Nightwing; A Series of Doubts – Give and Take –

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Chapter 9: Falling into the Sea

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Slade explores a new method to earning a broken teen's trust, by being generous? Some warnings involve manipulation, blackmail, physical abuse and flashbacks. Ah, and attempted murder. Watched Big Fish and Begonia which was a Spirited Away knock off if anyone noticed the years they were released. I think a lot of shared influences are in myth and folklore, but not the timing and roles or expressions of the characters. Unlike Song of the Sea, it is a bit similar though stands all on its own.

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~ The sea is vast and all creatures that dwell within it, eventually try to find their way home. ~

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"Don't let your favorite soup get cold, Dick."

During that exact week, Slade had forced Dick invest in some furniture. The kind where you sat down at the table for supper and ate with one other person while STARING them down.

Dick didn't touch his soup, fearing the fact he'd been face first into the sofa before might have been a needle to the skin while his back was turned.

Slade and his ninja android seemed like the most likely of candidates, so he was reluctant on the first bite. Until Slade picked up his own spoon from a china dish and ate, with one eye shut to savor his creation.

" Mnm! Now I know why you can eat this and not burn from it." Slade picked up his napkin, while Dick didn't laugh.

"You're going home afterwards, right?"

Slade was well into the soup, as hunger did rule his belly. His eye upturned towards the kid's worrisome expression. The merc put down his spoon and crossed his buff arms over his black short sleeve shirted pecs.

"You're putting up a front, Grayson. I'll leave once my work here is –

"I don't need you anymore."

Slade cleared his throat.

"Ah, actually? You do." Slade picked up his napkin while using it to point and emphasize his very "point" for being present at the boy's supper table. "You can barely stand on your own; but Bruce let you try, he really did…"

"I don't need you to teach me to be a hero." Said the teen with his own arms crossed over his redressed slimmer chest.

"I had my shot and yeah, you got your jollies by watching me dance up on a stage that "you" orchestrated. But guess what? I have people, and I know you are…just…. jealous!"

Slade snickered into his napkin before wiping a tear from his eye, thinking that this boy reprimanding him here was truly something else.

Slade raised a now devious brow. "As in no one else can teach you the way I can, hah! *…. or, or is it a one-night stand –

"I'm asking – no…. I'm DEMANDING you get out of my house, Slade!" Shot the boy as his bowl rattled upon rising. Hands to the table top, his lovely moment before was a sham. And now, it was time to stop, playing dress up and make believe was over. Slade had to hit the road before he corrupted some other disturbed teenager's wet dream.

" Your house, boy?" Slade rose as well, hand to the side of the table.

Under it as the dishes went crashing to the floor.

"Is it? I thought Wayne had you covered. Well, first thing's first." Cracking his knuckles, the merc started over for the boy wonder as Dick flew back and rushed towards the only exit, he could in that moment of panic.

The terrace.

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Jason picked up his gaming headphones and logged on to a video line.

Mumbling, he pressed a few keys and took a long, deep couple of breaths before the buffer mode vanished.

The face of a dark-haired man whom he'd known for too long a time appeared on his screen.

"Dad…" Jay would never abandon Dick, just as the man he knew was biting his nails to the nub to find out what Jason and Kori had discovered.

She was a part of this; after the Sionas plant had gone up in smoke, Batman had gotten some eyes and ears to look after Dick.

Something he only did if he'd found a list, or a lead…

"Dick." Jason started to say to Mr. Wayne. "I think he's being abused, B. He had this red ring around his throat…. like a rope was –

~ I think I know too, but not enough from what Barbara has told me so far. ~ The billionaire shared with his second eldest of the clan. ~ Dick is being turned against or away from us, some form of abuse he won't tell anyone you said? Could be a relationship that's become –

"He fights well, more collectively…. better…I can't explain but he was confident in only a few easy weeks since the news –

~ I talked to that mayor and dug something up from his file. ~ Bruce's eye narrowed as he tapped a few keys to share his findings.

Bruce saw how Jay's eyes got bigger, and yeah.

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~ The mayor was in on it?? How! ~

"Someone paid him to play the part." Bruce explained. "His payments I'd been going through only vanished on the week of the attack, so the one who deposited that hefty sum –

~ Can't be caught…. why? Is Dick being trau -….is he not the one who thought he saved the guy? ~ Jason shook his skull. ~ B, this would rip he and Babs up! It's political corruption of the entire line of duty, they all…did anyone else get in on this? Why, Dick? ~

"I'm trying to figure that out, but the only person who could keep a close eye is also being restricted from contacting his line directly."

~ Barbie got hacked, no way…should I send my –

"You can't jump in there." Bruce stopped the Outlaw with a warning voice. "Whoever is keeping Dick in line behind our backs, he knows every trick in the book to not get spotted."

~ The mall! ~ Jason sudden piped in. ~ He's gotta be –

"Barbara checked and it was tampered with right away, if not by the accomplice of Dick's… blackmailer we'll call it."

Jason ran his hands over his face and groaned.

~ Dickie…. augh…. I can't let him end up like this, put me in there! I can always…~

Jay's eyes fell to his lap. ~ So, what are you gonna have us all do? ~

"Work from a safe distance while I get to the bottom of what's going on with Blud's newest mastermind." Bruce said with such determination to get his son back. "Just don't get pulled too deep into Blud's system. I knew I should have prevented Dick from trying to make the decision to go…. it's not Gotham, Jason."

He told the teen with a grumble. "It's far more unpredictable and HAS order, unlike most of Gotham. If you find him, get him out with Babs as soon as you can…. we may be facing a threat with a likely stalker instinct…"

Bruce put a hand to his throat, wondering if Jason had guessed correctly. "Be vigilant, don't stay too long if trouble is to follow. I'll be there in a heartbeat when it does."

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While two parties debated on and offline, Barbara G had been on the streets outside the swanky new Americana restaurant…. without him, where was he anyway?

She checked the time on her cell. The temperature had dropped, well below its numbers in April. Still cold, still icy as she kept her coat collar up. It would be May soon. The flowers would bloom, there would be more sun than all of this fog.

She checked the cell again.

No Dick, he was too sleepy of miserable in his own head. She had the answers…

"If you'd only listen, you'd know I was right there…"

A clatter of cans from a bin of trash had the red head jumping out of her skin. She gasped and twisted round to see if it were a stray cat.

"He – Hey! Who's there?"

The lot remained still, as a pitter patter of something cold had fallen atop the genius girl's head.

"For – snow!? I didn't get the memo…. thanks a lot, global warming!" Still, in April snow was fine and all, yet Babs was ice cold waiting for this "Dick" to meet her demands. She started off for the bus, yet a shadow threw her on the run. A speedy bolt of black, as she dashed on after whatever had taken her senses for a tailspin.

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Bab's run around the block lead her to a small pedestrian side of the bridge leading uptown of Blud, where the money ran thickest. She'd tried to stay clear of it, stay out of trouble so her father wouldn't worry. Even if Dick didn't know it, despite his tantrums and fears or ego, she still –

"You!" Bab's eyes spotted the shadow and dashed onto the passenger side of the steep bridge. It was over the bay, one wrong...no time for that!

"You had better slow down, whoever you are!" She watched as the ninja jerk stayed put, her arm reaching as he pulled back.

"Don't y –

With a push from behind, she didn't have time to scream.

No time, as the water below welcomed her…

Falling, white snowflakes dancing round her face as she wondered in free - fall…

~ I wonder if Dick can see it too…how clear tonight is…~

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~ The piece you wanted is in check. ~ The unit made a noise as Slade was at the time busy yanking his partner's arm back from turning this case, suicidal.

As Dick finally batted away enough of the man to push himself, he was yanked by his arm, yelling out as the wrenching continued while his feet dangled downwards…

His vision doubled.

What –

"Let me pull you up, Richard!"

"Let, go! There's no way out! I told you to stop…. you keep doing this! Let me drop!" The boy pleaded.

Slade let go, but only of one arm as the kid let out another cry.

"You'd rather create the first ever heroic suicide in Blud, kid?" Snorted the merc as he shook his head, disapprovingly. "Pity. I have much to teach you…"

Slade's voice was too close. HE was too close!

Dick attempted to swing his body like a chimp, yet instead of that –

He swung his arm right out his socket as he yowled with the hot itch of pain that ran up it. Slade sighing loudly, knowing this farce was causing the meal to…oh, that was him.

Dick had to play the hero, so why not open those big blue eyes a set of truths to really light his little fire?

Slade could be cruel at times, deceitful, yet never did he break his word.

"It's time, Grayson."

Dick bit at his own jaw as teeth gnashed painfully in his mouth, growling withheld for the time it took to drag the boy out, and of course knock him unconscious for a little while.

Slade was sure to tidy up the room before leaving, not sparing much time as he put the pot of Lecso in a container to be frozen for tomorrow. "When you wake, child…. you'll eventually have an entirely different opinion on my generosity…" With that, Slade tossed the kid into the back seat of a sleek black car he'd called last second, not asking questions as the driver sped away with his passengers. They were going to a place that might look great from a few stories extra. All the while, Slade kept the kid from waking, simply a hand atop his young skull as he paused from carding through his student's ebony strands.

Once more; another had been extinguished. Slade picked his cell out of his pocket and saw the shocking news.

~ Gone missing…~

He smiled to himself and on the entire drive back, didn't bother to keep his eye on the prize.

For this fun little game, was already check and mate.

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She isn't dead and Dick isn't having sex yet! Slade is testing him b – no spoilers! This got long so had to keep the pacing going just right. Stay curious and working on more Torn Legacy arc – also, check out more sladin and such of my one shots. A lot of this will become clearer in next chapter. Read on and find out what becomes of our little victim!