sleeping, boy wonder? I tried to leave you…never mind. I found it out!"
~ That, the thing you mean? ~ Somehow, Dick sounded unclear. She frowned and was tempted to pop a piece of gum in her mouth.
"Yes, that. So, your code was unclear but I got it. Meet me tonight o –
The call broke off as soon as she'd just gotten and lost him, in that one trial of an evening.
"Shit."
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"Slade, I needed to –
"You went behind my back." The old Slade poked its head out, which made his face seem terrifying all the same.
"I thought we were in agreement, no secrets to our associates. So, does that mean I can go after one of yours now?"
"Don't you touch her! You are not ge –
"You agreed, you knew what I was." Slade slammed the boy wonder to his shower wall, teth so close to his throat.
"I can wait, but you were supposed to be ready hours ago…what happened to sticking to the plan, kid?"
"Not…. yours…." Dick growled out, his mouth readying to spit in the man's face until an unclad palm was placed over it.
Making him panic as he struggled to know how to breathe.
"Your mouth is a problem. Maybe I should revoke your phone privileges. Put you in a decent time out. See how you like being left all alone…"
Slade snaked in by the boy's trembling right ear.
"In the future, you have NO one." Hissed the monster. "Not even me to pull you out of the gutter…. I, did say you deserved to see it, but maybe you should live with never knowing that sad future…. Let the poison of your denial eat you alive…"
Slade let the boy go; he stifled no such cough as his mentor's large palm was removed. "You'll keep to this deal, or you'll be exposed by me from the inside as a con. Just like your new teacher, right boy wonder?" His grin made Dick's skin crawl, a rat with the desire to eat his flesh….to feast on what remains he had to offer.
Dick just balled up and hugged his knees to his chest, sliding down the wall and taking in startled gasps as Slade took his body to another part of the small apartment bathroom.
"Now, what would you like for supper?" The switch was odd, not at all that of a menace, yet crazier. Was Slade….
Richard's eyes poked out from his knees. Guessing from it all, pure dominant type. The worst. Sane most of the time unless provoked, which he had done…
"I came all this way, and you did pick up on my other lessons. I'll reward that, for tonight."
"Lecso…" Dick murmured.
Slade frowned. "Spicy, isn't it? After heaving up your last meal?"
"Tata…she, and Alfred made it taste alright…"
Slade let his body relax somewhat. Still, a regressive Stockholm boy wonder was better than no boy wonder, so Slade made the attempt with an official web page of Hungarian cooking.
"Coming right up, oh, and…. remember to clean up your mess. Dinner will ready by seven thirty at the earliest."
Slade slunk out towards the kitchen, humming a gentle tune as he pretended that he was still here, on easy street with the biggest con to make a washed-up hero into a bigger icon that Superman.
The same theme he'd been humming however, was one of Dick's that was set to go off as…
Barbara's ringtone…
Dick gritted his fists at the taunting sound.
That fucking monster had turned it down to vibrate, which meant…
That Dick's phone was no longer his property.
Babs had called, and Slade had literally told her to butt out and leave a damn message…
He was trapped, and Slade was unfortunately the only one closest to the exit this time.
He had to get out, or else…Dick chewed his lip while biting back a small whimper.
He'd jump for it. From the terrace, if it meant getting back to his best friend, he'd even break a few of his bones if he had to.
They were all roped into this, sighed the hero as he tried to get off of the floor. Cleaning would come first.
Yet, no matter what Slade wanted next, he wasn't getting shit from Robin or Dick Grayson.
Not if he had anything to say about that.
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